Features

The prized jewels that must pass from queen to queen

It is not uncommon for monarchies to hold priceless pieces of jewellery that enjoy special status: they don’t belong to any specific person, nor can they be sold or separated. This is also the case for Spain, when Queen Victoria Eugenia, better known as Ena, decided to create a set of jewellery pieces to be passed down from generation to generation of queens. According to Queen…
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The Imperial State Crown

King Charles will open Parliament for the first time in his reign and will wear the symbol of royal power, the Imperial State Crown. This stunning crown is a symbol of the sovereignty of the monarch, and has been used in coronations since the 15th century, though in…
Features

The tragic end of the princess who should have been queen

Princess Charlotte of Wales was the queen that Britain never had, and easily the most popular member of the Royal Family during her lifetime. When she died in childbirth aged just 21, she was deeply mourned by the British public, yet her story is so often consigned to a footnote in history. Princess Charlotte was the only child of the Prince Regent – later King George IV – and his estranged…
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The secret queen who was removed from history

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 the woman who helped change the royal history of England forever and almost brought one of its most famous dynasties to disaster before they had even secured the throne. But was she also Queen of England? Eleanor never claimed a crown for herself but as…
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The romance and drama of the Winter Queen

Elizabeth Stuart, often referred to as The Winter Queen, was born on 19 August 1595 to James VI of Scotland, who was also James I of Great Britain, and Anne of Denmark in Falkland Palace, Scotland. In the Chapel Royal at Holyrood Palace, Elizabeth was christened in November…
Features

The king who was barred from marrying at an ancient castle

WhenKing Charles & Queen Camillaannounced their engagement in February 2005, they wasted no time in setting a date or venue for their marriage. They immediately told the world they would marry in April that year in a civil ceremony at Windsor Castle followed by a service of blessing at St. George’s Chapel later the same day. Yet just a week later, they had to move their civil…
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