Although Queen Victoria inherited the
throne in the United Kingdom, and during her reign, the British
Empire gained a vast amount of territory, she was still unable to
inherit the throne of Hanover as a woman. Her uncle, Ernest-August,
became King of Hanover instead. And Victoria and Ernest-August had
a lengthy battle over the Crown Jewels that once belonged to Queen
Charlotte. When Queen…
The Gold State Coach is unique: it’s over
200 years old, solid wood, and so large it can only go at a walking
pace. Leading that walking pace are eight Windsor Grey
Horses, the only horses allowed to pull the Gold State Coach.
Windsor Greys are not a specific breed…
The weighty reminder of power that will be placed in the hands of King Charles III
20th April 2023
It’s one of the oldest and storied item
in the Crown Jewels, the Sovereign’s Orb. Created in 1661 by Sir
Robert Vyner for Charles II’s coronation, the orb is a hollow gold
sphere with a cross on top. It symbolizes the monarch’s Christian
sovereignty and their…
Queen Victoria’s reign is notable for its
length, for its innovations and revolutions, and for her
steadfastness in navigating the Crown through to modern times. Her
fashion was legendary both contemporarily—she helped popularise
white wedding dresses—and today as a study not only of the woman
but also the kingdom she reigned over. The morning she ascended the
throne, 20 June 1837, she…
The Coronation Chair, known as St
Edward’s Chair, or King Edward’s Chair is perhaps one of the most
symbolic parts of a monarch’s coronation. While the 700-year-old
chair is typically only used for the coronation service, there is
one sovereign who used it…
Queen Victoria reigned for 63 years and
lent her name to the era of political and social change, but it
began with a ‘botched’ coronation ceremony. When Victoria was
crowned on 22 June 1838, it was the third coronation ceremony of
the century; and she followed two…
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…
Princess Martha Louise of Norway has
announced her engagement to her partner, Durek Verrett. Their
decision to marry wasn’t that much of a surprise with both having
spoken of their hopes to wed previously. But the ring that they
showed off during that most modern of…
It’s three and a half years late but the
Elizabeth Line will open in May 2022, just in time for the Jubilee!
It is hoped The queen will participate in the opening as she
becomes the latest royal to have a railway line named after her. In
2016, she helped with the…
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…
