Among Europe’s royal families, the Swedish Royal Family owns one of the the most impressive jewelry collections. The Leuchtenberg sapphire and diamond parure in particular goes back to early 19th century and is said to have been a wedding gift from Napoleon Bonaparte to Princess Augusta of Bavaria, his stepson’s bride.
Josephine of Leuchtenberg—Augusta’s daughter—brought it with her…
Charles II, the Merry Monarch, had several different mistresses. However, one of these mistresses stands out from the rest for several reasons- Barbara Villiers. John Evelyn pronounced her the “curse of the nation”, and she would hold sway over the Restoration court for…
Arabella Churchill - mistress and ancestress of popular royal
16th August 2021
King James II tends to be largely ignored. Following his brother’s long Restoration reign and removal during the Glorious Revolution for his Protestant daughter and son-in-law, his reign can feel like a footnote in a lot of discussions. And unfortunately, those in his life…
Taking a look at the christenings of Crown Princess Victoria, Prince Carl Philip and Princess Madeleine
12th August 2021
With the christening of Prince Julian of Sweden, on 14 August, we are taking a look back at the christenings of his father and his aunts.
Crown Princess Victoria Ingrid Alice Désirée, Duchess of Västergötland, was born on 14 July 1977 to King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden. She was christened on 23 September 1977 in the Royal Chapel of the Royal Palace in Stockholm. Back in…
All big royal events have symbolism attached to them and when Prince Julian of Sweden is baptised, on August 13, 2021, at the Royal Chapel at Drottningholm Palace, he will find himself wrapped in one of his family’s best-known traditions. The little royal, youngest child…
Diane de Poitiers - the older mistress as an unofficial adviser
10th August 2021
There have been countless French royal mistresses throughout the centuries, but some are better known than others. Diane de Poitiers was brought back into the spotlight in teen drama Reign in 2013 but has largely been forgotten in favour of later mistresses. This…
As 1922 got under way, newspapers began to run excited articles about a royal wedding. The only daughter of King George V and Queen Mary was about to say ‘I do’ and every moment of her marriage ceremony was up for scrutiny. Princess Mary’s wedding dress, choice of venue and honeymoon destination were pored over even if actual details were hard to come by (sound familiar?) but one…
The first famous Windsor woman to be born on August 4th lived most of her adult life in the spotlight and yet one very basic detail of her story is shrouded in mystery. For no one is really sure exactly where Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother was born. And no one did more to…
On top of a small hill in southern Italy is a completely unique building with a long royal history. Castel del Monte, Italian for “Castle of the Mountain,” is a 13th-century citadel situated by the village of Andria.
The history of this unique building started…
For the last millennium, royal mistresses have played a substantial role at court – given that most royals were not allowed to marry for love and instead served as strategic national alliances. So it makes sense that in many marriages, one or both partners would look elsewhere for their romantic relationships, and Charles II was no exception. He had at least seven different mistresses…
