Royal Engagement in Sweden

Toady at 14h00 CET HM King Carl XVI. Gustaf officially announced the engament of HRH Crown Princess Victoria to Daniel Westling. The Wedding will take place in early Summer 2010.

Video of the announcement:
At 17h00 CET there was a Press Conference with the engaged Couple.
See here for Videos of it in Swedsih
Press Conference Part 1Press Conference Part 2

Altshausen Castle

3 Years ago after the Wedding of Duke Michael and Julia Storz which took place at Friedrichshafen i and some friends made also an Visit at Altshausen Castle the Residence of TRH Duke Carl and Duchess Diane of Württemberg.
The Castle is only since 200 years in the posession of the Family of Württemberg. Originally there was an old Castle which belonged to the Counts of Altshausen, but the moved to Veringen and took the Title Count of Veringen. In 1264 it became in the posession of the German Order. During a big fire in 1434 most of the Old Castle was destroyed. Soon there was a new Castle build and in the 17. Century Johann Caspar Bagnato had to plan a big Baroque Residence. But only a few of his planes where practiced. After the German order was dissolved i 1806 the Castle and Park came in the posession of the Royal Family of Württemberg. After the monarchy was abolished in 1918 HRH Duke Albrecht of Württemberg moved to Altshausen in 1919 and inherited it in 1921 after the death of HM King Wilhelm II. It has became the tradition that Altshausen is the Residence of the Head of the Royal House and the oldest son and Heir lives at Friedrichshafen Castle.

The Gate Building

The New Castle where the Family lives

The Old Castle before it is one of
the Works of HRH Duchess Diane

The stables

The Pavillon and some of the Sculptures in the private Park

The Castle Church St. Michael which is also
the parish Church of Altshausen

Behind this door is the Entrance into the Family Vault where
the members of the Royal Family are buried since 1918

Exhibition about Queen Olga

Recently i visited an very intereesting Exhibiton about HM Quen Olga of Württemberg, née Grand Duchess of Russia who takes place from 20.11.2008 - 20.02.2009 at the Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg in Stuttgart..
There the entire life of the Queen is portraied from her childhood and education to her marriage and move to Stuttgart. On display are her marriage Contract, Letters she wrote to members of her Family in Russia and letters she received from them. The are also paintings from her appartements in the Crown Princely Palais and the Villa Berg booth of them where build for her and her husband.
Unfortunately it was not allowed to take pictures so i can not present much of them here.
More Informations about the Exhibition (in german) can be found here:

Château de Beloeil

When i was i Brussels in Summer 2008 i also made an Visit to Beloeil where i visited the Château the Residence of the Princely Family of Ligne. They have many connections to the Euopean Royal houses as the present Prince is married to HI & RH Princess Eleonore of Brazil and his mother Alixis a born Princess of Luxemburg, sister of the former Grand Duke Jean. And an aunt of the present Prince, Princess Yolanda was married to the late Archduke Carl Ludwig of Austria, one of the sons of the last Emperor of Austria Karl I.
The Château was erected during the 15th Century when the Family de Ligne made it's definitive move to Beloeil. It hten evolved from a monison to a frotress and finally to a Country House. A fire in 1900 destroyed the Château but not the 2 Side Wings before the Courtyard. The Château was then rebuild in 1906. The French-style Gardens go back to the 17th Century.

View from the Castle on the Lake
and the Neptun Fountain

The mirrors

The ladies pond

The Neptune's statue