State & Ceremonial

Cheers in Parliament as Black Rod takes her place in the House of Lords for the first time

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21st February 2018
The new Lady Usher of the Black Rod, Sarah Clarke, has taken her place in the House of Lords for the first time. Miss Clarke, who is the first woman to hold the position of Black Rod, began her first day on the job this Tuesday following the end of Parliament’s February recess. There were cheers from the Lords as Black Rod was introduced to the chamber for the first time. A moment in…
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History

Rukidi IV of Toro: The Boy King

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13th February 2018
When most of us are three-years-old, we are in our front yard playing with our toys and neighbourhood kids and running around without a care in the world besides who’s going to win hide and seek. On 26 August 1995, Crown Prince Oyo Nyimba succeeded his father as the Omukama (King) of Toro. At only three and half years old, he became the 12th ruler of the 180-year-old kingdom in Uganda. Born…
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FeaturesHistory

Queen Victoria's Journals

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11th February 2018
On 1 August 1832, the thirteen-year-old Princess Victoria of Kent  made her first entry into her diary; it was a diary, as she described it on its title page, which had been given to her by her mother, the Duchess of Kent, at Kensington Palace the day before. Bound in red…
Queen Elizabeth IIState & Ceremonial

Today marks 66 years since The Queen took to the throne

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6th February 2018
The Queen is privately commemorating the death of her father, King George VI, whose untimely death occurred 66-years-ago to the day. There are no grand festivities or celebrations to mark the start of Her Majesty’s 66th year on the throne. Neither The Queen or the Duke of Edinburgh are scheduled to undertake any public engagements today, although she is still be working indoors receiving…
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FeaturesHistory

Taking a look at other royal pets and animals

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23rd January 2018
Animals given to royalty could, of course, become pets – but they could often be presented in the form of political gifts, adding therefore to the monarch’s personal sense of majestas. An example of this is the bay horse and three brood mares, sent to Henry VIII by Francesco Gonzaga, Marquis of Mantua in 1514. The personal prestige of the monarch was also flattered by the exotic nature of some…
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