A book that promises to give us secrets of the European royal families? I’m in! Find out what juicy tidbits I found…as well as what you won’t find, which surprised me a little. Read more in this post, available exclusively for Patreon supporters.
Was Eleonora von Schwarzenberg a Real-Life Vampire Princess?
When you google someone’s name and a bunch of vampire references come up, you stop what you’re doing and you investigate. If you’re me, and it’s during quarantine, you stop at nothing to figure out if said google subject is really a vampire princess.
The Yusupov Black Pearl Necklace
The Yusupov black pearl necklace belonged to Catherine the Great. From there, it’s a tale of incest, true love, revolution, robbery, and infidelity…with a special guest appearance by the HMS Titanic.
The Secret Rooms by Catherine Bailey: Book Review
A dying duke spent his final hours destroying letters and records in his family archives. Why did he do it? And what was the family trying so hard to hide?
The Grand Dukes: Source Report
Chapters on each of the 33 Russian grand dukes! What’s not to enjoy? From Grand Duke Alexei’s American buffalo hunt to Olga Pistolkors’s Gossip Girl-style manipulations, let’s dig in. Read more in this post, available exclusively for Patreon supporters.
Tiaras in the News: 2019
It’s not often that tiaras make international headlines. There’s something special about 2019. From the Swedish burial regalia theft to the Portland tiara to the two spectacular Fabergé tiaras up for auction this May, there’s a lot to talk about. Let’s dive in.
The Downfall of Three Dynasties: Source Report
This book has more details on Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna’s flirtation with Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine. What juicy secrets did I learn? Find out in this post, available exclusively for Patreon supporters.
Archduchess Maria Anna of Austria’s Tiara
Meet Maria Anna, the Austrian archduchess who got to wear Marie Antoinette’s jewelry…and had one hell of a collection of her own. Her name came up frequently during the 2018 Sotheby’s auction of the Bourbon-Parma family jewels. It set me on a quest to figure out who she was, and why I’d never heard of her. Turns out, her family’s story is fascinating.
5 Types of Kokoshnik Tiaras
There’s a surprising variety of design possibilities for kokoshnik tiaras. Here are 5 drool-worthy examples and their stories. Let’s take a look at tiaras belonging to Grand Duchess Hilda of Baden, the Duke of Westminster, Queen Alexandra of Great Britain, Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna (Ella), and Crown Princess Cecilie of Prussia.
Who Stole Grand Duchess Hilda of Baden’s Tiara?
In 2017, a thief walked away with a tiara worth $1.2 million. I bet they didn’t even know who Hilda was. I sure didn’t, but the news sent me on a quest to find out everything I could. I’m still going, but you wouldn’t believe the amazing, sad, and heartbreaking stories I’ve uncovered about Hilda and her family in the meantime.
