All About Royal Families

A real UNESCO World Heritage Site in Lisbon is certainly the Belém Tower in the civil parish of Santa Maria de Belém. Belèm Tower in Lisbon - Portugal - own picture from 2017 Besides that the Belèm Tower played a huge role in the Portuguese Martime discoveries of the era of the Age of Discoveries. Some (Royal) History At the end of the 15th.century King John II wanted a defense system for the mouth of the Tagus, then it depended on the fortresses of Cascas and Torre Velha in Caparica on the south side of the river. These didn't completely protect the river Tagus. Therefore King John II ordered a strong fortress, but he died before the plans were drawn. Belèm Tower - Lisbon - Portugal - own picture from 2017 King Manuel I of Portugal reviewed the plans 20 years later and he ordered the construction of a military fortification on the northern part of the Tagus at Belém. The Tower was designed by military architect Francisco de Arruda, and in 1516 t

On 23 July 1301, Otto IV, the Merry, was born in Vienna, Austria. He was a member of the House of Habsburg and a Duke of Austria and Styria as well as Duke of Carinthia. He ruled together with his elder  brother Duke Albert II. Family Otto was the youngest son of King Albert I of Germany and Elizabeth of Carinthia, a member of the House of Gorizia - Tyrol.  Otto 's elder brothers were: Rudolf III (who became King of Bohemia in 1306) Frederick the Fair (elected King of the Romans in 1314) Duke Leopold I of Austria Duke Albert II of Austria Love and Marriage In those days there were huge struggles between members of the House  of Habsburg and the House of Wittelsbach (Bavaria). For improving this, Otto married Elizabeth of Wittelsbach, a daughter of Duke Stephen I of Bavaria.  They had two children: - Frederick II - Leopold II He also had 4 illegitimate sons: - Otto - Leopold - Johann - Leopold Duty In 1327, Otto founded the

One of the best known historical 'heroes' among the Belgian scholars is Godfrey of Bouillon (18 September 1060 - 18 July 1100). Coudenberg Brussels with the equestrian statue of Godfrey of Bouillon - own picture taken in 2012 Godfrey of Bouillon was the second son of Eustace II, Count of Boulogne and Ida, a daughter of Duke Godfrey the Bearded of Lotharingia. His birthplace was probably Boulogne-sur-Mer, however a chronicler from the 13th. century mentioned a place in Walloon Brabant, Belgium. Source picture: Wikipedia Crusade In 1095, Pope Urban II called for a Crusade to liberate Jerusalem from Muslim forces and also to aid the Byzantine Empire which was under Muslim attack. Godfrey gathered thousands knights to fight in the Holy Land and they were known as the Army of Godfrey of Bouillon. Godfrey started in August 1096 at the head of an army from Lorraine and they went to Jerusalem. After some difficulties in Hungary, he arrived in Const

Talbot House in Poperinge Belgium - own picture taken in 2017 At the beginning of World War I, Neville Talbot, a senior Church of England chaplain in the British Army sought to recruit chaplains who would minister the battalions on the front lines. One of the recruits was Reverend Philip Byard Clayton (born in Australia), who was assigned to the East Kent and the Bedfordshire regiments. In 1915 Clayton was sent to France and then to the town of Poperinge in Belgium. Tubby Clayton A few miles from Ieper (English name: Ypres) , there was a town called Poperinge (or Pops as the soldiers called it). This was a busy transfer place where troops on their way to and from the battlefields of Flanders stayed. Clayton, known as Tubby was instructed by Neville Talbot to set up some kind of rest house for the troops. On 11 December 1915, a house was opened for the soldiers. Later it was named Talbot House in honor of Lieutenant Gilbert Talbot (Neville's brother) w