MEDIA ADVISORY - The Royal Canadian Geographical Society invited to Westminster Abbey this week to honour one of the world's greatest polar explorers-Sir Ernest Shackleton Français
LONDON, Feb. 12, 2024 /CNW/ - The CEO of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, John G. Geiger will be in London this week to honour the legacy of one of the world's greatest polar explorers, Sir Ernest Shackleton, at a ceremony attended by The Princess Royal (Princess Anne), and members of the Shackleton family on Thursday, February 15, 2024 at Westminster Abbey.
John G. Geiger is the author of The Third Man Factor: Surviving the Impossible, profiled Shackleton's epic story of survival and commitment to his crew during an Antarctic expedition in 1916 when his ship known as Endurance, was trapped in the ice and sunk in the polar sea.
Shackleton vowed to bring every one of his 27-member crew home alive, and after a perilous journey in a 23-foot lifeboat, across 800 miles, through harsh weather, and stormy seas; and then climbing across the frozen mountain peaks of South Georgia, they finally reached safety.
Every member of the crew survived.
In the final years before his tragic death in 1922 at age 47, Shackleton visited Canada repeatedly. In interviews, he expressed his intention to move to Canada permanently, and to explore the Canadian arctic.
"Sir Ernest Shackleton's leadership qualities, and his dedication to his crew in an extreme environment, sets him apart from all other polar explorers. More than a century after his death in 1922, generations of explorers have wanted to honour him. The Royal Canadian Geographical Society is proud to support the installation of a permanent memorial to Shackleton that will be unveiled at Westminster Abbey on Thursday," said Geiger.
Geiger will attend the ceremony at Westminster Abbey at the invitation of Hon. Alexandra Shackleton, the granddaughter of Sir Ernest Shackleton. The marble memorial will be located in the Abbey's south cloister, close to memorials of other famed explorers including Captain James Cook who charted the St. Lawrence River and surveyed the coasts of Newfoundland (1762) and anchored off Vancouver Island (1778) and Sir Francis Drake who likely sighted Vancouver Island on his voyage around the world (1577-1580).
The memorial is inscribed with the names of Shackleton's expedition ships and his family motto, fortitudine vincimus - by endurance we conquer.
Media are invited to interview John G. Geiger from London
Who: John G. Geiger, CEO Royal Canadian Geographical Society
What: Dedication of memorial to Ernest Shackleton, famed polar explorer
When: Thursday, February 15, 2024, 4:30 p.m. GMT or 10:30 EST
Where: Westminster Abbey, Dean's Yard, London
SOURCE Royal Canadian Geographical Society
For interviews and photography please contact: Rosemary Thompson, Vice President Communications and Marketing, Royal Canadian Geographical Society, [email protected], (613) 240-6739
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