Features

Why didn't Queen Victoria have a Silver Jubilee?

Victoria was the monarch who invented jubilees as we know them. The celebrations of 1887 and 1897 are among the most famous events of royal history and helped shape her legacy. But our modern minds assume there must also have been a silver version, for that is the pattern we are used to. Elizabeth II, the ultimate Jubilee Monarch, began her unprecedented run of anniversary celebrations in 1977 as…
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Features

Five-tier wedding cake of Queen Victoria's granddaughter is recreated

It’s been more than a century since restaurateur and caterer Searcys created the extravaganza that was Princess Maud of Wales’s wedding cake. It was such a big occasion that it brought the company’s founder, John Searcy, out of retirement. Now, the company is recreating the cake with a modern twist.The original cake was adorned with leaves, cherubs, and flowers when it was…
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FeaturesInsight

Royals who don't go by their first name

We know that sometimes monarchs choose a different regnal name than the one they have gone by throughout their life—King George VI is a famous example of this, having gone by Bertie (or Albert, his given name) until he became King – but what about those who go by…
Features

The Queen's reign in Jewels: The Coronation Necklace

Seventy years ago, on February 6 1952, a young Queen Elizabeth II acceded to the British throne. She was crowned on 2 June 1953 at Westminster Abbey in London. And amongst the timeless jewels worn that day, was a necklace that has its own place in history.The Queen wore…
FeaturesPalaces & Buildings

Windsor Castle: from retirement home to heart of a dynasty

During the reign of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, Windsor Castle was made their primary royal residence despite the Queen complaining early on in her reign that the castle was “prison-like” and “dull and tiresome.” She would often prefer Osborne and Balmoral as holiday residences.The growth of the British Empire and the Queen’s dynastic ties to Europe would…
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British RoyalsFashionPalaces & Buildings

Royal Jeweller Garrard at centre of new Kensington Palace exhibition

In a new exhibition at Kensington Palace, the popular royal jeweller Garrard is taking centre stage in a new display in the palace’s jewel room. The exhibit is set to explore the relationship between the famed jeweller and the British Royal Family over time.Garrard has been the choice jeweller for generations of British kings and queens, and for 160 years it was the holder of the coveted…
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