In addition to the private gifts
exchanged at royal weddings were also those public gifts given on
behalf of a nation. Either to accompany its native bride on her
marriage, or increasingly, to take the form of diplomatic presents,
such as the Sevres porcelain dinner service from the Government and
People of France for the wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Prince
Philip, in 1947. A plate sometimes…
In St. Thomas’ Church, Newport on the
Isle of Wight, stands an extraordinary monument, touching in its
simplicity. It was erected over the tomb of Princess Elizabeth,
daughter of Charles I (1635-1650). This beloved royal child was
immortalized as such by Van Dyck in his…
Following her wedding at St James’s
Palace to Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha on 10 February 1840,
Queen Victoria drove to Windsor for her honeymoon. Windsor had
mixed associations for the Queen. It was the place of the famous
contretemps between her uncle, King…
Praised by Alexander Pope in his Moral
Essays as possessing a ‘proud alcove’ in which one might happily be
‘galant and gay’, the great house of Cliveden, Taplow, where Meghan
Markle spent the night before her wedding to Prince Harry, was
visited by Queen Victoria in 1866, who stayed as guest of the
Duchess of Sutherland from 26 May to 5 June. It was not the first
time she had visited…
Given the inseparable links between music
and the British Monarchy, it naturally follows that the music
chosen for royal weddings reflected both the importance of the
occasion as well as the personal taste of the monarch. Whether it
was the splendour of Handel’s marriage…
The Quire of St. George’s Chapel, Windsor
is an area extraordinarily rich in the history of the English
Monarchy, yet this sacred and mystical space in the Chapel
enshrining the Order of the Garter – the Order’s spiritual home –
is as much associated with royal…
From the roof, you can see Windsor
Castle, but that’s not nearly the most regal thing about Cliveden
in Buckinghamshire where Meghan Markle will spend the night before
her marriage to Prince Harry. This palatial house, owned by the
National Trust and leased as a hotel, has entertained many royals
over the years and was once even home to a regal rebel. As Cliveden
gets ready to add more…
On 21 September 1662, Samuel Pepys
entered the following words into his Restoration diary: “The Queen
coming by in her coach, going to her chappell at St. James’s (the
first time it hath been ready for her), I crowded after her, and I
got up to the room where her closet…
Like other small and private buildings
that exist in the grounds of Queen Victoria’s residences, such as
the Garden Cottage at Balmoral, each is unique, enabling us to gain
a personal glimpse into the Queen’s domestic world, her daily
pursuits and interests. Another such…
White Lodge is a former royal residence,
situated deep within Richmond Park. But its location can
momentarily confuse. Richmond Palace was, of course, one of the
most important palaces of the Tudor dynasty and is consequently far
better known; although the building was not within Richmond Park
itself, nor even adjacent to it, being roughly a mile away.
Richmond Palace was rebuilt by Henry VII on…
