‘No one has ever had a sister like her’. The words of King George V, written about a younger sibling known to her family as Toria, perhaps best sum up the life of one of the quietest of Queen Victoria’s granddaughters. When she died many had almost forgotten about this rather lonely princess. Toria had been at the very heart of her her family but her devotion to her parents and siblings…
The Harry Potter series and its quirky 'connections' with royalty
15th August 2015
If, like me, you are a massive fan of all things Harry Potter, then I am sure you would have visited the dedicated Wikipedia site to all things related to the boy wizard and his world. Just recently I visited the site and was surprised at how much thought had been put in to…
Entertainment fit for a King or Queen: The Royal Variety Performance
15th August 2015
Dating back to 1912, the Royal Variety Performance has seen an outstanding 87 spectacular shows.
View image | gettyimages.com
King George V and Queen Mary first agreed to attend a ‘Royal Command Performance’ which was to take place at the Palace Theatre in…
The stories of Queen Victoria's granddaughters: Princess Marie Louise of Schleswig-Holstein
12th August 2015
In the winter of 1900, Princess Christian of Schleswig-Holstein fled in a panic from Cumberland Lodge, clutching an alarming telegram. Arriving at Windsor Castle, she frantically explained to her mother, Queen Victoria, that the Duke of Anhalt had tersely demanded that her daughter, Marie Louise, should return at once to the Duchy to face divorce proceedings on the grounds that she had…
The Final Curtsey: your 90 second summer reading review
11th August 2015
Many interviews, articles, and books were published during Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012. There is one individual who shared personal stories and not the kind that may come into question as true. These stories were from someone who has seen the transformation…
It is fitting that this Hessian granddaughter of Queen Victoria was christened ‘Irene’ – a name meaning “peace” – an appropriate choice in more ways than one, as her character and the circumstances of her birth would prove. Perhaps the one of Princess Alice’s…
Football crazy: five teams who can count on royal support as the Premier League season gets under way
8th August 2015
The Royal Family have gone a bit football crazy in recent months. The Duke of Cambridge, President of the Football Association, has led the way with high profile support for the women’s team who made the semi finals of the World Cup and an interview for BBC One with Gary Lineker ahead of the FA Cup Final earlier this summer.
Prince William is a high profile royal football fan but his family…
Highclere Castle: not just Downton Abbey
7th August 2015
Highclere Castle, located in England’s southern county of Berkshire, is the seat of the Earl of Carnarvo,n and has been owned by the Herbert family since 1679. The history of the estate may be traced back some 1,300 years when owned by the Bishops of Winchester.
George…
The Queen's Dressmaker: Angela Kelly
7th August 2015
Part of the job of being royal is dressing the part and Queen Elizabeth II has never disappointed when it comes to choosing the right thing to wear. Whether she is entertaining guests at a glittering state banquet or performing a royal walkabout, Her Majesty The Queen…
Burying a Queen's Heart - Queen Marie of Romania
6th August 2015
This autumn, the heart of a Queen and British-born princess will be laid to rest in Romania. Born in Kent as Princess Marie of Edinburgh, the second child and eldest daughter of Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh and Grand Duchess Marie Alexandrovna, daughter of Tsar Alexander II, she received the names Marie Alexandra Victoria but was always known as “Missy” in the intimacy of the…