All About Royal Families

In 2014, president Xi Jinping of China and his wife Peng Liyuan opened the new panda pavillion in Pairi Daiza in Brugelette. T hey were on an official visit to Belgium.  King Philippe of Belgium and Queen Mathilde accompanied them.  On 11 July 2015, King Philippe of Belgium, Queen Mathilde of Belgium and  their children: Princess Elisabeth, Prince Gabriel, Prince Emmanuel and Princess Eléonore visited Pairi Daiza. More about the royal visit on this link .  It took a while but on 17 august 2020, during my staycation, I finally could visit Pairi Daiza. It is a wonderful park with amazing gardens and buildings, however it was way too busy. Especially during Covid-19 time.  Pairi Daiza also has a very nice and long royal history. History In 1148, the Abbot of Clairvaux, Bernard (who became later Saint Bernard) sent  twelve monks to Cambron after an invitation of Anselm of Trazegnies, who had offered them land at the edge of the river Dender.  After the abbey was dissolved, the family of th

On 13 September 1843, Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and her husband Prince Albert visited Belgium. The visit Their Royal Yacht brought the couple to Ostend. During this visit, the Queen of the United Kingdom and her husband were officially received in Bruges, Brussels, Ghent and Antwerp. Ostend nowadays - a lot of differences when Queen Victoria paid a visit there ...  Of course the Queen and her husband visited uncle King Leopold I of Belgium and his wife Queen Louise-Marie. Waterloo In these days the battlefield of Waterloo wasn't officially visited. King Leopold I of Belgium didn't want that the ties between France and England deteriorated.  However in all silence, lord Aberdeen, the British minister of Foreign Affairs, visited the battlefield of Waterloo. His younger brother had died there in 1815. The Return In Antwerp the royal company embarked to their yacht to return to London. Source pictures: Wikipedia

George I Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt, was born on 10 September 1547 in Kassel, nowadays located in Germany. Family His parents were Philips I, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt and Christine of Saxony.  His paternal grandparents were William II, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt and Anna Mecklenburg-Schwerin. His maternal grandparents were George, Duke of Saxony and Barbara  Jagiellon, herself a daughter of King Casimir IV of Poland and Elisabeth of Austria. George I, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt was thus a member of the House of Hesse-Darmstadt. Love and Marriage On 17 August 1572 George I Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt married to Magdalene of Lippe. She was a daughter of Bernhard VIII, Count of Lippe and Catherine of Waldeck -Eisenberg. Duty Georgen I, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt recieved the County of Katzenelnbogen and he selected Darmstadt as his residence.  Death On  7 February 1596, George I Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt died. He became 48 years old. 

On 4 September 1557, Sophie of Mecklenburg was born in Wismar (nowadays located in Northern Germany).  Family Her parents were Ulrich III of Mecklenburg-Güstrow and Elizabeth of Denmark. Her paternal grandparents were Albrecht VII, Duke of Mecklenburg and Anna of Brandenburg. Her maternal grandparents were King Frederick I of Denmark and Sophie of  Pomerania.  Sophie of Mecklenburg was a member of the House of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Love and Marriage On 20 July 1572, Sophie of Mecklenburg married to Frederick II of Denmark. She was only 14 years old, he was 38! They were half-cousins, through their grandfather King Frederick I of Denmark and Norway.  Despite the difference of age between Sophie and Frederick the marriage was described as harmonious. The couple would have 7 children! Her daughter,  Anne would marry King James VI of Scotland.  Duty In 1575, King Frederick II of Denmark became ill due to malaria. Sophie  nursed her husband personally. When he died in 1588, Sophie's son