This is part one of the story of Alexandra of Mecklenburg-Schwerin’s tiara. It was supposed to be a simple story about a tiara – a pretty hat made of diamonds. I didn’t expect it to take me to the darkest places of the 20th century. From war and betrayal to the Third Reich, Soviet prisons, and nuclear war, this story has it all – including a happy ending.
The Habsburg empire gave us our fair share of well-known royal women, from Empress Maria Theresa to her daughters, Marie Antoinette and Maria Carolina. But there’s plenty more you haven’t heard about, like the formidable Archduchess Isabella and her gentle daughter, Maria Anna.
Secrets of the Gotha: Source Report
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 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.
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