#Castles & Palaces

[cristinabcn]

XPLORALYA: HISTORICAL MONUMENTS & UNFORGETTABLE PLACES in GHANA

XPLORALYA: MONUMENTOS HISTÓRICOS & LUGARES INOLVIDABLES en GHANA Suleiman Abdallah Business Administration, Turismo & Viajes, Actor, Writer. Director Gral. GHANA La Agencia Mundial de Prensa. Prensa Especializada Ghana is a historic country with a deep-rooted culture and diverse natural attractions that place it in a privileged position on the Gulf of Guinea in West Africa, famous for its…

[yellowbrickramble]

Again, I'm steering a little closer to John R. Neill's version of Emerald city (while amping up the cartooniness) than the MGM-inspired versions you usually see. Part of it's also inspired by Princess Peach's castle in Super Mario Brothers. The flag of Oz is on top.

The palace is a government building, but it's also a bit of an apartment building with lots of rooms for all the characters who show up in the later books. The dome on top contains the dining hall where all the parties are held, as I always imagined it being inside the palace. I doubt it got much use under The Wizard's lonely reign.

If you like my comics, please subscribe to my Patreon! (link in bio)

[the-empress-7]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13156027/amp/kate-middleton-pictures-abdominal-surgery-carole-windsor-link-to.html

Rebecca English.

> The pictures were published by US gossip website TMZ but not in the UK after Kensington Palace appealed for her to be able to recuperate in private.

> Kate was pictured wearing sunglasses in the passenger seat of a 4x4 Audi, which her mother Carole Middleton was driving near Windsor Castle. The photos were taken shortly before 9am, suggesting the mother and daughter were returning from the school run.

it seems it wasn't approved after all 🙁

Yeah I didn't think KP would approve something like this to begin with.

The bigger question is who betrayed them then? Was it someone in BP? It would have had to been someone who is close enough to know their comings and goings.

[anhed-nia]

BLOGTOBER 10/21/2022: POPCORN (1991)

I hate this movie with my whole heart. It isn't just that it's obnoxious, inauthentic, unfunny, and not scary; it's that it insults me as someone who loves movies. It's a personal attack that weaponizes my favorite thing in the world against me, and I can't forgive it. This condescending wankfest poses as an homage to William Castle and the glory days of the gimmick, but POPCORN's B-movie impressions have none of the zany charm of that kind of filmmaking, and its Castle-esque gimmicks are so complex and unwieldy as to totally defy the original idea of making money from nothing. Few things are worse than an homage that doesn't show any real understanding the reference material.

This movie doesn't deserve this great poster.

Jill Schoelen does her very best with the character of Maggie Butler, an irritating film nerd who lets us know she's a film nerd by name dropping Orson Welles for no reason, and hustling around acting very busy with a movie that's just a direct translation of her dream journal. She's even too busy to fuck her mouth-breathing boyfriend Mark (Derek Rydall), whose sexual frustration is his only characteristic. Soon Maggie is busier still, when her classmate Toby (Tom Villard) proposes that they and the other film dorks put on an all-night movie marathon to raise funds for their university's film department. They somehow stage this event in a condemned movie palace with the help of quirky old Dr. Mnesyne (Ray Walston, who the film tries to force you to love in the smarmiest way possible), who turns up with trunks full of old props to help drum up publicity. The marathon is a gigantic success, but during the night, the dorks are picked off by a killer in disguise—a refugee from a massacred "movie cult"—who holds the key to Maggie's apparently mysterious past.

This is not Maggie, but...???

Without even getting into Maggie's convoluted origins and how her destiny is intertwined with the killer's, there's a lot of stuff about POPCORN that just doesn't make any sense to me. If the film department is so impoverished, how does this huge project get authorized? Why, and actually how, would the school allow students to operate in a decaying building that's on the verge of being razed to the ground? (Hopefully these plucky kids have all had their shots) How does a group of college students (especially Maggie who is so very busy) find the time and resources to refurb an entire movie theater, outfitting it with complex systems like this movie's version of Odorama, which blasts the audience with billowing, opaque clouds of noxious gas? How are the movie goers supposed to see through this fog, and how are they supposed to see around some of the costumes dispersed throughout the audience, which have gigantic rubber heads and other sight line-obscuring appendages? When the power goes out in the theater, what's going on with the swirling spotlights, mics, and amps used by the awful reggae band that's supposed to keep everybody entertained? And if most of these props are supposed to be original, like from the golden age of B-movie ballyhoo, why the fuck are they so complicated, like the gigantic movie-quality mosquito that, instead of just being drawn across the house by pulleys like William Castle's Emergo skeletons, is operated with a high tech remote control?

I promise I would kill anyone who sat in front of me in a movie theater with that jumbo fright wig on the left or that big rubber fake head on the right.

OK OK, so we're supposed to understand that the killer has outfitted the mosquito with remote control capabilities, but…it just doesn't make any sense that this should even be possible with an ancient advertising prop. And this problem connects with what really bothers me about this movie: its basic misunderstanding of the form of production that POPCORN supposedly-lovingly sends up. The gang are using materials that Dr. Mnesyne has preserved from back in the day, but stuff from back in the day would be way cheaper and simpler than this. The point was to make money without spending money that you didn't have in the first place. Cardboard axes for STRAIT-JACKET. Seatbelts added to the "Shock Section" of theaters playing I SAW WHAT YOU DID. Fake life insurance policies lest anyone die of fright during MACABRE. A flimsy yellow "Coward's Corner" booth for anyone who was too scared to watch the end of HOMICIDAL. The most high tech thing you might encounter were the Percepto seat buzzers that went off during a key moment in THE TINGLER, but you can hardly imagine a dedicated Percepto operator sitting at an elaborate switchboard in an opera box, hand-selecting victims in the theater below like you see in POPCORN.

While the gimmicks here are crazily luxurious compared to the real deal, the movies in POPCORN's meta marathon are very deliberately limp, dry, and stupid. The audience is only there to laugh, sneer, and throw shit, which is the most miserable thing I can think of as somebody who loves movies. Imagine being trapped in a theater filled with people who think that being incredibly rude and hateful is all it takes to be as witty as the cast of MST3K? Where this film really has its wires crossed is, the Castle movies were both cheap AND good, or at the very least, entertaining on their own virtues. Even "the worst movie ever made", PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE, is creative and unpredictable, with wild dialog delivered wildly by certain stars. Many of the low budget movies that people would actually come out for in the slavering droves you see in POPCORN had more going for them than wooden acting, laughable effects, and bad writing. But, that's all you see in POPCORN: bad imitations of bad movies, and bad people laughing at them sadistically. You'd never know what's supposed to be enjoyable about the B- or even Z-movie experience, in all its campy, unhinged glory, from the shitty situation set up by Maggie and her friends. The gimmicks are way too overblown, and the movies are so bad they only invite cruelty from viewers. Like…why are we doing this, you guys?

The point of the rubber head above is that when the wearer leans over, it dumps a pint of neon green "vomit" onto the ground (so make sure no one is standing next to you I guess). But I have questions about that, like, does the guy have to reset the thing every single time he does the gag? Can he only do it once? Is this possibly worth the effort? It seems like a huge pain in the ass all the way around.

Somehow POPCORN is even worse when it occasionally does things I wish I could enjoy. The "movie cult" of which the killer was once part made a psychedelic snuff film that we catch intriguing glimpses of, partially filtered through the bizarre dreams that plague Maggie's nights. Some of the special effects are decent, too, and the performers are really doing their best for the most part (including a sadly squandered Dee Wallace). There was some kind of potential here, but it all gets gobbled up by anonymous characters, demanding leaps of logic, brutally unfunny jokes, infantile music, and what can feel like an antagonistic attitude toward film itself. By blowing everything out of proportion in its shallow attempt at homage, it feels like POPCORN is saying, "The original gimmicks were so stupid we had to upgrade them until they're unrecognizable, and the original movies were so stupid that you can only enjoy them by treating them like punching bags." The logical conclusion of which is, "If you like any of that old stuff for what it was, you're an idiot." Not a great thing to hear. I don't feel like getting into the story of this movie's tortured production, but let's just say that it didn't surprise me to hear that it was as hard to make this movie as it is to watch it, effectively ending the relationship between creative partners Alan Ormsby and Bob Clark, and creating various miseries for the others. You can always tell when there's some joy missing at the heart of a film, and that is never clearer than when the film is supposedly about people who love film. Hopefully this is the last time I watch POPCORN.

EDIT: It has come to my attention that I got some of the plot points wrong here, but I think if you've seen this movie, you can probably forgive me.

[ladyandtherose]

Herstmonceux Castle

In my last post on Hever Castle, I mentioned Herstmonceux Castle and its founder’s connection to Hever Castle. Today I am finally introducing my readers to this castle which has a special place in my heart.

The entrance to Herstmonceux Castle

Ten years ago, I spent a spring term at Herstmonceux Castle, also known as BISC (Bader International Study Centre), which is the UK campus of Queen’s…

[theframelines]

Das cabinet des dr.caligari by gasaf

[theroyalsims]

FOREIGN HEADS OF STATE AND  WORLD LEADERS FLOCK TO BRINDLETON - QUEEN AND PRINCE JACQUES WELCOME FAMILIAR FACES AHEAD OF J10 SUMMIT

It will, for sure, be an eventful next few days for Brindleton as leaders from all over the world, including monarchs, presidents, and prime ministers, are set to arrive on our shores for the annual J10 Summit.

The J10 is an international community of nations comprised of 10 of the most powerful countries with the largest economies, namely: Brindleton, Bridgeport, Zauvuria, Shang Simla, Rennaux, Komorebi, Windenburg, Al-Simhara, Selvadorada, and Champs Les Sims. A Summit is held annually, hosted by a different member-state every year, and attended by each country’s respective head of state or monarch, to discuss and hopefully address world issues and crises. 

(Above: The Queen and Prince Jacques welcome Bridgeport’s newly elected President, Mr. Marlon Narthaft, and his wife, Mrs. Emmaline Narthaft at the Gold Room at Brindleton Palace.)

Today, ahead of The Summit’s official first day, Her Majesty and His Royal Highness, Prince Jacques, welcomed into Brindleton Castle His Excellency, Mr. Marlon Narthaft, President of Bridgeport, with his wife, Mrs. Emmaline Narthaft. 

This will be the first meeting for the two powerful couples, following President Narthaft’s election in to office just a little over 6 months ago. 

(Above: PM Khari greets his royal aunt-in-law with a polite bow. While heads of state are not expected to curtsy or bow to The Queen, seeing as they are not her royal subjects, the handsome Prime Minister did so out of respect to Her Majesty.)

Also given a personal welcome by The Queen is Zauvuria’s Prime Minister, Khari Chegeya, who, after marrying The Queen’s niece, Olivia Dorsey, earlier this month, is “technically family” as described by Her Majesty herself.

 The charming Prime Minister went solo for the trip, as Olivia is reportedly back in Zauvuria setting up their new home. The Queen’s niece has reportedly started to split her time between Brindleton and Zauvuria. Olivia is expected to leave Brindleton for Zauvuria in the coming months after the celebration of their religious wedding at the Chapel Royale within the Brindleton Palace complex.

(Above: A lively chat - PM Khari was welcomed with open arms by HM and HRH, and even referred to the young politician as “family.”)

Brindleton is ready for the Summit to officially start tomorrow. It has been reported that security has been amped up to “maximum” to ensure everyone’s safety.

The Queen and Prince Jacques are expected to attend the opening ceremony, but will be there in an honorary capacity, as Brindleton’s Prime Minister serves as the official representative of the government. A formal banquet is also reportedly scheduled to take place by the end of the week to mark the end of the Summit. 

[gameosity]

The Gameosity Podcast Episode #26: Our Hidden Gems

On this episode, Jess, Andrew, and Josh discuss their ‘hidden gem’ games – 5 games apiece that they feel like don’t necessarily get enough attention (or at least haven’t gotten much attention recently).  We also touch on our Hot Ones

https://is.gd/8VvRHF

[ladyfawkes]

This work originally written for Rapunzel Appreciation Week, Day Two prompt of “Sunshine”. Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Tangled (2010), Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon) Rating: Mature Word count: 2443 Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider/Rapunzel Characters: Rapunzel (Disney), Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider Additional Tags: Sexy Times, Short One Shot, Fluff and Mush Summary:

It's Corona's worst thunderstorm in literal years, and it's currently pouring buckets outside. As Captain Fitzherbert arrives back at the palace from his daily morning rounds, he is told by his new wife that the rest of the day is theirs to have.....Court had been canceled as they couldn't have people waiting outside in the rain.

Eugene cannot wait!!! He and Rapunzel's duties had amped up exponentially since they'd come home from their epic 3-month honeymoon. During the past 4 months, they'd barely had any intimate time together at all.

What, exactly, does his sweet wife have in mind? Two words: PILLOW FORT!!!!! Full fic included under the jump.

The day had dawned dark and rainy, that in itself being unusual for Corona. Naturally, Rapunzel always had particular worry for Corona’s guards now that her new husband had been made Captain nearly a year ago. What made this particular storm more dangerous is that it was a thunderstorm. And having a thunderstorm as close to the water as Corona meant it was bound to have more than its fair share of lightning. The guards were always in far more danger during a thunderstorm than the average Coronan citizen, given that they wore so much metal; metal armor, metal helmets, and had metal weaponry. By 10AM, Court had been canceled for the day when it became apparent that the rain wasn’t going to stop and it simply wasn’t safe for the people to queue up outside. Eugene never missed his patrols, though. Rain or shine, light or dark, he was there -- reliable as clockwork. He shocked a lot of people with just how smoothly he slipped into and assumed his new role as Captain. That’s not to say he didn’t also have his fill of trifle, finicky, and annoying minutiae about being Captain. The Guard had just recently brought on dozens of new recruits. About half the current guard contingent was due to age out in the next few years and Eugene saw this as the perfect opportunity to give the entire system a much needed overhaul. After Rapunzel had been crowned queen, she naturally gave Eugene her blessing with anything and everything he needed. And although training never went as smoothly as he hoped, Eugene had never stopped coming up with ways to become more efficient, faster, better, stronger. And Eugene never expected more from anybody than he expected of himself. Considering Rapunzel’s amped up queen duties in combination with Eugene’s amped up Captain duties, they had seen precious little of each other since their spectacular three-month honeymoon. Neither one of them had found time just yet to have trained a proper assistant or protégé, so until they could find a proper rhythm and people who could reasonably run the show when they needed to step away, they were the sole persons responsible for their respective occupations. Rapunzel was quite lucky that her father was still willing to step in during a pinch. Eugene had no such luxury, however. He’d been having a devil of a time finding a willing and able second-in-command. As such, he hadn’t really had much of a break since they’d returned from their honeymoon. Not that he’d complain too much to her. He was just being his same loving self with Rapunzel, during the small times they actually did get to be with each other, giving 80-85% of the conversation time to his ‘darling wifey’ and all of her concerns and worries. Eugene stepped into the castle foyer around 10:30 AM with a flourish, saying, “Whew!! It’s certainly been a soaking wet morning!!” If anybody deserved a respite right now, it was her hard-working dripping wet husband. He removed his bicorne hat and poured the rain off of it back outside before allowing the servants to close the doors behind him. The Captain had been absolutely drenched, gratefully allowing the footmen to take his hat, cloak, coat, and his riding boots and stockings; then he slipped on an offered dressing gown and into some warm slippers. “Thank you, everyone!” said Eugene, who was clearly relieved to have their care and attention. Then Rapunzel was present to hand him a warm towel so he could dry his hands, face, and hair. She noticed in particular the rivulet that ran down Eugene’s perfect nose; its slope was just right for its own tiny waterfall whenever liquid streamed down his face. Eugene was now speaking into the towel about the goings-on of his morning as he mopped up his face. “Ah!” he said as he put a still-damp arm over Rapunzel’s shoulders, “that’s more like it!” Rapunzel next handed him a steaming cup of tea which he also accepted gratefully. He and Rapunzel walked toward their bedroom suite. So hypnotized by Eugene’s nose was Rapunzel, that after he finished taking a sip of tea, she had reached right over and booped his nose. As he was mid-sentence and her gesture was completely unexpected, Eugene stopped in his tracks and turned to gaze at her with a quizzical smile on his face. “Now what was that all about?” Rapunzel grinned cheesily and mysteriously replied, “Hmmm….I guess you’ll just have to see!” and then she skipped a little down the corridor, emitting a high-pitched giggle, with a very amused and intrigued Eugene in tow. Rapunzel may have been a queen and his wife by now, but she was still so charmingly….herself.  When they got to the suite, he could see some changes had been made in his absence.Their huge bed and nearly all of the furniture in the room had been shifted over closer to the giant fireplace to better avail themselves of its warmth. Just about every inch of furniture had been draped in some type of sheet, duvet, or comforter. The corners had been weighted down by heavy cushions, poufs, and pillows. “What’s all this for?” Eugene asked in wonderment. Tall standing candelabras also circled the outside, lighted wicks casting the otherwise storm-darkened room in a soft rosy glow. Rapunzel excitedly lifted up one side of the bed-blanket bungalow she’d created and let him see inside. It was a rather impressive space, if she said so herself, and she wanted to rattle off to Eugene how she’d engineered it to make sure the center wouldn’t fall in while they were inside, but that would require explaining lots of math with which Eugene was not familiar. Point being….she was proud of it, and her grin showed this pride even more with the way Eugene was looking around at it all. “On rainy days, Pascal and I used to make pillow forts next to the fireplace. It was so very drafty in the--t--uh, the old place, with only that one small fire in a huge fireplace, and Pascal and I would have to make the fire wood last for insanely lengthy amounts of time.” The word ‘tower’ had basically become a taboo word in their personal lexicon, so they did their best to avoid saying it. “So this is a pillow fort, eh?” said Eugene, his smile getting larger and larger as he looked at the pillows and cushions bunched around inside the blanketed big top. Just outside the entrance lay platters of hot tea, hot cider, and their respective favorite snack foods and sweets. Eugene reached over and snagged a cupcake piled high with blue and pink swirled icing and a cherry in the center. Rapunzel nodded excitedly. Even now, going on four years later, she and Eugene were still having fun sharing with one another the various things they’d each missed out on due to their respective limited childhoods. “I’ve heard of these things,” Eugene said, a huge grin across his features, “I’ve just...never seen them. We never had pillows and almost never had blankets at the orphanage.” Of course, Rapunzel had known this….and that’s why she thought it would be the perfect rainy day to show Eugene that you could just as easily huddle together for fun during inclement weather rather than merely out of necessity or desperation. Eugene despised heavy rain almost as much as he hated snow. So Rapunzel was determined to make this a great indoors day he’d never forget. “I only have one question,” said Rapunzel, her hand hovering over the tie of his dressing gown. Eugene’s look of boyish wonder switched instantly to one of the intrigued fox….. “Ask,” he replied, an arching eyebrow disappearing under his still-damp hair. “Do you want to shower together now or after, ah, tea time?” inquired Rapunzel. “‘Tea time’, huh?” echoed Eugene, a grin threatening to erupt across his face. “Is that what we’re calling it now?” he teased. Rapunzel playfully slugged him and coyly turned away, saying, “Maybe…” Eugene considered for real this time, “Well, I’ve got to go back out on patrols in three-ish hours so…” he stopped when he saw Rapunzel shaking her head. “...no?” “I’ve instructed Nigel and Max to cancel all of your duties -- and mine -- for the rest of the day. They were only too happy to agree. Apparently, uh, your men have been complaining endlessly to them about how you’ve turned into a complete grouch recently.” Eugene smacked his forehead. “And here I thought I was doing well covering for it.” “Turns out the whole palace knows that despite our best efforts, our new respective duties have pulled us away from one another too much lately. When Faith and Nigel saw what I was wanting to do with the furniture in here…..and how I’d ordered our schedules cleared, welllllll…” “Say no more,” said Eugene, as he set down his empty tea cup and as-yet-untouched cupcake. By the time Rapunzel had turned around to face him again, he had stripped down completely and was now standing next to what was left of his soaking wet clothes. Rapunzel bit back on the giggle she felt, upon seeing how quickly Eugene had availed himself to her, once he learned they could just play the rest of the day. It was just so darn adorable seeing him standing there, buck naked, now sporting his most eager puppy-eyed face. He had clearly missed her even more than she had missed him and thus required zero encouragement. But she was still gonna make this even more fun nonetheless….. Rapunzel donned her doe-eyed sexy face and slowly sauntered up to him, reached around his back, and oh-so-lightly dragged her middle fingertip up Eugene’s spine. The whole time, she still held his gaze. He shivered and his nipples instantly hardened more than they already were. Rapunzel then slowly continued following the line past his spine, just as lightly following the line between his cheeks with her pinky. Eugene inhaled deeply as his adept wife carefully built his anticipation...as well as his erection. He reached out to undress her…..yet she danced out of the way. “Ah, ah,” she admonished playfully, “not yet!” She reached for the table behind him and grabbed the cupcake he’d chosen earlier, again darting out of his considerable reach as he tried to catch her. Rapunzel carefully pulled out the cupcake paper, broke off a small piece of cupcake, and said, “As long as you promise to behave, I’ll share some cupcake with you,” she said coyly. Eugene pretended to pout for a time but Rapunzel held firm, slowly feeding small morsels of cupcake to herself as they spoke, enrapturing him even further. It didn’t take long before Eugene caved again….anything to get her closer to him….. Then Rapunzel fed the cupcake to Eugene and as she did, she “slipped” and smeared some of the pastel frosting across his face. “Oopsie!” she demurred, biting the side of her lip, and blinking her long eyelashes up at him. He smirked…..and suddenly grabbed Rapunzel’s right hand, saying, “Here, let me help you with that,” and proceeded to artfully lick the cupcake-and-icing-coated fingers of her right hand. Eugene carefully started with both tips of her first and second fingers, lightly massaging his tongue back and forth between them, ending with a swirling motion and light suction, and nibbling at the web between her two fingers. It was such a perfect simulation of what he’d done with her on their wedding night that she nearly abandoned her plans right there. But!! She was determined to see this through….in the best way, of course. Eugene stood back, complete with Cheshire grin in all his nude glory, prepared to playfully gloat over how easily he’d caused Rapunzel to lose her composure. “Now,” his wife said, “it’s my turn to assist you,” she insisted, and she abruptly threw her arms around Eugene’s neck. Instantly, he threw out his arms to catch her as she leapt off the floor and would’ve pulled them both to the tile, had it not been for Eugene’s quick reflexes. “Whoa!!” he exclaimed. Now situated right where she’d planned, Rapunzel turned toward Eugene, and proceeded to carefully lick off the icing she’d smeared on his face. “You little cheater!” he exclaimed with delight, and he held her to him even tighter. “Only because,” -lick- “you cheated” -swirly-lick- “first!!” and she gave a sucking-kissy-lick as a finishing flourish.   “Just for that, I’m taking your dressing gown, naughty girl,” and before Rapunzel knew it, she was standing in front of him, wearing her adorable blue nighty…..and only the nighty. Eugene had magic hands, in that he could make items of clothing disappear faster than Rapunzel could blink. “So,” he said huskily, “a dressing gown and nighty is all you were wearing when you came to greet me once I came back?” She circled his arms around her. “Yes,” blinked a sloe-eyed Rapunzel, as she had linked hands with Eugene and held their hands behind her back. “That’s…..hot,” he said, unlinking hands with Rapunzel in order to embrace her, that almost-grin hiding behind his eyes. “Actually, it was unsurprisingly cold,” quipped Rapunzel, who was only half-joking. Eugene threw back his head and laughed in spite of himself. “Go ahead, laugh!” Rapunzel said with feigned indignation. “My nipples and pleasure-boat are now half-frozen,” she pouted. “Oh no, tut tut tut,” Eugene clicked his tongue and shook his head. “That simply will not do! We must warm them!” He pointed toward the ceiling, saying, “Corona will never have a frigid queen as long as I’m around!” he declared proudly. Now it was Rapunzel who threw back her head and laughed. Eugene reached down and placed one hand on either side of the hem of Rapunzel’s nighty, looked her in the eyes and said, “May I?” She grabbed his wrists and tugged them upward in reply and quickly the little blue nighty joined their dressing gowns and Eugene’s sopping wet clothing on the floor. At last, they climbed into the epic pillow fort and Rapunzel got to show Eugene just how amazing life could be during inclement weather--as long as you had decent lodgings and even better company. And Eugene got to remind her just how warm and happy her pleasure boat could get, as long as she brought along a personal hot rock….. @s-vnshiine @gleamful-lanterns @eugeneismyqueen @autumn-ravenclaw

[earthstory]

Natural Materials in Architecture

By and large, the development and progress of architecture has depended on rocks, either in their natural state or processed to create other building materials. Without rocks, the majority of buildings in Britain and Europe today would not exist. The choice of building materials for structures of any kind depends on their availability. In North Africa, for example, where rock is hard to come by but clay soil is abundant, the mud-brick and adobe technique developed. However, on the alluvial plains of Central Europe construction based on stone and wood has been commonplace since very early times. Over the centuries, virtually all of the world’s cultures have developed techniques enabling them to use stone as a building material, attracted by the strength and permanence it offers builders.

Monumental structures, like palaces and fortresses such as that of Segovia (post picture), have been built since antiquity using the ashlar technique, which involves joining ashlars, or blocks, of stone, with binder of some sort. The types of stone most commonly used in building work are limestones, hard sandstones and granites for structural elements (blocks, columns, lintels); slates, quartzites and marbles for paving stones; and limestones, clays or gypsums for binders.

Without doubt, the wall is one of the most basic, and dramatic, structures in architecture. In ancient societies it was essential for defence, and our ancestors exhibited great skill in building them, both as barriers (such as Hadrian’s Wall, UK) and in buildings such as castles. The Incas developed incredible wall-building techniques. The Peruvian fortress of Sacsahuaman in Cuzco: the enormous blocks were assembled dry, without mortar of any kind, and are fitted so closely together that not even a knife blade can be inserted between them.

If ever there were builders known for their consummate skill in using ornamental stone in architecture, they were the builders of the palaces of Mongul India and, in particular, of Taj Mahal. This palace-mausoleum was constructed for the beloved wife of King Sha Jahan, Mumtaz Mahal, who died giving birth to their fourteenth child. The Taj is built in white marble; red sandstone and black marble were used for the boundary walls. To add to its beauty, the king jade, jaspers, jades, turquoises, sapphires, lapis lazuli and carnelians brought on the backs of elephants from all over Asia to be set in the marble surfaces.

~ JM

Segovia Image Credit: http://famouswonders.com/alcazar-of-segovia/ Cuzco Image Credit: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sacsahuaman_wall3.jpg Taj Mahal Image Credit: http://designlike.com/2011/12/05/100-most-famous-landmarks-around-the-world/ Taj Mahal Stones and Marbles: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Flowers_in_marble,_Taj_Mahal,_Agra,_India_1.jpg http://www.taj-mahal.net/augEng/textMM/materialsengN.htm More Info: Adobe and Mud-Brick technique: http://archaeology.about.com/od/africa/ig/West-African-Adobe-Buildings/ Ashlar Technique: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-ashlar-masonry.htm Sacsahuaman in Cuzco: http://www.cusco-peru.org/cusco-surroundings-cusco-sacsayhuaman.shtml Segovia Fortress: http://www.exploring-castles.com/alcazar_de_segovia.html http://famouswonders.com/alcazar-of-segovia/ Hadrian's Wall: http://www.visithadrianswall.co.uk/hadrians-wall

[thetudorslovers]

Ludwig II of Bavaria 's castles:

Ludwig used his personal fortune (supplemented annually from 1873 by 270,000 marks from the Welfenfonds) to fund the construction of a series of elaborate castles. In 1867, he visited Eugène Viollet-le-Duc's work at Pierrefonds, and the Palace of Versailles in France, as well as the Wartburgnear Eisenach in Thuringia, which largely influenced the style of his construction. In his letters, Ludwig marvelled at how the French had magnificently built up and glorified their culture (e.g., architecture, art, and music) and how miserably lacking Bavaria was in comparison. It became his dream to accomplish the same for Bavaria. These projects provided employment for many hundreds of local laborers and artisans and brought a considerable flow of money to the relatively poor regions where his castles were built. Figures for the total costs between 1869 and 1886 for the building and equipping of each castle were published in 1968: Schloß Neuschwanstein 6,180,047 marks; Schloß Linderhof 8,460,937 marks (a large portion being expended on the Venus Grotto); Schloß Herrenchiemsee (from 1873) 16,579,674 marks In order to give an equivalent for the era, the British Pound sterling, being the monetary hegemon of the time, had a fixed exchange rate (based on the gold standard) at £1 = 20.43 Goldmarks.

In 1868, Ludwig commissioned the first drawings for his buildings, starting with Neuschwanstein and Herrenchiemsee, though work on the latter did not commence until 1878.

Requested by : @mavalenovaninagavi

Source : https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.dw.com/en/king-ludwig-ii-of-bavaria-and-his-castles/g-18669012

[eggoreviews]

Persona 5 Palaces RANKED

After recently finishing up Persona 5, I'm sort of aching a bit for more content but not quite enough to splash on Dancing in Starlight. So, to sate my cravings for more of the phantom bois, here's my personal ranking of the main palaces you traverse through in the game. This list is based on how fun and consistently interesting each palace is in terms of gameplay, puzzles, soundtrack, character, aesthetic and overall relevance to the story. Hope u enjoy/agree! Kinda goes without saying, but MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD for the whole ass game

8. Okumura’s Spaceport of Greed

Who saw this coming? Probably everyone! Because Okumura's palace is pretty much consistently ranked at the bottom of every ranking I've seen. But before I go all negative, let's start with what I actually liked. First off, I ADORED the spaceport motif and the whole theme/aesthetic of this palace was amazing. Alongside that, the music, while probably not the strongest in the game, was still mega catchy and fit the palace perfectly (it's still a banger, even if it isn't Whims of Fate level banger). So yeah, this palace's rock bottom ranking is nothing to do with its look or its soundtrack, because they're both pretty tasty. It was everything else I had a slight problem with. Now this isn't to say I disliked this palace, I just felt that it was the weakest part of an absolutely stellar game. While the majority of the puzzles weren't terrible, the infamous airlock puzzle definitely got in my bad books, as I'm pretty firmly in the 'this puzzle is weird luck-based bollocks' camp on this one, with it being the only puzzle in the game I had to look up the solution for. The constant back-and-forthing to different points of the palace to pick up keycards from the stupid robots became unfortunately very repetitive, especially with Morgana constantly screaming at me that the treasure was real close but (spoiler alert) it totally wasn't. And to top all that off, I felt this palace brought with it the weakest characters arcs in the whole game. I really struggled to become attached to Haru, the last true member of the thieves. While she was an okay character and I sympathised with her plight of being sold off to that one arsehole, I felt she wasn't written to be particularly interesting and her introduction to the thieves felt really shoehorned in compared to the natural-feeling transitions of all the other characters. She didn't quite feel as if she belonged there as much as the others (big sorry to all the Haru stans). And echoing this, the character of Okumura himself also felt incredibly bland and he was without a doubt the least interesting villain of the bunch. Oh, and his boss fight? Objectively the worst in the game. You fight the same robots you've been fighting the whole palace, with a timer, and then you kill him in one hit. Yeah, so the tea is, palace looks and sounds great, but that's really it.

7. Mementos Depths / Prison of Sloth

From this point on, I had very few problems with any of the palaces. As the final dungeon of the game, I felt that this one had definitely had adequate build-up but, as many others seem to say, didn't quite live up to the other palaces. For one, the design and soundtrack was much less interesting (though I guess this can be forgiven, as it's Mementos) and it was over pretty quickly in the end. But I really did enjoy those pressure plate puzzles for some reason and it was pretty cool to go around the velvet room and save all your pals before the final fight, so I just kind of liked this one. Not much to say here other than that it was really good, but the others were better.

6. Kaneshiro’s Bank of Gluttony

While it was fairly difficult to rank Kaneshiro's palace this low, considering it has the awakening of my favourite character, thinking about the palace as a whole compared to the others is what did it. The bank motif? Really cool! Seems inevitable for what is fundamentally a heist game and pulls it off really well. And that soundtrack is easily one of the best tracks in the game. The palace itself is split vaguely into two main sections, the main bank and the vault. The bank section is mostly pretty fun and well-paced, but the palace starts to get just a little bit iffy when the vault section kicks off. The idea is cool, but most of the second half of the palace feels a bit like padding, which becomes a little repetitive overtime. These really are minor gripes though, I gotta stress that, because I genuinely enjoyed this palace for the most part. Something else I enjoyed was Kaneshiro himself and his role in the story. Out of all the palace owners in the game, Kaneshiro felt the most like a true archetypal Bond villain and it does feel awesome to take him on as the phantom thieves are finally starting to get their feet off the ground. On top of that, you've got Makoto joining the team, which makes this one a real treat character-wise. In conclusion, I want Makoto to step on me.

5. Madarame’s Museum of Vanity

This one really did have a tough act to follow. Being the second palace you take on (as well as the awakening of my ,,,, second favourite character), I remember how impressed I was the first time around with how cool the visuals are in this palace. The soundtrack to the palace is generally fairly unremarkable, but very calming and surreal which definitely fit the setting. This palace definitely feels the most trippy out of the bunch, placing you in odd gold-plated mazes and endless corridors plastered with distorted paintings and tripwires to constantly make sure you're paying attention. This palace really does feel like you’ve been placed inside the mind of a deluded artist, even if the game’s attempts to make Madarame seem despicable only really serve to highlight how awful the previous palace owner, Kamoshida, is in comparison. This isn’t to say Madarame isn’t a trashbag, it just becomes obvious that the game is trying hard to make you hate him. That aside, Madarame’s palace provides a welcome challenge and effectively build upon what you learned in the first palace without overwhelming the player, all the while not compromising on the creative, stunning visuals. The ending pay-off with Madarame’s showdown, while a satisfying conclusion to Yusuke’s main character arc, provides a boss fight that is over a little too quickly, though that’s kind of just nitpicking at that point. All in all, a solid dungeon from start to finish.

4. Futaba’s Tomb of Wrath

Without a doubt the most emotionally charged palace in the game, this dungeon is a unique experience unlike anything else you’ll find in the game. Instead of taking down a despicable villain or giving a certain prosecutor a push in the right direction, you’re instead helping to heal the heart of a traumatised girl, who requested herself for her heart to be stolen. You’re reaching the halfway point during this palace, so it’s a brilliant change of pace from the dickholes you’ve been stealing the hearts of up to this point. The game truly makes you feel genuine sympathy for Futaba and seeing her recovery slowly but steadily take place over the game really tugs on the heartstrings. As for the palace itself, the game takes its love of ambiguous metaphors and cranks up the dial, giving the player an interesting but oddly melancholy setting in the form of an Egyptian pyramid. The background music for this palace is perfect to help accentuate this, as the soundtrack works with the visuals to make you just feel a bit sad. The puzzles are well thought out and never overstay their welcome, the layout of the palace is consistently unique and fun to traverse and the ending boss is one of the most creative, high-stakes battles in Persona 5. And while Futaba’s awakening wasn’t my favourite, it’s great to see her finally face her demons and accept that her mother’s death wasn’t her fault. But most of all, this palace reminds you that you should never get too comfortable when playing Persona 5, as the tables could turn at any minute and suddenly make you care about the person you’re changing the heart of.

3. Kamoshida’s Castle of Lust

Kamoshida is arguably the biggest scumbag you take on in Persona 5, so it makes a lot of sense that his palace is one of the most satisfying to undertake. The castle acts as the perfect starting dungeon, teaching you the ropes without too much hand-holding and providing you with simple but visually interesting palace to boot. Before the game drags you into its grandiose main plot, you start with a much smaller scale, but equally despicable villain that you immediately know you have to deal with. And on top of that, each character introduction is seamless and fits perfectly in with the narrative. The puzzles here are simple enough to be basically harmless and each area of the castle you navigate changes things up to keep it unique while teaching you the inner workings of the palaces you’ll be taking down for the rest of the game. As for the first boss, the build-up feels perfect as the tension amps up and reaches boiling point as you send your first calling card. Oh, and Kamoshida’s boss design himself as this horrifying, weird lust demon definitely sets you up for what’s ahead. Great as a beginning act, but also a heckin solid dungeon in its own right. Plus, I’m a sucker for castles, so I might be a little biased here.

2. Niijima’s Casino of Jealousy

I’ll be honest with you, I think a casino is one of the most awesome ideas for a dungeon I’ve ever heard of in a JRPG. And everything about this one is near enough perfect. The reveal that you’ll be targeting the person who’s been interrogating you for the whole game, the link back to the very starting cutscene, the tension mounting as you desperately try to work out who the traitor is, Makoto’s emotional turmoil as she wrestles with the ethics of targeting her own sister. Story-wise, this is totally perfect. And the dungeon itself? Definitely the most consistently unique in the whole game. Each floor you traverse in the casino offers something new and interesting for you to work around, from the rigged dice games to the dark labyrinth and the battle arena trial (not to mention the whole ‘collect enough coins to proceed’ thing reminded me way too much of Sonic Adventure and for some reason, I’m putting that down as a good thing). Whims of Fate is a perfect soundtrack, because it totally fits the atmosphere and also it’s a bop and I love it to pieces. And the palace wraps itself up neatly in a little bow with a boss fight that totally kicks arse. Sae Niijima starts the battle by, of course, rigging the game against you. But once her cheating facade falls away, the true battle begins and she morphs into a weird, distorted mech thing that takes heavy inspiration from Makoto’s persona too. Basically, it’s cool. And I love it.

1. Shido’s Cruiser of Pride

This is likely to be a controversial choice for the best palace in the game, as it’s generally agreed among most fans that Shido’s palace was a bit slightly rubbish. But really, I couldn’t disagree more. Yes, Sae’s palace was the definition of awesome, but something about Shido’s just one-upped it somehow. Of course, your character’s personal connection with this mission that was absent from the other previous palaces gives this one a much more dramatic feel, as you finally get to take on the guy orchestrating everyone’s suffering (if you don’t count good ol’ Optimus Prime from the final palace) and it’s as satisfying as it needs to be. The soundtrack is suitably epic and lends itself well as a precursor to the finale and exploring the cruiser is both intriguing and enjoyable throughout, as you navigate each section of this bloated paradise filled with rich arseholes. But at the same time, the whole Noah’s Ark thing with Shido only saving those willing to submit to him makes this palace as chilling as it is visually stunning. For me, this was a brilliant dungeon beginning to end, as collecting ‘letters of recommendation’ from each of Shido’s cognitive allies allows for a deeper insight into Shido as a character, but also builds you up nicely to the palace’s climax. Plenty of nice character moments and the boss fight, while not the best in the game, was still a strong point. Oh and yeah, I actually really liked the rat puzzles. The puzzles everyone seems to hate? Thought they provided a nice amount of challenge and never really felt like they were dragging on for hugely long. But what really peaked this palace on top of all the others was the encounter with Mr. Pancakes towards the end. Akechi was a brilliantly crafted character throughout his stint in the game and his arc had a fitting conclusion before you finally take on Shido. I was mega happy with this palace and honestly, it was the one cemented this game as one of my big faves.

Got a palace ranking of your own? Or even just one that stood out as your personal favourite? Let me know down below!

[aswimmy]

Edinburgh, Scotland :: August 2, 2019

After sleeping like the dead and having breakfast, Thomas and I decided to start our first full day off by visiting the Edinburgh Castle, walking down The Royal Mile, and seeing the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

We walked the 1.7 miles up a gradual hill to the Edinburgh Castle, bought tickets and entered. The castle is on an easily defended hill. It is said that tribal leaders had a “fort” here and traded with the Romans. Guess it grew from there!

Flanking the entryway are William Wallace and Robert the Bruce and the Scottish motto between them roughly meaning, “No one messes with me and gets away with it.”

We walked the spiral walkway up to the highest point to start our tour by seeing St. Margaret’s Chapel, Edinburgh’s oldest building (around 1120). Margaret wwas a queen married to Malcolm III.

Stain glass “portrait” of St. Mary.

Next we took in the amazing views to the north. We could see the Forth of Firth (an estuary leading out to sea) and the “New Town” (a part of town built in the 18th century).

Then we waited in line for about 30 minutes to see the Scottish Crown Jewels. No pictures we allowed of the jewels (and honours). But you can probably good it if you want to see them.

First, there is the crown. It was just a gold circlet when Robert the Bruce was crowned in 1306. It was added to over the years by rulers to reflect the aesthetics of the time. The scepter and sword were gifts from the pope around 1500. The Honours (as they are called) were used to crown everyone until Cromwell’s antiroyalist were heard to Edinburgh. It was said some women hide them amping their skirts and possessions and buried them in a church yard until the coast was clear. They were used again for a bit until The Treat of Union was signed taking away Scotland’s independence. They sat in a lock box in the castle for another century intil Sir Walter Scott searched the castle and found them. They’ve been on display since then.

The part that I dug the most was the Stone of Scone (aka The Stone of Destiny). It’s a plain slab of gray sandstone were as far back as the 9th century Scotland’s kings were crowned upon. In 1296, Edward I of England carried it off toWestminster Abbey. For the next seven centuries British kings and queens were crowned sitting in the coronation chair with the Stone of Scone tucked in a compartment underneath.

In 1996, the current queen agreed to let the Stone return to Scotland as long as it was returned to Westminster Abbey for all British coronations.

Next, we did a quick tour of the royal apartments and saw where Mary Queen of Scots gave birth to James IV of Scotland who became King James I of England after Queen Elisabeth I died with no heir. Yes, as an America royal succession boggles my mind. Like, what are the rules for who is next in line if their is no heir and who made these rules??? I even spent some hours in the middle of the night when I was up from jet lag trying to figure the British monarch succession line.

We exited the castle and then walked down The Royal Mile, which is literally a gradual downward slope ending at The Palace of Holyroodhouse. We walked for a bit looking for a place to eat lunch. At this point we were pretty much in “overwhelmed by crowds” mode. The castle had been busy and the first several blocks of the royal mile was insane with tourists and people at the Fringe festival.

Anyways, we found a reasonable place for lunch and then walked the rest of The Royal Mike. It’s lined with restaurants, cafes, pubs and TONS of souvenir shops. As we approached the end we saw the Scottish Parliment building that was built it 1999 when Scotland had their first Parliment since the treaty with the British in the early 1700s. Remember the Scottish Honours (crown, scepter and sword), we they came of for the opening for the first Parliment session and now help open every Scottish Parliment session.

Then we crossed the street to The Palace of Holyroodhouse where the queen stays we she’s in Scotland. You can tour it when she’s not in town, but we were already castled-out. So we took a couple pictures and walked back to our b&b along the perimeter of Holyrood Park.

We spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing in our room. My body is pretty tired from all the walking and traveling. Thomas went for a run and ran up Arthur’s Seat (800 some feet of elevation, while I knitted. :)

Then we walked to a place for dinner and came back to our b&b. Thomas read while I wrote this blog post. Tomorrow, we’ll have another full day in Edinburgh. I’d like to go to the National Museum of Scotland, go up to Arthur’s Seat (by walking, not running) and visit a local yarn shop I found.

Oidhche mhath! (Scottish Gaelic for “good night”)

[bountyofbeads]

https://www.bbc.com/news/amp/uk-48891808?__twitter_impression=true

Harry and Meghan's baby Archie christened at Windsor

 Published 06 July 2019 | BBC | Posted July 6, 2019 |

The son of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex has been christened by the Archbishop of Canterbury in a private ceremony.

Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor was baptised in front of close family and friends in the private chapel at Windsor Castle on Saturday.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attended but were not thought to have their children with them.

The Queen did not attend due to a prior engagement.

Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall were reported to have arrived at the ceremony by helicopter and Meghan's mother, Doria Ragland, also attended.

A full list of the 25 guests has not been made public, but Lady Jane Fellowes and Lady Sarah McCorquodale - the sisters of Prince Harry's mother, the late Diana, Princess of Wales - were pictured in an official photograph taken at the christening.

A Royal Communications spokesperson said: "The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are overjoyed to share the happiness of this day, and would like to thank everyone around the world for their ongoing support.

"They feel so fortunate to have enjoyed this special moment with family and Archie's godparents."

What do we know about Archie's christening?

The royal couple opted to exclude the press and the public from the day and chose not to reveal the names of Archie's godparents

Instead of having press photographers, fashion photographer Chris Allerton - who took their wedding photos - captured the special moment, with two pictures released to the public and posted on the couple's Instagram account.

Mr Allerton said he was "honoured" to take the official photographs and "be part of such a joyous occasion".

Prince Harry and Meghan did follow some royal traditions, however.

Archie wore a handmade replica of the royal christening robe which was made for Queen Victoria's eldest daughter.

The robe, which has been worn by royal infants on the occasion of their christening for the last 11 years, was made by Angela Kelly, dressmaker to the Queen.

The ornate Lily Font, commissioned by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert for the baptism of their first child Victoria, Princess Royal, in 1841, was also used - as was water from the River Jordan.

Members of the St George's Chapel Choir performed at the ceremony.

Those hoping for more than a glimpse of the royal christening today will have been disappointed.

There was no television coverage, nor have press photographers been invited.

Normally a list of godparents would be released, but this time, says the palace, in keeping with the wishes of those chosen by Harry and Meghan, their names will be kept private.

It all points to a very different royal event, part of the continuing desire by the Duke and Duchess to raise their son Archie out of the spotlight.

Coming so swiftly after the revelation that almost £2.5m of taxpayers' money was spent renovating a property for Harry and Meghan - it has led to questions about visibility.

The previous understandings about public access to royal events appear to have been abandoned by a couple determined to do things their own way.

[ladyandtherose]

Today was the first day of ‘Diana: Her Fashion Story‘ exhibition at Historic Royal Palace’s (HRP) Kensington Palace. The exhibition, which will run for 2 years, is in honour of the late Diana, Princess of Wales, who was taken from this world 20 years ago on 31 August 1997 in Paris, France. Diana had been a resident in Apartment 8 from 1981 to 1997.

Before the doors opened at 10am, there was already a long queue of eager visitors waiting to see the iconic dresses of the beloved Diana, Princess of Wales. Luckily, all of those who queued outside were able to get in (apologies if there were those who were turned away) and form another queue for Diana: Her Fashion Story. Since the last exhibit on Fashion Rules (featuring dresses worn by The Queen, Princess Margaret, and Diana), Kensington Palace has had another refurbishment in the main hall and in the Pigott Gallery where the exhibition is located.

There’s a new chair and this one’s for Diana!

“What message will I be giving out if I wear this?”

“There are loads of movie stars and celebrities but there will be only one Diana.” – Elizabeth Emanuel (who, along with David Emanuel, had designed the fairytale wedding dress)

We may have seen many of the dresses in the magazines before but sometimes, dresses have to be seen in person. For those of us – like me – who never had a chance to meet the charming and compassionate beauty, the dresses allowed us to imagine that we were standing in front of her. 25 dresses are on display at the moment: the first room has 5, the second has 3, the third has 3, the fourth has 9, and the last room has 5. Of all 25 dresses, 2 of these had already been displayed in the last exhibition, Fashion Rules (see post on Diana’s dresses). I was most looking forward to what I call the ‘Pearl Dress’ (it’s known as the Elvis dress to others), the ‘Princess Aurora Dress’, and the Grace Kelly-inspired chiffon evening gown.

  The nylon net lace & velvet ribbon debutante dress (with matching scarf) by Regamus, a popular brand for young aristocratic women and their mothers. This was worn at a ball in Althorp House in the Autumn of 1979. It was apparently one of 3 clothes Diana owned as she borrowed most of her clothes from her friends and flatmates. The dress now belongs to the Fundacion Museo de la Moda in Santiago, Chile.

Bruce Oldfield dress, 1990. See more photos from Fashion Rules in another post.

What I call the ‘Princess Aurora’ dress. This pink satin evening gown with white raw silk collar and cuffs was designed by Catherine Walker in 1987. This was worn for the official portrait in 1987, an official visit to [West?] Germany in 1987, and to Turkey in 1988, and a formal banquet for the President of India in 1990. This dress now belongs to Melissa Downey Scripps.

This blue silk chiffon evening gown with matching scarf was worn to the Cannes Film Festival in 1987 and the Theatre Royal in 1989. Catherine Walker took inspiration from Grace Kelly’s gown(s) in ‘To Catch A Thief’ (1955) as Diana sometimes adopted styles from film stars. This dress now belongs to the Fundacion Museo de la Moda in Santiago, Chile.

This sari-inspired one-shoulder silk chiffon gown with sequins and beads was worn to the ballet in Rio de Janeiro in 1991, and for an official portrait in 1990. This was designed by Gina Fratini for Hartnell. It now belongs to a private member. It was during the Rio trip when Diana purposely removed her gloves to shake hands with an AIDS patient.

This Honeymoon day suit is the larger version of the two tweed wool day suits designed by Bill Pashley. It is now part of the HRP’s collection.

The Diana effect This pale pink chiffon blouse with a satin neck-ribbon is by Emanuel. Diana wore it for Vogue in 1981 which coincided with her engagement announcement. And since she loved it so much, she asked the Emanuel’s to design her wedding dress. The blouse is from the Museum of Style Icons in County Kildare, Ireland.

The boxy 1920’s-inspired green-and-black tartan wool day suit by Emanuel was worn on an official visit to Italy in 1985. This day suit is part of the HRP’s collection.

This elegant black lace and magenta silk evening dress by Victor Edelstein was worn on an official visit to Hamburg, West Germany in 1987. Guess what? The long necklace as faux pearls! This dress now belongs to Pat Kerr Tigrett.

This ‘flamenco’ black velvet bodice and red silk taffeta skirt by Murray Arbeid was worn to Grosvenor House Hotel in 1986 and on an official visit to Spain in 1987. Diana chose to wear one red glove and one black glove with this dress. This dress – apparently another version – was given by the designer to the V&A Museum.

This black and white silk satin dress with glass beading by Bellville Sassoon was worn to a concert at the Barbican Centre in 1989. It now belongs to the Fundacion Museo de la Moda in Santiago, Chile.

“She was a princess. She had a style. She did everything with grace and charm.” – David Thomas

The BEST dress of them all! The press called it the ‘Elvis [Presley] dress’ but I call it the pearl dress. This Catherine Walker strapless white silk crepe dress with jacket are embroidered with sequins and pearls! It was worn on an official visit to [British] Hong Kong in 1989 and to the Royal Albert Hall in 1989. Catherine Walker took inspiration from Elizabethan necklines. Regal power. This dress was given by the Franklin Mint to the V&A Museum.

This green silk velvet evening dress by Victor Edelstein was worn for a private entertaining event in 1985. It now belongs to E. I. and Group. Fashion historians have speculated that the fingerprints at the bottom of the dress are those of the young Princes. I wonder, however, how no one had smoothed or dry cleaned the dress over time?

The ‘Travolta dress’ by Victor Edelstein, 1985. This midnight blue silk velvet dress was unfortunately in the wrong part of the glass box so no one could get a good photo of it. Diana wore this dress to a White House dinner in 1985 and danced with John Travolta! This dress belongs to a private member.

This burgundy silk velvet dress with embroidered tail-coat by Catherine Walker was worn to Leicester Square in 1990 and on an official visit to South Korea in 1992. It now belongs to E.I. and Group.

This cream silk crepe dress embroidered with sequins of falcons, the national bird of Saudi Arabia, is by Catherine Walker. It was worn on an official visit to Saudi Arabia in 1986 but I can’t seem to find a photo of Diana wearing it. It now belongs to Pat Kerr Tigrett.

This green (it looks teal to me) sequinned dress by Catherine Walker was worn on an official visit to Austria in 1986, a charity ball at Osterley House in 1989, and to a Diamond Charity Ball at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in 1990. It is part of the HRP collection.

This pale pink day suit by Catherine Walker was worn to the Daily Star Gold Awards for Courage and Bravery at the Savoy Hotel in 1997.

This ‘informal’ and versatile blue shift dress by Catherine Walker was worn for a shopping trip on Bond Street in 1997. It is part of the Catherine Walker & Co collection.

This red day suit by Catherine Walker was worn to the launch of HIV/AIDS charity in 1996. Red, as you know, is the universal colour of support and awareness for those living with HIV. The day suit is part of the Catherine Walker & Co collection.

This ice-blue silk gown with beads by Atelier Versace was worn for a Harper’s Bazaar photoshoot in 1991. It now belongs to the Stuyck-Plant Family.

“A true princess walked in, I was amazed by her beauty and kindness.” – Mario Testino

This ‘sexy’ black silk velvet and beaded evening dress by Catherine Walker was worn for a UNESCO charity event at Versailles (the palace) in 1994, and a Vanity Fair photoshoot in 1997. It now belongs to Donna and T Michael Glenn from Memphis, Tennessee.

This green silk velvet dress with diamante buttons by Catherine Walker (1992) was previously on display for Fashion Rules. See the other post for more photos.

This grey silk satin with pearl embroidery by Catherine Walker (1990) was worn for private events and for the photoshoot with Mario Testing in 1997. It now belongs to the Fundacion Museo de la Moda in Santiago, Chile.

This cream printed silk with glass-beaded embroider floral shift dress by Catherine Walker was worn to the Christie’s gala in New York in 1997. It is now part of the Catherine Walker & Co collection.

“There will never be anybody to replace her. She was unbelievably genuine and completely unique.” – David Sassoon

There really only was and is one Diana.

(Quotes taken from the exhibition)

~*~

In the Gift Shop, visitors can buy postcards of Diana in dresses that are currently on display, Harper Bazaar’s limited edition magazines, the Diana-inspired silk scarves and tea ware, and jewellery inspired by the famous Sapphire engagement ring (a good one for Replikaters).

Outside the palace, red-blue-and-white bunting, Union flags, and pictures of “England’s Rose” adorned the palace gate and railing. For those of you who’ve been to the palace on the anniversary of Diana’s passing anniversary (31 August), this is a familiar appearance.

Around April, the Sunken Garden – which dates back to 1908 – will temporarily become The White Garden (full of white and cream flowers) in memory of Diana, who really liked the Garden and used to chat with the gardeners. Later this year, a permanent statue of the late Princess of Wales will be erected in the Garden. It will be the perfect place where Diana fans can pay their respect.

The Sunken Garden in July 2016

Tickets to the exhibit for the opening weekend has already sold out but visitors can try their luck if they arrive early in the morning. HRP members, on the other hand, need not stress too much but it’s still worth arriving as early as possible. Hopefully the exhibit will not be as busy in the coming months so that all may admire the dresses without feeling rushed to move on.

Clearer Photos

Daily Mail 1 & Daily Mail 2

Telegraph

Mirror

Tickets: Adults: £16.50 (£15.40 online) until 28 Feb 2017 / £19.00 (£17.10 online) from 1 March 2017 | Members go free

Hours: Mon-Sun 10-16:00

Closest Tube: Kensington High Street (Circle/District) / Queensway (Central)

{New Post} Pictures: 'Diana: Her Fashion Story' Exhibition at #KensingtonPalace. #DianaFashion Today was the first day of 'Diana: Her Fashion Story' exhibition at Historic Royal Palace's (HRP) Kensington Palace…

[the-firebird69]

The Queen to leave Buckingham Palace permanently following Prince Philip's death | HELLO!

https://www.hellomagazine.com/royalty/20210417111246/the-queen-leaving-buckingham-palace-relocating-windsor-castle/?viewas=amp

We saw this and almost puked

Qe

Balderdash. And where are the Macs this is horrendous they look aweful.

Caa Hera

Huge lies by these morons we take it down now. We see why too Jenna wanted to take ghwb. She's got a mouth on her ok we dissolve her now. Here too in Godzilla raise the Army of offspring

Thor