THE QUEEN BEHIND VICTORIA DAY, THE STARS BEHIND CANADIAN TV, AND THE DEAL WITH GETTING OLD
Vol. 1, No. 42
In this edition, your genealogical-minded correspondent dives into the past of the Royal Family to the days of Victoria, on whose empire the sun never set. Tomorrow, we celebrate her legacy with beer and chips. Also, we take a look at Canadian TV commercials and learn that what happens at Finnegan’s bar doesn’t stay there.
This week: A 7-minute read
LAND OF HOPE AND GLORIA
Well, it’s Victoria Day tomorrow, the long weekend that we customarily associate with the launch of the summer season—despite the fact that in much of the country, Victoria Day is cold, damp, windy and in parts of Alberta, victimized by snow squalls.
Yet it’s all part of what makes us Canadian, which presents us with this wonderful opportunity to bone up on the holiday’s namesake, our first sovereign, Her Majesty Queen Victoria.
Here are some fun facts:
Victoria became Queen in 1837 at the tender age of 18. Until she became Queen, her mother slept in her room every night. Also, Victoria was not allowed to descend staircases alone. Someone always had to accompany her lest she fall. And no, I am not making this up.
Like most young women of that era, Victoria was treated like a breeding mare once she came of child-bearing age. Matters of state superceded more trivial considerations like romance and love. In deference to her position, however, the Queen was allowed to choose the “winning” candidate. He was Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in what is now part of modern Germany. He was also her first cousin. Feel free to shudder here.
Albert was an enormously positive influence on Victoria and on the monarchy during their 21-year marriage, which by all accounts was a great success. Together they had nine children, and he introduced many German customs to the palace. Among them, bringing an outdoor evergreen (the Tannenbaum) into the house and decorating it for Christmas. He was also the driving force behind the Great Exhibition of London in 1851, the forerunner of today’s world fairs. He died in 1861, and the widowed Queen wore mourning black for the rest of her life, which was another 40 years.
Victoria was known as the grandmother of Europe because at one point early in the 20th Century, 10 of the continent’s sovereigns were related to her. Among them, King George V of Britain and Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany were both grandsons of Victoria and therefore first cousins. Tsar Nicholas II of Russia was Victoria’s great-grandson, and his wife Alexandra was Victoria’s granddaughter. Again, shudder. Wilhelm, George and Alexandra were among 41 grandchildren of Victoria and Albert.
Though Victoria never set eyes on her Canadian dominion, she did have enormous influence on its affairs. It fell to her to choose the site for the new nation’s capital, and she picked an Upper Canada lumber town known then as Bytown, population 18,000. It is now modern-day Ottawa, metro population 1.4 million.
Victoria’s name and legacy continues in Canada to this day. The city of Victoria is named for her, the city of Prince Albert after her husband. The province of Alberta is named for her daughter, Princess Louise Caroline Alberta. Statues of Victoria abound, like, everywhere in this country.
Victoria died in 1901 at the age of 81. Her 64-year reign was the longest in British history until surpassed by her great-great granddaughter Elizabeth II.
The most recent depiction of Victoria on television was in the ITV series Victoria, which aired for three seasons ending in 2019. The monarch was portrayed by the actress Jenna Coleman. Fans of Doctor Who will recognize her from her time as the doctor’s companion Clara Oswald. The 38-second introductory theme to the show is here.
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SING IT!
“Canada to India/Australia to Cornwall/Singapore to Hong Kong/From the West to the East/From the rich to the poor/Victoria loved them all”
From the song ‘Victoria,’ by the Kinks, music and lyrics by Ray Davies
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HOT PROPERTIES
Speaking of TV, the commercials that are getting such great exposure during the Stanley Cup playoffs can’t help but stir the embers of pride in what it means to be Canadian.
There’s Michael J. Fox for Loblaws and Superstore, Ryan Reynolds for Tim Hortons, Keanu Reeves for Rogers Xfinity, Eugene and Daniel Levy for EQ Bank, and the astronaut Chris Hatfield for Boston Pizza and SpecSavers. There are also a host of hockey players, including Cale Makar and William Nylander for Quickbooks, and Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon for Tim Hortons. Nate also does ads for Tylenol.
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TOO COOL FOR HOT
“The book I’m reading right now is called An Affair To Remember. It's a story about the 26-year romance between Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn. I’m up to Page 118 and these two haven’t even met yet, never mind embarking on a torrid affair. They have, however, been sleeping with pretty well everyone else in Hollywood. Actors in the 1930s must have been very, very busy.”
Another post of mine on Facebook back in our California days. Hollywood secrets was very much a hot topic.
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A ‘DEAR TERRY’ LETTER
Re ‘Bob’s Your Pope,’ May 11. Pope Larry? Are you taking a jab at me, Terry? I’m still pissed that I was overlooked at the conclave. Larry Carrick, Puce, Ontario
Ed. Note: And surely such a good Catholic, too.
By the way, if you want to drop me a note (and risk me publishing it here), just reply to this email or, if you prefer send it to mysundayreader@gmail.com.
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OLD ONE ABOUT OLD ONES
I’ve been dining out on this joke for close to 40 years now, yet it still makes me laugh just thinking about it.
So three old fellows are sitting on their favourite stools at Finnegan’s bar, sharing war stories. At some point, as usually happens with people their age, they get to talking about their deteriorating health.
“Geez, it’s pathetic,” says George. “I can’t even take a piss anymore. I stand there and wait and wait and if I’m lucky, a little sprinkle might run down my leg into my slipper.”
“I’m really sorry to hear that,” says Mike. “I don’t have that problem. But I haven’t had a decent b-m in 10 years. I can sit and grunt for what seems like hours, and if I’m lucky, I might push out something the size of a rabbit pellet.”
Harry shakes his head. “That’s too bad, lads,” he says. “I don’t have either of those problems. Every morning at 7, I piss like a horse and shit like a bear. … Of course, I don’t wake up till 9!”
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THIS WEEK IN THE BOOK CLUB
In this week’s Episode 6, titled ‘Fokkers. You made an army joke,’ Harry is reunited with his long-lost brother Syd in a chance encounter on the platform of a train station in Albert, France. Meanwhile, Stanley is wet, muddy and miserable near Grandcourt, waiting for the signal to climb out of his trench and into no-man’s land. The wait is interminable and the encounter with the enemy brief, as Stanley is felled by an enemy bullet. At home, Hettie wonders how she will cope with her emotions as long as the man she loves fights for his life thousands of miles away.
Also, I’ve added a few personal notes about Episode Two, specifically about growing up near Comber and how we came to know about my grandfather’s rum-running activities in Niagara Falls.
If this sounds fun, a subscription to our Book Club is just $5 a month and you can sign up anytime. Proceeds help finance future projects, such as audiobooks and extra press runs, as well as assist us in doing the hard research for new projects. Plus, you know, expenses.
Again, thanks for your consideration.
Ta till next week. / T.
Please note: Artificial intelligence was not used in the preparation or writing of any part of this newsletter.