Tag: Belgium

The latest additions to my royal collection
Blog & Me, My Collection

The latest additions to my royal collection

There is a huge problem with collecting something royal: you will always find more items that you would like to have. Although I am running out of space, I have just added a few nice unresistable things. A few years ago the book, “De Oranjes. Een uitgeBREIde geschiedenis” (The Oranges. A knitted history) by Fiona […]

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Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg 1921-2019 © Cour grand-ducale / Jochen Herling
Births & Deaths, News

Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg 1921-2019

98 is a wonderful age to reach, if you are relatively in good health. Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg seemed to do quite fine and appeared in public for the last time at the international conference Stand Rise Speak Up, organised by his daughter-in-law Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, late March. On 13 April 2019 it […]

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Royal Greenhouses at Laeken
Gardens, Travel

Royal Greenhouses at Laeken

So often I had thought when seeing pictures again, I should finally visit the Royal Greenhouses at Laeken Castle, Brussels, Belgium. However for me Brussels is at least a five-hour train ride, so it is not something you’d really like to do in one day. And unfortunately the Greenhouses are only open three weeks a […]

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UPDATE 28-2! Royal Christmas mail 2018
Blog & Me, My Collection

UPDATE 28-2! Royal Christmas mail 2018

Every year with Christmas there is a small list of royals – up to 15 – who receive a Christmas card from me. Because I like them, find them interesting and they send a card back. I wouldn’t send cards to royals I have never heard of, just because they send something. The royal families […]

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New royal and noble books – July 2018
Books & Magazines, Media & Co

New royal and noble books – July 2018

For more new books about royalty see: History of Royal Women Royal Book News The World of Royalty Van Hoogstraten Online   BELGIUM/THE NETHERLANDS Author: Valerie Vrancken. Title: De blijde inkomsten van de Brabantse hertogen. Macht, opstand en privileges in de vijftiende eeuw (The Joyful Entrances of the Dukes of Brabant. Power, Rebellion and Privileges […]

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DIVA – The new diamond museum in Antwerp
Exhibitions, Travel

DIVA – The new diamond museum in Antwerp

I had to search for my scrapbook to see when I visited Antwerp, Belgium, for the first time. It turns out it was early July 1995, when I spent a few days there with a friend. Of course we didn’t have much money so we decided to stay at the youth hotel. Amazingly they still […]

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A chocolate shop in a Royal Palace
Castles, Travel

A chocolate shop in a Royal Palace

When King Abdullah II and Queen Rania of Jordan came to Belgium for a state visit in 2016, Queen Mathilde took choc-a-holic Rania to “The Chocolate Line” shop in Bruges, on request of the Jordan queen herself. Both queens were received in chocolate heaven by chocolate maker Dominique Persoone, who told afterwards that Rania had […]

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DIVA – The star crown
Exhibitions, Travel

DIVA – The star crown

I spent the weekend in Antwerpen (Antwerp), Belgium, and even managed to pay a visit to some places despite of my health and the heat.  High on my list was a visit to the new Diamond Museum DIVA. More about the museum itself later, but I spotted this beautiful, not too big tiara in a […]

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All The Castles I Have Visited
About me, Blog & Me

All The Castles I Have Visited

There are always new things to discover online. Sophie of All Things Royal recently posted a Google map with castles she had visited and wants to visit. How many palaces, castles, ruins, towers, bigger and smaller estates, etc. did I actually visit in my whole life? I really wouldn’t know. Quite a lot I’d say. […]

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