Features

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 monarchy she married into but it would all come to nothing as she watched another son lose his throne just years after the…

King Charles is among just three royals in the world who can travel internationally without a passport. The King is joined by Japan’s Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, who benefit from special arrangements allowing them to travel overseas without the documents required by ordinary travellers. Picture: “New Passport has arrived” by Chris Fleming, CC BY-SA 2.0 While passports…

The discovery of Uranus in 1781 transformed our understanding of the Solar System, but the planet could have carried a very different name – one honouring a British king. When astronomer William Herschel identified the previously unknown planet, he proposed calling it Georgium Sidus, meaning “George’s Star”, in tribute to King George III. The suggestion reflected the close…

A tiny gold ring worn by Queen Victoria during her infancy will be among the remarkable royal treasures going on display at Buckingham Palace next year. Known as Queen Victoria’s first ring, the delicate piece of jewellery features five emeralds arranged as the petals of a flower, surrounding a single ruby at its centre. The ring is one of more than 300 pieces of jewellery spanning five…