Vice-Regal Saint: Remembering Paul Comtois (1895–1966), Lt.-Governor of Québec
Britannic Inheritance:
Britain's proud legacy. What legacy will America leave?
English Debate:
Daniel Hannan revels in making mince meat of Gordon Brown
Crazy Canucks:
British MP banned from Canada on national security grounds
Happy St. Patrick's:
Will Ireland ever return to the Commonwealth?
Voyage Through the Commonwealth:
World cruise around the faded bits of pink.
No Queen for the Green:
The Green Party of Canada votes to dispense with monarchy.
"Sir Edward Kennedy":
The Queen has awarded the senator an honorary Knighthood.
President Obama:
Hates Britain, but is keen to meet the Queen?
The Princess Royal:
Princess Anne "outstanding" in Australia.
H.M.S.
Victory:
In 1744, 1000 sailors went down with a cargo of gold.
Queen's Commonwealth:
Britain is letting the Commonwealth die.
Justice Kirby:
His support for monarchy almost lost him appointment to High Court
Royal Military Academy:
Sandhurst abolishes the Apostles' Creed.
Air Marshal Alec Maisner, R.I.P.
Half Polish, half German and 100% British.
Cherie Blair:
Not a vain, self regarding, shallow thinking viper after all.
Harry Potter:
Celebrated rich kid thinks the Royals should not be celebrated
The Royal Jelly:
A new king has been coronated, and his subjects are in a merry mood
Victoria Cross:
Australian TROOPER MARK DONALDSON awarded the VC
Godless Buses:
Royal Navy veteran, Ron Heather, refuses to drive his bus
Labour's Class War:
To expunge those with the slightest pretensions to gentility
100 Top English Novels of All Time:
The Essential Fictional Library
BIG BEN:
Celebrating 150 Years of the Clock Tower
The Marathon event of the 1908 Olympic Games was run from Windsor to London. The Marathon course had previously been 25 miles long. For the 1908 race the previously agreed starting line was moved to the Home Park at Windsor to allow the Royal Family to view the start; the finishing line was not changed. The resulting distance - 26 miles, 385 yards - has been the standard marathon distance ever since. 
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3 comments:
Only goes to prove that traditions are indispensable, even if such an arbitrary thing as 26 miles and 385 yards.
My, can you imagine if HM the Queen asked for the distance of the marathon to be changed for the 2012 Olympic Games? What would the IOC say? Still, I suppose they might be fairly generous (after all, The Princess Royal, as the Head of State's daughter, wasn't subjected to drugs tests in 1976, if memory serves). It's one of the nicer oddities about the Olympics, and useful for the odd pub quiz. Ta muchly.
It would only be rational for the London 2012 Olympics to have the marathon go from Windsor Castle to London again. It's a no brainer. Hopefully our Grand Old Duke will be in good form to watch the start from his bedroom window.
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