Features

King Haakon's Christmas speeches to an occupied Norway

Christmas tends to be a pleasant time, especially for the royals. When it comes to the Norwegian Royal Family, they have many good Christmas traditions that make Christmas a pleasant time. There is, however, a period when Christmas for the Royal Family from Norway was not very pleasant, namely during World War II. Germany invaded Norway on 9 April 1940. This led to a five-year occupation. While…
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Features

The romantic royal wedding that turned a nurse into a queen

The marriage of King Baudouin of the Belgians and Fabiola de Mora y Aragon, on December 15th 1960, gave a country a new queen and began a royal partnership that would become one of the most successful in modern regal history. The discreet monarch and his equally dignified bride went on to enjoy a long and happy union that would help stabilise the Belgian monarchy after years of turbulence. Their…
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Features

A very Windsor Christmas

Nearly 25 years after her grandfather George V became the first to deliver a Christmas broadcast, Queen Elizabeth II would carry on the tradition and create history in her own way. Christmas 1957, The Queen’s Christmas broadcast was televised for the first time. During…
Features

The snowy romance of a Victorian royal Christmas

It was during the reign of Queen Victoria that many interpretations of modern Christmas traditions took hold. The Royal Family was at the heart of some of them with Victoria and her husband, Prince Albert, seen to popularise the Christmas tree. Prince Albert was an enthusiastic skater. And the romance of a snow draped festive season was integral to Victoria’s Christmas season. By the…
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Features

If Edward VIII hadn't abdicated, who would be Monarch today?

We all love a royal ‘what if’ and perhaps one of the most intriguing of recent times revolves around the question of the king who renounced his throne for love. On December 11th 1936, 86 years ago, Edward VIII announced to the world that he was ending his reign to marry the woman he loved, Wallis Simpson. But what if Edward VIII hadn’t abdicated? Who would be Monarch now? There are two…
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