European Royals

Monument unveiled on Isle of Wight for 100th anniversary of Russian Imperial Family’s deaths

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10th July 2018
A seven and a half tonne granite monument has been unveiled in Jubilee Part, East Cowes on the Isle of Wight to mark the centenary of the deaths of the Russian Imperial Family at the hands of the Bolsheviks. The memorial stands close to Osborne House which was visited by the Romanov family in the early twentieth century, before the outbreak of World War One. The Imperial Family spent time on the…
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FeaturesHistory

English chintz and imperial Russia

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28th April 2018
A chance glance upon an entry in an exhibition catalogue from 2004 immediately attracted my interest because it related to samples of wallpaper for the Alexander Palace, the private residence of Tsar Nicholas II and his family, in Tsarskoe Selo. I knew the last Tsarina had…
FeaturesHistory

The Curious Case of Ivan VI

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22nd January 2018
Born on 23 August 1740 to the Duke Anthony Ulrich of Brunswick-Luneburg and his wife Anna Leopoldovna, Ivan was the only grandson of the former Tsar of Russia Ivan V, and consequently in line to the Russian throne. His mother was the niece of Empress Anna and expected that…
FeaturesInsight

Tsarina's gift to her goddaughter sold at auction

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3rd March 2017
A set of silver gilt andcloisonné enamelwhich stirred interest in the antique world since it was recently consigned as going to auction, sold today for £20,000. This champlevé cutlery set told a story that links the future Tsarina of Russia’s visit to the Yorkshire town of Harrogate in 1894, where she had gone to take a cure. Princess Alix of Hesse was advised to take a…
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