Hungerford honours ancient tradition with Buckingham Palace visit

THE Constable and the Bellman of The Town & Manor of Hungerford travelled to Buckingham Palace – to hand deliver a red rose to the Queen.

The gesture, on behalf of the town and residents, celebrated an ancient custom dating back centuries.

Constable Peter Joseph and Bellman Julian Tubb delivered the rose to the Queen's equerry, Lt Col Thomas White.

They were upholding a tradition which is thought to date back more than 800 years, which sees a red rose delivered to the monarch to mark significant events and anniversaries.

The title ‘Duke of Lancaster’ has been held by the reigning British monarch since 1399, when the House of Lancaster merged with the Crown.

As the Manor of Hungerford was once part of the Duchy of Lancaster, a tradition is still honoured to this day of the Constable presenting a red rose, the emblem of Lancaster, to the monarch on very special occasions.

The visit came about after Mr Joseph, wrote to the Palace to request the opportunity to honour the historic gesture.

He said afterwards: "It was a privilege to visit the Palace and also a wonderful opportunity to recognise the work of Her Majesty The Queen.

"Upholding the unique traditions of Hungerford is an important part of our work at the Town & Manor so it was fantastic for us to be able to present this Jubilee rose to Lt Col White to commemorate the Queen’s 70 years of service.

"Our community is looking forward to coming together to celebrate this very special event over the coming days.

"Around 25 trees along Hungerford’s High Street are being decorated by local groups and organisations, which will be quite the spectacle, all happening alongside the main event of a picnic, music and activities such as a tug of war and ‘make and bake’ competition, amongst many other events.

"It’s going to be a super few days."