Where was the Grand Old Duke of York Nursery rhyme from?
Now then, villains and rogues – ever heard the nursery rhyme about that grand old Duke of York marching his troops up and down a hill and thought, “what on earth was he playing at?” Grab yourself a glass of villainous rum (only joking, stick to lemonade if you’re underage!) and let’s uncover the dodgy history behind this rhyme.
Who Was This Grand Old Duke, Anyway?
You’d think it would be dead easy to work out who this Duke fella was, but no—historians can’t quite agree. Let’s look at a few shady suspects:
Suspect number one is Richard, Duke of York, from the Wars of the Roses. He wanted the throne so bad he marched his army up a hill at Wakefield, only to be beaten badly and lose everything. Classic villain stuff, really—overambitious and ended badly.
Then we’ve got Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany (1763–1827). He led the British against Napoleon but wasn’t very good at it, marching his men about all day without achieving much. Sounds a bit pointless, don’t it?
Finally, there’s King James II, who was Duke of York first. He marched his army out to Salisbury Plain in 1688 to fight William of Orange. Problem was, his soldiers weren’t having it, and loads of them switched sides, forcing James to leg it.
Local Legend: A Yorkshire Villainous Connection
And here’s a good local twist. Some folks reckon the hill in the rhyme is actually up at Crayke, just north of York. Local legend says all the pointless marching up and down there inspired the rhyme. Probably annoyed a lot of soldiers, I’d bet.
What’s it All Mean Then?
Whoever the duke was, the rhyme basically takes the mick out of rubbish leadership. Marching soldiers up and down a hill and achieving absolutely nothing—proper villainous incompetence, if you ask me.
Conclusion
Next time you sing about the grand old Duke, remember—there’s villainy hidden in those innocent lines. Makes you think twice about what you’re chanting, doesn’t it?
The Grand Old Duke of York – Full Lyrics
Oh, the grand old Duke of York, He had ten thousand men, He marched them up to the top of the hill And he marched them down again.
And when they were up they were up, And when they were down they were down, And when they were only half way up They were neither up nor down.
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