It’s one of the oldest churches in
Britain the seat of one of England’s most important clerics yet the
famous York Minster is a rare venue for royal weddings. Just two
major regal marriages have taken place at this ancient church in
almost 1,000 years. The most recent took place sixty years ago. On
June 8th 1961, the Duke of Kent married Katharine Worsley there in
front of royalty from…
I’ve always felt rather sorry for the
mistress known as Mrs Jordan. For two decades, she lived alongside
the third son of King George III. Her partner is known to history
as King William IV but for their duration of their relationship he
was the somewhat dodgy Duke of…
The third son of King George V and Queen
Mary, Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester was born on 31 March 1900.
He was the first son of a monarch to be educated at school and went
onto study at Eton College. His life was full of tragedy starting
with not being able to…
Sitting at my desk watching the trailer
for the upcoming season of The Crown for the first time last month,
my heart started to race as I broke out in goosebumps. From its
opening scene of Windsor Castle burning to Diana’s anguish and the
Queen’s despair, all set to a haunting rendition of The Verve’s
‘Bitter Sweet Symphony’, the show promises all the right
ingredients for…
He created some of the most famous royal
looks of the 20th century and he’s still producing talked about
style picks. Sir Norman Hartnell was already a sought after wedding
dress designer when he was first commissioned to produce a bridal
outfit by the House of Windsor.
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…
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 of Windsor as it faced some of
its most challenging times. Prince Henry, third son of King George
V and Queen Mary, had…
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’…
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 James’s father, Lord Darnley, was
murdered in February 1567 and that spring, Mary was imprisoned and
later forced to abdicate in…
