Features

The coronation that created the glittering image of monarchy about to be unveiled in Westminster Abbey

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1st May 2023
He was a hero king who had survived an epic game of thrones and his coronation was set to be a splendid celebration at the start of a new era of royal power. The crowning of Richard I involved pomp, pageantry and chivalric splendour but it also led to riots and the deaths of dozens of people. What’s more, the king at the heart of the event was far more interested in life outside England and…
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Features

The Coronation dress of Queen Elizabeth II

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1st May 2023
It has been described as the most important British dress design of the 20th century and the gown that Queen Elizabeth II wore at her Coronation, on June 2nd 1953, has its own place in history. The work of Sir Norman Hartnell, created in partnership by the Monarch, it has…
Features

How one Luxembourg royal wedding changed regal romances for good

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30th April 2023
Seventy years ago this spring, a young princess left her palace to marry a handsome heir to a throne. Their families had helped ensure the couple said ‘I do’ while royalty from around the continent gathered to see them exchange vows. It was a pattern followed by dynasties for centuries. And yet in this post war wedding, where the groom had fought to free his country and the bride had…
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Features

The jewels that will be used to crown King Charles III

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29th April 2023
The Crown Jewels are the most sacred and special jewellery and regalia at the disposal of the monarch, and they are stored permanently at the Tower of London unless otherwise needed for state occasions, such as a coronation. In total, there are 142 objects with over 23,000 gemstones that make up the Crown Jewels, from crowns, sceptres, and orbs to swords, maces, and trumpets that are never…
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Features

The Coronation Chair - the historic seat of Monarchs

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28th April 2023
It is a chair with understated elegance and steeped in history. The Coronation Chair, also known as King Edward’s Chair or Saint Edward’s Chair, was commissioned by King Edward I in 1296. Originally, it was meant to hold the Stone of Scone, taken from Scotland by King Edward I. In fact, when kings were crowned, they would sit directly on the Stone of Scone. In later years, a piece of wood…
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