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…
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…
