She had been an integral part of the
House of Windsor for almost seventy years; she was the oldest ever
member of the Royal Family, and she had lived an adventure packed
life that broke the regal mould in many ways. The death of Princess
Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, on October 29th 2004, brought to an
end a fascinating and often overlooked royal story. Alice had lived
quietly and discreetly, but…
While debates still take place in Japan
on whether or not women should have succession rights and head
their own branches of the Imperial Family, empress regnants have
existed before in Japanese history. In fact, Japan has had eight
women reign in their own right, the last…
The Duchess of Cornwall shows she is ready to become Queen as she steps up in major speech
28th October 2021
On Wednesday, the Duchess of Cornwall
paid tribute to women who lost their lives to violence by
delivering a major speech at the Shameless! Festival – an event
aimed at raising awareness of violence against women and girls. As
part of the visit, Camilla delivered a…
History has her down as the ultimate
survivor but the sad end to the story of Katherine Parr, sixth wife
of Henry VIII, is behind the tales of sightings of her ghost at the
last castle she called home. For the queen consort who avoided the
axeman is said to roam the corridors of Sudeley Castle in
Gloucestershire looking for the baby daughter she left behind.
Katherine’s ghost is reported…
Why Japan's Princess Mako and Kei Komuro situation is different from Harry and Meghan
28th October 2021
Since Japan’s Princess Mako married her
commoner boyfriend Kei Komuro, many comparisons have been made
between their situation and the situation of the Duke and Duchess
of Sussex. However, while both couples left their kingdoms for the
United States, their situations…
As Hallowe’en approaches, ghost stories
abound. The nights are drawing in, darkness is falling and amidst
the swirling mists of late autumn evenings come tales of mystery.
This Hallowe’en, Royal Central is taking a look at some of the best
known tales of regal…
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. Even the present Queen Elizabeth II has admitted to
witnessing at least one ghostly encounter. These sightings happen
so often that it has been recorded…
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…
In the early autumn days of 1537,
King Henry VIII was celebrating as his court welcomed a prince. His
longed for son and heir, Edward, had been born on October 12th at
Hampton Court Palace to widespread rejoicing. Preparations
were in full swing for an elaborate christening and bonfires
were being lit around the little boy’s future kingdom. But
while the parties started, in a corner of…
