must read Archives - Page 106 of 136 - History of Royal Women

Lady Penelope Devereux – The fair lady with the black soul

Friday, 20 August 2021, 6:00 Amy Eloise Kelly 1

Penelope Devereux was born in January 1563 in Staffordshire to parents Walter Devereux, who later became the 1st Earl of Essex, and his wife, Lettice Knollys. Penelope’s siblings that survived infancy were Dorothy, Walter and Robert, who became a favourite of Queen Elizabeth I and was a high-ranking privy counsellor. Penelope came from a long [read more]

Soraya Tarzi – A champion of women’s rights

Thursday, 19 August 2021, 6:00 Moniek Bloks 1

“Soraya was the first Afghan lady and queen who began to promote women, educate them and try to give them their rights.” The future Queen Soraya of Afghanistan was born as Soraya Tarzi on 24 November 1899 as the daughter of Mahmud Tarzi and Asma Rasmiya Khanum. Her family was living in exile at the [read more]

Claudia Felicitas of Austria – Help from God and the angels

Wednesday, 11 August 2021, 6:00 Moniek Bloks 0

Claudia Felicitas of Austria was born on 30 May 1653 as the daughter of Ferdinand Charles, Archduke of Further Austria and Count of Tyrol, and his wife and first cousin Anna de’ Medici. She was named for her grandmother Claudia de’ Medici, who had died in 1648. She would be the only one of their [read more]

Book review: Isle and Empires: Romanov Russia, Britain and the Isle of Wight by Stephan Roman

Monday, 9 August 2021, 6:00 Moniek Bloks 0

*review copy* *contains affiliate links* The Isle of Wight is perhaps best known for its connection to Queen Victoria but it also lies at the heart of the relationship between Russia and Britain. From Peter the Great to Nicholas II and his family, the island is linked to many generations of the Romanovs. Osborne House, [read more]

The Duchess of Windsor – Wallis & Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother (Part one)

Wednesday, 4 August 2021, 4:00 Moniek Bloks 0

Wallis probably first met her future sister-in-law at a skating party in January 1933. The Duchess of York, as the Queen Mother was then known, had been invited with her husband to join the Prince of Wales and Thelma, Viscountess Furness, for ice-skating near Fort Belvedere. Wallis has been the latest new addition to the [read more]

The Duchess of Sussex – A new life

Wednesday, 4 August 2021, 4:00 Moniek Bloks 1

The future Duchess of Sussex was born as Rachel Meghan Markle on 4 August 1981 as the daughter of Thomas Markle and Doria Ragland in Los Angeles in the United States. She has two half-siblings from her father’s first marriage to Roslyn Loveless. Her parents divorced when she was six years old, and while she [read more]