To the Queen
Heavy is the head And strong the heart Of she who wears the crown. Lady, lioness Our Queen The young girl at the microphone Whose father braved his stammer And the bombs at Buckingham You…
Tag: Royalty
Edward VIII: A Royal Abdication
At 10:00 AM on December 10, 1936, Edward VIII, King of the United Kingdom, the British Dominions, and Emperor of India signed the Instrument of Abdication in which he irrevocably renounced all claims to the…
Disaster at Sea: The Loss of the White Ship
While my main focus of interest is usually Lord Nelson and his Navy, today I'm writing about a ship of a very different era: la Blanche-Nef, aka, the White Ship, which sank during the twelfth…
Tolkien and Kingship
It’s fair to say that Tolkien was a royalist. Although he rarely discussed his political views in detail in his correspondence, in a letter to his son Christopher in 1943 he wrote, “My political opinions…
Lessons in Love from Five Royal Marriages
In the vocation of marriage, there are various nuances and complexities that make each and every couple share a unique story. History provides us with many stories of such couples whose long-suffering endurance and time-tested…
Edinburgh and the Stately Palace of Holyroodhouse
Of all of Britain’s cities, perhaps Edinburgh has the most picturesque views – from Calton Hill to Edinburgh Castle and Arthur’s Seat. Any of those places presents an opportunity to take in panoramic vistas, so…
For the White Rose
Editor's Note: This poem was taken from The White Cockade, a collection of poetry by Charles A. Coulombe available from Tumblar House Publishing. *** All Kings and all pretenders, wherever you may be, the land…
When Harry and Meghan Took the World to Church: An African-American Perspective on a Royal Wedding
As a person who has had a long-running interest in the British monarchy and just about all things British, there was no doubt as to me watching the royal wedding of Prince Harry and…
The Coronation of Charlemagne
Christmas Day, 800 A.D. A hush fell upon the multitude of the faithful as they assembled in the nave of the great Basilica of Saint Peter. Even on the great feast of the Nativity of…
Anne, Princess of Variolation: The Story of a Royal Brush with Smallpox
Whilst writing my book, Life in the Georgian Court, smallpox was never far away from my research notes (metaphorically, of course). In fact, it was a royal brush with smallpox that changed forever the way…