All About Royal Families

Some exhibitions tell you a story through paintings, documents or photographs. Others have the remarkable ability to bring a person back to mind through the things they once wore. In July 2026, during my visit to London, I had the opportunity to visit Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style at The King’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace. For anyone who followed Queen Elizabeth II throughout the years, it is much more than an exhibition about royal fashion. It is a journey through a familiar life. Organised to mark the centenary of Queen Elizabeth II’s birth in 1926, the exhibition is the largest and most comprehensive display of her fashion ever staged. More than 300 items take visitors through all ten decades of her life, from childhood and her years as a young princess to her long reign as Queen. Many of the pieces have never been displayed before. A royal life told through clothes What I particularly loved was the way the exhibition follows the different stages of Elizabeth’s life. Her clot...

August has always been a month of contrasts in the royal calendar. While many royal families enjoy a well deserved summer holiday away from the public eye, royal life never comes to a complete standstill. National celebrations, historic anniversaries and royal birthdays continue to offer fascinating moments for royal watchers around the world. This month's Royal Highlights bring together the most notable events and commemorations from across Europe's royal houses and beyond. Duke and Duchess of Gloucester Royal diary August 1st to August 7th: UK: Cowes Week on the Isle of Wight - The Princess Royal will visit some activities of this wonderful Regatta. ⛵ August 5th: UK: The Duchess of Edinburgh Patron, Hallé Concerts Society, will attend a Promenade Concert at The Royal Albert Hall. August 11th: NL: The Princess of Orange will attend the opening of the 2026 FEI World Championships in Aachen , Zara Tindall, Princess Benedikte of Denmark and Infanta Elena of Spain, will atted this...

After a wonderful journey, I am finally back home, with my camera full of memories and my notebook filled with stories waiting to be shared. As a travel blogger with a passion for royal history and royal families, there is nothing quite like visiting the places where history comes to life. This trip offered a unique opportunity to explore not one, but two remarkable royal working palaces: the Royal Palace of Brussels and Buckingham Palace in London. The Royal Palace of Brussels welcomed visitors once again this summer. However, I had already seen the fascinating exhibition dedicated to Queen Louise d'Orléans in Namur. The real treasure was the garden.Hidden in the heart of Brussels, the palace gardens offered a peaceful oasis away from the bustling city. Even the palace groundskeeper's lawn mower became an unexpected attraction, reminding me that these historic residences are not only monuments of the past but also living places that require daily care and attention. Buckingham...

The past week has been filled with royal celebrations, historic ceremonies and important international visits. From London to Stockholm and from Amsterdam to Brussels, royal watchers had plenty to follow. Trooping the Colour in London On 13 June, members of the British Royal Family gathered for the annual Trooping the Colour parade. Although King Charles III celebrated his actual birthday in November, the traditional birthday parade once again brought together senior working royals on Horse Guards Parade. The highlight for many royal fans was the appearance of the royal family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, where they watched the traditional Royal Air Force flypast. The event remains one of the most iconic royal traditions in the world. Sweden celebrates a double Jubilee Also on 13 June, Sweden celebrated two remarkable milestones. The festivities honoured King Carl XVI Gustaf's 80th birthday and the golden wedding anniversary of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia. Members...

Fifty years of helping young  people build a future. In 1976, the then Prince of Wales, now King Charles III, founded what would become one of the United Kingdom’s most influential youth charities: the The King’s Trust. Originally known as The Prince’s Trust, the organisation was created with a clear mission: helping vulnerable young people between the ages of 11 and 30 who were struggling with unemployment, homelessness, disability, difficulties at school or problems with the law. Nearly fifty years later, that mission remains as important as ever. The idea behind the trust was remarkably personal. At the time, the young Prince Charles used part of his naval severance pay to launch initiatives supporting disadvantaged youth. What began as a small project gradually evolved into a nationwide network offering training programmes, mentoring, grants and business support. Over the decades, the charity has grown into the leading youth organisation in the United Kingdom. More than one mil...

On 18 February 1516, at the Palace of Placentia in Greenwich, a daughter was born to Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon. She would grow up to become one of the most controversial monarchs in British history: Mary I of England. For royal historians, Mary’s life is a powerful study in legitimacy, faith and female authority in a male-dominated political world. Family Mary was the only surviving child of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon. Highly educated, fluent in Latin and Spanish, and musically gifted, she was once the pride of her father’s court. When Henry annulled his marriage to Catherine and married Anne Boleyn, Mary was declared illegitimate. She lost her title of Princess and was forced to serve in the household of her half-sister, the future Elizabeth I. The emotional and political trauma of these years shaped her deeply rooted Catholic convictions. The first crowned queen regnant of England After the death of her half-brother Edward VI in 1553, an attempt was made to place Lad...

September brings with it a rich tapestry of royal engagements, birthdays, and historic milestones across Europe and beyond.The royal calendar is filled with traditions, celebrations and meaningful events. This month also offers moments of remembrance and reflection, with anniversaries marking the lives and legacies of monarchs who shaped history. Royal diary On September 2nd.: Queen Mathilde of Belgium will visit the "De Vijvers residential care centre as part of the ‘Te Gek!?’ campaign." On September 4th. and 5th. : Belgian King Philippe and Queen Mathilde will be in Switzerland (Bad Ragaz, St. Gallen) on Thursday and Friday. On September 4th. : The Prince and Princess of Wales will visit the Natural History Museum in London.  Own picture of the Natural History Museum in London taken in 2016 September 4th - Passing of the Duchess of Kent. The funeral will take place at Westminster Cathedral on September 16. at 2pm.  On September 6th.: Queen Sonja of Norway will unv...