The Imperial House of Japan is the oldest current monarchy. The Japanese throne was founded in 660 BCE according to legend. While the Japanese monarchy does function in the same ways as many other monarchies, they use a unique naming system.
Emperor Mutsuhito took the throne in 1867 and instituted a new practice for naming eras in 1868. Historically, era names would have been decided by court…
Emperor Emertius Akihito, the first Japanese Emperor to abdicate in over 200 years, marks his 90th birthday today. We take a look at his life and reign.
Born on 23 December 1933, Prince Akihito was born in the Imperial Palace of Tokyo as the elder son and fifth child of…
The King's Champion, who took historic role at the Coronation, has died
22nd December 2023
The King’s Champion, Francis Dymoke, has died.
Francis Dymoke, 68, passed away just months after taking a leading and historic role at the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Cailla.
The King’s Champion now carries the Royal Standard into Westminster…
Review: 'A Lady in Waiting: My Extraordinary Life in the Shadow of the Crown' by Anne Glenconner
21st December 2023
When I saw a post about “Lady in Waiting: My Extraordinary Life in the Shadow of the Crown” by Anne Glenconner, I was immediately intrigued. It’s not often you hear from the people who worked behind palace walls. I was excited to learn more about the personal moments Anne had with members of the royal family but, the book, you could say was worth the waiting.
The book begins…
Queen Victoria’s winter sledge became synonymous with the Windsor Christmas, at least during the lifetime of Prince Albert, who is rightly credited with popularising Christmas traditions in England, including that of the Christmas tree. The royal trees were decorated with…
A romantic empress and a heroic queen - the royal Christmas Eve babies
21st December 2023
The Christmas story begins, of course, with a baby and there’s something about a Christmas birthday that makes it all the more interesting, even if mean relatives do double up on presents. Some of the most intriguing royal stories of all have begun on Christmas Eve…
Emperor Akihito is marking his 90th birthday on December 23rd 2023. He took the throne upon the death of his father, Emperor Shōwa, on 7 January 1989 and abdicated in 2018.
Let’s take a look at Emperor Akihito’s life in photos:
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The Emperor pictured in traditional dress for his enthronement…
A sprinkle of Christmas sparkle: five dazzling tiara moments from 2023
20th December 2023
We were spoiled this year: a Coronation, a Jubilee, an 18th birthday gala, and all the state events in between! How can you possibly narrow down the top five tiara appearances? I’m going to try!
1. The Princess of Wales Digs Out the Strathmore Rose Tiara
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The traditions of a royal Christmas have developed over the centuries and the celebrations of past monarchs seem as strange to us today as our own festivities might seem to them. The royal Christmas has taken many shapes over the centuries – here we look at some of the…
How the royal families of Europe use social media at Christmas
19th December 2023
The royal families of Europe use social media to highlight their holiday celebrations from Christmas through the New Year.
Most European royal families reveal their Christmas family photo or Christmas card on social media, but some go above and beyond their counterparts to mark Christmas.
In Denmark, the use of Instagram (and their website) is directed toward their Advent calendar. Each…
