Monthly Archives: July 2019

Prince Adalbert of Prussia

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Prince Adalbert of Prussia

Prince Adalbert Ferdinand Bergengar Viktor of Prussia was the third son of Wilhelm II, German Emperor and King of Prussia and Princess Augusta Viktoria of Schleswig-Holstein. He was born at the Marble Palace in Potsdam, Kingdom of Prussia, now in the German state of Brandenburg, on July 14, 1884. Adalbert had six siblings:

Along with his brothers, Adalbert received a strict military education, living at Princes’ House at Plön Castle, and also studied agriculture on nearby Princes’ Island. In 1894, he entered the Imperial Navy and attended the Naval Academy in Kiel. Following his training, he made several trips abroad, representing his father, and continued with his military career.

Adalbert and Adelheid, c1914. source: Wikipedia

On August 3, 1914 in Wilhelmshaven, Kingdom of Prussia, now in the German state of Lower Saxony, Adalbert married Princess Adelheid of Saxe-Meiningen. She was the daughter of Prince Friedrich Johann of Saxe-Meiningen and Countess Adelheid of Lippe-Biesterfeld. The couple had three children:

  • Princess Victoria Marina (1915) – died at birth
  • Princess Victoria Marina (1917-1981) – married Kirby Patterson, had issue
  • Prince Wilhelm Viktor (1919-1989) – married Marie Antoinette, Countess of Hoyos, had issue

During World War I, Adalbert served in the Prussian Navy, eventually taking command of the SMS Dresden in 1917 until the end of the war. He also served as a Major in the Prussian Army, with the 1st Regiment Foot Guards. During this time, his family remained living in Kiel. Following the end of the monarchy in November 1918, Adalbert left his family in Kiel and initially took refuge on his yacht. He soon moved to Bad Homburg, Germany where he purchased a villa – Villa Adelheidswert – and was joined by his wife and children. However, they often traveled to Switzerland due to his wife’s health and eventually settled there permanently in 1928. They adopted the names Count and Countess von Lingen, lived a very quiet and private life and took no part in German politics.

At the age of 64, Prince Adalbert died on September 22, 1948, in La-Tour-de-Peilz, Switzerland. He is buried in the Vassin Cemetery in the same town, alongside his wife who survived him by nearly 23 years.

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.

Prince George William of Great Britain

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Engraving by John Simon; Credit – Wikipedia

Little Prince George William lived from November 13, 1717 – February 17, 1718, three months and four days, but an event in his short life caused a huge family argument. The principals in the argument were George William’s grandfather King George I of Great Britain and his father The Prince of Wales, the future King George II of Great Britain. It was the beginning of the battles between fathers and sons that would plague the House of Hanover. First, let us deal with Prince George William’s short life.

Prince George William of Great Britain was born at St. James’ Palace in London, England on November 13, 1717. His parents were the Prince and Princess of Wales, the future King George II and his wife, born Caroline of Ansbach. George William was the first of his parents’ eight children to be born in Great Britain. His four elder siblings, Frederick, Prince of Wales, Anne, Princess Royal, Princess Amelia, and Princess Caroline, had all been born in the Electorate of Hanover, now in Lower Saxony, Germany.

George William’s great-grandmother, Sophia of the Palatinate, Electress of Hanover was the heiress presumptive to Queen Anne of Great Britain in accordance with the Act of Settlement 1701, but Sophia died two months before Queen Anne died. Upon Queen Anne’s death on August 1, 1714, George William’s grandfather succeeded to the British throne as King George I of Great Britain and his father became the heir apparent to the British throne and was created Prince of Wales the following month.

In February 1718, Prince George William became ill. The infant prince died at about 8:00 PM on February 17, 1718, at Kensington Palace in London. The London Gazette officially reported that Prince George William “had been taken ill about ten days before of a cough and strainess of breathing, from which he had been recovering till the foggy weather on the 15th and 16th, which occasioning a relapse into his strainess of breathing, he fell into convulsions and died.” An autopsy determined that he had been born with a “polyp on his heart.”

On the night of February 23, 1718, Prince George William’s remains, accompanied by the king’s servants, the Yeomen of the Guard and the Horse Guards, were transported from Kensington Palace in one of King George I’s coaches to Westminster Abbey where he was privately interred. Francis Atterbury, Bishop of Rochester conducted the funeral service. It was not unusual for deceased royal children to be buried in this manner.

Backtracking to Prince George William’s christening: George William was christened at the Chapel Royal, St. James’s Palace in London, England on November 28, 1717, by John Robinson, Bishop of London. His godparents were:

  • King George I of Great Britain: his paternal grandfather
  • Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle: Lord Chamberlain of the King’s Household and later Prime Minister of Great Britain
  • Diana Beauclerk, Duchess of St Albans: Mistress of the Robes to his mother, born Lady Diana de Vere, wife of Charles Beauclerk, 1st Duke of St Albans, an illegitimate son of King Charles II and his mistress Nell Gwynne

King George I, Prince George William’s grandfather; Credit – Wikipedia

What should have been a perfectly normal, quiet christening turned into a shouting match that resulted in the parents of Prince George William being exiled from their home at St. James’ Palace and their children being kept at St. James’ Palace in the custody of their grandfather King George I.

George. Prince of Wales, Prince George William’s father; Credit – Wikipedia

The Prince of Wales (George) asked his father King George I and his paternal uncle Prince Ernst August of Hanover, who had been created Duke of York, to be godfathers. The Princess of Wales (Caroline) wanted to name her son William and initially King George I agreed. However, the little prince was the first of the British House of Hanover to be born in Great Britain, and apparently, the king’s government ministers insisted that the previous protocol be followed. The ministers told the king that since he was one of the godfathers, the infant prince should be named George. A compromise was reached and the prince’s name would be George William.

Caroline, Princess of Wales, mother of Prince George William; Credit – Wikipedia

Next, the ministers objected to Prince Ernst August of Hanover being one of the godparents. He was the reigning Prince-Bishop of Osnabrück (now in Lower Saxony, Germany) and unmarried. If Ernst August was named a godparent, he perhaps might make the British prince the heir to his German title. Furthermore, the ministers advised the king that it was usual practice for the Lord Chamberlain, the most senior officer of the Royal Household, to be one of the godfathers. This writer, who has researched and written about Royal Christenings, can say that although the list of godparents for the British House of Stuart which preceded the House of Hanover is incomplete, there is no evidence that it was the usual practice for the Lord Chamberlain to be a royal godfather. Caroline was willing to compromise again and suggested that the Lord Chamberlain, Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle, could stand as proxy for Ernst August. Caroline was overruled by the ministers and then asked for the christening to be postponed, and was again overruled.

Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle; Credit – Wikipedia

When the christening took place, George and Caroline were incensed at being repeatedly overruled. After the christening, George accused the Duke of Newcastle of acting dishonestly regarding the christening arrangements, shook his fists at him, and said, “You are a rascal but I shall find you out,” meaning get even. George had spoken English since he was a child but having lived in Hanover where German was the native language for the first thirty-one years of his life, he spoke English with a German accent. The Duke of Newcastle misunderstood George and thought he said, “I shall fight you.” The Duke quickly went to King George I and told him that his son had challenged him to a duel.

King George I summoned his cabinet for advice. A group of ministers was sent to George asking if the allegations were true. George denied he had challenged Newcastle to a duel, explained he had said “find” and not “fight” and further explained Newcastle had disrespected him by insisting he be a godfather when he knew it was against George’s wishes. When the ministers told George that Newcastle had been asked to be a godfather by the command of the king, George replied that while he respected his father, he did not believe it.

Within days, King George I ordered his son, the Prince of Wales, to leave St. James’ Palace. The Prince of Wales was further ordered to leave his children at St. James’ Palace in the custody of the king. The Princess of Wales was allowed to freely visit her children but her husband had to give notice. George appealed to the courts for his children to be returned to him but he was told that according to British law, royal grandchildren belonged to The Crown. Most people in political and court circles felt that King George I overreacted.

The Prince and Princess of Wales needed a residence and they moved into Leicester House in Leicester Square, London which became their chief residence for the rest of King George I’s reign. After two years, the Princess of Wales acted as a mediator for her husband, and in cooperation with Prime Minister Robert Walpole, she finally reconciled King George I and his son.

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.

Works Cited

  • En.wikipedia.org. (2019). Prince George William of Great Britain. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_George_William_of_Great_Britain [Accessed 16 Jul. 2019].
  • Thegazette.co.uk. (1718). Page 2 | Issue 5615, 8 February 1718 | London Gazette | The Gazette. [online] Available at: https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/5615/page/2 [Accessed 16 Jul. 2019].
  • Thegazette.co.uk. (1718). Page 2 | Issue 5616, 11 February 1718 | London Gazette | The Gazette. [online] Available at: https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/5616/page/2 [Accessed 16 Jul. 2019].
  • Van der Kiste, J. (2013). King George II and Queen Caroline. New York: The History Press.
  • Van Der Kiste, John. The Georgian Princesses. Phoenix Mill: Sutton Publishing, 2000. Print.
  • Williamson, David. Brewer’s British Royalty. London: Cassell, 1996. Print. London: Cassell, 1996. Print.

Prince Eitel Friedrich of Prussia

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Credit – Wikipedia

Prince Eitel Friedrich of Prussia

Prince Wilhelm Eitel Friedrich Christian Karl of Prussia (known as Eitel Friedrich or Eitel Fritz) was the second son of Wilhelm II, German Emperor and King of Prussia and his first wife, Auguste Viktoria of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg. He was born at the Marble Palace in Potsdam, Kingdom of Prussia, now in the German state of Brandenburg, on July 7, 1883.

Eitel Friedrich had six siblings:

From 1896, Friedrich Eitel lived and studied at the Prince’s House on the grounds of Plön Castle along with his brothers. He was later a member of the Corps Borussia Bonn, the corps of the House of Hohenzollern. At the beginning of World War I, he served on the front line, commanding the First Foot Guards. From 1915 to 1918, he led the 1st Division of Guards on both the Western and then Eastern fronts. For his leadership and valor, he was highly decorated, receiving the Iron Cross and the Prussian Order of Merit, Prussia’s highest award for valor.

Eitel Friedrich and Sophie Charlotte. source: Wikipedia

On February 27, 1906, in Berlin, Eitel Friedrich married Duchess Sophie Charlotte of Oldenburg. She was the daughter of Friedrich August II, Grand Duke of Oldenburg and Princess Elisabeth Anna of Prussia. The couple had first met in June 1905 at the wedding of Eitel’s elder brother Crown Prince Wilhelm and Cecilie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and then met again later that month. They became engaged in the fall of 1905. Following the wedding, the couple took up residence at Villa Ingenheim (link in German) in Potsdam, Kingdom of Prussia, now in the German state of Brandenburg, and had no children.

The marriage was never a happy one as Eitel Friedrich was continually unfaithful, and Sophie found it difficult to make friends in her new home. While he was off fighting during World War I, Sophie lived primarily at the Bellevue Palace in Berlin. In 1922, several newspapers published allegations of infidelity against Sophie. She was summoned as a witness in a divorce case and admitted having had an affair with the gentleman involved. Eitel Friedrich filed for divorce, and the couple was formally divorced on October 20, 1926.

Villa Ingenheim. photo: Von karstenknuth – Eigenes Werk, Attribution, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=23295620

After the war and the end of the German Empire, Eitel Friedrich remained active in monarchist circles and was a supporter of the Stahlhelm paramilitary organization. In 1921, he was found guilty of a fraudulent transfer of 300,000 marks abroad, for which he was fined 5,000 marks. He was later one of the founders of the Harzburg Front, a radical right-wing alliance formed to present unified opposition to the government of Chancellor Heinrich Brüning. However, he was an outspoken opponent of Hitler.

Prince Eitel Friedrich died at Villa Ingenheim in Potsdam, Germany on December 8, 1942. The Nazi regime refused to allow him any military honors at his funeral and forbade anyone to participate wearing their uniforms. Despite this, there was a large turnout of his former comrades, all in civilian clothes, who participated in his funeral. He is buried in the Antique Temple in Sanssouci Park in Potsdam, 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.

Princess Caroline of Great Britain

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Credit – Wikipedia

Born at Herrenhausen Palace in the Electorate of Hanover, now in Hanover, Lower Saxony, Germany, on June 10, 1713, exactly two years after the birth of her sister Princess Amelia, Princess Caroline was the fourth of the eight children and the third of the five daughters of the future King George II of Great Britain and his wife Caroline of Ansbach. At the time of her birth, her father was the Hereditary Prince of Brunswick-Lüneburg. Caroline’s paternal grandparents were the future King George I of Great Britain, who was the Elector of Hanover and Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg at that time, and his divorced, disgraced, and virtually imprisoned first cousin and former wife Sophia Dorothea of Celle. Caroline’s maternal grandparents were Johann Friedrich, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach and his second wife Princess Eleonore Erdmuthe of Saxe-Eisenach. The day after her birth, the infant princess was christened Caroline Elizabeth at Herrenhausen Palace.

Caroline had seven siblings:

Frederick, Prince of Wales, playing the cello, Anne, Princess Royal at the harpsichord, Princess Caroline playing the mandora and Princess Amelia reading; Credit – Wikipedia

Caroline’s great-grandmother, Sophia, Electress of Hanover was the heiress presumptive to Queen Anne of Great Britain in accordance with the Act of Settlement 1701, but Sophia died two months before Queen Anne died. Upon Queen Anne’s death on August 1, 1714, Caroline’s grandfather succeeded to the British throne as King George I of Great Britain and her father became the heir apparent to the British throne and was created Prince of Wales the following month. Amelia was then styled Her Royal Highness Princess Caroline of Great Britain. One-year-old Caroline along with her elder sisters Anne and Amelia accompanied their mother to England where they settled in the new home, apartments in St. James’ Palace in London.

The three elder daughters of King George II: Anne, Amelia, and Caroline; Credit – Wikipedia

Caroline’s parents, the Prince and Princess of Wales, had a disagreement over the choice of godparents for the short-lived son George William, born in 1717. The disagreement grew out of proportion, and Caroline’s father George was placed under arrest. The result was that her parents, the Prince and Princess of Wales, were exiled from St. James’ Palace. They moved into Leicester House in Leicester Square, London which became their chief residence for the rest of King George I’s reign. However, their children were kept at St. James’ Palace in the custody of their grandfather. The Prince and Princess of Wales were allowed to see their children only once a week. After a period of two years, the Princess of Wales acted as a mediator for her husband, and in cooperation with Prime Minister Robert Walpole, she finally reconciled King George I and his son.

Princess Caroline was not only her mother’s namesake but her favorite child. She was known in the family for telling the truth and was always consulted when there were disagreements between the royal siblings because she could be counted on telling exactly what happened. On June 11, 1727, Caroline’s grandfather King George I died in Hanover, was buried there, and her father succeeded him as King George II. After the marriage of her eldest sister Anne to Willem IV, Prince of Orange, Caroline became her mother’s main confidant and she remained so for the rest of her mother’s life.

Portrait of Caroline from 1728, probably from the time of her father’s coronation; Credit – Wikipedia

Princess Caroline never married. When her mother died in 1737, Queen Caroline expressly left her three youngest children, all teenagers, in the care of her daughter Caroline. Caroline probably had an affair with John Hervey, 2nd Baron Hervey, a courtier and political writer. Lord Hervey was married and had eight children but apparently, he was bisexual and had affairs with both men and women. It is not known if Lord Hervey had any real affections toward Caroline but apparently she had affections toward him. After Lord Hervey died in 1743 at the age of 46, Caroline became a recluse, rarely leaving St. James’ Palace and seeing only her father, her sister Princess Amelia, her brother Prince William, Duke of Cumberland, and some favorite courtiers. She donated most of her money to charities, especially those associated with prisoners’ welfare, and also saw that Lord Hervey’s children were financially secure.

Lord Hervey; Credit – Wikipedia

Princess Caroline had been a hypochondriac for most of her life and she apparently lost the will to live. As she lay dying, she refused to see any of her family. On December 28, 1757, at the age of 44, Princess Caroline died at St. James’ Palace in London. She was buried in the Hanover vault below the central aisle of Henry VII’s chapel in Westminster Abbey in London. Horace Walpole, a writer and art historian,  wrote of Princess Caroline: “Her kindness was constant and united, her immense generosity, her charity were the most extensive; In short, I, not a royalist, can be generous in praise of her.”

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.

Works Cited

  • En.wikipedia.org. (2019). Princess Caroline of Great Britain. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Caroline_of_Great_Britain [Accessed 13 Jul. 2019].
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2019). Princess Amelia of Great Britain. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/princess-amelia-of-great-britain/ [Accessed 13 Jul. 2019].
  • Van der Kiste, J. (2013). King George II and Queen Caroline. New York: The History Press.
  • Van Der Kiste, John. The Georgian Princesses. Phoenix Mill: Sutton Publishing, 2000. Print.
  • Williamson, David. Brewer’s British Royalty. London: Cassell, 1996. Print. London: Cassell, 1996. Print.

The Strange Case of the Tombs of Two 19th Century Princesses and a 20th Century 15-Year-Old Missing Girl

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

The poster of Emanuela Orlandi that was posted on the streets of Rome in 1983; Credit – Wikipedia

This story sounds like a plot from a novel by Dan Brown, the author of the Robert Langdon novels (Angels and Demons, The Da Vinci Code, The Lost Symbol, Inferno and Origin).

Emanuela Orlandi was the 15-year-old daughter of Ercole and Maria Orlandi. Her father was an employee of the Institute for the Works of Religion, more commonly known as the Vatican Bank. The Orlandi family were citizens of and lived in Vatican City. On June 22, 1983, Emanuela walked outside of Vatican City to a Rome bus stop for the short ride to the Sant’Apollinare complex in central Rome where she took flute lessons three times a week. She never returned home, and the case remains unsolved.

There are various theories about what happened to Emanuela which include possible links to the Sicilian Mafia, the KGB, and the assassination attempt by Mehmet Ali Ağca on Pope John Paul II. Check out these Wikipedia articles. The Italian article is much more comprehensive.

In January 2023, it was announced that the Vatican opened a new investigation into the disappearance of Emanuela Orlandi.

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The New York Times has published several stories about Emanuela’s disappearance over the years:

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Teutonic Cemetery in Vatican City; Credit – CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=499225

The Teutonic Cemetery is a burial site adjacent to St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City that has been dedicated to the German-speaking residents of Rome. Traditionally, prominent German-speaking people who have served the Roman Catholic Church and died in Rome are able to be buried there.

In the summer of 2018, the Orlandi family received a letter with a photo in it. The photo was of a marble statue of an angel in the Teutonic Cemetery. The letter instructed to “look where the angel is pointing” and led the Orlandi family to the tombs of Princess Sophia of Hohenlohe-Waldenburg-Bartenstein and Duchess Charlotte Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Hereditary Princess of Denmark. Their tombs are next to each other and Princess Sophia’s tomb, known as the Tomb of the Angel, has an angel who is pointing down.

Duchess Charlotte’s tomb on the left, Princess Sophia’s tomb on the right; Credit – Vatican Media, Reuters, CBS News

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When the Orlandi family went to see the tombs, they saw evidence that Princess Sophia’s tomb had been opened recently as there was new cement on it but they were given no information regarding a possible recent opening. In February 2019, the Orlandi family petitioned the Vatican Secretary of State to permit the tombs to be opened. A Vatican tribunal granted the request. during the first week of July 2019.

Workers opening the tomb of Duchess Charlotte Frederica; Photo Credit – CNS photo/Vatican Media

On July 11, 2019, Giovanni Arcudi, a forensics expert and professor at Tor Vergata University in Rome, led the team that opened the tombs. His job was to exhume the remains and verify their identities. It was decided to open both tombs to avoid possible misunderstandings about which grave was the grave indicated in the letter the Orlandi family received. Members of the two princesses’ families, the Orlandi family, and the Vatican police were present when the tombs were opened. However, to much surprise and amazement, there was no work for Arcudi to do. Not only was there no sign of Emanuela’s remains, but the remains of Princess Sophia and Duchess Charlotte Frederica were also missing. Vatican officials said they would research the burial records to try to discover what happened to their remains. It is possible that their remains were moved due to renovations at the end of the 1800s and again in the 1960s and 1970s.

Updates

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So who are these two princesses whose final resting places have become entangled in a long-unsolved missing person case?

Schillingsfürst Castle, Princess Sophia’s birthplace; Credit – Von Alexp1993 – Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=73775583

Princess Sophia of Hohenlohe-Waldenburg-Bartenstein

Not very much is known about Princess Sophia. Sophia was born on December 13, 1758, at Schillingsfürst Castle (in German) in Schillingsfürst, now in Ansbach, in Bavaria, Germany, and was given the names Sophia Carolina Josepha Philippina Maria Anna Lucia. She was the eldest of the seven children of Ludwig Leopold, ruling Prince of Hohenlohe-Waldenburg-Bartenstein (in German) and Josepha Friederike Polyxena Alexandrina, Countess of Limburg-Stirum. Her father’s principality was located in present-day northeastern Baden-Württemberg, Germany. During the French Revolution, Sophia’s father gave refuge to many French noblemen and their families.

Sophia’s brother Prince Ludwig Aloys of Hohenlohe-Waldenburg-Bartenstein was a Lieutenant General in the Austrian Army who fought against Napoleon in the Napoleonic Wars. After the defeat of Napoleon, Ludwig Aloys became a naturalized a French citizen, a Peer of France and a Marshal of France.

There is no indication that Sophia married. She died on January 20, 1836, in Rome at the age of 78.

Duchess Charlotte Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Hereditary Princess of Denmark

Credit – Wikipedia

The first wife of the future King Christian VIII of Denmark, Charlotte Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, was born December 4, 1784, in Ludwigslust Palace in the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, now in Germany. She was fifth of the six children and the youngest of the two daughters of Friedrich Franz I, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, and Princess Louise of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg.

Charlotte Frederica married the future King Christian VIII of Denmark at Ludwigslust Palace in the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (now Germany) on June 21, 1806. The couple only had one surviving child, King Frederik VII of Denmark.

Christian and Charlotte Frederica’s marriage soon became unhappy. Charlotte Frederica had an affair with her singing teacher Édouard Du Puy. In 1809, when Christian found out, Charlotte Frederica was sent into internal exile to the city of Horsens, Denmark while Du Puy was banished from Denmark. The marriage officially ended with a divorce in 1810 and Charlotte Frederica never saw her son again.

While in Horsens and later in Aarhus, both in Denmark, Charlotte Frederica cultivated friendships with the local gentry and allegedly had affairs with army officers. In 1829, she was allowed to travel out of Denmark and moved to Carlsbad, a spa town, then in Germany, now in the Czech Republic. She made one last move in 1830 to Rome, Italy where she lived in the Palazzo Bernini on Rome’s main street and converted to Roman Catholicism.

Charlotte Frederica had been exiled when her son, now King Frederik VII of Denmark, was only one year old. She had hoped to once again see her son but she soon became ill. Charlotte Frederica died in Rome on July 13, 1840, at the age of 55. She was buried in a tomb paid for by her son and created by the Danish sculptor Jens Adolf Jerichau at the Teutonic Cemetery.

Tomb of Charlotte Frederica; Credit – By Altera levatur – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=59545772

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.

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Works Cited

  • Cbsnews.com. (2019). Emanuela Orlandi mystery: Bizarre twist in hunt for missing teen as Vatican tombs unsealed. [online] Available at: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/vatican-open-graves-search-missing-teen-girl-emanuela-orlandi-cryptic-clue-cemetery-angel/ [Accessed 13 Jul. 2019].
  • De.wikipedia.org. (2019). Ludwig Carl Franz Leopold zu Hohenlohe-Waldenburg-Bartenstein. [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludwig_Carl_Franz_Leopold_zu_Hohenlohe-Waldenburg-Bartenstein [Accessed 13 Jul. 2019].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2019). Disappearance of Emanuela Orlandi. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Emanuela_Orlandi [Accessed 13 Jul. 2019].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2019). Louis Aloysius, Prince of Hohenlohe-Waldenburg-Bartenstein. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Aloysius,_Prince_of_Hohenlohe-Waldenburg-Bartenstein [Accessed 13 Jul. 2019].
  • It.wikipedia.org. (2019). Cimitero Teutonico. [online] Available at: https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cimitero_Teutonico [Accessed 13 Jul. 2019].
  • It.wikipedia.org. (2019). Sparizione di Emanuela Orlandi. [online] Available at: https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sparizione_di_Emanuela_Orlandi [Accessed 13 Jul. 2019].
  • Nytimes.com. (2019). In Italy, a Decades-Long Search for a Missing Girl Brings Another Twist. [online] Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/11/world/europe/italy-vatican-emanuela-orlandi.html [Accessed 13 Jul. 2019].
  • Sheena McKenzie, C. (2019). She disappeared at 15. A cryptic tip-off in the Vatican could hold key to her case. [online] CNN. Available at: https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/11/europe/vatican-missing-girl-emanuela-orlandi-intl/index.html [Accessed 13 Jul. 2019].
  • Wooden, C. (2019). Vatican discovers empty tombs in search for missing woman | Catholic Herald. [online] Catholic Herald. Available at: https://catholicherald.co.uk/news/2019/07/12/vatican-discovers-empty-tombs-in-search-for-missing-woman/ [Accessed 13 Jul. 2019].

Princess Amelia of Great Britain

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Credit – Wikipedia

Her Highness Princess Amelia of Hanover was born at Herrenhausen Palace in the Electorate of Hanover, now in Lower Saxony, Germany, on June 10, 1711. Christened Amelia Sophia Eleanora, she was known in the family as Emily. At the time of her birth, her father (the future King George II of Great Britain) was the Hereditary Prince of Brunswick-Lüneburg. Her mother was Caroline of Ansbach,  the eldest of the three children of Johann Friedrich, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach and his second wife Princess Eleonore Erdmuthe of Saxe-Eisenach. Her paternal grandfather (the future King George I of Great Britain) was the Elector of Hanover and Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg.

Amelia was the third of eight children and the second of her parents’ five daughters. She had seven siblings:

Frederick, Prince of Wales, playing the cello, Anne, Princess Royal at the harpsichord, Princess Caroline playing the mandora and Princess Amelia reading; Credit – Wikipedia

Amelia’s great-grandmother, Sophia, Electress of Hanover was the heiress presumptive to Queen Anne of Great Britain in accordance with the Act of Settlement 1701, but Sophia died two months before Queen Anne died. Upon Queen Anne’s death on August 1, 1714, Amelia’s grandfather succeeded to the British throne as King George I of Great Britain and her father became the heir apparent to the British throne and was created Prince of Wales the following month. Amelia was then styled Her Royal Highness Princess Amelia of Great Britain. Three-year-old Amelia along with her elder sister Anne and her younger sister Caroline, accompanied their mother to England where they settled in the new home, apartments in St. James’ Palace in London.

The three elder daughters of King George II: Anne, Amelia, and Caroline; Credit – Wikipedia

Amelia’s parents, the Prince and Princess of Wales, had a disagreement over the choice of godparents for the short-lived son George William, born in 1717. The disagreement grew out of proportion, and Amelia’s father George was placed under arrest. The result was that her parents George and Caroline were exiled from St. James’ Palace. They moved into Leicester House in Leicester Square, London which became their chief residence for the rest of King George I’s reign. However, their children were kept at St. James’ Palace in the custody of their grandfather. The Prince and Princess of Wales were allowed to see their children only once a week. After a period of two years, the Princess of Wales acted as a mediator for her husband, and in cooperation with Prime Minister Robert Walpole, she finally reconciled King George I and his son.

Amelia’s paternal aunt, Sophia Dorothea of ​​Hanover, Queen of Prussia, wanted Amelia to marry her eldest son, the future King Friedrich II of Prussia (the Great). However, Sophia Dorothea’s husband King Friedrich Wilhelm I did not support the idea and insisted his son marry Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel-Bevern. Amelia never did marry.

In 1727, Amelia’s grandfather died and her father succeeded to the British throne as King George II. After the death of her mother in 1737, Amelia became the constant companion to her father. She also acted as hostess for her unmarried brother Prince William, Duke of Cumberland, who had a career in the Royal Army, whenever he was in England. Amelia followed her brother’s military campaigns and was always quite worried about him when he was at the front.

In 1751, Princess Amelia became the ranger of Richmond Park. According to her instructions, only family members and a few close friends were allowed into the park. This caused a great uproar from the public who were accustomed to using the park. In 1758, a local brewer John Lewis was banned from the park and decided to take the case to court and won. Disgusted, Amelia resigned from her position as the ranger of Richmond Park.

Plaque to John Lewis, the Richmond brewer who secured public rights of access to the park in 1758; Credit – By Spudgun67 – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=46307376

On October 25, 1760, King George II woke up early at Kensington Palace and had his usual cup of chocolate. He asked about the direction of the wind as he was anxious about receiving his overseas mail, and then he entered his water closet. A few minutes later, his valet heard a crash and found George lying on the floor. He was put into bed and asked for his favorite daughter Princess Amelia, but he died before the princess reached him. Amelia hurried to her father’s rooms and, not realizing he was already dead, she put her head close to his head to hear what he had to say. Because she was quite deaf, Amelia did not realize her father was dead.

Amelia was the last surviving child of her parents and lived for the first twenty-six years of the reign of her nephew King George III whose father Frederick, Prince of Wales had predeceased his father King George II. Because of her deafness, Amelia retired from court life. She lived in a home in Cavendish Square when in London. In 1761, Amelia bought Gunnersbury Park, a country estate in the London Borough of Hounslow where she was famous for her parties and political intrigues.

Gunnersbury House around 1750; Credit – Wikipedia

In her later years, Amelia enjoyed taking the waters, playing cards, and engaging in gossip at Bath. Amelia was always fond of horses and dogs and every morning she paid a visit to the stables to see her horses. She donated generously to charity and was a wonderful great-aunt to the children of King George III, regularly inviting them to Gunnersbury Park.

In October 1786, Amelia knew she was dying and she put her affairs in order and made arrangements to provide for her servants. She left nothing to her relatives in England, instead, she left her estate to her three Hesse-Kassel nephews, the children of her sister Princess Mary. Princess Amelia Sophie died at the age of 75, on October 31, 1786, at her home in Cavendish Square. After her death, a pendant was found around her neck with a miniature portrait of her would-be husband, Crown Prince Friedrich of Prussia who became King Friedrich I of Prussia (the Great). Princess Amelia was buried in the Hanover vault below the central aisle of Henry VII’s chapel in Westminster Abbey in London. An inscription was carved in the black and white pavement in 1866 reads Amelia Sophia Eleonora 2 DA. of K.GEO. II 1786.

Amelia Island, an island in the Sea Islands chain that stretches along the East Coast of the United States from South Carolina to Florida and Amelia County in Virginia, United States are named for Princess Amelia.

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Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org.Amelia Sophie von Großbritannien, Irland und Hannover. [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amelia_Sophie_von_Gro%C3%9Fbritannien,_Irland_und_Hannover [Accessed 11 Jul. 2019].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2019). Princess Amelia of Great Britain. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Amelia_of_Great_Britain [Accessed 11 Jul. 2019].
  • Van Der Kiste, John. The Georgian Princesses. Phoenix Mill: Sutton Publishing, 2000. Print.
  • Williamson, David. Brewer’s British Royalty. London: Cassell, 1996. Print.. London: Cassell, 1996. Print.

Cecilie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, German Crown Princess, Crown Princess of Prussia

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Cecilie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, German Crown Princess, Crown Princess of Prussia

Cecilie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin was the wife of Wilhelm, German Crown Prince and Crown Prince of Prussia. She was born in Schwerin, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, now in the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, on September 20, 1886, to Friedrich Franz III, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Grand Duchess Anastasia Mikhailovna of Russia.

Cecilie had two older siblings:

Crown Prince Wilhelm. source: Wikipedia

During the wedding celebrations of her brother Friedrich Franz in June 1904, Cecilie got to know Crown Prince Wilhelm of Prussia who was representing his father Wilhelm II, German Emperor and King of Prussia. On September  4, 1904, Cecilie and Wilhem celebrated their engagement at the Mecklenburg-Schwerin hunting lodge. Cecilie married Crown Prince Wilhelm in ceremonies held on June 6, 1905, in the Royal Chapel of the Berlin Palace and the Berlin Cathedral in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany.

They had six children:

Cecilienthof – court of honor. photo: By Gryffindor, panorama made by Digon – Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2180563

Following their marriage, the couple made their home at the Marble Palace in Potsdam, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany, for the summers, and the Crown Prince’s Palace in Berlin for the winters and court season. Years later they had Cecilienhof built in the New Garden park in Potsdam, near the Marble Palace. Construction was completed in 1917 and the family moved in right away. Although seemingly happy at first, the couple soon began to have difficulties. Wilhelm was a perpetual womanizer and made little attempt to keep any of his affairs quiet. He would often boast to Cecilie of his escapades, once even bringing her to the point of considering suicide. Despite this, their family continued to grow with the birth of their six children.

As Crown Princess, Cecilie was immensely popular and took on quite a bit of charity work. She particularly enjoyed working with organizations that promoted and provided education for women. She traveled extensively, including a visit to the United Kingdom in 1911 to attend the coronation of King George V of the United Kingdom. A friendship developed between Cecilie and the British Queen Mary, and the two maintained a correspondence until Mary’s death in 1953. When the German Empire fell in 1918, Cecilie’s husband and father-in-law went into exile in the Netherlands. Cecilie first left Cecilienhof for the safety of the Neues Palais with her mother-in-law, but was soon given permission to return to her home, and ensured of her safety. However, her husband was not permitted back into the country at that time.

Oels Castle in Silesia. photo: By Agnieszka Kwiecień, Nova – Praca własna, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=27187345

The family managed to retain numerous personal properties, including Oels Castle in Silesia, where she met her husband in November 1923 after five years of separation. By then, it was a marriage “in name only”. In 1926, a settlement was reached between the German State and the former royal family. Cecilienhof became the property of the state, but Cecilie and Wilhelm were given the right of residence for three generations. Cecilie based herself at Cecilienhof and continued to stay active in charitable organizations such as the Queen Luise Fund, the Fatherland’s Women Union, and the Ladies of the Order of St. John. All of these were later abolished in 1933 by Adolf Hitler.

Cecilie continued to live a private life at Cecilienhof in the years leading up to World War II. In May 1938, her son Ludwig Ferdinand married Grand Duchess Kira, the daughter of the pretender to the Russian throne, at Cecilienhof. This would be the last big family occasion before the war. In the midst of the war, her father-in-law died in 1941 and her husband became head of the House of Hohenzollern. The family spent most of their time at Oels Castle but returned to Potsdam in 1944 to celebrate Christmas.  In February 1945, they left Cecilienhof for the last time, fleeing the Red Army. Their beloved home was seized by the Soviets, and would later be the site of the Potsdam Conference in the summer of 1945 – hosting British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, US President Harry Truman, and Soviet leader Josef Stalin.

Churchill, Truman and Stalin at Cecilienhof for the Potsdam Conference, July 25, 1945. source: Wikipedia

Cecilie settled in Bad Kissingen, Germany for the next several years, while her husband lived in Hechingen until his death in July 1951. The following year, Cecilie moved to an apartment in the Frauenkopf district in Stuttgart. That same year, her memoirs were published and she made another visit to England where she attended the christening of her granddaughter and enjoyed a final visit with Queen Mary. Later that year, her sister, Queen Alexandrine of Denmark, died and Cecilie never fully recovered from the loss.

Cecilie, German Crown Princess and Crown Princess of Prussia, died on May 6, 1954 – her late husband’s birthday – while visiting Bad Kissingen. She was buried six days later beside her husband at Hohenzollern Castle in Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany.

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Augusta of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, German Empress, Queen of Prussia

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Augusta of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, German Empress, Queen of Prussia

Augusta of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach was the wife of Wilhelm I, German Emperor and King of Prussia. She was born Princess Augusta Marie Luise Katharina on September 30, 1811, in Weimar, Grand Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, now in the German state of Thuringia, the second daughter of Karl Friedrich, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach and Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia, daughter of Paul I, Emperor of All Russia.

Augusta had three siblings:

Wilhelm I of Prussia. source: Wikipedia

Augusta first met her future husband in 1826 when she was just 15 years old. Wilhelm found her personality to be wonderful but did not find her as attractive as her older sister. However, his father encouraged the marriage. Wilhelm at the time was in love with a Polish princess, Elisa Radziwill, but a marriage would not have been allowed as it was considered unequal. Wilhelm’s father King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia forced him to end that relationship, and to marry Augusta. He proposed on August 29, 1828, and the two were formally engaged on October 25, 1828. The marriage took place in the chapel at Charlottenburg Palace in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, now in the German state of Brandenburg, on June 11, 1829, and they had two children:

Their marriage was not without struggles. Augusta was deeply in love with Wilhelm, but he was still in love with Elisa Radziwill. And although she was greatly welcomed in the Prussian court, she soon found the strict protocol to be stifling. She wanted to get involved in charitable causes but found that her sister-in-law, then Crown Princess Elisabeth Ludovika, took precedence over her in such activities.

In 1837, the family took up residence in a new palace in Berlin, which became known as the Kaiser Wilhelm Palais, and later the Altes Palais (Old Palace). This would remain Augusta’s primary residence for the rest of her life. In 1850, the couple moved to Koblenz, where her Wilhelm served as Governor-General of the Rhine Province. Augusta flourished in Koblenz, away from the strict court life of Berlin. They remained there until 1858 when Wilhelm was named Regent for his older brother, King Friedrich Wilhelm IV who was ill. They returned to Berlin and their increased responsibilities. In January 1861, the King died, and Wilhelm and Augusta became the new King and Queen of Prussia. The new Queen was much more interested in politics than many of her predecessors and did not hesitate to voice her opinion. She despised Otto von Bismarck, who her husband had appointed, and the feeling was mutual. Ten years later, Wilhelm was named the first German Emperor (Kaiser), with Augusta as his Empress (Kaiserin). During their reign, Augusta founded the National Women’s Association and numerous hospitals and schools throughout Prussia to help those in need.

Mausoleum at Charlottenburg Palace. photo: Von Manfred Brueckels – Selbst fotografiert, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4833730

Augusta’s husband died on March 9, 1888, and was succeeded by their son, Friedrich III. Friedrich, terminally ill with throat cancer, died just 99 days later and was succeeded by his eldest son, Wilhelm II, who became the last German Emperor and King of Prussia. Despite having been in ill health for nearly 10 years, the Dowager Empress continued to participate in official duties. Shortly after a New Year’s reception, Augusta died at the Altes Palais in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany on January 7, 1890, at the age of 78. She was buried in the mausoleum at Charlottenburg Palace in Berlin, alongside her husband.

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Prussia Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Elisabeth Ludovika of Bavaria, Queen of Prussia

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

source: Wikipedia

Elisabeth Ludovika of Bavaria, Queen of Prussia

Elisabeth Ludovika of Bavaria was the wife of King Friedrich Wilhelm IV of Prussia. She was born in Munich, Kingdom of Bavaria., now in the German state of Bavaria, on November 13, 1801, the daughter of King Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria and his second wife Princess Caroline of Baden, and had six siblings:

She also had five older half-siblings from her father’s first marriage to Princess Auguste Wilhelmine of Hesse-Darmstadt:

Raised at the Bavarian court, Elisabeth Ludovika received an extensive education – much more than was typically given to princesses at that time. She remained close to her tutor, Friedrich Thiersch – an archeologist and former theologian – for the rest of his life. Having a large family, she was also very close to her siblings – particularly her sister Ludovika Wilhelmine, and her twin sister Amalie. Ludovika Wilhelmine’s daughter – later Empress Elisabeth (Sisi) of Austria – was her goddaughter and namesake.

Friedrich Wilhelm IV. source: Wikipedia

In Berlin on November 29, 1823, Elisabeth Ludovika married Crown Prince Friedrich Wilhelm of Prussia, after four years of negotiations regarding religion. The Crown Prince was required to be Lutheran, while Elisabeth Ludovika was Catholic. Eventually, it was agreed that she could retain her religion with the expectation that she would eventually convert. She did convert, but not until 1830. Other than a stillborn child born early in their marriage, the couple had no children.

The couple lived at the Berlin Palace and in 1825, they were given a parcel of land bordering Sanssouci Park in Potsdam. There they had the Charlottenhof Palace built, which became their summer residence, and remained one of Elisabeth Ludovika’s homes until her death. Ten years later, in 1835, they were given permission to move into Sanssouci itself. The palace had been built as a summer residence by King Friedrich II and had remained largely unused since his death. Elisabeth Ludovika and Friedrich Wilhelm took up residence in the west wing, formerly the guest quarters, while using the east wing (formerly the private rooms of Friedrich II) for official duties. Later, after they became King and Queen, the east wing was incorporated into their private quarters as well, and official duties were conducted elsewhere.

Two additional residences were Charlottenburg Palace in Berlin and Stolzenfels Palace on the Rhine. Elisabeth Ludovika and Friedrich Wilhelm took up residence at Charlottenburg after their accession. Stolzenfels Castle – one of Friedrich Wilhelm’s reconstruction projects – quickly became one of their favorite homes.

After becoming Queen in 1840, Elisabeth Ludovika welcomed her role and became greatly involved in charity work throughout Prussia. She also wandered into the political realm occasionally, particularly working to strengthen the relationship between Prussia and Austria. Wholly devoted to her husband (and he to her), she spent the last few years of her time as Queen serving instead as nurse and caretaker for him after his first series of strokes in 1857.

Charlottenhof Palace. photo: By Momay – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16489837

Elisabeth Ludovika was widowed on January 2, 1861. She spent the remainder of her life quietly at her homes at her various homes, including Sanssouci and Charlottenhof Palace in Potsdam, Charlottenburg Palace in Berlin and Stolzenfels Castle on the Rhine. She continued her charity work, mostly in honor of her late husband, and enjoyed a close relationship with her brother-in-law, King Wilhelm I. She was also close with her nephew’s wife, born Victoria, Princess Royal. Following her husband’s death, Victoria had been a great comfort to the Dowager Queen. So much so, that upon her death, Elisabeth Ludovika bequeathed her jewels to Victoria instead of following tradition and leaving them to the new Queen. This act of kindness ended up causing a rift between Victoria and her mother-in-law, which would last until her death.

The Dowager Queen of Prussia died on December 14, 1873, in Dresden, Kingdom of Saxony, now in Saxony, Germany while visiting her twin sister Queen Amalie of Saxony. A week later, she was buried beside her husband in the crypt of the Friedenskirche (Church of Peace) in Sanssouci Park in Potsdam, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany.

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Prussia Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Prince Archie of Sussex

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Archie on his father’s lap with his mother and sister Lilibet, from the 2021 Christmas card of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex; Credit – Alexi Lubomirski/The Duke and Duchess of Sussex; Credit – Alexi Lubomirski/The Duke and Duchess of Sussex

The first child of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and the former Meghan Markle, Prince Archie of Sussex, was born at 5:26 AM on May 6, 2019, at Portland Hospital for Women and Children, a private hospital on Great Portland Street in London, England. He weighed 7 pounds, 3 ounces, and his father was present for his birth. Because his mother is American, Archie is an American citizen in addition to his British citizenship.

Credit – https://www.royal.uk/archie-harrison-mountbatten-windsor

Two days after his birth, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex presented their newborn son in St. George’s Hall, one of the State Rooms at Windsor Castle. They spoke with the representative of the press for several minutes. Click on the article below for more photos and a video.

Following their meeting with the media, the Duke and Duchess took their son to meet his great-grandparents, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Archie’s maternal grandmother Doria Ragland was also in attendance.  Shortly after that meeting, an announcement was made that the Duke and Duchess had named their son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. Archie is a name the Duke and Duchess liked and Harrison is from an English surname that means “son of Harry” and is quite fitting in this circumstance. For more background on the name, see Unofficial Royalty: What’s in a Name? – Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor.

Credit – https://www.royal.uk/archie-harrison-mountbatten-windsor

At the time of his birth, Archie was seventh in the line of succession to the British throne after his grandfather Charles, Prince of Wales (now King Charles III), his uncle Prince William, Duke of Cambridge (now Prince of Wales) and his three children, and his father Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex.

Archie is the heir apparent to his father’s Dukedom of Sussex, Earldom of Dumbarton, and Barony of Kilkeel. It is customary that a peer’s heir apparent use one of their parent’s subsidiary titles as a courtesy title. In this case, the courtesy title would be Earl of Dumbarton. However, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex instead decided that their son would be styled as Master Archie Mountbatten-Windsor in accordance with their wish that he lives his life as a private citizen.

However, at birth, Archie was not entitled to the style and title His Royal Highness Prince. In 1917, King George V issued Letters Patent changing the rights to the style Royal Highness and the title Prince/Princess. The children of the Sovereign, the children of the sons of the Sovereign, and the eldest living son of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales would be entitled to the style Royal Highness and the title Prince/Princess. Exceptions to the rule can be made by the Sovereign. For instance, in 2012, Queen Elizabeth II issued a Letters Patent declaring that all the children of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales should have the title Prince or Princess and the style Royal Highness. This meant that all the children of Prince William would be HRH Prince/Princess. Under the 1917 Letters Patent, Archie was entitled to the style and title His Royal Highness Prince, when his paternal grandfather succeeded to the throne. Archie would then be a male-line grandchild of the Sovereign.

With the accession of Archie’s grandfather as King Charles III on September 8, 2022, Archie is a male-line grandchild of the monarch and is entitled to be styled His Royal Highness Prince Archie of Sussex under the 1917 Letters Patent. In March 2023, after her christening, Archie’s sister was referred to as Princess Lilibet Diana by a spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, the first time that either child was referred to in public as Prince or Princess.

For more information, see Unofficial Royalty: Their Royal Highness Prince and Princess.

Windsor Castle: the Private Chapel, after the restoration drawn 1999 by Alexander Creswell: Credit – Royal Collection Trust

Archie was christened into the Church of England on July 6, 2019, by the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby in a private ceremony at the Private Chapel in Windsor Castle, not to be confused with St. George’s Chapel. The names of his godparents were not made public. Three of the godparents were later reported to be Charlie van Straubenzee (who attended Ludgrove School with Prince Harry and Prince William), Tiggy Pettifer (nanny and companion to Prince Harry and Prince William), and Mark Dyer (a former equerry to King Charles III who became a mentor and close friend to Charles’ sons). Twenty-five guests attended the christening but their names were not released.  A group photo, which is no longer available, showed Archie with his parents, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall, Doria Ragland who is Archie’s maternal grandmother, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Lady Jane Fellowes, Archie’s great-aunts, the sisters of Diana, Princess of Wales.

 

From September 23 – October 2, 2019, when Archie was four-and-a-half months old, he accompanied his parents on an official trip to Africa. The trip started in South Africa and then the Duke of Sussex visited Angola, Malawi, and Botswana before rejoining the Duchess and his son in South Africa.  The Duke and Duchess took their son to visit South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

Archie’s parents announced on January 8, 2020, that they will step back as senior royals and divide time between the United Kingdom and North America. However, since that time the Duke and Duchess have made a home in California in the United States.

On June 4, 2021, Archie’s younger sister was born at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, California. Princess Lilibet of Sussex, nicknamed Lili, is named after her paternal great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth II and her paternal grandmother Diana, Princess of Wales. “Lilibet” is Queen Elizabeth II’s family nickname, which originated from Elizabeth’s pronunciation of her name when she was young.

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