Monthly Archives: September 2020

Anna Petrovna Lopukhina, Mistress of Paul I, Emperor of All Russia

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Anna Petrovna Lopukhina; Credit – Wikipedia

Patronymics: In Russian, a patronymic is the second name derived from the father’s first name: the suffix -vich means “son of” and the suffixes -eva, -evna, -ova, and -ovna mean “daughter of”.

Anna Petrovna Lopukhina was born on November 8, 1777. She was the eldest of the three daughters and the eldest of the four children of Peter Vasilievich Lopukhin and his first wife, Praskovya Ivanovna Levshina. The Lopukhins were an old Russian noble family. Eudoxia Feodorovna Lopukhina, the first wife of Peter I (the Great), Emperor of All Russia, was from the family. Peter Vasilievich Lopukhin served in the Russian Army with the Preobrazhensky Guards. He served as Chief of Police of St. Petersburg, Moscow Civil Governor, and Governor-General of Yaroslav and Vologda. When Paul I succeeded to the throne, Peter Vasilievich was appointed to the Privy Council. He served as President of the Council of Ministers, basically the Prime Minister, from 1816 to 1827 during the reigns of Paul’s sons Alexander I and Nicholas I.

Anna’s father, Peter Vasilievich Lopukhin; Credit – Wikipedia

Anna’s mother, Praskovya Ivanovna Levshina; Credit – Wikipedia

Anna had three younger siblings:

Anna’s stepmother, Ekaterina Nikolaevna Shetneva; Credit – Wikipedia

When Anna was eight years old, her mother died. A year later, her father married Ekaterina Nikolaevna Shetneva. Anna and her siblings were raised by their stepmother in Moscow, Russia, along with their half-siblings.

Anna had four half-siblings from her father’s second marriage:

  • Alexandra Petrovna Lopukhina (1788 – 1852), married Alexander Alexandrovich Zherebtsov, had one daughter
  • Pavel Petrovich Lopukhin (1790 – 1873), married Anna Ivanovna von Wenkstern
  • Elizaveta Petrovna Lopukhina (1792 -1805), died in childhood
  • Sofia Petrovna Lopukhina (1798 – 1825 ), married Alexei Jakovlevich Lobanov-Rostovsky, had four children

Paul I, Emperor of All Russia; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1798, Paul I, Emperor of All Russia visited Moscow. At a court ball, he noticed 21-year-old Anna Petrovna Lopukhina and became infatuated. A court faction headed by Count Ivan Pavlovich Kutaisov, formerly Paul’s valet and now one of his important advisors, decided to use Paul’s infatuation with Anna against the influence of Paul’s wife Empress Maria Feodorovna, born Sophie Dorothea of Württemberg, and Paul’s official mistress Ekaterina Ivanovna Nelidova, one of his wife’s ladies-in-waiting. The Empress had originally been quite upset about her husband’s infidelities. Eventually, she made her peace with Ekaterina Ivanovna Nelidova, and the two women used their combined influence on Paul.

Emperor Paul instructed Kutaisov to negotiate the Lopukhina family’s move to St. Petersburg. After being offered an important position in St. Petersburg, a house, money, and the title His Serene Highness Prince, Peter Vasilievich Lopukhin agreed to move his family to St. Petersburg. Upon hearing of this, Empress Maria Feodorovna sent a letter to Anna strongly advising her to remain in Moscow. The letter was intercepted and came to the attention of Paul I, who was angered by his wife’s actions. In the fall of 1798, the Lopukhin family moved to St. Petersburg, where they lived at 10 Palace Embankment, a street along the Neva River where the Winter Palace was located.

The brown building in the middle, 10 Palace Embankment, was the Loupkhin family home in St. Petersburg; Credit – Wikipedia

Anna’s stepmother was made a lady-in-waiting at court, and Anna was made a maid of honor. She quickly replaced Ekaterina Ivanovna Nelidova as Paul’s official mistress. Praskovya Petrovna Lopukhina, Anna’s sister, married Count Pavel Ivanovich Kutaisov, the son of Count Ivan Pavlovich Kutaisov, the mastermind behind the scheme to move the Lopukhin family to St. Petersburg and make Anna the mistress of Emperor Paul.

Anna had a diplomatic and humble nature and stayed away from court intrigues. She used her influence with Paul only for those who fell out of favor or deserved rewards. However, instead of using persuasion, Anna cried or pouted until she got what she wanted. Anna had a passion for dancing, and so Paul often gave balls. She loved the waltz, which had been forbidden at court but was brought into vogue thanks to Anna. The usual court costume restricted some dance moves, and Paul ordered it abandoned, greatly upsetting his wife, Empress Maria Feodorovna.

Anna’s husband, Prince Pavel Gavrilovich Gagarin; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1799, Anna asked Paul’s permission to marry a childhood friend, Prince Pavel Gavrilovich Gagarin, who was then in Italy with the Russian Army. Paul recalled him to St. Petersburg, gave him the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, promoted him to Adjutant General, and transferred him to the St. Petersburg-based Preobrazhensky Guards. Anna and Pavel Gavrilovich were married on February 8, 1799. Upon her marriage, Anna was appointed a lady-in-waiting. Paul’s feelings for Anna did not change after her marriage, and she continued to be his official mistress.

Because Emperor Paul overly taxed the nobility and limited their rights, the Russian nobles, by increasing numbers, were against him. Paul’s reign was becoming increasingly despotic. Eventually, the nobility reached their breaking point, and rumors began swirling of a coup d’état being prepared by the nobility. On the night of March 23, 1801, a group of conspirators charged into Paul’s bedroom, forced him to abdicate, and then strangled and trampled him to death. Paul’s eldest son, who probably knew about the coup but not the murder plot, succeeded as Alexander I, Emperor of All Russia.

Alexander I appointed Pavel Gavrilovich Gagarin ambassador to Sardinia, now in Italy, and Anna and her husband moved to the city of Turin. Because the benefits that Pavel would reap from being married to Paul’s official mistress were now gone, Pavel and Anna’s marriage deteriorated. Both Pavel and Anna had affairs. Anna’s affair was with Prince Boris Antonovich Chetvertinsky. On February 5, 1805, Anna gave birth to Boris Antonovich’s daughter Alexandra. Anna, aged 27, died on April 25, 1805, in Turin from tuberculosis. Her infant daughter died a few weeks later.

Anna was buried in the St. Lazarus Church at the Alexander Nevsky Lavra in St. Petersburg, Russia. Her husband, Prince Pavel Gavrilovich Gagarin, ordered the inscription on her tomb to read, “In memory of my wife and benefactress,” a nod to the benefits he had received for being married to a mistress of the Emperor of All Russia.

St. Lazarus Church at the Alexander Nevsky Lavra in St. Petersburg; Credit – By Екатерина Борисова – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=51910633

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. 2020. Anna Lopukhina. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_Lopukhina>.
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2018. Paul I, Emperor of All Russia. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/emperor-paul-i-of-russia/>.
  • Lincoln, W. Bruce. (1981). The Romanovs: Autocrats of  All the Russias. New York, NY: Doubleday
  • Ru.wikipedia.org. 2020. Лопухина, Анна Петровна. [online] Available at: <https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9B%D0%BE%D0%BF%D1%83%D1%85%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B0,_%D0%90%D0%BD%D0%BD%D0%B0_%D0%9F%D0%B5%D1%82%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%BD%D0%B0>.
  • Ru.wikipedia.org. 2020. Гагарин, Павел Гаврилович. [online] Available at: <https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%93%D0%B0%D0%B3%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%BD,_%D0%9F%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%B5%D0%BB_%D0%93%D0%B0%D0%B2%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%87>.
  • Ru.wikipedia.org. 2020. Лопухин, Пётр Васильевич. [online] Available at: <https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9B%D0%BE%D0%BF%D1%83%D1%85%D0%B8%D0%BD,_%D0%9F%D1%91%D1%82%D1%80_%D0%92%D0%B0%D1%81%D0%B8%D0%BB%D1%8C%D0%B5%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%87>.

Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah, 14th Ruler and 4th Emir of Kuwait

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah, 14th Ruler and 4th Emir of Kuwait; Credit – Wikipedia

Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah, 14th Ruler and 4th Emir of Kuwait, reigned for only nine days in January 2006 before abdicating due to illness. Originally a sheikhdom ruled by local sheikhs, Kuwait became a British Protectorate in 1899. The sheikhs still had power during the British Protectorate. Kuwait was granted independence in 1961, and Saad’s father Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah, 11th Ruler of Kuwait became the first Emir of Kuwait. The rulers of Kuwait belong to the House of Al-Sabah.

The Emir of Kuwait is nominated by a family council headed by prominent members of the family. The Crown Prince of Kuwait is also nominated by the family council and must be a senior member of the House of Al-Sabah. Both the Emir and the Crown Prince must be approved by the Kuwaiti parliament.

Born in 1930 in Kuwait City, Kuwait, Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah was the son of Abdullah III Al-Salim Al-Sabah (1895 – 1965), the 11th Ruler and 1st Emir of Kuwait and Jamila, “an African lady.” His father married four times and Saad had two half-brothers and three half-sisters.

Saad was educated at the Al-Mubarakiya School in Kuwait City, established in 1911 as one of Kuwait’s first modern educational institutions. He then attended the Hendon Police College in Hendon, England, the principal training center for London’s Metropolitan Police Service.

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Crown Prince Saad al-Abdullah al-Sabah (left) and Emir Jaber al-Ahmad al-Sabah (right) on November 05, 1991

On February 16, 1978, the family council named Saad the Crown Prince of Kuwait. He also held the following positions:

  • Deputy Chief of Kuwait City Police (1954-1959)
  • Member of the Supreme Council (1955-1961)
  • Deputy Director of the Police and Public Security Department (1959-1961)
  • President of the Police and Public Security Department (1961-1962)
  • Minister of the Interior (1962-1978)
  • Minister of Defence (1965-1978)
  • Prime Minister and President Council of Ministers (1978-1991, 1992-2003)
  • President of the Supreme Defence Council, the Supreme Petroleum Council, the Civil Service Commission, and the Higher Council of Housing

President Ronald Reagan during a working visit at the White House of Prime Minister and Crown Prince Sabah of Kuwait on July 12, 1988; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1948, Saad married Latifa bint Fahad Al-Sabah, daughter of his uncle Fahad bin Salim Al-Sabah. Saad and Latifah had five daughters and one son:

  • Mariam bint Sa’ad Al-‘Abdu’llah Al-Salim Al-Sabah (1949 – 1994), unmarried, died in a car accident
  • Hussa bint Sa’ad Al-‘Abdu’llah Al-Salim Al-Sabah (born 1950), married and divorced Badr bin Nasir Al-Sabah, had one son
  • Jamayal bint Sa’ad Al-‘Abdu’llah Al-Salim Al-Sabah (born 1952), married (1) ‘Abdu’l-Halim Chamma, had one daughter, divorced (2) Shahzada Masud Mirza, no children
  • Shekha bint Sa’ad Al-‘Abdu’llah Al-Salim Al-Sabah (1954 – 2003), unmarried, died from cancer
  • Fadia bint Sa’ad Al-‘Abdu’llah Al-Salim Al-Sabah (born 1959), married (1) Fahad bin Salim Al-Sabah, no children, divorced (2) Salman bin Sabah Al-Salim Al-Hamud Al-Sabah, has one son and three daughters
  • Fahad bin Sa’ad Al-‘Abdu’llah Al-Salim Al-Sabah (born 1960), married Mana’al bint Muhammad Al-Wazzan, had five sons and one daughter

In April 1997, Saad suffered from internal hemorrhaging, which required surgery. He then went to the United Kingdom for tests and treatment, returning to Kuwait in October 1997. However, his health continued to be a problem, and he needed to use a wheelchair for the rest of his life. He eventually developed colon issues and was diagnosed with colon cancer.

Saad’s health issues led to speculation that he might abdicate his position as Crown Prince, however, a statement issued in November 2005 contradicted these speculations. Upon the death of Jaber III Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, 13th Ruler and 3rd Emir of Kuwait on January 15, 2006, Saad became the 14th Ruler and 4th Emir of Kuwait. When Saad was seen in a wheelchair at Jaber’s funeral, his fitness to be Emir of Kuwait was questioned by members of the Kuwaiti parliament. An internal discussion within the Kuwaiti royal family made Saad decide to abdicate. On January 24, 2006, the Kuwaiti parliament voted Saad out of office, moments before an official letter of abdication was received. The Kuwait Cabinet nominated Prime Minister Sabah bin Ahmad Al-Sabah to take over as Emir as expected.

Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah, 14th Ruler and 4th Emir of Kuwait died on May 13, 2008, at the age of 78, at Shaab Palace in Kuwait City, Kuwait. He was buried at the Al Sulaibikhat Cemetery, the largest cemetery in Kuwait.

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Al Sulaibikhat Cemetery

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

  • Ar.wikipedia.org. 2020. سعد العبد الله السالم الصباح. [online] Available at: <https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%B3%D8%B9%D8%AF_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%A8%D8%AF_%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%84%D9%87_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B5%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%AD> [Accessed 24 August 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Saad Al-Salim Al-Sabah. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saad_Al-Salim_Al-Sabah> [Accessed 24 August 2020].
  • Nl.wikipedia.org. 2020. Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah. [online] Available at: <https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saad_Al-Abdullah_Al-Salim_Al-Sabah> [Accessed 24 August 2020].
  • Royalark.net. 2020. Royal Ark: Kuwait Royal Genealogy. [online] Available at: <https://www.royalark.net/Kuwait/kuwait16.htm> [Accessed 24 August 2020].

Jaber III Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, 13th Ruler and 3rd Emir of Kuwait

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Jaber III Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, 13th Ruler and 3rd Emir of Kuwait; Credit – www.findagrave.com

Jaber III Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah reigned as the 13th Ruler and 3rd Emir of Kuwait from 1977 until he died in 2006. He was Emir of Kuwait during the 1990 invasion of Kuwait by Iraq and the subsequent Persian Gulf War. Originally a sheikhdom ruled by local sheikhs, Kuwait became a British Protectorate in 1899. The sheikhs still had power during the British Protectorate. Kuwait was granted independence in 1961 and Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah, 11th Ruler of Kuwait became the first Emir of Kuwait. The rulers of Kuwait belong to the House of Al-Sabah.

The Emir of Kuwait is nominated by a family council headed by prominent members of the House of Al-Sabah. The Crown Prince of Kuwait is also nominated by the family council and must be a senior member of the House of Al-Sabah. Both the Emir and the Crown Prince must be approved by the Kuwaiti parliament.

Born on June 29, 1926, in Kuwait City, Kuwait, Jaber III was the son of Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, 10th ruler of Kuwait and Sheikha Bibi Al-Salem Al-Sabah, daughter of the 9th ruler of Kuwait, Salem Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah. Jaber’s father had ten wives and 24 children.

Jaber had one full sibling, a sister Sheikha Badriya Al-Ahmad. His prominent half-siblings include:

Jaber’s father Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah had a prominent role in his upbringing. Ahmad was open-minded and was interested in culture and education. Jaber was educated at the Al-Mubarakiya School, established in 1911 as one of Kuwait’s first modern educational institutions, and the Ahmadiyya School, established in 1921, another of Kuwait’s first modern educational institutions. He also received private instruction in religion, Arabic language and literature, the English language, and the sciences. After he completed his education, Jaber’s father allowed him to travel to learn about the culture and conditions of other people. The first of Jaber’s 51 children (he had 22 sons and 29 daughters) was born in 1945. He married the first of his 20 wives sometime in the early 1940s. For information on his family, see Royal Ark: Kuwait – Al-Sabah Genealogy.

After the death of Jaber’s father Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah in 1950, two sons of Salim Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah, 9th Ruler of Kuwait were chosen by the family council to be Ruler of Kuwait: Abdullah III Al-Salim Al-Sabah (reigned 1950 – 1965) and Sabah III Al-Salim Al-Sabah (reigned 1965 – 1977). During this period, a new constitution was enacted and Kuwait gained independence from the United Kingdom. Jaber served as Minister of Finance from 1959 – 1965 and as Prime Minister of Kuwait from 1965 – 1978. On May 31, 1966, the family council appointed Jaber Heir Apparent with the title of Crown Prince.

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Jaber III, Emir of Kuwait (second from the left) and Queen Elizabeth II  watch a display of folk dancing during the Queen’s state visit to Kuwait on February 13,  1979

Upon the death of Sabah III Al-Salim Al-Sabah on December 31, 1977, Jaber became the 13th Ruler and 3rd Emir of Kuwait. Unlike many other rulers in the Middle East, Emir Jaber stood out for his modest style. He declined to put his image on the nation’s currency and lived in what Kuwaitis considered a relatively simple home. The Kuwaiti people often referred to him as Baba Jaber or Father Jaber. On February 16, 1978, the family council named Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah, eldest son of Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, 11th Ruler and First Emir of Kuwait (reigned 1950 – 1965) as the Crown Prince of Kuwait.

From 1980 – 1988, Kuwait found itself geographically in the middle of the Iran- Iraq War. Among the many security threats during that period was an assassination attempt. On May 25, 1985, a car bomb was detonated by remote control as Jaber’s motorcade was traveling to his office at Seif Palace in Kuwait City. Three people were killed but Jaber was only showered with broken glass and suffered minor cuts and bruises.

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Jaber III Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Emir of Kuwait speaks to the press on the South Lawn of the White House on September 28, 1990, after the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq

On August 2, 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait, resulting in the seven-month-long Iraqi occupation. Within hours of the invasion, Jaber and his government went to Saudi Arabia where they ran the Kuwaiti government from a hotel in Ta’if, Saudi Arabia. When the Gulf War ended in February 1991, Jaber remained in Saudi Arabia while declaring three months of martial law to ensure the safety of the people and to ensure that there were no Iraqis still in Kuwait who may attempt once again to overthrow the government. Jaber and his government returned to Kuwait on March 15, 1991. The Kuwaiti people remember Emir Jaber as the man who rebuilt their country after American-led forces drove Saddam Hussein’s Iraqi occupation troops from Kuwait in 1991.

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Jaber III, Emir of Kuwait, prays as he disembarks his plane on March 15, 1991, upon his arrival in Kuwait after his in exile in Saudi Arabia during the Iraqi occupation of his country

Jaber suffered from some health problems in his last years, and he traveled outside Kuwait to receive treatment several times, including in September 2001, when he suffered a stroke and went to the United Kingdom for treatment. On January 15, 2006, Jaber III Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, 3rd Emir of Kuwait, aged 79, died from a cerebral hemorrhage at Dasman Palace in Kuwait City, Kuwait. His funeral and burial were attended by thousands of Kuwaitis and many Arab heads of state including King Abdullah II of Jordan. Wrapped in a Kuwaiti flag, Jaber’s body was buried in a simple sand grave bordered with white stones at the Al Sulaibikhat Cemetery, the largest cemetery in Kuwait.

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Al Sulaibikhat Cemetery

Crown Prince Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah succeeded Jaber as the 14th Ruler and the 4th Emir of Kuwait. However, after a nine-day reign, Saad, who suffered from colon cancer, abdicated. On January 24, 2006, the Kuwaiti parliament voted Saad out of office, moments before an official letter of abdication was received. The Kuwait Cabinet nominated Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah bin Ahmad Al-Sabah to take over as Emir as expected.

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

  • Ar.wikipedia.org. 2020. جابر الأحمد الصباح. [online] Available at: <https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%AC%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%B1_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D8%AD%D9%85%D8%AF_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B5%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%AD> [Accessed 21 August 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaber_Al-Ahmad_Al-Sabah> [Accessed 21 August 2020].
  • euronews. 2006. Crowds Mourn At Funeral Of Kuwait Ruler. [online] Available at: <https://www.euronews.com/2006/01/15/crowds-mourn-at-funeral-of-kuwait-ruler> [Accessed 21 August 2020].
  • Kentucky New Era. 1985. Emir Of Kuwait’s Motorcade Bombed On Highway, 3 Killed. [online] Available at: <https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=266&dat=19850524&id=l3o1AAAAIBAJ&sjid=9uAFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1282,3749546> [Accessed 21 August 2020].
  • Nytimes.com. 2006. Sheik Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, The Leader Of Kuwait For 28 Years, Is Dead At 79. [online] Available at: <https://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/16/world/middleeast/sheik-jaber-alahmad-alsabah-the-leader-of-kuwait-for-28.html> [Accessed 21 August 2020].
  • Reuters Archive Licensing. 2006. Thousands Of Kuwaitis Attend The Funeral Of Their Emir, Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. [online] Available at: <https://reuters.screenocean.com/record/351092> [Accessed 21 August 2020].
  • Royalark.net. 2020. Royal Ark: Kuwait – Al-Sabah Genealogy. [online] Available at: <https://www.royalark.net/Kuwait/kuwait16.htm> [Accessed 21 August 2020].

Sybille de Selys Longchamps, Mistress of King Albert II of the Belgians

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Baroness Sybille de Selys Longchamps was the mistress of the future King Albert II of the Belgians from the mid-1960s until the early 1980s. Their child, Delphine Boël, now Her Royal Highness Princess Delphine of Belgium, is well-known to many for having pursued legal acknowledgment of her parentage. This was finally received in early 2020.

Baroness Sybille de Selys Longchamps in a television interview in 2013. source: VRT News

Sybille was born on August 28, 1941, in Uccle, Belgium, the second child of Count Michel François de Selys Longchamps and Countess Pauline Cornet de Ways-Ruart. Her father had valiantly served in the Belgian military and was active in the resistance during World War II. He later served as Belgian Ambassador to numerous countries, including the Netherlands, Italy, Luxembourg, and the United States. She had five siblings:

  • Michel (1938) – married Florence van den Perre
  • Anne-Michèle (1942) – married Barn Henry van der Straeten Waillet
  • Jean-Patrick (1944) – married Margaret de Brouwer
  • Daniel (1946) – unmarried
  • Nathalie (1951) – married Guy Verhaeghe de Naeyer

In 1962, Sybille married Jonkheer Jacques Boël, a wealthy industrialist. About four years later, Sybille first met the future King Albert (then Prince of Liège) in Athens, Greece, where her father was serving as Ambassador, and Albert and his wife were on holiday. Several months later, she was invited to a dinner and seated right next to him. Soon, the two began an affair that reportedly lasted until around 1982. In 1968, Sybille gave birth to a daughter – Delphine – who was registered as the daughter of Jacques Boël.

Albert of Belgium, c1964. source: Wikipedia

Despite their marriages, Sybille and Albert maintained their relationship for many years, and according to Delphine years later, Albert even considered divorcing his wife but Sybille talked him out of it. For reasons unknown, Albert ended their affair somewhat abruptly in 1982, ending all contact with Sybille and their daughter. By then, Sybille had divorced her first husband (in 1978), and in 1982 she remarried to the Honourable Michael-Anthony Rathbone Cayzer, a younger son of Herbert Cayzer, 1st Baron Rocherwick. Sybille and her daughter then lived in England until Cayzer’s death in 1990. Since then, she has split her time between Belgium and Provence.

In 1999, in a biography of Queen Paola, the first public allegation was made of Sybille’s affair with Albert and the subsequent birth of their daughter. The Belgian royal court quickly dismissed the report as “gossip”, but later that year, the King seemed to make reference to the situation. In his Christmas message, he spoke of a “crisis” in his marriage some 30 years earlier that they had overcome, but of which they had been recently reminded. That would be the last public statement on the matter for many years.

Having spoken publicly about the matter for several years, in June 2013, Delphine filed a lawsuit asking King Albert and two of his legitimate children to provide DNA samples to prove her lineage. In September of that year, Sybille appeared on a television program entitled “Our Daughter is Called Delphine”, in which she detailed her relationship with the King and the birth of their child together.

Delphine Boël. photo: By Luc Van Braekel – https://www.flickr.com/photos/lucvanbraekel/2407637011/, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=26839140

By March 2017, the courts had dismissed Delphine’s lawsuit. But she continued to pursue the matter, and after Jacques Boël was proven to not be her father, a Belgian court instructed the now-former King Albert to provide a DNA sample. Albert appealed the ruling, unsuccessfully, and was assessed with a fine of €5,000 per day until he cooperated. Soon, he did provide a sample, and in January 2020, it was made public that the test had proven that he was, in fact, Delphine’s biological father.  In October 2020, the Belgian Court of Appeal ruled that Delphine is entitled to the title of Princess of Belgium and the style of Royal Highness.  This also applies to her children.  She is also entitled to inherit one-quarter of the former King’s estate, a share equal to those of his legitimate 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.