Tag: Princess Diana

Royal Roundup: Henrik, Earl Spencer & the Succession

On By RSBIn Royal RoundupsLeave a comment

kongefamilienalle.jpg

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.”

Continue reading “Royal Roundup: Henrik, Earl Spencer & the Succession” →

Charles, Diana & the 1981 Royal Wedding

On By RSBIn The House of WindsorLeave a comment

charles-diana-wedding.jpg

This really is “the” royal wedding, isn’t it? Despite not being around for it and thinking the Cambridges’ 2011 version was absolutely gorgeous, I have a feeling the 1981 wedding of the Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer will go down as the one to beat in the modern era. I’m not giving those marks based on style, splash or pomp, necessarily, but it’s a searing moment in time that defined a certain generation – and in that way, it was very much its bride’s day.

I don’t have the ability to separate out to what extent my perception of the day is influenced by hindsight, but to be honest, I don’t feel like it is. When I look at photos from that wedding I don’t see the unhappy years we know now were coming, or the divorce, or the late Princess of Wales’ tragic early death. I just see a captured moment of complete joy, optimism, relief and, yes, perhaps some naiveté.

Continue reading “Charles, Diana & the 1981 Royal Wedding” →

Let’s Talk About the Diana Documentary

On By RSBIn Royal NewsLeave a comment

princess-diana-sons.jpg

I’m scheduling this to go up early tomorrow morning, but I’m writing this on Monday night, having just finished watching ITV’s documentary on Diana, Princess of Wales. I wasn’t sure that I was going to watch when I first heard about it, nor was I sure whether or not I would cover it, but the sheer amount of press it has received pretty much dictates I should. And, of course, there was the fact that Kensington Palace itself was promoting it, the Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry having been the driving force behind its release.

I have a feeling this documentary will actually become pretty important to the royal canon – if not for the House of Windsor, then certainly for how we look back on William and Harry.

Continue reading “Let’s Talk About the Diana Documentary” →

The Afterlife of Diana, Princess of Wales

On By RSBIn Royal News, The House of Windsor2 Comments

65ced796b955be4e53253f2aaab94df6--princes-diana-english-royalty.jpg

If you’re wondering what the Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry are up to today, they’re at Althorp in Northamptonshire, the burial site and childhood home of their late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales. On what would have been her 56th birthday, the Archbishop of Canterbury is conducting a private re-dedication of her grave for her family, including her two sons, the Duchess of Cambridge, Prince George and Princess Charlotte. Diana’s brother, Earl Spencer, is apparently also in attendance, as are, presumably, other members of the Spencer family.

Continue reading “The Afterlife of Diana, Princess of Wales” →

The 1994 Interview Prince Charles Gave

On By RSBIn The House of Windsor1 Comment

1411329809974_Image_galleryImage_THE_PRINCE_OF_WALES_BEING.JPG

Yesterday marked the 23rd anniversary of the most famous interview the Prince of Wales has ever given, though I think it’s safe to say it’s not a milestone marked by either him or his staff. On June 29, 1994 a two-and-a-half hour documentary on Charles premiered, touching on his philanthropy, his role within the Royal Family, and his views on religion, policy and Britain’s future. It is best known, however, for being the interview in which he admitted to cheating on his then-wife, Diana, Princess of Wales.

While I have certainly discussed the Wales marriage in the past, this wouldn’t normally be a topic I would cover on its own. However, in light of Prince Harry’s recent Newsweek profile (as well as its backlash) and a slight change of course in how the younger set of royals are handling public interviews, I think it’s worth considering the ramifications of this event.

Continue reading “The 1994 Interview Prince Charles Gave” →

All Eyes on August 4

On By RSBIn Royal NewsLeave a comment

403E736300000578-0-image-a-31_1495067187485.jpg

Rumor has it that an engagement between Prince Harry and girlfriend Meghan Markle will be announced on August 4, which just so happens to be the birthday of the deceased Queen Mother. According to a new quote that lays out why the news would come in August and not before:

“They are not engaged formally but there is an understanding. The engagement announcement is still tipped for August 4 and is unlikely to come earlier. Why so? Because the general election (June 8), the formation of a new government (June 9), the State Opening of Parliament (June 19) and the state visit of King Felipe of Spain (July 12-14) cannot be overshadowed.”

Continue reading “All Eyes on August 4” →

Royal Roundup April 9 – 14: Toronto Jaunts, Maundy Thursday & a New Diana Award

On By RSBIn Royal RoundupsLeave a comment

Her-Majesty-The-Queen-and-The-Duke-of-Edinburgh-at-the-Royal-Maundy-Service-at-Blackburn-Cathedral.jpg

A few odds and ends from the week:

  • The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh took part in the Maundy Thursday service at Leicester Cathederal yesterday. Queen, as per tradition dating back to the 13th century, distributed alms. This year, the “Maundy money” was handed out to 91 men and 91 women representing the Queen’s age. Back in the day, the celebration included the monarch washing members’ of public feet in addition to the alms, but that fell by the wayside starting with James II in the 17th century. This year each pensioner, as per custom, was handed a white and red purse. One of the recipients told reporters:

“It’s been such a wonderful occasion – she’s amazing because she smiled at every single person and then spoke to the children at the end. I thought ‘She’s just incredible, a wonderful woman.'”

Continue reading “Royal Roundup April 9 – 14: Toronto Jaunts, Maundy Thursday & a New Diana Award” →

What the Waleses Tell Us About the Cambridges

On By RSBIn The House of WindsorLeave a comment

a8384bcacc1411c0b451147939505175.jpg

As I mentioned last week, I have been making my way through Sally Bedell Smith’s latest biography on the Prince of Wales. I haven’t gotten too far, but far enough that I’ve come through the other side of the 1980s and all that that entails. Not too much about the Waleses’ marriage could possibly be new to us at this point, but it’s been a few years since I’ve sat down and waded my way through a biography of one of them and it was interesting to do so, particularly the early years in light of how the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are currently perceived.

Continue reading “What the Waleses Tell Us About the Cambridges” →

The Other Tour of Italy

On By RSBIn The House of WindsorLeave a comment

Embed from Getty Images

Last week the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall undertook a brief tour of Italy, covering primarily Florence with brief stops in Rome and the Holy See. While there, Charles as able to delve into several of his passion projects, sustainable agriculture and support for vulnerable youths to name two. He was also able to tour programs that highlighted his long-held interest in the arts, classical music and history, three pursuits that he has not only always cultivated, but that he has seen as overlapping.

Charles is the definition of a “big picture” thinker, as we might put it today. He thinks unbelievably broadly and seeks to make connections between what others might consider disparate thoughts or fields. To him, there is always a point of intersection; there is always a broader purpose. Some of us (myself included) like to be able to see the forest through the trees; Charles likes to put everything in the context of nothing short of the world.

Continue reading “The Other Tour of Italy” →

Home & Dry: Charles & Camilla 12 Years On

On By RSBIn Royal News4 Comments

alg-charles-camilla-jpg.jpg

Later today the Prince of Wales is due in France to honor of the centennial of World War I’s Battle of Vimy Ridge with the Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry. But it’s also his 12-year wedding anniversary with his wife, the Duchess of Cornwall – a wedding that was unprecedented, wholly modern, and paved a grey area that won’t be fully formed until Charles ascends the throne.

Charles and Camilla’s engagement was announced in February 2005 with a wedding date initially set for April 8th. It was further announced that the ceremony would be a civil service followed by a religious prayer, a necessary specification because of Charles’s future role as the Head of the Church of England, and the fact that this would be a “remarriage,” the couple having divorced their first spouses. Even so, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, as well as the Archbishop of Canterbury and Prime Minister Tony Blair expressed their full support for what was a controversial union.

Continue reading “Home & Dry: Charles & Camilla 12 Years On” →