The Cross of Laeken

A few historic pieces.

It is said that Belgian-born Empress Carlota introduced what would become a popular Carnival custom to Mexico.  In Europe, the eggshell...

Gorgeous!

Here are pictures of Italy's last queen, the only daughter of King Albert I and Queen Elisabeth of the Belgians, as a thoughtful youn...

Gio of History and Other Thoughts shares Belgian princess Marie-José's childhood impressions of her great-aunt, Carlota of Mexico.

This is a good article as far as the lives of the holy Emperor Karl of Austria and his family are concerned, but I was rather hurt by the di...

Not to be morbid, but here are a few of my favorite tributes, from Find a Grave . ~Au courage incarné par le grand Roi que fut Albert I. ~A...

Here are some glimpses of the landscape, town and churches of Cuernavaca , the vibrant Mexican "city of eternal spring" associated...

A blog for researchers, by historical novelist C. M. Mayo, author of The Last Prince of the Mexican Empire. A touching online exhibit, cou...

Today, I am celebrating the second anniversary of Cross of Laeken with a beautiful guest post by Cheryl Anderson Brown of The Princess Palac...

Leopold I, King of the Belgians (1790-1865) had several families. By Charlotte Augusta of Wales (1796-1817), he had two babies, lost to m...

In the 1939 film Juarez , Bette Davis, cast as the tragic Belgian empress of Mexico, begs Our Lady for a child.

His hardheaded, pragmatic advice to his son-in-law, Archduke Maximilian of Austria, on the question of accepting the Mexican throne.   It is...

By a stroke of luck, I just found  this PhD dissertation , by Linda MacNayr of Queen's University, on the artistic portrayals of Empres...

A fascinating piece of history . To quote: At an early age, Maximilian developed a keen interest in the sciences, particularly botany and h...

In  The Life of Maximilian I, late emperor of Mexico (1868) , Frederic Hall provides a touching account of the youth and education of the u...

A while back, I linked to a short biography, by the Mad Monarchist , of Empress Carlota of Mexico, only daughter of King Leopold I and Que...

In The Life of Maximilian I, Late Emperor of Mexico (1868), Frederic Hall includes a moving portrayal of the tragic Empress Carlota, born ...