British Royals

MP reveals what it is really like being ‘held hostage’ by The King at Buckingham Palace

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14th May 2026
A Labour MP has spoken about his experience of being ceremonially “held hostage” by The King during the State Opening of Parliament. Sir Nic Dakin, the MP for Scunthorpe, spent Wednesday morning at Buckingham Palace as part of a centuries-old royal tradition dating back to the reign of Charles I. The unusual custom sees a government whip kept at the Palace while the monarch travels to…
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Features

‘We would have just shot you’: The grim warning given to The King's hostage

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13th May 2026
One of the strangest traditions of the State Opening of Parliament sees an MP ceremonially “held hostage” at Buckingham Palace while the monarch travels to Westminster. The ancient custom, which dates back to the reign of Charles I and the English Civil War, is intended to guarantee the Sovereign’s safe return from the Palace of Westminster after delivering the King’s Speech. But…
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Features

Anticipation builds for The King’s Speech as pressure mounts on Prime Minister Starmer

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11th May 2026
Anticipation is building ahead of this week’s King’s Speech, when Charles III will formally unveil the government’s legislative plans for the coming parliamentary session. The speech, delivered from the throne in the House of Lords on Wednesday, is expected to attract unusually intense political scrutiny as Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer attempts to relaunch his premiership following…
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British Royals

Queen Elizabeth II deserves one final title: Elizabeth the Great

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21st April 2026
As Britain marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Queen Elizabeth II, an old constitutional question has resurfaced: how will history ultimately remember the late sovereign? For many, she will simply remain Elizabeth II – the longest-reigning monarch in British history, whose 70 years on the throne spanned war, social transformation, political upheaval and the dawn of the digital age.
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