299 Items Tagged

Royalty

King William III and his mid-17th century "close stool," which is on display at Hampton Court.

It Was Once Someone's Job to Chat With the King While He Used the Toilet

"Groom of the Stool" could be a crappy role, but it came with great benefits.

Natalie Zarrelli April 6, 2017

The inscription from a 1375 John Barbour poem translates to, "A noble heart can know no ease without freedom."

Melrose, Scotland

Robert the Bruce's Heart

The heart of a Scottish legend had a centuries-long journey before reaching its final resting place.

King Richard the Lionheart's heart is entombed beneath his effigy.

King Richard I's Embalmed Heart

His "Lionheart" is entombed separately from the rest of his body.

A Visual History of the Rise—and Demise—of Rasputin

The Mad Monk was assassinated 100 years ago in Russia.

Darmon Richter & Diana Naneva December 30, 2016

Permanently Closed

Kungens Rondell - the King's Carousel

Norrköping, Sweden

Kungens Rondell (King's Carousel)

This roundabout was renamed in honor of the Swedish king's royal fender-bender.

The Jelling stones, encased behind glass.

Jelling, Denmark

Jelling Viking Monuments

Mounds, rune stones, and a 1,000-year-old church, left behind by Denmark's first two kings.

Horseshoes, 61 nails, an axe and billhook are part of the rent London owes to the Queen.

London Is Still Paying Rent to the Queen on a Property Leased in 1211

In a small annual ceremony the city hands over an axe, a knife, 6 horseshoes, and 61 nails.

Sarah Laskow October 17, 2016

The interior of the main room

Royal Pavilion at Stazione Centrale

An exclusive waiting room built for the royal family in the 1920s is hidden in Milan’s central station.

Twinings tea shop on the Strand.

London, England

Twinings Tea Shop

A 300-year-old tea shop that brought tea to the English people, not to mention the Queen herself.

Parc de Bruxelles, or "Brussels Park".

Brussels, Belgium

Commemoration of Peter the Great's Vomit

When you're a great Russian Tsar, even your vomit gets a statue.

On the ocean floor

Toberonochy, Scotland

'The Unsoiling of Rockall'

A plaque installed underwater marks the fall of a royal family from an imagined parallel universe—part of a globe-spanning art project.

Baby coffin

Berlin, Germany

Hohenzollern Crypt in the Berlin Cathedral

Beneath the impressive baroque cathedral that rises from the center of Berlin lies the largest collection of Prussian royals in the world.

Henrietta Hyde (Windsor Beauties)

What the Most Alluring Women of 17th-Century England Looked Like

Beauty was an asset, a weapon, and a curse for the ladies of the Restoration court.

Ella Morton May 24, 2016

objects of intrigue

A Mother's Day Gift Idea from Imperial Russia

It starts with a hand-painted enamel egg.

Ella Morton May 3, 2016

Why the Last Words of Anne Boleyn Remain a Mystery

What she said depends on who's telling the story.

Hadley Meares April 14, 2016

Inside the tomb of Sultan Selim II

Istanbul, Turkey

Tombs of the Sultans

Five sultans and their families rest in eternal splendor, teeming with overlooked beauty and drama.

How Catherine de Medici Made Gloves Laced with Poison Fashionable

Julia Davis February 12, 2016

The courtyard Palace entrance, from which guided tours start

Istanbul, Turkey

Beylerbeyi Palace

This former Imperial summer home was the venue for a royal slap that once echoed 'round the world.