This year it is 200 years since Carl XIV
Johan became king of both Norway and Sweden. But who was he? King
Carl Johan (1763-1818-1844), originally Jean Baptiste Bernadotte,
was born in the south of France and became a soldier at
17-years-old. During the French Revolution, he had a sparkling
military career and was appointed in 1804 to Marshal of France in
connection with the coronation of Napoleon…
In an interview for her 40th birthday in
2016, Princess Marie of Denmark said: “I had a great life – I
didn’t need to be rescued by some Prince from Denmark.” Marie
Agathe Odile Cavallier was born on 6 February 1976 in Paris,
France. She is the only child of Alain…
‘You are entering a consecrated building,
the burial place of a Queen and her Consort. Please be as quiet as
possible’. These respectful words are what greeted any visitor
before they entered the Royal Mausoleum of Queen Victoria and
Prince Albert, at Frogmore in Windsor…
The royal order of the Norwegian Lion was
a Norwegian and Swedish royal order that was instituted by King
Oscar II on 21 January 1904. It had the King as the Grandmaster,
and the order consisted of only one degree, similar to the Order of
the Garter. The intention was that the Norwegian Lion should be a
“sovereign knight order” equivalent to the Swedish Seraphim Order
and the Danish Elephant…
On a summer’s day in 1818, a young German
princess walked into one of the most famous hotels in London to
meet a man twice her age. Just a year earlier, Adelaide of
Saxe-Meiningen and her suitor, William, Duke of Clarence, would
never have considered chatting let alone…
The Duchess of Cambridge is well-known
across the world for her iconic style, whether it’s a glamourous
dress on a red carpet or a cosy winter coat. I take a look back at
some of her most iconic style moments, from her stunning wedding
dress to the outfits she wore whilst…
Two of The Royal Family’s most senior
aides are leaving their jobs it has been announced. Director of
Royal Communications Sally Osman and The Queen’s Media
Secretary, Steve Kingstone, are leaving palace life for pastures
new. Ms Osman was appointed to the role of Communications Secretary
for the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall in 2013 after a
successful career in the media. Before…
On July 6th 1893, London woke to a
blazing hot morning after two days of rain. The streets were decked
with flowers and large crowds were already settled on the pavements
and lampposts as dawn broke. They had come for the royal wedding of
George, Duke of York, second in line…
Sophie Helen Rhys-Jones was born on 20
January 1965 as the youngest child and only daughter
of Christopher Bournes Rhys-Jones and the late Mary O’Sullivan
at the Radcliffe Infirmary, Oxford. She has an elder brother,
David. One of her godparents was the late actor Thane…
She’s the future queen consort, a mother
of three – including a future king – and one of the most famous
women in the world. But back in 1982, the future Duchess of
Cambridge was just another baby in the nursery at Royal Berkshire
Hospital. Catherine Elizabeth Middleton was born in Reading,
England, on 9 January 1982, the first child of Carole and Michael
Middleton. A baby sister, Philippa…
