Aristocracy · London · Society · People · Humour
In 1807 the Duke of Portland was appointed First Lord of the Treasury for the second time, thereby becoming, to all intents and purposes, head of the British government. The 69-year-old premier was, by all accounts, an exceedingly worthy man and a model aristocrat. But he was also
London · Observations · Society
Until 1917 there was, strictly speaking, no such office as Prime Minister in Great Britain; moreover, Parliament at various times expressed doubt that a first and sole minister could exist in Britain at all, going so far as to call the office of prime minister dangerous to the liberty of
NB! · Observations
Lads, help me identify a coin. Only please don't just tell me what it looks like, I can see that for myself. I need help with the attribution and with translating the inscription
NB! · Faith · Mores
Mores · Society · People
Constantin and César Faucher, known as the Twins of La Réole, were brigadier generals of the French army and took an active part in the revolutionary movement. They came from a well-to-do family, studied under Voltaire and were friends with Mirabeau. The brothers were inseparable, and their lives
NB! · Aristocracy · Archive · Observations · Mores
For some time I have been gathering material on twins among the aristocracy and the royal houses. One of the most remarkable and touching stories is, perhaps, that of the Faucher brothers, who lived in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century.
Archive · Faith · Society · People · Rome
"We know well from the Catholic Mass that Abraham is our patriarch and forefather. Antisemitism is incompatible with the lofty ideals of Christianity. It is a movement in which we Christians can have no part whatever. No, no, I tell you that it is impossible and impermissible for a
Aristocracy · Cinema · Books · Mores
Byron once wrote that a woman should never be seen eating, unless it is lobster, salad or champagne. Only these dishes, so the argument goes, do not diminish pure femininity. Idiocy, of course. But in the biographical film about Byron made by the BBC in 2005, this quotation is wittily
NB! · Art · Pop Culture · Humour
NB! · The East · Museums · Observations · Mores
Dancing slippers of the 1820s to 1830s with Chinese embroidery and, it would seem, a British leather sole. Well, nineteenth-century footwear on a flat sole looks far better than heels, like
Faith · Cinema · Monarchies · Observations
The composite battle cry of the French knights, Mont-joie Saint-Denis!, has been known since the time of Charlemagne, but it spread most widely under Louis the Fat, who in the story is the suzerain of the Count de Malfête. The etymology of the cry is traced back to
NB! · Aristocracy · Architecture · Art · Observations
And here is the place where the Duke and Duchess of Angoulême are depicted in Étienne Garnier's portrait. Chartres, Bishop's Palace, 2017. Almost nothing has changed