River Thames frost fairs River Thames frost fairs River Thames frost fairs were held on the tideway of the River Thames at London in some of the winters between the 17th century and early 19th century, during the period known as the Little Ice Age, when the river froze over. During that time the British winter was more severe than it is now, and the river was wider and slower, further impeded by the medieval Old London Bridge. Even at its peak, in the mid-17th century, the Thames freezing at London was less frequent than modern legend sometimes suggests, never exceeding about one year
Crown of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother part of the Crown Jewels when it was left to the Crown upon Victoria's death in 1901. It had been successively mounted in the crowns of Queen Alexandra and Queen Mary before it was transferred to The Queen Mother's Crown. After the death of the king, Queen Elizabeth, known thereafter as the Queen Mother, did not wear the full crown, but wore it minus the arches as a circlet at the coronation of her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II, in 1953. It was placed on top of the Queen Mother's coffin for her lying-in-state and funeral in 2002. The crown is