What's Up Wednesday (Diplomatic Tour of the Shahbanou of Perlistan)

Traditionally the season for state visits or in this case diplomatic tour, early and late in every year we get to see a lot of glamour associated with these official visits. Earlier in January we reported on Queen Gloria's State Visit to Syldavia and today we feature the tour of the Shahbanou of Perlistan to Hispania and Hanoveria which took place over the last week. Strictly not a State Visit as the Shahbanou is not a head of state but a pretender, the Shahbanou was afforded ambassadorial status as she did officially represent her native country and several charities. The main aim of the Shahbanou's tour was to promote trade between her native country and those visited. Hanoveria and Hispania were earmarked because of their political stability and friendly diplomatic terms with middle eastern nations. "By no means does Perlistan wish to exclude other Europan nations but felt that these were the welcome mat to further ventures", the Shahbanou was quoted to say.

Due to the relaxed formality of the tour the Shahbanou did not receive a State welcome at the airport but just arrived like any V.I.P. with the paparazzi flashing away at the hotel.

She attended a banquet in her honour and to focus more media attention on her visit hosted by Queen Maria at the Royal Residence. Queen Maria is very fond of the Shahbanou and they are on very friendly terms, often sharing holiday homes. 

An all out " tiara duel" was on the diplomatic stage at the pretender "Empress"of Perlistan packed out the big diamonds for this formal event. 

Queen Maria was not going to back down and even though the dress code was shorter skirts, she did also wear her "best" tiara.

After two days in Hispania, the tour moved to Hanoveria where the Shahbanou was also honoured with a banquet. Hanoveria, for pageantry's sake expects full regalia and ball gowns for their State Banquets. 

The Hanoverian Royal Palace played host to the visiting "diplomat" with flags waving and full ceremony as for a proper head of state.

Wearing a positively spectacular dress in accordance with dress code protocol at the Hanoverian Court, the Shahbanou elicited gasps from the guests and even the Grand Ducal couple noted how striking she looked. 

The Shahbanou wore sapphires last seen worn by her mother over two decades ago and her dress is reportedly from a new designer on the International stage by the name of Hilegonda. We will look out for more of their couture. 

Full court dress is required for men and the Grand Duke obviously did not disappoint with chains of office and chivalric orders. 

Grand Duchess Alice wore the famous ruby jewellery bought by her husband from his aunt, Empress Crystobel's estate. The rubies are a welcome sight as many Royal watchers were concerned that Empress Crystobel's jewellery would languish in vaults after her death.

After compulsory ceremonials, the tour was a great success with the Shahbanou raising awareness for many child welfare initiatives initiative and meeting with several large businesses establishing the groundwork for new trade contracts. We hope to see more of the would-be Empress and wish her and her people well.

Wonderful Weekends (2015 State Portrait of the Grand Duchess of Hanoveria)

Our first Wonderful Weekends for 2015 is as always a beautiful State Portrait. The Grand Duchy of Hanoveria has just released a series of spectacular portraits of  the wife and consort of their Grand Duke. The Grand Duchess of Hanoveria hasn't had a State Portrait in a while and never by herself. We usher in the new year with these regal and fresh images. 

Her Royal Highness looks amazing in white and wears the Princess Beatrice Emeralds officially passed on to her by her mother in law. 

The Grand Duchess posed on the stairs of the Royal Palace's entrance hall for these dramatically elegant photos. She also wears the golden sash of Hanoveria's highest honour, the Order of the Polar Star. 

Tiaras and Trinkets on Tuesday (The Empress Crystobel Sisters Gift Necklaces)

In 1995 Empress Crystobel celebrated the birthdays of her sisters by giving each an identical necklace. Personal and intimate family gifts are often shared between Royals lending a very personal touch to what the rest of the world only sees as expensive jewels. Much of what is perceived as vast and valuable Royal collections are strewn with these personal heirlooms. Let as take a close look at the Crystobel Gift Necklaces today.

This archive photo was taken to record the two necklaces together. At left we see the one given to Princess Beatrice who became Grand Duchess of Hanoveria and at right the one that was given to Princess Elizabeth who became Duchess of Swann. The necklaces are made from pearls, diamonds and onyx. The gems are set in such a way to form a stylized equilateral cross.

This photo, taken at the birthday of Princess Beatrice, shows Empress Crystobel hanging the necklace on the neck of her youngest sister.

At the 1995 birthday party of Princess Beatrice her elder sister the Duchess of Swann also wore her copy of the necklace that she received a few months earlier for her birthday. The idea was that Empress Crystobel wanted to give each of her younger sisters something personal bur also exactly alike to symbolize her love for them. Also the hope is that these gifts will pass down the inherited lines of both the Hanoverian and Swanobian Royal dynasties forever being a symbol of their connection to each other and to the Imperial House of Scot-Britania. 

The last great event that saw one of the necklace worn was the Castle Sorgenfrei roof wetting party held in April 2013. Princess Beatrice, in green pictured above, wore hers to this intimate family affair. It stands to reason that the Swann version of the necklace has not been seen since before the 1996 Revolution wherein Princess Elizabeth lost her life. Both necklaces will pass to the next generation and may soon be seen worn by upcoming ladies in both Royal lines as they receive them as inheritance. 

"To be or not to be" Thursday (Imperial and Royal Families 4 The House of Hanoveria)

It has been many months since we had an installment discussing  the Dynastic Houses of Europa. Today we will deal with the ruling Grand Ducal House of Hanoveria. This Dynastic House, albeit referred to as Grand Ducal by virtue of the title of the head of the house, is strictly speaking a Royal House on par with others in Europa. This Royal House also shares the name of the country it reigns over as the original rulers took the name of the region as their own.

The current head of the dynasty is His Royal Highness Grand Duke George III of Hanoveria. In this State portrait we see the Royal Crest and Crown of the Dynastic House of Hanoveria that has ruled over the regions known as Hanoveria for hundreds of years. 

The Grand Duke, at left is a first cousin of the Crown Prince Imperial and the Duke of Swann at right. This relation comes through his mother, a Princess of Scotney and sister of Empress Crystobel and Duchess Elizabeth of Swann. As such these cousins do not share in being of the Hanoverian Dynasty, but are as close as brothers.

The Grand Duke's paternal aunt married into the Ruskian Imperial Family in pretense and as such the current pretender to the Imperial Throne of Ruskiana, Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna, is a member of the House of Hanoveria.

This photo shows the Grand Duke with his mother at right and his wife at left dressed in gold. The current Grand Duchess of Hanoveria is the sister of the Baron D'Rothchild and brings Franconian Royal blood into the House of Hanoveria.

Here we see the entire current Royal Family of the House of Hanoveria and their spouses, from left King Nikolas III of Syldavia who is married to Queen Maxima nee Princess of Hanoveria, the Dowager Grand Duchess of Hanoveria, mother of the current Grand Duke, The Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Hanoveria, Princess Kirsten Youssopoff, nee Princess of Hanoveria and wife of Prince Felix Youssopoff.

Tiaras and Trinkets on Tuesday (Crown Jewels of the World)

A list of all the existing Major Crown Jewels in the world will give all our fans a sense of the grandeur of the historic collections being preserved in the greater Europa. Our list will only focus on the main Crown Regalia and not the entire collections of each country.

The nationally symbolic Crown Jewels of Syldavia consist of a King's Crown and Queen's Crown.

The Kingdom or Normandia only has a Crown for the monarch be it a King or a Queen. In the case of a King, his wife would wear the Queen Consort's Tiara.

Hispania also only employs a single Crown as the preeminent part of its historic Crown Jewels.

The Principality of Swann has a Crown, Orb and Scepter as its Royal symbols.

The Principality of Wallachia has a Crown for the reigning Prince that is rarely worn. There is a smaller Crown for a Consort which is a veritable copy of the main Crown.

The Grand Duchy of Hanoveria does not place a lot of symbolic value on the concept of Crowns. A Crown does exist and is depicted on Crests and official symbols of state.

The Islands of Arcwhite do not employ symbolic Crown Jewels per sé but they do have this Medieval Headpiece that is one of the oldest diadems in all of Europa and is worn during event of high formality in Arcwhite. 

The major element of the Monagask Crown Jewels would be this almost 2000 year old golden wreath.

Fulco D'Este, although a modern democracy that has ousted its monarchy, has retained its national symbols of which this Crown is the main feature. The Crown is made of iron and is symbolic more of the people of Fulco D'Este's independence than the former monarchs.

This Crown, along with it's female counterpart is all that remains of the spectacular Ruskian Crown Jewel Collection. It is being displayed in the Ruskian capital after its rediscovery almost 70 years after it was thought lost.

The old Empire of Perlistan used this Crown as the greatest symbol of its monarchy. An Empress' Crown, Emerald Parure and a Scepter completed the official Crown Jewels Collection. 

The Electorate Grand Duchy of Reichenthal was once a Kingdom with a complete Crown Jewel Collection. The Crown of Reichenthal is all that seemingly remains of that former collection. 

There is no greater or more spectacular Crown jewel Collection than that of the United Empire of Scot-Britania. The main elements of the collection can be seen above and was saved the destruction of the 1996 Revolution through the foresight of Empress Crystobel.

Many collections like those of  Franconia and Britania faced documented destruction and some disappeared into the recesses of history. Who knows, this list may be added to in future. 

Wonderful Weekends (Retirement Portrait of Princess Beatrice, Dowager Grand Duchess of Hanoveria)

Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrice the Dowager Grand Duchess of Hanoveria, Princess of Scotney has officially announced her retirement from public duty. The decision followed the shocking tragedy of her sister, Empress Crystobel's assassination last year. The aging Dowager and mother of the current ruler of Hanoveria has had to lose two close family members to the assassins bullet. She also lost her husband early in their married life. Princess Beatrice has served her adopted nation and her son the Grand Duke well in her life but has said that she would like to enjoy the peace of the countryside for the last part of it. Her retirement is officially sanctioned by her son who feels his mother deserves it.

An official portrait of Princess Beatrice was released to celebrate her life and to serve as announcement of her retirement. It was taken in the courtyard of her country estate Schmetterling Castle. 

Retirement for a Royal does not mean that we will never see them again at public functions. it just means that protocol does not demand that they attend meetings as representatives of their country and monarch. Their official duties are therefore disbanded along with the finances that cover those duties. Princess Beatrice will retire to her country estate and horse stud outside the Hanoverian capital where she will be visited by family and friends. We truly wish the Princess all the best and a peaceful retirement.

"To be or not to be" Thursday (Imperial and Royal Families 1 The House of Aldarian)

For the next few installments on a Thursday we will list, for your understanding, the various Royal Houses and their closest members up to the level of parents, cousins and grand children of the respective dynastic heads. See if you can make sense of it and all the various characters who's stories are on this blog. 

The Royal and Imperial House of Aldarian is the Dynasty in pretense to the Imperial throne of Scot Britania and the separate Royal thrones of Scotney and Britania. The current members of the Family in order of descent is as follows. 

The Imperial Crest of the House of Aldarian.

The head of this dynasty and pretender to the throne of the Empire is His Imperial Highness Prince Christian-Victor, the Crown Prince Imperial of the United Empire of Scot-Britania. He is the son of the last Empress who was assassinated in July 2013 after having been invited out of exile to tour the now Democratic Republic of Britannia. He may claim the title of Emperor only if the monarchy is restored but the current tensions allows for the topic to not even be mentioned. The Prince is married to Odeliah Sorgenfrei who hold the title of Crown Princess Imperial by marriage. 

The only other direct member of the Britanian Royal line of Aldarian is the Crown Prince Imperial's Aunt, Princess Augusta of the United Empire of Scot Britania. She is the sister of the Prince's father who was King of Britania and the first Emperor and co-Regent of the United Empire. She never married and has no issue. 

Due to the 96 Revolution, many dynastic houses have been reduced to almost nothing but due to some pre-revolution marriages many houses that survived have also been linked and is now very evident among their diminished members. With the foundation of the United Empire of Scot-Britania, the Royal House of Aldarian was linked by marriage to the Royal House of Stewart that ruled Scotney. As such the members of the Royal House of Stewart were declared part of the extended Imperial House of Aldarian and may, if not members of their own dynasty use the name Stewart-Aldarian.

The current Duke of Swann and his sister Princess Marie-Elizabeth, cousins of  the Crown Prince Imperial, fall under the Imperial, Stewart-Aldarian line due to their mother being a sister of the last Queen of Scotney who married the King of Britania and became Empress Crytobel I and co-Regent of the United Empire. They do however preeminently belong to the Dynastic House of Swann. 

Princess Beatrice, the youngest sister of Empress Crystobel narried the Grand Duke of Hanoveria and is thus the mother of the current Grand Duke who thus is also a cousin of the Crown Prince Imperial. He and his two sisters also fall under the Imperial, Stewart-Aldarian line but preeminently are members of the Dynastic House of Luneburg-Hanover. It goes further now that Princess Maxima, the Grand Duke's sister, has married the head of the Electorate House Von Bismarck. Princess Kirsten, the youngest Hanoverian sibling, has married the Head of the Princely House of Youssopoff.

From left; King Nikolas III of Syldavia and  Head of the Electorate House Von Bismarck with his wife Queen Maxima. Princess Beatrice, the Dowager Grand Duchess of Hanoveria. The Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Hanoveria. Princess Kirsten Youssopoff and the Prince Youssopoff. 

There are more extended members of the House of Aldarian but we will cease at the cousin level as second cousins, great grand children etc will end with us mentioning the whole planet. It is a nice thought though to consider that everybody in some way or another may have Royal blood in their veins to some degree. We hope that this and the next few Thursday post will assist our fans in seeing the broad spectrum of Royals in context to the story as a whole.

What's Up Wednesday (Prince Valmont D'Pont Du Lac Visits Grand Duchess of Hanoveria)

Prince Valmont D'Pont Du Lac and the Duchess of Roswind have come to the last league of their honeymoon and decided to spend two days with the Prince's cousin who could not attend their nuptials. After their State Portrait stint with the Duchess'cousin, Queen Gloria in Normandia, they joined the Grand Duchess of Hanoveria at the Royal Palace in the Hanoverian capital.

The Prince and the Grand Duchess of Hanoveria are first cousins and she could regrettably not attend  the wedding in Muren two weeks ago. The Royal Family of Hanoveria were hosting a State Visit from the Duke of Swann at the time. 

The newlyweds spent some private family time with the Grand Duchess but also made an incognito tour of the city while there. However they did attend a small formal dinner hosted by the Grand Duchess and allowed press photos. 

The Duchess of Roswind wore her new sapphires that she received as an engagement present to the formal dinner. 

From here on it is back to the grind stone. The Duchess has many business obligations and the Prince has to deal with his many responsibilities. There are talks of some business amalgamations with the greater Van der Bilt holdings of which the Duchess and Queen Gloria are major shareholders. Some dealings with Arc International are also being negotiated.

Memory Monday (Hanoverian Container, Content Revealed)

A mysterious container was handed over to the Duke of Swann on his State Visit to Hanoveria. The Grand Duke of Hanoveria, the Duke of Swann's cousin, discovered the container in the basement of a warehouse building earmarked for restoration and refurbishment as modern apartments.

SNN Lifestyle Feature Reporter Kitty Spice joined the Duke of Swann at his private residence in Hanoveria to discuss the story surrounding the container and its history and of course to report to the international public on the great "reveal"of its contents.

Royalty and History are seemingly inextricably linked. Today we see that reality as it will manifest before our eyes. Schloss Schwanstein is the idyllic setting on this amazing spring morning for a modern fairy tale to be revealed.

Miss Kitty Spice introduces the days events.

The truck carrying the container prepares to enter the Duke's property.

The truck transporting the container arrived at Schloss Schwanstein a few minutes late. The Duke of Swann waited, visibly excited, alongside the Head Curator of his International Art and Historic Artifact Collections, Marelize Von Engelbrecht.

There was an audible gasp even from the media crew as the contents of the container was brought out into the light of day for the first time in half a century.

The container revealed a 1909 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost. To put it in the Duke of Swann's own words, ..."an absolute childhood fantasy made real..."

A close-up of the antique car.

The  Rolls Royce is an exceptional historic find purely as it is an extremely rare vehicle. It is in extremely good shape and the Duke's mechanics assure him that it will be in perfect working order within a week. The car was revealed by paperwork found in its cubbyhole, to have been made for the current Duke of Swann's grandfather. He took ownership of it before the great war and it was caught on the Europan mainland as the war broke out. More historic research will have to be done to find more specific details but Rolls Royce official records concur that this model was indeed made for the said Duke of Swann in 1909.

The car was not the only contents of the container. A sealed solid oak trunk was also found inside and it was agreed to open that inside the house.

Searching the Duke of Swann's archives quickly revealed old photos of the car his grandfather ordered and also his intent to drive it on a private tour of Europa. The car and the initial stages of the tour was realized but cut short by the Great War.

An archive photo, taken at the Rolls Royce showroom in Fulco De'Este where the Duke of Swann took delivery of his new car.

The current Duke of Swann's Grandfather arrives at a Ruskian military parade in his honour in his Rolls Royce. This photo was taken just before the outbreak of the Great War and it currently hangs in Schloss Schwanstein where he died after being killed in the war leaving his baby boy and wife behind and the Principality being ruled by a Regency.

This spectacular photo shows the historic car and its contemporary owner. The Duke of Swann has announced that he will have the car fully restored and intends to take a tour of Europa in honour of his grandfather. He then intends to have it on permanent display at Sorgenfrei Castle as part of the Crown Prince Imperial's Museum of History but to also make it available as a wedding car for Royalty and Nobility making use of Sorgenfrei as their wedding venue.

We leave the Rolls Royce in its new temporary home in the garage at Schloss Schwanstein and we move on to the next reveal.

The room chosen for the opening of the chest was the Duke of Swann's private lounge.

Here His Royal Highness shows us the framed historic photo of his young grandfather and the Rolls Royce. The picture ironically hangs in the same room where the contents of the chest will be revealed.

Miss Kitty Spice makes the necessary commentary on camera as the Duke, with the help of his curator and butler prepare to open the box.

The ancient box is made of solid oak and weighs at least 200kg.

Again a shocked gasp was expressed by everybody in the room when the dazzling contents saw the light for the first time in over 70 years. The long thought lost Crown Jewels of Ruskiana was covered by as yet many unidentified other pieces of spectacular historic jewels. In this photo the Imperial Crown, an Iconic Cross in red pearls and some tiaras are clearly visible.

The Duke of Swann is seen here holding the Empress Consort of Ruskiana's Crown.

Historians, archivists and perhaps even lawyers will now have the job of uncovering the story behind the forgotten Royal shipment and in uniting the rightful owners with their property.

It is clear that the chaos surrounding the outbreak of the Great War halted the process of shipment and also lead to the container being "forgotten" in the Hanoverian warehouse. The Duke of Swann's grandfather obviously also died before he could reveal anything about his container and it's secret contents. It may be safely assumed that a clandestine plan was underway to save the jewels from the possible destruction the war could wreak on them.

A full detailed report of the contents of the chest will be featured on the blog in the next few weeks on a Tiaras and Trinkets on Tuesday Post. Some pieces will inevitably have undisputed ownership and be returned but controversy will abound and some lesser known pieces might end up on the auction block. Please keep your eyes peeled for the full story as it is revealed.