Topics

1

Tsarskoe Selo Palaces / The Bablovo Palace, Tsarskoe Selo

« on: December 18, 2006, 04:18:37 PM »

Does anyone have any info on the "little palace"? It's in the Boblovo Park next to the main imperial parks. It's really a kind of gothic bathing pavilion built by Potemkin to entertain his friend, Catharine the Great. It's a ruin, but there is still the large circular granite bath!

The park is full of interesting bridges, but rather off the beaten track. There are, I believe, almhouses which were built by Alexandra Feodorovna for disabled soldiers. I can only imagine this was after the Japanese war. Anyone know more?

2

The Tudors / Descendants of Edward III

« on: August 16, 2006, 06:00:24 PM »

I was sitting on the bus today  , and I just thought of this question. It's really for Prince Lieven, as this is his specialist subject, but maybe someone else has a strong opinion.

How many descendants of Edward III are alive today? I've read that he's been called the ancestor of the English middle classes (which rules me out!), but also that just about everyone is descended from him i.e. millions of descendants.

I know that QV and Albert have maybe 1000 living descendants.

3

The Stuarts of Scotland / Stuart Nicknames

« on: August 03, 2006, 03:07:05 PM »

Hey Palatine, can you post your nicknames again?

Here's some from the earlier, Scottish, Stuarts:

Robert II, the first Stuart monarch was called "King Blearie". This was due to  his bloodshot eye - "Blear-eye" in Scots. The eye was supposed to have been damaged at birth which was by Caesarean Section. His mother, Marjorie Bruce, daughter of Robert the  Bruce had had a bad riding accident while she was pregnant, and it was decided to save the baby by performing this operation - inevitably fatal for the mother. She was often known as "Queen Blearie" by association.

Robert's son, Robert III was known as "John Faranyeir", which means "Yesterday's John" or "has-been John". It was a reference to his real name (John), which he had changed because it was supposed to have been unlucky (though he remained unlucky throughout his reign, and was generally regarded as a fairly hopeless case).

One of Robert II's other sons was known as the "Wolf of Badenoch", due to his original interpretation of the concept of noblesse oblige which involved burning peasant's houses!

James II was called "James of the Fiery Face" - he had a large red birthmark on his face.

James IV was called "James of the Iron Belt", due to the belt which he always wore (as penance for his role in his father's deposition and murder).

4

The Windsors / Smokers and non smokers

« on: May 10, 2006, 05:54:50 AM »

I was just reading about Archduchess Mathilde's tragic smoking realted accident on the Hohenzollern thread and was wondering which of Queen Victoria' children were smokers. For her grandchildren it's probably easier to count the ones who were non smokers.

My guesses (based on nothing specific)

Empress Frederick - non smoker. I just can't imagine it!
Edward VII - smoker
Alice - non smoker (she might have tried it though)
Alfred - smoker
Helena - non smoker
Louise - smoker (but didn't inhale)
Arthur - non smoker
Leopold - non smoker
Beatrice - non smoker

Non smokers among the grandchildren - Ella. There can't be many more - even Alexandra Feodorovna smoked! Is it possible that Marie of Roumania was a non smoker? I know that Ducky smoked.

5

The Stuarts of Scotland / Lady Clarendon

« on: December 18, 2005, 04:43:03 AM »

Frances Hyde (1617- 1667) Countess of Clarendon died shortly before her husband was sent into exile by Charles II.

She was grandmother of Mary II and Anne!

Cimbrio asked on the windsors thread if she was murdered. Was she?

6

The Stuarts of Scotland / Gunpowder, treason and plot

« on: November 05, 2005, 03:50:41 AM »

Today is the 400th anniversary of the uncovering of the Gunpowder Plot!

Here's a link:

http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_britain/article324997.ece

7

Nicholas II / Re: Political Cartoon of Nicholas

« on: November 03, 2005, 09:39:14 AM »

Here's the well known (at least in the UK) WWI recruitment poster:



Lord Kitchener

8

The Stuarts of Scotland / The Bowes-Lyons

« on: November 03, 2005, 02:15:57 AM »

I've put this here as they are not Windsors, but were descended from the Stuarts (I think from Robert II, but I'm not sure).

I'd like to know more about the Queen Mum's siblings. As you can see from the list they were by no means long-lived. I've never understood why "longevity genes" are always referred to. Fergus was killed in the First World War, and I think it was Michael who was reported killed but turned up a year later (he had been a POW). Any photos?

1.Lady Violet Bowes-Lyon (1882-1893)
2.Lady Mary Bowes-Lyon (1883-1961), m.1910 Sidney Herbert Elphinstone, 16th Baron Elphinstone (1869-1955)
3.Patrick, 15th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne (1884-1949), m.1908 Lady Dorothy Osborne (1888-1946)
4.Honourable John Herbert Bowes-Lyon (1886-1930), m.1914 Honourable Fenella Hepburn-Stuart-Forbes-Trefusis (1889-1966)
5.Honourable Alexander Francis Bowes-Lyon (1887-1911)
6.Honourable Fergus Bowes-Lyon (1889-1915), m.1914 Lady Christian Dawson-Damer (1890-1959)
7.Lady Rose Bowes-Lyon (1890-1967), m.1916 William Spencer Leveson Gower, 4th Earl Granville (1880-1953)
8.Honourable Michael Claude Hamilton Bowes-Lyon (1893-1953), m.1928 Elizabeth Margaret Cator (1899-1959)
9.Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (1900-2002), m.George VI, King of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
10.Honourable Sir David Bowes-Lyon (1902-1961), m.1929 Rachel Pauline Spender Clay (+1996)