All About Royal Families

On August 15th. 1171, the only son of King Ferdinand II of Léon and Urraca of Portugal was born in Zamora (now North West of Spain). The boy received the name Alfonso. Alfonso IX- Source picture: Wikipedia On January 22nd. 1188 Alfonso became King of Léon and Galicia.  He gave the order to found the University of Salamanca in 1212. Besides that Alfonso was known for his battles against the Moors. He won in Cáceres, Mérida and Badajoz (1229-1230). Alfonso IX married two times with one of his cousins 1/ Theresa of Portugal 2/ Berengaria of Castile The marriages were dissolved by Pope Celestine III, although there were children. Alfonso IX had a lot of children by his wives and other women (total children of Alfonso IX: 21). He died on September 24th. 1230. Alfonso IX was buried in the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela.

September 23rd. 1781 marks the birth of Princess Juliane of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld in Coburg (Germany). Juliane of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld- Source picture: Wikipedia Her parents were Franz Frederic Anton, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld and Countess Augusta Caroline Reuss of Ebersdorf. Juliane was the sister of  King Leopold I of Belgium, a niece of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and of King Ferdinand II of Portugal. After the wedding of Grand Duke Alexander of Russia (later Tsar Alexander I), Empress Catherine II of Russia looked for a suitable bride for her other grandson Grand Duke Constantine. The Empress invited Countess Augusta and three of her daughters.  They traveled to Saint Petersburg and received good comments like: it's sad that Grand Duke Constantine couldn't marry the three ... Finally the Grand Duke chosed Juliane. At that time she wasn't 15 yet! Juliana converted to Orthodox faith and she took the name Anna Feodorovna.

In Spa, the First Beauty Pageant, or Miss election, took place on September 19th. 1888 in Spa (Belgium). own picture taken in Spa Bertha Soucaret, a girl who was 18-year and came from Guadeloupe won the  competition. She received 5000 Belgian Francs, which was a lot during that time. The First Beauty Pageant was held already in 1859 in Scotland and organized by Archibald Montgomerie,13th. Earl of Eglinton. The competition was won by Georgiana Seymour,Duchess of Somerset and she was proclaimed as 'Queen of Beauty'. First Beauty Pageant - Picture: Wikipedia

August 10th. 1794 marks the birth of Princess Amalie Marie Friederike  Auguste of Saxony in Pillnitz (Dresden - Germany). Princess Amalie of Saxony - Source picture: Wikipedia She was the daughter of Prince Maximilian of Saxony and Princess Carolina of Parma. The Princess had the chance to study well and she became very smart but her real interests were music and writing. She composed chamber music, opera and liked to sing. She published some works under the name: A. Serena. Her most popular compositions were comic operas. Under the name Amalie Heiter she published two dramas and comedies. Princess Amalie never married and died on September 18th. 1870 at the age of 76.

On April 10th. 1579, a boy was born in Dannenberg (Germany). He received the name Augustus of Brunswick-Lüneburg. Augustus of Brunswick-Lüneburg - Source picture: Wikipedia He was the 7th. child of Henry, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Ursula of Saxe-Lauenburg.  Already in his early years, Augustus was very smart. Later he studied in several universities and he traveled in Europe. Augustus of Brunswick-Lüneburg married three times: 1/ Clara Maria of Pomerania; 2/ Dorothea of Anhalt-Zerbst; 3/ Elisabeth Sophie of Mecklenburg. In 1635 he received the Principality of Wolfenbüttel, and he earned even the support of Emperor Ferdinand II. Augustus of Brunswick-Lüneburg couldn't move into his own residence until 1644. His reign was marked by some exceptional facts. He collected many manuscripts and books, which was the foundation of Bibliotheca Augusta in Wolfenbüttel, which is now, besides a library, an important Research Center.