But for the moving memorial that Queen
Victoria erected to her and for a letter in which this is
described, the name of Ida Bonanomi might have been completely
forgotten in historical terms. Thanks to these, this is not the
case. It can be found in Edinburgh’s Rosebank Cemetery and stands
in the avenue containing the grandest of the monuments, itself an
impressive example of mid-Victorian…
The Earl and Countess of Wessex are two
of the hardest-working British royals, ranking third and sixth in
the entire family in terms of the number of engagements carried out
in 2018. But we just don’t hear as much about their work, and if
you ask someone outside of Britain…
As the Queen celebrates her 93rd birthday on Easter Sunday, here’s a look back at her 13th birthday
18th April 2019
In 1939, the year that would see the
start of the Second World War and an important visit to Canada and
the USA by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, the thirteenth
birthday of their daughter Princess Elizabeth on 21 April seemed
almost insignificant by comparison. The…
We are taking a look at the new Crown
Prince of Japan: Fumihito, Prince Akishino. Fumihito was born on 30
November 1965 in Imperial Household Agency Hospital at Tokyo
Imperial Palace as the second child and younger son of the then
Crown Prince Akihito and Crown Princess Michiko. He has an older
brother, Emperor Naruhito and younger sister, Sayako Kuroda
(formerly Sayako, Princess Nori). His…
Millions are watching as efforts continue
to save Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris which continues to burn after
a huge fire broke out in the roof in the early evening of April
15th 2019. Messages of support for France are pouring in from
around the world. And among those…
A race against time and flames to save
the priceless artwork of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris has begun
after it caught fire on the late afternoon of April 15th 2019.
Fortunately, it appears that no one has been hurt in the blaze
which engulfed the top part of the church as…
The Japanese Monarchy is the oldest
monarchy in the world, and that becomes very clear from the moment
you come across the succession law that governs it. We are now in
2019, and women are still not allowed to succeed to the
Chrysanthemum Throne which is unacceptable in the world today where
the principles of gender equality are so desperately important. The
succession to the Chrysanthemum Throne…
An exquisite gold, sapphire and diamond
brooch crafted in St Petersburg was consigned to auction in October
2018. I had first encountered it as a personal gift from Tsarina
Alexandra Feodorovna (1872-1918) to the friend of her youth, Marion
Louisa ‘Pollie’…
It’s the biggest royal anniversary of the
year and it’s almost upon us. May 24th 2019 marks two centuries
since the birth of Queen Victoria, a monarch so influential, she
gave her name to an era. And as part of our Victoria series on
Royal Central, we’ve got a special…
Born Masako Owada (or Owada Masako
according to Asian naming customs where the family name is placed
before the given name), she was born on 9 December 1963 in
Tokyo’s Toranomon Hospital to Yumiko Egashira
and Hisashi Owada – the latter being a former diplomat and
former judge on the International Court of Justice. Masako has two
younger siblings – twin sisters, Setsuko and…
