The first thing that Princess Victoria did on the morning of 20 June 1837 was to reach for her dressing gown. This historic moment in the Queen’s life has always held a particular fascination for me, and I have regularly revisited it from various angles, from profiling the Archbishop of Canterbury who knelt before her that morning with the Lord Chamberlain, Lord Conyngham, to the staircase she…
Personal items of Queen Victoria acquired by Historic Royal Palaces
2nd November 2018
Some personal items belonging to Queen Victoria have been acquired by Historic Royal Palaces, the independent charity which maintains Kensington Palace, ahead of the bicentenary of the Queen’s birth in 2019, which the palace will celebrate with a new exhibition and…
The Royal and Military Order of Saint Ferdinand is a Spanish military order and Spain’s highest military decoration for gallantry. The Royal Military Order of Saint Ferdinand was set up by the Cádiz Cortes in 1811 to honour the heroic fight against the Napoleonic…
It was a famous royal love story that shocked as much as it thrilled. John of Gaunt was the ultra-ambitious prince whose desire to be a king almost cost him his life, Katherine Swynford was the mysterious commoner who supplanted a queen in his affections. Their relationship lasted decades, survived a serious separation and ultimately led to the creation of a dynasty which would snatch the throne…
‘Saw good Mrs Clark, returned from Darmstadt, who gave me an excellent account of Alice, the Baby & dear little Victoria’(Quoted in Charlotte Zeepvat, From Cradle to Crown, 13).
With these words, Queen Victoria recorded in her journal for 13 December 1864, that…
The white caps worn by Queen Victoria have – correctly – come to be regarded as a symbol for her widowhood. They represent one of the few contrasts in colour to the deepest mourning that she adopted after 1861, as a declaration in textile, of the colossal…
Following the recent wedding of Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank, we take a look at other princesses who have married commoners. Here is the story of Princess Margaret and her photographer husband, Antony Armstrong-Jones.
Princess Margaret was always one to do things her way, and Antony “Tony” Armstrong-Jones was far from the typical royal suitor.
Born 7 March 1930, Antony grew up…
Princess Frederica was born into the House of Hanover in 1848. Her parents were George, Crown Prince of Hanover and his wife, Princess Marie of Saxe-Altenberg. The Princess was also addressed as ‘Her Highness’ when in the United Kingdom due to her descent from King…
She had been an integral part of the House of Windsor for almost seventy years; she was the oldest ever member of the Royal Family, and she had lived an adventure packed life that broke the regal mould in many ways. The death of Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, on…
The wedding dress of the Duchess of Sussex is now on display at Windsor Castle. The gown chosen by Meghan for her marriage at St George’s Chapel at the castle is part of an exhibition on the big day which also features uniform worn by the Duke of Sussex.
The bridesmaid and pageboy outfits worn by Princess Charlotte and Prince George are on display, too, but the star attraction is undoubtedly…
