Insight

On Holiday with The Queen

On Monday 10th August, Queen Elizabeth II arrived for her annual summer holiday at the Scottish retreat of Balmoral Castle. For the next two months, she will reside at this 50,000-acre estate in Aberdeenshire. Originally purchased in 1852 by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, the castle has been a treasured getaway for multiple generations of The Royal Family. Queen Victoria remarked in her diary…
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History

The Diamond Jubilee celebrations of Queen Victoria

Everybody will remember the magnitude of celebrations commemorating the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II in 2012. From the River Thames pageant to the concert outside Buckingham Palace and especially the extended Bank Holiday weekend. Let’s not forget though that…
Features

The stories of Queen Victoria's granddaughters: Princess Victoria of Wales

‘No one has ever had a sister like her’. The words of King George V, written about a younger sibling known to her family as Toria, perhaps best sum up the life of one of the quietest of Queen Victoria’s granddaughters. When she died many had almost forgotten about this rather lonely princess. Toria had been at the very heart of her her family but her devotion to her parents and siblings…
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History

Kenilworth Castle: The forgotten royal fortress

When you think of royal castle’s, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Windsor Castle? Warwick Castle? Balmoral Castle? One is sure that when you think of a royal castle, Kenilworth Castle isn’t the first that springs to mind however this Warwickshire fortress was and is one of England’s most magnificent fortifications. It once stood at the heart of a vast hunting ground…
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History

Stories of the Stuarts: River Thames Frost Fairs

There are records of a Frost Fair on the River Thames dating back to as early as the Winter of 1607 though they really became a popular event as the 17th century was drawing to an end. Though just what is a Frost Fair I hear you ask? Well they are exactly what they sound…
Opinion

The Final Curtsey: your 90 second summer reading review

Many interviews, articles, and books were published during Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012. There is one individual who shared personal stories and not the kind that may come into question as true. These stories were from someone who has seen the transformation of a then Princess Elizabeth who become Queen Elizabeth II. The stories are not “tell all” or secrets, just…
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