When neither the Whigs nor the Tories are able to form a government on their own, a fragile compromise coalition government is formed, with Plantagenet Palliser, the wealthy and hard-working Duke of Omnium, installed as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

The Duchess, formerly Lady Glencora Palliser, attempts to support her husband by hosting lavish parties at Gatherum Castle in Barsetshire, the family's largest country house, barely used until now. Palliser, initially unsure that he is fi...

In the spring of 1893, Grand Duke Ernst Ludwig of Hesse and by Rhine and his younger sister Princess Alix, the future wife of Emperor Nicholas II of Russia, went on a holiday to the Italian cities of Florence and Venice. They admired works of art in museums and churches, rode through the parks of Florence and the surrounding hills, and enjoyed gondola rides on the canals and in the lagoon of Venice. They also spent time with relatives, including Queen Victoria, Prince and Princess Henry of Ba...