He was the monarch who had to fight for a
throne but then relied on a mistress for advice with a queen who
arrived at court to find another holding power. And in the middle
of their marriage was a woman with ambition, brains and no sense of
self control. Our special read brings to life a mesmerising moment
in royal history. Charles II, the Merry Monarch, had several
different mistresses.
The coronation of a monarch is marked
with ceremony and celebration and, often, time in other parts of
their new realm as they introduce themselves to their people. Karl
Johan became King of Norway and Sweden 205 years ago but his time
amongst those he was now to rule almost…
Spain’s general election has seen the
conservatives win most votes but not a majority and now
negotiations begin as several parties vie to form a government.
What is the role of Spain’s king, Felipe VI, in this situation?
Maddalena Mastrostefano investigates for…
As Prince George celebrates his 10th
birthday, we are looking at the six kings of Great Britain named
George. King George I ushered in a new dynasty after the
death of the last Stuart monarch, Queen Anne, in 1714. Also the
Elector of Hanover, George was chosen to take the throne as he was
the most senior Protestant descendent of King James I of Great
Britain. He did not have a consort after…
The birth of a new family member always
brings joy but for Queen Elizabeth II, the arrival of her first
great grandson also made history. For the first time in over a
century, a Monarch saw three generations of heirs in line for the
throne. The direct succession was…
Many remember where they were on 22 July
2013 when they heard the Prince and Princess of Wales, then the
Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, welcomed their first child and the
future king of Britain – Prince George. [getty
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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…
Leopold III was the fourth King of the
Belgians (the Belgian King is known as the King of the Belgians
rather than King of Belgium). In the early years of his reign, he
was a popular figure; however, he became a divisive figure after he
surrendered the Belgian army to the…
This year marks thirty years since King
Baudouin of Belgium unexpectedly died while on holiday in Spain. He
was one of the most popular kings Belgium ever had. Even now, three
decades on, his memory is treasured. His nephew, King Philippe,
paid an emotional tribute to him as…
King Philippe is about to celebrate his
tenth anniversary on the throne of Belgium, with many successes
behind him that surprised his past detractors. Many
considered him too quiet and shy to be an effective leader, and
when King Albert II announced his decision to abdicate, many were
sceptical of Philippe’s abilities to carry the duties of a head of
state on his shoulders. However…