All About Royal Families

One of the main attractions in Liège, Belgium is .... a stair. This stair, which is actually a street, gives a connection between two areas of the city and it offers a connection to the citadel of Liège. Montagne de Bueren, a real attraction - own picture taken in 2018 Liège, Belgium Some royal history The Montagne de Bueren was created between 1875 and 1880 as a remembrance of the Wars of Liège. The Wars of Liège were a series of three rebellions between the citizens of Liège, the Prince-Bishopric of Liège against the expanding Duchy of Burgundy. In 1468 the rebels were defeated by Charles the Bold and the city twice was burnt to the ground. Charles the Bold - Source picture: Wikipedia The Montagne de Bueren was named after Vincent van Bueren, one of the commanders of the rebels. Montagne de Bueren, Liège Belgium - own picture taken in 2018 Some interesting facts The Montagne de Bueren has 374 stairs with an average slope degree of 28%. It is o...

Sé Cathedral inside  A real stunning Royal Destination in Lisbon, Capital of Portugal is the Santa Maria Maior de Lisboa or Sé de Lisboa. This long name mostly is abbreviated to Sé. Sé Cathedral in Lisbon, Portugal, own picture taken in 2017 Some Royal History The construction of the cathedral started in the year 1147. It has been classified as a National Monument since 1910. Lisbon was the seat of the bishopric since the 4th century AD. After a period the city was conquered by the Moors and it stayed under Arab control from the 8th till the 12th century, although Christians were allowed to live in Lisbon and its surroundings. Sé Cathedral amazing ceiling in Lisbon, Portugal, own picture In 1147, Lisbon was reconquered by an army composed of Portuguese soldiers led by King Afonso Henriques (Afonso I of Portugal) and North European crusaders taking part in the Second Crusade. King Afonso Henriques - Source picture: Wikipedia An English ...

On 21 May 1863, Archduke Eugen Ferdinand of Austria was born in Gross-Seelowitz, Moravia in the Austrian Empire. Family Archduke Eugen was the son of Karl Ferdinand, Archduke of Austria, Duke of Teschen and his wife Archduchess Elisabeth Franziska of Austria. Archduke Eugen was born at the castle of Gross Seelowitz in Moravia, nowadays the Czech Republic. Early life At the Palace Erzherzog Albrecht, (Archduke Albrecht's Palace) in Vienna, Eugen recieved intstruction in all the military subjects in addition to languages, music and the history of art. In the army At the age of 14, Archduke Eugen entered the army and he started a military career with the Tyrolean Kaiserjäger Regiment. On 27 October 1877, Archduke Eugen was commissioned as a Lieutenant.  Shortly thereafter he was transferred as an Oberlieutenant to a hussar regiment and in the following years participated in many manoeuvres. In 1885 Archduke Eugen was assigned to the General Staff and rap...

Railway Stations, trains, and the movement of people always fascinated me, especially when they have special Royal History as it is in the case of the Barcelona França Railway Station or Estació de França. Barcelona França Railway Station Some history The railway station was built in the 19th century and opened in 1848. As in the name, it was a stop for trains who came from France. It also served North East Catalonia and the Costa Brava as well. In 1929 the Barcelona França Railway Station was re-opened for the international Exhibition. Barcelona França Railway Station  The station was designed by architect Pedro Muguruza and inaugurated by King Alfonso XIII of Spain . Source picture: Wikipedia The railway station had another big renovation between 1988 and 1992. It re-opened for the Olympic Games of 1992. Barcelona França Railway Station  Architecture For me this is one of the most beautiful railway stations of Spain. It has an am...

On 14 May 1948, David Ben-Gurion, the head of the Jewish agency declared "the establishment of a Jewish state in Eretz-Israel, to be known as the State of Israel." History After the Jews were expelled from Spain in 1492, some Jewish communities were settled in Palestine. In 1516, the region was conquered by the Ottoman Empire and it remained under Turkish rule until the end of the First World War. When Britain defeated the Ottoman forces, they set up a military administration across the former Ottoman Syria. In 1920 the territory was divided between Britain and France under a 'mandate system' and the British administered area included modern day Israel was named Mandatory Palestine. Between 1904 and 1914 many Jews settled in Palestine. The Balfour declaration of 1917 stated that Britain intended for the creation of a Jewish national home within the Palestinian Mandate. Between 1919 and 1923 some additional 100,000 Jews moved to Palestin...

One of the most important politicians of Portugal was born on 13 May 1699 in Lisbon. His name was Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo. Family Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo was born as the son of Manuel de Carvalho e Ataide and Terese Luise de Mendonça e Melo. Marquis of Pombal and his brothers Source picture: Wikipedia Early life During his youth Sebastião studied at the University of Coimbra, then he served briefly in the army. Love and Marriage He married Teresa de Mendonça e Almada, the niece of the Count of Arcos. The marriage was a wild one, as she had married him against her family's  wishes.  Her parents made life unbearable for the young couple and they moved to  Melo properties near Pombal.  Pombal - Source picture: Wikipedia Political carreer In 1738, Pombal became the Portuguese ambassador to Great Britain. In 1745 he served as ambassador of Austria. The Queen Consort of Po...

On 12 May 1496, Gustav I of Sweden was born in probably Rydboholm Castle in the northeast of Stockholm in Sweden. This was the mayor house of Eric Vasa. Family Gustav I of Sweden was a son of Eric Johansson Vasa and Cecilia Mansdotter Eka. Gustav I of Sweden was thus a grandchild of Johan Kristersson and Brigitta Gustafdotter of the dynasties Vasa and Sture. Both dynasties were of high nobility. Brigitta Gustafdotter was the sister of Sten Sture the Elder, regent of Sweden. Love and Marriage Gustav I of Sweden married three times: 1/ Catherine of Saxe-Lauenburg 2/ Margaret Leijonhufvud 3/ Catherine Stenbock. He had lots of children inter alia: - King Eric XIV of Sweden - King John III of Sweden - King Charles IX of Sweden Duty Since the end of the 14th century, Sweden had been a part of the Kalmar Union with Denmark and Norway. The Danish dominance in this union sometimes led to uprisings in Sweden. During Gustav's childhood, parts of...

On 11 May 1414 the birth of Francis I, Duke of Brittany took place in Vannes, nowadays located in France. Family Francis I, Duke of Brittany was the son of John V, Duke of Brittany and Joan of France. Through his mother, Francis I, Duke of Brittany was thus a grandson of King Charles VI of France and Isabeau of Bavaria. He was a member of the noble house of Montfort. Love and Marriage First of all, Francis I, Duke of Brittany was bethroted to Bonne of Savoy, the daughter of Duke Amedeus VIII of Savoy and his wife Mary of Burgundy. Bonne was thus a granddaughter of Philip the Bold. However she died on 25 September 1430 at the age of 15, shortly before their marriage. On 28 August 1431 Francis I, Duke of Brittany married Yolande of Anjou. She was a daughter of Louis II, Duke of Anjou and Yolande of Aragon. The couple had a son Renaud, Count of Montfort, but the boy died young. Yolande died in 1440. On 30 October 1442, Francis I of Brittany married Isabel of S...

Nowadays the House of Oldenburg is one of Europe's most influential Royal Houses.  However it started rise to prominence when Count Christian I of Oldenburg  was elected as King of Denmark in 1448. Later he became King of Norway  (1450) and Sweden (1457).  Count Christian I of Oldenburg, King of Denmark The House of Oldenburg has occupied since then the Danish throne. However it has many interesting ties accross Europe. History The Duchy of Oldenburg was located in what's now north west Germany.   During the Middle Ages the counts of Oldenburg managed to pave their way up through marriages. A marriage with a descendant of King Valdemar  I of Sweden and King Eric IV of Denmark, their heirs became kings of  various Scandinavian kingdoms. But there is even more! The House of Oldenburg was briefly poised to claim the British throne, due to the marriage of Queen Anne and Prince George of D...

On 6 May 1464 Sophia of Poland was born as a daughter of Casimir IV Jagiellon and Elisabeth Habsburg.  Her birth took place in Krakow, Poland. Family Sophia's father was Grand Duke of Lithuania and King Casimir IV of Poland. Sophia Jagiellon was thus a granddaughter of Wladislaw II Jagiellon and Sophia of Halshany (from Lithuania). Sophia Jagiellon was named after her paternal grandmother, the Queen of Poland. Her maternal grandparents were King Albert II of Germany and Elisabeth of Bohemia. She was a great granddaughter of Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund. Love and marriage With such important family ties, Sophia of Poland was a key player on the royal wedding market. Sophia and her sisters had claims to the thrones of Austria and Luxembourg through their mother Elisabeth. In 1468, at the age of 4, she was betrothed to Archduke Maximilian of Austria, son and heir of Emperor Frederick III. Around the summer of 1470 Sophia's father had other plans. He ...

On 4 May 1471 one of the decisive battles of the Wars of the Roses took place. The Wars of the Roses were a series of battles of the two rival houses of  Lancaster and York which had been contending for power and ultimately for the throne of England.  The Battle of Tewkesbury As day broke on 4 May 1471 the forces loyal to the House of Lancaster took up a defensive position a mile south of the town of Tewkesbury (located in the south western of the United Kingdom). Most of the Lancastrian army had 6,000 soldiers, mostly were tired footmen. They had 3 commanders inter alia: - Duke of Somerset; - Lord Wenlock; - Prince Edward (of Westminster, Prince of Wales). The forces who were loyal to the House of York came with an army about 5,000 soldiers. This army was composed mainly of mounted men. King Edward IV also organised his army into three battles. His commanders were: - Richard, Duke of Gloucester; - King Edward IV; - Lord Hastings. A victory? ...

Recently I made a blog post about the success of Expo 58 in Brussels. However this huge event had another important predecessor in the United Kingdom: The Great Exhibition in London  From 1 May 1851 to 15 October 1851, an international exhibition, sometimes referred to as the Crystal Palace Exhibition, took place in Hyde Park London. This was one of the first series of World's Fairs. Exhibitions became amazingly popular in the 19th century and the Great Exhibition in London was a much anticipated event. The Great Exhibition was organized by Henry Cole and Prince Albert, husband of the reigning monarch, Queen Victoria. Queen Victoria opened the Great Exhibition The Great Exhibition had as main reason for Britain to make "clear to the world  its role as industrial leader". Visitors Queen Victoria and her family visited three times and it had other most famous guests as: Charles Darwin, Samuel Colt, members of the Orléanist Royal Family, C...