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, Tory Minister and First Lord
of the Treasury. When Abigail married Samuel Masham, these
connections were further enhanced, she…
The stories of Queen Victoria’s granddaughters: Princess Beatrice of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
20th August 2015
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…
The Stuart Court was a very lively place
with Music and Masques being the main form of entertainment and
during the reign of King Charles I and his Queen, Henrietta Maria,
music, poetry, drama and painting flourished at their cultured
court. The Court of King Charles I and…
In our present series on Royal Central,
we are looking back at the women who were granddaughters of Queen
Victoria. In some ways, their diverse and often surprising lives
are the legacies of the great queen. A queen whose reign as longest
reigning monarch in British history is about to end as her record
is broken by another of her female descendants, our own Queen. But
Victoria had some very…
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…
Everybody will remember the magnitude of
celebrations commemorating the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth
II in 2012. From the River Thames pageant to the concert outside
Buckingham Palace and especially the extended Bank Holiday weekend.
Let’s not forget though that…
On this day in 1786 a baby girl was born
to a German noble and his wife. They weren’t the wealthiest of
families and already had a large family to look after. But they
were ambitious and determined and their daughter inherited those
traits. For that baby would grow up to have a very famous daughter
indeed – here are eight things to know about the woman who gave the
world Queen Victoria. 1. She…
Today you may not have to worry about the
hazards of being married to a King, but it wasn’t always that way.
King Henry VIII’s wives suffered fates that would far outweigh the
perks of being Queen! Here is a guide of each of six wives and
their unfortunate…
When you think of royal castle’s, what is
the first thing that comes to mind? Windsor Castle? Warwick Castle?
Balmoral Castle? One is sure that when you think of a royal castle,
Kenilworth Castle isn’t the first that springs to mind however this
Warwickshire…
There are records of a Frost Fair on the
River Thames dating back to as early as the Winter of 1607 though
they really became a popular event as the 17th century was drawing
to an end. Though just what is a Frost Fair I hear you ask? Well
they are exactly what they sound like, a fair held on top of a
frozen River Thames and for over 200 years, they became the place
to be for the residents of a…
