All About Royal Families

August has always been a month of contrasts in the royal calendar. While many royal families enjoy a well deserved summer holiday away from the public eye, royal life never comes to a complete standstill. National celebrations, historic anniversaries and royal birthdays continue to offer fascinating moments for royal watchers around the world. This month's Royal Highlights bring together the most notable events and commemorations from across Europe's royal houses and beyond. Duke and Duchess of Gloucester Royal diary August 1st to August 7th: UK: Cowes Week on the Isle of Wight - The Princess Royal will visit some activities of this wonderful Regatta. ⛵ August 5th: UK: The Duchess of Edinburgh Patron, Hallé Concerts Society, will attend a Promenade Concert at The Royal Albert Hall. August 11th: NL: The Princess of Orange will attend the opening of the 2026 FEI World Championships in Aachen , Zara Tindall, Princess Benedikte of Denmark and Infanta Elena of Spain, will atted this...

Welcome to the July edition of the All About Royal Families Royal Diary, your monthly guide to the most important royal engagements, birthdays, exhibitions, and celebrations from royal families around the world. From Scotland's traditional Holyrood Week and Belgium's National Day to royal birthdays, summer palace openings, and international visits, July offers plenty for every royal enthusiast. Royal Diary June 29th - July 12th: UK: Wimbledon 2026 🎾.  June 30th - July 3rd: Holyrood Week in Scotland. July 1st: CAN: Happy Canada Day! July 2nd: NL: His Majesty the King and Her Majesty Queen Máxima will attend the gala of the National Ballet, in honour of the farewell of director Ted Brandsen. July 4th: USA: Happy Independence day ! The Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4, 1776. King Norodom Sihamoni of Cambodia has written a message to President Donald Trump on the occasion of the United States’ Independence Day. source picture: Wikipedia July 7th - July ...

The fourth palace visit of this year also took place in The Hague. However, we could only see the Huis ten Bosch palace from the outside, because King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands and his family live here. The walk from the center of The Hague through the forest was very beautiful and a stark contrast to get away from the hustle and bustle of the royal city. In front of the Palace Huis ten Bosch own picture Some royal history Construction of Huis ten Bosch began on 2 September 1645, under the direction of Bartholomeus Drijffhout, based on a design by Pieter Post and Jacob van Campen.  It was commissioned by Amalia of Solms-Braunfels , the wife of stadtholder Frederick Henry, on a parcel of land granted to her by the States General (Loonstra 1983, Slothouwer 1945).  Portrait of Amalia of Solms-Braunfels Source picture: Wikipedia The first stone was laid by Elizabeth of Bohemia . Elizabeth of Bohemia Source picture: Wikipedia Over t...

Our 3rd. Royal Palace visit took place on January 7th. 2024 in The Hague. Then we visited the Lange Voorhout Palace and the exhibition "Escher in het Paleis".  Some History The Lange Voorhout Palace in The Hague was designed in 1760 by the architect Pieter de Swart for Anthony Patras (1718-1764), a deputy to the States General of the Netherlands. In 1796 the mansion was bought by Archibald Hope (1747-1821), a manager of the Dutch West India Company. Archibald was a cousin of Henry Hope and Jan Hope and involved in the family banking business. In 1808 his wife died.  Napoleon and his wife on their travels through the First French Empire used it one night. The inventory was sold in December 1821 and lasted more than two weeks.  The building was bought by Renaud Diederick James de Ginkell, 7th Earl of Athlone (1773–1823), married to a daughter of John Williams Hope. In 1831 the Minister of Foreign Affairs Johan Gijsbert Verstolk v...

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 ...

The Gevangenpoort (Prisoner's Gate) is a former gate and medieval prison on the Buitenhof in The Hague, Netherlands. It is situated next to the 18th-century art gallery founded by William V, Prince of Orange in 1774 known as the Prince William V Gallery. William V, Prince of Orange - his son would become King William I of The Netherlands From 1420 until 1828, the prison was used for housing people who had committed serious crimes while they awaited sentencing. Its most famous prisoner was Cornelis de Witt , who was held on the charge of plotting the murder of the stadtholder.  He was lynched together with his brother Johan on 20 August 1672 on the square in front of the building called groene zoodje after the grass mat used for the scaffold.  When public executions went out of fashion the area was used to build the "Witte Society", a literature club that still exists today, but had to move when the street was built in 1923. In 1882, the Gevangenp...