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OTD 26 October 1802 - Birth of King Miguel I of Portugal

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On 26 October 1802 a royal baby was born in the noble house of Braganza. His birth took place in Lisbon, Portugal. The royal boy received the long name: Miguel Maria do Patrocinio de Bragança e Bourbon. Family Dom Miguel was the third son of King John VI of Portugal and his wife Carlota Joaquina of Spain, although some gossips from that time claimed that Miguel could be the result of an affair of his mother. But the boy always was considered as a son of the King.  Miguel would become the Queen's favourite child. Anyway the prince would have at least 8 siblings inter alia: Pedro IV of Portugal who ruled also as Pedro I of Brazil. Childhood In 1807, at the age of 5, Miguel accompanied the Portuguese Royal family to Brazil in order to escape from the invasion of Napoleon Bonaparte. Though he returned in 1821 with his father and his mother. His brother, Pedro stayed in Brazil to act as regent. Duty In the 1820 's there was a liberal revolution in Por

Royal shopping: Purveyor to the Royal Court of Belgium: Coffee F. Rombouts

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In 1896, Frans Rombouts founded a coffee brewing company to make his own coffee. It would be the start of a remarkable successful story. On the occasion of the World Exposition of 1958, Rombouts invented the coffee filter. This became a commercial success in 1964. Rombouts Coffee Belgium  - own picture taken in 2017 The triumph of the company was followed by the Royal Court of Belgium. In 1966, Rombouts was appointed as purveyor to the Belgian Royal Court. Rombouts Coffee - purveyor to the Belgian Royal Court In 1968 the company enlarged by buying the French Firm Malongo. Since 1989 Rombouts Coffee's headquarters are located in Aartselaar in the province of Antwerp. Queen Fabiola and King Baudouin of Belgium Nowadays the firm has branches in 35 countries. It employs 150 employees and has a revenue of 155 million euros. It is being led by Xavier Rombouts, great-grandson of founder Frans Rombouts. In Belgium, not only cookie maker Delacre produces tin

Royal Destination - Columbus Monument in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain

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On 12 October 1492, Christopher Columbus made landfall in the Caribbean. So, October can be called Columbus' month. One of the most beautiful monuments to remember his first voyage can be found in Barcelona, at the end of the Ramblas and the beginning of the harbor. Columbus monument - Barcelona  own picture taken in 2016 The monument serves as reminder that Christopher Columbus came to Barcelona to report King Ferdinand of Aragon and Queen Isabella of Castile about his first voyage. King Fernando and Queen Isabella - Source picture: Wikipedia The monument is a column of 40 meters height. It was said that Christopher Columbus  was looking to the new world. royal shield on the Columbus Monument - own picture taken in 2016 However it is more likely that Christopher Columbus was looking to the sea to  undertake a new adventure. Columbus monument - Barcelona - own picture taken in 2016 The idea of a monument arose in 1856 from Antoni Fages

OTD 14 October 1066 Battle of Hastings

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On 14 October 1066 the Battle of Hastings took place near Hastings, East Sussex in England. Background In January 1066 King Edward the Confessor died childless. After his death, there was a huge struggle between various claimants to his throne. King Harold Goldwinson was crowned very soon after the death of King Edward the Confessor. But soon he saw lots of troubles. First of all he faced invasions by William of Normandy , his own brother Tostig and King Harald III of Norway. On 20 September 1066, the Battle of Stamford Bridge took place, this left William of Normandy, also called William the Conqueror as his only concurrent. On 28 September 1066, William of Normandy started to conquer England. On 14 October 1066, the Battle of Hastings took place, then the Normans were on the winning hand. King Harold Goldwinson was killed. On Christmas 1066, William of Normandy was crowned King of England. Legacy The Battle of Hastings gained publicity inte