Monthly Archives: January 2022

Royal Chapel at the Royal Palace in Stockholm, Sweden

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2022

The Royal Chapel at the Royal Palace in Stockholm looking toward the entrance; Credit – By Holger.Ellgaard – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=14663353

The Royal Palace is located in Gamla stan, the old town of Stockholm, Sweden. It is the official residence and major royal palace of the Swedish monarch although the actual residence of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia is Drottningholm Palace in Ekerö municipality on the island of Lovön in Lake Mälaren, west of Stockholm, Sweden. However, the offices of the Swedish monarch, other members of the Swedish royal family, and the Royal Court of Sweden are located at the Royal Palace.

The Royal Palace in Stockholm, Sweden; Credit – By Grishasergei – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16370245

The current palace was built on the site of the former Tre Kroner Castle (Three Crowns Castle), built in the 13th century, which was destroyed by fire in 1697. Construction began in 1697 and was completed in 1760. The Royal Palace was designed by Swedish architect Nicodemus Tessin the Younger. After Tessin the Younger died in 1728, the Royal Palace was completed by Swedish architect Carl Hårleman who also designed a large part of its interior.

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The Royal Chapel at the Royal Palace in Stockholm, looking toward the altar; Credit – By Holger.Ellgaard – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=14663324

The Royal Chapel at the Royal Palace in Stockholm, which this writer has visited, is a church of the Church of Sweden, an Evangelical Lutheran church. It is the parish church for the members of the Royal Parish which comprises the Swedish royal family, employees at the court, and their relatives. Services are held every Sunday and on holy days, and the royal family uses the church for other ceremonies.

Ceiling painting and decorations of the Royal Chapel; Credit – By Ad Meskens – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=72492390

Built during the 18th century along with the rest of the Royal Palace, the Royal Chapel was consecrated in 1754. The ceiling paintings and decorations have the theme of the Ascension of Jesus Christ and were the collaborative work of Swedish architect Carl Hårleman, French painter Guillaume Taraval and Swedish decorative artist Johan Pasch and French sculptors Jacques Philippe Bouchardon (link in French) and Charles Guillaume Cousin (link in Swedish).

Thanksgiving service in 2013 marking the 40th anniversary of King Carl XVI Gustaf’s accession to the throne. There is a good view of the pulpit on the right.

A close-up view of the pulpit; Credit – By Holger.Ellgaard – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=14663388

The pulpit was created in the years 1748 -1751 mainly by French sculptor Jacques-Philippe Bouchardon.

The magnificent altarpiece; Credit – By Steven Lek – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=61789914

Jacques-Philippe Bouchardon had been working on an altarpiece but he died before it was completed. His replacement Swedish sculptor Pierre Hubert L’Archevêque damaged Bouchardon’s incomplete work out of rivalry and began his own altarpiece. L’Archevêque eventually tired of working on the altarpiece and it was completed in 1779 by Johan Tobias Sergel, one of Sweden’s greatest sculptors. The magnificent altarpiece depicts Jesus Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane. Above the altar is a banner carried by two angels with the Latin words Pro Mundi Vita, “For the world to live” from the Gospel of John.

This short video of video clips from the christening of Princess Estelle, daughter of Crown Princess Victoria, provides some views of the Royal Chapel.

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The Duke of Småland’s baptism at the Royal Chapel in 1782, oil painting by Elias Martin; Credit – Wikipedia

It can be assumed that after the completion of the Royal Palace in 1754, christenings and other religious events occurred at the Royal Chapel. It is a tradition in the Swedish royal family to attend a Te Deum at the Royal Chapel to give thanks for the birth of a new royal baby within days of the birth. Some recent Te Deums are listed below.

Some royal events at the Royal Chapel at the Royal Palace in Stockholm, Sweden include:

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. 2021. Stockholm Palace – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stockholm_Palace> [Accessed 3 December 2021].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2019. Swedish Royal Christenings. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/swedish-royal-christenings/> [Accessed 3 December 2021].
  • Sv.wikipedia.org. 2021. Stockholms slott – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stockholms_slott> [Accessed 3 December 2021].
  • Sv.wikipedia.org. 2021. Slottskyrkan – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slottskyrkan> [Accessed 3 December 2021].

Royal Cases of COVID-19

compiled by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2022

Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden has had COVID-19 twice

During the 14th century, the bubonic plague, also known as the Black Death, the Pestilence, and the Plague, is estimated to have killed 30% to 60% of Europe’s population. Smallpox was a leading cause of death in the 18th century. It killed an estimated 400,000 Europeans each year in the 18th century. Just as epidemics of smallpox and the plague in the past knew no class boundaries, the same holds true for COVID-19. Except for two deaths of minor royals from the African Kingdom of Eswatini, we are unaware of any royal deaths from COVID-19.

Read more at Unofficial Royalty: Royal Deaths and Illnesses

This does not purport to be a complete list and will be updated as needed.

Current Monarchies

Kingdom of Belgium

  • Princess Claire, wife of Prince Laurent: May 2020
  • Prince Joachim, son of Princess Astrid: May 2020
  • An unidentified member of the Belgian royal family: September 2021
  • Princess Delphine, daughter of King Albert II: October 2021
  • Prince Laurent, son of King Albert II: November 2021

Kingdom of Denmark

Kingdom of Eswatini (formerly Swaziland)

  • Prince Tshekedi Dlamini, grandson of King Sobhuza II: died August 2020
  • Princess Ngabisa Dlamini, granddaughter of King Sobhuza II: died August 2020
  • King Mswati III: January 2021

State of Japan

Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

Grand Duchy of Luxembourg

Principality of Monaco

Kingdom of Morocco

Kingdom of the Netherlands

Kingdom of Norway

State of Qatar

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

  • Prince Waleed bin Sadr Al Saud: September 2020
  • About 150 members of the Saudi royal family had COVID-19 during April 2020. Prince Faisal bin Bandar was in intensive care.

Kingdom of Spain

Kingdom of Sweden

Kingdom of Thailand

United Kingdom

Former Monarchies

Austria

Brazil

In March 2020, the family attended an engagement party where several people appear to have been infected.

  • Prince Antonio of Orleans-Braganza, son of the late Prince Pedro Henrique of Orléans-Braganza, disputed Head of the Imperial House of Brazil: March 2020
  • Prince Francisco of Orleans-Braganza, son of the late Prince Pedro Henrique of Orléans-Braganza, disputed Head of the Imperial House of Brazil: March 2020
  • Prince Alberto of Orleans-Braganza, son of the late Prince Pedro Henrique of Orléans-Braganza, disputed Head of the Imperial House of Brazil: March 2020
  • Prince Pedro of Orléans-Braganza, son of the late Prince Pedro Henrique of Orléans-Braganza, disputed Head of the Imperial House of Brazil: April 2020
  • Maria de Fátima Lacerda Rocha, wife of Prince Pedro de Orléans-Braganza: April 2020
  • Maritza Ribas Bockel, wife of Prince Alberto of Orleans-Braganza – April 2020

France

  • Béatrice, Princess d’Orléans, Countess of Evreux, wife of Prince Michel d’Orléans, Count of Évreux, son of Prince Henri d’Orléans, Count of Paris, the Orleanist pretender to the French throne: June 2020

Greece

Nepal

Russia

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.

Franz Josef I, Prince of Liechtenstein

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2022

Franz Josef I, Prince of Liechtenstein; Credit – Wikipedia

The nephew of Joseph Wenzel I, Prince of Liechtenstein, Franz Josef I reigned as Prince of Liechtenstein from 1772 – 1781. Franz de Paula Josef Johann Nepomuk Andreas was born on November 19, 1726, in Milan, Duchy of Milan, now in Italy. He was the eldest of the thirteen children and the eldest of the eight sons of Prince Emanuel of Liechtenstein (1700 – 1771) and Countess Maria Anna Antonia of Dietrichstein-Weichselstädt, Baroness of Hollenburg and Finkenstein (1706 – 1777).

Franz Josef had twelve younger siblings:

  • Prince Karl Borromeo of Liechtenstein (1730 – 1789), married Princess Maria Eleonore of Oettingen-Spielberg, had seven children
  • Prince Philipp Josef of Liechtenstein (1731 – 1757), unmarried, died in battle
  • Prince Emanuel Josef of Liechtenstein (1732 – 1738), died in childhood
  • Prince Johann Josef of Liechtenstein (1734 – 1781), unmarried
  • Prince Anton Josef of Liechtenstein (1735 – 1737), died in childhood
  • Prince Joseph Wenzel of Liechtenstein (1736 – 1739), died in childhood
  • Princess Maria Amalia of Liechtenstein (1737 – 1787), married Johannes Siegmund Friedrich, 2nd Prince of Khevenhüller-Metsch, had seven children
  • Princess Maria Anna of Liechtenstein (1738 – 1814), married Count Emanuel Philibert von Waldstein, had eleven children
  • Princess Franziska Xaveria of Liechtenstein (1739 – 1821), Charles-Joseph, 7th Prince of Ligne, had seven children
  • Princess Maria Christina of Liechtenstein (1741 – 1819), married Count Franz Ferdinand Kinsky von Wchinitz und Tettau, had four children
  • Princess Maria Theresia of Liechtenstein (1741 – 1766), married Count Karl Joseph Pálffy ab Erdöd, Chancellor of Hungary, had two children
  • Prince Josef Leopold of Liechtenstein (1743 – 1771), unmarried

Franz Josef’s father was the younger brother of Joseph Wenzel I, Prince of Liechtenstein who reigned from 1712 – 1718, was Regent from 1732 – 1745, and then reigned again from 1748 until he died in 1772. Joseph Wenzel had five children, including three sons, and all five died in early childhood. Noting that his nephew Franz Josef might be a future Sovereign Prince of Liechtenstein, Joseph Wenzel took him under his wing.

Franz Josef’s uncle Joseph Wenzel; Credit – Wikipedia

From the age of 20, Franz Josef accompanied his uncle Joseph Wenzel on military campaigns during the War of the Austrian Succession (1740 – 1748). He fought in the Battle of Piacenza where his uncle led the troops of the Holy Roman Empire to victory. Liechtenstein was a constituent state of the Holy Roman Empire. The Wars of the Austrian Succession ensured that Maria Theresa, the only surviving child of Holy Roman Emperor Karl VI, would be the sovereign ruler of the Habsburg territories. However, because only males could be elected Holy Roman Emperors, Maria Theresa arranged for her husband Francis Stephen, Duke of Lorraine, Grand Duke of Tuscany to be elected Holy Roman Emperor. Despite the snub, Maria Theresa, Archduchess of Austria, and Queen of Hungary, Croatia, and Bohemia wielded the real power. Maria Theresa was the sovereign ruler of the Habsburg territories from 1740 until she died in 1780, which coincides with the years of Franz Josef’s adulthood and his reign as Sovereign Prince of Liechtenstein.

Franz Josef’s wife Leopoldine; Credit – Wikipedia

On July 6, 1750, Franz Josef married Countess Leopoldine von Sternberg, the daughter of Count Franz Philipp of Sternberg and Countess Leopoldine of Starhemberg.

Franz Josef and Leopoldine had eight children:

Franz Josef participated in a number of diplomatic missions on behalf of the Holy Roman Empire. In 1760, Franz Josef accompanied his uncle Joseph Wenzel on a trip to the Duchy of Parma, now in Italy, where they accompanied Princess Isabella of Parma to Vienna, Austria where she married Archduke Joseph of Austria, the future Holy Roman Emperor. In 1761, Franz Josef accompanied Prince Charles Alexander of Lorraine, brother of Holy Roman Emperor Francis Stephen, who was a Field Marsal of the Imperial Army, and Governor of the Austrian Netherlands to Mergentheim Palace, the administrative seat of the Teutonic Order, then in Bad Mergentheim, Fraconia, now in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. There Prince Charles Alexander was unanimously elected the 52nd Grand Master of the Teutonic Order.

In 1763, Franz Josef traveled to Spain during the marriage negotiations for Archduke Leopold of Austria, the future Holy Roman Emperor, to give his potential (and future) bride Infanta Maria Luisa of Spain a portrait of Archduke Leopold. In 1767, Franz Josef was made a member of the Imperial Privy Council and in 1771 he became the 802nd Commander of the Order of the Golden Fleece. In 1778, Franz Josef was appointed president of the Lower Austrian nobility assembly.

When Franz Josef’s uncle Josef Wenzel, Prince of Liechtenstein died on February 10, 1772, with no surviving sons, he was succeeded by his nephew as Franz Josef I, Prince of Liechtenstein. Franz Josef immediately resigned from all his governmental duties of the Holy Roman Empire. Instead, he devoted himself to the administration of his estates. Franz Josef’s wealth significantly increased in 1772 when he received an inheritance from Maria Theresia, Duchess of Savoy-Carignano who had been born Princess Maria Theresia of Liechtenstein, the only surviving child of Hans-Adam I, Prince of Liechtenstein. Maria Theresia’s only child predeceased her and Franz Josef was her distant, but nearest, relative.

Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Vranov, Czech Republic: Credit – Von Ojin – Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6438939

Franz Josef I, Prince of Liechtenstein, died August 18, 1781, aged 54, in Metz, France. He was buried in the Old Crypt at Chuch of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Vranov, Moravia, now in the Czech Republic. After Franz Josef’s death, his widow Leopoldine lived with one of her daughters in Vienna, Austria. She survived her husband by twenty-eight years, dying at the age of 75 on June 27, 1809, and was buried at St. Andrew’s Church in Vienna-Hütteldorf, Austria.

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

  • De.wikipedia.org. 2021. Franz Josef I. (Liechtenstein) – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_Josef_I._(Liechtenstein)> [Accessed 4 December 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Franz Joseph I, Prince of Liechtenstein – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_Joseph_I,_Prince_of_Liechtenstein> [Accessed 4 December 2021].
  • Fuerstenhaus.li. 2021. Century: 18th century. [online] Available at: <https://fuerstenhaus.li/en/die-biographien-aller-fuersten/18-century/> [Accessed 4 December 2021].
  • geni_family_tree. 2021. Emanuel, Fürst von und zu Liechtenstein. [online] Available at: <https://www.geni.com/people/Emanuel-F%C3%BCrst-von-und-zu-Liechtenstein/5062354675600102553> [Accessed 4 December 2021].
  • Ru.wikipedia.org. 2021. Франц Иосиф I фон Лихтенштейн — Википедия. [online] Available at: <https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A4%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%86_%D0%98%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%B8%D1%84_I_%D1%84%D0%BE%D0%BD_%D0%9B%D0%B8%D1%85%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%88%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%B9%D0%BD> [Accessed 4 December 2021].

Royal Chapel at Drottningholm Palace in Ekerö Municipality, Sweden

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2022

The Royal Chapel on the left at Drottningholm Palace; Credit – Av Arild Vågen – Eget arbete, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=26866832

Drottningholm Palace is located in Ekerö municipality on the island of Lovön in Lake Mälaren, west of Stockholm, Sweden. It is the private residence of the Swedish royal family. Drottningholm Palace was designed by Swedish architect Nicodemus Tessin the Elder. When he died, his son Nicodemus Tessin the Younger continued his work and completed the interior designs. Construction began in 1696 and was completed in 1728. The palace grounds include a beautiful baroque garden and other gardens featuring numerous sculptures and statues, along with several fountains and water features.

The Royal Chapel; Credit – Wikipedia

The Royal Chapel, which this writer has visited, is on the northern end of Drottningholm Palace with an entrance leading directly into the palace. It is a church of the Church of Sweden, an Evangelical Lutheran Church. The building is completely round with three slightly protruding middle sections and is covered by a copper dome with windows topped by a lantern. The main entrance is located on the west side facing the gardens. The construction of the Royal Chapel was completed in 1728 and during the following years, Swedish architect Carl Hårleman oversaw the interior decoration work. The altarpiece depicting The Last Supper was done by the court painter Georg Engelhard Schröder. In 1730, the church was consecrated and it has been in continuous use since then. The altar is facing north, opposite the royal pew. The pews in the side aisles in the east-west direction were installed from 1910 – 1912.

The christening of Princess Leonore, granddaughter of King Carl XVI Gustaf, in 2014

The local Lovön Parish conducts services in the chapel on the last weekend of each month. The Royal Chapel has been used over the years for regular worship and events by members of the Swedish royal family. Below is a list of some royal events that have occurred at the Royal Chapel at Drottningholm Palace.

  • August 29, 1744 – Wedding of the future King Adolf Frederik of Sweden and Princess Louisa Ulrika of Prussia
  • December 7, 1976 – Wedding of Prince Bertil of Sweden, Duke of Halland (son of King Gustav VI Adolf) and Lilian Craig
  • September 9, 2016 – Christening of Prince Alexander, Duke of Södermanland (son of Prince Carl Philip, grandson of King Carl XVI Gustaf)
  • December 1, 2017 – Christening of Prince Gabriel, Duke of Dalarna (son of Prince Carl Philip, grandson of King Carl XVI Gustaf)
  • June 8, 2014 – Christening of Princess Leonore, Duchess of Gotland (daughter of Princess Madeleine, granddaughter of King Carl XVI Gustaf)
  • October 11, 2015 – Christening of Prince Nicolas, Duke of Ångermanland (son of Princess Madeleine, granddaughter of King Carl XVI Gustaf)
  • June 8, 2018 – Christening of Princess Adrienne, Duchess of Blekinge, daughter of Princess Madeleine, granddaughter of King Carl XVI Gustaf
  • August 14, 2021 – Christening of Prince Julian, Duke of Halland (son of Prince Carl Philip, grandson of King Carl XVI Gustaf)
  • June 13, 2025 – Christening of Princess Ines Marie Lilian Silvia, daughter of Prince Carl Philip, granddaughter of King Carl XVI Gustaf

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. 2021. Drottningholm Palace – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drottningholm_Palace> [Accessed 2 December 2021].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2019. Swedish Royal Christenings. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/swedish-royal-christenings/> [Accessed 2 December 2021].
  • Kungligaslotten.se. 2021. Gift dig i Drottningholms slottskyrka. [online] Available at: <https://www.kungligaslotten.se/vara-besoksmal/drottningholms-slott/drottningholms-slottskyrka/gift-dig-i-drottningholms-slottskyrka.html> [Accessed 2 December 2021].
  • Kungligaslotten.se. 2021. The Royal Chapel at Drottningholm. [online] Available at: <https://www.kungligaslotten.se/english/royal-palaces-and-sites/drottningholm-palace/the-royal-chapel-drottningholm.html> [Accessed 2 December 2021].
  • Sv.wikipedia.org. 2021. Drottningholms slott – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drottningholms_slott> [Accessed 2 December 2021].
  • https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drottningholms_slottskyrka