FeaturesHistory

The death of Prince Albert - Part One

In a two-part series, our Historian, Elizabeth Jane Timms, looks back at the death of Prince Albert: Prince Albert, the beloved husband and Prince Consort of Queen Victoria, died on 14 December 1861, at Windsor Castle. So enormous were the consequences of this death, both for the British monarch publicly and Queen Victoria privately, that we can sometimes overlook the death itself, although any…
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FeaturesHistory

Royal Snow and Snowmen

The onset of winter provides another opportunity to look again at the links between the many fascinating outdoor pastimes and pursuits enjoyed by royalty, which I touched on in my article of December 2017, Snow and Royalty. Whilst the German Christmas was much popularised by…
FeaturesHistory

A Brief History of Frogmore Cottage

With the announcement that Frogmore Cottage will become the residence of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex at Windsor, it is perhaps interesting to briefly review Frogmore Cottage’s history. Contrary to popular imagination, it is not the first time that the building has…
FeaturesHistory

The Story of the Effigies of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert

The effigy of Queen Victoria has its own story. It rests next to that of the Prince Consort in the Royal Mausoleum at Frogmore, one of the most remarkable buildings that was ever to be built in Victorian Britain, constructed as a burial place for Prince Albert and Queen Victoria. The recumbent effigy of the Queen was made at the same time as that of Prince Albert, although Queen Victoria was to…
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FeaturesHistoryInsight

Personal items of Queen Victoria acquired by Historic Royal Palaces

Some personal items belonging to Queen Victoria have been acquired by Historic Royal Palaces, the independent charity which maintains Kensington Palace, ahead of the bicentenary of the Queen’s birth in 2019, which the palace will celebrate with a new exhibition and re-presentation of the visitor route, as announced in a Historic Royal Palaces press release on 3 September 2018. Kensington Palace…
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FeaturesHistory

Queen Victoria's Widow's Cap

The white caps worn by Queen Victoria have – correctly – come to be regarded as a symbol for her widowhood. They represent one of the few contrasts in colour to the deepest mourning that she adopted after 1861, as a declaration in textile, of the colossal…
British RoyalsHistory

Princesses who married commoners: Princess Frederica of Hanover

Princess Frederica was born into the House of Hanover in 1848. Her parents were George, Crown Prince of Hanover and his wife, Princess Marie of Saxe-Altenberg. The Princess was also addressed as ‘Her Highness’ when in the United Kingdom due to her descent from King George III. In 1851, Frederica’s father became King George V of Hanover which made Frederica an eligible bride. When Frederica…
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