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. 

The History Of Royal Pets

In this blog we'll be looking at the different pets that The British Royal Family owned and inspired by over the years. 

Since the very beginning in 1066 The Royal Family had owned pets. King William I used to ride horses in battle. The Royals love to ride horses even to the current day. The British monarch also owns swans, dophins and whales along the UK coastline.  

King Henry VIII was the first monarch to own a dog in the Tudor times owning beagles, spaniels and greyhounds. They kept him company while going out hunting. He awarded people if one of his dogs got out. His dogs would wear collars to signify their royal status. 

We go to 1625 during the reign of King Charles I. He was very famous for his love of dogs as there is a breed of dog named after him called the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. He had a brown and white spaniel on his journey with him to the tower when he was executed by Oliver Cromwell. 

After restoring the monarchy in 1660 King Charles II was the type of king who focused on partying as the monarchy was restored. He also had King Charles Spaniels the spaniel is named after both Charles's because they had long black ears like both kings had long black hair. 

Now we go to the reign of King George III and keep various pets including terriers, spaniels and greyhounds. King George also had a pet zebra called Zanga and a cheetah called Miss Jenny which was a gift to him. 

King George III's son King George IV was known for his love of animals and owned a number of pets including dogs and exotic animals including a giraffe. He was particularly fond of spaniels.  In Windsor great park he was known to own giraffes, tigers and lions. He took over ownership of his father's pet zebra Zanga. He also had a parrot called Charlotte. 

Queen Victoria had a wide range of pets including different breeds of dogs, horses, donkeys and even some goats. Victoria grew up with her pet called Dash who was a King Charles Spaniels. Queen Victoria also owned horses and donkeys that she kept in the stables at Buckingham Palace. 

The king who abdicated King Edward VIII after he was banished he fled to Paris he and his wife Wallis Simpson owned a few pugs. He got inspired by his grandmother Queen Victoria who was a dog lover. 

Edward VIII's younger brother King George VI owned many pets including Labradors and Corgis. It was King George VI who introduced the Pembroke Welsh Corgi breed to the royal family when he introduced Dookie in 1933. That breed of dog became a favourite breed for himself and his two daughters. 

Queen Elizabeth II's reign will always be reminded to people for her love of horses and corgis, she bred corgis with dacshunds to create the new breed of a dorgi. All of her corgis were descended from her favourite corgi Susan. Susan was given to Princess Elizabeth's 18th birthday. Elizabeth II also was known to ride her horses almost everyday, she spent most of her free time at the stables at either residence she resided in. When Queen Elizabeth II died on the 8th September 2022 her corgis were sent to be looked after by her son Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah. Elizabeth had around 30 corgis during her reign. 

During her funeral on the 19th September 2022 her corgis Sandy and Muick were waiting for their owner in the quadrangle of Windsor Castle and her pony Emma was waiting half way up the long walk of Windsor. She was seen almost bowed to her late owner as she went past her. 

King Charles III had a few pets throughout his life. He likes Jack Russell Terriers and Labradors. He first owned a Chocolate Labrador called Dash when Dash was just a puppy. He also owned a Golden Labrador named Harvey who was given away to one of his aides he gave him away due to his ex-wife Diana who said that Harvey was too old and smelly. 

He had quite a few Jack Russell Terriers the two were Pooh and Tigga. One day Prince Charles went to Balmoral to spend some of the summer with his mother in 1993 and went out for a walk with Tigga and Pooh and when he got back to the castle he realised that Pooh didn't come back with him. There was a whole search party for him and even rewarded anyone who found him. He never came back and they believed that Pooh fell down a rabbit hole and couldn't get out. Tigga passed away in 2002. 

When Charles married Camilla Shand in 2005 they had no dogs. Camilla started adopting 2 Jack Russell Terriers named Beth and Bluebell from Battersea dogs and cats home. Beth and Bluebell were dogs who would attend engagements with their owners and take part in documentaries about their owners. In November 2024 Beth was put to sleep with a cancer that had spread. 

In December 2024 a new royal pup called Moley was born to which Camilla adopted after the sad death of her beloved dog Beth. Then in February 2025 King Charles III adopted a Lagotto Romagnolo puppy named Snuff he's apparently absolutely smitten with Snuff as Snuff was the first dog he owned in decades. 

It was confirmed on the 24th April that King Charles III’s new pup snuff was a gift from his darling wife Camilla for Christmas in 2024. 

Royal Residences

 In this blog I will be looking at various royal residences within The British Royal Family. I will list all of the residences and give information next to them: 

Buckingham Palace- Buckingham Palace is a royal residence in London where the monarch does all of the administration and meets various people. The palace is usually used for state visits where the banquet takes place. The Palace was originally known as Buckingham House that was built for the Duke Of Buckingham and Normandy in 1703 on a site that had been in private ownership for at least 150 years. 

It was acquired by King George III as a private residence in 1791 for Queen Charlotte and then it became known as The Queen's House. During the 19th century it was enlarged by architects John Nash and Edward Blore who constructed three wings around a courtyard. In 1847 Queen Victoria and Prince Albert found the palace too small for their growing family. So a new wing was designed by Edward Blore and Thomas Cubitt. Thomas Cubitt was also the great-great-great grandfather of the current Queen Camilla. 

In the Second World War Buckingham Palace was bombed nine times. The most serious publicised incident was deystroyed the palace chapel in 1940. One bomb fell in the palace quadrangle while King George VI and Queen Elizabeth were in residence. On VE day on the 8th May 1945 the palace was the centre of British celebration where The King and Queen along with their daughters Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret and Winston Churchill appeared on the balcony. 

Under King Charles III's reign the palace has been central for his coronation and trooping the colour, he and his wife Queen Camilla opt not to live at the palace as it's currently undergoing renovations although the palace is open in summers. 

Clarance House- Clarance House is better known for the official residence of The Queen Mother and very recently King Charles III and Queen Camilla. The house was built in 1825-1827 adjacent to St James's Palace for The Duke Of Clarance, The future King William IV. 

The four storey house is faced in pale render. Over the years, it has undergone much extensive remodelling and renovations. It was heavily damaged in the Second World War by the enemy during The Blitz. Little remains of the original structure designed by John Nash. 

After their marriage in 1947 Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip used the house as a family home for their growing family. Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother remained in residence until her death in 2002. In 2003 Prince Charles moved in with his long term partner Camilla Parker Bowles along with his two sons William and Harry. 

Currently, Clarance House is the London residence of King Charles III and Queen Camilla. They intend to continue to live at Clarance House until at least 2027 during renovations to Buckingham Palace. The palace will remain as the headquarters for the monarchy and the locations of state events during this time. 

St James's Palace- St James's Palace is the most senior palace in London. The palace gives its name to the Court of St James which is the monarch's royal court. The palace was built in the order of King Henry VIII in the 1530s. 

The palace is known for hosting royal reception, It also is used for the proclamation of monarchs. The most recent proclamation was on the 10th September 2022 for King Charles III. King Charles III's proclamation was first to be televised inside. St James's Palace is connected to Clarance House and is the residences of various royals including Princess Anne, Princess Beatrice and Princess Alexandra. 

Kensington Palace- Kensington Palace is situated within Kensington Gardens in the royal borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London. 

It's been the residence of the British Royal family since the 17th century. It is the residence of The Prince and Princess Of Wales, The Duke and Duchess Of Gloucester and other royals. Today, the State Rooms of Kensington are open to the public managed by the Historic Royal Palaces which is an independent charity which handles their own public funding. 

The palace was once home to Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer where they raised their 2 children Princes William and Harry. On the 31st August 1997 after Diana's death the gates of the palace became the focus of public mourning where 5 feet of floral tributes were laid. 

Balmoral Castle- The Balmoral Castle is based in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It's usually the summer residence of The Royal Family where they spend their summers. 

The estate and original castle was brought from the Farquharson Family in 1852 by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. The house was deemed too small for Victoria and her growing family so they commissioned Balmoral Castle itself. The estate is not part of the Crown Estate and remains the private property of The Royal family. 

In September 2022 Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II made Balmoral the place to pass away peacefully, It was known as her favourite residence as it was where she could be herself. 

Birkhall- Birkhall is a house on the Balmoral estate which is currently where King Charles III and Queen Camilla like to go on many occasions. 

The property was built in 1715 which was built before the main castle. In the 1930s King George V lent Birkhall to The Duke and Duchess Of York and they holidayed there with their 2 daughters Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret. After George VI died in 1952 The Queen Mother used Birkhall in summers until 2002 when she died. 

Prince Charles inherited Birkhall after his grandmother's death in 2002. Birkhall was where Charles proposed to his longtime partner Camilla Parker Bowles and then honeymooned there in 2005 and spent every summer there. In 2020 Charles and Camilla chose Birkhall to self isolate after Charles tested positive for COVID-19. 

After his mother's death in 2022 it was on his way back from Birkhall when he found out that he became King. After Queen Elizabeth II's state funeral Charles and Camilla spent the rest of the mourning period in Scotland. 

Highgrove House- Highgrove House is the private residence of King Charles III and Queen Camilla in Gloucestershire. 

The house itself was built in the late 18th century the estate was owned by various families until 1980 where the Duchy Of Cornwall purchased it. The then Prince Charles remodelled the Georgian house with neo-classical additions in 1987. 

The gardens in Highgrove are created by Charles himself and became popular to which he invites the public every year to come and see the gardens. Highgrove was also the house of Charles, Diana and their 2 sons. When their marriage was failing Charles often spent most of his time on the estate doing gardening and walks during a really tough time for him. 

 Llwynywermod- Was the Welsh residence of Prince Charles who was The Prince Of Wales from 1952 to 2022. 

Charles wanted to get a house in Wales because then when he visits Wales he has somewhere to stay. The Duchy Of Cornwall purchased this property in April 2007. The Prince Of Wales and Duchess Of Cornwall took up residence in the summer of 2008. The interior was designed by Camilla's sister Annabel Eliot. After Charles's accession to the throne in 2022 he continued to pay rent to the new Duke Of Cornwall, Prince William. 

Royals At War (World War One)

 During world war one, many royals across Europe including King George V were actively involved in the war effort, some serving in the military, visiting front lines and supporting the war effort at home. 

At the outbreak of the First World War the royal family was led by King George V and his wife Queen Mary. The pair had 6 children Edward, Albert, Mary. Henry, George and their youngest John. 

King George V and his wife Queen Mary were both active in supporting soldiers during the war years and visited the western front numerous times and also paid repeated visits to hospitals of wounded soldiers. During one visit to France George suffered a broken pelvis when his horse rolled over on top of him. 

Edward, Heir to the throne was keen on serving in the military immediately as soon as the war was declared. His hopes of fighting on the front line were immediately dashed when the Secretary of War Lord KItchener refused to allow the British heir to the throne to place himself in such danger. Despite this Edward would pay many visits to the front line trenches and witness the fighting first hand. 

Albert served in the navy during the war and was mentioned in dispatches for his work as a turret officer during the Battle Of Jutland. However ill health would shortly rule him out of the military service. 

Princess Mary became heavily involved with supporting soldiers in action through the creation of The Princess Mary Christmas Tins and those who were wounded and then treated in military hospitals back in Britain. 

As the war went on it became clear that the links of Germany through the name Saxe-Coburg and Gotha were becoming unpopular. The Europe revolution saw the overthrow of George's cousin Nicholas in Russia. This caused concern for the other European Monarchies including Britain. George took the step of suspending or revoking the British peerages and titles of his relatives who were fighting on the German side. 

In order to ensure that the Royal Family could be viewed as a British Royal Proclamation that was issued on the 17th July 1917 announcing the new Royal  name of Windsor. 

The Life Of Queen Victoria

 In this blog I will explore the life and reign of Queen Victoria. 

Victoria was born Alexandrina Victoria was born on the 24th May 1819 during King George III's reign. She was born to Prince Edward, Duke Of Kent and Strathern and Princess Victoria Of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfield. Prince Edward was the fourth son of King George III and Queen Charlotte. At birth Victoria was fifth in line of succession after the 4 eldest sons of George III. 

Being an only child Victoria's mother wanted to really protect her daughter. They would normally reside at Kensington Palace and Victoria and her mother shared the same room. When Victoria was only one her father Prince Edward died of pneumonia on the 23rd January 1820 Victoria's mother was even more protective towards her daughter. 

Shortly after her Father died her grandfather King George III died on the 29th January 1820 of pneumonia and suffered with an ongoing mental health battle, his eldest son King George IV became king and Victoria became 3rd in line to the throne. During the reign of King George VI he had one daughter named Princess Charlotte who was meant to be heir to the British throne passed away before her father became king so his brother William became heir to the throne. 

When King George IV passed away on the 26th June 1830 aged 67 years from bleeding on the stomach, his brother William became King William IV became the oldest monarch to take the throne at age 64. That title was taken by King Charles III in 2022 when he became king at age 73. 

Victoria became heir apparent when her uncle King William IV became king. William had illegitimate children but they couldn't be in line to the succession because they were born out of wedlock. 

King William IV passed away on the 20th June 1837 at the age of 71, Victoria aged 18 became Queen. She decided on the name of Victoria and her first name was not to be used again. Since 1714 Britain had shared a monarch with Hanover and women were excluded in that line of succession. Her father's younger brother Ernest Augustus, Duke Of Cumberland became King Of Hanover. He was Victoria's heir presumptive until she had a child. 

She was very very close to her first Prime Minister Lord Melbourne, he became a powerful influence and guide as a new young queen. She relied on him for advice. lord Melbourne was incredibly fond of Victoria and he once said that he saw her like a daughter and Victoria had also looked up to him as a father figure as her father died when she was very young. 

The start of Victoria's reign was quite popular but her reputation suffered in 1839 when one of her mother's ladies in waiting Lady Flora Hastings developed an abdominal growth that was widely rumoured as an out of wedlock pregnancy by Sir John Conroy. She had an examination to confirm the growth. lady Flora died in July that revealed a large rumour on her liver that had distended her abdomen. People blamed Victoria for the incident and was jeered and hissed at when she appeared in public. 

In 1839 Melbourne resigned and Victoria was meant to be absolutely devastated by the resignation. The Queen commissioned a Tory Sir Robert Peel to form a new ministry and it was customary for the new prime minister to appoint members of the royal household. 

Although Victoria was now Queen, as an unmarried young woman she was required by social convention to live with her mother. She then met her two German cousins Princes Albert and Ernest to consider marriage to one of them. Victoria instantly fell for Prince Albert for his musical ability. On the 15th October 1839 Victoria proposed to Albert. They married on the 10th February in the Chapel Royal at St James's Palace in London. 

Prince Albert became an important political adviser as well as the queen's companion replacing Melbourne as the dominant influential figures for the first half of her life. Victoria was pregnant with her first child in 1840 in the first few months of her marriage. An 18 year old Edward Oxford attempted to assassinate her while she was riding in a carriage with Prince Albert on her way to visit her mother. 

Her first daughter who was also called Victoria was born on the 20th November 1840. Queen Victoria hated being pregnant and thought that newborn babies were ugly. However she went on to have a further 8 children Albert Edward, Alice, Alfred, Helena, Louise, Arthur, Leopold and Beatrice. Her eldest daughter became heir to the throne until her younger brother Albert Edward was born. 

Victoria's household was largely run by her governess Baroness Louise Lehzen. However Albert thought that Lehzen was incompetent and that her mismanagement threatened his daughter Victoria's health. The governess was pensioned off in 1842 and Victoria's close relationship with her ended. 

In the Victorian era Christmas became what we do today which includes Christmas trees, exchanging gifts, enjoying festive meals and games. This was brought up by Prince Albert as he did these traditions when growing up in Germany. 

In  1853, Victoria gave birth to her eighth child, Leopold with the aid of the new anaesthetic, chloroform. Victoria may have had postnatal depression after many of her pregnancies. Letters from Albert to Victoria intermittently complain of her loss of self-control. For example about a month after Leopold's birth Albert complained in a letter to Victoria about her "continuance of hysterics" over a "miserable trifle"

In March 1861 Victoria's mother died at her side. Despite all tensions Victoria discovered that her mother had loved her dearly and only did what she did to protect her. During the time of her mother's death she took some time to grieve and her husband who was unwell himself with chronic stomach trouble wanted to support his wife by taking some of her public duties. 

By the beginning of December 1861,  Albert was very unwell. He was diagnosed with typhoid fever and died on the 14th December 1861. Victoria was absolutely devastated and heartbroken. She did blame her husband's death on worry of the Prince Of Wales's affairs. She entered a state of mourning and wore black for the remainder of her life. 

She avoided public appearances and rarely stepped foot in London in the following years. Her seclusion earned her the nickname "widow of Windsor." Her weight increased through comfort eating, which reinforced her aversion to public appearances. 

Victoria's lack of public engagement caused the monarchy to deteriorate in its popularity and moved the growth of a republic movement. She did however during this time still take on her official duties which included her red boxes and government meetings at Osborne house which is where she stayed after Albert's death. 

Through the 1860s Victoria relied increasingly on a manservant from Scotland John brown. Rumours of a romantic connection and even a secret marriage appeared in print and people referred to Victoria as "Mrs Brown."

After the Indian Rebellion of 1857, the British East India Company was dissolved. Britain's possessions and protectorates were formally incorporated into the British Empire. Queen Victoria in turn became Empress Of India. 

In 1887 the British Empire celebrated Victoria's Golden Jubilee. She marked the 50th anniversary of her accession on 20th June with a banquet to which 50 kings and princes were invited. The following day there was a thanksgiving service to celebrate her reign at Westminster Abbey. By this time Victoria was once again extremely popular. 

In her Golden Jubilee year Victoria's eldest daughter became an empress consort of Germany in 1888 but was widowed a little over three months later. Victoria's eldest grandchild became German Emperor as Wilhelm II. 

On the 23rd September 1896 Victoria surpassed her grandfather George III as the longest reigning monarch in British history. The Queen requested that any special celebrations be delayed until her Diamond Jubilee which was made a festival of the British Empire. 

The Queen's Diamond Jubilee procession on the 22nd June 1897 followed a six mile long through London and included troops from all over the Empire. The procession paused for an open-air service of thanksgiving held outside St Paul's Cathedral. Throughout the service Victoria sat in an open carriage to avoid her walking up the steps to enter the building. The celebration was marked by vast crowds of spectators and great outpouring of affection for the 78 year old Queen. 

In July 1900 Victoria's second son Alfred died. Following a custom she maintained throughout her widowhood she spent Christmas of 1900 at Osborne House on the Isle Of Wright. Rheumatism in her legs made her disabled and her eyesight was clouded by cataracts. 

Through early January of 1901 she felt weak and very unwell. By mid January she had become confused and dazed. Her favourite pet Pomeranian Turi was led on her bed as a final request. She died aged 81 on 22nd January 1901 at 6:30 in the evening. Her son and heir who was now Edward VII and her grandson Wilhelm II was by her bedside when she died. 

In 1897 Victoria had written instructions for her funeral which was a nod to being a daughter of a former soldier. In her coffin she was dressed in a white gown and her wedding veil. One of Albert's dressing gowns was placed by her side with a plaster cast of his head. Also in the coffin was a lock of John Brown's hair along with a picture of him also placed with her. Items of jewellery placed on Victoria included the wedding ring of Brown's mother, which Brown gave Victoria in 1883. 

Her funeral was held on Saturday 2nd February, in St George's Chapel in Windsor. After two days of lying in state she was interred beside Prince Albert in the Royal Mausoleum, Frogmore at Windsor Great Park. 

Victoria's reign lasted 63 years and seven months and two days. Victoria was the longest reigning British monarch and the longest reigning queen regnant in world history until her great-great granddaughter Queen Elizabeth II surpassed her on the 9th September 2015. Victoria was the last monarch of Britain from the House Of Hanover. Her son Edward VII belonged to her husband's House Of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. 

Her legacy lives on in her descendants all the way up to her great-great-great grandson King Charles III who is the monarch from 2022. Her life had been portrayed in various films and TV shows. There are also books that include her diary entries and letters in. 

Royals At War (World War Two)

 In this blog I will be talking about how the royals coped and helped during World War Two. The king and queen during the war were King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. 

On the 1st September 1939 War was declared in Europe which was started by Germany with Adolf Hitler as the leader. It was announced by the then Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain. Germany on the 3rd September then declared war on the United Kingdom. 

That same evening on the 3rd September 1939 King George VI made a speech to the nation and empire to urge people to stand firm in the face of difficult times ahead. 

His role at the start of the war was vital to the British Empire he wanted to make sure the British Empire stood strong in the war and keep spirits high. In May 1940 King George VI had a new Prime Minister Winston Churchill and he and George worked together as a team in the years to come. 

The King and Queen had two daughters named Elizabeth and Margaret who during the war stayed at Windsor Castle as it was the safest residence for them to be. During that time Elizabeth and Margaret kept themselves occupied with plays and playing with their dogs, But the greatest thing that they did was recorded a radio message on the radios children's hour to all the children across the British Empire urging them to have courage. 

On the 13th September 1940 Buckingham Palace was bombed. It was bombed when The King and Queen were still in residence. Queen Elizabeth once said about the bombing "I'm glad we have been bombed, Now I can look the east end in the eye." Nobody was injured or hurt but there was considerable damage many windows were bombed and the chapel was destroyed. 

Queen Elizabeth spent all of the war helping various communities and visited places that have been bombed and have been affected by the Blitz. However after Buckingham Palace was bombed they both sympathised with the people who were bombed. 

The King and Queen took real interest in the work that people were doing. This raised morale and gave factory workers a new enthusiasm for their work. The ministry of supply studied the effects of these royal visits and found that in most cases production figures dropped on the day of the royal visit. But the weekly figures invariably grew. 

When their eldest daughter Princess Elizabeth turned 18 years old she thought it was her duty to King and Country to start to serve on the front line Princess Elizabeth was the first British female royal to join the army and serve on the front line during war. She joined the ATS which means The Auxiliary Territorial Service was a women's branch of the British Army during World War Two preformed a wide range of vital support roles, including driving, operating searchlights and anti-aircraft guns and serving as clerks, cooks and orderlies. 

She was being trained as a mechanic, she underwent a course for driving and vehicle maintenance by learning how to drive and service army trucks. She served with the rank of second subaltern (A junior officer rank). Her father George was at first opposed to her joining but she eventually convinced him to join. After she passed in 2022 she remained as the only female royal to have served in a war. 

King George VI played an important role on D Day in June 1944. He was part of a secret operation called 'Operation Fortitude.' It was aimed to convince the Nazis that the allied invasion would occur in Calais, not Germany. He was dispatched to parts of the UK that were not hosting troops, and his high-profile visits to the southeast were designed to reinforce the false impression of an impending attack on Calais. 

The deception was crucial in ensuring the success of the actual invasion, as it prevented the Germans from concentrating their defences in the correct location. 

On June 6th 1944, the day of the D-Day landings, King George VI addressed the nation, urging people to pray and dedicate themselves to the cause. In his speech he emphasised the importance of fighting for a world where goodness and honour would prevail. He also called for a revival of spirit and a new unconquerable resolve recognising the supreme test faced by the nation. 

After D-Day King George VI visited his troops in Normandy that would boost more morale. He and Queen Elizabeth made numerous morale-boosting visits throughout the war visiting bomb sites, munitions factories and troops. Their high public profile and apparent determination made them symbols of national resistance. 

On 8th May 1945 it was Victory in Europe Day where Germany unconditionally surrendered it's military forces to the Allies, including the United States. Celebrations erupted around the world to mark the end of World War Two. This was no exception for London and The British Royal Family who celebrated with the rest of the world. 

King George VI made a speech to the British Empire to thank the people for being incredibly strong, he also said as head of the church of England that he thank God for the strength and shield and to thank him for his mercies. 

At Buckingham Palace The King and Queen and the two Princesses as well as the Prime Minister Winston Churchill appeared on the balcony of the palace and faced cheering and celebrating crowds. There were chants of We Want The King before he appeared on the balcony. 

The two princesses were given permission to leave the palace to see the celebrations in person in London anonymously with some plain clothed guards to keep them safe. Princess Elizabeth as Queen years later recalled that night calling it "The most memorable nights of my life."

After the war things started to come back to normal but unfortunately the stress of the war took it's toll on King George VI and his health started to decline until in 1952 he passed away from lung cancer. 

The Royal Family now remembers those who lost their lives in all wars by attending the cenotaph that was designed in 1919 and unveiled by King George V in 1920 just after World War One. Every first Sunday in November The Royals gather at the cenotaph and join the nation in a 2 minute silence at 11 o'clock, they then lay a wreath with the monarch laying the wreath first to represent the nation. 

The Royals also attend various anniversary events that are to do with the war. This year in May The King and Queen along with other members of the Royal Family will attend various events to commemorate 80 years of VE day. King Charles III will also this will be making a speech to the nation to pay tribute to VE day like his mother did for the 75th anniversary in 2020. 

The legacy of Queen Elizabeth The Queen mother

 This blog is about the legacy of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. 

Elizabeth was born on the 4th August 1900 in London. Her parents were The Earl and Countess Of Strathmore. She grew up in Scotland in Glamis Castle with her parents and other family. 

She was educated at home by a governess until the age of eight, She was fond of field sports, dogs and horses. By the age of 14 World War 1. Her 4 brothers were called up to fight in the war in the army. Her eldest brother Fergus was killed in action at the Battle Of Loos in 1915. Another brother Michael was reported as missing in action on the 28th April 1917. Three weeks later the family had discovered he had been captured after being wounded, He remained in a prisoner of war camp for the rest of the war. 

After the 1st World War she was looking for a suitor to marry so she attended various high society events to find her match. After a while of looking she met Prince Albert who was besotted by her and proposed to her a few times. She turned it down because she wasn't sure whether she wanted to be in royal life. After a few more attempts by Albert she finally accepted the proposal. She was the woman who made Albert happy. 

They married on the 26th April 1923 at Westminster Abbey, In a new move she laid her bouquet on the unknown warrior's tomb. They both honeymooned in surrey in a manor house. The newlywed couple were given the titles The Duke and Duchess Of York that were gifted to them by King George V. 

As the wife of Albert she would accompany him on various royal tours on The King's behalf. As The Duke Of  York he was required to make speeches on his father's behalf, The Duke growing up had a difficult time he suffered a stutter and found it difficult to make public speeches. Elizabeth helped him by finding a speech therapist Lionel Louge who helped him with breathing exercises to help him calm down when he was making speeches. If it wasn't for Elizabeth he wouldn't have had the confidence to speak publicly. 

On the 21st April 1929 the couple welcomed their first child Elizabeth Alexandra Mary born in London. On the 31st August 1930 the couple welcomed their second child named Margaret Rose born in Scotland. Both daughters were named Of York as their parents were The Duke and Duchess Of York. 

In 1937 King George V died on the 20th January after a long illness. His oldest son became King Edward VIII but had issues, He wanted to marry an american divorcee Wallis Simpson. As he became The head of The Church Of England at the time people were forbidden to marry divorcees, he did however have the option to abdicate and marry Wallis in France. 

Edward took that option and abdicated on the 10th December 1937 and as he had no children the throne went down to his younger brother Prince Albert of York. As her husband ascended the throne she became his Queen Consort and was styled Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth or Her Majesty The Queen. Elizabeth was absolutely furious with Edward and Wallis because her husband wasn't ready to be king at all. 

After the coronation on the 11th May 1937 where she wore a crown made for her and was crowned by her husband's side. In 1939 World War Two broke out and The Royal Family went beyond and above and supported the country through the toughest times. The Queen refused to leave London or send their children to Canada. Throughout the war The King and Queen stayed at Buckingham Palace and only occasionally stayed the night at Windsor Castle. 

On the 13th September 1940 Buckingham Palace was bombed in a air raid while they were in residence they were not injured but the palace was damaged. This prompted The King and Queen to support people who were affected by bombing who had lost their homes in the blitz. They also refused to leave London after the bombing. 

In May 1945 the whole of Europe celebrated as the war came to an end and as a celebration in London The Royal Family along with The Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill appeared on the balcony to celebrate the end of the war. Her two daughters under security went out into the crowds to capture the magic of the celebration. 

On the 20th November 1947 her eldest daughter Princess Elizabeth married a navel officer Philip Mountbatten who was before the marriage was created The Duke Of Edinburgh. On the 14th November 1948 Elizabeth became a grandmother for the first time with the birth of Prince Charles Of Edinburgh whom she absolutely adored and doted on. On 15th August 1950 she welcomed her second grandchild Princess Anne Of Edinburgh. 

On the 6th February 1953 she became a widow when her husband King George VI passed away from lung cancer as he was a heavy smoker. He passed away peacefully at Sandringham. 

Her eldest daughter became Queen as Queen Elizabeth II and was overseas when her father passed away and arrived back into the UK. Elizabeth was now known as Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother as not to be confused with her daughters name. 

After the death of her husband she made sure she was giving the best advice and support to her daughter and sometimes made some decisions on behalf of her daughter. She spent most of her time as a new widow playing with her grandchildren Charles and Anne. When Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip were away on tours their children Charles and Anne would be left to be looked after by their nannies, Aunt and grandmother. 

When it came for her youngest daughter to marry she was very much part of the decision making and made sure her daughter wed someone suitable. Margaret wanted to marry her late father's equerry Peter Townsend but the idea of the marriage was turned down as Townsend was a married man. He was sent away on a naval mission to try and keep Margaret away from him. In the end Princess Margaret married Antony Armstrong Jones The Earl Of Snowdon. 

Between her husband's death to the 60s The Queen Mother welcomed more grandchildren including Princes Andrew and Edward. In total Elizabeth had 6 grandchildren between both daughters. 

The Queen Mother absolutely hated The Duke and Duchess Of Windsor because in her eyes they were the ones who put her husband Bertie in the position of becoming King. But on the 28th May 1972 The Duke of Windsor died of lung cancer at age 77 in France, Elizabeth did feel sorry for Wallis as she knew what it was like to lose a husband. 

Around the same time her eldest grandson Charles was at the age where he should marry. She and Lord Mountbatten who was Philip's uncle ensured that they found the right woman for him. At the time Charles was seeing a girl named Camilla Shand who he went absolutely crazy for and whom he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. Unfortunately Camilla was deemed an inappropriate wife for the heir to the throne as she had a 'past'. 

Elizabeth didn't want to see her grandson go down the same route as her brother-in-law so she made sure that Camilla married Andrew Parker Bowles. She married him while Charles was sent away on a naval mission. He was informed of the marriage while at sea but couldn't do anything about it and was absolutely heartbroken. 

The Queen Mother was a known party animal who loved to hold parties at her various residences including Clarance House and The Castle Of Mey. Just like her mother Princess Margaret also loved to party and host her own parties at her own place. 

The Queen Mother welcomed her grandsons new wife Lady Diana Spencer with open arms as she was very close to Diana's grandmother Lady Fernoy as she worked for Elizabeth as woman of the bedchamber. 

On the 4th August 1990 she became the longest serving member of the royal family reaching to the age of 90 years old. On the 4th August 2000 she passed a milestone and reached 100 years old. Her 100th birthday was held as a big celebration and was honoured with a pageant on the horse guards parade. She was accompanied by her grandson Charles who was extremely close to her and was rumoured to be her favourite grandchild. 

On the 9th February 2002 50 years after her husband passed away her youngest daughter Princess Margaret died of a stroke at age 71 at St Edward's Hospital in London. Her funeral took place on the same day as her father Albert 50 years on. Due to her own declining health Elizabeth went to the funeral in a car with blacked out windows. 

On the 30th March 2002 a month after her daughters death, Elizabeth died peacefully at her home in Windsor after suffering a chest cold since Christmas 2001 at age 101 she was the first member of the royal family to have lived past 100. She was surrounded by her only surviving daughter Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Margaret's children. 

Queen Elizabeth II made the call to her eldest son Charles who was on a skiing holiday with his two sons William and Harry. Queen Elizabeth II knew how close Charles was to his grandmother, he and his sons took the flight back to the UK where Charles was said to be absolutely devastated by his grandmother's death. Charles was also the first member of the royal family to make a statement to his "Magical Grandmother" a few days later. The day before her funeral her only surviving daughter Queen Elizabeth II made a speech thanking everyone for the support. 

Her funeral took place on the 9th March 2002 at Westminster Abbey all members of her family looked absolutely devastated, Her favourite grandson Charles looked absolutely heartbroken. He was the person who would follow the procession during the day. The coffin travelled to Windsor Castle so she could be buried at the King George VI chapel where she was buried with her husband and younger daughter. In September 2022 20 years after her mother's death Queen Elizabeth II passed away at the age of 96 she was also buried along with her husband Philip at the King George VI chapel at St George's Chapel. 

Her legacy will live on when people will remember her brilliant sense of humour and her sense of duty that today is passed on to her grandson who is now King Charles III. He will also remember her legacy as with the residences she lived in Charles has not changed anything and kept it more or less the same to honour his grandmother. 

Times has changed since she died including the marriage of divorcees as Charles is now married to his long term love Camilla and now Camilla has now got the same style and title as Queen Elizabeth The Queen mother when she was consort. Camilla is now known as Queen Camilla and I personally believe that she would accept Camilla because Camilla really helps her grandson like she did with Bertie.