The Website for People Who Love Britain - Anglophiles
Reign, the new costume drama from the American network The CW, follows a young Mary, Queen of Scots in 1557 France and her engagement to Prince Francis the son of the French King. The marriage is an alliance between Scotland and France which Mary takes very seriously. However Francis is not ready to settle down as he has his own relationships … [Read more...]
This may be far outside my purview, but given that drumming outside a London theatre still technically counts as British music, and this story is just too weird to pass up, I have to talk about this: Dame Helen Mirren dressed as the queen to berate a corps of drummers outside the theatre where she was performing a play. Earlier in May, she was … [Read more...]
The White Queen is a compelling 10-part drama adapted from the Philippa Gregory historical novels that comprise The Cousin’s War. Set during the War of the Roses the newly crowned Edward IV secretly weds the beautiful commoner Elizabeth Woodville. The surprise marriage foils the plans of Edward’s uncle the conniving Earl of Warwick who is using … [Read more...]
There was a special service today at Westminster Abbey to mark the 60th Anniversary of the Queen's Coronation. The BBC provided full coverage but it happened in the middle of the night for most Americans. The Queen was in attendance along with most of the Royal Family. Helpfully someone has uploaded the whole thing onto YouTube so you can watch … [Read more...]
Today mark's the 60th anniversary of the Queen's Coronation in 1953. We've found a video on YouTube which features some of the highlights as well as some rare color footage. Check it out below. If you're interested in some historical perspective around the Coronation, the documentary below talks all about it. This documentary is about the … [Read more...]
HM the Queen is the quintessential example of British “correctness,” in manner and comportment. In How the Queen Can Make You Happy by Mary Killen, one learns how to improve one’s life by following the example set by HM, Queen Elizabeth II. In this very British guide to modern manners, or what seems to be a decided lack thereof in … [Read more...]
Some studies suggest that there are over 100 million dog owners and over 300 breeds in the world. In the United Kingdom, the Kennel Club recognizes over 200 separate breeds. Since this article is only about five of them, though, I’m focusing on a few breeds that are some of the most famous or ones that you may not know actually originate in … [Read more...]
To celebrate the 60th anniversary of The Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II the BBC announced a slew of special programming. First this Saturday June 2nd, the BBC Parliament channel airs a digitally re-mastered version of the coronation in its entirety. The black and white footage restored by the BBC Studios is scheduled to broadcast at the same … [Read more...]
The world knows the public face of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, but few know her private side and her passion for horses. In fact she is one of the most respected breeders in England. In the one-off special documentary The Queen: A Passion for Horses filmmakers were granted exclusive access into Elizabeth’s private world of horses to document … [Read more...]
Anne Boleyn is known as the second wife of Henry VIII and the first British Queen executed. Her rise to power was quick and intoxicating and her fall from grace was spectacular. While the outcome of Anne’s life is well-known the facts leading to Henry’s decision to send the woman he loved to the executioner’s block are clouded. Charged with … [Read more...]
The Cadet Life of Prince Harry by Vasile Michael is a detailed account of what a cadet enduring the 44-week program at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (or RMA Sandhurst) in Surrey, must experience… told as Prince Harry might have seen it. And when I first cracked the book open I have to admit, I didn’t know what to make of it. Michael is … [Read more...]
Long before Wallis Simpson entered Edward VIII's life and created havoc for the Royal family there was Marguerite Meller. Marguerite or Maggie was the French mistress of Edward, Prince of Wales during World War I. Their affair was full of excitement and was quite the learning experience for Edward. Sumptuous and passionate love letters passed … [Read more...]
Returning for a second series, Helicopter Rescue which first aired in 2012 follows the flight crews of the iconic yellow Sea King helicopters of the RAF's search and rescue squads as they scramble to locations across Wales to aid civilians that have encountered danger. In this new series the two crews caught on camera are RMB Chivenor in Devon … [Read more...]
Based on Helen Castors’ history book She Wolves: The Woman Who Ruled England Before Elizabeth, the DVD She-Wolves: Early Queens usa online pharmacy of England by Athena, recounts the struggles, triumphs, intrigue and tragedies surrounding the early Queens of England. The three-episode set, hosted and narrated by Castors, briefly tells … [Read more...]
Channel 4 in the UK aired a documentary a few weeks ago that showed a behind the scenes look for the search for Richard III. It was a very good program and it's unlikely to air in the USA. Someone was kind enough to upload it to YouTube where you can watch it in its entirety. It's well worth a watch as the whole story behind it is very … [Read more...]
The national anthem of the United Kingdom and New Zealand has a rich and mysterious history. It may be one of the most recognizable patriotic songs in the world, but it has been sadly neglected by many native Brits. According to a study performed by the Sun, 37% of Brits don’t know the first line of “God Save the Queen.” A true … [Read more...]
As we all know, 2012 was a big year for the UK and for the Queen in particular as she celebrated 60 years on the throne. We had the good fortune to be in the UK during the major celebrations and it was a wonderful experience. So, I was delighted when this book arrived in the post. The People's Jubilee by Victoria Murphy is a pictorial guide to … [Read more...]
It’s rare that my library world and reviewer world collide, but I’ve been dying to read Mrs. Queen Takes the Train by William Kuhn, since I saw it advertised while perusing one of the many publisher’s catalogs that seem to multiply daily on my desk at work. I was still on the waiting list for the book when my Anglotopia package arrived with a … [Read more...]
There's a few bits of Royal Baby news today that I thought were worth sharing. It has been revealed by St James Palace that the Duchess of Cambridge is in the 12/13th weeks of pregnancy and that she is pregnant with one baby (not twins as people have been rampantly speculating). The Duchess has a due date in July - that's as specific as … [Read more...]
The first official portrait of the Duchess of Cambridge has been unveiled in London at the National Portrait Gallery. The painting was painted by Paul Emsley. It's a surprisingly honest painting, where Kate Middleton is naturally showing her age rather than an idealized version of her. It will certainly take a lot of criticism. However, … [Read more...]
Big changes are coming to the Monarchy in Britain. The British government, along with all the Commonwealth Realms, are rushing new legislation through that will remove gender discrimination in the line of succession. Previously, males are always the preferred sibling and they outrank woman, even if they're younger. That will soon become a relic … [Read more...]
On Christmas Day in Britain, the nation stops at 3 O'clock in the afternoon to hear a message from their Queen. It's a time honored tradition. It's just been released on YouTube so here's the 2012 Christmas message from the Queen. Happy Christmas everyone! … [Read more...]
Big news on the Royal Family Front! St. James Palace has officially announced that The Duchess of Cambridge (Kate Middleton) is expecting! From the Palace: A St James's Palace spokesman said: "Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are very pleased to announce that The Duchess of Cambridge is expecting a … [Read more...]
Dame Helen Mirren is set to reprise her Oscar award-winning role as Queen Elizabeth II on stage in "The Audience" early next year. Written by Peter Morgan, "The Audience" covers weekly “audiences” (or meetings) between Queen Elizabeth II and her Prime Ministers at Buckingham Palace. According to What’s On Stage.com the play follows the … [Read more...]
Camilla Cancels Due To Illness A Clarence House spokeswoman said: "The Duchess of Cornwall has developed sinusitis and a severe middle ear infection over the last few days, which means she will not be able to carry out her engagements in London this evening and tomorrow." Camilla was scheduled to attend the Classical BRIT Awards at the Royal … [Read more...]
A new portrait of the Queen by artist Ralph Heimans was unveiled today at Australia's National Portrait Gallery in Canberra. What an amazing picture! … [Read more...]
TRC Buys Warhol Portraits The Royal Collection has purchased four portraits of the Queen by the late pop artist Andy Warhol. The portraits were purchased to mark the queen's Diamond Jubilee this year, and will eventually go on display in Windsor Castle later this year. Warhol also painted Queen Beatrix (The Netherlands) and Queen Margrethe … [Read more...]
Injunction Granted The photos of a topless Duchess of Cambridge have scandalized people the world over. It's not because the Duchess is sans top - rather, people are infuriated over the invasion of the Duke and Duchess' privacy while they sunbathed within the grounds of a private chateau. What has been seen cannot be unseen, but thankfully … [Read more...]
And So It Begins - The Royal Tour To Asia and the South Pacific The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge arrived in Singapore on Tuesday (September 11th) to kick off their Asia/South Pacific tour. The couple met with members of the government of Singapore, then traveled to the Singapore Botanic Gardens where they viewed an orchid named in their … [Read more...]
Sunday marked the end of the London 2012 Paralympics and the end of some world-class royal fashion watching. Kate, as always, looked classy and well suited for the occasion. From the opening ceremonies, to presenting awards at the Men’s discus throw, or watching the cycling events, the Duchess has managed to strike a balance between polished and … [Read more...]
Latest from our London Blog
Anglotopia was founded by Jonathan and Jackie Thomas in 2007 in a closet in Chicago. Anglotopia is for people who love Britain - whether it's British TV, Culture, History or Travel - we cover it all. Anglotopia is now our full time jobs and we spend our time working on the site and planning our yearly trips to Britain. Join us as we explore Britain and everything it has to offer!
British Pound Exchange Rate
