My husband and I celebrated our silver wedding anniversary with a family trip to the land of my birth, and showing my granddaughters England for the first time was a very special experience for me. We spent a lot of time exploring central London but based ourselves in the town of Eton which is about 30 miles outside of London and on the doorstep of Windsor Castle. It is a beautiful and historic little town which, when you look up and across the river, you can see that it is practically in the shadow of the castle, where famously the Prince and Princess of Wales and their three children now have their main home. The patriotic little community of Eton has the British Union Jack flag flying in many places on the “High Street” (what the English call “Main Street) and seem very proud of being British. The town of Windsor is just a short walk away over the famous, pedestrian-only bridge.
The history of Eton is interesting, and the name comes from the Saxon word ‘Eyton’ meaning a settlement on an island. It is mentioned in the Norman’s Domesday Book of 1086 as the French Normans were the last people to successfully conquer England in 1066. They went on to take over any land or property from the Saxons that they wanted, and that included the town of Eton. Back in those days, the way across the River Thames to the larger town of Windsor was by ferry or by a small wooden bridge, which was a difficult and dangerous crossing. Of course, horses were the mode of transport at this time and these valuable beasts were kept safely in stables in Eton while their owners found other ways to cross the river to conduct their business there. The Normans built an early castle at Windsor, probably in the 12th century and also established a wooden bridge over the River Thames between the two towns, using timber from local oak trees. This ancient bridge survived about 500 years, until 1824 when a new stone and iron bridge was completed. The bridge opened as a toll bridge, but these tolls were scrapped in 1897. Cars started crossing the bridge in the early 1900s, but as the 20th century progressed the number of motor vehicles on the road grew and cracks in the cast iron due to the weight of traffic became a major issue. In 1970 the bridge was closed to all road vehicles. However, repairs were needed, and today’s bridge was refurbished and reopened by the late Queen Elizabeth in 2002. Today, this pedestrian bridge makes it an easy and pleasant walk between the towns of Eton and Windsor.
Many people have heard of Eton because it is dominated by the presence of one of the most famous and oldest schools in the world – the prestigious Eton College. Many members of the royal family have attended Eton, most famously Prince William, now the heir to the British throne. William arrived at Eton College in September 1995 and was watched by his family as he signed the school register. Prince Harry followed him in 1997 but reported that he was not very happy there, unlike his older brother. During their time at school Prince Charles struck a deal with the press whereby William and Harry were left alone in return for limited access at press and photo calls.
Eton College is the largest boarding school for boys aged 13-18 in England, and a place the wealthy aspire to send their sons. It has educated prime ministers, world leaders, Nobel laureates, award-winning actors and generations of the aristocracy. Did you know that the British call expensive private schools “public schools”? This is pretty misleading when you consider that the price of a year’s education and boarding at Eton is
currently around $85,000 for one student. There has been a lot of controversy around this topic recently as the current socialist government in the UK has just removed a tax exemption of 20% on all independent school tuition.
This is ironic since Eton college was founded by King Henry VI in 1440 to provide his subjects with the opportunities of gaining knowledge that he had enjoyed. He made a provision for 70 poor boys, known as King’s Scholars, to be housed and educated at Eton free of charge. Alongside them, other boys could also benefit from the free education, but they would have to pay for their accommodation. To fund this, Henry VI gave the school a large amount of land and special rights, including the right to swans on the Thames! This meant that Eton College could use the swans as a source of income or as part of their operations (which I suppose means they could eat them). The college had the effect of making the town famous and very affluent.
While in Eton, it was essential for us to sample the famous “Eton Mess”, a traditional summer English dessert made from a mixture of strawberries, meringue, and whipped cream. Its history dates back to the 19th century, with the first recorded instance occurring in 1893 when it was served to Queen Victoria at a royal gathering. The dessert is commonly believed to have originated at Eton College, where it was served during the annual cricket match against Harrow School. An interesting anecdote suggests that Eton Mess was created when the dessert was accidentally dropped, leading to its signature mixed appearance…a “mess”. There is a lot more information at www.history.com and www.Britannica.com
I will leave you with a quote by Prince William, former Eton College student, current heir to the throne, and grandson of the late Queen Elizabeth II, which resonated with me after our three generational family trip: "As I learned from growing up, you don’t mess with your Grandmother." My granddaughters should pay heed!
God Bless America!
Lesley grew up in London, England and made Georgia her home in 2009. She can be contacted at lesley@francis.com or via her full-service marketing agency at www.lesleyfrancispr.com.