Features

The heirs of 2023: who's first in line to the thrones of Europe?

They are the people who will one day reign and their role has an importance that pervades every element of their lives. Being the heir means preparation for a throne that starts early and only ends with accession. From the first in lines who grew up in pole position to those who took the part when adults, here are the heirs of Europe in 2023. Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark Photo by Hasse…
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Features

The English Queens of France

On an August day, over 500 years ago, Mary Tudor, sister of Henry VIII, was promised in marriage to the French king, Louis XII.  She would wed him several months later. The spectacular ceremony in Abbeville in Northern France transformed Mary into the Queen of France.  No…
Features

Queen Alexandra's Wedding Necklace

Sparkling with diamonds and studded with creamy pearls, it is a perfect fit for bridal white so it’s no surprise that a rather impressive royal necklace was created for a marriage. Queen Alexandra’s Wedding Necklace is a rarely seen royal gem but it has a romantic as well as regal history. You get no prizes for guessing the provenance of this particular royal jewel. As it name…
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Sweden

A romantic and reluctant queen

She was the royal who insisted she would only marry for love while he was a prince with a broken heart and no desire to wed again. However, on a summer’s day, exactly a century ago, they fell in love in London and began a royal romance that would lead to a crown and…
British Royals

Why is the Princess Royal called Anne?

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 another princess. In August that year…
Features

The story of Balmoral tartan

It’s been quite the week for tartan. The King was fully kilted out as he headed to John O’Groats for a wee dram at the start of his Scottish holidays. Meanwhile his heir, Prince William, found his own Scottish style under scrutiny as conversations began about when the Duke of Rothesay was last seen in a kilt. Should William choose to toss a fashion caber and go for a kilt during his…
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British Royals

The mystery of the Queen Mother's birthplace

Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother lived most of her adult life in the spotlight and yet one very basic detail of her story is shrouded in mystery. For no one is really sure exactly where the Queen Mother was born. And no one did more to get people guessing than the Queen Mum…
British Royals

The story of the society superstar whose jewels continue to sparkle on the Royal Family

Margaret Greville is not a commonly known name. However, her legacy can be seen on several members of the British Royal Family to this day. Many of the tiaras, necklaces, and brooches worn today in the royal family were originally owned by The Hon. Mrs Ronald Greville, but how did they end up in the possession of the royals? Born in December 1863, Margaret Helen Anderson was the daughter…
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