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Queen Alexandra - my family #51

...shows the Prince of Wales (later George V - centre) with his father, King Edward VII (on the right) and other members of their group at a tea party at Monrepos in Corfu. The Prince of Wales had just returned from a tour of India with his wife Princess Mary and the family had obviously gathered together in warmer climes to welcom­e them back. Monrepos was built in 1828 for the British Lord High Commissioner of the Ionian Islands and in later years was the summer residence of the King of Greece; it was also the birthplace of Prince Philip, who was born on the dining room table! Since 2001 it has housed the 'Museum of Palaiopolos – Mon Repos' and lies in the fo...

The Graveyard Shift #23

...where the Prince of Wales (Prince Charles) had his investiture in 1969. The Bembo was moored by the harbour in full view of the castle and the town was full of quaint, narrow streets which we loved to explore. Once he had bought the boat he would go away at weekends and usually took Gavin or Piers along with him. My mum jumped at the chance of making me go as well so she could keep me away from Kev, but after a couple of times on my own Kev decided to come along too, and was able to help fix the electrics on the boat amongst other thing Caernarvon Castle in the 1970s   When my dad went away at weekends during the summer months Kev and I would open the ho...

The Graveyard Shift..... #24

...where the Prince of Wales (Prince Charles) had his investiture in 1969.  The Benbow was moored by the harbour and the town was full of quaint, narrow streets which we loved to explore.  Once he had bought the boat he would go away at weekends and usually took Gavin or Piers along with him.  My mum jumped at the chance of making me go as well so she could keep me away from Kev, but after a couple of times on my own Kev decided to come along too, and was able to help fix the electrics on the boat amongst other things. When my dad went away at weekends during the summer months Kev and I would open the house to the public.  As well as a bad atmosphere between m...

Home fit for a King #53

...He became Prince of Wales in 1958 and his investiture was in 1969 at Caernarfon Castle in Wales. Over the years he has been involved in many charities with a particular interest in climate change. He founded the youth charity the Princes Trust in 1976 and also owns and runs the Duchy of Cornwall estates. He married Camilla Parker-Bowles in 2005 and together they will now rule the new monarchy from Buckingham Palace supported by his son and heir William and other members of the Royal family. We wish them well in their future together. Charles and Camilla on a trip to Jamaica      Don't miss next week's instalment - 'The History of Hoar Cross Hall' If...

The Tax Man Cometh! #28

...THE TAX MAN COMETH:       My parents’ court case was finally over and my dad had six months to leave the family home, Hoar Cross Hall. In the meantime my mum had to find the funds to buy him out and he had to find another house to live in. He also had an awful lot of stuff to move too! He eventually found a house in nearby Burton-on-Trent but as it was obviously a lot smaller he had to get rid of a lot of his possessions and one of the first things to go was his Lotus Elite. He advertised it in the local paper but instead of getting a phone call from a likely buyer, the first call was from the local tax office. Back in those days they used to check adverti...

Queen Alexandra - my family #52

...ing (when Prince of Wales) would sail his yacht, Britannia very competitively against his nephew, Kaiser Wilhelm II. This went on for many years until the Kaiser won in 1896 and Edward never entered the competition again. In 1909 the Russian Emperor and his family came over for Cowes week causing a security nightmare with two monarchs in one place!   The King of Denmark This picture shows Alexandra's father, the King of Denmark (centre), Christian IX, on the steps of Bernstorff Palace, his summer residence near Copenhagen. With him are two of his grandsons.  The Palace was originally built for the Foreign Minister, Count Johann Hartwig Ernst von Bernstor...