History

The king who never gave up hope of regaining his lost crown

By
16th September 2024
Although he was known for most of his adult life as the Duke of York, it was as a king that James II of England and VII of Scotland died in exile on 16 September 1701, even though he had long lost his throne. Born to King Charles I and Queen Henrietta Maria on 14 October 1633, James was known as the Duke of York from birth and was formally given the title in 1644. James and his elder…
Read more
History

Diamond Jubilee barge back at special dock

By
16th September 2024
The late Queen’s barge, Gloriana, has finally found a new permanent home. Gloriana played several important public roles in 2012. The barge was commissioned by Lord Sterling of Plaisthow and was officially launched in April 2012. It led a 670 boat flotilla down the…
History

The brutal assassination of a beloved Empress

By
11th September 2024
One of the most popular royals of the nineteenth century met a tragic end on 10 September 1898. It was the day when Empress Elisabeth of Austria was assassinated.  Empress Elisabeth, more commonly known as Sisi, was a beloved royal. She was known for being exceptionally beautiful and was a fashion trendsetter for decades. However, she also suffered from severe mental health issues that were…
Read more
Features

The romantic royal wedding set against the fading summer sun

By
9th September 2024
It was a royal wedding in the most romantic of settings with the fading sun of the last days of summer to light it. Prince Felix and Princess Claire of Luxembourg married in the south of France in September 2013 in a golden ceremony. The Grand Ducal Household announced that Prince Felix was engaged to his German girlfriend, Claire Lademacher, on 17 December 2012. The statement read: “The…
Read more
Features

How Katherine Parr, the royal at the heart of Firebrand, became Queen of England

By
6th September 2024
‘Firebrand’ tells the story of how Katherine Parr became the final wife of King Henry VIII and how her new role as queen put her in danger. Here, we recount how a woman with no royal status of her own became Queen of England. King Henry VIII was notorious for having many wives. On 12 July 1543 he would marry his sixth and final wife, Katherine Parr. A year after his fifth queen…
Read more