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An eye on London

A wonderful place to visit, London is fi lled with royalty, history, and revelry.

STORY: LEIGH NEELY // PHOTOS: RICHARD NEELY

London is a city fi lled with streets, buildings, and castles. Each has fascinating and rich history. I’ve been to London twice, but my visits may be a little different than yours; I have someone on the inside. My son and his family live in Weybridge, a community just outside London.

RIDING THE RAILS

Most every day began with a train ride. Because riding the underground trains can be confusing, it’s recommended you get a prepaid travel card called an Oyster Card to make things easier. Fortunately, we had a personal guide who knew his way around town very well.

A BIRD’S-EYE VIEW

The Coca-Cola London Eye, a giant Ferris wheel, is essential. Be prepared to stand in long lines (and never break the British rule of moving ahead of someone); however, we purchased the fast-track tickets, making our wait much shorter. It’s actually a great deal because these tickets include viewing a 4-D movie that shows how the great structure was built.

The Eye moves very slowly, which allows you to see and take photos of most of London’s great landmarks. You can download the free Coca-Cola London Eye app and learn the history and facts about the skyline you’re London, England

The beauty of this royal residence is diffi cult to describe. There are free 30-minute tours presented by Castle Precincts held at regular intervals every day departing from the courtyard.

enjoying. Once you’ve left the ride, the app is useful for fi nding the landmarks around town.

THE THAMES

Walking past the shops and restaurants along the Thames River was an adventure, too. We saw some of the queen’s swans during our stroll. The British Crown owns all the unmarked mute swans in open water. Interesting side note: this was decreed to keep commoners from killing them and depriving the royals of one of their favorite banquet dishes.

A QUEEN’S HOME IS HER CASTLE

Windsor Castle is a must see and will take you almost all day to fully enjoy. The outside massive structure is just as beautiful as the inside. The largest inhabited castle in the world, it’s where Queen Elizabeth II prefers to spend weekends, and the queen’s standard (fl ag) was fl ying the day we toured, which means she was in residence.

The beauty of this royal residence is diffi cult to describe. There are free 30-minute tours presented by Castle Precincts held at regular intervals every day departing from the courtyard. The tour ends at the State Apartments on Henry VIII’s North Terrace. The views from there are extraordinary.

The weaponry and suits of armor are displayed as beautifully as the furniture and portraits in the apartments. To see so much of battle accoutrements used through the centuries is stunning.

You must see St. George’s Chapel in Windsor, especially if you’re going anytime soon. This is where Prince Henry and Meghan Markle will marry on May 19. Considered one of the best examples of Gothic architecture in England, the chapel dates to the 14th century and King Edward III. The magnifi cent stainedglass window was installed in the late 15th century and is just as beautiful today. It’s also the resting place for Edward IV, Henry VI, Henry VIII, and Jane Seymour, among other royals.

We enjoyed lunch in the shadow of the castle at The Horse and Groom Pub. The fi sh and chips were excellent. The restroom doors had pictures of the queen on the ladies’ room and a beefeater on the gentlemen’s room.

TOWERING OVER LONDON

When you walk through the majestic entrance to the Tower of London, you’ll immediately notice the bright red uniforms of the Yeoman Warders, or Beefeaters as they’re more widely known. To be a Yeoman Warder, a man or woman must be 40 to 55 years old, have at least 22 years of military service, the rank of warrant offi cer, and have received the long service and good conduct medal. As they begin

their service, these royal bodyguards take the oath of royal allegiance going back to 1337.

The Beefeaters lead tours of the tower and provide information and facts you may not hear otherwise. These tours are part of the admission price, and the gentleman who led our tour was very funny and informative.

Something else that will catch you by surprise is the size of the tower ravens. The large black birds are very visible. One sat for several minutes on a bench near us, staring at us with an air of intelligence in its black eyes. Legend says the kingdom will fall if the six ravens that live there ever leave. Therefore, each raven has a painless clipping of one wing. Some have still managed to escape. The black birds are housed next to Wakefi eld Tower and today there are seven, so there’s a spare just in case. They respond to no one but the Ravenmaster, and visitors must keep their distance.

PARLIAMENT

The guided tour of Parliament is educational and entertaining. If you’ve ever watched a session of Parliament on BBC TV, you know it’s a place where the U.K.’s governing body speaks its mind. The Parliament of the United Kingdom has the House of Lords (upper house) and the House of Commons (lower house). The third component is the Queenin-Parliament.

The State Opening of Parliament is much more entertaining than the U.S. Congress. It begins when the Lord Great Chamberlain raises his wand of offi ce and signals the Black Rod to summon the House of Commons. The Black Rod is escorted by the Door-keeper of the House of Lords and an inspector of police. Though it sounds a bit frightening, it’s very ceremonial. The House of Commons doors are open as the Black Rod gets close, but they are slammed shut in his face. This is done to symbolize parliament’s independence from the monarch. He then hits the door three times with the ceremonial staff or black rod and is admitted to announce the command of the queen for attendance of the Commons. The wooden door to the House of Commons has been banged so many times, there is an obvious round dent in the door.

The real value of this tour is seeing the many places “behind the scenes” of parliament. We saw the room where the queen dresses and prepares for speeches, as well as the royal toilet.

Our tour fi nished with high tea in a room full of windows overlooking the Thames. Quite proper and most enjoyable.

BITS AND PIECES

There are so many wonderful places to see and explore in London, it’s impossible to even write about all we saw. Other must-see places include Trafalgar Square and the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace, and all the wonderful national museums are free.

Don’t miss Westminster Abbey, the site of numerous royal weddings and funerals. St. Paul’s Cathedral, begun in 1148, is another beautiful structure. There is an admission charge at both churches, but what you will see and learn is priceless.

This won’t be our last visit to London, of course, and I can’t wait to see what adventures we’ll have next time.