The relationship of Henry VIII to the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth of York, raises possible interesting psychological theories about his behaviour towards the six women he later married. These are fascinating to suggest, but will only ever remain speculative, especially because on this subject, the King himself was silent. Although his mother died when Henry was just a child, the death of…
Like other small and private buildings that exist in the grounds of Queen Victoria’s residences, such as the Garden Cottage at Balmoral, each is unique, enabling us to gain a personal glimpse into the Queen’s domestic world, her daily pursuits and interests. Another such…
A chance glance upon an entry in an exhibition catalogue from 2004 immediately attracted my interest because it related to samples of wallpaper for the Alexander Palace, the private residence of Tsar Nicholas II and his family, in Tsarskoe Selo. I knew the last Tsarina had…
White Lodge is a former royal residence, situated deep within Richmond Park. But its location can momentarily confuse. Richmond Palace was, of course, one of the most important palaces of the Tudor dynasty and is consequently far better known; although the building was not within Richmond Park itself, nor even adjacent to it, being roughly a mile away.
Richmond Palace was rebuilt by Henry VII on…
The newest member of the House of Windsor is here and the new son of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge has arrived on a day with plenty of royal history attached to it. As we all celebrate the new royal baby, here’s a look at the royal story of April 23rd.
It’s…
It’s suddenly rising up the bookies’ lists and now we know that Baby Cambridge is a boy, the name James is getting a lot of love as a possible pick for the House of Windsor’s newest prince. Of course it’s got family credentials. The Earl and Countess of Wessex…
In the grounds of Balmoral Castle is a building touching in its simplicity. Called the Garden Cottage, it was built in the grounds at Balmoral and used by Queen Victoria and her family. In addition to the rooms of the private wings occupied by the Queen and Royal Family at Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle, the smaller residences of Balmoral Castle and Osborne House were private houses as…
At Osborne House, the beloved family retreat of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert on the Isle of Wight, is a private beach, unlike any other in British history. It is a royal beach, reserved solely for the use of Queen Victoria, Prince Albert and their family. English…
Your challenge, should you choose to accept it, is to find a royal who isn’t called Albert or Victoria. OK, slightly OTT, but the fact is that two of the hot favourite names for Royal Baby Cambridge number three are as close as you can get to ubiquitous in royal circles.
If you think royal baby fever is a new thing, think again. Back on April 21st 1926, when the Queen was born, there was plenty of excitement over the arrival of a new princess who – at the time – was several steps removed from the Crown and never expected to rule. No matter, as the papers of the time reported, this royal birth was a major event and those things we think peculiar to our own time…
