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 weddings as well as royal burial.
The marble floor of the Quire carries with it quite literally, the
strata of centuries and…
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…
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 building is the Gothic Ruin at
Frogmore, used by Queen Victoria, but which in contrast to the
others, was not in fact built…
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…
In the grounds of Balmoral Castle is a
building touching in its simplicity. Called the Garden Cottage, it
was built in the grounds at Balmoral and used by Queen Victoria and
her family. In addition to the rooms of the private wings occupied
by the Queen and Royal Family at…
At Osborne House, the beloved family
retreat of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert on the Isle of Wight,
is a private beach, unlike any other in British history. It is a
royal beach, reserved solely for the use of Queen Victoria, Prince
Albert and their family. English Heritage opened it for the first
time to the public in 2012, to show another different side to Queen
Victoria, as a mother and royal…
‘Though I stood for the ninth time near a
child and for the fifth time near a daughter, at the altar, I think
I never felt more deeply than I did on this occasion… When the
blessing had been given, I tenderly embraced my darling “Baby” ‘
(op. cit, Christopher…
Close to Balmoral Castle is a small
church, which is – almost – unique. With the exceptions of St
Mildred’s Church, Whippingham – where Queen Victoria’s family would
sometimes worship when in residence at Osborne and where the
marriage of her daughter…
Queen Victoria’s love of orange blossom
properly began with her wedding to Prince Albert in 1840; however,
this marked only the start of what would be an enduring association
within the Royal Family, and not just for weddings. Orange blossom
is, of course, traditionally linked with marriages, being a symbol
of chastity in the language of flowers. Its links with the Queen
would however, prove…
