Perched atop Castle Rock, the ancient
volcanic plug that towers above the city of Edinburgh, sits the
most besieged place in Britain. Edinburgh Castle has served as a
military fortress, royal residence, and prison of war, but today it
stakes its claim as the most-visited paid tourist attraction in
Scotland. The castle is on the must-see list for every tour group
that travels through the…
They have been home to generations of
royals who have carved their names in the history books and in
2019, their power to fascinate continues. A new survey has taken a
look at the most popular regal residences in Europe and those
belonging to the British royals take four of…
In a new series, we are taking a look at
the various lines of successions in the world’s monarchies. This
edition is looking at the ten people in the Swedish line of
succession. Current monarch: King Carl XVI Gustaf (b. 1946) who
came to the throne in 1973 after the…
In the Western manuscripts collection
held at the British Library are what are known as the Boyd
Carpenter papers, Vol. V, Add MS 46721: 1884-1917. This remarkable
collection of documents contain letters written in English from or
on behalf of various crowned heads of Europe or their consorts, as
well as other members of Europe’s ruling families. These letters
were written to William Boyd…
In the British Library five letters from
Princess Alix of Hesse, later Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna of
Russia (1872-1918) are preserved. Initially, I thought there were
seven letters of hers at the British Library, but further research
has enabled me to establish that these…
Most royalty have some kind of monogram.
Most royals also have a personal and a family coat of arms. The
monograms are for more personal use than the coat of arms, and
therefore, we do not see them so often. In Norway, the case is that
the King’s monogram is used by…
The wedding cakes in Queen Victoria’s
family were magnificent examples of edible ceremony. Once they
reached the age of photography, they were faithfully recorded for
posterity. These images still have the power to enchant today, even
in long ago albums. Just looking at these gorgeous cakes allows us
to almost taste them by sight across the centuries. They were
luscious creations. Rich in royal…
Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor will
be christened today and while there’s been plenty of chat about the
decision not to release the names of his godparents, there are some
rather more interesting aspects of royal baptisms to enjoy. From
gowns that helped industry…
Picked as a royal bride by Queen Victoria
herself, Princess Mary of Teck would find her way to the altar in
the most unusual circumstances. For Mary ended up saying ‘I do’ to
the second king in waiting selected as a husband for her. But her
marriage proved to be…
A charming photograph taken by Mary Steen
in the Queen’s Sitting Room at Windsor on 21 May 1895 shows an
elderly Queen Victoria knitting or crocheting, sat with her
youngest daughter, Beatrice, Princess Henry of Battenberg, who
dutifully reads the newspaper aloud to her mother whilst the Queen
listens, needles in her hand and a ball of wool at her feet. It is
a wonderfully domestic snapshot…
