King James II tends to be largely
ignored. Following his brother’s long Restoration reign and removal
during the Glorious Revolution for his Protestant daughter and
son-in-law, his reign can feel like a footnote in a lot of
discussions. And unfortunately, those in his life tend to get the
same treatment. While he might not have had the many, many
mistresses that his brother did, James did have a…
Diane de Poitiers - the older mistress as an unofficial adviser
10th August 2021
There have been countless French royal
mistresses throughout the centuries, but some are better known than
others. Diane de Poitiers was brought back into the spotlight in
teen drama Reign in 2013 but has largely been forgotten in favour
of later mistresses. This…
For the last millennium, royal mistresses
have played a substantial role at court – given that most royals
were not allowed to marry for love and instead served as strategic
national alliances. So it makes sense that in many marriages, one
or both partners would look…
Last week, Sarah, Duchess of York
announced that she would be co-authoring a Mills and Boon romance
novel about her great-great-aunt, Lady Margaret Montagu Douglas
Scott. Royal romances are a popular topic both in books and on the
screen. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in The Young Victoria,
Victoria Queen Victoria and Prince Albert’s relationship is a
popular subject for the…
Lady Jane Grey, or Lady Jane Dudley, was
proclaimed Queen on this day in 1553. She has been commonly
referred to as The Nine Days Queen. She was the great-granddaughter
of Henry VII through his daughter Mary, Queen of France. From 10
July to the 19 July, she was the de facto…
The ‘meeting’ between Marie Antoinette
and the young Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart has a fabled quality, not
least because of the oft-repeated folklore that has grown around
it. From the point of view of posterity, it is a fascinating moment
to contemplate, when two legendary…
Margaret Greville is not a commonly known
name. However, her legacy can be seen on several members of the
British Royal Family to this day. Many of the tiaras, necklaces,
and brooches worn today in the royal family were originally owned
by The Hon. Mrs Ronald Greville, but how did they end up in the
possession of the royals? Born in December 1863, Margaret Helen
Anderson was the daughter…
The Grand Duchess Vladimir Tiara is one
of the most impressive pieces in The Queen’s tiara collection. It
is one of her favourite tiaras and is frequently worn for different
events. It is notable, not only for its sheer size and brilliance
but for the fact that it can be…
Princess Louise, the sixth child and
fourth daughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, holds an
interesting spot in history. She supported higher education for
women and feminist causes and was closely involved in the arts –
not at all common for a Victorian…
George III is rather well-known as a
British monarch – The King who lost America, the father of a very
large family, the one who went mad. When people think of him, it
either tends to be as the devoted family man he was in his early
life or his quiet madness in later life. His marriage to Charlotte
of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was an enduring one, lasting 57 years until
her death in 1818 and…
