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…
