History

Richard III DNA to be ‘mapped’

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12th February 2014
<![CDATA[ It has been revealed that the DNA of the skeleton belonging to Richard III is to sequenced. This could potentially uncover details about the last Plantagenet King, such as his eye and hair colour. This is the next project in a long line of plans to discover more about the King, whose remains were discovered under a car park in Leicester in 2012. This study is to be led by the…
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Insight

The Story of the Peerage: Peers and Parliament

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9th February 2014
<![CDATA[In 1999, history was made when an bill was passed through Parliament which abolished the right of hereditary peers to sit in the House of Lords and contribute to the law making process. Almost 15 years on and whilst there is still a push to completely reform the…
Features

Royal Cousins at War documentary reveals how rivaling relations led to outbreak of First World War

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7th February 2014
<![CDATA[ This BBC Two documentary series, which aired earlier this week on Wednesday and Thursday evening, reflects on the complex relationship between King George V, Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany, leading up to the outbreak of the First World War. In 1914, these three cousins ruled over the greatest powers within Europe. However, this series debates whether these…
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Insight

Why isn't Prince Philip King?

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4th February 2014
<![CDATA[A lot of comments we receive on Royal Central raise the question of why Prince Philip isn't king, despite the wife of a king being a queen. On the face of it, it seems bizarre, almost sexist, though in this post I'll explain exactly why Prince Philip…
Insight

The Story of the Peerage: How does it all work?

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2nd February 2014
<![CDATA[Anyone who knows will tell you that the British Peerage is a complicated and diverse institution – and in this article (Part 2 of the Story of the Peerage series), I will explain everything you need to know about the Lords and Ladies of the United Kingdom. As discussed in Part 1, there are 5 ranks in the peerage. They are, in descending order, Duke (Duchess); Marquess…
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Other

Australia's next Governor-General selected

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29th January 2014
<![CDATA[ The Governor-General Ms Quentin Bryce AC CVO is soon set to retire and rumours have been rife about who is going to replace her for months. On Tuesday, the appointment was confirmed when the Australian Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, announced that…
Opinion

Why the cost argument just doesn't wash with Monarchy

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28th January 2014
<![CDATA[And so the subject of royal finances has arisen again after the publication of the Public Accounts Committee report on how the Royal Household manages its money. In recent times, republicans' annual outrage at the cost of the Royal Family has become part and parcel of every piece of news on royal finances – but is it justified? I'm about to explain why I believe…
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