Instagram Links

Here are handy links to all the content I posted about on Instagram - one easy source to find everything. If you’re on Instagram, say hello! I’m at @girlinthetiara.

In some posts, I mention cool extras that I offer my Patreon subscribers. Click or tap here to visit my Patreon page.

YouTube Videos

Princess Ka‘iulani of Hawai‘i - Part 4

The Story of Princess Ka‘iulani of Hawai‘i - Part 4
Published: January 14, 2021
Length: 44 minutes

A famous fire, a secret betrothal, and a fateful ride with tragic consequences.


The Story of Princess Ka‘iulani of Hawai‘i - Part 3

The Story of Princess Ka‘iulani of Hawai‘i - Part 3
Published: December 8, 2021
Length: 50 minutes

A revolution, a race, a proposal, and one of the world’s worst transcription errors.


The Story of Princess Ka‘iulani of Hawai‘i - Part 2

The Story of Princess Ka‘iulani of Hawai‘i - Part 2
Published: November 10, 2021
Length: 39 minutes

A princess in training, a surfing legend, Dr. Jekyll, and Sherlock Holmes. Bet you didn't expect those last two, right?


The Story of Princess Ka‘iulani of Hawai‘i - Part 1

The Story of Princess Ka‘iulani of Hawai‘i - Part 1
Published: October 25, 2021
Length: 41 minutes

Princess Ka‘iulani of Hawai‘i's story is one of hope and betrayal, of deception and revolution, of surfing and painting and incredible tenacity and bravery.


The Princess on the Witness Stand: Irina Yusupova vs MGM

The Princess on the Witness Stand: Irina Yusupova vs. MGM
Published: July 30, 2021
Length: 45 minutes

How much does it cost to blur the line between truth and fiction? A lot, as it turns out. 


Alix of Mecklenburg-Schwerin's Tiara: Part 3

Alexandra of Mecklenburg-Schwerin's Tiara: Part 3
Published: July 9, 2021
Length: 26 minutes

A robbery, an arrest, another arrest, and the threat of nuclear war. No big deal, right? Luckily, I can promise a happy ending for Alix and her tiara. 💜


Part 2: Alix of Mecklenburg-Schwerin's Tiara

Alexandra of Mecklenburg-Schwerin's Tiara: Part 2
Published: June 25, 2021
Length: 22 minutes

A putsch, a Reich, a war…and all the Mecklenburg-Schwerin family drama that went on in spite of and because of it. Long story short: Alix survived and persevered. But at what cost?


Alexandra of Mecklenburg-Schwerin's Tiara: Part 1

Alexandra of Mecklenburg-Schwerin's Tiara: Part 1
Published: June 10, 2021
Length: 38 minutes

This was supposed to be a story about a pretty hat made of diamonds. Instead, it took me to some of the darkest places of the 20th century. War, revolution, grand theft Hanover, a ghost, a grudge, a fire - and the woman who survived it all.


Marie Louise: The Princess of Nowhere

Marie Louise: The Princess of Nowhere
Published: April 23, 2021
Length: 35 minutes

Her disastrous marriage set the stage for a remarkable comeback, leaving her one of the British monarchy's most beloved representatives of the 20th century.


The Princess in the Asylum: Louise of Belgium - video

The Princess in the Asylum: Louise of Belgium
Published: February 18, 2021
Length: 28 minutes

A story of love, hate, betrayal, and one of the world’s largest inheritances.


Catherine the Great's Home Remedies for Zits and Sunburn

Catherine the Great's Home Remedies for Zits & Sunburn
Published: December 23, 2020
Length: 8 minutes

Better living through 18th century chemistry!


The Story of Betsy Bonaparte

The Story of Betsy Bonaparte
Published: November 23, 2020
Length: 13 minutes

This is the video version of the Medium post, with me narrating Betsy’s story.


Queen Sophie's Espistolary Smackdowns

Queen Sophie’s Epistolary Smackdowns
Published: September 27, 2020
Length: 12 minutes

This is the video version of the Medium post, with me narrating Sophie’s smackdowns! Good times.


The Story of Princess Xenia Georgievna

The Story of Princess Xenia Georgievna
Published: July 28, 2020
Length: 15 minutes

This is the video version of the Medium post. There's a lot  more to Xenia’s story than Anna Anderson!


Medium Posts

Dorothea, Duchess de Dino

The Woman Behind Talleyrand
Published:
February 2, 2021
Reading Time: 9 minutes

Meet the last — and probably greatest — love of Talleyrand’s life.


The Princess Who Married a Monuments Man

The Princess Who Married a Monuments Man
Published:
January 19, 2021
Reading Time: 8 minutes

A missing painting, a refugee princess, and a boy from Oklahoma — all the ingredients for a wartime love story.


Prince Ernst August of Hanover and Princess Viktoria Luise

Imperial Germany’s Romeo & Juliet
Published:
January 4, 2021
Reading Time: 7 minutes

What happens when a conqueror’s granddaughter falls for the heir to the kingdom her family stole?


The Dentist Who Saved an Empress

The Dentist Who Saved an Empress
Published:
December 15, 2020
Reading Time: 8 minutes

How to win friends, influence empires, and prevent cavities.

Read It Now

Louisa Adams: Part 2

The First Lady Mistaken for Napoleon's Sister
Published: December 1, 2020
Reading Time: 8 minutes

Deception is your friend when the world’s most notorious prisoner interrupts your travel plans.


Louisa Catherine Adams

The First Lady Who Charmed a Tsar
Published: November 23, 2020
Reading Time: 8 minutes

Come for the royal protocol, stay for the accusation of pimping and prostitution.


The Princess with a Punching Bag

The Princess with a Punching Bag
Published: November 16, 2020
Reading Time: 8 minutes

Her marriage ended with a scandal so embarrassing Queen Victoria had to do damage control. It also left her free to become a model for today’s working royals.


The Russian princess who changed the film industry forever

The Russian Princess Who Changed the Film Industry Forever
Published: November 5, 2020
Reading Time: 7 minutes

How much did it cost Hollywood to blur the line between fiction and reality?


The Princess in the Asylum: Louise of Belgium

The Princess in the Asylum
Published: October 27, 2020
Reading Time: 8 minutes

Was Louise a victim, as she claimed, or her own worst enemy?


The Worst Royal Blind Date Ever

The Worst Royal Blind Date Ever
Published: October 20, 2020
Reading Time: 7 minutes

It helps when everyone involved actually knows it’s a date.


That Time Hitler Tried to Fix Up the Prince of Wales

That Time Hitler Tried to Fix Up the Prince of Wales
Published: October 14, 2020
Reading Time: 6 minutes

There’s a reason “dictator” and “matchmaker” are two separate career paths.


Catherine the Great’s Remedies for Zits and Sunburn

Catherine the Great's Remedies for Zits & Sunburn
Published: October 7, 2020
Reading Time: 6 minutes

Better living through 18th century chemistry.


Imperial Viennese Hofball

What It Was Like to Attend the Imperial Viennese Hofball
Published: October 1, 2020
Reading Time: 9 minutes

Every January, the Viennese court put on its finest to party at Emperor Franz Josef’s Hofburg Palace. But some people just bitched about the food.


Maria Theresa and the 18th Century Vampire Panic

Empress Maria Theresa and the 18th Century Vampire Panic
Published: September 24, 2020
Reading Time: 7 minutes

Yes, vampires once posed an existential threat to the Habsburg empire.

Here’s how it became Maria Theresa’s problem...and what she did about it.


Betsy Bonaparte

The American Who Married Napoleon’s Youngest Brother
Published: September 16, 2020
Reading Time: 9 minutes

She spent decades fighting for recognition from a jerk, his brother, and their empire.

Picture the most painful run-in with your ex-boyfriend ever. That’s what happened to Betsy Patterson Bonaparte.


Queen Sophie of the Netherlands

A Dutch Queen's Epistolary Smackdowns
Published: September 9, 2020
Reading Time: 8 minutes

This 19th century drama queen knew everyone…and probably hated them

When I read what Sophie wrote about fellow royals like Queen Victoria and Empress Eugenie, I just had to shout  “BURN” like Ashton Kutcher’s character on That 70s Show.


How to Prank Tsar Nicholas I

How to Prank Tsar Nicholas I
Published: August 26, 2020
Reading Time: 5 minutes

...if you, know, you’re fond of Siberia and don’t value your life

When you prank the guy who rules one-sixth of the earth’s surface, you either have balls of steel or you’re clinically insane. In case that’s you, here’s how it’s done.


Mathilde Townsend

The Gilded Age Heiress Who Refused to Marry Royalty
Published: August 20, 2020
Reading Time: 9 minutes

This is the story of Mathilde Townsend, who refused to play the “dollar princess” game.

Find out which royal wanted to marry her, why she said no, and who she *did* marry.


The Story of Princess Xenia Georgievna

The Princess Who Married the World's Richest Boy
Published: August 12, 2020
Reading Time: 10 minutes

This is the story of Princess Xenia Georgievna of Russia, best known for her entanglement in the longest-running royal mystery of the 20th century. We’ll get to that hot mess, but I think the rest of her life is way more interesting.

Xenia’s story has a little bit of everything: tragedy, romance, scandal, drama, and speedboats. Yes, speedboats.


Prince George's portrait on a background of the Hollywood sign

That Time Prince George Attended a Rodeo in Hollywood
Published: August 5, 2020
Reading Time: 9 minutes

Britain’s youngest prince made a splash when he visited California in 1928. But did he cause as much trouble as the press said he did?

Find out what happened to George when he visited California...and his path crossed with French actress Lili Damita.


A Brief History of the Russian Kokoshnik Tiara

A Brief History of the Russian Kokoshnik Tiara
Published: July 28, 2020
Reading Time: 8 minutes

There were political undertones at play when Russian royals co-opted this peasant style.

This post adds more depth to the topic of kokoshnik tiaras, which I covered in my post 5 Types of Kokoshnik Tiaras. Specifically, you’ll find out how Russian court dress originated...and the surprising political motive behind the move. Plus, there are lots of pretty tiara photos to drool over!


Royal Reading List

Blog Posts

Marie Louise: The Princess of Nowhere

Marie Louise: The Princess of Nowhere

She was a wife without a husband. A princess without a country. And quite possibly, the only person drunk at Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation. Meet Princess Marie Louise, a woman who lived life on her own terms.


Was Eleonora von Schwarzenberg a Real-Life Vampire Princess?

Eleonora von Schwarzenberg: 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

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.


What’s Next?

Check out the blog for fascinating stories about royal women and their tiaras. And don’t forget to join my mailing list to get Grand Duchess Louise of Baden’s meatloaf recipe! It’s finger-lickin’ good.

Tiara

Blog

Who stole Grand Duchess Hilda’s diamond kokoshnik tiara? And what’s a kokoshnik tiara, anyway? Find out on the blog!

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