I can’t believe it is 20 years ago that I travelled all the way to Brussels – about five hours by train – for the wedding of Prince Philippe, the Duke of Brabant, and Mathilde d’Udekem d’Acoz. The engagement surprisingly was announced on 10 September 1999, and was followed by the presentation of the couple […]
Some people already had the card a few days before me, but on Saturday I finally found my card in my letterbox. A lovely thank you card from Princess Elisabeth of Belgium, the Duchess of Brabant, who on 25 October celebrated her 18th birthday. She is the first of her generation to reach this age. […]
In the past year a German camera team has followed closely the three newest European queens: Letizia of Spain, Mathilde of the Belgians and Máxima of the Netherlands. The result were three documentaries of 43 minutes each, showing a portrait of the queens, their work and predecessors. They were created by Broadview Pictures – that […]
Almost all the European monarchies have a national day. It is however not always a day the royal family of that country takes part in. I have thus far been to national days in the Netherlands, Belgium and Liechtenstein, but it would be interesting to be part of the other ones too. While some countries […]
There is a huge problem with collecting something royal: you will always find more items that you would like to have. Although I am running out of space, I have just added a few nice unresistable things. A few years ago the book, “De Oranjes. Een uitgeBREIde geschiedenis” (The Oranges. A knitted history) by Fiona […]
© Cour grand-ducale / Jochen Herling
98 is a wonderful age to reach, if you are relatively in good health. Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg seemed to do quite fine and appeared in public for the last time at the international conference Stand Rise Speak Up, organised by his daughter-in-law Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, late March. On 13 April 2019 it […]
So often I had thought when seeing pictures again, I should finally visit the Royal Greenhouses at Laeken Castle, Brussels, Belgium. However for me Brussels is at least a five-hour train ride, so it is not something you’d really like to do in one day. And unfortunately the Greenhouses are only open three weeks a […]
Via Buckingham Palace the Duke and Duchess of Sussex on Thursday announced (just for the record: no announcement about where and how): The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are very grateful for the goodwill they have received from people throughout the United Kingdom and around the world as they prepare to welcome their baby. Their […]
Every year with Christmas there is a small list of royals – up to 15 – who receive a Christmas card from me. Because I like them, find them interesting and they send a card back. I wouldn’t send cards to royals I have never heard of, just because they send something. The royal families […]
For more new books about royalty see: History of Royal Women Royal Book News The World of Royalty Van Hoogstraten Online BELGIUM/THE NETHERLANDS Author: Valerie Vrancken. Title: De blijde inkomsten van de Brabantse hertogen. Macht, opstand en privileges in de vijftiende eeuw (The Joyful Entrances of the Dukes of Brabant. Power, Rebellion and Privileges […]
