All About Royal Families

30 September 1956 marks the birth of Princess Marie-Esméralda. This royal event took place at Stuyvenberg Castle in Laeken near Brussels in Belgium. Family Her parents were King Leopold III of Belgium and Lilian Baels, Princess of Réthy. Esméralda had a brother: Prince Alexandre of Belgium and a sister: Princess Marie Christine of Belgium. She also had famous halfbrothers and a halfsister: - Grand Duchess Joséphine Charlotte of Luxembourg - King Baudouin I of Belgium - King Albert II of Belgium She is thus an aunt of the current King: Philippe of Belgium. Love and Marriage On 5 April 1998, Princess Marie-Esméralda of Belgium married in London to Sir Salvador Moncada, an Hondurian-British pharmacologist. They have two children together: a daughter and a son. Duty Princess Marie-Esméralda of Belgium is a journalist and an author under the name Esméralda de Réthy. She also produced some documentaries. Princess Marie-Esméralda is the President of Ki

As the tragic history of World War II really fascinates me, I'm always interested in books and movies about Winston Churchill. So, I decided to read the book The Darkest Hour, written by Anthony McCarten. At the end of September 2019, I also saw the movie The Darkest Hour. I must say, I both liked them, however strange but true, this time the movie was slightly better than the book. The Darkest Hour is about May 1940, when the Nazi's overwhelmed Europe, states and even democracies fell under their rule and dictatorship. In Britain, Winston Churchill just had become Prime Minister. He and the country had one important choice: - making peace with the Nazi's; - to continue fighting against Hitler and Nazi Germany. I think the movie shows the desperate feelings of Winston Churchill the best. It was a very interesting story and movie about the difficult choices that people can make. I read the Dutch version of The Darkest Hour, translated:  In D

28 September 1863 marks the birth of Carlos of Portugal. This royal event took place at the Ajunda National Palace in Lisbon. Family Carlos was the son of King Luis I of Portugal and Queen Maria Pia. His paternal grandparents were King Ferdinand II of Portugal (born Saxe-Coburg and Gotha) and Queen Maria II of Portugal. His maternal grandparents were King Victor Emmanuel II of Italy and Adelaide of Austria. Carlos was thus a member of the noble house of Braganza-Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Youth In 1883, Carlos traveled to the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Italy on his Grand Tour. In 1883, 1886 and 1888 he ruled as regent over Portugal, when his father was abroad. Love and Marriage A son of a King, Carlos was a good match on the royal wedding market. His first bridal candidate was one of the daughters of German Emperor Frederick III and his wife Victoria, Princess Royal (a daughter of Queen Victoria). The pressure of British diplomacy prevent

In September 2019, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex attended a celebrity wedding in Rome, Italy. The wedding was also attended by Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie as well as Ivanka Trump and her husband. This A-lasting event took place at the Hotel De Russie in Rome. In 2017, I visited the lovely capital of Italy and I saw this amazing Hotel near the Spanish Stairs. I was immediately interested in its royal history. Some history The Hotel De Russie was designed by Roman architect Giuseppe Valadier between 1816 and 1818. The Hotel got its name from the many members of the Imperial Family of Russia who chose to stay there during their visit to Rome. During World War II the Hotel De Russie was ordered by the Military Information Services. After 1945, the Hotel was taken over by Count Romolo Vaselli. It became the head office of RAI, the Italian television channel until 1993. On 15 April 2000, the Hotel was re-opened under Sir Rocco Forte. Hotel de Russi