British RoyalsEuropean RoyalsHistoryQueen Elizabeth IISpainThe Netherlands

The Queen invests King Felipe and King Willem-Alexander as Supernumerary Knights of the Order of the Garter

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17th June 2019
The King of Spain and the King of the Netherlands have been invested as supernumerary Knights of the Garter by the Queen at Windsor Castle. Their official welcome to the ancient Order of the Garter came just ahead of the traditional procession and service at St. George’s Chapel. King Felipe VI of Spain was made a Knight during his State Visit to the United Kingdom in the summer of 2017. King…
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History

Queen Victoria's memorials to her dogs

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17th June 2019
Queen Victoria’s love for her dogs was lavishly recorded in paint and sculpture and not least, in her sketches and words. Lord Melbourne, the Queen’s Prime Minister, once commented dryly: ‘You’ll be smothered with dogs‘. The Queen’s characteristic…
HistoryRoyal WeddingsSweden

Royal Weddings: Prince Carl Philip and Sofia Hellqvist

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13th June 2019
When the news broke that Prince Carl Philip of Sweden was dating former reality show participant and model Sofia Hellqvist, a flood of criticism followed. Many doubted that this most unlikely romance would be sealed by marriage. Today, Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia celebrate four years of marriage. In the summer of 2009, Prince Carl Philip met Sofia Hellqvist through mutual friends at a…
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History

'For my darling Nicky': A gift for the Tsarevich

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12th June 2019
On 29 May 1894, Tsarevich Nicholas of Russia wrote to his mother, Empress Marie Feodorovna, that he could see the sea from the room in which he was writing, in the imperial palace of Peterhof and that he had ‘such a longing for the yacht and want to fly there to join my…
History

Imperial Operetta: Princess Alix of Hesse and Tsarevich Nicholas of Russia

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11th June 2019
During the time they were at Coburg, Princess Alix of Hesse and Tsarevich Nicholas of Russia became engaged, a date they would treasure for the rest of their lives – 8 April 1894. Whilst they were in Coburg, visited the theatre and saw an operetta of which they would become affectionately fond, Carl Zeller’s popular piece in three acts, Der Vogelhändler [The Birdseller]. Both recorded…
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State & Ceremonial

William & Kate's housekeeper is named in The Queen's Birthday Honours

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8th June 2019
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s housekeeper is among those named in The Queen’s Birthday Honours recognising her personal services to the monarch. Antonella Fresolone, who looks after the Cambridge Family’s domestic arrangements at Kensington Palace, has been awarded an Honorary Royal Victorian Medal. Unlike most honours in the list, Royal Victorian Orders (RVOs) are awarded…
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