All About Royal Families

My Happy Weekend picture was taken during a visit to Turkey in 2007. own picture of Perge At the picture you can see the ruins of Perge, also called Perga. It isn't a big surprise that the Greeks founded here a city. Perge had indeed the ideal location.It was located between two rivers and outside the town, on a hill, the Greeks built a temple dedicated to their godness Artemis. Later Perge was very interesting in the eyes of Alexander the Great. He occupied this city with a part of his army after quitting Phaselis. own picture of Perge In 46 A.D. Apostle St. Paul visited Perge, this was noted in the acts of the Apostles. In the 4th.  century A.D. Perge was ruled by Constantine the Great and then  it became an important center of Christianity. So, this was my Weekend picture and a small History story. I wish you all a very Happy Weekend and a good start of the brand new week.  I also want to thank all my readers of this blog for their su...

December 15th. 1588 marks the birth of Adolf Frederick I, Duke of Mecklenburg. This event took place in Schwerin (Germany). Adolf Frederick, Duke of Mecklenburg - Source picture: Wikipedia His parents had been John VII, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Sophia of Schleswig-Holstein. On September 4th. 1622 Adolf Frederick I married Anna Maria of East Frisia (died in 1634). During the reign of Adolf Frederick I, the Duchy had a lot of troubles. First of all there were huge religious conflicts between catholics and protestants during the Thirty Year's War. In this destructive conflict Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand II employed Albrecht von Wallenstein as military and political advisor. Albrecht von Wallenstein discovered a secret alliance between Adolf Frederick, his brother and King Christian IV of Denmark (who was a protestant). Between 1627 and 1631 Albrecht von Wallenstein ruled the Duchy. Later this was restored by the Swedish under King Gustavus II Adol...

February 25th. 1622 marks the birth of Christian Louis (in German: Christian Ludwig). This event took place at Herzberg am Harz. Christian Louis - Source picture: Wikipedia His parents were George, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Anne Eleonore of Hesse-Darmstadt. After the death of his father, Christian Louis inherited the title duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg but he lived his whole life at the Leineschloss in Hanover. In 1642 Christian Louis became a member of the Freatbearing Society. This was a German literary society. On October 9th. 1653 Christian Louis married Sophie Dorothea of Schleswig- Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg. But in 1665 he died childless in Celle on March 15th. at the age of 43.

One of the most beautiful places in Belgium, the Damme Canal, is located near Bruges in West Flanders. Besides its amazing nature, this place has an  interesting royal history too! Damme Canal Belgium own picture Royal History This Damme Canal also has a great history. It all started with an order of Napoleon Bonaparte in 1810. This canal should connect Bruges with the Western Scheldt. It was a part of the canal network behind the coast. These networks should give the opportunity to provide the French troops quickly without the confrontation of the English on the North Sea. The Damme Canal was used for shipping till 1940, then - how ironic - French troops destroyed the siphon system. Nowadays the Damme Canal is used for recreation sports like pleasure boats, fishing. It also is an important touristic route between Bruges and Damme.

Eléanor de Roucy de Roye was born on February 24th. 1535 in France. Her parents were Charles de Roye and Madeleine de Maillé. Eléanor - Source picture: Wikipedia Through her father Eléanor inherited the County de Roucy and through her mother she inherited the lordship of Conti. This made her a good wedding candidate. On June 22nd. 1551 Eléanor married Louis de Bourbon, Prince of Condé. This was a famous Huguenot leader and a general. They would have 8 children, but only two of them had issue. Between 1560 and 1563, during the French Civil Wars, Eléanor and her mother were involved with politics to support her husband. When the Prince of Condé became prisoner from the ultra-catholic Guise family, Eléanor and her mother made alliances with Protestant German Princes and even with Queen Elizabeth I of England! Later Eléanor tried to negotiate with the regent of France, which was then Catherine de' Medici. This resulted in the Peace of Amboise and the release o...

February 23rd. 1766 marks the birth of Caroline von Humboldt. This event took place in Minden (Germany). Caroline von Humboldt - Source picture: Wikipedia Her parents had been  Karl Friedrich von Dacheröden and Ernestine Friderike, Countess of Hopfgarten.  On June 29th. 1791 Caroline married Wilhelm von Humboldt in Erfurt. This marriage was rather special for that time because the two lived for long time seperated and then together. The couple gave each other a lot of freedom however they would have 8 children. The two lived in Paris (France), Rome (Italy) and Vienna (Austria), where Caroline always made from her house an important social center. Caroline even traveled to Spain, then with three children, for cataloging the Spanish art, this was much appreciated by Goethe. Rome was her favorite city. There she became a patron of art, she bought a lot of works from German artists like Gottlieb Schick, Friedrich Tieck and many more. When she was back ...

My Happy Weekend picture was taken in 2011 in Ahrweiler. This lovely place is located in the Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany. Ahrweiler - Germany - own picture The History of Ahrweiler started in 50 BC, when this place was conquered by the Romans under Julius Caesar. From 1100 till 1246 this place was ruled by the counts of Ahr and their relatives, the counts of Hochstaden. They played an important role in the development of Ahrweiler. During that period, defensive walls, ramparts and towers were built, some of them you can still see today. With this post I'd like to thank all of you for your nice comments, likes and  reshares. I also want to wish you a happy Saturday and a wonderful  Weekend. 

Karl, Prince of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen was born on February 20th. 1785. His parents were Anton Aloys, Prince of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen and Princess Amalie Zephyrine of Salm-Kyrburg. Source picture: Wikipedia When he was young, his mother lived the greatest part of her life in Paris (France) where she looked after the interests of the family. She suggested a marriage  between Karl and a niece of Napoleon Bonaparte. In Paris, on February 4th. 1808, Karl married Marie Antoinette Murat, who was a daughter of Pierre Murat (brother of Joachim Murat, the King of Two Sicilies). They would have four children.After the death of his wife, Karl remarried on January 19th. 1847 Katharina von Hohenlohe-Waldenburg-Schillingsfürst. On March 11th. 1853 he died in Bologna (Italy) during a trip to Rome.

Eberwin III, Count of Bentheim-Steinfurt was born somewhere in 1536. His parents were Arnold II of Bentheim-Steinfurt and Walburga of Brederode-Neuenahr. Eberwin III - Source picture In 1553 when he was 18 years old, Eberwin III married Anna of Tecklenburg- Schwerin (then 21 years old and the Heiress of Tecklenburg). Both families arranged the wedding on the basis of religious and political reasons. They even made a contract that if Eberwin III died young, Anna should marry his younger brother Arnold. Unfortunately this turned out to a drama. When Anna's father died, a huge dispute broke out between Eberwin and his wife. She claimed the rule and her own heritage as countess. Eberwin on the other hand claimed that he should rule. He even arrested his wife and locked her up in her own residence. Count Christopher of Oldenburg intervened and released Anna. After this episode, the nobility of Tecklenburg sided with Anna and accused Eberwin of adultery. Anna accu...

Louise-Marie Amélie was born on February 18th. 1858 at the Royal Palace in Brussels (Belgium). Her parents were King Leopold II of Belgium and his wife Princess Marie Henriette of Austria. She had a hard and Spartan youth at the Royal Palace, luckily she liked her sisters very much. Princess Louise of Belgium - Source picture: Wikipedia In 1875 Princess Louise married her second cousin Philipp, Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha-Koháry (an Hungarian branch of the family Saxe-Coburg and Gotha) in Brussels. The marriage started badly, Princess Louise even fled after wedding night to the Royal Greenhouses of Laeken. This bad start reflected their complete marriage, although they would have 2 children together. Philipp was very authoritarian towards Louise and she didn't like that! As reaction she started a lavish lifestyle at the Royal Court of Vienna. Princess Louise of Belgium caused a huge scandal in the Belgian Royal Family, when she became romanticly i...

In 1934, King Albert I of Belgium found dead on this day in Marche-les-Dames near Dinant. King Albert I reigned from 1909 till his death in 1934. This was a very hard period in Belgium due to World War I, the Great Depression and a lot of political problems. In 1951 (after a lot of troubles) there was a comité in Bruges who wanted to build a statue to honor King Albert I. King Albert I statue in Bruges Belgium Sculptor Octave Rotsaert (who came from Bruges) made the statue. He had to redesign his statue for more than 4 times to please  everyone. Finally the statue was inaugurated on May 30th. 1954. King Baudouin of Belgium (grandson of King Albert I) attended the ceremony. King Albert I statue in Bruges Belgium

Antónia Maria Fernanda Micaela Gabriela Rafaela Francisca de Asis Ana Gonzaga Silvina Júlia Augusta de Saxe-Coburgo y Bragança  (what a long name) was born on February 17th. 1845 at the Palace of Belém in Lisbon (Portugal). infanta Antónia of Portugal - Source picture: Wikipedia Her parents were King Fernando II of Portugal and Maria II of Portugal. On September 12th. 1861 Antónia married Leopold, Prince of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen. They would have 3 sons: - William (who married twice: Princess Maria Teresa of Bourbon-Two Sicilies and Princess Adelgunde of Bavaria); - Ferdinand (who married Princess Marie of Edinburgh) - he became King of Romania; - Karl Anton (who  later married Princess Joséphine Charlotte of Belgium - daughter of Prince Philippe, Count of Flanders). Infanta Antónia of Portugal died on December 27th. 1913 in Sigmaringen (Baden-Würtemberg)

Till Eulenspiegel was a famous personage from a Middle Low German folklore. Tijl Uilenspiegel in Damme Belgium In 1867 Charles De Coster wrote a Dutch novel from this famous  personage. He made an hero and translated Till Eulenspiegel to Tijl Uilenspiegel. Indeed in the novel, the naughty boy cheated the Spanish Overlords. TTijl Uilenspiegel, near the church in Damme- Belgium  Own picture According to the novel, Tijl Uilenspiegel was born in Damme, a small and lovely town near Bruges (located in the Flemish part of Belgium). There are a lot of traces from this legend in Damme, which became very popular.

First of all I want to wish all the readers of my blog a very Happy Weekend and a Romantic St. Valentine. Own picture taken in Maastricht in 2014 At the picture you can see the Meuse. This river rises in Pouilly en Bassigny (France)and ends in North Sea  (the Netherlands). The Meuse passes France, Belgium and The Netherlands and it is crossed  by a lot of bridges.  Maastricht  is located on both sides of the river.   The name means literally:   'crossing at the Meuse'.

coat of arms of the House of Habsburg - Source picture: Wikipedia   God Save Emperor Francis or in German: Got herhalte Franz den Kaiser were the first words of the Emperor's Hymn 'Kaiserhymne'. The Lyrics were made by Lorenz Leopold Haschka and the melody was written by Joseph Haydn. The premiere of this song took place at the Burgtheater in Vienna on  February 12th. 1797. Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser, Unsern guten Kaiser Franz, Hoch als Herrscher, hoch als Weiser, Steht er in des Ruhmes Glanz; Liebe windet Lorbeerreiser Ihm zum ewig grünen Kranz. Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser, Unsern guten Kaiser Franz! On next Youtube link you'll hear the performance at the funeral of the last Otto von Habsburg.

February 11th. 1466 marks the birth of Elizabeth of York at the Palace of Westminster Palace. She was the eldest child of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville. Elizabeth of York - Source picture: Wikipedia Love & Marriage In 1469 Elizabeth of York was briefly betrothed to George Neville, who initially supported Edward IV against the rebellion of George's elder brother Richard Neville. Later he changed his mind. As a result, the betrothal was cancelled. In 1475 Louis XI of France agreed to the marriage of Elizabeth of York and his son Charles, the Dauphin of France. Although, in 1482, Louis XI declined his promise. On April 9th. 1483 Edward IV died unexpectedly and Elizabeths younger brother, Edward the Prince of Wales became King. On August 22nd. 1485 Henry Tudor and Richard III fought the Battle of Bosworth Field. Richard III died during this battle and Henry Tudor took the reign as Henry VII. As eldest daughter of Edward IV, Elizabeth of York could cl...

July 24th. 1468 marks the birth of Catherine of Saxony. This glorious event took place in Grimma, which is now 25 km from Leipzig in Germany. Catherine was the eldest child of Albert III, Duke of Saxony and his wife Sidonie of Podebrady. Catherine of Saxony In 1484, at the age of 16, Catherine became the second wife of Archduke Sigismund of Austria. He was already 56 years old and according to many people, senile. The young bride wasn't accepted at all. A former lover of Sigismund even claimed falsely that Catherine tried to poison her husband. There also were tensions between Sigismund and Holy Roman Emperor Frederick III  See the page House of Habsburg on top of blog and on next link .  In 1496, Sigismund died and Catherine later remarried Eric I, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg. This marriage would have 1 short living daughter. On February 10th. 1524, Catherine died. She was buried in Minden (Germany).

Alexander Iolani Liholiho was born on February 9th. 1834 in Honolulu on the island of O'ahu. His parents were High Chief Mataio Kekuanao'a (Royal Governor of O'ahu) and princess Elizabeth Kina'u. As a child, Alexander was adopted by his uncle, King Kamehameha III who decreed Alexander heir to the throne. He also raised him as Crown Prince. Alexander Liholiho - Source picture: Wikipedia Alexander Liholiho was educated by Amos and Juliette Cooke at the Chiefs' Children's School (later known as the Royal School) in Honolulu. Alexander Liholiho played the flute and the piano, he enjoyed singing, acting and cricket. At the age of 14 he left the Royal School and went to the law School. When he was 15, he went on a trip to England, the United States and Panama. From this trip he recorded some events in a journal. Alexander spoke French and English and he was well received in European society. He met Louis Napoleon of France and Prince Albert, hu...

My Happy Weekend Picture was taken several years ago. At the picture you can see the Tourbillon Castle in Sion, which is located in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. own picture of the Tourbillon Castle In the 12th century Sion became the political and religious center of the region. During that time the building works of impressive churches and castles started. The Tourbillon Castle was built between 1290 and 1308 by the order of Boniface de Challant. This was then the Bishop of Sion. Initially he had the intention to make from Tourbillon Castle his main residence, however in 1373 he changed his mind and gave the order to build another castle. Tourbillon became the summer residence. The Tourbillon Castle was ruined in a fire in 1788. Nowadays the ruins are located on a rocky spire above the city of Sion. It still is a  Swiss heritage site of national significance. With this picture I'd like to thank you all for visiting my blog and the liking/resharing...

Mustafa II was born on February 6th. 1664 at the Edirne Palace. His parents had been Sultan Mehmed IV and Valide Sultan Mah Para Ummatullah. Mustafa II - Ottoman Sultan - Source picture: Wikipedia Mustafa II became ruler of the Ottoman Empire on February 6th. 1695. On December 8th. 1703 he abdicated in favor of his brother Ahmed III. Reign Mustafa II became famous for his wars against the Habsburg Empire. In these wars the Ottoman Empire lost many of its territory inter alia: Hungary, Romania, Slovenia, Croatia. During the reign of Mustafa II, the signature of the sultan appeared for the first time on coins. At home This sultan of the Ottoman Empire married several times and had several children too. Spare time Under the pseudonym "Ikbali" Mustafa II wrote some poems. Death Mustafa II died on December 28/30 1703 at the Topkapi Palace in Constantinople (now Istanbul).

February 5th. 1704 marks the birth of Anne-Christine of Sulzbach. This happy event took place at the Sulzbach-Rosenberg Palace located in Bavaria (Germany). Anne-Christine of Sulzbach - Princess of Piedmont Source picture: Wikipedia What do you think about her hair style? She was the daughter of Theodore Eustace of Sulzbach and his wife Maria Eleonore of Hesse-Rotenburg. Anne-Christine was thus a member of the glorious House of Wittelsbach. On March 15th. 1722 Anne-Christine of Sulzbach married Charles Emmanuel of Savoy. Her husband was then Prince of Piedmont. Later he became King of Sardinia. In 1723 Anne-Christine gave birth to a son: Prince Vittorio Amedeo Theodore. He received the title Duke of Aosta. Anne- Christine died a few days later on March 12th. 1723. She was buried in Turin (Italy).

Georg Frederick Karl, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen was born on February 4th. 1761 in Frankfurt (now located in Germany). George, Duke of Saxe- Meiningen - Source picture: Wikipedia His parents had been Anton Ulrich, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen and Charlotte Amalie of Hesse-Philippsthal. 1782 became an important year for Georg. Then he succeeded his older and childless brother Karl Wilhelm as Duke of Saxe Meiningen. On November 27th. 1782, Georg married Luise Eleonore of Hohenlohe-Langenburg. They would have 4 children. He ruled his duchy based on the principles of 'Enlightened Absolutism' and he paid attention to education. He founded a gymnasium, a library and reformed the protestant Church. George even published philosophical treatises under a nom-de-plume. He died on December 24th. 1803 in Meiningen. 

Russian Orthodox Cathedral in Nice, France, own picture taken in 2013 Russian Orthodox Cathedral in Nice, France The Russian Orthodox Cathedral in Nice, France, really is a destination with a special royal history link. Some Royal History    In the 19th. century members of the Russian Imperial Court chose Nice and  other places at the French Rivièra as their favorite holiday destination. On April 24th. 1885, Tsarevich Nicholas Alexandrovich (son of Tsar  Alexander II and Mary of Hesse and by Rhine (Maria Alexandrovna))   died in Nice. Tsarevich Nicholas Alexandrovich - Source picture: Wikipedia To remind the death of Tsarevich there were plans to build a big Cathedral. These plans were realized in 1912.  Due to the generosity of Tsar Nicholas II (grandson of Tsar Alexander II) the Russian Orthodox Cathedral was funded. Nowadays the Moscow Patriarchate ruled this Cathedral, after a long Dispute. ...

Countess (Anna Charlotte) Dorothea von Medem was born on February 3rd. 1761 in Latvia. Her parents were Friedrich von Medem and his second wife Louise Charlotte of Manteuffel. Dorothea von Medem - Source picture: Wikipedia On November 6th. 1779 Dorothea married Duke Peter von Biron. She was  18 years old he 55 years old ... They would have 6 children, two of them didn't survive childhood. The rest were all daughters. The youngest also known as Dorothea was probably illegitimate, however she was recognized by the duke as his child. The marriage was an access ticket for Dorothea to the higher social ranks.  Due to her beauty and to her new status as Duchess it became easy for her to meet the most influential persons of her time. While her husband spent much of his time abroad on diplomatic missions in Warsaw (Poland), in Saint Petersburg (Russia) and in Berlin she stayed home and had many love affairs.  In 1794 the Duchess moved p...

February 2nd. 1783 marks the birth of Charles Frederick (in German: Karl Friedrich) of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach. Charles Frederick of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach - Source picture: Wikipedia He was the eldest son of Charles August of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach and Louisa of Hesse-Darmstadt. On August 3rd. 1804 he married in St. Petersburg Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia. See my today in History on next link . They would have four children. When his father died in 1828, Charles Frederick succeeded him as Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach. His capital, Weimar, became the cultural center of Central Europe. Many famous people like Johann Nepomuk Hummel, Franz Liszt and Richard Wagner came to Weimar. In 1850 Wagner's opera Lohengrin even was first performed in Weimar. On July 8th. 1853, Charles Frederick, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach died at Schloss Belvedere. He became 70 years old.