Features

A famous French palace and the royal mistress who once made it her home

The Élysée Palace played host to several royals ahead of the Opening Ceremony for the 2024 Summer Olympic Games. French President Emmanuel Macron hosted a reception on the day of the opening ceremony to officially receive the heads of state attending the 2024 Paris games. He was joined by his wife, Birgitte Macron.  King Felipe is welcomed to the Elysee Palace ahead of the opening…
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Features

Royalty returns to the Louvre for Olympic Gala

It began life as a royal fortress and became a symbol of a revived French monarchy in the 16th and 17th century and, as the Olympics took over Paris, kings and queens once more reigned at the Louvre. Several royals mingled at an Olympic gala dinner at the palace turned…
Features

The first tiara of a future queen and the sweet family story that made a princess emotional

She once stood in as a ‘first lady’ when her country was without a consort and one of the oldest princesses in Europe has admitted seeing a future queen in a tiara for the first time made her emotional. Norway’s Princess Astrid, now 92, was often at the side of her father, King Olav, during the early years of his reign as he had no queen. Princess Martha, Olav’s wife…
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Features

The palace given to a hero by a devoted queen

European leaders are gathering at Blenheim Palace. Ever since being built at the dawn of the 18th century, it has been home to a long and illustrious lineage of the Dukes of Marlborough. Over the centuries, it has been the home of various great personages, John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough and Sir Winston Churchill among them. The Victory of a Duke The year was 1704, and the War of…
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History

The links to Charles II on the island that just welcomed Charles III

King Charles III and Queen Camilla arrived in Jersey for a visit to the self-governing British Crown Dependency. The last King Charles also had a strong connection to the island nation.  The future-King Charles II sought sanctuary on Jersey twice during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. Parliamentarian forces sought Charles out as Prince of Wales, as they were also looking for his father (King…
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