They were an unexpected king and queen
and their royal romance has weathered several storms but King
Albert II and Queen Paola of Belgium are marking their sixty fifth
wedding anniversary. The couple, who married on July 2nd 1959
in Brussels, now live quietly following Albert’s abdication. Their
wedding was a glittering event and put a shy young couple on the
path to a throne. Their…
King Harald and Queen Sonja of Norway
enjoyed one of the most famous royal romances of the 20th century.
Their wedding, on 29 August 1968 at Oslo Cathedral, was
attended by royalty from around Europe and came five months after
the announcement of their engagement which was…
The most famous tennis tournament in the
world is about to get under way. And while the stars of the sport
gather at SW19, we can expect to see royalty attend matches
throughout the two weeks of competition at the All England Club.
The finals weekend, in mid July, will be…
We’re used to seeing royals at Wimbledon
with the Princess of Wales now patron of the All England Club. But
rewind nine decades and another royal was a familiar face there. A
princess known to her family as Thora regularly cropped up on the
Pathe newsreels of the time presenting trophies and cheering on the
tennis stars of the day. This granddaughter of Queen Victoria was a
good sport and she…
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…
The Queen has given a personal address to
mark national Armed Forces Day. Her Majesty spoke of her pride in
the military and of the gratitude felt for those who serve their
country. Queen Camilla also had warm words for the families who
support the Armed Forces around…
The Princess Royal is back at her home at
Gatcombe after almost a week in hospital. Princess Anne, 73, left
Southmead Hospital in Bristol on the morning of June 28th, five
days after being admitted with minor head injuries and concussion.
It’s understood the Princess was injured by a horse in an incident
at Gatcombe on June 23rd. She was treated at the scene before being
taken to…
The title that unites a forgotten princess, a very grand duchess and the most historic monarch of all
27th June 2024
The title of Duke of Edinburgh is one of
the best known in the modern Monarchy. It was held for almost 74
years by Prince Philip. He is the best known of all the men to be
Duke of Edinburgh but the five women who have been the city’s
duchess, including the newly created…
Royal weddings are now major
celebrations, glittering events that capture the imagination and
draw huge crowds who cheer the vows and shout demands for a kiss
when the deal is done. However, in centuries past a royal union
might be a discreet event, witnessed by just a…
The wedding present of a duchess that's become one of the Royal Family's most famous tiaras
25th June 2024
For the quarter of a century that she’s
been a member of the Royal Family, the Duchess of Edinburgh has
kept her tiara appearances rather simple. We’ve got used to seeing
Sophie in a limited number of diadems. There’s the diamond creation
she wore at her wedding, fashioned from jewels that are linked to
Queen Victoria, and there’s a diamond and aquamarine tiara that
has…
