Friday, June 14, 2013

Antoine De Saint Exupéry and The Lost Prince

60 years after his death, Antoine de Saint Exupéry, author of The Little Prince, solved the riddle of the lost Hereditary Prince Alexis at Bentheim and at Steinfurt by default. This is for once not a ghost story or a conspiracy theory. Instead it is the story of two fighter pilots lost in World War II that never met in real life.

Alexis Prince zu Bentheim
and zu Steinfurt

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Zurich is More Than Banks

Zurich is the financial center of Switzerland. But it is much more than that; it is a beautiful town full of vibrant life. Rich in history and rich in money, it is listed every year in the top ten cities of the world, when it comes to the title ‘most expensive city’.


Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Queen Edith of the Eastern Franks

When German archaeologists found Queen Edith’s remains in 2008, they were baffled and confounded. The remains had been found in a grave in Magdeburg's cathedral. Nobody had expected the find. True, documents mention her grave in the cathedral, and the grave had been a prominent one marked with her name. Then why the confusion?


Saturday, June 8, 2013

Prince and People of Liechtenstein

The Principality of Liechtenstein is sandwiched between Austria and Switzerland. It is a hereditary principality with political powers shared equally between the elected parliament and the prince. Nobody knows what happens if ever they should agree to disagree because there is no proviso for a resolution process. The prince is also head of state.


Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Wellingtons Through History

Weidenfeld & Nicholson published Wellington: A Journey Through My Family by Lady Jane Wellesley. Lady Jane is the daughter of the present 8th Duke of Wellington. Her book takes readers a bit haphazardly but amusingly on a ride through 200 years of family history spiced with many anecdotes.