All About Royal Families

Leuk, located in the canton of Valais in Switzerland really is a special gem and a visit worth. This municipality really has not only a nice view, magnificent places of interest but also a great history. Leuk Switzerland, View - own picture taken in 2010 Some royal history Leuk already had a habitation in the pre-Roman era. In the 6th century it belonged to the King of Burgundy, who donated the municipality to the Abbey of Sainte-Maurice. The first church of the town dated from this period and it was originally build in Romanesque Style. Later this was rebuild a few times. Leuk Switzerland View - own picture taken in 2010 In the Early High Middle Ages, Leuk changed from owner. Then the municipality came under the supervision of the Bishop of Sion. In 1209 Leuk was given the right to have its own weights and measures. In 1227 the parish of Leuk is first documented. Leuk Switzerland centre - own picture taken in 2010 Later the decline of the feudal s

23 April 1185 marks the birth of King Alfonso II of Portugal. This happy event took place at Coimbra in the Kingdom of Portugal. Family Alfonso was the son of King Sancho I and Dulce, Infanta of Aragon. He was a member of the noble House of Burgundy. Love and Marriage In 1206 Alfonso II of Portugal married his fourth cousin, Infanta Urraca of Castile. She was a daughter of King Alfonso VIII of Castile and Eleanor of England. They were both descendants of King Alfonso VI of Léon. They would have 4 children together. However King Alfonso II of Portugal would have 2 illegitimate sons. Duty King Alfonso II of Portugal succeeded his father, King Sancho I of Portugal, on 27 March 1211. The first years of his reign were marked by internal disturbance between Alfonso and his brothers and sisters. Later he established the state's administration and centralized the power on himself. He designed the first set of Portuguese written laws. These were concerned about

During the 12th and the 13th century the House of Kyburg ruled the County of Kyburg, this is nowadays Northeastern Switzerland . Then the House of Kyburg was one of the four most noble families in the Swiss Plateau besides the House of Habsburg , House of Zähringen and the House of Savoy . Some History The first members of the House of Kyburg which were mentioned in local politics were counts. This was in the 1020's. However the male line ended in 1078. Kyburg Castle, now in the modern canton of Zürich, passed on to the Swabian Counts of Dillingen. Through the marriage of Hartmann von Dillingen (1121) with a certain Adelheid, the House of Dillingen acquired the old Kyburg possessions. In 1180 the grandson of Hartmann von Dillingen, Hartmann III, split the Dillingen lands. Adalbart received the Swabian territories while Hartmann III von Dillingen got the Swiss lands and he became Hartmann I von Kyburg. The House of Kyburg were vassals of the Duke of Swabia

The amazing Hôtel Ritz in Paris is located at the Place Vendôme (number 15) in the first arrondissement of Paris. The hotel is ranked at the list of the "Leading hotels of the world". After a major renovation the Hôtel Ritz re-opened on 6 June 2016. Besides these facts, the hotel really is an interesting place full of  royal history. Ritz Hotel in Paris Entrance - own picture taken in 2017 Some (royal) history On 7 June 1738, Cesar Ritz bought the building at the Place Vendôme number 15 to for fill his dream. The hotel was an immediate success, attracting a distinguished and moneyed clientele headed by the Prince of Wales in 1897. Ritz's innovative standards of hygiene demanded a bathroom for every suite, the maximum possible amount of sunlight and the minimum of curtains and other hangings. The hotel opened on 1 June 1898 to a "glittering reception". Together with Auguste Escoffier, a French chef, Ritz made the hotel synonymous with opu

Paris has its Eiffel Tower, London its Big Ben, Berlin its Brandenburg Gate ... and what about 'hellhole' Brussels? Well Brussels is the proud owner of its Atomium. This magnificent building was created on the occasion of the Expo 58. First it was meant to be a temporary construction, but the Atomium was so succesfull that the 9 balls became permanent. Expo 58 and the Atomium, picture taken at the Belvue Museum in Brussels in 2015 On 17 April 1958, King Baudouin opened the World Exhibition with a touching speech about peace, freedom and connection to each other. On Youtube, there is a movie in French of the original speech of King Baudouin of the Belgians at the opening of Expo 58. First there is an advertisement of Marie Tumas :-) Link The World Exhibition of '58 became a gigantic success with more than 41 million visitors! For many of them, it was a first acquaintance to other cultures. The Expo 58 ended on 19 October 1958, but the spirit of t

On 14 April 1204, Henry I (Spanish: Enrique) of Castile was born in Valladolid, nowadays a part of the Kingdom of Spain. Family Henry was born as a son of King Alfonso VIII of Castile and Eleanor of England, Queen of Castile. His paternal grandparents were King Sancho III of Castile and Blance of Navarre. His maternal grandparents were King Henry II of England and Eleanor, Duchess of Aquitaine . He had siblings inter alia: - Berengaria, Queen of Castile; - Urraca, Queen of Portugal, was married to King Alfonso II of Portugal; - Blanche, Queen of France, was married to King Louis VIII of France; - Eleanor, Queen of Aragon, was married to King James I of Aragon. Duty In 1211, Henry became heir to the throne when his older brother, Ferdinand, suddenly died. When his father died in 1214, Henry was just 10 years old so the regency was assumed by Henry's older sister Berengaria of Castle, wife of King Alfonso IX of Leon. In 1215, at the age of 11, Hen

The House of Savoy was founded in 1003 and became one of the most important royal families in Europe. The origins of the House of Savoy Savoy was an historical area located in the Alpine region between what is now France and Italy. The House of Savoy expanded its territory and influence through marriages and international diplomacy. From rulers of a small region between France and Italy this dynasty had after centuries influence over nearly the complete Italian Peninsula. The House of Savoy and their titles Members of the House of Savoy bore magnificent titles as: - Count of Savoy(1003-1416); - Duke of Savoy (1416 -1792); (1814-1860); - King of Cyprus (1485-1946); - King of Jerusalem (1485-1946); - King of Armenia (1485 -1946); - King of Sicily (1713-1720); - King of Sardinia (1720-1861); - King of Italy (1861-1946); - King of Spain (1870-1873); - Emperor of Ethiopia (1936-1941); - King of the Albanians (1939-1943); - King of Croatia (1941-1943); and many

On 6 April 1765 Carlo Felice di Savoia was born at the Royal Palace in Turin, then a part of the Kingdom of Sardinia. Family & important ties Carlo Felice di Savoia also called Charles Felix was born as the 11th child and 5th son of Victor Amadeus III of Savoy and Maria Antonia Ferdinanda of Spain. His paternal grandparents were Charles Emmanuel III of Savoy and his German wife Polyxena of Hesse-Rotenburg. His maternal grandparents were King Philip V of Spain and his Italian wife, Elisabeth Farnese. Charles Felix was the younger brother of Charles Emmanuel IV and Victor Emmanuel I. The long way to the throne On 4 July 1802, Charles Emmanuel IV was childless and after the death of his wife he abdicated in favour of his brother Victor Emmanuel I. Charles Felix was entrusted with the management of his elder brother's domains in Sardinia. However Charles Felix acted as a real authoritarian ruler. He established a military regime. The Sardinian subje

Switzerland alwas is a great country to make an excellent holiday. The country really has lots of amazing things as: mountains, lakes and beautiful nature. But it also has a great history. That's why I chose Fribourg as this week's Royal Destination post. Fribourg and its stairs - Switzerland own picture taken in 2010 Location Fribourg is the capital of the Swiss canton of Fribourg and the district La Sarine. It is located on both sides of the river Saane/Sarine on the Swiss Plateau. With no doubt, Fribourg is an important economic, administrative and educational center, just near the cultural border between German and French Switzerland. Friboug has an Old City, which is one of the best-maintained in Switzerland, on a small rocky hill above the valley (so visitors have to take lots of stairs). Fribourg a nice city in Switzerland, own picture taken in 2010  Some (royal) history Fribourg already was a small settlement since the Neolithic period. B