Sweden

A cake with 80 candles for a queen as her grandchildren throw surprise birthday party

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23rd December 2023
The Queen of Sweden was treated to a cake for her 80th birthday by the people she most wanted to spend her day with – her grandchildren. Queen Silvia was given a surprise party by her granddaughters and grandsons and like all doting grannies, she let the youngsters blow out the candles on the cake. Kungahuset Instagram still/ fair use They needed the power of all eight of them as the…
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British Royals

The Christmas speeches of King George V

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22nd 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 tradition is less than a century old and it is very much an innovation of the House of WIndsor. The first Christmas speech…
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Features

A romantic empress and a heroic queen - the royal Christmas Eve babies

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21st December 2023
The Christmas story begins, of course, with a baby and there’s something about a Christmas birthday that makes it all the more interesting, even if mean relatives do double up on presents. Some of the most intriguing royal stories of all have begun on Christmas Eve, leading to lives filled with romance, tragedy and drama. King John of England Let’s start with the birth of a king. It’s…
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Royal Christmas

A famous royal speech that still inspires in difficult days

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20th December 2023
They were the words spoken by a king as a country looked to him for inspiration and, legend has it, they were handed to him by the heir who would go on to make history. Now, they pay tribute to them both, written for posterity at the chapel where both now rest. Another King will give the royal Christmas speech this December but the words of one of the most famous festive addresses of all still…
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