Features

The modern mystery surrounding the death of one of history's most controversial queens

Her story is amongst the most controversial of all the Queens of England and centuries after her death, a new twist appeared in the tale of Elizabeth Woodville. An expert at the National Archives in London found a document suggesting that the consort who revolutionised royalty may have died of the plague. Euan Roger is a records specialist at the National Archives and while looking through 16th…
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Features

The duchess who had more titles than kings and queen

On November 20th 2014, a duchess descended from royalty but who had more titles than most kings and queens of her time died. The death of a Spanish noblewoman might not ordinarily make global headlines. But Cayetana, Duchess of Alba, was no ordinary person. She had been feted by some of the most famous people of the 20th century and packed plenty of excitement and intrigue into her 88 years. The…
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Features

How Beth the rescue dog won a place on one of the most historic royal gowns of the 21st century

Beth, the rescue dog of Queen Camilla, has died. Buckingham Palace announced the loss of the much loved pet and shared photos of the terrier with her royal owners. But Beth lives on in another way. For this Jack Russell, brought to the Palace from Battersea Dogs Home, has a place in Coronation history. When Queen Camilla commissioned Bruce Oldfield to make her Coronation gown, she wanted…
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History

Royals at War: King George II

For centuries, one of the main roles of a monarch in western Europe was to be ready to lead their troops to war. There are many royals from history who have actively taken part in battle. King George II is the last King of the United Kingdom to lead his troops on the…
History

Royals at War: Frederick the Great

While modern monarchs undergo military training and often carry out military service, they rarely serve in battle. Historically, many monarchs would lead their troops in battle. King Frederick II of Prussia, also known as Frederick the Great, would become known for his military leadership and theory.  Frederick inherited the Prussian throne in 1740; at that time, he held a fairly disconnected…
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