Marengo

About Marengo

Marengo became interested in royalty after stumbling over a 2nd hand Almanach de Gotha in The Hague, somewhere in the 90-ties, and has been addicted ever since. He is mainly interested in the Benelux - and the non-reigning royal families.
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On This Day: Duke of Spoleto Becomes King Tomislav II of Croatia

  May 18, 2016 at 6:34 am by

On this day in 1941, seventy-five years ago, Prince Aimone of Savoy-Aosta, Duke of Spoleto was named King Tomislav II of Croatia, Prince of Bosnia Herzegovina and Voivode of Dalmatia, Tuzla and Temun. The Croatians had rebelled against the King of Yugoslavia and joined the Axis powers in 1941. As a reward Hitler elevated the puppet state to the status of a kingdom under the leadership of the fascist Ante … Continue reading →

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Yet Another Relative of King Felipe VI Investigated By Tax Services

  May 18, 2016 at 5:52 am by

Princess Inès of the Two Sicilies, youngest daughter of the late Infante Alfonso of Spain and his wife Infanta Alicia, née Princess of Bourbon-Parma, is being investigated by Spanish tax services for money laundering. The princess has put the money she inherited from her father -who died in 1964- on a bank account in Switzerland. The princess says that the Swiss bank accounts can easily explained: her father opened them … Continue reading →

Posted in Italy, Spain | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Spanish King and Queen Attend Mass For Earthquake Victims

  May 18, 2016 at 4:30 am by

Yesterday the King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain Felipe VI of Spain and Queen Letizia of Spain attended a tribute Mass for the victims of the earthquake in Ecuador.   The earthquake happened on April 16th and had the epicenter close to the towns of Muisne and Pedernales, 170 kilometers away from the Ecuador’s capital Quito. At least 659 people were killed and 27,732 people injured. The mass was held … Continue reading →

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Happy Constitution Day to Norway

  May 17, 2016 at 11:55 pm by

On May 17th, Norway celebrated it’s National Day. As usual the Norwegian royal family appeared in traditional outfits to look at several children’s parades. At 8:15AM the Crown princely family welcomed the youth of Asker at their private Skaugum estate. Later during the day they appeared on the balcony in Oslo’s royal palace alongside the King and Queen. From the Norwegian royal website: ” a record breaking 119 schools take … Continue reading →

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It’s A Girl For Prince Amedeo and Princess Elisabetta

  May 17, 2016 at 6:49 am by

This night Prince Amedeo of Belgium, Archduke of Austria-Este and his wife Elisabetta have become the proud parents of a daughter. The baby girl was born at 3:30AM at the Saint-Pierre University Hospital in Brussels. The baby is 52 centimeters long and weighs 3,3 kilograms. Mother and child are both doing well. The court did not announce the name of the baby girl yet. The baby is the first grandchild … Continue reading →

Posted in Austria-Hungary, Belgium | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Farmer Walks 250 Kilometers to Honour Princess Isabel ‘The Redemptress’ with 128 Roses

  May 17, 2016 at 6:48 am by

Last Friday it was the 5th successive year that the Brazilian farmer João Paulino paid a moving tribute to Brazil’s would-be empress Isabel, the Princess Imperial (1846-1921). He travelled on foot the 250 kilometers from his hometown Desterro de Melo in the Minais Gerais to the imperial mausoleum in Petrópolis to honour the princess who abolished slavery in Brazil.  His grandfather, who lived to become 110 years old, was still … Continue reading →

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Palace Shares Details of Prince Oscar’s Christening

  May 17, 2016 at 6:04 am by

The Royal Palace of Stockholm has released some details about the chritening of Prince Oscar, which will be held on the 27th of May. The officiating clergy at the christening of the little prince will be the Archbisshop of Uppsala, Dr. Antje Jackelén. She will be assisted by Archbishop, assisted by Bisshop Dr. Johan Dalman (Chief Court Chaplain), and by  Michael Bjerkhagen (Court Chaplain) and Rector of the Royal Court … Continue reading →

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Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna Unveils Statue in Occupied Crimea

  May 17, 2016 at 5:32 am by

Grand Duchess Vladimirovna of Russia, head of the Imperial Family, went to the Crimea this weekend to unveil a statue of Russia’s last Tsar in the city of Jevpatorija. She will stay in the area until May 20th to mark the 100 years that passed since the last visit of Tsar Nicholas II to the Crimea. The Grand Duchess was accompanied by her son, Grand Duke George Mikhailovich. The head … Continue reading →

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Queen Máxima Turns 45

  May 17, 2016 at 5:30 am by

Queen Máxima is celebrating her 45th birthday today at Villa Eikenhorst in Wassenaar. The Dutch Queen was born on May 17th 1971 in Buenos Aires, Argentina as the first child of Jorge Zorreguieta and Maria del Carmen Cerruti. The Queen was named for her great-grandmother, Máxima Bonorino (1874–1965), who was a daughter of Máxima González y de Islas and a relatrive of president Justo José de Irquiza of Argentina. When … Continue reading →

Posted in The Netherlands | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Duke of Castro Abolishes Salic Law

  May 16, 2016 at 5:04 am by

The Duke of Castro, one of the claimants of the defunct throne of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, announced that he had changed the succession laws of his family. He abolished the Salic law and made the succession gender neutral. The duke only has two daughters: princessses Maria Carolina and Maria Chiara. The duke announced the change yesterday, the day that both daughters received their Holy confirmation in Rome, … Continue reading →

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Modest Jubilee Celebrations In Thailand As King Bhumibol’s Health Declines Further

  May 16, 2016 at 4:37 am by

King Bhumibol of Thailand is the world longest reigning monarch. On June 9th he will celebrate 70 years on Thailands throne. While his 60th jubilee was celebrated with great pump, this time the celebrations will be more low-key. On the day itself there will be a religious service in the temple of the green Buddha of the royal palace, attended by 770 monks. The health of the 88 year old … Continue reading →

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Countess Alexandra Speaks About Second Divorce … And So Does Her Ex-Husband

  May 15, 2016 at 2:56 pm by

Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg, ex-wife of Prince Joachim of Denmark, spoke about her second divorce to the Danish press. The countess announced her divorce from Martin Jørgensen -14 years her junior- in september 2015. The couple was married since 2007. In an interview to the tabloid Belingske Tidende Alexandra revealed that she no longer speaks to Martin, and neither do her sons. Although she thought the divorce was hard for … Continue reading →

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Who Was Watching Eurovision While Queen Mathilde Listened To Piano Music?

  May 15, 2016 at 1:59 pm by

Yesterday evening Queen Mathilde of the Belgians attended the final semi-finals for the Queen Elisabeth Music Competition. Earlier this week she already attended the other semi-finals. On one occassion she too her youngest daughter Eleonore along, while on Thursday it was the turn of her youngest son Emmanuel. The Queen wore a dark dress with pink flowers. While the Queen listened to classical music, somebody in the palace was getting … Continue reading →

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Stavanger Newspaper Calls For End Norwegian Monarchy

  May 14, 2016 at 12:42 pm by

The Norwegian newspaper ‘Stavanger Aftenblad’ said in Friday’s editorial that it is time for a constitutional evolution in Norway. An evolution from a monarchy to a republic. They claim that incidents concerning the monarchy are usually swept under the rug, because the Norwegians like ‘such a cosy little family’. The newspaper has nothing against the royals themselves but they think that the principle is outdated. Furthermore they claim that younger … Continue reading →

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Wild Boar Hunting To Keep The Spanish Royals Safe

  May 14, 2016 at 3:45 am by

The Patrimonio Nacional, caretaker of the Spanish royal palaces, has announced that 2400 wild boars on the Zarzuela estate need to be removed to assure the safety of the royal family and their visitors. The boars may form a danger as they may carry infections or they may cause traffic accidents on the estate. The Patrimonio asks companies to come with ideas how to remove the boars within two years … Continue reading →

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Visit Princess Chantal’s Exposition in the Provence

  May 14, 2016 at 2:57 am by

Princess Chantal of France, sister of the count of Paris -pretender to the French throne- will show her paintings at the lovely Hotel de Manville in Baux de Provence, close to Avignon. The exposition will be opened on May the 29th and will last until the 12th of June. The princess spends much of her time at her house in the Provence where she has painted her works. he paintings … Continue reading →

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Father and Son Together At Innovation Day

  May 13, 2016 at 12:53 pm by

King Juan Carlos joined his son King Felipe VI of Spain to visit the “Day of Innovation”, organised by the COTEC foundation. The present king is honorary president of the organisation while his father was the founding president. In his speech King Felipe VI stressed the importance of innovation for the succes of a nation. The king also made a comparion to Spain’s successes in sport: “If we succeed in … Continue reading →

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Funeral of Fürst Albrecht of Castell-Castell

  May 13, 2016 at 10:18 am by

Hundreds of mourners gathered this morning is Castell, Bavaria, to pay their last respects to Fürst Albrecht of Castell-Castell. The Prince died in Castell on Monday night at the age of 90. Over 1000 people were invited by the family to attend the funeral service. The local Johanneskirche only had place for 650 people. The other guests gathered in a tent in the courtyard of Schloss Castell, which was connected … Continue reading →

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Cigarette Reduces Schloss Ebenzweier To Ashes

  May 12, 2016 at 9:33 am by

Schloss Ebenzweier in Altmünster, Austria, has burnt down on monday. A burning cigarette that was thrown into the castle’s rose garden is the most likely cause of the fire. The castle’s history goes back to 1292. In 1830 it was sold to Archduke Maximilian Joseph of Austria-Este. After his death in 1863  the castle was inherited by his niece Archduchess Maria Theresia. In 1891 she sold the castle to Prince … Continue reading →

Posted in Austria-Hungary, Italy | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

On This Day: Death of Princess Friedrich Karl of Prussia

  May 12, 2016 at 8:33 am by

On this day in 1906 Princess Friedrich-Karl of Prussia -mother of the Duchess of Connaught- died of a stroke at Friederoda in Germany. The princess was born as Princess Maria Anna of Anhalt-Dessau in 1837. She was the daughter of Duke Leopold IV of Anhalt and Princess Frederica Wilhelmina of Prussia. In 1854 she married her second cousin, Prince Friedrich Karl of Prussia, son of Prince Karl of Prussia and … Continue reading →

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