The beer tents have been put away, the dancing is done and nearly all of the hangovers have faded. Oktoberfest, the huge beer and folk festival that takes over Munich for several weeks in early autumn, has come to a close just days ahead of a special anniversary. For October 12th is rather important for Oktoberfest. For on that date in 1810 a spectacular royal wedding took place and to celebrate a…
In the early autumn days of1537,King Henry VIIIwas celebrating as his court welcomed a prince. His longed for son and heir, Edward, had been born on October 12th at Hampton Court Palace to widespread rejoicing. Preparations were in full swingfor…
'Darling Mama': The Tsarina and her mother, Princess Alice
10th October 2019
Princess Alix of Hesse, sixth child and fourth daughter of
Queen Victoria’s daughter, Princess Alice, Grand Duchess of Hesse and her
husband, Ludwig IV, Grand Duke of Hesse, was six years old when her mother died
on 14 December 1878, incidentally the seventeenth…
Lady Jane Grey, England's Forgotten Queen: An interview with Dr Helen Castor (Part 2)
8th October 2019
Today we continue with the final part of Chief Reporter Kristin Contino’s interview with historian, author, and BBC documentary presenter Dr Helen Castor (Read the first part of the interview here).
Castor recently travelled to America to present lectures about Lady Jane Grey for the Royal Oak Foundation, the U.S. affiliate of the National Trust, as part of their renowned lecture series.
Lady Jane Grey, England's Forgotten Queen: An interview with Dr Helen Castor (Part 1)
7th October 2019
You might know her as “The Nine Days Queen,” and Lady Jane Grey has become a sort of tragic romantic figure in English history because of her short reign and eventual beheading. But who was this teenage girl who came to the throne as the first proclaimed queen…
The royal diary is filling up after the summer break and autumn is bringing its own fair share of fresh stories all about the past. Royal history continues to fascinate and dominate with an eternally controversial king leading the way this week. Here’s Royal…
Pakistan held a special place in Diana, Princess of Wales’s heart, and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will follow in her footsteps when they travel to the country this autumn. Ahead of the Cambridges’ tour in October, we’re taking a look at the visits made by Diana to Pakistan through the 1990s.
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While all anniversaries are special to the couple involved, some get far more attention than others. The biggies, the landmarks, the ones ending in a 5 or a zero usually get everyone reminiscing and that’s never more true than with a royal wedding. In 2019, regal…
Romantic gifts from a king to the ancestress of a future queen consort have been stolen from the stately home where they were on show. Rare keepsakes made from gold and precious stones and presented by King Edward VII to his last mistress, Alice Keppel, have been taken from…
On 21 April 1770, a
procession passed by the imperial summer palace of Schönbrunn, consisting of 21
state coaches, followed by 36 fine carriages, with a total of 450 horses and an
accompanying personal suite of some 257 people. This was the beginning of a two
and a half week journey for the future Marie Antoinette, already French
Dauphine by proxy, from Vienna to Versailles.
She was…
