HistoryInsight

Liliuokalani, Last Queen of Hawaii

While most of our “Last Queens” series focuses on consorts, this particular last queen was a reigning monarch. Liliuokalani was the only queen regnant and the last monarch of Hawaii before the Hawaiian kingdom was overthrown. It became the shortlived Republic of Hawaii before being annexed by the United States in 1898. Her Early Life Lydia Liliʻu Loloku Walania Kamakaʻeha was…
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FeaturesHistoryHistory

A Calendar of Kings: March

Every royal life is peppered with milestones, the moments that mark beginnings and ends, filled with joy and sometimes sadness. On Royal Central, we’re charting the famous dates throughout the year in our Calendars of Kings and Queens. And as March gets well and truly…
HistoryMiddle East

Farah, Last Empress of Iran

Early Life Born on 14 October 1938, Empress Farah Pahlavi was the only child of Sohrab Diba and Farideh Diba Ghotbi in Tehran. Less than ten years later, in 1947, she would lose her father at an early age; as Farah was very close to her father, his death deeply troubled her. From this point, she was educated at the Italian School in Tehran. Later on, she would enrol at the French language…
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FeaturesHistoryHistory

A Calendar of Queens: February

Royal history is so rich that the year is peppered with anniversaries and milestones. From births to deaths, coronations to weddings, each month brings the memory of another landmark moment. Britain’s queens, past and present, have written themselves into the history books for all kinds of reasons with plenty of interesting tales attached to February days. As we reach the second month of the…
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FeaturesHistoryHistory

A Calendar of Kings: February

Our royal history is filled with major moments and those attached to the monarchs and consorts whose names are all too familiar take on a significance all of their own. Each month, at Royal Central, we’re taking a look at the monarchical milestones that pepper the past and…
HistoryInsight

Monarchy Rules: a look at George IV

George IV ascended the British throne 200 years ago today. Here, Royal Central’s Assistant Editor, Moniek Bloks, looks at the life of the Regent who finally got to reign.   The future George IV was born at St. James’s Palace on 12 August 1762 to George III and…
FeaturesHistoryHistoryRoyal Weddings

Royal Wedding Rewind: George IV and Caroline of Brunswick

We all love a groom who cries as his bride walks towards him, and when it’s a royal groom, it’s even better. However, rewind a couple of centuries, and a weeping prince at the altar was no laughing matter. For when George, Prince of Wales and king in waiting wed Caroline of Brunswick on 8 April 1795 the tears of the groom were a public demonstration of his unhappiness in a marriage…
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