All About Royal Families

Juan Carlos Alfonso Víctor María was born on 5 January 1938 to Infante Juan, Count of  Barcelona, and Princess María de las Mercedes of Bourbon-Two Sicilies in their family home in Rome, where his grandfather King Alfonso XIII of Spain and other members of the Spanish royal family lived in exile following the proclamation of the Second Spanish Republic in 1931.  Baptism He was baptized as Juan Carlos Alfonso Víctor María de Borbón y Borbón-Dos Sicilias by Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli, the future Pope Pius XII. Family He has two sisters: Infanta Pilar, Duchess of Badajoz (1936–2020); and Infanta Margarita, Duchess of Soria (born 1939). He also had a younger brother, Alfonso. Childhood His early life was dictated largely by the political concerns of his father and General Franco. He moved to Spain in 1948 to be educated there after his father persuaded Franco to allow it. The tragic death of his younger brother On the evening of Holy Thursday, 29 March 1956, Juan Carlos's younger brother

The life and travels of Empress Elisabeth of Austria (Sisi) always have fascinated me, you can find lots of her travels on this link .  In Austria she felt restless and she always was very keen to be on her way to the most beautiful destinations. Following her footsteps  resulted in a never ending wishlist but from time to time it is a  surprise to visit places where Empress Elisabeth of Austria was before. I must admit: those places are true treasures. One of them is Elche , (also called Elx) in the province of Alicante in Spain. Elche Palm Trees picture taken in October 2022 Empress Elisabeth of Austria Source picture: Wikipedia   In 1894, Empress Elisabeth of Austria (Sisi) arrived at the port of Alicante . Then she traveled further to Elche, where she was shown an amazing garden.  Port of Alicante in Spain, October 2022 The Empress was very impressed when she looked at the palm tree. She suggested to give them her name. (Imperial Palm).  She also visited the The Huerto del Cura . 

The State Funeral of Her Majesty The Queen will take place at Westminster Abbey on Monday, 19th September 2022 at 1100hrs BST. A Committal Service at St George’s Chapel, Windsor, will take place later the same day at 1600hrs.  Elements of the State Funeral Service and the associated ceremonial arrangements will pay tribute to The Queen’s extraordinary reign, and Her Majesty’s remarkable life of service as Head of State, Nation and Commonwealth On the morning of the State Funeral, the Lying-in-State will end at 0630hrs as the final members of the public are admitted. The State Funeral Service will be conducted by the Dean of Westminster . During the Service, the Prime Minister and the Secretary General of the Commonwealth will read Lessons. The Archbishop of York, the Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster, the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland and the Free Churches Moderator will say Prayers. The Sermon will be given by the Archbishop of Canterbury, who will also

A visit to the Royal Palace in Madrid was definitely on the wishlist of the  Allaboutroyalfamilies blog. Finally in March 2022 a dream came true.  The Royal Palace in Madrid didn't disappoint me, on contrary, due to its splendid rooms full of royal history. History The palace was initially built by Muhammad I, Umayyad Emir of Cordoba, between 860 and 880. After the Moors were driven out of Toledo in the 11th century, the castle retained its defensive function. Henry III of Castile added several towers.  His son John II used it as a royal residence. During the War of the Castilian Succession (1476) the troops of Joanna la Beltraneja were besieged in the Alcázar, during which the building suffered severe damage. Emperor Charles V , with the architects Alonso de Covarrubias and Luis de Vega, extended and renovated the castle in 1537. Philip II made Madrid his capital in 1561 and continued the renovations, with new additions. Philip III and Philip IV added a long southern facade betwe

Infanta Pilar was the eldest daughter of Juan de Borbón y Battenberg and María de las Mercedes de Borbón y Orleans born on 30 July 1936. Christening She was baptized in Cannes, in the church of Rins, with the name of María del Pilar Alfonsa Juana Victoria Luisa Ignacia de Todos los Santos de Borbón y Borbón.  Her godparents were her paternal grandfather, King Alfonso XIII and her maternal grandmother the Princess Louise of Orléans, although Alfonso XIII acted by delegation as he did not want to meet his wife Queen Victoria Eugenia.  From her birth, as the daughter of the heir to the Crown of Spain she was given the title of Infanta of Spain with treatment of Royal Highness. However, the official recognition of that title came when her brother was already King of Spain. Childhood When she was an infant, the family moved to Rome where the Spanish Royal Family settled in exile. In 1941, after the resignation of Alfonso XIII, her father became the holder of the dynastic rights of the Spani

From 25 July 1992 till 9 August 1992 the Summer Olympic Games took place in Barcelona. These games are still considered as one of the most successful modern Olympics with more than 9.300 athletes and 169 countries participating. The opening ceremony took place on 25 July 1992 with a big show at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, Barcelona , Spain.  As mandated by the Olympic Charter, the proceedings combined the formal and ceremonial opening of this international sporting event, including welcoming speeches, hoisting of the flags and the parade of athletes, with an artistic spectacle to showcase the host nation's culture and history. Greek mezzo-soprano, Agnes Baltsa, sang "Romiossini" as the Olympic flag was taken around the stadium.  Alfredo Kraus later sang the Olympic Hymn in both Catalan and Spanish as the flag was hoisted.  The Olympic flame cauldron was lit by a flaming arrow, shot by Paralympic archer Antonio Rebollo. The arrow had been lit by the flame of the Oly

Victoria, Princess of Sweden, Duchess of Västergötland (Victoria Ingrid Alice Désirée) was born 14 July 1977 at Karolinska Hospital, Solna, Sweden. The Swedish  royal court has released a picture on this link .   Sweden is located in Northern Europe, it borders Norway to the west and the north, Finland in the east and Denmark in the south.  visit from the Indian President to Sweden (2015) Family Victoria is the oldest child of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia. She is a member of the House of Bernadotte . Born as a princess of Sweden, she was designated crown princess in 1979 ahead of her younger brother. Her place as first in the line of succession formally went into effect on 1 January 1980 with the parliamentary change to the Act of Succession that introduced absolute primogeniture. 👉  Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden is a great-great-great granddaughter of  Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom through Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn  and Princess Margaret of