‘Where is Pollie?’ (Lotte Hofmann-Kuhnt, Briefe der Zarin Alexandra von Russland an ihre Jugendfreundin Toni Becker-Bracht, 2009).
Princess Alix of Hesse paused to add these words, almost as an afterthought, to a letter to her close friend, Toni Becker-Bracht, from Balmoral, on 27 September 1892. With these words, Princess Alix most probably refers to her friend, Marion Louisa…
Depicted by many a story and film presentation in years past and present, Cleopatra has represented the epitome of feminine beauty. Many ascertain her as an example to look up to when in need of advice to accomplish a well-maintained life of beauty and romance. But who…
Frederick II, King ‘in’ Prussia, upon whom was bestowed the celebrated sobriquet of ‘the Great’ in his lifetime, was in his own words ‘a philosopher and want[ed] to be buried as such…” This was eventually carried out in 1991, in accordance with his wishes…
The marriage of Harald and Sonja of Norway on August 29th 1968 was a groundbreaking royal wedding. But the bride chose some very traditional blooms for her bouquet while the church where she said ‘I do’ was decked with popular flowers and foliage.
As Sonja Haraldsen walked into Oslo Cathedral, she carried a bouquet of white flowers arranged in a simple design. Amongst her posy were freesias…
This month, King Harald and Queen Sonja of Norway celebrate their golden wedding anniversary. The then Crown Prince of Norway married Sonja Haraldsen on 29 August1968 at Oslo Cathedral. Their wedding, attended by royalty from around Europe, came five months after the…
Today marks 50 years since then Crown Prince Harald married Sonja Haraldsen, and she became Crown Princess of Norway. The day will be celebrated today with a service in the same church as the wedding took place 50 years ago. However, you could not have a proper royal…
In the last days of August 1968, the Royal Family made a sad and surprising announcement. Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent’s health was ”giving rise to anxiety” following the diagnosis of an inoperable brain tumour. There was sympathy for the duchess, a popular member of the House of Windsor for over three decades, and good wishes began to pour in. However, surprise turned to…
Queen Victoria kept her journals from the year 1832 up until around two weeks before her death in 1901. Her voluminous correspondence is well known; indeed, it was averaged by the author Giles St Aubyn that the Queen wrote up to some 2,500 words per day (Christopher Hibbert…
‘Islay [a pet dog] is still plagued by him [Lord Melbourne] every evening—a thing which he much enjoys—and constantly begs for the spectacles. I forgot to tell you that Karl has given me a pretty little Rowley, who likewise lives in the house. The multitude of dogs is…
Caught forever in a moment of time, they are the tragic family whose terrible end in World War One still appals and fascinates today. The children of the last Tsar of Russia died alongside their parents in Yekaterinburg one hundred years ago this summer. And yet Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia and Alexei had lived most of their lives in imperial splendour.
They had been born to Nicholas II, Tsar…
