Tributes have been paid to royal reporter
Kjell Arne Totland who has died at the age of 74 following a short
illness. Totland, who was royal correspondent for Norwegian TV
station TV 2, regularly appeared in the media across the globe to
offer commentary on The Royal Family of Norway, as well as royals
from across Europe. The respected broadcaster and journalist died
in the early hours of…
Her Majesty The Queen is related to many
of Europe’s sovereigns, not in the least because of Queen
Victoria’s matchmaking but also because of another woman, Princess
Carolina of Orange-Nassau. Princess Carolina was born on28 February
1743 as the daughter…
Looking at the women behind the Windsor Beauties
6th August 2019
The gallery of so-called ‘Windsor
Beauties’ is the name given to the collection of portraits painted
by Sir Peter Lely (1618-80) of celebrated courtesans and women of
the nobility in Restoration England, which can be seen – and
indeed, still admired – in the…
An Oxford house's links with the Russian Imperial Family
6th August 2019
A building in the Oxford suburb of
Marston preserves a unique connection with the lost world of
imperial Russia. Its typical late-Victorian exterior belies the
remarkable nature of its hidden history. In this building for a
period of time, personal possessions once owned by the Russian
Imperial Family were carefully preserved and stored, because they
came with the belongings of the person who…
Inside the room where Marie Antoinette was born
6th August 2019
The Archduchess Maria Antonia of Austria
– Mariabeing an establishedHabsburg prefix given to all the
daughters of Empress Maria Theresia to mark the dynasty’s special
veneration for The Virgin Mary – was born as the 15thchild of Maria
Theresia on 2…
Looking back at the wedding of George V and Queen Mary
6th August 2019
On 6 July 1893, another royal wedding was
celebrated at the Chapel Royal, St. James’s Palace, between Prince
George of Wales – created Duke of York in 1892 – and Princess Mary
of Teck, the future George V and Queen Mary. Princess Mary of Teck
had been betrothed in…
Taking a look at Tudor perfume
5th August 2019
The use of perfume can be traced back to
the world’s most ancient civilisations, notably Mesopotamia and
Egypt. It flourished during the Italian Renaissance and the
personal perfumer of the French Queen Catherine de’ Medici
Rene the Florentine, brought his perfumes with him to France in the
16th century where the art was popularised under her patronage.
Catherine de’ Medici’s perfumers…
A look at the Monégasque line of succession
4th August 2019
This summer, we are taking a look at the
various lines of successions in the world’s monarchies. Today, we
are focusing on the sixteen people in line to the Monégasque
throne. There was a major change to the Constitution of Monaco in
2002 regarding the line of…
Looking for the grave of Queen Jane Seymour
4th August 2019
Jane Seymour was the only one of Henry
VIII’s queens to share a grave with him, but the tomb is not what
Henry VIII originally intended. The King had planned an impressive
monument, to include a recumbent statue of his most “entirely
beloved” Queen Jane, a tomb which…
August 4: a day of regal anniversaries
4th August 2019
The fourth day of August turned out to be
a very good one for the House of Windsor. Two of its most famous
women made their debut on that date. They joined a rather
interesting list of people with regal connections who celebrated
birthdays then. As the royal bunting comes out once more for the
Duchess of Sussex’s celebrations, here’s a look at those born on
August 4th. Birth of the…

