‘Though I stood for the ninth time near a
child and for the fifth time near a daughter, at the altar, I think
I never felt more deeply than I did on this occasion… When the
blessing had been given, I tenderly embraced my darling “Baby” ‘
(op. cit, Christopher Hibbert, Queen Victoria: A Personal History,
Pg 412, 2000). With this words, Queen Victoria described the
wedding day of her…
Close to Balmoral Castle is a small
church, which is – almost – unique. With the exceptions of St
Mildred’s Church, Whippingham – where Queen Victoria’s family would
sometimes worship when in residence at Osborne and where the
marriage of her daughter…
The Queen has formally opened the
Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting at the ballroom of
Buckingham Palace with members of her family and 53 world leaders
in attendance. Her Majesty, who turns 92-years-old in a few days
time, talked about the importance of stability and…
Whilst musical talent in the eighteenth
century was judged to be an appropriate feminine accomplishment,
Marie Antoinette’s personal relationship with music was a special
one, which reached far beyond mere natural inclination. Music
proved to be in many ways, perpetually present, like a main
character in her life story, giving parallel to key events or
lending them at least, poignant expression.
The site of Christchurch Greyfriars, is a
strange, haunting place, redolent of history. It is now a ruined,
public garden and a popular place for Londoners to take their
sandwiches for lunch. Long gone is the atmosphere of bells and
prayer from the Middle Ages; although in…
The country estate of Eastwell Park, in
the parish of Eastwell, near Boughton Lees, Ashford in Kent, is not
perhaps a name which immediately comes to mind when thinking of a
one-time royal residence. It was, however, the Kent home of Prince
Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh and his…
Within the historical collections of the
Royal Armoury [Livrustkammeran] in Stockholm are preserved some
astonishing examples of Swedish royal wedding dresses. Some are in
the forms of fully preserved dresses, others sections from the
same, such as trains or loosely attachable pieces of the robe de
cour,such as the corset. Whilst many are within the collections but
mostly not exhibited for…
In 1874, Queen Victoria’s second son,
Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh got married. In great contrast,
however, to the weddings of his other siblings, he did not marry in
Great Britain, but instead, in Russia. The marriages of his
brothers all took place at St George’s…
Queen Victoria’s love of orange blossom
properly began with her wedding to Prince Albert in 1840; however,
this marked only the start of what would be an enduring association
within the Royal Family, and not just for weddings. Orange blossom
is, of course, traditionally…
After a long winter in Norway with a lot
of snow, it is finally spring again in the castle park around the
palace in Oslo. All the flowers have not yet come out of their
winter sleep, but gardeners and workers at the royal court and the
royal gardening-team are in the process of transforming the castle
park into Oslo’s most beautiful park. The trails are restored after
a hard winter. Photo…
