All About Royal Families

When we think of the French Renaissance court, we often imagine dazzling balls, glittering jewels, and intricate political games. But behind the silks and masks, the court of Catherine de' Medici had a darker, more mystical side and at the heart of it stood one enigmatic figure: Cosimo Ruggeri. Catherine de' Medici and Cosimo Ruggeri From Florence to France Cosimo Ruggeri (sometimes spelled Ruggieri) was born in Florence in the early 1500s, a time when astrology and alchemy were taken quite seriously, especially among Italy’s elite. He was trained in the esoteric arts: astrology, magic, and possibly even poison-making. His talents caught the eye of Catherine de' Medici, the powerful queen consort of France, who herself had grown up in the mystical atmosphere of the Florentine Medici court. By the mid-16th century, Ruggeri had followed Catherine to France and became her trusted astrologer and advisor. Some even whisper he was something more: a magician in her inner circle. T...

Prince Andrew was born at the Tatoi Palace just north of Athens on 2 February 1882, the fourth son of George I of Greece. A member of the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, he was a prince of both Greece and Denmark, as his father was a younger son of Christian IX of Denmark. He was in the line of succession to the Greek and more distantly to the Danish throne. He learned Greek as well as Danish, German, French, English and Russian. In conversations with his parents he refused to speak anything but Greek. He attended cadet school and staff college at Athens, and was given additional private tuition in military subjects by Panagiotis Danglis, who recorded that he was "quick and intelligent". Love and Marriage In 1902, Prince Andrew met Princess Alice of Battenberg during his stay in London on the occasion of the coronation of King Edward VII, who was his uncle-by-marriage and her grand-uncle. Princess Alice was a daughter of Pr...

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 ...

Marimekko Oyj is a Finnish textiles, clothing, and home furnishings company founded by Viljo and Armi Ratia in Helsinki in 1951. Foundation Marimekko was founded in 1951 by Viljo and Armi Ratia , after the Viljo's oil-cloth factory project failed and was converted to a garment plant. Armi asked some artist friends to apply their graphic designs to textiles.  To show how the fabric could be used, the company then designed and sold a line of simple dresses using their fabric. When Finland's leading industrial designer Timo Sarpaneva invited the company to present a fashion show (albeit canceled at short notice) at the 1957 Triennale in Milan, it was an early recognition of fashion as an industrial art and of Marimekko's key role in shaping it to that point. The garments were eventually showcased in the nearby Rinascente upscale department store by display manager Giorgio Armani. History Marimekko spread to America in the 1960s. I...

King Constantine II of Greece died in Athens on 10 January 2023. He was the last King of Greece untill the abolution of themonarchy on 1 June 1973. The funeral of the former King of Greece takes place on Monday 16 January 2023 at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens. Eisenhower, Constantine, Alexis Liatis, Ambassador of Greece  Youth Constantine was the only son of King Paul and Queen Frederica of Greece.As his family was forced into exile during World War II, he spent the first years of his childhood in Egypt and South Africa.  Civil War He returned to Greece with his family in 1946 during the Greek Civil War. King George II died in 1947, and Constantine's father became the new king, making Constantine the crown prince. A King He acceded as king in 1964 following the death of his father, King Paul. Later that year he married Princess Anne-Marie of Denmark. Although the accession of the young monarch was initially regarded auspiciously, ...

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...

A visit to the Royal Palace in Madrid was definitely on the wishlist of the Allaboutroyalfamilies blog. Finally in March 2022 a dream came true.   The Royal Palace in Madrid didn't disappoint me, on contrary, due to its  splendid rooms full of royal history. History The palace was initially built by Muhammad I, Umayyad Emir of Cordoba, between 860 and 880. After the Moors were driven out of Toledo in the 11th century, the castle retained its defensive function. Henry III of Castile added several towers.  His son John II used it as a royal residence. During the War of the Castilian Succession (1476) the troops of Joanna la Beltraneja were besieged in the Alcázar, during which the building suffered severe damage. Emperor Charles V , with the architects Alonso de Covarrubias and Luis de Vega, extended and renovated the castle in 1537. Philip II made Madrid his capital in 1561 and continued the renovations, with new additions. Phi...

Sonja Haraldsen was born on 4 July 1937 at Red Cross Clinic in Oslo, the daughter of clothing merchant Karl August Haraldsen (1889–1959) and Dagny Ulrichsen (1898–1994). She had three siblings, Haakon Haraldsen (1921–2016), Gry Henriksen (1924–1971)  and Karl Herman Haraldsen (1929–1936, who died in a boating accident). Childhood   She grew up at Tuengen Allé 1B in the district of Vinderen in Oslo and completed her lower secondary schooling in 1954. She received a diploma in dressmaking and tailoring at the Oslo Vocational School, and a diploma from École Professionnelle des Jeunes Filles (a finishing school) in Lausanne, Switzerland. There, she studied accounting, fashion design, and social science. She returned to Norway for further studies and received an undergraduate degree (French, English and Art History) from the University of Oslo. Love and Marriage In June 1959 she first met Crown Prince Harald (the future King Harald V) at a party ...

On 10 May 1774, Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette became king and queen of France. Upon the death of Louis XV on 10 May 1774, the Dauphin ascended the throne as King Louis XVI of France and Navarre with Marie Antoinette as his queen.  When Louis XVI acceded to the throne in 1774, he was nineteen years old. He had an enormous responsibility, as the government was deeply in debt, and resentment of despotic monarchy was on the rise. He himself felt woefully unqualified to resolve the situation. As king, Louis XVI focused primarily on religious freedom and foreign policy. While none doubted his intellectual ability to rule France, it was quite clear that, although raised as the Dauphin since 1765, he lacked firmness and decisiveness.  His desire to be loved by his people is evident in the prefaces of many of his edicts that would often explain the nature and good intention of his actions as benefiting the people, such as reinstating the parlements. ...