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Information about Swan Upping

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The Queen's Swan Uppers (right).
Swan Upping is an annual ceremonial and practical activity in England in which mute swans on the River Thames are rounded up, caught, marked, and then released.

Traditionally, the Monarch of the United Kingdom owns all unmarked mute swans on the River Thames. This dates from the 12th century, during which swans were a common food source for royalty. Swan upping is a means of establishing a swan census. Under a Royal Charter of the 15th century, the Vintners' Company and the Dyers' Company, two Livery Companies of the City of London, are entitled to share in the Sovereign's ownership. They conduct the census through a process of ringing the swan's feet, but the swans are no longer eaten.

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The skiffs surround the swans so that they can be more easily caught.
Swan upping occurs annually during the third week of July. During the ceremony, the Queen's, the Vintners', and the Dyers' Swan Uppers row up the river in skiffs. Swans caught by the Queen's Swan Uppers under the direction of the Swan Marker remain unmarked, those caught by the Dyers' are ringed on one leg, and those caught by the Vintners are ringed on both legs. Originally, rather than being ringed, the swans would be marked on the bill — a practice commemorated in the pub name The Swan with Two Necks, a corruption of the term "The Swan with Two Nicks".

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ritual is a set of actions, often thought to have symbolic value, the performance of which is usually prescribed by a religion or by the traditions of a community.[1][2]
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Motto
Dieu et mon droit   (French)
"God and my right"
Anthem
No official anthem specific to England — the anthem of the United Kingdom is "God Save the Queen".
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The neutrality of the body of this article is disputed.
Please see the discussion on the .


Mute Swan

A pair

Conservation status

Least Concern

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Thames

The Thames in London


Country | England
Regions | Gloucestershire,Oxfordshire,Berkshire,Buckinghamshire,Surrey,Greater London,Kent

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British monarchy is a system of government in which a hereditary monarch is the sovereign of the United Kingdom and its overseas territories, and holds the now constitutional position of head of state.
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Thames

The Thames in London


Country | England
Regions | Gloucestershire,Oxfordshire,Berkshire,Buckinghamshire,Surrey,Greater London,Kent

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As a means of recording the passage of time, the 12th century was that century which lasted from 1101 to 1200. In the history of European culture, this period is considered part of the High Middle Ages and is sometimes called the Age of the Cistercians.
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A census is the process of obtaining information about every member of a population (not necessarily a human population). The term is mostly used in connection with national 'population and housing censuses' (to be taken every 10 years according to United Nations recommendations);
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For the ship of the same name, see .


A Royal Charter is a charter granted by the Sovereign on the advice of the privy council, to legitimize an incorporated body, such as a city, company, university or such.
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15th century was that century which lasted from 1401 to 1500.

Events

  • 1402: Ottoman and Timurid Empires fight at the Battle of Ankara resulting in Timur's capture of Bayezid I.
  • 1402: The conquest of the Canary Islands signals the beginning of the Spanish Empire.

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The Worshipful Company of Vintners is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London. It probably existed as early as the twelfth century, and it received a Royal Charter in 1364. Due to the Royal Charter, the Company gained a monopoly over wine imports from Gascony.
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The Worshipful Company of Dyers is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London. The Dyers' Guild existed in the twelfth century; it received a Royal Charter in 1471. It originated as a trade association for members of the dyeing industry but is now mainly a charitable
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The 107 Livery Companies are trade associations based in the City of London, almost all of which are known as the "Worshipful Company of" the relevant trade or profession.
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For London as a whole, see the main article London.
For wider coverage, visit the .

City of London

Coat of arms
Motto: Domine dirige nos Latin: Lord, guide us
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A Thames skiff is a traditional River Thames wooden rowing boat. These boats evolved from Thames Wherries in the victorian era to meet a passion for river exploration and leisure outings on the water.
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Marker of the Swans, or Swan Marker, is a recent office in the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom, created in 1993 when the ancient post of Keeper of the Kings Swans (which dated from the 13th century) was replaced by two new posts; the second is the
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names of public houses have a story behind them. As many public houses are centuries old, many of their early customers were illiterate, and pictorial signs could be recognised when words could not be read.
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