While some links between royal houses are
well known and rather close, others are a little more distant and
perhaps all the more interesting for that. And although the links
between Albert II and Charles III might be stretched, they are
still there. The connection between the House of Windsor and the
House of Grimaldi begins in the 19th century when Albert I, Prince
of Monaco married a British…
The princess who gave up being HRH - for love
10th July 2024
Many of Queen Victoria and Prince
Albert’s grandchildren married into various royal families across
Europe. Not all did, though. Princess Patricia of Connaught was the
daughter of Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn and
Princess Margaret Louise of Prussia, and…
A royal rarity - an emerald engagement ring
10th July 2024
It’s rare to see a royal engagement ring
featuring an emerald. The striking stone features in very few of
these most romantic pieces of jewellery but it has a starring role
in the ring worn by a princess who will walk down the aisle at this
summer’s biggest royal…
While we often associate the French
royals with the Palace of Versailles and the Louvre Palace, they
owned far more than that over the centuries. The Palais-Royal in
Paris began as a cardinal’s palace but made its way into royal
hands. The Palais-Royal is in the 1st arrondissement of Paris, on
Rue Saint-Honoré. Architect Jacques Lemercier was commissioned in
the late 1620s to create a…
All royal jewels have interesting stories
attached to them. From modern designs to the historic pieces that
have accompanied monarchies through centuries, every royal gem
tells a tale. And one pretty tiara that has become a favourite of a
popular queen has an intriguing…
The symbolism of the first photos of King Charles with his Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer
5th July 2024
They are pictures for the history books
and ones that speak volumes. As King Charles III appointed a new
Prime Minister there were, of course, official images of the
moment. And they told their own story. The King held an audience
with Sir Keir Starmer just after noon on…
When Edward VII had headed to Biarritz
for a springtime break in 1908, his government had been under the
stewardship of Liberal Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman. But his health
was failing fast and on April 3rd, he resigned. Herbert Asquith,
the Chancellor of the Exchequer, was selected as his successor
without opposition ensuring a smooth transition – with one small
obstacle. The king was still…
All The King's Prime Ministers: a trio of politicians who have held the keys to Number Ten in a brand new reign
5th July 2024
King Charles is about to appoint the
third Prime Minister of his reign. Just 22 months after his
accession, The King will ask another politician to form a
government. It took Queen Elizabeth II five years to reach the same
tally of Prime Ministers. Brand new Prime…
The King of Appleton House
2nd July 2024
It was a quiet country house, described
by several who knew it as ‘’little’’ and a ‘’pied a terre’, given
as a wedding present to a royal couple who were expected to linger
on the fringes of regal life. Yet on July 2nd 1903, it became the
birthplace of one of…
The stunning aquamarine and diamond
diadem of Sweden’s royal family is an unusual jewel and it has a
rather poignant history to go with it. But it’s become most famous
in recent years as the tiara that a popular princess wore to create
a modern day fairytale. Princess Madeleine has a soft spot for the
aquamarine tiara held in her family vaults. She’s worn it several
times at the Nobel…

