It lost out in the contest to be named a
city for the Platinum Jubilee but now Gibraltar has been told it
had civic status already – thanks to another Jubilee queen. The UK
government has confirmed that Gibraltar was given city status by
Queen Victoria but had fallen off the official list of recognised
cities. Research in the National Archives showed that Victoria
granted the status to…
The Queen could receive her new Prime
Minister for the first time at Balmoral. Her Majesty is currently
in residence at her Scottish home with her planned stay there
traditionally lasting until early autumn. However, the Conservative
Party will choose its new leader on…
The royal woman who went from hidden queen to founder of history's most famous dynasty
25th August 2022
For a woman who founded one of the most
famous royal dynasties in British history, she is surprisingly
enigmatic. Katherine of Valois was the first Kate to be Queen of
England and yet much of the modern imagining of her comes from her
fleeting appearance in the works of…
A is for Anne but why did the Queen’s
only daughter end up with a name that, at the time, wasn’t a usual
one for members of the Royal Family? The answer can perhaps best be
found in the summer of 1930 and the arrival of a princess. In
August that year, the future George VI and his Queen Elizabeth
(later the Queen Mother) welcomed their second daughter. The baby
girl was born at…
The sad anniversary that has given the Duke of Kent a place in the royal record books
25th August 2022
The Duke of Kent is marking a poignant
anniversary as he becomes the first person in recorded history to
hold a dukedom for eighty years. Prince Edward, 86, became Duke of
Kent on August 25th 1942 at the age of six when his father was
killed in a plane crash. He has…
The exotic precedent set by a Monarch for appointing a Prime Minister away from Buckingham Palace
16th August 2022
As the Queen prepares to appoint the
fifteenth Prime Minister of her reign, the question of where she
will welcome them is much discussed. Her Majesty is now in Balmoral
for her annual summer break but is understood to be planning to
return to London to accept Boris…
The final preparations for one of the
biggest royal weddings of the year are now under way with
confirmation that Princess Maria Laura of Belgium will marry her
fiance on September 10th 2022. Princess Maria Laura, Archduchess of
Austria-Este announced her engagement to William Isvy at the end of
2021. The couple have now confirmed they will wed at the Cathedral
of St Michel and St Gudula in…
King Felipe VI of Spain has faced
criticism from some politicians in Spain for choosing not to stand
up when a sword belonging to a famous rebel against his country’s
rule was paraded in front of him. The King of Spain kept his seat
when a sword belonging to Simon…
The Earl of Wessex: ''the Games have brought the spirit of the Commonwealth to life''
9th August 2022
The Earl of Wessex has thanked the people
of Birmingham and the West Midlands for their ”inspiration” as he
officially closed the 2022 Commonwealth Games. The Earl, who is
Vice Patron of Commonwealth Sport, thanked volunteers, organisers
and competitors for…
The last medal ceremony of the
Commonwealth Games has been overseen by the Earl of Wessex. The
Earl, who is Vice Patron of Commonwealth Sport, presented the
medals in the Men’s Hockey event to bring down the curtain on the
sporting action at Birmingham 2022. Australia claimed gold with
India taking silver. England won bronze. Prince Edward also spent
time thanking the support teams…
