Book Reviews

The Royal Art of Poison: Filthy Palaces, Fatal Cosmetics, Deadly Medicine, and Murder Most Foul by Eleanor Herman Book Review

The story of poison is the story of power. For centuries, royal families have feared the gut-roiling, vomit-inducing agony of a little something added to their food or wine by an enemy. To avoid poison, they depended on tasters, unicorn horns, and antidotes tested on condemned prisoners. Servants licked the royal family’s spoons, tried on [read more]

Marie Auguste of Thurn and Taxis
Auguste of Württemberg

Marie Auguste of Thurn and Taxis – The flaunting co-regent

Marie Auguste of Thurn and Taxis was born on 11 August 1706 as the daughter of Anselm Franz, 2nd Prince of Thurn and Taxis and his wife Maria Ludovika Anna Franziska, Princess of Lobkowicz. She grew up in the Austrian Netherlands until the family moved back to Frankfurt. She married Charles Alexander, Duke of Württemberg-Winnental (later Duke of Württemberg) [read more]

Places To Visit

The Tomb of Princess Henriëtte Amalia of Anhalt-Dessau in the Stiftskirche Diez

Henriëtte Amalia of Anhalt-Dessau was born in Cleves on 16 August 1666 as the daughter of John George II, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau and Henriette Catherine of Nassau. She spent her youth at the palace of her parents in Dessau. Her education consisted of history and languages, amongst other things. In 1683, Henriëtte Amalia was visited by her [read more]

Austria

The assassination of Sisi

Empress Elisabeth of Austria was an icon during her lifetime, and her tragic death only enhanced the magic. In the summer of 1898, Elisabeth met with her husband in Bad Ischl, where they were joined by their daughter Archduchess Valerie. Elisabeth was “in low spirits, as always.” Elisabeth then departed for Bad Nauheim while Valerie [read more]