Palaces & Buildings

The Queen's Guards play Aretha Franklin's Respect outside of Buckingham Palace in tribute to the Queen of Soul

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31st August 2018
The Queen’s Guards paid tribute to the Queen of Soul on Friday morning as Aretha Franklin’s 1967 hit was played outside of Buckingham Palace. The Grammy Award-winning tune was played by the Band of the Welsh Guards outside of Her Majesty’s London residence during the Changing of the Guard ceremony. At Changing of Guard at Buckingham Palace this morning, Respect paid to Aretha…
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FeaturesHistory

Who was Cleopatra?

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31st August 2018
Depicted by many a story and film presentation in years past and present, Cleopatra has represented the epitome of feminine beauty. Many ascertain her as an example to look up to when in need of advice to accomplish a well-maintained life of beauty and romance. But who…
FeaturesHistory

Royal dog letters

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30th August 2018
Frederick II, King ‘in’ Prussia, upon whom was bestowed the celebrated sobriquet of ‘the Great’ in his lifetime, was in his own words ‘a philosopher and want[ed] to be buried as such…” This was eventually carried out in 1991, in accordance with his wishes…
FeaturesHistoryNorwayRoyal Weddings

Royal Wedding Flowers: Queen Sonja of Norway

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29th August 2018
The marriage of Harald and Sonja of Norway on August 29th 1968 was a groundbreaking royal wedding. But the bride chose some very traditional blooms for her bouquet while the church where she said ‘I do’ was decked with popular flowers and foliage. As Sonja Haraldsen walked into Oslo Cathedral, she carried a bouquet of white flowers arranged in a simple design. Amongst her posy were freesias…
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British RoyalsFeaturesHistoryThe Kents

Fifty years on: The death of Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent

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27th August 2018
In the last days of August 1968, the Royal Family made a sad and surprising announcement. Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent’s health was ”giving rise to anxiety” following the diagnosis of an inoperable brain tumour. There was  sympathy for the duchess, a popular member of the House of Windsor for over three decades, and good wishes began to pour in. However, surprise turned to…
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FeaturesHistory

Queen Victoria's memoir

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23rd August 2018
Queen Victoria kept her journals from the year 1832 up until around two weeks before her death in 1901. Her voluminous correspondence is well known; indeed, it was averaged by the author Giles St Aubyn that the Queen wrote up to some 2,500 words per day (Christopher Hibbert…
FeaturesHistory

The children of the last Tsar of Russia

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20th August 2018
Caught forever in a moment of time, they are the tragic family whose terrible end in World War One still appals and fascinates today. The children of the last Tsar of Russia died alongside their parents in Yekaterinburg one hundred years ago this summer. And yet Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia and Alexei had lived most of their lives in imperial splendour. They had been born to Nicholas II, Tsar…
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