For a woman who had such a profound
effect on a whole country, she is surprisingly enigmatic. Catherine
of Valois changed royal history forever but even now, centuries on,
the prevailing image of her is the one created by Shakespeare for
whom this French princess was a pretty pawn in a political drama.
But what little we do know seems to indicate that the ‘fair Kate’
of Henry V was every bit…
We all love a royal ‘what if’ and perhaps
one of the most intriguing of recent times revolves around the
question of the king who renounced his throne for love. On December
11th 1936 Edward VIII announced to the world that he was ending his
reign to marry the woman he…
Just over 200 years ago, the future Queen
Victoria was born at Kensington Palace, Her arrival, on 24 May
1819, marked the start of a very famous story. While the healthy
baby girl was happily welcomed by her parents, the family had been
forced to race against the clock for…
This stylish royal is bringing back classic fashion as she channels the 50s with Dior again
22nd May 2025
Queen Mathilde of the Belgians is a
hard-working consort. She is the patron of several large
organisations, including the internationally-recognised Queen
Elisabeth Competition for musicians. However, she has also quietly
been establishing her sartorial profile over the last few years,
with the help of one key designer. On Sunday, 18 May, Queen
Mathilde wore a white Christian Dior midi-dress…
The history traditional outfits that Norway's royals just made the stars of a very important day
18th May 2025
The Norwegian Royal Family celebrated
Constitution Day on 17 May. They greeted the Children’s Parade both
at Skaugum and at the Royal Palace in Oslo. At their home in
Skaugum, they each wore a bunad and there is a very good reason
why. The Norwegian Royal Family will…
The royal that Jane Austen is most often
connected with is the Prince Regent, or the future King George IV,
as he requested a copy of her novel for his library. However, there
is a different royal from history that Austen much preferred to
“Prinny”. A…
It’s rare to see a royal engagement ring
featuring an emerald. The striking stone features in very few of
these most romantic pieces of jewellery but it has had a starring
role in some of the most talked about royal gems that sealed truly
famous love stories. Queen Victoria’s serpent ring Engagement rings
were rarely used when Queen Victoria decided to marry Prince
Albert. Although…
Queen Mary acquired many of the famous
jewels that form the collection of the Royal Family. One of her
choker-style emerald and diamond necklaces has become one of the
most iconic pieces in the jewellery box and it was brought right
into the 21st century by the Princess of…
The Royal Family has a spectacular
jewellery collection that brings together many strands of history.
One of the most familiar sets also has one of the most interesting
stories and it goes back centuries. The Kent Amethyst Demi-Parure
is an amethyst and diamond set that…
The Swedish Royal Family has a wide and
historic jewellery collection, one that is frequently shared
amongst the family. The Bernadotte Emerald Parure however, is one
of the oldest sets in the collection and one of the most
impressive. This parure includes a coordinating necklace and
two brooches. Created for the first Bernadotte King of
Sweden, King Carl XIV Johan, the necklace that…
