On November 6th 2003, the then heir to
the throne of Spain and his new fiancee met the press for the first
time. In the intervening years, the now Queen Letizia has made her
mark on the royal scene. And her name counts as one of the more
unusual among royalty. But the Queen of Spain isn’t the first
Letizia on the regal scene. Two hundred years ago, the man who
dominated Europe and made himself…
It was a low key royal wedding, set
against a backdrop of family illness and impending drama. But the
marriage of Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester and Lady Alice Montagu
Douglas Scott, on November 6th 1935, began a royal partnership that
would become a bedrock for the House…
Nine royal houses have ruled England
since the Norman Conquest in 1066 and all of them have made their
mark. But eight have seen their power pass elsewhere and this
summer Royal Central is looking at what happened to those that have
now faded into history. Today we look at a…
Remember remember the 5th of November,
gunpowder, treason and plot…” November 5th is still considered to
be one of the most important dates in British history. But why?
What are the royal links? And why do we still mark it today? On
April 13, 1570, Guido ‘Guy’ Fawkes was born in York, England. He
was to become one of the greatest criminal masterminds in history.
The daring escapade…
James VI and I was crowned at just 13
months old and is best known for uniting the crowns of England and
Scotland, as well as authorising the King James Bible. The only
child of Mary, Queen of Scots, James was born on 19 June 1566 in
Edinburgh Castle. The young…
When being a queen meant that you had
married a king, rather than being a ruler yourself, life stories
were told very differently. The queens of yesteryear might have
ended up as some of the best known personalities of their time but
the start of their stories were often as…
Queens and witchcraft aren’t words that
go together. In books and in films, witches are the wicked women
who stand in the way of pretty princesses as they search for a
happy ending. In the history of royalty, witchcraft was a tool to
use against women who might otherwise be untouchable. And several
of England’s queens found themselves accused of being witches at
times when enemies…
It’s become one of the cultural
highlights of autumn for millions around the world. The original
Oktoberfest in Munich might actually start in September but the
tenth month is now home to all kinds of carnivals inspired by the
German event. However, the royal story…
It has long been said that Windsor Castle
is the most haunted of all the royal residences with over
twenty-five reported experiences with ghosts and spirits. Claims
include sightings of Queen Elizabeth I, King Henry VIII and King
George III. These sightings happen so…
The Consort Conundrum - what would you call the King's husband or the Queen's wife?
31st October 2022
The debate about why Queen Camilla is
regularly called The Queen Consort rather than just The Queen opens
up another discussion. For in the past decade, the majority of
European nations that have monarchies have legislated for same sex
marriage. However, royal laws haven’t caught up. In the future, if
a king takes a husband or a queen takes a wife, what title will be
bestowed upon…
