Features

The Duke of Kent passes on important role to Princess Anne

During a time when military, past and present are being honoured, His Royal Highness, the Duke of Kent has handed over his role as President of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWCG). Princess Anne is the new president. The Duke of Kent held the role for over 50 years. The CWGC cares for war graves of Commonwealth men and women who died in the First and Second World Wars. Currently, the…
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History

King George V and the Cenotaph

The Cenotaph in Whitehall is one of the most recognisable war memorials in the world and King George V played a significant role in its unveiling in 1920. In 1919, Sir Edwin Lutyens designed a temporary wood and plaster monument to mark those who had died in the Great…
Features

The prized jewels that must pass from queen to queen

It is not uncommon for monarchies to hold priceless pieces of jewellery that enjoy special status: they don’t belong to any specific person, nor can they be sold or separated. This is also the case for Spain, when Queen Victoria Eugenia, better known as Ena, decided to create a set of jewellery pieces to be passed down from generation to generation of queens. According to Queen…
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Features

The Imperial State Crown

King Charles will open Parliament for the first time in his reign and will wear the symbol of royal power, the Imperial State Crown. This stunning crown is a symbol of the sovereignty of the monarch, and has been used in coronations since the 15th century, though in…
Features

The tragic end of the princess who should have been queen

Princess Charlotte of Wales was the queen that Britain never had, and easily the most popular member of the Royal Family during her lifetime. When she died in childbirth aged just 21, she was deeply mourned by the British public, yet her story is so often consigned to a footnote in history. Princess Charlotte was the only child of the Prince Regent – later King George IV – and his estranged…
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Features

The secret queen who was removed from history

She was the long dead widow who was used by a king to overthrow his own nephew and yet her name is all but forgotten today. Eleanor Butler was the woman who helped change the royal history of England forever and almost brought one of its most famous dynasties to disaster before they had even secured the throne. But was she also Queen of England? Eleanor never claimed a crown for herself but as…
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