History

The stories of Queen Victoria's granddaughters: Princess Helena Victoria

Princess Helena Victoria, known as Thora, loved tennis and golf We’re used to seeing the Duke of Kent at Wimbledon and in recent years, the Duchess of Cambridge has become a regular supporter of the tennis played at the All England Club. But rewind nine decades and another royal was a familiar face there. A princess known to her family as Thora regularly cropped up on the Pathe newsreels of the…
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History

A Window into War: The Battle of Falkirk

For centuries prior to the Union of England and Scotland in 1603, there was a bitter rivalry between the two countries. King Edward, I of England in particular, despised the Scots and sought to rule over them, earning himself the nickname ‘Hammer of the Scots’.
History

King Richard III brings extra visitors to Leicester on the first Bosworth anniversary since his reinterment

For years, August 22nd was the one time in the year when the focus really fell on Richard III. The last king of the House of York lost his throne and his life on that date when he lost the Battle of Bosworth to the first Tudor monarch, Henry VII. And for the long time when Richard’s burial place was lost, the end of his story was remembered on the anniversary of Bosworth. But all that has…
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History

Stories of the Stuarts: Abigail Masham

Abigail Masham was the Daughter of Francis Hill and through relatives, she already had a very close connection to the court of Queen Anne. Abigail’s Mother was the former Elizabeth Jennings, aunt to Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough, her second cousin was Robert Harley…
History

The stories of Queen Victoria’s granddaughters: Princess Beatrice of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

Princess Beatrice was born Beatrice Leopoldine Victoria on 20 April 1884 at Eastwell Park in Kent. She was the youngest child of Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh and Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia. Her father was the second son of Queen Victoria and her mother the only daughter of Tsar Alexander II and Princess Marie of Hesse and by Rhine. Beatrice…
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FeaturesHistory

The stories of Queen Victoria's granddaughters: Victoria Eugenie, Queen of Spain

Being Queen of Spain isn’t the easiest royal role around. Ask the two women who currently hold that title – neither Sofia of Greece nor Letizia Ortiz have enjoyed totally smooth sailing. And a century ago, the woman who reigned as Spanish consort had more than her fair share of problems. She was Victoria Eugenie, known as Ena, and she was the youngest of the women who were granddaughters of…
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