On 20 January 1936, Britain’s King George
V died. George V was a popular monarch with strong public morals,
his son, the Prince of Wales acceded to the throne upon his
father’s death. He became King Edward VIII, a name chosen as
opposed to King David as there had been no British King David
before. At first, Edward VIII’s public popularity was promising.
But this wasn’t to last, behind the…
There are a number of events in English
royal history that seem extraordinary and unbelievable, but the
warming pan scandal has to be at the top of the list. The son of
James II and Mary of Modena had a very interesting start to life
and would be questioned for…
It’s a single pearl set among dozens of
diamonds but despite that sparkling competition, it still shines.
And now it’s added a new chapter to its history. For this pearl is
part of a brooch that was given to the Royal Family in times of war
in the hope that it…
The Louvre is one of the most-visited
museums in the world today with over eight million visitors
annually. However, it originally was the Palais du Louvre- a royal
residence on the Right Bank of the Seine. The first castle on this
site was built in the late twelfth century for Philip II. This
castle did not survive. The Lescot Wing, however, is the oldest
surviving above-ground piece of the…
On 29 April 2024, it will be 13 years
since the then-Duke and Duchess of Cambridge tied the knot. Like
many royal weddings, millions crossed the globe tuned in to watch
the affair. A royal spectacle with numbers to match. Over 60
million people tuned in to watch Ahead…
There were several important pieces and
jewels on display at King Charles and Queen Camilla’s Coronation on
6 May 2023 at Westminster Abbey. Three stones, in particular, were
centre of attention in the Abbey when The Queen wore Queen Mary’s
crown. And the gems are…
It was the most famous royal wedding of
the 20th century and although there was far from a happy ending, it
remains one of the major milestones of a modern royal dynasty. On
29 July 1981, the world watched as Diana married Prince Charles at
St Paul’s Cathedral in London. On her wedding day, Diana wore very
little jewellery. However, the items she wore had a personal
connection and they…
What is the Order of the Companions of Honour - the new distinction given by King Charles to the Princess of Wales?
23rd April 2024
The Princess of Wales has just made
history by becoming the first member of the Royal Family to be
appointed to the Order of the Companions of Honour. The Order of
the Companions of Honour is an order, awarded by The King as
Sovereign of the Order. It is given to…
Canterbury Cathedral is the seat of the
Archbishop of Canterbury, head of the Church of England and the
mother church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The present
structure was built between 1070 and 1077 replacing an earlier
structure that had been destroyed by fire.
The Order of the Garter is considered the
oldest and most senior Order of Chivalry in Britain. Created over
700 years ago by King Edward III, the Order was inspired by King
Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Today the 24 Knights of
the Garter are men and women chosen for their contributions to
society. The Sovereign personally chooses the knights. The patron
saint of the Order is Saint…
