All About Royal Families

In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses row on row That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below. John McCrae - Source picture: Wikipedia On 30 November 1872, Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae was born in  Ontario, Canada. During the Second Boer War (1899 - 1902), which was fought in South-Africa, John McCrae served in the artillery.  When Britain  declared war on Germany, at the beginning of World War I,  Canada, a dominion in the British Empire, was also at war. McCrae was appointed as medical officer and after the Second Battle of Ypres he treated the wounded soldiers. John McCrae memorial in Boezinge near Ypres, Belgium On 3 May 1915 he wrote the most famous poem of World War I: In Flanders Fields for a friend who died.  We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt down, saw the sunset glow, Loved and were loved , and now we lie In Flanders fi

On 29 November 1835 a girl of the Manchu Yehenara clan was born in China. She was called Cixi. Selected as an imperial concubine of the Xianfeng Emperor in her adolescence, she gave birth to a royal son called Zaichun. This took place in 1865. After the death of the Xianfeng Emperor in 1861, the young boy became the Tongzhi Emperor and Cixi became Empress Dowager. Later Cixi, among others was chosen to become regent of China. Cixi supported technological and military reforms and the Self-Strengthening Moment. China's defeat in the Second Opium War (1856-1860) was a wake-up call. Cixi decided that for the first time in the Chinese history, China would learn from Western powers and import their knowledge and technology. They purchased 7 British warships. Cixi consolidated control over the dynasty and she installed her nephew as the Guangxu Emperor at the death of the Tongzhi Emperor in 1875. Therefore she broke with the traditional rules of succession of the Qin

Wolfers Jewelry is a jewelry store located on the Boulevard de Waterloo in Brussels. It is specialized in bijoux and jewels. The jeweler also is closely connected to the Royal Court of Belgium. Wolfers Store in Brussels Some history The name "Wolfers" is known since 1812. It is one of the most famous and exclusive European jewelry. Philip Wolfers became re-known for his Art Nouveau bijoux. Royal connections In 1960, on the occasion of the marriage of King Baudouin of Belgium and Queen Fabiola, a group of wealthy Belgian industrials and public figures offered the Wolfers Tiara to Queen Fabiola. She wore it on several occasions either as a tiara or as a splendid necklace. Nowadays the jewel is worn by Queen Mathilde. http://queenmathilde.blogspot.be/2015/10/jewelry-wolfers-tiara.html In 1999, Wolfers became responsible for the engagement ring of the future Queen Mathilde of Belgium. https://www.glamour.com/story/queen-princess-engagement-rings W

On 23 November 1590, an important French man died in Paris. His name was André Thévet. Maybe this name doesn't sound very familiar, though this André Thévet really had an important royal connection. Thévet was born in 1516 in Angoulême. There he entered a convent of Franciscans. However he wasn't much interested in religion, so he preferred to read lots of books. He made a voyage to Italy, later he went to Greece, Asia and Egypt. He even accompanied the French ambassador to Istanbul, then a part of the Ottoman Empire. When he returned to France in 1554 he published an account of his voyage. Shortly after this adventure he left France to sail as chaplain to colonize Brazil. In the new world he collected many interesting things. This gave him inspiration to write other books. On his return to France, André Thévet became chaplain of Catherine de' Medici and official historiographer and cosmographer of the French King. Thévet had served at least 4 K