Monthly Archives: June 2013

Coronation of King George V and Queen Mary

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2013
Revised and Expanded 2023

The Coronation Ceremony of His Most Gracious Majesty King George V in Westminster Abbey. 22nd June 1911 © National Portrait Gallery, London (used with permission)

The Coronation Ceremony of His Most Gracious Majesty King George V in Westminster Abbey. 22nd June 1911
© National Portrait Gallery, London (used with permission)

Check out all our British coronation articles at the link below:

King George V became Sovereign upon the death of his father, King Edward VII, on May 6, 1910.  The following year, on June 22, 1911, King George V and his consort, Queen Mary, were crowned at Westminster Abbey.  The guests were all in place by 8:30 am although the service did not begin until 11: am.  At 10:30, King George V and Queen Mary left Buckingham Palace in the Gold State Coach, in a grand procession to Westminster Abbey.  Following the traditional Coronation ceremony, including the homage of their eldest son, The Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII, and Duke of Windsor), the newly crowned King and Queen returned to Buckingham Palace, where they appeared on the balcony several times throughout the day.

Peers and peeresses arrive at Westminster Abbey for the coronation of King George V and Queen Mary. All peers and peeresses were invited along with all Members of Parliament.

King George V and Queen Mary’s eldest son The Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII and The Duke of Windsor) and their only daughter Princess Mary (later The Princess Royal) in their coronation garb.

King Georg V and Queen Mary’s coronation was one of the last great gatherings of royalty before World War I. Many of the foreign royals listed below are from monarchies that ceased to exist in the aftermath of World War I or later during the 20th century. Among the 6,000 guests at the coronation service were:

British Royal Family

Foreign Royalty

A photo taken on June 20, 1911, two days before the coronation, shows the Coronation Chair in front of the high altar at Westminster Abbey

Westminster Abbey, the site of English and British coronations going back to 1066, had closed a month earlier to prepare for the event.  In order to accommodate the 6,000 invited guests, the fixed pews were removed and Chippendale-style chairs were put in place, each carved with a royal coronet and inscribed with the guest’s name.  Afterward, the guests were given the opportunity to purchase the chairs as souvenirs.  A brilliant new carpet was designed and installed, and a special annex was built to serve as the robing room for the King and Queen.

Read more at these links:

Over 50,000 troops took part in the festivities, marching in the procession and lining the route.  Special camps were set up around London to accommodate them – in Hyde Park and Kensington Park for the British troops, in Alexandra Park for the Dominion troops, and in Hampton Court Palace for the Indian troops.

G5-M Coronation 1911

Official Coronation photo

King George V re-established the tradition of being crowned with St. Edward’s Crown, last used for King William III at the coronation of King William III and his wife and co-ruler Queen Mary II in 1689.  St. Edward’s Crown was only used for the actual crowning part of the Coronation ceremony, after which the King wore the Imperial State Crown, created for Queen Victoria’s coronation in 1838 and also used for King Edward VII’s coronation in 1902.)  This is the crown he is wearing in the photograph above.

Queen Mary’s Crown as it looked in 1911; Credit – Wikipedia

In keeping with the tradition started by Queen Adelaide in 1831, a new crown was created for Queen Mary, containing the Koh-i-Noor diamond and the Cullinan III and Cullinan IV diamonds.  Previous Queen Consorts used the Crown of Mary of Modena.  Queen Mary’s new crown was designed with eight arches, which were removable so that it could be worn as a circlet.  This is how Queen Mary later wore it to the coronation of her son, King George VI, in 1937. The  Koh-i-Noor diamond was transferred to the Crown of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother in 1937 for her coronation, and it will remain in that crown. Queen Camilla was crowned using Queen Mary’s Crown on May 6, 2023. Modifications included re-setting the crown with the original Cullinan III and IV diamonds, and additionally the Cullinan V diamond, and removing four of its eight half-arches.

A brief extract from the diary of King George V on the day of the Coronation:

“The Service in the Abby was most beautiful and impressive, but it was a terrible ordeal.  IT was grand, yet simple & most dignified & went without a hitch.  I nearly broke down when dear David came to do homage to me, as it reminded me so much when I did the same thing to beloved Papa, he did it so well.  Darling May looked lovely & it was indeed a comfort to have her by my side as she has been ever to me during these last 18 years.”

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John, 1st Duke of Bedford

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2013

John, 1st Duke of Bedford praying before St. George, Credit – Wikipedia

Born on June 20, 1389, John was the third surviving son of the future King Henry IV of England and his first wife Mary de Bohun.  His paternal grandparents were John of Gaunt (son of King Edward III of England) and Blanche of Lancaster, the heiress of England’s wealthiest and most powerful peer, Henry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of Lancaster.  It was through Blanche that the Duchy of Lancaster came into the royal family.  His maternal grandparents were Humphrey de Bohun, 7th Earl of Hereford, and Joan Fitzalan, daughter of Richard FitzAlan, 10th Earl of Arundel  When John was five years old, his mother died while giving birth to her last child Philippa.

John had five surviving siblings:

In 1399, John’s father declared himself King Henry IV, imprisoned his cousin King Richard II, who died in 1400 under mysterious circumstances, and bypassed Richard’s seven-year-old heir-presumptive, Edmund de Mortimer.  In 1403, John was made Constable of England and in 1410 he was confirmed in that position for life.  His father King Henry IV died in 1413 and his brother became King Henry V.  In 1414, John’s brother created him Duke of Bedford, Earl of Kendal, and Earl of Richmond.

When King Henry V died at the early age of 35 in 1422, he left his nine-month-old son to succeed him as King Henry VI.  John served as Regent for his young nephew and fought many battles against the French.  It was John who tried and executed Joan of Arc.

John married Anne of Burgundy, daughter of John II the Fearless, Duke of Burgundy and Margaret of Bavaria in June of 1423.  The couple was childless.  Anne died on November 14, 1432, at the Hôtel de Bourgogne in Paris, France from the plague.

Anne of Burgundy, Duchess of Bedford

On April 22, 1433, John married 17-year-old Jacquetta of Luxembourg, daughter of Peter I, Count of Saint-Pol, Conversano and Brienne and Margaret de Baux in Thérouanne, France.  The marriage was short-lived and childless as John, Duke of Bedford died on September 14, 1435, at age 46 at his Castle of Joyeux Repos in Rouen, Normandy, France.  He was buried at Rouen Cathedral in France. John’s widow Jacquetta married Richard Woodville, 1st Earl Rivers in 1437 and had fourteen children including Elizabeth Woodville, the wife of King Edward IV.

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Prince Aloys of Liechtenstein

Aloys of Liechtenstein with his wife Elisabeth Amalie and their oldest son, the future Franz Joseph II of Liechtenstein. Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons

June 17, 1869 – Birth of Aloys of Liechtenstein

Aloys’ Wikipedia page

Born in Hollenegg, Austria, Aloys was the son of cousins Alfred of Liechtenstein (grandson of Johann I Joseph, ruling Prince of Liechtenstein) and Henriette of Liechtenstein (a daughter of Aloys II, Prince of Liechtenstein). Aloys was also the nephew and first cousin of Franz I, Prince of Liechtenstein, who was childless.

Aloys was described as very studious and well-educated. As great-grandson of the reigning prince and with a living older brother, Aloys’ chances of succeeding in Liechtenstein were remote for most of his life. However, as the main line of Liechtenstein princes slowly died out, it became clearer that Aloys would eventually become first in line. Finding a suitable bride as a possible future consort and mother of his heirs became paramount.

Some do the exercise in the morning, it will be effective even in the evening for this latest innovation, you’ll probably want to find out why this pill has become so popular. purchase generic cialis After some days of doing this low cost viagra exercise you can get extra height. generic cialis usa You can buy Kamagra and Dapoxetine over the internet. Between the observed adverse effects of the medication during clinical trial are headache, flushing, dyspepsia, nasal congestion and brand viagra canada sale impaired vision, which include photophobia and blurred vision. While spending time at court in Vienna, Aloys met Archduchess Elisabeth Amalie of Austria. Elisabeth was the daughter of Archduke Carl Ludwig of Austria and Maria Teresa of Portugal. Elisabeth was the niece of Emperor Franz Josef of Austria and the half-sister of his heir, Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Through her mother’s many sisters, Elisabeth was also connected to the royal and noble families of Luxembourg, Parma, and Belgium. Elisabeth was also a very devout Catholic. The couple grew very fond of one another during their time at court.

Aloys’ engagement to Elisabeth was announced in October 1902. There was some question at the time that the marriage was not equal given Elisabeth’s close connections with the Austrian Emperor and Aloys’ rather minor status in an obscure principality. Aloys was actually considered an Austrian citizen before the engagement; a marriage with an ordinary Austrian citizen would have robbed Elisabeth of her titles. However, the marriage had the full blessing of Franz Josef, who agreed to consider the Liechtenstein princes as foreign so Elisabeth would still be considered Her Imperial and Royal Highness.

Aloys and Elisabeth married on April 20, 1903 in Vienna, with Franz Josef in attendance. As a token of their appreciation to the Emperor, the couple named their first son (the future Franz Joseph II of Liechtenstein) for him and had Franz Josef stand as godfather to the child. The two raised their family of eight children at several castles in Austria, including Gross-Ullersdorf Castle in Moravia and Frauenthal Castle. The family also spent at least part of the year in Liechtenstein, unusual for the princely family up until that time.

As the years went by, Aloys realized that if he were to inherit the princely throne, he would do so as an older man. Aloys surrendered his rights to the throne of Liechtenstein in 1923 in favor of his son Franz Joseph with the hopes of providing a long-lived ruler to the principality. Franz Joseph became the reigning prince in 1938 following the abdication of his granduncle Franz I.

Aloys died at Vaduz Castle in 1955 at the age of 86 following a bout of influenza. Elisabeth survived him by five years, dying in 1960 at the age of 82. The two are buried in St. Florian Cathedral in Vaduz, Liechtenstein.

Princess Henrietta of England, Duchess of Orléans

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2013

Princess Henrietta of England, Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Known as Henrietta-Anne during her years at the French court, she is an ancestor of the royal families of Belgium, Luxembourg, and Spain.  When the line of Henriette-Anne’s brother King James II of England died out, the Jacobite claims to the British throne descended from her daughter Anne Marie d’Orléans, Queen of Sardinia. The Orléanist pretenders to the French throne and the Savoy pretenders to the Italian throne descend from Henrietta-Anne.

Princess Henrietta was born on June 16, 1644, in the midst of the English Civil War at Bedford House in Exeter, England, the home of William Russell, 5th Earl of Bedford, where her mother had fled from Oxford, England to safety.  It was in Oxford shortly before her birth that Henrietta’s parents, King Charles I and Henrietta Maria of France, last saw each other.  Henrietta Maria’s parents were King Henri IV of France, who had been assassinated when she was a year old, and Marie de Medici from the famous House of Medici.

Princess Henrietta, drawing by Anthony Van Dyck; Credit – Wikipedia

Henrietta’s siblings who survived infancy:

Henrietta on the right with her brother James and Charles, circa 1660; Credit – Wikipedia

Henrietta was well connected to European royalty through her maternal aunts and uncles: Louis XIII, King of France; Elisabeth, Queen of Spain, wife of Philip IV, King of Spain; Christine Marie, Duchess of Savoy, wife of Vittorio Amedeo I, Duke of Savoy; and Gaston, Duke of Orléans.  Her only surviving paternal aunt or uncle was Elizabeth Stuart who had married Frederick V, Elector Palatine.  It was through Elizabeth’s daughter Sophia that the Protestant Hanovers came to the British throne in 1714 through the 1701 Act of Settlement.

About a month after Henrietta’s birth, her mother went to France to ask her nephew, King Louis XIV, for assistance for the Royalist side in the English Civil War.  Henrietta was left in the care of Lady Dalkeith (born Anne Villiers, the daughter of Sir Edward Villiers).  While in Lady Dalkeith’s care, King Charles I saw his daughter for the first time and ordered her baptized with the Church of England rites.  In 1646, Lady Dalkeith disguised herself and the princess as peasants and fled to France, reuniting the princess with her mother.  Lady Dalkeith was Princess Henrietta’s governess in France until 1651.

At the French court, Henrietta was given the additional name of Anne, in honor of Anne of Austria, widow of King Louis XIII and mother of King Louis XIV. Thereafter, the princess was known as Henriette-Anne, but she was called Minette by her family and friends.  Mother and daughter were given apartments at the Louvre Palace, the use of the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, and a pension, much of which was given to King Charles I in England and to royalist exiles in France.  In January of 1649, King Charles I was beheaded and Henriette-Anne and her mother moved to the Palais Royal with her cousins King Louis XIV and Philippe, Duke of Orléans and their mother Anne of Austria, Dowager Queen of France.  It was also at this time that Henrietta Maria decided to have her daughter brought up as a Roman Catholic.

Henrietta Maria wanted her daughter to marry her cousin King Louis XIV, but his mother was not in favor of the marriage.  Instead, Louis married Maria Theresa of Spain, another first cousin, in 1660.  Also in 1660, the monarchy was restored in England and Henriette-Anne’s oldest brother became King Charles II.  Now that Henriette-Anne was the sister of the English king, her cousin Philippe became interested in marrying her.  Philippe had homosexual affairs, but apparently, he was intent on fulfilling his dynastic responsibility of having children.  The cousins married on April 1, 1661, and they moved into the Palais des Tuileries.  Philippe was styled Monsieur and so Henrietta was then styled as Madame.  Henriette-Anne and Philippe had four children.  The paternity of the children was doubted by some members of the court as Henriette-Anne had affairs, including an affair with her husband’s lover Guy Armand de Gramont, Comte de Guiche.

Henrietta with her daughter Marie Louise by Jean Nocret, 1670; Credit – Wikipedia

Henriette-Anne regularly corresponded with the playwrights Molière and Racine and the fabulist La Fontaine.  She had an interest in gardening and created the water gardens at the Palais Royal, and also had a large art collection focusing on the Flemish artist Van Dyck and the Italian artist Correggio.  In 1669, Henriette-Anne’s mother Henrietta Maria died after mistakenly taking too many opiates as a painkiller.

The Death of the Duchess of Orléans; Credit – Wikipedia

Beginning in 1667, Henriette-Anne’s health started to suffer.  She had pains in her side and her digestive problems became so severe that she could only drink milk.  On June 29, 1670, Henriette-Anne drank a glass of iced chicory water and immediately felt severe pain in her side.  She thought she had been poisoned and asked to be given an antidote.  The last rites were administered and Henriette-Anne died on June 30, 1670, at the age of 26, at the Château de Saint-Cloud in Hauts-de-Seine, France.  There were rumors that her husband’s lover Philippe, Chevalier de Lorraine had poisoned her.

An autopsy was conducted by 17 French doctors and two English doctors and attended by the British ambassador and an audience of 100.  The official report stated that Henriette-Anne died from “cholera morbus caused by heated bile” which was a medical diagnosis at the time for acute gastroenteritis occurring in summer and autumn with severe cramps, diarrhea, and vomiting.  Many of the autopsy observers disagreed with this diagnosis.  Henriette-Anne was buried at the Basilica of St. Denis near Paris, the burial site of the Kings of France and their families.

Henrietta’s funeral; Credit – Wikipedia

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Henry Fitzroy, Duke of Richmond and Somerset, Illegitimate Son of King Henry VIII of England

by Emily McMahon  © Unofficial Royalty 2013

Henry Fitzroy, Duke of Richmond and Somerset; Credit: Wikipedia

Born on June 15, 1519, Henry Fitzroy was the illegitimate son of King Henry VIII of England by his mistress Elizabeth Blount, a maid of honor to Catherine of Aragon, better known as Bessie Blount. Fitzroy (a surname meaning “son of the king”) was born in relative seclusion at the Augustinian priory of St. Lawrence in Blackmore, Essex. Elizabeth was between 17 and 21 years of age when she gave birth to the King’s son after becoming his mistress a few years prior.

Fitzroy’s birth came at a crucial time in his father’s marriage to Catherine of Aragon as a few months before Catherine had given birth to the last of her six children, a stillborn daughter. The future Mary I was Henry’s and Catherine’s only surviving child, and Henry was wary of entrusting his kingdom to a sickly female. Fitzroy’s birth proved to Henry that he could father a healthy male child, and convinced him that Catherine was at fault for the lack of male heirs.

Fitzroy was christened a few weeks later with Cardinal Thomas Wolsey and possibly the King himself serving as godfathers.  Fitzroy is King Henry VIII’s only acknowledged illegitimate child. Although little documentation from his first years survives, Fitzroy is thought to have been cared for in the royal nursery with his half-sister, Mary.

Fitzroy was given his own London residence in 1525, the same year he was raised to the peerage as the Duke of Richmond and Somerset. He was also given numerous titles such as Lord High Admiral of England, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, and Lord President of the Council, among others. Fitzroy also spent time in Cambridge living with his tutor, Richard Croke.

The granting of Fitzroy’s peerage and many titles suggests the esteem in which his father held him. Henry wished to make Fitzroy his heir if he could, even considering the possibility of marriage between Fitzroy and his half-sister Mary. Due to the scandal surrounding Henry’s divorce from Catherine of Aragon, the Pope was willing to provide a dispensation to accommodate the unconventional marriage to prevent Henry’s eventual break from the Church.

Fitzroy was said to be rather handsome in his teens, greatly resembling King Henry VIII. He was also reportedly intelligent and well-behaved. In 1533, Fitzroy married Lady Mary Howard, a daughter of Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk, the uncle of Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, two of Henry VIII’s wives. Henry’s second wife Anne Boleyn arranged the marriage. Fitzroy and Mary reportedly did not consummate their relationship, possibly due to their young age or concerns for Fitzroy’s health.

Fitzroy died somewhat unexpectedly on July 23, 1536, at the age of seventeen, likely of tuberculosis. At this point, Henry VIII had made both of his daughters, Mary and Elizabeth, illegitimate and was left with no real heir. Henry VIII may have been planning to legitimize his son in the years before Fitzroy’s death. He was buried rather hastily at Thetford Priory in Norfolk and with no autopsy, suggesting that perhaps he died of the plague. Fitzroy’s remains were later moved to St. Michael the Archangel Church in Framlingham, Suffolk, England where his widow was later interred. Fitzroy may have left two illegitimate daughters of his own at the time of his death, but their fates are unknown. His younger half-brother succeeded their father as King Edward VI in 1547.

Tomb of Henry Fitzroy and his wife Lady Mary Howard; Credit – https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/10925235/henry-fitzroy#view-photo=9540028

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Grand Duchess Marie-Adélaïde of Luxembourg

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2013

Grand Duchess Marie-Adélaïde of Luxembourg, Credit – Wikipedia

Her Grand Ducal Highness Princess Marie-Adélaïde of Luxembourg (Marie-Adélaïde Thérèse Hilda Wilhelmine) was born on June 14, 1894, at Berg Castle in Colmar-Berg, Luxembourg.  At the time of her birth, her father was the Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg and her grandfather Adolphe was the Grand Duke of Luxembourg.  In 1905, her father became Grand Duke Guillaume IV of Luxembourg.  Marie-Adélaïde’s mother was Infanta Marie Anne of Portugal, daughter of the deposed King Miguel I of Portugal and Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg.  Guillaume, who was Protestant, had married the Catholic Marie Anne because he thought Luxembourg should have a Roman Catholic ruler.  All the rulers since have been Roman Catholic.

Marie-Adélaïde’s grandfather Adolphe had become Grand Duke of Luxembourg because of the Salic Law.  Up until 1890, the King of the Netherlands was also the Grand Duke of Luxembourg.  However, when Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands succeeded her father in 1890, she could not become Grand Duchess of Luxembourg because of the Salic Law which forbade female succession.  The Grand Duchy’s crown passed to Adolphe, Duke of Nassau via the Nassau Pact.

Ironically, Adolphe’s son Guillaume had six daughters and no sons and therefore, there was another succession problem.  There were only two male heirs, Guillaume’s uncle Prince Nikolaus-Wilhelm of Nassau and Prince Nikolaus-Wilhelm of Nassau’s son by a morganatic marriage, Count Georg Nikolaus von Merenberg.  In 1905, Prince Nikolaus-Wilhelm of Nassau died and in 1907 Grand Duke William declared the Counts of Merenberg were not dynasts and named his eldest daughter Marie-Adélaïde heiress-presumptive.

The five sisters of Marie-Adélaïde:

Marie-Adélaïde (seated on the right) with her mother (seated in the middle) and her five sisters in 1920. Photo credit – Wikipedia

Grand Duke Guillaume died on February 25, 1912, and Marie-Adélaïde became the first reigning Grand Duchess of Luxembourg at the age of 17.  Her mother served as regent until her 18th birthday.  Marie-Adélaïde had a great interest in politics and government and played an active role as Grand Duchess.  A number of her political views were colored by her devout belief in Roman Catholicism.

In the early days of World War I, Germany violated the neutral stance of Luxembourg and invaded the country.  Marie-Adélaïde issued a formal protest, but this was not effective in preventing the military occupation by Germany. She decided not to resist the much stronger Germans, but instead to maintain her country’s neutrality. However, during World War I,  Marie-Adélaïde developed a rather friendly relationship with the Germans, including hosting Wilhelm II, German Emperor at the palace.  This caused her political opponents in Luxembourg to call her pro-German. Members of the parliament began to call for her abdication in January 1919. After consulting with the Prime Minister, Marie-Adélaïde abdicated on January 14, 1919.  Her sister Charlotte succeeded her.

After her abdication, Marie-Adélaïde entered a Carmelite convent in Modena, Italy.  Eventually, she became a nun, joining the Little Sisters of the Poor in Rome, taking the name Sister Marie of the Poor. Her health began to worsen so she left the convent and settled at Hohenburg Castle in Bavaria, Germany where she died of influenza on January 24, 1924, at the age of 29.  On October 22, 1947, her remains were returned to her home country and were buried in the Grand Ducal Crypt of the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg.

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The Berlin City Palace (Berliner Stadtschloss)

by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2013

Berliner Stadtschloss c1920. Photo credit: Wikipedia

On Wednesday, June 12, 2013, the foundation stone was laid for the reconstruction of the Berlin City Palace, once a principal residence of the Kings of Prussia.

The Palace was first built between 1443-1451 by Friedrich II, Margrave and Elector of Brandenburg (known as Irontooth). It included a Catholic chapel, later elevated to a parish church, and consecrated by Pope Nicholas V. The original palace was torn down in 1538 by Margrave Joachim II, who had a new, larger palace built in the Italian Renaissance style, with further alterations continuing over the next 175 years.

In 1699, Friedrich I, King in Prussia, had the palace overhauled again in the Baroque style, with the building enclosing a courtyard. In 1845, the dome was finally added, during Friedrich Wilhelm IV’s reign. This would be the last major change to the exterior of the palace.

Berliner Stadschloss c1900. Photo credit: Wikipedia

The Stadtschloss became the primary palace of the newly created German Empire in 1871 and remained so until 1918 when the German Socialist Republic was announced from a balcony at the palace (following the abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm II).

For some years, the palace was used for museum space, as well as official functions, before sitting empty for many years leading up to World War II. It was heavily bombed by Allied forces in 1945. Being within the Soviet Union Zone after the war, the building was used as a backdrop for a Soviet movie – ‘The Battle of Berlin’. Live artillery was used during the filming of the movie, which further damaged the building. Finally, in 1950, the building was razed by the Soviets, with the open space now used as parade grounds. The only part that was saved was the balcony from which the German Socialist Republic was proclaimed. This was moved to the Council of State building, forming the main entrance.

In the 1970s, a new building was erected on the site – the Palace of the Republic (‘Palast der Republik’), however, it was later closed and torn down. After the reunification of Germany, several groups promoted the rebuilding of the original Stadtschloss, most suggesting the exteriors being recreated with more modern space inside. Finally, in 2007, the German Parliament voted to reconstruct the palace. Three of the exterior façades will be rebuilt, while the interior is a modern structure. The construction cost of approximately 590 million Euros ($786 million). The new name will be The Humboldt Forum, and the space will be used primarily to exhibit non-European artifacts from collections of other Berlin museums.

Who Knew?!

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King George V of Hanover

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2012

King George V of Hanover, Credit – Wikipedia

Kingdom of Hanover: In 1714, George, Elector of Hanover, became King George I of Great Britain due to the extinction of the Protestant Stuart line. He remained Elector of Hanover as did his successors King George II and King George III. In 1814, under the terms of the Congress of Vienna, the Electorate of Hanover was raised to the Kingdom of Hanover and King George III also became King of Hanover.

George III’s sons George IV and William IV succeeded him as King of the United Kingdom and King of Hanover. However, because the Kingdom of Hanover followed the Salic Law which did not allow female succession, Queen Victoria who succeeded her uncle William IV as Queen of the United Kingdom, could not become Queen of Hanover. Therefore, Queen Victoria’s paternal eldest surviving uncle Ernest Augustus, Duke of Cumberland became King of Hanover.

King George V, Ernest Augustus’ son, was the last King of Hanover. Hanover backed the losing side in the Austro-Prussian War and was conquered by the Kingdom of Prussia in 1866 and became a Prussian province. Since then, the senior heir of the House of Hanover has been the pretender to the throne of the Kingdom of Hanover. Today the former Kingdom of Hanover is in the German state of Lower Saxony.

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The last King of Hanover was born Prince George of Cumberland on May 27, 1819, in a hotel in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany.  His parents were Prince Ernest Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, the fifth son of King George III, and Frederica of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.  Prince George was born amidst the race for an heir to the British throne in the third generation.  The death of Princess Charlotte of Wales in childbirth in 1817 left King George III without any legitimate grandchildren.  Prince George was born three days after the eventual heir, Alexandrina Victoria (Queen Victoria), who was ahead of her cousin in the succession by being the child of King George III’s fourth son.  After Queen Victoria’s accession to the throne in 1837, Prince George remained second in the line of succession after his father until Queen Victoria’s first child was born.  Today his descendant Prince Ernst August of Hanover is the senior male-line descendant of King George III and the Head of the House of Hanover.

While George had no full siblings, he did have half-siblings from his mother’s first two marriages:

From his mother’s first marriage to Prince Ludwig of Prussia, George had three half-siblings:

From his mother’s second marriage to Prince Friedrich Wilhelm of Solms-Braunfels, George had six half-siblings:

  • Princess Caroline of Solms-Braunfels (born and died 1799)
  • Prince Wilhelm of Solms-Braunfels (1801–1868), married Countess Maria Anna Kinsky of Wchinitz and Tettau, had nine children
  • Princess Sophie of Solms-Braunfels (born and died 1803)
  • Princess Auguste Luise of Solms-Braunfels (1804–1865), married Prince Albert of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, had four children
  • Prince Friedrich of Solms-Braunfels (1807–1867), married Baroness Louise of Landsberg-Velen, had one child
  • Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels (1812–1875), married (1) morganatically Louise Beyrich, had three children  (2) Princess Sophie of Loewenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg, had five children

Prince George was christened George Frederick Alexander Charles Ernest Augustus on July 8, 1819, at a hotel in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia with what might be a record number of godparents:

Prince George spent his childhood in England and Prussia. In 1828, an accident with a swinging set of keys resulted in the loss of some vision.  By 1835, George was completely blind.  In 1837, upon the accession of Queen Victoria, George’s father became King of Hanover.  Up until the point, Hanoverian kings of the United Kingdom were also Electors or Kings of Hanover.  However, Hanover followed the Salic Law which did not allow female succession.  Ernest Augustus, as the eldest surviving son of King George III, became King of Hanover and his son George became the Crown Prince.

In 1839, Crown Prince George met Princess Marie of Saxe-Altenburg at Schloss Monbrillant, a summer palace of the Hanovers.  George and Marie were married on February 18, 1843, and had three children:

George and his family; Credit – Wikipedia

George succeeded his father as King of Hanover and Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, as well as Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale, in the Peerage of Great Britain, and Earl of Armagh, in the Peerage of Ireland, on November 18, 1851. King George V of Hanover reigned for only 15 years, being exiled from Hanover in 1866 as a result of his support for Austria in the Austro-Prussian War.  On September 20, 1866, Hanover was annexed by Prussia.  George never abdicated from the throne of Hanover and he and his wife Marie lived in exile in Gmunden, Austria and in Paris, France where George died on June 12, 1878, at the age of 59.  A funeral service was held at the Lutheran Church in the Rue Chacat in Paris and then King George’s remains were transported to England and buried in the Royal Tomb House under St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.

An artist’s view inside the Royal Tomb House at St. George’s Chapel. Caskets were placed on the shelves along the sides. The bench in the middle was used as a temporary place for caskets waiting to be buried elsewhere.

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Prince Henrik of Denmark, husband of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark

by Emily McMahon and Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2013

photo: The Danish Monarchy, photographer: Jacob Jørgensen

photo: The Danish Monarchy, photographer: Jacob Jørgensen

Henri Marie Jean André de Laborde de Monpezat was born on June 11, 1934, in Talence, France. His parents, Count André de Laborde de Monpezat and Renee Doursenot, were members of the French nobility. Renee had previously been civilly married to another man before her marriage to Andre. Her first marriage allowed Renee to marry Andre religiously in 1934, but the couple did not marry civilly until 1948. Henri was the second of eight siblings, however, three of his siblings died in childhood.

Henri began his education at home with a private tutor, continuing on at a Jesuit school in Bordeaux, France. Henri spent several years of his childhood in Vietnam, then under French control, where his father ran a newspaper. He attended a French school in Hanoi, where he took an interest in Vietnamese and Chinese languages. Henri recalled his childhood as a very happy and extravagant colonial life, living in a big house with his parents, siblings, and a nanny.

 Henri as a baby with his two-year-old sister Françoise in Vietnam

 

Henri’s love for Southeast Asia continued into his adolescence and adulthood, as he continued his education at schools in Saigon and Hong Kong. He also studied at Paris University, earning a master’s degree in French literature. Henri was also awarded a diploma in Oriental languages from Ecole Nationale de Langues Oriental.

Henri’s developed a wide variety of interests ranging from flying planes to collecting Chinese porcelain to sailing. Like his future wife, Henri was multi-lingual from an early age. In addition to French, Danish, and English, Henri was fluent in Mandarin Chinese and Vietnamese.  After a brief stint in the military, Henri entered the French foreign services. At the time he met Princess Margrethe of Denmark, eldest daughter of King Frederik IX of Denmark and Ingrid of Sweden in 1965, Henri was working as the third secretary at the French embassy in the Department of Oriental Affairs in London.

While studying at the London School of Economics in 1965, Margrethe was invited to a dinner at the French embassy. As an employee of the embassy at the time, Henri was expected to attend but was ambivalent about meeting the Danish princess by whom he was to be seated. Henri later said that to his surprise he found Margrethe interesting from their first meeting, but was a bit intimidated by her and said little during the dinner as a result. Margrethe said she had no real impression of Henri from their first meeting.

Margrethe and Henri were both guests at a wedding shortly after the first dinner. The two chatted at the wedding reception and on the plane ride back to London, as they were seated together once again. Upon their return to London, Margrethe and Henri gradually began seeing more and more – and growing mutual fonder – of one another.

The couple kept a low profile for more than a year, made easier by the fact that Margrethe was not as well known in the United Kingdom. Their relationship was so private that upon the news that an engagement announcement was imminent, most Danes had no idea their princess had been exclusively dating anyone. Margrethe’s father Frederik was later to say to his daughter of her courtship with Henri, “He came, he saw, and you conquered.”

 

On June 10, 1967, Princess Margrethe married Henri at the Holmens Kirke in Copenhagen,  Denmark, followed by a banquet at Fredensborg Palace. After a honeymoon in Cozumel, Mexico, the couple took up residence at Amalienborg Palace, in Christian IX’s Palace (formerly Schack’s Palace).

The couple had two sons:

 

After the wedding, Henri became a Prince of Denmark and was known by the Danish version of his name, Henrik. On January 14, 1972, King Frederik IX died after a brief illness and Henrik’s wife ascended the Danish throne as Queen Margrethe II.  In April 2016, Henrik renounced the title of Prince Consort, which he had been given in 2005.   He retired from public life and decided to participate in official events to a very limited extent. Although Henrik remained close to Margrethe, he was vocal about the difficulties he experienced as a male consort (a historically female role) in terms of his personal income and his role in the affairs of the country.

Henrik published several books of poetry in his native language as well as additional books in Danish. Henrik and his wife owned Chateau de Cayx, a wine estate in southern France, where the two spent part of their summers.

The Danish Royal House announced on August 3, 2017, that Prince Henrik would not be buried with his wife Queen Margrethe II of Denmark at Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde, Denmark, the traditional burial place of Danish royalty. The press release read:

The Royal House has announced today that His Royal Highness Prince Henrik does not want to be buried in Roskilde Cathedral, as it had been planned. The Prince’s decision implies that he will not be buried next to Her Majesty The Queen in the sarcophagus that Professor and sculptor Bjørn Nørgaard has prepared. The Queen has been aware of the decision for some time and supports the decision. The Prince’s decision does not change the Queen’s funeral plans. It has been stated in the media that the Prince wants to be buried in France. This is not correct. The Prince still wishes to be buried in Denmark, but the arrangements are not yet in place.

On September 6, 2017, it was announced that Prince Henrik was suffering from dementia. Prince Henrik was hospitalized on January 28, 2018.  Later it was determined that he had a benign tumor in his left lung.  On February 9, 2018, the Danish Royal Court announced that his condition had severely deteriorated. Crown Prince Frederik returned home from the Winter Olympics in South Korea which he was attending as a member of the International Olympic Committee.  On February 13, 2018, Prince Henrik was transferred from the Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen to Fredensborg Castle, where he wished to stay during his remaining time.

Prince Henrik died peacefully in his sleep on Tuesday, February 13, 2018, at 11:18 pm, at Fredensborg Palace at the age of 83.  His wife Queen Margrethe II and their two sons Crown Prince Frederik and Prince Joachim were at his side.

Prince Henrik’s funeral was held on Tuesday, February 20th in the Palace Chapel at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen.  Per his wishes, it was a private service, with just family and close friends in attendance.  His remains were cremated, with half of his ashes spread over the Danish seas, and the other half interred in the private garden at Fredensborg Castle.

Prince Henrik and his family in 2017; Photo Credit – The Danish Monarchy

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Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester

by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2013

Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, Credit – Wikipedia

Henry William Frederick Albert was the third son and fourth child of King George V of the United Kingdom and Princess Victoria Mary of Teck (Queen Mary).  He was born on March 31, 1900, at York Cottage on the Sandringham estate.  His great-grandmother Queen Victoria had created Letters Patent giving the style of Royal Highness to the children of the Duke and Duchess of York, so Henry was HRH Prince Henry of York from birth.  He had five siblings:

Prince Henry (front center) with his siblings, 1910. source: Wikipedia

Prince Henry (known as Harry) was christened on May 17, 1900, in the Private Chapel at Windsor Castle, by the Bishop of Winchester.  His godparents were:

Henry attended St. Peter’s Court School in Kent and then Eton College near Windsor which was unusual for a royal child at that time.  He also attended the Royal Military College at Sandhurst and Trinity College, Cambridge. On his 28th birthday, his father King George V created him Duke of Gloucester.

Henry had a military career in the British Army and served with The King’s Royal Rifle Corps and the 10th Royal Hussars.  He retired from active duty in 1937, but during World War II served with the British Expeditionary Force.  In 1940, he was wounded when the car he was in was attacked from the air.  The highest ranks Henry attained were Field Marshal (1955) and Marshal of the Royal Air Force (1958).

On November 6, 1935, Henry married Lady Alice Montagu Douglas Scott, a daughter of John Montagu Douglas Scott, 7th Duke of Buccleuch.  The wedding was originally set to be held at Westminster Abbey, but when Lady Alice’s father died on October 19, 1935, the wedding venue was changed.  It was deemed more appropriate to have the wedding at the Private Chapel at Buckingham Palace. Among the bridesmaids were the groom’s nieces Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret Rose.

The couple had two sons and the family lived at the 16th-century Barnwell Manor in Northamptonshire and at York House, St. James’s Palace.

The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester with King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, 1945. source: Wikipedia

The Duke of Gloucester served as Governor-General of Australia from 1945 – 1947.  During the early reign of the Duke’s niece Queen Elizabeth II, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester carried out royal engagements including some overseas tours.

In 1965, while driving back to Barnwell Manor after attending the funeral of Winston Churchill, the Duke suffered a stroke causing a car accident.  The Duchess suffered injuries to the face which required 57 stitches.  Three years later, the Duke suffered another stroke which left him incapacitated. The Duchess continued to talk and read to her husband hoping he could hear and understand.  She never did tell him about the death of their son in a plane crash, but she thought he understood from watching television.

Graves of Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester and Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester. photo: www.findagrave.com

On June 10, 1974, Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester died at Barnwell Manor, his country home at the age of 73.  He was buried at the Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore near Windsor Castle.  After the Duke’s death, his widow received permission from Queen Elizabeth II to style herself Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester to distinguish herself from her son’s wife.  Princess Alice died in 2004 at the age of 102, the longest-living member of the British Royal Family ever.

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