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…
Amongst the prettiness of rolling
countryside and the gentle sound of sheep grazing sits a castle
with its own little chapel. The walls are golden yellow while
around it grow sweet scented flowers and glossy, regal trees. But
behind this calm serenity lies the tomb of a…
The BBC’s veteran royal correspondent,
Nicholas Witchell, is to retire after 47 years of service at the
broadcaster. Witchell, who became a royal correspondent in 1998,
will step down next year. Covering the latter decades of Queen
Elizabeth II’s reign and the…
October is truly the king of all the
autumn months as the leaves turn to gold and regal red and the
fading sun adds a gentle sparkle to all it touches. And it’s marked
the beginning of five royal roads that ended with a crown –
although all five monarchs had very different royal careers. Here
are the men who became the October kings. Henry III was the first
king of England to have…
There have only been a handful of queen
regnants in Britain’s history. Queen Elizabeth II was the most
recent, having reigned a historic 70 years, but 400 years before
her reign began, the first queen regnant was crowned: Queen Mary I.
The eldest daughter of Henry VIII…
The relationship of Henry VIII to the
death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth of York, raises possible
interesting psychological theories about his behaviour towards the
six women he later married. These are fascinating to suggest, but
will only ever remain speculative…
Search for books in English about the
Prince and Princess of Wales, Prince Harry, Diana, Princess of
Wales, or The Late Queen, and you will find an array of different
choices to select from. When you search for books about Princess
Madeleine of Sweden, Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway, or King
Felipe of Spain, you would be hard-pressed to locate a book about
their lives written in the English…
September saw the Golden Jubilee of King
Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden with a multi-day celebration in
Stockholm. Royals from across Scandinavia flew to Sweden for the
festivities to mark the King’s 50 years on the throne. We take a
look back at the popular event in…
Review: Diana Las Vegas brings refreshing perspective to Diana themed-exhibitions
28th September 2023
There have been dozens of Diana, Princess
of Wales exhibits across the world. Some, take a look at her life
just through photographs, and others, tell her story through
fashion. When in Las Vegas, I had the chance to go to the Princess
Diana & The Royals: The Exhibition.
Wedding diamonds for forgotten archduchess to go to auction
28th September 2023
A spectacular ruby and diamond necklace
for a Habsburg bride was recently displayed before it will go to
the auction block at Sotheby’s in November. Emperor Franz
Joseph gifted his niece, Archduchess Margarete Sophie of Austria, a
diamond and ruby necklace ahead of her wedding to Duke Albrecht of
Württemberg in 1893. The necklace was created by Austrian court
jeweller Köchert…
