Right royal connections with Yorkshire

From battles for the throne to houses fit for kings and queens – our part of the world can boast right royal rights.

The late Queen visited four corners of the county including opening Scarborough Open Air Theatre in 2010.

King Charles and Queen Camilla have already tasted the best of foods at Malton in North Yorkshire and been cheered by crowds in York.

These are some more of the county’s royal connections.

Nunnington Hall, North Yorkshire

The Graham family of Nunnington Hall supported the Jacobite cause and the claim of Charles Edward Stuart, Bonnie Prince Charlie, to the throne. Stuart relics including a ring containing Bonnie Prince Charlie’s hair while a fragment of a tartan plaid cloak, belonging to the Young Pretender, can be viewed in the Oak Hall as part of Hamilton Collection.

Harewood House, near Leeds

A young Princess Victoria visited Harewood House in 1835 shortly before her coronation, the grand country house still lived in by her direct descendent. Explore its breath-taking Lancelot “Capability” Brown landscape and acres of formal gardens, take tea on the terrace or take in the splendour of the State Rooms filled with original Chippendale furniture.

Whitby

Royal echoes from Whitby have travelled down the centuries: Queen Victoria is known to have loved jewellery made from Whitby jet and considered the worked stone as a symbol of her enduring love for Prince Albert.

Accordingly, Whitby jet sparked a popular fashion trend in Victorian times.

Wakefield

Although today we are accustomed to royal visits and walkabouts, 100 years ago the king and queen rarely came into contact with ordinary people

In 1912 King George V and Queen Mary set out on a series of pioneering tours to the industrial and mining areas of Britain.

In July the Royal couple undertook a four-day visit to Yorkshire, to acquaint themselves with the diversity of West Riding industries. On Wednesday July 10 they went to Wakefield to visit three engineering firms: George Craddock, wire rope manufacturers, the Seamless Boat Co and E. Green & Sons Ltd whose prosperity was founded on the Economiser.

The King showed a keen interest, not only in the various industrial processes but also about working conditions and wages. The King and Queen were warmly greeted by cheering crowds, particularly the schoolchildren who had been granted a holiday from their classes.

The Bay Horse Inn in Goldsborough, near Knaresborough

The inn is now owned by the Oglesby family, three years ago undergoing significant refurbishment. The £380,000 revamp pays homage to the village’s royal connections.

Princess Mary, the only daughter of King George V, lived at Goldsborough from 1922 until 1930 after her marriage to Henry Lascelles.

Their two sons George and Gerald were born at Goldsborough and christened in the estate church. They moved to Harewood House when Henry inherited the earldom. The pub is decorated with old photos showing Princess Mary and her family at the hall in the 1920s.

Scarborough Castle

Scarborough is first clearly documented in the mid-12th century as a borough prospering beneath the walls of a great royal castle.

King John is known to have visited Scarborough several times and developed it, with Knaresborough, as a major royal castle to control Yorkshire. He spent £2,291 on Scarborough, more than on any other castle in the kingdom.

York

On June 30, 1541, Henry VIII and his wife, Catherine Howard, left London on a Royal Progress to Yorkshire to stamp his authority on the north . The Tudor king stopped at York and Homle-upon-Spalding Moor.

Pontefract Castle

Over the centuries the castle’s importance made it the location of many dark and terrible deeds. In 1399 King Richard II was captured by his cousin Henry Bolingbroke with his throne taken away from him.

He was imprisoned by the new Henry IV at the castle, where he was thought to have starved to death. The event is immortalised in Shakespeare’s play Richard II.

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