All About Royal Families

On 28 June 1838, the coronation of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom  took place at Westminster Abbey in London. The planning Queen Victoria succeeded her uncle King William IV on 20 June 1837. Her first prime minister was Lord Melbourne, with whom she developed a close personal friendship.  Until 1867, the Demise of the Crown automatically triggered the dissolution of parliament: voting in the subsequent general election took place between 24 July and 18 August. The result was a victory for Melbourne, whose Whig Party government was returned to power for another four years. Their majority over the opposition Conservative (formerly Tory) Party was reduced from 112 seats to 30. Melbourne was the leading player in the planning, preparation and implementation of Victoria's coronation. The crowd Prior to 1838, only the peerage had taken part in a coronation. The day's ceremonies would have begun in Westminster Hall, (now attached to the Houses of Parliament), and upon their comp

In view of the coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla, it is interesting to look at the coronations in the past. This blog post is about the coronation of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra. A change of date The coronation of Edward VII and his wife, Alexandra, as King and Queen of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and as Emperor and Empress of India took place at Westminster Abbey,  London, on 9 August 1902. Originally scheduled for 26 June of that year, the ceremony had been postponed at very short notice, because the King had been taken ill with an abdominal abscess that required immediate surgery.  Coronation of Edward VII The service was conducted by the elderly and infirm Archbishop of Canterbury, Frederick Temple, who died before the end of the year. He steadfastly refused to delegate any part of his duties and had to be supported throughout by two other bishops. Because of his failing eyesight, the text of the service had to be printed in gigantic type onto r

The coronation of George V and his wife Mary as King and Queen of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and as Emperor and Empress of India, took place at Westminster Abbey, London, on Thursday 22 June 1911. The Procession The first of three processions left Buckingham Palace at 9:30 am. It consisted of representatives of foreign royal families and governments, carried in fourteen carriages. The second procession had five state landaus for members of the British royal family; the fifth contained the King and Queen's children, the Prince of Wales, Princess Mary and the young Princes Albert, Henry and George.  The third procession brought the officers of state in a further four carriages and the twenty-fifth and final carriage, the Gold State Coach carrying the King and Queen. They were surrounded by equerries, aides-de-camp and the commanders of the armed forces mounted on horseback, all escorted by Yeomen of the Guard, colonial and Indian cavalry and the Royal Horse Guards

On May 12th. 1937, the coronation of King George VI and Elizabeth took place at Westminster Abbey in London. George VI ascended the throne upon the abdication of his brother, Edward VIII, on 11 December 1936, three days before his 41st birthday. Edward's coronation had been planned for 12 May and it was decided to continue with his brother and sister-in-law's coronation on the same date. Ceremony The coronation service itself began once the procession into the abbey was over and the King and Queen were seated. Beginning with the recognition, the King then took an oath and was anointed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, before being crowned king. As a remnant of the coronation ceremony's feudal origins, the King then received homage from the peers and peeresses of the realm in attendance. The King was conducted by the Garter King of Arms to St Edward's Chair, and the Archbishop, as tradition dictates, asked: "Sirs, I here present unto you King George, your undoubted K

Emperor Akihito of Japan abdicated on 30 April 2019. He was the first Japanese Emperor to do so since 1817. This marked the end of the Reiwa era. The new Emperor of Japan is Emperor Naruhito. His enthronement ceremony is scheduled on 22 October 2019. During the enthronement ceremony various ancient imperial regalia are given to the new Emperor. For the people in Japan the enthronement ceremony is an extra holiday and it will be attended by many guests (about 5.000) with high profile delegates from at least 155 countries. What a great diplomatic and royal event! There are already many confirmed royal guests such as: - King Willem Alexander and Queen Máxima from The Netherlands; - King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium; - Grand Duke Henri from Luxembourg; - King Felipe and Queen Letizia from Spain; - King Carl XVI Gustaaf from Sweden and Crown Princess Victoria; - Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Denmark; - Crown Prince of Norway; - Albert II, Princ

On January 18th. 1701, Frederick I crowned himself as King in Prussia in Königsberg (Germany). His title was King in Prussia instead of King of Prussia. Frederick I of Prussia Source picture: Wikipedia On July 11th. 1657, Frederick I of Prussia was born in Königsberg. His parents were Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg and  Louise Henriette of Orange-Nassau. Frederick I married three times. 1/ Elizabeth Henrietta of Hesse-Kassel  2/ Sophia Charlotte of Hanover 3/ Sophia Louise of Mecklenburg - Schwerin Coronation Frederick crowned himself on 18 January 1701 in Königsberg. Although he did so with the Emperor's consent, and also with formal acknowledgement from Augustus II the Strong, Elector of Saxony, who held the title of King of Poland, the Polish-Lithuanian Diet (Sejm) raised objections, and viewed the coronation as illegal.  In fact, according to the terms of the Treaty of Wehlau and Bromberg, the House of Hohenzollern's sovereignty o

On December 12th. 1574, Anne of Denmark was born at Skanderborg Castle in Denmark. Anne of Denmark Source picture: Wikipedia Anne was born on 12 December 1574 at the castle of Skanderborg on the Jutland Peninsula in the Kingdom of Denmark to Sophie of Mecklenburg-Güstrow and King Frederick II of Denmark.  In need of a male heir the King had been hoping for a son, and Sophie gave birth to a son, Christian IV of Denmark, three years later. With her older sister, Elizabeth, Anne was sent to be raised at Güstrow by her maternal grandparents, the Duke and Duchess of Mecklenburg. Christian was also sent to be brought up at Güstrow but two years later, in 1579, his father the King wrote to his parents-in-law, to request the return of his sons, Christian and Ulrich, (probably, at the urging of the Rigsråd, the Danish Privy Council), and Anne and Elizabeth returned with him. Anne enjoyed a close, happy family upbringing in Denmark, thanks largely to Queen Sophie, who nursed the child

On October 11(O.S) th. 1727, George II and his wife Caroline of Brandenburg-Ansbach were crowned as King and Queen of Great Britain. Picture of George II - Source: Wikipedia Caroline of Brandenburg - Ansbach - Source: Wikipedia George II donated the Royal Library to the British Museum in London. I haven't a picture from the Royal Library but I visited the  British Museum once and this is one of the inside views