Amongst the prettiness of rolling
countryside and the gentle sound of sheep grazing sits a castle
with its own little chapel. The walls are golden yellow while
around it grow sweet scented flowers and glossy, regal trees. But
behind this calm serenity lies the tomb of a queen whose life was
filled with drama and whose end was soon forgotten in the tumult of
Tudor politics. Katherine Parr, sixth…
On a hot summer day in 1543, a young
widow married an ageing and much wed king in a ceremony that took
many by surprise. By the time Katherine Parr said ‘I do’ to Henry
VIII in the Queen’s Closet at Hampton Court Palace on July
12th 1543, his five previous unions and…
One of the best known inhabitants of the
Tower of London, a raven called Merlina, has disappeared and is
feared to have died. The bird, who has been part of the Tower’s
roost since 2007, hasn’t been seen for weeks and her keepers now
believe she is dead. Taking to…
Spain’s government has confirmed that
King Juan Carlos will retain his title for life. The country’s
Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, explained the decision after being
asked whether ministers planned to revoke his royal status. Carles
Mulet, a member of the Valencian electoral coalition called
Compromis, tabled a written question to Spain’s government about
Juan Carlos’ title.
When the leading princess of a royal
court marries, it’s usually a grand affair with tiaras, sparkle and
endless celebrations. But when Astrid, then the de facto first lady
of Norway, said her ‘I dos’ in 1961, it was a low key affair that
changed the rules of royal…
It’s not the most talked about royal
wedding of all time but the marriage that took place on a cold,
January day in 1967 has proved to be an important one for the Dutch
Royal Family. Princess Margriet of the Netherlands, aunt of the
current monarch King Willem-Alexander…
King Felipe urges 'extreme caution' as Spain hit by worst snowstorm in a generation
10th January 2021
King Felipe VI has urged people across
Spain to exercise extreme caution as the country is hit by the
heaviest snow it has seen in half a century. Four people have died
since Storm Filomena brought massive falls in many parts of the
country over the past days. In a message on the official Twitter
account for the Spanish Royal Family, King Felipe and Queen Letizia
said they wanted to share the…
The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh have
both been vaccinated against coronavirus. Buckingham Palace issued
a short statement on January 9th 2021 confirming that the couple
had received the jab. It read, simply, “The Queen and The Duke of
Edinburgh have today received…
A new survey for a major Spanish
newspaper has shown support for King Juan Carlos to return from his
self imposed exile. The poll, for El Mundo, found 55% of people
asked think the former monarch should come back to live in the
country he ruled for almost forty years. It…
King Felipe VI of Spain began his royal
year in a very different way. Every January 6th, the Spanish
monarch oversees the ‘Pascua Militar’ in Madrid, the traditional
ceremony marking the start of the military year. However, in 2021,
events were curtailed owing to the coronavirus pandemic. King
Felipe and Queen Letizia arrived at the Royal Palace in Madrid on a
cold and crisp morning. They…
