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 He had to be withdrawn from his naval course before his graduation, He served as a midshipman for 3 months aboard the battleship Hindustan and then he immediately entered Magdalen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. 

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.