The Shipka Monument of Freedom

I continue to mull over the Jersey Lily, noticed at reference 2, turning the pages of reference 1.

I was interested to read this (Tuesday) morning of our royal family's reaction to the ongoing tussle between the Turks and the Russians in the 1870's, with the Russians keen to move into the space occupied by the receding Turks, to dominate the Black Sea and maybe even get a foothold in the Mediterranean - something that we Brits were particularly concerned to prevent, as that would threaten communications with the Indian subcontinent, otherwise the jewel in our crown. A concern for communications which survived until well after the second world war, well over half a century later, more or less until the time of the Suez crisis of 1956. A concern which, in present instance, in the 19th century, resulted in some gunboats being sent in, it being the days when Britannia really did rule the waves.

Some Brits were incensed by the Turkish massacre of perhaps 15,000 Bulgarians, while others, including Prince Bertie, later Edward VII, were more concerned about the threat from Russia. I read (on page 116) that his blood was brought to the boil when he read about what the Russians were plotting in their greed for expanding frontiers. While his Danish wife, Alexandra, was more concerned for her family connections with the Russian royal family. All reflected, at least in part, by the rivalry between Gladstone (the chap who tried to give the Irish home rule) and Disraeli.

The Shipka Monument above, in today's Bulgaria, commemorates an important battle in the Russo-Turkish war of the time. See reference 3.

References

Reference 1: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2022/02/the-jersey-lily.html.

Reference 2: The Prince and the Lily: The story of Edward VII and Lillie Langtry – James Brough – 1975.

Reference 3: https://marin-todorov.com/en/monument-of-freedom-shipka. An entry in a website maintained by a Bulgarian couple from Plovdiv.