Monthly Archives: March 2018

April – May 1918: Royalty and World War I

by Susan Flantzer

  • Captain The Honorable Harold Fox Pitt Lubbock
  • Timeline: April 1, 1918 – May 31, 1918
  • A Note About German Titles
  • April- May 1918 – Royals/Nobles/Peers/Sons of Peers Who Died In Action

********************

Captain The Honorable Harold Fox Pitt Lubbock

Photo Credit – http://www.rutlandremembers.org/

Captain The Honorable Harold Fox Pitt Lubbock was the second son in his family to be killed in action during World War I. His younger brother Captain The Honorable Eric Fox Pitt Lubbock was killed in aerial combat in Ypres, Belgium on March 11, 1917, at the age 23.

Born in London on June 10, 1888, Harold was the elder of the three sons and the third of the five children of John Lubbock, 1st Baron Avebury and his second wife Alice Augusta Laurentia Lane Fox-Pitt.  His mother was daughter of Augustus Henry Lane-Fox Pitt Rivers, whose collection of about 22,000 objects was the founding collection of the Pitt Rivers Museum at the University of Oxford which this author can verify is quite interesting. Harold’s father John Lubbock was a banker and a Liberal Member of Parliament who is most known for bank holidays which he introduced in the Bank Holidays Act 1871.  Lubbock was also an archaeologist and coined the terms “Palaeolithic” and “Neolithic” to denote the Old and New Stone Ages.

Harold had six half-siblings from his father’s first marriage to Ellen Frances Hordern who died in 1879. His eldest half-brother John Birkbeck Lubbock succeeded their father as the 2nd Baron Avebury. The 2nd Baron never married and when he died, he was succeeded by Harold’s son John Lubbock, 3rd Baron Avebury.

Harold was educated at St. Aubyns School, a preparatory school in Rottingdean, and Eton College. He then attended Trinity College, Cambridge University. After university, Harold entered the family profession, banking, and eventually became a partner in Coutts & Co, the seventh oldest bank in the world. Several years before the outbreak of World War I, Harold joined The Queen’s Own Royal West Kent Yeomanry, a volunteer force.

On June 10, 1914, Harold married The Honorable Dorothy Charlotte Forster, daughter of Henry William Forster, 1st and last Baron Forster and The Honorable Rachel Cecily Douglas-Scott-Montagu. The couple had two children:

  • John Lubbock, 3rd Baron Avebury (1915 – 1971), married (1) Cecily Sparrow, no children, divorced (2) Diana Westcott King, one daughter, divorced (3) Betty Gay Ingham, no children
  • The Honorable Ursula Moyra Lubbock (1917 – 1992), married Dorian Williams, no children, divorced

At the beginning of World War I, Harold served with The Queen’s Own Royal West Kent Yeomanry in the disastrous Gallipoli Campaign fighting a losing campaign against the troops of the Ottoman Empire. In December 1915, his regiment was sent to Palestine where he served as an Adjutant and was promoted to Captain. Harold yearned to serve on the Western Front and so he obtained a transfer to the Grenadier Guards with a reduced rank of Lieutenant. On December 28, 1917, he was sent to France. He finally made it to the trenches of the Western Front on March 29, 1918.

On March 21, 1918, the Germans began their spring offensive in France, Operation Michael also called the Second Battle of the Somme and Harold took part in the defensive action. Unfortunately, he did survive long, being killed in action on April 4, 1918, near Arras, France at the age 29. The regimental history says:

“The 2nd Battalion went up into the line [on 3 April 1918] and found the trenches very wet. On the 4th, during a heavy shelling, which was entirely directed against no.1 Company on the right, Lieutenant the Hon H F P Lubbock was killed by a shell which pitched in the trench. This was a great loss to the battalion, for he was an officer of sound judgment, who did not know what fear was. Corporal Teague MM was killed at the same time, and 6 men were wounded.”

Harold was buried in Boisleux-au-Mont Communal Cemetery in Boisleux-au-Mont, France. Sadly, his widow also lost both her brothers in the war.

Grave of Captain The Honorable Harold Fox Pitt Lubbock; Photo Credit – http://www.rutlandremembers.org/

Works Cited

  • En.wikipedia.org. (2017). John Lubbock, 1st Baron Avebury. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Lubbock,_1st_Baron_Avebury [Accessed 29 Oct. 2017].
  • Lubbock, T. (2017). Captain The Honourable Harold Fox-Pitt Lubbock. [online] Rutland Remembers. Available at: http://www.rutlandremembers.org/fallen/277/lubbock-captain-the-honourable-harold-foxpitt [Accessed 29 Oct. 2017].
  • Luscombe, S. (2017). The Grenadier Guards. [online] Britishempire.co.uk. Available at: http://www.britishempire.co.uk/forces/armyunits/britishinfantry/grenadierlubbock.htm [Accessed 29 Oct. 2017].

********************

Timeline: April 1, 1918 – May 31, 1918

April 10, 1918 – British 55th (West Lancashire) Division troops blinded by tear gas await treatment at an Advanced Dressing Station near Bethune, France after the Battle of Estaires; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

********************

A Note About German Titles

Many German royals and nobles died in World War I. The German Empire consisted of 27 constituent states, most of them ruled by royal families. Scroll down to German Empire here to see what constituent states made up the German Empire. The constituent states retained their own governments but had limited sovereignty. Some had their own armies, but the military forces of the smaller ones were put under Prussian control. In wartime, armies of all the constituent states would be controlled by the Prussian Army and the combined forces were known as the Imperial German Army.  German titles may be used in Royals Who Died In Action below. Refer to Unofficial Royalty: Glossary of German Noble and Royal Titles.

24 British peers were also killed in World War I and they will be included in the list of those who died in action. In addition, more than 100 sons of peers also lost their lives, and those that can be verified will also be included.

********************

April – May 1918 – Royals/Nobles/Peers/Sons of Peers Who Died In Action

The list is in chronological order and does contain some who would be considered noble instead of royal. The links in the last bullet for each person is that person’s genealogical information from Leo’s Genealogics Website or to The Peerage website. If a person has a Wikipedia page or a website page with biographical information, their name will be linked to that page.

Photos below of Harold Lubbock and William FitzRoy are from www.findagrave.com and photo below of Erbprinz Philipp Hermann is from https://s3.amazonaws.com/photos.geni.com

Captain The Honorable Harold Fox Pitt Lubbock (see article above)

**********

Philipp Hermann, Erbprinz zu Solms-Hohensolms-Lich

**********

Lieutenant Ebenezer Maclay

**********

Ferdinand Carl Heinrich Fischler, Graf von Treuburg

**********

Lieutenant William Henry Alfred FitzRoy, Viscount Ipswich

Grave of Lieutenant William Henry Alfred FitzRoy, Viscount Ipswich; Photo Credit – www.findagrave.com

**********

Lieutenant The Honorable Philip Granville James Fitzalan-Howard

**********

August I, Grand Duke of Oldenburg

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2018

Grand Duchy of Oldenburg: The Counts of Oldenburg died out in 1667, after which Oldenburg became a duchy until 1810, when it was annexed by the First French Empire under Napoleon, Emperor of the French. After the final defeat of Napoleon, the Congress of Vienna elevated the Duchy of Oldenburg to a Grand Duchy in 1815. The Grand Duchy of Oldenburg consisted of three widely separated territories – Oldenburg, Eutin, and Birkenfeld – now in the German states of Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein, and Rhineland-Palatinate. With the fall of the German Empire at the end of World War I, Friedrich August II, the last Grand Duke of Oldenburg was forced to abdicate his throne on November 11, 1918.

********************

Credit – Wikipedia

August I, Grand Duke of Oldenburg

August I was the first ruler of the Grand Duchy of Oldenburg to formally use the title of Grand Duke. He was born Duke Paul Friedrich August of Oldenburg at Schloss Rastede in Oldenburg, Grand Duchy of Oldenburg, now in Lower Saxony, Germany, on July 13, 1783. August was the eldest son of the future Peter I, Duke of Oldenburg and Duchess Friederike of Württemberg. He had one younger brother:

August with his brother George, 1790s. Credit: Wikipedia

After being privately educated at home, August, along with his brother, attended the University of Leipzig before taking an extensive trip through England and Scotland from 1805-1807. The following year, he accompanied his father to the Congress of Erfurt, the famed meeting between Napoleon, Emperor of the French and Alexander I, Emperor of All Russia.

In 1810, he went into exile in Russia with his father, after Oldenburg was annexed by the French Empire. In 1811, he was appointed Governor of Estonia and served there until returning to Oldenburg in 1816. During this time, he also fought in the Napoleonic Wars (1812-1814).

Adelheid of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym. Credit: Wikipedia

On July 24, 1817, at Schaumburg Castle in the Principality of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym, now in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, August married Princess Adelheid of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym, the daughter of Victor II, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym and Princess Amalie of Nassau-Weilburg. Adelheid died suddenly in 1820, after giving birth to two daughters:

Ida of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym. Credit: Wikipedia

On June 24, 1825, August married Princess Ida of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym, the younger sister of his first wife, Adelheid. They had one son before Ida died in 1828:

Cecilia of Sweden. Credit: Wikipedia

August married again on May 5, 1831, in Vienna. His third wife was Princess Cecilia of Sweden, the daughter of the former King Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden and Princess Friederike of Baden. The couple had met the previous October while August was visiting Schloss Bruschal – the home of Cecilia’s maternal grandmother – and he proposed after just an hour of conversation. August and Cecilia had three sons:

  • Duke Alexander (1834-1835) – died in infancy
  • Duke August (1836-1837) – died in infancy
  • Duke Elimar (1844-1895) – married Baroness Natalie Vogel von Friesenhof, had issue

August became Grand Duke of Oldenburg upon his father’s death in May 1829 and was the first ruler to formally use the title of Grand Duke. His reign saw the development of Oldenburg into one of the cultural centers of Germany, with August also promoting social causes along with the arts and sciences. However, he was unwilling to establish a Constitution, despite being obligated by the rules of the German Confederation. It was only in 1849, after the Revolutions of 1848, that he relented.

After a reign of nearly 24 years, Grand Duke August I died in Oldenburg, Grand Duchy of Oldenburg, now in Lower Saxony, Germany, on February 27, 1853. He is buried in the Ducal Mausoleum in St. Gertrude’s Cemetery in Oldenburg.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Oldenburg Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Friederike of Württemberg, Princess of Holstein-Gottorp

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2018

Friederike of Württemberg, Princess of Holstein-Gottorp

Friederike of Württemberg was the wife of the future Grand Duke Peter I of Oldenburg. She was born Duchess Friederike Elisabeth Amalie Auguste on July 27, 1765, in Treptow an der Rega, Pomerania, now Trzebiatów, Poland, the daughter of Friedrich II Eugen, Duke of Württemberg and Friederike Dorothea of Brandenburg-Schwedt. Friederike had 11 siblings:

Peter of Holstein-Gottorp, later Peter I of Oldenburg

At just 15 years old, Friederike married Prince Peter of Holstein-Gottorp (later Duke Peter I of Oldenburg) on June 6, 1781. The marriage was promoted by her sister Sophie, who was married to the future Paul I, Emperor of All Russia, and was intended to help strengthen the relationship between Württemberg and Russia. Friederike and Peter had two surviving children:

Ducal Mausoleum, Saint Gertrude’s Cemetery in Oldenburg. photo: by Corradox – Own Werk, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12178691

Friederike died in Vienna, Austria on November 24, 1785, several weeks after having given birth to a stillborn son. She was just twenty years old. Some reports imply that she never recovered from childbirth, while others suggest that she died from breast cancer. Friederike was initially interred in the chapel at Eutin Castle in Eutin, Duchy of Oldenburg, now in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein.   In 1790, her remains were moved to the newly built Ducal Mausoleum in Saint Gertrude’s Cemetery in Oldenburg, Duchy of Oldenburg, now in the German state of Lower Saxony, Germany.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Oldenburg Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Peter I, Grand Duke of Oldenburg

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2018

Grand Duchy of Oldenburg: The Counts of Oldenburg died out in 1667, after which Oldenburg became a duchy until 1810, when it was annexed by the First French Empire under Napoleon, Emperor of the French. After the final defeat of Napoleon, the Congress of Vienna elevated the Duchy of Oldenburg to a Grand Duchy in 1815. The Grand Duchy of Oldenburg consisted of three widely separated territories – Oldenburg, Eutin, and Birkenfeld – now in the German states of Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein, and Rhineland-Palatinate. With the fall of the German Empire at the end of World War I, Friedrich August II, the last Grand Duke of Oldenburg was forced to abdicate his throne on November 11, 1918.

********************

source: Wikipedia

Peter I, Grand Duke of Oldenburg

Peter I was the second Grand Duke of Oldenburg. But, like his predecessor, he did not formally use the title of Grand Duke. He was born Prince Peter Friedrich Ludwig of Holstein-Gottorp in Riesenberg, Kingdom of Prussia now Prabuty, Poland, on January 17, 1755, to Prince Georg Ludwig of Holstein-Gottorp and Princess Sophie Charlotte of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Beck. Peter had two older brothers:

  • Friedrich (1751-1752) – died in infancy
  • Wilhelm (1753-1772) – died in his teens

After both parents died in 1763, Peter was raised at the court of his uncle, Friedrich August, Prince-Bishop of Lübeck and later the first Duke of Oldenburg, and later at the court of Catherine II (the Great), Empress of All Russia. He received his initial education privately before studying for four years in Bern and then another four years in Bologna. He also embarked on a military career, serving as an officer during the Russian-Turkish War in 1774.

Duchess Friederike of Württemberg. source: Wikipedia

On June 6, 1781, Peter married Duchess Friederike of Württemberg, the daughter of Friedrich II Eugen, Duke of Württemberg and Friederike Dorothea of Brandenburg-Schwedt. Before her death in 1785, Peter and Friederike had two sons:

Friedrich August I, Duke of Oldenburg. source: Wikipedia

In July 1785, Peter’s uncle, Friedrich August I, Duke of Oldenburg, died and was succeeded by his son, Wilhelm. However, Wilhelm was mentally incapacitated, and Peter was appointed Regent, as well as Prince-Bishop of Lübeck. As Regent, Peter established one of the first public Savings Banks, which helped to support widows and orphans. In 1803, the Prince-Bishopric of Lübeck was secularized and became the Principality of Lübeck. This new principality was given to Peter and became part of the Duchy of Oldenburg.

Despite having previously agreed to the Sovereignty of Oldenburg in 1807, Napoleon’s forces occupied the Duchy in 1810, sending Peter into exile in Russia. He returned in November 1813 and once again took control of Oldenburg. Two years later, his son oversaw the duchy’s elevation to a Grand Duchy at the Congress of Vienna. Peter established a new government for the Grand Duchy, introduced general conscription and established the Oldenburg Infantry Regiment. Upon his cousin’s death in 1823, Peter became the reigning Grand Duke of Oldenburg. However, like Wilhelm, he chose not to use the title of Grand Duke and was styled as Duke of Oldenburg.

Just short of six years after assuming the throne, Peter suffered a stroke and died in Wiesbaden, Duchy of Nassau, now in Hesse, Germany, on May 21, 1829. He was buried nearly two months later, in the Ducal Mausoleum in St. Gertrude’s Cemetery in Oldenburg, Grand Duchy of Oldenburg, now in Lower Saxony, Germany. He was succeeded by his elder son, August, who became the first ruler of Oldenburg to use the title of Grand Duke.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Oldenburg Resources at Unofficial Royalty

What’s Wrong With “Victoria” Season 2?

by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2018

Queen Victoria’s family in 1846 by Franz Xaver Winterhalter; left to right: Prince Alfred, The Prince of Wales, Queen Victoria, Prince Albert, Princess Alice, Princess Helena and Victoria, Princess Royal; Credit – Wikipedia

UPDATE: Since this article was published we have added a new area Queen Victoria’s Inner Circle. We have extended articles on some of those who served Queen Victoria and some of her relatives who lived during her reign (1837 – 1901). Many of the people listed were seen in the television series Victoria but their true life story may be very different than the story depicted in the series.

Queen Victoria and her family were my gateway to becoming a royalty aficionado but I procrastinated watching Victoria Season 2. I had seen articles in the British media about the many inaccuracies when Victoria Season 2 was shown in the United Kingdom. I DVRed all the shows when Season 2 started in the United States in January 2018. I noticed that right after the shows aired on Sunday nights and into Monday, a lot of people viewed Unofficial Royalty’s article about Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Prince Albert’s brother. That made me wonder what they had Ernst doing in Season 2 – probably the same inaccurate thing he had been doing in Season 1. As of the date of this article’s publication, Ernst’s article has had 50,000+ views, is Unofficial Royalty’s tenth most viewed article and is our most viewed biography article. What they had Ernst doing (and what they had many other characters – or should I say real people – doing) never happened.

In my article What’s Wrong With Victoria Season 1, I wrote about the poetic license in historical fiction. I certainly realize that the creators of historical fiction have some poetic license to change the facts of the real world to make their story more interesting. But how much poetic license should historical fiction creators take with facts? Should they change the characteristics of a real person because it will make the plot more dramatic? Should they change the facts so much that a real person is misrepresented or even defamed? How much should real events change? What responsibility do the creators of historical fiction have to tell the truth that the historical facts reveal?

Many things about many secondary characters – real people – are inaccurate and I feel the need to tell the story of these real people. I have compiled a timeline with real events and included comments after most of the events. At the end of the timeline, there is some brief information about the true lives of some of these real people.

There are many timeline inaccuracies and events that occur out of order in Victoria Series 2. Because of this, it is very difficult to tell the time span of each episode. When Victoria Season 2 ends, Queen Victoria has three children and she is pregnant with another child. That child must be her fourth child Prince Alfred who was born in August 1844 so Season 2 must end at Christmas 1843 and yet events have occurred in Season 2 that in reality occurred after 1843.

********************

Timeline

I have included the birth dates of Queen Victoria’s first five children, born 1840 – 1846. They are the children in the family portrait above. The ages of the children in Victoria Season 2 are all wrong.   In December 1843, when Season 2 ended, Victoria, Princess Royal (Vicky) would have been 3 years old, her brother the Prince of Wales (Bertie) would have been 2 years old, and Alice would have been 8 months old.

March 30, 1792 – Birth of Edward Drummond, personal secretary to Prime Minister Robert Peel (Drummond in Victoria Season 2 was in his 20s – 30s. In reality, he was 24 years older than Lord Alfred Paget with whom he has a relationship in Victoria Season 2. The real Drummond died in 1843 before Lord Alfred held a position in Queen Victoria’s household. Drummond and Lord Alfred did not have a relationship.)

April 17, 1795 – Birth of Lady Elizabeth Wilhelmina Coke, daughter of Thomas Coke, 1st Earl of Leicester (I think the writers just picked a random person as this character.  The real Wilhelmina Coke was not the niece or great-niece of the Duchess of Buccleuch who was not born until 1811 and Wilhelmina did not marry Lord Alfred Paget. I find no evidence that she ever served as a maid of honor or lady-in-waiting. The real Wilhelmina married John Spencer-Stanhope and had six children.)

May 21, 1806 – Birth of Lady Harriet Howard, the future Duchess of Sutherland, Mistress of the Robes (Harriet in Victoria Season 2 is much too young. She was 13 years older than Queen Victoria and 12 years older than Prince Ernst of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. The real Harriet’s husband George Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 2nd Duke of Sutherland did not die until 1861. Harriet and Prince Ernst did not have a relationship. More information below.)

April 10, 1811 – Birth of Lady Charlotte Thynne, the future Duchess of Buccleuch, Mistress of the Robes (The real Charlotte was 8 years older than Queen Victoria, not an old woman named Matilda as portrayed by actress Diana Rigg. More information below.)

June 26, 1816 – Birth of Lord Alfred Paget (Lord Alfred was Chief Equerry and Clerk Marshal to Queen Victoria from July 1846 to March 1852, from December 1852 to March 1858, and from June 1859 to 1888. If Victoria Season 2 ends in December 1843, the real Lord Alfred had not yet started serving in Queen Victoria’s household. He did not have a relationship with Edward Drummond. More information below.)

August 9, 1832 – King Leopold I of Belgium (Uncle Leopold) married Princess Louise-Marie of Orléans, daughter of Louis Philippe I, King of the French (Where is Queen Louise-Marie? Why is King Leopold not spending Christmas with his wife and their three young children?)

1837 – 1847 – Baron Christian von Stockmar acted, first as Victoria’s, and then as Victoria and Albert’s, unofficial counselor (Where is Baron Stockmar? More information below.)

1837 – 1862 – Marianne Skerrett served as Head Dresser and Wardrobe-Woman to Queen Victoria. (Her name was not Nancy and she was 26 years older than Queen Victoria. Her entire story in Victoria is utterly false. She did not take the place of a pregnant cousin’s intended position as dresser. More information below.)

March 9, 1840 – March 31, 1842 – Employment of Charles Elmé Francatelli as Queen Victoria’s maitre d’hôtel and chief cook in ordinary. (Francatelli worked at the palace for only two years. He did not come back to work at the palace after leaving and he did not have a relationship with Marianne Skerrett who was 12 years older than him. More information below.)

November 21, 1840 – Birth of Victoria, Princess Royal (Vicky)

November 9, 1841 – Birth of Albert Edward, Prince of Wales (Bertie)

January 1842 – 2-year-old Vicky was very ill. (In Victoria Season 2, Vicky is ill after the birth of Princess Alice and is older than age 2.)

May 3, 1842 – Prince Ernst of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha married Princess Alexandrine of Baden before he succeeded as Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (In Victoria Season 2, Ernst is not yet married in December 1843. Where is Alexandrine? More information below.)

July 25, 1842 – Baroness Louise Lehzen was dismissed by Prince Albert (In Victoria Season 2, Lehzen is dismissed after the birth of Princess Alice.)

January 25, 1843 – An assassination attempt was made on Prime Minister Robert Peel (The killer mistook Edward Drummond, Peel’s personal secretary, for Peel, and shot and killed Drummond, age 51. The real Drummond did not jump in front of the bullet and did have a fiancée to mourn him as he did in Victoria Season 2.)

April 25, 1843 – Birth of Princess Alice (Her uncle Prince Ernst did not attend her christening although he does in Victoria Season 2.)

June 18, 1843 – King Ernest Augustus I of Hanover, Duke of Cumberland and Victoria’s uncle, attended the wedding of his niece Princess Augusta of Cambridge at Buckingham Palace. This does not occur in the show but I mention it because it was the only time Ernest was in England after he became King of Hanover in 1837. (He did not visit England at Christmas 1843 as shown in Victoria Season 2.)

1843 – Queen Victoria and Prince Albert visited Louis Philippe I, King of the French (Louis Philippe I’s son Antoine, Duke of Montpensier did not marry Queen Isabella II of Spain as was said in Victoria Season 2. He married her sister Infanta Luisa Fernanda of Spain. Albert and Victoria’s cousin Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was never considered as a husband to Queen Isabella II of Spain. Ferdinand married Queen Maria II of Portugal.)

January 29, 1844 – Prince Ernst succeeded his father Ernst I as Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (In Victoria Season 2 which ends in December 1843, he is already Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.)

August 6, 1844 – Birth of Prince Alfred (Affie)

1845 – 1849 – Irish Potato Famine (In Victoria Season 2, which ends in December 1843, the Irish Potato Famine has already occurred.)

May 25, 1846 – Birth of Princess Helena (Lenchen)

June 25, 1846 – Repeal of the Corn Laws (In Victoria Season 2, which ends in December 1843, the Repeal of the Corn Laws has already occurred.)

June 29, 1846 – Prime Minister Robert Peel forced to resign because of his support of the repeal of the Corn Laws. (In Victoria Season 2, which ends in December 1843, Peel’s resignation has already occurred.)

1847 – Death of Irish clergyman Robert Traill from typhus (Traill established a soup kitchen in his home to help victims of the Irish Potato Famine. He is the great-great-great-grandfather of Daisy Goodwin, the creator of Victoria. In Victoria Season 2, which ends in December 1843, Traill’s death has already occurred.)

November 24, 1848 – Death of William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne (Lord Melbourne) at age 69 (Did Melbourne die as he sat in his chair? I am confused!)

1848 – Aina, born in 1843, renamed Sara Forbes Bonetta, was rescued from the Kingdom of Dahomey in Africa by Captain Frederick Forbes of the Royal Navy. (The real Sara was born in 1843 and was not with Victoria and her family at Christmas 1843 as shown in Victoria Season 2. I can find no evidence that she ever lived in the palace.)

********************

The Real Stories

Marianne Skerrett attributed to Dr. Ernest Becker, circa 1859; Photo Credit – https://www.royalcollection.org.uk/collection/2906440/miss-mariann

Marianne Skerrett (1793 – 1887) was the Head Dresser and Wardrobe-Woman to Queen Victoria from 1837 to 1862. The daughter of a British Army officer who owned a plantation in the West Indies, Marianne was born in 1793, so she was 44 years old when Victoria became queen. She was extremely well-read and was fluent in Danish, French, and German.

Author Carolly Erickson has references to Marianne in her biography of Queen Victoria, Her Little Majesty. From Erickson’s book: Marianne Skerrett was “the head of Victoria’s wardrobe, overseeing all the practical work of ordering all her clothing, shoes, hats, gloves, and undergarments…She kept the wardrobe accounts, checking all the bills to make certain no one tried to cheat her mistress, and supervised the purveyors, hairdressers, dressmakers, and pearl-sewers whose task it was to keep the royal wardrobe in good repair.”

In addition, Marianne and Victoria had a lot in common. From Erickson’s book: “Both were intelligent, loved animals, spoke several languages…shared a great interest in paintings and painters. Marianne was well educated, with cultivated tastes, and in time to come Victoria would rely on her to help with the purchase of paintings and in corresponding with artists.”

Although she retired in 1862, Marianne remained in contact with Queen Victoria until her death in 1887 at the age of 94.

********************

Harriet Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, Duchess of Sutherland by Franz Xaver Winterhalter, 1849; Credit – Wikipedia

Harriet Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, Duchess of Sutherland (1806 – 1868) was born Lady Harriet Howard, the fifth of the twelve children and the third of the six daughters of George Howard, 6th Earl of Carlisle and Lady Georgiana Cavendish. In 1823, Harriet married George Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, Earl Gower who succeeded his father in 1833 as the 2nd Duke of Sutherland. Harriet and her husband had a successful, loving marriage and had eleven children.  One of their daughters was named Victoria and another was named Alexandrina – named after Queen Victoria whose given names were Alexandrina Victoria. Their grandson John Campbell, 9th Duke of Argyll married Queen Victoria’s daughter Princess Louise.

Harriet served Queen Victoria as Mistress of the Robes whenever the Whigs were in power until her husband’s death: August 1837 to September 1841, July 1846 to March 1852, January 1853 to February 1858, and June 1859 to April 1861. In the weeks following Prince Albert’s death in 1861, Harriet, who had lost her own husband earlier that year, was Queen Victoria’s sole companion.

Harriet’s last public appearance was at the Prince of Wales’s marriage in 1863. Later that year, she developed an illness from which she never recovered. She died on October 27, 1868, at the age of 62.

********************

Charlotte Montagu Douglas Scott, Duchess of Buccleuch with her daughter Lady Victoria Alexandrina, named after Queen Victoria by Robert Thorburn. The painting was given from the Duchess to Queen Victoria in 1847; Credit – Wikipedia

Charlotte Montagu Douglas Scott, Duchess of Buccleuch (1811 – 1895) was born Lady Charlotte Thynne, the youngest of the three daughters and tenth of the eleven children of Thomas Thynne, 2nd Marquess of Bath and The Honorable Isabella Elizabeth Byng. In 1829, Charlotte married Walter Montagu Douglas Scott, 5th Duke of Buccleuch and the couple had seven children.  Like Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, Charlotte and her husband are great-great-grandparents of Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, a first cousin of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom. They are also great-great-great grandparents of Sarah, Duchess of York. Charlotte’s husband died on April 16, 1884, at the age of 77.

Charlotte served Queen Victoria as Mistress of the Robes from 1841 – 1846 when the Conservative Party was in power and Robert Peel was Prime Minister. Charlotte and Queen Victoria remained close friends and Queen Victoria was a godmother to Charlotte’s daughter Lady Victoria. Charlotte’s daughter-in-law Louisa Montagu Douglas Scott, Duchess of Buccleuch was Mistress of the Robes to Queen Victoria from 1885 – 1892 and from 1895 until Queen Victoria’s death in 1901 and was also Mistress of the Robes to Queen Alexandra, wife of King Edward VII, from 1901 until her death in 1912.

Charlotte Montagu Douglas Scott, Duchess of Buccleuch died on March 18, 1895, at the age of 83.

********************

Lord Alfred Henry Paget by Southwell Brothers, albumen carte-de-visite, 1860s, NPG x46527 © National Portrait Gallery, London

Lord Alfred Paget (1816 – 1888) was the fourth of the ten children and the second of the five sons of Field Marshal Henry Paget, 1st Marquess of Anglesey and his second wife Lady Charlotte Cadogan. Alfred had eight half-siblings from his father’s first marriage to Lady Caroline Villiers.

Alfred was a lieutenant in the Royal Horse Guards and served as a Liberal Member of Parliament from 1837 – 1865. From July 1846 to March 1852, from December 1852 to March 1858, and from June 1859 to 1888, Alfred served Queen Victoria as Chief Equerry and Clerk Marshal. The offices of Chief Equerry and Clerk Marshal were combined until 1874 when they were separated. From 1874 – 1888, Alfred was only Chief Marshal. An Equerry serves as an aide-de-camp. As Clerk Marshal, Alfred was responsible for the payment of all Royal Household officers and servants. He was also responsible for submitting the Royal Household to the Board of Green Cloth which audited the accounts of the Royal Household.

In 1847, Alfred married Cecilia Wyndham, co-heiress with her elder sister of George Thomas Wyndham. Alfred and Cecilia had fourteen children including two pairs of twins. Their first child was named Victoria Alexandrina after Queen Victoria. He died on August 24, 1888, at the age of 72.

********************

Charles Elmé Francatelli, drawn by Auguste Hervieu and engraved by Samuel Freeman, 1846; Credit – Wikipedia

Charles Elmé Francatelli (1805 – 1876) was born in London, England. He was educated in France at the Parisian College of Cooking where he studied culinary arts with Antonin Carême, known as “The King of Chefs and the Chef of Kings.” When Francatelli returned to England, he became chef de cuisine (executive chef) to several members of the nobility. He then became chef de cuisine at the St. James’s Club, popularly known as Crockford’s.

For two years only, from March 9, 1840 to March 31, 1842, Francatelli served as maitre d’hôtel and chief cook in ordinary to Queen Victoria. For some reason, he was dismissed, perhaps because Queen Victoria did not like his French cuisine, and he returned to Crockford’s. Francatelli did have one more royal client. From 1863 – 1863, he served as chef de cuisine to The Prince and Princess of Wales (the future King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra) at their London home, Marlborough House

During his career, Francatelli was chef de cuisine at the Coventry House Club and the Reform Club. Afterward, he managed the St. James’s Hotel in Piccadilly London and finally the Freemasons’ Tavern, a position he held until shortly before his death.

Francatelli was a very successful cookbook author. In 1845, he published The Modern Cook which ran through twelve editions. His next book was The Cook’s Guide and Butler’s Assistant published in 1861. The same year, he published Plain Cookery Book for the Working Classes which contained practical information valuable to the less affluent people. In 1862, The Royal English and Foreign Confectionery Book was published.

Francatelli did marry twice (but not to Marianne Skerrett) and have children. He died in Eastbourne, England on August 10, 1876, at the age of 71.

********************

Prince Ernst, lithograph by Franz Hanfstaengl, 1842; Credit – Wikipedia

Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1818 – 1893) was a year older than Prince Albert and was the elder of the two sons of Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and his first wife Louise of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg. Since Ernst and Albert were close in age, they were also close companions during their childhood. However, as mentioned in Victoria, their childhood was marred by their parents’ disastrous marriage, separation, and divorce.

At the urging of his brother Albert, who had married Queen Victoria in 1840, Ernst began his search for a bride. However, Ernst was suffering from a venereal disease as a result of his many affairs. However, he did not have an affair with Harriet Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, Duchess of Sutherland as depicted in the television series Victoria. Ernst had been warned that continued promiscuity could leave him unable to father children. On May 13, 1842, in Karlsruhe, Baden (now in Germany) Ernst married Princess Alexandrine of Baden, the daughter of Leopold I, Grand Duke of Baden and Princess Sofia of Sweden. Ernst had at least three illegitimate children but his marriage was childless, perhaps due to Ernst passing the venereal disease to Alexandrine causing her to become infertile. Alexandrine was loyal and devoted to her husband despite his infidelities, and believed that their lack of children was her fault.

On January 29, 1844, Ernst’s father died and he became Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Ernst had financial difficulties throughout his reign due to his extravagance. He was an excellent musician, an amateur composer, and a great patron of the arts and sciences in Coburg. Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha died after a short illness in Coburg on August 22, 1893, at the age of 75.

********************

Christian Friedrich, Baron Stockmar by Franz Xaver Winterhalter, 1847; Credit – Wikipedia

Where is Baron Stockmar?
Christian Friedrich, Freiherr von Stockmar (Baron Stockmar) (1787 – 1863) was a physician and a statesman from Saxe-Coburg and Gotha who was sent to Victoria in 1837, the year of her accession, by her uncle King Leopold I of Belgium to advise her. Stockmar had accompanied Leopold to England when he married Princess Charlotte of Wales in 1816 and served as his personal physician, private secretary, comptroller of the household, and political advisor. When Albert and Ernst made a six-month tour of Italy in early 1839, Stockmar accompanied them. Baron Stockmar was Albert’s negotiator during the discussions regarding the marriage of Victoria and Albert and stayed in England after the marriage of Victoria and Albert, acting as their unofficial advisor. He was an important person to both Victoria and Albert and is missing from Victoria.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Peter Friedrich Wilhelm, Grand Duke of Oldenburg

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2018

Grand Duchy of Oldenburg: The Counts of Oldenburg died out in 1667, after which Oldenburg became a duchy until 1810, when it was annexed by the First French Empire under Napoleon, Emperor of the French. After the final defeat of Napoleon, the Congress of Vienna elevated the Duchy of Oldenburg to a Grand Duchy in 1815. The Grand Duchy of Oldenburg consisted of three widely separated territories – Oldenburg, Eutin, and Birkenfeld – now in the German states of Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein, and Rhineland-Palatinate. With the fall of the German Empire at the end of World War I, Friedrich August II, the last Grand Duke of Oldenburg was forced to abdicate his throne on November 11, 1918.

********************

Coat of Arms of the Grand Duchy of Oldenburg. source: Wikipedia

Peter Friedrich Wilhelm, Grand Duke of Oldenburg

Peter Friedrich Wilhelm – known as Wilhelm – was the first Grand Duke of Oldenburg, although he never formally used the title. He was born a Prince of Holstein-Gottorp on January 3, 1754, at Eutin Castle in the Principality of Holstein-Gottorp, now in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. He was the only son of Friedrich August I, later Duke of Oldenburg, and Princess Ulrike Friederike Wilhelmine of Hesse-Kassel. Wilhelm had two younger sisters:

Wilhelm studied for a year at the University of Kiel before embarking on a grand tour throughout Europe. In June 1773, the Treaty of Tsarskoye Selo was signed between Russia and Denmark. As part of the agreement, Russia ceded the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein to Denmark, while Denmark ceded control of the County of Oldenburg to Russia. Oldenburg was given to the Prince Bishops of Lübeck, with Wilhelm’s father becoming Count, and later the first Duke of Oldenburg.

Charlotte of Hesse-Darmstadt

By 1777, Wilhelm was suffering from mental illness. An intended engagement to Princess Charlotte of Hesse-Darmstadt was called off, and he lived the remainder of his life in seclusion. King Christian VII of Denmark provided him with Plön Castle, then in Denmark now in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, where Wilhelm lived the rest of his life, with a large household.

Upon his father’s death on July 6, 1785, Wilhelm became the reigning Duke of Oldenburg. But due to his illness, it was in name only. Instead, his cousin, Peter, Prince-Bishop of Lübeck, served as Regent during his entire reign. Peter would eventually succeed Wilhelm as Peter I. Thirty years later, as a result of the Congress of Vienna in 1815, Oldenburg was elevated to a Grand Duchy. Although technically now a Grand Duke, Wilhelm never formally used the title.

Plön Castle, c1864. source: Wikipedia

At the age of 69, Grand Duke Wilhelm died at Plön Castle in Plön, Grand Duchy of Oldenburg, now in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, on July 2, 1823. He is buried in the Prince-Bishop’s Mausoleum at Lübeck Cathedral. in the independent free city of Lübeck, now in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Oldenburg Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Wedding of King Olav V of Norway and Princess Märtha of Sweden

by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2018

Credit – Wikipedia

On March 21, 1929, the future King Olav V of Norway married Princess Märtha of Sweden at Oslo Cathedral in Norway. It was the first royal wedding in Norway in 340 years.

Olav’s Early Life

Olav with his parents, 1913. source: Wikipedia

Olav was born Prince Alexander of Denmark on July 2, 1903, at Appleton House on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, England. He was the only child of Prince Carl of Denmark and Princess Maud of Wales. In 1905, his father was elected King of Norway, taking the name Haakon VII. Prince Alexander took the name Olav and became Crown Prince. He attended the Norwegian Military Academy and studied law and economics at Balliol College, Oxford University. Olav also represented Norway in the 1928 Olympic Games in Amsterdam, winning a Gold Medal in sailing. He served in the Norwegian Armed Forces – both the navy and army – attaining the rank of Admiral of the Navy and General of the Army in 1939.

For more information about Olav see:

Märtha’s Early Life

Princess Martha (right) with her mother and sisters, c1910. source: Wikipedia

Princess Märtha was born on March 28, 1901, at the Hereditary Prince’s Palace in Stockholm, Sweden. She was the second child of Prince Carl of Sweden and Princess Ingeborg of Denmark. Her siblings included an elder sister Margaretha (later Princess Axel of Denmark); a younger sister Astrid (later Queen of the Belgians); and a younger brother Carl (later Prince Carl Bernadotte). Interestingly, at birth, she was also a Princess of Norway, as Sweden and Norway were in a personal union under the Swedish sovereigns. This union ended in 1905, just before her future husband’s father was elected as the new King of Norway.

Märtha never became Queen of Norway. She died from cancer before Olav became King of Norway.

For more information about Märtha see:

The Engagement

Official engagement photo. photo: Axel Malström, The Royal Court Photo Archives

As first cousins, Olav and Märtha had known each other since childhood, and in the late 1920s, they began a romantic relationship. They managed to keep the relationship private, with Olav often traveling to Sweden in disguise to see his future bride. While both were in Amsterdam in 1928 for the Summer Olympic Games (in which Olav was competing), they became secretly engaged. The following January, after Olav again traveled to Sweden under an assumed name, the engagement was officially announced on January 14, 1929. The announcement was met with great support and excitement in both Norway and Sweden.

Pre-Wedding Festivities

Princess Märtha being greeted by Crown Prince Olav upon her arrival in Oslo. photo: Brødrene Halvorsen, The Royal Court Photo Archives

In the weeks before the wedding, Olav traveled to Sweden where he and Märtha were guests of honor at several functions. Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf hosted a ball at the Royal Palace, and the city of Stockholm hosted a reception at the Stockholm Town Hall. On the Monday before the wedding, King Gustav V hosted a State Banquet at the palace, after which the couple, along with the bride’s family, left to make their way to Norway. Prince Olav took a separate train so that he could already be in Oslo to welcome Märtha and her parents upon their arrival the following day. After they arrived, the couple traveled by carriage through the streets of Oslo on their way to the Royal Palace, where they appeared on the balcony to greet the crowds of well-wishers who had gathered in the Palace Square. King Haakon VII hosted a ball at the palace that evening, and the following night, a gala performance was held at the National Theatre.

The Wedding Attendants

The Bride and Groom with their bridal party. photo: The Royal Court Photo Archives

The Duke of York (the future King George VI of the United Kingdom), a first cousin of Crown Prince Olav and second cousin of Princess Märtha, served as the groom’s best man. The bride had eight bridesmaids, four from Sweden and four from Norway. They were led by the bride’s first cousin once removed, Princess Ingrid of Sweden, and Miss Irmelin Nansen, the daughter of famed Norwegian explorer and humanitarian, Professor Fridtjof Nansen. The rest were daughters of prominent families associated with the Swedish and Norwegian courts. The bride’s nephews, Prince George and Prince Flemming of Denmark, served as her train bearers.

The Wedding Attire

The official wedding portrait. photo: E. Rude, The Royal Court Photo Archives

The bride wore a gown of white silver lamé, made in Paris, which was a gift from her uncle, King Gustav V of Sweden. The gown had a four-meter train that was embroidered with lilies and embellished with pearls and sequins. Her veil – of Brussels lace – extended nearly the full length of her train. She held her veil in place with a tiara of orange blossoms topped with a wreath of myrtle. She carried a large bouquet of white lilies.

The groom wore a full military uniform, adorned with the Collar and Star of the Norwegian Order of Saint Olav, the Sash and Star of the Swedish Order of the Seraphim, along with numerous medals and other decorations.

The Duke of York wore full uniform adorned with the Collar and Star of the Norwegian Order of Saint Olav, the Sash and Star of the British Order of the Garter, and the Necklet of the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem.

The bridesmaids wore white tea-length dresses and carried large bouquets of white flowers.

The Ceremony

photo: The Royal Court Photo Archives

Conducted by the Bishop of Oslo, Johan Lunde, the ceremony took place at 12:00 noon on March 21, 1929, at Olso Cathedral in Oslo, Norway. The 1,600 wedding guests included many government officials, foreign diplomats, and prominent citizens from both Norway and Sweden, along with numerous relatives and friends of the couple. Surprisingly, other than the Swedish and Danish royal families, there was not a large number of foreign royalty in attendance. The most prominent guests were The Duke and Duchess of York, representing King George V of the United Kingdom.

Following the groom’s arrival, the immediate members of the royal families processed into the church to the Norwegian Student Choral Society singing Stenhammar’s “Sverige”. The bride then entered with her father, followed by her bridesmaids. The ceremony was simple and traditional, with the Bishop having stated that the royal couple would have the same marriage service as any other Norwegian citizen. Loudspeakers had been set up outside the cathedral for the crowds gathered there, and there were loud cheers when the couple gave their “I Do’s”. The service ended with Händel’s “Hallelujah Chorus”, and two 21-gun salutes fired from Akershus Fortress. The couple led the carriage process back to the Royal Palace.

The Wedding Banquet and Honeymoon

photo: A.B. Wilse, The Royal Court Photo Archives

Following the ceremony, a luncheon for 200 guests was held at the Royal Palace. That evening, Olav and Märtha left Oslo and made their way to Sassnitz, Rugen Island, Prussia. From there, they made an unaccompanied trip by car through Europe to the French Riviera for the remainder of their honeymoon. Upon their return, they took up residence at the Skaugum Estate which had recently been purchased by Crown Prince Olav. Since then, the property has been the traditional residence of the Norwegian Crown Prince and his family.

Children

Olav and Märtha had three children; Credit – Wikipedia

Olav and Märtha had three children:

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Queen Victoria’s Great-Great-Grandchildren

compiled by Susan Flantzer

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert with their nine children; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert have 140 great-great-grandchildren.  Great-great-grandchildren are third cousins. Note that many of the great-great-grandchildren used or are using styles and titles from monarchies that ceased to exist during the 20th century. The great-great-grandchildren are arranged according to their relationship with Queen Victoria’s children.  Death dates may be updated only for notable people.  The links below are for Unofficial Royalty articles or Wikipedia articles.  Not all great-great-grandchildren have articles.

Other Queen Victoria resources here at Unofficial Royalty:

Notable Great-Great-Grandchildren

  • Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
  • Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark)
  • King Harald V of Norway
  • King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden
  • Queen Margrethe II of Denmark
  • King Juan Carlos I of Spain
  • Queen Sofia of Spain (born Princess Sophia of Greece and Denmark)
  • King Constantine II of Greece
  • Queen Anne-Marie of Greece (born Princess Anne-Marie of Denmark)
  • King Michael I of Romania

GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN OF VICTORIA, PRINCESS ROYAL, GERMAN EMPRESS, QUEEN OF PRUSSIA

GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN OF KING EDWARD VII OF THE UNITED KINGDOM

GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN OF PRINCESS ALICE OF THE UNITED KINGDOM, GRAND DUCHESS OF HESSE AND BY RHINE

GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN OF PRINCE ALFRED, DUKE OF EDINBURGH, DUKE OF SAXE-COBURG AND GOTHA

GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN OF PRINCE ARTHUR, DUKE OF CONNAUGHT

*Also great-grandchildren of Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany via their mother.

GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN OF PRINCE LEOPOLD, DUKE OF ALBANY

**Also great-grandchildren of Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught via their father.

GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN OF PRINCESS BEATRICE OF THE UNITED KINGDOM, PRINCESS HENRY OF BATTENBURG)

Queen Victoria’s Great-Grandchildren

compiled by Susan Flantzer

Queen Victoria with some of her extended family in 1894; Credit – Wikipedia

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert had 87 great-grandchildren.

  • 3 were stillborn (not included in the list below)
  • 1 was illegitimate
  • 7 were born Prince/Princess and had titles changed in 1917 to British peerage titles or courtesy titles
  • 1 had no title
  • 75 had a royal title

Female descendants’ married titles are in parentheses as are some male descendants who had title changes for various reasons.  Great-grandchildren are second cousins.  Carl Johan Bernadotte, Count of Wisborg, who died in 2012, was the last living great-grandchild of Queen Victoria.

Other Queen Victoria resources here at Unofficial Royalty:

Grandchildren of Princess Victoria, Princess Royal (German Empress, Queen of Prussia) and Friedrich III, German Emperor and King of Prussia

Children of Wilhelm II, German Emperor, King of Prussia and Princess Augusta Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg (German Empress, Queen of Prussia)

Wilhelm II and his family in 1896, Credit – Wikipedia from the German Federal Archives

********************

Child of Princess Charlotte of Prussia (Duchess of Saxe-Meiningen) and Bernhard III, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen

Princess Feodora circa 1900; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

********************

Children of Prince Heinrich of Prussia and Princess Irene of Hesse and by Rhine (Princess of Prussia) (both grandchildren of Queen Victoria)

Prince Heinrich and Princess Irene with their two surviving sons Waldemar and Sigismund; Credit – Wikipedia

********************

Children of Princess Sophie of Prussia (Queen of Greece) and King Constantine I of Greece

Circa 1910 Top left:  Constantine holding Irene, Top right: the future George II, Left: Sophia, Center: Helen, Right: the future Alexander I, Front: the future Paul I, Katherine is not yet born; Credit – Wikipedia

********************

Children of Princess Margarete of Prussia (Landgravine of Hesse) and Friedrich Karl, Landgrave of Hesse

Hesse-Kassel sons, Credit – Pinterest

********************

Grandchildren of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom and Princess Alexandra of Denmark (Queen Alexandra)

Children of King George V of the United Kingdom and Princess Victoria Mary of Teck (Queen Mary)

 Family of King George V

********************

Children of Princess Louise, Princess Royal (Duchess of Fife) and Alexander Duff, 1st Duke of Fife

Princess Louise with her daughters Maud and Alexandra. Credit – Wikipedia

********************

Child of Princess Maud of Wales (Queen of Norway) and King Haakon VII of Norway

Maud with her husband and son; Credit – Wikipedia

********************

Grandchildren of Princess Alice of the United Kingdom (Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine) and Ludwig IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by the Rhine

Children of Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine (Princess of Battenberg, Marchioness of Milford Haven) and Prince Louis of Battenberg (after 1917 Louis Mountbatten 1st Marquess of Milford Haven)

Victoria with her family; Credit – Wikipedia

********************

Child of Ernst Ludwig, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine and Princess Victoria Melita of Edinburgh (Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine) (both grandchildren of Queen Victoria)

Princess Elisabeth of Hesse and by Rhine, Credit – Wikipedia

********************

Children of Ernst Ludwig, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine and Princess Eleanore of Solms-Hohensolms-Lich (Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine)

Grand Duke Ernst of Hesse and by Rhine with his second wife and their sons; Credit – Wikipedia

********************

Children of Princess Alix of Hesse and by Rhine (Empress Alexandra Feodorovna of Russia) and Nicholas II, Emperor of All of Russia

Russian Imperial family (circa 1913-1914);  Credit – Wikipedia

********************

Grandchildren of Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Grand Duchess Marie Alexandrovna of Russia (Duchess of Edinburgh, Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha)

Children of Princess Marie of Edinburgh (Queen of Romania) and King Ferdinand I of Romania

Queen Marie with her family in 1913: Credit – Wikipedia

********************

Children of Princess Victoria Melita of Edinburgh (Grand Duchess Victoria Feodorovna of Russia) and Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich of Russia

Victoria Melita with her second husband and their children; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

********************

Children of Princess Alexandra of Edinburgh (Princess of Hohenlohe-Langenburg) and Prince Ernst II of Hohenlohe-Langenburg

Alexandra with her children; Credit – Wikipedia

********************

Children of Princess Beatrice of Edinburgh (Infanta of Spain, Duchess of Galliera) and Infante Alfonso of Spain, Duke of Galliera

Beatrice with her three sons; Credit – Wikipedia

********************

Grandchild of Princess Helena of the United Kingdom (Princess Christian of Schleswig-Holstein) and Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein

Illegitimate Child of Prince Albert, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein (mother’s identity has never been revealed)

  • Valerie zu Schleswig-Holstein (1900 – 1953)

********************

Grandchildren of Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Princess Louise Margaret of Prussia (Duchess of Connaught)

Children of Princess Margaret of Connaught (Crown Princess of Sweden) and Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden (later King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden)

Margaret with her husband and their four older children; Credit – Wikipedia

********************

Child of Prince Arthur of Connaught and Princess Alexandra of Fife, 2nd Duchess of Fife (Princess Arthur of Connaught)  (Arthur is a grandson of Queen Victoria and Alexandra is a great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria.)

Alexandra with her son Alastair; Credit – Wikipedia

********************

Child of Princess Patricia of Connaught (Lady Patricia Ramsay) and The Honorable Alexander Ramsay

Patricia with her son Alexander; Credit – Wikipedia

********************

Grandchildren of Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany and Princess Helena of Waldeck and Pyrmont (Duchess of Albany)

Children of Princess Alice of Albany (Countess of Athlone) and Prince Alexander of Teck (after 1917 Alexander Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone)

Princess Alice with her two surviving children May and Rupert; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

  • Princess May of Teck (after 1917 Lady May Cambridge, after marriage Lady May Abel Smith) (1906 – 1994)
  • Prince Rupert of Teck (after 1917 Rupert Cambridge, Viscount Trematon, hemophiliac) 1907 – 1928
  • Prince Maurice of Teck (born and died 1910)

********************

Children of Prince Charles Edward, Duke of Albany, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (deprived of British titles in 1919) and Princess Victoria Adelaide of Schleswig-Holstein (Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha)

Charles Edward and his wife with their four older children in 1918; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

********************

Grandchildren of Princess Beatrice of the United Kingdom (Princess Henry of Battenberg) and Prince Henry of Battenberg

Child of Prince Alexander of Battenberg (after 1917 Alexander Mountbatten, Marquess of Carisbrooke) and Lady Irene Denison (Marchioness of Carisbrooke)

Lady Iris Victoria Beatrice Grace Kemp (née Mountbatten) by Bassano Ltd, whole-plate film negative, 26 November 1934 NPG x151240 © National Portrait Gallery, London

********************

Children of Princess Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg (Queen Ena of Spain) and King Alfonso XIII of Spain

Queen Ena with her children. Photo: Wikipedia

********************

Wilhelmina of Prussia, Princess of Orange

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2018

Credit – Wikipedia

Born Princess Wilhelmina of Prussia (Friederike Sophie Wilhelmina) in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany, on August 7, 1751, she was the only daughter and the third of the four children of Prince August Wilhelm of Prussia and Luise of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. Wilhelmina’s father was the second surviving son of King Friedrich Wilhelm I of Prussia and Sophia Dorothea of Hanover, the daughter of King George I of Great Britain. August Wilhelm’s elder brother was King Friedrich II (the Great) of Prussia and an elder sister was Louisa Ulrika, wife of King Adolf Frederik of Sweden. Wilhelmina’s uncle Friedrich II of Prussia had married her mother’s sister Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. However, their marriage was childless and Friedrich II was succeeded by Wilhelmina’s eldest brother.

Wilhelmina had three brothers:

At a very young age, Wilhelmina was separated from her parents and raised by her paternal grandmother Queen Dowager Sophia Dorothea. After her grandmother died in 1757, Wilhelmina was then raised by her maternal aunt, Queen Elisabeth Christine, the wife of her paternal uncle King Friedrich II (the Great) of Prussia, who lived apart from her husband. When Wilhelmina was seven-years-old, her 35-year-old father died from a brain tumor.

On October 4, 1767, in Berlin, 16-year-old Wilhelmina married 19-year-old Willem V, Prince of Orange, son of Willem IV, Prince of Orange and Anne, Princess Royal, eldest daughter of King George II of Great Britain. The marriage was negotiated at the request of her uncle King Friedrich II.

Willem and Wilhelmina had five children, but only three survived infancy:

Willem and Wilhelmina with their three children (left to right) Friedrich, Wilhelm, and Louise by Pieter le Sage, 1779; Credit – Wikipedia

Wilhelmina was a proud and politically ambitious person. She was King Friedrich II of Prussia’s favorite niece and the two conducted a long-lasting correspondence containing political content. Based on her uncle’s advice, Wilhelmina tried to gain political influence in the Dutch Republic. Wilhelmina dominated her husband and exerted influence in the politics of the Dutch Republic.

In 1783, after the signing of the Treaty of Paris which ended the American Revolutionary War, there was growing restlessness in the Dutch Republic. A group of revolutionaries called Patriots was challenging Willem V’s authority. In September of 1787, the Patriots were defeated by a Prussian army and many of the Patriots fled to France. In 1793, after the French Revolution, Willem V joined the First Coalition which fought against revolutionary France in 1793. The next year, the Dutch Republic was threatened by invading French armies. In 1795, the revolutionary Patriots, now supported by the French Army, returned and replaced the Dutch Republic with the Batavian Republic which remained in power until 1806.

Wilhelmina in 1789; Credit – Wikipedia

Willem V and his family fled to England where they lived in exile until 1802 in London in the part of Kew Palace known as the Dutch House with the permission of Willem’s first cousin King George III. In 1802, the family went to Germany where they lived in Nassau and Brunswick. Willem spent the rest of his life in exile. During his exile, Willem was viewed quite negatively both in England and the Netherlands. On April 9, 1806, Willem V died at the age of 58 in Brunswick (Germany) and was buried there. On April 29, 1958, after more than 150 years of lying in peace in Brunswick, he was reinterred at the Nieuwe Kerk in Delft.

In 1806, Napoleon created the Kingdom of Holland for his brother Louis and the Batavian Republic came to an end. Aware of the discontent of the Dutch under French rule, Willem V’s son, also named Willem met with Alexander I, Emperor of All Russia to appeal for help in restoring him to rule in the Netherlands. Alexander agreed to help, and following Napoleon’s defeat at Leipzig in 1813, the Dutch provisional government agreed to accept Willem as the first King of the Netherlands.

Wilhelmina’s son King Willem I of the Netherlands; Credit – Wikipedia

Wilhelmina survived long enough to see her son become King Willem I of the Netherlands, and she returned to live in the Netherlands in 1814.  She died on June 9, 1820, at the age of 68 at Het Loo Palace in Apeldoorn where she was buried. In 1831, Wilhelmina was reinterred at the new crypt of the House of Orange at the Nieuwe Kerk in Delft.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.