It was built by Queen Victoria to commemorate her beloved Albert in 1861 (I believe). There is a tradition of cairn building in Scotland which goes back for thousands of years, and Queen Victoria built several more conventional ones on the Balmoral estate which look more like neat piles of stone. For Albert she had this made. It would be dwarfed on the Giza plateau, but it is a massive edifice nevertheless.
One of the smaller cairns was built for her dear friend, John Brown, but was later demolished by Edward V11, who - like most of the court - disliked Brown intensely.
I think this must be the saddest image of Queen Elizabeth ever taken, when she was compelled to sit alone at the funeral of her own husband because of pandemic regulations. She only lasted about a year after that.
Very interesting that she moved to Windsor to be near Philip, then moved home to Balmoral at the end. Not surprising I suppose.
ReplyDeleteI think that - aside from anything else - Buckingham Palace is an awful place to live.
DeleteIt touches one's heart to see her sit so very alone there.
ReplyDeleteYes, it does.
DeleteSo very sad.
ReplyDeleteYes. She lost her natural soul mate of long standing.
DeleteThere's a sort of stark beauty to the Balmoral Pyramid.
ReplyDeleteYes, as there is in the larger ones in Edypt.
DeleteI think Blogger is eating a lot of comments now. I have had 4 attempts on Joanne's blog, but they all disappear. If yours have disappeared from here, it is not me deleting them.
ReplyDeleteSame happening on Britta's post too.
DeleteI wonder where the comments are going. For the first time ever I cannot find them. Up a magic cairn? Tom, I'll keep looking. I enjoy and value your opinions.
DeleteI think they were on someone else's post which you commented on - maybe Britta's.
DeleteI've read of Victoria's pyramid at Balmoral.
ReplyDeleteHow much more important to have had Elizabeth at Balmoral. She is the monarch to be emulated.
She was a good one. Victoria was good too.
DeleteAnd PS: I'm enjoying the rants you remove, too.
DeleteI'm putting some back now.
DeleteEgyptology must have swept through the country in Victoria's time? It is a strange landmark the one at Balmoral almost like the trig points on top of mountains.
ReplyDeleteI imagine the obsession with Egypt peaked around the time of Howard Carter.
DeleteI'll have another go - can't get on: I feel strangely odd Tom -I am not specially a Royalist but I feel my whole world has slightly shifted on its axis somehow.
ReplyDeleteEverything has changed and had begun drastically changing before her death.
DeleteI knew about Alberts pyramid ..... it was on a documentary about Queen Victoria that I watched. It looks very majestic, taking a prominent position amongst the beautiful scenery of Balmoral ..... a very special memorial to him. .... and, that is indeed a very sad and lonely image of the Queen but, she did her duty and adhered to the rules even in grief. No way would she have been seen doing the wrong thing. I shall miss the stability she gave but, I think Charles has made a good start. His speech went down so well ..... I think he will make a good King. I wish him well. XXXX
ReplyDeleteI like Charles too.
DeleteHow are you doing so far? Where did this go? It's a good topic but seems to have disappeared.
ReplyDeleteIt's back.
DeleteIt's gone again. What a flirt I am!
Delete