Being Queen of Spain isn’t the easiest royal role around. Ask the two women who currently hold that title – neither Sofia of Greece nor Letizia Ortiz have enjoyed totally smooth sailing. And a century ago, the woman who reigned as Spanish consort had more than her fair share of problems. She was Victoria Eugenie, known as Ena, and she was the youngest of the women who were granddaughters of…
On Monday 10th August, Queen Elizabeth II arrived for her annual summer holiday at the Scottish retreat of Balmoral Castle. For the next two months, she will reside at this 50,000-acre estate in Aberdeenshire. Originally purchased in 1852 by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert…
On this day in 1786 a baby girl was born to a German noble and his wife. They weren’t the wealthiest of families and already had a large family to look after. But they were ambitious and determined and their daughter inherited those traits. For that baby would grow up to…
Palaces to pixels: how the royal web presence has developed over the years
16th August 2015
137 years ago, on 14 January 1878, Queen Victoria became one of the first people to see Professor Alexander Graham Bell’s brand new invention in action. Bell’s demonstration of the telephone, which took place at Osborne House, was a roaring success, and it went on to become one of our history’s greatest inventions. Indeed, years later, its widespread usage helps us all to…
‘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…
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 London. The performance supported the Variety Artistes’ Benevolent Fund (the previous name of the Entertainment…
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…
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 surviving daughters about which least is known, she was destined to outlive all her immediate family, dying in 1953.
Princess…
