I updated two “Skangie and Royalty” webpages with information on British royal connections to Charles Darwin and the Galapagos Islands, listed below. Links to news, photos, and videos are on these webpages.

HRH Queen Elizabeth II and HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

• Prince Philip visited the Galapagos often between the 1960s and 1980s. Prince Philip’s Steps on the island of Genovesa were named for him. He narrated the documentary “Voyage to the Enchanted Isles” (1967) and wrote forewords to two books. Prince Philip attended Galapagos Day events in 2001 and 2003.
• On February 12, 2009, the 200^th anniversary of Darwin’s birth, Prince Philip unveiled a bronze statue of young Darwin at Christ’s College, Cambridge. That evening he, Randal Keynes, and others attended a special dinner for the Charles Darwin and Galapagos Islands Trust Fund. They raised £250,000.
• On April 27, 2011, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip opened the Sainsbury Laboratory for Plant Sciences at Cambridge University’s Botanic Garden, where they saw some Darwin specimens.

Prince Charles of Wales and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall

• On March 15-17, 2009, they visited the Galapagos on a ten-day trip to South America. They participated in a Darwin symposium, donated lithographs of Darwin specimens, and named a giant tortoise “William.” This visit commemorated the 200^th anniversary of Darwin’s birth and the 50^th anniversary of the Galapagos National Park. The Prince’s Foundation for Building Community has since redesigned the Darwin research station there.

I created a webpage under “Places – Vacations” called “Galapagos.” This page has information, links, photos, and videos on the following items. Click here to see it.

• The islands
• Keynes family and British royal visits
• Tourist information
• Non-profit organizations
• Library (books and DVDs) with Amazon links

Over 50 items are in this library, including documentaries narrated by Olivia Newton-John, Richard Dreyfuss, Tilda Swinton, and Kenneth Branagh. I also listed Darwin’s The Voyage of the Beagle (1839) and On the Origin of Species (1859), both free on Kindle, and books with introductions by Darwin’s descendants.

I intend to read Darwin’s Voyage and Origin before Randal and Skandar Keynes commence their April trip to the Galapagos. Others can join me if they want. In the meantime, I suggest fans use the library I created as a resource.

Images: Christ’s College / Getty Images