John of Gaunt, born in 1340, was the
third son of King Edward III. Through advantageous marriages and
land grants, John became exceedingly wealthy and influential at his
father’s court. John’s influence increased when his brother Edward
– who was the heir to the throne – became unwell and died leaving
his young son to succeed as King Richard II. At this time, John of
Gaunt took…
Royal Central’s website has undergone a
design change for the first time in four years. The new design,
which makes navigation easier and loading quicker for readers,
launched on 25th July – Royal Central’s seventh birthday. A few
features of the new site…
As the Queen welcomes the fourteenth
Prime Minister of her reign, the ancient practice of ‘kissing
hands’ will once more take centre stage. The brief exchange between
monarch and premier will be mentioned in the Court Circular entry
marking the meeting that will…
In August 1856, Christiania received an
exceptionally grand visit. Seven royals from three royal houses,
one Imperial house and a princely house were gathered in Norway’s
capital that summer. One of them was Napoleon, although it wasn’t
the Napoleon most of us think of. Christiania had, since the spring
of 1856, had been a permanent royal home. It was Crown Prince Karl
of…
By October 1764 the Mozarts had once more
been at court, having been received at the Queen’s House in May as
Leopold Mozart wrote ‘within 5 days of arriving’. The young
Wolfgang played before George III and even accompanied Queen
Charlotte, who sang an aria. In…
This summer, Royal Central is taking a
look at the lines of succession of royal families around the world.
Today we are looking at the Dutch line of succession. The Dutch
order of succession has just eight people, as only those who are
relatives of the monarch in the…
It’s no secret that my favourite actress
is Lucille Ball and my favourite show,I Love Lucy.Whenever I’m
having a bad day and/or my anxiety is really bothering me, I tune
intoI Love Lucy. Flipping through the season where they tour Europe
led me to one of my favourite episodes “Lucy Meets The Queen.” And
if you love this classic programme and royals, this is an…
Worn by a famous bride on the day she
became a queen, visitors to Madrid can get up close and personal
with one of the best known royal wedding gowns of the 20th century.
The Balenciaga creation chosen by a certain Fabiola de Mora y
Aragon for her 1960 marriage to King…
She was the long dead widow who was used
by a king to overthrow his own nephew and yet her name is all but
forgotten today. Eleanor Butler was the woman who helped change the
royal history of England forever and almost brought one of its most
famous dynasties to disaster…
This summer, we are taking a look at the
various lines of successions in the world’s monarchies. Today, we
are focusing on the eleven people in line to the Danish throne. The
current monarch is Queen Margrethe II. She ascended the throne on
14 January 1972 following the death of her father King Frederik IX.
She is the first female monarch of Denmark since Queen Margrethe I
(1353-1412). She…
