There was huge anticipation for the first
Christmas speech of the reign of King Charles III in 2023 and His
Majesty choses a poignant location for the address. The King spoke
to country and Commonwealth from the place he said his last goodbye
to his mother. His Majesty recorded his address in the Quire at St.
George’s Chapel, Windsor, where the final committal service for
Queen Elizabeth II…
It was an historic day for a future queen
and it’s become the centrepiece of her family’s festive greeting.
An image of Princess Leonor from the day she came of age and swore
her allegiance to the Spanish Constitution has been chosen for the
Spanish royal Christmas…
The sapphire tiara that became the favourite of an historic queen
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…
Belgium's royals are all smiles for Christmas portrait as debate around Princess Delphine continues
12th December 2023
The Belgian King and Queen have sent
festive greetings in their Christmas card which has just been
released but, behind the smiles, a royal family row continues. The
Belgian Prime Minister has stepped into a debate about the role of
the half sister of King Philippe, Princess Delphine. Delphine had
written to the PM to raise concerns that she wasn’t treated in the
same way as the…
The princess whose low key royal wedding attracted global attention
12th December 2023
The Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Sir
Timothy Laurence are celebrating their wedding anniversary. The
couple mark 31 years of marriage on December 12th 2023. Their
wedding was one of the most unusual in the history of the House of
Windsor. It was low key, taking place…
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…
King Felipe leaves troubles in Spain behind as he visits Argentina
11th December 2023
King Felipe has attended the
inauguration of the President of Argentina in a political ceremony
which proved far less controversial for the Spanish monarch that
his more recent engagements at home. Felipe VI stood alongside
world leaders for the swearing in which took place in Buenos Aires
on December 10th 2023. The Spanish king had arrived in the country
the day before when he had had…
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…
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…
Queen Elizabeth II turned the Christmas
speech into an essential part of every festive season. Although it
was her grandfather, King George V, who first broadcast to the
nation on Christmas Day and her father, King George VI, who made
the famous addresses through the difficult years of World War Two,
it would be Elizabeth II who made the moment into a national
institution. In 1957, the speech…
