VI gets inclusion in 'British Family’ stained glass windows @ Westminster Palace
Unveiled on Tuesday, May 9, 2023, the windows will be a permanent and tangible reminder of the ‘strong and close’ links between the UK, Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay H. Hoyle detailed.
The two windows represent "part of our United Kingdom family", he said while adding that "Every single person coming into Speaker's House will be reminded of how closely we are connected.
"In my opinion, the OTs and Dependencies have been overlooked for too long - yet many of the decisions we make here in the UK have a huge impact on their futures,” the Speaker added.
Speaker seeing platform for OT representation
“They are important to me – they are part of our United Kingdom family - and I want to provide them with a platform on which to speak, to air their concerns, to share experiences and to enable us to learn from each other."
"From now on, every single person coming into Speaker’s House will be reminded of how closely we are connected," he said.
Attending the unveiling ceremony on behalf of the Virgin Islands (VI) were Governor John J. Rankin, GMG, Premier Dr the Hon Natalio D. Wheatley (R7), Deputy Premier Hon Lorna G. Smith OBE (AL), Financial Secretary Jeremiah G.A. Frett, Premier's Office Permanent Secretary Ms Carolyn E. Stout Igwe and Director of the London Office Tracy Bradshaw.
The windows were commissioned by UK Speaker of the House of Commons Sir Hoyle, and designed by John Reyntien to honour the British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies with the inclusion of their respective coat of arms to provide a visible and long-lasting presence in the Houses of Parliament.
The stained glass windows feature coats of arms from Akrotiri and Dhekelia, Anguilla, Ascension, Bermuda, British Antarctic Territory, British Indian Ocean Territories, [British] Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat, Pitcairn Islands, St Helena, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Tristan da Cunha, Turks and Caicos, Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man.
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24 Responses to “VI gets inclusion in 'British Family’ stained glass windows @ Westminster Palace”
Showanda needs to come better with the mother country
Saw the gold carriage Charles for Elizabeth rode in? Where he got that gold? England has gold mines? People the Colonizer has not changed. Run from them.
If the UK wants to retain its OTs then it has to show it through love (i.e. money). It's great the Brits turn up when there is a hurricane but it would be nice to see the love on an ordinary day too.
If it was a picture of The Baths, Coppermine, Foxys or something significant and historical in BVI I would say ok.
We ain't even know what coat of arms is. I never learn that in school self