Sweden

The sapphire tiara that became the favourite of an historic queen

By
12th December 2023
Queen Silvia, who has been consort of Sweden longer than anyone else in the country’s history, is rather fond of the sapphire tiara belonging to her family’s dynasty. She’s worn it on many important occasions, including a string of Nobel Prize ceremonies and at the wedding of her only son, Prince Carl Philip. But the tiara, which is part of a particularly impressive parure, has a…
Read more
Monaco

The prince and princess taking lead role in royal family's Christmas rush

By
11th December 2023
Monaco’s royal family has had a high profile in recent days as Christmas approaches and taking a starring role in the public image of the Grimaldis are the heir to the throne, Prince Jacques, and his sister, Princess Gabriella. The twins turned nine on December 10th 2023 and to mark the birthday, Prince Albert and Princess Charlene shared a new image of them, taken on the country’s national…
Read more
British Royals

The first royal Christmas speech

By
11th December 2023
The royal Christmas speech is now an important part of the festive season with the Monarch addressing country and Commonwealth every December 25th at 3pm. Christmas lunches and celebrations are built around it and millions tune in to hear the address. However, this special…
Features

The sweet gift of a prince to a grieving queen on the saddest of Christmas days

By
11th December 2023
She had made the season her own. The festive season at the end of the 19th century was very different from that in 1837, the year she had become monarch. Yet the final Christmas of Queen Victoria was filled with heartbreak. The queen herself could not get away from it, noting in her diary for December 25th 1900 ”this has indeed been a terribly sad Christmas for us all!”. And it had…
Read more
Features

If Edward VIII hadn't abdicated, who would be Monarch today?

By
10th December 2023
We all love a royal ‘what if’ and perhaps one of the most intriguing of recent times revolves around the question of the king who renounced his throne for love. On December 11th 1936, 86 years ago, Edward VIII announced to the world that he was ending his reign to marry the woman he loved, Wallis Simpson. But what if Edward VIII hadn’t abdicated? Who would be Monarch now? There are two…
Read more