Once I was a clever boy learning the arts of Oxford... is a quotation from the verses written by Bishop Richard Fleming (c.1385-1431) for his tomb in Lincoln Cathedral. Fleming, the founder of Lincoln College in Oxford, is the subject of my research for a D. Phil., and, like me, a son of the West Riding. I have remarked in the past that I have a deeply meaningful on-going relationship with a dead fifteenth century bishop... it was Fleming who, in effect, enabled me to come to Oxford and to learn its arts, and for that I am immensely grateful.


Wednesday 24 July 2013

Naming the Prince


The announcement today of the names of the son of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge contained little in the way of surprises. Thee fact that he has just three Christian names is perhaps slightly noteworthy - for the last two generations the Royal Family have tended to receive four, but The Queen has just three names and Queen Victoria and King Edward VII had just two.

George was, I think, predictable; somehow I expected that choice. Alexander is slightly unusual, though there were three Kings of Scots with that name, and it has been used by monarchs of Russia, Greece and Yugoslavia. Louis is one of Prince William's names, and has both Mountbatten and Behind that Hesse- Darmstadt references, as well as being a name borne by Holy Roman Emperors, Kings of France, Hungary, Bavaria, Spain and Portugal as well as many German princes.

On the basis of this choice we can envisage the future reign of King George VII - as I see the Daily Telegraph is doing in tomorrow's edition.

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