History

Rolls Royce used to sneak Wallis Simpson in and out of Balmoral Castle up for auction

The Duke and Duchess of Windsor on their wedding day in 1937 It was a love story that changed the course of British history and rocked the monarchy. This is perhaps why a car, said to have been used to sneak Wallis Simpson in and out of Balmoral during her relationship with Edward VIII, is expected to fetch a whopping six figure sum when it goes up for auction in just a few weeks time. The…
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FeaturesHistory

The Execution of a Queen

Anne Boleyn is probably best remembered as the most controversial Queen in British history, which is perhaps not entirely deserved. Even though much is said about her, there are a lot things we don’t know, such as her birthday. Unfortunately for women of that time…
FeaturesHistory

‘Fat Mary’ - The last Princess of Cambridge

by Alexander Bassano, half-plate glass negative, circa 1888 It has been quite some time since the last Princess of Cambridge – 132 years to be exact. Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge was born in 1833. She had earned the nickname of Fat Mary and is recorded as a “jolly old maid” in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Luckily for her, that was not her only nickname.
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History

The King that stormed the Commons

Charles I was never popular with his Parliament. Upon his accession to the throne in 1625, members made clear that they would not be bullied. In an unprecedented break with tradition, England’s law-making body decided to allow the king to collect customs duties for only…
History

Charlotte, a name with royal pedigree

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge named their daughter Charlotte. It’s not a big shock – the name has been one of the favourites with the bookmakers almost since Kate announced she was expecting back in September. And one of the reasons it’s always been such a popular…
History

Richard III - Myth or Monster, Saint or Sinner

Although one of our more controversial monarchs, Richard III has been ill-served by history. On the basis of very little evidence, he has been portrayed as a child-killing monster who waded in blood to a throne that wasn’t his to take, but the facts show that relatively little blood was shed as Richard of Gloucester assumed the crown. Far less was shed during his reign than ever was to flow…
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History

What really happened to the Princes in the Tower? The Richard III Society seeks answers

There have been many great mysteries in history. Perhaps though none greater than that of the Princes in the Tower – the two young sons of King Edward IV, who disappeared into the Tower of London and never seen again. According to Shakespeare, the boys were killed by their uncle, King Richard III, a view that is shared by most historians. Members of the Richard III Society – a society…
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