British RoyalsFeaturesHistoryQueen Elizabeth II

The Queen's Reign in Jewels: St Edward's Crown

St Edward’s Crown is one of the most recognisable symbols of royalty in the world. Used by British monarchs at the moment of crowning, the history of this relic dates back to the time of Edward the Confessor—who reigned from 1042 to 1066—after whom it was named. After Edward the Confessor’s death, St Edward’s Crown was used in every coronation ceremony up until Charles I’s…
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Milestones of a Monarch: The Queen agrees to be taxed

In November 1992, Her Majesty The Queen would once again make history (as she has done many times throughout her reign) as she became the first British monarch to pay income tax for the first time since the 1930s. Earlier in 1992, Prime Minister John Major informed the…
FeaturesQueen Elizabeth II

The floral tribute to The Queen in her Platinum Jubilee year

The Queen is taking centre stage at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show in more ways than one. Renowned florist Simon Lycett has created a larger-than-life display in honour of Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee, and the spectacular creation is at the heart of this year’s event, marking the return of the May flower show after being cancelled since 2019. Creating a massive…
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Milestones of a Monarch: The Queen makes first UN speech more than 50 years

In June 2010, The Queen addressed the General Assembly of the United Nations for the first time since 1957. The seven-minute speech touched on The Queen’s first visit, decades earlier when the United Nations was still a young organisation itself. During the speech, Her Majesty said: “When I was first here, there were just three United Nations operations overseas. Now over…
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Milestones of a Monarch: the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex

The Queen’s devotion to family has always been on full display, and that was the case when her grandson Prince Harry was married in 2018 to Meghan Markle. Harry and Meghan, who were married at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle on 19 May 2018, had begun dating in July 2016. They described later how they were set up on a blind date and continued a long-distance relationship while she…
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