Anna Pasternak
King George VI: The First Modern King
George VI. The Prince who was never meant to be King. Terrorised by his father George V and overshadowed by his gregarious elder brother and heir to the throne, Edward. But following Edward’s shocking abdication, the stammering Prince Albert endeavoured to fulfil his duty to his country, to win over his public, and deal with the chaos wrought by the second world war, George VI took his rightful place on the throne and led the country out of the darkness, as the first modern king.
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Queen Elizabeth II: Before the Crown
George VI was said to have called Elizabeth his “pride” and Margaret his “joy.” Much of Princess Elizabeth’s lessons in life have been well taught by her father, who prepared Elizabeth to be queen as soon as he was coronated. It’s likely that this boost helped to inspire Elizabeth’s well-known loyalty and devotion to the United Kingdom. The influence of her surroundings, and the very nature of her family, shaped her into becoming the longest-reigning monarch in all of British History. Elizabeth was taught from such a young age, what a monarch should be about. She put in the forthright dedication just as much and her father did, and is now known to have become… The longest reigning monarch… In British History.
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Days That Rocked the House of Windsor
In the annals of history, there are moments that redefine nations, shape destinies, and captivate the world's attention. Throughout the years, there have been several moments when the House of Windsor experienced great turmoil: the behind-the-scenes drama, scandals, triumphs, and crises that have tested the resilience of one of the most renowned royal families in history. From dazzling coronations to captivating love stories, from contentious family disputes to shocking betrayals, these are the moments that shaped the monarchy, leaving an indelible mark on the pages of British history.
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Edward & Harry: Giving Up the Crown
They say history often repeats itself. And when we look at the lives of Edward VIII, the King never crowned, and his great grandnephew Prince Harry, the unconventional spare, you can’t help but notice the surprising parallels between the two. Both modern in how they approached royal life, with personal lives full of gossip and scandal, it was ultimately love, for American socialite Wallis Simpson & actress Megan Markle that drew Edward & Harry away from their duty.
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Duke of Sussex: A Changed Man
If the Palace thought that 2023 would be a quieter year after the drama and tragedy of 2022 then the release of Prince Harry’s autobiography Spare has just about destroyed all hope. The book has caused international frenzy amongst the media and the public. Opinion was more divided than ever on whether Prince Harry should retain his royal titles. Though Harry and Meghan fled the royal family for a second chance at the private life they always wanted, the world refused to let them go quietly. Despite their escape, the media’s continued attention cased a barrage of headlines, flaring up rumour after scandalous rumour about the couple and the royal family. In order to set the record straight, they decided to tell their own side of the story, giving a tell-all series of interviews, podcasts and Netflix documentary series. But eclipsing all of the revelations shared previously, in January 2023 Harry released his controversial and much-anticipated autobiography, Spare.
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The Abdication of Edward VIII
Born in 1894 as the oldest son of George, Duke of York, Edward became heir to the throne when his father was crowned King George V in May 1910 and was formally invested as Prince of Wales the following summer. As feared by royal aides, Edward showed little interest in any sort of day-to-day governorship. He was mainly preoccupied with marrying Wallis Simpson, and from her husband, at least, there was no pushback, as the businessman agreed to let the King have his way. After ruling for less than one year, Edward VIII became the first British monarch to voluntarily abdicate the throne.
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Heir & Spare: Elizabeth & Margaret
Heavy is the head that wears the crown, but heavier is the burden of being next in line. Elizabeth and Margaret, two sincere sisters - but younger sister Margaret was left in the sidelines. They were both princesses, but only one could be Queen.
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History of the Coronation
Coronations have been celebrated from as far back as 1066. The event in which someone is to be crowned is an occasion that brings extreme joy, but is also an occasion that brings extreme tension to the country. The job of a monarch is one that requires great precision. The monarch is expected to have the country’s best interests at heart - but this comes with a rewarding risk of sacrifice. Most monarchs live their whole lives destined to sit on the throne. However, others have the prospect of being King or Queen thrust upon them. With the death of Queen Elizabeth II, let’s take a look back at coronations in recent history.
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The Exiled Windsors
The year; 1936. Behind the doors of 10 Downing street. Controversy. Suspicion. Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin has a difficult decision to make. The King of England, and of Great Britain, is infatuated with divorced American socialite Wallis Simpson. The King has been showering his mistress with extravagant gifts, a warning to the security services of possible blackmail. Fears grow, too, of his association with fascist sympathisers, and the possibility the king could attempt to overthrow the government to keep his seat of power on the throne. At the very least, would the affair trigger civil unrest and turmoil in an already unstable country. The Prime Minister must make that difficult decision. To spy on the head of state, the monarch, is an extraordinarily controversial and intrusive act, but Baldwin finally gives the order. The British intelligence service began to spy on the King. And so began one of the greatest constitutional crises in centuries… Edward and Wallis - The Exiled Windsors.
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Queen on Screen
Few families have had a life as public and as tumultuous as the royal family. The drama of the monarchy makes for a perfect fit on the silver screen. But there is no royal who has had as many incarnations on screen, then the queen. A queen highly noted for her charming wit, her sense of duty, her sense of being, and above all - her long and historic reign of the United Kingdom. With the sad news of her death, the power of film and television help to keep her memory alive.
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Modernising Monarchy: One Hundred Years of Technology
Modernising Monarchy focuses on the development of the British monarchy in terms of human technology changes over a hundred years. Highlights include descriptions of Alan Turing, the father of artificial intelligence, Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space, and the Apollo XI programme. The monarchy is shown to be changing with the times from the perspective of technology.
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Elizabeth & George VI
Becoming the king of England was never something King George VI ever envisioned for himself. Having grown up believing that his elder brother, Edward, would take the throne allowed George the freedom to aspire to a life of privacy with his wife and two daughters. However, when his father died and his brother abdicated in order to marry the woman he loved, George’s life was turned completely upside down as he was now expected to step up to the role of King of England. A shy and reserved man with a crippling stammer might have never been able to grow into a courageous king if it were not for his wife, Elizabeth, by his side. Discover how she helped him to overcome his speech impediment, how he and his family boosted the morale of the British people during the second world war, and how they broke the cycle of an uptight royal family and prepped their eldest daughter to one day become the Queen of England.
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Edward & Wallis: Forbidden Love
The story of the man who gave up being king in order to marry the woman he fell in love with. The dramatic relationship between Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson is what you can call a forbidden romance in the real definition of the word - a king and a twice-divorced American woman who were ready to show the world that love really does conquer all. Having each other gave them the courage to face all of the consequences that came with their decisions.
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A Princess at War
In the wake of his brothers abdication, King George VI, became king on May the 12th, 1937. This meant that his young daughter, Elizabeth, who was just 11 years old at the time - would one day succeed him as queen. 2 years later… WWII broke out. This set a tone for the monarchy going forward. The indomitable spirit of the Royal Family helped the people of the United Kingdom through their darkest times. Princess Elizabeth was only 13 years of age, when the outbreak of war occurred on September 3rd, 1939. King George VI died in 1952, only just 7 years after the end of WWII. Elizabeth was taught from such a young age, what a monarch should be about. She put in the forthright dedication just as much as her father did. The influence of her surroundings, and the very nature of her family, shaped her into becoming the longest-reigning monarch in all of British History.
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Edward VIII: Never Crowned King
Edward VIII, the king never crowned, abandoned his throne for the woman he loved and went from being a man of honour to a man of nothing and even scorned man. His life was a tumultuous one, full of romance and mystery. He was a milestone in the British monarchy's turning point, and his abdication ushered in the Elizabethan era. Allowing his unlikely brother George VI to become king and the then Princess Elizabeth, later becoming the monarch of England, Elizabeth II. Edward VIII is arguably one of the best representations of absolute romance in Royal history.
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The Year of Three Kings
1936 saw three kings of England, in a year that greatly unsettled the monarchy. Following the death of George V, he was succeeded by his eldest son, Edward VIII, who a few months later abdicated and was exiled to France, and his younger brother George VI ascended to the throne. This was a time of great crisis and instability for the English royal family, calling into question the role and relevance of the monarchy in a world in the midst of change.
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Crown in Crisis: Abdication
After ruling for less than one year, Edward VIII became the first British monarch to voluntarily abdicate the throne. He made this choice after the British government and the Church of England condemned his decision to marry the American divorcee Wallis Simpson. On the evening of December 11th, 1936, Edward gave a radio address to the public, in which he explained his reasoning for leaving behind the throne. The broadcast was expected but still shocking.
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Wallis Simpson: Kingmaker
Wallis Simpson was an American socialite who had been married twice when she met Edward, Duke of Windsor (then the Prince of Wales), at a party. She became Edward's mistress, leading to the "abdication crisis" in which he stepped down as king in order to be with her. Hearsay and conjecture have clouded the assessment of the Duchess of Windsor's life. There is no document which proves directly that she was anything other than a victim of her own ambition, who lived out a great romance that became a great tragedy. The Duchess is reported to have summed up her life in a sentence: "You have no idea how hard it is to live out a great romance."
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1936: The Abdication
Born in 1894 as the oldest son of George, Duke of York, Edward became heir to the throne when his father was crowned King George V in May 1910 and was formally invested as Prince of Wales the following summer. As feared by royal aides, Edward showed little interest in any sort of day-to-day governorship. He was mainly preoccupied with marrying Wallis Simpson, and from her husband, at least, there was no pushback, as the businessman agreed to let the King have his way. After ruling for less than one year, Edward VIII became the first British monarch to voluntarily abdicate the throne. He made this choice after the British government and the Church of England condemned his decision to marry the American divorcee Wallis Simpson. On the evening of December 11th, 1936, Edward gave a radio address to the public, in which he explained his reasoning for leaving behind the throne. The broadcast was expected but still shocking.
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