All About Royal Families

Alchemy is an ancient branch of natural philosophy, a philosophical and proto scientific tradition that was historically practiced in China, India, the Middle East, and Europe.  The goals of alchemy included the creation of a divine body and immortality. The philosopher's stone of European alchemists can be compared to the Grand Elixir of Immortality sought by Chinese alchemists.  Nicolas Flamel is a well-known alchemist, but a good example of pseudepigraphy, the practice of giving your works the name of someone else, usually more famous.Although the historical Flamel existed, the writings and legends assigned to him only appeared in 1612. Flamel was not a religious scholar as were many of his predecessors, and his entire interest in the subject revolved around the pursuit of the philosopher's stone. I learned more about Alchemy by watching the first Harry Potter movie: The Philosopher's stone.  However which royals did like Alchemy? Who hired an alchemist on  their royal c

Alexandrine was born a Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin on 24 December 1879 in the city of Schwerin, the capital of the vast Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg- Schwerin in Northern Germany.  Family Her father was Frederick Francis, Hereditary Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin; who was the eldest son of and heir to the reigning Grand Duke Frederick Francis II. Her mother was Grand Duchess Anastasia Mikhailovna of Russia, who was a granddaughter of Emperor Nicholas I of Russia. Alexandrine was her parents' first child, and was born eleven months after their wedding in St. Petersburg. She was born in the Neustädtisches Palais in Schwerin, which was her parents' residence in the city at the time. Alexandrine had two younger siblings: her only brother was Duke Frederick Francis, who in 1897 succeeded their father as Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, and her only sister was Duchess Cecilie, who in 1906 married the German Crown Prince Wilhelm of Prussia, eldest son of German Emperor Willia

Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, recently stated that walking helped a lot to maintain his mental health. Prince William about walking: "Walking has been a feature of my life during the good times and the bad, come rain or shine. For me, it provides an opportunity to clear my mind and gain some perspective. It's a key part of how I manage my mental health. It can be a very sociable exercise or a moment of complete calm and isolation. In the hope of inspiring a few other people to get active and take some extra time for their own mental health – I wanted to share a few of my stories and favourite songs with you in an episode of Time to Walk." But who are/were other royals who liked to walk? Check it in this new hobby post.  Austria Empress Elisabeth of Austria (Sisi) loved to make long walks.  Belgium King Baudouin of Belgium liked walking during his talks with people. He asked author Henri Van Daele: "Shall we walk a bit around?" Queen Paola of Belgium likes

While I was waiting on the Christmas cards 2021 - I thought about the postal service in the past. Who took care of the royal correspondence? Immediately I came to  the family Thurn und Taxis. Who is the family Thurn und Taxis? The Princely House of Thurn and Taxis is a family of German nobility that is part of the Briefadel. It was a key player in the postal services in Europe during the 16th. century until the end of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806. It became well  known as the owner of breweries and builder of many castles. History? The Tasso family was a Lombard family in the area of Bergamo. Omodeo Tasso organized 32 of his relatives into the Company of Couriers and linked Milan to Venice and Rome.  In 1443, Ruggiero de Tassis was named to the court of Emperor Frederick the Peaceful . He organized a post system between Bergamo and Vienna by 1450; from Innsbruck to Italy and Styria around 1460; and Vienna with Brussels by 1480.  Ruggiero was knighted and made a gentleman of the Chambe

On 23 November 1890, King Willem (William) III of The Netherlands died  in Apeldoorn. Birth William was born on 19 February 1817 in the Palace of the Nation in Brussels, which was then a part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands.  Family His parents were the future King William II of the Netherlands and Anna  Pavlovna of Russia. He had three brothers (one died young) and one sister.  King William II (the father) and his family.  Early life At the age of 10, in 1827, he was made an honorary colonel in the Royal Netherlands Army. In the 1830's he served as lieutenant in the Grenadiers Regiment.  Reign At the beginning, King William III ruled over the Netherlands and Luxembourg as well.  In 1856, the "Luxembourg Coup" took place. William instituted a new constitution for Luxembourg which he ruled personally separate from the crown.  In 1867, France offered to buy Luxembourg, which led to the Luxembourg Crisis. However the Second Treaty of London re-established Luxembourg

Motorcycling certainly is a royal hobby because many kings and princes like(d) to drive incognito around.  Motorcycling is the act of riding on a motorcycle. Motorcycles are mainly a luxury good in developed nations. There they are mostly for recreation or as a symbol of identity.  Belgium King Albert II of Belgium was known as a keen motor cyclist. However he stopped  after a few accidents. His most famous accident was around the time of the wedding of his daughter Princess Astrid.  King Albert I,   the grandfather of King Albert II, had a passion for mechanics and especially for motors too. Denmark Crown Princess Mary of Denmark and her husband Crown Prince Frederik were seen on a scooter ride in 2006. Prince Hendrik of Denmark , the husband of Queen Margrethe of Denmark also liked to ride on a motor bike.  Germany Otto von Hessen died in an accident with his motor bike on 17 May 2020.  Italy Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy, Prince of Venice, the grandson of Princess Marie-José of Belgi