Tag: Prince Philip

The Birth of Prince Charles

On By RSBIn The House of WindsorLeave a comment

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Once upon a time, Queen Elizabeth II was known as Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh. As bizarre as it sounds, it only recently occurred to me that the Queen would have been known by the feminine version of her husband’s title in the years between their marriage and her accession. You hear about her as Princess Elizabeth and you hear about her as queen, but you rarely, if ever, hear her referred to as the Duchess of Edinburgh, even in past tense to reflect the years 1947-1952.

And yet, those years are illuminating. They represent a five-year span in which the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh were living as adults, but before they were weighed down by the responsibilities of the crown. If ever there was a time that provided some insight into who Elizabeth and Philip are as people, it is likely this one – when they could choose to live as they wished.

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Royal Roundup: Paradise Papers & Prince Philip’s Retirement

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So, the Paradise Papers. In case you missed it, these are 13.4 million confidential documents leaked to a German newspaper last week, which contain sensitive financial information for a number of high-profile people regarding offshore investments they’ve made. Unfortunately for the British Royal Family, they’ve been wrapped up in the narrative and speculative conversations about their finances rarely stem from or lead to good things.

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A Break from the Norm: the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Wedding Anniversary to Be Private

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Curiouser and curiouser: The Sunday Express reported yesterday that the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh will celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary privately. This will be a marked change of procedure from how they celebrated their prior anniversaries, which all saw a service of thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey. This is particularly notable because it’s just been made clear that the Queen won’t lay a wreath on Remembrance Day this year; instead, she’ll stand next to Prince Philip on the Foreign Office balcony.

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Philip’s Parents: Alice of Battenberg & Prince Andrew of Greece & Denmark

On By RSBIn The House of Windsor10 Comments

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Next month marks the 70th wedding anniversary of Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh and, as such, we’ll cover all that brought about the original 1947 pairing. But ahead of that I thought it was fitting that there was a post on Prince Philip’s parents, particularly since his origin story isn’t particularly well-known. His lineage is unique in the context of the British Royal Family and his entry into the House of Windsor was perhaps the most dramatic in its history, quite a bit of which had to do with his parents and siblings.

So, who were they? His father was Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark and his mother was Princess Alice of Battenberg. A couple years ago a guest at Buckingham Palace remarked that, like Philip, they were also Greek, to which he responded that he actually didn’t have a drop of Greek blood. That started a question in the papers as to whether that was true and the answer is, well yes, but you’d be forgiven for not knowing that given the styling of his father’s name.

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That Eulogy, 20 Years Later

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Last week I referenced Earl Spencer’s eulogy of his sister, Diana, Princess of Wales, and I think it’s a significant enough speech that it bears a closer look today, the 20th anniversary of its address and the Princess’s funeral. For those unfamiliar with it, at first blush it may seem fairly innocuous, albeit a fitting and lovely tribute, but there’s actually quite a bit going on here when you pull it apart.

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Is There a Regency Plan in Place?

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In the past two weeks the Duke of Edinburgh retired and a slew of new documentaries and TV specials on the late Princess of Wales debuted. These two seemingly parallel events have created a perfect storm of an intersection that lands smack dab on the head of the Prince of Wales – or rather, his place in the succession. Stepping away from the personalities at play here and it begs the question, how can a man who has been first in line for the throne since 1952 truly have his viability undermined?

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Royal Roundup: Henrik, Earl Spencer & the Succession

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Well, that’s a weird title, but I think it hits the highlights. Where to begin with the last few days? Let’s start outside the UK where the Danish Royal Family has been dominating headlines. Denmark’s  monarch, Queen Margrethe II has reigned for 45 years, is enormously popular and is supported by her two sons and plethora of grandchildren. That support does not, apparently, extend to her husband, Prince Henrik, a Frenchman to whom she has been married since 1967.

Henrik boldly stated that he had no desire to be buried alongside his wife at Roskilde, the traditional resting place for Danish monarchs and their spouses, because he had never been granted the title of “king.” His argument is that his prevention from receiving the title is 1) his wife’s fault and 2) sexist, because female consorts are given the title “queen.”

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The End of an Era: Prince Philip’s Last Engagement & Palace “Shakeups”

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Yesterday the Duke of Edinburgh carried out his final engagement as a full-time working royal, ending a 70-year career and beginning a very well-deserved retirement. In his capacity as Captain General of the Royal Marines, Philip attended a parade outside Buckingham Palace on Wednesday marking the finale of the 1664 Global Challenge, a series of physical challenges raising money for charity.

With grey skies and steady rain, the sight of Philip smoothly carrying out his work in a bowler hat and rain coat felt old school – a hallmark of a very particular generation of the House of Windsor and the end of an era.

And quite the era it was – Philip has carried out 22,219 solo engagements (not counting occasions during which he accompanied the Queen), gave 5,496 speeches and served as patron to 785 organizations.

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And That’s a Wrap for the Spanish Royal Visit

On By RSBIn Royal News2 Comments

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That’s all, folks. This morning King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain said a formal goodbye to Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh at Buckingham Palace after a whirlwind 72-hour trip.

The week behind him, Philip has reportedly bid a final adieu to state visits, making this one of his last high-profile appearances as a full-time working royal. When he and the Queen make their annual sojourn to Balmoral later this summer, he will finally be able to enjoy a proper retirement at the ripe old age of 96.

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A Banquet to Remember (Updated)

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Real quick, if you’re looking for a rundown of the entire day, then head over to the last post here.

Otherwise, let’s dive into this evening’s banquet, because it was quite a historic one. Not only does the occasion mark the first Spanish state visit in 30+ years, but it’s also the Duke of Edinburgh’s last banquet before retirement and Prince Harry’s first. The torch is officially being passed to the younger generation as they gear up for a full-time schedule of royal duties this year.

In contrast to King Felipe’s speech before Parliament this afternoon, in which he brought up Spain’s issues with the sovereignty of Gibraltar, tonight was all about soft diplomacy. And while remarks were made, let’s be honest, most people were talking about the tiaras. Before we hone in on the Duchess of Cambridge, let’s first take note of Queen Letizia’s diplomatic skills on this front.

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