Over the next couple of weeks and months we’re going to dig into Henry VIII’s divorce from Katherine of Aragon, moving through the laborious process year by year. We have covered in the past when it was that Henry fell in love with Anne Boleyn, and we have also covered the six-month period between Anne’s private wedding with Henry at the end of 1532 and her presentation at court as queen in the spring of 1533. These posts will essentially cover the years in-between, taking a look at the legal, theological and diplomatic issues prompted by, well, Henry’s personal life.
Month: May 2018
The Sussex Wedding: A Breakdown
Eighteen million Britons watched the Royal Wedding yesterday and the event garnered 3.4 million tweets. It has become the fourth most-watched royal wedding, trailing behind that of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the Prince of Wales and Diana, Princess of Wales and the Duke of York and Sarah, Duchess of York.
…Lest We Forget About the Cambridges
I’m not going to lie, I barely paid attention to the Cambridge family yesterday despite the presence of four out of the five. Between the Givenchy gown, the ceremony and the carriage ride, it was all about the new Duke and Duchess of Sussex. BUT, I think it’s worth circling back to talk about the Duchess of Cambridge, Prince George and Princess Charlotte who were certainly notable guest stars at the royal wedding.
Stella, a Jag & the Frogmore Reception
I feel like I’ve run a marathon today and I’m still wearing the leggings I slept in…just to paint you a word picture. But it’s been a whirlwind and I can only imagine what it’s been like for everyone on the ground! You can catch up on the excitement of this morning’s ceremony here and tidbits and new photos are still coming out. I’m going to wrap all of that up tomorrow once the dust has settled, but in the meantime we have another dress! Another ride in Windsor! And a whole new party going on as we speak.
Harry & Meghan Are Married! [UPDATED]
Where to begin? Prince Harry and Meghan Markle – or rather, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex – are married! The ceremony went off without a hitch (but with a few great new family anecdotes) at St George’s Chapel, Windsor and the bride wore Clare Waight Keller for Givenchy, which no one guessed ahead of time.
Harry & Meghan’s Wedding Eve [UPDATED]
UPDATE: Following tea at Windsor Castle with Meghan’s mother, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, William and Harry conducted a mini-walkabout to greet the crowds that have gathered in town.
T-2 Days & We’re Back to Regularly Scheduled Programming [UPDATED]
The Royal Family descended on Windsor today for tea with the Queen and rehearsals ahead of the big day on Saturday. Pictures of the family arriving via car came shortly after a statement directly from Meghan Markle was released by Kensington Palace addressing the chaos over the last few days and confirming that her father won’t be attending the wedding.
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T-3 Days & We’re On the Razor’s Edge
Kensington Palace announced today the bridesmaids and page boys for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding this Saturday. As expected, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, will both be featured in the wedding party.
T-5 Days & the Hits Keep Coming [UPDATED]
TMZ reported this morning that Meghan Markle’s father, Thomas Markle, suffered a heart attack six days ago and following news that he participated with paparazzi shots will no longer be attending his daughter’s wedding on Saturday. The decision is said to have been his choice as he is deeply embarrassed by the news coverage and couldn’t face meeting the Royal Family or the attention that would come from walking Meghan down the aisle.
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The Marriage of James II & Mary Beatrice of Modena
Mary Beatrice of Modena was only queen for a brief and volatile three years, but she bears the notable moniker of being the last Catholic to wear the crown, her husband, James II, serving as the last Catholic monarch. Born in Italy, her career in England was marred by growing religious paranoia and hysteria, accusations of her son being a “changeling” and exile. She would live through the reigns of her two stepdaughters – Mary II and Queen Anne – and in fact outlive them both, surviving to see the first four years of the German House of Hanover in England despite her son biding his time in exile. Today we’re going to take a look at her time as Duchess of York and queen.
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