All About Royal Families

The Dutch East Indian Company (in Dutch: Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie VOC) was established on March 20th. 1602. own picture replica of a VOC Ship in Amsterdam  The VOC is often considered as the first multinational of the world. The  company even used stocks! It was a powerful company who could make war to establish colonies. They had their own coins and ways to negotiate treaties. Their beautiful headquarters were located in Amsterdam. This ended all with a defunct on December 31st. 1799,  due to corruption. Although it is not a nice post, I'd like to wish you all a very happy  New Year's Eve.

The Orangery Palace (in German: Orangerieschloss), also known as the New Orangery or just the Orangery was built for King Frederick William V of Prussia between 1851 and 1864. For me it was one of the most beautiful palaces in the world I've ever seen. Not the outside surprised me but the inside of the castle. You had to put on slippers above your shoes, however it was one of the best guided tours I've  ever had. inside the Orangery palace - own picture In the middle of the building lies the Rafael Hall which falls over in the Museum Hall. On the red silk covered walls hang over 50 copies of Renaissance Paintings. inside the Orangery Palace - own picture Besides this Museum Hall there are a lot of apartments, which you can see. They all were outfitted in a splendid second Rococo style. inside the Orangery Palace - own picture There also were guest rooms for Tsar Nicholas I of Russia and his wife Alexandra Feodorovna, who was the sister of ...

On December 26th. 1618, Elisabeth of the Palatinate (also known as Elisabeth of Bohemia) was born in Heidelberg (Germany) as a daughter of Frederick V, Elector Palatine and Elizabeth Stuart. Source picture: Wikipedia After the overthrow of Frederick V, Elector Palatine, Elisabeth spent her earliest youth in Berlin,where Elisabeth 's grandmother Juliana, a daughter  of William of Orange, took care about her. Elisabeth was known for her intelligence, some people called her 'The Greek'. She spoke multiple languages fluently, including Latin. She liked the classical languages very much. Besides her interest in languages, Elisabeth received an education in history, geography, mathematics and fine arts such as painting, dancing and poetry. Elisabeth completed her education in Leiden (The Netherlands). Later she moved to The Hague, where her parents kept a quiet court. However Elisabeth's hunger for knowledge wasn't satisfied yet. Sh...

December 24th. 1588 marks the birth of Constance of Austria. Her parents were Charles II of Austria and Maria Anna of Bavaria. Constance of Austria - Source picture: Wikipedia After the death of her sister, Anna of Austria, Constance married her sisters widow, Sigismund III Vasa (King of Poland), on December 11th. 1605. They would have 7 children. As Queen Constance was very ambitious and she tried to have political influences. She built a strong fraction of followers by arranging marriages between her handmaidens and powerful nobles.  She also represented the Habsburg Family in Poland and all the positions at the Royal Court were influenced by her. She talked Spanish, Latin and Italian. As queen of Poland Constance learned Polish but she never liked to use it.  The very religious Constance went twice a day to a Service. She also was a patron of clerics, painters and architects.  On July 10th. 1631, at the age of 42, she died due t...

Albrecht, Duke of Württemberg was born on December 23rd. 1865 in Vienna as the son of Philipp, Duke of Württemberg and Archduchess Maria Theresa of Austria. Albrecht and his wife - Source picture: Wikipedia On January 24th. 1893 Albrecht married Archduchess Margarete Sophie of Austria. This took place in Vienna. The two would have 7 children. During World War I he commanded the German 4th Army inter alia in the Battle of the Ardennes (1914), the first Battle of the Marne and then  he was transferred to Flanders during the Battle of the Yser until the  Armistice. On October 2nd. 1921, Albrecht became the head of the House of Württemberg after the death of his cousin King William II . see my Today in History of October 2nd, which you can check on next link . Albrecht died on October 31st. 1939 at Altshausen, which is now located in southern Germany.

December 22nd. 1597 marks the birth of Frederick III of Holstein-Gottorp (in German: Friedrich III). He was the son of Duke Johann Adolf of Holstein-Gottorp and Augusta of Denmark (daughter of King Frederick II of Denmark). Source picture: Wikipedia On February 21st. 1630 Frederick married Duchess Marie Elisabeth of Saxony. She was the daughter of John George I, Elector of Saxony. They had 16 children together. On November 6th. 1633 Frederick sent an expedition to Moscow in order to  negotiate about a trade agreement with Tsar Michael I of Russia. This wasn't successful. As patron of Arts and Culture Frederick became more successful.  He contributed inter alia to the creation of the Globe of Gottorf.  The painter Jürgen Ovens worked more than 30 years for him and his successor. He died on August 10th. 1659.

My Happy Weekend Picture was taken in June 2014 inside the Loo Palace at Apeldoorn in The Netherlands. own picture - Het Loo Palace Nowadays The Loo Palace is a museum and gives you an idea how several members of the Dutch Royal family have lived. There also were some temporary exhibitions. The Loo Palace is among the Top 100 of the Dutch Heritage Sites of UNESCO. In 2013 around 400 000 people visited the palace, so it was one of the 8th.  most visited museums in The Netherlands. With this I'll end my post and I'd like to wish you a very happy Weekend!

On December 19th.1671, a girl was born with the name: Christiane Eberhardine of Brandenburg-Bayreuth. source picture: wikipedia She was the firstborn child of Christian Ernst, Margrave of Brandenburg- Bayreuth and his wife, Sophie Louise of Württemberg.  Christiane Eberhardine had five younger siblings, only two of them, survived childhood but she remained close to her relatives throughout her life. On January 20th. 1693, at the age of 21, she married Frederick Augustus, Duke of Saxony. This marriage was political and became highly unhappy. Augustus found her boring and she was shocked and hurt by his infidelity. In 1694 Christiane Eberhardine became electress when Augustus succeeded his brother as elector. According to some stories there was a kind of carnival procession in which Augustus celebrated his evelation. Members of his court drove through Dresden dressed as gods and goddnesses.Even his mistress, Maria Aurora von Königsmarck, parti...

December 18th. 1718 marks the birth of Grand Duchess Anna Leopoldovna of Russia. This took place in Rostock (northern Germany). Grand Duchess Anna Leopoldovna - Source picture: Wikipedia Her parents were Catherine Ivanovna of Russia and Charles Leopold, Duke of Mecklenburg. In 1722 Anna arrived in Russia after her mother escaped and separated from her father.  In 1733 Anna converted to Orthodox religion. Then she took the name Anna Leopoldovna, which made her an acceptable heir to the throne. In 1739 she married Anthony Ulrich, son of Ferdinand Albert,  Duke of Brünswick - Wolfenbüttel. He was already since 1733 in Russia. This gave Anna the opportunity to know him. On October 5th. 1740 Anna proclaimed her new born son, Ivan, as heir to the throne. Five days later the empress died.  Anna Leopoldovna became regent. However in 1741 there was a coup from Elisabeth, daughter of  Peter the Great and she became Empress of Rus...

On December 17th. 1638 Landgravine Anna Sophia of Hesse-Darmstadt was born as the daughter of George II, Landgrave of Hesse Darmstadt and Duchess Sophia Leonore of Saxony. Anna Sophia - Source picture: Wikipedia At the age of 17 ,in 1655, Anna Sophia entered the Quedlinburg Abbey.  This was located in Saxony - Anhalt.  In 1658 she published a book of spiritual meditations with the title  Der True Seelenfreund Christus Jesus. In this book she defended her  choice to remain unmarried. At first Lutheran theologians regarded her book as suspect. They argued that the book equalized women with men! They later changed their minds. It became a standard in the 17th. century. In 1681, she was elected to succeed Anna Sophia I, Princess-Abbess of Quedlinburg under the name Anna Sophia II. There Anna Sophia died on December 13th. 1683 (after she reigned  only for two years).

This Tree Tuesday Picture gives a wonderful reflection of the grey, dreary landscape of the moment (although the picture was taken some years ago). own picture taken in Amsterdam The Vondelpark in Amsterdam (named after the famous Dutch writer Joost van den Vondel) was opened in 1865. Nowadays it is one of the famous landmarks of Amsterdam, located near the Leidseplein and the Museumplein (in English: Museum Square). Annually there are around 10 million visitors. The Vondelpark includes: - an Open Air Theatre (during the months July and August), - several horeca facilities, - statues (see picture). The Vondelpark also has a Royal Link. Every year with King's Day there are games for children and a lot of other activities. I visited the park during the winter months and then it was a nice and relaxing place. Now I'll end my post with an: enjoy your tuesday! own picture

Leopold II Maximilian was born at Dessau on December 25th. 1700 as the second son of Leopold I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau and Anna Louise Föhse. Leopold II Maximilian of Anhalt Dessau - Source picture: Wikipedia Already at the age of nine, he accompanied his father on his military duties for the Prussian army.  In 1715 Leopold Maximilian was appointed Lieutenant Colonel-in-Chief of the  Infantry Regiment No. 27 of Stendal. In 1733 he led the Prussian forces stationed in Mühlhausen (Thuringia) during the first Silesian War. Leopold Maximilian married on May 25th. 1737 Gisela Agnes in Bernburg. They should have 7 children. 1737 was an important year for Leopold Maximilian - then his elder brother, the Hereditary Prince William Gustav died. This made him the new heir of  Dessau. After the death of his father (1747), Leopold became the Prince of Anhalt-Dessau. But this Prince was one of the best generals who served under King Frede...

In Munich Albert IV, Duke of Bavaria, was born on December 15th. 1447. Albert was a son of Albert III, Duke of Bavaria and Anna of Brunswick - Grubenhagen - Einbeck.   Albert IV - Duke of Bavaria - Source picture: Wikipedia  Author picture: Kmorozov From 1467 Albert IV was Duke of Bavaria - Munich. In 1503 he became duke of the reunited Bavaria (after the death of his brother Duke Sigismund). In 1487 Albert IV married Kunigunde of Austria (daughter of Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor, and Eleanor of Portugal). They had 8 children. The negotiations for this wedding weren't without any problems.  Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor didn't like it all that his daughter should marry Albert IV. That the two finally could marry was a result of  intrigues and deception.  First Albert IV took control of some imperial Fiefs (heritable properties). Then he asked Kunigunde to marry him. That was possible because she lived in Innsbruck  - far a...

My Weekend picture was taken inside the Sanssouci Palace at Postdam near Berlin (Germany) in 2013 - time goes fast . own picture inside Sanssouci Sanssouci was the former summer Palace of King Frederick the Great of Prussia.  Inside this wonderful building he invited important guests, played music, had dinner etc... With this room full of luxury, gold and beautiful ornaments I'd like to wish all the readers of my blog - a very nice and relaxing Weekend! own picture inside Sanssouci

Monogram of Queen Fabiola - Source picture: Wikipedia On this rainy day the funeral of Queen Fabiola of Belium takes place. screenshot Queen Fabiola - July 2013 Now, the Belgian Royal Family is (in cars) on their way to the Cathedral fo St. Michael and St. Gudula. The last tour of Queen Fabiola... own picture with the statue of queen Fabiola's husband  King Baudouin of Belgium They are arrived. The Royal Family is entering the cathedral. Around 10 AM the funeral service started. After two hours, the service is finished. The Royal Family will now, go to the Church of Our Lady in Laeken. There the coffin will be interred in the Royal Crypt, next to her husband, King Baudouin. To make things more clear - Belgium has now 2 queens left. Married with the reigning King: Queen Mathilde of the Belgians Married with the non reigning King: Queen Paola of Belgium  Inside the cathedral - taken in 2012 Who attended the funeral service ? ...

December 12th. 1298 marks the birth of Albert II of Austria. He was born at Habsburg Castle (located in Switzerland). Albert II of Austria - Source picture: Wikipedia His parents were Albert I of Germany and Elisabeth of Tyrol. On February 15th. 1324 Albert II of Austria married Countess Johanna of Pfirt. They had 6 children. Albert II died on August 16th. 1358 in Vienna. He gave the order to start the construction of the Gothic Choir in the St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna. This was known as the Albertinian Choir. St. Stephens Cathedral- own picture Where does the name 'The Lame' came from ? It has been speculated that Albert II, Duke of Austria, had temporary paralysis caused by polyarthritis.

On December 11th 1445, a boy was born at Urach. He received the name: Eberhard of Württemberg. Later he was known as Eberhard the Bearded. Eberhard of Württemberg - Source picture: Wikipedia He was the son of count Ludwig I and his wife Mechtild of the Palatinate. In 1468 Eberhard travelled to Jerusalem, there he became a knight of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre. Later he chose the palm as his symbol. On April 12th. of July 4th 1474 (the exact date isn't known) he married Barbara, who whas the daughter of Ludovico III Gonzaga, Marquis of Mantua. Eberhard and Barbara had one daughter together, who was called: Barbara. Unfortunately she lived very shortly. In 1477 Eberhard founded the University of Tübingen. In 1482 he achieved the re-unification of the two parts of Württemberg with the  Treaty of Münsingen. Later he moved the capital to Stuttgart. Eberhard was praised for his commitment to his subjects, although he was a fanatical persecutor of Jews. I...

December 16th. 1790 marks the birth of a very notable boy called: Leopold Georg Christian Friedrich of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Leopold I of Belgium own picture taken in the Royal Palace of Brussels His parents had been Francis, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Augusta Reuss-Ebersdorf. On May 2nd. 1816  Leopold married Charlotte, Princess of Wales.  This marriage was very happy and loving untill fate stuck.  On November 5th. 1817, Charlotte gave birth to a stillborn son. She died the day after. July 21 st. 1831 also was an important day for Leopold. Then he laid off the oath as first King of Belgium. On August 9th 1832 Leopold married Princess Louise of Orléans (daughter of the French King Louis Philippe I). They had 4 children. As King, Leopold was involved with major projects in Belgium. In 1835 for example there was the opening of the railway between Brussels and Mechelen. Due to his European connections and his diplo...

Archduke Maximilian Francis of Austria was born on December 8th. 1756 at the Hofburg Palace in Vienna. Archduke Maximilian Francis of Austria - Source: Wikipedia His parents were Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor and Maria Theresa of Austria. Archduke Maximilian Francis was the brother of Queen Marie Antoinette of France and Queen Maria Carolina of the Two Sicilies. Two of his brothers and one of his nephews were Holy Roman Emperors: Joseph II, Leopold II and Francis II. In 1784 he became Archbishop and Elector Spiritual of Cologne, he lived in the Electoral residence in Bonn. As a keen patron of music Maximilian Francis maintained court musicals.  The court organist, Christian Gottlob Neefe was Beethoven's early mentor  and teacher. He recognized the remarkable gift of his young pupil, both as performer and as composer. Neefe brought Beethoven to the court and advised Maximilian Francis to appoint him as assistant organist. Maximilian Francis ...

On December 5th. 1766, the first auction of James Christie took place at rooms in the Pall Mall in London. James Christie - Source picture: Wikipedia Although the official company literature stated that December 5th. 1766 was the first Christie's auction there were mentions that James Christie rented earlier rooms for sales (even in 1762). However Christie's soon established a strong reputation as a leading auction house.  Christie's main saleroom is located on King Street in St. James's in London where it has been based since 1823. In 1977 Christie's opened a branch on New York's Park Avenue. peep @ Christie's - Source picture: Wikipedia During all those years there were a lot of remarkable auctions. Even possessions of Rembrandt, Leonardo da Vinci, Napoleon and Diana, Princess of Wales were sold.  Nowadays Christie's had 85 offices in 43 countries. Isn't that amazing?

December 4th 1711, Marks the birth of Infanta Barbara of Portugal. Barbara of Portugal - Source picture: Wikipedia The Portuguese Princess was baptised as: Maria Madalena Bárbara Xavier Leonor Teresa Antónia Josefa. All her names were honouring  a number of saints and relatives.  Formally she was known as Bárbara, a name never used before among  the Portuguese Royals in honour of Saint Barbara, the saint of her  birthday. Barbara was the first cousin of the future Empress Maria Theresa as well as Maria Josepha of Austria.   She was considered to marry Louis XV of France, however in 1729 at the age of 18, Barbara married the future Ferdinand VI of Spain.  From 1733 until 1737 the couple were kept under more or less house  arrest in their apartments at the Royal Palace of Aranjuez, due to  Queen Elizabeth (Elizabeth Farnese).  This gave Barbara the opportunity to deepen her relationship with...

The Battle of Hohenlinden was fought on December 3rd. 1800 during the French Revolution Wars. Battle of Hohenlinden - Source picture: Wikipedia The French army was led by Jean Victor Marie Moreau. A coalition army of Austrians and Bavarians was led by Archduke John of Austria. Jean Victor Marie Moreau, 14 February 1763 – 2 September 1813)  was a French general who helped Napoleon Bonaparte rise to power,  but later became a rival and was banished to the United States.  Source picture:Wikipedia This battle took place at Hohenlinden, which is now located around 33 km in the east of Munich (Germany).  In February 1801 the Austrians had to sign the Treaty of Lunéville . They also accepted the French control up to the Rhine and the French puppet republics in Italy and the Netherlands.  There also is a poem called Hohenlinden, which was created by  Thomas Campbell. The first verse is: On Linden, when the sun was low, All bloo...

My Tree Tuesday picture was taken in the small but beautiful Leopold Park in Brussels. On the picture you also can see a side view of the the amazing Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences . own picture The Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences really is an impressing Museum with a huge collection.  I visited the museum together with my husband and our little niece and they liked it much. I honestly, was more impressed by its architecture and its history, but we can't argue about taste :-) This museum was mentioned on the 3rd place on the CNN top 10 list of the World's best dinosaur museums. You can check this list on this link . inside the museum and the dinosaurs

On December 2nd 1971 the United Arab Emirates were founded after they became independent from the United Kingdom. The United Arab Emirates in the World - The country federation consists of: Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras-al-Khaimah, Sharjah, Umm al-Quwain. The current ruler is Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed  bin Sultan Al Nahyan. With this post I write about a country outside Europe because it's always interesting to look further than the well-known borders. Source pictures: Wikipedia

January 10th. 1480 marks the birth of Archduchess Margaret of Austria . Margaret of Austria - Source picture: Wikipedia She was the second child and only daughter of Maximilian I,  Holy Roman Emperor and Mary of Burgundy. Margaret was named after her step grandmother Margaret of York. In 1482 her father and King Louis XI of France made an agreement called the Treaty of Arras. Maximilian I promised to gave Margaret's hand in marriage to Louis' son Charles. Their engagement took place in 1483 and Margaret was sent to the French Court. There she was  raised as 'Fille de France' under the supervision of Charles' sister, Anne of France. However Charles declined the Treaty and married Margaret's stepmother: Anne, Duchess of Burgundy. This action hurted Margaret a lot and her feelings of anger against France stayed during her whole life. In 1501 Margaret finally married Philibert II, Duke of Savoy, who died 3 years later. Aft...