ADVERTISEMENT

Ever since I was a child, I have been fascinated by historical facts and archaeology. I think humans perceive the past as a series of events; something like a movie that we can’t really feel or touch. I believe the things that bring us closer to the past are those that truly humanize us - the bodies from Pompeii, the perfectly preserved Inca mummies, the personal objects of long-gone historical figures, and more.

I’ve always thought how incredible it would be to see historical events and the famous people the way they actually happened and the way they actually looked. I started Royalty Now in February of 2019, simply as a way for me to see my favorite historical figure, Anne Boleyn, as a woman of modern times. I wanted to know if she could come to life from the few pale, flat portraits we have of her. I started the account to satisfy my own curiosity about what those interesting people of the past would look like if they were standing right in front of me. I’m incredibly thankful for the support and interest the account has received, and can’t wait to see what happens next with other historical people.

More info: Instagram

#1

Nefertiti

Nefertiti

"This bust of Nefertiti (believed to have been sculpted during her lifetime) is famous for its grace and beauty. Nefertiti lived from approximately 1370 - 1330 BC. She was an Egyptian queen and the wife of Akhenaten, an Egyptian Pharaoh. Akhenaten is famous for his attempt to transition Egypt into a monotheistic society (worshipping only the sun god, Aten), instead of a polytheistic one."

Report

#4

Alexander The Great

Alexander The Great

"I did some research on his looks and it is recorded that he had curly golden hair and heterochromia (one eye blue and one eye brown or a combo of both), so he was definitely a striking figure."

Report

ADVERTISEMENT
#5

Agrippina The Younger

Agrippina The Younger

"Agrippina the Younger is someone I only recently learned more about but she had a crazy life. She was the sister of Emperor Caligula and the mother of Emperor Nero. I highly recommend giving her a search if you’re interested in that era of Roman history!"

Report

Add photo comments
POST
juhel avatar
ju Hel
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Her (I think 3rd) husband changed her birthplace, a small village, into a roman city in her name. The oppidum ubiorum became Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium, CCAA. Today known as Cologne (Köln)

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
#8

Mary, Queen Of Scots

Mary, Queen Of Scots

Report

Add photo comments
POST
laurenmoss avatar
Lauren Moss
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Love that you can see the resemblence between Mary and her cousin Elizabeth I!

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
#9

Madame De Pompadour

Madame De Pompadour

"Jeanne Antoinette Poisson, better known as Madame de Pompadour. She first caught the eye of Louis XV at a masked ball in 1745 (it was said that she was dressed as a domino, and he was dressed as a plant) and was his chief mistress thereafter until 1751. Even after she was no longer Louis' mistress, she was a trusted friend, confidante, and advisor, essentially becoming one of the most powerful women at the French court until her death in 1764."

Report

#10

Empress Elisabeth Of Austria

Empress Elisabeth Of Austria

"During her life, Elisabeth (known as Sisi), was known for being beautiful, smart, rebellious and passionate. Definitely worth some digging into if you are interested in late 1800s Europe."

Report

ADVERTISEMENT
#12

Katherine Of Aragon

Katherine Of Aragon

"This portrait of Katherine of Aragon, wife of King Henry VIII and Queen of England from 1509-1533, has always been my favorite. There are several portraits of her that all range in looks, so it’s hard to tell her true likeness. I think this one captures her piety, meekness, and obedience as documented by historians."

Report

#13

Louis XV

Louis XV

"Louis XV is lesser known than his predecessor the Sun King and his heir, Louis XVI, but he was the second-longest reigning monarch in French history. I have always known him by his famous mistresses, Madame De Pompadour and Madame du Barry."

Report

Add photo comments
POST
rhodabike6 avatar
Seabeast
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

He loved working with his hands, apparently. He'd probably have been a mechanic, carpenter, or worked at some other trade in modern times. Maybe a mechanical engineer, if he did go white collar.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#14

Catherine Parr

Catherine Parr

"She was the only wife to outlive the king, who was tyrannical in his last years."

Report

Add photo comments
POST
viviane_katz avatar
Viviane
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Anne of Cleves outlived him as well. She got the best deal: Henry VIII annulled the marriage within a year, gave her some nice properties, a title, and honorary membership to the family as "the King's Beloved Sister" (invitations to court without the hassle of being married to someone toxic).

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
#17

Queen Isabella Of Castile

Queen Isabella Of Castile

"Queen Isabella of Castile, partner to Ferdinand II of Aragon and the queen who sent Columbus on his way to the “new world” in 1492. "

Report

ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#18

Emperor Augustus

Emperor Augustus

"Emperor Augustus (born Octavius, the great-nephew of Julius Caesar) was the first emperor of Rome, ending 500 years of republic. He’s an incredibly controversial figure, especially due to the smart and ruthless way he came to power, but he ruled over a time of relative peace in the Roman empire."

Report

#19

Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln

"Abe Lincoln was the 16th president of the United States from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. Lincoln led the nation through the American Civil War, its bloodiest war and its greatest moral, constitutional, and political crisis. He preserved the Union, abolished slavery, strengthened the federal government, and modernized the U.S. economy."

Report

Add photo comments
POST
dlb avatar
sandra_cesca avatar
Sandra Cesca
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Daniel Day Lewis actually portrayed Lincoln in a movie and won the Oscar for best actor

Load More Replies...
jim_ellington avatar
Jim Ellington
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

He would look just like he did in the scores of photos of him that exist.

kitforrestall avatar
Katherine Forrestall
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Oddly enough, I have always thought he was very attractive. Love his face.

wh4ok avatar
Jon S.
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I like the fact we have photos of Abe. If we didn't (say he lived 700 years ago), we would assume his odd looks were a matter of artistic exaggeration.

doug63 avatar
Doug Swicegood
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

He looks so great and as if he were in existence today! Fabulous job! Perhaps my favorite!

sarahkaratzios avatar
Sarah Karatzios
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think he has somebody else’s ear in the second picture and his head is at a funny angle on his shoulders.

toddjnsn3 avatar
Todd Johnson
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The 1st is a remake -- so the 2nd is just a what he'd look like being fashionable in today's day & age. A modern-day remake of the remake done from way back when.

berniceleung avatar
Bernice Leung
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

With his head turned in the right picture it doesnt look natural

cronepower avatar
Bobby's Girl
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This one has too many Insta-worthy changes -- from the changed slope of his forehead to the reduction of his heavy brow, overgrown in real life by Acromegaly - to his suddenly petite ear, less prominent cheekbone, tweezed eyebrows and smooth hair. Lincoln was no looker.

franke_vreden avatar
shelleyadams avatar
Shelley Adams
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The men in my family had large (farmer) hands and large feet (to support their [taller than most at the time] frame) but not acromegaly. Again, I believe all these features to be genetic not pituitary related. Large feet and hands were normal in the Midwest but not among “cake eaters” on the east coast.

Load More Replies...
shelleyadams avatar
Shelley Adams
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not real impressed by this redo…he had typical midwestern features of his generation and that’s not been captured here. Genetically the men in my family looked like this—tall, thin, dark hair, large ears, big nose, high cheekbones—all of it! Yet, history points out he looked different from others. He doesn’t appear any more different than the men in my family in Iowa.!? Think about it…people mated in the region of where they grew up! People weren’t flying abroad to meet their mate! My point would be the photo is a great representation (duh!) and his outstanding features were unfortunately not reproduced in the new rendition. I have a similar look carried down in my family for 4 generations (according to photography) but in a female version. I may be biased but I always thought he was handsome and appeared more humble and sincere—like a midwestern man of his generation! Stubborn, too! Think of how things would be had he not been our president during those times…?

laschmalsti27 avatar
John Lennon
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

But we already have pictures of abraham lincoln in a suit...

micbea avatar
Michele Beaujardin
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The forehead is all wrong. The ear is too small and the wrong shape. The way the jaw meets the ear is wrong. The chin protrudes too much. The white collar makes his neck look minuscule and there should be a few little hair coming out of his eyebrows ...

anthonybari avatar
Anthony Bari
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It appears that Lincoln's face was copied only from the eyebrows to the chin onto the model's head but the model's original forehead and ear was kept.

anthonybari avatar
Anthony Bari
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It appears that Lincoln's face was copied only from the eyebrows to the chin onto the model's head but the model's forehead and ear was kept.

emmapham avatar
Emma Pham
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

he liked playing pranks as a kid so look at the corner of his mouth like he's trying not to smirk

shirin_hashim avatar
Shirin Hashim
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Theres an mma Ufc fighter zabit magomedsharipov looks like lincoln. Look him up.

leslie-cully avatar
Leslie Cully
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

His skin wouldn't be as rough and weathered these days, so some of that should be smoothed out.

mishte_tine avatar
Mishte Tine
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I may be an outlier, but I think Lincoln was hot. This is not a flattering picture. If he really did have Marfans, it certainly didn’t stop him. My daughters ex had it - an ingrown hair led to emergency open heart surgery. It was touch and go. They literally scraped infected pus off his ribs and sternum. Very tall (6’7”?), lanky, long fingers, huge feet - hard to find shoes looked like Lincoln but Hispanic. I don’t think there is any proof that Lincoln had Marfans, but his appearance does make it a reasonable consideration. He was brilliant and funny. Suffered from severe depression, sadly.

lbelpuss avatar
Janelle Kent
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If you blur your eyes, he looks like a better looking version of Lyle Lovett

dirigobill avatar
Bill
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

He looks good for somebody who slayed all the vampires in America.

sarahhearn57 avatar
Sarah Hearn
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This doesn’t quite work. His head and nose are not in proportion to the body.

factorjl avatar
Janet Factor
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Lincoln’s eyes were not blue. They were gray with brown flecks.

emmanuel_lenain-bernier avatar
Emmanuel Lenain-Bernier
Community Member
4 years ago

This comment has been deleted.

michaelperez avatar
Michael Perez
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Great interpretations generally except for this one. Lincoln referred to his hair as " coarse , black and unruly". This depiction has him with fine , smooth hair. I think something closer to a semi afro look would have been more likely .

jude_weber avatar
Jude Weber
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

ANd to think, he was very unpopular before he saved the country, now known as one of America's most beloved and outstanding presidents! Sound familiar?

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#20

Christina Of Denmark

Christina Of Denmark

"Christina of Denmark, seen here in an original Hans Holbein portrait, lived from 1521 - 1590. Christina was considered as a possible bride for King Henry VIII of England. Christina was not fond of the English King's reputation, given that he had divorced his first wife and beheaded his second wife. The originator of one of the greatest quotes about King Henry in history, Christina famously said: "If I had two heads, one should be at the King of England's disposal." What an amazing denial to a marriage proposal."

Report

ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#21

Katherine Howard

Katherine Howard

"Katherine Howard (c. 1523 – 13 February 1542) was Queen of England for only 16 months as the fifth wife of Henry VIII. Katherine was actually the cousin of Henry's second wife, Anne Boleyn. When they married, he was 49 and she only 16 or 17. Katherine was accused of adultery and executed by the King, ending her short reign as the Queen of England."

Report

#22

Eleanor Of Toledo

Eleanor Of Toledo

"Eleanor of Toledo was an astonishing woman. Originally from Toledo, Spain, she was a bride to a famous member of the Medici Family, Cosimo I de Medici. Her husband regularly consulted with her on matters of politics, and she even served as consort during his time away from Florence."

Report

#23

Madame Du Barry

Madame Du Barry

"This is Madame du Barry - the official mistress of Louis XV after his first love, Madame de Pompadour’s death."

Report

#24

Caligula

Caligula

"Caligula, infamous brat and Roman Emperor."

Report

Add photo comments
POST
christophlindemann avatar
Christoph Lindemann
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You could have just postet a picture of Jack Gleeson (Joffrey Baratheon in Game of Thrones). They look pretty much alike.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#25

Napoleon

Napoleon

"Did you know that Napoleon was most likely 5'7"? That's taller than King Louis XIV. Some say his perceived smaller stature was due to him looking small in comparison to his huge accomplishments. Others say there was an error when translating his true height from French to English. Who do you think he looks like here?"

Report

ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#26

Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin

Report

#28

King Henry VII

King Henry VII

"Here we are with Henry VII, the first tudor monarch, a frequent request from you all. Henry was the last king of England to attain the throne in battle after defeating Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485."

Report

Add photo comments
POST
gomoan4man avatar
Sunny Hernandez
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Thank God for Princess Di and Kate Middleton. Inbreeding leads to so much ugliness. 😁

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#29

Mona Lisa

Mona Lisa

Report

Add photo comments
POST
patrickobrien_1 avatar
Patrick O'Brien
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Close, but if I met the likeness, I'm not sure the first thing I would think of is Mona Lisa. The shape of the face is not quite right and her expression lacks the subtlety of the original.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#30

Grace Kelly

Grace Kelly

"Grace Kelly, American film actress and Princess of Monaco."

Report

Add photo comments
POST
tookangaro avatar
Jim Kang
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Look, she doesn't need you to "improve" her look. She was, and still is stunning.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu

Note: this post originally had 39 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.