All About Royal Families

Kortrijk sometimes known in English as Courtrai or Courtray is a Belgian city and municipality in the Flemish province of West Flanders. In the Middle Ages, Courtrai grew significantly thanks to the flax and wool industry with France and England and became one of the biggest and richest cities in Flanders.  The city is often referred to as City of Groeninge or City of the Golden Spurs, referring to the Battle of Courtrai or the Battle of the Golden Spurs which took place on 11 July 1302 on the Fields of Groeninge in Courtrai.  In 1820 the Treaty of Kortrijk was signed, laying out the still-current borders between France and Belgium. Throughout the 19th and 20th century, the flax industry flourished and remains important within the Belgian textile industry today. To be honest, I only knew Kortrijk due to its railway station and the  direct train ways to Oostende, Bruges, Roeselare and other cities in the region. I never stayed in Kortrijk before. Huge time to search f...

Although Scheveningen is not especially my favourite beach resort in The Netherlands, I'd like to do a special mention of the Kurhaus. The Kurhaus of Scheveningen, The Hague in the Netherlands is a hotel which is called the Grand Hotel Amrâth Kurhaus The Hague since October 2014. It is located in the main seaside resort area, near the beach. A beautiful History The Kurhaus was built between 1884 and 1885 by the German architects Johann Friedrich Henkenhaf and Friedrich Ebert. It consisted originally of a concert hall and a hotel with 120 rooms. Having suffered serious damage by fire, it was rebuilt between 1886 and 1887.  Interior The ceilings were painted by the Brussels artist Van Hoeck and his large workshop.  The history continued Until the mid 1960s, the Kurhaus remained a public attraction as a major concert hall, at which many top artists performed.  Ike & Tina Turner performed at the Kurhaus on February 11, 1971. The show was aired on Dutch television VPRO and...

The Hotel Avenida Palace, in the heart of the center of Lisbon (near the Rossio Railway Station on this link ) not only has a great location but also a beautiful history. Some history The Avenida Palace Hotel was founded at the end of the 19th. century. It opened the doors in 1892. Then Carlos I was King of Portugal. The same year on 14 June 1892 the country was declared bankrupt. More about Carlos I of Portugal on this link .  During the Belle Époque the hotel was one of the best in Europe for its style, location and standard of service. When the Republic of Portugal was established, during the Spanish civil war and during the two World Wars, the Avenida Palace Hotel was an active stage for political intrigue and espionage. Traveling Nowadays (8 October 2019) The Avenida Palace Hotel in Lisbon, Portugal  still has great reviews on TripAdvisor. It is number 6th of the 281 Hotels in Lisbon. Most of the comments really are very good. My pictu...

In September 2019, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex attended a celebrity wedding in Rome, Italy. The wedding was also attended by Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie as well as Ivanka Trump and her husband. This A-lasting event took place at the Hotel De Russie in Rome. In 2017, I visited the lovely capital of Italy and I saw this amazing Hotel near the Spanish Stairs. I was immediately interested in its royal history. Some history The Hotel De Russie was designed by Roman architect Giuseppe Valadier between 1816 and 1818. The Hotel got its name from the many members of the Imperial Family of Russia who chose to stay there during their visit to Rome. During World War II the Hotel De Russie was ordered by the Military Information Services. After 1945, the Hotel was taken over by Count Romolo Vaselli. It became the head office of RAI, the Italian television channel until 1993. On 15 April 2000, the Hotel was re-opened under Sir Rocco Forte. Hotel de Russi...

On the opposite of the Tuileries Garden, between the Place de la Concorde and the Musée du Louvre on Rue de Rivoli , a magnificent historical palatial hotel is located: Hotel Le Meurice. Already from the street, Hotel Le Meurice looks fabulous and classy, but this blog is about royal history, so my surprise was big, when I researched more about this interesting topic. Hotel Le Meurice in Paris, France own picture taken in 2017 Some History During the 18th century, a French postmaster called Charles-Augustin Meurice knew that English tourists wanted to be on the continent with the comforts they were used at home. In 1815 he opened the Hôtel Meurice in Paris, however it was originally located at Rue Saint-Honoré. In 1835, Le Meurice moved from Rue Saint-Honoré to its current location on the Rue de Rivoli in a new luxurious building. A wealthy clientele followed and from the July Monarchy till the French Third Republic, Le Meurice welcomed the high society of th...

Hotel Alfonso XIII in Seville, Spain certainly is one of the most important VIP hotels in the city. It is located on the Calle San Fernando, next to the University of Seville in the Santa Cruz area. Alfonso XIII hotel in Seville, Spain own picture taken in 2018 Some Royal History On 28 April 1929 Hotel Alfonso XIII was officially inaugurated with a celebration attended by King Alfonso XIII and his wife Queen Victoria Eugenia . This Spanish queen was a granddaughter of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. King Alfonso XIII and Queen Victoria were the grandparents of King Juan Carlos of Spain. King Alfonso XIII of Spain Source picture: Wikipedia The reason of the celebration was the wedding of Infanta Isabel with Count Juan Zamoyski. Infanta Isabel Alfonso was the daughter of Prince Carlos of Two Sicilies and Mercedes, Princess of Asturias. Mercedes was a daughter of King Alfonso XII of Spain and thus a sister of King Alfonso XIII of Spain. Some buildi...

The amazing Hôtel Ritz in Paris is located at the Place Vendôme (number 15) in the first arrondissement of Paris. The hotel is ranked at the list of the "Leading hotels of the world". After a major renovation the Hôtel Ritz re-opened on 6 June 2016. Besides these facts, the hotel really is an interesting place full of  royal history. Ritz Hotel in Paris Entrance - own picture taken in 2017 Some (royal) history On 7 June 1738, Cesar Ritz bought the building at the Place Vendôme number 15 to for fill his dream. The hotel was an immediate success, attracting a distinguished and moneyed clientele headed by the Prince of Wales in 1897. Ritz's innovative standards of hygiene demanded a bathroom for every suite, the maximum possible amount of sunlight and the minimum of curtains and other hangings. The hotel opened on 1 June 1898 to a "glittering reception". Together with Auguste Escoffier, a French chef, Ritz made the hotel synonymous with opu...

Westin Hotel in Paris, taken in 2017 The Westin Paris is located at the Rue de Castiglione on the corner of the Tuileries and the Rue de Rivoli, near the Place Vendôme in Paris, France. Nowadays the building still is an important landmark but it really has an interesting and even a royal history. Some history * The Westin Hotel was opened on June 1st. 1878 as the Hôtel Continental . Share of the Hotel Continental - Source: Wikipedia * It was designed by Henri Blondel, who was the son-in-law of Charles Garnier, one of the best known French architects. * During that time, the Westin Hotel was one of the most luxurious hotels in Paris. * During the first World War, the hotel was used as an hospital. Royal guests * The Grand Dukes of Russia ussually stayed here inter alia Duchess Marie of Mecklenburg - Schwerin and her son Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich of Russia * Empress Egénie, wife of Napoléon III of France, visited regularly the hotel. * Queen M...

A place where even luxury becomes common, that's certainly Hotel de Paris in Monte Carlo, Monaco. Hotel de Paris - Monaco - own picture taken in 2013 Hotel de Paris was opened in 1864 as a part of the Société des Bains de Mer (SBM), under the watchful eye of Prince Charles III of Monaco. Charles III, Prince of Monaco, source picture - Wikipedia The Hotel de Paris has a Michelin 3-star Louis XV restaurant and Le Bar Americain, listed on the World's best Bar selection. In the Louis XV, a world famous chef is cooking. It is Alain Ducasse. It also has huge wine cellars. Hotel de Paris - Monaco detail facade - own picture taken in 2013 The Hotel de Paris has 99 rooms and one of the suite is named after Winston Churchill. Notable guests: - Princess Grace of Monaco - Winston Churchill (stayed here every winter) - Cary Grant - Sir Roger Moore - Frank & Barbara Sinatra - Rothschild - Rockefeller - Vanderbilt - King Gustav V of Sweden - Duke ...

Hotel Sacher, Vienna, Austria - picture taken in 2011 A five star hotel, which is of course a part of the Leading Hotels in the World, located in the Inner Stadt of Vienna, near the Vienna State Opera ... that is all applicable to Hotel Sacher. Hotel Sacher also is famous for the specialty of the house: the Sachertorte, a chocolate cake with apricot filling. Some History In 1876, the hotel was founded by the restaurateur and purveyor to the court Eduard Sacher (1843-1892). In 1880, Eduard Sacher married Anna Fuchs (1859-1930). She became the managing director after his death and she soon earned a good reputation for her commercial skills and her eccentricity.  Under her management, the Hotel Sacher became one of the finest hotels in the world, it became a meeting place of aristocracy and diplomats as well. After World War I, Anna held the upper-class reputation of the hotel, however this led to financial problems and the change of ownership in the 1930's. ...

Talbot House in Poperinge Belgium - own picture taken in 2017 At the beginning of World War I, Neville Talbot, a senior Church of England chaplain in the British Army sought to recruit chaplains who would minister the battalions on the front lines. One of the recruits was Reverend Philip Byard Clayton (born in Australia), who was assigned to the East Kent and the Bedfordshire regiments. In 1915 Clayton was sent to France and then to the town of Poperinge in Belgium. Tubby Clayton A few miles from Ieper (English name: Ypres) , there was a town called Poperinge (or Pops as the soldiers called it). This was a busy transfer place where troops on their way to and from the battlefields of Flanders stayed. Clayton, known as Tubby was instructed by Neville Talbot to set up some kind of rest house for the troops. On 11 December 1915, a house was opened for the soldiers. Later it was named Talbot House in honor of Lieutenant Gilbert Talbot (Neville's brother) w...