Charles II, the Merry Monarch, had several different mistresses. However, one of these mistresses stands out from the rest for several reasons- Barbara Villiers. John Evelyn pronounced her the “curse of the nation”, and she would hold sway over the Restoration court for decades, exerting huge influence on the king.
Barbara Villiers was born in St. Margaret’s, Westminster on 27 November…
Arabella Churchill - mistress and ancestress of popular royal
16th August 2021
King James II tends to be largely ignored. Following his brother’s long Restoration reign and removal during the Glorious Revolution for his Protestant daughter and son-in-law, his reign can feel like a footnote in a lot of discussions. And unfortunately, those in his life…
Taking a look at the christenings of Crown Princess Victoria, Prince Carl Philip and Princess Madeleine
12th August 2021
With the christening of Prince Julian of Sweden, on 14 August, we are taking a look back at the christenings of his father and his aunts.
Crown Princess Victoria Ingrid Alice Désirée, Duchess of Västergötland, was born on 14 July 1977 to King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen…
All big royal events have symbolism attached to them and when Prince Julian of Sweden is baptised, on August 13, 2021, at the Royal Chapel at Drottningholm Palace, he will find himself wrapped in one of his family’s best-known traditions. The little royal, youngest child of Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia, will be christened wearing the gown that has been used by Bernadotte babies for over…
Diane de Poitiers - the older mistress as an unofficial adviser
10th August 2021
There have been countless French royal mistresses throughout the centuries, but some are better known than others. Diane de Poitiers was brought back into the spotlight in teen drama Reign in 2013 but has largely been forgotten in favour of later mistresses. This…
On 29 July, the Royal Palace of Vrana was finally given to deposed Tsar Simeon II of Bulgaria by the Sofia Court of Appeals, ending a more than ten year legal battle between the Bulgarian Royal Family and the Bulgarian government. According to The International Monarchist…
Fire threat to Greece's Tatoi Palace recedes as winds alter course of devastating blazes
6th August 2021
Greece has in recent weeks been ravaged by major forest fires because of a heat wave. In recent days, the flames have moved ever closer to the Greek royal palace of Tatoi. On August 4th 2021, the fire was so close that the Greek Minister of Culture, along with Prince Nikolaos of Greece, travelled to the palace to follow the situation from there.
On August 5th 2021, the fire moved dangerously…
As 1922 got under way, newspapers began to run excited articles about a royal wedding. The only daughter of King George V and Queen Mary was about to say ‘I do’ and every moment of her marriage ceremony was up for scrutiny. Princess Mary’s wedding dress…
The first famous Windsor woman to be born on August 4th lived most of her adult life in the spotlight and yet one very basic detail of her story is shrouded in mystery. For no one is really sure exactly where Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother was born. And no one did more to…
On top of a small hill in southern Italy is a completely unique building with a long royal history. Castel del Monte, Italian for “Castle of the Mountain,” is a 13th-century citadel situated by the village of Andria.
The history of this unique building started in the 1240s when King Frederick II inherited the lands from his mother Constance of Sicily. Frederick II was King of Sicily…
