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 of whom was
Go-Sakuramachi. Born as Princess Toshiko on 23 September 1740, the
future monarch was the daughter of Emperor…
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…
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 are quite different. While the Duke
and Duchess of Sussex were celebrated in the United Kingdom with a
royal wedding, the…
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…
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 forgotten as the early
years of many of the other women who lived in their realms.
Royal princes may have had their every…
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…
Towns and cities across the UK are
hosting beer festivals inspired by Oktoberfest, the famous
celebration that usually takes over Munich as autumn arrives. The
main German event was cancelled in 2021 for the second year in a
row, because of the pandemic. But while thousands head to
Oktoberfests elsewhere, the royal story behind this big beer
bonanza remains one of the least known parts of its…
