The Guelph Connection

Until 1918, German nobles didn’t have any family names; these only came into existence by act of parliament when the German Republic was created. Instead, the noble families were recognised as being part of ‘Houses’, and the tradition persists. Among them, the Guelph are looking back on over 1,000 years of history. 

HRH Christian Prince of Hanover

Monaco: Wedding Plans Revealed

The Palace in Monaco has announced that it wants to turn the city into a city of roses and become the world capital for romantics on the weekend of the wedding of Prince Albert to Charlene Wittstock. The wedding will be a two day affair with civil and religious ceremonies held separate days. 

Prince Albert, Princess Charlene of Monaco

Princess Antoinette of Monaco (1920 to 2011)

Princess Antoinette of Monaco was born the daughter of Princess Charlotte of Monaco and was the older sister of Prince Ranier III of Monaco. In her time, she was good for quite a few scandals. Highly eccentric, she was well beloved by the citizens of Monaco. She took two turns at being its First Lady of Monaco and was president of its animal welfare charity SPA. 

Baroness Antoinette of Massy, Prince Rainier, Princess Grace of Monaco

Monaco: Title Conundrum

The title of the ruler of Monaco today is Prince of Monaco, and the conundrum starts there. The prince also styles himself Duc du Valentinois, just one of many French titles the family lays claim to. There lies the second conundrum. The Prince and other family members are addressed as His (or Her) Serene Highness, and that’s a third conundrum. 

Andrea Casiraghi of Monaco

Monster in the Making

King Henry VIII is often perceived as a monster. The heads of various wives were just a fraction of an epidemic of the people losing their heads during his reign. But to understand why he acted the way he did, you must know where he came from. A new book sheds light on the young Henry. 

Jonathan Rhys-Meyers

The Wedding Document of Princess Theophanu of Byzantium

When Emperor Otto I went looking for a wife for his son, he wanted it to be a political statement. As the first Emperor from German stock, he was looking for acknowledgement by the other half of the Roman Empire. A princess of the house of Byzantium it had to be and nothing less. Once the goal was achieved, the newcomers went out of their way to show how much they appreciated the gesture. 

Empress Theophanu

What a Riot! William and Kate

The movie William & Kate has universally been panned as the worst movie ever. This is faint praise for one of the most miserable productions ever to come out of a studio anywhere in the world. The movie will set standards for decades in bad taste, bad acting, bad screen writing, and generally having no idea of what it is all about. You just have to see it! 


Monaco and The Second World War

Like San Marino, Monaco was a neutral state during World War II. It was fiercely contested by Germany and Italy who had mutually exclusive ideas as to its future. Prince Louis II had been brought up in Germany and was a general in the French army. He played his connections for all they were worth in trying to keep the country afloat. 

Prince Louis II of Monaco

The Duchess of Windsor by Conspiracy Theorist

The Duchess of Windsor was a footnote in history. Despite that fact, publishers keep on inundating the market with books about her. This one looked interesting from the outside but proved one very, very long disappointment inside. Author Hugo Vickers produced the ultimate guide on how not to invent a conspiracy theory. 

The Duchess of Windsor

Prince William’s Predecessors in Cambridge, Strathearn, and Carrickfergus

Prince William got a bevy of titles as a gift from Queen Elizabeth II for his marriage to Catherine (or Kate) Middleton. The titles mostly come with quite a baggage of history, some quite recent, some more ancient. 

HRH Prince William

There is No Princess Catherine

Even some British commentators got it wrong when describing the newlywed Catherine Middleton as Princess Catherine. She is not, as marriage to a Prince does not automatically make you a Princess. In keeping with tradition, though, the Queen conferred titles upon Prince William. 

TRH THe Duchess and Duke of Cambridge

The Duchess of Cambridge and Curtsy in a Muddle

Now Kate Middleton is part of the Firm as Catherine Duchess of Cambridge, she is plunged into the middle of an etiquette blunder produced by the Queen in 2005. A Royal edict intended to keep peace in the family might now start to backfire spectacularly. 

THR The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

A Bright Future for Saint John Paul II

After Pope Benedict XVI fast tracked his predecessor John Paul II into beatification on the way to become a fully winged saint, it seems there is a bright future for the latter once he manages to climb the final hurdle. 

Pope John Paul II

Puzzling Principles on Princes and Princesses

There are Princes and Princesses, and then there are Princes and Princesses. The problem lies in where they come from; the title of Prince does not mean the same thing depending on where it comes from. The puzzle is solvable, given some knowledge of geography and history. And some of the muddle derived from translating foreign titles into English. 

Pierre Casiraghi of Monaco

Royal Succession in the United Kingdom

Checking the search results for my recent articles, I found that certain questions keep cropping up. The forthcoming visit of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to the United States seems to give rise to quite a few puzzles. Royal succession seems a good starting point. 

HRH Prince William Duke of Cambridge