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1 May 1456 Death of Hugo van Lannoy

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The diplomatic skills of the Lannoy family 1 May 1456 marks the death of Hugo (also called Hue of Huges) van Lannoy. He was an important man at the court of Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy. Hugo was born in 1384 as the son of Gilbert I van Lannoy and Catherine of Molembais (in Dutch: Molenbeek) . His brothers were Guillebert of Lannoy and Baldwin of Lannoy. As a young knight he traveled to Jerusalem and he even joined an armed expedition against the Tartars, who occupied Muscovy. Muscovy was the former name of the Grand Duchy of Moscow. It was the predecessor State of the Tsaredom of Russia. When Hugo returned to Europe, he first served John the Fearless. He also fought at the Battle of Agincourt, where he was taken captive by the English. After his release, he became a diplomat for Philip the Good, who succeeded his father in 1419. For Philip the Good, Hugo of Lannoy helped to arrange the wedding between Jacqueline, Countess of Holland and Humphrey, Duke

Hotel Metropole in Brussels

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Recently (in april 2020) the Hotel Metropole in Brussels, capital of Belgium, was mentioned in the newspapers as bankrupt due to a lack of money and the Covid-19 crisis. This is a sad thing for the Belgian Tourism and the Hotels in Brussels. Hotel Metropole at the Brouckière square in Brussels was the only working hotel, founded in the 19th. century. Hotel Metropole Café in Brussels History In 1890, two brothers decided to open Café Metropole, to sell their own beer. It became a real success and later the family after café Wielemans-Ceupens bought the bank near the café to create a big hotel. They asked architect Alban Chambon to build a beautiful place. It was the first hotel in Brussels with electric lights and central heating systems. In 1911, the hotel hosted the famous Solvay conference with inter alia Einstein, Marie & Pierre Curie as guests. In 1957, a big reception (before Expo '58) took place at the Hotel Metropole in Brussels. In Hotel Met

Princess Märtha of Sweden and WWII

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This time the Allaboutroyalfamilies series of royals and World War II, stays in Scandinavia. The new post will talk about Princess Märtha of Sweden. Her family Märtha Sofia Lovisa Dagmar Thyra of Sweden was born on 28 March 1901 as the second child of Prince Carl of Sweden, Duke of Västergötland and Princess Ingeborg of Denmark. Her father was the younger brother of King Gustaf V of Sweden. Her mother was the younger sister of King Christian X of Denmark and of King Haakon VII of Norway. What's all in the family? There were even more family ties! Märtha had an elder sister who became Princess Margaretha of Denmark and a younger sister who became Queen Astrid of Belgium. Love and Marriage? Princess Märtha of Sweden became engaged to Olav of Norway, who was her first cousin. The engagement took place during the Olympic Summer Games of Amsterdam (The Netherlands) in 1928. This news was well received in both the countries. It was an excellent match in te

An important meeting at the Oval Office

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On 23 April 2002 an important meeting took place at the Oval Office of the White House. Then, the US president, George W. Bush, met King Mohammed VI of Morocco. Later the president told to the media: "I've informed  His Majesty that our government will work to enact a free trade agreement with Morocco. Trade is an important part of a good foreign policy. It's an important part of making sure Americans can find jobs." Mohammed VI (born on 21 August 1963), is a member of the Alaouite dynasty. He became King of Morocco on 23 July 1999, upon the death of his father King Hassan II. Source picture: Wikipedia