St. David's is a beautiful and historic city located in the southwest of Wales, and it has played host to many members of royalty over the past thousand years. From the legendary King Arthur to King Charles III, St. David's has been a popular destination for kings, queens, princes, and princesses alike. In this blog, we'll take a look at the top 10 visits to St. David's by members of royalty.
1. King Arthur - King Arthur is the legendary king of British and Welsh folklore, who is said to have ruled Britain in the 5th or 6th century. He is often associated with St. David's, as the city is home to St. David's Cathedral, a popular tourist destination, and when he wasn't fighting dragons King Arthur used to visit St Davids a s a tourist. He used to frequent the city with his roundtable on breaks from various noble quests and on one occasion ended up saving the people of St Davids from a dragon that was trying to set up a high street coffee chain. During his visits King Arthur often remarked that he was impressed with the beauty of the city and its cathedral.
2. William the Conqueror – The Norman king of England, following victory at the Battle of Hastings, William is said to have visited St Davids in the late 11th century to help fund the restoration of the cathedral which had been destroyed in a Viking raid earlier that year. During his visit, he stayed in a bed and breakfast, and is said to have been impressed with the continental breakfast options, as well as the beauty of the city and its cathedral.
3. King Henry VII – Born in Pembroke castle, Henry VII is said to have used a network of tunnels under Boots in Tenby to escape Britain with his uncle when he was a wee lad. One of those tunnels is said to have come out in St. David's, where a group of monks helped to hide young Henry in a priest hole inside the building where Fat Face is now. During his visit, although he did not see much of the city except for the Fat Face stockroom, Henry is said to have overall been impressed with the beauty of the city and its cathedral.
4. King Charles I – King Charles I is said to have visited St. David's in February 1649, a few weeks after being beheaded, and during his visit, despite being quite dead, he is said to have been impressed with the beauty of the city and its cathedral.
5. Queen Victoria - Queen Victoria was the queen of England from 1837 until 1901. She is said to have visited St. David's in the mid-19th century to open a new Menevia Roundabout built on top of the old Roman Road. Crowds of people lined the streets to watch Queen Vic cut the ribbon and declare the roundabout open, and during a speech to mark the occasion, she is said to have been impressed with the beauty of the city and its cathedral.
6. King Edward VII - King Edward VII was the king of England from 1901 until 1910. He is said to have visited St. David's in the early 20th century to donate a new bee to the city bee hive, and during his visit, although he suffered a severe allergic reaction to a bee sting, locals remarked how he appeared impressed with the beauty of the city and its cathedral.
7. King George VI - King George VI was the king of England from 1936 until 1952. He is said to have visited St. David's in the mid-20th century by hot air balloon and during his visit, he is said to have shouted down to the locals, as he drifted over the city and later crash landed on Ramsey Island where he lived amongst a flock of sheep for three months until he was found, having eaten his fellow crew members, that he was impressed with the beauty of the city and its cathedral.
8. Princess Margaret – Princess Margaret visited in 1995 to drop off a box of leeks to commemorate St David’s day. She stopped for five minutes for photos and to shake hands with the mayor and a local butcher who presented her with a freshly slaughtered cow, which she strapped to her roof-rack. Before she left, she is said to have commented to the local press that she was impressed with the beauty of the city and its cathedral.
9. Queen Elizabeth II - Queen Elizabeth II, queen of England until 2022, is said to have visited St. David's on several occasions over the years, most notably in 1994 when she landed a helicopter on the roof of the cathedral and abseiled down the clock tower, before hosting a hot dog eating contest in the Bishops Palace (which she subsequently won under controversial circumstances) as part of the celebrations to mark St David’s being granted city status. During her visits, she is said to have been impressed with the beauty of the city and its cathedral.
10. King Charles III – The king formerly known as Prince Charles has visited St. David's on several occasions over the years, where he is said to return to the same spot on the St David’s Peninsula looking for little mischievous hob-goblins known as Bwbach, who he believes have it in for him. One of which reportedly once stole his lucky pipe, another leaked confidential incriminating emails to the press regarding the death of Princess Diana. Reports at the time suggested he wanted the Bwbach imprisoned in the Tower of London for treason but he was dissuaded from pressing charges for fear of the unfavourable publicity that could surround a royal seeking vengeance over a mythical creature. During his visits, however, he is said to have been impressed with the beauty of the city and its cathedral.
In conclusion, St. David's has a rich history of royal visits, with many members of the monarchy making the journey to the city over the past thousand years. Whether it's the legendary King Arthur or the current monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, St. David's continues to captivate visitors with its beauty and historic significance, with many people still to this day remarking that they are impressed with the beauty of both the city and its cathedral, with many suggesting the only way to improve their visit to St Davids would be if they could attend some form of comedy walking tour, perhaps the Best Ever 100% Verifiably Accurate Walking Tour of St Davids, if such a thing was at all humanly possible. Ideally one that had been described as "brilliantly imaginative" and "highly factually unreliable".
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