2025 - History of Royal Women

Stateira I Shahbanu – The powerful Queen of the Achaemenid Empire who was murdered by her mother-in-law

Monday, 14 July 2025, 6:00 Lauralee Swann 0

Stateira I Shahbanu was queen consort to King Artaxerxes II of the Achaemenid Empire. She was also the mother of Artaxerxes III of the Achaemenid Empire. She was very popular and influential during King Artaxerxes II’s reign. Stateira I Shahbanu was locked in a bitter power struggle with her mother-in-law, Parysatis I Shahbanu. This conflict [read more]

Book News Week 29

Sunday, 13 July 2025, 0:00 Moniek Bloks 0

*contains affiliate links* Book News week 29 – 14 July – 20 July 2025 The Graces: The Extraordinary Untold Lives of Women at the Restoration Court Hardcover – 17 July 2025 (UK & US) The Last Tsar: The Abdication of Nicholas II and the Fall of the Romanovs Paperback – 17 July 2025 (UK) Sophie: Saving [read more]

Elizabeth of Slavonia – Hungary’s forgotten heiress

Saturday, 12 July 2025, 6:00 CaraBeth 0

Throughout history, there have been many royal heiresses who were moved back in the line of succession, due to the birth of a son in their family. However, Elizabeth of Slavonia, heiress of Hungary, is a rare example of a royal heiress being displaced due to the birth of female relatives. Elizabeth’s younger cousins were [read more]

Princess Noriko’s Wave Tiara

Friday, 11 July 2025, 6:00 Moniek Bloks 0

Princess Noriko’s Wave Tiara was given to Princess Noriko of Takamado when she celebrated her 20th birthday in 2008. This is the age of majority in Japan. Princess Noriko is the second daughter of Norihito, Prince Takamado and Hisako, Princess Takamado. Her late father was a first cousin of Emperor Akihito. The tiara has stylised [read more]

Anne Frank and the Dutch and British royal families

Wednesday, 9 July 2025, 6:00 Moniek Bloks 0

Most will know the tragic story of Anne Frank, but did you know that Anne wrote about royal families in her now-famous diary? Anne was born in Frankfurt, Germany, on 12 June 1929 as the youngest daughter of Otto Frank and Edith Holländer. Her elder sister, Margot, was born three years before her. The family [read more]

Royal Wedding Recollections – Prince Bernhard of Orange-Nassau & Annette Sekrève

Tuesday, 8 July 2025, 6:00 Moniek Bloks 0

On 8 July 2000, Prince Bernhard of Orange-Nassau married his college sweetheart, Annette Sekrève. Prince Bernhard is the second son of Princess Margriet of the Netherlands and Pieter van Vollenhoven. As such, he is the first cousin of King Willem-Alexander. Due to the Dutch succession being based on proximity to the King, he is not [read more]