Every monarchy has to start somewhere. For England, the ”modern” monarchy started with William the Conqueror and his wife, Matilda of Flanders.
Matilda was born in 1031 into the House of Flanders. She was the only daughter of Count Baldwin V of Flanders and Adela of France. The Flanders were of strategic importance to most of Europe and England as they served as a “stepping…
Within hours, King Charles III’s Coronation takes place at Westminster Abbey. On the eve of this truly historic moment, Royal Central looks at the first time a king was crowned in the ancient church and the very moment a tradition about to claim a place in the 21st…
For almost a thousand years, coronation services have taken place at Westminster Abbey, in times of peace and strife. The sovereign sometimes arrives at the Abbey a popular figure; sometimes, they’re deeply unpopular.
More often than not, they’re crowned by birthright…
The Tower of London has a new Constable. From August, General Sir Gordon Messenger will become the 161st Constable of the Tower of London and the first Royal Marine to hold the post.
The role of the Constable is the most senior appointment one can have at the Tower of London. Historically, Constables were in charge of the operation, upkeep, and security of the tower, as well as all of those who…
Windsor Castle serves as the oldest and largest inhabited castle in the world and has been the family home of British kings and Queens for nearly 1,000 years. William the Conqueror originally built the site to secure the western approach to London while providing easy access…
The Earl of Wessex is not a title that has been used very often throughout royal history – so much so that in the time between the first creation and third creation, the county of Wessex ceased to exist in England. Royal Central is investigating the story behind this…
It’s puzzled historians for centuries but now one of the pressing questions hanging over one of the most famous royal artefacts in the world has an answer. And it sheds a new light on the reign of the king it celebrates, William the Conqueror.
The conquest that gave him a throne and a place in royal legend was commemorated in the Bayeux Tapestry. It tells the story of his decision to…
Henry I of England was the son of William the Conqueror and reigned from 1100 to 1135. Henry had two legitimate children with his first wife Matilda of Scotland: Matilda and William. Sadly Henry’s heir William died at sea leaving Matilda as Henry’s chosen heir. This…
It’s coming home, it’s coming home, it’s coming…the tapestry is coming home. The Bayeux Tapestry is heading back to British shores, for the first time in almost 1000 years, and you need to put 2022 in your diary right now if you want to see this…
Though many of the details of life are unknown or disputed by historians, Adela of Normandy is a saint of the Roman Catholic Church and was the daughter of William the Conqueror, the first Norman King of England and his wife, Matilda of Flanders.
Adela was born in the years following her father’s accession to the English throne in 1066 and was one of up to five daughters. (The birth order and…
