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 coloured wax candles,
sweets, toys and artificial snow, whilst the gifts exchanged by the
Royal Family were gathered beneath…
A romantic empress and a heroic queen - the royal Christmas Eve babies
21st December 2023
The Christmas story begins, of course,
with a baby and there’s something about a Christmas birthday that
makes it all the more interesting, even if mean relatives do double
up on presents. Some of the most intriguing royal stories of all
have begun on Christmas Eve…
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″…
A sprinkle of Christmas sparkle: five dazzling tiara moments from 2023
20th December 2023
We were spoiled this year: a Coronation,
a Jubilee, an 18th birthday gala, and all the state events in
between! How can you possibly narrow down the top five tiara
appearances? I’m going to try! 1. The Princess of Wales Digs Out
the Strathmore Rose Tiara [getty src=”1794945241″ width=”594″
height=”396″ tld=”com”] What else could make the top of the list?
When the…
The traditions of a royal Christmas have
developed over the centuries and the celebrations of past monarchs
seem as strange to us today as our own festivities might seem to
them. The royal Christmas has taken many shapes over the centuries
– here we look at some of the…
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…
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 acres. The original house was
demolished and a new foundation stone laid on 23 June 1845, the
design having been done by…
While modern royal Christmas celebrations
take place at Sandringham, for hundreds of years it was Windsor
Castle that was the preferred setting for the festive celebrations
of kings and queens. Victoria and Albert loved to spend the season
there but they were only…
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…
Sometimes known as ‘the annexe to
Buckingham Palace’, the classic hotel in London’s Mayfair has
time-honoured connections with royalty that exist into the present
day. From the earlier single building run by William and Marianne
Claridge at 51 Brook Street, Claridge’s opened in its own right in
1856 and received its first visit from Queen Victoria in 1860.
Historically, it continued to…
