But for the moving memorial that Queen
Victoria erected to her and for a letter in which this is
described, the name of Ida Bonanomi might have been completely
forgotten in historical terms. Thanks to these, this is not the
case. It can be found in Edinburgh’s Rosebank Cemetery and stands
in the avenue containing the grandest of the monuments, itself an
impressive example of mid-Victorian…
Millions are watching as efforts continue
to save Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris which continues to burn after
a huge fire broke out in the roof in the early evening of April
15th 2019. Messages of support for France are pouring in from
around the world. And among those…
A race against time and flames to save
the priceless artwork of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris has begun
after it caught fire on the late afternoon of April 15th 2019.
Fortunately, it appears that no one has been hurt in the blaze
which engulfed the top part of the church as…
An exquisite gold, sapphire and diamond
brooch crafted in St Petersburg was consigned to auction in October
2018. I had first encountered it as a personal gift from Tsarina
Alexandra Feodorovna (1872-1918) to the friend of her youth, Marion
Louisa ‘Pollie’ Delmé-Radcliffe, Baroness Ungern-Sternberg whose
touching connection I explored in a short article for my Royal
Central blog back in…
After three years of extensive
renovations, Marie Antoinette’s elaborate apartments will reopen to
visitors at the Palace of Versailles. The public can tour The
Queen’s Bedchamber, The Nobles’ Room, The Royal Table Antechamber,
and The Queens’ Guard…
It’s the biggest royal anniversary of the
year and it’s almost upon us. May 24th 2019 marks two centuries
since the birth of Queen Victoria, a monarch so influential, she
gave her name to an era. And as part of our Victoria series on
Royal Central, we’ve…
In a recent life of Queen Victoria, (A.
N. Wilson, Victoria: A Life, 2014) I stumbled across an
illustration of one of the famous group photographs taken behind
the Palais Edinburg in Coburg, showing Queen Victoria surrounded by
a whole host of contemporary royalty – mostly members of her own
family through blood or marriage, including five of her children
and numerous grandchildren –…
The Queen has been pleased to formally
approve the appointment of Sarah Davies as the new Clerk Assistant
in the House of Commons. Ms Davies will become the first woman to
permanently hold the position in the role’s 400-year history and
will begin her new job later…
Aged sixteen, Princess Victoria made a
pencil sketch of herself. Knowing the vividness of the watercolours
that she made for her sketchbook and the skilled drawings she made
during this time of other important figures in her youth, it is
fascinating that she chose to apply…
Frogmore House, royal residence and regal
wedding venue of choice for the Windsors, is throwing open its
doors to visitors. The famous building at Windsor will be open for
three charity days at the end of May this year. The visits are part
of the annual charity garden open days. This year they fall on May
28th, 29th and 30th and support three different organisations – the
National Garden…
