Friday, November 19, 2021

BERNADOTTE DESCENDANTS III by Ted Rosvall

 






 Here it is, the third and final edition of the complete genealogy of the Bernadotte dynasty, tracing all the legitimate descendants of Jean Baptiste Bernadotte (King Carl XIV Johan) and Désirée Clary, who became the King and Queen of Sweden and Norway in 1818. Although they only had one child, five grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren, the number of descendants by October 2021 is an astounding 567. These are mostly to be found in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Germany, Belgium, and Luxembourg - but there are also branches in France, Switzerland, Italy, UK, Greece, Spain, USA, and Australia. 


This new volume has 512 illustrations, mostly new compared to previous editions. The language, when needed, is English, but titles and countries are shown in their original form. As in previous editions (1992 and 2010), great efforts have been made to find complete information not only about all those that have married into the dynasty but also about their parents and in many cases grandparents, making this book unique among royal genealogies.



https://www.royalbooks.se/produkt/34/bernadotteattlingar-iii-bernadotte-descendants-iii.html?fbclid=IwAR0Zw7qNaw35hPNkjmSqFAVh8Z9qNDEaZRKBl27jN4cDS7FSSOv29sZwR2Y

Tuesday, November 16, 2021

The Last King of America: The Misunderstood Reign of George III by Andrew Roberts








 British historian Andrew Roberts tonight at Mount Vernon (George Washington's home) in a discussion about his new book,  The Last King of America: The Misunderstood Reign of George III.   He discussed the British political situation, George's education, his relationship with his parents, his views of the American Revolution,  how he modernized the monarchy, his approval of the new USA (comments to John Adams), the problems with Prinny, and most important, emphatically stating that George III did not have porphyria, but was bipolar, as based on numerous recent medical articles.

Interesting to learn that Mount Vernon has a relationship with the Royal Archives and with King's College in London.

I cannot wait to read it.  Copies were available for sale, and Andrew signed the copies afterward.



https://amzn.to/3S4jdEI 




 https://link.amazon/B03upYRII

Monday, November 15, 2021

Informally Royal by Rodney Laredo

 



Rodney Laredo has written a gem of a book, Informally Royally Studio Lisa and the Royal Family 1936-1966 (The History Press), a lovely biography-cum-history of Studio Lisa, run by Lisa and Jimmy Sheridan.   The couple made their name in the 1930s with child portraiture.  As their reputation grew, the couple caught the attention of a "local and noted writer of books about dogs."   

The writer was preparing a book on royal dogs and "for the first time he wanted to decorate his text with photographs."  

He posed a question: would Lisa and Jimmy accompany him to 145 Piccadilly, the London home of the Duke and Duchess of York, and their two daughters, Princess Elizabeth, 10, and 6-year-old Princess Margaret.  

The new partnership nearly did not have a happy ending as the author of the book "betrayed" the Sheridans when he sold the copyright of their photos to the national papers. The author's actions were contrary to the use of royal images and copyright law.   Lisa and Jimmy wrote to the Duke and Duchess of York, "expressing their horror at what had happened," and offered their apologies.

The Duke and Duchess of York invited the couple to take another set of photographs, this time at Royal Lodge.  



  Embed from Getty Images 


 For the next 30 years (1936-1966), Studio Lisa was responsible for many of the iconic and informal royal photographs of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth and their two daughters,   the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and their two sons, Prince William and Prince Richard and in the 1950s, photos of the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh and their four children.   

Embed from Getty Images 



Lisa Sheridan's final royal portraits were taken in October 1965, informal shots of Prince Andrew and Prince Edward playing outside.

Sheridan, who suffered from a heart ailment for several years, died on January 26, 1966, from a stroke.  She was 72 years old.

Laredo, a New Zealander native, has written a charming book about the life and career of Lisa Sheridan, whose photography skills captured the natural essence of royal children.

The book opens with the biography about the Sheridans, which is followed by a selection of Studio Lisa royal photos, informal, dignified, and irresistible.   This is one book you do not want to miss, a truly enjoyable read.

Informally Royal will make an excellent Christmas present for yourself or for someone you know who loves the British royals.

Lisa Sheridan's memoir, Cabbages and Kings, was published in 1955.




Thursday, October 7, 2021

BOOK ABOUT KING PETER II PRESENTED IN NOVI SAD

 



Novi Sad, 07 October 2021 – The book "King Peter II Karadjordjevic" by Momcilo Vukovic Bircanin was presented today in Novi Sad. The patron of the first edition of this book in Serbia is HRH Crown Prince Alexander.

The book was first published in Munich, in the Federal Republic of Germany in 1975 by the author. This is its premiere Serbian edition and presentation to the domestic audience. The author was an officer of the Royal Yugoslav Army and personal secretary of King Peter II, who reveals many interesting stories and facts from the life of King Peter II that were unknown to the wider public.

Embed from Getty Images 



 In his opening words for the book, HRH Crown Prince Alexander stated: “It is with great pleasure that I have accepted to be the patron of this very interesting and also very important book about my father, HM King Peter II. Testimonies like this, that keep true and accurate remembrance of the past times are important for honoring our history, but also for securing our future, so the wrongdoings from the past are not to be repeated.

"From his earliest days, my father had been prepared for the most responsible role that awaited him – to be a servant to his people and his homeland. I always remember his words: "To us, the Karadjordjevics, the Crown was just a means to serve the people, not the goal of personal dynastic rule." The historic maelstrom of World War II sent him into unwanted exile, from which he never returned, although he wanted it with his entire being. After the era of the Kingdom, many lies and falsehoods were put on his name and his work, which finally begun to be taken away. Because the truth, no matter how hidden and suppressed, always comes to light. And the struggle for the truth, the aspiration to discover it, is always just and right because the truth is one of the most important foundations that our entire civilization stands on!”

Ph.D. Nebojsa Kuzmanovic, director of the Archives of Vojvodina, opened the promotion of the book about King Peter II, and Ph.D. Sasa Markovic, Dean of the Faculty of Education in Sombor of the University of Novi Sad, spoke more about this work and its significance.



all three photos HRH Crown Prince Alexander


The book is the result of cooperation between the Historical Archives of Uzice, Kraljevo, the Archives of the Serbian Orthodox Church, the Archives of Vojvodina, the Archives of the Republic of Srpska, and the Association of Archival Workers of the Republic of Srpska. The Serbian edition of this book was prepared by the Director of the Historical Archive of Uzice, Mr. Zeljko Markovic. The publication of the book about our King Peter II is a continuation of the publication of the work of Momcilo Vukovic Bircanin, a kind of realization of the cooperation of archival institutions and the elucidation of the foundations of our history.


Unfortunately, the book has not been translated into English.  Bummer!!!!

Thursday, September 30, 2021

Scholarly look at Romanov weddings



Russell Martin, an advisor to the Imperial House of Russia, is a full professor of history at Westminster College.   

 https://www.westminster.edu/profile.cfm?martinre


Monday, September 20, 2021

Charles Spencer talks about his new book, The White Ship

  


 From People Royals

For Immediate Release 

Sept. 16, 2021 


PEOPLE Royals Exclusive: 

Charles Spencer on His Newest Book: 'It's Game of Thrones Meets Titanic'



"Once people get over going back 900 years, it's a very recognizable story with fallible human beings," Charles Spencer tells PEOPLE Royals


(NEW YORK) – Charles Spencer tackles a screen-worthy chapter in royal history with his new book.

In The White Ship, historian and 9th Earl Spencer explores a disaster that changed the course of the monarchy forever: the maritime disaster in 1120 that killed 300, including King Henry I's heir, William Aetheling.

"It is Game of Thrones meets Titanic," Spencer tells PEOPLE Royals in the new fall quarterly issue, on newsstands now. "And once people get over going back 900 years, it's a very recognizable story with very fallible human beings."

In the book, which is already a bestseller in the U.K. and is set for release in the U.S. on October 19, Spencer examines the shocking brutality of Henry I, whose success at maintaining safety for his subjects at home came with the cost of his fearsome tactics with foes

"If you wanted to be a successful ruler in Europe in the 12th century, you had to make people scared of you," says Spencer.

Meanwhile, his heir William Aetheling was a fun-loving 17-year-old when his reckless partying led to the devastating shipwreck.

"It's the medieval version of drunk driving," says Spencer, "where the teenagers get riotously drunk and then encourage the crew, to whom they're entrusting their lives, to join in the drinking. And guess what? They hit a rock, the ship goes down and all but one person on board drowns.

"It's an incredible lesson," he continues. "The king, who insisted on going on his own ship with the grown-ups and then left his teenage son on board the most exciting ship, the White Ship, was tempting fate. It's certainly not his fault, but you can see how it happened."

https://people.com/royals/charles-spencer-talks-new-book-the-white-ship/

https://www.magazine.store/people-royals/?utm_source=redirect&utm_medium=internal&utm_campaign=launch

Tuesday, August 24, 2021

King Simeon's memoirs now in English

 


King Simeon of Bulgaria's memoirs, A Unique Destiny: The Memoir of the Last Tsar of Bulgaria, Prime Minister of a Republic has been translated into English and will be published by Stackpole Books in October.