Reviews

Review: 'A Lady in Waiting: My Extraordinary Life in the Shadow of the Crown' by Anne Glenconner

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21st December 2023
When I saw a post about “Lady in Waiting: My Extraordinary Life in the Shadow of the Crown” by Anne Glenconner, I was immediately intrigued. It’s not often you hear from the people who worked behind palace walls. I was excited to learn more about the personal moments Anne had with members of the royal family but, the book, you could say was worth the waiting. The book begins…
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Features

Queen Victoria's winter sledge

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21st December 2023
Queen Victoria’s winter sledge became synonymous with the Windsor Christmas, at least during the lifetime of Prince Albert, who is rightly credited with popularising Christmas traditions in England, including that of the Christmas tree. The royal trees were decorated with…
Features

In Pictures: Emperor Akihito's reign

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21st December 2023
Emperor Akihito is marking his 90th birthday on December 23rd 2023. He took the throne upon the death of his father, Emperor Shōwa, on 7 January 1989 and abdicated in 2018. Let’s take a look at Emperor Akihito’s life in photos: [getty src=”1041868616″ width=”594″ height=”393″] The Emperor pictured in traditional dress for his enthronement…
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Features

How the royal families of Europe use social media at Christmas

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19th December 2023
The royal families of Europe use social media to highlight their holiday celebrations from Christmas through the New Year. Most European royal families reveal their Christmas family photo or Christmas card on social media, but some go above and beyond their counterparts to mark Christmas. In Denmark, the use of Instagram (and their website) is directed toward their Advent calendar. Each…
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Features

A royal Christmas at Osborne House

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19th December 2023
Queen Victoria’s beloved residence at East Cowes on the Isle of Wight, was the place where she spent her final Christmas. Built in the style of an Italianate villa, Osborne House was purchased in March 1845 and was bought together with its estate of approximately 1,000…
Features

King Haakon's Christmas speeches to an occupied Norway

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17th December 2023
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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