All About Royal Families

In the heart of the city of The Hague, the Noordeinde Palace is located.  Today it still is used by the Dutch Royal family as a an office for King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima. On big events just as Prinjesdag - Prince's Day - , which takes place every third Tuesday in September, the Palace of Noordeinde is the decor of the depart of the royal family and the famous balcony scene. However what's the history of this beautiful place? Some royal history The Noordeinde palace originated as a medieval farmhouse, which was converted into a spacious residence by the steward of the States of Holland, Willem van de Goudt. From 1566 to 1591, the palace had a different owner. After that it was leased, and in 1595, purchased by the States of Holland for Louise de Coligny, the widow of William of Orange, and her son Prince Frederik Hendrik. In recognition of William's service to the nation, the States presented the building to his family in 1609. Louise de Coligny Source pictur...

Victoria was born on Easter Sunday at Windsor Castle in the presence of her maternal grandmother, Queen Victoria on 5 April 1863. Her parents were Louis IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine and Princess Alice of the United Kingdom.  She was christened in the Lutheran faith in the Green Drawing Room at Windsor Castle, in the arms of the Queen on 27 April. Her godparents were: * Queen Victoria, * Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge, * Louis III, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine (represented by Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine), * the Prince of Wales and Prince Heinrich of Hesse and by Rhine Childhood Her early life was spent at Bessungen, a suburb of Darmstadt, until the family moved to the New Palace in Darmstadt when she was three years old. There, she shared a room with her younger sister, Elisabeth, until adulthood. She was privately educated to a high standard and was, throughout her life, an avid reader. During the Prussian invasion of Hesse in June 1866, Vic...

Recently I read a splendid book "My Queen, My Love: A Novel of Henrietta Maria" written by Elena Maria Vidal about Henrietta Maria of France. Who was she? Who was this French princess who became Queen of England?  So, time to make up another Royal History post. Family Henrietta Maria was born on 25 November 1609 in the Louvre Palace in Paris.  Her parents were Henry IV of France and Marie de' Medici. She was thus a member of the House of Bourbon. Of course Henriette Maria had other siblings. Among them were  King Louis XIII of France and Elisabeth, who became Queen of Spain. Henrietta Maria was trained, along with her sisters, in riding, dancing, and singing, and took part in court plays. Although tutored in reading and writing, she was not known for her academic skills.  As part of her religious training, the princess was heavily influenced by the Carmelites at the French court.  By 1622, Henrietta Maria was living in Paris with a household of some...

In August 2023 we finally could see the Westminster Palace and especially the Westminster Hall. A place full of history. We booked a tour with a splendid guide called Ralph. We were able to enter Westminster Hall and to take pictures there. In other parts of the Palace we were not allowed to take pictures.  Our suprise was big because of course we recognized the Westminster Hall immediately due to the Lying-in-State of the Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, which took place from September 14th. 2022 till September 19th. 2022 in Westminster Hall.  However its history dates back from long ago.  Some history The oldest existing part of the Palace (Westminster Hall) dates from the reign of William I's successor, King William II (r. 1087–1100). Source picture: Wikipedia On 16 October 1834, a fire broke out in the Palace after an overheated stove used to destroy the Exchequer's stockpile of tally sticks set fire to the House of Lords Chamber. In the resulting co...

In August 2023 we visited Buckingham Palace for the very first time and it was - as the ticket told us - a very royal day out. Buckingham Palace is recognised around the world as the home of the monarch, the focus of national and royal celebrations, as well as the backdrop to the regular Changing the Guard ceremony. Buckingham palace is open for public for 10 weeks each summer. This year it is from Friday, 14 July to Sunday, 24 September 2023. A visit We booked a Royal Day Out for two persons. So we were able to visit the State Rooms, The Queen's Gallery and the Royal Mews.    On a rather grey day we finally got the chance to visit Buckingham Palace. We could spend lot of time and there was plenty enough to see. First we visited the Queen's Gallery In 2023 there is a fantastic exhibition about dressing the Georgians. It felt like Bridgerton. Then we visited the Royal Mews, were we saw cars, the carriages, the coaches and of course the horses. And last but not leas...