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Royal destinations: Palacio de Zurbano

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Queen Fabiola of Belgium was born  Doña Fabiola Fernanda María-de- las-Victoria Antonia Adelaida de Mora y Aragón on 11 June 1928 at the Palacio de Zurbano in Madrid. She was a daughter of Gonzalo de Mora y Fernández y Riera y del Olmo, Marqués de Casa Riera and Blanca de Aragón y Carrillo de Albornoz y Barroeta-Aldamar y Elío. Her birthplace was thus the lovely Palacio de Zurbano in Madrid. This  year I finally had the chance to see this amazing palace. The History of Palacio de Zurbano The Palacio de Zurbano was built by Severiano Sainz de la Lastra —architect, together with Eduardo Adaro, of the Bank of Spain building— in 1878 for Fermín de Muguiro y Azcárate, I Count of Muguiro (Olite, Navarra, July 7, 1831 -Madrid, 15 July 1892). The heirs of Ángela Beruete, widow of Fermín Muguiro, sold the property in 1919 for 750,000 pesetas to Gonzalo de Mora y Fernández, Count of Mora and Marquis of Casa Riera. Between 1915 and 1920 a second extension was carried out by Eladio Laredo, by whic

Who was Margaret Rhodes?

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Margaret Rhodes (née Elphinstone; 9 June 1925 – 25 November 2016) was a British aristocrat and a first cousin of Queen Elizabeth II. From 1991 to 2002,she served as Woman of the Bedchamber to her aunt Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. Childhood Born Margaret Elphinstone in Westminster, London, Rhodes was the youngest daughter of the 16th Lord Elphinstone and his wife, Lady Mary Bowes-Lyon, an elder sister of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. Less than a year older than the future queen, she was a frequent playmate of the young Princess Elizabeth. During the Second World War she lived at Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace, and took a secretarial course. On 20 November 1947, she was a bridesmaid to Princess Elizabeth at her wedding to Philip Mountbatten, Duke of Edinburgh. Duty During World War II, she worked as a secretary for MI6. She was a Woman of the Bedchamber – a mix of lady-in-waiting and companion – to her aunt, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, from 1991 until the latter'

Who is Princess Astrid of Belgium?

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On 5 June 1962 Princess Astrid of Belgium was born on the day before her father's 28th birthday at the Château de Belvédère, near Laeken, and was named after her late paternal grandmother, Astrid of Sweden, the popular first wife of King Leopold III.  Godparents Her godparents were her uncle Fabrizio, Prince Ruffo di Calabria-Santapau, 7th Duke di Guardia Lombarda, and her aunt Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte of Luxembourg. Love and Marriage Princess Astrid married Archduke Lorenz of Austria-Este, subsequently head of the Archducal House of Austria-Este, on 22 September 1984 at Brussels. Lorenz is the eldest son of Robert, Archduke of Austria-Este (1915–1996), and his wife Princess Margherita of Savoy-Aosta (1930–2022). Her husband was also created Prince of Belgium by Royal Decree on 27 November 1995. Princess Astrid and Prince Lorenz have five children: Prince Amedeo, born on 21 February 1986  Princess Maria Laura, born on 26 August 1988  Prince Joachim, born on 9 December 1991

PlatinumJubilee Celebrations in London

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In 2022, Her Majesty The Queen will become the first British Monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee after 70 years of service. own picture taken in London in 2016 Get involved in celebrating Her Majesty’s historic reign in the run up to the Platinum Jubilee Central Weekend which takes place from 2nd to 5th June. On June 2nd the Trooping of the Colour will take place .  1st Battalion Irish Guards will Troop their Colour in the presence of Her Majesty The Queen on Thursday 2nd June 2022. Taking part will be up to : - 1500 soldiers of the Household Division and The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery; -  400 musicians from the Massed Bands; - 200 horses; - 70 aircraft.  The ceremony of Trooping the Colour is believed to have been first performed  during the reign of King Charles II (1660-1685). In 1748 it was decided that  this parade would be used to mark the official birthday of The Sovereign. It became and annual event after George III became King in 1760. Guards taking part are draw