The fate of one of medieval England’s
most famous royal mistresses has fascinated historians for
centuries. What really happened to The Fair Rosamund? Much of
Rosamund Clifford’s life is now the stuff of legend and folklore
but, in her time, she was England’s greatest beauty and Eleanor of
Aquitaine’s greatest nemesis. For by the time Rosamund began a
relationship with Eleanor’s…
The mistress who ruled over a controversial king
5th April 2024
He was the monarch who had to fight for a
throne but then relied on a mistress for advice with a queen who
arrived at court to find another holding power. And in the middle
of their marriage was a woman with ambition, brains and no sense of
self control. Our special read…
Sparkling with diamonds and studded with
creamy pearls, it is a perfect fit for bridal white so it’s no
surprise that a rather impressive royal necklace was created for a
marriage. Queen Alexandra’s Wedding Necklace is a rarely seen royal
gem but it has a…
In a year when traditional remembrance
for those who have given their lives for their country was made
difficult by the pandemic, Queen Elizabeth II made one of the most
poignant gestures of her reign. Her Late Majesty placed a floral
tribute on the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior ahead of Remembrance
Day, standing at the grave with a soldier who stood apart from her,
as pandemic restrictions…
Eleanor of Aquitaine: Queen of both France and England
1st April 2024
Eleanor of Aquitaine died on 1 April 1204
but after 800 years, she still holds our interest. She was Queen
twice and held titles in her own name, and she remains one of the
most interesting royal women in the mediaeval period. Eleanor was
born on 8 April 1124 to William…
She was the beautiful princess who had
been the subject of endless royal wedding speculation, he was the
handsome prince with a crown waiting in his future. When Marie-Jose
of Belgium married Umberto, heir to the throne of Italy, in January
1930 their marriage had all the…
It’s grand, unforgettable and forever
associated with one of the most famous princesses of the 20th
century. The tiara chosen by Princess Margaret for her wedding to
Antony Armstrong-Jones in May 1960 has become iconic. In fact, it
was such a successful pick, it begs the question – is Margaret’s
the best royal wedding tiara of all? The Poltimore Tiara, to give
this sparkler…
it’s an ancient tradition which has been
given a very personal touch by The King as his wife, Queen Camilla,
represents him at one of the most important events in the royal
calendar so that he can continue his cancer treatment. Monarchs
have presented Maundy money…
For the royal women at King Carl XVI
Gustaf’s Golden Jubilee gala dinner on 15 September 2023, it was
another opportunity to wear their best jewels. For a handful of
them, it was the chance to re-wear their respective wedding tiaras.
Queen Anne-Marie of Greece — The…
The great queen written out of history: Katherine Parr
26th March 2024
On a hot summer day in 1543, a young
widow married an ageing and much wed king in a ceremony that took
many by surprise. By the time Katherine Parr said ‘I do’ to Henry
VIII in the Queen’s Closet at Hampton Court Palace on July
12th1543, his five previous unions and attitude towards marital
harmony were such that continental contenders to be consort of
England were all but running in…

