The Life and Legacy Of Princess Anne

 As it's Princess Anne's 75th Birthday on the 15th August I'd thought I'd write a blog on her life so far and how she's a great asset to the monarchy. 

Princess Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise was born on the 15th August 1950 at Clarance House. She is the second child and only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. She was born 2 years before her mother became Queen and King George VI did meet her. 

It was known in the inner circles that Anne was her father's favourite as she has the same mannerisms as him and that she is strong like Prince Philip. 

Anne was baptised in the music room of Buckingham Palace on the 21st October 1950. When she was born she was 3rd in line to the British throne after her mother Princess Elizabeth and older brother Prince Charles. After her grandfather's death in 1952 she became second in line after her brother Charles. in 2025 she was 18th in line to the throne. 

Growing up her and Charles were incredibly close and when their parents were on tours her and Charles was looked after by nannies and their Grandmother The Queen Mother and their Auntie Princess Margaret. In 1953 Princess Anne who was two at the time did not attend her mother's coronation because she was too young. Her brother however was old enough to attend.

When she was 9 years old she became a brownie as part of the Buckingham Palace pack, She followed the suit of her mother and aunt. 

A governess Catherine Peebles was appointed to look after Anne and was responsible for her early education and tutored her at Buckingham Palace. In 1963 Anne was enrolled into a boarding school called Benenden School. In 1968 she left school with 6 GCE O levels and two A levels. 

By 1965 she also became an older sister to both Prince Andrew and Prince Edward which in turn meant that she was now 4th in line to the throne. 

Princess Anne is the 7th Princess Royal which is a title for the eldest daughter of a Monarch she became The Princess Royal in 1987. 

At the age of 18 she began to take on royal engagements to help her mother out. In 1970 Princess Anne briefly dated Andrew Parker Bowles who was the future husband of Camilla Shand. Camilla later became the second wife and Queen to her elder brother King Charles III. 

Princess Anne was a very accomplished horse rider who started riding in various shows and even made it into the Olympic Games in 1976. In 1971 Anne finished 4th at the Rushhall Horse Trials. At age 21 she won the individual title at the European Eventing Championship with her home bred horse Doublet. In 1971 she was also voted at the BBC Sports Personality Of The Year. 

She also rode winners with horse racing in the Grand Military Steeplechase at Sandown Park Racecourse and The Diamond Stakes at The Royal Ascot. For more than five years Anne also competed with the British Eventing Team winning a silver medal in both individual and team disciplines in 1975. In 1976 Anne participated in the Montreal Olympics riding The Queen's horse Goodwill. Unfortunately Anne suffered a concussion halfway through the course, she remounted the horse and did finish the event. She couldn't remember what happened after she fell but could only remember the jumps. 

In 1987 Anne became the first British royal to appear as a contestant on a television quiz show on the BBC panel game A Question Of Sport. Very recently in 2024 Anne was taken to hospital in Bristol due to a horse incident where she suffered minor injuries and concussion. 

In 1968 Anne met Mark Philips a lieutenant in the 1st Queen's Dragoon Guards at a party for horse lovers. They dated for a few years before they announced their engagement on the 29th May 1973 she would become the first of Queen Elizabeth II's children to marry. 

They got married on the 14th November 1973 at Westminster Abbey in a televised ceremony with an estimated audience of 100 million. They also appeared on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to which the crowd cheered them. At that same balcony appearance the crowd also sang Happy Birthday to her brother Charles whose birthday coincided with her wedding he turned 25 that day. 

Together they had 2 children Peter who was born in 1977 and Zara who was born in 1981. Anne and Peter have 5 grandchildren between them. On 31st August 1989 Anne and Mark announced that they will be separating they had been together out in public before and they were interested in other people romantically. They said that they would share custody of their children and there were no plans to divorce yet. But On the 12th April 1992 Buckingham Palace announced that Anne had filed for divorce which was finalised 10 days later. 

Anne met Sir Timothy Laurence while he was serving on The Royal Yacht Britannia. In early 1989 their relationship blossomed when Sir Timothy was appointed as equerry to her mother. In 1989 there were some private letters from Anne to Timothy that were revealed in The Sun newspaper. 

On The 12th December 1992 the couple married in Scotland on the Balmoral Estate a total of 30 guests were invited to the private wedding. They got married in Scotland because The Church Of Scotland accepted remarriage after divorce back then. 

On 20th March 1974 Princess Anne and her then husband Mark were on their way back to Buckingham Palace when a car forced the rolls royce to stop on The Mall. The driver of the car jumped out and began firing a pistol. Anne's police protection officer jumped out of the car and began to shield her. 

The kidnapper approached Anne's car and intended on kidnapping her for a ransom of £2 million or £3 million which he claimed that he would give the money to the NHS. The kidnapper told Anne to get out the car to which Anne replied with "Not bloody likely!" 

She reportedly considered hitting him. Eventually Anne exited the other side of the car and a passing pedestrian, a former boxer named Ron Russell punched the kidnapper and led Anne away from the scene. At that point Micheal Hills happened to be on the scene before and was shot by the kidnapper he had already called the police for backup. 

Since the age of 18 Anne has been a great supporter of the crown and has done a lot of engagements. She would do state visits on behalf of her mother as Queen and now her Brother as King. She has been in the top 3 of the most hardest working royals coming in first in 2024. 

Princess Anne is the patron to over 200 charities and organisations. She works for Save The Children she has been president of the charity between 1970 to 2017 and has been patron ever since Princess Anne would visit places where children were struggling like parts of Africa way before her ex sister in law Diana was even on the scene. 

As a result for her incredible work for charity,she was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize in 1990. With Anne being an olympian herself she had become a British representative in the International Olympic Committee as an administrator she was also a member of the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games for the London 2012 Olympics. 

Anne has been described as the trustiest anchor in The Royal Family with very few scandals and her no nonsense approach to things. She has carried out more than 20,000 engagements since her 18th birthday. In her early adulthood she was also cited as a "royal renegade" for choosing to forgo titles for her children and grandchildren. 

Despite being the "spare" she has proved herself and the royal who just gets on with life and not to get upset over everything. She is also very very outspoken as she tends to tell people how she feels and is not afraid to speak out on matters close to her heart. 

On 8th September 2022 her mother passed away in Scotland and she was the only one of the Queen's children who was by her bedside when she died. Charles her elder brother was on the estate but didn't make it in time so he found out that he was king on the road on the way to Balmoral Castle. 

She was the one who followed her mother's journey from Scotland to Windsor during those few weeks. On the 12th September 2022 she became the first female royal to stand vigil at her mother's coffin in Scotland and then again in Westminster Hall on the 16th September 2022. Through her own grief she wanted to make sure her eldest Brother in particular was supported as he is more emotional than her younger brothers. 

As her Brother's reign began she supported him as much as she supported her mother during her reign for Charles's coronation in 2023 she was Gold Stick In Waiting which is the King's personal bodyguard during big events like the coronation and trooping the colour. 

In February 2024 it was announced that her brother King Charles III was diagnosed with a type of cancer and was advised to postpone and cancel his public engagements. Two ladies of the royal family held the fort for him and that was his wife Queen Camilla and his sister Princess Anne. Between the two of them they handled the fort amazingly. 

As we celebrate her 75th birthday this year we should reflect on how Anne is an amazing royal who works tirelessly for the crown, country and the Commonwealth. She is a royal who should not be messed with. As she celebrates her milestone birthday I don't think she has any intentions of slowing down yet. 

The misunderstood King Charles III: His Emotions

 This blog is about how misunderstood King Charles III is and how sensitive he is when he is out and about and personally. 

We will look at how he felt during his marriage with Diana. This blog is purely on what i see when he is out and about and what I've read about him over the years so it's strictly my opinion and other people could have a very different opinion to mine.

It was known by various people that he suffered with depression when he was married to Diana and would become suicidal at some point. I think he still suffers with some anxiety today considering what Harry has put him through and all the tragedy he has experienced recently including his parents'death and  his cancer diagnosis. 

In a previous blog I did go into detail on how he did feel during the marriage between him and Diana so I probably won't go into it as much in this blog. 

King Charles III is a very misunderstood man who wears his heart on his sleeve and is such a kind and caring man who just wants to be understood with what he says about his gardening and his behaviour. 

During his childhood he was a very very shy boy who his father called him a romantic. He was bullied quite badly in school in chem and gordonstoun where Prince Philip studied and thought his sensitive son should benefit from to "Toughen him up" 

His grandfather King George VI was notorious for his bad temper and can get very very frustrated with even the little things. The incident I'm referring to with Charles is the pen incident back in September 2022.

On the 13th September 2022 4 days after Queen Elizabeth II passed away the newly King Charles III visited Northern Ireland and had to sign a visitors book at Hillsbrough Castle. Unfortunately the ink from his pen leaked all over his hands and he got frustrated and said "I can't bear this bloody thing". 

People took that incident as a sign of him being 'entitled' and 'spoilt' meanwhile he has the world of weight on his shoulders as his mother passed away 4 days before. His change of character was a sign of grief, he'd never had the time to actually grieve in private since she died. 

The first time when people really saw his emotion and understood that he's a sensitive soul was on the 17th April 2021 during his father's funeral. Prince Philip sadly passed away on the 9th April 2021 at the age of 99. During the funeral especially during the procession people online noticed how absolutely heartbroken he was and there was later a photo released of Charles in the procession with tears running down his face. 

During the service it was his darling wife Camilla was there supporting him during the service. 

This takes us on to the support he receives from his various family members. Camilla who is his second wife is his biggest supporter who supports him most behind closed doors and in public. Once after Queen Elizabeth II passed away and she went to Buckingham Palace with Charles a day after her death one of the public asked Camilla if she will look after Charles for us and to which she says "I will, I promise" and she did keep that promise. 

Princess Anne who is the only sister of Charles is also his greatest support and confidant. She was the one who was in Scotland with her mother when she died. She was also the one who gave Charles the updates on their mother. 

When Camilla is unwell or unable to attend an engagement it's always Anne who accompanies him to the various engagements. One of the examples was from 9th and 10th of November 2024 when Camilla was sick with pneumonia and had to pull out of the Remembrance weekend last minute. 

During The Royal British Legion Festival on Saturday Charles instead of sitting alone during the festival he had his sister Anne next to him and keeping an eye on him throughout. 

His emotions and sensitive nature could come from his grandfather King George VI. He suffered a terrible childhood and suffered with a terrible stutter because of the difficult childhood he had. George was always very shy as a child which can sometimes lead into his adult life. It was Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother who helped him get through all of his difficulties in his adult life to his death in 1952. 

The Queen Mother out of all of the royal family during his childhood and most of his adult life that he can go to for a shoulder to cry on. When he was a child he would always write letters to his grandmother and open up to her. I think The Queen Mother had a soft spot for Charles because I think Charles reminded her to her late husband with his sensitive nature. 

In 2002 The Queen Mother passed away at the age of 101 years and Charles being incredibly close to her was absolutely devastated in private he did have the support of Camilla but in public he was struggling to get the support from his family publicly. During the funeral during the middle of the service he was almost in a flood of tears. He sat between his two sons who didn't give him any support not even to ask if he was fine.

On the 6th February it was King Charles III who announced a shocking statement  that he was diagnosed with a form of cancer after a procedure on his prostate. He was going to step back from public duties so that he can focus on his health and his treatment. His wife was his constant support and she was stepping in with his engagements. After his cancer diagnosis he has become more and more emotional because he has realised his own morality. 

Overall I rate King Charles III as the most emotional monarch we've ever had as a nation. And in my opinion it is a very good thing because it shows how compassionate he is and how empathetic he is and how he cares about everyone. People call him weak but he's just sensitive and being sensitive is definitely not a weakness. 

If you read this blog and you hate on Charles all I have to say is that think before you speak about him because he can be misunderstood and he has had hate all his life. 

Super Granny: An MS Story

 Once upon a time there lived a Granny who was diagnosed with MS. Her grandchildren Isabelle and Courtney ask questions about why granny’s legs don’t work and why she’s tired. 

Granny has a secret, she’s a super hero.

She goes round the world and helps people with similar conditions. One day Isabelle and Courtney were visiting Granny and Grandad and they were asking Grandad why Granny was still in bed. Grandad says that Granny has been busy all night helping people. 

She helps people cross the road in her wheelchair called Roma. Roma helps Granny get round outside pushed by Grandad but secretly Granny has installed rocket powers on Roma so on her own she can get around everywhere to help people. She has also secretly installed a pair of wings on Roma so she can fly all over the world. 

Isabelle and Courtney were amazed about Granny’s ability to help people around the world. After Grandad told the girls the story, Granny came down the stairs. Isabelle and Courtney ran to hug her and said “you are amazing, we didn’t realise that you help people around the world” Granny winked and said “well now you know, and this will be our little secret” 

From that day on Granny spent time talking about her adventures to her two grandchildren and they listened intently to her in awe. 

Royal Emotions and How It's evolved over the years

 In this blog we will look at how emotions in The Royal Family evolve. The monarchy today is very different to what it was like in the past with the war generation etc. 

Royal men especially were always known as keeping their emotion to themselves but that has evolved through until the modern era to our current King. 

Let's start in the Queen Victoria era. In the Victorian Era when Queen Victoria became Queen at 18 years old. Her Mother who kept her in close protection where she would keep Victoria sleeping in the same room as her. As Queen she became headstrong and confident in what she does which her Mother didn't like the fact that she was off doing her own things. 

She was very sensitive when it came to certain events especially with cholera where she visited the hospitals and areas surrounding it. Her head dresser Mrs Skerrett sadly died of the disease which devastated her. 

When she married Prince Albert and had children it was reported by royal historians that she suffered postnatal depression as she liked making children but wasn't too keen about raising them. After the birth of all of her children her behaviour would change she also had a lot of withdrawal with her children as she didn't have much involvement in her children's activities. Overall Prince Albert was the most present parent by taking over their schooling and playing with them. 

After Prince Albert's devastating death in 1861 after the strong support of his wife of 21 years. Victoria sank into a very very deep depression and a prolonged period of mourning which made her hide away from the public for a number of years before she regained confidence in the public eye once again. 

After her death in 1901 her son Prince Bertie became King Edward VII he was very sensitive as a child and his father used to favour his other children over him and he and his mother Queen Victoria were very close. When he became king he knew that he would need to use the stiff upper lip and keep calm and carry on. Most photos of him can be seen keeping a cold expression, his children were raised as strong people Edward VII was a disciplinarian who always raised his children as proper Princes and Princesses. King Edward VII never had video recordings of himself or any audio clips either so we can't see any emotion in these footage clips. He passed away in 1910. 

One of his sons would soon be known as King George V who also kept a stern expression in various photos. There is video footage of King George V smiling and laughing. George V had 6 children in total and just like his father before him he was a disciplinarian and favoured one child before another. He had 2 eldest sons where he focused on their schooling as they were next in the line of succession. His second youngest son Prince Albert known as Bertie suffered quite badly in his childhood, He was quite shy and he had a stammer. 

King George V was the monarch who got his nation through World War 1 and during the War they learned to be positive that that included the members of the royal family. He visited trenches and saw for himself how his soldiers fought during the war. His wife Queen Mary often visited hospitals and supported the nurses and doctors who have assisted to help heal the soldiers who were injured in iv nthe trenches 

After King George V passed away the crown went to his eldest son known as King Edward VIII who abdicated because he had feelings for an American divorcee Wallis Simpson and went off to get married to her in France. He left his younger brother Bertie to become King George VI, When George found out that he was to become King he cried on his mother's shoulder Queen Mary. 

King George VI was a very sensitive man who had difficult upbringing he had a lot of illnesses when growing up. He used to wear splints on his legs to strengthen them. George also had a terrible stutter which he struggled with his adult life. He had the constant support of his wife Queen Elizabeth (later The Queen Mother) she was the one who got him seeing Lionel Louge a renowned speech therapist who helped him thorough his most famous speeches. 

In September 1939 The Second World War broke and The King and Queen had to support the nation and the empire through the war via visits and speeches. The World War Two generation had to again keep their spirits up by singing songs while they were in their air raid shelters. In London it was utter destruction and The King and Queen made sure they visited people who lost their houses during the blitz. 

In September 1940 The King and Queen faced reality of Buckingham Palace being bombed while they were in residence. They immediately understood how people felt when their houses were bombed. 

Their daughter Princess Elizabeth became Queen after her father's death in 1952. She was not in the country when she became Queen Elizabeth II. She was in Kenya with her husband Prince Philip when it was him who broke the news to his wife and new Queen. 

Throughout her life Queen Elizabeth II was a very strong lady who barely showed any emotion during her reign. She had a very happy childhood with 2 very hands on parents as they weren't the next King and Queen as duke and duchess of York. 

Queen Elizabeth II had her "strength and stay" Prince Philip who did an amazing job in supporting her. In April 2021 Prince Philip passed away at the age of 99. He died during the Covid-19 pandemic where the country was in lockdown and there were only a limited number of people who could attend funerals. 

Because you were only allowed 30 people to attend the funeral and had to be in social bubbles with who you live with Queen Elizabeth II sat on her own at her husband's funeral. It was a very heartbreaking sight and the photo hit people from around the country and the world. 

After Prince Philip's funeral Queen Elizabeth II who was not doing very well herself reduced her engagement amount and let her son Charles take up some of her engagements like The State Opening Of Parliament. In 2022 Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her Platinum Jubilee which celebrates 70 incredible years of a very successful reign. 

During her Platinum Jubilee celebrations she was unfortunately unable to attend most of the celebrations due to some ongoing mobility issues. During most of the celebrations it was her son and heir Charles who stood in for her and celebrated her jubilee. On the 5th June 2022 it was the Platinum Jubilee pageant where again Charles was the one who stepped up. However he did speak to his mother before to encourage her to come on the balcony afterwards. She did appear on the balcony and it was her last balcony appearance and she did show some emotion by biting her lip and tearing up. 

On the 8th September 2022 about 3 months later after her Platinum Jubilee celebrations she passed away peacefully at Balmoral Castle. Her son and heir automatically became King Charles III. King Charles is a very very sensitive man who feels things very deeply. 

He did have a very happy childhood with his parents before his mother became Queen. After her accession she and Prince Philip went on loads of tours around the Commonwealth so Charles and his sister Anne were looked after my nannies and their grandmother and auntie. 

Growing up he went to school at Gordonstoun School boys school. Charles was bullied for being who he was as heir to the throne. 

In 1981 he married Lady Diana Spencer even though he was in love with someone else. During that marriage he was very depressed and in photos of that era he did look very sad and depressed. This marriage ended in separation and divorce in 1996. In August 1997 Diana, Princess Of Wales tragically passed away in a car crash in Paris. Charles was devastated over the loss and was very worried for his two sons one aged 15 and the other aged 12. 

In 2002 he lost his grandmother to whom he was incredibly close to. He was very very sad and during the funeral he was showing great pain and sadness and grief. Behind the scenes he has the constant support from Camilla Shand who is a divorcee from Andrew Parker Bowles, he could rely on her to support him through the saddest and most difficult moments of his life. 

In 2005 Charles remarried to the only woman he has loved Camilla Shand in a civil ceremony in Windsor followed by a blessing in St George's Chapel on the Windsor Castle Estate. The marriage became the most emotional second royal wedding as he married the love of his life after 40 years since they met.  

In 2021 he lost his beloved father who died during the Covid-19 pandemic so very limited guests were able to attend. During the procession he was photographed with tears running down his face. Inside the chapel he sat next to his wife Camilla, Duchess Of Cornwall so she can give him support and she was also part of the household bubble with her husband. 

In 2022 Charles became King and his wife became Queen. We always thought for a while before he became King that his reign was always going to be an emotional one. In my opinion King Charles III is probably the most emotional monarch that we will have as a nation. Prince William in my opinion he takes after his grandfather Prince Philip when it comes to emotions, Prince Philip had a stiff upper lip approach to life which I think William will follow.  

The Life Of King Edward VIII

 This blog is about the short reign of King Edward VIII and life before and after becoming King. 

Edward Albert Christian Patrick David was born on the 23rd June 1894 during the reign of his grandmother Queen Victoria and he was 3rd in line to the British throne after his grandfather and his father. 

His father was King George V and his mother was Queen Mary Of Teck. When his grandmother Queen Victoria passed away in January 1901 Edward became 2nd in line to the British throne when his grandfather King Edward VII became king after his mother passed. Edward did become known between family and close friends as David. 

Edward's father George was a harsh disciplinarian but could be really affectionate but his mother displayed a frostier side with her children to ensure she kept to the public image. 

When it came to education David was tutored at home by tutors. Following the death of Queen Victoria in 1901 when his parents were helping King Edward VII tour the British Empire David and his younger siblings stayed in Great Britain with their grandparents and nannies. His grandparents showered their grandchildren with lots of affection. Edward was under the care of two men Fredrick Finch and Henry Hansell they both virtually brought up Edward and his siblings for their remaining nursery years. 

After the education under home tutors he took the examination to enter the Royal Naval College in Osborne and he began studying there in 1907, He did not enjoy the Navel College. He did move onto the Royal Naval College in Dartmouth which was a course of two years before entering into the Royal navy. 

Edward automatically became Duke Of Cornwall and Duke Of Rothesay on the 6th May 1910 when his grandfather King Edward VII passed and his father became king under King George V. He was then created Prince Of Wales and Earl Of Chester a month later on the 23rd June 1910 on his 16th birthday. 

As soon as he became Prince Of Wales they started preparing him for his future role as King. He had to be withdrawn from his naval course before his graduation, He served as a midshipman for 3 months aboard the battleship Hindustan and then he immediately entered Magdalen College in Oxford. The biographers thought he was unprepared. Edward also learned to play polo as a keen Horseman he played polo with the University club. He left Oxford after eight terms without earning any qualifications.

When the First World War broke out in 1914 Edward had reached the minimum age to join active service. He had joined the Grenadier Guards in June 1914 he was eager to serve on the front lines but the secretary of state for war at the time refused to allow it claiming that serving on the front line could cause harm is the heir to the throne were to be captured by the enemy. 

He did however visit the front line trenches a couple of times for which he was given a Victorian Cross in 1916. His role in the war made him popular among some of the veterans. Edward also undertook his first military flight in 1918 and later gained a pilot's licence. About a year after this all happened Edward's younger Prince John died at the age of 13 on the 18th January 1919 after suffering an epileptic seizure. 

Before the first world war there was a match of romance with Edward's second cousin Princess Victoria Louise Of Prussia. He was a bit of a toy boy in his younger years. He had quite a few relationships he liked to spend some time in Paris partying once he left his regiment on the western front. 

It was known among palace circles that King George V favoured Bertie rather than Edward as George V was concerned about Edward's affairs and was also worried that he would never marry and have children. There were rumours that Edward was teasing his brother's wife Elizabeth in 1929 by calling her Queen Elizabeth as he's yet to settle down and have children and his brother was next in line to the throne. 

He continued his relationship with various married women. One of his flings introduced Edward to fellow American Wallis Simpson who had divorced her first husband in 1927. Her second husband Ernest Simpson was a businessman. Both Edward and Wallis became lovers. Edward did insist to his father that he was not having an affair with her so that he would not weaken his relationship with his father further. In 1935 his parents met Wallis at Buckingham Palace as Edward's friend but later refused to receive her as they knew that she was still having an affair with their son. 

Edward's affair with an American divorcee led to grave concerns that the couple were followed by the police who examined in secret the nature of their relationship. One report mentioned that they visited an antique shop with a note saying "That the lady seemed to have the POW completely under her thumb." 

On the 20th January 1936 Edward's father King George V passed away. Upon his father's death he became King and was named King Edward VIII. The next day accompanied by Simpson he broke with custom by watching the proclamation of his own accession from a window of St James's Palace. He became the first monarch of the British Empire to fly in an aircraft when he flew from Sandringham to London. 

His reign however did not last as he announced that he was too abdicated as he couldn't marry Wallis Simpson as it was then unacceptable to marry a divorcee. On the 10th December 1936 Edward signed the instruments of abdication in the presence of his younger brothers Prince Albert, Duke Of York next in line to the throne, Prince Henry, Duke Of Gloucester and Prince George, Duke Of Kent. 

On the night of 11th December 1939, Edward who was now reverted to Prince explained why he abdicated to the world in a broadcast via BBC radio. He said "I have found it impossible to carry the heavy burden of responsibility and to discharge my duties as king as I would wish to do without the help and support of the woman I love" he also added that the "decision was mine and mine alone" Edward departed Britain for Austria the following day. He wasn't able to join Wallis until her divorce became absolute several months later. 

The Duke Of York succeeded to the throne as King George VI. His eldest daughter Princess Elizabeth became heir to the throne when she was 10 years old. George was quite scared at the prospect of becoming King as he had a really bad speech impairment and a stutter he apparently he broke down and cried on his mother Queen Mary's shoulder for over an hour. 

Edward who was styled as The Duke Of Windsor finally married Wallis in a private ceremony on the 3rd June 1937 in France. The couple had no children. He did want some of his family particularly wanted his younger brothers The Dukes Of Gloucester and Kent and his second cousin Lord Louis Mountbatten to attend the ceremony. After the marriage it was known that George VI and his mother Queen Mary did not want Wallis to have the style of Her Royal Highness. 

Just before World War Two was declared The Duke and Duchess visited Nazi Germany which was against the advice of The British Government and met Adolf Hitler. The visit was much publicised by the German media. During the visit Edward gave full Nazi salutes. In Germany they were treated as royalty as people would bow and curtsy to both Edward and Wallis. 

On the outbreak of the Second World War Edward and Wallis were brought back to Britain by Louis Mountbatten on board the HMS Kelly. In July 1940 Edward was appointed as a governor of the Bahamas. 

In his later life he and Wallis spent the remainder of their lives in France. In 1949 with the health of his younger brother declining there was a scheme where Edward would return to England in case of an emergency and place himself in a position for a possible regency. In 1951 Edward produced a memoir called A King's Story which was ghost written by Charles Murphy, in which he expressed disagreement with liberal politics. 

On the 6th February 1952 Edward's younger brother King George VI died from lung cancer. Many people including Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother blamed Edward for his brother's early death. The Queen Mother believed that her husband took on the burdens of kingship due to Edward's abdication and the strain of the role led to his death at the age of 56. Edward appeared to be unmoved by George VI's death even attending the funeral with showing no signs of grief. 

Edward and Wallis effectively took on the roles of being celebrities. They hosted parties and moved between Paris and New York. The couple adored their pugs that they kept. In march 1953 Edward came back to Britain due to his mother Queen Mary's declining health. On the 24th March 1953 Queen Mary died of lung cancer. Edward stayed in Britain to attend his mother's funeral but after that he was not welcome back into Britain. 

Edward was not invited to his Queen Elizabeth II's coronation so he stayed in France and watched it at home with a few of their lavish friends. He was paid to write articles on the ceremony for the Sunday Express and Woman's Home Companion as well as a short book called The Crown And The People 1902-1953.  

The couple appeared on a television interview show Person to Person in 1956 and in a 50 minute BBC television interview in 1970. Also during the 1970s Prince Charles wrote various letters to his great uncle over his love life as he was falling in love with a woman with a 'past' Camilla Shand and he would give him some advice. Charles and Edward were close because of their letter writing. In October 1970 Charles visited Edward in his Paris home. 

On the 28th 10 days after a visit from his niece Queen Elizabeth II Edward died at his home in Paris. He died from throat cancer. His body was returned to London and he was taken to St George's Chapel at Windsor where he was lying in state. The funeral took place in the chapel on the 5th June in the presence of The Queen, the royal family and The Duchess Of Windsor. Wallis stayed at Buckingham Palace during her visit. He was buried in the Royal Burial Ground behind the Royal Mausoleum of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. In 1986 Wallis died from frailty and dementia was buried alongside her husband. 

In 2023 Harry mentioned in his book Spare that he, Charles and William had a conversation near where they are buried just after Prince Philip Duke Of Edinburgh's funeral were Charles said "Please boys, Don't make my final years a misery" 

Coronation Of King Charles And Queen Camilla Review

 The Coronation Of King Charles III and Queen Camilla was held on the 6th May 2023 at Westminster Abbey. 

It was the first coronation since 1953 when his mother Queen Elizabeth II was crowned. The coronation is held in a modern time with technology such as mobile phones, tablets and new age cameras. 

Queen Elizabeth II passed away on the 8th September 2022 after a long time with mobility issues. The moment she passed away her eldest son Charles became king at the age of 74 and his wife Camilla became Queen Consort. 

After the mourning period was over by October they started planning for the coronation. It was called operation golden orb where the plans were in action. 

In the documentary Charles III: The Coronation Year they went into detail about what happened behind the scenes like the rehearsals, the making of the regalia such as the crowns and the outfits like Camilla's gown. 

Queen Camilla's gown was designed by Bruce Oldfield. The gown was embroidered with her two dogs Beth and Bluebell who are Jack Russell terriers, floral designs of their favourite flowers and names of her grandchildren. Her crown was a re-wear that was the Queen Mary crown, she had it resized to fit her head. In 2025 the crown was renamed as the Queen Camilla crown. 

King Charles III had more regalia than his wife, which was in the list below:

• The St Edward's Crown- The St Edward's Crown is the crown that the monarch is crowned with during the service after the anointing. The crown in 1661 was refurbished by King Charles II after it was melted down by Oliver Cromwell who abolished the monarchy and beheaded Charles I in 1649. This particular crown is only worn once. 
• The Imperial State Crown- This crown is one of the newest coronation regalia as it was commissioned for the coronation of King George VI on the 12th May 1937. This crown is often used at the end of the coronation in an exchange for the St Edward's Crown which is a lot heavier in weight. The monarch also wears this crown when opening parliament. 
• The Sovereign's Orb- The Sovereign's Orb is a representation of christian power and symbolising the christian world. The Sovereign's Orb was made from gold from the 17th century and is divided into three sections with bands of jewels, for each of the three continents known in the medieval period. 
• The Anointing Oil and Spoon- The anointing spoon is the oldest piece in the coronation regalia. The oil and spoon is probably the most sacred and private moment for the sovereign in the coronation. This is the moment when the sovereign it signifies the relationship between sovereign and god. 

There were loads of rehearsals in the lead up to the ceremony as everything needed to go completely to plan, There were some rehearsals in Westminster Abbey and some in Buckingham Palace as in the palace they made the ballroom into a rehearsal room. They involved all who had a part in the ceremony including Charles and Camilla who attended most of them as considering it was their day when they were crowned as King and Queen. 

The ceremony went really well. Charles and Camilla both looked understandably very nervous but after months of practice the day went off perfectly. My favourite bit had to have been the bit when Queen Camilla was crowned and when she curtsied to her king and the face he gave showed how proud he was of his Queen. 

There were homages to The King including one from Justin Welby The Archbishop Of Canterbury and Prince William The Prince Of Wales who pledged allegiance to the new King. Charles was very very emotional and moved during that part and the whole ceremony. 

I think people forget that sometimes the only reason why the monarch has a coronation is becuase their monarch parent has died in order to get this far. However a coronation only happens in the UK as other European monarchies don't have proper coronations. They only have sworn in monarchs into power like with the recent King Fredrik X and Queen Mary after his mother Queen Margrethe of Denmark abdicated in January 2024. 

The music composed in this particular coronation was the usual music like Zadok The Priest and I Was Glad just to name a few. There were a few new pieces that were commissioned for this coronation including Make A Joyful Noise written by Andrew Lloyd Webber, O Clap Your Hands written by Debbie Wiseman, The King Charles III Coronation March written by Patrick Doyle and Sacred Fire written by Sarah Class just to name a few. The coronation ceremony including the music are on an album that you can by or listen to online on the streaming platforms. 

In the procession The King had 4 pages of honour including his eldest grandson Prince George Of Wales. Queen also had 4 pages of honour which included her grandsons and great nephew, In this coronation it focused on family and how the family were involved in the ceremony. It also reflects that this is a modern coronation because we have a mixed family involved in the coronation. The King's little sister Princess Anne was also a gold stick in waiting which is basically a special security guard for The King as they processed back to Buckingham Palace in the gold state couch. 

When The King was anointed he was anointed behind a screen as it is the most sacred part of the ceremony and he strips to very minimal clothing and the oil is placed on his forehead and chest. This signifies the relationship between God and King in that very personal moment. While he was being anointed the piece of music Zadok The Priest was played in the background. When The Queen was anointed this was out in the open as it wasn't as sacred as The Kings. 

As The King was crowned with the St Edward's Crown the Archbishop Of Canterbury placed the crown on his head at exactly 12pm the signal was set to set off gun salutes to signify that the King has been crowned. Every year on the 6th May at 12pm there will be gun salutes to signify the moment The King was crowned. Queen Camilla was also crowned with the Queen Mary Crown in a separate ceremony after The King. 

When they left Westminster Abbey the national anthem was played as the king appeared with the Imperial State Crown, Orb and Sceptre with the queen following behind him. He then at the entrance of the abbey he received prayers from the different faiths. 

They then got into The State Golden Coach and made their way back to Buckingham Palace followed by thousands of Military personnel parading with the procession. They then entered Buckingham Palace and the military went to the Palace gardens where they waited for the king and queen to appear. They then appeared in front of the thousand military personnel where they gave the king and queen 3 cheers and a salute.

They then went onto the balcony and faced millions and millions of people not only in London but in front of people around the world on TV. They then watched a flypast that was very limited due to poor weather but there were a few helicopters and the red arrows. The crowd then cheered them and sang God Save The King. The King and Queen were very moved by the whole occasion. 

The next day there was a concert for The King and Queen where it was a time to look back at all of their achievements and to listen to some music from Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Take That just to name a few. The next day was volunteering The King and Queen encouraged people to do some volunteer work for the nation, it was also the day where people were invited to join in for a Big Lunch which Queen Camilla is a patron of. 

The King and Queen very rightly had a few weeks to recover from the festivities by going to Scotland to have a break. 

In May 2025 It was announced that the state portraits will soon to be released marking the 2nd Anniversary of their coronation, painting are also released to mark the occasion too. 

Charles and Diana: The truth behind their relationship

 In this blog I will be writing about the relationship between Charles and Diana. I know this will be a controversial topic to write about but I believe after doing some research and looking at various books that there is a different side to the story. 

I know Diana has told her side of the story many many times via books and interviews but we never really got to hear Charles's side to the story about what supposedly happened behind palace walls. I know this is going to cause a lot of hate and I'm willing to take that hate on, but just remember that this is my blog and I'm writing my own opinions and I have done some extensive research on this particular topic via books, documentaries and TV shows. 

We start back in the late 70s where Charles met Diana and how their relationship blossomed at the very beginning. It was said that Charles was dating Diana's sister Lady Sarah at the time where he met Diana at their house on the Sandringham estate. By the end of that date with Sarah both she and Charles broke the relationship off and he started asking Sarah what her sister was like. 

Charles dated a number of women in the 70s trying to find a suitable bride to produce and heir. They had to have absolutely no past. Charles first set his eyes on Camilla Shand at a polo match and they first hit it off from the very beginning, unfortunately Camilla did not meet the requirements of being a suitable bride as she was deemed a 'party girl' by the royal family. 

Diana had a very difficult childhood with divorced parents etc. She grew up with 3 siblings 2 sisters and one brother who were treated differently from her. 

The Queen Mother along with Lord Louis Mountbatten hooked Camilla up to marry Andrew Parker Bowles. Charles was at sea when he heard the news of their marriage and was absolutely devastated. So he went on and had a few dates with Diana Spencer who was at the time only 19 years old. It was a really big age gap between the two but because she had no past she was deemed as the suitable bride for the heir to the throne. 

On the 24th February 1981 it was announced from Buckingham Palace that Charles and Diana were engaged and will be married in the summer of July.  Charles sent out gifts as a thank you to all the women who have supported him and helped him through the years. He gave a very personal gift to Camilla that was a bracelet with G and F engraved into it. G and F were nicknamed what Charles and Camilla used when they were dating and it stood for Fred and Gladis. Obviously with the bracelet being such a personal gift Diana took problem with that as obviously Camilla was an ex of Charles and by this point she knew that he still had feelings for her. 

Diana wanted to back out of the marriage but her family already told her that their faces were all over the tea towels and plates. On the night before their marriage Charles told Diana that he didn't "love her" and that he felt forced into this marriage. On the 29th July 1981 Charles and Diana married in a 'fairytale marriage' and were watched by millions and millions of people. 

During the wedding Charles looked upset and even wiped tears from his eyes at one point. You got to remember that he still had strong feelings for Camilla and was forced into an essentially an arranged marriage. Diana did look beautiful in her wedding dress even though in my opinion the dress was too big and creased for a royal wedding. They married at St Paul's Cathedral. 

The royal couple spent their honeymoon on the Balmoral estate in Scotland and everything seemed fine. Even though they only went on a few dates people who knew them and saw them noticed that they were all loved up and happy with each other. When Diana was pregnant with William she and Charles were having an argument which is what most couples would do, Diana was said that the argument was soo heated that she decided to throw herself down the stairs while she was pregnant with William. Luckily mother and baby were fine but it did scare the people around her. 

On June 21st 1982 Diana gave birth to a little prince who was later named as William. After William was born Charles and Diana went on a royal tour to Australia and took their son with them as Diana didn't want to leave her son behind. There were some cracks showing in their relationship during this time period but no one really paid any attention to it. 

After William was born and apart from some arguments they still seemed perfectly happy and in love with each other. It remained like that until the 15th September 1984 when their youngest son came along named Harry. Around the same time as she was pregnant with Harry she had been cheating on Charles with other men and there was some speculation that Charles might not have been Harry's biological father. 

In 1986 things took a turn when after Diana strayed from the marriage Charles went back to his old girlfriend Camilla Parker Bowles. It was known that Camilla's husband Andrew Parker Bowles was having multiple affairs of his own back in London so Camilla was at her country house alone with their 2 children a lot. 

In March 1988 something absolutely tragic happened that would permanently change the marriage forever. Charles and Diana along with some friends would go skiing every year, while out skiing Charles and a group of friends noticed a rumbling sound. It turned out that it was an avalanche hurdling towards them. The instructor shouted everyone to move out of the way which Charles and one other person did. The other two friends didn't move in time and got crushed by the snow. 

Apparently when the rescue team got there it was said that Charles was digging his friends out of the snow with his bare hands. Unfortunately one of the party died and the other was badly injured. According to reporters who were there at the time could see that Charles was crying and shaking and looked really distressed as he entered the rescue helicopter. Meanwhile at the chalet Diana and Sarah were sat around a fire chatting and an aide came in and broke the news to them. 

When Charles arrived back at the chalet he wanted to stay but Diana insisted that they'd take the body back to the UK. When they got back to the UK Charles and Diana went their separate ways. Diana went to London to support the friend's widow while Charles travelled back to Highgrove house. 

When Charles got to the house, The housekeeper there said that he looked visibly distressed and traumatised as he walked up the stairs to his room. After spending a few days in Highgrove the staff noticed that he was getting worse and that he stared blankly at the TV for hours with red rimmed eyes. The housekeeper noticed that he needed someone there to talk to and that he needed constant support. 

After that accident Charles and Diana were completely on non-speaking terms. It was said that Diana made Charles get rid of his dog Harvey because she thought he was too old and smelly. She also made Charles go no contact with most of his friends because she thought the friends were associated with Camilla. 

There would be some pretty intense arguments according to staff one of which Diana would slap him across the face and call him various nasty names. Diana also used their 2 sons against him by changing her plans last minute to where Charles's plans would be eliminated with his sons and Diana would take them out instead. There were also instances where Charles would want to have a family tea with his sons but only to be told that they are having tea with their mother. 

Diana would apparently cry in front of William and Harry to then blame Charles for making their mother cry. William would usually slide tissue underneath the bathroom door every time he hears Diana cry. 

Another instance was apparently Charles told his cousin that while he was kneeling down and praying at night after an intense argument Diana would hit him over the head and keep on with the argument at hand. 

There have been many scandals on both parts during their relationship including the squidgygate and tampongate tapes which were both leaks through private phone calls. Squidgygate came first when Diana was talking to her lover at the time and used sqidge as a nickname. Tampongate was a intimate conversation between Charles and Camilla which reveals too much as a sexual term. 

There were rumours that Charles's mental health during his first marriage was completely downhill and was very very depressed to the point where we was suicidal and friends were seriously concerned for him and he needed help. Because he was that depressed they wanted him to reach out to Camilla who can help him see the light. It was also said that he was taking sleeping pills as he could hardly sleep. 

After those scandals the royal couple were at war with interviews and books. The most famous ones were the Andrew Morton book that focused on Diana and how bad the marriage between her and Charles was. After finding out about that book Charles hit back with the documentary Charles: The Private Man, The Public Role where he spoke out about his private life and family life, He never once spoke badly about Diana, the only thing he said was that he went to Camilla as soon as the marriage broke down. 

There was also the paranama interview where Diana famously stated "There are three of us in the marriage, so it was a bit crowded." This was true but the only issue is that there were more than three in that marriage if Diana included her many men as well. By this point The Late Queen Elizabeth II had enough and asked the royal couple to separate which they reluctantly did. 

By 1996 they got divorced after all the trouble and heartbreak they suffered they both divorced. Post divorced and they ended their feud and ended up being friendly and seen at various events together being friendly. He would visit Diana to make sure she was fine. They handled the joint custody of their two sons extremely well and they worked out arrangements etc. 

After the death of Diana, Charles was absolutely devastated and did everything in his power to protect his two sons. Charles also was the one who gave Diana a proper send off. He wanted to fly all the way to Paris to bring back her body. He went with Diana's two sisters and apparently in the hospital room Charles turned white and sobbed at her bedside. The nurses and doctors were shocked by his reaction. 

He was the one who wanted to give her a proper state funeral and persuaded his mother Queen Elizabeth II to agree to the state funeral. The funeral was very sad and Charles supported his sons throughout making sure during the actual service that his sons weren't on camera. 

He and Camilla are now happily married in 2005 and they still get the hate to this day. This blog should show that Charles and Camilla aren't the monsters and everyone who was involved were to blame. 

Like I said in the beginning this is strictly from books, documentaries and interviews that have been released over the years. I take no sides but this blog did focus on Charles's story as he was treated very badly by Diana. Diana wasn't the saint people make her out to be and I think it needs to be commented on.