Countess Maria Louise Albertine of Leiningen-Falkenburg-Dagsburg
Maria Louise Albertine of Leiningen-Dagsburg-Falkenburg

The Year of Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz – The life and death of Maria Louise Albertine of Leiningen-Dagsburg-Falkenburg

Maria Louise Albertine of Leiningen-Dagsburg-Falkenburg was born on 16 March 1729 at Heidesheim Castle as the daughter of Count Christian Karl Reinhard of Leiningen-Dagsburg-Falkenburg and Countess Katharina Polyxena of Solms-Rödelheim und Assenheim. She had an elder brother, who died at the age of six and four younger sisters. As such, she was the heiress to [read more]

Book News

Book News Week 12

*contains affiliate links* Book News Week 12 – 16 March – 22 March 2026 The Rebel Empresses: Elisabeth of Austria and Eugénie of France, Power and Glamour in the Struggle for Europe  Paperback – 19 March 2026 (UK) Queens in Antiquity and the Present: Speculative Visions and Critical Histories  Paperback – 19 March 2026 (UK [read more]

Dutch Ears of Wheat Tiara
Royal Jewels

The Dutch Ears of Wheat Tiara

The Dutch Ears of Wheat Tiara has often been used as a Dutch royal wedding tiara. The tiara was originally a set of eight diamond and silver brooches, and they belonged to Grand Duchess Catherine Pavlovna of Russia. They were apparently made before she was married to her first husband, Duke Georg of Oldenburg. They [read more]

Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz

The Year of Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz – The early years of Queen Louise (Part two)

Read part one here. Troubled times were coming, and soon the French revolutionary troops were advancing towards Mainz. Frankfurt was captured in October 1792, closely followed by Darmstadt. Louise wrote to Therese, “All of this can make one die of fear, and my fear-filled heart was close to bursting. We don’t know yet what the [read more]

queen louise of prussia
Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz

The Year of Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz – The early years of Queen Louise (Part one)

On 10 March 1776, Friederike of Hesse-Darmstadt, Duchess Charles of Mecklenburg-Strelitz gave birth to her sixth but third surviving child – a daughter named Louise. She had two elder surviving sisters, Charlotte and Therese. Her two younger surviving siblings were Frederica and her father’s heir, Georg. A younger half-brother named Charles joined the family in [read more]

princess beatrix wedding
Beatrix of the Netherlands

Royal Wedding Recollections – Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands & Claus van Amsberg

The future Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands married Claus von Amsberg on 10 March 1966. Their engagement was announced by Beatrix’s parents, Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard, on 28 June 1965. Many Dutch people did not agree with Princess Beatrix marrying a German, with memories of the Second World War still fresh in their minds. [read more]