OK, I hate to be the one to break it to
you like this but you might not find out the answer to that
question until Baby Sussex is wailing down the walls of Frogmore
Cottage. The decision of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to keep the
arrival of their first child private means no hospital waits or
endless photos of doors from which a royal baby might emerge at any
moment. But that hasn’t dampened…
Princess Alix of Hesse's engagement ring?
13th April 2019
In a recent life of Queen Victoria, (A.
N. Wilson, Victoria: A Life, 2014) I stumbled across an
illustration of one of the famous group photographs taken behind
the Palais Edinburg in Coburg, showing Queen Victoria surrounded by
a whole host of contemporary royalty…
Victoria on Victoria: The Self-Portrait Sketch of 1835
10th April 2019
Aged sixteen, Princess Victoria made a
pencil sketch of herself. Knowing the vividness of the watercolours
that she made for her sketchbook and the skilled drawings she made
during this time of other important figures in her youth, it is
fascinating that she chose to apply…
Your chance to visit Frogmore House, Windsor
10th April 2019
Frogmore House, royal residence and regal
wedding venue of choice for the Windsors, is throwing open its
doors to visitors. The famous building at Windsor will be open for
three charity days at the end of May this year. The visits are part
of the annual charity garden open days. This year they fall on May
28th, 29th and 30th and support three different organisations – the
National Garden Scheme…
New TV series on Empress Sisi planned
8th April 2019
Eternally beautiful, eternally tragic,
the Empress Elisabeth of Austria, Sisi, continues to fascinate,
over a hundred years after her death. And now the story of this
groundbreaking royal is to hit TV screens in a new production. The
new version will be an adaptation of the…
Royal Pictures from History: arrival of a princess
8th April 2019
There are thousands of images of royalty
but some regal pictures stand out. They capture a moment in time
that has its own resonance and which lasts beyond the day on which
it was taken. In this occasional series, Royal Central takes a look
back at some of the best known…
Who was 'Boppy'? Queen Victoria's nurse, Mrs Brock
8th April 2019
Whilst researching for a forthcoming
academic article on Louisa Louis, the devoted dresser to Princess
Charlotte of Wales (1771-1838) who was deeply valued by Queen
Victoria, I encountered the name of Mrs Brock. She belongs to that
fascinating roll-call of characters that claim a connection with
Queen Victoria, who have become all-but historically invisible and
are normally banished to the realms…
When Baby Sussex is born in a few weeks
time, he or she will be seventh in line to the British throne. They
are not the only royals to hold the lucky number seven position in
a line of succession. Let’s take a look at Baby Sussex’s
counterparts in their lines of…
Royal Wedding Rewind: the Kent brides
6th April 2019
Now April is here we can say in all
confidence that the next royal wedding happens next month. And as
Lady Gabriella Windsor and Thomas Kingston make the final
preparations for their big day, set for May 18th at St. George’s
Chapel, Windsor, there’s plenty of excitement…
Queen Victoria's April Royal Babies
5th April 2019
If you think royal baby mania is a new
thing, think again. For centuries, the arrival of a regal bundle of
joy has got plenty of people talking. Queen Victoria and Prince
Albert kept the papers and the people happy for the best part of
two decades as they went about building a family of nine princes
and princesses. And one month saw them welcome more bundles of joy
than any other – April. The…

