A royal day in Rye

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A spectacular day on Saturday, August 12 as Rye celebrated the 450th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth I declaring Rye Royal. Hundreds of people filled the streets to follow a regal procession around town, recreating the events of 1573 with songs, stories, and sea shanties. You can hear the full story of the day on the latest edition of our Ryecast podcast, and in this video made by KT Bruce.

The procession was led by Rye’s town crier Paul Goring. It was his idea to mark the anniversary, although he admits facts about the visit are scarce “There are lot of legends, so we’ve combined them with what we know for certain.” For organiser Simon Parsons from Rye Heritage Centre it was a day to bring the centre out into the community “It’s all about understanding Rye’s history, being part of it…and having a bit of fun.”

Rye Royal celebrations

Actors from the Rye Players led the procession with Clare Hammond playing Queen Elizabeth I in full regal costume, her first time playing a royal. “It’s been absolutely extraordinary being the centre of attention. A remarkable day.” Accompanied by ladies in waiting, and a history defying cameo from King Henry, the queen negotiated the cobbles waving to cheers and stopping at locations around Rye.

Starting at the the bottom of Conduit Hill, the procession made its way along the High Street and Mint to Strand Quay. In front of Rye Heritage Centre fisherman Dan Chapman presented the queen with some Rye bloaters. They may not have an appetising name, but Dan says they’re great to eat “They’re not too fishy, just enough to tell they’re from the sea, but they’re one of the best fish you can catch round here.”

Dan Chapman hands Queen Elizabeth some Rye bloaters

After a sea shanty from the Rye Harbour Herrings, the parade moved to The Mermaid, along Traders Passage and then on to the look out on Watchbell Street. It was here the actors recreated the story of Queen Elizabeth I losing her pearls, with Paul Goring recounting the story of the ghost of a maid still searching for the lost jewels to this day.

At each stop the Sing It Out choir performed a chorus explaining where the procession was heading to next. “Follow. Follow. Follow” they sang, with many of the crowd joining in. After walking through the church yard, the town hall was next and then the Gun Garden and a chance for Queen Elizabeth to inspect the newly painted cannons. The parade finished at the monastery on Conduit Hill where Rye Players performed their version of Shakespeare’s “Much ado about nothing”.

Rye Royal celebrations

A brilliant event, full of character and fun. A day many people will remember for a long time. The audience of locals and visitors thoroughly enjoyed it, as did the actors and singers. A day when Rye came together to mark the town’s fascinating history, and did it with style. Catching up with Simon Parsons as the event came to a close, he was thrilled by how the day came together ”It’s been an amazing day, I’m so pleased with the turn out and how everyone got involved.” So what’s he planning for Rye Heritage Centre next? “I’ll have to get back to you…”

For more about the procession, download Ryecast “A royal day in Rye”. You can hear the podcast by searching for Ryecast, or by visiting www.ryecast.org.

Image Credits: Kt bruce .

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29 COMMENTS

  1. Without wishing to be a party pooper, I feel this was a weak excuse for a celebration because the 1573 declaration is not particularly well known in Rye. It just felt rather artificial and confected as an event. Nothing wrong with people having a bit of fun like this, if that’s what floats your boat, but it’s looking back, rather than looking forward. Rye’s history should be, and is, remembered, but holding a parade when there’s no strong reason for one is pointless. Royalists and tourists might get a kick from it, but it seems a bit bizarre in this day and age and I’m sure a lot of locals just raised a quizzical eyebrow as the procession passed. Mind you, it was amusing to see a man dressed in 16th century attire buying a Kitkat in Costcutter. The organisers of this sort of event should remember that not everyone in this town is a dyed-in the-wool royalist. We need a much better idea for an ‘event’ than this one. It’s not in the town crier’s job description to invent pointless processions like this.

    • Hi Iain,
      As town crier my job description goes far beyond just standing on the town hall steps and shouting. I am also expected to promote the town, encourage tourism and publicise Rye’s heritage. However I do not do this just because of my job (in fact I do not get paid for town events such as this); I do it for love of Rye.
      I am sorry that you felt the Rye Royal event was ‘pointless’; Queen Elizabeth I’s visit to the town was an important event in Rye’s history; Elizabeth boosted the town’s economy at the time by granting concessions and warrants to our fishing fleet; she made significant contributions to the defence of the town and, by granting the town the name “Rye Royal”, she considerably increased the town’s prestige. You do not need to be a royalist to appreciate the historical significance of a Tudor monarch’s visit.
      If, as you suggest, the 1573 visit is “not particularly well-known in Rye”, then surely events such as this help to make it better known & reacquaint those who were unaware of it with a major date in their town’s history.
      When I first tentatively mooted the idea of marking the 450th anniversary of the visit with an Elizabethan Pageant, the idea was enthusiastically seized upon by Rye Heritage Centre (who did all the actual hard work & organising) and many other local businesses, organisations and local people eagerly offered to be involved.
      Can any event which involves the townsfolk, creates a fun afternoon out, draws attention to our heritage and brings a little bit of joy to an otherwise increasingly depressing world ever really be pointless? Judging from the hundreds of people who lined the streets and followed the procession around town, the event was thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated.

  2. As a republican (though not one who would want Presidents Johnson or Starmer, so sticks with the 1689 Settlement) I thought it was a great event and congratulate all involved. A town that knows its history is best prepared to meet their present and future.

    • Although not a republican, I do agree with what you say about a town that knows its history is prepared for the future. To know where we are going we have to know where we have been.

  3. Sorry you feel that way Iain, the 1573 visit was a significant event in our history and seemed a good opportunity for us to venture into “ taking heritage into the community “. I’m pleased to say that it was very well received and we have had some amazing feedback so I guess we must settle for not being able to please everyone. We had a huge amount of cooperation and collaboration with other community groups and yes, you’re right, we had a lot of fun ! Hopefully we have inspired a few to find out even more about Rye’s rich and varied history – whether it be royalist, rebellious, religious, riotous or ridiculous. We’d be very happy to hear any ideas from you on future event ideas.

  4. The main purpose of Rye News is to raise awareness and support the community by producing and sharing news and information, supporting local events and businesses and to encourage debate. I feel our coverage of this spectacular pageant did all of that. Personally, I thoroughly enjoyed the day (as an onlooker not Rye News Editor) and the huge crowds who came along in support were also not disappointed. It took a lot of hard work by all concerned in the planning and execution of this special event and importantly, brought the community and visiting tourists together.

    Perhaps part of it’s success was that there was no commercial element to the proceedings, no over priced foodie stalls and no distractions, just good old fashioned fun for all, regardless of age, nationality, gender or religion. It was inclusive.

    Many of our Rye News team were amongst the crowds, not by arrangement but because they wanted to be there. Our coverage and video and photographic record of this event will remain in the archives for everyone to enjoy for many years to come and we look forward to being involved in the next event. Congratulations to all concerned for making this parade a day to remember, for all the right reasons.

  5. Basically your saying they should not do this because you don’t like it . O well , tough luck . Alot of people don’t like it when people moan over such little things , but it did not stop you writing your displeasure. Instead why not come up with something better and act on it. I do agree about the kitkat moment, would of made a nice picture.

  6. With regard to Iain and to quote Elizabeth the First: “Off with his head!”

  7. As a tourist town, Rye’s under pressure to put on events that attract visitors, especially in summer. This, essentially, was the reason behind the Elizabethan event. We already have a number of well-known occasions, such as Ryefawks. I do have some sympathy with the view that the recent ‘royal day’ was somewhat artificial in concept. Yes, it was a one-off and a fun day out for all concerned. To be fair to Ian, I think he’s arguing that there needs to be a more robust assessment of what sort of events are staged in Rye and more original ideas — because this particular event (while enjoyed) does not have staying power. The organisers know this. I do realise that a lot of people, especially younger persons, are less enamoured with royalty and in fact support a republic. I’d support a more neutral, non-royal, non-political event. As town crier — someone meant to represent all of Rye — Mr Goring has not been reluctant to express his political views in support of the monarchy. He recently penned a controversial article in Rye News arguing how much better we all are under a monarchy. No surprise that we end up with a parade starring Elizabeth I. I feel there’s a strong argument for town criers to keep their political views to themselves if they seek to represent the whole community, as well as the Town Council. How about this for an event suggestion? On 29 June each year, to commemorate Rye’s destruction by the French (and its rebirth) in 1377, why not invite a contingent of French people from our soon-to-be twin town of Montreuil to come to Rye — bringing their fine cheeses, food and wine with them — and an enjoyable event could be celebrated in the town, with lightweight replicas of the stolen bells being carried in a procession around the town, and so on. A very interesting occasion could be thought up, which could involve local food and wine producers, artists, crafts people, shops, a few fireworks, etc. I’d call the event ‘RyeBells’, and I’d ask the church bellringers to ring the bells on the day itself. I won’t charge for the idea.

    • Hi Frank,
      As Town Crier, I – naturally – feel I ought to respond to your comments regarding my role! You are quite right that Town Criers are not – in their Crier capacity – allowed to be political.

      I can remind people to go out and vote, but I can’t suggest which party they should vote for, nor can I publicly support an event designed to promote the views of any particular party.
      Nor can I, as a general rule, take part in events surrounding “issues” which could be given a political slant; for example homelessness, the refugee/migrant situation, climate change etc, as my participation could be seen as either criticising the Government’s actions or promoting a particular party’s stance on the matter. I did take part in the ‘Save Rye Pool’ protest, as that was a purely local issue which had the support of all local party representatives.

      Defending the system of Constitutional Monarchy, on which our country’s entire constitition is based, is not a political issue. I am employed by Rye Town Council, whose authority derives directly from the Crown, so the Monarch is, in effect, my ‘ultimate employer’.
      All town criers throughout the country and His Majesty’s overseas realms are required to be loyal to the Monarchy and to end all cries with the words “God Save The King.” In my other capacity as Town Sergeant for Rye, I am required to swear an oath of allegiance to the Monarch and his successors. Therefore penning an article defending the principle of Constitutional Monarchy is neither controversial nor inappropriate to my position; nor is it political as no major political party in this country is proposing the abolition of the Monarchy.

      Regarding the event itself – it was not an event to promote Royalty – it was a one-off event to commemorate the anniversary of a specific, important date in Rye’s history, which happened to involve a Monarch. In March I arranged a one-off series of events to commemorate the anniversary of the Murder in the Churchyard; this does not imply that I was promoting murder!

      Your idea of a ‘Rye Bells’ commemoration is certainly interesting – maybe we could chat to the Heritage Centre and see if this would be something they would be interested in becoming involved with!

      • I applaud your respectful and accurate description of your position, even while the previous post seemed to alluding to some nefarious intention. keep up the good work

  8. I was very sorry to miss this event having a prior commitment but I just wanted to say that I am lucky enough to be one of Simon’s volunteers at the Heritage Centre and we could not ask for a better example of someone who is dedicated and hard working for the town of Rye. He is very passionate about our town and it is a privilege to volunteer for a man who is so full of integrity. Without him the Heritage Centre would not even be here. All his hard work was appreciated judging by the many photos and I’m just sorry not to have been there. Well done Simon and thank you for all your hard work.

  9. Great idea Frank – would you care to organise it?

    Speaking To Simon, I’m told the “red tape” involved a simple procession was horrendous, never mind, food, wine, craft stalls etc!

  10. Thanks, Paul for clarifying your position. However, a lot of people may disagree with your comment that publicly defending the principle of constitutional monarchy is not political. Try telling that to the Republic protestors arrested for little or no reason during the king’s coronation procession. To be a supporter of a republic is clearly a political stance, just as being a monarchist is – because they each support a different system of government. Just because monarchy is the existing system makes no difference. Rye Town Council’s authority in ancient times may have derived from the Crown, but nowadays its authority stems from the citizens and residents of Rye who vote for the councillors. Power and authority in Britain has not resided with the monarch since the execution of Charles 1. The king is not a town crier’s employer, because he doesn’t pay him/her, directly or indirectly. Personally, I have no problem with town criers saying ‘God save the king’, as it’s part of our history. The recent procession may have been intended to celebrate an historic date, but one could possibly argue that an indirect (unintended) effect was pro-monarchy, given the leading role ‘Elizabeth 1’ played in the procession. Perhaps more care should be taken in future to ensure events are neutral in terms of monarchist and republican sympathies. I will leave it up to others to make up their own minds. In a democracy we all have different views, and that’s for the best. God save democracy!

    • Hi Peter,
      Without wishing to prolong this debate indefinitely, I would answer a couple of your points – (1) The Town Council’s authority does indeed derive from The Crown; the individuals who sit on the council are answerable to the public via local elections, but the Town Council’s right, as a body, to govern the affairs of Rye comes from the Crown; this is what distinguishes it from any other committee who might decide they wish to run Rye. This was exemplified in Rye in 1825 when a group of townsfolk, unhappy with the Council, formed a rival ‘town council’, elected a rival ‘Mayor’, and broke into and illegally occupied the town hall for 6 weeks, passing ‘by-laws’ and appointing officials. They were eventually ousted because they were deemed to lack the Crown’s authority to govern the town, which was vested in the official town council.
      (2) The Republic protestors at the Coronation were arrested on suspicion of plotting to disrupt the event (eg using rape alarms to panic the horses into bolting etc), not because they objected to the Monarchy. The majority of the Republic demonstrators were not arrested and were able to continue with their demonstration unmolested. No politics involved.
      (3) I would argue that discussion about the overall system of Government is philosophical, not political. Politics concerns policies within the chosen framework, the choice of framework itself is a matter of philosphical debate.

      • I would add just one more point about Republic. They are clearly worried about the continuing popularity of our monarchy. Recently, when The King and Queen visited one of the UK’s new cities, to present the document granting city status, Republic supporters were telling the people waiting that The King was charging them £5,000 to visit their city. This led to letters of complaint about the so-called charge. They clearly had no idea that no one is charged for a Royal visit and that, further, no member of the Royal Family is paid for anything that they do. Perhaps Republic should stick with the truth.

  11. Excellent reply Paul Goring (Town Crier); positive, factual and constructive. Thank you for doing so much for Rye.
    I thought Rye News had asked people to include their full names. Iain, Frank, Day, Joj, DiningwithDalton and others, why do you hide?

  12. I’m with Paul on this. Apart from the great advantage of having a non-elected “leader” in the Monarch, a Constitutional plus, we have all the fun of the heraldry, the history etc, etc. Those who disagree are entitled to their views, of course, but I find the Monarchy a bright spot in a dull world. And the dullness increases every year. And the Monarchy pays for itself. Why would anyone want to interrupt the little bit of fun we have?

  13. Living in a country that has been a monarchy for something like 1300 years, apart from the failure that was a republic between 1649 – 1660, does rather mean that many of our great, notable events do tend to involve the monarch in some way or another. We can’t just forget or rewrite our history, no matter how much some people want us to. History is history. It has already happened and can’t be changed.

  14. For a few hundred years Poland did very nicely with elected monarchs! This meant there were no dynasties like our current chain of formerly obscure German nobles.

    • The House of Hanover wasn’t a very obscure German family. As Electors of the Holy Roman Emperor, they were one of just seven families with that honour. The Electors were considered second only in status to the Emperor. Hardly obscure I would say. I would say that the Prince of Bentheim and Steinfurt would count as obscure, or the House of Maydell. The House of Hanover derived its claim to the United Kingdom throne through their descent from the Houses of both Tudor and Stewart.

  15. It was a wonderful event! We, the Tuesday Painters Club of Rye, were celebrating the first day of our Summer Art Exhibition in St. Mary’s Centre, right by the Town Hall. The magnificent Town Crier brought many a one out to witness his oyez-ing … many of whom dropped into our exhibition. He later oyez-ed our Exhibition as well. We were thrilled, delighted and loved every minute of it! What an asset to the ancient town of Rye!

  16. Rye town and its dwellers are renowned for their amazing pageants and celebrations of times and things past; far too many villages and small towns are being swallowed by gentrification, and becoming bland suburbs. Play on, I say!

  17. Methinks our town crier protesteth too much. The Town Council’s ‘authority’ may originally derive from the Crown, but in a democracy the current authority (power) lies elsewhere because the monarch has no political power, merely influence. He or she is meant to be the respected head of state and a figurehead of the nation. The king clearly has no say in the operation of RTC, its decisions or its choice of councillors. If the Crown still grants an ongoing right to the Council to govern the affairs of Rye (rather than it being an earlier, historic gift), that is surely an historical echo because the Crown wields no political power. The town crier’s position is not chosen by the monarch. He/she is selected by the Town Council, one assumes. The arrest of certain (six, I believe) Republic protestors at the coronation procession is still a debated event and it’s being investigated by a committee of MPs. Paul is wrong to say the rape alarms were used by Republic protestors to cause horses to bolt. Media reports say the rape alarms were “three women’s safety volunteers” arrested on suspicion of committing a public nuisance for carrying rape alarms. Get the facts right, please. Paul’s argument that discussion over the system of government is “philosophical, not political” is entirely unconvincing. He’s attempting to make it look like his forceful public interventions in support of the monarchy are simply a little harmless philosophy. I support the view that town criers should not air their political views, and I believe that writing an article in Rye News avidly supporting the monarchy as the best system for British government is a demonstration of one’s political views. It’s up to the Town Council to decide if it wishes its crier to be a person who voices his/her political sentiments so strongly in public forums. If it’s fine with the council, it’s fine with me.

    • James – as Rye Town Council require me to swear an annual Oath of Allegiance to the Monarch and to end every public proclamation with the words “God Save The King”, I am sure they have no qualms whatsoever about me expressing public support for the Monarchy!

      I repeat – supporting the institution of Constitutional Monarchy is not a “political sentiment.” We live in a Constitutional Monarchy, so support for our country’s constitution is a default position, not a political one. No major political party advocates abolishing the Monarchy, nor is it an issue – political or otherwise – beyond the social media protests of a minority pressure group. Both Labour and Conservative parties support the institution.

      No-one who only knows me through my Town Crier work has any idea what my political opinions are, which party I vote for, or what I think about the contentious issues of the day, nor will they ever. I have worked with five mayors, as Crier, from both sides of the political spectrum and have got on well with all of them.

      You are correct that the Monarch is (for all practical purposes) powerless – it is one of the strengths of Consitutional Monarchy that the Monarch is the ‘fount’ of authority, but has no authority himself. Like all Town & City councils, Rye Town Council’s authority as a body to act on behalf of Rye derives from the Crown; it is the selection of the individuals who constitute the Council (and thus determine the policies the Council follows) which comes from the People. The ceremonial Maces carried on all Civic occasions – bearing the crown on top – symbolise that the Council governs Rye on behalf of the Crown, but it takes its policy instructions from the people.

      You misquote me regarding the arrests during the Coronation – I said “On suspicion of…”, I did not claim they intended to carry out such acts (indeed, the suspicions proved unfounded); my point being that the arrests were not ‘political’ but were made on public order / health & safety concerns, contrary to the implication made by a previous poster on here.

      I find it hard to believe that a small number of people seem determined to interpret a fun community event, intended to celebrate the 450th anniversary of a major event in Rye’s history, as some sort of ‘political’ pro-monarchist propaganda! If I participate in the Christmas in Rye festival, will you accuse me of promoting discriminatory Christian religious propaganda?

  18. Well said Paul. Sadly, these days, there are always people who want to misinterpret just about anything that they don’t approve of. A lot of work went into this event and it was widely enjoyed. Political correctness has nothing to do with being correct. It’s more about being bossy. No wonder we dispensed with the republic after 11 years, it was nothing but killjoys and we seem to be heading that way again.

  19. I don’t think anyone is suggesting Rye shouldn’t host an event with a royal theme, but maybe a wider debate should be held as to what sort of events are scheduled. Rye has a lot to offer. Is the best bet a ‘one-off’ celebration or something that could be put on regularly each year? The monarchy vs republic debate is a minefield. Polling shows support for the monarchy at about 58-60%, but it’s been declining. In a parliamentary democracy, the system of government should ultimately be decided by the people — by what the majority of voters decide. The majority currently supports monarchy, so the system has the people’s backing. This could change, however. It’s happening in certain Commonwealth countries. For example, in Australia, there’s a strong movement in support of a republic right now and this is clearly a major political issue. The current debate in the Comments appears to be over whether an article strongly in support of the monarchy (seemingly the Rye News story ‘In defence of constitutional monarchy’ of May 4, 2023), which argued that hereditary constitutional monarchies are more democratic, was political or non-political in nature. I think the only thing to do is to leave it up to the readers to decide.

    • Hi Mike T – thanks for your comment. Rye Heritage Centre, an independent charity, organised this “one off” event having picked up on a suggestion by the Town Crier to mark the anniversary of a significant event in Rye’s history. It was billed as a commemoration not a celebration and had no pro or anti royal message to portray. It was a way to bring our heritage into the community and to help involve the community rather than doing what we do in a fixed environment. In terms of what we set out to do it was extremely successful especially as it was our first venture into external events ( the Charity was only formed in 2020). The management and trustees of Rye Heritage Centre sincerely hope that it wasn’t just a one off and look forward to receiving both ideas for events and proposals for funding them. You can email us at info@ryeheritage.co.Uk

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