A Trumpeter for the Queen

 

 There are uniforms,
and then there are Royal uniforms.
Few musicians are favored to wear
a livery like this trumpeter's attire.

Even in this black and white photo
his trumpet and uniform gleam
with dazzling regal splendor
reflecting centuries of tradition.

But this trumpeter
was actually wearing a new uniform.
One especially outfitted for a Queen.

 

 

 

On the back of the 8" x 10" photo is a printed sticker identifying the subject.

    CORONATION PRACTICE SESSION
LONDON:  Garbed in his magnificent traditional
uniform, trumpeter Fred Baker rehearses at
Knightsbridge Barracks for his part in
the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. Baker
will be one of the State Trumpeters at the
historic event.
CREDIT (UNITED PRESS) 4/16/53

 

It was the spring of 1953 and all of the people of the United Kingdom were preparing for the grand coronation of their new monarch at Westminster Abbey in London. The crown emblem on the tunic of trumpeter Baker has the initials E II R, which signifies 'Elizabeth II Regina'. For over 15 years the emblem had read G VI R until 6 February 1952 when King George VI died and Princess Elizabeth of York succeeded her father to become Queen Elizabeth II.

 

 

 

 

Her Majesty's coronation was scheduled for the next year following the custom of allowing an appropriate time of mourning to pass. There was also a LOT of organizing needed for this important event. The new queen was to be honored by an elaborate ceremony and festivities not seen since her father's coronation in 1937. That ceremony had originally been planed for the coronation of his brother, King Edward VIII, but Edward abdicated on 11 December 1936, giving up the throne in order to marry Wallis Simpson, an American socialite and twice divorcee. Edward's reign at 326 days was the shortest of any British monarch. In 2022 his niece Elizabeth now celebrates her platinum jubilee with over 70 years as the queen of the United Kingdom and her Commonwealth realms.

  

Ten years ago Queen Elizabeth celebrated her diamond jubilee. One of the big public events was a royal procession down the River Thames of the Queen's royal barge escorted by a flotilla of hundreds of small boats. On that day in June 2012, I had the special honor to stand somewhere along the South Bank near Lambeth Bridge with thousands of other people hoping to watch the grand fleet. And for a brief moment I think I saw her go past. She waved at me, which I thought very generous of her considering that I am not one of her subjects. Here is a video of the occasion. It begins with trumpeters.

 

 

The uniform of a royal trumpeter has always been eye-catching fashion and is largely unchanged since 1685. In this colorful postcard the Trumpet Major in State Dress of the 1st Life Guards stands at the ready. His tunic is radiant with gold thread, and like Fred Baker, this trumpeter was also wearing a newly altered uniform. A royal banner hangs from his trumpet and on his chest is the emblem of King Edward VII (1841–1910). 

 

Edward assumed the throne on the death of his mother, Queen Victoria, on 22 January 1901. His coronation was scheduled for 26 June 1902, but just two days before, he was stricken with appendicitis which at the time was a very life-threatening ailment. Fortunately new surgical techniques allowed doctors to successfully treat the condition and King Edward VII recovered to be crowned king at the re-scheduled coronation on 9 August 1902.

 

This postcard was never mailed but the time period is clear since the trumpeter wears the livery of King Edward VII.  Yet printed on the back of the "Orthochrome" card is a notice by the printer, A. & G. Taylor, with the royal seal, "By appointment    to Her late Majesty." Above the left side of the divided  postcard is an official directive that reads: "This space may now be used for communication to counties except United States & Japan."  This change by the Royal Mail to permit messages on the back, except to countries that had not yet adopted this format, was introduced in 1902, so the card was probably produced for King Edward's coronation. It's also interesting that the stamp box, which displays the Inland postage at ½d stamp and Foreign postage at 1d, shows that the card was printed in Saxony in Germany.  

 

 

 

Another element of the trumpet major's uniform which I didn't mention was his tall boots. They were not made for marching but for riding, as he served in the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment. Since 1945, when it was reformed from The Life Guards and The Blues and Royals, the two most senior regiments of the British Army, this elite military unit has served the queen and her royal household in all ceremonial duties required of Britain's head of state. The trumpeters belong to the Household Cavalry Mounted Band which furnishes all the music required at royal events and state occasions. In 2014 the bands of The Life Guards and the Blues and Royals merged and it is the largest military band in the British army. The band is made up of 64 musicians, both men and women now, and depending on the occasion, they will wear either the uniform of The Blues and Royals or The Life Guards.

 

Here is a YouTube video of the Household Cavalry Mounted Band
performing as part of the The Lord Mayor's Show in 2014.
The trumpeters follow the band's kettle drummer
who rides a distinctive drum horse
large enough to carry the rider
and the pair of heavy kettle drum.

 

 

 

Sadly last year Queen Elizabeth lost her husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, on 9 April 2021, just a few months shy of his 100th birthday. One of the special honors bestowed on him at his funeral service on 17 April 2021 in St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle was this moving fanfare by two sets of royal trumpeters, the Buglers of the Royal Marines and the State Trumpeters of the Household Cavalry. The royal marines are first and they play the "Last Post", the traditional bugle call performed at military funerals. Their instruments are the smaller British style bugles. The state trumpeters are second and they play "Reveille", the traditional first call of the day. They use the longer and lower pitched cavalry trumpets.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ottawa, ONT Evening Citizen
22 April 1953

In April 1953 the photo of trumpeter Fred Baker was printed in many newspapers and probably clipped for his family scrapbook. However when I went searching for the image in the archives, I did not expect that the phrase "trumpeter Fred Baker" would get a hit in newspapers from 1994. But 41 years later, trumpeter Fred Baker got his picture in the papers once again. Only this time he was out of uniform and wearing a different hat.

 

 

 

Newcastle Journal
29 November 1994

Just like a fairy tale, the retired Royal Life Guard Trumpeter Fred Baker made the news in Britain as one of the big winners in the UK's National Lottery. He is pictured in a top hat surrounded by seven women, all pensioners, ages 75 to 85, who lived at a retirement home in Buckinghamshire. The "syndicate", organized by Fred, pooled together to buy lottery tickets. It was the first payout for the state-franchised lottery and the group won £1,760,966. I hope Her Majesty was pleased. 

 

Throughout her life, as both a princess and as queen, Elizabeth has surely heard more trumpet fanfares than anyone, anywhere, at anytime. Yet in June 1953 when the people assembled in Westminster Abbey shouted "God save Queen Elizabeth. Long live Queen Elizabeth. May the Queen live for ever!", I doubt few could have predicted that she would reign for over 70 years. 

 

That's a personal-best record that deserves another fanfare or two.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is my contribution to Sepia Saturday
where you can't turn around in London
without bumping into history.