#New Zealand satin flower

[jillraggett]

Plant of the Day

Sunday 26 May 2024

In my friend’s lovely garden she has created an informal hedge with Libertia grandiflora (New Zealand satin flower). Strong-growing, evergreen clumps of leaves line the entrance and now are covered with white, bowl-shaped flowers. In the autumn the flowers are followed by round seed pods which turn black when they mature.

Jill Raggett

[4eternal-life]

Taika Waititi  & Rita Ora  At The 2023 Met Gala

Rita Ora wears an Atelier Prabal Gurung black silk tulle corseted gown draped with hand pleated silk chiffon and cascading chiffon skirt with multiple hand embroidered silk organza and satin flowers

New Zealand filmmaker Taika Waititi  sported a gun metal blazer (which measured all the way down to his ankles), white trousers, a long pearl necklace and a black floral corsage (to mimic his partner’s design). He opted to go shirtless for the wow factor.

ph. Jamie Mccarthy / Getty Images

[questioned-quetzalcoatl]

30 Days of OTP - Day 14, Genderbent

Rating: K

Verse: Nyotalia

AN: This is set up so that it's not the 'Oh my god we've turned into women' cliché because I didn't want this to sound as cringe as some of the previous days ;w;

But yeah they're already established as their Nyo! versions and in a ball in the 1800's because I'm always a sucker for vintage things, especially clothing and fashion of the time period. Kainga literally looks the same both canon and Nyo, that's being androgynous for you *shrug*

I will actually write Non Binary Tonga one day I swear-

Juliet (New Zealand) Kainga (Tonga)

Why was she here again? She didn't remember. Taking it upon herself to accept the party invite in the first place, what on earth was she thinking?

Dressed in her light blue ballgown, she'd even forgot where she'd got this from. Perhaps caught her sight in the window of a store as she walked past the window of flashy dresses, new in style of the typical modern style of the 1800's. She clearly didn't try it on before she ran into the store to buy it, she just knew she had to grab it before someone else did. The consequences catching up to her as the dress constricted around waist and stomach, designed that way to make her slimmer, defining her more feminine features in its purpose design.

Despite the coreset half crushing her ribs, the dress was enticingly beautiful. The sleeves and blouse were vaguely puffed out, all done in sapphire blues and shades of cobalt flecked with white that seemed to undulate of their own volition. The lower skirt of the dress consisted of ruffled tiers of sky blue satin that ended in a ragged hem just above her ankles, as if the seamstress had suddenly been called away before completing her task. Patterned up with light blue flowers across the fabric, woven into the creamy material. A spidery white lace bodice consummated the ensemble, shimmering under the ballroom light that matched with the pearl necklace wrapped around her neck. Silk cyan ribbons held up the dresses lace around about the area of her chest, waist and upper arms where her pleated trimmed sleeves came to an end.

She held her matching fan up to rest on her chin and mouth, watching the ballroom with weary eyes. Three dozen glittering crystal chandeliers spiraled down from the ceiling, which was the exact shade of yellow of a sunny summer day in August, sending a lovely diffused golden light over the ballroom’s occupants. And how they glittered as well. A group of three women in front of Kainga all had flowing, elaborately-bejeweled ball gowns of the most beautiful shades of emerald and ruby and amethyst. They smelled of roses and hyacinth and jasmine and every other flower in the garden outside the palace. The ballroom had been cold for centuries, until true love entered and the torches lit as if by divine hand, to feel the presence of a heart with such a strong soul-connection. But there was no one here for her.

It was too stuffy in here anyways. Was there a way out? She had no purpose here than to sit and look pretty for the glazing eyes of single men who watched her trying to figure out if she was truly a woman, man, or something entirely different. It was the way she held her hair wasn't it. Dark brown curly hair, the waves of hair wrapping around themselves like locks of pure silk. Held together with a small white headband so her hair curled up in the same fashion where her hair curled like the horns of a sheep.

Making her way to the balcony, she was glad to find it was relevantly empty. A few people stood at the large arching entrance to the balcony, she could hear their low chatter as they talked among themselves and laughed, seemingly completely at ease. Around the balcony where lush bush grew, coiling around the marble pillars like snakes within the thick trees that hung over her. Her gloved hands rested on the railing on the balcony, just glad to get some fresh air and-

There was a rustle from the trees, the sound of grunting. Was someone attempting to climb it? She peeked forward timidly, unexpectedly, another woman jumped from canopy of the trees, making Kainga scream in surprise and drop her fan. The other woman didn't seem phased, in fact, she laughed loudly at her. Like this was some kind of joke that the Tongan had almost ripped her dress.

Juliet is surprised to say, she got away with wearing such masculine clothing for a woman. Dressed in a suit and tie, the pants up to her ankles because god forbid she show her ankles in public. But she wasn't one to fit into the exact norms of the time, plus it was easier to climb trees and sneak into parties in. That's the kind of woman she was.

"Sorry to scare ya!" she bent down at the hips, Kainga was baffled by her behavior. What woman bends at the hips? It would reveal...everything! How informal was she? This woman in a suit bending down at her hips before-

She handed her back her fan with a smile coaxed on her face. "Miss Tonga is it?"

Kainga took the fan with a small huff, opening it up to fan it in her face. She noticed the strange looking markings under the woman's lower lip. They looked like some kind of chin tattoos, she examined it closely. It looked rather traditional, consisting of curls and swirls patterned on her dark brown skin. Whatever it was, or meant, it was strangely beautiful. Kainga looked back into her bright eyes. "Miss Kingdom of Tonga to you-"

"That's too long," the Kiwi complained. "Can I just call ya Miss Tonga? You got a human name? Are ya even a shelia-?"

She let out a small sigh and shot her a dark look, looking away from the over woman with her fan half covering her face. "Kainga." she said meekly, looking back up at her. "You?"

"Ms Aotearoa!" Juliet chirped cheerfully. "Or New Zealand as Alice calls me, I prefer Aotearoa, it's badass!"

Kainga let out a small scoff. "Right. And your human name..?"

"Juliet! Me friends call me Julie!" Juliet took the gloved hands of the Brunette in front of her, making the other almost jump out of her dress. Speaking of which. "Wow, this dress is amazin'! Where'd ya get it from?!" Without warning, she grabbed the helm of Kainga's dress all too innocently and lifted it up to inspect more.

Kainga could only let out a scream of pure blaspheme, whacking the Kiwi woman over the head with her fan. While Juliet only caught a glimpse, she could tell that the Tongan possessed the same genitals as her. Tonga was indeed a girl. But she really didn't mean to lift that far up. Juliet let out a scream as her fellow colony punches her and starts shouting at her in her mother tongue as the pair scrapped on the floor.

Even as the smaller woman was on top of her probably trying to kill her for such awful deeds, she couldn't help but think about how adorable she was. When her hits gave less force, she just grabbed the Tongan's wrist.

"I'll have ya know, I think yer adorable." Juliet exclaimed all too happily. "Like a poodle, a really feisty poodle!"

Kainga's wrist slipped out of the white silk glove as Juliet held it. She shyed her hand away and attempted another swipe for it. "I'm no poodle!" she snapped angrily. Pushing herself off of Juliet's not so womanly body, from the looks of her, she was rather strong. At least compared to how petite Kainga was. "Give it back!"

She snatched the glove out of Juliet's hand with a disgruntled high pitched huff, standing up to dust off her dress and make sure that the boisterous Kiwi woman hadn't ripped it. Juliet however, was rolling on the floor in a hoot. "Yer shoulda seen ya face! Priceless!"

"Oh shut up you! You crinkled my dress!" She pinned her hair back up with the bobby pins and slipping her headband back on. Giving Juliet a lighter hit on the head with her fan. To be fair, it could've been worse. She'd had her fair share of men try to grab her bust, above all, this woman didn't seem like she really meant harm. Maybe she was just a bit stupid. Or really stupid. She took that latter.

"Oh relax princess, it's not the end of the bloody world!" Juliet stood up with a jump in her step and smiled at her. Suddenly, taking the smaller woman's hand in her own when the music got noticeably louder. "I like this song," she hummed thoughtfully. ",Yer dance?"

"W-what?!"

"I'm askin yer, if ya wanna dance with me~" She took her hand, raised it onto her shoulder. Kainga's gloved hands were so slim and elegant. She noticed, trailing her own fingertips down her arm before going to hold her waist. Taking the position of the 'man' in the dance, the Tongan gasped. Scandalous, she's never danced with another woman before. She felt her face flush as if she was being courted by a man but, no, it was different. At Kainga's incredulous stare, Juliet only smiled.

"Well...yes I suppose so-"

She couldn't even finish her sentence before Juliet swept her off her high heels into a dance. Outside on the balcony, just the two of them. They fell in step, letting the rhythm control their movements. Kainga didn't even know this dance, nor did she even dance but something about being in Juliet's grasp made her feel gentle. Safe. All the scenery and people around them vanished, it was just Juliet and Kainga.

Kainga set her head on her shoulder, eyelashes fluttering shut like the beat of a butterflies wings. They continued to dance, simply just lost in each other. Time could only pass as their feet moved in the steps of the foxtrot.

She brought her head up and sleepily opened her eyes. She leaned in and planted her lips on Juliet's. Juliet wrapped her arms around her neck in return and held her tight as the kiss continued.

Kainga broke off gently and gazed at her, Juliet's lips stained with her crimson lipstick. "Scandalous. You're really something else aren't you?"

Juliet still could not get over how beautiful Kainga truly was that, she couldn't even respond.

[glowreusbling]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Abalone Shell & Mother Of Pearl, Crystal & Shell Pearl Beads in Stainless Steel.

[skippyv20]

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Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation

Coronations always take place at Westminster Abbey, but before the abbey’s creation they were carried out in Bath, Oxford, or Canterbury. The tune Zadok the Priest was sung at the coronation at the moment of crowning, just like at every coronation since it was composed for the coronation of George II, though the words of the anthem have been used in every English, and later British, coronation since that of King Edgar at Bath Abbey in 973. Queen Elizabeth II is the sixth Queen to have been crowned in Westminster Abbey in her own right. The first was Queen Mary I, who was crowned on 1 October, 1553.

Queen Elizabeth II was crowned 65 years ago on June 2, 1953. Meteorologists advised the then soon-to-be queen that June 2 was statistically the most likely to have good weather. Unfortunately, it rained.

On February 6, 1952—the day her father, King George VI, died—Queen Elizabeth II was in Kenya. She became the first sovereign in over 200 years to accede to the throne while abroad.

The original order of service was written in Latin and was used until the coronation of Elizabeth I.  traditional Latin shouts of Vivat Regina (long live The Queen) could be heard during the Coronation service. This ws incorporated into the anthem ,”I was glad” by Hubert Parry. “Vivat Regina… Vivat Regina Elizabetha”. The Queen was crowned at 12:23pm exactly.

The Queen, with The Duke of Edinburgh, was driven from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey in the Gold State Coach, which was pulled by eight grey geldings. The Gold State Coach has been used by The Queen twice since her Coronation – at the Silver and Golden Jubilees. On her way to the Coronation, Her Majesty wore the George IV State Diadem – the one she is depicted wearing on stamps.

It was made in 1820 for George IV’s Coronation. The Diadem incorporates national symbols: roses, shamrocks and thistles and features 1,333 diamonds and 169 pearls. It is on display at The Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace.

The horses pulling the Gold State Coach were named Cunningham, Tovey, Noah, Tedder, Eisenhower, Snow White, Tipperary, and McCreery. 

The Coronation Bouquet was presented to The Queen by the Worshipful Company of Gardeners to take with her on the drive to Westminster Abbey. The all-white bouquet comprised orchids and lilies-of-the-valley from England, stephanotis from Scotland, and carnations from Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man, with additional orchids from Wales.

The Coronation gown was intended to project the image of hope for Britain after such difficult times. It featured the floral emblems of the countries of the United Kingdom and those of the other states within the Commonwealth of Nations, including the English Tudor rose, Scottish thistle, Welsh leek, Irish shamrock, Canadian maple leaf, Australian wattle, New Zealand silver fern, South African protea,lotus flowers for India and Ceylon, and Pakistan’s wheat, cotton, and jute.

Sir Hartnell helped the Queen create a gorgeous gown of satin encrusted with pearls, sequins, and crystals.  It was in fact so secret that a policeman guarded the door of the room where the dress was being sewn by the Royal School of Needlework. The school eventually decided that everyone with the school (including even cleaners) would be able to sew a stitch onto the dress; in order to do this they covered up the dress and each person sewed one stitch in. What Queen Elizabeth didn’t know is that Sir Hartnell included an extra four-leaf shamrock on the left side of her skirt.   

Since the Coronation, The Queen has worn the Coronation dress six times: Reception at Buckingham Palace, Reception at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, Opening of Parliament in New Zealand (1954), Opening of Parliament in Australia (1954), Opening of Parliament in Ceylon (1954) , Opening of Parliament in Canada (1957)

Another item Queen Elizabeth II was sporting on her return to Buckingham Palace was the Purple Robe of Estates. The Queen chose to have a new robe commissioned just for her. It was embroidered with wheat leaves and olive branches and it took more than 3,500 hours to complete. Twelve seamstresses completed the job using 18 different types of gold thread.

Chefs, gardeners, and housemaids gathered inside the Grand Hall at Buckingham Palace to watch the Queen ride to Westminster Abbey.

 The Queen’s Coronation service was taken by the Archbishop of Canterbury, whose duty this has usually been since the Conquest in 1066. For the first time at the 1953 Coronation, a representative of another Church, the Moderator of the Church of Scotland, also took part in the service. It began at 11:15 a.m and lasted nearly 3 hours.

There were 6 parts to the coronation. First, there was the recognition, then the oath, the anointing, the investiture, and then enthronement. During the investiture, The Queen first put on the newly-made Colobium Sindonis – a loose linen-lawn garment, and then a robe of cloth of gold – the Dalmatic or Supertunica, which was used by King George VI. The Lord Great Chamberlain presented the golden spurs, the symbol of chivalry, after which the Archbishop of Canterbury presented a jewelled sword, and then the armills, the golden bracelets of sincerity and wisdom. Finally, The Queen put on stole and cloth of gold Robe Royal (Imperial Mantle) and received the orb, the coronation ring, the glove, which was newly made and presented by the Worshipful Company of Glovers, and the sceptre.

The Queen had new batch of Anointing Oil. Traditionally, the Anointing Oil is made to last for several coronations. However, in May 1941 a bomb hit the Deanery thus destroying the vial. A new batch was made with a mix of olive oil, jasmine, musk and other scents. 

Prince Charles was the first child to witness his mother`s coronation as Sovereign. Princess Anne was not allowed to attend given her young age. The four-year-old Prince Charles received a special pencil and watercolour illustration on his invite.

It was the first coronation to be televised. BBC covered the event, and for many viewers, it was their first time watching a live event on television. Over 27 million people watched the event live on television in Britain and 11 million listened on the radio. Millions more watched in the United States. More than 2,000 journalists and 500 photographers from 92 different nations covered the coronation. One of the journalists covering the event was Jackie Bouvier (better known as future first lady Jackie Kennedy). Sir Winston Churchill and many other political figures were against the Coronation being broadcast. In the end it was the new Queen herself that decided that the coronation should be televised. One hundred and twenty-nine nations and territories were officially represented at the Coronation service.

The officers and men taking part in the procession or lining the route totalled 29,200: 3,600 from the Royal Navy, 16,100 from the Army and 7,000 from the RAF, 2,000 from the Commonwealth and 500 from the ‘Colonies’. There were 6,700 reserve and administrative troops, while 1,000 officers and men of the Royal military police were bought in to assist the Metropolitan police. A further 7,000 police were drawn from 75 provincial forces. The route was designed so that as many people as possible could see the Queen on her coronation day. It was a total of 4.5 miles long and was made up of 16,000 participants.

   The Chairs of Estate in which The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh were seated during the first part of the Coronation ceremony, are now on the dais in the Throne Room at Buckingham Palace. The Chair of Homage used during the service was newly designed for The Queen’s coronation and is now kept in the Garter Throne Room at Windsor Castle. The Queen was crowned in St Edward’s Chair, made in 1300 for Edward I and used at every Coronation since that time. It is permanently kept in Westminster Abbey.

Queen Elizabeth II was crowned in St. Edward’s chair. It was originally made for King Edward I and has been used for over 700 years at every coronation since. It permanently sits in front of the High Altar at Westminster Abbey.

   The crown that was placed on the Queen’s head during her coronation was St. Edward’s crown. It was originally made for Charles II in 1661 as a replacement for the medieval crown. It is made of solid gold and semi-precious jewels making it weigh a little over 4 pounds.

Another important piece of regalia from the coronation is the orb. It is seen as the second most authoritative monarchical symbol after the crown. Just like the crown, it was made for Charles II’s coronation in 1661. It represents “Christ’s dominion over the world” and the design is symbolic of the three continents that the medieval rulers believed existed.

The Coronation ring, often referred to as ‘The Wedding Ring of England’ was worn by The Queen on the fourth finger of her right hand in accordance with tradition. The ring was made for the Coronation of King William IV in 1831 and takes the form of a sapphire surmounted by a cross in rubies surrounded by diamonds. It was made at a cost of £157 and has been worn at every coronation since then with the exception of Queen Victoria. Her fingers were so small that the ring could not be reduced far enough in size, so a special Coronation ring had to be worn. Unfortunately during the service, the ring was forced onto the wrong finger, causing Queen Victoria to be in ‘great pain.’

British florist Constance Spry suggested a recipe of cold chicken in a curry cream sauce with a salad of rice, green beans, and mixed herbs to feed to foreign guests after the coronation. That recipe was chosen and ever since, it has been known as Coronation Chicken. Over 8,200 guests attended the coronation.

Feliks Topolski, a Polish artist, documented the coronation in a painting made up of 14 sections, each over three feet high at a total of 95 feet long.

The Queen appeared with her family on the balcony of the palace still wearing the Imperial State Crown and the Royal Robes to greet the cheering crowds. The Queen appeared again on the balcony at Buckingham Palace at 9.45 pm to turn on the ‘lights of London’. Lights cascaded down the Mall from the Palace, lighting the huge cipher on Admiralty Arch and turning the fountains in Trafalgar Square into liquid silver, until all the floodlights from the National Gallery to the Tower of London had been illuminated.

[valiantwarrior37]

Tag Game

Name: Elspeth pen name

Nickname(s): Els, Elsa, Elsie, Elspathaway, Elsong, etc

Zodiac sign: Aries 

Languages: English and Sign Language (and a little German)

Nationality: Private

Favorite season: Fall or Spring - Rainy or Sunny

Favorite flower: Lilacs

Hobbies: Writing, reading, singing, drawing, editing, names, some dance

Favorite color(s): Shades of blue and green

Favorite animal(s): Horses! But I also like dogs and big cats

Favorite fictional character(s): Soooo, I have a lot of fandoms, I tried to narrow it down Lucy, Aslan, Edmund - Marinette Dupain-Cheng/Ladybug, Adrien Agreste/Chat Noir, Alya Cesaire - Jack Frost - Belle - Elsa and Anna - Hiccup & Astrid - Violet Parr - Ahsoka, Satine, Obi-Wan, Anakin, Leia, Jyn, Cassian, Captain Rex - Eleven, Dustin and Max - Percy, Annabeth, Leo, Calypso, Piper -  Jim, Claire, Toby, Aja, Blinky, Arrrg - Violet, Gilbert, Claudia, Cattaleya - Carmen Sandiego - Artemis/Tigress, Wally West/Kid Flash, Dick Grayson/Nightwing/Boy Wonder, M’gann/Miss Maritan, Zatanna, Diana/Wonder Woman, - Captain America/ Steve, Black Widow/Natasha, Hawkeye/Clint, Shuri, Black Panther/T’challa, Spiderman/Peter, MJ, Wasp/Claire, Scarlet Witch/Wanda, Vision, Thor - Maxon & America - Katiniss & Peeta - Lorelai and Rory Gilmore - Amy Santiago & Jake Peralta - Sybil Crawley, Tom Branson - Arwen, Aragorn, Eowyn, Samwise, Frodo, Legolas, Kili, Thorin, Tauriel, Galadriel, Idril, Faramir, Beren, Luthien

Coffee, tea or hot chocolate: Coffeee, but I like all three

Average amount of sleep: Eight hours

Dogs or cats: Dogs

Number of blankets you sleep with: One or two

Dream trip: New Zealand and then Paris

Blog established: Like… August 2019?

Followers: 27

Random fact: I… am a huge name nerd and run a baby name Insta -

Tagged by @mininoire I tag: @noctusfury @duchess-of-mandalore @thetrackrunner @fanfics-she-wrote @smallgirl10101

[orcinus-ocean]

Personal rambling part 2

...as for livestock, this we will only know when we have tried what works for us and our land, but the plans are of course chickens, ducks, turkeys, feeder pigs, lots and lots of rabbits, and water buffalo or yak for dairy.

Why water buffalo or yak?

Because I always have to think outside the box about everything I can, and there is good evidence that they both have better milk as well as better feed-output ratio than cattle.

My husband is familiar with water buffalo from Georgia, and says the hides are great, but I don’t think I could ever slaughter bovines. They get so tame and take so long to grow for slaughter (yaks take 3-4 years and you only get as much meat yield as from a dairy veal calf), it would feel horrible. And with these exotic bovines, chances are they’re worth more to sell than to kill. (But if we can’t sell them, obviously there will be butchering since a cow needs a calf every year to make milk.)

Rabbits are great because they’re quiet, easy to care for and easy to breed. They’re the only of these animals I have already owned, so that makes for a very gentle learning curve. But I’ve seen many homesteaders who raise the best meat breed - the New Zealand white - and just throw the pelt on the compost pile. What a waste.

I want to keep some “prettier” dual-purpose breeds and harvest the pelts for selling. Ironic perhaps at first glance, given how I’ve criticized fur farms, but it’s actually for that exact reason.

I would be raising the rabbits for meat. Mostly for the animals (x number of dogs and cats will eat a lot of meat, 100% raw fed), but also for ourselves. Then also use the pelts. I’ve seen what “raw” rabbit pelts sell for, and it’s not an income of course with the scale we’re thinking (start with 3-4 breeding females and see where it goes from there), but it would cover some costs, and could be a pretty lucrative niche, selling to people who want humanely raised fur.

One of the best pieces of advice I’ve seen on homesteading, is don’t rely on only one source of income. Have four, five sources, so that when one dries up or fails, you have something to fall back on.

The rabbit breeds I’m thinking of are Champagne d’Argent, Rex and Satin. Obviously we would be keeping several, to get many different pelts.

With chickens, I’ve long looked at the Bielefelder as supposedly one of the best dual-purpose chicken breeds, hardy with a nice temperament, and an attractive plumage that supposedly camouflages them against predators (hawks, foxes and smaller mammal predators would be a problem). And since we’re staying in Scandinavia and I want to help preserve native heritage breeds, I recently fell in love with the Swedish flower chicken, so named because of its plumage. Also a hardy landrace.

I have never eaten domestic duck, I only ate a horridly cooked (by myself) mallard about a year ago, and it was awful. I’ll have to give it another chance, maybe well-cooked duck is awesome. But even if we hate duck, if the input-output ratio is great (low cost for the meat and eggs we get), and they keep pests at bay (ducks are great at eating snails and bugs which can destroy the garden), ducks could work great as another source of dog food.

I’ve seen it said that if you raw feed dogs, use at least three different animals/protein sources, and obviously rabbits can’t be a staple since they’re nearly fat-free.

I would never choose a livestock animal purely on looks, that would be madness, but I was so happy when I found that the most beautiful poultry I’ve ever seen, the Cayuga duck, is very hardy and a good dual-purpose duck breed. Also looking at native heritage breeds, we have the Swedish blue and Swedish yellow ducks. (Oh my god, I just realized the pun. Sweden, blue and yellow...)

I love turkeys. They’re supposed to get really tame, make lovely noises (unlike geese), and eat everything from ticks to snakes. Also, they’re absolutely delicious. (And some say their ugly mugs make them easier to kill. Horrible thing to say, but it could be true.) Mortality rates are supposedly sky high when you raise poults yourself (making them expensive and slightly tragic to raise), but much lower when a mother cares for her own.

Maybe we’ll have quails, but only as a niche thing to sell quail eggs. Obviously they can’t be kept loose like the other poultry, but need an enclosed space.

Can’t go without PIGS. I also love wild boar and while there are nearly half a million wild boar in Sweden, there are none in Norway, so we can’t hunt for pork - have to get feeder pigs. “Feeder” means you buy them as piglets, raise them for the season, then slaughter them. Supposedly way more cost effective than having a breeding pair year round, and the breeding could fail, so you’re left with two hungry pigs and no pork that season.

Back to heritage breeds, the Swedish Linderödssvin, or Linderöd hog, if you will. It’s mostly Swedish heritage breeds because while we’ll probably stay in Norway, Norway doesn’t have their own breeds in all these species, but the Swedish ones are still available.

Raising plants is even more important, as it does not just feed you but also the meat animals to some extent, but it’s hard for me to get as enthusiastic about them. XD

[allsortsie]

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[the-writerly-night-owl]

What if That’s the Future

Desire and Decorum/MC x Ernest Sinclaire 

Summary: Ernest has been shot and as he slept waiting for Clara he has a dream. A dream that shows him more then he ever wanted. Just before she comes to him at Ledford in the chapter. 

Authors Note: so today’s chapter has me majorily po’ed and so I wrote this. My last TE story from that poll and then starting my desire and decorum ones will come next. See if you can spot a character from Red Carpet Diaries and High School Story. 

Tag list: @flyawayboo @queen-among-writers   @cosigottahavefaith  @am-i-invisible777 @countrymusicandncis-blog @fluffy-cat-whisper @melodyofgraves @symonde @paisleylovergirl

The shot didn’t go off as Ernest found himself dreaming. He was sure that Luke and the others would bring him back to Ledford Park. Doctor Kerrigan was there, and Clara was nowhere to be seen. Of course, the duke….

That didn’t seem to matter as Ernest saw her. Clara was right next to him in a gorgeous satin green gown that reminded him of flowers. A wide smile on her face and her hair loose as it pooled around her shoulders. This was dreaming, this was lucid dreaming, he thought as he could hear his friends telling him not to sleep.

“Mr. Sinclaire you cannot die, please think of Clara,” said the demanding voice of Miss Parsons.

“He can rest,” said Doctor Kerrigan.

Sleep didn’t come easy as Ernest tried to relax. He had to think of Clara her smiling face and standing beside him. Finally, his mind rested on a dream that he wanted to be reality. Clara was in his bed as he saw love marks on her chest, her nightgown thrown on the floor as the sun filtered into their bedroom. Ernest stepped into the room already fully dressed as she rose from the mattress.

“Don’t have too much fun at work,” she said arching her feet to kiss him softly on the lips. He relished in her kiss and touch.

That illusion was shattered as he heard something from down the steps, however. His Clara seemed to have disappeared as quickly as she rose. Ernest took in a deep breath as he turned and started toward the noise. He straightened his cravat he headed toward the steps when the noise turned out to be voices.

“James,” he called wondering if his butler had let someone in.

No answer as Ernest headed down the steps as music eventually filled the air. Someone was playing his pianoforte. He was dreaming still right? He could bring Clara back as the flash of her green skirt disappeared down the steps. She was still with him but leading him somewhere.

Her giggle seemed to beg him to follow as he did what she wanted. He was curious to know himself. Gradually he made his way into the hall to see people. He peered around into the room where she disappeared as he could see that it was a packed. People milled around in strange clothes that he couldn’t begin to place. Next to him two girls were speaking animatedly to each other as Ernest couldn’t even catch up. Clara had to be around her somewhere as he heard their conversation.

“So, what was it like working with Chris Winters? Addison you have the most amazing job,” gushed a girl with auburn hair to the blond. “The Last Duchess has to be my favorite movie so far this year.”

“Chris is awesome, I don’t think you could work with someone nicer. Working on The Last Duchess was so much fun. The historical clothes were a blast to make and the cast is just all-around fun,” said the blond, presumably Addison. “What is it that you do Paige?”

“I’m an OBGYN and a certified midwife, it’s not nearly as glamorous,” said the redhead, Paige.

Ernest shook his head as he leaned forward and cleared his throat hopefully to get some answers. Who were these people and how were they in his home? Forgetting about Clara now he tried to piece together what was happening.

Neither girl looked up before a third joined them. The newcomer, a girl with ink black hair and a purple shirt that the girls called Kara, just seemed to walk right through him. Ernest put his hands on his body as he seemed to be invisible and ghost like. This was his death, he was sure of it as he glanced around the room.

This couldn’t have been death though. Where was his mother, father, stillborn siblings?  Trembling Ernest straightened himself up and confidently walked toward the middle of the room. Someone around here had to be talking about why they were all gathered. He wasn’t presuming that this was some kind of heaven or limbo. Why was Clara here? Could she have killed herself thinking he was dead too?

Around him children ran with devices in their hands he didn’t know. Ernest took another breath. If there was one place, he could find answers there was the library. His sanctuary. He turned on his heel and walked off his heavy footsteps not making a sound underneath him.

Upon reaching the library he heard more voices. How dare these people for inviting themselves into rooms not designated for guests! Ernest felt shudder run through his body as another person seemed to walk right through him. He took a hesitant step toward the group that was gathered in the middle at a table.

On said table was a paper with lines and neat printed handwriting. Getting even closer upon closer inspection Ernest could see his name on that paper. Remembering that people couldn’t see him or anything he forced himself until he was sitting on the table. Although it was un-gentlemen like he needed a look at this.

At the very top of the paper Ernest read the first line unable to believe it. Sinclaire Family Tree.

His eyes settled on his ancestor Walter Fitzwilliam Sinclaire situated on the few middle lines. Then his eyes followed the lines to his own name. Swallowing Ernest trembled staring a bit aghast at section where his name was as if he could burn a hole right through the paper.

Ernest Sinclaire (20 Jul 1788 - 30 April 1867)

He couldn’t tear away, that was his birthday and that was his death date. He was eight and seventy upon his death. It appears that he was at the Sinclaire family reunion. Judging from the clothing of those around him he could be decades or even centuries ahead of his own time. He put a hand to his head as if to clear it. Blue eyes glanced over at the name on the left. Roselyn d’Ouler with the death dead marked when she gave birth to the Dukes child. Then his eyes slide over to the name on the right of his name.

He caught his breath and heart quickened as a smile of delight crossed his face. The name adjacent to his: Clara Mills (2 Nov 1795 – 24 Jun 1875). The date of their union to sometime in mid June of 1816. Ernest couldn’t help but glance at the next line.

Nine, there were nine marks for nine children. Six sons and three daughters were a blessing as he could see their names of their family. A family that he would make with Clara. His eyes saddened upon seeing the last name on the list, as his heart twisted to know that she only spent mere hours on earth. Underneath the names the lines got more and more complicated as they weaved together. Several last names of people he knew like Marlcaster and Chambers.

Sometime at the turn of the century a few family members dropped the ‘e’ from the last name he noticed. Several had moved from England and to far off places like America and New Zealand.

Everyone around him was his family, people that were related to Ernest Sinclaire, in some way shape or form. Ernest watched as a young woman brought her children to the front of the group. An elderly man smiled as he picked the girl up and put her on his lap.

“Now can you tell me your name young lady?”

“Melissa Grace Sinclaire,” she said proudly with a smile on her face. “My mummy told me to tell you to put my name on your paper.”

“Did she now?” said the man grinning as he mused her blond hair teasingly. “Well, I need to know who your mummy and daddy are. Your birthday and if you have any siblings and their birthdays.”

“My daddy is Luke Sinclaire and mummy’s name is Emma. My birthday is 10 August 2014. My brother’s name is Matthew Ernest Sinclaire and his birthday is 23 January 2017.”  

The man put her name near the bottom of the tree as he watched. Ernest gapped upon hearing this as this far beyond what he thought it was. Everything he was witnessing. This was two hundred years from now. He was in the twenty first century as everything played around him like a moving picture. The only thing that made Ledford the same was the layout of his home.

A dream, this is what this was a dream, but this was a dream that he could make happen. Ernest could make that family with his beloved Clara and their family could prosper. Unable to help himself Ernest reached out and touched her name next to his as it lingered there.

His finger traced down the marks for each child as he wondered what they were like. Perhaps they were quick to smile like Clara. Did they have his sword skills (even the girls!)? Which one inherited the blond hair that he remembered from his mother?  Ernest’s smile grew as his finger traced over the name Vincent Sinclaire. He knew where that name came from as his breath caught short as he looked at the dates under his name. 9 Feb 1817 – 30 of Mar 1895. No. That couldn’t be possible as he thought back to the night before the duel.

He got Clara pregnant, unless she went into labor a month early, she was already pregnant with their son.

Ernest had to wake up, he had to go to her and keep the Duke from ever touching her or their baby. He felt fingers brush upon his own as Clara was next to him. She grinned widely as she was examining the tree as well. Her free hand tracing over their marriage date as everyone else around them seemed to gradually fade.

“Can you believe it?  We did this,” she said as tears pooled in her eyes. “This is our family that we made together.”

He glanced around as he saw the kids running, gossip from the older people, and someone playing a beautiful song on the pianoforte.  

Ernest reached over and brushed her hair away from her face. “I know that this is a dream, but I want to make this happen. Both of us happy and married with a family of our own. There’s no Duke and I could keep you safe and loved.”  

This Clara nodded as he kissed away the tears that had spilled over her cheeks. “Ernest wake up, I’ll be there, I promise.”

He adjusted and blinked himself awake over and over. Everything from the morning came back to him with the fight. That didn’t seem to matter anymore as he had a good idea of what would follow when they were finally together. Waking up he saw that Luke was still in the room.

“Where’s Clara?” he demanded.

“She’s coming,” said Luke.

“I need to see her.”

“She’ll be here.”

He was afraid that she would never show up until a half hour later. She was there in Ledford as he sighed. Clara was unharmed as his eyes and smile lite up. She looked beautiful as his eyes flitted briefly down to her stomach. Could they really have?  

“Clara, how I’ve longed to see your face,” he said. If he could stand one more day, he could fight. Above all he was going to be with her until the end of his days.

[a-dinosaur-a-day]

Ptilonorhynchus violaceus

By Joseph C. Boone, CC BY-SA 4.0

Etymology: Feather Bill

First Described By: Kuhl, 1820

Classification: Dinosauromorpha, Dinosauriformes, Dracohors, Dinosauria, Saurischia, Eusaurischia, Theropoda, Neotheropoda, Averostra, Tetanurae, Orionides, Avetheropoda, Coelurosauria, Tyrannoraptora, Maniraptoromorpha, Maniraptoriformes, Maniraptora, Pennaraptora, Paraves, Eumaniraptora, Averaptora, Avialae, Euavialae, Avebrevicauda, Pygostaylia, Ornithothoraces, Euornithes, Ornithuromorpha, Ornithurae, Neornithes, Neognathae, Neoaves, Inopinaves, Telluraves, Australaves, Eufalconimorphae, Psittacopasserae, Passeriformes, Eupasseres, Passeri, Euoscines, Climacterides, Ptilonorhynchidae

Status: Extant, Least Concern

Time and Place: Within the last 10,000 years, in the Holocene of the Quaternary Period 

Ptilonorhynchus, the Satin Bowerbird, is primarily known from the Eastern coast of Australia 

Physical Description: The Satin Bowerbird is a large bird, reaching about 32.5 centimeters in length and up to 290 grams in weight - making it about the same size as the common Rock Pigeon. The Satin Bowerbird is a bulky passerine, with a medium-length, pointed bill and a fairly long body, and a long tail. This bird is sexually dimorphic, with the males having a very distinct appearance. The males are black in color, but the feathers have a distinct iridescent blue sheen over them, while the underbelly and thighs are less glossy than the rest of the body. Their eyes are vividly purple, while the legs and bill are more pale in color. The females, on the other hand, are much more dull in color - they are brown, with some olive-green tint to the underfeathers and back feathers, with longer tails and pale yellow underbellies that are striped across. 

By Streetsweeper, CC BY-SA 2.0

The juveniles are usually brownish olive, with browner black feathers. The males look like females for the first three years of life, though their wing feathers are more pointed; in the fourth year they become darker, as the feathers over the body slowly transition from green to darker black and shiny. By the sixth year the males have an odd patchwork of blue-black feathers and green ones; they reach full maturity at about eight years of age. The females, on the other hand, become mature within three years.

Diet: The Satin Bowerbird feeds mainly on fruit, but it will supplement its diet with flowers, leaves, nectar, seeds, and insects. The hatchlings almost entirely insects brought by the parents, especially scarab beetles and cicadas.

Behavior: Satin Bowerbirds feed at all levels of the tree canopy, plucking fruit from high up off of the ground and gleaning animals from lower levels. They usually don’t use fly over techniques to find animal-based food. They will forage alone, or with their families; though they do join mixed-species flocks. In the winter, they form flocks of up to 200 individuals, which fly together to find plants in pastures and gardens. They, in general, do not migrate; some that live in the woods will travel to more open habitats during the winter. The males often do leave their bower locations during the non-breeding season. 

By Summ, CC BY-SA 3.0

The most interesting thing about Satin Bowerbirds, of course, would be their mating behaviors. Male Bowerbirds create stick houses, called bowers, that they decorate to attract mates. The Satin Bowerbird is one of the best known of these dinosaurs, and their bower behavior has been well studied. Young male Satin Bowerbirds will use a variety of blue, yellow, and shiny objects to decorate their bowers, but they transition to more blue objects as they age. Oftentimes, the males will use the same bower sites for over 30 years - they are attached to their bower sites and will remain with them, though they aren’t territorial besides defending their particular bower site. The male makes the bower by placing sticks upright, making two separate towers of sticks that curve towards each other; he then will add grass straw to the ground of the bower as foundation. Then, the male will continue to add twigs until they meet and intermesh above the grass foundation. The grass straw on the ground does extend beyond the walls, though sometimes the bower will have a third wall, creating another path through the bower house. Sometimes, these structures can have more than 2000 sticks making up the walls.

These bowers are then decorated by the males - usually with what we would consider junk, but obviously, the Bowerbirds don’t feel the same! The items they grab can range from ballpoint pens, to straws, to caps, to flowers and berries, and even clothing - sometimes even skulls. Sometimes, the males will also paint the inside of the bower walls with charcoal, foliage, bark, and fruit. The objects are usually chosen by what catches the male’s eye, and over time he learns from experience what will attract a mate. The females will visit the bowers, and use the decor outside of the bower to determine their choice of mate. The males will also dance to woo the females, but they can be interpreted as threats rather than displays sometimes. First, the male buzzes while rapidly opening and closing its wings, picking up decorations and strutting directly in front of the female. Then, the male will mimic the female’s vocals, and raise and lower himself on his legs and comes towards the females with decorations in its bill. 

By Joseph C. Boone, CC BY-SA 4.0

The female decides whether or not to accept the male’s courtship in three steps. First, she visits bowers before nests are built, while males are absent, to judge the bowers without male interference. Then, the female visits the bowers before nests have been built while the males are present and displaying. Finally, the females will visit a limited number of bowers after nests have been born, and usually narrows down to a single male for copulation. Younger females make their decisions mostly based on the bowers; older females, on the mating displays. When that decision has been made, she will crouch and vibrate her wings, and raise her rump so that the male can mate with her.

The nests take about two weeks to build, by making a saucer of sticks and twigs and green leaves. Usually, these nests are built high up off of the ground, though sometimes closer to the ground. The height is mainly dependent on the density of vegetation. The clutch is usually 1 to 3 eggs, which is incubated for about three weeks by the female alone. The male, meanwhile, will solicit more females with his bower. The females will continue to take care of the young for three more weeks, usually by chasing away predators and competitors from within the species. They’ll even do a broken-wing distraction while mimicing predators in order to distract antagonistics. Both sexes live between 20 to thirty years in total.

Ecosystem: The Satin Bowerbird mainly lives in the rainforest, especially along the edges, and dry woodlands as well. The bower sites are usually dispersed evenly through woods and rainforests. The young are usually fed upon extensively, but the adults are not typically threatened quite as extensively.

Other: Subfossil Satin Bowerbirds are known, but they all exist within the Holocene - thus, they do not significantly extend the time range of this species.

~ By Meig Dickson

Sources under the cut 

Coleman, S. W., G. L. Patricelli, G. Borgia. 2004. Variable female preferences drive complex male displays. Nature 428 (6984): 742 - 745.

Frith, C. & Frith, D. 2019. Satin Bowerbird (Ptilonorhynchus violaceus). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.

Higgins, P. J., J. M. Peter (eds.) Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds, Volume 6: Pardalotes to Shrike-Thrushes.

Jobling, J. A. 2010. The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. Christopher Helm Publishing, A&C Black Publishers Ltd, London.

[saintnesryn]

21… well… 20, really, questions

Tagged by @martaaa1506 (doing it on this blog since I’m a little more active on here)

1. Nickname: My full name is Kasandra but most of my friends call me Kassie or Kass or Kasshole

2. Zodiac Sign: Aquarius

3. Hogwarts House: Slytherin

4. Height: Somewhere around 5’3’’

5. Last Thing Googled: Theater showings for Booksmart bc I already want to watch it again 😵

6. Favorite Musicians: Lana, Marina, Rico Nasty, Britney, Sza, The Weeknd, Nicole Dollanganger, Kali Uchis, Mariah, etc....

7. Song stuck in my head: ICY GRL by Saweetie 💖

8. Following: 552

9. Followers: 247

10. Do you get asks? Yes but I would love more

11. Amount of sleep? Not enough

12. Lucky Number: none

13. What are you wearing? Sweatpants

14. Dream Job: village witch, faerie princess, vampire (something in healthcare)

15. Dream Trip: I really really really want to go on a paranormal hotspot trip or something like that one day! Would want to visit all the haunted locations in the US, and then move on to other countries. I’ve never left the continent so I also just want to visit Spain, England, Iceland, Japan, New Zealand, Egypt, France, Peru, and like a million more places

16. Instruments: Technically, I know how to play guitar but I’m really bad. I used to take harp lessons but not anymore

17. Languages: English + Spanish

18. Favorite Song: I can’t pick favorites but if I HAD to, I’d probably pick Ultraviolence by ldr. Maybe

20. Aesthetic: Forests, mountains, snow, snowy purple night skies, rain, thunder, pink, lace, velvet, satin, books, bubblegum pop, theaters, antiques, dolls, books, darkness, ribbons, bows, pink flowers, castles, rainbows, fairy lights, ballet dancers, changing leaves, carnivals, glitter

I tag @boujeegoblin @tiredslytherclaw @starlitfinitedarkness @rhysandsdream and whoever else wants🖤 (also, feel free to ignore)

[jillraggett]

Plant of the Day

Saturday 10 July 2021

In the beautifully cared for Marengo Community Garden in St Margaret’s Hope, Orkney, the Libertia Formosa Group (New Zealand satin flower) was thriving with shelter from the wind provided by the surrounding fences and stone walls. This evergreen perennial forms a strongly growing clump and in early summer produces these white, bowl-shaped flowers.

Jill Raggett

[bittersweet-ritual]

And please answer all the fruit questions for me 😊 😉

peach: do you have any piercings or tattoos?

I have a helix piercing and a small tattoo on my arm!

raspberry: favorite flower?

uhm uhm the ones that look like butterflies (don’t remember the name)

lemon: do you have any pets? what are their names?

Yess 2 cats named Tobi and Kitkat and a lot of nameless fish

mango: what is your trademark?

I’m not cool enough for that

passion fruit: how would you describe your style?

Uhm casual but femme?

pineapple: sexual orientation?

gayaya

strawberry: favorite desserts?

Cake and tiramisuuuu

cherry: can you play any musical instruments or can you sing?

I used to play guitar and noo not really

grape: if you could take a vacation anywhere in the world, where would you go?

Hmm probably New Zealand?

banana: favorite horror movies?

I am TOO scared to watch horror movies (I did sort of enjoy the Conjuring)

blackberry: is your life an action film, a comedy, a romantic comedy, or drama?

More on incoherent mix?

pomegranate: when do you feel the most confident?

When my make up and outfit look decent

guava: dark & dramatic makeup or natural makeup?

Uhhh I guess more natural (I mean I love glitter though)

tangelo: if you could be any mythical creature, which would you be?

hmm fairy? big monster? both?

plum: favorite clothing brands?

I usually shop at Bershka or H&M I’m a simple creature

coconut: favorite perfume?

Lancome la vie est belle

lychee: satin or lace?

Lace I suppose

blueberry: what do you want to dress up as for halloween?

Villanelle?!?!

apple: what do you use more, tumblr or twitter?

I don’t use twitter soo

kiwi: what’s something that fascinates you?

Evolution/human mind/actors that can switch accents/languages

watermelon: do you have a job? if so, what is your job title?

I have a side job and my job title is ‘junior author’? But I basically just make and digitalise maths practice exams

papaya: what song describes your aesthetic?

Bon Iver - Forest fire

cranberry: favorite time of the day; morning, afternoon, dusk, or night?

Dusk (bc dinner)

nectarine: would you consider yourself an emotional person?

Mediummm

orange: do you have long eyelashes?

hmm not really no

apricot: what do you do when you’re sad?

Watch shows and eat snackss

star fruit: favorite sea creature?

SEAL

dragonfruit: do you drink alcohol?

Sometimes and at parties yehh

[lovingtheroyals]

Outfit Details of the Bride and Bridal Party

The Wedding Dress: Clare Waight Keller for Givenchy

Ms. Meghan Markle’s wedding dress has been designed by the acclaimed British designer, Clare Waight Keller. Ms. Waight Keller last year became the first female Artistic Director at the historic French fashion house Givenchy.

After meeting Ms. Waight Keller in early 2018, Ms. Markle chose to work with her for her timeless and elegant aesthetic, impeccable tailoring, and relaxed demeanour. Ms. Markle also wanted to highlight the success of a leading British talent who has now served as the creative head of three globally influential fashion houses – Pringle of Scotland, Chloé, and now Givenchy.

Ms. Markle and Ms. Waight Keller worked closely together on the design. The dress epitomises a timeless minimal elegance referencing the codes of the iconic House of Givenchy and showcasing the expert craftsmanship of its world-renowned Parisian couture atelier founded in 1952.

The Design

True to the heritage of the house, the pure lines of the dress are achieved using six meticulously placed seams. The focus of the dress is the graphic open bateau neckline that gracefully frames the shoulders and emphasises the slender sculpted waist. The lines of the dress extend towards the back where the train flows in soft round folds cushioned by an underskirt in triple silk organza. The slim three-quarter sleeves add a note of refined modernity.

The Fabric

Following extensive research by Ms. Waight Keller in fabric mills throughout Europe, an exclusive double bonded silk cady was developed. Perfect for the round sculptural look required, the silk cady has a soft matt lustre whilst the bonding process and pure white colour chosen by Ms. Markle and Ms. Waight Keller bring a fresh modernity to the dress.

The Veil

Ms. Markle expressed the wish of having all 53 countries of the Commonwealth with her on her journey through the ceremony. Ms. Waight Keller designed a veil representing the distinctive flora of each Commonwealth country united in one spectacular floral composition.

The Commonwealth family of nations – of which Her Majesty The Queen is Head –will be a central part of Prince Harry’s and Ms. Markle’s official work following   His Royal Highness’s appointment as Commonwealth Youth Ambassador. Ms. Markle wanted to express her gratitude for the opportunity to support the work of the Commonwealth by incorporating references to its members into the design of her wedding dress.

Significant time was spent researching the flora of each Commonwealth country and much care was taken by Ms. Waight Keller to ensure that every flower is unique.

The veil is five meters long and made from silk tulle with a trim of hand-embroidered flowers in silk threads and organza.

Each flower was worked flat, in three dimensions to create a unique and delicate design. The workers spent hundreds of hours meticulously sewing and washing their hands every thirty minutes to keep the tulle and threads pristine.

In addition to the flora of the Commonwealth, Ms. Markle also selected two personal favourites:

Wintersweet (Chimonanthus praecox), which grows in the grounds of Kensington Palace in front of Nottingham Cottage, and the California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica) the State flower from Ms. Markle’s place of birth, California.

Symmetrically placed at the very front of the veil, crops of wheat are delicately embroidered and blend into the flora, to symbolise love and charity.

A selection of flora distinctive from every member state of the Commonwealth is listed below:

AFRICA:

Botswana - Ear of Sorghum and Cat’s Claw (Uncaria tomentosa)

Cameroon - Red Stinkwood (Prunus africana)

Gambia - White Variety Orchid

Ghana - Caladium (Caladium)

Kenya - The Tropical Orchid

Lesotho - Spiral Aloe (Aloe polyphylla)

Malawi - Lotus (Nymphea lotus)

Mauritius - Trochetia Boutoniana

Mozambique - Maroon Bell Bean (Markhamia zanzibarica)

Namibia - Welwitschia (Welwitschia mirabilis)

Nigeria - Yellow Trumpet (Costus spectabilis)

Rwanda - Torch Lily (Kniphofia uvaria)

Seychelles - Tropicbird orchid (Angraecum eburnum)

Sierra Leone - Scadoxus (Scadoxus cinnabarinus)

South Africa - Protea (Protea cynaroides)

Swaziland - Fire Heath (Erica cerinthoides)

Uganda - Desert rose (Adenium obesum)

United Republic of Tanzania - African violet (Saintpaulia)

Zambia - Bougainvillea (Bougainvillea)

ASIA:

Bangladesh - White Water Lily ( Sada shapla)

Brunei Darussalam - Simpor (Dillenia suffruticosa)

India - Indian Lotus (Nelumbo nucifers gaertn)

Malaysia - Bunga Raya Hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa sinensis)

Pakistan - Jasmine (Jasminum officinale)

Singapore - Vanda miss Joaquim Orchid (Miss Joaquim)

Sri Lanka - Blue Water Lily (Nymphaea nouchali)

CARIBBEAN & AMERICAS:

Antigua and Barbuda - Agave (Agave karatto)

Bahamas - Yellow Elder (Tecoma stans)

Barbados - The pride of Barbados (Caesalpinia pulcherrima)

Belize - The Black Orchid (Encyclia cochleata)

Canada - Bunchberry (Cornus canadensis)

Dominica - Carib Wood (Sabinea carinalis)

Grenada - Bougainvillea (Nyctaginaceae)

Guyana - Victoria Regia Water Lily (Victoria amazonica)

Jamaica - Lignum Vitae (Guiacum officinale)

Saint Lucia - The rose and the marguerite

St Kitts and Nevis - Poinciana (Delonix regia )

St Vincent & the Grenadines - Soufriere Tree (Spachea perforatais)

Trinidad & Tobago - Chaconia (Warszewiczia coccinea)

EUROPE:

Cyprus - Cyclamen Cyprium (Cyclamen cyprium)

Malta - Maltese centaury (Cheirolophus crassifolius

UNITED KINGDOM:

England - Rose

Wales - Daffodil (Narcissus)

Northern Ireland - Flax flower

Scotland - Thistle

PACIFIC:

Australia - Golden wattles (Acacia pycnantha)

Fiji - Tagimaucia (Medinilla waterhousei)

Kiribati - Bidens Kiribatiensis

Nauru - Calophyllum

New Zealand - Kowhai (Sophora microphylla)

Papua - Sepik Blue Orchid (Dendrobium lasianthera)

Samoa - Teuila (Alpinia purpurata)

Solomon Islands - Hibiscus (Hibiscus)

Tonga - Heilala (Garcinia sessilis)

Tuvalu - Plumeria (Plumeria frangipans)

Vanuatu - Anthurium (Anthurium)

Jewellery

The veil is held in place by Queen Mary's diamond bandeau tiara, lent to Ms. Markle by The Queen. The diamond bandeau is English and was made in 1932, with the centre brooch dating from 1893.

The bandeau, which is made of diamonds and platinum, is formed as a flexible band of eleven sections, pierced with interlaced ovals and pavé set with large and small brilliant diamonds.  The centre is set with a detachable brooch of ten brilliant diamonds.

The diamond bandeau was made for Queen Mary and specifically designed to accommodate the centre brooch. This brooch was given as a present to the then Princess Mary in 1893 by the County of Lincoln on her marriage to Prince George, Duke of York.  The bandeau and the brooch were bequeathed by Queen Mary to The Queen in 1953.

The Bride is wearing earrings and bracelet made by Cartier.

Wedding Shoes

The wedding shoes are based on a Givenchy refined pointed couture design made of a silk duchess satin.

The Bride’s Bouquet

Prince Harry handpicked several flowers yesterday from their private garden at Kensington Palace to add to the bespoke bridal bouquet designed by florist Philippa Craddock.

The spring blooms include Forget-Me-Nots which were Diana, Princess of Wales’ favourite flower. The couple specifically chose them to be included in Ms. Markle’s bouquet to honour the memory of the late Princess on this special day.

The Bride's bouquet is a petite design, pulled together in a gentle, ethereal, relaxed style with delicate blooms also including scented sweet peas, lily of the valley, astilbe, jasmine and astrantia, and sprigs of myrtle, all bound with a naturally dyed, raw silk ribbon.

The myrtle sprigs are from stems planted at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight, by Queen Victoria in 1845, and from a plant grown from the myrtle used in The Queen’s wedding bouquet of 1947.

The tradition of carrying myrtle begun after Queen Victoria was given a nosegay containing myrtle by Prince Albert’s grandmother during a visit to Gotha in Germany.  In the same year, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert bought Osborne House as a family retreat, and a sprig from the posy was planted against the terrace walls, where it continues to thrive today.

The myrtle was first carried by Queen Victoria's eldest daughter, Princess Victoria, when she married in 1858.

Bridal Hair and Make-Up

Ms. Markle's hair was styled by Serge Normant, with make-up by long-time friend and make-up artist Daniel Martin.

Bridesmaids’ Dresses

Clare Waight Keller designed the six young Bridesmaids’ dresses in the Givenchy Haute Couture Atelier in Paris.

The dresses were designed to have the same timeless purity as Ms. Markle's dress.

Each dress is sculpted in Ivory silk Radzimir, and is high-waisted with short puff sleeves and hand finished with a double silk ribbon detail tied at the back in a bow. The Bridesmaids’ dresses include pockets and pleated skirts to create a relaxed and luxurious silhouette.

The Bridesmaids are wearing white leather Aquazurra shoes; each pair is monogrammed with the Bridesmaids initials, and the wedding date. The shoes are a gift from Ms. Markle to the young ladies as a keepsake of the special day.

Bridesmaids’ Flowers

The bridesmaids each have flower crowns selected by Prince Harry and Ms. Markle, which have been designed by florist Philippa Craddock.

The Bridesmaids' flowers replicate the flowers used in the bridal bouquet.

Page Boys' Uniforms

The four Pages are wearing a miniature version of the Blues and Royals frockcoat. The uniform draws its insignia from the Blues and Royals, which is an old Regiment of The Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry. Both are also wearing Blues and Royals frockcoats for the Wedding Day.

The frockcoats are made from blue doeskin, single-breasted in style with a stand-up collar and completed with figured braiding of Regimental pattern. The figured braiding has been scaled down for the Pages, as otherwise it would have gone above their shoulders.

As a special memento, each Page has their initials embroidered in gold on their shoulder straps. The Pages are not wearing hats or white waist belts for practical reasons.

Their leg garments are made from blue/black wool barathea with three-quarter scarlet stripes fastened with a leather strap.

The uniforms were cut and made by the tailors Dege & Skinner in Savile Row.

Mother of the Bride's Dress

Ms. Ragland wears a custom dress and day coat designed by creative directors of Oscar de la Renta, Fernando Garcia and Laura Kim.

Ms. Ragland's shoes are designed by Edgardo Osorio of Aquazurra, and her custom hat was designed exclusively for her by British milliner Stephen Jones, O.B.E., whom Ms. Markle has worked closely with since moving to the UK.

Stephen Jones was also commissioned by Ms. Markle to create custom hats for several of her closest friends.

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Fascinating facts about Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation

Coronations always take place at Westminster Abbey, but before the abbey’s creation they were carried out in Bath, Oxford, or Canterbury— wherever was most convenient. 

The Queen succeeded to the Throne on the 6 February, 1952 on the death of her father, King George VI. She was in Kenya at the time and became the first Sovereign in over 200 years to accede while abroad.

The Coronation service used for Queen Elizabeth II descends directly from that of King Edgar at Bath in 973. The original 14th century order of service was written in Latin and was used until the Coronation of Elizabeth I.

The incumbent Earl Marshal is responsible for organising the Coronation. Since 1386 the position has been undertaken by The Duke of Norfolk. The 16th Duke of Norfolk was responsible for The Queen’s Coronation in 1953 and he was also responsible for the State funeral of Sir Winston Churchill (1965) and the investiture of The Prince of Wales (1969).

Queen Elizabeth II was crowned on 2 June, 1953 in Westminster Abbey. Her Majesty was the thirty-ninth Sovereign to be crowned at Westminster Abbey.

The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh were driven from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey in the Gold State Coach – pulled by eight grey gelding horses: Cunningham, Tovey, Noah, Tedder, Eisenhower, Snow White, Tipperary and McCreery. 

The Queen held a mix of white flowers including orchids, lilies-of-the-valley, stephanotis, orchids, and carnations. 

The Queen’s Coronation dress, designed by British Fashion designer Norman Hartnell, was made of white satin and embroidered with the emblems of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth in gold and silver thread. 

Queen Elizabeth II with her maids of honour after the coronation (left to right) Lady Moyra Hamilton; Lady Rosemary Spencer-Churchill; Lady Anne Coke; Lady Jane Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby; Lady Jane Vane-Tempest-Stewart; Lady Mary Baillie-Hamilton; and the mistress of the robes, the Dowager Duchess of Devonshire

The Royal Family poses for a portrait during the historical day, with Prince Charles and Princess Anne in the center.

Since the Coronation, The Queen has worn the Coronation dress six times including the Opening of Parliament in New Zealand and Australia in 1954.

Chefs, gardeners, and housemaids gathered inside the Grand Hall at Buckingham Palace to watch the Queen ride to Westminster Abbey.

The Queen’s Coronation service began at 11.15am and lasted almost three hours.

On her way to the Coronation, Her Majesty wore the George IV State Diadem - the crown depicted on stamps. Made in 1820, the Diadem features roses, shamrocks and thistles with 1,333 diamonds and 169 pearls. 

The Sovereign’s procession was made up of 250 people including Church leaders, Commonwealth Prime Ministers, members of the Royal Household, civil and military leaders and the Yeoman of the Guard.

The Archbishop of Canterbury conducted the service, a duty which has been undertaken since the Conquest in 1066. For the first time in 1953, a representative of another Church, the Moderator of the Church of Scotland, also took part.

The Coronation service fell into six parts: the recognition, the oath, the anointing, the investiture (which includes the crowning), the enthronement and the homage

The recipe for the Anointing Oil contains oils of orange, roses, cinnamon, musk and ambergris. Usually a batch is made to last a few Coronations, but in May 1941 a bomb hit the Deanery destroying the phial, so a new batch was made.

During the investiture, The Queen first put on the newly-made Colobium Sindonis - a loose linen-lawn garment, and then a robe of cloth of gold called the Dalmatic or Supertunica.

The Lord Great Chamberlain presented the golden spurs, the symbol of chivalry, after which the Archbishop of Canterbury presented a jewelled sword, and then the armills, the golden bracelets of sincerity and wisdom. Finally, The Queen put on stole and cloth of gold Robe Royal and received the orb, the coronation ring, the glove, and then the sceptre.

Prince Charles was the first child to witness his mother’s coronation as Sovereign. Princess Anne did not attend the ceremony as she was considered too young. 

Prince Charles received a special hand-painted children’s invitation to his mother’s Coronation. 

A total of 8,251 guests attended The Queen’s Coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey. 129 nations and territories were officially represented at the Coronation service. Some people in the Abbey witnessed their fourth Coronation. Princess Marie Louise (Queen Victoria’s granddaughter) had also seen the Coronations of King Edward VII (1902),  King George V (1911) and King George VI (1937).

The Queen was crowned in St Edward’s Chair, made in 1300 for Edward I and used at every Coronation since that time. It is permanently kept in Westminster Abbey. 

The St. Edward’s Crown, made in 1661, was placed on the head of The Queen during the Coronation service. It weighs 4 pounds and 12 ounces and is made of solid gold. 

Over 27 million people watched the event live on television in Britain and 11 million listened on the radio. Millions more watched in the United States. There were more than 2,000 journalists and 500 photographers from 92 nations on the Coronation route. Among the many foreign journalists was Jacqueline Bouvier (later the First Lady of the United States of America, Jackie Kennedy), who was working for the Washington Times-Herald at the time.

The return route was designed so that the procession could be seen by as many people in London as possible. The 7.2 km route took the 16,000 participants two hours to complete. 

Many people camped in The Mall to catch a glimpse of the procession, including a family who had sailed all the way from Australia in a ketch for the occasion. Thousands more celebrated throughout the country and the Commonwealth with street parties. The Ministry of Food granted 82 applications for people to roast oxen if they could prove that by tradition, an ox had been roasted at previous Coronations – a welcome concession at a time the meat ration was two shillings a week.

Just under 30,000 men took part in the procession – 3,600 from the Royal Navy, 16,100 from the Army and 7,000 from the RAF, 2,000 from the Commonwealth and 500 from the ‘Colonies’. There were 6,700 reserve and administrative troops, while 1,000 officers and men of the Royal military police were bought in to assist the Metropolitan police. A further 7,000 police were drawn from 75 provincial forces. The Queen Salote of Tonga won the hearts of the waiting crowds by refusing to raise the roof of her carriage for protection despite the rain.

After the crown, the orb, also made in 1661, was the most important piece of regalia. It is a globe of gold surrounded by a cross girdled by a band of diamonds, emeralds, rubies, sapphire and pearls with a large amethyst at the summit.

The Coronation ring, known as 'The Wedding Ring of England’ was placed on The Queen's fourth finger of her right hand in accordance with tradition. Made for the Coronation of King William IV in 1831, the ring has been worn at every coronation since then, except of Queen Victoria, whose fingers were so small that the ring could not be reduced far enough in size and an alternative was created.

The Imperial State Crown, which was worn by The Queen during her return to Buckingham Palace, contained four pearls traditionally believed to have been Queen Elizabeth I’s earrings.

The Queen appeared with her family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace still wearing the Imperial State Crown and the Royal Robes to greet the cheering crowds. Her Majesty appeared again on the balcony at 9.45 pm to turn on the 'lights of London’.

Lights cascaded down the Mall, lighting the huge cipher on Admiralty Arch and turning the fountains in Trafalgar Square into liquid silver, until all the floodlights from the National Gallery to the Tower of London had been illuminated.

Coronation Chicken was invented for the foreign guests who were to be entertained after the Coronation. The food had to be prepared in advance, and Florist Constance Spry proposed a recipe of cold chicken in a curry cream sauce with a well-seasoned dressed salad of rice, green peas and mixed herbs. Constance Spry’s recipe won the approval of the Minister of Works and has since been known as Coronation Chicken.

Numerous official photographs were taken in Buckingham Palace after the Coronation, but the most memorable are those taken by Cecil Beaton. For his defining image he posed The Queen in front of a backdrop depicting Henry VII’s Chapel in Westminster Abbey. The official artist for the Coronation was Polish artist Feliks Topolski, who produced a permanent record of the occasion in the Lower Corridor in Buckingham Palace. The painting was made in 14 sections, each well over a metre high.