British Royals

The Royal Family, like millions, face a very different Christmas as new restrictions kick in

By
20th December 2020
Millions of people across England woke up to new restrictions caused by the coronavirus pandemic on December 20th 2020. The revised rules, announced just hours earlier by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, include a Tier 4 which limits contact between households even further. The regulations will stay in place for the forseeable future meaning many Christmas plans will have to be cancelled as…
Read more
Queen Elizabeth II

The Queen's Christmas Day surprise

By
19th December 2020
It’s proving to be a very different Christmas in more ways than one for many and the Queen is no exception. This year, the contents of her Christmas Day speech will be kept secret until the moment it is broadcast. Her Majesty usually pre-records her Christmas Day…
Spain

Will King Felipe use his Christmas speech to publicly distance himself from his father?

By
19th December 2020
A Spanish government minister has indicated that King Felipe will use his Christmas message to distance himself from his father, Juan Carlos I, whose financial affairs have seen his royal family plunged into crisis over the past year. Exactly a week before Felipe is set to address Spain in his annual festive speech, Carmen Calvo, first vicepresident of the government, described the King as…
Read more
BelgiumRoyal Weddings

Royal Wedding Rewind: King Baudouin and Queen Fabiola

By
15th December 2020
The marriage of King Baudouin of the Belgians and Fabiola de Mora y Aragon, on December 15th 1960, gave a country a new queen and began a royal partnership that would become one of the most successful in modern regal history. The discreet monarch and his equally dignified bride went on to enjoy a long and happy union that would help stabilise the Belgian monarchy after years of turbulence. Their…
Read more
Sweden

What title will Sweden's newest royal baby receive?

By
11th December 2020
Sweden will welcome a new royal baby in the spring of 2021 and the confirmation that Princess Sofia and her husband, Prince Carl Philip, will become parents again within months has raised an intriguing question. What title will this newest baby Bernadotte hold? For this…
Spain

King Juan Carlos pays back tax bill

By
10th December 2020
Spain’s former monarch, Juan Carlos I, has settled a bill for back taxes as reports continue that he is planning a return to the country he ruled for almost forty years. In a statement released on December 9th 2020, the king’s lawyers said he had paid 678,000 euros. The sum also covered interest and fines. They gave no details on why the back tax was owed. However, in recent days…
Read more