Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to everyone.

I thought a fairy tale would be appropriate - Sleeping Beauty

from Blenheim Palace.

Once upon a time, in a land far away a princess was born and the whole kingdom celebrated

A grand celebration is arranged for Princess Aurora's christening. All the fairies of the kingdom are invited and  each bestow their gifts on the princess.

The Wicked Fairy, Carabosse, was not invited to Aurora's Christening. She is very angry about being forgotten. She places a curse on Princess Aurora, that she will die before her 16th birthday after pricking her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel.

The Lilac Fairy has not yet given her gift and attempts to reverse the evil fairy's curse. This means Princess Aurora won't die but she will sleep for 100 years.

As the story progressed we went through a series of doorways, each more elaborately done up than the previous one.

The King, hoping to save his child from this misfortune, commands that all spinning wheels from across the kingdom should be collected and destroyed.

The day of Aurora's 16th birthday has arrived. Everybody across the kingdom is preparing for the celebrations. She receives a spinning wheel as a gift.

Another doorway, another chapter.

The Wicked Fairy, Carabosse, finally sees her evil spell cast on Princess Aurora. She tricks her into using the spinning wheel and pricking her finger. Aurora, along with every living person and animal in the kingdom is sent to sleep for 100 years.

True Love travels by boat from another realm in search of Aurora with the Lilac Fairy close at hand. Only their presence can awaken Sleeping Beauty and the kingdom from its slumber.

To journey by the silent moon,

The guiding light above,

To sail the oceans of your dreams,

To find the one True Love.

True Love and the Lilac fairy continue their search through the dense forest, battling the undergrowth and cutting back the brambles.

Sleeping Beauty lies in her bed as the foliage grows around her. Finally the Lilac Fairy and True Love find the Prncess. The fairy casts her spell and the magic begins to awaken the sleeping princess.

Princess Aurora and every living creature in the kingdom magically awakens.

Even the creatures living inside the toadstools awakened.

And here she was in the flesh. She came up to me and said: 'Wow! How small your camera is. They used to be huge before I went to sleep'. 'Well', I answered, 'that was 100 years ago'. I asked her if I could take her photograph and she happilly obliged.

After this happy ending, we were happy to leave the palace and go to wander around the grounds.