Yesterday I had the pleasure of returning to Kensington Palace, London, to see the exhibition of the late Diana, Princess of Wales’ dresses, Diana: Her Fashion Story. You may have read my previous post, Diana: Her Fashion Story – The Kensington Palace Exhibition as I originally visited the exhibition in November 2017. This special exhibition is closing in February and so I was keen to … Continue reading Diana: Her Fashion Story Revisited
What are your family Christmas traditions? The British royals, like all families, have their own. They exchange inexpensive presents on Christmas Eve and go to church on Christmas Day morning. They then sit down to a traditional Christmas turkey dinner before watching the Queen’s speech at 3 p.m. One of the big royal family traditions that everyone looks forward to, is the release of their personal Christmas … Continue reading Christmas Cards: the Royal Selection
With only three more sleeps until Christmas Day here are some pictures of Britain’s royal family’s Christmases past. I’m loving the vintage vibe of this shot. The Queen is more in focus than Prince Philip (order of precedence anyone?) and as usual, the Queen’s hair is perfectly coiffed and she is wearing a set of her beloved pearls in her ears and around her neck. The … Continue reading The Royals: Christmases Past
William the Conqueror was crowned King of England at Westminster Abbey on Christmas Day 1066. He was born the illegitimate son of Robert I, Duke of Normandy, and his mistress Herleva in 1027. His invading Norman army defeated King Harold II at the Battle of Hastings to take the English crown on 14 October 1066. It is pretty definite that 1066 is THE most famous … Continue reading The Christmas Coronation of William the Conqueror
King George III married Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz on 8 September 1761 at the Chapel Royal, St James’ Palace. Charlotte gave birth to fifteen children, with thirteen surviving to adulthood. George and Charlotte’s remarkable fecundity was assisted by Charlotte’s youthful age on marriage (17), which extended her married fertile years, increasing the likelihood of pregnancy. She also did not gain from the contraceptive benefits of sole … Continue reading The Children of King George III and Queen Charlotte
A few years ago, I failed to buy a commemorative dish memorialising the death of Princess Charlotte in 1817. I’ve bemoaned my loss of this ever since. I’ve browsed for another on eBay and have almost been tempted to buy again. Some of the Princess Charlotte memorabilia is very pricey, that said it is 200-years-old! Love it or loathe it, royal memorabilia is big business. … Continue reading Royal Memorabilia: Must Have Mementoes or Kitsch to Ignore?
Albert Edward, Prince of Wales married Princess Alexandra of Denmark on 10 March 1863 at Windsor Castle. The Prince and Princess of Wales, Bertie and Alix, as they were known, went on to have six children, five surviving to adulthood. The nine children of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert married into many European royal households and subsequently, King Edward VII was known as the uncle … Continue reading The Children of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra
Victoria, Princess Royal. Married Prince Frederick William of Prussia She was born 21 November 1840 and died 5 August 1901 Her eldest son, Kaiser Willhelm II, was on the opposing side to his cousin King George V of Great Britain during World War One Albert, Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII. Married Princess Alexandra of Denmark Born 9 November 1841 and died 6 May … Continue reading The Children of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert
Queen Elizabeth II married Prince Philip of Greece – 20 November 1947 King George VI married Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon – 23 April 1923 King Edward VIII – abdicated the throne in December 1936 to marry twice-divorced Wallis Simpson – 3 June 1937 King George V married Princess Mary of Teck – 6 July 1893. She was originally engaged to his brother Prince Albert, who was … Continue reading British Monarchs and Their Spouses: from the Windsors to the Tudors
Hours after posting Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother: Consort of George VI, unable to let go (sadly quite normal for me), I was still flicking through the pictures I’d saved of her prior to becoming Queen when I noticed I’d missed a pretty special picture out of my post. And there you have my gratuitous reason to share more pictures of Queen Elizabeth, the queen … Continue reading Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother: the Tiaras of a Duchess and Queen
Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon was born 4 August 1900, the ninth child of Claude George Bowes-Lyon and Nina Cecilia Bowes-Lyon, Lord and Lady Glamis. The family divided its time between Glamis Castle in Scotland and homes in Hertfordshire and St James’s Square, London. When war broke out in 1914, Glamis Castle was used as a reception centre and hospital for the wounded and young Elizabeth … Continue reading Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother: Consort of King George VI
Charles Philip Arthur George, Prince of Wales, married Lady Diana Frances Spencer, daughter of the eighth Earl Spencer on 29 July 1981 after a short engagement that had been announced on 24 February the same year. The marriage ceremony was held at St Paul’s Cathedral rather than the more traditional Westminster Abbey as it could hold more guests. Charles, a future King of Great Britain, … Continue reading 29 July 1981: the Marriage of Charles, Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer
The Honorable Diana Frances Spencer was born on 1 July 1961, the youngest daughter of John Spencer, Viscount Althorp – later Earl Spencer, and Frances Roche. She was born at Park House, near Sandringham, Norfolk and was styled Lady Diana Spencer after her father inherited the Spencer Earldom in 1975. It is well documented that she came from a broken home. Her parents divorced, and … Continue reading 1 July 1961: the Birth of Diana, Princess of Wales
Henry VIII was born on 28 June 1491 at Greenwich Palace, he was the second son of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. When his elder brother Arthur died in 1502 he became heir to the English throne. Arthur had recently married Spanish princess Katherine of Aragon. After Arthur’s death, Henry became betrothed to his brother’s widow, maintaining the Spanish alliance with Ferdinand and Isabella, … Continue reading 28 June 1491: the Birth of Henry VIII
A fellow blogger kindly reminded me that George III’s birthday fell on 4 June. He was born in 1738 at Norfolk House, 31 St James’ Square, Westminster, London, which was built in 1722 for the 8th Duke of Norfolk. You can read my earlier post Thoughts on George III, here. It’s a brief overview of all things George III. It was the first post in … Continue reading 4 June 1738: the Birth of George III
This blog is a selection of interesting things I've come across during my history research. I have a wide interest in history ranging from Wars of the Roses, country houses, Stuarts, Georgians, Louis XIV, Napoleon and criminals. So expect to see a bit of everything on here, with a focus on little known stories.
Sharing recipes, DIYs and lifestyle tips
The ramblings and obsessions of a longtime Avon lady
The Home Of T-Bird From The Dork Web.
Wellness • Poetry • Life
Adventures in motherhood, fitness, youth hockey & corporate America
Genealogy, Family history, and Whatnot
Piecing together my family history . . .
Stories of immigrants, expatriates and family evolution
Family and local stories and history, favorite books
Discover and re-discover Mexico’s cuisine, culture and history through the recipes, backyard stories and other interesting findings of an expatriate in Canada
Eats plants
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previously thebiasedhistorian
aka Helene Harrison, Author and Historian
Tonight I Dream. Tomorrow I Do!
Exploring historical thoughts and themes, a bit at a time.
HistorianRuby: An Historian's Miscellany 