The only ruby tiara in the Spanish Royal
Family’s collection is the Niarchos Ruby Bandeau and its
accompanying parure. [getty src=”108407442″ width=”425″
height=”594″ tld=”ca”] Princess Sophia of Greece and Denmark
received a treasure trove of jewels on her wedding day in 1962. In
addition to the Prussian Tiara, a gift from her parents (King…
Historic Royal Palaces’ chief curator
Lucy Worsley continued her series of online talks this week with a
look back at Diana, Princess of Wales’s wardrobe and how she was an
“influencer” before social media ever existed. Eleri Lynn, curator
for the…
Prince Wilhelm of Prussia was the eldest
child of Crown Prince Wilhelm of Germany and Duchess Cecilie of
Mecklenburg-Schwerin. As such, he was the oldest grandchild of the
last Emperor of Germany, Wilhelm II. At his birth, he was second in
line to the German throne and was…
The ruby is the birthstone for July. It’s
been used in royal jewellery collections for centuries and it now
features in some of the most striking pieces in European vaults.
The Dutch royal gem collection has some famous examples of the
stone. Here are the Netherlands’ famous royal rubies. Ruby Peacock
Parure [getty src=”1064092030″ width=”484″…
Queen Blanche II was born on 9 June 1424
as the daughter of John II of Aragon, King of Navarre, and his
wife, Queen Blanche I of Navarre. Blanche grew up in the Palace of
the Kings of Navarre of Olite with her family. Blanche was a member
of the House of Trastámara which…
The ‘meeting’ between Marie Antoinette
and the young Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart has a fabled quality, not
least because of the oft-repeated folklore that has grown around
it. From the point of view of posterity, it is a fascinating moment
to contemplate, when two legendary…
A chance listing on the Public Catalogue
Foundation Art UK, for an oil on canvas painting (35.8 x 30.7 cm)
said to be of Russia’s last Empress, Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna,
when she was Princess Alix of Hesse (1872-1918) led me to
investigate this extraordinary artwork further. Because in the many
years I had researched on Princess Alix, I had never seen anything
like it. It does not resemble…
We’re caught in a flux, of sorts, as the
world begins to ease out of lockdowns and restrictions imposed by
the COVID-19 pandemic, but countries remain cautious about how to
proceed so as not to cause another spike in cases. As businesses
begin to reopen, one thing seems…
Archduchess Mathilde of Austria was born
in 1849 as the daughter of Archduke Albert, Duke of Teschen and his
wife, Princess Hildegard of Bavaria. She grew up in a wealthy and
charming home with a kind family. During the summer, the family
spent their time at the Weilburg…
One of the UK’s most famous royal
buildings is getting ready to welcome back visitors after
coronavirus pandemic restrictions began to lift. The Tower of
London will open its doors again to tourists as summer gets well
and truly under way. The Tower opens again on July 10th although
there are safety measures in place. Visits cant take place on
Wednesday to Sunday between 10am and 6pm but…
