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Royalty and politics

A look back at Royal visits to the county

A look back at Royal visits to the county

It's hard to visit a town in the county without a claim to fame when it comes to the royal family.

8

Family's agony over IRA bomb which killed Lord Mountbatten

Family's agony over IRA bomb which killed Lord Mountbatten

When an IRA bomb killed Lord Mountbatten the only three survivors of the blast, who lived in Kent, saw their lives forever changed.

Teen's attempt to 'assassinate' the Queen

Teen's attempt to 'assassinate' the Queen

We take a look back at a Kent gunman's plan to become 'the most famous teenager in the world' by shooting the Queen.

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Kent's former MPs: Where are they now?

Kent's former MPs: Where are they now?

Just what happened to some of the county's most high profile politicians when they stepped down from the House of Commons? We find out...

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Former MEPs: Where are they now?

Former MEPs: Where are they now?

They may be an extinct species but in years past being elected to the European parliament could launch (or end) careers - here's where some are now.

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Remembering Diana: Photos of the princess in Kent

Remembering Diana: Photos of the princess in Kent

Princess Diana came to Kent several times during her lifetime - here's a look back at her visits.

5

Celebrations in the county for the wedding of Kate and William

Celebrations in the county for the wedding of Kate and William

The Prince and Princess of Wales tied the knot in 2011, with Kent coming together to celebrate

7

Homegrown political heavyweights

Homegrown political heavyweights

A look back at some of the county's most celebrated political figures.

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What was life like in Kent when Queen ascended to throne?

What was life like in Kent when Queen ascended to throne?

A look back at life in the early days of Elizabeth II's reign and how Kent mourned the loss of her father.

12

How Kent marked the Queen's Coronation

How Kent marked the Queen's Coronation

A look at some of the weird and wonderful tales around Queen Elizabeth's Coronation in 1953.

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Kent's most memorable election campaign moments

Kent's most memorable election campaign moments

Celebs, scandals, protests and gaffes - the 2015 election campaign in Kent was nothing if not eventful. We bring you the most memorable moments...

Sophie's web: From Kent student to Queen's confidante

Sophie's web: From Kent student to Queen's confidante

The remarkable tale of how the Countess of Wessex went from college in Kent to being one of the Queen's favourite family members.

1

Remembering the Queen's last visit to Canterbury in 2015

Remembering the Queen's last visit to Canterbury in 2015

The Queen’s presence was forever etched in the city’s history on her last visit to Canterbury Cathedral.

Prince Harry opens memorial to honour WWI fallen

Prince Harry opens memorial to honour WWI fallen

Prince Harry visited Folkestone in 2014 to unveil a memorial to the fallen heroes of the First World War.

How Kent celebrated the wedding of Charles and Diana

How Kent celebrated the wedding of Charles and Diana

It was a time of riots and unrest but the wedding of Charles and Diana in the summer of 1981 offered a rare moment of national unity.

1

How Kent mourned Princess Diana's shocking death

How Kent mourned Princess Diana's shocking death

Twenty five years after Princess Diana's death, we remember how the county mourned the beloved royal.

24

Countess of Wessex reveals Duke's moving final moments

Countess of Wessex reveals Duke's moving final moments

Kent's very own Sophie, Countess of Wessex, spoke touchingly of the Duke of Edinburh's final moments after his death in 2021.

'The Royal Family goes through problems like most other families'

'The Royal Family goes through problems like most other families'

A year before her death in 2017, Countess Mountbatten spoke about her cousin The Queen's dedication to her role and her family.

Prince William backs park's rhinos

Prince William backs park's rhinos

Prince William visited a Kent wildlife park in 2012 to meet three endangered black rhinos before they were reintroduced into the wild.

Kent celebrates Queen's Platinum Jubilee

Kent celebrates Queen's Platinum Jubilee

A bit of cold weather didn't stop us celebrating the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.

17

The shopping centre opened by Princess Diana

The shopping centre opened by Princess Diana

Huge crowds turned out in 1992 to watch the opening by Princess Diana of a £72 million shopping centre.

2

Princess Anne's visits to Kent

Princess Anne's visits to Kent

The Princess Royal has strong links to Kent and she's visited on 41 official trips and carried out 81 separate engagements.

7

Death of Sir Edward Heath

Death of Sir Edward Heath

Tributes were paid following the death in 2016 of former Prime Minister Sir Edward Heath, who was born in Broadstairs.

How a Canterbury man became the first person to ever interview the Queen

How a Canterbury man became the first person to ever interview the Queen

A Kent film-maker has recalled his 18-minute on-the-record conversation with The Queen.

1

Death of Prince Charles' godmother

Death of Prince Charles' godmother

A much-loved Kent Countess who was godmother to Prince Charles died at the age of 93.

Queen among mourners at Countess' funeral

Queen among mourners at Countess' funeral

The Queen, Prince Philip and Prince Charles were among those to pay their respects at the funeral of Countess Mountbatten of Burma, who lived in Kent.

The quiet landslide that gave Labour a second term

The quiet landslide that gave Labour a second term

Voters in Kent headed to the polls in 2001 and gave Labour a victory in seats they "thought we could never win.”

114

Her Majesty the Queen has died

Her Majesty the Queen has died

Buckingham Palace has confirmed Queen Elizabeth II has died at the age of 96.

How Kent played its part in 10 days of national mourning

How Kent played its part in 10 days of national mourning

We look back at 10 monumental days for the county after the Queen's death triggered national mourning on a scale not seen before.

Prince attends Army friend's funeral

Prince attends Army friend's funeral

Prince William joined Army colleagues including Gurkhas at a friend's funeral at Canterbury Cathedral in 2007.

The Queen visits Margate gallery

The Queen visits Margate gallery

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh gave the royal seal of approval to Margate's Turner Contemporary on a visit to the gallery in 2011.

Prince flies into barracks to honour Gurkhas

Prince flies into barracks to honour Gurkhas

The Prince of Wales was the guest of honour at a Gurkha medal presentation in Kent.

14

Prince Harry visits military school

Prince Harry visits military school

Prince Harry met hundreds of pupils at a Kent military school during a surprise visit.

Princess Anne flies in to Kent school

Princess Anne flies in to Kent school

Princess Anne visited a school in Kent to talk with pupils about how they overcame challenges during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Delighted pupils get message from Prince Harry

Delighted pupils get message from Prince Harry

Children at a primary school were overjoyed to be sent a touching message from newly-engaged Prince Harry.

Queen honours Sappers with visit

Queen honours Sappers with visit

The Queen visited a barracks in Kent to mark the 300th anniversary of the Corps of Royal Engineers in 2016.

Queen's final farewell to Kent soldiers

Queen's final farewell to Kent soldiers

The Queen visited Canterbury in 2013 to say her final farewell to the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders.

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