Notre-Dame-des-Neiges Cemetery, Montreal, Canada

We don't have mausoleums like this one in Norway. It is interesting to see how different burial traditions are from country to country.

Gudrun Simonetta (1951-1983) - of Scandinavian or German ancestry?

L'Oratoire Saint-Joseph in the background. You can also spot one of the transmission towers at the park of Mount Royal.

The Shaughnessy family grave.

Thomas George Shaughnessy
First Baron Shaughnessy of Montreal Canada and Ashford County Limerick
Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order
Knight Grace of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem in England
D.C.I. Trinity College Dublin and Dartmouth College Hanover USA
LL.D. McGill University Montreal
President Canadian Pacific Railway Company 1899-1918
and Chairman of the Board of Directors 1911-1923
Born October 6th 1853 Died December 10th 1923
and his wife
Elizabeth Bridget Nagle
Born August 15th 1853 Died May 8th 1937

William James, 2nd Baron Shaughnessy, K.C.
Born December 29, 1883 Died October 4, 1938

Captain Hon. Alfred T. Shaughnessy
60th Batallion C.E.F.
Born 1887
Killed in action 31st March 1916
Buried in Maple Copse, Belgium

Alfred James Shaughnessy (1916-2005).
Buried in Launceston, England.

Thomas Bradford Shaughnessy (1915-1994)

Margot Chambers Shaughnessy (1925-1991)

Hon. Alice J. Shaughnessy (1880-1963).
Beloved wife of H. Wyndham Beauclerk.

Elizabeth Audrey Quinlan (1915-1981).
Beloved daughter of Alice Wyndham Beauclerk.

I am not sure who this gentleman - Pierre-Alexandre Gerbaux - was, but it was an interesting memorial.

Last resting place of Maurice Richard (1921-2000), one of the greatest Canadian ice hockey players of all times, and his wife Lucille Norchet (1924-1994).

Grave of Fernand Rinfret (1883-1939), Secretary of State of Canada 1926-1930, 1935-1939. Mayor of Montreal 1932-1934.

The Catholic cemetery of Notre-Dame-des-Neiges is located at 4601 Côte-des-Neiges Road in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and can be reached among others by metro to Côte-des-Neiges or by foot from Mount Royal (entrance Camilien-Houde Road). Notre-Dame-des-Neiges Cemetery is the largest cemetery in Canada and the third-largest in North America. See Wikipedia or the official website for a list of notable internments. Unfortunately I still have a lot to learn about the history of Canada ant its most prominent citizens of the past, so I surely missed many resting places of famous people. I just walked around, looking at interesting and artistic gravestones. Absolutely worth a visit, but maybe not in the middle of the day in July - the temperatures can easily pass 30
˚C.

Mount Royal Cemetery is located not far from Notre-Dame-des-Neiges, but I didn't find time to visit it. Maybe another time...

References

• Official Website of Notre-Dame-des-Neiges, Montreal, Canada.
• Wikipedia article.
  

Notre Dame Cemetery, Ottawa, Canada

The Right Hon. Sir Wilfrid Laurier (1841-1919), Prime Minister of Canada 1896-1911.

I visited the Notre Dame Cemetery in Ottawa on the same day I went to Beechwood Cemetery, but it started to rain rather heavily on my arrival, so I wasn't able to see much. But at least I got to see the grave of Sir Wilfrid Laurier before I had to give in. See Wikipedia or the official website for information on other graves.

Notre Dame Cemetery is located at 455 Montreal Road just south of Beechwood Cemetery and can be reached by bus 12 from Queen and Metcalfe downtown. Directions.

References

• Grave site of Sir Wilfrid Laurier (Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada)
• Notre Dame Cemetery Ottawa
  

Scandinavian heirs write about their polar cruising

The Scandinavian royal heirs - Crown Prince Haakon of Norway, Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark and Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden – visited Svalbard and the Arctic Sea in 2008 and this summer Greenland. They brought with them leading Scandinavian polar explorers.

Now the Scandinavian heirs have published a book about their impressions of their polar cruising, «Kongelig Polartokt» («Royal Polar Expedition» - or rather «Royal Polar Cruising»). The publisher, Cappelen Damm, gives the following description:

«Join three committed royal heirs on an unforgettable journey in the Arctic Sea, to Svalbard and Greenland. Through their own texts they pass on their own impressions and, not least, their commitment for the areas in the north and the climate challenges we are confronted with.

With them on their journey they had invited three researchers, who help us to understand the climate changes and what consequences they may have.»

The preamble is written by former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, who describes the book as «bemerkelsesverdig» («remarkable»).

(Photo: Veronica Melå, The Royal Court)

I have not read the book, but the Norwegian national newspaper Aftenposten published its review today, written by Ole Mathismoen. He describes the book as more than «jippo» («PR gimmick»): The book is easy to read, where difficult words are replaced by good explanations. It is far from pretentious. With this book the three royals’ Arctic trips have become something very different from what it looked liked when they took place, an expensive «jippo» with a royalty-fixated press corps following them. With this book the two-part journey has become some of the most important they have done. The book will reach a totally different audience than the politicians, environmentalists and journalists normally establish contact with when the climate threat is on the agenda. Some people might be criticizing the royals for taking such a clear viewpoint on a topic which still, at least to some extent, is politically controversial.» The rather biased journalist concludes with the pompous line «I’d rather have brave royal heirs than vague and evasive politicians».

Well, it might be a good thing – at least occasionally – that royals dare to take a clear viewpoint. But many could as easily criticize them for once again being «politically correct». One wonders what the public would have said if the royal heirs had made a more critical view of «the established truths» about climate change and its causes?

Barry B. White formally accredited U.S. Ambassador to Norway

Barry B. White was last week formally accredited U.S. Ambassador to Norway when he presented his credentials to Norway’s Head of State, King Harald V.

You can read more about Mr. White's first day as US Ambassador at the Embassy's website. More photos can be found at the Embassy's photo album on Facebook.

The Royal Court has so far not published any photos from the event.

References

• US Embassy, Oslo
• Views and News from Norway 5 November 2009

Updated Thursday 12 November 2009 at 09:15. last time Thursday 7 October 2010.

Serbian royals visit the grave of King Peter II

The Office of Crown Prince Alexander of Serbia (Yugoslavia) informed in a press release today 9 November 2009 that HRH Crown Prince Alexander, Crown Princess Katherine, Prince Peter, Prince Philip and Prince Alexander this weekend visited the burial place of King Peter II of Yugoslavia (1923-1970) at the Saint Sava Serbian Orthodox Monastery in Libertyville, Illinois.

His Eminence Metropolitan Christopher of North Western America led the prayers for the king.

The court confirmed again that the reburial of King Peter II at the Royal Family's Mausoleum at Oplenac, where other members of the Royal Family are buried, is under planning. It is not known at present how far the process of planning has come and when the remains will be brought back to Serbia.

Photo gallery

References

• The Royal Family of Serbia
• The Metropolinate of North Western America
• The King Peter II Karadjordjevic and Queen Maria Karadjordjevic petition to Government of Serbia

Beechwood Cemetery, Ottawa, Canada

Ramon John "Ray" Hnatyshyn (1934-2002), 24th Governor-General of Canada (1990-95). He was married to Karen Gerda Nygaard, née Andreasen, b. 1935, who is of Danish ancestry.

Sir Robert Laird Borden (1854-1937, Prime Minister of Canada 1911-1920.

Of all the things you can find at a cemetery!

War graves.

Beechwood Cemetery in Ottawa, Canada, can be reached by bus no. 7, which goes to the Beechwood entrance from St. Laurent Shopping Centre and the Rideau Centre downtown. Directions.

It is a huge cemetery, so please remember to have good shoes!

Updated on Thursday 7 May 2015 at 10 p.m. (correcting the misinformation that Karen Gerda Hnatshyn was of Norwegian ancestry - according to an e-mail from The Hnatshyn Foundation's administration 7 May 2015, both her parents and grandparents were Danish).

Bunhill Fields Cemetery, London

Daniel Defoe's burial place at Bunhill Fields in London

William Blake (1757-1827) - painter, engraver, poet and mystic.

John Bunyan (1628-1688), author of "The Pilgrim's Progress" (1678).

Notable tombs at Bunhill Fields Cemetery in London.

Bunhill Fields is located in the London Borough of Islington and is a short walk from the Old Street tube station (Northern Line).

References

• Sacred Destinations
• Wikipedia article
• City of London information page

Norway's Royal Family: Official engagements in November

The calendar at the Norwegian Royal Family's official website reveals that the royals are rather busy these days. Among the usual stuff like presiding over the Council of State on Fridays and granting the Foreign Secretary an audience, there are some newsworthy engagements for the king as well.

On Thursday 5 November HM The King will grant the new Ambassador of USA, His Excellency Mr Barry B. White, a formal audience at 11:15. Mr. White, who was confirmed by the US Senate on 22 September and sworn in on 21 October 2009, replaces Benson K. Whitney, who came to Oslo in 2006 and left in June this year. James T. Heg, the Deputy Chief of Mission and Chargé d'Affaires ad interim, has held the fort in the meantime.

Later on Thursday the King will also grant the new Ambassador of Afghanistan, Her Excellency Ms Manizha Bakhtary, a formal audience.

The Norwegian football season 2009 will be finished this weekend with the cup finals for both men and women. Usually the king is present at the men's cup final at Ullevaal Stadium, but King Harald makes an exception this year and will go to Telenor Arena at Fornebu in Bærum on Saturday to attend the women's cup final between Røa and Team Strømmen. Surely it is much more comfortable for the king to be indoors. The first snow arrived in the Oslo area today... But the main reason for the switch is obviously that the king will travel to Stavanger on Sunday 8 November to attend the consecration of the new Bishop of Stavanger, Erling Pettersen.

This means that it is the Crown Prince and Crown Princess who will attend the cup final for men between Aalesund and Molde at Ullevaal Stadium on Sunday. Later on the same day Crown Prince Mette-Marit will visit the Bollywood Festival arranged by X-Ray Youth Centre and World Music Festival, Cosmopolite Torshov.

Next week Crown Prince Haakon will travel to India to attend the World Economic Forums India Summit in New Delhi. And if that was not enough, the Crown Prince will thereafter go directly to Botswana in the role as Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Development Programme.

Even Princess Märtha Louise will have official engagements. On 18 November she will grant audiences to representatives of the Norwegian Association of the Blind and Partially Sighted, the Norwegian Association of Muscular Disorders, the Norwegian Epilepsy Association, the Norwegian Rheumatism Association and Special Olympics Norway, all organisations under her patronage.

References

• Mr. Barry B. White confirmed as new Ambassador of USA
• Biography
• The Norwegian Royal House
• Organisations under the patronage of Princess Märtha Louise