Insight

Monarchy Monday: 'Fly, fly away' for Prince William

If there was one thing Prince William always knew he would do, it was fly. With one of his first words being ‘plane’ a career in the Royal Air Force just seemed suiting. After becoming a Flying Officer in the RAF, Prince William took an intense four month training course at RAF Cranwell. On 11th April 2008 he received his wings from his father, Prince Charles. Prince Charles also…
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The Battle of Waterloo: a quick primer for the 200th anniversary

This year commemorates 200th Anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo. Today we take a brief look at the who, what, where and why of this pivotal part of European history. So where did this all begin? Who was part of this battle? On 18 June 1815 the stage was set on a 4 square kilometer battlefield located 2 km from Waterloo in Belgium and 13 km south of Brussels. On the battlefield were the French…
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A-Z of the Monarchy: V-Z

<![CDATA[In the final part of this series, we shall take a look at some Royal-related facts from the letters V through to Z. Vegemite – Prince William and Catherine received some some unusual gifts for their 2011 nuptials. These included Vegemite, a herd of cows, and Lady Gaga’s accordion. Whilst George Michael sang a cover of “You & I” by Stevie Wonder and, my…
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'Within the Commonwealth Realm' - New Zealand

<![CDATA[ You may not recognize Queen Elizabeth II if you are in the Commonwealth Realm of New Zealand. For when she is attending a native  Powhiri or Maori welcoming ceremony she wears a ceremonial Korowai cloak and speaks a few words of Maori. The cloak is made up of…
FeaturesHistoryInsight

Death of an artist: Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll

<![CDATA[Seventy-five years ago, on 3rd December 1939, the most feisty of Queen Victoria’s children died at Kensington Palace, aged 91. Princess Louise, through marriage to a Duke, had become a rare example of a Princess who was also a non-royal Duchess.  Above all, Louise was a talented artist and, as far as her restricted position allowed, a feminist. Such attributes endear her to…
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