Queen Anne Marie’s Van Cleef & Arpels Suite

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Happy Birthday to Princess Alexia of Greece, who turns 56 today! The eldest daughter of King Constantine II and Queen Anne-Marie of Greece, granddaughter of four Sovereigns, and niece of Queen Margrethe of Denmark and Queen Sofia of Spain, she has attended a plethora of glittering occasions, wearing a plethora of royal heirlooms, but today’s piece has garnered some attention, by appearing at sale last year! Continue reading →

Dutch State Visit to Germany | Day 2

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King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of The Netherlands are on a State Visit to the Federal Republic of Germany at the invitation of Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, from July 5th to the 7th, which was originally scheduled for June 2020. The State Visit is a confirmation of the good relations between the two countries, politically, economically, scientifically and culturally. As a neighbouring country, Germany is the Netherlands’ most important trading partner, an ally in the European Union, the United Nations and NATO. The State Visit, with a particular focus on the city of Berlin, concludes a series of regional visits that the King and Queen have made to Germany since 2013.  Continue reading →

British Parliament to restore Queen’s prerogative to dissolve Parliament

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The Parliament of the United Kingdom is set to start debate on legislation that seeks to revive the Queen’s power to dissolve parliament that was formerly exercised by virtue of the royal prerogative.
A. V. Dicey, a constitutional theorist from the 19th century, described the royal prerogative as “the remaining portion of the Crown’s original authority, and it is therefore … the name for the residue of discretionary power left at any moment in the hands of the Crown, whether such power be in fact exercised by the King himself or by his Ministers”. Continue reading →

Dutch State Visit to Germany

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King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of The Netherlands are on a State Visit to the Federal Republic of Germany at the invitation of Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, from July 5th to the 7th, which was originally scheduled for June 2020. The State Visit is a confirmation of the good relations between the two countries, politically, economically, scientifically and culturally. As a neighbouring country, Germany is the Netherlands’ most important trading partner, an ally in the European Union, the United Nations and NATO. The State Visit, with a particular focus on the city of Berlin, concludes a series of regional visits that the King and Queen have made to Germany since 2013.  Continue reading →

NHS Big Tea at Buckingham Palace

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The Duke of Cambridge celebrated the 73rd anniversary of the NHS on July 5th by attended a Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral, before hosting a ‘Big Tea’ for NHS staff at Buckingham Palace in their roles as joint patrons of NHS Charities Together. The Duchess of Cambridge was originally scheduled to attend, but is self-isolating after coming in contact with someone who later tested positive for Covid-19. Continue reading →

Portuguese Star Tiara

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Today marks the 110th anniversary of the death of Queen Maria Pia of Portugal, mother of King Carlos I and grandmother of King Manuel II, who died on this day in 1911. Born a Princess of the House of Savoy, daughter of Italy’s unifier, Victor Emmanuel II, she married King Luis I of Portugal at age 15, and served as the Queen, Queen Mother, and Queen Grandmother of Portugal. The Queen was known for her temperament, for being extravagant and a huge spender, famously saying “If you want a Queen, you have to pay for her!”, but also for her charitable works. To mark the day, we are taking a look at her Diamond Stars Parure! Continue reading →