Betty in the Real World

Stars Through the Mist:

Deborah's mother tells Gerard that she saw Queen Wilhelmina once in London during the war.What a fascinating biography she had!  Churchill described her as the only real man among the governments-in-exile in London.  She outlived three older half-brothers to become Queen at the age of 10.

 When Gerard travels to Friesland with Deborah, she sees some artwork by Jacob de Gheyn--small animal paintings, mice and things.  There were three de Gheyns (I, II and III--like the Superman movies) but I think she meant the second.

Gary Glitter.           Yes.            Really.

The botany class from St. Julian's sings Rule Britannia and pop tunes to keep the chill out during their night on the moors.  Here are a few of the best hits of 1973 in the U.K.: Donny Osmond 'The Twelfth of Never' (the dreamiest!), Gary Glitter 'I Love You Love Me Love' (How can I rail properly at Lady Gaga with this stuff floating around the internet?!) and Dawn featuring Tony Orlando 'Tie a Yellow Ribbon 'Round the Ole Oak Tree' (Sheesh.  Now I hate Americans.)



A Star Looks Down:
Everybody does the maze at Hampton Court Palace:

The ghost walks at midnight...

In 1537, the King's much desired male heir, the future Edward VI, was born at the palace and the child's mother, Jane Seymour, died there two weeks later.  Four years afterwards, whilst attending Mass in the palace's chapel, the King was informed of his fifth wife's adultery. The Queen, Catherine Howard, was dragged away, screaming, from a gallery leading to the chapel. Her ghost is said to haunt it...After the reign of George II, no monarch ever resided at Hampton Court. In fact, George III, from the moment of his accession, never set foot in the palace; he associated the state apartments with a humiliating scene when his father had once struck him following an innocent remark.
About Henry VIII...I've mentioned to Betty Debbie before about this--my muddled feelings per the Reformation vs. the Reformationists.  I'm a big fan of the Reformation (thumbs way, way up!)--though not Protestant myself, I certainly benefit from religious pluralism.  But Reformationists are another kettle of fish--though maybe Henry VIII might be more an Opportunist?  Anyway, I always feel more sympathetic to the non-Reformationists as people--Wolsey, Katherine of Aragon, etc.  (And, yes I understand that that puts me in the shady camp of Bloody Mary rather than Elizabeth I whom I have always felt would annoy the heck out of me.  Riddle me that.) 


The title quote is 'a star looks down...' from a Thomas Hardy poem called Waiting Both:

A star looks down at me,
And says:  “Here I and you
Stand each in our degree:
What do you mean to do,—

  Mean to do?”

I say:  “For all I know,
Wait, and let Time go by,
Till my change come.”—”Just so,”
The star says:  “So mean I:—
  So mean I.”