British Royals

The royals who can act as Counsellors of State, standing in for The King when needed

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25th September 2023
Counsellors of State stand in for the Monarch if they are temporarily unavailable, either through being out of the country or for short term health reasons, like an operation. The Regency Act of 1937 stated that the Monarch’s spouse and the first four adults in the line of succession could be called on to be Counsellors. That meant that, following the accession of King Charles III, the…
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Features

The royal weddings of York Minster

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24th September 2023
It’s one of the oldest churches in Britain the seat of one of England’s most important clerics yet the famous York Minster is a rare venue for royal weddings. Just two major regal marriages have taken place at this ancient church in almost 1,000 years. The most recent took place six decades ago. On June 8th 1961, the Duke of Kent married Katharine Worsley there in front of royalty…
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European Royals

The queen whose crown faded after only a month

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22nd September 2023
She was the ‘May Queen’ whose reign lasted little more than a month but left its mark in royal history. Marie-Jose was always a bit of a maverick who had her own views and no fear of sharing them. Those opinions would become a saving grace for the dynasty she married into when she became its one public dissenting voice against the fascism taking over their country. But…
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Features

How many of Henry VIII's queens were crowned?

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22nd September 2023
‘Divorced, beheaded, died; divorced, beheaded, survived.’ That sad little rhyme, summing up the fates of Henry VIII’s six wives, is familiar to many. But while just about everyone knows that the monarch with a thing for wedding cake said ‘I do&#8217…
Features

The royal links of an historic church in the shadow of a world famous abbey

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22nd September 2023
It’s hosted dazzling and trend setting royal weddings but St. Margaret’s Church at Westminster is always in the shadows for it stands, quite literally, beneath the world famous abbey. It traces its history back to pre Conquest times but the current building on the site is a Tudor creation with plenty of tales to tell. It hosted one of the most glamourous royal weddings of the…
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