Former King Farouk of Egypt once said
“The whole world is in revolt. Soon there will be only five Kings
left —the King of Spades, the King of Clubs, the King of Hearts,
the King of Diamonds, and the King of England.” Farouk’s quip left
out a number of crowned heads on the continent and elsewhere, but
nonetheless he recognized that the British Monarchy has a certain
staying power not found…
Backstairs Billy: The Life of William Tallon, the Queen Mother's Most Devoted Servant: your 90 second summer reading review
24th July 2015
For the eight-hour flight to London, I
thought why not read something easy to pass the time instead of the
usual history or biographies I read. Figured let’s see how
sensationalised the story of Backstairs Billy: The Life of William
Tallon, the Queen Mother’s…
The Battle of Naseby was the first proper
battle of the New Model Army. The New Model Army was established by
the Parliamentarians in February 1645 during the height of the
English Civil War. They felt that a professional army would be more
successful when pitted against the…
If there is something that Buckingham
Palace does exceptionally well, it would be the State Banquets that
are put on the first evening of a state visit by a visiting Head of
State. Taking place in the ballroom, the State Banquet is one of
the most formal events the Palace holds. The upwards of 150 guests
dress in formal ‘white tie and decorations’, which includes tiaras
for the…
An engraving showing the Privy Council in
1770. It’s often forgotten that just like the Prime Minister has
his body of advisers in the Cabinet, Her Majesty has her own in the
form of the Privy Council. Originally descended from the Curia
Regis, a group of household…
For many, Frogmore’s associations are
chiefly with those of royal burial. The estate, located between
Windsor Great Park and Home Park, is indeed the setting for two
important royal mausoleums – the Royal Mausoleum of Queen Victoria
and Albert, the Prince Consort…
Preview: King George and Queen Mary: The Royals who Rescued the Monarchy
16th July 2015
King George and Queen Mary: The Royals
who Rescued the Monarchy is a two-part miniseries airing in
Canada highlighting the contribution George and Mary made to
the unstoppable evolution of the British Monarchy. King George V
and Queen Mary. Episode one focuses on King George V, Queen
Elizabeth’s grandfather. Having been born and raised in the
Victorian age, George was a very conservative…
Looking at the images coming from Sweden
on July 14th this year, two things struck me. Firstly, the second
in line to the throne, Princess Estelle, has royal engagements
wrapped up at the age of three. Secondly, doing a walkabout every
year on a royal birthday is really…
As most readers of Royal Central know,
The Prince of Wales is my favourite royal. As I have written many
articles on Charles, I came across a quote during some research and
inquired as to where it originated. In 2010, Charles wrote: “And
what greater icon could we have…
At the end of this month, a lock of hair
snipped from the head of a woman who died almost 500 years ago will
be sold at auction. The estimate on this tiny lot is up
to £500. The sale will take place just days after a pair of
100 year old bloomers sold for over £12,000. And what do both these
unusual objects have in common? They both belonged to long
dead queens. Royal memorabilia is…
