The regal tradition of scratching
signatures in windowpanes is long established and well known. The
windows – particularly when in rooms of royal residences – formed a
kind of living ‘guestbook’, often accompanied by the date the visit
or signature, was made. These windowpanes are silent witnesses to
vanished royal gatherings on long ago summers or essential
occasions, represented today by…
The wedding of Princess Elizabeth to
Prince Philip in November 1947 was a day of celebration in post-war
Britain. The ceremony was broadcast to a worldwide audience of
approximately 200 million people and as the princess arrived at
Westminster Abbey with her father, King…
Royal births in modern times now take
place with a great degree of privacy for both the parents and
newborn, but this compares drastically with royal births throughout
history. One of the most significant changes is that they do not
now require the attendance of a…
QUESTION 1: WHO WAS PRINCESS VICTORIA?
Princess Victoria was eldest child and daughter of Queen Victoria
of the United Kingdom. ‘Vicky’ as she was known to family was born
on 21 November 1840 at Buckingham Palace. Princess
Vicky was an HRH from birth and as only child of Queen Victoria,
was heiress presumptive (as first in line to the throne) to the
throne. At the birth of her brother…
As the Duke and Duchess of Sussex prepare
for the impending arrival of their first-born, a gift register
released last week by the Royal Family detailed the number of baby
gifts received by the couple during their tour of Australia, Fiji,
Tonga and New Zealand in the autumn…
When Prince Edward, the youngest child of
The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, married Sophie Rhys-Jones in
June 1999, it was expected that he would be bestowed with a
dukedom, as is customary for the son of a monarch on the occasion
of marriage. It was instead announced…
When HM The Queen bestowed the title of
Duke of Cambridge on her grandson, Prince William, on his wedding
day in April 2011, it marked the recreation of a title that first
originated in the time of King Charles II. A dukedom is the highest
title in the British peerage system and ranks above Marquess, Earl,
Viscount and Baron. The word ‘duke’ originates from the Latin word…
Moments that defined the British Monarchy – The abdication and scandal of Edward VIII
28th March 2019
On 20 January 1936, Britain’s King George
V died. George V was a popular monarch with strong public morals,
his son, the Prince of Wales acceded to the throne upon his
father’s death. He became King Edward VIII, a name chosen as
opposed to King David as there had been no…
Dukedoms have been bestowed on royal
males for hundreds of years, and each title carries with it a
history of some description. The most recent dukedom to be bestowed
by HM Queen Elizabeth was that of the Duke of Sussex – a title
given to Prince Harry on the occasion…
On 1 May 1876, Queen Victoria was
proclaimed Empress Of India after discussion with Prime Minister of
the day, Benjamin Disraeli led to Queen Victoria wanting a title
boost after her daughter became Empress Of Germany. From 1876 until
the Empire Of India was disbanded in 1947, British Monarchs were
styled as King-Emperors and Queen-Empresses. This is the only
instance in British history where a…
