Murielle Schlup06.11.2025The 1954 state visit to Switzerland of Haile Selassie (1892–1975), the last Ethiopian emperor, caused quite a stir. Some of his gifts and a belated thank-you letter sparked irritation and gave rise to speculation.
Mégane Cavin09.10.2025The guest book of the Suchard chocolate factory in Neuchâtel bears witness to a rich local heritage. A throwback to a prosperous industrial past, it contains a reminder of an unforgettable royal visit: that of Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier III in 1960.
Géraldine Lysser25.09.2025Dutch king Willem III came to Switzerland on several occasions. But one particular sojourn by Lake Geneva in 1875 led to uproar when the king repeatedly exposed himself in public.
Peter Haenger09.09.2025The first King of Iraq died in Bern aged just 48 in September 1933. Who was Faisal I, and how did his early death impact the Hashemite dynasty?
Michael van Orsouw13.06.2025Napoleon III, Emperor of the French (1808–1873) grew up in Salenstein in the canton of Thurgau, which is why he spoke the local Swiss German dialect. Although he was French, the people of Thurgau awarded him honorary citizenship. When Switzerland refused to expel him, it almost resulted in war with France.
Michael van Orsouw11.06.2025Louis-Philippe (1773–1850), Duke of Orléans and the man who would eventually become King of the French, spent some time in Switzerland after fleeing the turmoil that followed the French Revolution. He lived in the cantons of Zurich, Zug, Aargau and Graubünden – and his story continues to inspire Swiss novelists to this day.
Michael van Orsouw03.06.2025Prince Philip, the Queen’s consort and father of the current British monarch, visited Switzerland many times ‒ far more often than his wife. On one such occasion, he took part in the 1981 European Four-in-Hand Carriage Driving Championship held in Zug, where his actions placed the jury in a delicate situation.
Michael van Orsouw01.05.2025In her day, Queen Victoria was the most powerful woman in the world. She came to Switzerland in 1868 to rest and recuperate, and made numerous sketches and paintings of the Swiss scenery. Many of these watercolours and drawings survive today.
