British RoyalsHistoryInterestsPalaces & BuildingsPrince PhilipQueen Elizabeth IIState & Ceremonial

Royal funerals in Westminster Abbey: history with a big hiatus

By
17th September 2022
Queen Elizabeth II will be the first monarch to have her funeral held at Westminster Abbey since 1760.  All sovereigns after that date have received their last salute at St George’s Chapel, in Windsor, due to logistic challenges: the Royal Vaults in the Abbey are entirely full, and therefore royal burials are now in the Royal Vault under the Windsor chapel.  However, for a remarkable…
Read more
FeaturesHistoryPalaces & Buildings

The last monarch to have a funeral at Westminster Abbey: King George II

By
15th September 2022
In just days, the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II will take place at Westminster Abbey in London. It’s been centuries since a monarch had a funeral at the Abbey. The last one was King George II in 1760. The funeral of King George II took place on 13 November 1760. Horace Walpole, the son of Sir Robert Walpole, England’s first and longest-serving prime minister wrote an account of the…
Read more
HistoryQueen Elizabeth II

Back to School with The Queen

By
30th August 2022
The Queen has broken many records in her lifetime but one less known is that she and her sister, Princess Margaret, were the last to be educated by private tutors from home. Up to the age of seven, Princess Elizabeth was educated by her mother in reading and…
British RoyalsHistoryInterestsKing Charles III

Jane Austen's royal fans through the ages

By
6th April 2022
Today the Duchess of Cornwall will be visiting Jane Austen’s House Museum in Chawton. The beloved English author spent the last eight years of her life in the cottage before her death in Winchester 1817. Austen is a rare author who still remains a favourite choice amongst royal readers over two centuries later. King George IV While George was the Prince Regent, he immediately…
Read more
HistoryPalaces & Buildings

A quick guide to Windsor Castle

By
17th March 2022
Windsor Castle was founded almost 1,000 years ago by William the Conquerer and has since been occupied by a staggering 39 monarchs. Her Majesty The Queen has chosen to make this her permanent residence in recent years. This beautiful castle is the oldest and largest…
British RoyalsHistoryInterestsPalaces & BuildingsQueen Elizabeth II

The Tower of London's Platinum Jubilee preparations take root as the big day approaches

By
4th February 2022
The Tower of London is undergoing some serious changes ahead of The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June, with landscaping work underway. Historic Royal Palaces will be making permanent changes to the moat at the Tower of London. “Superbloom” will see over 20 million wildflower seeds sown in the moat to create a spectacular display of flowers in the heart of…
Read more