Amongst the prettiness of rolling countryside and the gentle sound of sheep grazing sits a castle with its own little chapel. The walls are golden yellow while around it grow sweet scented flowers and glossy, regal trees. But behind this calm serenity lies the tomb of a queen whose life was filled with drama and whose end was soon forgotten in the tumult of Tudor politics. The drama continued…
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…
The unhappy royal love story which led to the imprisonment of the Princes in the Tower
4th September 2023
Richard III was declared King of England on June 26th 1483 – thanks to a royal romance which had all but been forgotten.
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…
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. We look…
The odds were not in William’s favour when the newborn son of the Prince and Princess of Wales was born on 21 June 1982. In fact, the bookmakers predicted that the future king’s name would be George, or James, or Charles, or Philip, or Louis, but the bookmakers did not…
The steel of Sweden: how the consort and heir of King Carl Gustaf changed the royal image with help from history
2nd September 2023
The Swedish Royal Family has a knack for jewellery, and that’s especially true of their steel tiaras. There are two steel cut tiaras in their vault: the Steel Cut Tiara and the Steel Cut Bandeau.
The Cut Steel Tiara dates back to Queen Hortense of Holland’s…
Mysterious Mary, the queen's daughter who disappeared without trace
31st August 2023
Within the walls of one of England’s most picturesque castles, a queen gave birth to her only child and set in motion a chain of events that would become one of Tudor England’s most intriguing mysteries. The birth had been much anticipated and much talked about. The baby, a little girl, was immediately taken off to a nursery decked in scarlet and gold where a string of…
Emeralds are among the most striking gems found in any collection and they feature in some of the best known royal tiaras in Europe. And the Emerald Parure Tiara, owned by the Dutch Royal Family, has a truly fascinating history.
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It’s rare to see a royal engagement ring with a flash of green about it. Emeralds aren’t the most popular pick for royal betrothals but the few that have hit the headlines are all rather striking.
Here’s our rundown of that rarest of royal sparklers…
The royal wedding that led to the creation of the House of Windsor
27th August 2023
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.
Victoria Mary Augusta Louise Olga Pauline Claudine Agnes of Teck walked…
