Queen Victoria reigned for 63 years and
lent her name to the era of political and social change, but it
began with a ‘botched’ coronation ceremony. When Victoria was
crowned on 22 June 1838, it was the third coronation ceremony of
the century; and she followed two uncles to the throne: George IV,
unpopular for his spending and his ego; and William IV, unpopular
due to the Reform…
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…
Following royal tradition, King Charles
III will wear the Imperial State Crown as he leaves his Coronation
on May 6th 2023. The Imperial State Crown is set with an impressive
2,868 diamonds, the largest and most famous being the
cushion-shaped brilliant Cullinan II…
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…
As the Coronation draws near, speculation
about what King Charles III might wear increases. Kings usually opt
for a version of the tunics, breeches and silk stockings that have
made up the Coronation outfit for centuries. However, it’s been
reported that His Majesty might…
You could not be faulted if you walked by
the Stone of Scone and not even realized you were in the presence
of a legendary and mysterious rock. Pronounced ‘Scoon,’ the
ancient symbol of Scottish sovereignty is an unassuming rectangular
stone, made of sandstone…
For almost a thousand years, coronation
services have taken place at Westminster Abbey, in times of peace
and strife. The sovereign sometimes arrives at the Abbey a popular
figure; sometimes, they’re deeply unpopular. More often than not,
they’re crowned by birthright and succession. On a few occasions,
they’re crowned after a battle, like the first king to reign after
the Norman…
It’s been quite the week for changing
names. In the past seven days, five members of the family of King
Charles III have gained new titles but one was noticeably left the
same. However, could Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor alter her own
style now? Lady Louise’s…
A new title but the same person and
somehow that underlines just why it matters that The King’s only
sister in law is now HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh. As King Charles
III made his youngest brother the Duke of Edinburgh, he added a new
chapter to two of his royal…
It was a wedding fit for a queen in
waiting but the bride and groom only made it to the altar after a
wave of protest, some of it angry, that threatened to stop their
romance in its tracks. When Beatrix of the Netherlands, then heir
to her country’s throne, wed Claus van Amsberg in 1966, the recent
past proved more than problematic. The couple overcame those
troubles and enjoyed a successful…
