Oct30
Windsor Castle Goes Vegan
Posted at 02:59 PM | Permalink
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Comments (19)
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On Monday, for the first time ever, Windsor Castle will host a vegan royal banquet. Take a moment to let that sink in. Windsor Castle has existed for 900 years, and it's just now getting around to throwing a vegan shindig. Oh, well. Better late than never.
Do we have leading U.K. climate-change expert Lord Stern to thank for this momentous occasion? Perhaps indirectly, but the true pioneer here is none other than Prince Philip (for you folks in the most far-flung colonies, he's the guy played by James Cromwell in The Queen).
Prince Philip's Alliance of Religions and Conservation is hosting a three-day interfaith conference at Windsor called "Many Heavens, One Earth: Faith Commitments for a Living Planet," which will be attended by leaders from the Bahai, Buddhist, Christian, Daoist, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, Shinto, and Sikh faiths. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will also attend. Because they'll be talking about the ways in which religious communities can foster environmental protection, it only makes sense that they would dine on the most environmentally friendly (i.e., vegan) foods. Still, it's not every day that environmentalists actually put their money ethics where their mouths are, so this is a pretty big deal. Are you listening, Al Gore?
All the food at the three-day conference will be vegetarian, and most of it will be organic and locally grown. In case you aren't already jealous enough, here's what's on the vegan lunch menu at Windsor Castle: roasted pear salad with cobnuts and chicory, portobello mushrooms stuffed with artichoke and herbs, pearl barley risotto, and organic wine.
Yum—being a royal environmentalist tastes pretty good!
Posted by Alisa Mullins
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Comments
WOW!!
Makes me proud to be British!!
Posted by: ACarLessFamily | October 30, 2009 04:52 PM
SO awesome!
Posted by: simara | October 30, 2009 06:06 PM
good job. they should also talk about encouraging people to have less children.
Posted by: eva | October 30, 2009 07:37 PM
Amazing!!
Posted by: NT | October 30, 2009 08:10 PM
Makes me want to be British.
Posted by: ashley camille spradley | October 30, 2009 09:32 PM
That's wonderful! What a great example the British monarchy is setting by going vegan for this conference. Thanks Prince Phillip, you make me proud of my British roots.
Posted by: lynda downie | October 30, 2009 09:56 PM
I'm shocked to hear this, but thrilled at the same time!!
Posted by: Michele | October 30, 2009 10:40 PM
Wow, really good news! It means a lot.
I'll translate this to ANDA (An online Animal Rights News, from Brasil: www.anda.jor.br)
Information to transform!
Posted by: Joana Bronze | October 31, 2009 11:10 AM
a big step forward for humanity!
Posted by: Bharata | October 31, 2009 11:27 AM
Paul McCartney would be a great King for England. He's articulate, talented and has reverence for all the United Kingdom's inhabitants. I know its a pipe dream but I'm smoking more of it.
Posted by: Brien Comerford | October 31, 2009 07:54 PM
This is fabulous! I wish our President Obama would follow suit. It's so important for political leaders to LEAD. Congrats Brits!
Posted by: Catherine Kayser | November 1, 2009 05:42 PM
Hoorah for the Prince! I hope this is the start of something beautiful.
Posted by: karen wall | November 1, 2009 09:51 PM
One thing one has to remember here - most of the religions listed being in attendance of this vegan meal are of faiths that mandate vegetarianism. It's proper protocol to accommodate guests of different diets in the royal palace.
Does this mean that it won't continue? - No, but there is more to this story than being a "Step toward" vegetarianism.
Posted by: Jade | November 2, 2009 01:40 PM
Good to see consciousness at this level! Finally! Good news.
Posted by: carolyn | November 2, 2009 08:40 PM
Hail to the Royals!
Posted by: madeleine marentette | November 3, 2009 07:15 AM
The Royal Family aren't exactly renowned for their compassion towards animals so it makes a nice change that there will be no animal suffering at this event.
Posted by: Bluebell | November 3, 2009 08:44 PM
Good old Prince Philip! I just knew that Farmer Hoggett would have a good effect on him!
Posted by: Jane Whitehead | November 4, 2009 11:37 AM
Prince Philip and Camilla have been visiting Canada this week.
Camilla was wearing a faux-fur hat, but proudly acknowledged that she was wearing a rabbit fur scarf. Yuck!
Posted by: Michele | November 5, 2009 02:03 PM
Since I have joined the vegetarian world and i become extremly vegetarian an event like this does not surprise me at all lol
Posted by: HAMID BENBOUAZZA | November 11, 2009 09:04 PM