It has been described as the most
important British dress design of the 20th century and the gown
that Queen Elizabeth II wore at her Coronation, on June 2nd 1953,
has its own place in history. The work of Sir Norman Hartnell,
created in partnership by the Monarch, it has become one of the
most emblematic outfits of the House of Windsor. This was arguably
the most important commission of Sir…
She was known as “the People’s Princess,”
and even after her untimely death, it proved so as an estimated
billions across the world watched Diana, Princess of Wales’s
funeral on 6 September 1997. This made it one of the biggest
televised events in history. [getty…
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…
On a hot summer day in 1543, a young
widow married an ageing and much wed king in a ceremony that took
many by surprise. By the time Katherine Parr said ‘I do’ to Henry
VIII in the Queen’s Closet at Hampton Court Palace on July
12th 1543, his five previous unions and attitude towards
marital harmony were such that continental contenders to be consort
of England were all but running in the…
The unhappy royal love story which led to the imprisonment of the Princes in the Tower
4th September 2023
Richard III was declared King of England
on June 26th 1483 – thanks to a royal romance which had all but
been forgotten. 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…
He created some of the most famous royal
looks of the 20th century and he’s still producing talked about
style picks. Sir Norman Hartnell was already a sought after wedding
dress designer when he was first commissioned to produce a bridal
outfit by the House of Windsor.
The odds were not in William’s favour
when the newborn son of the Prince and Princess of Wales was born
on 21 June 1982. In fact, the bookmakers predicted that the future
king’s name would be George, or James, or Charles, or Philip, or
Louis, but the bookmakers did not predict that William would be the
child’s name. A week later, Buckingham Palace announced that the
future king was to be…
The steel of Sweden: how the consort and heir of King Carl Gustaf changed the royal image with help from history
2nd September 2023
The Swedish Royal Family has a knack for
jewellery, and that’s especially true of their steel tiaras. There
are two steel cut tiaras in their vault: the Steel Cut Tiara and
the Steel Cut Bandeau. The Cut Steel Tiara dates back to Queen
Hortense of Holland’s time—she…
Within the walls of one of England’s most
picturesque castles, a queen gave birth to her only child and set
in motion a chain of events that would become one of Tudor
England’s most intriguing mysteries. The birth had been much
anticipated and much talked about. The…
Emeralds are among the most striking gems
found in any collection and they feature in some of the best known
royal tiaras in Europe. And the Emerald Parure Tiara, owned by the
Dutch Royal Family, has a truly fascinating history. [getty
src=”1149595458″ width=”594″ height=”396″ tld=”ca”] Queen Emma
ordered this tiara from the jewellers Schürmann in 1899 – she
wanted a…
