Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway has not always been Crown Princess of Norway. For many years of her life, she was just an ordinary Norwegian girl. The woman who was to become Norway’s Crown Princess, and in the future, Norway’s Queen was born as Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby.
The regular girl came to this world on 19 August 1973 in Kristiansand, as the daughter of…
Opinion: The public should not be paying for Princess Eugenie's wedding security bill
18th August 2018
When Princess Eugenie marries Jack Brooksbank in October, the public will be footing the estimated £2 million security bill for the ninth-in-line to the throne.
The couple has chosen to wed at St George’s Chapel, the same place the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were…
"The Royals" cancelled on E! after four seasons
18th August 2018
If you were a fan of the campy alterna-monarchy of E!’s The Royals, alas, the show has been cancelled after four seasons.
“E! will not be moving forward with another season of The Royals,” the network revealed in a statement provided to Deadline. “Over four seasons…
Before they were royal: The life of Queen Letizia of Spain
17th August 2018
Born Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano on 15 September 1972 in Oviedo, Asturias, Spain, the future royal was the eldest daughter of the journalist Jesús José Ortiz Álvarez and registered nurse and hospital union representative María de la Paloma Rocasolano Rodríguez. Letizia has two younger sisters, Telma and the late Érika.
Her compulsory education saw her attend the public La Gesta School in…
Three things you didn’t know about the Dutch Royal Family
16th August 2018
If you haven’t been living under a rock, then you surely know that the Netherlands has a monarch. Following the abdication of Queen Beatrix on 30 April 2013, Willem-Alexander became the very first Dutch king in the last hundred years. Holland is one of the many European…
What happened to Russia's monarchy?
16th August 2018
“For centuries the Tsars of Russia have been waging wars simply for the lust of territory and for the glory of Autocracy. The rulers of Russia have sown the wind and they are now beginning to reap the whirlwind.”
-Carl Joubert
The story of Russia’s last Tsar and…
Before they were royal: The life of Queen Sonja of Norway
15th August 2018
Sonja Haraldsen was born on 4 July 1937 as the youngest child of Karl August and Dagny Haraldsen at the Red Cross Clinic in Oslo. Her elder brothers were Haakon (b. 1921) and Karl (1929-1936), and her elder sister was Gry (b. 1924).
However, her brother Karl died the year before Sonja was born, and as a result, her parents were very protective of their youngest child. Also, due to the age gap…
The personal jewellery of the last Tsarina, Alexandra Feodorovna
14th August 2018
The personal jewellery of the last Tsarina of Russia, Alexandra Feodorovna (1872-1918) provides a living, tangible timeline of her private life, quite apart from the glittering jewels which she would have worn as a Romanov bride. Inevitably though, the public life and the…
Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee Statue at Windsor
13th August 2018
‘Never, never can I forget this brilliant year… so full of marvellous kindness, loyalty & devotion of so many millions which I really could hardly have expected’. (Quoted in Christopher Hibbert, Queen Victoria, A Personal History, 379).
With these words, Queen…
Royal Wedding Rewind: The sparkling star in a famous tiara
13th August 2018
The Duchess of Sussex pulled a style surprise on her wedding day when she chose an all but forgotten royal tiara as the finishing touch to her bridal outfit. Meghan’s pick has put Queen Mary’s Bandeau Tiara back in the regal spotlight and reignited interest in the set of stones that make up this sparkler. And at their heart is a pretty brooch that already had a royal wedding history all of its…