June 7, 2012

Float your boat

I don't know if you noticed this weekend, but the Queen of England, Elizabeth II, celebrated her Diamond Jubilee. She is the second-longest reigning British monarch of all time superseded only by her great-great-grandmother Victoria who has 3 years and 100-some days on her.
Part of the festivities this weekend included a 1000-vessel flotilla on the Thames in London. The flotilla traveled under 14 of London's Thames bridges: Chelsea Bridge, Grosvenor Bridge, Vauxhall Bridge, Lambeth Bridge, Westminster Bridge, Hungerford Bridge and Golden Jubilee Bridges, Waterloo Bridge, Blackfriars Bridge, Blackfriars Railway Bridge, Millennium Bridge, Southwark Bridge, Cannon Street Railway Bridge, London Bridge, and Tower Bridge.
AFP Getty image
I will admit to a bit of Anglophilia (is that a word?), but even without a predisposition to it, this was an impressive sight.

1 comment:

Professor Longnose said...

From the OED:

Anglophile, a. and n.

(ˈæŋgləʊfaɪl)

Also -phil.

[ad. F. anglophile, f. Anglo- + -phil, -phile.]

A.A adj. Friendly to England or to what is English. B.B n. One who is friendly to England. Hence Angloˈphilia, ˈAnglophilism, friendliness to England; Angloˈphilic a., Anglophile.

   1867 Contemp. Rev. IV. 88 The Revue des deux Mondes, a thorough ‘Anglo-phile’ periodical.    1883 Chambers's Jrnl. 13 Jan. 18/1 This telephone‥was an Anglophile, and would only respond to the honoured name of Faraday.    1892 Athenæum 26 Mar. 400/3 When prudence dictated assistance to the Dutch, the Huguenots, or the ‘Anglophile’ party in Scotland.    1896 Westm. Gaz. 2 Oct. 2/1 To show how Anglophilia and Anglophobia counteract each other.    Ibid. 5 Dec. 6/3 The New York Evening Sun‥has frequently attacked Mr. Bayard for what it regards as his extreme Anglophilism.    1920 Robb Thre Prestis of Peblis (S.T.S.) Introd. p. xxxv, The unpopularity he thus incurred as an anglophile.    1950 Amer. Speech XXV. 90 The large Anglophilic group in the city.