All About Royal Families

Nowadays there is a lot of hoopla in the press about the Royal Trust of Belgium (in Dutch: Koninklijke Schenking). Knack Magazine and other journalists have examined the contracts and especially the costs of the Royal Trust. They have made one big question: how much do the Belgians pay for the Royal Family? This examination was widely included on the journals of the national press, exactly whether there were no more important news topics in the world. Although Belgium still hasn't a federal government (the elections were on 26 May 2019), politicians thought it was more important to give their opinion about the Royal Trust than to form a government. Just a matter of priorities.... The Belgians are very indignant about the Royal Trust and it is their good right to be. But no single Belgian Magazine nor Journalist have made an examination about the proceeds of having a royal family. What do they mean for Belgium on the field of an image, reputation, brand name and ...

Perhaps the most famous King ever is without no doubt King Louis XIV of France, also known as the Sun King. Louis XIV - Hotel Negresco in Nice - France Birth 5 September 1638 marks the birth of Louis Dieudonné de Bourbon. He was the oldest son of King Louis XIII of France and his wife Anne of Austria. His birth took place at the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye in the Kingdom of France. Louis, who became Dauphin of France had a younger brother, Philippe who was later the Duke of Orléans. Louis XIV and his family belonged to the royal house of Bourbon. Louis XIV of France  Coronation His coronation took place on 7 June 1654 at the Cathedral of Reims. His image and reputation Louis XIV really took care about his reputation and especially his own image. Every painting, engraving or sculpture displayed him at his magnificent best, even when he was old corpulent and infirm, he still managed to show an aura of power and majesty. Louis XIV care...

The Igreja de São Roque or in English the Church of Saint Roch is an amazing beautiful church in Lisbon, the capital of Portugal. It was the earliest Jesuit Church in Portugal, for more than 200 years, before the Jesuits were expelled. The church is famous for its 18th. century Chapel of St. John the Baptist, at that time it was the most expensive chapel in Europe. With such an expensive chapel, it must be clear that the Church of Saint Roch really has a fantastic royal history. Royal History When Lisbon was being ravaged by the plague, which had arrived by ship from Italy, in 1505, the King and his court were forced to flee the Portuguese capital for a while. The site of São Roque, which was then outside the city walls, became a cemetery for plague victims. At the same time the King of Portugal, Manuel I (reigned from 1495-1521), sent someone to Venice for a relic of St. Roch, the patron of the plague Victims. The relic was sent by the Venetian governmen...

The first World War is over. King Albert I of Belgium & Queen Elisabeth are  back home in Brussels. They have overthrown the army of Emperor Wilhelm II of Germany and they won with the allied forces the war.  On 22 November 1918 there finally was a Joyous Entry in Brussels, capital of Belgium. The procession consisted of: - Prince Albert of the United Kingdom who became later Duke of York (1920) and even King George VI of the United Kingdom & Emperor of India in 1936. He was the father of the current Queen; - King Albert I of Belgium; - Queen Elisabeth of Belgium; - Crown Prince Leopold of Belgium (later King Leopold III); - Prince Charles of Belgium (later regent of Belgium); - Princess Marie José of Belgium (later Queen of Italy); - Marshall Pétain; - Fieldmarshal Haig; and many others. Tapestry Detail Duke of York During the procession the people of Brussels showed its joy for the royals. There were lots of Belgian flags and white ha...

17 November 1905 marks the birth of Princess Astrid of Sweden. She received the full name: Astrid Sofia Lovisa Thyra. Her birth took place at the Arvfurstens Palats in Stockholm in Sweden. Nowadays this is the seat of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Family Princess Astrid was the third child and the youngest daughter of Prince Carl, Duke of Västergöteland and Princess Ingeborg of Denmark. Her paternal grandparents were: King Oscar II of Sweden and Sophia of Nassau. Her maternal grandparents were: King Frederick VIII of Denmark and Louise of Sweden. She had 2 older sisters: Margaretha who would marry to Prince Axel of Denmark and Märtha who would marry to King Olav V of Norway. She had 1 younger brother: Prince Carl Bernadotte. Princess Astrid was thus a member of the royal house of Bernadotte. Childhood Astrid was raised in the strict education and with not much luxury. She studied sewing, piano, ballet and childcare. She enjoyed outdoor sports as: s...

On 15 November 1902 an attempted murder of King Leopold II of Belgium took place in Brussels, the capital of Belgium. Italian anarchist Gennaro Rubino attempted to assassinate King Leopold II of Belgium, who was riding in a royal cortege from a ceremony at the St. Gudula and St. Michael Cathedral in memory of his deceased wife Queen Marie Henriette. After Leopold's carriage passed, Rubino fired 3 shots at the procession. The shots missed King Leopold but they killed almost a Grand Marshall: Count Charles John d'Oultremont. Rubino was immediately arrested and sent to prison. With his act he wanted to avenge the protesters who were shot in the spring of that year when they took  to the streets for universal suffrage (not for Congo). He died in prison in 1918. After this, the security of the King was questioned. Elsewhere in Europe this assassination attempt was received with alarm. Heads of States (who were scared themselves) sent telegrams to the King ...

At 11am on 11 November 1918 "the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month" an armistice with Germany was signed and a ceasefire came into defect. This ended World War I in Belgium and Europe. Menin Gate Ypres Belgium Position of Ypres during World War I During the First World War, Ypres in Belgium had a very strategic position because it stood in the path of Germany's planned sweep across the rest of Belgium as had been called for in the Schlieffen Plan. By October 1914, the much battered Belgian Army broke the dykes on the Yser River to the north of the City to keep the Western tip of Belgium out of German hands. Ypres was the centre of a road network anchored one end of his defensice feature and it was also essential for the Germans if they wanted to take the Channel Ports through which British support was flooding into France. For the Allies, Ypres was also important because it was the last major Belgian town that was not under Ge...

9 November 1989 marks the fall of the Berlin Wall. In 1989 a series of revolutions in Poland and Hungary caused a chain reaction in Eastern Germany that finally resulted in the fall of the Berlin Wall. Afer several weeks of civil unrest the East German government announced on 9 November 1989 that all people from East Germany could visit West Germany and West Berlin. Crowds of East Germans climbed and crossed the hated wall, joined by West Germans. The next weeks people and souvenir hunters took away parts of the wall. Officially the demolition of the Wall started on 13 June 1990. Berlin Wall own picture *** My god help Me to survive this Deadly Love. This shows Leonid Brezhnev and Erich Honecker kissing. This work is called the kiss of Death and it is one of the most  well known paintings of the remaining Berlin Wall.  The Kiss shows Leonid Brezhnev,  the Soviet Leader and Erich Honecker, the President of East Germany.  ...

One of the most special churches I've ever seen is without no doubt the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It really is a very big building in a quirky but beautiful style created by Antoni Gaudí. The Sagrada Familia also is listed at the UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its Neo Gothic Modernist style and its beautiful history. Sagrada Familia in Barcelona 2016 Some history Originally the Basilica of the Sagrada Familia was the inspiration of a bookseller, called Josep Maria Bocabella. He was the founder of the Assoición Espiritual de Devotos de San José. In 1872, Bocabella visited the Vatican. When returning from Italy, he had the intention of building a church inspired by the Basilica at Loreto. On 19 March 1882, the building work started by architect Francisco de Paula del Villar. He had the plan for a Gothic Revival church of a standard form. On 18 March 1883, Francisco de Paula del Villar resigned and Antoni Gaudi assumed responsibil...

On 4 November 1631 Mary, Princess Royal was born. This royal event took place at St. James's Palace in London. Family Mary was the eldest daughter of King Charles I of England, Scotland and Ireland and his wife Henrietta Maria of France. So Mary was named after her mother. Her paternal grandparents were James VI of Scotland (he ruled as James I of England) and Anne of Denmark. Her maternal grandparents were King Henry IV of France and Maria de' Medici. Mary was thus a member of the House of Stuart. Youth In 1642, King Charles I of England designated her Princess Royal, thus establishing the tradition that the eldest daughter of the British sovereign might bear this title. Love and Marriage King Charles I of England wanted that Mary would marry her first cousin Balthasar Charles, Prince of Asturias, the son of King Philip IV of Spain. Charles I Louis, Elector Palatine was also a suitor for her hand. However both proposals fell through and ...

2 November marks the B-Day of Queen Sofia of Spain. Although she isn't the ruling Queen Consort any more, she still is commited to Spain.  I read a very interesting history book about that amazing country. Sadly It was a sad part of Spain's recent history: The Battle for Spain about the civil war of 1936 - 1939. The Civil war of Spain was one of the bitterest conflicts of Spain of the 20th. century. The Battle in Spain was a forerunner of World War II.  The Battle for Spain written by Anthony Beevor is the most important work if you want to know more about this sad history.  I read this book in Dutch, translated by Marjan Terpstra. This is not really a royal book though it is a history book because: From 1 October 1936 till 20 November 1975, Spain was ruled by Francisco Franco.  From 22 November 1975 till 19 June 2014, Spain became a monarchy again. It was ruled by King Juan Carlos. Nowadays the country is reigned by...

2 November 1767 marks the birth of Prince Edward. This royal event took place at Buckingham House in London, England. Family Prince Edward was the fourth son and the fifth child of King George III of England and Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. He was styled: His Royal Highness The Prince Edward from birth. Prince Edward was a member of the royal house of Hohenzolleren. Duty Prince Edward started his military training in Germany in 1785. He went to Lüneburg and later to Hanover, accompanied by his tutor Baron Wangenheim. On 30 May 1786, Prince Edward was appointed as colonel in the British Army. From 1788 till 1789 he completed his education in Geneva. In 1789, Prince Edward was appointed colonel of the 7th. Regiment of Foot the Royal Fusilliers. In 1790, he was sent off to Gibraltar as an ordinary officer. Due to the Mediterranean heat, Prince Edward requested to be transferred to present- day Canada, specifically Quebec. He arrived there in 1791. He ...

On 1 November 1999, Bill Clinton then President of the United States traveled to Oslo in Norway on the occasion of an official State Visit. It was the first official visit to Norway by a US president. History The American Revolution of 1776 had a huge impact to the country of Norway. It was no secret that the constitution of the USA served as an example for the own constitution of Norway in 1814. There is even much more. From 1825 till 1940 many Norwegians emigrated to the USA. Around 850.000 Norwegians found their new home in the United States of America. The friendly state of bilateral relationship was reinforced when King Harald V of Norway hosted the visit of US President Bill Clinton on 1 November 1999. Main participants of the State Visit Bill Clinton (born on 19 August 1947) was the 42nd President of the United States of America. His presidency lasted from 20 January 1993 till 20 January 2001. During his presidency there was a long period of peace i...