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Loyal And Other Toasts

In the Royal Navy, officers toast the Queen seated (but standing if there are non-Naval guests present). The Loyal Toast is then followed by a set of traditional additional toasts depending on the day of the week:
  • Monday: Our ships at sea.
  • Tuesday: Our men.
  • Wednesday: Ourselves. (As no-one else is likely to concern themselves with our welfare.)
  • Thursday: A bloody war or a sickly season.
  • Friday: A willing foe and sea room.
  • Saturday: Sweethearts and wives. (May they never meet.)
  • Sunday: Absent friends.
The words in brackets are understood but unspoken as part of the proposal, though oftimes they will be spoken in response.

The Thursday toast, A bloody war or a sickly season, comes from olden times when a war or a sickly season, in which others died, was a quick way to promotion.

Traditional Royal Navy toast for the Ladies:

Oh, the goodness of their goodness when they are good,
And the sadness of their sadness when they are sad,
But the goodness of their goodness
And the sadness of their sadness
Is nothing to their badness when they’re bad.

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