On 6 July 1893, another royal wedding was celebrated at the Chapel Royal, St. James’s Palace, between Prince George of Wales – created Duke of York in 1892 – and Princess Mary of Teck, the future George V and Queen Mary. Princess Mary of Teck had been betrothed in December 1891 to Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale, eldest son of the Prince and Princess of Wales, who had…
Ahead of Princess Alexandra’s upcoming visit to Kew Gardens, we’re taking a look back at its history and the story of Princess Augusta’s involvement in the 18th century.
Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg married George II’s son, Frederick…
As Prince Albert reprimanded his second daughter, Princess Alice, for telling her eldest sister the Crown Princess, that their father’s illness had worsened, he said sadly (but correctly): ‘You did wrong. You should have told her I am dying’. The Prince’s fatalism…
Henry I of England was the son of William the Conqueror and reigned from 1100 to 1135. Henry had two legitimate children with his first wife Matilda of Scotland: Matilda and William. Sadly Henry’s heir William died at sea leaving Matilda as Henry’s chosen heir. This decision was very unusual for the time and led to decades of civil war upon Henry’s death after his nephew, Stephen seized the…
Illegitimate children are not uncommon in royal families, especially in past centuries. Marriages were used for dynastic and political reasons and not for love. However, the children of George III were rather well-known for their illegitimate children. William IV and Mrs…
In August 1856, Christiania received an exceptionally grand visit. Seven royals from three royal houses, one Imperial house and a princely house were gathered in Norway’s capital that summer. One of them was Napoleon, although it wasn’t the Napoleon most of us…
By October 1764 the Mozarts had once more been at court, having been received at the Queen’s House in May as Leopold Mozart wrote ‘within 5 days of arriving’. The young Wolfgang played before George III and even accompanied Queen Charlotte, who sang an aria.
In addition to this, the Mozart children gave public concerts. Leopold Mozart arranged for his children to be advertised in the…
The Illegitimate Royals: Eleanor Butler, the woman who almost brought down the Tudors
22nd July 2019
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 woman who helped change the royal history of England forever and almost brought one of its most famous dynasties to disaster…
Having given several royal performances before George III and Queen Charlotte, the boy Mozart’s sonatas for keyboard and violin K10-15 were engraved before the end of 1764, dedicated to the musical Queen: ‘Six Sonates pour le clavecin que peuvent se jouer avec…
They’ve claimed crowns, founded dynasties and shaped royal history but much of it has been done against the odds. For those born outside of royal marriage were often seen as also rans until they stormed the castles their parents called home.
For centuries, royal families have relied on legitimate heirs. In centuries past, when being born outside of wedlock was frowned on and led to shaming…
