British Royals

The striking jewels that combine the stories of two royal families

It is a set of sapphires that brings together the histories of several royal dynasties and which made its mark again when a brand new queen wore it for a major event at the start of a new reign. The sapphires of the Royal Family have a fascinating tale to tell. Queen Camilla wore the Belgian Sapphire Tiara to the first State Banquet of the reign of King Charles III. Her Majesty chose it for the…
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British Royals

The former London hub of the Royal Family - St James's Palace

St James’s Palace is one of London’s most senior royal palaces, but it would never live to be the regular London home of the most senior royal, the monarch. The palace was built by order of King Henry VIII in the 1530s on an isolated hospital dedicated to Saint James the Less, a figure of early Christianity. It would become second in importance to the Palace of Whitehall, the…
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British Royals

Diana's last summer

Diana, Princess of Wales had just divorced Prince Charles and was ready for a fresh start when her life was cut short in a Paris car crash in August 1997. Her final months were spent advocating for a number of humanitarian issues. As another sombre anniversary passes…
British Royals

The tiara crisis that led to a night in borrowed diamonds for Queen Elizabeth II

As she stepped into the Royal Opera House for a concert marking one of the biggest political events of her reign, Elizabeth II was the picture of serenity. But just minutes earlier she had had to perform a tiara swap as her jewels fell apart in the back of her royal car. Queen Elizabeth II was on her way to attend the Fanfare for Europe gala in central London on January 3rd 1973 when the…
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