On 21 September 1662, Samuel Pepys
entered the following words into his Restoration diary: “The Queen
coming by in her coach, going to her chappell at St. James’s (the
first time it hath been ready for her), I crowded after her, and I
got up to the room where her closet is; and there stood and saw the
fine altar, ornaments, and the fryers in their habits, and the
priests come in with their…
The portrait by the Parisian painter
Jean-Marc Nattier of the 17-year-old Princess Isabella of Parma,
(1741-1763) – the best known that was made of her – seems in some
ways to symbolise her short life. Today it is kept in the vast
collection of the Kunsthistorisches…
Comparison between historical
personalities should, as a rule, always be treated with caution
even if given life circumstances are similar; an example of this
might be ‘comparisons’ made between the legendary Empress Elisabeth
of Austria and the late Diana, Princess of…
A study of the books owned by someone can
open a window into their interests, and a royal personage no less
so. In so doing, the reading material of the last Empress of
Russia, Alexandra Feodorovna (1872-1918) charts important events in
her life and tells us a lot about what she saw as significant to
keep, or take with her to Russia; her books crucially incorporated
her old life into the new…
The relationship of Henry VIII to the
death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth of York, raises possible
interesting psychological theories about his behaviour towards the
six women he later married. These are fascinating to suggest, but
will only ever remain speculative…
Like other small and private buildings
that exist in the grounds of Queen Victoria’s residences, such as
the Garden Cottage at Balmoral, each is unique, enabling us to gain
a personal glimpse into the Queen’s domestic world, her daily
pursuits and interests. Another such…
A chance glance upon an entry in an
exhibition catalogue from 2004 immediately attracted my interest
because it related to samples of wallpaper for the Alexander
Palace, the private residence of Tsar Nicholas II and his family,
in Tsarskoe Selo. I knew the last Tsarina had chosen ‘English’
chintzes for some of the furnishings of the palatial home they came
to love, but I had never found the…
White Lodge is a former royal residence,
situated deep within Richmond Park. But its location can
momentarily confuse. Richmond Palace was, of course, one of the
most important palaces of the Tudor dynasty and is consequently far
better known; although the building was not…
In the grounds of Balmoral Castle is a
building touching in its simplicity. Called the Garden Cottage, it
was built in the grounds at Balmoral and used by Queen Victoria and
her family. In addition to the rooms of the private wings occupied
by the Queen and Royal Family at…
At Osborne House, the beloved family
retreat of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert on the Isle of Wight,
is a private beach, unlike any other in British history. It is a
royal beach, reserved solely for the use of Queen Victoria, Prince
Albert and their family. English Heritage opened it for the first
time to the public in 2012, to show another different side to Queen
Victoria, as a mother and royal…
