You are about to come with me on a journey into a wild rabbit hole. It started while perusing the list of survivors on the RMS Titanic, as one does, and discovering the survival of one William Wright. Wright was a crewman aboard the Titanic and his position was described as ‘Steward of the Glory-Hole’.… Read More Queer Culture, Stewards, and The Titanic’s Glory-Holes
1992 saw the Elizabeth II, Queen of England’s Ruby Jubilee, a celebration of forty years on the throne. The event saw widespread celebration and festivities across Britain and the Commonwealth. The queen and her husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, undertook a royal tour of Canada and Australia. Galas were held, coins were minted, street… Read More Annus Horribilis Battle Royale: 1992 vs 2022
It seems I’m in the mood to pick apart the history behind musicals. Normally, that’d fall into the ‘Everything wrong with…’ series but I have neither the inclination or the audacity to suggest that something is ‘wrong’ with The Sound of Music (1965) despite it’s many and frequent deviations from the story of the actual… Read More The History behind The Sound of Music
In March 1917 Nicholas Romanov, Emperor of Russia abdicated the Imperial throne giving the country’s political power to a provisionally formed Bolshevik government. The Tsar and his family were placed under house arrest while the government decided what to do with them. The family were moved around while plans were made for their future, the… Read More Dancing Bears, Painted Wings: The Mystery of Anastasia and the Romanov Pretenders
The funeral of an HRH is usually a public spectacle with thousands lining the route and/or gathering in public spaces to pay their respects or leave flowers. The funeral of Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh on the 17th April 2021 was an altogether quieter affair due to the global pandemic which hasn’t quite gone away.… Read More Who went to Prince Phillip’s funeral?
I recently wrote a piece about the history of the royal tiaras featured in the first two seasons of The Crown. It turned into one of my longer posts just because Claire Foy, as Queen Elizabeth II, was given a multitude of tiaras and ornaments to wear. By comparison, this will be much shorter, as… Read More ‘The Crown’s Crowns (Season 3 & 4)
During a recent re-watch of The Crown, I was struck by an exchange between Princess Margaret and her dresser. Princess Margaret is deputising for her sister, the queen, and is just about to put on her tiara when she has a thought: “What about the state diadem tiara or the Cambridge lover’s knot?” “Those are… Read More ‘The Crown’s Crowns (Seasons 1 & 2)
Halloween! One year I will write up the history of Halloween and where we get our notions of the devil and demon worship from when it is derived from a combination of Pagan celebrations, Celtic customs and the Church feast of All Hallows Eve. None of which are particularly big on devil worship. But that… Read More Creepy History: “Based on a True Story…”
The Royal Family have announced that the Duchess of Cambridge is pregnant with her third child. As with her previous pregnancies, the Duke and Duchess were forced to announce the news earlier than they intended (when the Duchess required medical attention for hyperemesis gravidarum). As a result of legislation passed in 2013, regardless of whether the… Read More Third-borns who took the throne
Christopher Nolan’s latest Blockbuster has finally, finally hit UK cinemas and it was worth the wait. Portraying the evacuation of the British army from France in 1940, the film contains minimal dialogue, using instead, dramatic visuals to propel events forward. The end result is an experience so immersive and realistic that one Dunkirk veteran was… Read More The History Behind: Dunkirk (2017)
