At first glance, she is the very
embodiment of regality but look closer and the hint of mourning
behind an iconic image of the Queen becomes clear. On February 26th
1952, Elizabeth II posed for her first official portrait as Monarch
with her gentle smile hiding the grief she felt as this famous
photo was taken. For less than three weeks earlier she had lost her
beloved father, King George…
Mistress who cast doubt on a royal marriage returns to Buckingham Palace
25th February 2020
Her king called her his ”wife of heart
and soul” even though their actual, secret union was declared
invalid. Now the woman who cast a shadow over the reign of George
IV and even the succession to his throne has returned to Buckingham
Palace. A portrait of Maria…
New tour confirmed for the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall
25th February 2020
Clarence House has just announced a busy
programme of overseas visits for the Prince of Wales and the
Duchess of Cornwall. Charles and Camilla will tour Cyprus and
Jordan in March while the heir to the throne will also visit Bosnia
and Herzegovina next month. The Prince…
In this special edition of the Royal
Central podcast, we hear from author Deb Stratas who has spent
several years visiting every home Diana, Princess of Wales lived in
to discover the woman behind the royal image. Deb’s new book, ‘At
Home with Diana’, views the princess through the windows of places
she called home. By walking in Diana’s footsteps, Deb looks to
bring to…
King Philippe reveals details of his special birthday celebrations
25th February 2020
The King of the Belgians turns 60 in
April and to mark this big birthday, he’s hosting a very special
party. Philippe and his wife, Queen Mathilde, will throw open the
doors of Laeken Castle to one hundred people born on the same day
as the monarch. Their guests…
Royal Pictures from History: the engagement of Charles and Diana
24th February 2020
As a future king, his wedding was always
going to be big news. For years, Prince Charles had been the
subject of chatter about who and when he would marry and when he
did announce his engagement to Lady Diana Spencer, on February 24th
1981, it made headlines around the…
Usually, major royal birthdays see a wave
of photo tributes on the House of Windsor’s official social media
channels. But as the Duke of York turned 60, things were more low
key than normal. Prince Andrew’s big birthday was marked on the
Royal Family’s Twitter and Instagram accounts. The messages
included a sombre portrait of the Duke of York and an archive image
of him as a…
Belgium’s King Albert II accompanied his
wife to church on Monday, the first time he’s been seen on an
official royal duty since his statement confirming he has fathered
a child outside their marriage. King Albert and Queen Paola joined
other Belgian royals at…
She was the queen who tried to save her
dynasty with nothing more than a bouquet of flowers. Maria Amelia
saw her husband and eldest son mortally wounded at close range in
an assassination that would hasten the demise of their dynasty. She
had done all she could to save the…
She was the ‘May Queen’ whose reign
lasted little more than a month but left its mark in royal history.
Marie-Jose was always a bit of a maverick who had her own views and
no fear of sharing them. Those opinions would become a saving grace
for the dynasty she married into when she became its one public
dissenting voice against the fascism taking over their country.
But…
