For centuries prior to the Union of
England and Scotland in 1603, there was a bitter rivalry between
the two countries. King Edward, I of England in particular,
despised the Scots and sought to rule over them, earning himself
the nickname ‘Hammer of the Scots’. It was during his reign that
the First War of Scottish Independence began, resulting in some
battles between the English and the…
For a princess who claimed a bit of a
royal first at the baptismal font, it’s perhaps not surprising that
Patricia of Connaught – known for most of her adult life as Lady
Patricia Ramsey – ended up changing plenty of regal rules on her
way. The little girl who was…
King Richard III brings extra visitors to Leicester on the first Bosworth anniversary since his reinterment
21st August 2015
For years, August 22nd was the one time
in the year when the focus really fell on Richard III. The last
king of the House of York lost his throne and his life on that date
when he lost the Battle of Bosworth to the first Tudor monarch,
Henry VII. And for the long time when…
The White Rose of York and the Red Rose
of Lancaster had been in battle for the throne of England for quite
some time. At the time of the Battle of Tewkesbury the Yorkists
were being led by Edward of York, or Edward IV and the
Lancastrians were being led by Margaret of Anjou, in name of her
husband Henry VI and her son, Edward of Westminster. The conflict
began when Henry Bolingbroke (Henry IV)…
Abigail Masham was the Daughter of
Francis Hill and through relatives, she already had a very close
connection to the court of Queen Anne. Abigail’s Mother was the
former Elizabeth Jennings, aunt to Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough,
her second cousin was Robert Harley, Tory…
The stories of Queen Victoria’s granddaughters: Princess Beatrice of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
20th August 2015
Princess Beatrice was born Beatrice
Leopoldine Victoria on 20 April 1884 at Eastwell Park in Kent. She
was the youngest child of Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh and Duke
of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of
Russia. Her father was the second son…
The Stuart Court was a very lively place
with Music and Masques being the main form of entertainment and
during the reign of King Charles I and his Queen, Henrietta Maria,
music, poetry, drama and painting flourished at their cultured
court. The Court of King Charles I and Henrietta Maria was very
cultured. Masques were the greatest of court
spectacles, and combined music with dancing, poetry…
In our present series on Royal Central,
we are looking back at the women who were granddaughters of Queen
Victoria. In some ways, their diverse and often surprising lives
are the legacies of the great queen. A queen whose reign as longest
reigning monarch in British history…
Being Queen of Spain isn’t the easiest
royal role around. Ask the two women who currently hold that title
– neither Sofia of Greece nor Letizia Ortiz have enjoyed totally
smooth sailing. And a century ago, the woman who reigned as Spanish
consort had more than her fair…
Everybody will remember the magnitude of
celebrations commemorating the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth
II in 2012. From the River Thames pageant to the concert outside
Buckingham Palace and especially the extended Bank Holiday weekend.
Let’s not forget though that The Queen’s great-great-grandmother,
Queen Victoria, was also a Monarch, who celebrated 60 years on the
throne, and though…
