tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11626931229074962662024-02-07T18:39:38.259-08:00Royals of EuropeHistory. News. Tragedy. IntriguesUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger190125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1162693122907496266.post-82875688065119121032016-12-28T09:12:00.000-08:002017-01-09T22:09:01.807-08:00Tales of Royal Tragedies <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Had some of the chapters of this book revised for historical accuracy and quality content. Available in two versions: Kindle and paperback. Please check this <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Tales-Royal-Tragedies-dark-fairytales/dp/154035105X/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1482942304&sr=8-3&keywords=tales+of+royal+tragedies">link in Amazon.com.</a> We are currently running a year-end promo for each version.<br />
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<b>paperback cover</b></div>
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<b>Kindle edition cover</b></div>
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<b>INTRODUCTION OF THE BOOK:</b></div>
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<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="background: white;">Tragedy and the Royal Court</span></b><span style="background: white;">. Two metaphors of great contradiction. One manifests
disaster, the other demonstrates splendor. However, in the exalted world of
European royalty, disaster and splendor often go along. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white;">Contrary to the allegory of fairy tales, the lives of royals are far from
beautiful legends and happy endings. Back to the old days, the royal houses had
a series of catastrophic reigns and were plagued by all types of crisis, from
political to psychological. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white;">Royals suffering from a certain form of genetic damages were too common
the thrones often had mentally deranged, criminally-insane and physically-deformed
monarchs. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white;">There were adulterous royals who took scandal to the extremes, stacking
the royal bedroom with a succession of mistresses. As though infidelity during
their time was cool. There were neurotic emperors who were delighted with
tortures and murders, and delusional kings who made themselves believed they
were something else other than human beings. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white;">Bad genes. And though some of them found an antidote to pass the test of times, only few managed to
survive in the 20<sup>th</sup> century. The conclusion of World War I brought a
tragic end to some of Europe’s most powerful royal houses. The Hapsburg in
Austria, the Hohenzollern in Germany and the Romanov in Russia, all failed to
pass the ordeal. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white;">After World War II, more Kings were knocked off from the throne.
Kingdoms were significantly reduced and German princely states were thoroughly
abolished. The 21<sup>st</sup> century saw only ten surviving hereditary royal
houses in Europe: Belgium, Britain, Denmark, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, Monaco,
Netherlands, Norway, Spain and Sweden. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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The European monarchy
today is not quite the same as it was in the beginning of the 20<sup>th</sup>
century. By the end of 1970s, royals too realized they needed to be more responsive
to the call of times and needed to adopt new reforms to survive in the next
decades.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 12.25pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">This prompted them to overhaul some of
their ancient royal customs, ditching the unnecessary one. </span>The archaic
law of succession was changed, from male-preference primogeniture to absolute
succession, giving equal rights to daughters of the sovereign.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 12.25pt; text-align: justify;">
The tradition of marrying within the upper-class was also abandoned,
granting royals their liberty to choose who they want to take as lovers. This
freedom of choice made royals to take a commoner spouse, a situation considered
inconceivable before the 20<sup>th</sup> century.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="background: white;">However, some of them went too far with their intention to get in touch
with the outside world. They allowed themselves too accessible to the public,
lowering the barrier between commoners and royalty, too low, they unwittingly
welcome more controversies to penetrate the palace walls.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">This book compiles the most interesting
anthology of scandals and intrigues that outshine the luster of the royal
crowns, highlighting the disastrous side of the royal myth: Crime mysteries,
vicious family secrets, tragic deaths, scandalous marriages and lunatic royals.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="background: white;">Fairytale that went bad. However, despite these spectacles of scandals
and shocking intrigues, European monarchy is still an enchanting institution to
watch. Royals still mesmerize the public with their finest regalia, sparkling
jewelry and horse-drawn carriages.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white;">The serious defects, both in genes and in the royal court, thank God,
were not entirely shipped to the modern age. But the current generation of
European royals found another way to amuse the world with their antics and misadventures,
making royal watching a delightful pastime. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white;">This compelling account of royal tragedies is prepared in a very plain
and simple context to help readers, especially those who are not devoted royal
followers, understand the intricacies of the royal world in a clear-cut sense.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="background: white;">This compilation of scathing royal intrigues, which includes </span>the
long-forgotten saga of the pretenders to the throne and the changes adopted by
the modern royals,<span style="background: white;"> is beyond history. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="background: white; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">This book exposes the dark side of royalty, the
foolish antics, the waywardness, the misadventures, the savageries, and other
nonsensical assortments of royal behavior. Dark tales that will make us realize
that royals, after all, “<i>never live
happily ever after”.</i></span><b><i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></i></b></div>
</div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">VISIT THIS LINK: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Tales-Royal-Tragedies-dark-fairytales-ebook/dp/B01NCQM8OJ/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1484028203&sr=1-1&keywords=tales+of+royal+tragedies" target="_blank">TALES OF ROYAL TRAGEDIES</a></span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1162693122907496266.post-22866221201379151682016-01-12T21:56:00.000-08:002016-12-28T09:25:52.257-08:00Best Royal of the Year 2015<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";">If you would be given a chance to choose a royal of the year, who would it be?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";">I could almost hear screeching voices of royalists shouting their choices: Prince Harry, Kate Middleton, The Duke of Cambridge, Princess Mary of Denmark, Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, Queen Letezia of Spain. However, my choice remains to be the beloved Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">He has done so much for the monarchy and devoted all his life to his role as Queen's husband. At 94, His Royal Highness is still very much visible in public. He is still actively gracing ceremonial and public events. As the longest-serving prince consort in British history, the Duke of Edinburgh is aware how it is to just be relegated to the best supporting role, it is almost a major blow to a man's ego. But he carried it on very well.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";">More
than a spouse of the ruling sovereign, a consort is someone who tries to make
the monarchy appear more dignified and a strong support to the
significant-other who functioned as a unifying symbol to the country. But it is not as easy as it sounds, it has no power or authority. It is even more “undefined” if the
consort is a male. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";">In
European monarchy, there’s no clear distinction of the role of a Prince Consort
in the constitution. When the sovereign is a male, his wife is always crowned
with him and always given the title rank of a Queen. But not if the sovereign
is a female. There’s no way in the constitution that the husband of a Queen is given
the title of a King. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";">In
England, the last King Consort was King Philip, the husband of Queen Mary I
(Tudor), who, after his wife’s death, went on to become the King of Spain,
Philip II (to whom the Philippines was named). After chaos in Philip’s role
where he almost functioned as a King regnant, the role of the Queen’s husband
was altered after the reign of Queen Mary. Although the next Queen’s husband was
William III, he co-ruled with his wife, Mary II (Stuart), thus, functioned a
King regnant. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";">The
first British Queen’s husband who became the Prince Consort was Prince George
of Denmark, husband of Queen Anne (Stuart). Since then, well only two female
sovereigns followed Anne, Victoria and Elizabeth II, the constitution
prohibited the Queen’s husband from taking any official role other than a
member of the Council of State during the absence of his wife. The next
powerful person in the kingdom after the Queen is always the heir-apparent. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";">In
the present-day Europe, only two monarchs are female, Elizabeth II of Britain
and Margrethe II of Denmark. The most visible and popular however is
Elizabeth’s husband, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh. He is my best pick
for European Royal of the Year 2015.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";">However,
Prince Henrik, the husband of Queen Margrethe II, is also a hardworking consort
in his own way and so with the rest of European Queen Consorts: Mathilde of
Belgium, Maxima of the Netherlands, Letezia of Spain, Sonja of Norway and
Silvia of Sweden. But Prince Philip is different. He is the oldest and the long-serving
consort in Europe and at 94, he is still actively doing his duties to the
monarchy. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";">HRH PRINCE PHILIP, THE
DUKE OF EDINBURGH</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";">Trivia: Did you know
that Prince Philip was not really awarded with the title, Prince Consort, when
his wife ascended the throne in 1952? He was only honored by the Queen with the
title, Prince of the United Kingdom in 1953. It was Prince Albert, the husband
of Queen Victoria, who was officially named Prince Consort. However, since a
husband of the Queen is always known as Prince Consort let’s call Prince Philip
that way. </span></i><i><span style="font-family: "wingdings"; mso-ascii-font-family: Verdana; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Verdana; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></i><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";">
<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "wingdings"; mso-ascii-font-family: Verdana; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Verdana; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><br /></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";">His
critics would claim the Duke of Edinburgh lacks refinement because he would express
openly what’s on his mind even if it is already off-beat. His humor often
rankled the liberals and the conservatives and misinterpreted his outspokenness
as invasive bordering arrogance. For them, he is a bit of a character, but I
like his openness and sense of humor, it makes him more totally connected with
the modern world. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";">He
never feared criticism and he stroke back like a thunderbolt when confronted.
He has taken his role into the extreme beyond wave, smile and nod and has been
protecting the reign of his wife from controversies and scandals.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";">His
Royal Highness, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh is not your ordinary man.
He was born a royal prince, HRH Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark and was
sixth in line of succession to the Greek throne when he was forced to
relinquish his royal title in 1947 to marry the then Princess Elizabeth. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";">A
grandson of a King (George I of Greece), a great great grandson of a Queen
(Victoria of England), a great great great grandson of an Emperor (Nicholas I
of Russia), Philip is more royal than the Queen. He is also a decorated war
veteran (a navy officer at the outbreak of World War II), a staunch defender of
the firm (the royal family’s term for the British monarchy) and the
long-serving British Prince consort in history. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";">He
is the last true-blooded European prince to marry into the British royal family
(coincidentally, the last true-blooded European princess to marry into the
British royal family was his first cousin, Princess Marina, the wife of Queen
Elizabeth II’s uncle, Prince George, Duke of Kent). Prince Philip and Queen
Elizabeth are third cousins through Queen Victoria and second cousins once
removed through King Christian IX of Denmark. They are blood related to most of
the European royal families.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif";">In
2015, he had taken more official engagement than Kate Middleton, endearing him
more to the royalists. At 94, Prince Philip is still sprightly active, mentally
and physically able, gracing public engagements, attending ceremonial functions
and supporting the Queen. He had survived several health scares in the past
years and showed no signs of slowing down. Long live Prince Philip!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1162693122907496266.post-57011652278309584992015-08-20T11:15:00.000-07:002015-08-20T11:15:19.974-07:00Carl Philip of Sweden wed ex-topless model<div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style ">
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Prince Carl Philip of Sweden, 36, and Sofia Hellqvist, 30, tied the knot last June 13, 2015 at the Stockholm's royal palace in Sweden. The wedding was attended by most members of European royalty. Britain was represented by Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex, and his wife, Sophie, the Countess of Wessex. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghxZIBrq5FQw9MHx8k2v1IqCZ-JAjT_i9_b4fptapOJ5WZFnOWLghod5B_TLlL3qy1uXEpPxIKrkc7Z31rTABb7x4H4EyZlHampyXWcvZAO1AodmqjTXYT0cm3q4GrKAkas_jvwj67vaA/s1600/prince+carl+philip+wedding+portrait.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="545" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghxZIBrq5FQw9MHx8k2v1IqCZ-JAjT_i9_b4fptapOJ5WZFnOWLghod5B_TLlL3qy1uXEpPxIKrkc7Z31rTABb7x4H4EyZlHampyXWcvZAO1AodmqjTXYT0cm3q4GrKAkas_jvwj67vaA/s640/prince+carl+philip+wedding+portrait.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Sofia Hellqvist and Prince Carl Philip of Sweden.</b></div>
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<b>Photo from the Daily Mail UK</b></div>
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Norway's Queen Sonja attended with her son, Prince Haakon, and Haakon's wife, Mette Marit. Denmark's Queen Margrethe, who is first cousin of the groom's father, King Carl XVI Gustav, attended with her son, Crown Prince Frederick, and daughter-in-law, Crown Princess Mary. Other prominent royal guests were Queen Maxima of the Netherlands and Queen Mathilde of Belgium. It is a little bit surprising that none of the Spanish royal family members attended the ceremony and so with the Monegasque royals and the Luxembourgian royals.</div>
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<b>The newly wed with their parents, Mr. and Mrs. Eric Hellqvist and the </b></div>
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<b>King and Queen of Sweden. Photo from the Daily Mail UK</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyZsxUoYI0VftXiLHfGiruiKEdPCoiARoHSvBkZg6GkqgQ4EJapaZ-VFghRPICN01lbxwVqd_UCDO7aBhZ-jzKP_OUEhUmidS3V9XIaCsVWx7phxthARi6MmyXOZNsPbOmR2kiYb4TUXs/s1600/prince+carl+philip+wedding+with+sisters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="534" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyZsxUoYI0VftXiLHfGiruiKEdPCoiARoHSvBkZg6GkqgQ4EJapaZ-VFghRPICN01lbxwVqd_UCDO7aBhZ-jzKP_OUEhUmidS3V9XIaCsVWx7phxthARi6MmyXOZNsPbOmR2kiYb4TUXs/s640/prince+carl+philip+wedding+with+sisters.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>The royal couple with their siblings</b></div>
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Carl Philip's choice of a partner attracted controversies in 2010 when he began dating Sofia. The woman, not only commoner, but also a controversial figure. She once posed half-naked in a magazine photo shoot and admitted to have "making out" with an American porn star. She also starred in a reality TV show in Sweden where she engaged in a heated argument with another fellow contestant. Something unheard for a wife of a European prince.</div>
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Sofia wore a couture lace gown in three shades of white with a hand-cut long train held in place by an elegant tiara surrounded with delicate diamond and emerald stones. This jewelry piece looked like part of the Crown heirloom. Upon marriage, Sofia was conferred with the title of Princess which allowed her to be addressed as Princess Sofia publicly. </div>
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And so...even a woman with a racy and unconventional past is now free to dream to scale the ancient castle and became a fairy tale princess. The choice of a spouse of the European royals in the 21st century eroded the prestige of the crown that the term "royalty" almost has no meaning to the modern world.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1162693122907496266.post-35155418541924676472015-05-24T09:20:00.001-07:002016-12-28T09:58:07.788-08:00Remembering Lord Mountbatten<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Perhaps, one of the most influential figures in the British royal court during his lifetime, Lord Louis Mountbatten, Earl of Burma, was the maternal uncle of Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh. Known privately as Dickie to the royal family, Lord Mountbatten was considered by the Prince of Wales as his dear grandpapa. </span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Mountbatten directly descended from Queen Victoria’s second daughter,
Princess Alice, who married the Grand Duke of Hesse-Cassel, Louis IV.</span></div>
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<b>Lord Louis Mountbatten, maternal uncle of <a href="http://royalsofeurope.blogspot.com/search/label/Prince%20Philip%20the%20Duke%20of%20Edinburgh" target="_blank">Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh</a></b></div>
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<b>and Prince Charles's mentor whom he referred as his honorary grandfather.</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">He was born His Serene Highness, Prince Louis of
Battenberg, the youngest child of Prince Louis of Battenberg, and Princess Victoria
of Hesse and by Rhine (eldest child of Princess Alice). </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">He married a wealthy British aristocrat, Edwina Ashley, and had two daughters, Patricia and Pamela.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">His connection to the
most powerful royal houses in Europe, made him to flaunt in pride. Aside from
being the great grandson of Queen Victoria, he had other royal connections to
boast. His older sister, Princess Alice of Battenberg, married Prince Andrew of Greece
and Denmark, son of King George I of Greece. His other sister, Louise, married King Adolf VI of Sweden.
His maternal aunt, Princess Alix of Hesse and by Rhine became Empress Alexandra of Russia (wife of Emperor Nicolas
II of Russia). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">His father and
namesake, Prince Louis of Battenberg, was a German Prince. He and his wife, Princess Victoria, moved to England. Battenberg then served in the
British Royal Navy. He was the first Sea Lord of England during the outbreak of
World War I. However, England was fighting against Germany and English detested
everything about Germans. Almost every German living in England was suspected
as a spy and despite his devotion to England and achievement in the royal navy,
Prince Louis was not exempted from this angst.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">His wife’s first
cousin, King George V, determined to save his Kingdom from the rant of his
volatile subjects, advised
Battenberg to resign from his post. Louis was also forced to relinquish his Princely
title. The King made him an English nobleman. He was given the title,
Marquess of Milford-Haven. The final humiliation came when Louis was advised to
anglicize his name, so he obliged and changed Battenberg to Mountbatten. He retired from the naval service and settled quietly in Kensington Palace for the rest of his life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Except for Princess
Alice, who by then married Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark, Louis, his brother, George, and sister, Louise, took the status of being children of a British nobleman, thereby assuming the courtesy title of Lord and Lady. So the youngest Louis became Lord Louis Mountbatten<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Lord Louis
Mountbatten was not disheartened by the turn of events, instead, he made his
way up to the top of the royal service and became a decorated war hero and naval officer.
His influence in the lives of the British royal family became even more strong
when King George VI ascended the British throne.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Deeply shy, nervous
and reluctant with his role as monarch, the King would often rely on the
brilliant advises of his distant cousin. Louis Mountbatten excelled in every
service he held. He was assigned a Viceroy of India and was made Earl of Burma.
He also served as a Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in Southeast Asia Command during World War II and just like his father, Louis became the First Sea Lord of England. He had reached the highest rank in the British royal navy by becoming an Admiral
of the Fleet. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Despite all these
achievements, the Earl of Burma seemed looking for something greater. May it be
his ambitious streak to grip hard on the throne or his concern over the future
of his dear nephew, Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, who, at the age of 10,
had no home of his own, history would prove that Lord Mountbatten played a
significant role in molding the future of the British throne.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Smart and brilliant,
Lord Mountbatten would do anything to lift his family from obscurity. He considered having a royal status a
ticket to greatness, privilege and honor. He belonged to the old seat of
royalists who considered royal marriages must be kept only within the upper
class.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">When his nephew,
Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, became homeless at the age of 10, he
offered to bring him to England. By 1931, Philip’s parents separated and his
mother suffered a nervous breakdown and was institutionalized in Switzerland.
All his sisters had married German princes and Lord Louis thought his nephew
deserved a better place in this world, having been born to the exalted blue-blooded
family of Europe.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Prince Philip
eventually moved to England and studied in English schools designed for children
of aristocrats. At the behest of his uncle, Philip attended a naval school and
became a naval officer. He became a sub-lieutenant during World War II and
started corresponding with his cousin, Princess Elizabeth. But all throughout
this time, Philip was not yet a British subject. He also remained a Prince of Greece
and Denmark.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">By 1940s the handsome
Greek prince knew where his destiny would lead him. His relationship to the
future Queen of England became closer and, according to some accounts, his
uncle actively worked on the possible marriage, </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">bombarding his nephew with advises how to conduct a royal affair</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">In 1946, when it
becoming clear that the relationship is edging towards marriage, Lord
Mountbatten moved forward to work on Philip’s British citizenship (although in sentiments this was not the case because as a direct descendant of Princess Sophia of Hanover whose son became King George I of England, Prince Philip, just like the rest of European royals descended from Sophia, automatically became a British subject at birth through The Act of Settlement).</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Philip became a
naturalized British subject in 1947 several months before the royal wedding.
Philip reduced to a status of a commoner when he was advised to give up his
Greek royal title and his claim to the Greek throne. He adopted his maternal
grandfather’s surname, Mountbatten and he was known as Lieutenant Philip
Mountbatten. The royal wedding took place on November 20, 1947 at Westminster
Abbey. The Duke of Edinburgh was able to take back his royal status in 1953 when the Queen made him Prince of the United Kingdom.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">When the couple’s
first child, Prince Charles, was born, Lord Mountbatten became more than an
adviser, he was determined to oversee the upbringing of the boy and his
training as a future king. His constant guidance earned him a special place in
Charles’s heart. The Prince of Wales considered Lord Mountbatten as his dear
grandfather. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It was Lord
Mountbatten who advised Charles to marry within the royal circle and his
phrase, “Love is not an option for the man who would be King of England”, was
initially took by Charles devotedly. It was suspected also that Lord
Mountbatten was the one who discouraged Charles to pursue a romance with
Camilla Shand in 1971 because of her commoner status, so Charles broke up with
Camilla and she married Andrew Parker Bowles instead. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Determined to keep the name within the family, Mountbatten arranged Charles to marry his granddaughter, Amanda Knatchbull. Charles agreed. But before the arrangement could take place, a fatal accident happened.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In August 1979,
everything would change. Lord Mountbatten, his daughter, Patricia Knatchbull, two grandsons, Patricia's husband, Lord Brabourne and Brabourne's mother, were aboard Mountbatten's fishing boat to go Lobster-potting and Tuna fishing in the sea side of County Sligo in Ireland when it exploded. Lord Mountbatten, his grandson, Nicholas and Baroness Brabourne died from the explosion.The Irish Republican Army claimed the responsibility of planting the bomb.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">His death sent a
terrible blow to Prince Charles who considered Lord Mountbatten his closest
supporter and dearest grand papa he never had. As a royal, Charles was trained
to restrain emotion in public. But during the church service where he read a passage from the bible, the Prince of Wales's voice faltered and he almost broke in tears. He was
visibly forlorn and unimaginably emotional all throughout the service.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The Prince of Wales followed the wish of his great uncle and proposed marriage to Amanda Knatchbull sometimes in 1979 but Amanda flatly refused the proposal. A year later in July 1980, Prince Charles met Lady Diana Spencer in a country house party organized by their friends. Six months later they got engaged and married on July 29, 1981 at St. Paul's Cathedral, London and the rest is history.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Nearly 40 years after
losing Lord Mountbatten to a fatal explosion, the Prince of Wales still fondly
remembered the man he considered one of the most influential figures in his growing up years.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1162693122907496266.post-38438188301635397112015-05-05T03:46:00.001-07:002015-05-16T10:53:37.242-07:00Princess Charlotte: How the name changed British History<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The whole Kingdom was swathed in pink when Princess Charlotte of Cambridge was born. It's been 25 years since Britain welcomed the birth of a royal princess so near to the throne, Princess Eugenie of York, youngest daughter of Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, who was born in 1990.<br />
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Though Louise (born in 2003), the daughter of Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex, is Princess by birth, she was given the title of a Lady and not a Princess to relieve her from the trappings of royalty, making her the only granddaughter of a reigning British sovereign to carry a non-princess title. So the birth of the Duke of Cambridge's daughter brings delight to royal watchers.</div>
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The joy became more intense when the baby's three names were revealed in the media. She is Charlotte Elizabeth Diana and will be known simply as Princess Charlotte of Cambridge. Among the three names, the public focuses on the last name because it is a name of a royal who was not born a princess but left a tremendous mark in the consciousness of the masses and who had captured the world's imagination with her unique warmth, compassion and beauty. The late Princess of Wales, Diana, whose entire adult life was almost spent in misery and distress brought by her lonely marriage to the heir of the British throne.<br />
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The memories of William's late mother still lived among her supporters and there's nothing more significant to those who continue honoring her memories than knowing her granddaughter took her name.</div>
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But for me, it's not the name Diana that made the naming of this latest addition to the British royal family something historical and significant, it's the first name itself - Charlotte.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnB6Xj9tplzHvXogxKDaFF5NaT38Jki3N_lao0BWR4uxN-IBjxcolD_XXlTLIqIyEt2aZUPD_ZSWzDMFfQlpNSBYLGp2BNHu9_P5f3wWXM_iltf36SjvMtUWQzmmF-GtGdhY6e_hZl4oM/s1600/charlotte+of+cambridge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnB6Xj9tplzHvXogxKDaFF5NaT38Jki3N_lao0BWR4uxN-IBjxcolD_XXlTLIqIyEt2aZUPD_ZSWzDMFfQlpNSBYLGp2BNHu9_P5f3wWXM_iltf36SjvMtUWQzmmF-GtGdhY6e_hZl4oM/s400/charlotte+of+cambridge.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>Princess Charlotte of Cambridge</b></div>
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<b>reliving history in the British monarchy</b></div>
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Although the British press insisted the first name of the Cambridge infant princess is given in honor of Queen Charlotte, the wife of King George III, I saw it the other way around, not the Queen consort of George but their granddaughter, Princess Charlotte of Wales.</div>
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Few ever remembered maybe that the name Charlotte has a defining moment in the timeline of the British monarchy. In 18th century, this name ultimately changed the course of British history, redrawn the line of succession of the British throne and gave the world with another story of a modern fairy tale.</div>
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Princess Charlotte of Wales was born in 1796 to the Prince of Wales, who would become King George IV, and his wife, Caroline of Brunswick. During her lifetime, she was the only legitimate granddaughter of King George III and the sole heiress to the British throne. All her paternal uncles lived an unconventional existence, either buried in debt, sired illegitimate children and lived with their commoner lovers.</div>
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Her parents did not get along ever since their wedding day and after providing the throne with a legitimate heir, they quickly separated. Caroline left Britain even before her husband could ascend the throne.</div>
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Charlotte married Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfield and in 1817 the couple happily announced they would be having a child. But in November 1817, Princess Charlotte died due to a difficult childbirth together with her son. The Kingdom mourned her untimely death and her father was profoundly devastated.</div>
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On the death of Princess Charlotte, Britain left with no legitimate heirs, prompting the remaining bachelor sons of King George III to look for a suitable royal bride. One of these sons was Prince Edward, Duke of Kent. He married the widowed sister of Prince Leopold, Princess Victoria.</div>
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Edward and Victoria had one child, Princess Victoria, but nine months after the birth of the princess, the Duke of Kent died. Edward was the fourth son of George III, this means that in the event his older brother, Prince William, Duke of Clarence would have no legitimate children, his only daughter, Victoria would be the next monarch.</div>
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In 1830, George IV died and William ascended the throne as William IV, he and his wife, Queen Adelaide, had no children, making his niece, Victoria, the heir presumptive. In 1837, when Victoria became of age, her childless uncle died and she mounted the British throne as Queen Victoria, but due to Salic law, she did not inherit the Hanover crown in Germany and it was given to her uncle, Prince Ernst August, Duke of Cumberland. She reigned under the royal house name of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha.</div>
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If Charlotte had lived, Victoria would never become a Queen and British history might have been very different.</div>
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Since the death of Charlotte, no daughters of the succeeding British monarchs ever carried this name and the Duke of Cambridge would be the first future British King since the death of George IV to have a daughter named Charlotte.</div>
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Even Queen Victoria avoided using the name of her cousin whose sad fate paved the way of the British line of succession to be remapped. Victoria had five daughters: Vicky, Alice, Helena, Louise and Beatrice.</div>
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Succeeding British monarchs seemed forgotten the name Charlotte too. Victoria's successor, Edward VII named his three daughters: Louise, Victoria and Maud. Edward VII's successor, George V, had one daughter named Mary, while George V's successor, George VI, had two daughters, Elizabeth and Margaret. The reigning Queen also avoided the name Charlotte and named her only daughter, Anne.</div>
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Although it did not represent tribulation in the British royal family (unlike the name Catherine :-P), it's still a little bit intriguing why succeeding generations of British princesses did not carry the name Charlotte. Until today.<br />
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Prince William might have chosen the name for her daughter in honor of her father, Prince Charles. Charlotte is a female French version of the name Charles.</div>
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More of the royal tragic stories in my <b><a href="https://www.createspace.com/5060599" target="_blank">TRAGEDIES IN THE ROYAL COURT</a></b> book where I tackled an expanded version on tragic life of Princess Charlotte of Wales. You may read the description of this book <a href="http://royalsofeurope.blogspot.com/2015/03/tragedies-in-royal-court-book-preview_17.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1162693122907496266.post-44883830500666777722015-04-10T04:40:00.004-07:002015-05-05T02:47:46.403-07:00Affair of the Diamond Necklace<div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style ">
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Also known as The Queen's Necklace, the Affair of the Diamond Necklace was a royal controversy in the 18th century that rooted in the scheme initiated by Jeanne De La Motte, accusing Queen Marie Antoinette of France as the key player of defrauding the Parisian jewelers. The affair was believed to have been triggered the French Revolution and the destruction of the French monarchy. It remained one of the most scandalous affairs that happened in the European royal court.</div>
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The necklace intrigued historians down the centuries that its story gradually tainted with tales of black magic. But whether the misfortune attached to the necklace was under the spell of a witch's magic or plainly the result of the public mistrust against the French monarchy, history would prove that the leading personalities in the necklace's drama suffered a gruesome fate.</div>
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The story of the diamond necklace started in 1770 when King Louis XV of France commissioned Parisian jewelers, Boehmer and Bassenge, to create a splendid necklace, that has no match in the world, for his mistress Madame du Barry. The jewelers began collecting precious diamonds for this project and crafted an intricate design that magnified luxury beyond imagination.</div>
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In 1772, before the necklace could be completed, Louis XV died, the precious necklace was not paid and the King's mistress was banished from the court and imprisoned at the instigation of the new Queen consort, Marie Antoinette.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZBiL8ezWZy_Fd5w4s2Dj9VpOJGERQO_b2O3JUEqpthlDzg4Ihhw61JgOoc4gF8MKxvRL9Wl_cvdiUHAFck-4ndXHHJTAUjLedH4ZhgiJX7_iK-g-47gBv7yUqBKaa8AG8Acy5wvzsuJ8/s1600/queens+necklace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZBiL8ezWZy_Fd5w4s2Dj9VpOJGERQO_b2O3JUEqpthlDzg4Ihhw61JgOoc4gF8MKxvRL9Wl_cvdiUHAFck-4ndXHHJTAUjLedH4ZhgiJX7_iK-g-47gBv7yUqBKaa8AG8Acy5wvzsuJ8/s1600/queens+necklace.jpg" width="362" /></a></div>
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<b>The splendid design of the Diamond Necklace originally commissioned</b></div>
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<b>by King Louis XV of France for his mistress, Madame du Barry. </b></div>
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<b>The intricate design composed of large diamonds elaborately arranged in festoons, </b><b>pendants and tassels. </b><b>This necklace was surrounded </b></div>
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<b>to the destruction of the French monarchy</b></div>
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Desperate to recover their investment, Boehmer and Bassenge tried selling it to the new King, Louis XVI, for his wife, who was known with her extravagance and excesses. The young King initially agreed but when Marie Antoinette knew the amount of the jewelry (1,600,000 lives, almost $100 million in today's currency) she declined and advised the King to spend the money instead on some serious business like buying armaments.</div>
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Everything seemed rested in peace and the Parisian jewelers threw their effort in finding buyers across Europe, to no avail. In 1785, the story began to change. Jeanne De La Motte, a distant relative of King Henry II of France, created a scheme that would ultimately open the door of the destruction of the French royals, particularly Queen Marie Antoinette.</div>
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De La Motte was a swindler and a schemer who dreamed a life of comfort and wealth. Her expertise in the field of swindling was considered high end that not long after, a French nobleman called Cardinal de Rohan, fell into her trap. This nobleman was a former French ambassador to Vienna and had a fallout with Marie Antoinette. She detested the fact that he furnished her mother, Empress Maria Theresa of Austria, with detailed information of her misconduct in the French royal court.</div>
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But De Rohan had an ambition to become one of the King's courtiers so he longed to patch up the difference between him and the Queen. He saw an opportunity of fixing this problem in the person of De la Motte who by then became his mistress. The woman was not the sweet girl he thought to be. Later, she initiated a scandalous fraud that would ultimately trigger the angst of the French populace against Queen Marie Antoinette.</div>
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De La Motte convinced De Rohan to pose as a buyer for the jewelry in the name of the Queen and started a correspondence with Boehmer and Bassenge. Marie Antoinette was appeared to have no knowledge with this negotiation. The jewelers were convinced with this scheme and agreed to the installment arrangement until they handed the necklace to De La Motte and De Rohan. The balance of the amount was not paid and the jewelry was transported to London by the De La Mottes, dismantled and sold the diamond by piece.</div>
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When the Jewelers did not receive the unpaid balance, they decided to go to the Queen to demand for payment. The Queen and her husband were incensed when they found out the fake negotiation and demanded an investigation. The controversy created an unprecedented intrigue all throughout France.</div>
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The increasing public mistrust of the French towards the monarchy that commenced the French revolution rolled into animosity and anger. Although the result of the investigation was favorable to Queen Marie Antoinette (De La Motte was imprisoned, De Rohan was exiled and the Queen was cleared), the rumor that she had been the primary figure of defrauding the Parisian jewelers could not be shaken off.<br />
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It triggered a series of events that ultimately led to the imprisonment of the royal family and the culmination of the French revolution. In 1792, King Louis XVI was forced to abdicate and France declared republic. He was tried, found guilty of high treason and condemned to die by guillotine. He was beheaded in January 1793. His wife was beheaded nine months later. Madame du Barry was also beheaded, for a separate offense, on December the same year.</div>
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Asking what happened to the primary schemer of the scandal? Jeanne De La Motte escaped from her prison cell in Paris and went to live in London. In 1791, two years before the death of the King and Queen, Jeanne leaped to her death from a hotel window and died from massive physical injuries. Reports had it that her body was severely mangled suggesting that she was killed by royal agents although this allegation was not substantiated.</div>
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The black magic story surrounding this necklace began in 19th century when historians presented their views how the primary figures attached to the story of this jewelry suffered a terrible fate. Affair of the Diamond Necklace remained one of the most notorious scandals in European monarchy.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">More of this story and some of the most scandalous affairs </span><span style="font-size: large;">in the European royal court are included </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">in my royal book, </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>TRAGEDIES IN THE ROYAL COURT</b>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Please check the <a href="http://royalsofeurope.blogspot.com/2015/03/tragedies-in-royal-court-book-preview_17.html" target="_blank">description of this book HERE</a>. Ready to order this book? You may <a href="https://www.createspace.com/5060599" target="_blank">place your order HERE</a>. If you don't like the paperback, you can purchase the e-book and Kindle edition, place your order directly<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tragedies-Royal-Court-Joyce-Lamela-ebook/dp/B00VF5W2Q4/ref=la_B00OMWPH2I_1_1_title_1_kin?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1428666086&sr=1-1" target="_blank"> HERE</a>. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Thank you for appreciating this book!</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1162693122907496266.post-78805418282879180122015-04-05T19:58:00.001-07:002015-05-16T10:55:35.095-07:00Kate Middleton: No more Princess of Wales<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kate Middleton, officially known as Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, might never become Princess of Wales and Diana could be the last spouse of the future British King
to have known as Princess of Wales. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The current wife of Prince Charles, Camilla Parker Bowles, is officially the Princess of Wales, but she was given the title Duchess of Cornwall, assuming the second title of Charles, Duke of Cornwall, to avoid public disapproval. Camilla is still viewed as the primary cause of the collapse of the royal marriage.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This royal love triangle and the sad story of the English Queen Consorts with a name Catherine is included in my royal book <a href="https://www.createspace.com/5060599" target="_blank">TRAGEDIES IN THE ROYAL COURT</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Although no discussion yet is brewing
regarding the limitations and treatment of the Princess of Wales title in the present Britain, the speculation that
Kate Middleton could no longer take this title is somehow logical.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Historically, in British monarchy, female Heir Presumptive could not take the title Princess of Wales because this is reserved for the wife of the Prince of Wales. </span><br />
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In 1936, following the accession to the throne of King George VI, there were suggestions heard that he should grant his heir presumptive, Princess Elizabeth, with the title of Princess of Wales, but Buckingham Palace maintained this title would only be given to the future Queen consort and not to the future Queen regnant. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">However, the British monarchy already adopted the absolute primogeniture succession in 2013 which repealed some of the provisions in the succession law. The eldest child of the reigning sovereign, irrespective of gender, would be the next monarch, this means that an eldest daughter would no longer be pushed aside by a younger son in the line of succession.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Since the title of the British Heir-Apparent is always the Prince of Wales, his female counterpart naturally would be known as the Princess
of Wales, this means further that the wife of the Prince of Wales could no
longer take the title Princess of Wales since this is reserved for the future
Queen regnant.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So what would be the title of Kate Middleton when Prince
Charles ascends the throne and the Duke of Cambridge would be the new Prince of
Wales? Would she retain her title Duchess of Cambridge? Or be given another one.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This title confusion was already raised in 2003 following
the wedding of then Prince Wilhelm-Alexander, now the King of the Netherlands. As Heir-Apparent to the Dutch
throne his title was Prince of Orange but his wife was not given the title
Princess of Orange, instead, she was known as Princess of the
Netherlands, because at that time, Netherlands already changed its
constitutional law on succession from male-preference primogeniture to
absolute. The Princess of Orange title is reserved for the future Dutch female
sovereign.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0_WGqQYQdCg7LtATFa-zAFZAckGEMqXIahRCLDGrC-1ARUDHgBKidywoocU28AmdVYJV0GKpheicSaFchp13c6eLU1WLx2si8L6gAoT3fmnP7f7FMAumm85asxGi0yxabzvFjDfy0pgo/s1600/maxima4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0_WGqQYQdCg7LtATFa-zAFZAckGEMqXIahRCLDGrC-1ARUDHgBKidywoocU28AmdVYJV0GKpheicSaFchp13c6eLU1WLx2si8L6gAoT3fmnP7f7FMAumm85asxGi0yxabzvFjDfy0pgo/s1600/maxima4.jpg" width="290" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Queen Maxima of the Netherlands</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In April 2013, following his accession to the throne,
King Wilhelm-Alexander’s eldest daughter, Catarina-Amalia, the Heir-Apparent, became known as
the Hereditary Princess of Orange. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
This situation might be applied also to Kate Middleton following Britain's adoption of absolute succession law. She would never be called Princess Catherine because the British monarchy does not traditionally create the spouse of the royals Princess or Prince in their own rights. Unless the sovereign will issue a letter patent granting her the title Princess, she would never be known as such.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
So far, this issue is not yet discussed publicly in the British establishment, however, granting history and the royal customs regarding correct styles and treatment of royal titles, the possibility that Kate Middleton would never become Princess of Wales is very probable.</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1162693122907496266.post-16940002935896301192015-02-14T07:21:00.000-08:002015-02-14T08:00:03.346-08:00Royal Love Stories <div style="text-align: justify;">
It's Valentine's Day once again and as everyone else in this planet thought this day as a celebration of love and a day to talk nothing but love and affection, let's have a run down of royal love stories that caught worldwide interest.</div>
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<b><span style="color: purple;">EDWARD VIII and WALLIS SIMPSON</span></b></div>
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Who could forget the love story between a King and a commoner that intrigued the whole world in 1936? Their love story might not want to be remembered by the British royal family as something very romantic but let's bring it out once again to take a look back how Mrs. Simpson changed the face of the British monarchy and how she had influenced the only voluntary abdication by a British King all because of LOVE.</div>
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Wallis Simpson was nowhere ideal, not even near from it, when talking about the characteristics and qualifications of a suitable Queen Consort. At the time she met Edward, who was still Prince of Wales, she was already divorce and on the verge of separating from her second husband. She was American and worst, a commoner. So disgraceful to the standard of the British royal family that they called her as "disgraceful" and unholy.</div>
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By then, no British Kings ever married a commoner with no aristocratic background. Divorce was considered sacrilege and no divorce people were allowed to join the company of the monarch. Wallis Simpson was a real threat to the prestige of the British crown. Giving her unsuitable background, she never deserved to be called Queen of the British Empire.</div>
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But Edward was totally besotted with this "disgraceful" woman that few months after his accession, he began discussing the possibility of marrying her much to the horror of the royal family,especially his mother, Queen Mary.</div>
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When the commonwealth ministers reported that the public would never accept Wallis Simpson as their Queen, Edward decided to give up the throne to be with his lover. Eleven months later after he ascended the throne as Edward VIII, he voluntarily abdicated and went to live in exile for the rest of his life.</div>
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Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson's love affair lasted for their lifetime. They did not have any children but they were reportedly happy and spent for the most part of their union in France. The King was made Duke of Windsor by his brother and successor, King George VI, and never regretted his decision to abandon the British throne for the woman he loved. Wallis Simpson paid a high price for the acrimonious crisis she created in 1936, She was never fully accepted in the British royal family and was never accorded with the style of Her Royal Highness, she was only referred as a wife of British Duke not born of royal blood.</div>
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But the couple had no brush of regrets for the sacrifices they made in the name of love. They traveled extensively and lived happily for the rest of their lives until the Duke of Windsor died in 1972 from throat cancer. Mrs. Simpson died in 1986.</div>
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<b><span style="color: purple;">NICHOLAS II and ALEXANDRA</span></b></div>
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Unlike the arranged marriage tradition of European royals prior to the 20th century, the future Russia's Tsar, Nicholas, had set his eyes in marrying the young Princess Alix the day he met her in Darmstadt when she was 12. For Nicholas, it was love at first sight. Alix was the youngest surviving daughter of Princess Alice, second daughter of Queen Victoria of England, and Grand Duke Louis of Hesse.</div>
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Nicholas first met Alix, one of the favorite granddaughters of Queen Victoria, at the wedding of her older sister, Princess Elizabeth, and his uncle, Grand Duke Sergei. In 1894, they met again in Coburg, Germany, at the wedding of their mutual cousin, Princess Victoria Melita of Edinburgh, to Alix's brother, Ernst of Hesse. Almost everyone in the family attended including Queen Victoria, Emperor William II of Germany and King Edward VII of England.</div>
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Nicholas proposed but Alix reportedly turned him down because she did not want to convert to Russian Orthodox religion. She finally yielded when her first cousin, William II of Germany intervened, urging her to accept the proposal of the Tsarevitch. Death struck the family of the Romanovs when Nicholas's father, Tsar Alexander III, died in November that year. At 26, he found himself the new emperor of Russia, a role he was quite unprepared to take. That moment he needed someone to be at his side, and who else to look for but the woman he was so devoted and in-love with, Princess Alix. The original wedding plan was supposed to be in 1895, but the Tsar cut it short and declared he wanted to marry Alix weeks after his father's death, so they married on November 26, 1894.</div>
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All through out their marriage, Nicholas was so devoted with his wife and would yield to all her wishes, which, according to some historians, partly attributed to the downfall of the Romanovs. In 1917, Nicholas was forced to abdicate, and he, his wife and five children were held under house arrest by the revolutionists until they were massacred on the early morning of July 17, 1918 in the mountain of Yekaterinburg.</div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><b>VICTORIA AND ALBERT</b></span></div>
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It was during their marriage that Windsor Castle earned a moniker of being "The Most Romantic Castle in the World". Victoria was only 18 years old when she ascended the British throne in 1837 following the death of her paternal uncle, William IV, who had no legitimate children. As monarch should get married to provide the throne with legitimate heirs, her maternal uncle, Prince Leopold, who would become King Leopold I of Belgium, found her match in her first cousin, also a nephew of Leopold, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha.</div>
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Victoria fell in-love with the young German prince the moment she saw him, and by most accounts, he to her. Historical records would claim that it was Victoria who proposed to Albert in 1839 at Windsor Castle and he gladly accepted. They got married on February 1940 and Windsor Castle became their favorite country home. Victoria was known to have loved her Prince Consort through out her life and when he died suddenly on December 14, 1861 from typhoid fever, she never gotten over his death and wore black for the rest of her life.</div>
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Victoria increasingly became melancholic following her husband's death and gradually gave up her social life, she lived in seclusion at Windsor Castle for the most part of her life. She would spend long vacation days at Osborne, a royal retreat house in Isle of Wight which was one of the favorite royal residences of Prince Albert. Victoria and Albert had nine children, most of whom married into the powerful European royal court, The current royal houses of Spain, Denmark, Norway and Sweden directly descended from Queen Victoria. She died in 1901 after reigning in Britain for more than 63 years.</div>
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<b><span style="color: purple;">MARIA THERESA AND FRANCIS I</span></b></div>
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Their marriage was an arranged one, however, it was noted that their relationship was based on affection and love. Maria Theresa was the only Queen Regnant of Austria and the House of Hapsburg and her ascension to the throne triggered the Austrian War of Succession. Her husband became Holy Roman Emperor. Despite being ravaged by war and preoccupied with political tension, Maria Theresa and Francis had an intimate marital relationship and were known to have consummated their marriage with burning passion.</div>
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In between war problems, the empress had given birth to 16 children, 13 of whom survived infancy including Queen Maria Antoinette of France and two Holy Roman Emperors, Joseph II, and Leopold II. Her happy home life was ended on August 18, 1765, when her husband died. Maria Theresa was extremely devastated and her life was never been the same again. She had painted her room black, withdrew from social life and public events and, just like Queen Victoria, she wore a mourning dress for the rest of her life. She died in 1780.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1162693122907496266.post-81485540782616478832015-02-06T21:09:00.002-08:002015-02-06T21:11:38.132-08:00Elizabeth II's 63rd on the Throne<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7-iVOiZAaUCWCjMs3Teh1z6PYTCZ-MNhbcskHv4_qgkL3xDh2Vjw3KBftfM7HVRJNpIhJUPj4ydfxhrA3NG5FOIOs8wUhlnV-Lzf8e5aWzCkvRawOOsh3iSgTJuPcdbJgjRN7s762SUY/s1600/2009-1118-britain-elizabeth3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7-iVOiZAaUCWCjMs3Teh1z6PYTCZ-MNhbcskHv4_qgkL3xDh2Vjw3KBftfM7HVRJNpIhJUPj4ydfxhrA3NG5FOIOs8wUhlnV-Lzf8e5aWzCkvRawOOsh3iSgTJuPcdbJgjRN7s762SUY/s1600/2009-1118-britain-elizabeth3.jpg" height="320" width="204" /></a></div>
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Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland celebrates her 63rd anniversary on the throne today, February 6, 2015. At 88, the Queen continues to show sign of excellent health and she might inherit the long life of her mother, also named Elizabeth, who died at the age of 101 in 2002.</div>
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However, the longest reigning British monarch was Elizabeth's great-great grandmother, Queen Victoria, who reigned for 63 years, seven months and 28 days. The Queen will surpass Victoria's record, if she will remain on the throne until September 7, 2015.</div>
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<b>Trivia about the Queen:</b></div>
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In a surprising twist of fate, Elizabeth's moment in history significantly drew a closer resemblance to Victoria's reign. Like the reign of Victoria, Elizabeth now also has three male heirs in direct succession to the throne. Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, and Prince George of Cambridge.</div>
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During Queen Victoria, her male heirs in direct succession to the throne were: Her son, Prince Bertie, the Prince of Wales, who would become Edward VII, Prince George, the Duke of York, who would become George V, and Prince David, who would become shortly as Edward VIII.</div>
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Elizabeth is also the second British monarch after King George I who was not in England at the time of accession. She was in Kenya with her husband, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, when her father, King George VI, died from coronory thrombosis, on February 6, 1952. The Queen received her ascension rite at a royal lodge in Kenya. She left England a Princess and returned as Queen.</div>
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On the death of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia last January 23, 2015 at the age of 90, Queen Elizabeth II, is now the world's oldest monarch and the current second longest reigning monarch in the world after King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand.</div>
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Queen Elizabeth might be the last British monarch to wed a fellow royal (though it's hard to tell what will happen in the future royal marriages). Her husband, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, is royal by birth as the only son of Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark and Princess Alice of Battenberg. He is also a grandson of King George I of Greece and great great grandson of Queen Victoria of England, as with Elizabeth, Philip is related to all royals in Europe. Philip is also the last true blooded European royal who married into the British royal family as of the current time.</div>
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The Queen is also Head of State to 16 nations under the Commonwealth Realms including New Zealand, Australia and Canada.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1162693122907496266.post-60007001661716837172015-02-01T01:26:00.000-08:002015-05-08T19:59:09.345-07:00The mysterious death of Prince George, Duke of Kent<div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style ">
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<i><span style="background: white;">This is included in my upcoming royal book: <b><span style="color: blue;">Tragedies in the Royal Court</span></b> under the</span><span style="background-color: white;"> "Tragic Death" section.</span></i></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">This is the long-forgotten story of the death of Prince George, Duke of Kent, the first British Prince to die in 400 years while on active military service.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">The circumstances of his death from the plane crash on a sunny weather still puzzle royalists. No accurate details were given and explanations seemed remote. What really happened on the 25th day of August in 1942 during World War II when the Prince was headed to a special mission in Iceland? Was there a cover-up, a conspiracy theory surrounding his death?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Answers to these questions were never given and the incident was concluded as pure accident and nothing else, but considering the events were never fully explained, people could not help but think if there was a cover up.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">His Royal Highness, Prince George, the Duke of Kent was 6th in line of succession to the British throne at the time of his death. </span><span style="background-color: white;">He was a group captain in the Royal Air Force and became an Air
Vice-Marshal shortly before World War II broke out in 1939.</span></div>
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<span style="background: white;">He was the youngest son of King George V and Queen Mary and a
younger brother of both King Edward VIII and King George VI. He was married to
Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark, first cousin of Prince Philip, the Duke
of Edinburgh, and had three children, Prince Edward, Princess Alexandra and
Prince Michael. At the time of his death, his wife had just given birth to
their youngest child, Prince Michael.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white;">His untimely death from a plane crash in 1942 raised speculations on a
conspiracy theory due to several misleading information provided to the public.
The circumstances of his death and details on why the plane had crashed despite
the sunny weather were never fully explained.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white;">Prince George was scheduled to visit the Royal Air Force personnel
stationed in Iceland during World War II and because the flight would be
carrying a British prince and 6<sup>th</sup> in line of succession to the
British throne, the crew and companions were carefully selected.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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The captain, Flight Lieutenant Frank Goyen, was considered an expert to
fly a military boat bomber. The co-pilot was the commanding officer of 228
Squadron, Wing Commander, Thomas Lawton Mosley, one of the RAF’s most
experienced pilots. Accompanying the prince were his private secretary, equerry
and valet.<span style="background: white;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white;">On August 25, 1942, they boarded RAF S-25 Sunderland MK III flying boat
bomber which took off from Invergordon, Scotland but moment after it went up on
air, it exploded and crashed on the hillside of Caithness, Scotland.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white;">When the investigation began, the incident raised many questions. Why
the pilot maneuvered the plane over the land when it was a flying boat bomber
that supposed to fly over the water? Why did the pilot descend to some 650 feet
when he was flying over high land?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white;">When the investigators reached the crash site, 14 bodies were recovered
including the Duke of Kent, on his position was a suitcase strapped in his
wrist containing hundred kroner notes, no explanation could support this
circumstance why the Duke carried notes not valid to his country of
destination, Iceland. Kroner is the currency of Sweden.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white;">The only survivor in the tragedy was Andy Jack, the tail gunner who
occupied the tail end of the craft and was separated from the group when it
blew off and flung to the other side of the hillside. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white;">Jack’s response to the tragedy brought a confusing angle. He had never
spoken about the tragedy because he was under oath not to speak. He was also
promoted despite the tragedy. Whether he told a confidential retelling of
events to the British royal family or to the Duke’s widow, Princess Marina, no
one can tell. The story of the Duke of Kent’s death rested in peace and no one
ever attempted to reopen it. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="background: white;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background: white;">Seventy two years later after the incident, the death of Prince George
still confusing to the consciousness of the public. The only explanation
established at the time of his death was that the Prince was heading to a
special mission in Iceland, a special mission that no one seemed ready to
explain. It was a surprising circumstance that only Princess Marina got
interest to pursue an investigation considering it was the death of a British
royal prince and a military officer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1162693122907496266.post-32733414937192856722014-12-13T07:46:00.002-08:002014-12-13T07:47:43.491-08:00Royal News for December<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Mixed news around the royal court of Europe for the month of December. While one Kingdom was shrouded with grief for the passing of their former Queen Consort, another principality is rejoicing for the birth of two royal children.</div>
<div>
<br />
<div>
<br />
<div>
<b>BIRTHDAY</b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Princess Catharina-Amalia, the Hereditary Princess of Orange, celebrated her 11th birthday last December 7. She is the future Queen of the Netherlands as the heir-apparent of her father, King Wilhelm-Alexander. Her mother is an Argentinian born former investment banker, Maxima. The future Queen has two younger sisters, Princess Alexia and Princess Ariana.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>BIRTH</b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Hi Serene Highness, Albert, the Sovereign Prince of Monaco, welcomed his heirs yesterday, December 12, as his wife, Princess Charlene, gave birth to fraternal twins, Princess Gabriella, and Prince Jacques, at the Princess Grace hospital in Monaco.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Princess Gabriella was born one minute ahead of her brother, Prince Jacques, but Monaco is still embracing the male-preference primogeniture succession, thus, she will only be second in the line of succession to the Monegasque throne after his brother.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>DEATH</b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Belgium is morning the date of their former Queen Consort, Fabiola, who died last December 6, 2014 at the age of 86. No cause of death had been revealed to the press but the public speculated poor health might be the caused of death of the former Queen.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Fabiola, who was born a Spanish aristocrat, was the wife of King Boudouin of Belgium who died in 1993 of heart attack. She had been Queen Consort from 1960 to 1993, she and the King had no children as all her pregnancies ended up in miscarriages, thus, Boudouin was succeeded by his younger brother, King Albert, to the throne. Albert abdicated in 2013 in favor of his son, Philippe, the reigning King of the Belgians.</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1162693122907496266.post-18367974819846877792014-11-01T20:54:00.000-07:002014-11-02T01:17:30.397-08:00Pregnancy Scandal: Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">To cite the amusing line
from the Daily Mail UK “<i>Every now and then there’s someone who
would move forward and claim he or she is a royal offspring produced from the wrong
side of the blanket</i>”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The legendary secrecy of
the European royals has never been so intriguing since the middle ages, some of these secrets left buried in the archives of the royal repository museums, some of it managed to escape all the way to the hands of writers who are always on the look out of juicy tidbits about royal misadventures.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But most often than not, even if the scandals still hovered in the horizon of the modern royals, few of the smokes of intrigues went into public consciousness due to its lack of evidence. The fact that monarchies in the past centuries were extremely
protected from the public scrutiny and media criticism, those scandals remained to be just part of the myths that could never be substantiated.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheBq-3FwZw_2D2ctogN0pfW9RtRuZ1nMHai9nSMW1W-U6-EXdcobemxTgFb2o2btH2hI0uElEYhyCqliXbx-_Z3jtbYWUwGrK9F4QjjhaD91BqX0NJb_jdI4BOJuoXitZezqO5Qj_uM5I/s1600/princess+louise.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheBq-3FwZw_2D2ctogN0pfW9RtRuZ1nMHai9nSMW1W-U6-EXdcobemxTgFb2o2btH2hI0uElEYhyCqliXbx-_Z3jtbYWUwGrK9F4QjjhaD91BqX0NJb_jdI4BOJuoXitZezqO5Qj_uM5I/s1600/princess+louise.jpg" height="400" width="310" /></a></div>
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<b>HRH Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll, Queen Victoria's sixth child.</b></div>
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<b>Did she secretly gave birth to a baby boy?</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Take for instance the
story of Nick Locock, a retired racing commentator who even went to court in 2004 to
press his claim on his royal ancestry from the bloodline of Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll, and sixth child of Queen Victoria of Britain. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Due to lack of evidence
and the fact that Locock was not allowed by the court to dig the grave of his grandfather, Henry Locock, to extract sample of DNA, his case was considered non
sense and immaterial and he seemed went to live in history as one of those nuts
who wanted to gain popularity by claiming they were part of the royal bloodline
by accidents.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But was he?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A decade later, an
intriguing book about the dangerous secret of one of the popular daughters of
Queen Victoria, came out, dishing the world with an equally chilling story of a
hidden pregnancy that would taint the reputation of commendable virtues exemplified by the longest reigning British monarch in English history during her time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Princess Louise was said
to be the prettiest among the daughters of the Queen, and the most unconventional. She was the first British princess since the sixteenth century to marry a subject, which was considered a little bit "shocking" to royalists in the 19th century. Except for Louise, none of the daughters of the Queen married a man with a non-Prince status.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Though John Campbell was a future Duke, his position in the English society was considered not suitable to marry a daughter of a reigning British sovereign. Nonetheless, the Queen granted her permission and the couple appeared happy and contented. They temporarily settled in Canada when Campbell served as the nation’s Governor-General. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The couple had no children and according to the Queen, her daughter was barren. And that was all that. No more inquiries. No more intrigues.</span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Princess Louise was active in the
British social scene and became famous for her unique talent in sculpture. She was a great advocate of women's rights and had been helping organizations that promoting women's welfare. After becoming widow in 1914, she devoted her time supporting different
charities and pursuing her artistic passion.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">However, beyond the
morally upright image she projected, the Princess was said to be a little
stubborn and wild. At 17, she was revealed to have fallen in love to a dashing
military officer who had served as a tutor to her haemophilic brother, Prince
Leopold. She eventually got pregnant and secretly gave birth to a baby boy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">None of these rumors were
reported during the 19th century maybe because during those times, royals were
treated as demigods and above reproach. If ever there were uncompromising
issues or intrigues related to royalty, it never went beyond the gossiping
tables and benches of the royal circle and reporters never dared crossing the
boundary of royalty’s unspoken code of secrecy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Until recently, when
Louise’s intriguing past was brought into the limelight digging past issues of her colorful life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This royal pregnancy
scandal is part of my book “Tragedy in the Royal Court” which I will be publishing soon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1162693122907496266.post-35226572393665160082014-10-16T07:13:00.001-07:002014-10-16T07:13:33.924-07:00The Case of Royal Twins<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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On the final months of her pregnancy, Princess Charlene revealed she will be having twins and her prince of course is absolutely happy. Twins born among royals are no longer surprising. Prince Frederick of Denmark and Princess Mary had twins following two children, but what really made Charlene's twins different is that these children are in direct succession to the Monegasque throne and determining who will be put in the first line could be a little tricky.</div>
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<b>His Serene Highness, Prince Albert of Monaco with his pregnant wife, Princess Charlene</b></div>
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<b>She's carrying a set of twins that are first to be born to a reigning </b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b>European crown head </b><b>in modern times</b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
In modern times, none was heard among monarchs and its direct successors having a twin sibling. If the twins are a boy and a girl it would not pose so much problem as the apparent would be the boy, but what if the twins are identical?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Princess Sophie, wife of Prince Georg of Prussia, a non-reigning royal house in Germany, gave birth to twin sons in January 2013 and the one who came first becomes the first line successor to the royal house of Hohenzollern.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Now comes another set of twins of a reigning European crown head. Prince Albert is the reigning Sovereign Prince of Monaco and because his wife is carrying his first born and ultimately direct heirs, determining who will be chosen the heir-apparent would probably raise a little controversy.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Theories about twins varied down the decades. Some claimed that the one who will come out first is the youngest while the one who will come last is the eldest. However, the basis of choosing the heir is the time of birth, whoever comes first will be the first born.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
It is not clear however if Princess Charlene is carrying a fraternal or identical twins. That's remains to be seen.</div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1162693122907496266.post-68724742621058052962014-09-13T02:49:00.000-07:002015-02-01T02:46:49.325-08:00The Impact of Scotland's Independence<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b>Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom of </b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b>Great Britain and Northern Ireland.</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b>She has been on the British throne since 1952. She is also Head of State of the nations under </b><b>the Commonwealth Realms most prominently, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. </b><b>As a monarch, the Queen is above politics, she reigned but not governed and her </b><b>duties are purely ceremonial, but her role is formidable, she can pardon offenders, dissolve parliament and declare war, people under her territories are not citizens but subjects, </b><b>and the oath of allegiance is not on the nation nor the government but on her. </b></div>
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<br /></div>
Once upon a time during the Tudor Dynasty, Henry VIII, decided to exclude his sister, Margaret, who by then married the Scottish King, James IV Stuart, and her descendants in the line of succession to the English throne because he did not want foreign rulers to occupy England. His fear of losing the throne to Scottish rulers came to life when his younger daughter, who ascended the throne as Elizabeth I, died without direct successors.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The English court restored Margaret's descendants to the line of succession and declared her grandson, James VI, as Elizabeth's legitimate successor. James VI became James I, the first Stuart monarch in England, and ultimately united the two Kingdoms forming the geographical name of Great Britain. Since then, all monarchs that followed, from Hanovers to Saxe-Coburg-Gothas to Windsors, were all descendants of the Stuarts, however not direct, as the founder of Hanover, who inherited the throne from the childless Queen Anne, the last of the Stuart, was a great grandson of James I. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, if fate would favor on him and would one day mount the British throne as William V, he would be the first monarch to directly descend from James I. William's mother, the late, Diana, Princess of Wales, was a Stuart descendant through her two direct ancestors, the Duke of Richmond and the Duke of Grafton, who were both sons of Charles II, grandson of James I.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Now centuries had passed and this part of English history might just be part of the old world, but sometimes history would repeat, in a way that surprises everyone, it could be in another twist but on the same pattern of circumstances.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Scotland indeed surprises the world with its intention to become an independent country, whatever the roots, reasons, arguments and justifications behind it, only the parliament and the Scottish MPs know and since royals supposed to be above politics, the Queen chose to remain silent on the issues.<br />
<br />
And so do I...<br />
<br />
I will just talk instead on what would be the impact of Scotland's impending independence to the royal family.<br />
<br />
There are properties of the royal family in Scotland and most of the titles of its senior members are tied with the Scottish territories and history. The Queen's husband, Prince Philip,carries the title of the Duke of Edinburgh, a noble house that honors the capital of Scotland. The Queen's heir-apparent, Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, has a secondary title of Duke of Rothesay, which had been used by the heir-apparent to the Scottish throne before the personal union of Scotland and England. The Queen's second son, Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, has a second title of Earl of Inverness, a Scottish Earldom and so Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, who has a secondary title of Earl of Strathearn, another Scottish Earldom.<br />
<br />
The fate of these titles might also depend on the extent of Scotland's draft of their constitution should the majority will vote for yes. It might be allowed to retain as their courtesy title, but will never use officially when they will visit Scotland. Prince Charles when in Scotland is always address as Duke of Rothesay, this will not be the case from then on if Scotland will officially separate from the United Kingdom,<br />
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The royal family has private properties in Scotland most prominently Balmoral Castle, the Queen's summer retreat. It is not part of the crown property as it is traditionally private and usually inherited by the monarch's eldest son. If Scotland will declare independence this will not be turned over to the government but this will be subjected to the government policies on real estate properties.<br />
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Scotland's move to become independent might set a precedent to Wales and Northern Ireland and the palace courtiers wanted to avoid this at all cost. Though the Queen is said to be just civil with the issues and does not want to influence the poll, her courtiers are singing a different tune and the palace machines seemed on the front line.<br />
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Just weeks before the poll is held, the palace announced that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are expecting their second child. The timing of the announcement was notorious and it was being viewed by some analysts as a contingency plan to catch up with those who want to stay under the turf of the British Kingdom.<br />
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Royal babies provide delight to the subjects and whatever news related to royal infants bring inspiration. I might be accused as insensitive or hostile, but I am referring to history. Royals never actually announce pregnancies unless being provoked by the media or if the "baby bump" is already evident, thus, the surprise announcement of the Kate's pregnancy is a sort of a rubbish. She could be pregnant but can the palace wait for her abdomen to show some bumps before they hastily made an announcement?<br />
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I remember when she was pregnant with Prince George, they tried avoiding the pregnancy issue and waited months before the palace confirmed the speculations. And now, before the media could print a single speculation on the changes of her body, a surprise announcement came up.<br />
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Oh, just an opinion....<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1162693122907496266.post-11203256620289775192014-08-02T03:36:00.000-07:002014-08-02T08:31:50.651-07:00King Ludwig II of Bavaria and his Fairytale Castle<div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style ">
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<i><b><span style="color: blue;">This story will be included in my upcoming e-book: European Royals: The Tale of Madness and Controversies</span></b></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Was the King really mad? Or just merely eccentric?</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir8lJCrRoduUeYq55yVufJIaYucnt_kbR2j9FEKlLvJWFm34mLbsJXntfLlyqgoPqL24IOq25RWKr-ZSIZnCOqIZ0nRSCwJhKe3OURDWAAWNSjJNq5DiAaU-csvDPGtIMa5JIQIcd8Dq0/s1600/ludwigII.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir8lJCrRoduUeYq55yVufJIaYucnt_kbR2j9FEKlLvJWFm34mLbsJXntfLlyqgoPqL24IOq25RWKr-ZSIZnCOqIZ0nRSCwJhKe3OURDWAAWNSjJNq5DiAaU-csvDPGtIMa5JIQIcd8Dq0/s1600/ludwigII.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></span></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">King Ludwig II of Bavaria, from the royal house of Wittelsbach.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He was known in history as the Mad King.</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>He was deposed on the ground of mental illness, but the accusation lacked sufficient evidence </b><b>as he was not clinically examined. He died mysteriously in the lake near Berg Castle south of Munich where he was imprisoned. His death was rolled a suicide though further evidence would tell he was murdered. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A century had passed since his mysterious death but the story of this Bavarian King continued to fascinate modern royalists due to the controversial circumstances of his demise and the intriguing accusation of his mental insanity that was never proven true.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here's a strip of the story of this controversial German royal.</span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Who
could ever forget the classic story of King Ludwig II of Bavaria whose supposed madness had cost his throne and his life? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background: white;">He was
best remembered for his devotion to art and architecture and known for his
obsession of pompous castles and palaces,</span><span style="background-color: white;"> the most popular</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">being the <b><i>Neuschwanstein Castle</i></b>, a fairy tale structure that perched above the rugged hills of Hohenschwangau in Bavaria, </span><span style="background-color: white;">Munich, Germany. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">King Ludwig II ascended the Bavarian throne in 1864. He was often described in history as shy and timid and hated the trappings of royalty. He detested social gatherings and would often excuse himself from attending state occasions to watch theater plays of Richard Wagner, a German composer. </span><span style="background-color: white;">He did not marry despite several attempts of his ministers and family to find a suitable royal bride. He preferred a life in seclusion at the comfort of his castle.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He was deposed on the ground of mental illness, but the manner in which Bavarian ministers handled his case was something of a controvery as it lacked sufficient evidence on the mental state of the King. Ludwig II was never clinically examined to verify his mental instability which made the deposition illegal. Evidences gathered were merely speculations like talking to imaginary people, sending his staff to a lengthy expedition just to research ideas for fantasy castles, letting his footmen dressed in ancient livery reminiscent to the costumes in the characters of Wagner's plays.</span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">However, historians in later centuries would agree that the King could not be categorized as insane and mad but just eccentric and whimsical. He reportedly loved to spend most of his time day dreaming and would often withdraw to the comfort of his apartment in the Castle when the weight of the responsibility of being a King became too much for him. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">By most accounts, King Ludwig II was generally loved by many of his subjects in Bavaria. He adored nature, poetry and art and find happiness in romantic operas. He was especially close to his first cousin, The Empress Elisabeth of Austria.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Some would point that the stress of growing up in the royal family with rigorous royal training was the main cause of Ludwig’s peculiar behavior in adult life. He had at least an ancestor in the same category of peculiarity, his grandfather and namesake, King Ludwig I, who came from the family of eccentrics.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p>The King was brought to Berg Castle south of Munich after he was deposed but found dead on the following day in the Lake Starnberg. His death puzzled historians as the King was a good swimmer and the water was only deep waist. No water was found on the lungs of the King during the initial autopsy supporting earlier speculation that he was murdered. Years later, one note of a lone witness was revealed providing evidence that King Ludwig II was shot to death when he tried to escape.</o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p>Until the modern age, the life of this peculiar Bavarian monarch was a subject of curiosity that many royalists, including scholars, had expressed interest to conduct further studies on his reign and personal circumstances.</o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq0MNVUPb7R-NUR-tqIua0voJad-qyGfGo1FUMTegzGd6T_TgqvyV-d7BVkqP1iDLM0z_DtIjQLTS1c08ifJMYjboA-KUpz3tA_HO6fThZK3eRXGxX4Iak37KN85xeQ-chitse_XBheIc/s1600/castle2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq0MNVUPb7R-NUR-tqIua0voJad-qyGfGo1FUMTegzGd6T_TgqvyV-d7BVkqP1iDLM0z_DtIjQLTS1c08ifJMYjboA-KUpz3tA_HO6fThZK3eRXGxX4Iak37KN85xeQ-chitse_XBheIc/s1600/castle2.jpg" height="247" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The breathtaking Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria, Germany</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This fairytale castle was built under the supervision of King Ludwig II,</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">intended as his personal retreat and a homage to his favorite composer, Richard Wagner. </span></b><b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The King wanted the construction of the castle to be perfect, so he commissioned theater artists to </b><b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">design the interior of the castle and rooms similar to the fairytale plays of Wagner.</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXWmMiBy01Rf04KoS2t2rmYRrGVWG83QKGMTnLTAk_dUdXUd3e6x10D73LSKjU_QpaTZKxm1Lz0SzCltoSbj4gzCVbbS_7ikAz8t6CVarFORlYFN8Dt7_KhPAttNIW4qVVMfyp50OSgfs/s1600/castle1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXWmMiBy01Rf04KoS2t2rmYRrGVWG83QKGMTnLTAk_dUdXUd3e6x10D73LSKjU_QpaTZKxm1Lz0SzCltoSbj4gzCVbbS_7ikAz8t6CVarFORlYFN8Dt7_KhPAttNIW4qVVMfyp50OSgfs/s1600/castle1.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Perched above the rugged cliff of <span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">Hohenschwangau in Bavaria, </span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">Germany,</span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">the castle is surrounded with a magnificent landscape of lakes and parklands.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">It has a walled garden and an artificial cave and its interior is beautifully designed</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">under a fairytale concept. Ironically, it was King Ludwig II's obsession of fairytale castles that had cost his life and throne. He was deposed on the ground of insanity. </span></b><b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">This castle was not finished at the time of his death but several years later it was opened to the public to raise income for the struggling state of Bavaria. </span></b><b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Today, the castle drew thousands of tourists annually and became Europe's eternal symbol of fairytale. It appeared several times in many fairytale movies. It also inspired the construction of Disneyland's Magic Kingdom.</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">His most ambitious project, the </span><b><i>Neuschwanstein Castle, </i></b><span style="background-color: white;">intended to be his private home and a personal homage to Richard Wagner, was made open to the public years after his death to raise income to the struggling state of Bavaria. Now, this castle, is one of the most popular tourist landmarks in the world and Europe's eternal symbol of fairytale. It's a living witness to King Ludwig II's fascination towards art and fantasy. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">King Ludwig II was succeeded by his younger brother Otto, but he too was deposed on the ground of mental illness. The throne passed to their first cousin, King Ludwig III and reigned until 1918 when all German princely states and Kingdoms were disbanded at the close of World War I. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Today, the Bavarian throne is still in existence though not officially, and reduced to the status of a Dukedom. It is currently ruled by Prince Franz, the Duke of Bavaria, also considered as the rightful heir to the thrones of England, Scotland and Ireland through the Jacobite succession. Princess Sophie, the wife of Prince Alois, the Hereditary Prince of Liechtenstein, is Franz's niece.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">More of this story and other interesting facts about European Royals in my upcoming e-book.</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1162693122907496266.post-27429011264911669652014-07-12T23:40:00.003-07:002014-08-02T08:37:28.078-07:00Europe's New Queen Consorts<div style="text-align: justify;">
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Europe has new Queen Consorts, both young, vibrant, highly cultured and glamorous, whose sudden ascent to fame as Their Majesties is attributed to the abdication of their respective parent-in-law.</div>
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<b>The Netherlands</b></div>
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Queen Maxima is the wife of the current Dutch monarch, King Wilhelm-Alexander. She is an Argentinian by birth and had worked as an investment banker at Deutsche Bank in New York before she met the then Prince of Orange. Maxima is known for his gorgeous fashion style and taste. Her choice of wardrobe consistently put her on top of the list of the most glamorous female royals in Europe.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0_WGqQYQdCg7LtATFa-zAFZAckGEMqXIahRCLDGrC-1ARUDHgBKidywoocU28AmdVYJV0GKpheicSaFchp13c6eLU1WLx2si8L6gAoT3fmnP7f7FMAumm85asxGi0yxabzvFjDfy0pgo/s1600/maxima4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0_WGqQYQdCg7LtATFa-zAFZAckGEMqXIahRCLDGrC-1ARUDHgBKidywoocU28AmdVYJV0GKpheicSaFchp13c6eLU1WLx2si8L6gAoT3fmnP7f7FMAumm85asxGi0yxabzvFjDfy0pgo/s1600/maxima4.jpg" height="320" width="290" /></a></div>
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<b>Queen Maxima of the Netherlands</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzFyl7hsZphpjZI5_yZb7NjsOt8y769fZ6Ij2YEgnsxKtTi3PpiFLPb_WLOLVC9x1nDqg9kKTjJzMLdaQtpqFOasKeF7j1WJ2Vjsi_0n46Lv3fJSHo8udA3CT2tO5aettG1OwGXHuKPcA/s1600/maxima.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzFyl7hsZphpjZI5_yZb7NjsOt8y769fZ6Ij2YEgnsxKtTi3PpiFLPb_WLOLVC9x1nDqg9kKTjJzMLdaQtpqFOasKeF7j1WJ2Vjsi_0n46Lv3fJSHo8udA3CT2tO5aettG1OwGXHuKPcA/s1600/maxima.jpg" height="320" width="210" /></a></div>
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<b>Queen Maxima with husband, King Wilhelm-Alexander of the Netherlands</b></div>
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Her journey from the corporate world to the Dutch royal court was not an easy one. Her relationship with the future King was met with protest and disapproval from the parliament due to the rumoured involvement of her father, Jorge Zorreguieta, to the atrocities that happened in Argentina during the regime of President Jorge Videla. Maxima's father worked as a cabinet secretary of agriculture during the regime. Through series of investigation, it was revealed however that Zorreguieta was innocent with the accusation. </div>
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The future King and Queen tied the knot on February 2, 2002 in Amsterdam without Maxima's father. The couple have three daughters, Catharina-Amalia, Hereditary Princess of Orange, Princess Alexia and Princess Arriane. Upon her husband ascension to the throne in April 2013, Maxima became the first Dutch Queen Consort in more than 100 years since Queen Emma in 1890. </div>
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Queen Maxima currently serves as Secretary General on Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development in the United Nations. Despite being married to a protestant King, Maxima remained a Roman Catholic. Through her father, Maxima has five line of descent from King Alfonso XIII of Portugal. </div>
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<b>Belgium</b></div>
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Queen Mathilde is the only current Queen Consort in Europe that has a noble ancestry. She descended from the long list of Lords, Barons and Counts and her father is a titled Baron. She has a Princess as a grandmother on her mother's side.</div>
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The 41-year-old Queen Consort is known with her very professional approach to the media, with finesse and proper etiquette, she never generated controversy and her attitude towards the public has been touted as always formal and warm.<br />
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<b>Queen Mathilde and King Philippe of Belgium</b></div>
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Queen Mathilde has a master's degree in psychology and before her marriage to Prince Philippe in 1999, she worked as a speech therapist. Their Majesties have four children together: Princess Elisabeth, the Duchess of Brabant and the heir-apparent, Prince Gabriel, Prince Emmanuel and Princess Eleonore.</div>
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<b>Spain</b></div>
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With the abdication of King Juan Carlos last June 2, 2014, Europe loses the only Queen Consort in modern times who was royal by birth. Queen Sophia is the last true-blooded Princess to marry into the present-day European royal court, she is a former Greek princess, eldest daughter of King Paul of Greece and niece of Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh (husband of Queen Elizabeth II of Britain).</div>
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The reigning Spanish King, Felipe VI, only son of King Juan Carlos and Queen Sophia, married a commoner with no aristocratic background, Letezia Ortiz Rocasolano, a former TV news anchor. Just like in the Netherlands, Felipe's relationship to Letezia also generated controversies. She was previously married to a college professor but obtained divorce before she met the future Spanish King. A situation found by many as slightly uneventful and inappropriate for a woman who would become a wife of a future King. Nonetheless, King Juan Carlos gave his permission and the marriage proceeded without opposition on May 22, 2004.<br />
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<b>King Felipe VI and Queen Letezia of Spain</b></div>
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Queen Letezia is the first Queen Consort of Spain who is a commoner. But through out the years that she assumed the title of Princess of Asturias, she projected an image and reputation of a highly dignified woman with a strong sense of character, duty and refinement, thus earning respect and admiration from the public. She and King Felipe have two daughters: Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofia.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1162693122907496266.post-54202789396419097002014-07-06T06:50:00.001-07:002014-07-09T07:17:07.911-07:00The Legend of Dracula<div style="background: white; line-height: 14.4pt; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This story is part of the chapter in my e-book about European Royals: The Royal Madness.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>The world knows Dracula was written by Bram Stoker, an Irish novelist, but it was not clear however if Stoker really based the concept of the story on Prince Vlad III, who waged a reign of terror in Wallachia during the 15th century. Wallachia was once an ancient principality in Central Europe that was known later as Transylvania (and now part of Romania), the setting of Dracula.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Sketch of Vlad III, though no records accurately show </i></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>how he looked like exactly</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: purple;">Trivia:</span></b> Did you know that the name DRACULA is not really mean "devil" in ancient Wallachia? This word means "son of the dragon". Dracul means dragon, an ancient chivalric order in Wallachia use to defend Christianity against invaders. Vlad III's father was a famous member of this group. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Dracula started to achieve an evil reputation translation when Bram Stoker published a book about a Transylvanian Count with a voodoo history.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Here's the strip of Vlad III's story which I included in the chapter of my e-book about madness in the royal court.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If there’s one horrid story about mental derangement crossing the border of sadistic insanity, it's Vlad III's story. The saga of his vampirism act was so popular in Europe even during the 17<sup>th</sup> century that it inspired Bram Stoker to write a novel about a horrendous man that drinks blood, Dracula.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If we would combine the sadistic nature of Ivan The Terrible of Russia and
the psychotic maladies of Caligula of Rome, we will get a dose of terror with Vlad III
of Wallachia. He was dreadful and gruesome and if there’s anything maddening
about protecting the Kingdom from invaders, it was Vlad III’s historical legacy
of resorting to impaling.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 14.4pt;">Whether Stoker really based his novel to a Voodoo Prince in
Wallachia that finds pleasure in torturing people with his spikes, no one
really knew exactly, it was only a speculation, but the story of Count Dracula
is somewhat closer to Vlad III’s vampirism tendencies.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Vlad III was Prince of Wallachia, now part of Romania in Central
Europe, from 1452 to his death, with deposition and exile in-betweens, making him
to rule the tiny principality for about three times. He reigned during the
troubled period of 15<sup>th</sup> century when invasion, wars and chaos were
popular in the continent.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">His father was Vlad II, the Dracul, which means Dragon because he was a
member of the Order of the Dragon, a chivalric order founded to protect
Christianity in Eastern Europe. Vlad III was known as Dracula, meaning son of
the dragon, but in later decades the name dragon was replaced with “devil”
referring to the vicious crimes of murders and tortures committed by Vlad III
during his reign, thus, Dracula in the present time means “son of the devil.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">During his youth, Wallachia suffered discord from rival factions
and his father was ousted in 1442. He regained the throne after securing
support from Ottoman by agreeing to pay a tribute. Part of this loyalty was
sending his two sons, Vlad and Radu, to the Ottoman court. It was in this exile
that the young Vlad was trained and learned skills in warfare.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Vlad II was murdered by the
faction of John Hunyadi, a Hungarian regent, it ignited another war in
Wallachia, Ottoman rescued the principality and put Vlad III on the throne.
What followed next was a series of uproar and disturbances that shaped Vlad
III’s personality and reputation in later years. His life was dominated with
the terror of war, political unrest and murders that the only way to survive is
to become awful and hostile.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He
returned to Wallachia and regained the throne only to find a miserable land
devastated by poverty, widespread crime and
depressing agricultural fall out. Realizing it could never be amended
with systematic and lenient governance, he decided to austere methods to restore
progress.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">His
reign was not entirely troublesome and grisly, there were also periods that his
people experienced harmony, development and fairness particularly in the
trading, economy and infrastructure. He created several reform measures
especially among merchants. But despite turning his attention to Wallachia’s
reforms and development, he did not forget the group that killed his father and
brother which he believed had also caused trouble in his land, the Boyars. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To
secure peace and order and to strengthen his reign, he had most of the Boyars
nobles killed and gradually became harsh in creating laws for criminals and
offenders. It was during this period that he started implementing his severe
punishment of executing enemies through impaling.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The
most brutal part of this way of execution was the spikes that boiled in oil to
implicate horrible pain to the victims. At the height of his cruelty and
Dracula streak, he would held a feast in the forest and kill everyone leaving
the corpses to rot in the ground.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He had
reportedly killed close to 100,000 people mostly in a grisly way, torturing, impaling
and burning at stake. At one point, he made a killing rampage along Danube,
burning houses, killing everyone he found in the village, men, women, old,
young, infant.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">His
sadistic pleasure in torturing was unimaginable. He had children roasted and fed
to their mothers, cut off the breasts of women and forced the husband to eat
it and had them all impaled. His reputation for cruelty horrified even his
enemies, it was reported that when invaders discovered impaled corpses on the
banks of Danube river, they were sickened with what they saw and retreated in
fright.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Vlad III paid
a high prize though. When he engaged in a battle against the Turks, he was
killed and beheaded and had his severely mutilated head brought to
Constantinople to present to the Sultan who had wished nothing but Vlad III's downfall and death.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">More of the undiscovered stories of terror and madness in the European royal court in my upcoming e-book: <span style="color: purple;">European Royals: Madness and Intrigues</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: purple;"><br /></span></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1162693122907496266.post-74201137789994036292014-06-07T22:53:00.001-07:002014-08-02T08:46:49.956-07:00Infanta Leonor of Spain: The youngest Heir-Presumptive <div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style ">
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<b><span style="color: magenta;">Important note:</span> Spain is one of the three remaining royal houses in Europe that has not yet adopted the absolute law on succession, therefore, Infanta Leonor, the eldest daughter of Felipe, Prince of Asturias, who would become King Felipe VI of Spain upon his accession, would never be called heir-apparent and Princess of Asturias.</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCmyV7Lvvmg8LjejnbInSurdt9y30O3JP2aLUcy5BU5tK8d1BMhZFBIbs7mqGzfOzO2iNa1inJw909u1RKC3zcOt-ao-K95oUEGnMclRCca1l9mqEsUsP2xyn7z82w0xLPAW00tMZeQ28/s1600/leonor+of+spain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCmyV7Lvvmg8LjejnbInSurdt9y30O3JP2aLUcy5BU5tK8d1BMhZFBIbs7mqGzfOzO2iNa1inJw909u1RKC3zcOt-ao-K95oUEGnMclRCca1l9mqEsUsP2xyn7z82w0xLPAW00tMZeQ28/s1600/leonor+of+spain.jpg" height="200" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b> Infanta Leonor of Spain</b><b> </b><br />
<b>At 8 years old, she is the youngest heir-presumptive in the European royal court in modern times.</b></div>
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<b>She would not be called Princess of Asturias when her father, Prince Felipe, ascend the Spanish throne later this month because the country has not yet adopted the Absolute Law on Succession, a law that guarantees a sovereign's eldest daughter to succeed without being pushed aside by a younger brother in the line of succession</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWaorwGDzJDGbRliKMK2rDSdYCSiqJO_SQitOssC0w9a3Hpb-vrDbBehAA_9Zln9ApyahWcdG7tO5SF_5L-azN1QpL8IZhQq8le6git_OOSHgdYijW57ZvejHtR972S6tL_oQyqkWhXH4/s1600/leonor1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWaorwGDzJDGbRliKMK2rDSdYCSiqJO_SQitOssC0w9a3Hpb-vrDbBehAA_9Zln9ApyahWcdG7tO5SF_5L-azN1QpL8IZhQq8le6git_OOSHgdYijW57ZvejHtR972S6tL_oQyqkWhXH4/s1600/leonor1.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<b>Infanta Leonor with her sister, Infanta Sofia</b></div>
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After months of intense speculation on whether he would abdicate, finally, on June 2, 2014, the once much adored King of Spain, Juan Carlos, renounced the crown he had been wearing for nearly 39 years. In his abdication speech, the King recognized the needed change in the monarchy to allow younger generation of royals to take center stage and unite the nation. His successor is his only son, Felipe, Prince of Asturias.</div>
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The King of Spain, grown tired and frail due to poor health condition, yielded to media pressures after years of enduring controversies due to the long-running corruption scandal supposedly committed by his son-in-law, Iñaki, Urdanganin, husband of his youngest daughter, Princess Cristina, the Duchess of Palma de Mallorca. In addition, the King of Spain has long been battling several illnesses which made him to undergo surgical procedures more than nine times in just two years.</div>
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Upon his abdication, the center of public attention geared towards his son's future reign as Spanish monarch. Most of the Spanish subjects have high hopes on Felipe that he could help restore the prestige of the crown tarnished by scandals.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiemAd0Vd4iRgHty2TZGujckDhQgiFBU4LKlg21rE9IukR0ccBm8oErLF580zdz1Im6esboPt8dqZqppi1uI756iDigFnfO0Dn4VDFsRssmXCaUAeQeQ2UQi2myCAEkg0aMJIQx4cR5ZZ0/s1600/leonor3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiemAd0Vd4iRgHty2TZGujckDhQgiFBU4LKlg21rE9IukR0ccBm8oErLF580zdz1Im6esboPt8dqZqppi1uI756iDigFnfO0Dn4VDFsRssmXCaUAeQeQ2UQi2myCAEkg0aMJIQx4cR5ZZ0/s1600/leonor3.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b> Three generations: King Juan Carlos, Prince Felipe and Infanta Leonor</b></div>
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Along with this attention came the innocent face of Felipe's eldest daughter, Infanta Leonor (Infanta is a Spanish term for Princess). The cherubic young royal is only eight years old, born on October 31, 2005, but now would be thrust to the public eye due to her father’s sudden ascent to the throne. Her mother, Letezia, is a former TV news anchor and would be the first commoner to become a Spanish Queen Consort. <br />
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Infanta Leonor and her younger sister, Infanta Sofia, have been largely kept out from the public by their parents. Except for official photo calls and when the family is holidaying, the two royal tots remained in the background. </div>
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<b>The royal couple and their daughters.</b></div>
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<b>The Prince and Princess of Asturias, Infanta Sofia and Infanta Leonor</b></div>
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In an effort to raise them normally away from the rigid royal protocol, the Prince and Princess of Asturias allowed their daughters to attend a public school like commoners to enjoy the company of other children and to experience the life outside the palace walls.</div>
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Infanta Leonor attended Santa Maria de los Rosales School in Madrid since 2008 where she takes classes in Chinese and English.<br />
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As her father prepares to take the throne as King Felipe VI later this month, debates on Infanta Leonor's future started to surface in public. Is she an heir-presumptive or heir-apparent? The very obvious answer is of course the former. Spain still adopts the male-preference primogeniture law on succession which only guarantees an eldest son of the sovereign to take over the throne.</div>
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It is not known however if Spain would switch laws in later years. If the country retains the male-preference primogeniture law on succession then Infanta Leonor will only be heir-presumptive and can only inherit the throne if her parents would not produce a son. She could not take the Princess of Asturias title as this is reserve to a wife of a Prince of Asturias unless she would become the heir-apparent.<br />
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This is similar to the situation of Queen Elizabeth II of Britain in 1936. When her father, the then Prince Bertie, the Duke of York, ascended the British throne as King George VI, she has no brothers, but she was only heir-presumptive and could not take the title Princess of Wales as this is reserve to a wife of the Prince of Wales, the heir-apparent to the British throne. Elizabeth remained Princess of Britain until she married in 1947 to Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh and took the title Duchess of Edinburgh.</div>
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Whether Infanta Leonor would really be the next Queen regnant of Spain, that depends on the succeeding circumstances in the Spanish constitutional law. </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1162693122907496266.post-75126792922766789832014-06-03T07:19:00.002-07:002014-07-06T07:23:10.658-07:00King Juan Carlos of Spain Abdicates<div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style ">
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After a year of speculation whether he would abdicate or continue his reign until death, King Juan Carlos of Spain, on Monday, June 2, 2014, ended the controversies by announcing his abdication in favor of his only son, Felipe, the Prince of Asturias.<br />
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In his memorable abdication speech, he acknowledged the need of the century's old monarchy to breath fresh air under young royals, "A new generation must be at the forefront...younger people with new energy", the King announced.<br />
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The Spanish King became the third European monarch to step down from the throne in two years time after Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands (April 2013) and King Albert II of Belgium (July 2013). Nearly 39 years of ruling Spain, the King has become an instrument of the sweeping changes that the country experienced since the transition of the government from the dictatorship of General Francisco Franco.<br />
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The King, who reigned under the royal house of Bourbon-Hapsburg, largely shaped the modern history of Spain and credited for revitalizing the country's stature in the global community. He has been on the throne since November 1975 in what could have been a highly successful reign of any other Kings in Europe in the modern times. He became extremely popular and enjoyed enormous admiration from his subjects for the last three decades. Until series of controversies involving his direct family tarnished the prestige
of the crown.<br />
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His popularity further plummeted when the country's financial condition did not recover after the recession, the royal household spending in the middle of crisis was intrigued as somewhat crossing the boundary line, he was further criticized when it was known that he spent lavishly on an elephant hunting trip in Botswana amidst the country's financial meltdown.<br />
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The final blow that tore the last strand of trust came after his son-in-law, Iñaki Urdanganin, was involved in a corruption issues for misusing funds of the foundation he managed. The corruption scandal was even implicated his younger daughter, Princess Cristina, the Duchess of Palma de Mallorca, as one of the major players in the corruption charges, though no strong evidence could justify the accusations.<br />
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The King and the rest of the royal family tried hard to distance themselves from the issues, even to the point of removing the profile of Cristina's husband in the official page of the royal household, but media pressures and public protests became intense that no other fair option for the King but to abdicate.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcj4WDOu-2eySQn_aQmZASrQm8VjzuDRyZ_LThqcp4-jTtv0wbZ4mBCcX3UXmgBYg1QgeBwfUy-S6cs1IVM6lMLWC_Cra97okeCQEJWpvVBelxMPkhW9jWpB5hQL6pqwNBhoMwiK-gYYQ/s1600/king.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcj4WDOu-2eySQn_aQmZASrQm8VjzuDRyZ_LThqcp4-jTtv0wbZ4mBCcX3UXmgBYg1QgeBwfUy-S6cs1IVM6lMLWC_Cra97okeCQEJWpvVBelxMPkhW9jWpB5hQL6pqwNBhoMwiK-gYYQ/s1600/king.jpg" height="266" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<b>Father and Son</b></div>
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<b>Felipe, the Prince of Asturias, and King Juan Carlos of Spain </b></div>
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The abdication of King Juan Carlos did not actually surprise most royalists as this event was already speculated since last year. Though King Juan Carlos vehemently denied the issues early this year, several analysts predicted that only a matter of time before the King would yield to pressures.<br />
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In addition to the controversies, he King suffered poor health for the last four years, he had undergone multiple hip replacement surgeries in just three years. He often graced public engagements in crutches.</div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><b>Their Majesties, King Juan Carlos and Queen Sophia</b></span></div>
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T<b>he Queen is formerly Princess Sophia of Greece and Denmark</b></div>
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<b>eldest child of King Paul of Greece and Queen Federica, she is a niece of Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, husband of Queen Elizabeth II of Britain</b></div>
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<b>King Juan Carlos, Queen Sophia, Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth II and most current European monarchs are third cousins through Queen Victoria of England</b></div>
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King Juan Carlos came to the Spanish throne after his father, Prince Juan, after.Francisco Franco, the Spanish dictator who led the Spanish revolution during World War II, died in 1975. The revolution forced Juan Carlos's grandfather, King Alfonso XIII, to give up the throne and went into exile in Italy. After series of negotiation with Alfonso's heir, Prince Juan, the Count of Barcelona, Franco relented and agreed to restore the monarchy to the family after his death.In November 1975, Franco died, but Prince Juan declined the crown in favor of his only surviving son, Prince Juan Carlos.</div>
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<b>The Spanish royal family</b></div>
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<b>From left: Princess Letezia, Prince Felipe, King Juan Carlos, Queen Sophia, Infanta Elena</b></div>
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<b>Front row: Infanta Eleanor and Infanta Sofia, Felipe's daughters </b></div>
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At the King's abdication, his subjects are hoping his successor, Prince Felipe, could bring back the prestige of the Spanish crown. Having a new royal family that will unite the divided Spain is a fresh breather.<br />
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Prince Felipe, the Prince of Asturias, 45, just like his father, is an Olympian, he took part in Sailing/Yachting event during the Barcelona Olympics. He is married to Letezia Ortiz Rocasolano, a former news anchor. They have two daughters, Infanta Eleanor and Infanta Sofia. Upon her husband's accession to the throne, Letezia would be the first commoner Queen Consort of Spain.<br />
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It was not known however what role King Juan Carlos would be assuming after the accession of his son, who would reign under the name King Felipe VI. But just like the rest of the European monarchs who abdicated, the King might not take part actively in the ceremonial functions of the monarchy and might prefer to remain private. </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1162693122907496266.post-28725530094425007262014-05-23T21:52:00.002-07:002014-06-06T22:24:12.448-07:00The Magic and Charm of the name EDWARD<div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style ">
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<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</xml><![endif]--><b><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: black;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"> </span></span></span></span></span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: blue;">EDWARD</span> is one of the most popular names of the British royal Princes since the middle ages.</span></span></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333;">Unlike ordinary folks, the naming of royals is not just like a pick-in-the-book ritual but more on tradition and historical importance. The process is like a kiss-by-decorum, intricately planned, debated and subjected to an intense process of royal protocol.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333;"> </span>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333;">Royals often pick their baby’s names with respect to their custom, ancient traditions and significance in the life of the monarchy. It’s not just simply a name they found in the
book or magazine, the name must reflect the prestige of the crown and must symbolize continuity. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333;">What made the naming of the royal tots a little complicated is the fact that royals, especially the Brits, have this appalling concern on the historical merits and representation of such name. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333;">For example, the name <span style="color: blue;"><b>JOHN </b></span>has not been used in the royal family since the middle ages. This is because the royals don’t want to remember the reign of
King John, the youngest son of King Henry II and Queen Eleanor, who took part in the conflict instigated by his mother and his brothers to oust the aging King, his father, from power. With his tyrant reputation, unscrupulous character and difficult behavior, King John was considered one of the worst Kings in English history, something that the present royals don't want to reminisce. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333;">There
was at least one <span style="color: blue;"><b>Prince John</b></span> (born:1905, died:1919) in the British royal family, the youngest
son of King George V and Queen Mary, he was an epileptic and he was secretly removed
from the public life of the royal family and kept under seclusion at
Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, England. Prince John died in 1919 from a severe seizure at the age of
14. Since then, no British Prince was given the name John.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Oh but I love the name John, never mind if the British royals avoided it.
If ever I have a son someday I would name him <b>John Paul Karol </b>in honor of
my favorite Pope and now saint, St. John Paul II. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">John is one of the most fascinating names I would love to hear, it's very significant in the anal of Christianity.Two of the most beloved and highly revered saints in the Christendom were named
John. <b>John the Evangelist and John the Baptist.</b> The former was said to be the
favorite disciple of Jesus, in fact he was the only apostle who did not die a
martyr. John the Baptist was the forerunner of Christ who had the Lord baptized in the river Jordan. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">There were 23
Popes reigned under the name John and two had coined it with the name Paul. John
Paul I chose to include Paul when he was looking for his regnal name after his
papal election, he chose it in honor of his predecessor, Paul VI. When Cardinal
Karol Wojtyla of Poland was elected into the papacy in 1978, he chose the name John Paul
II in honor of his direct predecessor. Most European Kings in the medieval times had the name John. Isn't it lovely? Yeah, that's why I love that name, it's very special :-)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333;">Charles is another name frowned by the royal family due
to its attachment to the two previous King Charles, both Stuarts. The first
Charles irked the parliament with his baffling laws on absolute power. He insisted that the King should be the supreme law of the land, the parliament was furious that he was
captured and executed in the Whitehall. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333;">The monarchy was temporarily abolished and Britain was
put under the protectorate of the military leader, Oliver Cromwell.
Ten years later, on the death of Cromwell, the monarchy was restored and Charles’s
eldest son, also named Charles, ascended the throne. The second Charles had another bad reputation,he was a serial adulterer who took many mistresses and reportedly sired 11 children, two of these illegitimates, the Duke of Grafton and the Duke of Richmond, were direct ancestors of Diana, Princess of Wales and Cressida Bonas, the current girlfriend of Diana's second son, Prince Harry.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333;">The current Prince of Wales, according to some accounts,
was christened with the name Charles by his father, Prince Philip in honor of
King Haakon VII of Norway, the former Prince Charles of Denmark, a
distant cousin of both Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth II, in addition, Haakon
VII married Princess Maud of Britain, younger sister of King George V. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333;">But it is doubted if the Prince of Wales would really
choose his first name to be his regnal name when he ascend the throne, other royal analysts theorized
Charles might choose to reign under the name of George (his real name is Charles Philip Arthur George) in honor of his grandfather, King George VI, and two great grandfathers, King George
V of England, and King George I of Greece (grandfather of Prince Philip, the
Duke of Edinburgh).</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333;"><span style="color: blue;">Okay, back to EDWARD</span>.</span></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333;">Talking about royal family's favorite name. There's at least one that has become the favorite among British Princes. The name seems symbolizes magic and prestige in the royal family because almost all British monarchs since the reign of King William I in the 11<sup>th</sup> century had a son or grandson named EDWARD. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333;">In fact because of this name the Normans invaded England in the 10th century and killed the last Anglo-Saxon King, Harold II. When he was still alive, King Edward the Confessor had promised the Duke of Normandy, William, who was said to be the bastard son of his brother, Robert, to be his successor to the English throne but when Edward died, the English nobles put the son of Godwin, one of the powerful men in the court, to the throne and reigned Harold II, this circumstance infuriated William.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333;">The Norman duke then launched a siege and conquered England in the Battle of Hastings killing King Harold II in the conflict. William then took the throne and chose Windsor Castle as his seat of court.Since then the English throne was occupied by the Conqueror's descendants.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i><b><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333;">There were eight English/British Kings in
history that bore the name Edward since the Norman Conquest : <span style="color: purple;"> </span></span></b></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333;"><span style="color: purple;"><b>1. Edward I </b></span>(King of England: 1272-1307, he was known as the Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots), </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333;"><span style="color: purple;"><b>2. Edward II </b></span>(King of England from 1307 until his deposition in 1327, he was the first English prince given with the title of Prince of Wales because he was born at Caernavon
Castle in Wales)</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333;"><span style="color: purple;"><b>3. Edward III</b></span> (King of England: 1327-1377, he was the one who initiated the Hundred Years of War
between England and France due to his constant claim of the French throne)</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333;"><span style="color: purple;"><b>4. Edward IV </b></span>(King of England: 1461-1483, he mounted the English throne through a conquest, he was the first York King)</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333;"><span style="color: purple;"><b>5. Edward V</b></span> (young son of Edward IV, he reigned only for 2 months, he was imprisoned in the Tower of London at the instigation of his uncle, Richard III, who took over the throne, Edward V and his brother were later known in history as Princes in the Towers, they mysteriously disappeared and believed to be
murdered in the Tower)</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333;"><span style="color: purple;"><b>6. Edward VI </b></span>(King of England: 1547-1553, he was barely 10 when he succeeded his father, Henry VIII, to the throne, he was a sickly child and died before he reached adulthood)</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333;"><span style="color: purple;"><b>7. Edward VII </b></span>(King of England: 1901-1910, son and successor of Queen Victoria)</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333;"><span style="color: purple;"><b>8. Edward VIII</b></span> (reigned but not crowned, he abdicated in 1936 to marry Wallis
Simpson, an American commoner, he was created Duke of Windsor by his brother
and successor, King George VI).</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333;">In the current British royal family, there are three
male royals who have the name Edward: The Earl of Wessex, youngest son of
Queen Elizabeth II, the Duke of Kent, eldest son of Prince George (paternal
uncle of the Queen) who died during World War II and Lord Downpatrick, Edward
Windsor, grandson of the Duke of Kent.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333;">Prince Edward, the Earl
of Wessex</span></b></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333;">Prince Edward was born 12 years after his mother’s accession in 1952 making him one of the two royal children born to a reigning monarch. He is the
youngest child of the Queen and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh. In 1999
after his marriage to Sophie Rhys-Jones, it was announced that he would be
given a noble title of Earl of Wessex, the announcement surprised most of the royalists
because of the breaking of tradition.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPDCfhTOoHbuwSfH_VglV26VKuFFt5XXo6sC0efyAhjBT-ZQTorQ7sqdT4nGezfWPU3T-DuLyIHqRvhKzQxkRDLiouGWSqZH3ZJJKzW3Ueq03lao7O-VsMLiqEJQsNSD8PwUZdIlyhO2o/s1600/ed.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPDCfhTOoHbuwSfH_VglV26VKuFFt5XXo6sC0efyAhjBT-ZQTorQ7sqdT4nGezfWPU3T-DuLyIHqRvhKzQxkRDLiouGWSqZH3ZJJKzW3Ueq03lao7O-VsMLiqEJQsNSD8PwUZdIlyhO2o/s1600/ed.jpeg" /></a></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333;">His Royal Highness, Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex, </span></b></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333;">youngest son of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II of Britain and His Royal Highness, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh</span></b></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333;">No one in British history that the son of the ruling
sovereign was given the title of an Earl, most of the sons of the British monarchs
were given the title of a Duke, the highest hereditary noble title in Britain
ranking just below a Prince and above an Earl or a Count.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333;">Buckingham Palace press office explained that
Prince Edward would inherit his father’s title, Duke of Edinburgh, in due time,
and the Earl of Wessex is his secondary title. Upon marriage, his wife assumes
the title Countess of Wessex.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333;">Another breaking of royal tradition was the announcement
made by the palace that any children born on Prince Edward’s marriage would be
identified with the status of children of the British Earl and not
grandchildren of the monarch, thus, Edward’s daughter Louise was titled Lady
instead of Princess and his only son is titled James, the Viscount Severn,
instead of Prince James.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333;">Prince Edward is the only one among the four children of
the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh whose marriage did not end in divorce.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333;">Prince Edward, the Duke
of Kent</span></b></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333;">Grandson of King George V and a first cousin of Queen
Elizabeth II, Prince Edward is the first born child of Prince George, the Duke
of Kent, and Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark, a first cousin of Prince
Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN6fKHQHLzNE9ZHrbiBQpwXvfC2gyORNeZb1jWD2ngekWw0JuSbNfl4MWqMrr_quAgFFEb_nTyhptMHVeYg_o4koHSSsyaR-rq7OuEYta99-lW9NowrHD5TFthR_Dl643eE28mxmvKEYA/s1600/ed2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN6fKHQHLzNE9ZHrbiBQpwXvfC2gyORNeZb1jWD2ngekWw0JuSbNfl4MWqMrr_quAgFFEb_nTyhptMHVeYg_o4koHSSsyaR-rq7OuEYta99-lW9NowrHD5TFthR_Dl643eE28mxmvKEYA/s1600/ed2.jpeg" /></a></span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333;">His Royal Highness, Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent</span></b></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333;">First cousin of Queen Elizabeth II and nephew of Prince Philip</span></b></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333;">Prince Edward was only six years old when his father died
in a plane crash while on active duty with the Royal Air Force during World War
II in 1942. He assumed his father’s title immediately and became one of the
youngest royal dukes in recent memory. In 1959, he took his seat in the House of Lords in the Parliament.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333;">Prince Edward married Katharine Worsley,
daughter of a British Baron, they have three children together: George, the Earl
of St. Andrews, Lady Helena Windsor-Taylor and Lord Nicholas Windsor. He is a
patron to many charities and organizations in Britain in service to the crown
and would perform royal duties occasionally representing his cousin, the Queen. The Duke of Kent is currently 33rd in the line of succession to the British throne.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333;">Edward Windsor, the Lord
Downpatrick</span></b></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN">As a great grandson in the male line of King George V,
Edward is supposed to be included in the line of succession to the British
throne but due to the circumstances of his father’s marriage to a Roman
Catholic, and for him being confirmed a Catholic, he was subsequently removed from the list
of the possible successors of his grandfather’s first cousin, the Queen. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN">The law on British succession strictly prohibited all
royal family members and descendants who are in communion with Rome (meaning
became Roman Catholics) from inheriting the British crown. This law is being
supported by the provisions of the Act of Settlement of 1701 restricting the
succession only to the protestant descendants of Princess Sophia of Hanover. </span><span lang="EN"> </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr46V_HFWDuG4SFkcEAiDl-B4cE4y88CtOj1Cxe1_OJvvKmeZdnpJx_v8jykyVR8e7DAclKy7E6a4tCTNgtFTkApRWhOI_30A7JmXnpjbnRNVsuZD6lh5krXi-QeG5_7oVNVlsu6-M36A/s1600/ed3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr46V_HFWDuG4SFkcEAiDl-B4cE4y88CtOj1Cxe1_OJvvKmeZdnpJx_v8jykyVR8e7DAclKy7E6a4tCTNgtFTkApRWhOI_30A7JmXnpjbnRNVsuZD6lh5krXi-QeG5_7oVNVlsu6-M36A/s1600/ed3.jpg" /></a></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Edward Windsor, the Lord Downpatrick</b></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>He is a grandson of the Duke of Kent, though royal by descent, </b></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>he is excluded in the line of succession to the British throne due to his </b></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Roman Catholic religion.</b></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The
British law on succession was repealed in 2013 removing gender
bias to the sovereign’s daughters, meaning daughters are given equal rights to
the throne and would no longer be pushed by a younger brother in the line of
succession. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The
changed on the succession law touched the provision on the Catholic issues for possible successors. The new law stated that royal family members who took Catholic spouses but did not actually change religion should retain their position in the line of succession. Upon taking effect of the law, royals who were removed from the list in the past because of marrying
Catholics (e.g. Prince Michael of Kent, George, the Earl of St. Andrews), would now be reinstated. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">However,
the provisions remained unchanged to Catholic-born royals and those who adopted
Catholicism. Thus, Edward,
the Lord Downpatrick, his sister, Lady Marina Charlotte, and uncle, Lord Nicholas, who are Roman Catholics, are still
considered ineligible to succeed, therefore could never take their places in the line of succession.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Such is the name EDWARD in the British royal family. Historic, momentous, astonishing and magical ^____^</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i><b>Isn't it an ideal name to consider for your next son? Who knows your son might resonate that Princely charm signifies by the name EDWARD. </b></i></span></span>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Other
names, aside from Edward, which are popular among the British Princes are the
following:</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>1. George</b></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>
</b></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>2. Henry</b></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>
</b></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>3. William</b></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>
</b></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>4. Frederick</b></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>
</b></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>5. Alexander</b></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>
</b></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>6. Richard</b></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<![endif]--><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1162693122907496266.post-84812435604169937112014-05-02T23:42:00.001-07:002014-05-08T05:51:27.654-07:00Royal Spring Babies <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4JNMkpyI1KcYGR1gXEF78fbjbOmHwc1LMNvq-mF8JGfwM61bcU3o_F7632pYNEfNredHCwvE859LTVoaMZFUZ3DTpOf24W-L_8psmguugpBciX9W43VdZi8HwpMI1XqtViHJQSk3Oz40/s1600/Kingcrown.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4JNMkpyI1KcYGR1gXEF78fbjbOmHwc1LMNvq-mF8JGfwM61bcU3o_F7632pYNEfNredHCwvE859LTVoaMZFUZ3DTpOf24W-L_8psmguugpBciX9W43VdZi8HwpMI1XqtViHJQSk3Oz40/s1600/Kingcrown.jpg" height="200" width="178" /></a></div>
<b>April Birthday Celebrants: European
Crown Heads<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Hurrah!!
It’s been a long time since I posted an entry here, my apology to the
subscribers of this blog site. I became busy with other matters and continued
polishing my first book too about European Royals each weekend so this blog
updating has to wait for a while<span style="font-family: Wingdings;">.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-no-proof: yes; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Now,
I feel it’s time to write even one entry before the month of April ends (by the time I posted this entry it's May already). I’ve
been thinking about royal tots as my topic for this post because I’ve been
seeing cute photos of children of the European royals around the net recently, but then I
thought about other things (lol!), many things about royal history. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I thought
of posting one of the topics in my royal book about royal crime mystery – the
<i>Tragedy in Mayerling,</i> but then, I changed my mind (haha!) and just want to post
it next time.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I
continued raking my brain what
remarkable topic to post as my first entry since January and puff! Upon checking the
profiles of the current European crown heads, I found out, most of them have
birthdays that fall in the month of April! Since
it’s my birth month, I’ve got the idea of writing about these monarchs’
birthdays to highlight the beaming Spring season. I arranged them according to age in an ascending order meaning
younger comes first<span style="font-family: Wingdings;">.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-no-proof: yes; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="color: #351c75;">KING WILHELM-ALEXANDER, NETHERLANDS</span>
– April 27 (Reign: April 30, 2013)</b><br />
<br />
<b></b><br />
<b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
He
is the youngest crown head in Europe at present time. King Wilhelm-Alexander
was born on April 27, 1967 as the eldest son of then Princess Beatrix and Claus
von Amsberg, a German aristocrat. His mother ascended the Dutch throne in 1980
following the abdication of his grandmother, Queen Juliana. Thirty three years
later, Queen Beatrix would follow suit in favor of her eldest son.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Wilhelm-Alexander
is the first male monarch of the Netherlands in over 100 years since the reign
of King William III in the 19<sup>th</sup> century. He is married to Maxima
Zorreguieta, an Argentinian, who descened from Basque nobility. Maxima worked
as an investment banker in New York city before their wedding in February 2002.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The
King has two siblings (all boys), but his next brother, Prince Friso, died last
year, 2013, after becoming comatose for more than a year due to the head injury
he suffered in a skiing accident.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The
King and Queen have three daughters together: Princess Catharina-Amalia,
Princess Alexia and Princess Ariane. The eldest daughter, Catharina-Amalia,
became the Heridetary Princess of Orange-Nassau upon Wilhelm’s accession to the
throne.<br />
<br />
The King
studied history at Leiden University in the Netherlands and received his MA
degree in 1993.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #351c75;">KING FILIP, BELGIUM </span>–</span> April 15 (Reign:
July 21, 2013)</b><br />
<br />
<b></b><br />
<b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Born
on April 15, 1960 in Brussels, Belgium, King Filip ascended the Belgian throne
last year, July 21, 2013, following the voluntary abdication of his father, King Albert II of Belgium, due
to health reasons. At 54, King Filip is the second youngest reigning monarch in
Europe after King Alexander-Wilhelm of the Netherlands.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
King
Filip is married to Queen Matilde who was born a Countess as a daughter of
Count Patrick d’Udekem d’Acoz. They have four children together: Princess
Elisabeth, Prince Gabrielle, Prince Emmanuel and Princess Eleanore.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Belgium
is the second European monarchial country after Sweden to adopt the lineal law
of succession or absolute primogeniture removing the gender discrimination of
the monarch’s children in the line of succession. This change of law gives equal
right to an eldest daughter to succeed and would no longer be pushed by a
younger brother in the line of succession to the throne.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Princess
Elisabeth is her father’s heir-apparent and takes the title Duchess of Brabant
upon her father’s accession to the throne. It’s a female counter-part of Duke
of Brabant, a title given to the heir-apparent of the Belgian throne.<br />
<br />
King
Filip has a degree in MA in Political Science from Stanford University,
California.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="color: #351c75;">GRANDDUKE HENRI, LUXEMBOURG </span>– April 16 (Reign: October 7, 2000)</b><br />
<br />
<b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
His Royal Highness, the Grand
Duke of Luxembourg, Henri, is the current head of state of the only remaining
grand duchy of Europe, Luxembourg, one of the smallest states in the world, but
the second richest in terms of Gross Domestic Product per capita.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The current Grand Duke is the
eldest son of Grand Duke Jean and the late Princess Josephine-Charlotte of
Belgium, eldest sister of King Albert II of Belgium, making Henri a first
cousin to King Filip. He ascended the Luxembourgian throne following the
abdication of his father, Grand Duke Jean, on October 7, 2000.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
He obtained his Political Science
degree at the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva,
Switzerland and just like most male members of European royalty, Grand Duke
Henri trained in the elite military school in England, the Royal Military
Academy in Sandhurst.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
While studying in Geneva, Henri
met a Cuban commoner, Maria Teresa Batista-Falla, they eventually got married
on February 1981 and have five children together: Prince Guillaume, the Hereditary
Grand Duke, Prince Felix, Prince Louis, Princess Alexandra and Prince
Sebastien. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="color: #351c75;">KING CARL XVI GUSTAV, SWEDEN –</span> April 30 (Reign: September 15, 1973)</b><br />
<br />
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The current Swedish King has been
on the news for a couple of times since 2010 due to several controversies
involving his personal life. But the King managed to dismiss the scandalous press
releases and went on to unite his family in various royal events.</div>
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The King became second in line to
the Swedish throne on January 1947 when he was only nine months old when his
father, Prince Gustaf Adolf, died in a plane crash. In 1950, upon the accession
of his grandfather, Adolf VI, to the throne, Prince Carl became the Crown
Prince at the age of 4.</div>
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He ascended the Swedish throne on
September 15, 1973 and married his commoner German girlfriend, Silvia
Sommerlath, on June 1976. He is the first Swedish King to marry a girl from a commoner stock, had he married Silvia prior to the death of his grandfather (who declared
that all members of the Swedish royal family must marry within the European
royal circle only), he would never become a King of Sweden and would be
stripped from his royal title and inheritance.</div>
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The King and the Queen have three
children together: Princess Victoria, Prince Carl Philip and Princess
Madelaine, and two granddaughters: Princess Estelle and Princess Leonore.</div>
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<b><span style="color: #351c75;">QUEEN MARGRETHE II, DENMARK –</span> April 16 (Reign: January 14, 1972)</b><br />
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The current Queen of Denmark has
been on the Danish throne since January 1972 following the death of her father,
King Frederick IX. She turned 74 years old last April 16. She was not expected
to ascend the Danish throne at the early part of her life, in fact, despite
being the eldest among the three daughters of King Frederick, Margrethe was not
recognized as the heiress presumptive until 1953. </div>
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The Danish throne maintained a
Salic Law for 100 years allowing only male descendants to ascend the throne.
When Margrethe was born in 1940 the heir presumptive to the throne was her paternal uncle, Prince Knaud. </div>
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In 1953, the Danish parliament
effectively passed an alteration of the law on succession allowing female
descendants to succeed the throne. This constitutional change made way for
the young Princess to become heiress presumptive.</div>
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Queen Margrethe II is a
third/second cousin to Queen Elizabeth II of Britain, her husband, Prince
Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, King Juan Carlos of Spain and his wife, Queen
Sophia, King Harald V of Norway, King Carl XVI Gustav, King Filip of Belgium
and Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg. Their common ancestors were Queen Victoria
of England and King Christian IX of Denmark.</div>
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She married a French nobleman,
Henri de Laborde de Monpezat, in 1967 and have two sons: Crown Prince Frederik
and Prince Joachim. </div>
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<b><span style="color: #351c75;">QUEEN
ELIZABETH II, GREAT BRITAIN</span> – April 21 (Reign: February 6, 1952)</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">The current British monarch has been on the throne for 62 years. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">If she will still be around by October 2015, she will surpass Queen Victoria as the longest serving British Monarch in history. She ascended the British throne on February 6, 1952 upon the death of her father, King George VI.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">Did you know that she is the only world leader who has two birthdays? She was born on April 21, 1926 but as with the rest of British Monarchs since King Edward VII, the Queen officially celebrates her birthday on the 2nd Saturday of June during Asco</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; display: inline; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">t Party in Windsor, two of the highlights of the monarch's birthday celebration in Britain are Trouping the Colour and Flypast presentation of the Royal Air Force.</span></div>
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<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; display: inline; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">She’s one of the only two current European crown heads (the other one is King Juan Carlos of Spain) who married a fellow blood royal, her husband, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, is a true-blooded royal prince by birth (He was born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark). The Queen has another official title: Defender of the Faith, a title that has been held by a British Sovereign since King Henry VIII.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">The Queen and her husband, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, have 4 children, 8 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren (courtesy of Peter Phillips, Zara Phillips and Prince William). </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">Though both born into the blood royals, none of their children and grandchildren married into royalty killing the traces of royal blood line in the future British royal family. The Queen is also Head of State to other countries and states w/in the Commonwealth Realms which include Australia, Canada, New Zealand and some parts of the West Indies</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1162693122907496266.post-34179485063374819352014-01-28T22:39:00.002-08:002014-01-29T02:41:38.729-08:00The Swedish Royals and its Controversies<div style="text-align: justify;">
The British royals are not the only members of European royalty that have gotten into troubles and misadventures in life over the past years, their distant cousins elsewhere in the continent have some shares of unglamorous slip-ups too. </div>
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Let's be honest, royals still resonate that bewitching, often strange, brand of ancient myth and magic that even modernists continue to criticize their gone-with-the-ages existence, some of us can't still help but be mesmerized with their presence. So much so that any updates about them, good or bad, immaterial or substantial, are considered worthy of turning the news page. Or so I thought lol!</div>
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Most members of the world media allotted big spaces of their columns to British royals, thus, most people rarely heard anything about other members of the European royal court, but did you know that other royals are far more interesting than their Brits cousins? Aside from, of course wealth and privilege, they are drop dead gorgeous and glamorous and had married highly cultured, independent and career-oriented women.</div>
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And yes, the controversies and intrigues they'd gotten are more spicy and provocative. </div>
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Due to several controversies that gone haywire spurred from his controversial safari hunting adventure and the corruption charges against his son-in-law, the once highly admired King of Spain, Juan Carlos, suffered a terrible blow in what could have been his very successful reign in the last 37 years. The scandals heavily tainted the Spanish royal court that an abdication has been suggested by several critics. But the Spanish royal court maintained the King never considered relinquishing the throne to his only son, Felipe, the Prince of Asturias, at least for the time being.<br />
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Somewhere in the Scandinavian peninsula, the royal court of another cousin seems in a hot water too, no, not lately, but some years back, but the intrigues continued to haunt the royal family.</div>
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King Carl XVI Gustav, who had just visited the Philippines to support the country's rehabilitation effort for the Yolanda victims in Tacloban City, became the center of uncomfortable and malicious talks when a book related to his life was published in 2010. The book shares juicy intrigues about the King's past including his nightclub antics when he was still a crown prince. The book authors claimed the King, who was then 27 years old and enjoying his bachelorhood, would often attend sex parties in a mafia-run club organized by a Serbian gangster.</div>
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The publication of the book created so much controversies that everyone expected for the King to make a denial but to everyone's surprise he made a bizarre statement before the camera crews and journalists, "<i>I have spoken with the Queen and my family and we chose to turn the page and move forward because these are the things that happened in the past"</i>...<br />
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Royal analysts could not just believe the King uttered such statement which could be viewed as indirect confession to the allegations. Anyway the Swedish royal court has moved on and the malicious contents of the book, though many believed had tarnished the reputation of the King, did not actually affect the views of most of the Swedes.</div>
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The revelations in the book were not the only controversies the Swedish royals faced in recent years. The romances of the King's children became the subjects of so much intrigues too. </div>
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The King's heir-apparent, Princess Victoria, raised many eyebrows when she married her commoner personal gym trainer who was far below her status and station. The King initially disapproved his daughter's relationship with Daniel Westling but later, maybe realizing he could not do anything to stop the romance and his daughter was very much in love, he had given his approval for the marriage and on June 2010, the two tied the knot.</div>
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Victoria's younger sister, Princess Madeleine, who, as a child, was touted to be one of Prince William of England's ideal royal matches, broke her engagement to Jonas Bergstrom in 2009 when it was found out the man had kept an affair with another woman. Madeleine went to New York city where she met and fall in love with financier, Christopher O'Neil. They married on June 8, 2013 in Stockholm and expecting their first child this February 2014.</div>
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The stories of controversial romances among King Carl's children did not end in his daughters, his only son, Prince Carl Philip, has his share of offhand romantic adventures too.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC9f21lJWHL8098imgtyNInfZr95fX_VYNa4Xhr8BTWrmPytPbuZLEQT6_DjwxyR69idRLWRhLqQWrMkZl43oiJvr92QYJATc2CW42uzGob6lh6lcaK921hL-kSjdyMwSMdIZxOoVZKjM/s1600/swedishroyals.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC9f21lJWHL8098imgtyNInfZr95fX_VYNa4Xhr8BTWrmPytPbuZLEQT6_DjwxyR69idRLWRhLqQWrMkZl43oiJvr92QYJATc2CW42uzGob6lh6lcaK921hL-kSjdyMwSMdIZxOoVZKjM/s1600/swedishroyals.jpg" height="267" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>Children of King Carl XVI Gustav of Sweden posed for photographers </b></div>
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<b>during </b><b>the 40th anniversary (2013) of the King on the Swedish throne.</b></div>
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<b>Princess Victoria and her husband, Daniel Westling, Prince Carl Philip, </b></div>
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<b>Princess Madeleine and her husband, Chris O'Neill</b></div>
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The prince was briefly the King's heir-apparent in 1979 before the law on succession was changed from male-preference to absolute making his older sister, Victoria, the crown princess. The King was reportedly disagreed with the changes because he felt his only son was deprived with what is due to him at his birth. The law was finalized on January 1, 1980 stripping Prince Carl Philip his right to directly succeed. But in the British line of succession where the Swedish royals are direct descendants of Queen Victoria, Prince Carl Philip is still ahead of her sister in the listing.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7dEl5qcpYSeQd-RpnNtVfoCW9gqN2njGABd7CEv9bvgCYQ78Ps2phZWiWDxlLPl7Xy8iUXS1cHQ1Imi0uAL_FaA4V4Ma_ZC3p2548BS7M075wQ6XRlWccW6e0xLa1Ai_boiLRIhafEdo/s1600/carl+philip+and+sofia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7dEl5qcpYSeQd-RpnNtVfoCW9gqN2njGABd7CEv9bvgCYQ78Ps2phZWiWDxlLPl7Xy8iUXS1cHQ1Imi0uAL_FaA4V4Ma_ZC3p2548BS7M075wQ6XRlWccW6e0xLa1Ai_boiLRIhafEdo/s1600/carl+philip+and+sofia.jpg" height="258" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>His Royal Highness, Prince Carl Philip of Sweden and his girlfriend, </b></div>
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<b>former reality star and model Sofia Hellqvist</b></div>
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Anyway, the Prince, who is a keen sportsman and an officer in the Swedish royal navy, looks very happy now and enjoying his freedom. He might even thank the changes in the succession law because he won't be forced to be very formal and reserve in choosing a future wife (but even then, his sister, who would become a Queen regnant in the future, did not also confine herself in the royal tradition of choosing a suitable spouse). As he is no longer in direct line to become a King, Carl Philip perhaps does not really care who he want to be as a wife, and this maybe the reason why, despite some public objection and criticism, he pursued a romance with a woman considered to be slightly unsuitable.</div>
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Sofia Hellqvist, whom the Prince began dating in 2010, had caused more royal observers' eyebrows to raise than Daniel Westling due to her unconventional background before she met Prince Carl Philip. She is a Swedish model and reality star who once posed naked in a magazine pictorial and once admitted she had making out with a U.S porn star while visiting Las Vegas, unheard for a wife of a royal prince. </div>
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Reports circulated lately that the couple, who had been living together since 2011, is planning to get married this year and their engagement would soon be announced, though no confirmation yet from the Swedish royal palace. If that would happen, Prince Carl Philip will be the first royal prince since Prince Haakon of Norway to take a wife with a very unconventional reputation.<br />
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But who are we to judge? Everyone is capable of starting a new, uncluttered life and it's always unfair to judge the person by his/her past. And as what King Carl XVI Gustav said in his famous statement "<i>we chose to turn the page and move forward because these are the things that happened in the past"...</i>everything could just be put behind and<i> </i>it looks like his son had seriously absorbed the King's statement.<br />
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Sofia seemed successfully redeemed herself. She is focusing on charitable works and looks like she is well-accepted in the royal family. She has seen on various occasions joining the company of the royal family.<br />
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Well, who said that fairytale never come true?<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1162693122907496266.post-61876049743416484702014-01-19T03:47:00.000-08:002014-01-19T04:19:57.908-08:00The European Royal Madness<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">An excerpt from my book: EUROPEAN ROYALS</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Throughout history, we’d known that the ancient
European monarchy had rulers who were not only tyrant and criminally insane but
mentally disturbed, neurotic and delusional, others who just suffered from mild
insanity were categorized as simply eccentric and, well, plain nuts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Historians down the ages conducted several researches about madness in the royal court and what caused royals to go bonkers. From genetics and pure scientific sense to folktale humor like family curse and
black magic, the causes were as varied as the level of derangement of these extremely privilege individuals.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 12.25pt;">Here are few royals I included in the chapter of my book about mental insanity in the European royal court. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: blue;">GEORGE III of ENGLAND</span> – He was the third Hanoverian
King of England and was famous in history for two things: Madness and losing
British territories in America through the American Revolution. It was not known
however if the defeat of the British during the American Revolution was
attributed to George’s incompetent decision-making due to his lunacy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">King George III was suspected to be suffering from
the blood disease called Porphyria which affected a person's mental state. During his
bout of madness, he would talk endlessly for hours without a pause until his
mouth would foam. At one point, he became delusional, shaking hands at tree branches in Windsor Great Park thinking it
was the King of Prussia. At the end of his life, he became totally insane and
blind. He died in seclusion at Windsor Castle.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: blue;">LUDWIG II of BAVARIA</span> – He was known as "the mad king" but King Ludwig II was simply eccentric who preferred a life in daydreaming than facing government ministers. Due to his fascinations toward fairytales, he had almost bankrupt his Kingdom for building whimsical castles that reflected the descriptions of fairytale edifices he saw on theater plays. Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria is just one of these fairytale castles he insisted to be constructed despite his kingdom's economic turmoil. Today, this castle is one of the most famous tourist spots in Europe.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ludwig II was a loyal patron to Richard Wagner and extremely devoted to his plays, thus would organize lavish opera shows in his palace to escape social gatherings with government ministers. When the weight of responsibilities of being a monarch would overwhelm him, he would withdraw to solitary confinement at his apartment and watched operas. Due to these bizarre behaviour and eccentricities, he was declared insane and was forced to abdicate although
there was no clear evidence of his insanity and no medical examination about his mental
illness was conducted. He died from drowning during his captivity.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: blue;">CHRISTIAN VII OF DENMARK </span>– He was a nephew and
brother-in-law of King George III of Britain, but no concrete evidence could point out if he was also suffering from Porphyria. But this Danish King’s insanity was
not really dangerous, he was simply a practical eccentric joker. He would
reportedly leapfrog when visiting dignitaries bow in his presence and would suddenly
slap people during serious meetings, well, just for fun! He took several mistresses because of his
belief that it was unfashionable for a man to love his own wife. If all married
men in the world will be like Christian VII then we will be in great trouble. A
regency was set up when his mental derangement affected his decisions on state
affairs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: blue;">IVAN IV of RUSSIA </span>– If there’s one royal in history
that combined madness and sadistic tendencies that would make you chill in terror, then that’s Ivan IV of Russia. </span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Though his reign was considered a great one in
the annals of Russian political history, his terrifying behaviour shrouded his
accomplishments and made him known one of the craziest and criminally insane monarchs
in Europe. His very disturbing mental illness suggested he was a psychopath.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">His training skills in the macabre academy include
mutilating live animals, raping women and torturing people even his friends.
During the height of his psychotic behaviour, he accidentally killed his son and almost beat to death his daughter-in-law. He took many wives and would eliminate one by one the moment he lost fascination. One of these women was thrown in
the lake when he found out she was no longer virgin. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: blue;">CALIGULA</span> – Perhaps, you are at loss when hearing
the name Caligula because his name sounds like a voodoo doll of a witch rather than a statesman. Modern generation would never understand a thing why a Roman Emperor had a funny name like that. But Caligula was no joke, he was a powerful Emperor of Rome, so powerful that his lunacy was not discovered until he allowed his horse to eat in the banquet table with other dignitaries. </span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; line-height: 12.25pt;">His reign was only brief
and his accomplishment was overshadowed with his controversial reputation of
being loony and neurotic. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 12.25pt;">At the first half of his reign, he was admired by
his subjects due to the progressive reforms he introduced in Rome but as the years
progressed his weird insanity slowly appeared. He would create baffling laws,
he made it illegal to look at him in the face and anyone caught would be thrown to
a pack of lions. He would organize gluttonous feast and parties and never
understood the word “moderation”. His psychosis tendency became severe when he
committed incest with his sisters, one of them got pregnant and, because he
could not wait for a child to be born, he cut his sister’s womb, took the
baby, killing his sister instantly. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 12.25pt;">The final showdown of his lunacy was when he made
his horse a citizen of Rome and a priest. His terrifying weirdness made his enemies joined together to put his excesses to the end and had him killed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">VLAD III of WALLACHIA</span> – If you will put
together Ivan IV and Caligula, then you will have Vlad III, who was known in
history as the Impaler, because his way of killing his victims was through
impaling.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> His cruelty and sadistic tendencies were still popular in Europe during
the 17<sup>th</sup> century that it inspired Bram Stoker to write a novel about
a horrendous man in Transylvania that drinks blood, Dracula.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The most brutal part of the way he executed people was boiling the spikes in oil to make the pain more intense and unbearable. At the height of his
cruelty and Dracula streak, he would invite people to a feast in the forest and had them impaled and killed leaving the corpses to rot in the ground. He would boil infants and forced their mothers to eat them. He would cut the breasts of the wives and fed to the husbands, then had them impaled and burned. He had reportedly killed
close to 100,000 people mostly in a grisly way, torturing, impaling and burning
at stake. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 14.4pt;">He paid a high prize though. When he engaged in a battle against the
Turks, he was killed and beheaded.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 14.4pt;">More mad royals are featured in my book. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 14.4pt;">This story of madness in the royal court is just part of my book about EUROPEAN ROYALS. You can find more interesting, never heard stories about royalty in the book which will be available soon.</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1162693122907496266.post-22126050992056137192014-01-18T19:48:00.000-08:002014-01-23T18:18:48.448-08:00The Jacobite Pretenders to the throne <div style="text-align: justify;">
I know it's been ages, and the British history has finally moved on. But I just want to take a slow journey back in time to satisfy my curiosity about the Jacobite uprising.<br />
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The Jacobites were descendants of King James II who had fought hardly to restore the succession to their bloodlines and because I am preparing a book that features a collection of stories about the European Royals, journeying back in time with the Jacobites seems an interesting ritual.</div>
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Catholic descendants of King Charles I were prevented from succeeding the throne under the Act of Settlement. This Act was established in 1701 stating that only protestant descendants of Princess Sophia of Hanover could possibly succeed the thrones of England, Scotland and Ireland. Princess Sophia, who married the Prince of Hanover, niece of Charles I, was the nearest protestant relative of James II.</div>
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While researching facts and theories about the complicated history of the British succession, I came across with one information that traces the bloodlines of the current head of the House of Wittelsbach in Germany, Franz, Duke of Bavaria, to King Charles I. The information triggered my fascination about Royal History.</div>
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According to a source, the Duke of Bavaria is the most senior male descendant of King Charles I and if Catholics were not barred from succeeding the throne during the middle ages, then Prince Franz is the current King of England.</div>
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Franz directly descended from the youngest daughter of King Charles I, Princess Henrietta who married the Duke of d'Orleans. But because Henrietta was raised a Catholic and married a Catholic, she and her descendants were removed in the line of succession.</div>
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King James II, Charles I's son, was forced to abdicate because he converted to Catholicism, but two of his children remained Protestants, his daughters, Mary and Anne. Mary succeeded her father to the throne, jointly ruling with her husband, William III. Mary and her youngest sister, who would become Queen Anne, were children of James II from his first marriage to Lady Anne Hyde. James II's second wife, Mary of Modena, was a Catholic. </div>
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James II's children by his second marriage were all raised as Catholics, thus, the eldest son, who was born Prince of Wales, James Stuart, was denied with his right to the throne and was stripped from his title. But in France and Rome, he was recognized as the legal British King and upon the death of his father in 1701, he was known as King James III. He went to live in Rome and was given an apartment by Pope Innocent III. The Jacobites launched several attempts to take back the throne but were unsuccessful. </div>
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According to reports, there were negotiations made between the British courtiers and James Stuart to make him Queen Anne's successor if he will convert to Protestantism, but James Stuart stood firm with his belief and refused to give up his Catholic faith, his most memorable statement was <i>"I have chosen my own course, therefore it is for others to change their sentiments"</i>. The negotiation was not push through and upon the death of Queen Anne the throne passed to her nearest protestant relative, George of Hanover, son of Princess Sophia.</div>
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James Stuart had two sons, Henry who became a Catholic cardinal and Charles who continued pressing his claim to the throne, but Charles had no legitimate children, thus the line of descendants of James II through males became extinct upon the death of Charles and Henry.</div>
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Tracing the bloodlines of the next successors, as both Mary and Anne had no surviving children, the throne should pass to the youngest daughter of King Charles I, Princess Henrietta, a Roman Catholic, and to her direct descendants. But as history would have it, destiny did not happen that way and Princess Henrietta's descendants were not recognized as legal heirs. Henrietta's most senior male living descendant today is Prince Franz, the Duke of Bavaria.</div>
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Asking about his birth right to the throne of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Duke of Bavaria remained quiet and just expressed his happiness and contentment of being just the Duke of Bavaria.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5AymdXqvY3ouFEG6AQQbBaPvU4QNaclTI3ovRx8PzlAJjj8UWPU5uJMomqzCE7lzYQtKUKHCKtniEa_ZWPyNT2YeO8fZWMtaj28uH8gfLwtZqDjZLNIGAAfgSlQpbNXy-EVGNFQdwtzI/s1600/alois.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5AymdXqvY3ouFEG6AQQbBaPvU4QNaclTI3ovRx8PzlAJjj8UWPU5uJMomqzCE7lzYQtKUKHCKtniEa_ZWPyNT2YeO8fZWMtaj28uH8gfLwtZqDjZLNIGAAfgSlQpbNXy-EVGNFQdwtzI/s1600/alois.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
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<b>Princess Sophie and her husband, Prince Alois of Liechtenstein.</b></div>
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<b>Princess Sophie is the niece of Prince Franz, the Duke of Bavaria.</b></div>
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<b>She is a direct descendant of King Charles I of England, thus a Jacobite successor to the thrones of Great Britain and Ireland</b></div>
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The Duke of Bavaria, who is a great nephew of the famous Bavarian King, Ludwig II, did not marry and no children, thus his successor to the Dukedom of Bavaria is his younger brother, Prince Max. Upon Franz's death, the Jacobite pretender to the throne is Prince Max who then succeeded by his eldest daughter, Princess Sophie, wife of the Hereditary Prince of Liechtenstein, Alois.</div>
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It's crazy how history reshaped the lives and destinies of most people including royals and their supposed birth rights. </div>
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Although some of the provisions in the Rules of Succession were repealed under the Succession to the Crown Act 2013, successors who are in communion with Rome or in layman's term born and raised as Roman Catholics, could never succeed the British throne, they are referred as "dead", the provision of the Act of Settlement requiring a British monarch to be a Protestant remain unchanged. But under the new succession law, descendants who were removed from the line of succession because of marrying Catholics will now be restored, thus Prince Michael of Kent and sons of his brother, the Duke of Kent, will take their places in the line of succession when the Succession to the Crown Act 2013 will take effect.</div>
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Under this new succession law, eldest daughter of the sovereign will take her place in the line of succession ahead of her younger brothers.</div>
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My book, European Royals, will tackle controversies, scandals, mysteries, madness in the royal court and facts about the European royal court.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1162693122907496266.post-85872107092505626832014-01-04T07:18:00.000-08:002014-01-04T07:18:18.756-08:00Princess Madelaine's Baby Bump<div style="text-align: justify;">
Princess Madelaine dazzled in a fitted blue Tiffany Rose lace gown last December 19 at an event in Stockholm, Sweden, celebrating her mother's 70th birthday. </div>
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According to reports, the fourth in line to the Swedish throne is scheduled to give birth to a baby girl on February 25, 2014.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKp1hjw20Um1xcJiWJnai4EiQPLx5HZgyyJm6_yVBuBgtbulfMz5SPTfrINILDsiwKN6aH3rX33CGWwt3ghWJk_IZWPN1ogN3Y6pgIpVdDOiIe5B1_Ifg2cwi0AiacZ3tFOSk7hQKNjUg/s1600/princessmadelaine1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKp1hjw20Um1xcJiWJnai4EiQPLx5HZgyyJm6_yVBuBgtbulfMz5SPTfrINILDsiwKN6aH3rX33CGWwt3ghWJk_IZWPN1ogN3Y6pgIpVdDOiIe5B1_Ifg2cwi0AiacZ3tFOSk7hQKNjUg/s320/princessmadelaine1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Princess Madelaine of Sweden, pictured with her husband, Chris O'Neil, </b></div>
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<b>showed off her growing baby bump last December 19, 2013. </b></div>
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<b>She looked radiant in a fitted blue lace gown.</b></div>
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She married Christopher O'Neil, a New York-based investment banker, last June 8, 2013 in Stockholm, Sweden.</div>
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There's still no official statement as to how the child would be treated in the line of succession. The rules of succession stated that all children of Swedish royals must be raised in Sweden to retain their places in the line of succession. </div>
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The Princess and her husband are taking permanent residence in New York and it is most unlikely that the Princess will move back to Sweden after giving birth. But whether the King will grant a special exemption for Madelaine's offspring, that remains to be seen, but one thing for sure, the future children of Princess Madelaine will not bear a royal title as her husband, Chris O'Neil, was not bestowed with any titles upon marriage and preferred to remain a commoner. As children always take their social status from their father, future children of Madelaine will remain titleless.</div>
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