British RoyalsHistory

The Coronation of Edward VII

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17th March 2023
King Charles III has often been compared to his great-great-grandfather, King Edward VII. Both ascended the throne after their mother’s enjoyed record-breaking reigns, and at the time of each king’s ascension, they both held the record for longest-serving Prince of Wales.Edward’s coronation in 1902 was not without some difficulties, though. Although his mother’s coronation in…
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British RoyalsHistory

Where was Edward the Confessor crowned?

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15th March 2023
For almost a millennium, kings and queens have been crowned at Westminster Abbey. But perhaps the king most intrinsically linked to the Abbey was never crowned there: Edward the Confessor.Instead, Edward the Confessor was crowned at Winchester Cathedral. He succeeded his…
British RoyalsFeaturesHistory

The coronation of Mary I

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14th March 2023
There have only been a handful of queen regnants in Britain’s history. Queen Elizabeth II was the most recent, having reigned a historic 70 years, but 400 years before her reign began, the first queen regnant was crowned: Queen Mary I.The eldest daughter of Henry VIII and his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, Mary Tudor, lived a tumultuous life. Born as a legitimate heir, then named…
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History

Habsburg jaw caused by intermarrying

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20th February 2023
A group of fourteen surgeons and geneticists have confirmed that the distinctive Habsburg chin in the Spanish Royal Family resulted from their inbreeding. The Habsburg dynasty dates back to the eleventh century when the Counts of Habsburg ruled areas of present-day…
History

Napoleon III’s remains will not return to France

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18th February 2023
France is marking a special royal anniversary this year.In light of the anniversary, a year-long debate has also flared up at a high political level in recent months. Several senior French politicians want to attempt to have the Emperor’s remains returned to…
European RoyalsFeaturesHistoryHistoryInsightSpainState & Ceremonial

King Felipe and the Catholic Church: a changing tale of faith and diplomacy

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11th February 2023
To analyse the religious situation in Spain, one must consider faith and diplomacy as inextricably linked.Spain is one of the world’s most religious countries, officially, with some statistics putting the percentage of the population that ascribes to the Roman Catholic Church as high as 96%. To put that number in context, that same survey put Italy’s percentage of Roman Catholics at…
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