State & Ceremonial

Queen's workload continues to drop as royal engagement figures are released

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31st December 2013
The Times has published its annual letter from Tim O’Donovan detailing the number of engagements undertaken by members of the Royal Family in the past year.In his annual survey of the Royal Family’s engagements, Mr O’Donovan noted, “After the busy Diamond Jubilee year it is not surprising that members of the Royal Family carried out fewer official duties in…
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History

William III - The Invader King

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28th December 2013
On this day in 1688, the Dutch Stateholder William III of Orange made a triumphant march into London ending the reign of King James II. In what history has since coined the “Glorious Revolution” William of Orange invaded England on the 5th of November 1688. It would…
State & Ceremonial

Royal Family set for series of overseas engagements

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26th December 2013
Members of the Royal Family including The Earl and Countess of Wessex, Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and the Princess Royal are set for several weeks of overseas engagements between them towards the end of January and into February as the Royal Family return from their festive break early next year. The Countess of Wessex will travel to France in early February. The Earl of Wessex is the first to…
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History

Judith of Francia: Twice Queen of Wessex

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20th December 2013
Anglo-Saxon queens receive very little attention, with it commonly believed that there were no pre-Conquest queens in England. Such an assertion is patently untrue, as the lives of early queens, such as Elfrida, Emma of Normandy and Edith Godwin show. All three of these women lived late in the Anglo-Saxon period. A century before the first of these three women became queen, another woman – in…
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History

Monarchy Rules: A look at Empress Matilda

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2nd December 2013
On 25 November 1120 the White Ship sank off the coast of Normandy not long after it set out for England. The ship, which was fast and well-built, went down quickly, with only two survivors. Unfortunately, William, the sole legitimate son of King Henry I was not one of…
State & Ceremonial

Queen sends her 'thoughts and prayers' to Glasgow helicopter crash victims

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30th November 2013
The Queen has sent a message of support to the victims of the Glasgow police helicopter crash. A police helicopter carrying three people crashed into a pub in the city centre on Friday evening, killing those on board and five inside the pub. Scottish police confirmed a further 14 people are being treated for “very serious injuries” in several hospitals across Glasgow.The 87-year-old…
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