Even if you aren’t a history buff, the thought of the end of a generation is mind blowing.

I realized with breathtaking finality what it meant when I saw the Queen attending the service at Westminster Abbey to “mark the passing of the World War I generation”. The words alone are astounding.

This year, the three remaining veterans of WWI passed away: William Stone in January, and both Harry Patch and Henry Allingham in July. Allingham was the oldest Royal Navy Veteran, the last survivor of the battle of Jutland, and a founding member of the Royal Air Force.
Funeral of First World War Veteran Henry Allingham

The families of many of these WWI heroes attended the service. The Queen, accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, laid a wreath on The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier to commemorate the event.

http://www.royal.gov.uk/LatestNewsandDiary

Two new links have been added here and at The British American Group official website. Have a look!

English Tea Store

British Flags

LONDON, England – Henry Allingham, the world’s oldest man and the oldest surviving British veteran from World War I, has died at the age of 113, his care home said Saturday.

Allingham was a founding member of the modern Royal Air Force.

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Upcoming events in the New England area

Boston’s Birthday (Charter Day) September 10-13 2009, with a special focus on its British roots. Click here for more information on the week’s activities.

The world’s oldest man, a Japanese fellow named Tomoji Tanabe, died Friday. He was 113.

Now, the crown for the world’s oldest man title has passed to the English Henry Allingham, 113. Guinness World Records proclaimed his entrance into their famous book last Friday.

Allingham is the only remaining member of the WWI armed forces.

Want to contribute a few things to the MBR K!ds site? This is my royal history website for children, and not only does it cover the royal family but also the traditions of the British Isles, too.

If you’d like to help include unique information about British traditions or holidays, email me at: b-a AT mandysroyalty DOT org

Thanks!

English actress Natasha Richardson died Wednesday in New York after a head injury.

While on holiday in Canada, Richardson fell during a skiing lesson but immediately got up, claiming she was fine. Doctors say she suffered from an epidural hematoma from the fall, which causes bleeding between the skull and the brain’s covering.

Dame Judi Dench ,who co-starred with Richardson in a 1987 production of Ibsen’s Ghosts, said: “She had an incredibly luminous quality that you seldom see, and a great sense of humour. I thought she was a really great actress. It has been so shocking, really shocking.”

A distinctly undiplomatic State Department official, involved in the planning of the Obama-Brown meeting, was quoted by The Sunday Telegraph as saying that “there’s nothing special about Britain. You’re just the same as the other 190 countries in the world.”

Thank you, Washington, for showing us how you really feel. Nothing to exploit from Britain, so it’s worthless, eh? Thank you. How ashamed I am of this so-called “leadership”. Thanks for insulting my heritage, and the country that made the United States for you to poo upon.

Celebrate Ireland’s patron saint with a pint and a smile!