Corona and the crown: monarchy, religion, and disease from Victoria to Elizabeth

Queen Elizabeth II and the royal family have featured prominently in the British state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In her 2020 Christmas broadcast, which ended with the Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Choir singing “Joy to the World,” the Queen evoked the “light of Christmas” in dark times and assured her people of her “thoughts and prayers.” She celebrated the heroism of “our frontline services,” connecting modern nurses to Florence Nightingale, but also to the Good Samaritan, who had cared...
Tags: Featured, Arts & Humanities, Biography, Books, British, History, Religion, British Monarchy, Covid-19, Disease, Queen Elizabeth II, Queen Victoria

A paradox revealed through portraiture

A photograph taken seven years before her passing says much about the life, times and character of the trailblazing Meherbai Tata The much-loved wife of Dorabji Tata and daughter in-law of Jamsetji Tata, the founder of the Tata group, Meherbai Tata was a woman of personality. A participant in the ornamental theatrics of being imperial within Empire, one finds her name regularly among the maharajas, nawabs and begums in royal chronicles. And deservedly so. Meherbai was honoured with the ‘Comm...
Tags: Art, London, Life, India, History, Heritage, Paris, Buckingham Palace, Victoria, Lafayette, Rembrandt, Mumbai, Queen Victoria, Tata, Reed, George V

The Royal Albert Hall At 150: A Strange History

Way, way beyond the Proms: To mark the sesquicentennial of the hall’s opening (Queen Victoria was all verklempt), the Beeb recounts some of the more momentous and offbeat events to have happened there, from the first-ever sci-fi convention (also the public debut of the only-the-English-could-drink-it concoction Bovril) to astounding fancy-dress balls to a séance for Arthur Conan Doyle to the first-ever sumo match outside Japan to (this may have been the weirdest) John and Yoko’s Alchemical Wedd...
Tags: Art, Japan, Arthur Conan Doyle, John, Issues, Queen Victoria, Albert Hall, Yoko, Beeb, 03.29.21

President Biden removes Trump's mysterious red button from the Oval Office

In 1880 Queen Victoria gifted U.S. President Rutherford B. Hayes a desk made from the timber of the HMS Resolute, an Arctic exploration ship, hence the name and origin of the Resolute desk in the Oval Office. Disgraced former President Trump requested a red button on a box be installed atop that distinguished desk when he took office. — Read the rest
Tags: Post, News, Victoria, Biden, Queen Victoria, Trump, Oval Office, Diet Coke, Rutherford B Hayes, Resolute Desk, President Biden, Not The Red Button, Oval Office Alterations, Oval Office Disgraced

The Queen's great-grandmother's epic home has a private beach - see inside

The Queen's great-grandmother Queen Victoria and Prince Albert first bought...
Tags: Queen Victoria, Albert

Boxing Day 2020 giving ideas and tax tips

Happy Day After Christmas, or as it's known in many parts of the world, Boxing Day. As a lover of cats, be they large (like these in an earlier Tumbling Taxes item), small or domesticated (as much as cats can be), I certainly understand the feline interpretation of Boxing Day. But I also appreciate the other ways, taxes included, to celebrate Boxing Day. Boxing Day's evolution: Boxing Day got its name in the 1800s when Queen Victoria was on the throne. Since then, it's been celebrated in Grea...
Tags: Taxes, New Zealand, Sam, Stephen, Irs, Queen Victoria, Great Britain, Don, Internal Revenue Service, Donald J Trump, Canada Australia, Charity Watch GiveWell GuideStar

Dodging greenwashed gifts: 'Marketers know we are primed and waiting with our wallets open'

‘Conscious’, ‘slow’ or ‘cruelty-free’ may sound appealing but these surface-level claims could just be a distractionSee Clare Press’ selection of gifts that live up to their promises in the Good Gift Guide’Tis the season to buy stuff you don’t need that trashes the planet. ’Twas ever thus. At least ever since Queen Victoria decided Christmas was about having a giant tree in the house bedecked with ornaments and gifts. Or New York’s elites decided to bring the season’s festive street parties insi...
Tags: Fashion, New York, Christmas, Life and style, Queen Victoria, Clare Press, Australian lifestyle

Cynthia Erivo to Star in African Princess Film, With Benedict Cumberbatch Producing

Oscar-nominated actor, singer and songwriter Cynthia Erivo (“Harriet”) will star in and produce a film based on the life of 19th century African princess Sarah Forbes Bonetta. Omoba Aina, an Egbado princess of the Yoruba people, was orphaned and enslaved by a West African king, then was “gifted” to Queen Victoria in 1850, taken to […]
Tags: Benedict Cumberbatch, News, Global, Queen Victoria, Cynthia Erivo, BBC Film, Cynthia Erivo Harriet, Sarah Forbes Bonetta Omoba Aina

A portrait of Queen Victoria's ex-slave goddaughter is going on display in historic English mansion

A painting of Sarah Forbes Bonetta, an African slave who became Queen Victoria's goddaughter, has been unveiled at Osborne, the British former monarch's seaside home.
Tags: Cnn, Victoria, Osborne, Queen Victoria, Sarah Forbes Bonetta

New portrait of Queen Victoria's African goddaughter unveiled

Painting of Sarah Forbes Bonetta part of English Heritage project to highlight overlooked black figuresHer birth name, historians believe, was Aina but in the high society of 19th-century England she was Sarah Forbes Bonetta, an enslaved little girl from what is now the west African country of Benin who became Queen Victoria’s goddaughter.The remarkable life of Bonetta is being highlighted by curators at English Heritage who, on Wednesday, will unveil a new portrait of her by the artist Hannah U...
Tags: Art, England, Africa, Race, UK News, Culture, Art and design, Victoria, English Heritage, Queen Victoria, Benin, AINA, Sarah Forbes Bonetta, Bonetta, Hannah Uzor

Police arrest 74 people at Melbourne coronavirus anti-lockdown protest

Riot squad marches through fruit stalls at Queen Victoria market as protest of about 250 people ends in scufflesPolice arrested 74 people on Sunday as anti-lockdown protesters massed in Melbourne for a second day, with some throwing fruit at police after raiding market stalls.About 250 protesters chanting “Freedom” and “Power to the people” were encircled by officers at Queen Victoria Market. Continue reading...
Tags: Australia news, Australian police and policing, Victoria, Melbourne, Queen Victoria, Coronavirus outbreak, Queen Victoria Market Continue

Inside Queen Victoria's jaw-dropping home – complete with private beach

The Queen's great-grandmother Queen Victoria and Prince Albert first bought...
Tags: Victoria, Queen Victoria, Albert

5 castles in the UK you can tour virtually for a positively aristocratic 'vacation' from your couch

Many of the UK's most famous castles can be toured virtually. Virtual "vacations" are on the rise amid travel restrictions due to the coronavirus. There are outright bans or strict rules in place for visiting some countries, including many in Europe. US citizens have to quarantine for 14 days after arriving in the UK, while borders to the EU remain shut to US tourists. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. It's that time of year — or at least, it's that time of the pandemic — wh...
Tags: UK, Hollywood, London, Downton Abbey, France, Scotland, US, Trends, Eu, Italy, Winston Churchill, Buckingham Palace, Edinburgh, Westminster, Marlborough, National Trust

The history of Canada Day

Because they raise difficult questions about who we are and who we want to be, national holidays are contested. Can a single day ever contain the diversity and the contradictions inherent in a nation? Is there even a “we” and an “us”?Canada Day is no exception. Celebrated on 1 July, it marks the anniversary of Confederation in 1867. For the longest time the holiday was known as Dominion Day, an occasion for cities and towns across the country to host picnics and excursions where people played ga...
Tags: Books, Toronto, Canada, Parliament, Black Lives Matter, Quebec, British Columbia, Queen Victoria, Carnarvon, Dominion, Pierre Trudeau, Maple Leaf, Fathers of Confederation, Dominion of Canada Inspired, Red Ensign, ElasticComputeFarmThe

7 Cool Engagement Rings for an Unforgettable Social Media Proposal

Are you planning on sharing your proposal on social media? Create an unforgettable moment! Start with these unique and cool engagement rings for 2020. We’re fast coming up on one of the hottest times of the years to get engaged. According to a recent survey, July and August are two of the most popular months for partners to get down on one knee. If you’re hoping to get engaged soon, you need two things: a ring and a whole lot of courage. While we can’t help you with the courage part,...
Tags: Fashion, Social Media, Marriage Proposal, Cambridge, Prince Charles, Diana, William, Queen Victoria, Ceylon, Catherine the Duchess, Jackie Kennedy, Engagement Rings, Proposal, Weddings & Parties, Engagement Ring, Propose

Special Report: The pub and the pandemic - Regulars, suppliers, owner adrift in lockdown

When the Greenwich Pensioner was built in 1827, the girl who would become Queen Victoria was 8 years old and John Quincy Adams was serving as the sixth president of the United States.
Tags: Money, businessNews, Queen Victoria, John Quincy Adams, Greenwich Pensioner

Classic British dessert

The English are famous for their desserts. There are numerous options, from small cakes served with tea, to towering glasses of whipped cream and fruit, to traditional recipes with a history nearly as long as modern Britain itself. Most of the country’s famous desserts from the past depend on sweetened bread and butter along with cream. Alcohol often plays a major role, as well, whether for soaking, as a main base ingredient, or for starting a fire at the serving table. These are the 11 tradi...
Tags: Travel, UK, England, New York, France, Germany, Bbc, Britain, New York Times, Italy, James Bond, Harry Potter, Diana, Charles Dickens, Harry, Air Force

Show your mettle: Victoria Cross not made of captured Russian guns after all

The long-held belief about the UK’s highest award for valour may have originated in speculation by the press, research has foundThe Victoria Cross, or VC as it is popularly known, is the most cherished award in the British armed forces, awarded since 1857 for courage displayed “in the presence of the enemy”.Its long history is filled with true stories of great bravery. But one long-held belief – that Victoria Cross medals were made from enemy guns captured during the Crimean war against Russia –...
Tags: UK, Russia, UK News, Military, Victoria Cross, British Army, Queen Victoria

'Shambles, chaos, ridiculous': what the UK papers say about Covid-19 testing

Failure to get NHS staff checked dominates coverage – while banks told to ‘do your duty’ in return for 2008 bailoutCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe unfolding coronavirus testing fiasco dominates the major UK newspaper front pages after the daily death toll hit climbed to a new record and it emerged that only 2,000 NHS staff had been tested.“Shambles” says the Mirror’s headline alongside pictures of the latest two health workers to die from the disease – including r...
Tags: UK, Media, UK News, Newspapers & magazines, Newspapers, Infectious Diseases, NHS, Queen Victoria, Coronavirus outbreak, Alfa Saadu, Welwyn Hertfordshire Continue

Bag firm adds ‘unique’ appeal by stitching in historical figures’ letters

Antiquarians voice growing anger at the breaking up of original letters by famous names from Queen Victoria to Charles Dickens and even NapoleonLove historic documents signed by figures such as Queen Victoria and Charles Dickens? Love luxury handbags? A new company is targeting this novel crossover market with exclusive bags containing snippets of authentic manuscripts by famous figures – to the fury of antiquarian booksellers, who say they are destroying cultural assets.Sekrè, a German-Swiss st...
Tags: Europe, Books, Fashion, World news, Culture, Austria, Charles Dickens, Victoria, Handbags, Queen Victoria, Dickens, Manuscripts, Frederick William III, Maria Theresia, Henry Lord Hardinge

Empress Theodora and the Origin of Women’s Rights

By Douglas A. Burton There are many currents that flow into the story of women’s rights. Many cultures are recognized for their egalitarian traditions and we have countless examples of great women in power—from the pharaoh Hatsheput to Queen Victoria to Eleanor Roosevelt.Brought to you by: Frugal Focus
Tags: Frugality, Queen Victoria, Eleanor Roosevelt, Theodora, Douglas A Burton, Hatsheput

New Crop Of Plays Treats History Of Blacks In Britain

“From an African girl who was ‘gifted’ to Queen Victoria to a slave who took on his master in a British court, several little-known but remarkable chapters of black British history are being put in the spotlight on stage this year.” – BBC
Tags: Art, Theatre, Britain, Queen Victoria, 01.22.20

‘Dolittle’ Character Featurettes Introduces the CGI Animals Being Voiced by Hollywood’s Biggest Stars

Do you spend the entire runtime of a movie trying to pinpoint who that voice coming out of the CGI gorilla belongs to? Then Dolittle is just for you. The new family adventure film starring Robert Downey Jr. revives the classic character for a new generation, complete with CGI animals voiced by way overqualified actors. And Universal Pictures, who probably spent a lot of money getting those actors into the recording booths, is dropping a series of new Dolittle character featurettes to remind you...
Tags: England, Hollywood, Movies, Robert-Downey-Jr, Universal, Jim Broadbent, Universal Pictures, Queen Victoria, Eddie Murphy, Video Clips, Rami Malek, Dolittle, John Mulaney, Action/Adventure, Family Films, Behind the Scenes Footage

How the Royal Family Celebrated Christmas 2019

Members of the royal family celebrated Christmas on Wednesday from Queen Elizabeth II’s Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, a couple hours northeast of her London residence. William, Duke of Cambridge, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, and two of their three children, Prince George of Cambridge and Princess Charlotte of Cambridge, all joined the family’s matriarch to greet well wishers on the way to the traditional church service. Princess Charlotte seemed to have a blast with her first Christmas...
Tags: London, News, Wales, Uncategorized, Ap, Canada, Atlantic, Associated Newspapers, Cambridge, Prince Charles, Cornwall, Kate Middleton, Prince George, Royals, Harry, Royal Family

Eight things you didn’t know about George Eliot

Throughout her life, George Eliot was known by many names – from Mary Anne Evans at birth, to Marian Evans Lewes in her middle age, to George Eliot in her fiction – with the latter name prevailing in the years since her death through the continued popularity of her novels. Eliot has long been recognised as one of the greatest Victorian writers, in life and in death, having published seven acclaimed novels and a number of poems, in addition to her work as a translator and a journalist.Today marks...
Tags: Europe, Books, London, Featured, History, Frankfurt, Judaism, Literature, Biography, Journals, Charles Dickens, Evans, Victoria, Prince Albert, George Eliot, Virginia Woolf

La Cloche Jewelers Exhibit at L’Ecole Van Cleef and Arpels

L’Ecole Van Cleef and Arpels is around the corner from the Van Cleef and Arpels flagship store on the Place Vendome and offers classes in jewelry making, the history of jewelry, lectures, and also have special exhibitions during the year   For the fall season they have prepared a wonderful show of one of the finest jewelry houses in France, La Cloche Jewelers. Their first shop was inaugurated on rue de la Paix in 1901, subsequently opening branches in Madrid and London, as well as branche...
Tags: Travel, Fashion, England, London, Greece, France, Spain, Paris, Madrid, Queen Victoria, Jessica, Van Cleef, Rue de la Paix, Deauville, Elaine Sciolino, Museums/Galleries/Exhibits

A 108-Year-Old Woman Recalls What It Was Like to Be a Woman in Victorian England

The perils of old age—dementia, economic insecurity, social isolation—are receiving a lot of attention these days. How refreshing to spend three minutes in the company of a sharp-witted 108-year-old, who, responding to a question about what life was like for women in Victorian England, acts out a couple of socially relevant, period Punch cartoons, deliberately drawing attention to her shockingly well-preserved ankles in the process. Florence Pannell was born in London in 1868, 3 years af...
Tags: Google, England, London, Television, College, Life, US, History, Harvard, Paris, Reddit, Jack, Queen Victoria, Napoleon, Elizabeth Ii, Victorian England

Boman Rashid Kohinoor: In Memorarium

RIP Boman Kohinoor: Mumbai’s famed Britannia restaurant loses its beloved diamond Mumbai’s popular restaurateur, Boman Kohinoor, the co-owner of Iranian-Parsi cafe Britannia & Co at Ballard Pier, died Wednesday at the city’s Parsee General Hospital. Article in Indian Express Mumbai’s popular restaurateur, Boman Kohinoor, the co-owner of Iranian-Parsi cafe Britannia & Co at Ballard Pier, died Wednesday at the city’s Parsee General Hospital. (Express photo: Janak Rathod) Boman was 97 year o...
Tags: Europe, Japan, England, Life, India, Iran, Cambridge, Kate, William, Mumbai, Jack, Duke, Queen Victoria, Elizabeth Ii, Bombay, Britannia

On the Smugglers’ Radar

“On The Smugglers’ Radar” is a feature for books that have caught our eye: books we have heard of via other bloggers, directly from publishers, and/or from our regular incursions into the Amazon jungle. Thus, the Smugglers’ Radar was born. Because we want far more books than we can possibly buy or review (what else is new?), we thought we would make the Smugglers’ Radar into a weekly feature – so YOU can tell us which books you have on your radar as well! On Ana’s Radar: I have been wait...
Tags: Amazon, Books, England, Church, Earth, Sherlock Holmes, Marissa, Sherlock, Delaware, Dad, Alice, Queen Victoria, Ana, Mena, Mary, Jesse

We're too nice to Albert – he was no perfect prince, claims historian

Lucy Worsley thinks Queen Victoria’s husband manipulated her so he could rule in all but nameHe is seen by many historians as the figure behind some of the greatest national projects of his time, and a loving husband who supported Queen Victoria throughout her reign. But Prince Albert gets too much positive press, historian Lucy Worsley has said.Worsley told a packed audience of 1,700 people at Hay festival that Albert lacked emotional intelligence and manipulated Victoria for his own ends – nam...
Tags: Books, UK News, Culture, Victoria, Hay, Queen Victoria, Albert, Lucy Worsley, Worsley, History books