On this day in 1786 a baby girl was born
to a German noble and his wife. They weren’t the wealthiest of
families and already had a large family to look after. But they
were ambitious and determined and their daughter inherited those
traits. For that baby would grow up to have a very famous daughter
indeed – here are eight things to know about the woman who gave the
world Queen Victoria. 1. She…
Monarchy Monday: The Wives of King Henry VIII
17th August 2015
Today you may not have to worry about the
hazards of being married to a King, but it wasn’t always that way.
King Henry VIII’s wives suffered fates that would far outweigh the
perks of being Queen! Here is a guide of each of six wives and
their unfortunate…
Kenilworth Castle: The forgotten royal fortress
14th August 2015
When you think of royal castle’s, what is
the first thing that comes to mind? Windsor Castle? Warwick Castle?
Balmoral Castle? One is sure that when you think of a royal castle,
Kenilworth Castle isn’t the first that springs to mind however this
Warwickshire fortress was…
Stories of the Stuarts: River Thames Frost Fairs
13th August 2015
There are records of a Frost Fair on the
River Thames dating back to as early as the Winter of 1607 though
they really became a popular event as the 17th century was drawing
to an end. Though just what is a Frost Fair I hear you ask? Well
they are exactly what they sound like, a fair held on top of a
frozen River Thames and for over 200 years, they became the place
to be for the residents of a…
The stories of Queen Victoria's granddaughters: Princess Marie Louise of Schleswig-Holstein
12th August 2015
In the winter of 1900, Princess Christian
of Schleswig-Holstein fled in a panic from Cumberland Lodge,
clutching an alarming telegram. Arriving at Windsor Castle, she
frantically explained to her mother, Queen Victoria, that the Duke
of Anhalt had tersely demanded that her…
It is fitting that this Hessian
granddaughter of Queen Victoria was christened ‘Irene’ – a name
meaning “peace” – an appropriate choice in more ways than one, as
her character and the circumstances of her birth would prove.
Perhaps the one of Princess Alice’s…
Stories of the Stuarts: Ring-a-ring of Roses
9th August 2015
It is one of the most popular nursery
rhymes in this country though not many people know the true origins
of Ring-a-ring of Roses. The rhyme was first sung during the Great
Plague of 1665 and perfectly summed up the symptoms of this
devastating disease. “Ring-a-ring of Roses, A pocketful of posies,
Attischo, Attischo, We all fall down.” Now lets dissect this
nursery rhyme line by…
Princess Margaret Victoria Augusta
Charlotte Norah of Connaught was born on 15 January 1882 at Bagshot
Park in Surrey. She was baptised in the Private Chapel of Windsor
Castle on 11 March 1882 by The Archbishop of Canterbury. Princess
Margaret of Connaught, Crown Princess…
Stories of the Stuarts: Great Plague of London 1665
7th August 2015
The plague had been around in England for
centuries though never had it hit London so hard than during
the reign of the House of Stuart, 1665 to be precise. The summer of
1665 was an extremely hot one in England and while the population
of London was increasing at a…
Henry I saw his worst nightmare come true
on 25 November 1120. His only son and heir to the Kingdom of
England drowned in the White Ship disaster. Without a son, he
turned to his only surviving legitimate child, Matilda. Young
Matilda had been married to the Holy Roman Emperor since 1114, but
when he died in 1125 and Henry’s second marriage to Adeliza of
Louvain produced no surviving children…

