All About Royal Families

On 13 April 1350, Margaret III, Countess of Flanders was born near Bruges as the daughter of Louis II, Count of Flanders and Margaret of Brabant.   She was the last surviving child and she became the last Countess of Flanders of the House of Dampierre. Weddings A good marriage was very important. So her father negotiated the future of his daughter well. As heir presumptive to her father's territories, Margaret was a highly coveted bride.  In 1355,Margaret of Flanders married Philip of Rouvres, grandson and heir of Odo IV, Duke of Burgundy.  Philip was Count of Burgundy and Artois (1347–1361), Duke of Burgundy (1350–1361), and became Count of Auvergne and Boulogne (1360–1361). We don't know if it was a happy marriage or not, but at least she married at a very young age! Following Philip's death from a riding accident in 1361, Margaret was widowed and had no issue by him.  King John II of France then claimed the Duchy of Burgundy for the kingdo...

Falconry is the hunting of wild animals in their natural habitat and stay by means of a trained bird or prey.  The practice of hunting with a conditioned falconry bird also is called "hawking".  Falconry is an art. It requires long hours, constant devotion, finesse, subtlety and skill.  The falconer must train a bird of prey to fly free, hunt for a human being and then  accept a return to captivity.  Falconry was just not a hobby. It was a lifestyle. Falconers must devote time to their birds each and every day. It must be no surprise that  falconry has a long and royal history just as horse riding. In many countries owning a falcon was and is a status symbol.  Some history of Falconry Medieval sports were chances for men to practice their mental and physical skills. However falconry also was practiced by women.  Royals and Falconry Bahrain Emir Isa bin Salman al Khalifa of Bahrain and his family owned the Sulman Falcon Centre. The royal family can...

Only a few noble families are intertwined with the history of  a country.  The de Liedekerke family has it all: a long and interesting history and close ties to the rules of their country.  Let's take a closer look!  History It was in 1301 that the history of the family de Liedekerke started.  Then Knight Raas of Herzele signed an official document in Beveren. His son was Raas of Herzele of (de) Liedekerke. His descendants called themselves de Liedekerke.  But there were many interesting people in the family de Liedekerke. connections with the Duke of Burgundy Raas of Liedekerke, lord of Nieuwerkerken (+/- 1421 - 1494/1495) was married to a certain Johanna. Due to his marriage he became Lord of Heestert and Zulte. In 1476 he went on a military campaign with Charles the Bold. Duke of Burgundy. In 1477, Mary of Burgundy, appointed him as bailiff of Aalst and Geraardsbergen.  Charles the Bold Mary of Burgundy Connections with the House of Habsburg Steven ...

8 May 1326 marks the birth of Joan I, Countess of Auvergne. Family Joan's parents were William XII, Count of Auvergne -Boulogne and Margaret of Navarre. Her paternal grandparents were Robert VII of Auvergne and Blanche of Bourbon. Her maternal grandparents were Louis Count of Évreux and Margaret of Artois. Louis, Count of Evreux was a son of King Philip III of France. Joan inherited the County of Auvergne (and Boulogne) after the death of her father.This took place in 1332. Love and Marriage Joan's first marriage was to Philip of Burgundy. who held the title Count of Auvergne. Their son Philip would inherit the title Duke of Burgundy from his grandfather Odo IV Duke of Burgundy. Philip I , Count of Auvergne died on 10 August 1346. Joan remarried on 19 February 1350 at the Château de Sainte-Gemme to King John II of France. It was a second marriage for both of them. The first wife of King John II of France, Bonne of Bohemia, had died of Bla...

The diplomatic skills of the Lannoy family 1 May 1456 marks the death of Hugo (also called Hue of Huges) van Lannoy. He was an important man at the court of Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy. Hugo was born in 1384 as the son of Gilbert I van Lannoy and Catherine of Molembais (in Dutch: Molenbeek) . His brothers were Guillebert of Lannoy and Baldwin of Lannoy. As a young knight he traveled to Jerusalem and he even joined an armed expedition against the Tartars, who occupied Muscovy. Muscovy was the former name of the Grand Duchy of Moscow. It was the predecessor State of the Tsaredom of Russia. When Hugo returned to Europe, he first served John the Fearless. He also fought at the Battle of Agincourt, where he was taken captive by the English. After his release, he became a diplomat for Philip the Good, who succeeded his father in 1419. For Philip the Good, Hugo of Lannoy helped to arrange the wedding between Jacqueline, Countess of Holland and Humphrey, Duke...

When Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, founded in 1430 the Order of the Golden Fleece, he granted members of his court the title knight. One of them was Antoine I de Croÿ, Count of Porcéan. This Antoine I de Croÿ, also called Antoine le Grand, was the eldest son and heir of Jean I de Croÿ. The de Croÿ family became important during the rule of the Burgundian Dukes. They were actively involved in the difficult politics of France, Spain, Austria and of course the Low Countries. A noble history Jean I de Croÿ Jean served two dukes of Burgundy:  Philip the Bold and  John the Fearless . Jean I de Croÿ married a wealthy heiress: Marie de Craon. In 1397 Jean acquired the lordship of Chimay, which would become the main seat of the de Croÿ family. Later he was appointed governor of Artois. He was Grand Bouteiller of the King of France. Jean and two of his sons were killed at the  Battle of Agincourt on 25 October 1415. Antoine I Le Grand...