Archive January 2011
Henry VII and Henry VIII Share an Anniversary
On 28 January 1457 Henry Tudor (later Henry VII) was born at Pembroke Castle in Wales, the obscure son of an obscure Welshman; 90 years later on 28 January 1547 his son Henry VIII died in the Palace of Whitehall, a powerful and wealthy king.
The Royal Waiting Room – The Prince of Wales
The times are changing, and – taking in account the age of many of the monarchs worldwide – it is safe to assume that the coming years, we will see at least a few changes in the succession lines. Time to take a closer look at all those heirs, how they have prepared for their duties and how they are perceived among the public. This blog looks at someone who has been heir to the throne since just about forever – The Prince of Wales.
Garnet Royal Jewels for January
Tiffany and Co. published a poem in 1870 based on the Gregorian calendar which had poems that matched each month with a birthstone. January leads off the year with the following stanza:
The British Succession: Should it be Changed?
The upcoming wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton has raised an issue which rears its head every so often: should the succession to the British throne be changed to eliminate a couple of historical provisions which don’t have a lot of relevance nowadays, or would it be more trouble than it’s worth? The two provisions in question are whether women should be able to succeed to the throne on an equal basis with men and whether it’s still necessary to remove people from the line of succession for marrying Catholics.
The Royal Waiting Room – The Duke of Brabant
The times are changing, and – taking in account the age of many of the monarchs worldwide – it is safe to assume that the coming years, we will see at least a few changes in the succession lines. Time to take a closer look at all those heirs, how they have prepared for their duties and how they are perceived among the public. This blog will discuss Prince Philippe, the Duke of Brabant, heir to the – shaky – Belgian throne.
Prinsjesdag – Who, What, When, Where and Why?
It’s something that all Dutch-ophiles look forward to, or at least those that care about royalty and the ever proper yet ever eccentric Dutch Royal Family. It’s one of the few times a year, apart from state visits and other royal weddings, that we get to see the Dutch Royal Family in all of their finery.
The Royal Waiting Room – The Prince of Asturias
The times are changing, and – taking into account the age of many of the monarchs worldwide – it is safe to assume that the coming years, we will see at least a few changes in the succession lines. Time to take a closer look at all those heirs, how they have prepared for their duties and how they are perceived among the public. The first to be subjected to scrutiny is Felipe, the Prince of Asturias, who will succeed his father to the Spanish throne.
Danish Royal Twins Born!
The Danish court announced that Crown Princess Mary gave birth to the long-awaited twins this Saturday, 8 January 2011. The two children, a boy and a girl, were born at Righospitalet in Copenhagen. Crown Prince Frederik was present at the hospital the whole time.
Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg’s 90th Birthday
Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg, father of the current Grand Duke Henri and himself Sovereign of the little nation from 1964 to 2000, turned 90 years old last Wednesday 5 January 2011.
Review – The King’s Speech
The new movie The King’s Speech, directed by Tom Hooper, an account of how Prince Albert Duke of York (later George VI and father of Elizabeth II) finally overcame a crippling speech defect with the help of the Australian speech therapist Lionel Logue and the unflagging support of his Duchess, is a fascinating look back at a period of 20th century royal history that’s usually remembered for the affairs and abdication of Edward VIII rather than the much less glamorous life of his younger brother.