British RoyalsFeaturesHistoryKing Charles III

The last king crowned with the Honours of Scotland

King Charles III will be presented with the Honours of Scotland at a Service of Thanksgiving at St. Giles’s Cathedral on 5 July. However, King Charles II was the last monarch to be crowned with the Honours of Scotland in 1651. King Charles II was crowned in England in 1661 but was crowned in Scotland a decade earlier. On 1 January 1651, Charles was crowned as head of Scotland at Scone…
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British RoyalsFeaturesHistory

Who are the knights and ladies of the Order of the Garter?

The Most Noble Order of the Garter was founded in 1348 during the reign of King Edward III. It is the highest order of chivalry in the United Kingdom and membership is limited to 24 Knights and Ladies Companion. The Sovereign has the sole discretion to fill memberships to the Order of the Garter, and each June, the Order celebrates Garter Day at Windsor Castle. Garter Day sees members…
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HistorySweden

In the beginning: The Bernadotte dynasty

The Bernadottes first began ruling over the Kingdom of Sweden in 1818 with King Karl XIV Johan (also called King Charles XIV John), who was also the King of Norway during this time. He was born on 26 January 1763 in France as Jean Bernadotte. It was in 1810 that he was unexpectedly elected as the heir to King Charles XIII of Sweden just as he was preparing for his new role as the governor of…
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Asian RoyalsHistoryHistory

Rare Ming Dynasty artefact found in private home is to go for auction

A significant artefact of the Chinese Ming Dynasty will be put up for auction in London after spending almost eight decades in private hands.  The artefact in question is a decorative box that is believed to be part of a five-piece set of such items designed specifically for Emperor Xuande; the pieces all bear his reign’s characters etched at the bottom of the box and inside the…
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