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Archduke Maximilian of Austria, Emperor of Mexico

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Archduke Maximilian of Austria, Emperor of Mexico; Credit Wikipedia

A younger brother of Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria, Maximilian was one of the two Emperors of Mexico. Both were deposed by force and then executed. The other, Agustín de Iturbide, reigned as Emperor Agustín I from May 19, 1822 – March 19, 1823.

Maximilian was born an Archduke of Austria on July 6, 1832, in Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna, Austria. He was the second of the five children and the second of the four sons of Archduke Franz Karl of Austria, son of Emperor Franz I of Austria, and Princess Sophie of Bavaria, daughter of King Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria.

Maximilian had four siblings:

Maximilian with his brothers: From left to right: Archduke Ludwig Viktor, Emperor Franz Joseph,  Archduke Karl Ludwig, Archduke Maximilian; Credit – Wikipedia

Maximilian was educated with his elder brother Franz Joseph. They were first taught by their governess Baroness Louise von Sturmfeder. In 1836, Count Heinrich Bombelles became responsible for the education of the young archdukes and created a rigorous course of study. The archdukes were expected to study 18 hours a week when they were just six years old. Their study hours each week increased to 36 hours at age eight and 46 hours at age 11. Franz Joseph became seriously ill at the age of 13 due to the stress of his studies. However, the archdukes’ rigorous education continued until they were studying 56 hours a week. It was important for Franz Joseph and Maximilian to learn the languages of the Austrian empire, and so they studied not only French, Latin, and Greek, but also Hungarian, Czech, Italian, and Polish. They also studied mathematics, physics, history, geography, jurisprudence, political science, and physical education.

Maximilian, circa 1850: Credit – Wikipedia

In 1852, Maximilian, then serving in the Austrian navy, made a stopover in Portugal, where he became reacquainted with Princess Maria Amélia of Brazil, daughter of Emperor Pedro I of Brazil and his second wife Amélie of Leuchtenberg. Their mothers were both members of the Bavarian royal family and Maximilian and Maria Amélia had met as children at a family reunion in Munich. Maximilian and Maria Amélia fell in love and were betrothed. However, their engagement was never made official due to Maria Amélia’s death from tuberculosis in February 1853.

Charlotte and Maximilian during their first year of marriage; Credit – Wikipedia

In May 1856, Maximilian met Princess Charlotte of Belgium, daughter of Leopold I, King of the Belgians, and a first cousin to both Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and her husband Prince Albert. Maximilian and Charlotte fell in love and the couple married at the Royal Palace of Brussels in Belgium on July 27, 1857. Unfortunately, Charlotte and Maximilian had no children.

Emperor Franz Joseph appointed his brother Maximilian Viceroy of the Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia, now part of Italy, but then part of the Austrian Empire. There the couple built Miramare Castle in Trieste.  In 1859, Emperor Franz Joseph, angered by his brother’s liberal policies, dismissed him as Viceroy. Shortly afterward, Austria lost control of most of its Italian possessions, and Maximilian and Charlotte then retired to Miramare Castle.

Miramare Castle; Photo Credit – By Valleo61 – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=22924475

In 1859, Mexican monarchists approached Maximilian with a proposal to become Emperor of Mexico which Maximilian did not accept. After the French intervention in Mexico in 1861, Maximilian changed his mind. At the invitation of Napoleon III, after the French capture of Mexico City and a French-staged referendum that supposedly confirmed the will of the people, Maximilian agreed to accept the crown. On April 10, 1864, in the great salon of Miramare Castle, a Mexican delegation officially informed Maximilian of the referendum’s results, without telling him that the French army had intimidated the voters. Maximilian declared to the Mexican delegation that he accepted the crown from the hands of the Mexican nation and swore to ensure by all means the well-being, prosperity, independence, and integrity of the Mexican nation.

Mexican Delegation appoints Maximilian of Austria Emperor of Mexico; Credit – Wikipedia

Emperor Maximilian and Empress Carlota, as Charlotte was now called, landed at Veracruz, Mexico on May 21, 1864, and received a cold reception from the townspeople. Veracruz was a liberal town and the liberal voters were opposed to having Maximilian being their Emperor. He had the backing of Mexican conservatives and Napoleon III, but from the beginning, he was involved in serious difficulties. The liberal forces led by Benito Juárez, the former president deposed by the French, refused to recognize his rule. There was continuous warfare between the French troops and the forces of Juárez who wanted a republic.

Emperor Maximilian of Mexico, circa 1865; Credit – Wikipedia

After the American Civil War ended, the French withdrew their troops from Mexico under pressure from the United States. After that, Maximilian could not hold out against the popular Juárez as his request for help from Europe remained unanswered. Charlotte traveled to Europe to ask for help from Napoleon III and Pope Pius IX, but the only hope she got was a promise from the Pope to pray for her and her husband. Maximilian then wanted to leave Mexico but changed his mind after receiving a letter from his mother, which prompted him to stay.

Maximilian and his last troops barricaded themselves in the city of Queretaro, which fell after a siege on May 14, 1867. 34-year-old Maximilian was condemned to death by a court of war and on June 19, 1867, he was executed by a firing squad along with two of his faithful Mexican generals. Before the shooting, Maximilian assured the soldiers that they were only doing their duty, gave them gold coins, and asked them to aim precisely and spare his face, so that his mother could identify his body.

Édouard Manet’s Execution of Emperor Maximilian (wearing the hat) (1868–1869); Credit – Wikipedia

Eventually, Maximilian’s remains were returned to Austria, where seven months after his execution, on January 18, 1868, they were buried in the Kaisergruft (Imperial Crypt) in the Capuchin Church in Vienna.

Tomb of Maximilian; Photo Credit – Susan Flantzer

Charlotte survived Maximilian by 60 years but fell into a state of insanity after his death.  Today, it is impossible to determine the exact nature of her mental illness. Charlotte spent the rest of her life at Bouchout Castle in Meise, Belgium where her brother King Leopold II oversaw her care. She died from pneumonia at Bouchout Castle on January 19, 1927, at the age of 86, and was buried in the Royal Crypt at the Church of Our Lady of Laeken, the burial place of the Belgian Royal Family.

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. (2017). Charlotte von Belgien. [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlotte_von_Belgien [Accessed 12 Sep. 2017].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2017). Carlota of Mexico. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlota_of_Mexico [Accessed 12 Sep. 2017].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2017). Maximilian I of Mexico. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maximilian_I_of_Mexico [Accessed 12 Sep. 2017].
  • Flantzer, S. (2017). Princess Charlotte of Belgium, Empress Carlota of Mexico. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/princess-charlotte-empress-carlota-of-mexico/ [Accessed 6 Aug. 2018].
  • Fr.wikipedia.org. (2017). Charlotte de Belgique. [online] Available at: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlotte_de_Belgique [Accessed 12 Sep. 2017].

Sophie Friederike of Bavaria, Archduchess of Austria

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Sophie Friederike of Bavaria, Archduchess of Austria; Credit – Wikipedia

The mother of Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria and the ill-fated Emperor Maximilian of Mexico, the grandmother of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria whose assassination sparked World War I, and the great-grandmother of  Karl I, the last Emperor of Austria, Sophie Friederike Dorothea Wilhelmine was born January 27, 1805, in Munich, then in the Electorate of Bavaria, now in Bavaria, Germany, along with her identical twin sister Maria Anna Leopoldine Elisabeth Wilhelmine. At the time of Sophie’s birth, her father Maximilian Joseph was Duke of Zweibrücken, Elector of Bavaria, Duke of Berg, and Elector Palatine. Due to his loyal service to Napoleon, Emperor of the French, Maximilian Joseph’s Electorate of Bavaria was created a kingdom and he became the first King of Bavaria on January 1, 1806. Maximilian Joseph’s first wife Augusta Wilhelmine of Hesse-Darmstadt died in 1796 and he married Sophie’s mother Caroline of Baden in 1797.

Maximilian Joseph was an adherent of The Enlightenment, the intellectual and philosophical movement that dominated the world of ideas in Europe during the 18th century, and his children were educated to think in modern ways. Now that Bavaria was a kingdom, King Maximilian I Joseph and later his son King Ludwig I ensured that the females of the family made good marriages.

Sophie had five half-siblings from her father’s first marriage:

Sophie had six siblings including a twin sister and another set of twin siblings:

Sophie with her twin sister Maria Anna and their youngest surviving sister Ludovika by Joseph Karl Stieler; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1816, Sophie’s half-sister Caroline Augusta became the fourth wife of Franz I, Emperor of Austria. Franz’s only surviving children were by his second wife Maria Theresa of Naples and Sicily, who had died in childbirth along with her twelfth child. His eldest son and heir Ferdinand was developmentally delayed and suffered from epilepsy, hydrocephalus, neurological problems, and a speech impediment. Ferdinand learned to walk and talk late, and his condition and behavior caused great concern. Because of his frail constitution, he did not receive the education appropriate for the heir to the throne.

Perhaps it was through the influence of Caroline Augusta, Emperor Franz’s fourth wife and Sophie’s half-sister, that the idea developed of Franz’s second son Franz Karl being a good match for Sophie. At a family gathering of the Habsburgs and the Wittelsbachs (the Bavarian royal family), Franz Karl, who was clumsy and shy, became attracted to Sophie, who was strong-willed and authoritarian. Franz Karl sent Sophie letters and gifts and regularly traveled to Munich to see her. Eventually, he found the courage to ask her to marry him. Some thought the eldest son Ferdinand was incapable of reigning and his father considered removing him from the succession. Franz Karl was somewhat feeble-minded but Sophie’s family agreed to the marriage because they thought that the disabilities of Franz Karl’s brother might cause Franz Karl to succeed to the throne.

Family of Franz I, Emperor of Austria: From left to right: Caroline Augusta of Bavaria, Empress of Austria; Franz I, Emperor of Austria; Napoleon II of France, Duke of Reichstadt (Franz’s grandson); Princess Sophie of Bavaria, Archduchess of Austria; Marie-Louise of Austria, Duchess of Parma (Franz’s daughter and Napoleon II’s mother); the future Ferdinand I, Emperor of Austria; and Archduke Franz Karl of Austria in 1826 by Leopold Fertbauer; Credit – Wikipedia

On November 4, 1824, Sophie married Archduke Franz. In 1831, Franz’s elder brother
Ferdinand married Maria Anna of Savoy, the daughter of King Vittorio Emanuele I of Sardinia. The marriage was childless and probably never consummated, but the couple remained devoted to each other.

After five miscarriages, Sophie and Franz Karl had five children and so they provided the heirs to the throne:

Sophie and her family: Sophie, Franz Joseph with his wife Elisabeth and their two eldest children Rudolf and Gisela, Maximilian with his wife Charlotte, Karl Ludwig, Ludwig Viktor, Photograph by Ludwig Angerer, 1860; Credit – Wikipedia

Franz Karl’s brother Ferdinand succeeded to the throne in 1835 upon the death of his father. His epilepsy caused him to have as many as twenty seizures per day, and this severely restricted his ability to rule with any effectiveness. His father’s will stipulated that Ferdinand’s uncle Archduke Ludwig be consulted on government matters and during Ferdinand’s reign a council called the Secret State Conference controlled the government.

The biggest ambition of Franz Joseph’s mother Sophie was to place her oldest son on the Austrian throne. During the Revolutions of 1848, she persuaded her husband to give up his rights to the throne in favor of their son Franz Joseph. On December 2, 1848, Emperor Ferdinand abdicated the throne in favor of his 18-year-old nephew. Franz Joseph was now Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary and Croatia, and King of Bohemia. During the early years of her son’s reign, Sophie was the power behind the throne, and she fulfilled the duties of an Empress.

Sophie’s four sons left to right: Karl Ludwig, Franz Joseph, Maximilian & Ludwig Viktor, circa 1860; Credit – Wikipedia

The feeling in the Imperial Court was that the young emperor should marry and produce heirs as soon as possible. Franz Joseph’s domineering mother considered several princesses as the future empress but Sophie wanted to forge a relationship with her familial House of Wittelsbach of Bavaria and the House of Habsburg-Lorraine. She arranged for a match between Franz Joseph and Helene, Duchess in Bavaria, the eldest daughter of her sister Ludovika of Bavaria and her husband Duke Maximilian Joseph in Bavaria.

In 1853, Helene traveled with her mother and her younger sister Elisabeth, Duchess in Bavaria (Sisi) to the resort of Bad Ischl, Upper Austria to meet her cousin Franz Joseph, hoping she would become his bride. Instead, Franz Joseph fell in love with the 15-year-old Elisabeth. Franz Joseph told his mother that if he could not marry Elisabeth, he would not marry at all. Five days later their engagement was officially announced. Franz Joseph and Sisi were married on April 24, 1854, at the Augustinerkirche, the parish church of the imperial court of the Habsburgs, a short walk from Hofburg Palace in Vienna.

Sophie’s niece and daughter-in-law Elisabeth of Bavaria; Credit – Wikipedia

Sisi was young, naïve, and shy. Sophie was the stereotype of a nagging mother-in-law, always correcting her daughter-in-law but she was not the monster her niece Sisi made her out to be. Although Sophie was tactless and indiscreet, this was not unusual for a royal matriarch. She had spent her married life with a husband who probably was somewhat mentally disabled and had to deal with many family issues herself. Sophie devoted herself to her four sons and their futures, especially Franz Joseph. She felt it was her duty to school Sisi in her role as Empress.

In 1855, Sisi gave birth to her first child, a daughter, named Sophie Friederike, after her grandmother without any input from Sisi. Sophie did not feel that the teenage mother was capable of caring for her child. She had chosen the nursery staff and set up the nursery next to her own rooms. This practice continued for Sisi’s next two children. In 1857, on a trip to Hungary which was a part of the Habsburg Empire, Franz Joseph and Sisi took their two young children along despite the misgivings of their grandmother Sophie. Two-year-old Sophie and her one-year-old sister Gisela both became ill with diarrhea and a very high fever. Gisela survived but Sophie died in her mother’s arms. The death of her oldest child would haunt Sisi for her entire life and she was held responsible for Sophie’s death by her mother-in-law.

In 1859, Mexican monarchists approached Sophie’s son Maximilian with a proposal to become Emperor of Mexico which Maximilian did not accept. After the French intervention in Mexico in 1861, Maximilian changed his mind. In 1864, Maximilian accepted the crown of Mexico. His mother Sophie considered this a hazardous move and was strongly opposed. She thought Maximilian had a duty to stay in Austria and provide additional heirs for the Austrian throne. Sophie’s fears turn out to be true. On May 14, 1867, 34-year-old Maximilian was condemned to death by a court of war, and on June 19, 1867, he was executed by a firing squad along with two of his faithful Mexican generals. Before the shooting, Maximilian assured the soldiers that they were only doing their duty, gave them gold coins, and asked them to aim precisely and spare his face, so that his mother could identify his body.

Sophie and Franz Karl in 1872; Credit – Wikipedia

Sophie never recovered after the death of Maximilian and she withdrew from public life. In May 1872, ill with pneumonia, she took to her bed and fell into a coma. Franz Joseph placed the rosary of his great-great-grandmother Maria Theresa, Archduchess of Austria, and Queen of Hungary, Croatia, and Bohemia into his mother’s hands. Neither he nor Sisi left Sophie’s bedside for four days. On May 28, 1872, 67-year-old Sophie of Bavaria, Archduchess of Austria, died. Franz Joseph sobbed like a child and Sisi had to be carried from the room. Sophie was buried at the Imperial Crypt beneath the Capuchin Church in Vienna, Austria. From 1960 – 1962, the New Vault was added to the Imperial Crypt to relieve overcrowding. Sophie’s remains and those of her husband Franz Karl, who survived her by six years, were transferred to the West Wall of the New Vault.

The New Vault in the Imperial Crypt; Credit – Susan Flantzer

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. (2018). Sophie Friederike von Bayern. [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophie_Friederike_von_Bayern [Accessed 3 Sep. 2018].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Princess Sophie of Bavaria. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Sophie_of_Bavaria [Accessed 3 Sep. 2018].
  • Van Der Kiste, J. (2005). Emperor Francis Joseph: Life, Death and the Fall of the Habsburg Empire. Stroud: Sutton Publishing.
  • Wheatcroft, A. (1995). The Habsburgs. London: Viking.

Archduke Franz Karl of Austria

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2019

Archduke Franz Karl of Austria; Credit – Wikipedia

Archduke Franz Karl of Austria was the father of two emperors: Franz Joseph I of Austria and Maximilian I of Mexico, the grandfather of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria whose assassination sparked World War I, and the great-grandfather of  Karl I, the last Emperor of Austria.  Born in Vienna on December 17, 1802, Franz Karl was the ninth of the twelve children and the third of the four sons of Emperor Franz I of Austria and the second of his four wives, Maria Theresa of Naples and Sicily.

Franz Karl had eleven siblings:

While pregnant with her twelfth child, Franz Karl’s mother Maria Theresa fell ill with the lung infection pleurisy. Her doctor bled her and this caused premature labor. Maria Theresa gave birth to her twelfth child who lived only three days. On April 13, 1807, a week after giving birth, Maria Theresa died at the age of 34. Franz Karl was only 4 ½ years old when his mother died.

Maria Ludovica, Empress of Austria, with three of her stepchildren: Ferdinand, Maria Leopoldina and Franz Karl; Credit – Wikipedia

Emperor Franz I consoled his grief with visits to his uncle and aunt, Archduke Ferdinand Karl of Austria-Este and Maria Beatrice Ricciarda d’Este, and fell in love with their beautiful and literate daughter and his first cousin Maria Ludovika of Austria-Este who was 19-years-old, twenty years younger than Franz. Maria Ludovika and Franz were married on January 6, 1808. Their marriage was childless but Maria Ludovika adopted a very maternal attitude toward her stepchildren, Sadly, Maria Ludovica died of tuberculosis just eight years later. Franz Karl’s father married for the fourth time to Caroline Augusta of Bavaria and that marriage was also childless.

With the deaths of two of his three brothers in childhood, Franz Karl and his elder brother Ferdinand were the heirs to the throne. Franz Karl was somewhat feeble-minded but Ferdinand was developmentally delayed and suffered from epilepsy, hydrocephalus, neurological problems, and a speech impediment. Some thought he was incapable of reigning and his father Emperor Franz I considered removing him from the succession.

Sophie of Bavaria; Credit – Wikipedia

On 4 November 1824, Franz Karl married Princess Sophie of Bavaria, daughter of King Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria. Despite Franz Karl’s issues, Sophie’s family agreed to the marriage because they thought that the disabilities of Franz Karl’s brother might cause Franz Karl to succeed to the throne. In 1831, Ferdinand married Maria Anna of Savoy, the daughter of King Vittorio Emanuele I of Sardinia. The marriage was childless and probably never consummated, but the couple remained devoted to each other.

Luckily, Franz Karl and Sophie had five children and so they provided the heirs to the throne:

Family of Franz I, Emperor of Austria: From left to right: Caroline Augusta of Bavaria, Empress of Austria; Franz I, Emperor of Austria; Napoleon II of France, Duke of Reichstadt (Franz’s grandson); Princess Sophie of Bavaria, Archduchess of Austria; Marie-Louise of Austria, Duchess of Parma (Franz’s daughter and Napoleon II’s mother); the future Ferdinand I, Emperor of Austria; and Archduke Franz Karl of Austria in 1826 by Leopold Fertbauer; Credit – Wikipedia

Franz Karl’s brother Ferdinand did succeed to the throne in 1835 upon the death of his father. His epilepsy caused him to have as many as twenty seizures per day, and this severely restricted his ability to rule effectively. His father’s will stipulated that Ferdinand’s uncle Archduke Ludwig be consulted on government matters and during Ferdinand’s reign a council called the Secret State Conference controlled the government.

The young Franz Joseph I, Emperor of Austria; Credit – Wikipedia

Franz Karl had no ambitions of power and had never been interested in politics, the exact opposite of his wife Sophie. Sophie’s biggest ambition was to place her oldest son Franz Joseph on the Austrian throne. During the Revolutions of 1848, she persuaded her husband to give up his rights to the throne in favor of their son Franz Joseph, and on December 2, 1848, Emperor Ferdinand abdicated the throne in favor of his 18-year-old nephew. Franz Joseph was now Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary and Croatia, and King of Bohemia.

Sophie and Franz Karl in 1872; Credit – Wikipedia

After his son Franz Joseph became Emperor of Austria, Franz Karl rarely participated in court life, appearing only on a few formal occasions. He preferred to live as a private person, enjoying carriage rides, long walks, and hunting. He spent his summers at the Kaiservilla (Imperial Villa) in the spa town of Bad Ischl, Austria, and became very interested in the local theater which was in ruins.  He arranged for it to be restored and used as a theater for himself and his friends, which made him extremely popular in Bad Ischl.

Franz Karl at 75; Credit – Wikipedia

On March 8, 1878, in Vienna, Archduke Franz Karl died at the age of 75. He was buried at the Imperial Crypt beneath the Capuchin Church in Vienna. Franz Karl was the last Habsburg whose viscera were entombed at the Ducal Crypt of St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna and whose heart was placed in the Herzgruft of the Augustinian Church in Vienna. From 1960 – 1962, the New Vault was added to the Imperial Crypt to relieve overcrowding. Franz Karl’s remains and those of his wife Sophie were transferred to the West Wall of the New Vault.

The New Vault in the Imperial Crypt; Credit – Susan Flantzer

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. (2018). Franz Karl von Österreich. [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_Karl_von_%C3%96sterreich [Accessed 6 Aug. 2018].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Archduke Franz Karl of Austria. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archduke_Franz_Karl_of_Austria [Accessed 6 Aug. 2018].
  • Flantzer, S. (2016). Ferdinand I, Emperor of Austria. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/emperor-ferdinand-i-of-austria/ [Accessed 6 Aug. 2018].
  • Flantzer, S. (2016). Franz I, Emperor of Austria. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/franz-i-emperor-of-austria/ [Accessed 5 Aug. 2018].
  • Flantzer, S. (2013). Maria Theresa of Naples and Sicily, Empress of Austria. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/june-6-daily-featured-royal-date/ [Accessed 5 Aug. 2018].
  • It.wikipedia.org. (2018). Francesco Carlo d’Asburgo-Lorena. [online] Available at: https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francesco_Carlo_d%27Asburgo-Lorena [Accessed 6 Aug. 2018].

Maria Leopoldina of Austria, Empress of Brazil, Queen of Portugal

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2019

Maria Leopoldina of Austria, Empress of Brazil, Queen of Portugal; Credit – Wikipedia

Maria Karoline Josepha Leopoldina Franziska Ferdinanda was born as an Archduchess of Austria on January 22, 1797, at Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna, Austria. Known as Leopoldina, she was fifth of the twelve children and the fourth of the eight daughters of Emperor Franz I of Austria and the second of his four wives, Maria Theresa of Naples and Sicily.

Leopoldina had eleven siblings:

Franz, Maria Theresa, and their older children, Leopoldina is the youngest daughter in the portrait; Credit – Wikipedia 

Leopoldina was educated with her sisters Marie Ludovica, Marie Clementina, and Marie Karoline. As a child Leopoldina was interested in botany, lepidopterology (the study of butterflies), and mineralogy. Leopoldina showed a talent for drawing and some of her pictures are preserved in the picture archive of the Austrian National Library. She was fluent in German, French, Italian, and Latin.

While pregnant with her twelfth child, Leopoldina’s mother Maria Theresa fell ill with the lung infection pleurisy. Her doctor bled her and this caused premature labor. Maria Theresa gave birth to her twelfth child, who lived only one day, and then she died on April 13, 1807, at the age of 34. Leopoldina’s father Franz was inconsolable and had to be forcibly removed from his wife’s body. The death of her mother greatly affected ten-year-old Leopoldina.

Maria Ludovica, Empress of Austria, with three of her stepchildren: Ferdinand, Maria Leopoldina, and Franz Karl; Credit – Wikipedia

Emperor Franz I consoled his grief with visits to his uncle and aunt, Archduke Ferdinand Karl of Austria-Este and Maria Beatrice Ricciarda d’Este, and fell in love with their beautiful and literate daughter and his first cousin Maria Ludovika of Austria-Este who was 19 years old, twenty years younger than Franz. Maria Ludovika and Franz were married on January 6, 1808. Their marriage was childless but Leopoldina dearly loved her stepmother and considered Maria Ludovica to be her “spiritual mother.” Sadly, Maria Ludovica died of tuberculosis just eight years later. Leopoldina’s father married for the fourth time to Caroline Augusta of Bavaria and that marriage was also childless.

Around the time of Maria Ludovica’s death, negotiations began for a marriage between 19-year-old Leopoldina and 18-year-old Pedro, Crown Prince of Portugal and Prince of Brazil. Pedro was the son of King João VI of Portugal and Infanta Carlota Joaquina of Spain, daughter of King Carlos IV of Spain. At that time, Brazil was ruled as a kingdom united with Portugal. In 1807, when Pedro was nine years old, the Portuguese royal family moved to Brazil to escape the Napoleonic invasion and remained in Brazil where Rio de Janeiro became the de facto capital of the Portuguese Empire. Emperor Franz was not a great supporter of this marriage because he knew about the immoral lifestyle and the epilepsy of the proposed groom. At the insistence of Prince Klemens von Metternich, Foreign Minister of the Austrian Empire at that time, later Chancellor, Franz eventually gave his approval to the marriage.

Pedro I, Emperor of Brazil by Simplício Rodrigues de Sá, 1822; Credit – Wikipedia

Leopoldina and Pedro were married by proxy at the Augustinian Church in Vienna on May 13, 1817, with Leopoldina’s uncle, Archduke Karl, Duke of Teschen standing in for the groom. The bride left Vienna on June 3, 1817, and arrived in Livorno, Tuscany (now in Italy) on July 24, 1817, where she was to embark on a three-month voyage to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. On November 6, 1817, Leopoldina and Pedro were married in person in the chapel of the Paço de São Cristóvão (Saint Christopher’s Palace) in Rio de Janeiro where the couple lived after their marriage. Leopoldina had to adjust to Brazil’s heat and humidity, tropical rainfall, and the ever-present insects.

Leopoldina and Pedro had seven children:

Leopoldina with some of her children by Domenico Failutti; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1821, after a series of revolutions and army mutinies, King João VI, under pressure from the Portuguese parliament, departed Brazil for Portugal, leaving behind Leopoldina and Pedro as Regent. Pedro was quite uneducated and the intelligent and well-educated Leopoldina quickly gained influence over her husband. Pedro discussed all government affairs with her and usually followed her advice. In January 1822, Pedro initiated an autonomous government for Brazil, a decisive step in the history of Brazil, which was definitely due to the influence of Leopoldina. This was done because it was known that Portugal intended to recall Pedro and relegate Brazil to the status of a colony.

In August 1822, Pedro appointed Leopoldina Regent while he went on a political trip to the Province of São Paulo. While Pedro was away, Leopoldina received news that Portugal was about to take action, and without waiting for Pedro’s return, met with the Council of State on September 2, 1822, and signed the Decree of Independence, declaring Brazil independent from Portugal. Pedro I was declared Emperor of Brazil on October 12, 1822, his 24th birthday, and Leopoldina became Empress of Brazil. Pedro’s coronation was held on December 1, 1822, in what is today known as the Old Cathedral of Rio de Janeiro.

Maria Leopoldina acting as regent on behalf of her husband during the September 2, 1822 meeting with the Council of Ministers by Georgina de Albuquerque; Credit – Wikipedia

When Pedro’s father King João VI of Portugal died in March 1826, it caused a succession crisis. Pedro was his eldest living son and heir but he had declared Brazil’s independence and was ruling as Emperor Pedro I of Brazil. King João VI had appointed his daughter Isabel Maria to serve as regent until the “legitimate heir returned to the Kingdom” but he never specified who that should be. Pedro was ruling as Emperor of Brazil, and King João VI’s younger son Miguel (the future King Miguel I of Portugal) had been exiled to Austria after leading several revolutions against his father and his liberal regime. While Pedro was the legitimate heir, the Brazilian people did not want the two thrones to be reunited. Pedro reigned as King of Portugal for only two months and then abdicated the Portuguese throne on May 2, 1826, in favor of his seven-year-old daughter Maria.

Maria Leopoldina, Empress of Brazil by Luís Schlappriz; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1822, Pedro had begun an affair with Brazilian noblewoman Domitila de Castro, Marchioness of Santos. He had mistresses during his marriage to Leopoldina but was always careful to conceal his affairs. This time, Pedro flaunted the affair. He was increasingly rude and disrespectful to Leopoldina, left her short of money, prohibited her from leaving the palace, and forced her to endure his mistress Domitila as her lady-in-waiting.) In November 1826, Leopoldina was pregnant with her eighth child (she had given birth to seven children in six years). Pedro arranged a farewell reception before he left for a military trip. He demanded that his wife and his mistress attend the reception along with government, diplomatic, and church officials. Leopoldina refused to attend, causing a bitter argument with Pedro which remained unresolved when he left on his trip.

Shortly thereafter, 29-year-old Leopoldina died at the Palacio de São Cristovão on December 11, 1826, from puerperal fever (childbed fever) after a miscarriage. She was buried in the Ajuda Convent in Cinelândia Square in the center of Rio de Janeiro. When the convent was demolished in 1911, Leopoldina’s remains were transferred to the Convent of St. Anthony in Rio de Janeiro where a mausoleum was built for her and some other members of the Brazilian Imperial Family. Eventually, Leopoldina’s remains were transferred to the Brazilian Imperial Crypt and Chapel under the Monument of the Ipiranga (Monument to the Independence of Brazil) in São Paulo, Brazil.

Tomb of Maria Leopoldina, Empress of Brazil; Credit – By Photograph by Mike Peel (www.mikepeel.net)., CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=64026646

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.

Portugal Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. (2018). Maria Leopoldine von Österreich. [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Leopoldine_von_%C3%96sterreich [Accessed 5 Aug. 2018].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Maria Leopoldina of Austria. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Leopoldina_of_Austria [Accessed 5 Aug. 2018].
  • Flantzer, S. (2016). Franz I, Emperor of Austria. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/franz-i-emperor-of-austria/ [Accessed 5 Aug. 2018].
  • Flantzer, S. (2013). Maria Theresa of Naples and Sicily, Empress of Austria. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/june-6-daily-featured-royal-date/ [Accessed 5 Aug. 2018].
  • Mehl, S. (2016). Queen Maria II of Portugal. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/queen-maria-ii-of-portugal/ [Accessed 5 Aug. 2018].
  • Pt.wikipedia.org. (2018). Maria Leopoldina de Áustria. [online] Available at: https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Leopoldina_de_%C3%81ustria [Accessed 5 Aug. 2018].

January 28, 1919 – Execution of Four Russian Grand Dukes

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2019

On January 28, 1919, Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich (58 years old), Grand Duke Dmitri Konstantinovich (58 years old), and two brothers, Grand Duke Nicholas Mikhailovich (59 years old) and Grand Duke George Mikhailovich (55 years old) were taken to the courtyard of the Fortress of Peter and Paul in St. Petersburg and executed by a firing squad. The four Grand Dukes were all first cousins as their fathers were all sons of Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia.  They were the last of the eighteen Romanovs killed as a result of the Russian Revolution.

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Grand Duke Paul, Alexandrovich; Credit – Wikipedia

Born in 1860, Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich was the youngest of the six sons and the youngest of the eight children of Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia and Empress Maria Feodorovna (born Princess Marie of Hesse and by Rhine) and the paternal uncle of Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia. Paul was only eight years older than his nephew Nicholas and the two had a close relationship.

Paul was educated with his brother Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich who was assassinated in 1905 when a bomb was thrown into his carriage. In 1881, Paul’s father Alexander II had also been assassinated in the same way. Paul served in the Russian Army as a general in the Cavalry and an adjutant general to his brother Alexander III, Emperor of All Russia.

In 1889, Paul married Princess Alexandra of Greece, the daughter of King George I of Greece and Grand Duchess Olga Konstantinovna of Russia. Alexandra gave birth to a daughter, Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna, in 1890. When she was seven months pregnant with her second child in 1891, Alexandra slipped while entering a boat. This caused premature labor and a son, Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich, was born the next day. Sadly, Alexandra did not recover and died six days later. In 1916, Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich was one of the conspirators in the murder of Grigori Rasputin.

In 1895, Paul began an affair with a married woman Olga Valerianovna Karnovich. Olga gave birth in 1897 to a son, later titled Prince Vladimir Pavlovich Paley, who was killed on July 18, 1918, with Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna and four other Romanovs. Paul made a morganatic marriage to Olga in 1902 and they had two more children: Princess Irina Pavlovna Paley and Princess Natalia Pavlovna Paley. Because he married without Nicholas II’s permission, Paul was banished from Russia, dismissed from his military commissions, and his properties were seized. His brother Grand Duke Sergei was appointed the guardian of Maria and Dmitri. Eventually, Nicholas II relented and allowed Paul to return to Russia. Nicholas II recognized Paul’s second marriage and gave his second wife Olga the title Princess Paley.

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Grand Duke Dmitri Konstantinovich; Credit – Wikipedia

Born in 1860, Grand Duke Dmitri Konstantinovich was the third son and fifth child of Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich of Russia (a son of Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia) and Grand Duchess Alexandra Iosifovna (born Princess Alexandra of Saxe-Altenburg). Dmitri’s family life was not happy because of some family issues. His father had an affair with a ballerina and his eldest brother Nicholas Konstantinovich was disinherited and sent into internal Russian exile after stealing some of his mother’s diamonds.

Dmitri’s father was the Admiral General of the Russian Navy and hoped one of his sons would follow in his footsteps. Despite the fact that he had early naval training, Dmitri joined the Horse Guards Grenadiers Regiment in the Russian Army. Eventually, he was given command of the House Guards Grenadiers Regiment by Alexander III and was appointed Adjutant General to Nicholas II.

Dmitri was religious, a lifelong bachelor, was never involved in any scandals, and never played any role in Russian politics. When he retired from the army, he focused on his passion for horses. Dmitri created a model equestrian center, became president of the Imperial Society of Horse Racing, and was named the Honorary President of the Russian Society of Care and Protection of Animals. In the autumn of 1913, he started the Russian Imperial Horse Exposition and the Russian Sports Competition, a kind of Slavic Olympic Games.

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Grand Duke Nicholas Mikhailovich; Credit – Wikipedia

Grand Duke Nicholas Mikhailovich, known in the family as Bimbo, was born in 1859 and was the eldest of the six sons and the eldest of the seven children of Grand Duke Michael Nikolaevich of Russia (a son of Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia) and Grand Duchess Olga Feodorovna (born Princess Cecilie of Baden). The Bolsheviks killed three sons of Grand Duke Michael Nikolaevich and Grand Duchess Olga Feodorovna. Along with their sons Nicholas and George who were both killed on January 28, 1919, their son Grand Duke Sergei Mikhailovich was killed on July 18, 1918, with Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna and four other Romanovs.

Nicholas never married. He had fallen in love with his first cousin Princess Victoria of Baden but the Russian Orthodox Church prohibited marriage between first cousins. Nevertheless, Nicholas asked his uncle Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia for permission to marry, saying he would never marry if he could not marry Victoria. Permission was denied and Victoria eventually married King Gustav V of Sweden. Nicholas did try a second time, but the potential bride, Princess Amélie of Orléans, the eldest daughter of Prince Philippe, Count of Paris. was Catholic and unwilling to convert to Russian Orthodoxy. Amélie later married King Carlos I of Portugal.

Nicholas had a career in the Russian army but his passion, even in childhood, was Russian history. In 1905, Nicholas left the military and pursued his interest in history full-time. Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia granted him unlimited access to the Romanov Family Archives and Library. Grand Duke Nicholas wrote many historical books about Alexander I, Emperor of All Russia and the Napoleonic Wars. He was chairman of the Russian Historical Society and headed the Russian Geographical Society and the Society for the Protection and Preservation of Art and Antiquities. In 1915, Moscow University awarded Nicholas an honorary doctorate in Russian history.

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Grand Duke George Mikhailovich; Credit – Wikipedia

Born in 1863, Grand Duke George Mikhailovich was the third of the six sons and the fourth of the seven children of Grand Duke Michael Nikolaevich of Russia (a son of Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia) and Grand Duchess Olga Feodorovna (born Princess Cecilie of Baden).

In 1900, George married Princess Maria of Greece (Grand Duchess Maria Georgievna), daughter of King George I of Greece and Grand Duchess Olga Konstantinovna of Russia. The couple had two daughters: Princess Nina Georgievna and Princess Xenia Georgievna. Grand Duchess Maria and her two daughters were in England when World War I broke out and chose not to return to Russia. They never saw George again.

George’s daughter Princess Xenia married millionaire William Leeds and lived in an estate on Long Island in New York State for years. For a few months in 1927, Xenia took in a woman claiming to be Grand Duchess Anastasia, the youngest daughter of Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia, later found to be Anna Anderson, an impostor.

While George had a military career and served as a General in the Russian Army, he was a passionate coin collector. His collections of Russian coins and medals included practically every coin ever used in the Russian Empire and he wrote ten books on coins. One of them, Catalogue of Imperial Russian Coins 1725–1891, was reprinted in the United States in 1976 and is still an important reference on the subject. In 1895, George was appointed the curator of the Alexander III Museum, today the Russian Museum in St Petersburg. His knowledge of coins was invaluable in increasing the museum’s coin collection. In 1909, George donated his collection to the museum.

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In March 1918, all the male members of the Romanov family were ordered to register at Cheka headquarters, and then they were sent into exile in internal areas of Russia. Grand Duke Dmitri Konstantinovich, Grand Duke Nicholas Mikhailovich, and Grand Duke George Mikhailovich were sent to Vologda, a town north of Moscow. They could move freely around town and were able to visit each other frequently. Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich avoided the exile order because he was too ill to travel. He remained in a dacha near Tsarskoye Selo.

An incident on June 13, 1918, during the execution of Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich, the brother of Nicholas II, changed the way the remaining Romanovs were treated. It appeared to his executioners that Michael had been trying to escape after the gun that was intended for him misfired. The incident was used to justify the necessity of keeping all exiled Romanovs under a strict regime of imprisonment.

On July 1, 1918, Grand Duke Dmitri Konstantinovich, Grand Duke Nicholas Mikhailovich, and Grand Duke George Mikhailovich were arrested in Vologda where they had been exiled. They were sent back to St. Petersburg to the Shpalernaia Prison where they would remain for most of their incarceration. The Bolsheviks were determined to round up all the Grand Dukes still in Russia and so Grand Duke Paul was arrested on August 13, 1918. He joined the three other Grand Dukes at Shpalernaia Prison. Each Grand Duke was held in a cell, only seven feet by three feet. Each day, they were all allowed to gather in the courtyard for exercise, allowing the Grand Dukes the opportunity to exchange a few words.

Grand Duke George somehow managed to smuggle letters to his wife Grand Duchess Maria in England. The last letter was dated November 27, 1918. Grand Duchess Maria unsuccessfully tried to buy her husband’s freedom and the freedom of the other three Grand Dukes for fifty thousand pounds through the Danish ambassador in St. Petersburg. Queen Alexandrine of Denmark, a niece of Grand Dukes Nicholas and George, tried unsuccessfully to obtain the release of the four Grand Dukes, also through the intervention of the Danish ambassador. On December 6, 1918, Grand Duke Paul’s health, which was already bad, declined sharply, and he was transferred to a prison hospital.

The writer Maxim Gorky had been a supporter of Vladimir Lenin and the Bolsheviks but after seeing the terror of the new regime, he changed his mind. Princess Paley, Grand Duke Paul’s wife, asked Gorky to intercede on behalf of the four Grand Dukes. In January 1919, Gorky went to Lenin to plead the case of the four Grand Dukes. Gorky pleaded the merits of each Grand Duke. When Gorky came to Grand Duke Nicholas Mikhailovich, he said, “Grand Duke Nicholas Mikhailovich is a historian.” Lenin replied, “The Revolution does not need historians.” Gorky did not give up and eventually, Lenin promised to release the four Grand Dukes. Gorky, with the release document signed by Lenin, rushed to the station in Moscow to catch the train to St. Petersburg. When he reached St. Petersburg, Gorky saw the headline in the newspaper, “Four Grand Dukes Shot” and he nearly fainted.

Unlike the execution of Nicholas II and his family and the execution of Elizabeth Feodorovna and the five other Romanovs, there are no written eyewitness accounts of the execution of the four Grand Dukes. What is known is based on versions of second-hand information.

Peter and Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg; The Peter and Paul Cathedral with its golden spire can be seen in the middle; Photo Credit – By Andrew Shiva / Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=51488758

On January 27, 1919, Grand Duke Paul was transferred from the prison hospital to another prison. He was kept there until 10 PM when he was driven to the Peter and Paul Fortress, originally built by Peter the Great to protect his new city of St. Petersburg and the site of the Peter and Paul Cathedral, the burial place of the Romanovs. At 11:30 pm on January 27, 1919, Grand Dukes Dmitri, Nicholas, and George were awakened in their cells at Shpalernaya Prison and were driven to the Peter and Paul Fortress. When Dmitri, Nicholas, and George arrived at the Fortress, they were roughly pushed from the truck into the Trubetskoy Bastion where prisoners arrested by the Bolsheviks were held. Despite the frigid temperature, the Grand Dukes were told to remove their shirts and coats.

The Trubetskoy Bastion in the late 1920s; Photo Credit – Автор: Анонимный автор – http://encspb.ru/object/2804023013, Общественное достояние, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=26266039

Grand Duke Dmitri Konstantinovich, Grand Duke Nicholas Mikhailovich, and Grand Duke George Mikhailovich were escorted toward a ditch dug in the courtyard. As they passed the Peter and Paul Cathedral where their ancestors were buried, they each made the sign of the cross. Guards appeared carrying Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich on a stretcher. The three Grand Dukes were lined up before the ditch, in which there were already bodies. Nicholas Mikhailovich was carrying his cat, and handed it to a soldier, asking him to look after it. Grand Duke Paul was shot on his stretcher. Grand Dukes Nicholas, George, and Dmitri were all killed by the same blast, causing them to fall into the ditch.

Most likely, the ditch is the burial place of the four Grand Dukes. In 2004, in the Grand Ducal Burial Mausoleum adjoining the Peter and Paul Cathedral, a commemorative plaque was placed with the names of four Grand Dukes shot nearby in the Peter and Paul Fortress. In 2009, during the construction of a road to a parking lot at the Peter and Paul Fortress, nine unmarked mass graves were discovered and a total of 112 remains were unearthed.  Perhaps eventually the remains of the four Grand Dukes will be identified.

In 1981, Grand Duke Paul, Grand Duke Dmitri, and Grand Duke George were canonized as New-Martyrs of Russia by the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia. Grand Duke Nicholas was the only Romanov who had been executed by the Bolsheviks not to be canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of 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.

Works Cited

  • Angelfire.com. (2018). ROYAL RUSSIA NEWS. THE ROMANOV DYNASTY & THEIR LEGACY, MONARCHY, HISTORY OF IMPERIAL & HOLY RUSSIA. [online] Available at: http://www.angelfire.com/pa/ImperialRussian/blog/index.blog/1450058/excavations-for-grand-dukes-remains-to-resume-at-peter-and-paul-fortress/ [Accessed 19 Feb. 2018].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Grand Duke Dmitry Konstantinovich of Russia. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Duke_Dmitry_Konstantinovich_of_Russia [Accessed 19 Feb. 2018].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Grand Duke George Mikhailovich of Russia (1863–1919). [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Duke_George_Mikhailovich_of_Russia_(1863%E2%80%931919) [Accessed 19 Feb. 2018].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Grand Duke Nicholas Mikhailovich of Russia. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Duke_Nicholas_Mikhailovich_of_Russia [Accessed 19 Feb. 2018].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich of Russia. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Duke_Paul_Alexandrovich_of_Russia [Accessed 19 Feb. 2018].
  • Perry, J. and Pleshakov, K. (2008). The flight of the Romanovs. New York: Basic Books.
  • Ru.wikipedia.org. (2018). Расстрел великих князей в Петропавловской крепости. [online] Available at: https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A0%D0%B0%D1%81%D1%81%D1%82%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%BB_%D0%B2%D0%B5%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%B8%D1%85_%D0%BA%D0%BD%D1%8F%D0%B7%D0%B5%D0%B9_%D0%B2_%D0%9F%D0%B5%D1%82%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%BF%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%B2%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B9_%D0%BA%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%BF%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B8 [Accessed 19 Feb. 2018].

Swedish Royal Christenings

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2019

The members of the Swedish royal family belong to the Church of Sweden, an Evangelical Lutheran Church. The Act of Succession states: “The King shall always profess the pure evangelical faith, as adopted and explained in the unaltered Confession of Augsburg and in the Resolution of the Uppsala Meeting of the year 1593, princes and princesses of the Royal House shall be brought up in that same faith and within the Realm. Any member of the Royal Family not professing this faith shall be excluded from all rights of succession.” Therefore, the christening of a royal infant into the Church of Sweden is a state ceremony and is a necessity for those in the line of succession.

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

Most royal christenings have been held at the Royal Chapel at the Royal Palace in Stockholm, Sweden or at the Royal Chapel at Drottningholm Palace near Stockholm, Sweden. The Royal Palace in Stockholm houses the offices of the Royal Court, as well as several museums, and serves as the setting for many official functions. It has not been used as an actual residence since 1981, although private apartments still remain there. The Royal Chapel has been in use since the Royal Palace in Stockholm was built in 1754. The chapel is used as a parish church for members of the Royal Court and their families and is also open to the public. It has also been used for many weddings, christenings, and funerals.

Drottningholm Palace Chapel during Prince Alexander’s christening in 2016; Photo: Henrik Montgomery/TT https://www.kungligaslotten.se/english

Drottningholm Palace, on the island Lovön in Lake Mälaren near Stockholm, is the private residence of the Swedish royal family and a popular tourist site. 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 Palace Chapel is on the northern end of the palace. The Lovön Parish conducts services in the chapel on the last weekend of each month.

Swedish royal christening gown; Photo: Håkan Lind, Copyright Kungahuset.se

The white linen batiste christening gown of the Swedish royal family has been worn by every baby since 1906. The gown was first used at the christening of King Carl XVI Gustaf’s father Prince Gustaf Adolf. Underneath all the ruffles is a lining embroidered with the names and dates of the infants who have worn it.

Karl XI christening font; Credit – https://www.kungligaslotten.se

The magnificent silver christening font used by the Swedish royal family was commissioned by King Karl XI. When the font was completed in 1707, it took nearly forty years before any royal child was born in Sweden. In 1746, the future King Gustav III was born and he is probably the first child to be christened in this christening font.

Karl XI’s Cradle; Credit – Wikipedia

It is a Swedish royal family tradition to place the newly-christened infant in a cradle. In 1655, the future King Karl XI received a cradle made out of gold-plate and painted wood as a christening gift from his maternal grandparents. Another cradle was used for princesses since 1830 but when Princess Estelle was born in 2012 as the heir to the throne after her mother, Karl XI’s cradle was used.

Karl XV’s Cradle; Credit – https://www.kungahuset.se, Copyright Kungahuset.se

Karl XV’s Cradle was made before the birth of the future king in 1826. The cradle was used as an everyday cradle for Karl and his brothers Gustaf and Oscar II. For the christening of their sister Eugenie in 1830, the cradle created for Karl became the cradle used for princesses at their christenings. This cradle has been used for all King Carl XVI Gustaf’s grandchildren except Princess Estelle who will be Queen of Sweden.

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King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden

Four Generations: The infant Prince Carl Gustaf held by his great-grandfather King Gustaf V. Seated on the left is the prince’s grandfather, Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf (the future King Gustaf VI Adolf), and standing is the prince’s father, Prince Gustaf Adolf; Photo: Swedish Royal Court

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Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, Duchess of Västergötland

Victoria with her parents; Credit – Swedish Royal Court

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Princess Estelle of Sweden, Duchess of Östergötland

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Prince Oscar, Duke of Skåne

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Prince Carl Philip, Duke of Värmland

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Prince Alexander, Duke of Södermanland

Prince Alexander in the Charles XV Cradle; Photo: Jonas Ekströmer www.kungahuset.se, Copyright Kungahuset.se

  • Parents: Prince Carl Philip of Sweden and Princess Sofia, born Sofia Hellqvist
  • Born: April 19, 2016, at Danderyd Hospital in Danderyd, Sweden
  • Christened: September 9, 2016, in the Royal Chapel at Drottningholm Palace near Stockholm, Sweden
  • Names: Alexander Erik Hubertus Bertil
  • Godparents:
    • Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, his paternal aunt
    • Lina Frejd, his maternal aunt
    • Victor Magnuson, his father’s paternal first cousin
    • Jan-Åke Hansson, his father friend
    • Cajsa Larsson, his mother’s friend

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Prince Gabriel, Duke of Dalarna

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  • Parents: Prince Carl Philip of Sweden and Princess Sofia, born Sofia Hellqvist
  • Born: August 31, 2017, at Danderyd Hospital in Stockholm, Sweden
  • Christened: December 1, 2017 in the Royal Chapel at Drottningholm Palace near Stockholm, Sweden
  • Names: Gabriel Carl Walther
  • Godparents:
    • Princess Madeleine of Sweden, his paternal aunt
    • Sara Hellqvist, his maternal aunt
    • Thomas de Toledo Summerlath, his father’s maternal cousin
    • Oscar Kylberg, his parents’ friend
    • Carolina Pihl, his parents’ friend

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Prince Julian, Duke of Halland

Credit – Photo: Jonas Ekströmer/TT www.kungahuset.se, Copyright Kungahuset.se

  • Parents: Prince Carl Philip of Sweden and Princess Sofia, born Sofia Hellqvist
  • Born: March 26, 2021, at Danderyd Hospital in Stockholm, Sweden
  • Christened: August 14, 2021 in the Royal Chapel at Drottningholm Palace near Stockholm, Sweden
  • Names: Julian Herbert Folke
  • Godparents:
    • Johan Andersson, his parents’ friend
    • Stina Andersson, his parents’ friend
    • Jacob Högfeldt, his father’s school friend
    • Patrick Sommerlath, his father’s maternal cousin
    • Frida Vesterberg, his mother’s friend

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Princess Madeleine of Sweden, Duchess of Hälsingland and Gästrikland

Princess Madeleine in the Charles XV Cradle with family and godparents Photo: Jan Collsiöö Scanpix www.kungahuset.se, Copyright Kungahuset.se

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Princess Leonore, Duchess of Gotland

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Prince Nicolas, Duke of Ångermanland

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  • Parents: Princess Madeleine of Sweden and Christopher O’Neill
  • Born: June 15, 2015 at Danderyd Hospital in Danderyd, Sweden
  • Christened: October 11, 2015 in the Royal Chapel at Drottningholm Palace near Stockholm, Sweden
  • Names: Nicolas Paul Gustaf
  • Godparents:
    • Prince Carl Philip of Sweden, his maternal uncle
    • Natascha Abensperg und Traun, his paternal aunt
    • Henry d’Abo, his paternal uncle by marriage
    • Gustaf Magnuson, his mother’s paternal first cousin
    • Katarina von Horn, his parents’ friend
    • Marco Wajselfisz, his parents’ friend

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Princess Adrienne, Duchess of Blekinge

Princess Adrienne with her mother Princess Madeleine and her grandfather King Carl XVI Gustaf; Photo Credit – Swedish Royal Court, photo by Jonas Ekströmer

  • Parents: Princess Madeleine of Sweden and Christopher O’Neill
  • Born: March 9, 2018, at Danderyd Hospital in Danderyd, Sweden
  • Christened: June 8, 2018, in the Royal Chapel at Drottningholm Palace near Stockholm, Sweden
  • Names: Adrienne Josephine Alice
  • Godparents:
    • Miss Anouska d’Abo, her paternal first cousin
    • Mrs. Coralie Charriol Paul, her parents’ friend
    • Mr. Nader Panahpour, her parents’ friend
    • Baron Gustav Thott, her parents’ friend
    • Mrs. Charlotte Kreuger Cederlund, her parents’ friend
    • Mrs. Natalie Werner, her parents’ friend

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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.

Spanish Royal Christenings

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2019

Members of the Spanish royal family are Roman Catholic. Having only two godparents, a man and a woman, is the usual practice in the Roman Catholic Church. The Spanish royal family’s christening gown was first used for King Juan Carlos’ christening in 1938. It has since been used by his children and grandchildren.  The same Romanesque baptismal font has been used in the christenings of members of the Spanish Royal Family since the seventeenth century.

King Alfonso XIII of Spain

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Queen Victoria Eugenie of Spain (Ena), born Princess Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg

Princess Victoria of Prussia holding her first cousin Princess Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg by Alexander Bassano, half-plate glass negative, 1888, NPG x95917 © National Portrait Gallery, London

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Infante Juan, Count of Barcelona

Juan, in the arms of his mother, with his sister Maria Cristina; Credit – Wikipedia

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King Juan Carlos I of Spain

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Christening of Juan Carlos: Queen Victoria Eugenie of Spain holds her grandson

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Queen Sofía of Spain, born Princess Sophia of Greece and Denmark

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Sofia with her mother

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Infanta Elena of Spain, Duchess of Lugo

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Elena with her parents at her christening

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Infanta Cristina of Spain

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King Felipe VI of Spain

Queen Victoria Eugenie holding Felipe at his baptism, his other godparent Infante Juan, Count of Barcelona is in the middle of the photo; Credit – www.casareal.es

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Queen Letizia of Spain, born Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano

  • Unofficial Royalty: Queen Letizia of Spain
  • Parents: Jesús José Ortiz Álvarez and his first wife María de la Paloma Rocasolano Rodríguez
  • Born: September 15, 1972, in Oviedo, Asturias, Spain
  • Christened: September 29, 1972, at the San Francisco de Asís Church in Oviedo, Asturias, Spain
  • Names: Letizia
  • Godparents:
    • Francisco Rocasolano Rodríguez, her maternal uncle
    • Cristina Ortiz Álvarez, her paternal aunt

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Infanta Leonor, Princess of Asturias

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Infanta Sofía of Spain

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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.

Norwegian Royal Christenings

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2019

The Palace Chapel in the Royal Palace in Oslo, Norway; Photo – Kjetil Rolseth, The Royal Court

The Royal Chapel located in the Royal Palace in Oslo, Norway is the site of many events of the Norwegian royal family, especially christenings and confirmations.  After their deaths, King Haakon VII and King Olav V lay in state in the Royal Chapel

The members of the Norwegian royal family belong to the Church of Norway, an evangelical Lutheran denomination of Protestant Christianity. Until a constitutional amendment in 2012, the monarch was the supreme governor and protector of the Church of Norway. Since 2012, the Church of Norway has been self-governing but it remains the established state church.

The traditional Norwegian royal christening gown was handmade by Princess Ingeborg of Sweden (the mother of Crown Princess  Märtha of Norway) and has been worn by most descendants of King Olav V and Crown Princess Märtha, who died before her husband became king. The names of all the babies who wear the gown are embroidered on the gown.

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King Haakon VII of Norway, born Prince Carl of Denmark

Carl  (the future Haakon VII) with his mother, 1873 – Royal Court Photo Archive

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Queen Maud of Norway, Princess Maud of Wales

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Maud with her mother

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King Olav V of Norway, born Prince Alexander of Denmark

Olav,1905 Photo: Juncker Jensen, Royal Court Photo Archive

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Crown Princess Märtha of Norway, born Princess Märtha of Sweden

Märtha 1909 Photo: A. Blomberg, Royal Court Archive

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Princess Ragnhild, Mrs. Lorentzen

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Princess Ragnhild with her parents

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Princess Astrid, Mrs. Ferner

Astrid 1935 Photo: G.T. Sjøwall, Royal Court Photo Archive

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King Harald V of Norway

Harald with his mother; Credit – Wikipedia

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Princess Märtha Louise of Norway

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Märtha Louise with her parents

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Crown Prince Haakon of Norway

Haakon with his parents and sister; Credit – Royal House of Norway

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Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway

Credit – http://www.royalcourt.no

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Prince Sverre Magnus of Norway

Credit – http://www.royalcourt.no, photographer: Tor Richardsen / Scanpix

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Monaco Royal Christenings

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2019

Credit – Wikipedia

The Roman Catholic Monaco Cathedral (also called the Cathedral of Our Lady Immaculate and Saint Nicholas Cathedral) has been the site of baptisms, weddings, funerals, and burials of the Princely Family of Monaco. It was built on the site of the first church in Monaco, built in 1252, which was dedicated to Saint Nicholas. After the first church burned in a fire in 1874, the cathedral was built from 1875–1903 and consecrated in 1911.

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Princess Caroline of Monaco

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Princess Caroline with her mother

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Prince Albert II of Monaco

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Prince Albert with his parents and sister

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Princess Stéphanie of Monaco

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Princess Gabriella of Monaco, Countess of Carladès

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Princess Gabriella and her father

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Hereditary Prince Jacques of Monaco, Marquis of Baux

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Hereditary Prince Jacques with his mother
  • Unofficial Royalty: Hereditary Prince Jacques of Monaco, Marquis of Baux
  • Parents: Prince Albert II of Monaco and Princess Charlene, born Charlene Wittstock
  • Born: December 10, 2014, two minutes after his twin sister at The Princess Grace Hospital Centre in Monaco
  • Christened: May 10, 2015, at the Monaco Cathedral (also called the Cathedral of Our Lady Immaculate and Saint Nicholas Cathedral)
  • Names: Jacques Honoré Rainier
  • Godparents:
    • Christopher Le Vine Jr., maternal first cousin of his father
    • Diane de Polignac Nigra, paternal first cousin once removed of his father, the niece of Prince Louis de Polignac who was her father’s godfather

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Luxembourg Royal Christenings

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2019

The Grand Ducal Family of Luxembourg is Roman Catholic. Having two godparents, a man and a woman, is the usual practice in the Roman Catholic Church.

Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg

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Jean, on the left, with his mother and siblings

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Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg

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Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg

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Henri and his father

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Prince Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg

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Guillaume and his father

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Prince Félix of Luxembourg

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Félix, second from the left, with his father and his brothers Guillaume and Louis

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Prince Louis of Luxembourg

Louis and his mother; Credit – Grand Ducal Court/Private Collection

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Princess Alexandra of Luxembourg

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Prince Sébastien of Luxembourg

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Sébastien with his siblings

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Prince Charles of Luxembourg

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Charles with his parents

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