Features

How TV brought the Coronation of Elizabeth II to the world

Televising the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II was a crowning achievement! On June 2, 1953 over eight million people watched on their own televisions, 10 million people watched in the homes of friends and family who owned TVs and 1.5 million went to cinemas, pubs and halls to view this live event. Before this coronations were limited to those invited inside Westminster Abbey although…
Read more
Features

The history of the Stone of Scone

You could not be faulted if you walked by the Stone of Scone and not even realized you were in the presence of a legendary and mysterious rock. Pronounced ‘Scoon,’ the ancient symbol of Scottish sovereignty is an unassuming rectangular stone, made of sandstone…
British Royals

Crowds applaud and throw flowers as they accompany Queen Elizabeth II all along her last journey

The procession that brought Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin from London to Windsor was flanked at all times by huge crowds of people. Far from being a sad occasion, some sections applauded, others cheered, and some even threw flowers in front of the State Hearse – all homage to their Monarch in her final journey. The Palace was not sure what to expect in terms of crowd sizes…
Read more
British Royals

How Princess Margaret's marriage reinvented royal weddings

On 6 May 1960, Princess Margaret became the first royal to marry in a televised ceremony when she married photographer Antony Armstrong-Jones in a glittering service at Westminster Abbey. Princess Margaret had been linked to several beaus, most notably her father’s and sister’s former equerry, Peter Townsend. After a tumultuous period of will-they-won’t-they, their relationship ended on…
Read more
British RoyalsFeatures

The history of Royal Maundy Services

With the Easter holiday fast approaching, Royal Central is looking into the history of Royal Maundy Services. Royal Maundy is a religious service in the Church of England held on Maundy Thursday, which precedes Good Friday. At the service, the British monarch, or a royal official, ceremonially distributes small silver coins referred to as “Maundy money.” Legally, the coins are known…
Read more