All About Royal Families

Own picture - taken in november 2013 On the picture, you can see the Railway station and the harbour of Ostend. Those places had much importance in Belgian history. 1838: first opening of the Ostend Railway station during the reign of  King Leopold I of Belgium 1913: re-opening during the reign of King Albert I of Belgium It was constructed in the classical style : King Louis XVI style. Own picture - taken in 2012 Anyway, so far the history, I wish you all a very happy Sunday!

In Saint Petersburg a noble girl was born on August 30th. 1842. She was called: Grand Duchess Alexandra Alexandrovna of Russia. Grand Duchess Alexandra Alexandrovna of Russia - Source picture: wikipedia Her parents Tsar Alexander II of Russia and Marie of Hesse and by Rhine   were happy with her birth and nicknamed her tenderly 'Lina' or 'Sashenka'. Even Alexandra's father wanted her company during his study.    When, on July 10th. 1849, Grand Duchess Alexandra died at the age of 6, from infant meningitis, her parents were devastated. Her father placed a dried flower from the funeral mass in his diary and marked the page in black. Her mother cried if people mentioned Grand Duchess Alexandra. In the late 19th. century the name Alexandra was considered to be unlucky. None of the daughters of Tsar Nicholas II (Alexandra's brother) was called in her honor although their mother had the name Alexandra, but that's another story...

In Dresden a girl was born on August 29th. 1728. Her very long name, Maria Anna Sophia Sabina Angela Franciska Xaveria betrayed her noble descent. Maria Anna Sophia of Saxony - Source picture: Wikipedia Her parents were King Augustus III of Poland and Maria Josepha of Austria. The Princess had siblings like:  Queen Maria Amalia of Spain, Maria Josepha of France. In 1747 Princess Maria Anna Sophia of Saxony married Maximilian III Joseph, Bavarian elector. Unfortunately they had no children together. This caused a lot of trouble after the death of her husband (who was a son of Emperor Charles VII) The new elector Charles Theodore didn't like Bavaria at all, he wanted to exchange Bavaria against the Austrian Netherlands. Princess Maria Anna Sophia of Saxony asked Frederick II of Prussia for help. The Prussian King wanted to help her and the Holy Roman Emperor (then Jospeph II) had to store his plans. Charles II August, Duke of Zweibrücken and ...

The eldest daughter of Louis Rudolph, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel and Princess Christine Louise of Oettingen-Oettingen was born on August 28th. 1691. The girl was called Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel - Source picture: Wikipedia At the age of 13! she became engaged to the future Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor,after a lot of negotiations between her grandfather and Charles's sister-in-law, Empress Wilhelmina. Initially she refused to marry a catholic Prince but finally she agreed under pressure of her family. The wedding took place on May 1st. 1707 . In 1711 her husband took possession of the Imperial Crown in Vienna and she became Empress, but during that time Elisabeth Christine was appointed by her husband as General Governor of Catalonia, which she wisely ruled until 1713. Then the Empress joined her husband in Austria.  Elisabeth Christine was described as accomplished in music, d...

December 13th. 1906 marked the birth of a young royal girl in Athens (Greece). The name of the young girl was: Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark. Princess Marina and her sisters - Source picture: Wikipedia Her parents were Prince Nicolas of Greece and Denmark and Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna of Russia (granddaughter of Tsar Alexander II). Near the end of 1906 Princess Marina was baptised and she received a lot of godparents inter alia: - King of Greece (her paternal grandfather); - King of the United Kingdom (her great uncle); - Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark (father of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh); - Grand Duke Boris Vladimirovich of Russia (her maternal uncle).... In 1932 Princess Marina met her future husband Prince George, Duke of Kent. On November 29th. 1934 the two married at Westminster Abbey in London. That wedding was followed by a Greek ceremony in the private chapel at Buckingham Palace. Princess Marina of Greece and ...

My Tree tuesday picture of this week was taken at Nymphenburg Palace Park in Munich (Germany). Nymphenburg Palace Park Munich Germany As you can see on the picture the Nymphenburg Palace Park is large (200 hectares) and offers a lot of hidden gems. Originally the Park was designed as an Italian Garden. Later it was enlarged and rearranged in a French style and finally finished in an English manner in the 19th. century.

On August 26th. 1826 a new member of the House of Wittelsbach was born. She received the name Princess Alexandra Amalie of Bavaria. Princess Alexandra of Bavaria -  Source picture: Wikipedia Family Her parents were King Ludwig I of Bavaria and Princess  Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. Princess Alexandra was inter alia the sister of King Maximilian II of Bavaria and King Otto of Greece. Love As daughter of a reigning King the marriage of Princess Alexandra of Bavaria was not  only a love match but a political case. Prince Louis Lucien Bonaparte asked her hand but the King refused because he was divorced, officially due to Princess Alexandra's delicate health. The princess never married and she was appointed abbess of the Royal Chapter for  ladies of Saint Anne in Munich and Würtzburg. This convent only accepted noble ladies. In 1852 Princess Alexandra started a literary career and she wrote several  books.  ...

picture: Wikipedia On August 25th. 1830 a performance of the opera,  The Mute Girl of Portici,  took place at the Théâtre de la Monnaie in Brussels. The opera evoked sentimental and nationalist feelings. On this link you can listen to a piece of the opera. Théàtre de la Monnaie in Brussels From 1815-1830 Belgium was a part of the United Kingdom of The Netherlands  with William (Willem in Dutch) I as King.  After the opera riots broke out in Brussels. This marked the start of the Belgian Revolution. Only in 1831 Belgium had a new King: Leopold I of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

On August 24th. 1758, Duchess Sophia Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin was born. Her parents were Duke Louis of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Princess Charlotte of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. Sophia Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin -  Source picture: Wikipedia At the age of 16 she married, on October 21st. 1774, Hereditary  Prince Frederick of Denmark and Norway.  When Sophia Frederica saw her husband for the first time she was disappointed but after a while they became fond of each other.  Their marriage was based on mutual understanding.  There were rumors that both took mistresses and lovers. In Denmark Sophia Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin really was popular.  History books described her as jolly, charmant and intelligent.  Source picture: Wikipedia On November 29th. 1794, Sophia Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin  died at the Sorgenfri Palace near Copenhagen (Denmark). 

King Philippe of Belgium attended a memorial of World War I in the Notre Dame church in Dinant. own picture - bird's-eye view of the Notre Dame Church in Dinant The church service was to remember the 674 citizens who were killed in  World War I, a new carillon was inaugurated too. On next link you can see a short movie.

On my blog I regularly write about the very interesting (Royal) history of my own country: Belgium. August 23rd 1836 marks the birth of Marie Henriette of Austria in Budapest (Hungary). Marie Henriette of Austria - Source picture: Wikipedia Her parents were Archduke Joseph of Austria, Palatine of Hungary and Duchess Maria Dorothea of Württemberg.  Her paternal grandfather was Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor and she was a niece from Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria (husband of Sisi). On August 22nd. 1853, at the age of 16!, she married Prince Leopold, heir of the Belgian throne. This wedding strengthened the status of the Belgian  monarchy, the name Habsburg was an important match.  They had 4 children, unfortunately the eldest boy died young.  The marriage really was unhappy and the couple lived more or less seperated. In 1865 she became Queen Consort of Belgium, but Marie Henriette of Austria  lived most of the time in...

On August 22nd. 1860 a girl was born in Trebschen (now a village in Western Poland), which was then a part of the Kingdom of Prussia. The girl received the names: Eleonore Caroline Gasparine Louise Reuss . Eleonore Reuss of Köstritz - Tsaritsa of Bulgaria- Source picture: Wikipedia Her parents were Prince Heinrich IV of Reuss of Köstritz and Princess Luise Caroline Reuss of Greiz. On February 28th. 1908 Princess Eleonore married Ferdinand of Bulgaria in Coburg. She recieved initially the title Princess of Bulgaria. Later she got the title: Tsaritsa. This wedding was a bit strange. Ferdinand of Bulgaria was a widower and he looked more for a governess for his children and a first lady for Bulgaria.  During World War I she worked as a nurse and she tried to give comfort to many injured and dying Bulgarian soldiers. In 1917 Tsaritsa Eleonore became seriously ill. She died on September 12th. 1917. The Tsaritsa was buried in the cemetery near ...

August 21st. 1887 was a day full of festivities in the center of Antwerp (Belgium). A new fountain called the Brabofontein, before the city hall, was opened for public. Brabofontein - own picture This fountain imaged a legend.  In the early days a giant called Antigoon killed people who didn't pay their toll,  while they passes the Scheldt. The giant killed those people by cutting their hand.  Well Brabo killed Antigoon on the same way the giant did.  On the fountain Brabo seems to throw the hand to the city.  This would be an explanation for the name Antwerp meaning throwing hands ....  However, besides that cruel legend, Antwerp is a beautiful city and a shopping heaven. I like to come there regularly. Brabofountain and city hall - own picture

On August 20th. 1613 a girl was born at the court in Güstrow. She received the names: Elisabeth Sophie of Mecklenburg. Elisabeth Sophie of Mecklenburg - Source picture: Wikipedia At the court of her father, John Albert II, Duke of Mecklenburg the girl began to  study music. There even was an orchestra known for its use of fine English musicians such like William Brade. Elisabeth Sophie married in 1635 Augustus the younger, Duke of Brunswick- Lüneburg. They had 2 children. At her husband's court, she was appointed to organize the court orchestra but the  Duchess also played an  important role in other entertainment like masquerades,  plays and ballets.  Elisabeth Sophie of Mecklenburg died on July 12th. 1676. 

My Treetuesday picture of this week is taken in Brussels, capital of Belgium. Brussels Warandepark Belgium This beautiful place is located in Brussels Park which is called in Dutch: Warandepark. Facts about Brussels Park * the largest urban public park in Brussels.  * surrounded by the Royal Palace, the Houses of Parliament and    the United States Embassy.  At the picture you can see a glimpse of the Houses of Parliament. During the summer months a lot of events takes place there.  History Brussels Park was created between 1776 and 1783 on the site of the Former gardens of Coudenberg Palace.  Design Brussels Park was designed in a neoclassic, geometric style by Gilles-Barnabé Guimard and Joachim Zimmer. 

At Dunfermline Palace in Fife a young girl was born on August 19th. 1596. She received the name Elizabeth Stuart. Elizabeth Stuart - Source picture: Wikipedia Her parents were James V of Scotland (who also became James I of England) and Anne of Denmark. Elizabeth received the proper education for a princess. She learned not only several languages like French and Latin but the princess also knew something about history, geography, theology, writing, music and dancing. As daughter of a reigning monarch, the young Elizabeth was seen as very  desirable. Many suitors wanted to marry her inter alia: Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden; Frederic Ulric, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbuttel; Prince Maurice of Nassau; Henry Howard, 1st. Earl of Northampton; Otto, Hereditary Prince of Hesse; Victor Amadeus, Prince of Piedmont. Finally Frederick V, Count Palatine of the Rhine was chosen. He had a great lineage, was a second Prince of the Empire and a staunch d...

Infanta Maria Anna of Spain was born on August 18th. 1606 in El Escorial near Madrid. Maria Anna of Spain - Source picture: Wikipedia Her parents were King Philip III of Spain and Margaret of Austria. With such a genealogy the search of a proper wedding partner started early. On February 20th. 1631, Maria Anna of Spain married her first cousin, Ferdinand III, the future Holy Roman Emperor and King of Hungary. The festivities around the wedding lasted a month! Although it was an arranged marriage, the history books described it as friendly. Maria Anna became happy in her new home country Austria. The same history books mentioned her as: tempered and intelligent. Sometimes she even acted as advisor for her spouse. They had 6 children. In 1646 the Royal Family moved to Linz because of the Thirty Year's War. There Maria Anna was poisoned while she was pregnant of a child. She died on May 13th. 1646 only 39 years old. The child, also a Maria, ...

On my blog I have a lot of pages about Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom  and her descendants. It interests me very much how her children and grandchildren and their descendants are spread through Europe. My Today in History is traveling back in time because on August 17th. 1786 a little girl was born in Coburg (Germany).  She received the name: Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg and Saalfeld -  Source picture: Wikipedia Her brothers were inter alia Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha and Leopold,  who married in 1816 Princess Charlotte of Wales, the only legitimate daughter of  King George IV and heiress to the British throne. In 1803, Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg and Saalfeld married Charles, Prince of Leinigen. They had 2 children: a girl and a boy. Her husband died in 1814. When Princess Charlotte of Wales died in 1817, a succession crisis for the  British throne beca...

On August 16th. 1876 the first performance of the opera Siegfried took place in the Festspielhaus in Bayreuth (now Germany). Portrait of Richard Wagner taken in Nymphenburg palace Siegfried was written by Richard Wagner and based on a legendary hero of the Norse Mythology. one of the many pictures of Siegfried - Source: Wikipedia On this link you can listen to a piece of the opera Siegfried. 

George of Bavaria (nicknamed The Rich) was born on August 15th. 1455 in Landshut, a beautiful place in Bavaria (south east Germany). George of Bavaria - Source picture: Wikipedia In 1475 he married Princess Hedwig Jagiellon, daughter of King Casimir IV of Poland. This fantastic event was celebrated in the Landshut wedding. The Landshut wedding is re-enacted in the place Landshut with medieval processions. On next link you can find more information.   The couple had 5 children, two sons and three daughters. Unfortunately none of their sons survived childhood. George, Duke of Bavaria tried to appoint his eldest daughter Elisabeth as his successor but the Salic Law made this impossible. George died on December 1st. 1503. After his death a war of succession broke out. Finally the Duchy went to Albert IV of Bavaria, which united the several Duchies of Bavaria.

On August 14th. 1688 a brilliant boy was born in Berlin. He had the name: Frederick William (in German: Friedrich Wilhelm). Frederick William I of Prussia - Source picture: Wikipedia His parents were Frederick I of Prussia and Sophia Charlotte of Hanover. On November 28th. 1706 he married his first cousin Sophia Dorothea of  Hanover (daughter of King George I of Great Britain). They had 14 children. This time I won't tell more about their marriage but about his rather special reign. In 1713 Frederick William became King of Prussia and Elector of  Brandenburg and he really took his tasks seriously. He imposed strict rules for officials and described their jobs clearly.  When a minister wasn't present  at a meeting the King didn't pay his salary . Already in 1717 King Frederick William I introduced mandatory schooling, and the taxes were reformed. He lived very sober and didn't spend much of money except for the Prussian ar...

Archduchess Maria Elisabeth of Austria was born on August 13th. 1743 in Vienna as the sixth child of Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor and his wife Maria Theresa. Archduchess Maria Elisabeth of Austria - Source picture: Wikipedia Maria Elisabeth of Austria was considered one of the most attractive of her sisters (inter alia Maria Antoinette, who married King Louis XVI of France). Even King Louis XV of France wanted her as his bride.  Unfortunately Maria Elisabeth became a victim of smallpox.  Her beautiful face was seriously wounded and the scars stayed. So, she couldn't marry anymore. The unfortunate archduchess was appointed as cannoness of the convent of noble ladies in Innsbruck although she stayed at the Royal Court in Vienna with her mother. Own panorama picture of the Hofburg in Vienna - taken in 2011 When Maria Elisabeth's brother became Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II, he asked her to leave the court. The Archduchess moved from...

My tree tuesday picture of this week is taken in Brussels, the capital of my own country, Belgium. This is a beautiful and relaxing public park between different buildings of the European institutions and the Solvay library. Solvay Libary Brussels Belgium The Solvay library was built in 1902 with Constant Bosmans and Henri Vandevelde as its architects in a mix of  Eclecticism and Art Nouveau style. This was all paid by Ernest Solvay, an industrial and chemical.

At Cumberland Lodge in Great Windsor Park a girl was born on August 12th. 1872. She was called Princess Marie Louise of Schleswig-Holstein. Princess Marie Louise of Schleswig - Holstein - Source picture: Wikipedia Her parents were Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein and Princess Helena of the United Kingdom. Princess Marie Louise was a granddaughter of Queen Victoria. She also had important godparents: Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria and the Queen of Hanover. Of course with such an important family tree it was a big issue to find a proper partner. The lucky one became Prince Aribert of Anhalt. He was the son of Frederick I, Duke of Anhalt and Princess Antoinette of Saxe-Altenburg.  However the couple didn't like each other and the marriage turned out very unhappy and childless. In 1900 Prince Aribert of Anhalt (and his father) asked to annul the marriage. After the annulment, Princess Marie Louise devoted herself to charitable organisation...

Maybe you all were surprised that I mentioned an Abbey as Royal Destination but this place is now known as Schloss Thurn und Taxis or Schloss Emmeram. I had the chance to visit this wonderful place during the last Holiday in Munich and Bavaria. The castle only is visible with a guided tour. I followed it in German and the explanation was very professional and interesting. Unfortunately inside the buildings it was not allowed to take pictures. Regensburg St. Emmeram's Abbey Turn & Taxis Some important data The St. Emmeram's Abbey was founded in 739.  In 1731 the abbots received the title Princes of the Empire (Reichsfürsten)  by Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI. In 1812 the buildings were granted to the Princes of Thurn und Taxis, who turned the Abbey to a Royal Residence. Regensburg St. Emmeram's Abbey Turn & Taxis Sisi For Sisi fans, like me, it was a kind of a pilgrimage site because, Helene, the eldest sister of the Aus...

Princess Marie Auguste Anna of Thurn und Taxis was born on August 11th. 1706 in Frankfurt am Main. Princess Marie Auguste Anna of Thurn und Taxis - Source picture: Wikipedia Her parents were Anselm Franz, 2nd. Prince of Thurn und Taxis and Maria Ludovika Anna Franziska, Princess of Lobkowicz. Her marriage became an important and diplomatic topic. Finally she was chosen as bride for Charles Alexander, Duke of Württemberg. Princess Marie Auguste of Thurn und Taxis became Duchess of Württemberg. They had 4 children, who survived childhood.  Their marriage was turbulent and would be great for a novel.  Initially they fell in love with each other (they where both masters of intrigue). Later Charles Alexander used often a trusted servant to spy his wife!  On March 12th. 1737 Charles Alexander, Duke of Württemberg died suddenly. Marie Auguste became regent for her son Karl Eugen. In 1739 there were rumors that the Duchess of Württember...