Articles tagged as Royal Family | Smithsonian Magazine

Japanese Princess Will Lose Her Royal Status When She Marries a Commoner

Some say that the country should amend its imperial succession laws, which currently prohibit women from ascending to the throne

May 19, 2017

Henri IV depicted as Hercules vanquishing a hydra. All in a day's work.

The Second Life of Henri IV’s Severed Head

Whether it’s lying in the grave or sitting in a Paris bank vault, the monarch’s cranium has been the subject of much debate since his untimely demise

May 12, 2017

North American gray squirrels are decimating native red squirrels in the British Isles, leading to a new plan to reduce the population of invasive mammals

February 27, 2017

The Swedish count Philip Königsmarck, left, and his lover Sophia Dorothea, right. A skeleton possibly belonging to Königsmarck was recently uncovered in the German castle where he disappeared.

Cool Finds

A Skeleton Found in a Castle Could Be the Key to Cracking a 17th-Century Cold Case

A murder mystery complete with royal intrigue

October 18, 2016

The government has placed the artifact under an export ban in hopes a collector will keep it in-country

August 30, 2016

While the role is ceremonial, abdication could mean a political battle

August 8, 2016

Runnymede meadow in Surrey, England, is the site of historic Magna Carta negotiations.

The Mad King and Magna Carta

How did a peace treaty signed — and broken — more than 800 years ago become one of the world’s most influential documents?

July 2015

DNA from Richard III’s bones revealed two instances of royal infidelity since the 14th century.

They Found Richard III. So Now What?

What the remains of the “hunchback” king can teach us about other English royals

March 2015

Cool Finds

King Richard III Will Be the First Famous Historical Person Whose Genome Is Sequenced

And it’ll be public, so anyone can check it out

February 13, 2014

The Heartbreaking History of Divorce

Historian Amanda Foreman explores the other side of love and marriage

February 2014

A facial reconstruction of King Richard III, based on an analysis of his recently identified remains and artist portrayals over the years, was unveiled by an eponymous historical society on Tuesday.

The Battle Over Richard III’s Bones…And His Reputation

Rival towns are vying for the king’s remains and his legacy now that his skeleton has been found 500 years after his death

February 8, 2013

The marriage of Charles, Prince of Wales, and Lady Diana Spencer did not have an auspicious beginning: she laughed when he proposed.

Ten Royal Weddings to Remember

For centuries, British monarchs have had their marriages tested by war, infidelity, politics and diplomatic intrigue

March 20, 2011

Britannia offers solace and a promise of compensation for her exiled American-born Loyalists

Divided Loyalties

Descended from American Colonists who fled north rather than join the revolution, Canada’s Tories still raise their tankards to King George

January 2004

Class Dismissed

Being a member of the British aristocracy these days isn’t exactly a dog’s life, but it’s no bed of roses

December 1, 1999