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Diana Exhibit Travels Again

  October 5, 2009 at 2:54 am by

American admirers of the late Princess Diana should take advantage of an opportunity to visit a traveling exhibit, organized by Earl Spencer, now showing at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania until December 31, 2009. Earl Spencer appeared on The Today Show last week and was interviewed by Matt Lauer. Among the objects brought by Spencer for the interview were the beautiful black, cleavage-baring Jacques Azagury dress worn on … Continue reading →

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Is this the end of the line for the royal corgis?

  May 28, 2009 at 7:45 pm by

is reporting that the Queen has decided to stop breeding corgis. Recently, the Queen lost two corgis to cancer, and allegedly she is so devastated by the loss that she will not be replacing her dogs. There seems to be some discrepancy as to how many corgis and dorgis (corgi-dachshund crosses) that the Queen now owns; one article says that there are now seven dogs. Additionally, none of the other … Continue reading →

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A Reminder of John Brown

  May 28, 2009 at 7:04 pm by

Few royal friendships have spawned controversy and even a movie a century later, but Queen Victoria’s attachment to her ghillie, John Brown, was exceptional. There were even rumors in their time that the depressed widow had married her wild Scotsman, earning her the nickname Mrs. Brown. In 1997 Dame Judi Dench and Billie Connolly reenacted the relationship in the movie Mrs. Brown. The Queen mourned when Brown, who had advanced … Continue reading →

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Is Dr. David Starkey Channelling Henry VIII?

  April 30, 2009 at 4:40 pm by

A recent article in The Times made some interesting observations about Dr. David Starkey and the object of his affections, King Henry VIII. The historian and the king share several characteristics, some of which Dr. Starkey addressed. A few weeks ago I wrote a blog entry about Starkey’s analysis of the king’s handwriting and that of his mother and a sister. While doing research Starkey observed that Henry VIII had … Continue reading →

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Prince of Wales To Discuss Battenberg Grandmother in a Film

  April 30, 2009 at 4:28 pm by

The Prince of Wales is set to recall his other, often-overlooked, grandmother, the late Princess Andrew of Greece, born Princess Alice of Battenberg. In royal photographs Princess Andrew is the mysterious lady seen wearing a somber nun’s habit, as she did at the coronation of her daughter-in-law in 1953. The Prince will appear in a film, The Rescuers: Heroes of the Holocaust, that will tell the stories of 12 people … Continue reading →

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Did Anne Boleyn Cheat on Her Husband? Judge for Yourself

  April 30, 2009 at 9:33 am by

The National Archives has digitized and created an online exhibition of parchments from the reign of Henry VIII. A collection of “top secret” documents, part of the “Bag of Secrets”, tells the story of the beginning of Anne Boleyn’s trial in 1536. Anne had been accused, with her brother George Boleyn, of high treason and incest. Among the allegations against the Boleyns was that they had French kissed each other, … Continue reading →

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Charles and Camilla Enlarge Their Racing String

  April 30, 2009 at 9:11 am by

Charles and Camilla have increased the size of their racing string. The couple now have a yearling and a foal to add to their original filly, Royal Superlative. Joe Grimwade, the manager of the Royal Studs, was recently interviewed. He said that the foal is unnamed and was the result of the royals breeding their mare, Supereva, with a stallion called Dansili. The royals had not seen their new foal, … Continue reading →

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David Starkey Attacks “A Snotty-Nosed Punk”

  April 29, 2009 at 8:06 am by

A couple living in Richmond-upon-Thames for 40 years have incurred the wrath of Dr. David Starkey, Tudor historian. Planners at Richmond Council have approved the couple’s plans to build a solar powered, triple-glazed, two-story house near the former site of Richmond Palace, which was built by Henry VII. Starkey finds it a slap in the face to the founding Tudor’s son: “To give it planning permission almost to the day … Continue reading →

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Are Female Historians Destroying the Tudors?

  April 29, 2009 at 7:25 am by

Dr. David Starkey has been making, in my opinion, some rather strange comments about the biases of female historians. He criticizes some for zeroing in on the ‘soap opera’ of key figures’ love lives rather than their achievements or failures. The TV show “The Tudors” seems to have inspired these comments. Although Starkey is correct to criticize the TV show for its inaccuracies and its prurient emphasis (what Starkey describes … Continue reading →

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Princess Diana, Action Hero?

  April 29, 2009 at 7:08 am by

Princess Diana will become a comic book hero in a series called “Female Force” which honors influential women. Publishers Diamond Comic Distributors (DCD) said, “The biography will look at the admirable British icon who won hearts around the world as a princess, public figure, philanthropist and parent.” Other women already honored include Michelle Obama, Hilary Clinton, Sarah Palin and Caroline Kennedy. The princess would be the first non-American featured. The … Continue reading →

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Who Stole Marie Antoinette’s Watch? And Then Brought It Back?

  April 29, 2009 at 5:17 am by

It was a crime worthy of a 007 spy or a Pink Panther villain. On Friday, April 15 1983, the LA Mayer Museum for Islamic Art in Jerusalem, Israel, closed early for the Sabbath. It was scheduled to open the next day. The guards on duty locked the building and settled in for a long night. The next morning they discovered that a gallery containing a collection of antique watches … Continue reading →

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Want a Piece of Royal Wedding Cake?

  April 18, 2009 at 6:08 pm by

For readers with a sweet tooth, a piece of Princess Louise’s 1871 wedding cake went up for auction at the Antiques for Everyone Fair in Birmingham, England this past week. The piece of cake is believed to be the only remaining portion of the wedding cake. Bids were set to begin at $215 (145 pounds). John Shepard, the antique dealer, purchased the piece from a descendant of a noble family … Continue reading →

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Was Henry VIII a Glorious Leader or the Saddam of His Generation?

  April 18, 2009 at 4:28 pm by

With the upcoming 500th anniversary of his accession, Henry VIII continues to garner headlines in Britain. Marvin Gayford, the chief art critic for Bloomberg News, compares the English king to more recent tyrants like Saddam Hussein and North Korea’s Glorious Leader, Kim Jung Il. Gayford thinks that Henry may have been one of the most influential people in world history. Had Henry successfully fathered a son with Catherine of Aragon, … Continue reading →

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On the Trail of Henry VIII

  April 18, 2009 at 4:14 pm by

Dr. David Starkey says that we can learn much about the life of Henry VIII by visiting his residences, the most well-known of which is Hampton Court. Dr. Starkey is amazed by the Tudor royal’s “prodigious accumulation.” He is describing a neglected aspect of Henry’s reign: the number of houses and palaces he owned. When Henry became king in 1509, he had a mere 12 or 13 palaces and castles … Continue reading →

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“Becoming Queen” by Kate Williams

  March 23, 2009 at 9:19 pm by

Picture this. The Prince and Princess of Wales are feuding, much to their families’ dismay. It is quite clear that the marriage has ended, although, thank goodness, the succession is secure. They have produced an heir. But then tragedy strikes in a “King Ralph” moment and the heir is dead. What’s a royal family to do? I’m not talking about the misadventures of Charles and Diana, but about the tragedy … Continue reading →

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New Books about Royals and Their Relatives

  March 18, 2009 at 7:57 pm by

When I made my last visit to the library, I grabbed a copy of Book Page, “America’s Book Review.” And there’s a few new books that might be of interest to members of the Royal Forums. I haven’t read them and must rely on BP’s reviews, but three might be of interest to you. If you’re in the mood for humor and would like to broaden your knowledge of royal … Continue reading →

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A New Look at the Psychology of Henry VIII

  March 18, 2009 at 5:05 pm by

According to Dr. David Starkey in the Sunday Times, Henry VIII was a real mama’s boy. Looking at handwriting comparisons (that of Henry, his mother, Elizabeth of York, and his younger sister Mary), Starkey draws the conclusion that he was emotionally dependent on women because of the close similarity of the samples. An exhibition opening in April at the British Museum will display the samples. The Times quoted Starkey as … Continue reading →

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Henry VIII Exhibit Contains Love Letter to Anne Boleyn

  February 21, 2009 at 5:31 pm by

A new exhibit at the British Library beginning in April will feature a love letter from Henry VIII to his inamorata, Anne Boleyn. Never before exhibited, this letter has been hidden in the Vatican for centuries. Historians believe that the letter was stolen from Anne. The exhibit about Henry VIII is curated by Dr. David Starkey. Most Tudor fans will remember that Dr. Starkey wrote The Six Wives of Henry … Continue reading →

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Princess Diana Exhibition in Budapest

  February 20, 2009 at 1:31 am by

Admirers of Princess Diana who happen to be traveling near Budapest, Hungary might be interested in visiting an exhibit of her mementos, which appear to be taken from the display at Althorp. Earl Spencer arranged the tribute to his sister. As he has done at Althorp, he has chosen to omit the controversial aspects of her life, concentrating on the positive and the items that people most want to see. … Continue reading →

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