London: Kings and soldiers

There are things that stick with you when you visit historical sites.  These buildings that were built hundreds of years ago and in which famous and very powerful people have lived or worked.

The things that stick are usually weird enough that you still can’t dislodge them days or months after your visit.

For example, when we visited the Hampton Court palace I learned that the there were high-born men whose privilege it was to serve the king as his “Groom of the Stool” - a coveted duty that included monitoring the king’s bowel movements and accompanying him when he took a dump.  Some say the duties included washing the king’s butt, however (but?) while the duties did include bringing towels and water in a washbasin there is no documented proof that the king actually bent over to be washed.

The position was coveted.  Henry VIII’s grooms of the stool  (he had 6 of them over his reign) were honored.  They wielded significant power as a result of their close proximity with the king and often controlled the private and secret finances of the king.

This week we took a trip into London to meet Anne’s second cousin and took some time to visit St Paul’s cathedral, an experience that has been lingering for more somber reasons.

I had visited the cathedral when I first passed through London in 2000 and at that time had found myself overwhelmed by its beauty and architectural majesty.  The structure and vaulted dome has a powerful presence.

On this visit I paid more attention to the sculptures and memorials along the sides and behind the altar and was surprised to see how many of them were memorials to soldiers and war.  I’m nor sure why I expected the memorials to be ancient religious leaders and royalty but the first one I came across was commemorating a soldier who died in the Crimean war.   I started to walk around to look at each of them and I realize with my limited exposure to English history that the names might have meant a lot more to me if I had paid more attention in Grade 9 when they were no doubt mentioned. 

Near the entrance to the right I stood for a few moments at the commemorative sculpture that remembers the 4300 souls who died fighting in South Africa - no doubt in the Boer wars - feeling a little odd at the thought of this monument remembering the losses on the English side.   My father reminded me in my youth that our ancestors had suffered at the hands of the English during the Boer Wars.   Each side steadfastly believed that God was with them and the  here I was at the English memorial thinking about the Boers.

At the back of the church behind the altar is a large banner describing the area commemorating the Americans who died fighting with the English during World War II and the deaths of soldiers in the Gulf war.

The web site of the Cathedral has a disclaimer that not all of the memorials would be considered worthy of inclusion today, without saying which,  and that they are a mark of how they were viewed at their time in history.  I suppose these might be referring to Generals who fought in India and in other British colonies a long time ago.

In the crypt there is a striking tomb to Nelson that was originally made for a Cardinal under Henry VIII who fell out of favor and was executed.  The wooden coffin inside the tomb was made from the mast of a French ship that was captured in the Nile.

Christopher Wren, the famous architect responsible for St Paul's, is buried in the cathedral and there are monuments to John Donne and Florence Nightingale - who’s names stood out as we walked around.  I also noticed that Walter De La Mare’s ashes are in the crypt.  He was a beloved poet of my Grade 7 teacher who had us all learn "The Horseman”.

Before we went down to the crypt Anne and I decided to walk up the stairs that take you to the top of the dome for a 360 degree view of London.  

I had noticed a railing inside the top of the dome from the floor of the cathedral and was disappointed to find out after walking up all the stairs that our views would be the city and not into the dome itself.

The famous whispering gallery - about half-way up - has been closed to visitors because of two “incidents" (one in 2017 and one in 2019).   It was sobering to type into a google search “suicides from the whispering gallery” and see auto complete show up various places around the world that are called “whispering galleries” that have been chosen as a last visiting place. 

 

For us, the Cathedral was a remarkable visit with someone playing the amazing pipe organ during the entire time of our visit. 

 

And a verse from Walter De La Mare that I'd never seen before but was somehow drawn to read.

Poor Tired Tim! It's sad for him.
He lags the long bright morning through,
Ever so tired of nothing to do;
He moons and mopes the livelong day,
Nothing to think about, nothing to say;
Up to bed with his candle to creep,
Too tired to yawn, too tired to sleep:
Poor Tired Tim! It's sad for him.