Europe’s royal houses: a guide to the dynasties
Windsor, Bernadotte, Grimaldi, Orange-Nassau and Glücksburg: where Europe’s royal houses come from, how they got their names and how succession works.
Royal Families
Dynasties, coronations and the jewels that pass between generations.
Europe’s royal houses are living institutions with very old roots. In this rubric we stay with what is public and historical: the dynasties and their names, the objects used at a coronation and the tiaras that are lent and inherited from one generation to the next.
Family heirlooms: how royal tiaras pass between generations
Three British tiaras, three journeys through the family: how royal jewels are inherited, lent and worn again, and why some never belonged to the Crown.
Coronations: the objects behind the ceremony
St Edward’s Crown, the Orb, two sceptres and a medieval spoon: what each piece of the British coronation regalia means and how they were used in 2023.
Try it yourself
Royal Jewels Quiz
Ten questions drawn from our articles. How well do you know royal splendour?
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More rubrics
- JewelleryTiaras, pearls and signet rings: the pieces that carry a family’s history.
- WatchesComplications, etiquette and the long road from pocket to wrist.
- CoutureHaute couture, royal wedding dresses and the craft of bespoke tailoring.
- CollectiblesWatches, royal memorabilia and the paper trail that makes objects valuable.
- Luxury BrandsHeritage houses, royal warrants and the codes of quiet luxury.
- AuctionsHow sales work, record results and a calm checklist for bidders.
- ArtRoyal collections, attribution and how to start collecting.
- GemstonesThe 4Cs, the great coloured stones and the largest diamond ever found.
- AteliersGoldsmiths, hallmarks and the watchmaker’s bench.