All About Royal Families

Leonid Kulikovsky, a great-grandson of Tsar Alexander III died alone in the Australian outback. Leonid Kulikovsky was the great-grandson of Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna of Russia. Grand Duchess Olga and her family in 1922 On August 9th. 1901 Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna, then 19 years old, married the 33 years old Duke Peter Alexandrovich of Oldenburg. However in 1916 their marriage was annulled. On November 16th. 1916 she married Nikolai Kulikovsky. After the revolution the couple was summoned by the dowager Empress to Denmark. Later they moved to Canada. Olga and Nikolai would have two children: Tikhon Nikolaevich Kulikovsky and Guri Nikolaevich Kulikovsky. Their youngest child was the father of the Leonid who died alone in Australia. If you want to read the full article, check the telegraph on this link . Here is a link to ABC net about his funeral. Picture: Wikipedia

One of the oldest wooden bridges in Europe is located in Lucerne (in German: Luzern). It is called the Kapelbrücke, in English the Chapel Bridge. Kapelbrücke Lucern Switzerland The bridge itself dated from 1333. It was a part of the fortifications of Lucerne and it linked the old town on the right bank to the new town on the left bank. The Kapelbrücke was used for securing the city from an attack from the south. Throughout the ages the tower was used for several functions: prison, torture chamber and municipal archive. Today it is closed for public although it houses a souvenir shop. The bridge is very unique because of its painted triangle frames. Kapelbrücke Lucern Switzerland This paintings date back from the 17th. century and they were made by a local painter: Hans Heinrich Wägmann. It shows events from Lucerne's History. Lucerne and a sad Royal Link On September 10th. 1898 Empress Elisabeth of Austria, called Sisi, was murdered by Luigi Lucheni.

November 27th. 1833 marks the birth of a Princess with a lot of names: Mary Adelaide Wilhelmina Elizabeth. Her birth took place at Hanover (Germany). Her parents were Prince Adophus, Duke of Cambridge (younger son of King George III) and Princess Augusta of Hesse-Kassel. In 1837 Queen Victoria, Mary Adelaide's first cousin, ascended the throne. But the Salic law prevented Victoria from ascending the throne of Hanover. This passed to Prince Ernest Augustus, Duke of Cumberland. Mary Adelaide's father had to return to London and the family moved to Kensington Palace. At the age of 30 Princess Mary Adelaide still was unmarried. Some even called her fat Mary. Her cousin Queen Victoria took pitty and she arranged some meetings with possible wedding candidates for her niece. On one of those meetings Princess Mary Adelaide met Prince Francis of Teck. The couple were married on July 12th. 1866 in Surrey. They would have four children. Their eldest daughter P

Der Lustige Krieg was a three act operette written by Johann Strauss II and performed for the first time on November 25th. 1881 at the Theater an der Wien in Vienna. People received the opera very well and Der Lustige Krieg was performed 69 times during its first run. The opera was about a dispute between two states, the 'Krieg' in English War was played as a game of love between Colonel Umberto Spinola and the widowed Countess Violetta. Although the name of the opera is about War there were no fighting or bloodshed in the opera at all. Source pictures Johan Strauss II: Wikipedia

November 23rd. 1221 marks the birth of Alfonso X of Castile in Toledo, Spain. His parents were King Ferdinand III of Castile and Elisabeth of Swabia. His mother was the paternal cousin of Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II, who looked very well like Alfonso X of Castille. In January 1249 Alfonso X of Castile married Violant of Aragon. Due to Violant's age, she was unable to get pregnant for several years. He almost annulled their marriage. However they went on and they would have 11 children. He would also have children with his mistresses. In 1252 Alfonso succeeded his father as King of Castile. The next year he invaded Portugal.He made an agreement that his daughter Beatrice would marry King Alfonso III of Portugal and another daughter Eleanor should marry Edward I of England. King Alfonso X had many works translated from Arabic and Latin to Castilian in his court. He encouraged the use of the Castilian language instead of Latin! The Alfonsine tables which pr

Johann VI, also called John VI or John the Elder was born on November 22nd. 1536 at Dillenburg Castle. His parents were William I, Count of Nassau- Dillenburg and Juliane of Stolberg-Wernigerode. Johann or John was the younger brother of William the Silent. Johan VI was married 3 times and he had 24 children. 1/ Countess Elisabeth of Leuchtenberg. Their marriage took place on June 6th. 1559. They would have 13 children. Elisabeth died in 1579. 2/ Kunigunde Jakobaä of Simmern on September 13th. 1580. They would have 4 children. She died on January 26th. 1586. 3/ Johannetta of Sayn-Wittgenstein on June 14th. 1586. She bore him 7 children. Johann VI, Count of Nassau-Dillenburg was the principal author of the Union of Utrecht. This Treaty was signed on January 23rd. 1579. It founded the Republic of the Seven United Provinces. In 1581 a formal declaration of independence was signed. Johann VI or John the Elder died on October 8th. 1606. Source pictures: Wiki

Several years ago, I had the chance to visit the Austrian Parliament in Vienna during a public tour. After the security check, a sympathetic and well informed guide told my husband and I and others the story of this magnificent building. Parliament in Vienna Austria In 1861 plans were formed to create a new building for the Imperial Council. The original plans contained two separate buildings: one for the House of Lords and one for the House of Representatives. Parliament in Vienna Austria In 1867 the Austro-Hungarian Compromise founded a dual monarchy, the Kingdom of Hungary received its own legislative body and the plans for the two buildings were dropped. On the site of the new building there were during that time ancient fortifications and walls. It was Emperor Franz Joseph himself who wanted a large new boulevard called the 'Ringstrasse'. The parliament building had to be near the Hofburg and the Vienna City Hall. The ground was broken in Jun

On November 19th. 1779 a very noble girl was born in the Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin in Germany. She received the names Louise Charlotte. Her parents were Frederick Francis I, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg- Schwerin and Princess Louise of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg. In 1795 Louise Charlotte was engaged to King Gustaf IV Adolf of Sweden, however he broke off the engagement in 1796. On October 21st. 1797 she married Augustus, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg. He was through her mother a second cousin. This marriage was against the will of Duchess Louise Charlotte and it became an unhappy one: her spouse abused her and she wanted to leave him but her family forced Duchess Louise Charlotte to stay with her husband. On December 21st. 1800 Duchess Louise Charlotte gave birth to her child, it was a daughter and she received the name Louise. This Louise would became the mother of Albert, the Prince Consort of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. On January 4th. 18

Don Juan Carlos Maria Isidro de Borbón, Count of Montizón was born on May 15th. 1822 at the Palacio Real de Aranjuez in the province of Madrid. His parents were Infante Carlos of Spain, brother of King Ferdinand VII and Infanta Maria Francisca of Portugal. His education was built with high values of loyalty to the crown and to the church. March 1833 was a huge change for Juan. Then he moved to Portugal with his family. On September 29th. 1833 a difficult time broke out for him because Juan's father, Carlos, claimed the Spanish throne as King Carlos V. He rejected the reign of his own niece Isabella. In June 1834 Juan moved with his family to England, there he lived at Gloucester lodge and later in Hampshire. Between 1833 till 1839 the First Carlist War took place, however it was not playing a great role during Juan's youth. Marriage On February 6th. 1847 Juan married Archduchess Maria Beatrix of Austria-Este. She was a daughter of Duke Francis IV of

Anna d'Este was born on November 16th. 1531 as the eldest daughter of Ercole II d'Este and Princess Renée of France. Anna was through her mother a granddaughter of King Louis XII of France, however she grew up in Ferrara (Italy). There she received an excellent education. On September 28th. 1548 Anna married (after long negotiations) with Francis, Duke of Aumale (son of the Duke of Guise). Through this marriage she became a member of the powerful Guise family. They would have 7 children. Anna also had a very good relation with the Queen and later the Queen mother,Catherine de' Medici, due to her Italian roots. This made that Anna had a considerable influence at the Royal Court of France. On February 24th. 1563 Francis, Duke of Aumale was murdered and Anna wanted revenge. She took all the possible steps to sue the leader of the French Huguenots. Anna held Gaspard de Coligny responsible for the murder of her husband. This led indirectly to the Barthol

Maurice  (in Dutch: Maurits) of Nassau was born on November 14th. 1567 at Dillenburg (now located in Germany). Youth His parents had been William the Silent and Princess Anna of Saxony. Although he was raised by his uncle Johan of Nassau. Maurice studied in Heidelberg and later in Leiden. He was 16 years old when his father was murdered in Delft. Stadtholder He became soon stadtholder, through the title wasn't inheritable. Rebellion against Spain Maurice organised the rebellion against Spain. He mobilized the Dutch State Army together with his cousin Willem Lodewijk and they studied military history, strategy and tactics. Military Maurice was known by historians as the first general of his age. He participated in many battles inter alia: Hulst, Ostend, Nieuwpoort, Sluis ... Death Maurits of Nassau died on April 23rd. 1625 in The Hague. He was buried in the New Church in Delft. Mauritius Did you know that the island nation Mauritius was na

On November 12th. 1909 the first performance of the opera Der Graf von Luxembourg (in English: The Count of Luxembourg) took place at the Theater an der Wien in Vienna (Austria). The Count of Luxembourg is an opera written in three acts by Franz Lehár. He was born on April 30th. 1870 in the Kingdom of Hungary, Austria-Hungary. The opera is about a Viennese aristocrat, who moved to Paris to have the Bohemian life at the beginning of the 20th. century. There he fell in love with a glamorous opera singer. This first opera performance of the Count of Luxembourg, in Vienna became a great success. Source pictures: wikipedia

Albert (in German: Albrecht) was born on November 9th. 1414 in Tangermünde as the son of Frederick I, Elector of Brandenburg and Elisabeth of Bavaria-Landshut. During his youth he passed some time at the court of Emperor Sigismund and he made a pilgrimage to the Holly Country. He took part in the war against the Hussites. Albert received the nickname Achilles due to his qualities as knight. He also supported the German King Albert II in his war in Poland. In 1440 his father died and Albert received the principality of Ansbach. After that he soon took a leading position over the German princes. On November 12th. 1447 he married Margaret of Baden. She was the daughter of Margrave Jacob I of Baden and Catherine of Lorraine. They would have 6 children. Margaret died on October 24th. 1457. Albert was a keen supporter of Holy Roman Emperor Frederick III. The Emperor had a lot of troubles with his reforms in his Empire. He gave many marks to Albert for that support.

John Sigismund was born on November 8th. 1572 in Halle as the son of Joachim III Frederick, Elector of Brandenburg and Catherine of Brandenburg-Küstrin. On October 30th. 1594 John Sigismund married Anna of Prussia. They would have 8 children. In 1608 he succeeded his father as Margrave. In 1618 he became Duke of Prussia. John Sigismund's most remarkable action was his conversion from Lutheranism to Calvinism. He won over for Calvinism during a visit in Heidelberg. John Sigismund, Elector of Brandenburg died on December 23rd. 1619 in Berlin.

"In the market-place of Bruges stands the Belfry old and brown; Trice consumed and trice rebuilded, still it watches o'er the town." poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (USA). Belfry of Bruges - Belgium The Belfry of Bruges is one of the most amazing symbols of the City and it could be seen from a long distance.  The Belfry was added at the market square of Bruges in 1240. On that place  originally halls were built.  During that time the city was one of the most important places of the Flemish  cloth industry.  The Bells of the Belfry regulated the city life. They warned the people in case of fire and also for political, religious and social events. Belfry of Bruges - Belgium A narrow staircase of 366 ! steps is open for public. The view over the city and over a part of the province of West Flanders really is fantastic. However I didn't like the staircase. It was too dark.

November 6th. 1661 marks the birth of a very special noble boy called Charles (in Spanish: Carlos). This happy event took place at the Royal Alcazar in Madrid. His parents were King Philip IV of Spain and Mariana (Maria Anna) of Austria. The boy received the title Prince of Asturias, given to the first in line to the Spanish throne. Carlos II of Spain By the time of Charles's birth, there were many generations of inbreeding in the House of Habsburg. There also was a lot of mental illness in Charles's family. Queen Joanna became insane in her early life and was known as the mad. Charles also was physically and mentally disabled. Due to the deaths of his half-brothers he was the last member of the Spanish Habsburg line. The boy didn't learn to speak until he was 8 years old and his jaw was deformed, so he could barely speak or chew. Charles was three years old when his father King Philip IV died. Mariana of Austria became regent for her minor son.

Countess Anna of Nassau was born on November 5th.1563 in Breda (The Netherlands). Her parents were William the Silent and his second wife, Anna of Saxony. In 1567 Anna of Nassau moved to Dillenburg Castle. There she was educated by her grandmother Juliana of Stolberg. At Dillenberg Castle she met her cousin and future husband William Louis, Count of Nassau-Dillenburg. On November 22nd. 1587 Anna of Nassau married William Louis, Count of Nassau- Dillenburg. However this marriage was a short one. Anna died only six months after her wedding (on June 13th. 1588). They had no children and William Louis never remarried. Source pictures: Wikipedia

Mehmed V Reshad was born on November 2nd. 1844 at the Tokapi Palace in Istanbul, Turkey. His parents were Abdülmecid I and Gülcemal Sultan. During his youth he studied poetry of the old Persian style and he became a poet. On April 27th. 1906 he started reigning, however Mehmed V didn't have any political power anymore. Mehmed V declared the jihad against the Triple Entente (Russian Empire, United Kingdom and the French third republic). This declaration took place on November 14th. 1914. Therefore he followed the Ottoman government's decision to join World War I on the side of the Central Powers (Germany, The Austrian Empire, Bulgaria). Mehmed V died at the Yidiz Palace on July 3rd. 1918, a few months before the end of World War I, so he wasn't in live at the moment of the downfall of the Ottoman Empire. Source pictures: Wikipedia 2 nd. picture three emperors: Wilhelm from Germany Mehmed V of the Ottoman Empire Franz Joseph of t

On November 1st. 1339 a very noble boy was born. He received the name Rudolf. His parents were Duke Albert II of Austria and Joanna of Pfirt. It was said that Rudolf already as a young man, he already had the air of a King. Source picture: Wikipedia On July 13th. 1356  Rudolf married Catherina of Luxembourg, daughter of emperor Charles IV and Blanche of Valois. This marriage was arranged as a part of peace negotiations with Austria. In 1365 Rudolf founded the University of Vienna. This building is still known as the Alma Mater Rudolphina. It is the oldest University in the German speaking world. He considered Austria as is home and this made him popular. Rudolf became one of the most energetic and active rulers in Austria. Rudolf died suddenly in Milan in 1365 at the age of 25. He and his wife were buried in the Ducal Crypt under the Stephansdom in Vienna. Austria - Vienna - Stephansdom - own picture