All About Royal Families

On Sunday 21 July 2024, a splendid National Day took place in Belgium. In Brussels, the capital of Belgium, most of the events happened.The weather was great and there was an amazing atmosphere. History The National day marks the taking of the oath of King Leopold I of Belgium on his arrival in 1831 in Brussels. Events The National Day in Brussels started early with a Te Deum in the St. Michael and the St. Gudula Kathedral. King Philippe, Queen Mathilde of the Belgians and their children, Crown Princess Elisabeth, Prince Gabriel, Prince Emmanuel and Princess Eléonore were present. After the mass they took time to meet and greet the public. As always Bjorn Hoex was present where he made some lovely pictures of the Royals. In the afternoon a défilé took place in front of the Royal Palace in Brussels. This was viewed by, King Philippe of the Belgians, Queen Mathilde of the Belgians, Crown Princess Elisabeth, Prince Gabriel, Prince Emmanuel and Princess Eléonore. Princess Astrid, Prince Lo...

As a Belgian I'm very proud to introduce you Princess Eléonore of Belgium, the youngest child of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of the Belgians. Princess Eléonore of Belgium full name: Eléonore Fabiola Victoria Anne Marie of Belgium was born 16 April 2008.  Princess Eléonore, picture: Bjorn Hoex Family She is the younger daughter and the youngest of four children of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium. She is currently fourth in line to the throne of Belgium after her older siblings Princess Elisabeth, Duchess of Brabant, Prince Gabriel, and Prince Emmanuel. She is the twelfth and youngest grandchild of King Albert II and Queen Paola. Place of Birth   The princess was born in 16 April 2008 at 4:50 at the Erasmus Hospital the teaching hospital of Université libre de Bruxelles in Anderlecht. Baptism She was baptised on 14 June 2008 in the chapel of Ciergnon Castle in the Belgian Ardennes, by Cardinal Godfried Danneels, the Archbishop of Mechelen-Brussels.  Her god...

From 3 December 2023 till 7 December 2023, King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of the Belgians made an official State Visit to their neighbours Germany. The royals were invited by President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. This was the program: Day 1 Berlin: welcome ceremony by President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and First Lady Elke Büdenbender at the Bellevue Palace. Later they went to the Brandenburger Tor, the symbol of German division during the Cold War, the Brandenburg Gate is now a national symbol of peace and unity. Finally that day the German President organised a state banquet.  At the banquet Queen Mathilde wore the tiara, yes bling!, of the 9 Provinces. There were several famous guests too:  * Hubertus, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and his wife Kelly.  * Domenico Tedesco, German-Italian football manager who is currently the head coach of the Belgium national team. * Belgian actor Filip Peeters, who has been expanding his career in Germany since 2000. Da...

One of the main historic castles in London is the Tower of London located on the north bank of the River Thames.  It is not only a tourist vistor place but the Tower of London also has a great royal history. Royal History Between 1066 and 1087, William the Conqueror established 36 castles, although references in the Domesday Book indicate that many more were founded by his subordinates. The Normans undertook what has been described as "the most extensive and concentrated programme of castle-building in the whole history of feudal Europe". William sent an advance party to prepare the city for his entrance, to celebrate his victory and found a castle; in the words of William's biographer, William of Poitiers, "certain fortifications were completed in the city against the restlessness of the huge and brutal populace.  At the time, London was the largest town in England; the foundation of Westminster Abbey and the old Palace of Westminster under Edward the Confessor had...

Victoria was born on Easter Sunday at Windsor Castle in the presence of her maternal grandmother, Queen Victoria on 5 April 1863. Her parents were Louis IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine and Princess Alice of the United Kingdom.  She was christened in the Lutheran faith in the Green Drawing Room at Windsor Castle, in the arms of the Queen on 27 April. Her godparents were: * Queen Victoria, * Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge, * Louis III, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine (represented by Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine), * the Prince of Wales and Prince Heinrich of Hesse and by Rhine Childhood Her early life was spent at Bessungen, a suburb of Darmstadt, until the family moved to the New Palace in Darmstadt when she was three years old. There, she shared a room with her younger sister, Elisabeth, until adulthood. She was privately educated to a high standard and was, throughout her life, an avid reader. During the Prussian invasion of Hesse in June 1866, Vic...

20 August 2003 marks the birth of Gabriel Baudouin Marie Prince of Belgium. This took place at the Erasmus Hospital in Anderlecht.  Family Prince Gabriel is the eldest son and second child of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium. He has an elder sister Elisabeth, a younger brother Emmanuel and a younger sister Eléonore. He was christened at Ciergnon Castle, one of the royal family’s summer residences, on 25 October 2003 by Cardinal Godfried Danneels, the Archbishop of Mechelen-Brussels. His godparents are his maternal uncle Count Charles-Henri d'Udekem d'Acoz (born 1985); and his paternal second cousin, Baroness Maria Christina von Freyberg-Eisenberg. Prince Gabriel is a member of the royal family of Belgium, founded by King Leopold I (born as a Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha) Prince Gabriel  => King Philippe  =>King Albert II =>King Leopold III  => King Albert I => Prince Philippe, Count of Flanders => King Leopold I Names King Philippe sta...

When the Danish author and poet Hans Christian Andersen wrote about Charles Alexander, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach: "I quite love the young duke, he is the first of all princes that I really find attractive" I wanted to know more about this Duke. Youth Charles Alexander August Johann was born on 24 June 1818 in Weimar. He was the second but eldest surviving son of Karl Frederick, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach and Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia.  His mother engaged as tutor for Karl the Swiss scholar Frédéric Soret who became a close acquaintance to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Reign On 8 July 1853 his father died, and Charles Alexander became Grand Duke; but he stopped his constitutional accession until Goethe's birthday, on 28 August 1853. Charles Alexander renovated Wartburg Castle, and left his traces in many places in Eisenach.  He was the protector of Richard Wagner and Franz Liszt, retained the tradition of Weimar's classical period, and gave ...

Princess Madeleine of Sweden, Duchess of Hälsingland and Gästrikland (Madeleine Thérèse Amelie Josephine) was born 10 June 1982 at at Drottningholm Palace and is a member of the Swedish royal family from the House of Bernadotte . Baptism She was christened at The Royal Palace Church on 31 August 1982, her godparents being her father's maternal cousin the * Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, * her maternal uncle Walther L. Sommerlath, * her father's paternal cousin Princess Benedikte of Denmark, and * her paternal aunt Princess Christina, Mrs Magnuson. Title   Madeleine was given the honorary title of Duchess of Hälsingland and Gästrikland. Education From 1985 to 1989, Madeleine began her education at Västerled Parish Pre-School.  In the autumn of 1989, she entered Smedslättsskolan in Bromma, attending at the junior level. For the intermediate level, she proceeded to Carlssons School in Stockholm, and then went on to Enskilda Gymnasiet in Stockholm, which she atte...