All About Royal Families

On December 30th. 1525, one of the most important merchants and bankers of Europe died. His name was Jakob Fugger also called the Lily or the Rich. Family Jakob Fugger was born on March 6th. 1459 as the tenth of eleven children to Jakob Fugger the Elder and his wife Barbara Bäsinger. The Fuggers already had established themselves as successful merchants in the city of Ausburg (now Germany). Jakob had older brothers. Inter alia Ulrich and Georg created the base for the rise of the company in Europe. Around 1470 they founded companies in Venice and Nuremberg, in that time important centers of trade. Royal Links The Fuggers gave loans to Emperor Frederick III. He granted the Fugger family the Lily Coat of Arms. Jakob Fugger met Archduke Maximilian of Austria (Later Holy Roman Emperor) for the first time in 1489 at a Frankfurt Fair. The Fuggers became one of the most important bankers of the Emperor. In 1511, Maximilian I elevated Jakob Fugger into the nobil...

Source picture: Wikipedia In 2016, Hieronymus Bosch (c.1450 - August 9th. 1516) was probably one of the most bespoken painters of the year. This had a lot to do with the remembrance of his death, 500 years ago. His pessimistic and fantastical style still are things to discus about ... Hieronymus Bosch in Brussels Life Hieronymus Bosch was born as Jheronimus (Jeroen) van Aken and he lived most of his life in 's Hertogenbosch. During his life, 's Hertogenbosch was a part of Brabant, a Duchy in the Burgundian Netherlands (later ruled by the Habsburgs). Royal Links In the late 16th. century, King Philip II of Spain, confiscated and acquired a lot of Bosch' paintings. In 2016, Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands traveled to Madrid. There she opened, together with King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain, an exhibition about Bosch. link Famous works Nowadays his paintings are spread around the world. There are works of him inter alia in: - Bruss...

Philip William, Prince of Orange was born on December 19th. 1554 in Buren, then a part of the 17 Provinces now located in The Netherlands. Family Philip William, Prince of Orange was the first son of William the Silent and Anna van Egmont. He was the brother of Countess Maria of Nassau and a half brother of Maurice of Nassau. Eleonora of Bourbon-Condé Love and Marriage In 1506, Philip William married Eleonora of Bourbon-Condé. She was a daughter of Henry I, Prince de Condé. Her father was a cousin of King Henry IV of France. Duty Philip William only was a boy of 13 years old, when his father ignored the Duke of Alva's orders to return to Brussels. Instead the Spanish rulers devised a plan. They took Philip William, who studied then at the university of Louvain, captive. As a hostage he went to Spain, where he grew up as a good catholic and a loyal subject. He would never see his father again and his mother died in 1558. In 1606, Philip William was...

Philips of Marnix, Lord of St. Aldegonde Statue at the Sablon in Brussels own picture taken in 2017 Who wrote the Dutch National Anthem 'Wilhelmus'? Well Philips of Marnix, Lord of Saint-Aldegonde, Lord of West-Souburg, was a possible author. Birth Marnix of St. Aldegonde was born in 1540 at Brussels as a son of Jacob of Marnix, baron of Pottes. Reformation and the Compromise of the Nobles He studied theology under Jon Calvin and Theodore Beza at Geneva. When he returned to the Netherlands in 1560 he turned himself into the cause of the Reformation and he took an active part in the compromise of the Nobles in 1565. Timeline - 1570 he was taken into the service of William, Prince of Orange. -1572 he was sent as his representative to a meeting of the States-General at Dordrecht. -1573, he was taken prisoner by the Spanish Rulers, however the next year he was exchanged. Later he was sent as the representative of the insurgent provinces to Paris...

December 10th. 1472 marks the birth of Anne de Mowbray, 8th. Duchess of Norfolk. This took place at Framlinghang Castle in Suffolk, England. Family Her parents were John Mowbray, 4th. Duke of Norfolk and Elizabeth Talbot. Her maternal grandparents were John Talbot, 1st. Earl of Shrewsbury and his second wife Lady Margaret Beauchamp. With the death of her father in 1476, Anne became a very wealthy heiress. Love and Marriage At the age of 5! she married at St. Stephen's Chapel in Westminster to Richard of Shrewsbury, 1st. Duke of York. He was a son of King Edward IV and Queen Elizabeth Woodville. Death On November 19th. 1481, Anne died in Greenwich, London, two years before her husband disappeared in the Tower of London with his elder brother King Edward V. Anna was entombed in the Chapel of St. Erasmus of Formiae in Westminster Abbey, however due to later restorations of the Chapel and a move to the Abbey of the Minoresses, her coffin disappeared. Sou...

Michiel Coxie (1499 - 3 March 1592) was born in Mechelen, then a part of the Duchy of Brabant, nowadays located in Belgium. Michiel Coxie followed his training with Bernard van Orley. More about Bernard van Orley on this link . Between 1530 and 1539, he visited Italy. At Rome Michiel Coxie painted the chapel of Cardinal Enckenvoirt in the church of the Santa Maria dell' Anima. When Coxie returned to the Netherlands, he went to Mechelen where he made an altar piece for the Guild of St. Luke. Michiel Coxie Painter at the Royal Court Michel Coxie became painter at the Royal Court of the Habsburgs in 1541 after the death of Bernard van Orley. He served for Regent Maria of Austria and he was patronized by Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V. Later he worked for King Philip II of Spain. For King Philip II of Spain Coxie also made the tapestries of the Royal Palace in Madrid. His works There are two amazing cathedrals in Belgium, where people can visit wor...