Commemorating Monarchs

[Bon Echo]

Hi there:

I’m currently writing up a category which will waymark items that serve to commemorate kings / queens / emperors / princes / princess / etc. The items must be permanent, publicly accessible, and they must clearly identify who it is that is being commemorated and what their royal title was at that time.

I believe it is global – the items could be found in any country, not just countries which have kings and queens etc. Many European and probably Asian countries will have items on display which commemorate royals, I know here in Canada there are many such items and I expect the same in other commonwealth countries. I don’t know about the USA though. “As of July 2013, there are 26 active sovereign monarchies in the world – kings, queens, sultans, emperors, emirs and others – who rule or reign over 43 countries in all.” (source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_family).

 

I also believe it is not redundant – there is the Monarchs of the World category http://www.Waymarking.com/cat/details.aspx?f=1&guid=6af7a805-601d-4415-82e1-140db09d70a1 but it only accepts statues and the category that I am proposing will accept any item (but will decline statues of monarchs since they fit perfectly in that category).

 

Here is a bit of what I have so far, please don’t worry too much about the specifics at this point (but it will be appreciated soon enough), all I’d like to know for now is whether there is any support for this category.

 

This category accepts all publicly-accessible items which are set up in recognition of royals. The item must be accessible and must clearly state (usually be means of an inscription, plaque, etc.) the name and official title (at the time the item was placed) of the person being recognized.

To be considered for this category, the person named on the inscription/plaque/etc. must be a member of a royal family, meaning that they will have an official title earned through birth or marriage. “Royals by election” will also be accepted to this category only if they serve in that role until death or until abdication. Constitutional monarchs will NOT be accepted since they (typically) serve a pre-defined (and comparably short) tenure. Dictators and the like will also generally be declined unless there are sufficient grounds to consider the person to be a royal, based on the history of the location they rule over. The decision to accept or reject a waymark based on the monarch/ruler in question lies with the category managers. Feel free to contact the category managers ahead of any submission to confirm whether or not your waymark will fit the category.

 

Some common titles which are typically reserved for monarchs:

King /Queen / Tsar / Tsaritsa / Emperor / Empress / Prince / Princess / Duke / Duchess / Marquess / Marchioness / Earl or Count / Countess / Viscount/ Viscountess / Baron / Baroness or Baronet / Baronetess or Knight. This list is by no means complete and admittedly fails to capture most forms of royals outside those of the British monarchies.

 

Note that some titles may be used in contexts not fitting for this category, and use of the above titles does not automatically qualify the item for inclusion in the category. Additionally, even if a thing/place has “Queen such-and-such” or “King So-and-so” in the name does not mean that it will qualify for this category, there must be a plaque or inscription linking the name of the place/thing with the person.

 

Here are a few examples of items which would fit this category (all from exisiting waymarks in other categories); please keep in mind that it is not about the plaque but the item - I am only showing the plaque or incription as it convenys the point for this discussion. all submission will require at least two photos - one of the item (default image) and one of the inscription or plaque.

 

South Brent Jubilee Sundial

http://www.Waymarking.com/waymarks/WM2981_South_Brent_Jubilee_Sundial - Sundials

The inscriptions of the sundial podium commemorate the Diamond jubilee of Queen Victoria and the Silver and Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II

 

King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. Oak Tree at Maheno. New Zealand - Dedicated Trees

http://www.Waymarking.com/waymarks/WM7PNG_King_George_VI_and_Queen_Elizabeth_Oak_Tree_at_Maheno_New_Zealand

A tree planted to commemorate the Coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.

 

Court Pergola - A Gift to the German Emperor - Relocated Structures

http://www.Waymarking.com/waymarks/WM2KVP_Court_Pergola_A_Gift_to_the_German_Emperor

An old building which was mover, rebuilt, and presented as a gift to William I, Emperor of Germany

 

Bell Tower - Filgrave, Buckinghamshire, UK - Bell Towers

http://www.Waymarking.com/waymarks/WM6XJV_Bell_Tower_Filgrave_Buckinghamshire_UK

A bell tower which was built to commemorate the Coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.

[+BruceS]

Wouldn't these fall into the Citizen Memorials. It does not appear that they are excluded from that category.

[Bon Echo]

Wouldn't these fall into the Citizen Memorials. It does not appear that they are excluded from that category.

 

Hi Bruce, thanks for the quick reply.

 

My response would be that yes, these could be included in the Citizen Memorials but so would most memorials to:

Abraham Lincoln

Benjamin Franklin

Carl Linnaeus and His Apostles

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

George Washington

John F. Kennedy

La Famille Bonaparte

Ponce de León

Vasco da Gama

William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody

William Shakespeare

Elvis

The Beatles

Jimmy Buffett

 

All these people have their own category, and for good reason: they are noteworthy above and beyond the average citizen. I feel that royals should also have their own category in the same way.

 

Also not all items used in my example could be included in the Citizen Memorial Category:

 

Not allowed waymarks

Please do not submit any of the following that would fall into other existing categories. These include but not limited to:

•Military personnel who died in action.

•Police officers who died in the line of duty.

•Dedicated benches.

•Firefighter memorials.

•Occupational memorials.

•Disaster memorials.

•Dedicated trees.

•Buildings or bridges named after people.

•Towns or cities named after people.

•Sculptures or busts of the person(s). These can fit under Statues of Historic Figures.

•Also monuments and memorials to people listed at this link, People (History).

•Roadside memorials to traffic accident victims are not be included here.

•Any type of headstone, however a general memorial to people in a cemetery is acceptable as long as it is clearly not a headstone nor one of the non allowed categories above.

[+BruceS]

All the people you listed are excluded from the Citizen Memorial category thus cannot be submitted there. ("Also monuments and memorials to people listed at this link, People (History)"). Not saying the Royals aren't a special type of Citizen but Citizen Memorial category was created as a catch all for those that did not have a category to be submitted to.

[Bon Echo]

All the people you listed are excluded from the Citizen Memorial category thus cannot be submitted there. ("Also monuments and memorials to people listed at this link, People (History)"). Not saying the Royals aren't a special type of Citizen but Citizen Memorial category was created as a catch all for those that did not have a category to be submitted to.

 

Okay, I see. Seems to be a chicken-and-egg situation, where these items can be included in the Citizen Memorial unless this category could be approved, after which the items would no longer be accepted into the Citizen Memorial category

[Bon Echo]

Here are a few more examples of suitable items and one which is not suitable:

 

Bermuda: The Victoria Park Bandstand: Victoria Park, Hamilton.

This site was chosen for its installation after the bandstand had been purchased by the City of Hamilton, to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1887.

 

Austria. Plaque commemorating the visit of Edward VII to Ischl and the Diamond Jubilee of Emperor Franz Joseph. (Assuming the item is publicly accessible)

http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/collection/444362/austria-plaque-commemorating-the-visit-of-edward-vii-to-ischl-and-the-diamond

 

Italy: Plaque Commemorating Holy Roman emperor Charles V (1500 – 1558), who visited Cagliari in 1535.

http://www.cagliariturismo.it/en/places/places-of-memories-315/pantheon-258/charles-v-commemorative-plaque-368

 

Here’s an example of some that would NOT be accepted:

http://www.popehat.com/2009/10/08/only-in-san-francisco-32942/

A plaque to Norton I,first Emperor of America, which reads: "Pause traveler and be grateful to Norton I. Emperor of the United States, Protector of Mexico, 1859-1880. Whose prophetic wisdom conceived and decreed the bridging of San Francisco Bay."

Reason: Joshua Abraham Norton (c. 1819[2] – January 8, 1880), the self-proclaimed Imperial Majesty Emperor Norton I, was a celebrated citizen of San Francisco, California, who in 1859 proclaimed himself "Emperor of these United States" and subsequently "Protector of Mexico". (from Wikipedia).

[+Benchmark Blasterz]

These are cool things but I will say this: if BruceS has reservations then that is a serious issue.

 

Thanks for bringing this to the forums -- I am sure we can work it out to become a viable category.

 

Question -- could some of these go into community commemorations

[Bon Echo]

These are cool things but I will say this: if BruceS has reservations then that is a serious issue.

 

Thanks for bringing this to the forums -- I am sure we can work it out to become a viable category.

 

Question -- could some of these go into community commemorations

 

Hi Benchmark Blasterz, thanks for your feedback.

 

As far as the Community Commemorations category goes, these items will not qualify:

" This is for Communities, States, Nations, etc. If you are Waymarking any type of organization, company or person, please use the Commercial Commemorations category."

 

That lead me to look at the Commercial Commemorations category and to my surprise I found listed there exactly some of the items I have suggested. From the category description for Commercial Commemorations:

"** Update - September 15, 2011 **

In response to the recently denied waymarks celebrating a King's anniversary of his reign, this category will accept all anniversary markers and monuments that are not about a country, city, state, or other place. Also accepted are centennial or bicentennial commemorations of an individual's birth."

 

That's really too bad (in my opinion) since it seems to make that category too broad. Also, there are very few of these sort of items found in that category - in scanning the 403 waymarks in that category I found about 10 or 11 that were related to the commemoration of a royal. I'd take a guess that many (most?) waymarkers don't even know that such items would be accepted in that category.

 

So it is now established that the examples I have shown above should all be acceptable in the Commercial Commemorations. My argument is that Monarchs are distinct enough and commemoration to Monarchs are numerous enough to justify their own category, and that they should be listed there instead of being "accommodated" in the Commercial Commemorations category.

 

I really value the feedback of the community here. Thank-you BruceS and Benchmark Blasterz for your comments and please reply again with your thoughts, and hopefully we will hear from others as well. I would especially love to hear from officers of the Commercial Commemorations category.

 

Thanks

[+saopaulo1]

The Victoria Park could go into signs of history. As for Emperor Norton, he wasnt royal, even with his self proclaimed title.

[+jhuoni]

You actually gave your waymark idea the "kiss of death" when you said:

 

"I don't know about the USA though."

Until we can redefine the "GLOBAL" criteria this will be a sticking point for many waymarkers.

 

Global - The directory has the potential for worldwide appeal, but onlyif the categories are not too restricted by region. Consider whether peoplefrom all over the world will be able to contribute to this category. We canafford to be somewhat flexible with the application of this guideline for trulyoutstanding categories.

If it were to include "all things U.S. President" it might get some favor. There currently (to my knowledge) isn't a U.S. President Category. But most U.S. President waymarks fall into other existing categories.

[+BruceS]

I think you find some Royals commemorations in the US especially around Kansas City... oops wrong Royals... kidding aside I think with some searching a fair number of commemorations will be found in the U.S.

Edited April 13, 2014 by BruceS

[Bon Echo]

Hi there, thanks for the comments.

 

As for Emperor Norton, he wasnt royal, even with his self proclaimed title.

 

Exactly, which is why that item would NOT be included

.

Here’s an example of some that would NOT be accepted:

http://www.popehat.com/2009/10/08/only-in-san-francisco-32942/

A plaque to Norton I,first Emperor of America, which reads: "Pause traveler and be grateful to Norton I. Emperor of the United States, Protector of Mexico, 1859-1880. Whose prophetic wisdom conceived and decreed the bridging of San Francisco Bay."

Reason: Joshua Abraham Norton (c. 1819[2] – January 8, 1880), the self-proclaimed Imperial Majesty Emperor Norton I, was a celebrated citizen of San Francisco, California, who in 1859 proclaimed himself "Emperor of these United States" and subsequently "Protector of Mexico". (from Wikipedia).

 

 

You actually gave your waymark idea the "kiss of death" when you said:

 

"I don't know about the USA though."

Until we can redefine the "GLOBAL" criteria this will be a sticking point for many waymarkers.

 

Funny, I sort of thought it was not a great move to write that line but I was just being honest. I do suspect that there are some through the US, but probably fewer than in some of the European or Commonwealth countries. Anyway, I'm confident that waymarks could be added to this category from many countries around the world, and hope it will be supported by Waymarkers in the US even though they might find few in their own countries. They can always travel north or south of the border and snag some on friendly neighboring soil. I know I enjoy findign "US-specific" categories while on our many trips into the US.

 

I think you find some Royals commemorations in the US especially around Kansas City... oops wrong Royals... kidding aside I think with some searching a fair number of commemorations will be found in the U.S.

Actually, I had problems searching for Monarch Commemorations in the US because of the use of terms such as Royals and King only returned results for the Kansas City Royals or for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, respectively. Using keyword like King, Prince, Duke, Queen, Royals in conjunction with "United States"...well, you get a lot of hits but nothing about what you are looking for

 

I have since discovered at least one Monarch Commemoration in the United States: the current King of Thailand was born in the US, and there is a commemorative plaque and display at the Cambridge MA hospital where he was born

You can read the plaque at 0:56 in this video:

See also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhumibol_Adulyadej http://www.state.gov/p/eap/rls/rm/2013/10/213757.htm