spain Archives - Page 8 of 8 - History of Royal Women

Queens Regent – Maria Christina of Austria

Monday, 14 November 2016, 7:00 Moniek Bloks 0

A regent is “a person appointed to administer a state because the monarch is a minor, is absent or is incapacitated.” Maria Christina of Austria was born on 21 July 1858 as the daughter of Archduke Karl Ferdinand of Austria and his wife, Archduchess Elisabeth Franziska of Austria. She was Princess-Abbess of the Theresian Royal and Imperial Ladies Chapter [read more]

María Isabella of Spain’s second morganatic marriage

Friday, 2 September 2016, 7:00 Moniek Bloks 0

María Isabella was born in 1789 as the daughter of King Charles IV of Spain and his wife Maria Luisa of Parma at the Royal Palace of Madrid. She was their eleventh child. She was a spoilt child, and her education was quite basic. Her first offer of marriage came in April 1801 in the [read more]

Queens Regnant – Isabella II of Spain

Monday, 22 February 2016, 7:00 Moniek Bloks 0

Isabella was born in Madrid on 10 October 1830 as the eldest daughter of King Ferdinand VII of Spain and his fourth wife, who was also his niece, Maria Christina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. Her father had been married three times before, but he had only had two short-lived children with his second wife. His first [read more]

Queens Regnant – Isabella I of Castile

Monday, 1 February 2016, 7:00 Moniek Bloks 1

Isabella was not born to be a Queen. She was born on 22 April 1451 as the daughter of John II, King of Castile and his second wife Isabella of Portugal. She had an older half-brother from her father’s first marriage to Maria of Aragon, the future Henry IV of Castile. A younger brother, Alfonso, was [read more]

Queens Regnant – Mary I of England

Monday, 4 January 2016, 7:00 Moniek Bloks 0

England’s first Queen regnant was born on 18 February 1516 to Catherine of Aragon and Henry VIII of England, and she was to be their only child to survive infancy. She grew up under the pressure of several suitors, first to the French Dauphin and later to her first cousin Charles V. Mary was educated [read more]

Finding the Tombs of Margaret of England & Isabella Clara Eugenia of Spain

Monday, 17 August 2015, 7:00 Moniek Bloks 0

Brussels is about three hours by train from where I live in the Netherlands so I went on a quick day trip to Belgium. The Cathedral of Saint Michael and Saint Gudula is walking distance from Brussels Central station and the warm sun made for an excellent photo opportunity. The church itself is quite beautiful, [read more]