When Mary Stuart married François, Dauphin of France, in 1558 what could the public see? For days in advance the city was busy. Workers set up theatres inside the palace, and hung draperies inside and outside the cathedral. Many people earned extra pennies constructing walkways and a stage with vineleaf decoration in the cathedral square. Dressmakers [more...]
15-year-old Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots, was married to 14-year-old François, Dauphin of France, in April 1558. The wedding celebrations for the future French king and queen were magnificent, and a report of the grand ceremony and festivities was published one week later. So what does it tell us about Mary’s dress? [She] was dressed [more...]
On Palm Sunday, 18 March 1554, Princess Elizabeth, the future Queen Elizabeth I of England, sister of Queen Mary of England, and daughter of Henry VIII, was taken to the Tower of London to be imprisoned pending her interrogation over her knowledge of the Wyatt Rebellion. It was the most dangerous time of her life, [more...]
Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands was a two-year-old princess when German paratroops landed in the Hague on May 10, 1940 with orders to take the entire Dutch royal family to Berlin. Her grandmother, Queen Wilhelmina, wanted the younger generations to flee to safety as soon as possible. Apart from any personal feelings she wished to [more...]