It was a famous royal love story that
shocked as much as it thrilled. John of Gaunt was the
ultra-ambitious prince whose desire to be a king almost cost him
his life, Katherine Swynford was the mysterious commoner who
supplanted a queen in his affections. Their relationship lasted
decades, survived a serious separation and ultimately led to the
creation of a dynasty which would snatch the throne…
‘Saw good Mrs Clark, returned from
Darmstadt, who gave me an excellent account of Alice, the Baby &
dear little Victoria’(Quoted in Charlotte Zeepvat, From Cradle to
Crown, 13). With these words, Queen Victoria recorded in her
journal for 13 December 1864, that…
The white caps worn by Queen Victoria
have – correctly – come to be regarded as a symbol for her
widowhood. They represent one of the few contrasts in colour to the
deepest mourning that she adopted after 1861, as a declaration in
textile, of the colossal…
Following the recent wedding of Princess
Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank, we take a look at other princesses who
have married commoners. Here is the story of Princess Margaret and
her photographer husband, Antony Armstrong-Jones. Princess Margaret
was always one to do things her way, and Antony “Tony”
Armstrong-Jones was far from the typical royal suitor. Born 7 March
1930, Antony grew up…
She had been an integral part of the
House of Windsor for almost seventy years; she was the oldest ever
member of the Royal Family, and she had lived an adventure packed
life that broke the regal mould in many ways. The death of Princess
Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, on…
One advantage of a monarch who reigns for
a substantial period is you can potentially see a long line of
succession stretching into the future. Prince Charles is heir
apparent; he has a son, the Duke of Cambridge who has three
children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and…
Continuing our series on princesses who
married commoners, we are taking a look at Princess Madeleine of
Sweden and her American-British husband, Christopher O’Neill. After
fleeing to New York City after a broken heart and engagement,
Madeleine met her soulmate in the Big Apple. Healing from a broken
heart, Madeleine soon became friends with a man named Christopher
O’Neill. He…
The wedding dress of the Duchess of
Sussex is now on display at Windsor Castle. The gown chosen by
Meghan for her marriage at St George’s Chapel at the castle is part
of an exhibition on the big day which also features uniform worn by
the Duke of Sussex. The bridesmaid and…
Details of the major restoration project
being carried out at the final resting place of Queen Victoria and
Prince Albert at Windsor have been revealed. It’s a rare chance to
see behind the scenes at the Royal Mausoleum at Frogmore where the
queen and her beloved consort…
Kate's State Banquet Jewels: the Queen Alexandra Wedding Necklace
24th October 2018
It’s been quite the year for royal
jewellery revivals. After the regal brides of 2018, the Duchess of
Sussex and Princess Eugenie, surprised us by choosing tiaras that
hadn’t been seen in decades for their weddings, the Duchess of
Cambridge has joined this rather exclusive club by wearing a
necklace that has been hidden in the palace jewellery box for
years. Embed from Getty Images Embed from…
