Moniek Bloks, Author at History of Royal Women

Queen Victoria’s Wheat-ear Brooches

Friday, 23 June 2023, 5:55 Moniek Bloks 0

Queen Victoria’s Wheat-ear Brooches were actually commissioned in 1830 by King William IV for his wife, Queen Adelaide, using 580 stones from the collection of his father, King George III. The set consists of six brooches. Three of the brooches had to be surrendered by Queen Victoria to her uncle, the King of Hanover, after [read more]

The flight to Varennes

Wednesday, 21 June 2023, 6:00 Moniek Bloks 0

As the situation spiralled out of control, a plan was hatched to allow the family to escape. Marie Antoinette told the Count of Mercy in early May, “Our situation here is frightful, in a way that those who do not have to endure it cannot hope to understand.” The plan was set in motion. The [read more]

A mob breaks into the Tuileries Palace

Tuesday, 20 June 2023, 6:00 Moniek Bloks 0

Since their failed attempt at fleeing, Marie Antoinette, her husband, children, and sister-in-law were being kept under strict guard in the Tuileries. On 20 June 1792, a terrifying mob was allowed into the gardens of the palace by the National Guard. They carried pikes and hatchets and eventually broke into the palace itself. They made [read more]

charles ii illlegitimate children sarah-beth watkins

Book News July 2023

Saturday, 17 June 2023, 6:00 Moniek Bloks 0

*contains affiliate links* Radegund: The Trials and Triumphs of a Merovingian Queen (WOMEN IN ANTIQUITY) Paperback – 18 July 2023 (US) & 3 September 2023 (UK) Radegund presents a new interpretation of this remarkable woman, examining her vibrant life and legacy. E. T. Dailey shows how she succeeded in establishing a place for herself within [read more]

Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee Brooch

Friday, 16 June 2023, 5:00 Moniek Bloks 0

Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee Brooch was given to Queen Victoria by her Household to mark her Diamond Jubilee in 1897. The brooch consists of a “scrolled and pierced foliate design, pave-set with diamonds, with pearl centre surrounded by brilliant in cut-down collets, suspending a detachable loop of brilliant with pearl drop; with alternative back fitting [read more]

Schloss Richmond – Birthplace of a Queen

Wednesday, 14 June 2023, 6:00 Moniek Bloks 0

Schloss Richmond was built between 1768 and 1769 for Princess Augusta of Great Britain, the elder sister of King George III. She was married to Charles William Ferdinand, future Duke of Brunswick, on 16 January 1764 and the palace was a gift from him. The architect of the palace was Carl Christoph Wilhelm Fleischer, and [read more]