All About Royal Families

30 June 1503 marks the birth of John Frederick. This event took place in Weimar (now located in Germany). John Frederick of Saxony - Source picture: Wikipedia His parents were John, Elector of Saxony and Sophie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. As child he recieved his education from George Spalatin, who was a good friend of Martin Luther.  On February 9th. 1527, John Frederick of Saxony married Sibylle of Cleves in Torgau with a lavish wedding ceremony.  Sibylle of Cleves - Source picture: Wikipedia In 1532 John Frederick's father died and he became Elector of Saxony. He  consolidated the Lutharian State Church by the institution of an electoral consistory and he renewed the church vision. In 1547 the Elector of Saxony was taken captive by Emperor Charles V, he condemned him to death, but later John Frederick's punishment became: prisoner for life. John Frederick of Saxony stayed in touch with friends and family. He kept h...

On 29 June 1482 Maria of Aragon was born in Córdoba as a daughter of King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castille. Maria of Aragon, Queen of Portugal - Source picture: Wikipedia Maria of Aragon was as infanta of Spain very important for marriage. Finally she married King Manuel I of Portugal on 30 October 1500. They had 10 children, 8 of them reached adulthood. Maria died on 7 March 1517 in Lisbon. She only became 34 years.

On 28 June 1799 Amalie Therese Louise Wilhelmina Philippine was born in Wolany (then located in Germany now a part of Poland). Duchess Amalie of Württemberg - Source picture: Wikipedia @ Kirchheim unter Teck Duchess Amalie married Joseph, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg. They had 6 daughters. Duchess Amalie of Württemberg was an ancestor of inter alia: Queen Sofía of Spain; Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh; and 5 Kings of Greece. Duchess Amalie of Württemberg died on November 28th. 1848 in Altenburg. Another picture from the Duchess - Source: Wikipedia

A while ago, I was walking in Nuremberg, a historical city in the German state Bavaria. During such day-trips I always try to spot some interesting buildings. Hotel Victoria immediately caught my attention. Hotel Victoria Nuremberg Germany At home I wanted to know more about Hotel Victoria. Now the owners converted  it to a boutique Hotel with 100 years tradition into modern hospitality, like it is mentioned on their website . It also is striking that Hotel Victoria is located in the Königstrasse (King Street)  in Nuremberg. This location is well known for its shopping :-) So, this was my Historical Hotel post for this week. I wish you all a very nice Friday, and Weekend.

23 September 1598 marks the birth of Eleonora Gonzaga. She was the daughter of Vincenzo I Gonzaga and Eleonora de' Medici. Eleonora Gonzaga - Source picture: Wikipedia Eleonora Gonzaga was known for her beauty and that took the attention of Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor.  On 2 February 1622 she married the Emperor in Innsbruck. The Royal Couple had no children but Eleonora became the stepmother of the children from the Emperor's first marriage. Eleonora died on 27 June 1655 in Vienna.

In Paris on 13 November 1848, a boy was born. He had a very long name: Albert Honoré Charles Grimaldi. Albert I of Monaco - Source picture: Wikipedia He was a son of Charles III of Monaco and Countess Antoinette de Mérode- Westerloo. His mother was a Belgian noblewoman with a lot of important family members.  Albert I served in the Spanish Army during the Franco-Prussian war and later he joined the French Army.  On 21 September 1869 he married Lady Mary Victoria Hamilton. The couple married @ Château de Marchais. But Lady Mary Victoria Hamilton detested all things Mediterranean. After the birth of her son, Prince Louis, she moved from Monaco and the marriage was dissolved. In 1889 Albert I became the ruler of Monaco and he married  Marie Alice Heine. The couple separated too although they never divorced. Own picture Albert I was very interested in Oceanography. He established the Oceanographic Institute Foundatio...

June 26th. 1575 marks the birth of Anne Catherine of Brandenburg. She was born in Halle (Germany). Anne Catherine of Brandenburg - Source picture: Wikipedia In 1595 King Christian IV of Denmark met Anne Catherine on his journey in Germany. The same year he decided to marry her. On November 27th. 1597 Anne Catherine married Christian and she became Queen Consort of Denmark. Together they had 6 children. Little is known  about their marriage, but in the end he took a mistress ... Anne Catherine of Brandenburg died on April 8th. 1612 in Copenhagen.

25 June 1769 marks the birth of Frederick Ferdinand, Duke of Anhalt - Köthen, a German Prince. Frederick Ferdinand - Source picture: Wikipedia In Lindenau bei Heiligenbeil he married Princess Louise of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Beck on August 20th. 1803. She was by birth a princess of Denmark. Three months later Louise died. On May 20th. 1816 Frederick Ferdinand married Countess Julie of Brandenburg in Berlin. Frederick Ferdinand gave the order to construct the Ferdinandsbau in Schloss Köthen and many more buildings. He died on August 23rd. 1830 in Köthen (located in Germany).

My Treetuesday picture of this week is taken in the Englischer Garten (Garden) in Munich (Germany). Englischer Garden Munich Germany The Englischer Garten was founded by order of Charles Theodor, Elector of Bavaria. In 1792 the magnifique place was open for public. 

On 24 June 1343, Joan of Valois was born on Châteauneuf-sur-Loire in France. Joan of Valois was the fifth child of John II of France and Bonne of Luxembourg. Joan of Valois - Source picture: Wikipedia Her parents started the wedding negotiations soon. She first was betrothed to John of Brabant. However, the marriage never took place. On February 12th. 1352 Joan of Valois married Charles the Bad, King of Navarre. They were third cousins. The couple had 7 children.  One of their daughters, Joanna of Navarre, married Henry IV of England. Joan of Valois died on November 3rd. 1373 in Évreux, when she was only  30 years old. 

William Louis's birth took place on January 7th. 1647 in Stuttgart (Germany). William Louis, Duke of Württemberg -  Source picture: Wikipedia He was the ninth child of Eberhard III, Duke of Württemberg and his wife Anna Katharina of Kyrburg. On November 6th. 1673 William Louis married Magdalena Sibylla of  Hesse-Darmstadt. See my today in history of April 28th.   William Louis, Duke of Württemberg died on June 23rd. 1677 @ the Hirsau Castle.

After the Battle of Waterloo, where Napoleon  (18 June 1815) suffered a huge loss, he moved to Paris and later to Rochefort. On June 22nd. 1815 he abdicated. This time it would be forever... When the emperor heard that Prussian troups wanted him dead or alive, he fled to Rochefort. Napoleon @ St.Helena - Source picture: Wikipedia Napoleon formally asked asylum from the British. Then he was imprisoned and and exiled to the isle St. Helena.

The Loo Palace was a Residence of members from the House of Nassau from the 17th. century till the death of Queen Wilhelmina of The Netherlands in 1962. The Loo Palace - Own Picture taken in 2014 The Residence was built in Dutch Baroque Style  and designed  by  Jacob Roman and Johan van Swieten. Stadtholder- King William III and Mary II of England were the  principals to build this beautiful palace.  On next link you'll find a Today in History about the life  of King William III and Mary II of England.  The Loo Palace Entrance - Own picture taken in 2014 To know more about The Loo Palace in Apeldoorn, check its official site on this link .  In 2018, The Loo Palace will be closed for serious renovation works. This will last till January 2021. 

Archduchess Maria of Austria's birth took place on June 21st. 1528 in Madrid (Spain). Her parents were Holy Roman Emperor Charles V and Isabella of Portugal. Maria of Austria - Source picture: Wikipedia The original painting is located in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna On September 15th. 1548 she married her first cousin then Archduke Maximilian. The couple had 16 children during their 28-year marriage. While her father had problems with several foreign affairs, Maria and Maximilian  acted as regents of Spain (1551-1552). Later they moved to the court in Vienna.  In 1564 her husband became Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor. Maria returned to Spain in 1582 (her husband was then already dead for a while). She moved to the Convent of las Descalzas Reales in Madrid. There Maria died on  February 26th. 1603.

De Keizerskroon Hotel - own picture taken in 2017 The Historical Hotel special of this week is about 'Bilderberg Hotel de Keizerskroon' located in Apeldoorn (The Netherlands). own picture taken in 2014 Palace Het Loo is located next to the hotel.  Tsar Peter the Great of Russia was one of its first guests.  I had the opportunity to visit the hotel inside due to several interesting lectures. And the facilities downstairs seemed more than okay. Keizerskroon - own picture taken in 2014 In May 2015, Oscar Meijer creator from the Dutch blog 'De Staat van Oranje', which you can read on this link , stayed in de Keizerskroon. He liked this hotel, the rooms were very nice and clean and de Keizerskroon had an outstanding Breakfast. The staff also was very attentive and kind.  In May 2017, my husband and I had the opportunity to stay in this lovely hotel.  We had the same experience as the one of Oscar Meijer in 2015. The hotel has ...

Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt's birth took place on 20 June 1754 in Prenzlau. Her parents were Ludwig XI, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt and Henriette Karoline of Palatine-Zweibrücken. Amalie of Hesse - Darmstadt - Source picture: Wikipedia On 15 July 1775, she married her first cousin, Charles Louis, Hereditary Prince of Baden. They had 8 children. Their daughter Luise married Tsar Alexander I of Russia. She died on 21 June 1832 in Bruchsal. 

Prince Bernhard of Lippe was born on 26 August 1872 in Oberkassel, then located in the Kingdom of Prussia. Prince Bernhard of Lippe - Source picture: Wikipedia Prince Bernhard was the second son of Ernest II, Count of Lippe-Biesterfeld and Countess Karolina of Wartensleben. He entered the Prussian army where the Prince reached the rank of Major. On 4 March 1909, Prince Bernhard married Armgard of Sierstorpff-Cramm. From this marriage two children were born: Bernhard and Aschwin. On 24 February 1916 the boys received the title Prince from their uncle Leopold IV. Prince Bernhard of Lippe died on 19 June 1934 in Munich. His son married on 7 January 1937 Princess Juliana of The Netherlands ....

On June 18th. 1757, the Austrian Army, under Count von Daun, defeated the Prussian Army of Frederick the Great in the Battle of Kolin. Battle of Kolin - Source picture: Wikipedia The Prussian Army lost the battle and nearly 14.000 men, the Austrians 8.000. Kolín is now located in the Czech Republic, about 55 kilometers from Prague.

My treetuesday picture is taken in the Englischer Garten 'English Garden' in Munich Germany. Englischer Garten Munich Germany The Englischer Garten is a big public garden. In fact it is one of the world's largest gardens (even bigger than Central Park in New York). Of course this picture doesn't show everything so, during next weeks, I'll post more pictures of the Englischer Garten. But isn't it a nice place?

17 June 1781 marks the birth of Francisco Espoz Ilundáin (better known as Francisco Espoz y Mina). Francisco Espoz y Mina - Source picture: Wikipedia Francisco worked on a small family farm until 1808. In that year, Napoleon invaded Spain and conquered the country. Francisco was listed in the guerrilla army of his nephew Francisco Javier Mina.  In 1810 Javier was taken captive by the French and Francisco became the new  leader of the group.  In 1813 - 1814 Mina served with distinction under the Duke of Wellington. Francisco Espoz y Mina received several promotions. He was very liberal and disliked the 'hidalgos' (nobles). After the restauration of  Ferdinand VII, Francisco Espoz y Mina was no longer the favorite of the Spanish King, he escaped to England. In 1835 he was recalled by Christina, who was then regent of Spain. Francisco took the command against the Carlists but he became older and several exposures of wounds u...

Philip of Artois should be born in 1358. His parents were John of Artois and Isabeau of Melun. Philip of Artois on his wedding - Source picture: Wikipedia On January 27th. 1397 he married Marie, daughter of John, Duke of Berry. The couple had 4 children.  Philip of Artois was known as a prominent crusader. He took part in the Battle of Nicopolis where Philip was captured. He probably died on June 16th. 1397 in captivity. Battle of Nicopolis - Source picture: Wikipedia

Friedrich Wilhelm Nikolaus Karl Hohenzolleren was born on October 18th. 1831 in the Neues Palace in Potsdam (Germany). Neues Palace - Own picture His parents were German Emperor, William I and Augusta of Saxe-Weimar. In the Family Frederick was known as Fritz. Frederick III of Prussia (as Crown Prince) - Source picture: Wikipedia In 1851 Frederick was sent to England to see the Great exhibition. In fact his mother hoped that the German Prince would met Victoria, Princess Royal, the eldest daughter of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and Prince Albert. Indeed, Princess Victoria, who was then only 11 years old, guided the  German Crown Prince. Later the two exchanged a lot of letters. In April 1856, the engagement of the Royals was announced and their marriage took place on January 25th. 1858 in the St.James's chapel in London. Although it was an arranged marriage, the two were compatible from the start and their marriage was a lov...

Munich was found on 14 June 1158 by Henry The Lion. Munich Germany Nowadays Munich is the third largest city of Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich Germany

When Conrad Hilton bought his first hotel in 1919 in Texas, it was the start of a complete imperium. Hilton Hotel in Antwerp - Belgium Nowadays there are Hilton Hotels all over the world. They are specialized in buisiness travel and leisure travel as well and hosted many important guests. The closest Hilton Hotel for me is located in Antwerp (Belgium), which you can  see @ the picture.

On December 4th. 1878 Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich of Russia was born in the Anichkov Palace in Saint Petersburg.  His parents were Tsar Alexander III of Russia and Dagmar of Denmark. That made him the younger brother of inter alia Tsar Nicholas II of Russia. Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich of Russia - Source picture: Wikipedia Love & .... In 1902 Michael met Princess Beatrice of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha .  The two fell in love and wrote many letters in English.  The Orthodox Church forbade that two first cousins would marry.  Tsar Nicholas refused to sign the wedding permit and the romance ended. Later Michael's affection was directed to Alexandra Kossikovskaya also called  Dina, who was the lady-in-waiting of his sister Olga. Of course, this relation  caused a lot of problems too. Dina was a commoner and members of the Russian Imperial Family should marry Royalty. Tsar Nicholas forbade him to marry Dina and his...

June 12th. 2014 marks the start of a brand new FIFA World Cup which takes place in Brazil. It is the second time that the South-American country is host of this magnificent football tournament. Flag of Brazil - Source picture: Wikipedia 32 countries over the world are selected. Even my own country, Belgium, is this year present :-) Many European Royals will support their national team. Last Sunday, King Philippe and Queen Mathilde attended a training of the Red Devils in Belgium. I hope, it will be a very nice tournament and that the best team may win!

Prince Augustus William of Prussua was born on August 9th. 1722 in Berlin. Prince Augustus William of Prussia - Source picture: Wikipedia His parents were Frederick William I of Prussia and Sophia Dorothea of Hanover. Prince Augustus William of Prussia was the younger brother of Frederick the Great. Prince Augustus William of Prussia married Duchess Luise of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel on January 6th. 1742. They were the parents of inter alia: Prince Wilhelmina of Prussia, who married William V, Prince of Orange (stadtholder of the Dutch Republic).  He died on June 12th. 1758 in Oranienburg. His son Frederick William II inherited the Prussian throne  (because Frederick the Great hadn't any children).

Doña Fabiola Fernanda Maria-de-las -Victorias Antonia Adelaide Mora y Aragón was born on June 11th. 1928 in Madrid (Spain). Source picture: Wikipedia Her parents were Gonzalo Mora y Fernández, Marquess of Mora and Count of Aragón and his wife Doña Blanca Aragón y Carillo de Albornóz... Her godmother was Queen Victoria Eugenia of Spain. On December 15th. 1960, Fabiola married King Baudouin of Belgium. He died in 1993, she was Queen Consort for around 33 years!  Screenshot Queen Fabiola of Belgium died in Brussels on 5 December 2014. Her funeral took place on 12 December 2014.  Source picture: Wikipedia

Adolphus Frederick was born on July 22nd. 1848 in Neustrelitz (Germany) as son of Frederick William, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg and Princess Augusta of Cambridge. Adolphus Frederick - Source picture: Wikipedia On April 17th. 1877 he married Princess Elisabeth of Anhalt in Dessau. They had 4 children. In January 1914, Adolphus Frederick, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was mentioned as the second richest person in Germany after  Emperor William II. He died on June 11th. 1914 in Berlin.

My treetuesday picture is taken in the Hofgarten (Court garden) in Munich (Germany). Hofgarten - Munich - Germany The Hofgarten is located in the center of Munich between the Residenz and the Englisher Garten. The Hofgarten was built between 1613 and 1619 by Maximilian I, Elector of Bavaria as an Italian Renaissance garden. At the picture you can see a pavilion, which was made in honor of goddess Diana. During World War II the garden was destroyed but luckily it was rebuilt afterwards. Nowadays this park is not only for available for royals but also for commoners. It is a very popular place to relax and one of the main tourists attractions in Munich.

Princess Hildegard of Bavaria was born on June 10th. 1825 in Würzburg as the seventh child and fourth daughter of King Ludwig I of Bavaria and Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. Princess Hildegard of Bavaria - Source picture: Wikipedia On May 1st. 1844 she married Archduke Albert of Austria. They had 3 children. During her stay in Munich on the occasion of the funeral of King Maximilian II of Bavaria, Princess Hildegard became ill with a lung inflammation and pleurisy.  She died on April 2nd. 1864 (only 38 years old). Her body was buried in  the Imperial Crypt in Vienna (Austria).

Princess Helena Augusta Victoria was born on May 25th. 1846 in Buckingham Palace as the third daughter and fifth child of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and Prince Albert. See also the page: Descendants of Queen Victoria: Children & Grandchildren on top of my blog. Princess Helena - Source picture: Wikipedia A German nickname for Helena was Helenchen later shorted as Lenchen. On July 5th. 1855 princess Helena married Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein in the private chapel of Windsor Chapel. The couple had 6 children. Princess Helena died on June 9th. 1923 in Schomberg House.

Juliane was born on June 8th. 1761 in Zutphen as the daughter of Landgrave William of Hesse-Phillippsthal and Ulrike Eleonore. Juliane of Hesse-Phillippsthal - Source picture: Wikipedia On October 10th. 1780, she married Count Philip Ernest of Schaumburg-Lippe. He was already 57 years old and a widower on the day of his marriage. He died only 7 years later. Countess Juliane took up government together with Count Johann Ludwig, Reichsgraf von Wallmoden-Gimborn as regent during the minority of her son George William. The government of Juliane is considered as extremely beneficial. She conducted reforms of economy, education and downsized the court. Juliane initiated a redesign of Hagenburg Castle and she is the considered founder of spa Bad Eilsen (Germany). This remarkable lady died on November 9th. 1799 in Bückeburg. She was buried in a mausoleum in the Schaumburg Forest.

Carlota of Mexico was born on June 7th. 1840 in Belgium as the only daughter of King Leopold I of Belgium and his second wife Louise of Orléans. She had 3 brothers: Louis Philippe (who died in infancy), Leopold (who became King Leopold II) and Philippe, Count of Flanders. Carlota - Source picture: Wikipedia When Charlotte was then years old, her mother died in Ostend of turberculosis. The princess grew up by a close family friend the Countess of Hulste. On July 27th. 1857 she married in Brussels her second cousin  Archduke Maximilian of Austria (younger brother of Emperor Franz Josef). Princess Charlotte and her husband - Source picture: Wikipedia She disliked her sister-in-law Empress Elisabeth (Sisi).  Princess Charlotte was prized by her mother-in-law, Archduchess Sophie  ( see my today in history of May 28th .) Later the couple moved to Italy, where Maximilian was governor of the provinces Lombardy and Venetia. In 185...