The year was 1922 and Spain was under the
rule of King Alfonso XIII. Las Hurdes was a small territory in the
Extremadura province, that, aside from the name, shared little with
the territory it is today. His Majesty decided to explore the area,
but was strongly advised against it by many prominent voices at the
time, who had conducted studies on the area and were less than…
Queen Elizabeth II has just overtaken
Johann II of Liechtenstein as the third-longest verified reigning
monarch in history. But who exactly is Johann II? Born 5 October
1840 in Elsgrub, Margraviate of Moravia in the Austrian Empire,
Johann II was the elder son of Aloys…
Queen Sofía of Spain carried out an
engagement related to a 300-year-old tradition in the Spanish Royal
Family: the feet kissing of the statue of the Christ of Medinaceli.
Upon her arrival in the Basilica, Her Majesty was welcomed by the
local church authorities…
It was officially announced via a release
to EFE that Infanta Cristina of Spain and Iñaki Urdangarín have
decided to “interrupt their marital relationship.” After 24 years
of wedded life and the entire history of the last decade, it seemed
impossible for this marriage to dissolve. However, over the past
few days, it became clear that a separation was the only possible…
The second season of The Great from Hulu
has premiered in the United States and Canada and will be
premiering in the United Kingdom on 5 December. The popular period
drama is a fictional take on Catherine the Great’s early
reign. The Great was written by Tony…
Greece is a democratic republic that
carefully balances a history that dates back to the 12th century BC
and a push for modernisation. But if we take a look back about 55
years, we would see a much different picture. Following the tragedy
that was World War II…
King Albert, Queen Paola and Prince
Laurent took part in a Te Deum (or Thanksgiving Service) in St
Michael and Gudule Cathedral in Brussels. The service is held every
year on the 15th of November in the main church in Brussels to
celebrate King’s Day. The holiday falls on St Leopold’s Day,
Leopold being the name of three Belgian Kings, including the first
two following the…
Queen Sonja's jewels for the State dinner: a tiara from a lost Empire
10th November 2021
One of the most awaited moments of any
State Visit, especially those that include Monarchs, is the State
Dinner. Coming usually at the end of the first day, the State
Dinner is a glittering affair, with fancy clothing (gala uniforms
or white tie for men, ballgowns for…
Up until 1861, when the peninsula was
reunited to include more or less its current territory, Italy was
home to three major states: the centre was under the rule of the
Vatican, the south was called the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, and
the north was under the domain of the…
Charles II, the Merry Monarch, had
several different mistresses. However, one of these mistresses
stands out from the rest for several reasons- Barbara Villiers.
John Evelyn pronounced her the “curse of the nation”, and she would
hold sway over the Restoration court for decades, exerting huge
influence on the king. Barbara Villiers was born in St.
Margaret’s, Westminster on 27 November…
