The Russian Empire in all its vastness had many, many princes. Some became fairly well known while others came and went in prominence in Russian history. One of the most enduring—with historical figures from the fifteenth century all the way to the Revolution of 1918, and some interesting characters even after—are the Golitsyns. One wasContinue reading “Golitsyn Princes: Russian ministers from Peter the Great to Nicholas II”
Author Archives: Jonathan Spangler
Galliera (Part II): The Montpensiers, Orléanist dukes masquerading as Spanish royals
The Duchy of Galliera, as seen in Part I, was created in 1839 for Raphaelle De Ferrari and his wife Maria Brignole-Sale, centred on a tiny village in the Papal States north of Bologna. After the death of the pro-Orléanist Duchess of Galliera in 1888, the Duchy was willed to Antoine d’Orléans, Duke of Montpensier,Continue reading “Galliera (Part II): The Montpensiers, Orléanist dukes masquerading as Spanish royals”
Galliera (Part I): Brignole-Sale and the most amazing palazzi in Genoa
Once upon a time there was a shining city by the sea: Genoa. A fair city built on bustling trade with the eastern Mediterranean, its merchant-oligarchs created a republic in which a select number of leading families shared rule through an elective title of doge, a local variant of the old Roman title dux orContinue reading “Galliera (Part I): Brignole-Sale and the most amazing palazzi in Genoa”
Princes of Gwynedd: the last bastion in Wales
Since 1301, the heir to the English throne has borne the title Prince of Wales, but this title had been forged by several previous generations of native Welsh princes, notably of the House of Aberffraw: the princes of Gwynedd. From their base on the Isle of Môn, better known in English as Anglesey, they dominatedContinue reading “Princes of Gwynedd: the last bastion in Wales”
Eggenberg: The rise and fall of a princely house
In the world of dukes and princes, most family histories stretch across centuries. Families usually needed to accumulate stories of valorous deeds and a reputation of living like princes before they were formally created as such. They also needed sufficient wealth, acquired over generations, to sustain such a dignity. But not always. Sometimes one manContinue reading “Eggenberg: The rise and fall of a princely house”
Montesquiou: The oldest noble family in France made popular by musketeer d’Artagnan
In June 1673, the French Army laid siege to the Dutch city of Maastricht, a key crossing point of the river Meuse—they would take and hold the city for several years, aided by an English force commanded by a young Duke of Monmouth and the future Duke of Marlborough, John Churchill, and with the participationContinue reading “Montesquiou: The oldest noble family in France made popular by musketeer d’Artagnan”
Scott of Buccleuch: an ancient Scottish clan coupled with an illegitimate royal line
Of all the grand aristocratic families with multiple titles and country houses in the United Kingdom today, one of the few who have also retained much of their ancestral lands is that of Montagu-Douglas-Scott. As their name suggests, this is actually three lineages joined together. The Scotts are an old Scottish clan from the BordersContinue reading “Scott of Buccleuch: an ancient Scottish clan coupled with an illegitimate royal line”
Leiningen: A tiny principality with the grandest royal connections
Those knowledgeable about the dynastic details of the life of Queen Victoria will know that she had a half-sister, Princess Feodora. But her appearance in season three of the television series Victoria surprised many—at the time, I was asked if this was a fictional character added to make the series more interesting, as historical dramasContinue reading “Leiningen: A tiny principality with the grandest royal connections”
The Dukes of Orléans: A ‘Spare’ Title for France’s Second Sons (Part II)
Shortly after his marriage to his first cousin, Princess Henrietta of England, in March 1661, Philippe de France, second son of Louis XIII and younger brother of Louis XIV, was given the Orléans apanage (for its earlier history, see Part I). Philippe had, as Gaston had before him, been known as Duke of Anjou, butContinue reading “The Dukes of Orléans: A ‘Spare’ Title for France’s Second Sons (Part II)”
The Dukes of Orléans: A ‘Spare’ Title for France’s Second Sons (Part I)
France and England share a tradition of using a select group of ducal titles for their second sons—most often York for England and Orléans for France. But not always, since, in both cases, if the holder of the second son title had his own son it carried on into the next generation, so the CrownContinue reading “The Dukes of Orléans: A ‘Spare’ Title for France’s Second Sons (Part I)”
Dukes and Princes 