The origin of the Waterloo Ceremony dates
back to the early 19th century. In 1815, Arthur Wellesley,
1st Duke of Wellington, led the British army into battle
against a formidable enemy – the French. The armies met at
Waterloo, where Napoleon was defeated, bringing an end to nearly 23
years of war in Europe. The Duke of Wellington returned to England,
victorious. Returning to an extremely…
A collector, who bought the box at an
auction on a hunch, didn't want to damage the box by opening it so
he instead decided to x-ray it, with the scans revealing hundreds
of tins stuffed with goodies such as chocolate, cigarettes and
sweets. This one box however never…
The gardeners at Historic Royal Palaces
have “planted” the seeds of restoration at Hampton Court Palace and
what has grown is a newly restored Kitchen Garden. The Kitchen
Garden recreates the gardens that would have provided a wide
variety of vegetables, herbs and fruits…
The connection between the House of
Windsor and the House of Grimaldi begins in the 19th century when
Albert I, Prince of Monaco married a beautiful and willful British
aristocrat called Lady Mary Victoria Hamilton. Her father was
the 11th Duke of Hamilton and her mother was a German princess,
Marie of Baden. Marie provides the first link between
Princess Charlene’s baby and Elizabeth…
Whilst in Scotland on Thursday, The Earl
and Countess of Strathearn were shown a portrait of Catherine from
a local artist, Tom Sutton-Smith; I have been fortunate enough to
talk with Glenys Andrews, who presented the portrait to the Royal
couple as Mr Sutton-Smith was in…
Robert Anthony Eden was born on 12th June
1897 at Windlestone Hall in County Durham into a Conservative
landed gentry family. His father was Sir William Eden and his
mother Sybil Frances Grey. Eden was educated at two independent
schools, Sandroyd School and Eton…
Tea drinking in England dates back to
1662, when it was introduced at court by Portuguese Infanta
Catherine of Braganza, wife of Charles II. Anna Maria Stanhope,
Duchess of Bedford However, the very British ritual of ‘Afternoon
Tea’ as a meal found its ‘raison d’être’ in the dressing room of
Anna Maria Russell, née Stanhope, the seventh Duchess of Bedford,
one of Queen Victoria’s…
In 1525, after 18 years of marriage to
Catherine of Aragon, daughter to Ferdinand II of Aragon and
Isabella I of Castille, the Spanish king and queen, Henry VIII
began to seek an annulment of his marriage. This was not unheard
of. In fact, the Pope had previously allowed…
Much as the Royal Family is enjoying the
current resurgence in popularity, things do feel rather clinical
and perfect of late. By comparison, the nineties were a tumultuous
and especially colourful time. High glamour, low morals, divisive
personalities – real soap opera…
They are the men who have been on hand at
some of the most pivotal moments in royal history. Among their
number are those who took King John to sign the Magna Carta, or who
carried Anne Boleyn on her coronation day. In modern times, they
were at the heart of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations, and they are
asked to accompany the Crown Jewels from the Tower of London and
back at the State Opening of…
