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Dr Jonathan Spangler @jspan.bsky.social · 21d

Ah, oh well.

Dr Jonathan Spangler @jspan.bsky.social · 22d

Say hi if you pass through Manchester.

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Dr Jonathan Spangler @jspan.bsky.social · 23d

To follow on from last week’s post on the new Grand Duke of Luxembourg, here’s a new post on the family of the new Grand Duchess, Stephanie de Lannoy: dukesandprinces.org/2025/10/09/l...

Lannoy: A Quintessentially Belgian Noble House

The new Grand Duchess of Luxembourg, born Countess Stéphanie de Lannoy, comes from an old noble family from the Low Countries. The House of Lannoy is one of the most distinguished noble houses in B…

dukesandprinces.org

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Reposted by Dr Jonathan Spangler

Society for Court Studies @courtstudies.bsky.social · 29d

Check out the latest 'The Court Observer' blog post titled "Theirs For Ever: Marie Antoinette and The Hand Over Ceremony" by Elizabeth Jane Timms!

Read on to discover how Marie Antoinette officially became the Dauphine of France in May 1770.

courtstudies.hypotheses.org/1570

Theirs For Ever: Marie Antoinette and The Hand Over Ceremony

On 7 May 1770, the fourteen-year-old Marie Antoinette, already Dauphine by proxy, approached an island near Kehl on the River Rhine in which she would be formally given to France. It represented the c...

courtstudies.hypotheses.org

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Dr Jonathan Spangler @jspan.bsky.social · 29d

Ohvthe trauma of being a royal child at a public event! #Luxembourg 🇱🇺

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Dr Jonathan Spangler @jspan.bsky.social · Oct 3

Happening right now. Livestream on government.lu

Dr Jonathan Spangler @jspan.bsky.social · Oct 3

Today, 3 October, the Grand Duke of #Luxembourg abdicates in favour of his son #Guillaume. Here's the story of a 'double dynasty', both #Nassau-Weilburg and Bourbon-Parma. How did they come to be joined together? #abdication #monarchy dukesandprinces.org/2025/10/03/n...

Nassau-Weilburg and Luxembourg: one of Europe’s oldest princely dynasties on one of its newest thrones

On 3 October 2025, Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, abdicated his throne in favour of his eldest son, Crown Prince Guillaume. The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg as an independent sovereign state has onl…

dukesandprinces.org

Dr Jonathan Spangler @jspan.bsky.social · Oct 3

Today, 3 October, the Grand Duke of #Luxembourg abdicates in favour of his son #Guillaume. Here's the story of a 'double dynasty', both #Nassau-Weilburg and Bourbon-Parma. How did they come to be joined together? #abdication #monarchy dukesandprinces.org/2025/10/03/n...

Nassau-Weilburg and Luxembourg: one of Europe’s oldest princely dynasties on one of its newest thrones

On 3 October 2025, Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, abdicated his throne in favour of his eldest son, Crown Prince Guillaume. The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg as an independent sovereign state has onl…

dukesandprinces.org

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Reposted by Dr Jonathan Spangler

Greg Jenner @gregjenner.bsky.social · Sep 6

Today at 10am on BBC Radio 4 you can hear the 28 minute radio edit of You’re Dead To Me about Queen Marie Antoinette of France, featuring comedian Jen Brister and our expert Professor Kate Astbury @100days1815.bsky.social

The 57 minute version is also on BBC SOUNDS

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Dr Jonathan Spangler @jspan.bsky.social · Sep 5

Today's news is about the death of the Duchess of Kent. Here's a bit of context of this very ancient English county and titles associated with it, from the Saxon and Norman conquests to Wrest Park in Bedfordshire. dukesandprinces.org/2025/09/05/k... RIP Katherine Kent, lover of tennis and music!

Kent—From Saxon Kingdom to Royal Dukedom

Kent is one of the most familiar names for an English county—but also unique in that it is one of the few that are never appended ‘-shire’ when giving historic names. It is also said to be one of t…

dukesandprinces.org

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Dr Jonathan Spangler @jspan.bsky.social · Aug 29

dukesandprinces.org/2025/08/29/d...

Dukes of Castries: the Wealth of the Mediterranean comes to Versailles

In ancient times there was a road, the Via Domitia, built by the Romans to bring soldiers and trade across the Alps from Italy into southern Gaul, then south to Spain. Cities and towns along this r…

dukesandprinces.org

Dr Jonathan Spangler @jspan.bsky.social · Aug 9

Excited to share the first volume in a new series by @brepols.net , organised by Fabian Persson and me. This book survived Covid and two pregnancies...!

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Dr Jonathan Spangler @jspan.bsky.social · Aug 7

Very excited to get this book in the mail today! I'm looking forward to reading it. Congrats to Zita! #queenship #france

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Reposted by Dr Jonathan Spangler

Society for Court Studies @courtstudies.bsky.social · Aug 1

SCS is happy to announce it has awarded the 2025 Early Career essay prize to Dr Elizabeth Hines.

Her essay, “How to Pawn the Crown Jewels” demonstrates how Charles I was able to use his networks with agents in the Dutch Republic to raise badly needed funds by pawning items

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Dr Jonathan Spangler @jspan.bsky.social · Jul 29

Today #dukesandprinces revisits Raby Castle in County Durham, home to the Dukes of Cleveland of the Vane family, a title previously held by a son and grandson of King Charles II and Lady Castlemaine (the FitzRoys).
dukesandprinces.org/2025/07/30/d...

Dukes of Cleveland: Two FitzRoys and Several Vanes

One of the least known dukedoms in the peerages of Great Britain is that of Cleveland. After starting off as a title for one of the most famous duchesses in Europe, Barbara Villiers, the second and…

dukesandprinces.org

Dr Jonathan Spangler @jspan.bsky.social · Jun 23

Clan Leslie may only have one duke (of Rothes), but its history spans from medieval Scottish lords in Garioch and Fife, to an Austrian field marshal who murdered Wallenstein, to a Russian general, an Irish 'fighting bishop', and the actress Rose Leslie. dukesandprinces.org/2025/06/23/t...

The Leslies: Just one Duke of Rothes but many generals in Scotland, Russia and Austria

‘You know nothing, Jon Snow’, is perhaps a fitting introduction to the family history of Rose Leslie, an actress famous for playing Ygritte the Wildling in Game of Thrones. Snow did in fact know no…

dukesandprinces.org

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Dr Jonathan Spangler @jspan.bsky.social · Jun 13

(And I also once met the heir to the Rusdian throne in a Blockhusters in Oxford , but that was less pleasant)

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Dr Jonathan Spangler @jspan.bsky.social · Jun 13

I was shopping at a mall in Northern Virginia and noticed this very tall handsome stranger looking at the same sweaters I was. I went all mushy inside then noticed it was the Prince of Asturias, now the King of Spain.

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Dr Jonathan Spangler @jspan.bsky.social · Jun 13

I walked in on Sigourney Weaver in a changing room (normally a bathroom) in the Puck Building where I worked in New York. The famous photo shoot space was at the other end of our corridor. She didn't seem particularly bothered...

Dr Jonathan Spangler @jspan.bsky.social · Jun 6

Today in St Andrews, conference on Louis XIV and the provinces. Here, Stanislas Zagun looks at the Duc de Gramont as provincial governor. #FrenchHistory

Dr Jonathan Spangler @jspan.bsky.social · Jun 1

For #dukesandprinces Sunday evening, read how Ireland has native princes too: the MacCarthy princes of Desmond, Carbery and Muskerry. Even an ephemeral 'duc de Montcashel' in the Jacobite peerage? dukesandprinces.org/2025/06/02/t...

The MacCarthys—Irish kings to princes … to dukes?

Ireland did not have dukes and princes created by emperors or kings in the manner of other European kingdoms in the medieval and early modern ages. There were a few dukedoms (Ormond, Leinster, Aber…

dukesandprinces.org

Dr Jonathan Spangler @jspan.bsky.social · May 31

I love going to academic conferences now where all you can hear is the tap tap tapping of younger people and their laptops, and not the speaker...

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Reposted by Dr Jonathan Spangler

Dr Jonathan Spangler @jspan.bsky.social · May 27

Wouldn't it be great to have a historical drama set in early 17th-century Spain with Bella Ramsey playing Queen Margarita? The resemblance is uncanny--she definitely has a Habsburg lower jaw.

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Dr Jonathan Spangler @jspan.bsky.social · May 27

Wouldn't it be great to have a historical drama set in early 17th-century Spain with Bella Ramsey playing Queen Margarita? The resemblance is uncanny--she definitely has a Habsburg lower jaw.

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Reposted by Dr Jonathan Spangler

Royal Studies @royalstudies.bsky.social · May 19

The registration deadline for the @kingjamesconf.bsky.social is quickly approaching! It promises to be a great conference with lots of Royal Studies scholars presenting and in attendance! All information is below 👇

Understanding King James VI & I Conference @kingjamesconf.bsky.social · May 19

UPDATE: Registration will now be open until 8 June

Join us in Glasgow (and online!) from 9-11 July for an amazing line up of speakers and roundtables😃 see the programme below ...

Scan the QR code on the poster to register now 🥳🥳

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Dr Jonathan Spangler @jspan.bsky.social · May 21

I'm writing a short piece about medieval Irish native nobility. Anyone on here a specialist? I'd like to confirm usage of some specialist words.