Royalty & Aristocracy
Discover all the drama and ceremony of London’s royal history in our related objects, stories and blogs.
Blogs-And-Stories

Oliver Cromwell: The man who could have been king
Cromwell’s victories in the Civil Wars took him to the very top

Boudica: Rebel queen of the Iceni
London burned when this warrior queen challenged the Romans

Why Charles I was executed
A tale of religion and Parliament which ends abruptly in 1649

The murder of Thomas Becket
An event that shocked medieval Europe – and a cult that's lasted centuries

Princess Diana: A London look
The 'people’s princess' was a 20th-century celebrity whose image was tightly linked to her hometown

The long reign of Queen Victoria
Ruling for 63 years, Victoria witnessed rapid changes in British society, culture and industry

Pageantry and protest at Elizabeth II’s Silver Jubilee
Marking 25 years as monarch in 1977, the queen’s jubilee was met with celebration and discontent

The queen’s chatelaine bag
Tracing the origins of three royal accessories with Medieval roots

William Sessarakoo: the Royal African
One man’s journey from African prince through slavery into London high society




Albertopolis: Prince Albert’s London legacy
South Kensington looks a little different today thanks to Albert’s enthusiasm for education and art

Queen Victoria’s nifty needlework
Embroidery, crocheting, making dresses for toy dolls: Victoria was one crafty Queen

The marriage of Queen Victoria & Prince Albert
A royal story of love – and loss

Coronations through the ages
London has been host to royal coronations strange and magnificent

The coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, 1953
Celebrated by Londoners in the streets – and on their screens

200 years of royal weddings in London
From Queen Victoria to Prince Harry, royal romances have been loved and loathed by Londoners