Features

The emerald ring that changed the monarchy forever

She was the woman who would change royal history forever. Wallis Simpson’s romance with King Edward VIII led to him deciding between love and duty. In the end, it was a choice of love. The King Emperor abdicated the throne as he was unable to marry the American divorcée…
Features

If ever a wedding dress summed up its wearer, it was the gown worn by Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh

If ever a royal wedding dress summed up its wearer, it was the gown chosen by Sophie Rhys-Jones for her marriage to Prince Edward on 19 June 1999 at St George’s Chapel, Windsor. Subtle, elegant and classic, this was the final Windsor bridal dress of the 20thcentury and it saw in a new era with style. Sophie and Edward’s big day might have been a modern marriage but it had an air of…
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The steel of Sweden: the sparkling tiaras with a link to a tragic royal that were hidden for decades

The Swedish Royal Family has a knack for jewellery, and that’s especially true of their steel tiaras. There are two steel cut tiaras in their vault and both have a link to a tragic royal. The Cut Steel Tiara dates back to Queen Hortense of Holland’s time; she was the granddaughter of the tragic Empress Joséphine and was queen consort between 1806 and 1810. Princess Desiree of…
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The royal bride who changed England forever

For a woman who had such a profound effect on a whole country, she is surprisingly enigmatic. Catherine of Valois changed royal history forever but even now, centuries on, the prevailing image of her is the one created by Shakespeare for whom this French princess was a pretty pawn in a political drama. But what little we do know seems to indicate that the ‘fair Kate’ of Henry V was…
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