FeaturesHistory

Ella: The birth of Grand Duchess Elisabeth Feodorovna

‘Saw good Mrs Clark, returned from Darmstadt, who gave me an excellent account of Alice, the Baby & dear little Victoria’ (Quoted in Charlotte Zeepvat, From Cradle to Crown, 13). With these words, Queen Victoria recorded in her journal for 13 December 1864, that she had seen Mrs Clark, the nurse who had attended the confinement in Darmstadt of her second daughter, Alice, Princess Louis of…
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FeaturesHistory

Queen Victoria's Widow's Cap

The white caps worn by Queen Victoria have – correctly – come to be regarded as a symbol for her widowhood. They represent one of the few contrasts in colour to the deepest mourning that she adopted after 1861, as a declaration in textile, of the colossal emotional…
British RoyalsHistory

Princesses who married commoners: Princess Frederica of Hanover

Princess Frederica was born into the House of Hanover in 1848. Her parents were George, Crown Prince of Hanover and his wife, Princess Marie of Saxe-Altenberg. The Princess was also addressed as ‘Her Highness’ when in the United Kingdom due to her descent from King George III. In 1851, Frederica’s father became King George V of Hanover which made Frederica an eligible bride. When Frederica…
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FeaturesHistory

Remembering Alice, Duchess of Gloucester

She had been an integral part of the House of Windsor for almost seventy years; she was the oldest ever member of the Royal Family, and she had lived an adventure packed life that broke the regal mould in many ways. The death of Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, on…
FeaturesHistory

Behind the scenes at Frogmore: royal restoration work revealed

Details of the major restoration project being carried out at the final resting place of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert at Windsor have been revealed. It’s a rare chance to see behind the scenes at the Royal Mausoleum at Frogmore where the queen and her beloved consort were laid to rest. The Royal Mausoleum at Frogmore was built on swampy land (photo Royal Family Instagram) The work is needed…
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FeaturesHistory

No repairs to royal love monument before the spring

A rare medieval monument, built by a grieving king for his lost queen, won’t now be repaired until spring next year. The Eleanor Cross at Hardingstone in Northamptonshire will undergo restoration work from April 2019 but campaigners have raised concerns that that will be too long to stop more damage being done. The 13th century stone cross has been deteriorating for some time with chunks falling…
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