Lilian's Tree

 5:11am Friday 9th September 2022 and my mobile phone pings with an incoming message; "I know it's early but not sure if you know yet the Queen has died." Well if I wasn't awake before I read the message, I was after. It was the beginning of a day, that wasn't 'normal' but life still went on. Now on Sunday 11th September, I am able to write how I feel about this momentous occasion. Friday, social media, television and radio all had the same thing, like in a continuous loop, for the television stations, everyone who had an opinion expressed it and the reality  sank in. The Queen was dead. I had bought a pair of sock, with crowns and corgis for the Jubilee, so I wore them, my way of honouring Her. I reflected on the time I had, had a glimpse of Her. 1963, as a school child, in Hyde Park, Sydney, and again in 1970, when she was here for the bicentennial of Captain Cook's discovery of this country. Fast forward to 2019 and this was my selfie with Her Majes...

  This year, 2022, marks 70 years since Queen Elizabeth 11 ascended the throne and commentators have been saying that for most people, she is the only monarch we have known. (I’m talking Commonwealth countries here.) This got me thinking, “ How many monarchs did my ancestors have in their lifetimes?”   I’ve gone back to my 2xGreat grandparents and worked it out. I have two German 2xGreat grandparents, so while I have included their names, I haven’t included any monarchs. MONARCH (numbered for ease of recording) 1) George III 25 October 1760 – 29 January 1820 2) George IV 29 January 1820 – 26 June 1830 3) William IV 26 June 1830 – 20 June 1837 4) Victoria 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901 5) Edward VII 22 January 1901 – 6 May 1910 6) George V 6 May 1910 - 20 January 1936 7) Edward VIII 20 January 1936 – 11 December 1936 8) George VI 11 December 1936 – 6 February 1952 9) Elizabeth II 6 February 1952 - present Name/Monarch Number 1 ...