‘Though I stood for the ninth time near a
child and for the fifth time near a daughter, at the altar, I think
I never felt more deeply than I did on this occasion… When the
blessing had been given, I tenderly embraced my darling “Baby” ‘
(op. cit, Christopher Hibbert, Queen Victoria: A Personal History,
Pg 412, 2000). With this words, Queen Victoria described the
wedding day of her…
Close to Balmoral Castle is a small
church, which is – almost – unique. With the exceptions of St
Mildred’s Church, Whippingham – where Queen Victoria’s family would
sometimes worship when in residence at Osborne and where the
marriage of her daughter…
Whilst musical talent in the eighteenth
century was judged to be an appropriate feminine accomplishment,
Marie Antoinette’s personal relationship with music was a special
one, which reached far beyond mere natural inclination. Music
proved to be in many ways, perpetually…
The site of Christchurch Greyfriars, is a
strange, haunting place, redolent of history. It is now a ruined,
public garden and a popular place for Londoners to take their
sandwiches for lunch. Long gone is the atmosphere of bells and
prayer from the Middle Ages; although in an odd parallel to its
previous use as a church, it manages to be a place of peace in the
noise of the City and nearby Stock…
The country estate of Eastwell Park, in
the parish of Eastwell, near Boughton Lees, Ashford in Kent, is not
perhaps a name which immediately comes to mind when thinking of a
one-time royal residence. It was, however, the Kent home of Prince
Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh and his…
Within the historical collections of the
Royal Armoury [Livrustkammeran] in Stockholm are preserved some
astonishing examples of Swedish royal wedding dresses. Some are in
the forms of fully preserved dresses, others sections from the
same, such as trains or loosely…
In 1874, Queen Victoria’s second son,
Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh got married. In great contrast,
however, to the weddings of his other siblings, he did not marry in
Great Britain, but instead, in Russia. The marriages of his
brothers all took place at St George’s Chapel, Windsor; two of his
sisters married at St George’s, whilst another two married on the
Isle of Wight, his elder…
Queen Victoria’s love of orange blossom
properly began with her wedding to Prince Albert in 1840; however,
this marked only the start of what would be an enduring association
within the Royal Family, and not just for weddings. Orange blossom
is, of course, traditionally…
The tradition of myrtle being used in a
bridal bouquet is long established and largely European, although
its associations with marriage has its origins in both ancient
Greek mythology, as well as in Roman ritual, the myrtle being
“dear” to Venus, as it had once been…
The Jerusalem Chamber at Westminster
Abbey is part of what is the oldest surviving medieval house in
London. Its history is significant, but the room itself little
seen, because it is not open to the general public. It is part of
what is known as Cheneygates, the ancient house of the Abbots of
Westminster, being built by Nicholas Litlyngton, who was Abbot from
1362-86 and whose initials feature in…
