Perched atop Castle Rock, the ancient volcanic plug that towers above the city of Edinburgh, sits the most besieged place in Britain.
Edinburgh Castle has served as a military fortress, royal residence, and prison of war, but today it stakes its claim as the most-visited paid tourist attraction in Scotland. The castle is on the must-see list for every tour group that travels through the…
They have been home to generations of royals who have carved their names in the history books and in 2019, their power to fascinate continues. A new survey has taken a look at the most popular regal residences in Europe and those belonging to the British royals take four of…
In a new series, we are taking a look at the various lines of successions in the world’s monarchies. This edition is looking at the ten people in the Swedish line of succession.
Current monarch: King Carl XVI Gustaf (b. 1946) who came to the throne in 1973 after the…
In the Western manuscripts collection held at the British Library are what are known as the Boyd Carpenter papers, Vol. V, Add MS 46721: 1884-1917. This remarkable collection of documents contain letters written in English from or on behalf of various crowned heads of Europe or their consorts, as well as other members of Europe’s ruling families. These letters were written to William Boyd…
In the British Library five letters from Princess Alix of Hesse, later Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna of Russia (1872-1918) are preserved. Initially, I thought there were seven letters of hers at the British Library, but further research has enabled me to establish that these…
Most royalty have some kind of monogram. Most royals also have a personal and a family coat of arms. The monograms are for more personal use than the coat of arms, and therefore, we do not see them so often. In Norway, the case is that the King’s monogram is used by…
The wedding cakes in Queen Victoria’s family were magnificent examples of edible ceremony. Once they reached the age of photography, they were faithfully recorded for posterity. These images still have the power to enchant today, even in long ago albums. Just looking at these gorgeous cakes allows us to almost taste them by sight across the centuries. They were luscious creations. Rich in royal…
Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor will be christened today and while there’s been plenty of chat about the decision not to release the names of his godparents, there are some rather more interesting aspects of royal baptisms to enjoy. From gowns that helped industry…
Picked as a royal bride by Queen Victoria herself, Princess Mary of Teck would find her way to the altar in the most unusual circumstances. For Mary ended up saying ‘I do’ to the second king in waiting selected as a husband for her. But her marriage proved to be…
A charming photograph taken by Mary Steen in the Queen’s Sitting Room at Windsor on 21 May 1895 shows an elderly Queen Victoria knitting or crocheting, sat with her youngest daughter, Beatrice, Princess Henry of Battenberg, who dutifully reads the newspaper aloud to her mother whilst the Queen listens, needles in her hand and a ball of wool at her feet. It is a wonderfully domestic snapshot…
