All About Royal Families

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...

Chess sometimes is called a royal game. However which royals play(ed) chess? Discover it in this blogpost!  Austria Archduchess Anna of Austria and her husband Albert V, Duke of Bavaria liked to play chess (portrait made in 1522). In 1873, the Vienna Chess tournament took place at the Prater from May 1st.  Through this tournament Austria-Hungary presented itself as a world leader  and the equal of France and England. Emperor Franz Joseph, Baron Albert Salomon von Rothschild and Baron Ignaz von Kolisch contributed large sums to the prize fund.  Belgium In Belgium, King Baudouin used to play chess just for fun.  Bohemia King Ottokar II of Bohemia also known as the Iron and Golden King liked to play chess.  Czech Republic Oldrich Duras was a famous chess player from the Czech Republic. He played against Dr. Jur. Wladimir Count Lazanski (1857-1925).  This man was the  husband of Mechtilidis Wallburg-Zeil-Trachburg. As you can see on the name, she was ...

On 8 August 1648 Mehmed IV became Sultan of the Ottoman Empire after Sultan Ibrahim abdicated from the throne. Mehmed IV was the son of Ibrahim and Valide Sultan Turhan Hatice, a concubine of Ukrainian origin. He was born on 2 January 1642. When Mehmed IV ascended the throne there were lots of intrigues in the Imperial Palace as well as uprisings in Anatolia. Under Mehmed IV's reign, the Ottoman Empire regained the Aegean islands from Venice. His army marched to Hungary and later his soldiers besieged Vienna in Austria (1683). This was the start of the Great Turkish Wars, as the armies of the Holy League began their succesful campaign to push the Ottomans back over the Balkans. His reign ended on 8 November 1687, and Mehmed IV died on 6 January 1693. He was buried at the New Mosque in Istanbul. Source pictures: Wikipedia