One thing has been certain about the
Coronation of King Charles III from the very start. Even before the
date was known, the location of the crowning of the new Monarch was
set in stone. For Charles III, like every King and Queen for almost
a millennium, will be crowned at Westminster Abbey. Its role in
this ancient ceremony was never even questioned. St. Edward’s Crown
will be brought once…
It is one of the most striking portraits
of George VI painted in his reign and contains all the symbols of
his kingship in a dramatic and historic setting. But this famous
image had to wait for completion because of war. The famous
portrait by Sir Gerald Festus Kelly was…
The reign of King Henry IV began with
usurpation and heralded a period of power struggles that would end
in the War of the Roses. As he rode to his Coronation, in 1399, his
predecessor languished in jail and would die in mysterious
circumstances within months. Henry IV’s…
Each royal house has its own royal
chivalric orders. Sweden has several royal orders; the Order of the
Polar Star is one of the oldest orders in Sweden. The Order of the
Polar Star was established on 23 February 1748 by King Frederick I,
along with the Order of the Sword and the Royal Order of the
Seraphim. Although some orders date back as far as 1606, they were
only codified in 1748 by…
For a princess who claimed a bit of a
royal first at the baptismal font, it’s perhaps not surprising that
Patricia of Connaught – known for most of her adult life as Lady
Patricia Ramsey – ended up changing plenty of regal rules on her
way. The little…
Televising the Coronation of Queen
Elizabeth II was a crowning achievement! On June 2, 1953 over eight
million people watched on their own televisions, 10 million people
watched in the homes of friends and family who owned TVs and 1.5
million went to cinemas, pubs and…
The Coronation of King George I in 1714
marked the beginning of a new dynasty on the throne of Great
Britain but its crowning moment was rather a difficult affair in
more ways than one. After Queen Anne’s death in August 1714,
George inherited the throne due to the 1702 Act of Settlement which
ensured that a Protestant became monarch. George was Elector of
Hanover at the time and set out…
It’s little and often overlooked and yet
it remains one of the most important parts of the Crown Jewels. The
golden ampulla dates back to the reign of the last king called
Charles to be crowned at Westminster Abbey and it will play a vital
part in the Coronation of…
On May 6th 2023, the fortieth Coronation
of a Monarch since the Norman Conquest takes place at Westminster
Abbey. King Charles III will be crowned by the Archbishop of
Canterbury in a ceremony that is little changed through the
centuries. It will be, as it has been for…
As Queen Camilla walks into Westminster
Abbey on May 6th 2023, it is expected that she will be wearing one
of the most important sets of jewels in the Royal Family’s
collection. A spectacular necklace, worn by Queen Elizabeth II as
she was crowned and by the last three queens consort at their own
coronations, is expected to be used by Her Majesty on this special
day. It was one of Queen…
