He was the monarch who had to fight for a
throne but then relied on a mistress for advice with a queen who
arrived at court to find another holding power. And in the middle
of their marriage was a woman with ambition, brains and no sense of
self control. Our special read brings to life a mesmerising moment
in royal history. Charles II, the Merry Monarch, had several
different mistresses.
Eleanor of Aquitaine died on 1 April 1204
but after 800 years, she still holds our interest. She was Queen
twice and held titles in her own name, and she remains one of the
most interesting royal women in the mediaeval period. Eleanor was
born on 8 April 1124 to William…
While there is a traditional uniform for
kings at their coronation, there is not for queens. This has
allowed each queen to wear a gown specifically created for their
coronation day. Queen Alexandra’s coronation dress remains one of
the most sumptuous in British…
Caroline of Ansbach was Princess of Wales
from 1714 to 1727; her father-in-law, King George I, inherited the
throne upon Queen Anne’s death and began the Hanoverian dynasty.
She remains one of the most interesting women to hold the title of
Princess of Wales and left her mark on British society and the
monarchy itself. Caroline spent much of her teenage years at the
Prussian court after both…
Many of Queen Victoria and Prince
Albert’s grandchildren married into various royal families across
Europe. Not all did, though. Princess Patricia of Connaught was the
daughter of Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn and
Princess Margaret Louise of Prussia, and…
Queen Elizabeth II had many impressive
suites in her jewellery vaults. The King George VI Victorian Suite
was one of the most sentimental sets in her collection and held a
short but meaningful history for Her Late Majesty. King
George VI gave his eldest daughter, the…
Margaret Greville is not a commonly known
name. However, her legacy can be seen on several members of the
Royal Family to this day. Many of the tiaras, necklaces, and
brooches worn today in the royal family were originally owned by
The Hon. Mrs Ronald Greville, but how did they end up in the
possession of the royals? Born in December 1863, Margaret
Helen Anderson was the daughter of William…
The King has appointed his youngest
brother, the Duke of Edinburgh, to the Order of the Thistle. Prince
Edward was given the honour to mark his 60th birthday on March 10th
2024. The Order is the highest chivalric order in Scotland.
Appointments to the Order are made…
Queen Mary acquired many of the tiaras
that are still worn by the extended British Royal Family. While
much of the public’s attention is on the tiaras worn by the late
Queen, the current Princess of Wales, and Queen Camilla, there are
other pieces worn by the Kent and…
While Queen Mary was known to be a magpie
with a large jewellery collection, her mother-in-law also had a
strong collection of her own. And amongst the most famous pieces is
the gem now known as Queen Alexandra’s Kokoshnik Tiara. In 1888,
the then Prince and Princess of Wales celebrated their 25th wedding
anniversary. Lady Salisbury organised a group of 365 peeresses who
donated funds to…
