Yearly Archives: 2015

King Carl XIV Johan of Sweden/King Karl III Johan of Norway

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2015

King Carl XIV Johan of Sweden/King Karl III Johan of Norway; Credit – Wikipedia

King Carl XIV Johan of Sweden/King Karl III Johan of Norway was born Jean Baptiste Bernadotte on January 26, 1763, in Pau, France. He was the youngest of five children of Jean Henri Bernadotte and Jeanne de Saint-Jean. He was educated to follow his father in the law profession but seems to have had no interest. Following his father’s death, Jean ended his studies and joined the military, where he quickly stood out for his courage and leadership. During the French Revolution, he rose quickly through the ranks, attaining the rank of Brigadier General in 1794.

Désirée Clary, 1807 portrait by Robert Lefèvre. source: Wikipedia

On August 16, 1798, Bernadotte married Bernardine Eugénie Désirée Clary, known as Désirée, whose sister Julie Clary was married to Joseph Bonaparte, Napoleon Bonaparte’s brother. Désirée had previously been engaged to Napoleon. They had one son:

In 1804, Napoleon was proclaimed Emperor of France and appointed Bernadotte Marshal of France. He served for several months as Governor of the recently-occupied Hanover, and in December 1805, took part in the battle of Austerlitz. In recognition of his efforts at Austerlitz, Napoleon created Bernadotte Prince of Pontecorvo, a small principality in Italy.

Bernadotte’s relationship with Napoleon was often strained, but the Emperor respected Bernadotte greatly. Bernadotte often went against the Emperor’s orders during battle, at least once being stripped of his command. Despite this, he was later appointed Governor of Rome but never took up the position. Instead, he would find himself heading north to Sweden.

In 1809, King Carl XIII of Sweden ascended the throne of Sweden. He had no living children, and his adopted son and heir died the following year. The Swedes had the idea to offer the position of Crown Prince to one of Napoleon’s Marshals. Bernadotte was well-liked in Sweden, particularly because of his considerate treatment of Swedish prisoners during the recent war with Denmark. In addition, he had a connection to Napoleon and already had a son who could continue the succession. On August 21, 1810, the Swedish Riksdag of the Estates elected Bernadotte as Crown Prince. He arrived in Stockholm in November 1810 and was formally adopted by the King Carl III of Sweden, taking the name Carl Johan, and converting from Roman Catholicism to Lutheranism.

The new Crown Prince quickly took an active role in the Swedish government, particularly in the area of foreign policy. He was actively involved in the events leading up to the Treaty of Kiel in 1814, in which Denmark was forced to cede Norway to Sweden. Norway refused to accept the treaty at first, and the Crown Prince invaded, quickly suppressing the Norwegian forces. Soon, Norway became united with Sweden at the Convention of Moss. Unlike the previous union with Denmark, this was a personal union under a single sovereign, and Norway remained an independent state with its own constitution.  The separate kingdoms of Sweden and Norway were under a common monarch from 1814 until its dissolution in 1905.

Coronation in Norway, painting by Jacob Munch. source: Wikipedia

King Carl XIII of Sweden/King Karl II of Norway died on February 5, 1818, and Bernadotte ascended the thrones of Sweden and Norway. His coronation in Sweden took place on May 11, 1818, at the Stockholm Cathedral (Storkyrkan) in Stockholm, Sweden and he took the name Carl XIV Johan. Thus began the Bernadotte dynasty in Sweden, which continues today. In September 1818, he was crowned at Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim, Norway as King Karl III Johan of Norway.

Following his accession, the King soon lost much of his popularity with the Swedish and Norwegian people. In Norway, his role in the events of 1814 and his constant attempts to change the constitution to allow him great powers, caused him to be viewed skeptically by the people. His attempts to squash the celebrations of Norway’s National Day (May 17th) – going so far as making it illegal – further cemented the negative views of the Norwegians.

In Sweden, where he enjoyed much more power and control, his conservative almost autocratic views caused significant dissent among the population. By the 1830s, there were calls for his abdication, however, he held onto his throne and seems to have regained the respect of many of his subjects.

Tomb of King Carl XIV John and his wife Desiree. photo © Susan Flantzer

On his 81st birthday in January 1844, King Carl XIV Johan of Sweden/King Karl III Johan of Norway suffered a stroke, from which he never recovered. He died on March 8, 1844, at the Royal Palace of Stockholm. Following his funeral, he was interred at the Riddarholmen Church in Stockholm.

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Kingdom of Sweden Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Maria Christina of Austria, Queen of Spain

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Maria Christina of Austria, Queen of Spain; Credit – Wikipedia

The second wife of King Alfonso XII of Spain, Her Imperial and Royal Highness Archduchess Maria Christina of Austria, Princess of Hungary and Bohemia, was born on July 21, 1858, at Židlochovice Castle near Brno, Moravia, now in the Czech Republic. She was given the names Maria Christina Henriette Desideria Felicitas Raineria but was called Christa in her family. Maria Christina was the third of the six children of first cousins Archduke Karl Ferdinand of Austria-Teschen and Archduchess Elisabeth Franziska of Austria.

Maria Christina had one half-sister from her mother’s first marriage to Archduke Ferdinand Karl Viktor of Austria-Este:

Maria Christina had five siblings, but two died in infancy:

Archduchess Elisabeth Franziska and her children – standing: Friedrich, his wife Isabella; sitting left to right – Maria Theresia, Maria Christina, and Archduchess Elisabeth Franziska; Credit – Wikipedia

Maria Christina grew up in Vienna at the court of her second cousin Franz Joseph I, Emperor of Austria. She was well-educated and excelled in languages, literature, and history. In 1868, Queen Isabella II of Spain was deposed and her family went into exile in Paris, France. Isabella’s eldest son Alfonso later attended the Theresianum, an elite secondary school in Vienna. It was during his time in Vienna that Alfonso first met Maria Christina. The Spanish monarchy was restored in 1874 and Alfonso became King Alfonso XII at the age of 17. He married his first cousin Princess Maria de las Mercedes of Orléans, but tragically she died five months later from typhoid fever. A year later, Alfonso agreed to marry Mercedes’ sister Maria Cristina, but she developed tuberculosis and died during their engagement.

Alfonso’s choice of a bride then fell upon Maria Christina, and the couple married on November 29, 1879, at the Royal Basilica of Our Lady of Atocha in Madrid, Spain.

Maria Christina and Alfonso had three children:

King Alfonso XII and his second wife Archduchess Maria Christina of Austria; Credit – Wikipedia

Alfonso was not faithful to Maria Christina and at the beginning of their marriage, she endured these infidelities. Alfonso had an affair with Italian opera singer Adela Borghi, however, the affair with Spanish opera singer Elena Sanz, with whom Alfonso had two children, Alfonso Sanz (1880 – 1970) and Fernand Sanz  (1881-1925), was the final straw. Maria Christina was finally able to prevail and Elena Sanz was sent into exile in Paris. Competing for the French Olympic Team, Fernand Sanz won a silver medal in cycling at the 1900 Olympics in Paris.

“The Death of Alfonso XII” or “The Last Kiss” by Juan Antonio Benlliure, 1887; Credit – Wikipedia

On November 25, 1885, three days before his 28th birthday, King Alfonso XII died from tuberculosis at the Royal Palace of El Pardo in Madrid, Spain, leaving two daughters and Maria Christina pregnant with their third child. It was decided that Maria Christina would rule as regent until the child was born. If the child were a male, he would become king.  If the child were a female, Alfonso and Maria Christina’s elder daughter María Mercedes would become queen. On May 17, 1886, a son was born who immediately became King Alfonso XIII.

Maria Christina continued as regent until Alfonso XIII reached the age of 16 and took control of the monarchy in 1902. After 1902, she was styled Su Majestad la Reina Madre, Her Majesty The Queen Mother. Despite her political responsibilities, Maria Christina was an exemplary mother and spent much time dealing with her children’s education. She developed interests in many aspects of Spanish culture and even grew to tolerate bullfighting.

Maria Christina with her three children in 1897; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1905, on a state visit to the United Kingdom, King Alfonso XIII met Princess Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg (known as Ena), the only daughter of Queen Victoria’s youngest child Princess Beatrice, and the two developed a strong interest in each other. However, several issues would need to be resolved before they could consider marriage. The first issue was religion. Alfonso was Catholic while Ena was Protestant. The second issue was potentially Ena could bring hemophilia into the Spanish royal family. Ena’s brother suffered from the disease and there was a possibility that Ena was a hemophilia carrier. The third obstacle was Alfonso’s mother Maria Christina. She did not feel the Battenbergs were royal enough due to the morganatic marriage that started that family. Maria Christina wanted her son to marry a member of the Habsburg dynasty of Austria. Eventually, all three obstacles were overcome, and the couple married on May 31, 1906, at the Royal Monastery of San Jerónimo in Madrid, Spain in a wedding attended by many royals from around the world. Alfonso and Ena had seven children and their oldest and youngest sons had hemophilia. See Unofficial Royalty: Hemophilia.

Maria Christina and her grandchildren around 1911; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

On February 5, 1929, Maria Christina attended the theater with Queen Ena and her daughters. The family dined as usual at the Royal Palace of Madrid, at nine in the evening. Following the meal, the family moved to the living room, where they viewed a film each night. They retired to their rooms for the night just after midnight. Shortly after going to bed, Maria Christina felt a sharp pain in the chest and could barely breathe. Her maid, seeing her pain, asked if she wanted to call her son the king, but Maria Christina said no. Soon, Maria Christina had another very strong pain, a fatal heart attack.

Maria Christina in the 1920s; Credit – Wikipedia

Maria Christina was buried in the Pantheon of Kings in the Royal Crypt of the Monastery of El Escorial in San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Spain. Two years later, in 1931, in the face of overwhelming popular rejection, King Alfonso XIII fled the country when the Second Spanish Republic was proclaimed, followed by Francoist Spain after the Spanish Civil War. The monarchy was restored in 1975 when Maria Christina’s great-grandson Juan Carlos became king.

Maria Christina tomb

Tomb of Maria Christina; Credit – www.findagrave.com

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Kingdom of Spain Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Maria de las Mercedes of Orléans, Queen of Spain

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Maria de las Mercedes of Orléans, Queen of Spain; Credit – Wikipedia

The first wife of King Alfonso XII of Spain, Maria de las Mercedes of Orléans, was born at the Royal Palace of Madrid on June 24, 1860. She is one of only three queens consort of Spain born in Spain. The other two are Archduchess Anna of Austria (born in Badajoz, Spain), fourth wife of King Philip II and Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano (born in Oviedo, Asturias, Spain), wife of King Felipe VI. Known as Mercedes, the princess was the seventh of the ten children of Antoine of Orléans, Duke of Montpensier (son of King Louis Philippe of France) and Infanta Luisa Fernanda of Spain (daughter of King Ferdinand VII of Spain). Mercedes was both a French princess and a Spanish Infanta. Her maternal aunt Queen Isabella II of Spain and Isabella’s husband Francisco, Duke of Cadiz and King Consort of Spain were her godparents. At her baptism, Mercedes was given a very long name: María de las Mercedes Isabel Francisca de Asís Antonia Luisa Fernanda Felipa Amalia Cristina Francisca de Paula Ramona Rita Cayetana Manuela Juana Josefa Joaquina Ana Rafaela Filomena Teresa Santísima Trinidad Gaspara Melchora Baltasara et omni sancti.

Mercedes had nine siblings:

  • Maria Isabel (1848–1919), married her first cousin Philippe, Comte de Paris, had issue
  • Maria Amelia (1851–70), unmarried
  • Maria Cristina (1852–79), unmarried
  • Maria de la Regla (1856–61), died young
  • Fernando (1859–73), died young
  • Felipe Raimundo Maria (1862–64), died young
  • Antonio, Duke of Galliera (1866–1930), married his first cousin Infanta Eulalia of Spain, had issue
  • Luís (1888–1945), married Marie Charlotte Say, no issue
  • Luis Maria Felipe Antonio (1867–74), died young

Infanta Luisa Fernanda and Antoine, Duke of Montpensier with four of their children circa 1860; Credit – Wikipedia

Mercedes spent the first eight years of her childhood in Spain, but her family was forced into exile in 1868 when her maternal aunt Queen Isabella II was deposed. When the Spanish monarchy was restored in 1874 and Queen Isabella’s son Alfonso became king, Mercedes and her family returned to Spain and lived in the Palace of San Telmo in Seville, Spain.

Mercedes in 1874; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

In 1872, Mercedes and her first cousin Alfonso, son of Queen Isabella II, started a romance. Queen Isabella II opposed the match because of confrontations with Mercedes’ father. The Spanish government preferred that the young King Alfonso XII marry some other European princess. One of the marriage candidates was Princess Beatrice of the United Kingdom, the youngest daughter of Queen Victoria. Nevertheless, Alfonso and Mercedes married on January 23, 1878, at the Royal Basilica of Our Lady of Atocha in Madrid, Spain. At age 17, Mercedes was the youngest Queen Consort of Spain.

Alfonso and Mercedes; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Mercedes in her wedding dress; Credit – Wikipedia

In June 1878, it was announced that Mercedes was pregnant and the country rejoiced. However, the joy was short-lived as Mercedes suffered a miscarriage. Shortly after the miscarriage, Mercedes became suddenly ill. Within hours, she was at death’s door with typhoid fever. Mercedes died two days after her 18th birthday, on June 26, 1878, at her birthplace, the Royal Palace of Madrid. She was buried in the Pantheon of Infantes at the Monastery of El Escorial as she could not be buried in the Pantheon of Kings because she was not a mother of a king. On November 8, 2000, Mercedes’ remains were re-interred at the Cathedral of Santa María la Real de La Almudena in Madrid, Spain. Despite her short time as Queen Consort, Mercedes had been a driving force for the construction of the cathedral. In 2004, King Felipe VI and Letizia Ortiz Roscalano were married at the Almudena Cathedral.

Mercedes of Spain tomb

Tomb of Queen Mercedes in Almudena Cathedral; Photo Credit – www.findagrave.com

Inscription on the tomb; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

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Kingdom of Spain Resources at Unofficial Royalty

King Alfonso XII of Spain

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2015

King Alfonso XII of Spain; Credit – Wikipedia

Alfonso Francisco de Asís Fernando Pío Juan María de la Concepción Gregorio Pelayo was born as Prince of Asturias, the heir to the Spanish throne, at the Royal Palace in Madrid on November 28, 1857. He was the son of Queen Isabella II of Spain, and officially, Francisco, Duke of Cadiz and King Consort. Rumors circulated that Isabella’s children were not fathered by Francisco due to his suspected homosexuality and that Alfonso’s biological father was Enrique Puigmoltó y Mayans, a captain of the guard.

Alfonso had eight siblings, but only four survived childhood:

Alfonso was first educated by tutors. He then attended the Collège Stanislas de Paris, the Theresianum in Vienna, Austria and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in England.

Alfonso in 1870; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Queen Isabella II’s authoritarianism, her religious fanaticism, her alliance with the military, and the chaos of her reign — sixty different governments — helped bring about the Revolution of 1868 that exiled her to Paris, France. The new government replaced Isabella with Amadeo I, the second son of Victor Emmanuel II of Italy.  During Amadeo’s reign, there were many republican uprisings so he abdicated in 1873 and returned to Italy. The First Spanish Republic was declared but it lasted a little less than two years.  Isabella had officially abdicated in 1870 and after the First Spanish Republic collapsed, 17-year-old Alfonso became king on December 29, 1874.

During Alfonso XII’s reign, the monarchy was consolidated and government institutions were stabilized, repairing the damage that the recent internal struggles had left. For this Alfonso earned the nickname “The Peacemaker.” The new Constitution of 1876 was adopted and in the same year the Third Carlist War ended.

Wedding of King Alfonso XII and his first wife Princess Maria de las Mercedes of Orléans; Credit – Wikipedia

On January 23, 1878, at the Royal Basilica of Our Lady of Atocha in Madrid, Alfonso married his first cousin Princess Maria de las Mercedes of Orléans, daughter of Antoine, Duke of Montpensier and his maternal aunt Infanta Luisa Fernanda of Spain.  Less than five months later, Mercedes developed typhoid fever and died two days after her 18th birthday, on June 26, 1878. A year later, Alfonso agreed to marry Mercedes’ sister Maria Cristina, but she developed tuberculosis and died during their engagement.

Alfonso married for a second time on November 29, 1879, at the Royal Basilica of Our Lady of Atocha in Madrid. His bride was Archduchess Maria Christina of Austria, daughter of Archduke Karl Ferdinand of Austria and Archduchess Elisabeth Franziska of Austria, and a second cousin of Franz Joseph, Emperor of Austria.

The couple had three children:

King Alfonso XII and his second wife Archduchess Maria Christina of Austria; Credit – Wikipedia

Alfonso was not faithful to Maria Christina and at the beginning of their marriage, she endured these infidelities. Alfonso had an affair with Italian opera singer Adela Borghi, but his affair with Spanish opera singer Elena Sanz, with whom Alfonso had two children, Alfonso Sanz (1880 – 1970) and Fernand Sanz (1881 – 1925), was the final straw. Maria Christina was finally able to prevail and Elena Sanz had to go into exile in Paris. Competing for the French Olympic Team, Fernand Sanz won a silver medal in cycling at the 1900 Olympics in Paris.

On November 25, 1885, three days before his 28th birthday, King Alfonso XII died from tuberculosis at the Royal Palace of El Pardo in Madrid, leaving two daughters and his queen pregnant with her third child. It was decided that Alfonso’s widow Maria Christina would rule as regent until the child was born. If the child were a male, he would become king and if the child were a female, Alfonso and Maria Christina’s elder daughter María Mercedes would become queen. On May 17, 1886, a son was born who immediately became King Alfonso XIII.

“The Death of Alfonso XII” or “The Last Kiss” by Juan Antonio Benlliure, 1887; Credit – Wikipedia

King Alfonso XII was interred in the Pantheon of Kings in the Royal Crypt of the Monastery of El Escorial.

Tomb of King Alfonso XII (top); Photo Credit – Wikipedia

In 1902, Alfonso’s widow Maria Christina held a national contest for a design to build a monument in memory of King Alfonso XII. Catalan architect José Grases Riera won the contest and his design was built in an artificial lake in Madrid’s Parque del Buen Retiro in 1922.

Monument to King Alfonso XII; Photo Credit – Carlos Delgado, Wikipedia

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Maria Christina of the Two Sicilies, Queen of Spain

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Maria Christina of the Two Sicilies, Queen of Spain; Credit – Wikipedia

The fourth wife of King Ferdinand VII of Spain and the wife who finally gave him an heir, Maria Christina of the Two Sicilies (Italian: Maria Cristina Ferdinanda) was born in Palermo, Kingdom of Sicily, now in Italy, on April 27, 1806. She was the second of the twelve children of King Francesco I of the Two Sicilies and his second wife, Infanta María Isabella of Spain, sister of King Ferdinand VII of Spain.

Maria Christina had two half-siblings from her father’s first marriage to Maria Clementina of Austria:

Maria Christina had five sisters and six brothers:

Included in the portrait are Ferdinando, Maria Carolina, and their children Maria Theresa, Maria Luisa, Maria Amelia, Francesco, Maria Cristina, and Gennaro, 1783; Credit – Wikipedia

Irish novelist and journalist Marguerite Gardiner, Countess of Blessington, who met Maria Christina on her Grand Tour of Europe, described her as having flawless facial features, beautiful teeth, expressive eyes, and a charming smile. Maria Christina was lively and cheerful, showed an early fondness for hunting, and had a talent for painting. In 1829, the thrice-widowed King Ferdinand VII of Spain was asked by the government to marry again to provide an heir to the throne. Luisa Carlotta of the Two Sicilies, Maria Christina’s elder sister, was married to her maternal uncle and Ferdinand’s brother, Infante Francisco de Paula of Spain, and she suggested Maria Christina as a marriage candidate. It did not take long for the 45-year-old Spanish king, Maria Christina’s maternal uncle, to decide that Luisa Carlota’s 23-year-old sister was an ideal choice. The court of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies agreed, and Maria Christina traveled to Madrid. On December 11, 1829, the wedding took place at the Royal Basilica of Our Lady of Atocha in Madrid, Spain, and the celebrations continued until the new year.

Ferdinand and Maria Christina, 1831; Credit – Wikipedia

Ferdinand was delighted with his young wife, who soon had a great influence on him. Until his marriage to Maria Christina, he had fathered no surviving child. While the moderate and liberal parties now pinned their hopes on an heir from the new queen, the absolutists (Carlists) favored Ferdinand’s younger brother, Infante Carlos, Count of Molina, as the heir apparent.  Maria Francisca of Portugal, first wife of Infante Carlos, and her sister, Maria Teresa, Princess of Beira, second wife of Infante Carlos, competed with Maria Christina and her sister Luisa Carlota for influence at the Spanish court. Soon after her marriage, Maria Christina became pregnant. On March 29, 1830, Ferdinand VII issued the Pragmatic Sanction, allowing daughters to succeed to the Spanish throne as well as sons. This meant that Infante Carlos would be displaced in the line of succession by Ferdinand’s children of both genders. Infante Carlos and the Carlists fiercely resisted this decision.

Ferdinand and Maria Christina had two daughters:

María Isabel Luisa, Ferdinand’s elder daughter, was Princess of Asturias, the title of the heir to the Spanish throne, from birth. In Spain, even if there is no heir apparent, the title can be (but is not necessarily) given to the heir presumptive – a daughter, sibling, or matrilineal descendant of the monarch. King Ferdinand VII died on September 29, 1833, and his daughter, not quite three years old, succeeded to the throne as Queen Isabella II with Maria Christina acting as Regent. This precipitated a series of wars known as the Carlist Wars in which Ferdinand’s brother Carlos, and later his descendants, fought over the succession. Ultimately, the army’s loyalty to Isabella II proved the decisive issue in the war.

Two months after Ferdinand died, on December 28, 1833, Maria Christina secretly married an ex-sergeant of the royal guard, Agustín Fernández Muñoz (1808-1873). The couple had eight children.

Maria Christina painted by Franz Xaver Winterhalter, circa 1841; Credit – Wikipedia

Eventually, the news of the marriage became public, and it made Maria Christina very unpopular. The doubts about her support of the Liberal ministers and their policies added to her unpopularity. Finally, the army, which had been the stalwart supporter of Queen Isabella II, and the Liberal leaders of the legislature, the Cortes Generales, demanded an end to Maria Christina’s regency. On October 12, 1840, she resigned as regent and left Spain with her husband. General Baldomero Espartero became regent.

Maria Christina and Agustín spent a brief time in Rome, where Pope Gregory XVI gave them a dispensation for their morganatic marriage. Next, Maria Christina visited her parents in Naples and then settled in Paris, where King Louis Philippe received her with military honors and gave her apartments in the Palais-Royal.  In 1842, Maria Christina purchased the Château de Malmaison, formerly the home of Empress Josephine, after Napoleon I divorced her.

In 1843, after General Baldomero Espartero was overthrown as regent, Maria Christina and Agustín returned to Spain. In 1844, Queen Isabella II bestowed the title Duke of Riánsares upon Agustín and gave official consent to Agustín’s marriage to her mother. In 1854, when there was a change in political leadership, Maria Christina was again exiled. She returned to France with her husband, where they spent the rest of their lives. In 1868, Isabella II was deposed during the Glorious Revolution and lived the rest of her life in exile in France.

Maria Christina in later life; Credit – Wikipedia

Agustín died in 1873, at the home he shared with his wife, Villa Mon Désir in Sainte-Adresse, near Le Havre, France. Maria Christina survived him by five years, dying at the age of 72 on July 22, 1878, in their home near Le Havre, France. As Ferdinand VII’s widow and mother of Isabella II’s mother, Maria Cristina was buried in the Pantheon of Kings in Royal Crypt at the Royal Site of San Lorenzo de El Escorial in San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Spain.

Maria Christina of Spain_tomb

Tomb of Maria Christina; Photo Credit – www.findagrave.com

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King and Queen of Bhutan expecting their first child

Photo Credit – Zimbio

King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck of Bhutan and Queen Jetsun Pema are expecting their first child in February 2016. The couple married on October 13, 2011 in a traditional Buddhist ceremony. As part of the ceremony, the King proclaimed his bride Queen of Bhutan. Several days later, the couple also celebrated a traditional Hindu wedding ceremony.
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Maria Isabel of Portugal, Queen of Spain

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Maria Isabel of Portugal, Queen of Spain; Credit – Wikipedia

The second of the four wives of King Ferdinand VII of Spain, Infanta Maria Isabel of Portugal (Maria Isabel Francisca), was born on May 19, 1797, at the Palace of Queluz in Portugal. She was the third of the nine children of King João VI of Portugal and Infanta Carlota Joaquina of Spain, the elder sister of King Ferdinand VII.

Maria Isabel had three brothers and five sisters:

On September 29, 1816, Maria Isabel married her maternal uncle, King Ferdinand VII of Spain, who was thirteen years older than her. Ferdinand’s first wife had died childless ten years earlier. The marriage was made to strengthen relations between Spain and Portugal, and of course, to provide heirs to the throne.

Maria Isabel pointing to the Prado; Credit – Wikipedia

Maria Isabel was noted for her culture and love of art. Because of this, she took the initiative to gather works of art from the collection of the Spanish monarchs and create a museum. The Museo del Prado in Madrid, Spain, opened on November 19, 1819, and today it is the main Spanish national art museum.

Maria Isabel had a daughter, María Luisa Isabel, who was born on August 21, 1817, but sadly, she died on January 9, 1818. Maria Isabel soon became pregnant again, but the pregnancy was difficult. On December 26, 1818, at the Palace of Aranjuez in Spain, Maria Isabel went into labor, and there were terrible complications. The child, a daughter also named María Luisa Isabel, was in a breech position and died in utero. Maria Isabel lost consciousness and appeared to have stopped breathing, so the doctors believed she had died. When they began to cut her open to remove the dead child, she let out a cry of pain, fainted, and bled to death. Maria Isabel was only 21 years old and was buried in the Pantheon of Princes in the Monastery of El Escorial, and not in the Pantheon of the Kings, traditionally reserved for monarchs and spouses of monarchs who had been parents of monarchs.

Maria Isabel of Spain_tomb

Tomb of Maria Isabel (Isabel = Elisabeth); Credit – www.findagrave.com

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Maria Antonia of Naples and Sicily, Princess of Asturias

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Maria Antonia of Naples and Sicily, Princess of Asturias; Credit – Wikipedia

The first of the four wives of King Ferdinand VII of Spain, Princess Maria Antonietta of Naples and Sicily (Maria Antonietta Teresa Amelia Giovanna Battista Francesca Gaetana Maria Anna Lucia), known as Maria Antonia, was named after her mother’s favorite sister Marie Antoinette, Queen of France, born Archduchess Maria Antonia of Austria.  Princess Maria Antonia was the eleventh of the seventeen children of King Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies (before 1816, Ferdinand IV of the Kingdom of Naples and Ferdinand III of the Kingdom of Sicily) and Archduchess Maria Carolina of Austria, daughter of Franz I, Holy Roman Emperor and Maria Theresa of Austria, Queen of Hungary and Bohemia.  Maria Antonia was born on December 14, 1784, at the Royal Palace of Caserta in Caserta, Kingdom of Naples and Sicily, now in Italy

Maria Antonia and her  family in 1783; Credit – Wikipedia

Maria Antonia had sixteen siblings but eight died in childhood from smallpox:

Maria Antonia married her first cousin Ferdinand, Prince of Asturias, heir to the Spanish throne, on October 10, 1802, in Barcelona, Spain. At the same time, Maria Antonia’s eldest brother, Francesco of Naples and Sicily (later King of the Two Sicilies), married Ferdinand’s sister Maria Isabella of Spain.

Maria Antonia’s two pregnancies in 1804 and 1805 ended in miscarriages. Guided by her mother from Naples, Maria Antonia encouraged her husband to confront his mother, Queen Maria Luisa, with whom she had a bad relationship, and the Queen’s possible lover, Manuel Godoy, the Prime Minister of Spain. At the same time, Maria Antonia sought support for Ferdinand in the Spanish court.

Maria Antonia, aged 21, died on May 21, 1806, at the Royal Palace of Aranjuez from tuberculosis. There were rumors that Manuel Godoy and Queen Maria Luisa poisoned Maria Antonia, but there is no evidence that this is true. However, Maria Antonia’s mother, Queen Maria Carolina of Naples, was convinced that her daughter had been poisoned. Maria Antonia was buried in the Pantheon of Infantes in the Royal Crypt of the Monastery of El Escorial in Spain. The inscription on her tomb reads: ” Who God has loved, He has quickly freed from life.” Her husband succeeded to the Spanish throne as King Ferdinand VII and went on to have three additional marriages.

Maria Antonia of Spain_tomb

Tomb of Maria Antonia, Princess of Asturias; Credit – www.findagrave.com

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King Ferdinand VII of Spain

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

King Ferdinand VII of Spain; Credit – Wikipedia

King Ferdinand VII of Spain (Fernando Maria Francisco de Paula Domingo Vicente Ferrer Antonio Jose Joaquin Pascual Diego Juan Nepomuceno Januario Francisco Javier Rafael Miguel Gabriel Calixto Cayetano Faust) was born on October 14, 1784, at El Escorial, a royal palace in San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Spain about 28 miles from Madrid. His parents, King Carlos IV of Spain and Maria Luisa of Parma, had fourteen children and Ferdinand was the ninth child and eldest son of the six children who survived into adulthood.

Ferdinand’s siblings:

Family of King Carlos IV of Spain in 1802; Credit – Wikipedia

Ferdinand was educated by a priest, Father Felipe Riaza Scío, a teacher and translator, who became Bishop of Segovia in 1895. While growing up, Ferdinand was denied any participation in government affairs by his parents and his mother’s favorite and possible lover, Manuel Godoy, Prime Minister. Ferdinand was encouraged by his teacher to conspire against his parents and a group of supporters of Ferdinand called fernandistas arose. King Carlos IV’s popularity declined due to economic issues, rumors about a sexual relationship between the Queen and Godoy, and the King’s incompetence. After riots and a revolt, King Carlos IV was forced to abdicate in favor of his son on March 19, 1808. However, in April 1808, Ferdinand and his father were summoned to a meeting with Napoleon I, Emperor of the French who forced them both to abdicate, declared the Bourbon dynasty of Spain deposed, and installed his brother Joseph Bonaparte as King of Spain.  Napoleon kept Ferdinand under guard in France for six years at the Château de Valençay until the Treaty of Valençay on December 11, 1813, provided for the restoration of Ferdinand as King of Spain.

Ferdinand married four times:

Maria Antonia of Naples and Sicily; Credit – Wikipedia

1) Maria Antonia of Naples and Sicily (1784 – 1806), Ferdinand’s cousin, married him in 1802. Maria Antonia had two miscarriages and died at age 21 of tuberculosis. There were rumors that Maria Antonia had been poisoned by Ferdinand’s mother and Manuel Godoy.

Maria Isabel of Portugal; Credit – Wikipedia

2) Maria Isabel of Portugal (1797 – 1818) was Ferdinand’s niece, the daughter of his older sister Carlota Joaquina and King João VI of Portugal. She married Ferdinand on September 29, 1816, had one short-lived daughter, and then died at age 21 after giving birth to a stillborn daughter.

  • Infanta María Luisa Isabel of Spain (1817 – 1818)
  • Infanta María Luisa Isabel of Spain (December 26, 1818), stillborn

Maria Josepha Amalia of Saxony; Credit – Wikipedia

3) Maria Josepha Amalia of Saxony (1803–1829) and Ferdinand married in 1819. There were rumors that Maria Josepha Amalia’s devout Roman Catholicism caused her to believe that sexual relations between spouses were wrong and that it took Pope Pius VII to convince her that such relations were permissible. The marriage remained childless and Maria Josepha Amalia died in 1829 at the age of 25.

Maria Christina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies; Credit – Wikipedia

4) Maria Christina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (1806–1878) was another niece of Ferdinand, the daughter of his sister Maria Isabella of Spain and Francesco I of the Two Sicilies. She had two daughters and survived her husband. Shortly after his death, Maria Christina secretly married an ex-sergeant from the royal guard Agustín Fernando Muñoz and the couple had several children.

Maria Christina and Ferdinand’s two daughters:

Triumphal welcome of Ferdinand VII back to Spain in 1814; Credit – Wikipedia

When King Ferdinand VII was restored to the Spanish throne in 1813, the country had many problems and the citizens blamed the French, and at first, Ferdinand was welcomed. However, Spain was not the absolute monarchy it once was and Ferdinand was to reign under the liberal Constitution of 1812.  During the early days of Ferdinand’s restoration, he was encouraged by conservatives and leaders of the Spanish Catholic Church to reject the Constitution. On May 4, 1814, Ferdinand ordered the abolition of the Constitution of 1812 and arrested the liberal leaders responsible for the Constitution. Ferdinand ruled as an autocrat, guided by a group of his favorites. During this period, the free press disappeared, universities were closed, and confiscated properties were returned to the Catholic Church. Most of the Spanish territories in the Americas declared independence and only the Caribbean islands of Cuba and Puerto Rico, along with the Philippines, the Marianas (including Guam), and the Carolinas in the Pacific, remained under the control of Spain.

In 1820, a revolt broke out in favor of the Constitution of 1812, and Ferdinand was taken prisoner. In 1823, France invaded Spain intending to restore the throne of Spain to a descendant of King Henri IV of France, namely Ferdinand. After the Battle of Trocadero, Ferdinand was freed and once again took the reins of government. Rule by absolutism was restored and any opposition was suppressed.

Ferdinand VII and María Christina, 1823; Credit – Wikipedia

As Ferdinand had no sons, he persuaded the Spanish legislature to set aside the Salic Law, which allowed for only male succession. María Isabel Luisa, Ferdinand’s elder daughter by his fourth wife (and niece), was Princess of Asturias, the title of the heir to the Spanish throne, from birth. In Spain, even if there is no heir apparent, the title can be (but is not necessarily) given to the heir presumptive – a daughter, sibling, or matrilineal descendant of the monarch. King Ferdinand VII died on September 29, 1833, and his daughter, not quite three years old, succeeded to the throne as Queen Isabella II. This precipitated a series of wars known as the Carlist Wars in which Ferdinand’s brother Carlos, and later his descendants, fought over the succession. Even today, there are Carlist claimants to the Spanish throne. Isabella’s mother, and then Baldomero Espartero, Prince of Vergara served as regents during her minority.

Queen Isabella II of Spain as a child; Credit – Wikipedia

King Ferdinand VII was interred in the Pantheon of Kings in the Royal Crypt of the Monastery of El Escorial at the Royal Site of San Lorenzo de El Escorial in San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Spain.

Ferdinand VII of Spain_tomb

Tomb of King Ferdinand VII; Photo Credit – www.findagrave.com

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Kingdom of Spain Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Sarah, Duchess of York

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

The Telegraph

Sarah, Duchess of York source: The Telegraph

Sarah, Duchess of York (born Sarah Margaret Ferguson) is the former wife of Prince Andrew, The Duke of York, second son of Queen Elizabeth II and The Duke of Edinburgh. She was born at the Wellbeck Nursing Home in Marylebone, London, England on October 15, 1959, to Major Ronald Ferguson and the former Susan Wright. Her father, a former soldier in the Life Guards, served as polo manager to the Duke of Edinburgh, and for many years, to the Prince of Wales. Sarah’s parents divorced in 1974, and both remarried. She has an older sister – Jane – and three younger half-siblings – Andrew, Alice, and Eliza Charlotte – from her father’s second marriage.

Her ancestors include King Charles II of England (she is descended from two of his illegitimate sons, The Duke of Richmond and The Duke of Monmouth), The 6th Duke of Buccleuch, 1st Duke of Abercorn, and Georgina Spencer, Duchess of Devonshire. Through these ancestors, she is distantly related to her former husband.

 

Sarah spent the first eight years of her life living at Lowood House, the family home in Sunninghill, Berkshire, England. The family then moved to Dummer Down Farm in Hampshire,  England which had been in the Ferguson family for several generations. As a child, Sarah and her family often spent summer weekends at Smith’s Lawn where her father played polo. It was here that her father first met Earl Mountbatten and through him, The Duke of Edinburgh. She often played with the children of The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh although neither Sarah nor her sister has any clear recollections.

Sarah attended the Daneshill School in Hampshire, England, and then the Hurst Lodge School in Ascot, England graduating in 1977. Following her schooling, she attended Queen’s Secretarial College and took a job with a London public relations firm. She also worked at an art gallery and then a publishing company.

 

Despite having met several times in their youth, it wasn’t until the mid-1980s that Sarah and Prince Andrew developed a friendship when they were both guests at a weekend party at Floors Castle, the Scottish home of the Duke and Duchess of Roxburghe. Their friendship became romantic after a party at Windsor Castle in 1985, as part of Royal Ascot week. The Princess of Wales, with whom Sarah had been friends for several years, arranged for Sarah to be invited and made sure she was seated next to Prince Andrew. Before long, Andrew proposed while the couple was again visiting Floors Castle, and their engagement was announced in March 1986. Sarah’s engagement ring consisted of a large Burmese ruby surrounded by diamonds, designed by her fiance’.

 

Sarah and Prince Andrew married on July 23, 1986 in Westminster Abbey. As Andrew had been created Duke of York earlier that morning, Sarah emerged from the abbey as HRH The Duchess of York, and was the fourth most senior woman in the Royal Family, following The Queen, The Queen Mother, and The Princess of Wales.

Following their honeymoon, the couple lived in Prince Andrew’s apartments at Buckingham Palace while construction took place on their new home Sunninghill Park in Berkshire, England. As a wedding gift, Queen Elizabeth II had purchased five acres of the former Sunninghill Park estate from the Crown Commissioners. The previous house on the estate had once been the intended home of Queen Elizabeth II and Duke of Edinburgh following their marriage. However, it was destroyed by fire before they could take up residence. The new Sunninghill Park became Sarah and Andrew’s primary residence for the remainder of their marriage… and beyond.

Upon marriage, Sarah was very close to most of the members of the Royal Family. She shared a love of horses and country pursuits with Queen Elizabeth II and took up carriage driving which endeared her to the Duke of Edinburgh. The Prince of Wales, now King Charles III, admired her carefree spirit and exuberance. However, in the early months and years of her marriage, The Duke of York was often away on naval duties, leaving Sarah to fend for herself in the complex world of ‘The Firm’. As an outsider, unaccustomed to life in the royal household, she often stumbled in finding her way. Fortunately, she had her friend and sister-in-law Diana to help guide her. At the beginning of her marriage, the media loved Sarah but they soon began to turn on her. Constantly compared to Diana and ridiculed for her fashion sense and her weight, she was called ‘Duchess of Pork’ by many of the British tabloids. For Sarah, it was made more difficult because of the constant absence of her husband.

Over the next four years, Sarah and Andrew had two daughters:

Soon there were cracks in the marriage. The Duke of York was often away on naval duties, and Sarah was seen in the company of other men. After much speculation, the couple announced they were separating on March 19, 1992. A few months later, a tabloid published photos of the Duchess sunbathing topless with another man, causing the rift between her husband and his family to widen. When attempts at reconciliation failed, the couple divorced on May 30, 1996. Now styled as ‘Sarah, Duchess of York’, she initially retained the HRH style. However, Letters Patent were issued a few months later, clarifying that former wives were not entitled to use the royal style. As per The Lord Chamberlain’s office, she is still considered a member of the British Royal Family.

Despite their divorce, Sarah and Andrew continued to live together, both at Sunninghill Park and later at Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park. In 2007, she moved to the neighboring Dolphin House, where she lived until a fire in 2008 caused her to return to Royal Lodge. Sarah and Andrew purchased a ski chalet in Verbier, Switzerland, and Sarah has reportedly made this her primary residence. She also has an apartment in London and retains her rooms at Royal Lodge.

The relationship with her former husband has remained close, with Sarah often stating that he remains her ‘Prince Charming’. Rumors have circulated for years that the two plan to re-marry, but the two seem very happy with their current relationship. While both have had other relationships, they remained fully supportive – and protective – of each other.

One of the most polarizing British royals in recent years, Sarah, Duchess of York, despite her financial problems and scandals, has remained supportive and respectful of her former family and the monarchy. Since divorcing in 1996, she has been in the rare position of having to juggle her former position with her current one. Because of this, she is often, as the expression goes,  “damned if she does, and damned if she doesn’t.”

 

Sarah, Duchess of York has written or contributed to over 40 books, including her series of ‘Budgie the Little Helicopter’ books, several lifestyle books, and two books about Queen Victoria. She served for many years as a spokesperson for Weight Watchers and ventured into film as a producer of the movie The Young Victoria in 2009. She has also worked as a contributor to several news programs, both in the UK and the US.

Despite her successful business ventures, she has often had to deal with financial problems. Reportedly she was near bankruptcy before being bailed out by her husband and several other friends. In 2010, she was secretly filmed by a tabloid offering access to her former husband in exchange for money. This incident, along with others, caused increased tension with her former family, particularly with her former father-in-law The Duke of Edinburgh. However, Queen Elizabeth II was very welcoming to her former daughter-in-law and often invited Sarah to Balmoral or Sandringham with Andrew and their daughters.

Since the early years of her marriage, Sarah has been involved with numerous charities and organizations. Since 1990, she has been Patron of The Teenage Cancer Trust, and a few years later, founded Children in Crisis. Sarah, her former husband, and their daughters established Key To Freedom in 2013. Other organizations she supports include Mental Disability Rights International and the Motor Neurone Disease Association. She has worked with the American Cancer Society and in 2014 was named ambassador for the Institute of Global Health Innovation at Imperial College in London.

On June 25, 2023, it was announced that Sarah had breast cancer and underwent surgery at King Edward VII Hospital, a private clinic in central London that previously treated the late Queen Elizabeth II and other senior royals. She underwent reconstructive surgery following her mastectomy. On January 21, 2024, it was announced that Sarah had been diagnosed with malignant melanoma after having several moles removed for analysis.

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