Features

The tiara that is said to have given a princess such a bad headache she had to leave a state event

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27th June 2025
It’s made of diamonds and pearls and is meant to represent a sunburst. But this tiara was such a surprise to its first wearer that she was reported to need a lie down after wearing it for the first time.The tiara in question is a pearl and diamond diadem belonging to the Japanese Imperial family. Empress Masako has several stunning tiaras that she can wear for formal events. However, she…
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Features

The dramatic final days of King George IV

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24th June 2025
King George IV died on 26 June 1830, bringing to an end a glittering royal story that had shocked as much as it had intrigued.Although George defined a period that remains perpetually popular, the Regency era, as king he was unpopular and he spent the last years of his life in poor health. The eldest son of King George III and Queen Charlotte, while Prince Regent, George became the…
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Features

The King who clung on to make a queen

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22nd June 2025
King William IV, known as the Sailor King, inherited the throne when his elder brother, George IV, died in 1830 with no surviving heirs. Although William had no legitimate children of his own, he still did everything he could to help the young woman he wanted to take the throne do it in her own way. For William IV’s heir was Princess Victoria of Kent and there was a big barrier between her…
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Features

Queen Anne: The monarch who founded Royal Ascot and created a racing legacy

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17th June 2025
More than 300 years may have passed since Queen Anne first laid eyes on a patch of Berkshire heathland and declared it ideal for “horses to gallop at full stretch”, but her vision still sets the pace at Royal Ascot today.In 1711, during a carriage ride from Windsor Castle, Queen Anne identified a stretch of open land perfect for the sport of kings. Just a few months later, the first race…
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