FeaturesHistory

Queen Victoria's dolls

The wooden dolls of the future Queen Victoria have long been the subject of fascination. Perhaps this is because we are fascinated by something so strongly associated with the childhood of that Queen who to a large extent, still remains in the historical imagination as either the monochrome royal widow or the elderly Queen-Empress of the Golden and Diamond Jubilee. Several of these dolls are…
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British RoyalsFeaturesInsightThe Sussexes

The Duchess of Sussex shares a special wedding day secret

We’re already too excited about the new documentary about the Queen set to air on ITV this week and now there’s even more reason to look forward to it. For we’ve just found out that the Duchess of Sussex will be answering one of the questions still being asked about her wedding outfit. In the programme, Meghan reveals just how she gave a nod to the tradition of brides wearing ‘something…
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FeaturesHistory

Who was Empress Dowager Cixi - one of the most powerful women in China's history?

The Qing dynasty was the last imperial dynasty to rule China, collapsing in 1912 amid rising social and political instability. Ruling for almost three hundred years, the Qing dynasty was one of the largest empires in the world, trebling the amount of land under China’s control. After its fall, modern-day China was established by Sun Yat-sen. While Sun Yat-sen gets all of the credit for being…
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FeaturesHistory

Cards from Queen Victoria's children

Some of the earliest Christmas cards to survive in the Royal Collection date from the first half of Queen Victoria’s reign. These were handmade by Queen Victoria’s children and are typical of the sentimental nineteenth century; although in the case of the Queen’s…
FeaturesHistory

Breakfasting with Queen Victoria

Across the Quadrangle at Windsor Castle is a room, clearly visible, jutting out in a pentagon shape amongst the jigsaw of the Clarence, Queen’s, Augusta, York, and Lancaster Towers and King George IV Gate. Part of the private apartments, it was merely called what it was: The Oak Room or Oak Dining Room. The room is important. It was the room in which Queen Victoria breakfasted on occasion…
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