The last King and Queen of Afghanistan were exiled in 1973, and with the monarchy abolished, Afghanistan became a republic.
The last King of Afghanistan was Mohammed Zahir Shah, who succeeded his father in 1933 at the age of 19, following the latter’s assassination. The young King had been educated at an English-language and later a French-language school in Kabul before being sent to…
Born 29 April 1868, Alice Frederica Keppel (née Edmonstone) was a British society hostess and a long-time mistress and confidante of King Edward VII. Born in Woolwich Dockyard, Kent, Alice’s father was the Superintendent at the Dockyard and a retired admiral in the…
Charles II, the Merry Monarch, had several different mistresses. However, one of these mistresses stands out from the rest for several reasons- Barbara Villiers. John Evelyn pronounced her the “curse of the nation”, and she would hold sway over the Restoration court for…
Arabella Churchill - mistress and ancestress of popular royal
16th August 2021
King James II tends to be largely ignored. Following his brother’s long Restoration reign and removal during the Glorious Revolution for his Protestant daughter and son-in-law, his reign can feel like a footnote in a lot of discussions. And unfortunately, those in his life tend to get the same treatment. While he might not have had the many, many mistresses that his brother did, James did have a…
Louise Renée de Penancoët de Kéroualle, Duchess of Portsmouth was born 5 September 1649 and is the daughter of Guillaume de Penancoët, Seigneur de Kéroualle and Marie de Ploeuc de Timeur. Nobles in Brittany, France, the family name is derived from an heriess whom an…
Diane de Poitiers - the older mistress as an unofficial adviser
10th August 2021
There have been countless French royal mistresses throughout the centuries, but some are better known than others. Diane de Poitiers was brought back into the spotlight in teen drama Reign in 2013 but has largely been forgotten in favour of later mistresses. This…
Mary Boleyn: From royal mistress to spending the rest of her life in obscurity
9th August 2021
Mary Boleyn, known as Lady Mary, was born circa 1499 in Blicking Hall, Norfolk. She was the sister of the English queen consort, Anne Boleyn, whose family enjoyed a considerable influence during the reign of King Henry VIII.
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Mary was the daughter of a rich diplomat and courtier, Thomas…
Several different royals have competed at the Olympic games throughout the last century and a quarter. The British Royal Family is well-known for their equestrian presence at the games. However, there are several other European royals who have taken part. King Olav V of…
On top of a small hill in southern Italy is a completely unique building with a long royal history. Castel del Monte, Italian for “Castle of the Mountain,” is a 13th-century citadel situated by the village of Andria.
The history of this unique building started…
For the last millennium, royal mistresses have played a substantial role at court – given that most royals were not allowed to marry for love and instead served as strategic national alliances. So it makes sense that in many marriages, one or both partners would look elsewhere for their romantic relationships, and Charles II was no exception. He had at least seven different mistresses…
