New Book: “The Entitlement to Rule” by Stephen Kerr

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monarchies, international law, The Entitlement to Rule, Stephen Kerr

 “Knowledge is power.  It opens up the limitless possibilities of the future”

Dr. Stephen Kerr’s book “The Entitlement to Rule: Legal, Non-Territorial Sovereignty in International Law” is one of those singular, path breaking works that throws new light on a field of study, in this case, as its title indicates, on the complex legal and philosophical sinews that keep alive monarchies, which through the upheavals of history, have lost their sovereign role. The volume is an excellent structured collection of ideas and interpretations, which brings in a logical and easy to follow manner multiple aspects of international law, history, and symbolism of monarchies in the special situation of deposed monarchs, the complex problematic surrounding their status and interaction with their home and host states and nations. This type of writing fills a huge gap within the royal studies field, more acute so as a series of monarchs were deposed and often reinstated during ferment periods that followed the great conflagrations of the 20^th century.

Dr. Stephen Kerr is most qualified to undertake the task of writing such a volume in the light of his experience as a professor of international public law and work as a special counsel to the Imperial and Royal House of Habsburg. He magisterially expounds the multifaceted status of the deposed monarchs, which requires in depth knowledge of monarchic legal rights and principles, ranging from natural to international and constitutional law, rules and laws of succession, sovereign rights and legal responsibilities or political theory notions of divine right of kings. The sovereignty is the heart and soul of a monarchical institution, as much as the “the sovereign is the soul of society”. For all those legal rights and moral values the royal families have the right to be seen as fons honorum. This book is also a model to understanding the future of the monarchies, the values that stand at the foundation of the kingly rules and their functioning mechanisms.

I highly recommend this first class writing that has relevance not only to those interested in royal studies, but also to the wider fields of history and legal studies. Diana Mandache

Mementos from my book launch “Fatherland and Destiny. The Crown Princess of Romania”

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"Patrie & Destin" by Diana Mandache, Crown Princess Margarita of Romania, Diana Mandache, Familia regala, King Michael of Romania, Romanian Royal Family, South-East European Monarchs

“Patrie şi Destin. Principesa Moştenitoare a României” by Diana Mandache, Bucharest, Litera publishing, 2012; hardback, 288 pages + 32 pages with 92 photos (colour & black-white). ISBN 9786066005876

HRH Crown Princess Margarita of Romania & the author giving autographs to the public, 31 May 2012, Bucharest, Bookfest

Book launch invitation “Patrie & Destin”

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"Patrie & Destin" de Diana Mandache, Crown Princess Margarita of Romania, King Michael of Romania, Principesa Mostenitoare a Romaniei, Romanian Royal Family

Your are invited to the book launch of “Fatherland and Destiny. The Crown Princess of Romania” by Diana Mandache.

Thursday 31 May 2012, 2 pm, at The ‘Bookfest’

Bucharest (Romexpo), Pavilion C2,  LITERA publishing house

“Fatherland and Destiny” [Patrie si Destin] brings for the first time together, a significant part of the myriad of events, places and people encountered throughout the life of Her Royal Highness The Crown Princess Margarita of Romania. Her destiny is often congruent with that of her father, King Michael, and her life has been profoundly influenced by the more recent history of her country and south east Europe. His Majesty is the one who, by naming Princess Margarita as his successor, has shown vision in understanding the necessity to adapt to the realities of the new century, paralleling the approach of his illustrious predecessors King Carol I or King Ferdinand, in the 19th or the 20th century. Modernity and adaptability to new conditions thus ensures the continuation of the monarchy. Diana Mandache

New Book: Elizabeth the Queen by Sally Bedell Smith

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British Royal Family, Queen Elizabeth II

From the moment of her ascension to the throne in 1952 at the age of twenty-five, Queen Elizabeth II has been the object of unparalleled scrutiny. But through the fog of glamour and gossip, how well do we really know the world’s most famous monarch? Drawing on numerous interviews and never-before-revealed documents, acclaimed biographer Sally Bedell Smith pulls back the curtain to show in intimate detail the public and private lives of Queen Elizabeth II, who has led her country and Commonwealth through the wars and upheavals of the last sixty years with unparalleled composure, intelligence, and grace.

In Elizabeth the Queen, we meet the young girl who suddenly becomes “heiress presumptive” when her uncle abdicates the throne. We meet the thirteen-year-old Lilibet as she falls in love with a young navy cadet named Philip and becomes determined to marry him, even though her parents prefer wealthier English aristocrats. We see the teenage Lilibet repairing army trucks during World War II and standing with Winston Churchill on the balcony of Buckingham Palace on V-E Day. We see the young Queen struggling to balance the demands of her job with her role as the mother of two young children. Sally Bedell Smith brings us inside the palace doors and into the Queen’s daily routines—the “red boxes” of documents she reviews each day, the weekly meetings she has had with twelve prime ministers, her physically demanding tours abroad, and the constant scrutiny of the press—as well as her personal relationships: with Prince Philip, her husband of sixty-four years and the love of her life; her children and their often-disastrous marriages; her grandchildren and friends.

Queen Elizabeth at the British Library

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British Library, British Monarchy, British Royal Family, Queen Elizabeth II

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Queen Elizabeth II visits the British Library to open an exhibition entitled “Royal Manuscripts: the Genius of Illumination”.

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Royal Manuscripts: The Genius of Illumination/ 11 November 2011- 13 March 2012

Royal Manuscripts: The Genius of Illumination is the British Library’s first major exhibition to bring together the Library’s Royal collection, a treasure trove of illuminated manuscripts collected by the kings and queens of England between the 9th and 16th centuries. This dazzling exhibition will debunk the myth that these were ‘the Dark Ages’ by showcasing beautiful artistic artefacts.

Petit Clin D’oeil Breton / A Small Wink From Brittany by Sophie de Roumanie

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Princess Sophie de Roumanie

Petit Clin D’oeil Breton by HRH Princess Sophie of Romania

http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/2531284

This is Sophie de Roumanie’s long-awaited third photography book.

As poetic as her first two books, this new volume shows you the Brittany she loves from a delightfully enchanting point of view.

The photographs in this book complement each other and take you through the different departements which make up the Brittany of today and of yesterday. You will discover this region through her images much the same way she did close to ten years ago.

Sophie fell under the spell of Brittany and settled there. Her work reveals the soul of Brittany as only a Breton artist can, and it can be said that she is Breton by adoption.

By opening this book, you will enter the magical world of Breton beauty that Sophie’s artistry captures for you.

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Voici le troisième livre de photographies tant attendu de Sophie de Roumanie.

Tout aussi poétique que les précédents, ce nouveau volume propose au lecteur un point de vue tout à fait charmant de la région où elle a choisi de s’installer, la Bretagne.

Les photographies dans ce livre se complémentent et vous emmènent dans les différents départements dont est faite la Bretagne d’hier et d’aujourd’hui. Sophie de Roumanie vous fait découvrir la Bretagne de façon aléatoire, à traver sont objectif, tout comme elle-même la découvrit il y a bientôt dix ans.

Bien qu’elle ne soit pas Bretonne de naissance, ses photographies sont autant de tableaux à découvrir puisqu’ils reflètent l’âme bretonne que seul un artiste breton peut le révéler. On peut dire que Sophie de Roumanie est bretonne d’adoption.

En ouvrant cet ouvrage, vous pénétrez dans un monde de beauté ou se traduit l’affection profonde que le photographe ressent et traduit pour vous par le biais de son appareil photo.

“Dearest Missy”

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"Dearest Missy" by Diana Mandache, Diana Mandache, Duchess of Coburg, Duchess of Edinburgh, Duchess of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, Marie Alexandrovna, Princess Marie of Edinburgh

The Letters of Marie Alexandrovna, Grand Duchess of Russia, Duchess of Edinburgh and her daughter, Princess Marie of Edinburgh, Crown Princess of Romania (1879-1900); hardback, 472 pp., 40 photos , RRB, October 2011.

Marie Alexandrovna’s life and character has been imprinted by her upbringing at the Russian imperial court, as the daughter of Tsar Alexander II, in a grandiose and yet level-headed milieu that in a great measure personified her father’s way of life and vision of the world. Her personality was thus a distinctive mix of dominant behaviour and imperial outlook, tempered by an astute, realistic perception of the world. Diana Mandache

If you would like to order a signed copy please send a message in that regard to  dianamandache@yahoo.co.uk (for more details click here)    

Order from:  www.amazon.com

London: Hatchards – 187 Piccadilly, London, W1J 9LE.

Majesty Magazine (online): www.majestymagazine.com.

Hague: Van Hoogstraten (online): www.hoogstraten.nl
Paris: Galignani, 224 rue de Rivoli, 1er.

Royal Book News Review

From Rosvall Royal Books:

Today we publish a new book in our series on the Royal Families of Europe. This one is called DEAREST MISSY and consists of the correspondence between Marie Alexandrovna, Grand Duchess of Russia and Duchess of Edinburgh and of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and her daughter, Marie, Crown Princess of Romania 1879-1900. A truly fascinating collection of old letters, transcribed and edited by Romanian historian Dr. Diana Mandache. Many rare and never before published illustrations.