The reign of George VI came to an end on
February 6th 1952. The King died in his sleep in the early hours of
the morning and silently, his throne passed to his elder daughter
who was, without knowing it, now Queen Elizabeth II. They had
parted exactly a week before when the King had gone to London
Airport to wave off his heir as she began a tour on his behalf.
King and princess, father and…
King Felipe of Spain celebrates his 54th
birthday in a rare break from tradition. Because 30 January falls
on a Sunday, he will not be working, as he has done most years
since becoming an actively working member of the Royal
Family. He will have more time to reflect on…
The dramatic wedding that led to one of the most controversial royal marriages of all
29th January 2022
We all love a groom who cries as his
bride walks towards him, and when it’s a royal groom, it’s even
better. However, rewind a couple of centuries, and a weeping prince
at the altar was no laughing matter. For when George, Prince of
Wales and king in waiting wed…
He remains Britain’s longest ruling king
but the real character of the monarch whose reign ended two
centuries ago remains shrouded by the long standing claim that he
was mad. George III, whose time on the throne encompassed some of
the biggest social changes seen in Britain for decades, died
misunderstood and in partial obscurity. The king’s end was sad and
quiet. George had been…
Remembering the tragedy that devastated Sweden's royals, 75 years on
26th January 2022
The Swedish Royal Family will mark a sad
anniversary on January 26th 2022. It is the 75th anniversary of the
death of Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden, eldest son of the later
King Gustaf VI Adolf. The Prince, second in line to the throne of
Sweden at the time of his death, was…
Her Serene Highness Princess Charlene of
Monaco stepped into the shoes of one of the most legendary women in
history, bearing her title and serving Monaco as their first lady
just as she did. Nearly six years following the succession of
Prince Albert II to his father’s…
The Queen is now at Sandringham where she
will spend the 70th anniversary of her reign. Her Majesty arrived
at Wood Farm on the Norfolk estate on January 23rd 2022, exactly
two weeks before her Platinum Jubilee day. The Queen traditionally
spends the anniversary of her accession at Sandringham. It is the
place her father, King George VI, died, sometime in the early hours
of February 6th…
Princess Birgitta of Sweden was born on
19 January 1937 as the second child of Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of
Västerbotten and Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Her
elder sister is Princess Margaretha (born 1934), and her younger
siblings are Princess Désirée (born…
Will Platinum Jubilee year produce a new generation of Elizabeths?
18th January 2022
It was one of the most used baby names of
the 20th century but fell from favour as a new millennium dawned.
However, interest in the Platinum Jubilee has led to claims that a
whole new generation of Elizabeths are about to make their dedbuts.
New research from a leading…
On January 18th 1919, the ringing of a
telephone in Buckingham Palace signalled a tragedy for the Royal
Family. The call brought news of the death of Prince John, youngest
son of King George V and Queen Mary, who had passed away in his
sleep at the age of 13. John had been epileptic for most of his
short life and had died following a massive seizure. He was buried
soon afterwards, his grave…
