Eurohistory. The European Royal History Journal, Vol. 18.1, February 2015

The latest issue of Eurohistory. The Europan Royal History Journal, issue CIII, Volume 18.1, February 2015 (yes, that is an handful!), arrived last month, but only now I have found the time to write a few comments. The main difference from last year's issues is that the binding (cover paper) of ERHJ is different (thicker). I have been looking for the right expression to describe it all night, but have to let it pass for now. Anyway, I agree that the new binding increases "the overall quality of the magazine", but I am not convinced that it is really worth the expanded printing time. The February 2015 arrived in the last part of May, while issue CIV (April 2015) first will be posted at the end of June. Still. the contents of the magazine is after all the most important thing.

The front cover of issue CIII (i.e. no. 103!) shows a photo of the Battenbergs - Prince Maurice, Prince Alexander and Prince Leopold, i.e. the sons of Prince Henry of Battenberg (1858–1896) and Princess Beatrice of the United Kingdom (1857-1944). The first article of this issue, written by Marlene Eilers Koenig, deals with Prince Maurice (1891-1914), who was killed during WW1. The article is certainly interesting and readable enough, but I can't fail to think that I have read many articles about him before. As I have also commented on Royalty Digest, I would like more variation in topics, because some times I feel the topics are just circulated. There are so many people from so many royal, princely and mediatized houses to write about!

Ilana D. Miller, author of The Four Graces. Queen Victoria's Hessian Granddaughters (2011) is the next one out with her article Who Is In the Photo ... Grand Duchess Anastasia Mikhailovna and Her Descendants. The photo which is the starting point for the article shows Duchess Cecilie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Crown Prince Wilhelm of Prussia, Dowager Grand Duchess Anastasia of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Princess Alexandrine (later Queen) of Denmark and her sons, Prince Knud and Prince Frederik (later King Frederik IX). It is a good way of telling the story of family connections, but I wish Miller could have done some more research. The story with King Christian X of Denmark wearing the yellow star during WW2 just isn't true. See for instance Snopes.com or JTA.

Roberto Cortez Gonzáles has contributed with a long and very detailed article called An Interdisciplinary Discussion. The Nassaus of Luxembourg, which I really enjoyed. And it was only part one! Still, I wish the author had read more about the constitutional affairs of Nassau and Luxembourg, as the succession law that prevailed in Luxembourg until 1912 was not Salic, but semi-Salic.

Greg King is perhaps mostly known for his books and articles on the Romanovs, but he also writes about other royal topics, and this time he has given a presentation of the Palace of Queluz outside Lisbon, Portugal. I didn't find the time to visit Queluz when I visited Portugal last summer, and even though I am going to Portugal again this year, I will most likely miss it. But Portugal is certainly a country I would like to return to even a third or fourth time, and the said palace certainly looks interesting to visit.

Italy and it's royal history during WW1 has also been covered many times before, but it is my impression that Janet Ashton's article "Our ally has shamefully betrayed us". Italy Enters the Great War is based on a more varied and "new" selection of sources, and I look forward to reading part 2. The notes on the authors and their works could have been expanded on, though.

And there are many great book reviews, all written by Coryne Hall: "Grand Duchess Marie Pavlovna" (by Galina Korneva & Tatiana Cheboksarova), Eurohistory.com/Likki Rossi Publishing, 2014; "Storfyrstinde Olga i eksil" (by Karsten Fledelius, Kim Frederichsen and Anne Hedeager Krag), Paul Kristensens Forlag, 2014; "Our Duty With The Queen" (by Dickie Arbiter), Blink Publishing, 2014; and finally "The Prussian Princesses. The Sisters of Kaiser Wilhelm II" (by the well-known John van der Kiste), Fonthill Media, 2014 (e-book)/2015 (hard cover).

Finally, Eurohistory brings a selection of Royal News, covering Bavaria, Norway, Parma, Prussia, Sweden, UK, Croy, Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn and Thurn and Taxis.

All in all, issue CIII provides plenty to read and ponder about, and I hope the next issue will arrive soon!

The publisher of The Europan Royal History Royal can be reached at erhj [at] eurohistory.com.

For earlier articles on the magazine, go here.

Updated on 19 July 2015 (incorrect link deleted).