British RoyalsFeaturesQueen Elizabeth II

An ancient tradition hitting the headlines again - what is the 'kissing of hands'?

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4th September 2022
When The Queen appoints her 15th prime minister, she’ll do so with an ancient custom called the kissing hands ceremony. What is this element of a government change? Buckingham Palace has confirmed that, on 6 September, The Queen will receive the out-going Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, for a farewell audience at Balmoral followed by an audience with the new Prime Minister—either Liz Truss…
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Features

The first American Princess of Monaco

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2nd September 2022
American by birth, hugely popular and credited with helping turn Monaco from a forgotten principality into a European hotspot – but this isn’t the story of Grace Kelly. Almost seven decades before her famous marriage to Prince Rainier III, another US born…
Features

The Queen's role in appointing a new Prime Minister

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2nd September 2022
The Queen is never truly on holiday. Currently at Balmoral Castle, Her Majesty is still receiving her red boxes on a daily basis. And advisors are no doubt keeping her in the loop about the choice of a new Prime Minister.  Though politically neutral, the Queen is the Head of State and does have a role to play once new leaders are elected. The question is, where will The Queen carry out those…
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Opinion

Is Meghan a Princess? Technically yes - but it is more complicated than that

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31st August 2022
The Duchess of Sussex is not known as ‘Princess Meghan’ for exactly the same reasons that the Duchess of Cambridge is not known as ‘Princess Catherine’. Although both women listed their job titles as ‘Princess of the United Kingdom’, neither woman is afforded the title. Upon their marriage in 2018, The Queen granted Prince Harry the title of Duke of Sussex, with Meghan…
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Features

The sad anniversary that has given the Duke of Kent a place in the royal record books

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25th August 2022
The Duke of Kent is marking a poignant anniversary as he becomes the first person in recorded history to hold a dukedom for eighty years. Prince Edward, 86, became Duke of Kent on August 25th 1942 at the age of six when his father was killed in a plane crash. He has now held his title for eight decades, easily the longest that anyone has ever been a royal duke. It is a moment of deep…
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