The Flemings are the most honest and true-hearted race of people ...

Things To Irritate, Part 1. The Grenadier Guards were here and the Life Guards, parading on two consecutive days, through the streets of Brugge, and I didn't know. Indeed, none of the English whom I know, was aware of this visit which is a pain as I would have loved to have seen them. One of my brothers was in the Grenadier Guards during WW2 and for a period, he was guarding Windsor Castle where he formed the opinion that Princess Margaret, a young girl at the time, was a bit of a madam! Ooh, this privileged information!

 

Queen Mathilde of Belgium and Queen Elizabeth of Britain. Charles, son of Charles 1, fled to Europe in 1646 and resided in France, Cologne and Holland before settling in Brugge from April 22^nd 1656 until 15^th March 1659 when he left for Brussels. The eventual Charles 11 and his court briefly resided at the Hof Van Watervliet in the Oude Burg, finally taking up residence at the Zeven Torens, which is now the Grand Hotel Casselbergh in Hoogstraat. During his stay here, Charles founded both the Grenadier Guards in 1656 and the Life Guards in 1659, as bodyguards.

The Grenadiers only assumed that name in 1815 after their glorious defeat of the Grenadiers of the French Imperial Guard at the Battle of Waterloo. Then the title The First or Grenadier Regiment of Foot Guards was granted together with the privilege  of wearing the Bearskin Cap.

While living in Bruges, the royal company was persuaded to enrol in selected areas of local society life, then centred around the Archers' Guilds, and Charles with his brothers James, Duke of York and Henry, Duke of Gloucester, with him in exile, became members of the Guilds of St Barbara, of Saint Georges and St Sebastiaan.  Over September 2^nd and 3^rd this year, a splendid sculptured stone plaque was unveiled by Princess Astrid of Belgium, on the facade of the Grand Hotel Casselbergh, Charles's pied a terre during his much-loved Bruges years. This commemorates the historic existence of the Guilds, the seventeenth century British royal connection with Bruges and includes the foundation of these two historic British regiments.


The commemorative plaque, newly unveiled, from which I learned
that Charles had written in 1662," The Flemings are the most honest and
true-hearted race of people I have ever met with."
I was also amused to read the building described as the Royal Palace of England
Scotland and Ireland when King Charles 11 held Court here from 1656 until 1659.