Congratulations #Manchester on a successful mayoral election. I could re-post a #dukesandprinces post about the Dukes of Manchester, but, more relevant, is an older post about the Dukes of Bridgewater...as in canals! The Egertons owned Heaton Park and Tatton too dukesandprinces.org/2020/05/01/d...

Dukes of Bridgewater

When it comes to name swapping within the British aristocracy, the Egertons are champions. At various times their surname has been Malpas or Grey or Tatton, or more recently Leveson-Gore or Grosven…

dukesandprinces.org

Following last week's #dukeandprinces, here are the Dukes of Buckingham & Chandos. One of Britain's great political dynasties, with more hyphens in their name than can be counted! Stowe House was almost a second capital for Grenvilles, Temples and Pitts. dukesandprinces.org/2026/08/01/h...

How Many Hyphens? The Dukes of Buckingham and Chandos

Once upon a time there was a man named Richard who had so many hyphens he didn’t know what to do. And so Lord Richard Temple-Nugent-Brydges-Chandos-Grenville petitioned the King for a dukedom and g…

dukesandprinces.org

A mostly forgotten dukedom, with a curious double name: Buckingham and Normanby. A title for the Sheffields, a prominent Tudor court family who two centuries later built a residence in London called Buckingham House, and eventually produced Samantha, Lady Cameron. dukesandprinces.org/2026/07/25/b...

Buckingham and Normanby: a Yorkshire dukedom for the House of Sheffield

In 2024, Emily Sheffield published an editorial in I (now The I Paper) commenting on what it was like to be former Tory Prime Minister David Cameron’s sister-in-law. She received a lot of flak on s…

dukesandprinces.org

One of the first posts I did for #dukesandprinces back in 2020, now upgraded and updated. A perfect blend of country nobles in Cheshire and city nobles in London. dukesandprinces.org/2020/06/12/d...

Dukes of Westminster

What do rural Cheshire and the most fashionable neighbourhoods in West London have in common? Both have been part of the extensive portfolio of the Grosvenor family for centuries. The dukedom of We…

dukesandprinces.org

We are in Warsaw this week, for the 2026 Medieval and Renaissance Music Conference. A great occasion the discover our newest titles in the field! More Info: bit.ly/44Q4xvF #MedRen2026 #Medren26 #MusicSky #MusicHistory

Following my trip to Latvia last week, may I present the dukes of Courland, with their amazing palaces at Jelgava and Rundale. The story of two ducal families, Kettler then Biron. dukesandprinces.org/2026/07/07/d...

Dukes of Courland: Kettlers and Birons

Can you think of a country in Europe that existed in the pre-modern period but vanished completely, leaving almost no trace? The Duchy of Courland is one of these. It was a semi-sovereign state fro…

dukesandprinces.org

Today #dukesandprinces visits the Palace of Mitau (today Jelgava, Latvia). The seat of the dukes of Courland, and temporary home of the French court in exile, 1798 to 1807.

Riga, even on a very very warm day, is lovely!

#Dukesandprinces visits Ireland this week for one of the very few Irish dukedoms: Ormond. Ceremonially butlers of the king from the 12th century, they dominated Kilkenny and Tipperary for centuries, sometimes pro-England, sometimes fiercely against. dukesandprinces.org/2026/06/27/d...

Dukes of Ormond: The Butlers, managing the King’s wine since the 12th century

In the historic Kingdom of Ireland there were two types of nobility: the ancient native Gaelic aristocracy, descended from kings and clan chiefs, and the Anglo-Norman nobles who arrived in the wake…

dukesandprinces.org

Nature reserve. Haven for birds and sealife. Uninhabited beauty of nature. And they want to destroy it all make it private luxury resort because the "fell in love" with it spiritually? Barbarians, all the awful developers. Especially anyone associate with trump. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Look at the protests Jared Kushner has caused in Albania. This could be a shining light for Europe | Lea Ypi

The slogan ‘Albania is not for sale’ reveals a nation that respects itself, and will not sell its soul for investment, says author and academic Lea Ypi

theguardian.com

So, #NicholasGalitzine has a new movie this weekend. Instead of watching, I thought I'd research the Golitsyn family--no relation--the most powerful princely family in Russia, with prime ministers, patrons, collectors, even the 'Queen of Spades'! dukesandprinces.org/2026/06/06/g...

Golitsyn Princes: Russian ministers from Peter the Great to Nicholas II

The Russian Empire in all its vastness had many, many princes. Some became fairly well known while others came and went in prominence in Russian history. One of the most enduring—with historical fi…

dukesandprinces.org

RIP #LadyPamela Hicks née Mountbatten, one of the last members of the princely house of Battenberg. Here is her family's story, written back in 2020. dukesandprinces.org/2020/11/16/p...

Princes of Battenberg

In a dramatic intimate moment of the first episode of the new season of ‘The Crown’, Prince Philip says to his daughter Princess Anne, “A Battenberg refuses to give in”. Who were the Battenbergs an…

dukesandprinces.org

The Dukes of Galliera: an Italian duchy held by Genoese aristocrats then Orleans princes who act as Spanish infantes. Along the way, a Princess of Monaco and the owner of the Hotel de Matignon. In Two parts: The Brignole-Sale family and the Dukes of Montpensier dukesandprinces.org/2026/05/24/g...

Galliera (Part I): Brignole-Sale and the most amazing palazzi in Genoa

Once upon a time there was a shining city by the sea: Genoa. A fair city built on bustling trade with the eastern Mediterranean, its merchant-oligarchs created a republic in which a select number o…

dukesandprinces.org

Enjoy Philippe d'Orleans on You're Dead To Me? Want to know more? Here's me a bit racier and less polished, discussing his sex life and the show #Versailles Enjoy! open.spotify.com/episode/2AdM...

Come along if you’re in the area!

thefriendsoftabley.bsky.social@thefriendsoftabley.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Our talk on 20 May 2026 is A Historical Heated Rivalry more details here tinyurl.com/TableyDucPhi... about Philippe, Duc d'Orléans the fascinating brother of Louis XIV of France by the brilliant @jspan.bsky.social with tea and cake provided #Cheshire #Knutsford #Tatton #Arley #Tabley

Two weeks ago #dukesandprinces explored parts of Wales once ruled by the princes of Gwynedd. Here is their story--full of fratricide, betrayal ... and stunning castle ruins. dukesandprinces.org/2026/05/11/p...

Princes of Gwynedd: the last bastion in Wales

Since 1301, the heir to the English throne has borne the title Prince of Wales, but this title had been forged by several previous generations of native Welsh princes, notably of the House of Aberf…

dukesandprinces.org

Arms of Duchy of Lorraine spotted today in Stirling Castle. They put a white label on to represent the Guise. I wrote to Lord Lyon to say it should be red. He said I was wrong and referred me to a heraldry manual from 300 years later.

#QueenCamilla is in the headlines today, so I’ll reshare a piece I wrote on her ancestry at the time of her husband’s accession. dukesandprinces.org/2023/09/08/a...

Anatomy of a British Queen: Scotland, the Netherlands, and beyond

September 2023 marks the one-year anniversary of the reign of Charles III in the United Kingdom, and in the list of British queen consorts, adds the name of Camilla Shand. In the history of royal c…

dukesandprinces.org

TLDR:

Criccieth Castle today, one of the last seats of the Princes of Gwynedd. ##dukesandprinces

To follow up on last week's visit to Eggenberg Palace, the short but dramatic story of the Eggenberg princes. dukesandprinces.org/2026/04/19/e...

Eggenberg: The rise and fall of a princely house

In the world of dukes and princes, most family histories stretch across centuries. Families usually needed to accumulate stories of valorous deeds and a reputation of living like princes before the…

dukesandprinces.org

Today's #dukesandprinces visit was to the palace of the princes of Eggenberg. An amazing tale of social rise from rich burgher to master of finance to imperial prince...to extinction. In only a few generations.

While visiting Ljubljana, #dukesandprinces had to pay a visit to the old palace of the princes of Auersperg, now the city museum.

In recent news, the body of d #Artagnan may have been found. Through his mother, the real Gascon Musketeer was related to the Montesquious, one of France's most ancient noble dynasties, connected to Blaise de Monluc and the dukes of Fezensac. dukesandprinces.org/2026/04/05/m...

Montesquiou: The oldest noble family in France made popular by musketeer d’Artagnan

In June 1673, the French Army laid siege to the Dutch city of Maastricht, a key crossing point of the river Meuse—they would take and hold the city for several years, aided by an English force comm…

dukesandprinces.org

The latest Friends of #Tabley Newsletter full of #TableyHouse stories. Plus details of coming events with our fabulous speakers from @jspan.bsky.social @suewilkesauthor.bsky.social @eilzabethgaskellsh.bsky.social details to follow but for now tea, cake and #Cheshire #Knutsford #stories

The Duke of Monmouth may have left a mark on the history of Great Britain, but so too have his descendants, the dukes of Buccleuch and Queensberry, with the triple-barrel surname Montagu-Douglas-Scott. dukesandprinces.org/2026/03/29/s...

Scott of Buccleuch: an ancient Scottish clan coupled with an illegitimate royal line

Of all the grand aristocratic families with multiple titles and country houses in the United Kingdom today, one of the few who have also retained much of their ancestral lands is that of Montagu-Do…

dukesandprinces.org

Will you be in Vienna this Spring? Come hear me speak at the Institute for Habsburg and Balkan Studies, on the topic of unmarried royal women at the court of France. Here's the details: www.oeaw.ac.at/fileadmin/In...

See if you find yourself cited in this article! Hot off the presses!

Dr Elena (Ellie) Woodacre@ewoodacre.bsky.social · 5mo ago

Delighted to announce that a 'state of the field' article on royal & court studies which @jspan.bsky.social & I have co-authored has just been published open access! Wonderful to work w/Jonathan to develop this keynote for K&Q into a publication for History! onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

We have a cover! Just in time for Christmas! www.amazon.co.uk/Bourbons-Sai...

The Bourbons: The Sons of Saint Louis in France, Spain and Italy (Dynasties)

Buy The Bourbons: The Sons of Saint Louis in France, Spain and Italy (Dynasties) by Spangler, Jonathan (ISBN: 9781836392873) from Amazon's Book Store. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.

amazon.co.uk

For International Women's Day, I've written about Princess Feodora of Leiningen, the half-sister most people don't know Queen Victoria had. The princes of Leiningen have deep roots in the forests of the Palatinate and in the hills of the Vosges. dukesandprinces.org/2026/03/08/l...

Leiningen: A tiny principality with the grandest royal connections

Those knowledgeable about the dynastic details of the life of Queen Victoria will know that she had a half-sister, Princess Feodora. But her appearance in season three of the television series Vict…

dukesandprinces.org