Royal Progress

Royal Progress


I have always enjoyed reading about History, but in particular about Royal Progresses.
Medieval Kings and Queens journeying through their realms bestowing their bounty and friendship. But as ever, this was also business. Favor for favor.

I feel sure that as much as the local Lord wanted the favor of the Queen or King, in providing place to visit. The Lady of the manor, knew it only as hard work. For she had to provide food, lodging, amusement not just for the Royal family but for the entourage who might number in their hundreds. Coming to a different lords manor house, hunting, feeding all, depleting the stocks of the manor/fiefdom for their winter. But the gentry looking for the favor that would hopefully bring good to their own small kingdom of farms, villages, businesses. Not so different from the Royal family today who’s visits and weddings bring money to England. In the end it all comes down to business.

So, within my family we are related to one of the worlds most famous Rappers, who has spent the last year making news with bad behavior. Our Thanksgiving gift was that he asked to spend it with us, with less than 24 hours notice. We knew the food was not going to be a problem, being caterers pays off, every now and then! As Cathy said “Are you cleaning or cooking?” It certainly forced us to finish the remaining unpacking and sorting. Experiment with our new dining room layout..

We awaited the Royal progress with numbers that had changed from 2, to 4, and turned out to be 7. Two hours late! The glamorous people enter our humble fiefdom. Embarrassed at their own tardiness. The young bejeweled princeling from the year before had a larger entourage and a beautiful paramour, he had worn his new power rather casually. But now is aware of his power, having learnt the hard way that words and actions have power, not all for the good; and is cowed by it. He has been betrayed from within too. Looking for safe haven from the world, but needing the world to keep his new power and the love of his fans. With a changed inner circle and hangers on, mistrust and hope battling it out on his face, that these were the right people to trust.

Putting them at their ease, with good food and idle chatter; probably not the sort from a Jane Austen novel, but also, not so very different. I did wonder when the court jesters would arrive, but realized we were already there.

Did we win favor? Hard to know. But what I do realize is that for millennia my family have been small business keepers; probably innkeepers; hoteliers, cooks and so on.
The faces of the people we have served and sought favor from has changed, but the acts have remained the same.