Features

The designer who reigned supreme at royal weddings

He created some of the most famous royal looks of the 20th century and he’s still producing talked about style picks. Sir Norman Hartnell was already a sought after wedding dress designer when he was first commissioned to produce a bridal outfit by the House of Windsor. Over eight decades on, and long after his own death, he was responsible for another famous royal marriage look. On the 85th…
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The mystery of the Queen Mother's wedding bouquet

It’s perhaps the most famous and talked about royal wedding bouquet of all. The flowers carried by the Queen Mother, then Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, at her marriage in April 1923 have entered regal folklore after the bride used them to begin a royal wedding tradition known…
Features

The weddings of Queen Victoria's children

Of the nine children of Queen Victoria’s children, one daughter married in London another on the Isle of Wight and one son in St. Petersburg. The remaining six married at Windsor, five at St. George’s Chapel and one in the Private Chapel at Windsor Castle. The College of St. George was founded in 1348 and is inextricably linked with the Most Noble Order of the Garter, one of the oldest…
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The royal bride chosen by a queen to wear a consort's crown

Picked as a royal bride by Queen Victoria herself, Princess Mary of Teck would find her way to the altar in the most unusual circumstances. For Mary ended up saying ‘I do’ to the second king in waiting selected as a husband for her. But her marriage proved to be a happy one as well as a royal success story. On the anniversary of the marriage of King George V and Queen Mary, Royal…
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Features

The history of Commonwealth Day

Every year on the second Monday of March, Commonwealth Day (originally known as Empire Day) is celebrated. While the date has some official status in certain member states of the Commonwealth, observances are not specific to this particular day. In most countries, it’s not…
Features

A rainbow of royal wedding bouquets

We’re used to seeing royal brides with white flowers. Many a regal wedding has featured a posy of pretty cream flowers, dotted with hints of green and matching the dress to perfection. Bright bouquets are a rarity but they make their mark. Here’s a rainbow of royal wedding bouquets. Red: Princess Beatrice [getty src=”1227683326″ width=”594&#8243…
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