Buckingham Palace is the official
London residence of the
British monarch. The
palace is a setting for state occasions and royal entertaining, and a major tourist attraction. It has been a rallying point for the British people at times of national rejoicing and crisis.Originally known as
Buckingham House, the building forming the core of today's palace was a large
townhouse built for the
Duke of Buckingham in 1703 and acquired by
George III in 1761 as a private
residence, known as "The Queen's House". It was enlarged over the next 75 years, principally by
architects John Nash and
Edward Blore, forming three wings around a central courtyard. Buckingham Palace finally became the official royal palace of the British monarch on the accession of
Queen Victoria in 1837. The last major structural additions were made in the late 19th and early 20th century, including the present-day public face of Buckingham Palace. The building is occasionally still referred to as "Buck House".The original early 19th-century interior designs, many of which still survive, included widespread use of brightly coloured
scagliola and blue and pink
lapis, on the advice of Sir Charles Long.
King Edward VII oversaw a partial redecoration in a
Belle epoque cream and gold colour scheme. Many smaller reception rooms are furnished in the
Chinese regency style with furniture and fittings brought from the
Royal Pavilion at
Brighton and from
Carlton House following the death of
King George IV. The
Buckingham Palace Garden is the largest private garden in London, originally landscaped by
Capability Brown, but redesigned by
William Townsend Aiton of
Kew Gardens and John Nash. The artificial lake was completed in 1828 and is supplied with water from the
Serpentine, a lake in
Hyde Park.
The
Vijayanagara Empire (
Kannada: ವಿಜಯನಗರ ಸಾಮ್ರಾಜ್ಯ,
Telugu: విజయనగర సామ్రాజ్యము) was a
South Indian empire based in the
Deccan. Established in 1336 by
Harihara I and his brother
Bukka Raya I, it lasted until 1646 although its power declined after a major military defeat in 1565 by the
Deccan sultanates. The empire is named after its capital city of
Vijayanagara, whose impressive ruins surround modern
Hampi, now a
World Heritage Site in modern
Karnataka,
India. The writings of medieval European travelers such as
Domingo Paes,
Fernao Nuniz and
Niccolò Da Conti and the literature in local vernaculars provide crucial information about its history. Archaeological excavations at Vijayanagara have revealed the empire's power and wealth.The empire's legacy includes many monuments spread over South India, the best known being the group at
Hampi. The previous temple building traditions in South India came together in the
Vijayanagara Architecture style. The mingling of all faiths and vernaculars inspired architectural innovation of
Hindu temple construction, first in the Deccan and later in the
Dravidian idioms using the local
granite. Secular royal structures show the influence of the
Northern Deccan Sultanate architecture. Efficient administration and vigorous overseas trade brought new technologies like water management systems for irrigation. The empire's patronage enabled fine arts and literature to reach new heights in the languages of
Kannada,
Telugu,
Tamil and
Sanskrit, while
Carnatic music evolved into its current form. The Vijayanagara Empire created an epoch in South Indian history that transcended regionalism by promoting
Hinduism as a unifying factor.
The
Treaty of Devol was an agreement made in 1108 between
Bohemond I of
Antioch and
Byzantine Emperor Alexios I Komnenos, in the wake of the
First Crusade. Although the treaty was not immediately enforced, it was intended to make the
Principality of Antioch a
vassal state of the
Byzantine Empire. At the beginning of the
First Crusade,
Crusader armies assembled at
Constantinople and promised to return to the Byzantine Empire any land they might conquer. However, Bohemond, the son of Alexios' former enemy
Robert Guiscard, claimed the
Principality of Antioch for himself. Alexios did not recognize the legitimacy of the Principality, and Bohemond went to Europe looking for reinforcements. He launched into open warfare against Alexios, but he was soon forced to surrender and negotiate with Alexios at the imperial camp at Diabolis (Devol), where the Treaty was signed.Under the terms of the Treaty, Bohemond agreed to become a vassal of the Emperor and to defend the Empire whenever needed. He also accepted the appointment of a
Greek Patriarch. In return, he was given the titles of
sebastos and
doux (duke) of Antioch, and he was guaranteed the right to pass on to his heirs the
County of Edessa. Following this, Bohemond retreated to
Apulia and died there. His nephew,
Tancred, who was regent in Antioch, refused to accept the terms of the Treaty. Antioch came temporarily under Byzantine sway in 1137, but it was not until 1158 that it truly became a Byzantine vassal.The Treaty of Devol is viewed as typical example of the Byzantine tendency to settle disputes through
diplomacy rather than warfare, and was both a result of and a cause for the distrust between the Byzantines and their
Western European neighbors.
The
Queluz National Palace (
Portuguese:
Palácio Nacional de Queluz) is a
Portuguese 18th-century palace located at
Queluz, a
freguesia of the modern-day
Sintra municipality, in the
District of Lisbon. One of the last great
Rococo buildings to be designed in Europe, the palace was conceived as a summer retreat for
Dom Pedro of Braganza, later to become husband and then
king consort to his own niece, Queen
Maria I. It served as a discreet place of incarceration for Queen Maria as her descent into madness continued in the years following Dom Pedro's death in 1786. Following the destruction by fire of the
Ajuda Palace in 1794, Queluz Palace became the official residence of the Portuguese
prince regent,
John VI, and his family and remained so until the Royal Family fled to
Brazil in 1807 following the French invasion of Portugal.Work on the palace began in 1747 under the architect
Mateus Vicente de Oliveira. Despite being far smaller, the palace is often referred to as the Portuguese
Versailles. From 1826, the palace slowly fell from favour with the Portuguese sovereigns. In 1908, it became the property of the state. Following a serious fire in 1934, which gutted the interior, the palace was extensively restored, and today is open to the public as a major tourist attraction.One wing of the palace, the Pavilion of
Dona Maria, built between 1785 and 1792 by the architect
Manuel Caetano de Sousa, is now a guest house allocated to foreign
heads of state visiting Portugal.Queluz's architecture is representative of the final extravagant period of Portuguese culture that followed the discovery of Brazilian gold in 1690.
Richard III is a
1955 British film adaptation of
William Shakespeare's
historical play Richard III, including elements of
Henry VI, part 3. It was
directed by
Laurence Olivier, who also played the lead role. The cast includes many noted Shakespearean actors, including a quartet of acting
knights. The film depicts
Richard plotting and conspiring to grasp the throne from his brother
King Edward, played by
Cedric Hardwicke. In the process, many are killed and betrayed, with Richard's evil leading to his own downfall. The
prologue of the film states that history without its legends would be "a dry matter indeed", implicitly admitting to taking
artistic licence with the events of the time. The film, as the play did before it, has contributed to considerable debate among historians who alternately praise or vilify the actual Richard III. Critics note that Richard's life and times were much richer and more interesting than the one-dimensional villain Shakespeare and Olivier portrayed.Of the three Shakespearean films directed by Olivier,
Richard III received the least critical praise at the time, although it was still acclaimed, and it was the only one not to be nominated for
Best Picture at the
Academy Awards, though
Olivier's acting performance was nominated. The film gained popularity through a re-release in 1966, which broke box office records in many cities.Of Olivier's three Shakespeare films,
Richard III had the longest gestation period - Olivier had created and been developing his vision of the character Richard since his portrayal for the
Old Vic Theatre in 1944.
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council is a body of advisors to the
British Sovereign. The
Privy Council was formerly a powerful institution, but its substantial decisions are now controlled by one of its committees, the
Cabinet. The Council also performs judicial functions, which are for the most part delegated to the
Judicial Committee. The Sovereign, when acting on the Council's advice, is known as the
King-in-Council or
Queen-in-Council. The members of the Council are collectively known as
The Lords of Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council (sometimes
The Lords and others of...). The chief officer of the body is the
Lord President of the Council, who is the fourth highest
Great Officer of State, a member of the Cabinet, and normally, the Leader of either the
House of Lords or the
House of Commons. Another important official is the
Clerk, whose signature is appended to all orders made in the Council.Both "
Privy Counsellor" and "
Privy Councillor" may be correctly used to refer to a member of the Council. The former, however, is preferred by the Privy Council Office, emphasising English usage of the term "Counsellor" as "one who gives counsel", as opposed to "one who is a member of a council." A Privy Counsellor is said to be 'sworn of' the Council when he/she first joins it.Members of the
British House of Commons who are also Privy Counsellors are traditionally addressed as "
The Right Honourable" (see also
The Right Honourable) when referred to in the chamber. Other members of the House are simply addressed as "
The Honourable."
The House of Gediminas refers to the siblings, children, and grandchildren of
Gediminas,
Grand Duke of Lithuania (ca. 1275–1341). The
Gediminid dynasty ruled the
Grand Duchy of Lithuania from ca. 1285 or 1316 to 1572, eventually extending its territories from the
Baltic Sea to the
Black Sea. Gediminas' origins are unclear, but recent research suggests that
Skalmantas, an otherwise unknown historical figure, was Gediminas' father or at least father-in-law, and could be considered the dynasty's founder. Because none of his brothers or sisters had known heirs, Gediminas, who sired at least twelve children, had the advantage in establishing sovereignty over his siblings. Known for his diplomatic skills, Gediminas arranged his children's marriages to suit the goals of his foreign policy: his sons consolidated Lithuanian power within the
Grand Duchy of Lithuania, while his daughters established or strengthened alliances with the rulers of areas in modern-day
Russia,
Ukraine, and
Poland.The relationships between Gediminas' children were generally harmonious, with the notable exception of
Jaunutis, who was deposed in 1345 by his brothers
Algirdas and
Kęstutis. These two brothers went on to provide a celebrated example of peaceful power-sharing. However, Gediminas' many grandchildren and their descendants engaged in power struggles that continued well into the 15th century.
[1] Gediminas' grandchildren
converted Lithuania to Christianity and inaugurated the first
personal union with Poland. The dynasty came to an end in 1572, when
Sigismund II Augustus died without producing a male heir.
The
Coronation of the British Monarch is a
ceremony (specifically,
initiation rite) in which the
monarch of the
United Kingdom and of the other
Commonwealth realms is formally
crowned and invested with
regalia. It corresponds to the coronation ceremonies that formerly occurred in other European monarchies; all have abandoned coronations in favour of
inaugurations.The
coronation usually takes place several months after the death of the previous monarch, as it is considered a joyous occasion that would be inappropriate when
mourning still continues. This also gives planners enough time to complete the elaborate arrangements required. For example,
Elizabeth II was crowned on
June 2,
1953, despite having acceded to the throne on
February 6,
1952, the instant her father died. British law states that the throne is not left
'vacant' and the new Monarch succeeds the old immediately.The ceremony is performed by the
Archbishop of Canterbury, the most senior cleric of the
Church of England. Other clergy and members of the nobility also have roles; most participants in the ceremony are required to wear ceremonial uniforms or robes. Many other government officials and guests attend, including representatives of foreign countries.The essential elements of the coronation have remained largely unchanged for the past thousand years. The sovereign is first presented to, and acclaimed by, the people. He or she then swears an oath to uphold the law and the Church. Following that the monarch is anointed with oil, crowned, and invested with the regalia, before receiving the
homage of his or her subjects.
The
monarchy of the United Kingdom (the
British monarchy), is a system of government in which a hereditary
monarch is the
sovereign of the United Kingdom and its
overseas territories. The terms
British monarch and
British monarchy may mean different things in different contexts beyond the United Kingdom (see
Context).The present monarch is
Queen Elizabeth II, who has reigned since
February 6,
1952. The
heir apparent is her eldest son,
Charles, Prince of Wales and
Duke of Rothesay. They and the Queen's husband and
consort,
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, undertake various public duties in accordance with their positions.Elizabeth II is
Head of the Commonwealth and also reigns as head of state of 15 other
Commonwealth countries. This developed from the former colonial relationship of these countries to Britain, but they are now independent and the monarchy of each is legally distinct.The British
monarchy can trace its ancestral lineage back to the
kings of the Angles and the early
Scottish kings. By the year 1000, the petty kingdoms of early medieval Britain had resolved into the kingdoms of
England and
Scotland. From 1603, when the Scottish king inherited the English throne, both kingdoms were ruled by a single monarch, and in 1707 the kingdoms were merged to create the
Kingdom of Great Britain and, essentially, the monarchy of the United Kingdom today.Succession is governed by several enactments, the most important being the
Bill of Rights 1689 and
Act of Settlement 1701. The rules of succession may be changed by an
Act of Parliament.
The
Chola Dynasty (
Tamil:
சோழர் குலம்,
IPA:
['ʧoːɻə]) was a
Tamil dynasty that ruled primarily in
southern India until the 13th century. The dynasty originated in the fertile valley of the
Kaveri River.
Karikala Chola was the most famous among the
early Chola kings, while
Rajaraja Chola,
Rajendra Chola and
Kulothunga Chola I were notable emperors of the
medieval Cholas.The Cholas were at the height of their
power during the tenth, eleventh and twelfth centuries. Under
Rajaraja Chola I (Rajaraja the Great) and his son Rajendra Chola, the dynasty became a military, economic and cultural power in
Asia. The Chola territories stretched from the islands of the
Maldives in the South to as far North as the banks of the
Godavari River in
Andhra Pradesh. Rajaraja Chola conquered peninsular
South India, annexed parts of
Sri Lanka and occupied the islands of the Maldives. Rajendra Chola sent a victorious expedition to North India that touched the river
Ganga and defeated the
Pala ruler of
Pataliputra,
Mahipala. He also successfully raided kingdoms of the
Malay Archipelago. The
power of the Cholas declined around the 12th century with the rise of the
Pandyas and the
Hoysala, eventually coming to an end towards the end of the 13th century.The Cholas left behind a lasting legacy. Their patronage of
Tamil literature and their zeal in building temples have resulted in some great works of Tamil literature and architecture. The Chola kings were avid builders and envisioned the temples in their kingdoms not only as places of worship but also as centres of economic activity. They pioneered a centralised form of
government and established a disciplined bureaucracy.
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