the blood countess
Book News

Book News Week 8

*contains affiliate links* Book News Week 8 – 16 February – 22 February 2026 The Queen: 100 Years, 100 Stories  Hardcover – 19 February 2026 (UK) The Blood Countess: A Tale of Deception, Disinformation, and History’s Deadliest Woman Audible – 17 February 2026 (US & UK) Hardcover – 17 February 2026 (US) Kindle – 17 [read more]

wedding maria teresa henri
Luxembourg

Royal Wedding Recollections – Henri, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg & María Teresa Mestre y Batista

On 14 February 1981, the future Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg married Cuban-born María Teresa Mestre y Batista. They had met at the University of Geneva, where they took the same course. Their engagement was announced on 7 November 1980, shortly after they both graduated. Embed from Getty Images The New York Times reported a [read more]

Soraya and the Shah
Iran

Royal Wedding Recollections – Mohammad Reza Pahlavi & Soraya Esfandiary-Bakhtiary

On 12 February 1951, Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi married his second wife, Soraya Esfandiary-Bakhtiary. They were introduced to each other in 1948 and became engaged shortly thereafter. He had previously been married to Princess Fawzia of Egypt, but their marriage had produced just one child – a daughter named Princess Shahnaz Pahlavi. They were officially [read more]