Features

"Be Quiet!" - actress Miriam Margolyes reveals the time she was told off by The Queen for being too loud

The Queen once gave actress Miriam Margolyes a telling off after she interrupted one of her conversations. Recalling the story to ITV’s This Morning earlier this year, Miriam said that Her Majesty told the Harry Potter star to “be quiet” for being too loud during their meeting at Buckingham Palace. Speaking to Philip Schofield and Holly Willoughby, Miriam said: “I was…
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Features

Who is King Juan Carlos - Spain's exiled emeritus monarch?

Juan Carlos I of Spain ruled his country for almost four decades, its first king in over forty years. He was once the most popular monarch in Europe but his later years have been mired in scandal. Juan Carlos Alfonso Victor Maria was born in Rome, Italy where his family were living in exile. He was the son of Juan, Count of Barcelona and Princess Maria of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. His father was…
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History

The duties of an Elizabethan Lady-in-Waiting

In the early modern period, the allure of court life was more than desirable, which caused families to seek positions that were in service of the crown. It has been said that to be around a king and his court was like being next to the sun, but when away, it was only…
Features

The uncertain future of Queen Sofía, the 'most royal' royal in Europe

She is perhaps the last of the old European royal way. Daughter of a king, sister of a king, wife of a king and mother of a king, Queen Sofía of Spain has a regal tale unmatched on the continent, and in the 21st century, it is a rarity. But she’s far more than a sum of her dynastic parts. Sofía is a consort who was pioneering a new way of carrying out the ancient role of royalty…
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FeaturesInterviews

Uncrowned Queen: Margaret Beaufort brought to life in an interview with historian Nicola Tallis

Complex and compelling, iron-willed and ingenious, that’s the view of the historian, Nicola Tallis, on one of the most famous yet mysterious figures in Tudor history. Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry VII, helped win her son a throne and create a groundbreaking dynasty into the bargain. But her story has often been just an afterthought in the telling of the Tudors while Margaret herself…
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