Royal Splendor

The Danish royals have quite a number of residences to choose from, whether they’re in Denmark or in France. Check out these magnificent palaces and castles they call home. Amalienborg Palace
Amalienborg Palace is the winter home of the Danish royals and is composed of four identical palace facade surrounding an octagonal courtyard. The four palaces all look toward the statue of King Frederick IV, who laid the palace's foundation. The complex's four palaces are Christian VII's Palace (Moltke's Palace), Christian VIII's Palace (Levetzau's Palace), Frederick VIII's palace (Brockdorff's Palace) and Christian IX's Palace (Schack'S Palace). Christian VII and VIII's palaces are open to the public. The classical facades give way to lavish rococo interiors, which are hailed as among the finest in Denmark.
More details about Amalienborg Palace here.
Fredensborg Palace

Fredensborg Palace in the island of Zealand is the spring and autumn home of the Dan…

In 1714, 22-year-old Elisabetta Farnese was bequeathed to marry Philip V of Spain. Elizabeth was the heiress of his uncle-stepfather, the Duke of Parma. Her father was the Duke's younger brother. After her father's death, her mother, Dorothea, married Francesco, the Duke. With no immediate male heirs, it was decided that the Duchy of Parma should pass in the female line.
At the time of Philip and Elizabeth's wedding, Spain was economically battered due to the 14-year War of the Spanish Succession. The treasury was nearly depleted and the Spanish was crown was faced with a problem: where to get a suitable dowry for the new queen? From the colonies, of course, the government officials thought! Words were dispatched to colonial governors, ordering them to send wedding gifts to Madrid, French journalist and historian Vincent Meylan writes.
Thus, the year-long search for precious gifts for Elizabeth began and it was not until 1715 that the treasures were sent to Spain. The Go…

Prince Harry is a commoner according to common law, explains royal expert Marlene Eilers Koenig in her blog.
“In the United Kingdom, the law is based on English COMMON law -- from where we get the word Commoner,” she explained. That puts Prince Harry under the rule of the normal law.
Only the sovereign (e.g. The Queen) and the peers of the realm are not commoners, she explained. The peerage of the United Kingdom is composed of, in order of precedence, Dukes, Marquesses, Earls, Viscounts, and Barons.
“That leaves everyone else, including princes and princesses, who have not been created peers of the realm,” Eilers continued to explain. Thus, even if Harry is a Prince of the United Kingdom, he is, by law, a commoner. In precedence, as the queen’s grandson, he ranks higher than the Duke of Norfolk, who is the premier duke in the peerage of England, but according to the law, the Duke of Norfolk is not a commoner, while Harry is is.
However, once he gets married, Her Majesty is highly …

Château de Chenonceau transports you to the Renaissance-era France with this charming setting and the romantic appeal that both the gardens and the magnificent Cher River have to offer. Aside from being the second most visited chateau in France, next to Versailles, Chenonceau was dubbed as the “ladies chateau,” thanks to the many powerful women who played their role, not only in French history, but also influenced the design and its destiny of Chenonceau.
Built by Katherine Briçonnet from 1515-1521, the chateau was later given by Henri II to his mistress, the famous Diane de Poitiers. She worked towards the creation of the extensive flower and vegetable gardens and orchard. The area along the Cher was usually prone to flooding and so she had stone terraces erected to protect her exquisite gardens of four triangles.
With the death of Henri II, his widow, Catherine de Medici forced Diane to exchange it with Chateau Chaumont. Catherine de Medici spent a fortune expanding the chateau, no…

Augusta of Saxe-Gotha almost never became Princess of Wales had the marriage prospects for Frederick Prince of Wales with Princess Louisa Ulrika of Prussia materialized. However, King George II and Frederick William I had a disagreement and the plan was eventually halted.
The Prince of Wales, anyway, freed himself from the burden of choosing his own bride. Whoever his parents chose for him was good enough for him. He just wanted to get married as soon as he can so he could ask for additional income from Parliament and break free from financial dependence from the father with whom he was never in good terms for the rest of his life.
And so, when King George II decided that he should marry Augusta of Saxe-Gotha, there wasno protestation from his part.
Born in Gotha in 1719, the German princess' father was Frederick II, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg. Her mother wasMagdalena Augusta of Anhalt-Zerbst (1676–1740). She barely spoke English, her mother did not hesitate to give her any …

Hampton Palace has the distinction of being the oldest remaining Tudor palace in England. It was originally built in 1515 for Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, King Henry VIII’s chief adviser. However, he fell from favor after his failure to obtain an annulment on the king’s marriage to Catherine of Aragon. The palace was quickly seized by the King only to enlarge it and make it one of his abodes.

Throughout the reign of the Tudors, the palace has seen numerous historic events. It was here where the king’s heir, the future Edward VI was born in 1537. Here also was were Jane Seymour died after delivering the baby. The King was attending a mass in the palace's chapel when he was informed that his fifth wife, Catherine Howard, was having an affair.  Henry’s daughter and Edward VI’s successor, Queen Mary I, spent his honeymoon at Hampton Court after marrying King Philip II of Spain.

The palace has seen extensive rebuilding and expansive in the next 100 years. Seeing how outdated the palace wa…