All About Royal Families

Marie Louise von Degenfeld was born on November 28th. 1634 in Strasbourg (now located in eastern France). Marie Louise von Degenfeld - Source picture: Wikipedia Her parents were the impoverished baron Martens-Christof von Degenfeld  and his wife Maria Anna Adelmann von Adelmannsfelden. In 1650 Marie Louise von Degenfeld was appointed to become the  lady-in-waiting of Charlotte of Hesse-Kassel, the consort of  Charles I Louis, Elector Palatine. She moved to the Electoral Palace in Heidelberg (now located in south-west Germany). The marriage of Charles I Louis, Elector Palatine was very bad.  His wife, Charlotte, openly protested that the wedding had been contracted against her will. Charles I Louis turned his affection to Marie Louise von Degenfeld but she declined to become his mistress. So, the elector contracted a morganatic and bigamous marriage to her.  They had 13 children together, but only one of them could  ...

On November 27th. 1630, Sigismund Francis was born at Innsbruck in Austria. Sigismund Francis, Archduke of Austria - Source picture: Wikipedia His parents were Leopold V, Archduke of Austria and Claudia de' Medici. In 1662 Sigismund Francis became Archduke of Further Austria and Tyrol after the death of his brother Archduke Ferdinand Charles. Further Austria or Anterior Austria were the early possessions of the  House of Habsburg in the former Swabian stem duchy in south west of Germany, including the Alsace region and in Vorarlberg. On June 3rd. 1665 Sigismund Francis married Hedwig of the Palatinate- Sulzbach. Unfortunately he died on June 25th. 1665. With his death the younger Tyrolean line of the House of Habsburg ended.

The First performance of Jérusalem, a Grand Opera made by Giuseppe Verdi, took place at the Salle Le Peletier (Paris Opera from 1821 till 1873) in France. This work of Verdi was translated from Italian to French. Jérusalem - Source picture: Wikipedia Story Jérusalem is an opera made in 4 acts about the first crusade. The story ends with the proclamation of the victory on July 15th. 1099. Music On next Youtube link you can listen to the Introduction.

On November 25th. 1868 Ernest (in German: Ernst) Louis Charles Albert William was born in Darmstadt (Germany). His nickname in the family was Ernie. Ernest Louis 'Ernie', Grand Duke of Hesse - Source picture: Wikipedia His parents were Louis IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and Princess Alice of the United Kingdom. Princess Alice was a daughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Ernest Louis was the brother of Alix of Hesse, the later Tsarina Alexandra of Russia. During his youth, Ernest Louis was regularly confronted with death. First his younger brother, Prince Friedrich died, later his sister May and then his mother Princess Alice. This affected Ernest Louis for the rest of his life. In 1892 Ernest Louis became Grand Duke of Hesse, after the death of his father. He was a patron of arts and founded the Darmstadt Artists 's Colony. With the encouragement of Queen Victoria, Ernest Louis married on April 9th. 1894 his first cousin Princess V...

November 24th. 1615 marks the birth of Philip William of Neuburg at the New Palace in Giessen (Germany). Philip William, Elector Palatine - Source picture: Wikipedia His parents were Wolfgang Wilhelm, Count of Palatine and Neuburg and Magdalene of Bavaria. Philip William was a member of the noble House of Wittelsbach. As a child he lived in Düsseldorf and Neuburg. From 1630 plans were made to find a suitable wife for him. Finally he married on June 8th. 1642 Anna Catherine Constance Vasa of Poland, daughter of King Sigismund III of Poland. She brought a considerable dowry in jewels and cash. On July 18th. 1645, Anna Catherine gave birth to a son, who died the same day. She died on October 8th. 1651. On September 3rd. 1653 Philip William married Landgravine Elisabeth of Hesse-Darmstadt. They had 17 children together and the marriage  was extremely happy and lasted 37 years. In 1685 Philip William inherited the Electorate of the Palatin...

Descendants of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and her husband,  Prince Albert, always interested me a lot. November 21st. 1840 is therefore an important day. Their eldest child was born:  Victoria Adelaide Mary Louisa. The princess was born three weeks early and her father, Prince Albert was present at her birth. This used to be very special. In 1841 she received the title: Princes Royal. In the family she was known as Vicky. Prince Albert and his eldest daughter - Source picture: Wikipedia The education of Victoria was closely followed by her parents. She became very intelligent, unlike her brother. At the age of five, Victoria was taught to read and write by her governess. The little princes also spoke French with her French nursery maid. On January 25th. 1858 the Princess Royal married Prince Frederick William of Prussia.  Their marriage was both a love match and a dynastic alliance. They had 8 children. On March 9th. 1888 V...

November 20th. 1805 marks an important moment in the history of opera. On that day Fidelio was first performed at the Theater an der Wien in Vienna (Austria). Fidelio - Source picture: Wikipedia Fidelio went to several versions before achieving full success. This was hindered by the fact that Vienna was under French military occupation. Most of the audience were French military officers.  In 1814 (see the picture) van Beethoven revised his opera again. The new performance took place on May 23rd. 1814 with in the audience a young Franz Schubert.  The opera tells the story of Leonore, disguised as prison guard 'Fidelio', saved her husband from death in a political prison. On next youtube link , you can listen to the overture. 

November 19th. 1597 marks the birth of a very noble girl, called Elizabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate. Elizabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate - Source picture: Wikipedia She was the daughter of Frederick IV, Elector Palatine and  Louise Juliana of Orange-Nassau. Her brother Frederick became famous as Winter King of Bohemia. In 1616 a marriage was arranged to unite two Protestant dynasties. Elizabeth Charlotte married George William, Elector of Brandenburg. They had 3 children, two daughters and a son. Elizabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate died on April 26th. 1660 at the age of 62 in Crossen (now located in Poland).

My Tree Tuesday picture was taken this year at the Nymphenburg Palace Park in Munich (Germany). Nymphenburg Palace Park Munich Germany Around 1800, Bavarian Elector Maximilian IV commissioned he reshaping of the landscape of Nymphenburg. This works took place between 1804 and 1823. Canals, Water basins and other areas were replaced with natural-looking design elements. I liked this little town near the canal the most. You can see another picture and blogpost about Nymphenburg Palace Park on next link . With this I'll end my Treetuesday post and I'd like to wish you all a good Tuesday.

On November 18th. 1772, a boy was born. He received the name Prince Louis Ferdinand of Prussia. Prince Louis Ferdinand of Prussia - Source picture: Wikipedia His parents were Prince August Ferdinand of Prussia and Elisabeth Louise of Brandenburg-Schwedt. He married the catholic countess Marie Adelaide de la Grange. They had a son together. Prince Louis Ferdinand also had a illegitimate son, who was called Ludwig von Wildenbruch. Prince Louis Ferdinand had a military career, but he was interested in music too. He was a gifted musician and composer. Even Ludwig von Beethoven dedicated his Third Piano Concerto to him, as a sign of high esteem for his piano playing.  Unfortunately Prince Louis Ferdinand of Prussia died on October 10th. 1806 at the age of 33, during the battle of Saalfeld.

In the Royal Alcázar of Seville, a girl was born on November 17th. 1729. She had the (long) name: Maria Antonia Ferdinanda of Spain. Maria Antonia Ferdinanda and her sister - Source picture: Wikipedia She was the youngest daughter of Philip V of Spain and his second wife Elisabeth Farnese. As daughter of the Spanish King, Maria Antonia Ferdinanda had the title: Infanta of Spain and was called Her Royal Highness. On May 31st. 1750 Maria Antonia Ferdinanda married Victor Amadeus, Duke of Savoy, who was the eldest son of King Charles Emmanuel III of Sardinia . S ee my Today in History on next link .  Although this was an arranged marriage, the two really were  close and they had a loving relationship. They also had 12 children. The couple surrounded themselves with modern thinkers and various politicians. Due to the death of her father-in-law, she became Queen of Sardinia in 1773. On September 19th. 1785 (at the age of 55) she died in Turin.

This Picture was taken this year at the Cinquantenaire Park in Brussels. own picture On the picture you can see a triumphal arch, ordered by King Leopold II of Belgium. Why I've chosen a picture from Brussels? Well, every year on November 15th. there is a King's Feast also called Day of the Dynasty.  November 15th.was the name day of Leopold and Albert. What will happen in Brussels? Members of the Royal Family (not King Philippe and Queen Mathilde) will attend the Te Deum in the Cathedral of St.Michael and St. Gudula.  Later there are ceremonies in the Belgian Federal Parliament.

On October 26th. 1802 a noble boy was born in Lisbon, capital of Portugal. This boy received the name: Miguel. Miguel I of Portugal - Source picture: Wikipedia His parents were João of Portugal and Carlota Joaquina of Spain. Although some sources pretended that Miguel was the son of Carlota and one of her alleged lovers. Nevertheless King João always considered  Miguel as his son. In 1807, at the age of 5 Miguel accompanied the Portuguese Royal Family on their transfer to Brazil, due to the invasion of Napoleon in Portugal. As a child Miguel was spoiled by the Queen and her entourage. Later he admired Prince Klemens Wenzel von Metternich. In 1823 he was the head of a contra revolution, who broke out in Vila Franca. Miguel declared his support for an absolutist monarchy. He wanted to be the  King instead of his father. This plan failed and he exiled to Vienna. On March 10th. 1826 Miguel 's father died and his brother, Pedro became King ...

November 13th. 1493 marks the birth of William (in German: Wilhelm) of Bavaria. William IV, Duke of Bavaria - Source picture: Wikipedia His parents were Albert IV of Bavaria and Kunigunde of Austria. Although William was the eldest son, his brother Louis refused a spiritual career. So, after the death of their father the two ruled both over Bavaria. Louis ruled the districts of Landshut and Steaubing. Initially William IV had sympathy for the reformation but he changed his mind. In 1522 he issued the first Bavarian religion mandate and he banned the works from Martin Luther.   In 1522 William IV married Marie of Baden-Sponheim, also called Jacobaea. They had 4 children. William IV also had 2 illegitimate children. In 1524 William IV made an agreement with the Pope. He became one of the  leaders of the German Counter Reformation.  William IV was an important collector of art. Most of his collection still exists today. It hou...

December 5th. 1671 marks the birth of Joseph Clemens of Bavaria. Joseph Clemens of Bavaria - Source picture: Wikipedia His parents were Elector Ferdinand Maria of Bavaria and Henrietta Adelaide of Savoy. They decided that Joseph Clemens 's life should be dedicated to the church. He became archbishop of Cologne. Later he served as: Prince Bishop of Liège, Regensburg, Freising and Hildesheim. Although he was an archbishop, he was mentioned as the proposed groom of Élisabeth Charlotte d'Orléans, also known as Mademoiselle de Chartres. She finally married Léopold, Duke of Lorraine. Joseph Clemens of Bavaria - Source picture: Wikipedia During the War of the Spanish Succession, Joseph Clemens allied with  King Louis XIV of France. He was forced to exile and went to Namur (Belgium). He also lived in Lille (France) and in Valenciennes (France). In 1714 the war between France and the Empire finally ended.  Joseph Clemens returned to Bonn and...

The Royal Tree Tuesday picture of this week was taken in 2014 near the Bonapartedok (in English: dock). Bonaparte dock Antwerp Belgium Location The amazing  Bonapartedock is located in Antwerp, Belgium. Bonapartedock Facts The Bonapartedok has a: 217,40 length 174,87 width A Royal Place In 1811, the French Emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte, gave the order to build this dock 'as a pistol on England'. On August 10th. 1903 it was named after the emperor. A funny detail:near the Bonnaparte dock in the east, the Willemsdock is located. This dock was named after King William I of The Netherlands. To visit This place is located near the Scheldt in Antwerp. Antwerp is easily accessible by public transport. The railway station is about 20 minutes away (by walking) from the Scheldt.  

On May 17th. 1714, Princess Anne Charlotte of Lorraine was born at Château de Lunéville in Nancy (France). Princess Anne Charlotte of Lorraine - Source picture: Wikipedia Her parents were Leopold, Duke of Lorraine and his spouse Élisabeth Charlotte d'Orléans (her mother was the niece of Louis XIV of France and sister of Philippe II, Duke of Orléans). When Anne Charlotte was seven and a half she went to the French Court of her maternal family, the Royal House of Bourbon. There she met her grandmother the Dowager Duchess of Orléans, also called the Princesse Palatine. Her grandmother said that Anne Charlotte was 'A little beauty'. In 1725, the parents of Anne Charlotte hoped that their daughter would marry King Louis XV of France, who was during that time just 15 years old but instead of Anne Charlotte, Marie Leszczynska was chosen as bride for the monarch. In 1726 Louis d'Orléans, nephew of the Duchess of Lorraine became a widower and he was then 2...

On November 6th. 1754, Frederick William Charles of Württemberg was born in Treptow an der Rega, today the place is called Trzebiatów and located in Poland. King Frederick William Charles of Württemberg - Source picture: Wikipedia He was the eldest son of Frederick II Eugene, Duke of Württemberg and Sophia Dorothea of Brandenburg-Schwedt. Frederick's father was the third son of Charles Alexander, Duke of Württemberg. Frederick's younger sister,  Sophie Dorothea, married the future Tsar Paul I of Russia. On October 15th. 1780 Frederick married Duchess Augusta of Brunswick- Wolfenbüttel. (daughter of Charles William Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick- Lüneburg and Princess Augusta of Great Britain, sister of King George III). This marriage was not a happy one, although they had 4 children. First of all, Frederick was reportedly violent towards his wife. During a visit to  Saint-Petersburg in December 1786, Augusta asked for protection from Empress Cath...

On September 23rd. 1625, a boy was born in Baden-Baden ( a spa town in southwestern Germany). The boy received the name Ferdinand Maximilian. Source picture- Wikipedia His parents were William, Margrave of Baden-Baden and  Catherina Ursula of Hohenzollern-Hechingen. On March 15th. 1653 Ferdinand Maximilian of Baden-Baden married at the Église Saint-Sulpice in Paris, Princess Louise Christine of Savoy. This marriage wasn't successful because Princess Louise refused to leave the French Court. Although on April 8th. 1655 she gave birth to a son, who was called Louis William of Baden-Baden. He was named after his godfather, the French King Louis XIV. Ferdinand Maximilian gave order to smuggle his son (then 3 months old) out of France to raise him in Baden-Baden. So, Louis didn't grew up by his  mother but by the second wife of his paternal grandfather. On November 4th. 1669 Ferdinand Maximilian died due to an hunting accident in Heidelber...

In May 1187 a girl was born. She received the name Urraca of Castile. Urraca of Castile - Source picture: Wikipedia Her parents were Alfonso VIII of Castile and Eleanor of England. She also had important maternal grandparents: King Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine. As always with such a genealogy, an appropriate suitor was important. Urraca was considered as a possible bride for Louis VIII of France, but he married Urraca's sister Blanca, also called Blanche. Finally, in 1206, Urraca married Alfonso, who became later King of Portugal. They had 5 children, 4 of them survived childhood. Urraca died on November 3rd. 1220 in Coimbra (Portugal). She was buried in the Alcobaça Monastery.

My happy Sunday picture was taken near Kitzbühel in Tyrol (Austria). own picture On the picture you can see the amazing landscape around Kitzbühel. The Kitzbühel alps are around 80 km long and 25 to 35 km wide. They are bordered by the Ziller Valley and the Tux Alps in the west and the Saalach river and Zell am See in the east. There also is a Royal Link in Kitzbühel. Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria gave the order for the railway station construction and the construction of the Salzburg-Tyroler-Bahn. So, this was my Happy Sunday picture blogpost. I wish you all a very good day and a nice start of the week.

Today many people are 'celebrating' All Saints' Day, which also is known as All Hallows, Solemnity of All Saints or Feast of All Saints. Kizbühel - Austria - own picture All Saints' Day is a national Holiday inter alia in Belgium, Austria, Spain and many other countries. All Saints' Day is a Christian festival to honour all the Saints. In many traditions All Saints' Day is a part of the Allhallowtide (from 31st. October till 2 November). In the 9th century the celebrations around All Saints' Day gained much  importance especially during the reign of Byzantine Emperor  Leo VI 'the Wise'. When his wife Empress Theophano died, he built a church to honour her, but this was not allowed, so he called the new church: All Saints. On November 1st. and November 2nd. it is the habit in Belgium to visit the graveyard and to clean the grave of deceased relatives in order to honour them. Then many people put some flowers on it too. ...