Month: October 2017

Did George III’s Daughter Have an Illegitimate Son?

On By RSBIn The House of HanoverLeave a comment

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The short answer is “yes.” Princess Sophia was born to George III and Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz on November 3, 1777. It was an easy birth – or, as Charlotte later put it, “I was taken ill and delivered in the space of fifteen minutes.” Her father wasn’t present as he was then deeply enmeshed in the crisis of the American Revolution. By March, France and Britain had broken off diplomatic relations and the war wasn’t going particularly well – even so, Sophia was allocated funds during the Parliamentary session after birth to be paid out when she married or her father died, whichever came first.

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The Unholy Alliance: Mary, Queen of Scots & Henry, Lord Darnley

On By RSBIn The House of Tudor4 Comments

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I’ve been putting off writing this post because it’s a big one, but I have a feeling November and December are going to be busy months so if not now then when? Even so, we might return to Darnley’s murder and get more into the weeds of various theories later on. Today we’re going to take a look at the marriage of Mary Stuart, Queen of Scotland and her second husband, Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley. Mary, rather famously, spent the middle of the 16th century engaged in a venomous rivalry with her cousin, Elizabeth I, which ended in her execution in 1587. Before that, however, her second marriage resulted in Darnley’s suspicious death and her forced abdication in favor of their son, James. And James, of course, would eventually succeed Elizabeth on the English throne, uniting England and Scotland under one rule.

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Apparently Meghan Met the Queen

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According to Richard Kay, Prince Harry’s girlfriend, Meghan Markle, met the Queen for tea at Buckingham Palace last Thursday. Or as Kay put it:

The Ford Galaxy with blacked out windows was discreetly waved through the gates of Buckingham Palace and cruised to a halt at the Queen’s private entrance. Out stepped Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Harry, I understand, was introducing his American actress girlfriend to the Queen. They were there for tea.

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Kate Makes a Second Unannounced Appearance This Week

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Surprise Part Deux: the Duchess of Cambridge joined the Duke and Prince Harry for the Coach Core Graduation today. The engagement highlights 150 apprentices as they transition to the next phase of their athletic coaching careers and is very in line with the royal trio’s endorsement and support of sports and encouraging physical activity with younger generations.

It marked the second time this week that Kate joined her husband and brother-in-law for an unannounced public appearance and comes just 24 hours after Kensington Palace announced that the planned tour of Norway and Sweden next month has been pushed until next year due to Kate’s pregnancy-related HG.

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Scandinavian Tour Bumped, Royal Baby Due Date Confirmed

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Earlier today Kensington Palace confirmed that, yes, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will be undertaking a tour of Sweden and Norway as expected, but the dates for the trip have been pushed from next month to “early 2018.” Apparently Kate is not feeling up to the tour despite her recent re-emergence for one-off engagements last week and this week.

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The Three Proposals of George VI to the Queen Mother

On By RSBIn The House of Windsor10 Comments

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Fun fact: It took George VI three tries to get the Queen Mother to accept his marriage proposal. Decades before the Queen Mother became synonymous with royal duty and the House of Windsor’s matriarch, Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon was a 20-something and unsure about a life in the spotlight.

Elizabeth first met the future king when he was still Prince Albert, Duke of York in June 1920. They met at a dinner party in London also attended by Queen Mary, Princess Mary and Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester on Derby Night, while George V hosted a lavish celebratory supper at Buckingham Palace. Later that evening, a ball was held with the same party and Albert went up to fellow attendee James Stuart and asked, “Who was that lovely girl you were talking to? Introduce me to her.”

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Kate Makes a Surprise Visit to Paddington Station, Dances with Bear

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Well, this is certainly one way to start a week. The Duchess of Cambridge was a surprise addition to an engagement on the books for the Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry at Paddington Station. The three stopped by for a visit of the Belmond British Pullman which was carrying 130 children for a trek through the countryside with the cast of Paddington 2 from 30 organizations supported by the royal charities forum.

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The Fidelity of Marguerite of Anjou

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Henry VI’s wife, Marguerite of Anjou’s legacy has been tinged with the question mark of infidelity since her own time. Assessing “why” or attempting to suss out the veracity of those accusations is more complicated than simply picking apart her relationships with the various men put forth as contenders, because the charges – whether true or not – are politically motivated. But dismissing them as scurrilous claims by her enemies is also not so easy given the nature of her marriage – or rather, the nature of her husband. Today, most of us look back at the hand of cards Marguerite was dealt and think something along the lines of, “Well, if she did, I don’t blame her.”

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Royal Roundup: Autumn is for Scandinavia

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Just a few days after the Duchess of Cambridge re-emerged post-baby announcement, royal reporter Emily Andrews tweeted that, Kate’s health permitting, the Cambridges are expected to visit Sweden and Norway in November. News of a potential abroad trip was first announced in late August, but the location had never been identified. Confirmation, dates and specifics are still pending from Kensington Palace.

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The Almost Queen: Sophia of the Palatinate

On By RSBIn The House of Hanover2 Comments

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And so we turn now to one of my faves, Sophia of the Palatinate, a woman who, had she lived only a few weeks longer, would have succeeded Queen Anne on the throne. It is because of her that the House of Hanover was founded and she’s the line’s true matriarch, making her a direct ancestor to the current queen and the rest of today’s Royal Family.

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