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37 Articles

Welcome to issue 12

Few could have predicted the kind of king that George VI would become. A modest, unassuming man with simple tastes and an adversity to opulence, he seemed the very antithesis of what a king should be. Yet it was this humility that proved to be the making of the monarch. Within three years of his ascension to the throne, Britain was plunged headfirst into World War II. As his nation struggled, George VI suffered alongside them. While the people of Britain bore rationing, so too did their king. As London was devastated by air raids, the king resolved to stay in the city while bombs dropped around him. To his people, George VI became a symbol of resilience. On page 14, discover the brutal reality of George’s reign during WWII.…

Welcome
to
issue 12

Edoardo Albert Specialising in the Anglo-Saxons, the final volume of Edoardo’s historical fiction trilogy, Oswiu: King Of Kings, is available now. • Go to p52 for more on the Varangian guard Harry Cunningham Returning this issue, Harry delves into the world of Charles Edward Coburg, Hitler’s favourite royal. • Turn to p24 for more on the Nazi duke Jack Griffiths History specialist for How It Works magazine, this issue Jack explores the Spanish branch of the royal Bourbon dynasty. • Discover the Spanish monarchs on p41 Derek Wilson Bestselling historian and frequent contributor to History Of Royals, Derek questions the legacy of Sweden’s controversial queen. • Go to p60 for more on Christina of Sweden Richard Barber This issue, History Of Royals speaks to Richard Barber, whose latest release explores…

GEORGE III: AMERICA’S TYRANT?

“It is to be hoped we shall reap more advantages from their trade as friends than ever we could derive from them as Colonies” In the minds of many people, the 60-year reign of George III is dominated by two things: his ailing mental health and the loss of Britain’s American colonies in the Revolutionary War of 1775-1783. The Declaration of Independence damns him as a “Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant,” but the Georgian Papers Programme reveals a far more complex and thoughtful character than the cliché of the blustering autocrat who denied the colonists their rights and prolonged the war. Established by King's College London and the Royal Archives, the Georgian Papers Programme is currently digitising more than 350,000 pages…

GEORGE III: AMERICA’S TYRANT?

Upcoming events

Queen Victoria in Paris: Watercolours from the Royal Collection Until 23 April www.rammuseum.org.uk Victoria was a passionate collector of watercolours, which she collected to commemorate her travels. The first visit of a British monarch to Paris in 400 years was commemorated by a beautiful set of 40, 13 of which were a gift from Napoleon III. Now on display at the Royal Albert Memorial Museum in Exeter, more than half have never been exhibited before. Entry is free. The Allure of Napoleon Until 19 March www.thebowesmuseum.org.uk Celebrating the 125th anniversary of Co. Durham’s Bowes Museum, a unique collection from the museum’s founders pays tribute to John and Joséphine Bowes’s fierce interest in the life of French emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte. On display are a range of prints,…

Upcoming events

NAPOLEON’S STEED RETURNS TO GLORY

A grey Arabian horse named after one of Napoleon Bonaparte’s earliest battlefield triumphs, Marengo bore the emperor to his victory over the Austrians and Russians at Austerlitz and to his defeat at the hands of the British-led Seventh Coalition at Waterloo. After his master’s trouncing, Marengo – who’d been wounded eight times in his 15-year ‘career’ – was captured and taken to England. When Marengo died in 1831 at the age of 38, his skeleton went on display at the Royal United Services Institute, before eventually winding up at the National Army Museum (NAM) in Chelsea, London. Now as part of a £23.75 million redevelopment, the Emperor’s steed has been painstakingly restored with help from the Natural History Museum. “Marengo's skeleton was in a fair condition with dust, ingrained soiling…

NAPOLEON’S STEED RETURNS TO GLORY

Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire (Circa 1775) 01 Ostrich feathers and high hairstyle built up over pads of horsehair and wire frames 02 Fitted, boned bodice 03 Swagged overskirts similar to a polonaise 04 Silk shawl 05 Gold trim at the shoulder, a possible reference to the military themed fashion of the time 06 Elbow-length sleeves 07 White satin shoes with pointed toes, fashionable in the 1770s Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire (1757-1806) was the wife of William Cavendish, 5th Duke of Devonshire. Her story has become well known through the 2008 film, The Duchess, and the fact that she was the great great great great aunt of Diana, Princess of Wales (1961-1997). Like her, Georgiana was well known in her day as a woman of fashion and influence and held…

A month in European history May 1567

Queen of Scots marries – again 15 May, Scotland Mary, Queen of Scots, marries her third and final husband, James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell. Only three months earlier, Mary’s second husband, Lord Darnley, was found dead after an explosion at Kirk o’ Field. At the time, Bothwell was assumed to have assassinated the man in order to marry Mary, having divorced his wife 12 days before the marriage. The decision proved highly unpopular with the Earl’s peers and just a month later, a rebel army confronted the royal couple, capturing Mary. The Spanish Inquisition executes reformer 31 May, Spanish Netherlands (now France) Incarcerated for his Calvinist beliefs, Guido de Brès, publisher of the Walloon Confession of Faith (which was also known as the Belgic Confession) is finally executed at…

A month in European history May 1567

THE HUNT FOR BRITAIN’S CELTIC KINGS

Thriving in the 6th and 7th centuries, the Kingdom of Rheged was at the heart of what historians call the Old North (Hen Ogledd), the Brittonic-speaking Celtic lands of northern England and lowlands Scotland. Knowledge of Rheged, which was believed to be centred in Cumbria, and the deeds of its kings, such as Urien, survived primarily through Welsh epic poetry compiled in the 14th century Book Of Taliesin. Urien was prominent in the fight against the encroaching Angles, and according to myth married the sister of King Arthur, Morgan le Fey. By the 8th century, though Rheged had been absorbed the Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Northumbria, its language was displaced by Old English and its history was left largely unwritten. An excavation at Trusty's Hill Fort at Gatehouse of Fleet in…

THE HUNT FOR BRITAIN’S CELTIC KINGS

From Blitz to Victory George VI’s last stand

George VI b.1895-d.1952 1936-1952 Neither expecting nor desiring to become king, Bertie succeeded the throne after his brother’s abdication. Nevertheless, he excelled as king, seeing his country through WWII. His death in 1952 provoked nationwide mourning. George VI was an exceptionally committed and active Head of State during the perils and crises of the Second World War, ultimately playing a crucial role in leading the nation and the British Empire and Commonwealth to final victory over the Axis powers of Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan. When he became King-Emperor after the traumatic abdication of his brother Edward VIII in 1936, however, there were some within the establishment who feared the new King might not be up to the job, even in peacetime. More sensibly, the Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin realised…

From Blitz to Victory George VI’s last stand

The Windsors at war

1. Mary, Princess Royal b.1897-d.1965 Princess Mary, the King’s only sister, became Chief Controller and later Commandant of the Auxiliary Territorial Serve (the ATS, to be renamed the Women’s Royal Army Corps after the war). She visited units of the ATS as well as various wartime canteens and welfare organisations. 2. Alice, Duchess of Gloucester b.1901-d.2004 Alice worked with both the Red Cross as well as the Order of St John. She was the Queen’s Deputy as Commandant-in-Chief of the Nursing Corps. When war began, she was appointed Head of the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (the WAAF), becoming its Director and Air Chief Commandant in 1943. 3. Henry, Duke of Gloucester b.1900-d.1974 The King’s younger brother, Prince Henry had pursued a career in the British Army and was made a…

The Windsors at war

The King’s royal visit of 1943

Although the King had visited the BEF in France shortly after the outbreak of hostilities, his trip to North Africa in 1943, not long after the Battle of El Alamein had decisively turned the tide of war in that region against Rommel’s Afrika Corps, was very different – a rare occasion for celebration. Mixing freely with units of the Eighth Army (known colloquially as the Desert Rats) and other Allied forces, the King was enthusiastically received, often pausing to hear the troops’ accounts of their personal experiences. Among the Allied leaders he met in North Africa were generals Alexander and Montgomery, and the leaders of the Free French Forces, generals De Gaulle and Giraud. Commonwealth forces made up an important part of the Eighth Army, chiefly units from India and…

The King’s royal visit of 1943

Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha b.1884-d.1954 The son of Queen Victoria’s eighth child, Charles was a minor royal who embraced his German heritage by supporting both Kaiser Wilhelm and the Nazis. He was stripped of his British titles in 1917. When we think of the links between the Nazi Party and the British royal family, the name that inevitably comes to mind is the former King Edward VIII. Although nothing has ever been satisfactorily proved about the former King’s links to the Führer, public interest in him has overshadowed the role of a royal, long since forgotten, who really did do the unthinkable and actively campaigned for Hitler, without shame. Charles Edward, Duke of Coburg’s support for both Kaiser Wilhelm II and the most infamous dictator in history…

The Titles Deprivation Act of 1917

When a royal is gifted a title or a member of the establishment a peerage, it is usually expected they will not only hold that title for the duration of their own life but also pass it on to their descendants for generations to come. Granted by letters patent, which are signed by the monarch, a peerage ordinarily grants the holder a permanent seat in the House of Lords as well as certain other privileges. Although in recent times laws have been introduced to remove a peer’s membership of the House of Lords, rescinding a title of a peer is still rarely done even when a peer – such as Jeffrey, Lord Archer – has been sent to prison because it requires an Act of Parliament. George V, however, made…

The Titles Deprivation Act of 1917

The royal protector

Charles Edward and his sister, Princess Alice, maintained a close relationship throughout their lives. When Alice was six, she met Lewis Carroll and complained that, “…he was always making grown-up jokes to us,” and that she found him, “awfully silly”. This incredibly shrewd judge of character showed an independent woman, traits that no doubt shone through in her decision to remain in close contact with her brother, even as it became clear that he was coming down on the wrong side of history. In contrast to her brother, Alice’s husband, Prince Alexander of Teck, gave up his German titles and was elevated to the British peerage as the Earl of Athlone. Their main residence was Henry III tower at Windsor Castle. The couple’s second and more discreet home was at…

The royal protector

Château de Fontainebleau

Château de Fontainebleau » Year built: 1861 (final royal building work finished) » Time to build: 333 years (from first major Renaissance construction to final royal building work) » Number of rooms: 1,900 » Style: Renaissance, Neoclassical, Empire » Location: Fontainebleau, Paris, France An imposing labyrinth of turreted annexes and grand courtyards set amid 50 hectares of stunning parkland – there is nothing modest about the Château de Fontainebleau. But in a country that boasts several of the world’s most magnificent residences, from Versailles to the Louvre, this sprawling country palace retains a distinct appeal that has captivated the hearts and minds of everyone from Saint Louis to Napoleon Bonaparte. Fontainebleau has figured consistently throughout France’s history, finding favour with kings, queen and emperors since it first appeared as a…

Château de Fontainebleau

1137 Into history Château de Fontainebleau is referenced in a royal charter. Though no indication is given as to how long the structure has existed, it soon becomes a favourite residence of French royals. 1259 Saintly influence The famously pious Louis IX, or Saint Louis, enjoys his time at Fontainebleau and establishes a monastery hospital next to the château, to be run by monks of the Trinitarian order. 1528 A Renaissance revival Francis I begins expanding the château into a lavish royal complex. He employs renowned Italian Renaissance artists to design and decorate the interiors, ushering in the first school of Fontainebleau. 1601 The second school Henry IV continues the work of his predecessors, bringing in a new generation of artists and architects to leave their mark on the palace,…

The Royal Lovers’ Conquest

On a quiet September day in 1326, a fleet of boats sailed into the River Orwell. Hundreds of men began to disembark, bringing with them horses, provisions and weapons. At their head was none other than the Queen of England, Isabella of France, and by her side was the man acknowledged to he ber lover. He was Roger Mortimer, who’d fled England years earlier in a daring escape to save his life. Together, they came in anger, intent on dismantling the country’s government. Success seemed unlikely. The invading army was small and not even completely sure of where it had actually landed. England’s King had the potential to raise a formidable force to oppose it and a huge treasury at his disposal. Roger Mortimer had a price on his head,…

The Royal Lovers’ Conquest

Mortimer’s daring escape

Though known for his love affair with Isabella and the invasion of England, Roger Mortimer had already secured a place in royal history prior to those events. On 1 August 1323, he became one of the few people known to have escaped the prison, the Tower of London. Mortimer had entered the Tower in 1322 after ending up on the losing side at the Battle of Boroughbridge. He was found guilty of treason and sentenced to death but Edward, in a move he would later regret, commuted that to life imprisonment. Mortimer wasn’t going to let prison stop his work against the Despensers and he corresponded with allies in letters smuggled out of the Tower. Edward intercepted them and, realising the danger Mortimer posed, began to consider having him killed.…

Mortimer’s daring escape

Isabella’s first brush with adultery

If anyone understood the dangers facing royal women accused of adultery, it was Isabella of France. As a young queen she had seen her sisters-in-law thrown into jail over claims that they had been acting unfaithfully to her brothers. The consequences for her royal house were disastrous. In 1313, Isabella and Edward had visited her father, Philip IV, in Paris. During the celebrations, Isabella gave purses to her brothers, Charles, Louis and Philip, and their wives. Later the same year, she saw the same bags being carried by two Norman knights in London. In 1314, visiting her father alone, Isabella told him she thought her sisters-in-law might be having affairs with the knights. Philip had them all watched and accused the men, Gautier and Philippe d’Aunay, of adultery with his…

Isabella’s first brush with adultery

Bourbon 1700-present

Spanish royal crown Topping the coat of arms sits the heraldic royal crown of Spain, made up of eight rosettes topped with diamonds (of which you can see five), with eight pearls to separate them and pearl-decorated arches leading to a cross-topped globe. Fleur de lis Harking back to the Bourbon French heritage, the coat of arms features an inescutcheon of three gold fleur de lis on an azure background. Pomegranate The kingdom of Granada also features on the king’s coat of arms in the form of a seeded pomegranate, supported and enclosed by two green leaves. United kingdoms Clockwise from the top-left features a three-tier castle to represent the kingdom of Castile, a purple lion rampant to represent the kingdom of Léon, a cross, saltire and orle of linked…

Bourbon 1700-present

The Emperor’s Northmen

“However, despite all precedent, Basil was willing to lay down his sister for the sake of the empire – and his own continued rule” Basil II b.958-d.1025 976-1025 Known as ‘the Porphyrogenitus’ (Born in the Purple), Basil II may have been born to rule but he had to fight to secure his throne – and expand it – earning him a less poetic sobriquet: the Bulgar-Slayer. To Basil II, Emperor of Byzantium, it must have seemed that he would never rule the empire of which he’d had nominal charge since he was five. He had survived, as emperor-in-name alone, a childhood dominated by successive generals turned emperors, only to assume the imperial purple in his twenties to face rebellion on all sides and treachery in his capital, Constantinople. But Basil…

The Emperor’s Northmen

Vikings in the East

Almost everything we know of the early history of Russian and Ukrainian people comes from the Primary Chronicle – Tale Of Bygone Years in its original title – by the monk, Nestor. While scholars now think other authors contributed to the chronicle, the Primary Chronicle remains our primary source. In it, Nestor tells how the tribes of Slavs around Novgorod were in a constant state of warfare with each other. They had already had contact with Vikings who, using the rivers as highways for their longboats, had penetrated deep into the interior of this thickly forested land. Vikings usually made first contact as traders then, if sufficient wealth was uncovered, they returned as raiders and, sometimes, conquerors. But the Slavic tribes along the River Volkhov – a river significant for…

Vikings in the East

Blood gifts to the gods

The 10th-century Arab traveller Ibn Fadlan left a graphic description of just why Anna thought it would be better to die than marry a prince of the Rus. He wrote about his encounter with the Vikings who traded along the River Volga, who according to Fadlan, were the most “perfect physical specimens” he’d ever seen, so at least Anna could look forward to a handsome husband. But it is in Fadlan’s account of the ritual surrounding the death of a chieftain that we see why the Byzantine princess was so reluctant to marry. The traveller had heard of a death ritual and wanted to see one for himself, so when one of the chiefs of the Volga Vikings died he asked to be present for the funeral. The dead man…

A Swedish Enigma

Christina of Sweden b.1626-d.1689 1632-1654 A diva throughout her life and a lover of the arts, Christina caused scandal with her conversion to Catholicism, her refusal to marry, and her close relationships with men. Christina Alexandra of the House of Vasa was a phenomenon without compare, certainly in the 17th century and, arguably, in any age. If we are to begin to understand her we need to know something of her background and origins. The founder of the Vasa dynasty and, indeed, of modern Sweden, was Gustav I. It was Gustav who won independence from Denmark, established the Vasas as a hereditary dynasty, carried through sweeping economic and social reforms, provided Sweden with a modern standing army, and became a major player in Baltic affairs. He also introduced the Reformation…

A Swedish Enigma

Death of a philosopher

René Descartes (1596-1650) was the first of the great rationalist philosophers of the 17th century. He believed totally in the ability of the human mind to unlock the secrets of the workings of the universe and humanity’s place within it. But he went further: “I resolved never to accept anything as true if I did not have evident knowledge of its truth.” So much for religious revelation and church dogma. Descartes was an intellectual celebrity of his time, which meant that Christina was eager to add him to her collection of leading thinkers. However, as someone who wanted to know how to believe in God while being at odds with God’s Church, she had a genuine interest in Descartes’ philosophy. Significantly, the queen was particularly interested in his latest book,…

Death of a philosopher

The great collector

Christina amassed the biggest and best art collection in Rome but its foundation had begun years before. During the Thirty Years’ War, Swedish armies had plundered several great European palaces. From Prague alone, 472 artworks were despatched to Stockholm, where the queen built a new wing to house them. She was soon adding other items acquired by agents on her behalf – and developing her own taste. She wrote to one of her agents: “Here there are Dürers and other German masters whose names I do not know, which anyone but me would greatly admire [but] I would give them all for a pair of pictures by Raphael.” It was art of the sunny South that appealed to her, particularly that of the Venetian school. When she abdicated she took…

The great collector

Victoria’s Secret

Few medical conditions enjoy the rich royal pedigree associated with haemophilia. It became so rife in the palaces of European royalty throughout the 19th and early 20th century that it even acquired the nickname, ‘the royal disease’. From the United Kingdom to Russia and beyond, the disorder cut a deadly dash through Europe. But what is haemophilia, how did it enter the royal bloodlines, and what part did the legendary Queen Victoria play in its spread through her fellow monarchs and their offspring? Haemophilia is a genetic condition, usually inherited, that affects blood’s ability to clot. This means that injuries take longer to heal and the risk of serious complications from apparently insignificant wounds is greatly increased. Minor bumps and grazes can lead to serious bruising and bleeding of a…

Victoria’s Secret

The curse of haemophilia

The mystery of Prince Maurice Prince Maurice of Battenberg’s haemophilia is disputed in light of his record as a second lieutenant in the King’s Royal Rifle Corps. Feted for heroism during the Battle of the Marne, the prince was fatally wounded by shrapnel while leading an attack at Zonnebeke in October 1914. It seems unlikely that a known haemophiliac would have been allowed to serve on the frontline of World War I, but his brother Leopold served too and his haemophilia is undisputed. While Leopold was eventually kept from the fighting by a promotion to aide-de-camp in April 1915, there’s nothing to place him out of harm’s way for August and September 1914 and many newspaper reports describe both Leopold and Maurice as being at “the front” with the King’s…

The curse of haemophilia

The other royal disease

Although haemophilia is notorious for its connections with royalty, it shares the dubious title of a ‘royal disorder’ with another condition. Porphyria is a name for a cluster of genetic disorders that attack the nervous system or skin of the sufferer, causing problems that range from abdominal problems to mental distress. Although symptoms of porphyria can vary depending on the type and severity of the disorder, the most unusual is possibly the fact that it can turn the urine of sufferers purple! The most famous case of suspected historical porphyria is undoubtedly King George III, the so-called ‘mad king’. The theory that George’s episodes of mania were caused by porphyria was first put forward in the late 1960s and, though some researchers disagreed with the hypothesis, many sources continue to…

The other royal disease

Russia In Revolution: An Empire In Crisis 1890-1928

Publisher Oxford University Press Price £25 Release Out now Taking on the early 20th century Russian revolutions, both the failed 1905 and successful 1917 revolutions, the crescendo of political and socioeconomic events in the years before that led to the Tsars being toppled, and the aftermath of Stalin’s rise to power, is a daunting task for any historian. It’s a vastly complicated historical era with no single definitive flashpoint, as influenced by international politics and the underhand machinations of European and American colonial leaders as it was by Russia’s own internal struggle. Appropriately, this is the story of An Empire In Crisis 1890-1928, told by a writer who’s no journeyman academic. Steve A Smith is an Oxford University professor of history and a senior research fellow at All Souls College,…

Russia In Revolution: An Empire In Crisis 1890-1928

Tudor Victims Of The Reformation

Publisher Pen & Sword Price £25 Release Out now Books on this particular period of English history are not in short supply, but given the fertile ground it provides for historians this is not surprising. Author Lynda Telford’s profile on the dust jacket of this book states that she is interested in “the underdog, the maligned or the misunderstood.” Again, this is not unique to her as an author; history’s ‘victims’ offer greater potential for the writer to arouse the readers’ sympathies. Structurally, this book is slightly foreboding, as its 18 chapters lack subject headings, meaning that dipping in and out is not really an option. Similarly, there are few illustrations and no photographs, meaning that it’s not the most instantly inviting book. As a consequence, Tudor Victims Of The…

Tudor Victims Of The Reformation

Young And Damned And Fair: The Life And Tragedy Of Catherine Howard At The Court Of Henry VIII

Publisher Harper Collins Price £25 Release Out Now The tragic story of Henry VIII’s fifth queen has been covered before but never quite like this. Young And Damned And Fair, digs deep into the dark and twisted underworld of Tudor nobility, a place filled with conniving subjects, adulterous nobles and a king’s desperate search for a fifth wife. Gareth Russell has written about royal history in the past and has also penned a couple of novels. This storytelling background means the book has a descriptive quality and focuses on many fascinating tales from the era. The text commences like the opening act of a film, skipping between vivid descriptions of the execution of Thomas Cromwell and the royal wedding of Catherine to Henry. The following chapter is devoted to…

Young And Damned And Fair: The Life And Tragedy Of Catherine Howard At The Court Of Henry VIII

Marie Antoinette’s Darkest Days, Prisoner No. 280 In The Conciergerie

Publisher Rowman & Littlefield Price £18.95 Release Out Now Will Bashor’s latest book begins on 2 August 1793, when Marie Antoinette was escorted away from her family to begin her incarceration in a dank, mouldy and rat-infested dungeon in the Conciergerie prison. Known as the “antechamber of the guillotine”, most prisoners did not stay long before meeting their fate. Registered only as Prisoner no. 280, Widow Capet – or Marie Antoinette – however, spent two and a half months awaiting her doom. In Marie Antoinette’s Darkest Days, this intimate look at the most distressing time in the queen’s existence breathes vivid life into an 18th century France on the cusp of permanent change. It is all the more poignant, then, also knowing that this tale has no happy ending. The…

Marie Antoinette’s Darkest Days, Prisoner No. 280 In The Conciergerie

March 1917: On The Brink Of War And Revolution

Publisher Norton & Company Price £22.95 Release 7 March 2017 Tying in with its 100th anniversary this year, March 1917 remembers the month in which a chain of watershed moments occurred across the world. It is a look back at a time of change and hope, and political tension and unrest, as the revolution began to brew after the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II, World War I arrived in Europe, and America stood on the edge of their first international military intervention. It marked a huge shift in US foreign policies, a shift that is still felt today. The product of this time is a climate of distrust between two of the world’s largest nations that still exists today, and is of particular interest in relation…

March 1917: On The Brink Of War And Revolution

Anne Boleyn: A King’s Obsession

Publisher Headline Review Price £18.99 Release 18 May 2017 Alison Weir is a hugely successful writer, of that there is no dispute. Like many others, she’s chiefly built her career around the Tudors; a muse most abundant, it would seem, given the proliferation of both academic tomes and volumes of the popular history variety, which flood the market with Henry VIII and his six wives as their central narrative. Much like their predecessors on the English throne, the Plantagenets, silence never seems to descend upon the Tudors and the production of books, television dramas and films surrounding them doesn’t seem to be showing any signs of slowing down. There is room, of course, for both relatively lighter-weight and more scholarly writing when it comes to history. It’s a broad church,…

Anne Boleyn: A King’s Obsession

You’ve written on the first Plantagenet rulers of England – what fascinates you about the period? “We are no nearer to solving who ‘the real King Arthur’ was” This is a time when the English institutions that are familiar today were beginning to evolve, and also a period when England and the continent were closely involved. The first Plantagenet, Henry II, inherited England, Normandy and lands down to the Loire and married Eleanor of Aquitaine, whose duchy and overlordships stretched down to the Mediterranean. It was the first British empire, and he was a charismatic figure, one of the few Medieval kings whose character was vividly described by his contemporaries. His sons, Richard and John, were very different: Richard was a chivalrous figure and a good general, but spent much…

The Grand Duchess Vladimir Tiara

Crafted by the Romanov court jeweller Carl Edvard Bolin, this tiara of 15 interlocking diamond circles and pear-shaped pearl drops was made for the Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna. It was a wedding present from her husband, Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich in 1874. For better or worse, she married into the loathed family of Tsar Nicholas II. In the wake of the Russian Revolution in 1917, Maria fled Saint Petersburg, stowing her beloved tiara and other jewels in a safe at Vladimir Palace. Since her husband’s death in 1908, she had enjoyed spending her annual pension of 1 million francs living an imperial lifestyle. As patron of the arts, Maria became known as the grandest of grand duchesses. Not wishing to be without her treasures, she hatched a plan to retrieve…

The Grand Duchess Vladimir Tiara

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