Features

The empress who oversaw the end of one of the most famous dynasties in history

She became an empress in the most difficult of circumstances and her short reign ended in exile and a lifetime of supporting her royal heritage from afar. Zita, Empress of Austria found herself with an imperial crown as a result of an assassination which sent the world to war. When conflict consumed the globe again, she once more had to flee. In the latest of our ‘Last Consorts&#8217…
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Features

The royals whose first names ended up in second place

We know that sometimes monarchs choose a different regnal name than the one they have gone by throughout their life—King George VI is a famous example of this, having gone by Bertie (or Albert, his given name) until he became King – but what about those who go by…
Features

The royal weddings of York Minster

It’s one of the oldest churches in Britain the seat of one of England’s most important clerics yet the famous York Minster is a rare venue for royal weddings. Just two major regal marriages have taken place at this ancient church in almost 1,000 years.The…
FeaturesHistory

Painting by ground breaking artist rediscovered in a royal storage room

The Royal Collection Trust has just announced that a painting by Artemisia Gentileschi has gone on display at Windsor Castle for the first time in almost two centuries.The announcement comes at the end of a much-needed restoration work that the painting has undergone, as it was misattributed to “French School” and left in disrepair in a Hampton Court Palace storage room.The…
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Features

Queen Rania - a look at Jordan's humanitarian Queen

Rania Al-Yassin was born in Kuwait City, Kuwait, on 31 August 1970, toFaisal Sedki al-Yassin, a pediatric doctor, andIlham Yasmin, both of whom were Palestinian. Her parents moved from the West Bank to Kuwait just before the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. She has one older sister, Dina and one younger brother,Magdi. The family regularly visited their family in the West Bank. For her…
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Features

How many of Henry VIII's queens were crowned?

‘Divorced, beheaded, died; divorced, beheaded, survived.’ That sad little rhyme, summing up the fates of Henry VIII’s six wives, is familiar to many. But while just about everyone knows that the monarch with a thing for wedding cake said ‘I do&#8217…
Insight

Royals and the United Nations: what roles do they have?

The United Nations is the biggest international organism currently in existence, as it unites representatives from more than 190 countries and different international organisations, like the EU and the African Union. Its purpose as an intergovernmental organisation is to “maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation…
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