Eastwell Park and royalty
17th April 2018
The country estate of Eastwell Park, in
the parish of Eastwell, near Boughton Lees, Ashford in Kent, is not
perhaps a name which immediately comes to mind when thinking of a
one-time royal residence. It was, however, the Kent home of Prince
Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh and his…
Royal Wedding Flowers: the Countess of Wessex
16th April 2018
When Sophie Rhys Jones married Prince
Edward on June 19th 1999 at St. George’s Chapel, she carried a
bouquet with more than a hint of the past about it. The couple who
starred in the last big Windsor wedding of the 20th century had
gone for something of a medieval theme in the look of their big day
and the flowers carried by the bride fitted right in. From the
pageboys and bridesmaids in…
What is the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting?
16th April 2018
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…
Historic Swedish royal wedding dresses
16th April 2018
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…
A British Prince's wedding in St. Petersburg
15th April 2018
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 Chapel, Windsor; two of his
sisters married at St George’s, whilst another two married on the
Isle of Wight, his elder…
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…
Queen Victoria and the Orange Blossom Flower
14th April 2018
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…

