Queen Victoria’s accession began with a staircase. Fascinating to consider is the fact that this very staircase survives at Kensington Palace and may be seen today. A staircase had also played a part on another historic day in Victoria’s life, much later. On 10 October 1839, the young Queen stood at the top of the staircase at Windsor Castle, at half-past seven in the evening, to receive her…
Hanging in the magnificent Waterloo Chamber at Windsor is the state portrait of King William IV in his Garter robes with the Garter and Bath collars, painted by Sir David Wilkie for the King in 1832, that parliamentary historic year of the Reform Act and also the year in…
The actor who plays George III in the hit music Hamilton has been invited into the Windsor Castle library to study documents on the King as academics aim to inspire others to educate themselves about the historical figure.
The Queen recently launched a project to open the…
For some, Queen Victoria remains etched into the popular memory as the monochrome royal widow, dressed in black for the rest of her life, a black occasionally relieved by the enormous white handkerchiefs which she often took around with her, or the little lace cap, that became in a different way, a symbol of her mourning. This, of course, is true. It is an image the Queen firmly cultivated. But it…
The wooden dolls of the future Queen Victoria have long been the subject of fascination. Perhaps this is because we are fascinated by something so strongly associated with the childhood of that Queen who to a large extent, still remains in the historical imagination as…
Part of the Battle of Bosworth site to be built on by developers
26th September 2018
It’s where Richard of York gave battle in vain, the place where English history changed forever. But now the site of Battle of Bosworth is facing changes of its own after local councillors gave the go ahead for a vehicle test track to be constructed in the…
The period of Henry VIII is synonymous with grandeur, elegant fashion and over the top celebrations. Whether on progress or the war front, a sense of opulent renaissance followed this Tudor monarch. Temporary lodgings were always created that consisted of multiple chambers, including great halls, all furnished with sumptuous tapestries. These demonstrations of wealth and power were essential in…
It’s a striking example of royal PR at its most dramatic and most powerful, and it’s about to go on public display in England for the first time. The artwork, a tapestry showing St Paul ordering the burning of heretical books, was commissioned by King Henry VIII in the…
In the latest instalment of our autumn series, looking at what led to the fall of various monarchies throughout history, Royal Central looks at the end of the monarchy in Portugal.
On a chilly February day in 1908, the King of Portugal and his family were making their way…
Who was Empress Dowager Cixi - one of the most powerful women in China's history?
17th September 2018
The Qing dynasty was the last imperial dynasty to rule China, collapsing in 1912 amid rising social and political instability. Ruling for almost three hundred years, the Qing dynasty was one of the largest empires in the world, trebling the amount of land under China’s control. After its fall, modern-day China was established by Sun Yat-sen. While Sun Yat-sen gets all of the credit for being…
