Features

One of the best views of London right now is all thanks to a king called Charles but not that one

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22nd August 2025
King Charles II is known as the Merry Monarch, the restored king whose court was known for its partying and wild antics. However, he also founded one of the most important scientific institutions in the world and, in the process, created a place that still offers one of the best views of London.  This King Charles was a dedicated patron of the sciences. He was personally interested in…
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FeaturesHistory

Painting by ground breaking artist rediscovered in a royal storage room

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24th September 2023
The Royal Collection Trust has just announced that a painting by Artemisia Gentileschi has gone on display at Windsor Castle for the first time in almost two centuries. The announcement comes at the end of a much-needed restoration work that the painting has undergone, as it was misattributed to “French School” and left in disrepair in a Hampton Court Palace storage room. The…
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Features

The Sword of State in the Honours of Scotland

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3rd July 2023
The Crown of Scotland, a sceptre and the Sword of State make up the Honours of Scotland and they are the oldest regalia items in the British Isles. The Sword of State dates back to 1507. It was a gift from Pope Julius II to King James IV. It was in honour of James’s…
British RoyalsFeaturesHistoryKing Charles III

The last king crowned with the Honours of Scotland

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1st July 2023
King Charles III will be presented with the Honours of Scotland at a Service of Thanksgiving at St. Giles’s Cathedral on 5 July. However, King Charles II was the last monarch to be crowned with the Honours of Scotland in 1651. King Charles II was crowned in England in 1661 but was crowned in Scotland a decade earlier. On 1 January 1651, Charles was crowned as head of Scotland at Scone…
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Features

The other kings called Charles

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15th September 2022
With the death of his mother on Thursday 8 September 2022, King Charles III is now the sovereign of the United Kingdom, as well as fifteen other nations. While it was thought previously that he may take the regnal name of George VII, The King has chosen to keep his given name. Who are the other kings called Charles before him? King Charles I King Charles I reigned from 27 March 1625…
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