Queen Elizabeth II To Become Longest Reigning UK Monarch in September

To celebrate Queen Elizabeth II becoming the longest reigning monarch in the United Kingdom on 9 September 2015, the Tower of London have announced a new art installation with a series of images and animations featuring the letter Q to be projected onto the Tower for seven days.

Whilst in Windsor a 6.3km trail called the Queen’s Walkway, marked by 63 plaques to mark her 63-year reign, will open on 9 September (the route, a symbolic 6.321km long for 63 years and 210 days, starts at the Henry VIII gate and ends at Queen Victoria’s statue). The Queen however will spend the day quietly at Balmoral just like her great, great grandmother Queen Victoria did on 23 September 1896 to celebrate her passing the record set by George III. The Queen is now also the oldest reigning monarch in the world after the death of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia.

Queen Elizabeth II

Official portrait of The Queen taken in the Centre Room in Buckingham Palace in December 2011. Photo: © Royal Household/John Swannell

Karen Sharpe

I was born in London and have lived there for most of my life although I have now ‘decamped’ to what is known as the suburbs.
I have worked for an antiques removal/shipping company before joining the Metropolitan Police Force where I enjoyed a varied career for 14years. Since leaving I followed up…

One question Blue Badge Tourist Guides always seem to be asked when they take groups to Windsor Castle is “where did the fire take place?” It took place twenty-five years ago this month on 20 November 1992 on the Queen and Prince Philip’s forty fifth wedding anniversary during what the Queen later referred to as her “annus horriblis”, when the marriages of three of her children came to an end and the oldest royal home was engulfed in flames.

16 October 2018

King Henry I of England, The Forgotten Monarch

There have been eight kings of England called Henry and maybe the least well known was the first to hold that name. King Henry I of England was the fourth son of William the Conqueror and, as such, would not have been expected to come to the throne. Nevertheless, when his brother, the little-loved William Rufus died in a suspiciously convenient hunting accident in the New Forest, Henry was ready to quickly claim the crown and dashed up to London for a quick coronation at Westminster Abbey.