All About Royal Families

Some history ...  31 July 1917 marks the start of the Battle of Passchendaele, also known as the Third Battle of Ypres. This was a military campaign during the First World War, fought by the Allies (British Empire, Russian Empire and the French Republic) against the German Empire. The Battle, took place on the Western Front from 31 July 1917 to November 1917 for the control around Ypres, a city located in West Flanders, Belgium. Passchendaele lays on the east side of Ypres around 8 km or 5 miles from the city. This battle of 1917 was controversial. It was the British Prime Minister, David Lloyd George who opposed the offensive. General Ferdinand Foch, the French Chief of the General Staff was opposed too. cross on a cemetery of the Commonwealth near Ypres, Belgium The choice to fight in Flanders came from General Hubert Gough. Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig (commanding the British Expeditionary Force - BEF) did not receive approval for the Flanders operat

Fighting in Flanders Fields, own picture from a photograph taken in 2017 In Flanders Fields Museum On 31 July 1917, one of the worst battles in History took place near Ypres in Belgium. It was called the Battle of Passchendaele or the Third Battle of Ypres . Hundred years ago, soldiers from the British Empire (they came from Australia, Canada, India, Newfoundland, New Zealand, South Africa and the United Kingdom), France and Belgium had to fight for a few square meters of land in the deadliest Flanders Fields. Menin Gate with the monument of India in Front - own picture taken in 2017 On 30 July 2017, a lot of remembrances will take place at Ypres. There will be a special Last Post ceremony at the Menin Gate in presence of King Philippe of the Belgians, his wife Queen Mathilde, William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge. The Menin Gate with lots of names of Fallen soldiers - own picture taken in 2017 The poppies are a sym

28 July 1860 marks the birth of a very noble girl. She received the following title and names: Grand Duchess Anastasia Mikhailovna of Russia. Her birth took place at the Peterhof Palace in St. Petersburg, then a part of the Russian Empire, now located in Russia. Source picture: Wikipedia Family Grand Duchess Anastasia Mikhailovna of Russia was the daughter of Grand Duke Michael Nikolaievich of Russia and Grand Duchess Olga Feodorovna (born Princess Cäcilie of Baden). She was the sister of inter alia: - Grand Duke Nicholas Mikhailovich of Russia (killed in 1919) - Grand Duke Michael Mikhailovich of Russia - Grand Duke George Mikhailovich of Russia (killed in 1919) - Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich of Russia - Grand Duke Sergei Mikhailovich of Russia (killed in 1919) - Grand Duke Alexei Mikhailovich of Russia. Anastasia was raised in the Caucasus where she lived between 1862 and 1878 with her family. She was known in the family as "Stassie" and

Hotel Sacher, Vienna, Austria - picture taken in 2011 A five star hotel, which is of course a part of the Leading Hotels in the World, located in the Inner Stadt of Vienna, near the Vienna State Opera ... that is all applicable to Hotel Sacher. Hotel Sacher also is famous for the specialty of the house: the Sachertorte, a chocolate cake with apricot filling. Some History In 1876, the hotel was founded by the restaurateur and purveyor to the court Eduard Sacher (1843-1892). In 1880, Eduard Sacher married Anna Fuchs (1859-1930). She became the managing director after his death and she soon earned a good reputation for her commercial skills and her eccentricity.  Under her management, the Hotel Sacher became one of the finest hotels in the world, it became a meeting place of aristocracy and diplomats as well. After World War I, Anna held the upper-class reputation of the hotel, however this led to financial problems and the change of ownership in the 1930's.

A real UNESCO World Heritage Site in Lisbon is certainly the Belém Tower in the civil parish of Santa Maria de Belém. Belèm Tower in Lisbon - Portugal - own picture from 2017 Besides that the Belèm Tower played a huge role in the Portuguese Martime discoveries of the era of the Age of Discoveries. Some (Royal) History At the end of the 15th.century King John II wanted a defense system for the mouth of the Tagus, then it depended on the fortresses of Cascas and Torre Velha in Caparica on the south side of the river. These didn't completely protect the river Tagus. Therefore King John II ordered a strong fortress, but he died before the plans were drawn. Belèm Tower - Lisbon - Portugal - own picture from 2017 King Manuel I of Portugal reviewed the plans 20 years later and he ordered the construction of a military fortification on the northern part of the Tagus at Belém. The Tower was designed by military architect Francisco de Arruda, and in 1516 t

On 23 July 1301, Otto IV, the Merry, was born in Vienna, Austria. He was a member of the House of Habsburg and a Duke of Austria and Styria as well as Duke of Carinthia. He ruled together with his elder  brother Duke Albert II. Family Otto was the youngest son of King Albert I of Germany and Elizabeth of Carinthia, a member of the House of Gorizia - Tyrol.  Otto 's elder brothers were: Rudolf III (who became King of Bohemia in 1306) Frederick the Fair (elected King of the Romans in 1314) Duke Leopold I of Austria Duke Albert II of Austria Love and Marriage In those days there were huge struggles between members of the House  of Habsburg and the House of Wittelsbach (Bavaria). For improving this, Otto married Elizabeth of Wittelsbach, a daughter of Duke Stephen I of Bavaria.  They had two children: - Frederick II - Leopold II He also had 4 illegitimate sons: - Otto - Leopold - Johann - Leopold Duty In 1327, Otto founded the

One of the best known historical 'heroes' among the Belgian scholars is Godfrey of Bouillon (18 September 1060 - 18 July 1100). Coudenberg Brussels with the equestrian statue of Godfrey of Bouillon - own picture taken in 2012 Godfrey of Bouillon was the second son of Eustace II, Count of Boulogne and Ida, a daughter of Duke Godfrey the Bearded of Lotharingia. His birthplace was probably Boulogne-sur-Mer, however a chronicler from the 13th. century mentioned a place in Walloon Brabant, Belgium. Source picture: Wikipedia Crusade In 1095, Pope Urban II called for a Crusade to liberate Jerusalem from Muslim forces and also to aid the Byzantine Empire which was under Muslim attack. Godfrey gathered thousands knights to fight in the Holy Land and they were known as the Army of Godfrey of Bouillon. Godfrey started in August 1096 at the head of an army from Lorraine and they went to Jerusalem. After some difficulties in Hungary, he arrived in Const

Talbot House in Poperinge Belgium - own picture taken in 2017 At the beginning of World War I, Neville Talbot, a senior Church of England chaplain in the British Army sought to recruit chaplains who would minister the battalions on the front lines. One of the recruits was Reverend Philip Byard Clayton (born in Australia), who was assigned to the East Kent and the Bedfordshire regiments. In 1915 Clayton was sent to France and then to the town of Poperinge in Belgium. Tubby Clayton A few miles from Ieper (English name: Ypres) , there was a town called Poperinge (or Pops as the soldiers called it). This was a busy transfer place where troops on their way to and from the battlefields of Flanders stayed. Clayton, known as Tubby was instructed by Neville Talbot to set up some kind of rest house for the troops. On 11 December 1915, a house was opened for the soldiers. Later it was named Talbot House in honor of Lieutenant Gilbert Talbot (Neville's brother) w

Xianfeng, the 7th. Qing emperor was born in China on 17 July 1831 at the Old Summer Palace, 8 kilometers northwest of Beijing. He was a member of the Manchu Aisin Gioro clan. His personal name was Yizhu. Family Xianfeng was the 4th. son of Daoguang Emperor. His mother was the Noble Consort Quan, who became Empress in 1834 and was known as Empress Xiaoquancheng. Duty In 1850, at the age of 19, Xianfeng succeeded the throne and he became a young emperor. The Taiping Rebellion began in December 1850. Hong Xiuquan, a Hakka leader of a Christian sect proclaimed the establishment of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom and the rebellion spread over several provinces with an amazing speed. The next year the Nian Rebellion started in North China. These leaders had a political program and they became dangerous for the capital Beijing. In 1853, Taiping rebels captured Nanjing, it seemed a while that Beijing would fall however these rebels were defeated. In 185

The Palau Nacional (the Catalan word for National) really is surprising and very beautiful. Palau Nacional - Barcelona - Spain It has a ground surface of 32,000 square meter and the building has a rectangular floor plan flanked by two sides and one rear square section with a dome in the middle. Some building history On 18 July 1924, the engineer Marià Rubió i Bellver, launched a competition of projects. The participation was open to all Spanish architects who could present an individual project or one together with the proposal of a construction company. In January 1925, there were nine successful projects. Finally the winning proposal was that of Eugenio Cendoya and Enric Catà. The Palau Nacional has an amazing Spanish Renaissance architecture with an air of academic classicism. Palau Nacional - own picture The building has two floors, the dome looks like that of the St. Paul's in London or that of the St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. Some