You’ve probably seen the acronym CHOGM a
lot lately, or you’ve heard about a Commonwealth meeting that
begins today in London. What is CHOGM? And what’s the meeting?
CHOGM stands for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting,
which is a large meeting of all the nations in the Commonwealth
that takes place every two years. There are currently 53 nations in
the Commonwealth, and they touch…
Within the historical collections of the
Royal Armoury [Livrustkammeran] in Stockholm are preserved some
astonishing examples of Swedish royal wedding dresses. Some are in
the forms of fully preserved dresses, others sections from the
same, such as trains or loosely…
In 1874, Queen Victoria’s second son,
Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh got married. In great contrast,
however, to the weddings of his other siblings, he did not marry in
Great Britain, but instead, in Russia. The marriages of his
brothers all took place at St George’s…
Philippe of the Belgians was an unlikely
king. Although born second in line to the throne, he was never
expected to succeed. In fact, his whole royal life has been filled
with surprises. Yet since his accession, in July 2013, he has been
praised as a successful sovereign, a royal who has given his
dynasty strong foundations for the future. The man who would,
unexpectedly, be king was born on…
Queen Victoria’s love of orange blossom
properly began with her wedding to Prince Albert in 1840; however,
this marked only the start of what would be an enduring association
within the Royal Family, and not just for weddings. Orange blossom
is, of course, traditionally…
In reading Royally Suited: Harry and
Meghan in their own words by Phil Dampier, you realise just how
perfect these soon-to-be newlyweds are for each other. Divided into
two sections, one for Prince Harry and one for Meghan Markle,
Dampier has plucked quotes that highlight each person’s feelings on
family, work, charity, and love – and you find several prescient
selections. For example, at the…
The tradition of myrtle being used in a
bridal bouquet is long established and largely European, although
its associations with marriage has its origins in both ancient
Greek mythology, as well as in Roman ritual, the myrtle being
“dear” to Venus, as it had once been considered “sacred” to the
goddess Aphrodite. Jewish liturgy also incorporated it occasionally
in the form of branches…
