All About Royal Families

In November 2021, I visited "La Monnaie" a famous opera house in central Brussels. This place even had an important place in the history of Belgium. So, let's take a look at the amazing history of this wonderful opera house. La Monnaie outside own picture taken in November 2021 History The first permanent public theatre for opera performances of the court and City of Brussels was built between 1695 and 1700 by the Venetian architects Paolo and Pietro Bezzi, as part of a rebuilding plan following the bombardment of Brussels of 1695 by the French army of King Louis XIV . It was erected on the site of a building which had served to mint coins. The name of this site—La Monnaie (originally spelled La Monnoye) in French or De Munt in Dutch (both meaning "The Mint")—remained attached to the theatre for the centuries to come. The construction of the theatre had been ordered by Maximilian II Emanuel, Elector of Bavaria , at that time Governor of the Habsburg Netherlands.

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

There are not many books about the grand ducal family of Luxembourg. However  recently I found and bought a very beautiful book: un Amour Souverain. It is a mix written in English and in French. Source picture: book cover Context While studying in Geneva, Henri met the Cuban-born María Teresa Mestre y Batista, who was also a political science student.  They married in Luxembourg in a civil ceremony on 4 February 1981 and a religious ceremony on 14 February 1981 with the previous consent of the grand duke, dated 7 November 1980; and they remain married. The couple has five children: Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg, Prince Félix of Luxembourg, Prince Louis of Luxembourg, Princess Alexandra of Luxembourg, and Prince Sébastien of Luxembourg. For the first time, on the occasion of their emerald wedding, the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess agreed to confide in Stéphane Bern in complete privacy, to tell their love story, to unveil their personal album with unpublished photographs.

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

On 26 May 1946, Jordan - the official name is: the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan - became independent.  Jordan is located in Western Asia and it is bordered by inter alia Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iraq and the Dead Sea. The capital is Aman.  Jordan has a long history and it was a part from inter alia the Persian Empire,  the Roman Empire and the Ottoman Empire.  The current ruler of Jordan is a constitutional monarch: King Abdullah II.  The famous places in Jordan are: Wadi Rum, Petra and the Dead Sea.  The movie Lawrence of Arabia was recorded at Wadi Rum.  Source pictures: Wikipedia + book cover 

The collection of coins for their artistic value was a development and a real royal hobby. My own modest coin collection from the royal Family of Belgium received by my co-worker History Historical records state that in Ancient Rome and medieval Mesopotamia coins were collected and catalogued by scholars and state treasuries.  Emperor Augustus sometimes presented old and exotic coins to friends and courtiers during festivals and other special occasions. More about Augustus on this link .  Coin collecting and appreciation began around the fourteenth century. During the Renaissance it became a must among the members of the  priveleged classes, especially for Kings and Queens.  Many European Kings, princes and other nobility kept collections of ancient coins.  Collectors Emperor Maximilian I of Austria  (1459 - 1519) was a member of the House of Habsburg. He married to Mary of Burgundy.  Maximilian - Source picture Wikipedia More about Maximilian and the House of Habsburg on this link  

On 17 January 1991, King Olav V of Norway died. He was King from 1957 till his death. In 2005, a poll organized by the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation named King Olav "Norwegian of the Century." But what do we know about this popular King? Birth Prince Alexander Edward Christian Frederik was born in Appleton House on the Royal Sandringham Estate, Flitcham in the United Kingdom.  His parents were Prince Carl, second son of Crown Prince Frederick of Denmark (later King Frederick VIII) and Princess Maud. She was the youngest daughter of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom, himself the eldest son of Britain's  Queen Victoria.   The newborn Prince was a member of the House of Glücksburg.  Early Life In 1905, Prince Carl, Olav's father was elected King of Norway and he took the name Haakon VII. One day Haakon was crowned he gave his two-year old son the Norwegian name Olav, after Olaf Haakonsson, King of Norway and  Denmark.  Olav was thus the first heir to the throne