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Maria Ilyinichna Miloslavskaya, Tsaritsa of All Russia

by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2018

Maria Ilyinichna Miloslavskaya, Tsaritsa of All Russia; Credit – Wikipedia

Unofficial Royalty: Russian Titles and Patronymics

The first wife of Alexei I, Tsar of All Russia, Maria Ilyinichna Miloslavskaya was born in Moscow, Russia on April 11, 1624. She was the youngest of the four daughters of the boyar (noble) and diplomat Ilya Danilovich Miloslavsky and his wife Ekaterina Feodorovna Narbekova. Maria was the mother of thirteen children, including two Tsars of All Russia, Fyodor III and Ivan V, and Sophia Alexeevna, who served as Regent for her brother Ivan V and half-brother Peter I (the Great).

Maria Ilyinichna had three older sisters:

Anna Ilyinichna Miloslavskaya (? – 1667), married Boris Ivanovich Morozov, Alexei I’s tutor and advisor, no children
Ekaterina Ilyinichna Miloslavskaya, married Prince Fyodor Lvovich Volkonsky, statesman and military leader, had two sons
Irina Ilyinichna Miloslavskaya (? – 1645), married Prince Dmitry Alekseevich Dolgorukov, statesman and military leader, had two children

Tsar Alexei chooses his bride by Grigory Sedov; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1647, a bride-show, a custom of Byzantine emperors and Russian tsars used to choose a wife from among the most beautiful maidens of the country, was arranged for Alexei, who had become Tsar of All Russia two years earlier upon the death of his father Michael I, the first ruler of the Romanov dynasty. Nearly two hundred girls were brought to see Alexei. His choice fell upon Euphemia Feodorovna Vsevolozhskaya, the daughter of a statesman and wealthy landowner. However, the proposed wedding was prevented by Boris Ivanovich Morozov, Alexei’s tutor and advisor, who had great power at court. Morozov wanted to be related to the tsar and had a scheme to marry Alexei to Maria Ilyinichna Miloslavskaya, a daughter of Ilya Danilovich Miloslavsky, a supporter of Morozov, while Morozov then married Maria’s eldest sister Anna. Morozov bribed a hairdresser who pulled Euphemia Feodorovna’s hair so hard that she fainted. Then a court physician was bribed to diagnose Euphemia Feodorovna with epilepsy. Her father was accused of concealing the disease, the betrothal was annulled, and the whole Vsevolozhsky family was sent into exile.

The first meeting of Alexis Mikhailovich and Maria Ilyinichna Miloslavskaya; Credit – Wikipedia

Morozov then introduced Alexei to Maria Ilyinichna Miloslavskaya, who was beautiful and declared healthy by the court physicians. The wedding took place on January 16, 1648, in Moscow. Ten days later, Boris Ivanovich Morozov married the new Tsaritsa’s sister, Anna Ilyinichna Miloslavskaya, strengthening his position at court.

Maria Ilyinichna Miloslavskaya and Alexei had thirteen children. None of their daughters married. They lived in seclusion in the terem with their sisters and aunts.

Tsarevich Dmitri Alexeievich (1648–1649); died in infancy
Tsarevna Yevdokia Alexeievna (1650–1712)
Tsarevna Marfa Alexeievna (1652–1707)
Tsarevich Alexei Alexeievich (1654–1670), died unmarried, age 15
Tsarevna Anna Alexeievna (1655–1659); died in infancy
Tsarevna Sofia Alexeievna (1657–1704), Regent of Russia (1682–89) for her younger brother Ivan V and younger half-brother Peter I; unmarried
Tsarevna Ekaterina Alexeievna (1658–1718)
Tsarevna Maria Alexeievna (1660–1723)
Fyodor III, Tsar of All Russia (1661–1682), succeeded his father as Tsar of Russia; married (1) Agaphia Simeonovna Gruszewska, no surviving children (2) Marfa Matveievna Apraksina, no children
Tsarevna Feodosia Alexeievna (1662–1713)
Tsarevich Simeon Alexeievich (1665–1669), died in early childhood
Ivan V, Tsar of All Russia (1666–1696), was co-ruler along with his younger half-brother Peter I; married Praskovia Saltykova, had five daughters including Anna, Empress of All Russia
Tsarevna Yevdokia Alexeievna (born and died 1669)

Tsaritsa Maria Ilyinichna; Credit – Wikipedia

During this time, the life of Russian noblewomen, including the Tsaritsa of All Russia, was not a public one. They were expected to live in seclusion with little contact with men. Maria Ilyinichna was mainly involved in charitable and religious activities such as donating to facilities for the poor, sick, and disabled. She supported the work of Feodor Mikhailovich Rtishchev, a boyar and close friend of Alexei who was famous for his piety and work with the poor.Maria Ilyinichna acted as the protector of the cult of Saint Mary of Egypt, a patron saint of the Romanov dynasty. At that time, the only church in Moscow devoted to Saint Mary of Egypt was at the Sretensky Monastery. Alexei and Maria Ilyinichna commissioned icons for the Srentensky Monastery of Saint Alexis, Man of God and Saint Mary of Egypt.

On March 13, 1669, 45-year-old Maria Ilyinichna died of puerperal fever (childbed fever) five days after her most difficult childbirth. Her thirteenth child, Yevdokia Alexeevna, lived for only two days. Maria Ilyinichna and her child were buried at the Ascension Convent, a Russian Orthodox nunnery in the Moscow Kremlin, where royal and noblewomen were buried. In 1929, the Ascension Convent was dismantled by the Soviets to make room for the Red Commanders School. At that time, the remains of those buried there were moved to the crypt of the Archangel Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin.

Ascension Convent, Maria Ilyinichna’s original burial place; Credit – Wikipedia

Archangel Cathedral, Maria Ilyinichna’s current burial place; Credit – Wikipedia

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Romanov Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

En.wikipedia.org. (2017). Maria Miloslavskaya. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Miloslavskaya [Accessed 4 Dec. 2017].
Lincoln, W. Bruce. (1981). The Romanovs: Autocrats of All the Russias. New York, NY: Doubleday.
Ru.wikipedia.org. (2017). Милославская, Мария Ильинична. [online] Available at: https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9C%D0%B8%D0%BB%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%BB%D0%B0%D0%B2%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B0%D1%8F,_%D0%9C%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%8F_%D0%98%D0%BB%D1%8C%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%87%D0%BD%D0%B0 [Accessed 4 Dec. 2017].

Alexei I, Tsar of All Russia

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2018

Alexei I, Tsar of All Russia; Credit – Wikipedia

Unofficial Royalty: Russian Titles and Patronymics

Born in Moscow on March 19, 1629, Alexei I, Tsar of All Russia (Aleksey Mikhailovich) was the fourth of the ten children of Michael I, Tsar of All Russia and his second wife Eudoxia Lukyanovna Streshnev.

Alexei had nine siblings but only three sisters reached adulthood:

Tsarevna Irina (1627 – 1679), unmarried, engaged to marry Valdemar Christian, Count of Schleswig-Holstein who refused to convert to Russian Orthodoxy so no marriage took place
Tsarevna Pelagia (1628 – 1629)
Tsarevna Anna (1630 – 1692), unmarried
Tsarevna Marfa (1631 – 1632)
Tsarevich Ivan (1633 – 1639)
Tsarevna Sophia (1634 – 1636)
Tsarevna Tatiana (1636 – 1706), unmarried
Tsarevna Eudoxia (born and died 1637)
Tsarevich Vasili (born and died 1639)

Until he was five years old, Alexei stayed in the terem, the separate living quarters for women. During the 17th century, it was customary for noble and royal women to be confined in separate quarters and prevented from socializing with men outside their immediate family. In addition, when in public, women were shielded in closed carriages or heavily concealing clothing. At the age of five, Alexei began his education with his tutor Boris Ivanovich Morozov. Morozov taught Alexei how to read and write and oversaw his education in the liturgy and rituals of the Russian Orthodox Church. At that time, princes traditionally received only a cursory education but under Morozov, Alexei received a formal education unlike that of any other Moscow prince. He studied foreign languages, science, military strategies, and tactics. His education helped blaze the trail for his son Peter the Great’s Western education and the reforms of his reign.

Alexei’s father died on July 12, 1645, and the sixteen-year-old became the second Tsar of All Russia from the Romanov dynasty. With his accession to the throne, the young Alexei had to deal with many issues that concerned Russian life in the 17th century. Not yet prepared to resolve these kinds of issues, he initially listened to the opinion of his tutor Morozov but soon he began to take an independent part in government affairs

Tsar Alexei chooses his bride by Grigory Sedov; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1647, a bride-show, a custom of Byzantine emperors and Russian tsars used to choose a wife from among the most beautiful maidens of the country, was arranged for Alexei, who had become Tsar of All Russia two years earlier upon the death of his father Michael I, the first ruler of the Romanov dynasty. Nearly two hundred girls were brought to see Alexei. His choice fell upon Euphemia Feodorovna Vsevolozhskaya, the daughter of a statesman and wealthy landowner. However, the proposed wedding was prevented by Morozov, Alexei’s tutor and advisor, who had great power. Morozov wanted to be related to the tsar and had a scheme to marry Alexei to Maria Ilyinichna Miloslavskaya, a daughter of Ilya Danilovich Miloslavsky who was a supporter of Morozov, while Morozov then married Maria’s eldest sister Anna. Morozov bribed a hairdresser who pulled Euphemia Feodorovna’s hair so hard that she fainted. Then a bribed court physician diagnosed Euphemia Feodorovna with epilepsy. Her father was accused of concealing the disease, the betrothal was annulled, and the whole Vsevolozhsky family was sent into exile.

The first meeting of Alexei Mikhailovich and Maria Ilyinichna Miloslavskaya; Credit – Wikipedia

Morozov then introduced Alexei to Maria Ilyinichna Miloslavskaya, who was beautiful and declared healthy by the court physicians. The wedding took place on January 16, 1648, in Moscow. Ten days later, Boris Ivanovich Morozov married the new Tsaritsa’s sister Anna Ilyinichna Miloslavskaya, strengthening his position at court.

Alexei and his first wife Maria Ilyinichna Miloslavskaya had thirteen children. None of their daughters married. They lived in seclusion in the terem with their sisters and aunts.

Tsarevich Dmitri Alexeievich (1648–1649); died in infancy
Tsarevna Yevdokia Alekseevna (1650–1712)
Tsarevna Marfa Alexeievna (1652–1707)
Tsarevich Alexei Alexeievich (1654–1670); died unmarried, aged 15
Tsarevna Anna Alexeievna (1655–1659); died in infancy
Tsarevna Sofia Alexeievna (1657–1704), Regent of Russia (1682–89) for her two younger brothers Ivan V and Peter I; unmarried
Tsarevna Ekaterina Alexeievna (1658–1718)
Tsarevna Maria Alexeievna (1660–1723)
Feodor III, Tsar of All Russia (1661–1682); succeeded his father; married (1) Agaphia Simeonovna Gruszewska, no surviving children (2) Marfa Matveievna Apraksina, no children
Tsarevna Feodosia Alexeievna (1662–1713)
Tsarevich Simeon Alexeievich (1665–1669); died in infancy
Ivan V, Tsar of All Russia (1666–1696); was co-ruler along with his younger half-brother Peter I; married Praskovia Saltykova, had five daughters including Anna, Empress of All Russia
Tsarevna Yevdokia Alexeevna (1669–1669)

Alexei’s government increased the suppression of peasants and increased tax burdens, which led to city uprisings in Moscow, Tomsk, Pskov, and Novgorod. In 1648, the people of Moscow rebelled against a new tax on salt. The Salt Riot was an early challenge to the reign of Alexei I, eventually resulting in the temporary exile of Alexei’s advisor Boris Morozov who later regained some of his power. In 1649, due to the city uprisings, the Sobornoye Ulozheniye, a legal code that consolidated Russia’s slaves and free peasants into a new hereditary serf class, was established. In addition, travel between towns without an internal passport was prohibited and the Russian nobility agreed to serve in the army but were granted the exclusive privilege of owning serfs.

Salt Riot on Red Square, by Ernest Lissner; Credit – Wikipedia

By 1651, the 22-year-old Alexei no longer needed a “parental” advisor as Morozov had been. He needed an advisor who was also a friend and he found this in Nikon, at that time Metropolitan (Bishop) of Novgorod. In 1646, Nikon had come to Moscow to pay homage to the young tsar. Alexei, who was very pious, was impressed with Nikon and appointed him archimandrite (prior) of the Novospassky Monastery in Moscow traditionally associated with the House of Romanov. In 1652, Nikon was elected Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, the primate of the Russian Orthodox Church. He exerted a direct influence on state affairs, particularly in foreign relations. Although Nikon did advise Alexei, his more important role was that of a colleague and friend. This relationship was positive for a while but eventually soured.

Patriarch Nikon; Credit – Wikipedia

Nikon and Alexei’s different views regarding the relationship between church and state caused a dispute that affected their relationship. In addition, Nikon introduced many reforms in the Russian Orthodox Church which eventually led to a lasting schism known as Raskol, splitting the Russian Orthodox Church into an official church and the Old Believers. In 1666, Alexei convened the Great Moscow Synod to address the problems caused by Nikon. The synod agreed to formally depose Nikon. He was to be known as the monk Nikon and was sent to a monastery in northern Russia.

During his reign, Alexei continued the reform of the army which started during his father’s reign. New regiments were created using the organizational system of Western Europe: Cavalry, Soldiers, Dragoons, and Hussars. To fulfill the military reform goals, many European military specialists were hired for service. Two major wars were fought during Alexei’s reign: the Russo-Polish War (1654-67) which ended with significant Russian territorial gains and marked the beginning of the rise of Russia as a great power in Eastern Europe, and the Russo-Swedish War (1656–58) which was unsuccessful.

In 1669, Alexei’s wife Maria Ilyinichna Miloslavskaya died due to childbirth complications following the birth of her thirteenth child who also died. The death of Alexei’s heir 15-year-old Tsarevich Alexei in January 1670, so soon after his wife’s death, was especially difficult for Alexei because his only surviving sons were the future Tsars, Feodor III, who was disabled by an unknown disease which left him disfigured and partially paralyzed, and Ivan V, who had serious physical and mental disabilities.

Alexei and Natalya with their son, the future Peter the Great; Credit – Wikipedia

Nineteen-year-old Natalya Kirillovna Naryshkina, daughter of Kirill Poluektovich Naryshkin and his wife Anna Leontyevna Leontyeva, was picked as Alexei’s second wife during a bride-show. On February 1, 1671, the couple was married in Moscow. Alexei hoped his second marriage would give him a healthy son, and it did, Peter the Great.

Alexei and his second wife Nataliya Kyrillovna Naryshkina had three children:

Peter I (the Great), Emperor of All Russia (1672–1725), married (1) Eudoxia Feodorovna Lopukhina, had three sons including Alexei Petrovich, Tsarevich of Russia (2) Martha Skavronskaya (Catherine I, Empress of All Russia), had eleven children, only two daughters survived childhood Grand Duchess Anna Petrovna (mother of Peter III, Emperor of All Russia) and Elizabeth, Empress of All Russia
Tsarevna Natalya Alexeievna (1673–1716), unmarried, a playwright and founder of the first public theater in Russia
Tsarevna Fyodora Alexeievna (1674–1677)

On February 8, 1676, five years after marrying Natalya Kiillovna, Alexei I, Tsar of All Russia died of a heart attack at the age of 46. He was buried in the Cathedral of the Archangel in the Moscow Kremlin.

Tombs of (from left to right) Tsar Alexei I, Alexei’s son Tsarevich Alexei, Tsar Michael I, and Michael’s infant sons Vasily and Ivan; Credit – Wikipedia

Romanov Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

De.wikipedia.org. (2017). Alexei I. (Russland). [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexei_I._(Russland) [Accessed 9 Dec. 2017].
En.wikipedia.org. (2017). Alexis of Russia. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexis_of_Russia [Accessed 9 Dec. 2017].
Lincoln, W. Bruce. (1981). The Romanovs: Autocrats of All the Russias. New York, NY.: Doubleday
Ru.wikipedia.org. (2017). Алексей Михайлович. [online] Available at: https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%90%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BA%D1%81%D0%B5%D0%B9_%D0%9C%D0%B8%D1%85%D0%B0%D0%B9%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%87 [Accessed 9 Dec. 2017].

Eudoxia Lukyanovna Streshneva, Tsaritsa of All Russia

by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2018

Eudoxia Lukyanovna Streshneva, Tsaritsa of All Russia; Credit – Wikipedia

Unofficial Royalty: Russian Titles and Patronymics

Eudoxia Lukyanovna Streshneva was the second wife of the first Romanov ruler, Michael I, Tsar of All Russia. She was probably born in 1608 in Meshchovsk, Kaluga, Russia, the eldest of the five children of Lukyan Stepanovich Streshnev and Princess Anne Konstantinovna Volkonskaya.

Eudoxia had four siblings:

Maria Anna Lukyanovna Streshneva (died 1635), married Prince Alexei Ivanovich Vorotynsky
Feodosya Lukyanovna Streshneva, married Ivan Pavlovich Matyushkin
Stepan Lukyanovich Streshnev (died 1666), married Princess Maria Alekseevna Lykova
Irina Lukyanovna Streshneva, married Elizar Chebukov

Mikhail Fyodorovich Choosing His Bride, by Ilya Repin; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1624, Michael I, Tsar of All Russia married Maria Vladimirovna Dolgorukova but she died four months after the wedding. The following year, Michael ordered a bride-show, a custom of Byzantine emperors and Russian tsars to choose a wife from among the most beautiful maidens of the country. Sixty young Russian women were assembled but Michael did not like any of them. Eudoxia Lukyanovna Streshneva had accompanied one of the sixty women. Michael’s parents forced him to make a choice but he called for an examination of all the unmarried women present. He chose Eudoxia for her beauty, courtesy, and gentle temper.

On February 5, 1626, Michael and Eudoxia were married at the Annunciation Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin.

Wedding of Michael and Eudoxia; Credit – Wikipedia

Michael and Eudoxia wife had ten children, but only four reached adulthood:

- Tsarevna Irina (1627 – 1679), unmarried, engaged to marry Valdemar Christian, Count of Schleswig-Holstein who refused to convert to Russian Orthodoxy so no marriage took place
- Tsarevna Pelagia (1628 – 1629)
- Alexei I, Tsar of All Russia (1629 – 1676), married (1) Maria Ilyinichna Miloslavskaya, had 13 children including Feodor III, Tsar of All Russia, Ivan V, Tsar of All Russia and Sofia Alexeievna, Regent of Russia (2) Nataliya Kyrillovna Naryshkina, had three children including Peter I (the Great), Emperor of All Russia
- Tsarevna Anna (1630 – 1692), unmarried
- Tsarevna Marfa (1631 – 1632)
- Tsarevich Ivan (1633 – 1639)
- Tsarevna Sophia (1634 – 1636)
- Tsarevna Tatiana (1636 – 1706), unmarried
- Tsarevna Eudoxia (born and died 1637)
- Tsarevich Vasili (born and died 1639)

Eudoxia’s life under the watchful eye of her powerful mother-in-law who dominated the court, the nun Marfa, was not easy. Marfa was ever-present, always accompanying Eudoxia. Eudoxia’s life was concerned with childbearing to continue the new Romanov dynasty and there was much pressure on her to produce a son, especially after her first two children turned out to be girls. Eudoxia became the founder of many charitable institutions that helped the poor and the church. In 1642, she made a large contribution to fund the restoration of St. George Monastery in her birthplace.

Michael I, Tsar of All Russia died in Moscow on July 23, 1645, at the age of 49. Consumed by grief over her husband’s death, Eudoxia survived him by only a few weeks, dying on August 18, 1645, at the age of 36. She was buried at the Ascension Convent, a Russian Orthodox nunnery in the Moscow Kremlin where royal and noblewomen were buried. In 1929, the Ascension Convent was dismantled by the Soviets to make room for the Red Commanders School. At that time, the remains of those buried there were moved to the crypt of the Archangel Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin.

Ascension Convent, Eudoxia’s original burial place; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Archangel Cathedral, Eudoxia’s current burial place; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Romanov Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

En.wikipedia.org. (2017). Eudoxia Streshneva. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eudoxia_Streshneva [Accessed 26 Nov. 2017].
Lincoln, W. Bruce. (1981). The Romanovs: Autocrats of All the Russias. New York, NY.: Doubleday.
Ru.wikipedia.org. (2017). Стрешнева, Евдокия Лукьяновна. [online] Available at: https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A1%D1%82%D1%80%D0%B5%D1%88%D0%BD%D0%B5%D0%B2%D0%B0,_%D0%95%D0%B2%D0%B4%D0%BE%D0%BA%D0%B8%D1%8F_%D0%9B%D1%83%D0%BA%D1%8C%D1%8F%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%BD%D0%B0 [Accessed 26 Nov. 2017].

Maria Vladimirovna Dolgorukova, Tsaritsa of All Russia

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2018

Maria Vladimirovna Dolgorukova, Tsaritsa of All Russia; Credit – https://alchetron.com/Maria-Dolgorukova

Unofficial Royalty: Russian Titles and Patronymics

Born about 1598, Princess Maria Vladimirovna Dolgorukova, the first wife of Michael I, Tsar of All Russia, was the only child of Prince Vladimir Timofeevich Dolgorukov and his first wife Princess Maria Eletskaya. Vladimir Timofeevich served as a military commander for three tsars and was appointed Viceroy of Kazan by Michael I.

Maria Vladimirovna had three half-siblings from her father’s third marriage to Princess Marfa Vasilievna Barbashina:

Marfa Vladimirovna Dolgorukova (circa 1600 – 1634 ), married Prince Ivan Ivanovich Pugovka Shuisky, brother of the late Tsar Vasily Shuisky
Elena Vladimirovna Dolgorukova (circa 1602 – 1632 )
Fetinya Vladimirovna Dolgorukova (circa 1672 ), married Prince Yuri Andreevich Sitsky

In 1616, Michael selected a bride, Maria Ivanovna Khlopova. Michael was naive and inexperienced in court politics and had chosen a bride without allies at court. When Maria Ivanovna and her family arrived at court for the betrothal, the court intrigue began. The Saltykovs, relatives of Michael’s mother, arranged to have a strong emetic placed in Maria Ivanovna’s food, resulting in violent spasms. Then the Saltykovs bribed several doctors to tell Michael that Maria Ivanovna suffered from an incurable disease and her family was deceiving him about her health. The wedding never took place and Michael was persuaded to send the Khlopova family to Siberia as punishment.

Michael’s mother, born Xenia Ivanovna Shestova, but now a nun known as Marfa, chose her son’s second wife, Maria Vladimirovna Dolgorukova. One of Maria Vladimirovna’s sisters had married a brother of the late Tsar Vasily Shuisky and another sister had married a cousin of Michael’s father. It appears that the betrothal ceremony on July 12, 1623, was held in some secrecy. Records show that the bride’s name was not mentioned and her father’s name was not listed among the names of the nobles in attendance. Perhaps, in order to avoid the intrigues that plagued Maria Ivanovna Khlopova, the identity of the bride was kept secret until three days before the wedding.

Michael and Maria Vladimirovna were married on September 19, 1624, witnessed by many nobles and their wives. Celebrations continued the next day, but the new Tsaritsa became ill and was not present. It is unclear exactly what happened but five months later, on January 17, 1625, Maria Vladimirovna died. Rumors at the time said she had been poisoned by the enemies of the Dolgorukov family. Chronicles of the time called her death a divine punishment for the fate of Maria Ivanovna Khlopova and her family. Other contemporary writers said Maria Vladimirovna died giving birth to a stillborn baby.

On January 18, 1625, Maria Vladimirovna, Tsaritsa of All Russia was buried at the Ascension Convent, a Russian Orthodox convent and cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin where royal and noble women were buried. In 1929, the Ascension Convent was dismantled by the Soviets to make room for the Red Commanders School. At that time, the remains of those buried there were moved to the crypt of the Archangel Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin.

Ascension Convent, Maria Vladimirovna’s original burial place; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Archangel Cathedral, Maria Vladimirovna’s current burial place; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Romanov Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

En.wikipedia.org. (2017). Maria Dolgorukova. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Dolgorukova [Accessed 11 Nov. 2017].
Lincoln, W. Bruce. (1981). The Romanovs: Autocrats of All the Russias. New York, NY.: Doubleday.
Ru.wikipedia.org. (2017). Долгорукова, Мария Владимировна. [online] Available at: https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%94%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%B3%D0%BE%D1%80%D1%83%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B0,_%D0%9C%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%8F_%D0%92%D0%BB%D0%B0%D0%B4%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%B8%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%BD%D0%B0 [Accessed 11 Nov. 2017].

Michael I, Tsar of All Russia

by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2018

Unofficial Royalty: Russian Titles and Patronymics

Michael I, Tsar of All Russia; Credit – Wikipedia

Michael I (Mikhail Feodorovich) was the first ruler of the House of Romanov. He was born July 22, 1596, in Moscow, the fifth of the six children of Feodor Nikitich Romanov and Xenia Ivanovna Shestova. His father was a boyar (noble) and was the first cousin of Tsar Feodor I, son of Tsar Ivan IV (the Terrible) by his first wife Anastasia Romanovna. Later Feodor Nikitich became Patriarch of Moscow, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Michael had four brothers who all died young and one sister:

Boris (born and died 1592)
Nikita (born and died 1593)
Lev (born and died 1597)
Tatiana (died 1611), married Prince Ivan Mikhailovich Katyrev-Rostovski, had one daughter
Ivan (born and died 1599)

Michael’s grandfather Nikita Romanovich Zakharyin-Yuriev was the elder brother of Tsaritsa Anastasia Romanova, wife of Tsar Ivan IV the Terrible). During the reign of his brother-in-law, Nikita Romanovich served as a general, statesman, and courtier. He refused to serve with the Oprichniki, an organization that suppressed people or groups opposed to the Tsar, often using violence. The honesty and decency of Tsaritsa Anastasia and her brother Nikita Romanovich during the turbulent and violent reign of Ivan the Terrible were remembered by the Russian people for decades. Nikita’s children were the first in Russia to use the surname Romanov, taken from Nikita’s patronymic Romanovich (son of Roman), which eventually became the name of the ruling dynasty of Russia.

In 1598, following the death of Feodor I, the son of Ivan the Terrible and the last of the Rurik dynasty, Russia fell into a succession crisis. Feodor I had no male heirs so the Russian Zemsky Sobor (feudal parliament) elected his brother-in-law Boris Godunov Tsar. Boris Godunov’s reign was marked by famine and anarchy.

In 1601, when Michael was five years old, his father Feodor Nikitich was accused of treason by Tsar Boris Godunov because he considered the Romanov family too powerful. Feodor and his wife were forced to take monastic vows under the names Filaret and Marfa. Filaret was exiled to a monastery and Marfa was separated from her surviving children Tatiana and Michael and exiled to a small village on the shore of Lake Onega 640 miles/1024 kilometers north of Moscow. Michael and his sister were secretly taken to an area that was an old Romanov stronghold by their paternal aunt.

After the death of Boris Godunov in 1605, Michael’s parents could resume a more normal life in Rostov where Filaret was raised to the position of Metropolitan (Archbishop) of Rostov. The couple still had to live apart because they were still under their monastic vows but they were able to spend time with their son and daughter. During the next eight years, a series of four tsars rules Russia. Together with the reign of Boris Godunov, this time period is known in Russian history as the Time of Troubles.

Michael in his coronation robes; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1613, 16-year-old Michael became the first ruler of the House of Romanov when he was elected Tsar of All Russia by the Russian nobility. The nobles rejected several other candidates, and Michael then became the consensus candidate. His ties to his great-aunt Tsaritsa Anastasia and his grandfather Nikita Romanovich made him popular with the Russian people. Michael had no ties to the noble families whose feuds had caused many problems. On July 22, 1613, in the Assumption Cathedral at the Moscow Kremlin, Michael’s coronation was held and the new ruling Romanov dynasty was founded.

In 1616, Michael selected a bride, Maria Ivanovna Khlopova. Michael was naive and inexperienced in court politics and had chosen a bride with no allies at court. When Maria Ivanovna and her family arrived at court for the betrothal, the court intrigue began. The Saltykovs, relatives of Michael’s mother, arranged to have a strong emetic placed in Maria Ivanovna’s food, resulting in violent spasms. Then the Saltykovs bribed several doctors to tell Michael that Maria Ivanovna suffered from an incurable disease and her family was deceiving him about her health. Michael was then persuaded to send the Khlopova family to Siberia as punishment. Several years later, Michael learned the truth and banished the Saltykovs from the court and took away some of their estates.

Filaret, Michael’s father, attempted to find a bride from Europe’s lesser royal families but Europe’s royalty was not yet willing to ally themselves with the new dynasty. On September 19, 1624, Michael married Maria Vladimirovna Dolgorukova, his mother’s choice, but she died four months after the wedding.

Mikhail Fyodorovich Choosing His Bride, by Ilya Repin; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1625, Michael ordered a bride-show, a custom of Byzantine emperors and Russian tsars to choose a wife from among the most beautiful maidens of the country. Sixty young Russian women were assembled and Eudoxia Lukyanovna Streshneva was Michael’s choice. On February 5, 1626, Michael and Eudoxia were married at the Annunciation Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin.

Eudoxia Lukyanovna Streshneva; Credit – Wikipedia

Michael and Eudoxia had ten children, but only four reached adulthood:

Tsarevna Irina (1627 – 1679), unmarried, engaged to marry Valdemar Christian, Count of Schleswig-Holstein who refused to convert to Russian Orthodoxy so no marriage took place
Tsarevna Pelagia (1628 – 1629)
Alexei I, Tsar of All Russia (1629 – 1676), married (1) Maria Ilyinichna Miloslavskaya, had 13 children including Fyodor III, Tsar of All Russia, Ivan V, Tsar of All Russia and Sofia Alexeevna, Regent of Russia (2) Nataliya Kyrillovna Naryshkina, had three children including Peter I (the Great), Emperor of All Russia
Tsarevna Anna (1630 – 1692), unmarried
Tsarevna Marfa (1631 – 1632)
Tsarevich Ivan (1633 – 1639)
Tsarevna Sophia (1634 – 1636)
Tsarevna Tatiana (1636 – 1706), unmarried
Tsarevna Eudoxia (born and died 1637)
Tsarevich Vasili (born and died 1639)

Although Michael was inexperienced at the beginning of his reign, his reign had many accomplishments including:

Making peace with Sweden (Treaty of Stolbovo) and Poland (Truce of Deulino) who were occupying parts of Russia
Restoring the economy and trade after the Times of Troubles
Reorganizing the army
Establishing strong centralized power throughout the country
Making an inventory of all land for tax purposes
Founding the first iron-making plant so weapons could be made in Russia
Founding a German settlement in Moscow for German engineers and military specialists – this would prove important for the reforms during the reign of Michael’s grandson Peter I (the Great)

Michael had a horse accident when he was younger and the results of that injury plagued him for the rest of his life. By the time he was 30-years-old, he was often carried around in an armchair. Michael I, Tsar of All Russia died in Moscow on July 23, 1645, at the age of 49 and was buried in the Archangel Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin where many of the earlier rulers of Russia were buried. His wife Eudoxia survived him by only a few weeks, dying on August 18, 1645.

Tomb of Michael I, Tsar of All Russia (third from the left). Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Romanov Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

En.wikipedia.org. (2017). Michael I of Russia. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_I_of_Russia [Accessed 11 Nov. 2017].
Lincoln, W. Bruce. (1981). The Romanovs: Autocrats of All the Russias. New York, NY.: Doubleday.
Ru.wikipedia.org. (2017). Михаил Фёдорович. [online] Available at: https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9C%D0%B8%D1%85%D0%B0%D0%B8%D0%BB_%D0%A4%D1%91%D0%B4%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%87 [Accessed 11 Nov. 2017].

A Month Plus of Romanovs

Russian Imperial Coat of Arms; Credit – Wikipedia

Beginning with yesterday’s article about the execution of Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich on the 100th anniversary of his death, we will be having a month plus of articles about the Romanovs leading up to the 100th anniversary of the execution of Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia and his family on July 17. Starting on June 17, an article about a Romanov Tsar, Emperor, Empress, Grand Duke or Grand Duchess will be published daily. On July 17 and for a couple more days, articles about the Romanovs who were killed will be published. After that, we will play a little catch-up with articles about the children of Alexander II, Emperor of All and Alexander III, Emperor of All Russia.
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Michael I, Tsar of All Russia, the first Romanov ruler of Russia, began his reign as a 16-year-old in 1613. In 1913, the Romanov Tercentenary, a country-wide celebration marking 300 years of Romanov rule, was observed but the ruling dynasty lasted only a few more years. Check out the Unofficial Royalty: Russian Index where we already have articles on some Romanovs and be sure to check back each day for another Romanov article.

June 13, 1918 – Execution of Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich

by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2018

Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich; Credit – Wikipedia

Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich was the first of the eighteen Romanovs who were killed during the Russian Revolution. Born on December 4, 1878, he was the third of the three surviving sons and the fourth of the five surviving children of Alexander III, Emperor of All Russia and Princess Dagmar of Denmark (Empress Marie Feodorovna). After his brother George died in 1899, Michael was the heir to the Russian throne until the birth of his hemophiliac nephew Alexei, the only son of Michael’s eldest brother Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia, in 1904.

In 1910, Michael’s mistress Natalia Sergeyevna Wulfert gave birth to a son named George after Michael’s deceased brother. Michael and Natalia married morganatically in 1912 in Vienna, Austria, and were exiled from Russia until 1914 when Michael’s brother Nicholas allowed the couple and their son to return to Russia.

Natalia and Michael; Credit – Wikipedia

On March 15, 1917, when Nicholas II signed his abdication manifesto, he decided to abdicate in favor of his son Alexei but changed his mind after conferring with doctors who said the hemophiliac Alexei would not survive without his parents, who would surely be exiled. Nicholas then decided to abdicate in favor of his brother Michael. However, Michael declined to accept the throne unless the people were allowed to vote for the continuation of the monarchy or for a republic. Of course, that vote never happened.

After going through several periods of house arrests, Michael was arrested on March 7, 1918, along with his British secretary Nicholas Johnson, and imprisoned at the Bolshevik headquarters in St. Petersburg. Four days later, Michael and Johnson were sent to Perm, a thousand miles to the east. In Perm, the Bolshevik orders were that “Michael Romanov and Johnson are entitled to live in freedom under the surveillance of the local Soviet authorities.” Meanwhile, Natalia obtained a travel permit so she could join Michael in Perm. However, Michael and Natalia’s reunion did not last long. Because the Bolsheviks and the White Army were fighting in the area, Michael and Natalia feared that she could become trapped in Perm in a dangerous situation and so Natalia left on May 18, 1918, for Moscow. On May 21, 1918, Michael made the first of a number of “required” visits to the Perm office of the Cheka, the Soviet secret police.

Grand Duke Michael and Nicholas Johnson in Perm, April 1918; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Fears that the White Army might move into Perm and an unsuccessful White Army raid in Ekaterinburg, where Michael’s brother Nicholas and his family were being held, made the Cheka leaders in Perm develop a plan to abduct and kill Michael. Gavril Ilyich Myasnikov, the leader of the Perm Cheka who had spent seven years in a Siberian labor camp after the Russian Revolution of 1905, gathered a team of four men who, like him, were all former prisoners of the Tsarist regime. The five men met on the evening of June 12, 1918. The plan was simple – Michael was to be abducted from his room, taken into the woods, and shot. To avoid complications, the official story would be that Michael attempted to escape and was therefore shot. The conspirators’ meeting ended at 9:30 PM and Michael’s abduction was set for midnight.

Gavril Ilyich Myasnikov, in the middle, with his four conspirators; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

With forged orders to evacuate Michael, the group made their way to Michael’s room. The guards there said they needed to telephone the Cheka to confirm the evacuation orders which the armed men would not allow them to do. Michael also refused to cooperate. Eventually, the armed men had enough. One of them grabbed Michael, ordered him to go outside and motioned Johnson to follow. The armed men, Michael and Johnson drove three miles in horse-drawn carriages to the execution site.

Michael had been told they were going to a railroad crossing where he would board a train. The carriages stopped and Michael was told they would walk to the railroad crossing. After Michael and Johnson took only a few steps, two of the armed men simultaneously shot them. Johnson was wounded and the gun that was intended for Michael misfired. Michael, with his arms outstretched, ran to Johnson begging to say goodbye to him. Michael was shot and as he fell, he pulled Johnson down with him. Guns were then put to their temples and fired. It was approximately 2:00 AM on June 13, 1918. Michael was 39 and Johnson was 40. Before the bodies were buried, they were stripped of all their clothes and possessions to prove that the executions had taken place. The remains of Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich and Nicholas Johnson have never been found. In 1981, Grand Duke Michael and Nicholas Johnson were canonized as New-Martyrs of Russia by the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia.

Michael’s wife and son, Natalia and George, escaped from Russia. In 1931, George died in a car accident in Sens, France shortly before his 21st birthday. In 1952, Natalia died penniless in a charity hospital in Paris, France. Natalia and George were buried next to each in Passy Cemetery in Paris, France

Unofficial Royalty: Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich of Russia

Works Cited

Crawford, R. and Crawford, D. (2000). Michael and Natasha. New York: Post Road Press.
En.wikipedia.org. (2017). Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich of Russia. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Duke_Michael_Alexandrovich_of_Russia [Accessed 4 Nov. 2017].
Perry, J. and Pleshakov, K. (2008). The Flight of the Romanovs. New York: Basic Books.

Princess Adrienne of Sweden christened

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

Princess Adrienne of Sweden (Adrienne Josephine Alice), born March 9, 2018, and the youngest of the three children of Princess Madeleine of Sweden and Christopher O’Neill, was christened today, June 8, 2018, at the Drottningholm Palace Church. Today is also the fifth wedding anniversary of Princess Adrienne’s parents. King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, Princess Adrienne’s grandfather, hosted a reception and a luncheon for the invited guests at Drottningholm Castle.

The godparents are:

Miss Anouska d’Abo: niece of Christopher O’Neill
Mrs. Coralie Charriol Paul: a friend of the parents
Mr. Nader Panahpour: a friend of the parents
Freiherr Gustav Thott: a friend of the parents
Mrs. Charlotte Kreuger Cederlund: a friend of the parents
Mrs. Natalie Werner: a friend of the parents

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More information about the christening can be found at Swedish Royal Court: Princess Adrienne’s Christening with more information and photos from the Swedish Royal Court’s pages about the christening in Swedish.

June 1918: Royalty and World War I

by Susan Flantzer

William Edward Parsons, 5th Earl of Rosse
Timeline: June 1, 1918 – June 30, 1918
A Note About German Titles
June 1918 – Royals/Nobles/Peers/Sons of Peers Who Died In Action

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William Edward Parsons, 5th Earl of Rosse

William Edward Parsons, 5th Earl of Rosse was the eldest of the three children of Lawrence Parsons, 4th Earl of Rosse and The Honorable Frances Cassandra Hawke-Harvey. The Earl of Rosse was created twice in the Irish Peerage, both times for the Parsons family. The Parsons were originally an English family from Leicestershire, England. Five Parson brothers settled in Ireland during the late 16th century. William was born on June 14, 1873, at the family seat since 1620, Birr Castle, near Birr, County Offaly, Ireland.

Birr Castle; Photo Credit – By The original uploader was Tpower at English Wikipedia – Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons., CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1850936

William had two siblings:

The Honorable Geoffrey Parsons (1874 – 1956), married Margaret Gladstone, no children
Lady Muriel Parsons (1876 – 1927), married Brigadier-General Harold Grenfell, had three daughters

William was educated at Eton College and in 1891, started his studies at Christ Church College, University of Oxford. In 1896, he was commissioned as a Lieutenant in a militia battalion of the West Yorkshire Regiment. A year later he transferred to the Coldstream Guards in the regular British Army, fought in the Boer War from 1899-1900, and received the Queen’s South Africa Medal. William then joined the Irish Guards upon its formation in 1900 and was promoted to Major in 1906. In 1908, he resigned his commission with the Irish Guards. William became the 5th Earl of Rosse upon his father’s death in 1908.

On October 19, 1905, William married Frances Lois Lister-Kaye who used her middle name, Lois.

William and Lois had three children:

Michael Parsons, 6th Earl of Rosse (1906 – 1979), married Anne Messel, had two children including Brendan Parsons, 7th Earl of Rosse; Anne Messel through her first marriage to Ronald Armstrong-Jones was the mother of Antony Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon, husband of Princess Margaret of the United Kingdom
Lady Bridget Parsons (1907 – 1982), unmarried
The Honorable Desmond Parsons https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desmond_Parsons (1910 – 1937), unmarried

(Note: In 1960, Antony Armstrong-Jones took his new bride Princess Margaret to Birr Castle to visit his mother Anne, Countess of Rosse, the wife of Michael Parsons, 6th Earl of Rosse who was William’s son.)

William served as an Irish Representative Peer in the House of Lords from 1911 to 1918 and Lord-Lieutenant of King’s County from 1908 to 1918.

Despite that he was 41-year-old and had already served in the Boer War, William rejoined the Irish Guards at the onset of World War I. He was second-in-command of his battalion on May 10, 1915, at the Battle of Festubert when he was very severely wounded in the head by a piece of shrapnel. He was evacuated to England to determine the extent of his wounds. The shrapnel that hit William had gouged out part of his head and left him 80% incapacitated. He was sent home to Birr Castle where his family cared for him. On June 10, 1918, William died from his wounds. His well-attended military funeral took place on June 13, 1918, and he was buried in the family vault at Birr Old Graveyard at St. Brendan’s Church in County Offaly, Ireland.

After her husband’s death, Lois married William’s close friend in the Irish Guards, Yvo Richard Vesey, 5th Viscount de Vesci. They had no children of their own but together they brought up William’s children.

Birr Old Graveyard at St. Brendan’s Church; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Works Cited

Chch.ox.ac.uk. (2017). Major William Edward Parsons 5th Earl of Rosse | Christ Church, Oxford University. [online] Available at: http://www.chch.ox.ac.uk/fallen-alumni/major-william-edward-parsons-5th-earl-rosse [Accessed 3 Nov. 2017].
En.wikipedia.org. (2017). Earl of Rosse. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earl_of_Rosse [Accessed 3 Nov. 2017].
En.wikipedia.org. (2017). William Parsons, 5th Earl of Rosse. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Parsons,_5th_Earl_of_Rosse [Accessed 3 Nov. 2017].
Irish Life & Lore. (2017). Brendan Parsons, 7th Earl of Rosse (b. 1936). [online] Available at: https://www.irishlifeandlore.com/product/brendan-parsons-7th-earl-of-rosse-b-1936/ [Accessed 3 Nov. 2017].

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Timeline: June 1, 1918 – June 30, 1918

“American Marines in Belleau Wood” by Georges Scott, originally published in the French Magazine “Illustrations”; Credit – Wikipedia

June 1 – 26 – Battle of Belleau Wood, part of the German Spring Offensive, at Belleau Wood near Marne River, France
June 8 – Action of Arsuf near the Auju River, Jaffa (now in Israel)
June 8 – October – Germany interferes in the Caucasus
June 9 – 12 – Fourth phase of the Spring Offensive, Operation Gneisenau (also known as Battle of Matz) – Germans do not achieve their strategic goals.
June 13 – Execution of Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich of Russia (Unofficial Royalty article to be published June 13, 2018.)
June 13 – 23 – Second Battle of the Piave in Piave, Italy – Austro-Hungarian offensive is repelled
June 30 – Battle of Moreuil Wood on the banks of the Arve River, France

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A Note About German Titles

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

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

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

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

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Major The Honorable George Edward Boscawen

Photo Credit – http://www.roll-of-honour.com

son of Evelyn Edward Thomas Boscawen, 7th Viscount Falmouth and The Honorable Kathleen Douglas-Pennant
born December 6, 1888
Aide-de-Camp to the Governor-General of Canada HRH The Duke of Connaught in 1913
Major in the Royal Artillery
died from wounds received in action June 6, 1918 in Liesse, France, age 29
buried La Ville-aux-Bois British Cemetery in Picardie, France
brother Lieutenant The Honorable Vere Douglas Boscawen killed in action October 29, 1914 at Ypres, Belgium, age 24
http://www.thepeerage.com/p5360.htm#i53595

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William Edward Parsons, 5th Earl of Rosse (see article above)

son of Laurence Parsons, 4th Earl of Rosse and The Honorable Frances Cassandra Hawke-Harvey
born June 14, 1873
married 1905 Frances Lois Lister-Kaye, had three children including a son Michael Parsons who succeeded him as 6th Earl of Rosse at the age of twelve
Major in the Irish Guards
died June 10, 1918, age 44, at the family home Birr Castle in County Offally, Ireland from very severe head wounds received in action at the Battle of Festubert on May 10, 1915
buried in the family vault at Birr Old Graveyard at St. Brendan’s Church in County Offaly, Ireland
http://thepeerage.com/p1091.htm#i10909

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Wedding of Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan Markle

by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2018

Photo Credit – https://www.royal.uk, photo by Alex Lubomirski

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were married on May 19, 2018, at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle in Windsor, England. On the day of the wedding, Prince Harry was created Duke of Sussex, Earl of Dumbarton, and Baron Kilkeel. His wife is styled Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Sussex.

The Family of Prince Harry

Prince Harry and his family in 1987; Photo Credit – www.dailymail.co.uk

HRH Prince Henry Charles Albert David was born on September 15, 1984, at St. Mary’s Hospital in the Paddington section of London. Known as Prince Harry, he was the second of the two children of Charles, The Prince of Wales, now King Charles III, and the former Lady Diana Spencer. At the time of his birth, Harry was third in line of succession behind his father and brother Prince William. Charles was the eldest child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip of Greece. Upon his mother’s accession to the throne in 1952, Charles became her heir. He was created Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester on July 26, 1958. In 2022, upon the death of his mother, Prince Harry’s father became King Charles III.

Diana was the third of the four surviving children of Edward John Spencer, 8th Earl Spencer and The Honourable Frances Ruth Roche, younger daughter of the 4th Baron Fermoy. The Spencer family is an old English noble family. Althorp in Northamptonshire, England has been the ancestral home of the Spencer family since the early 16th century. The Spencer family has served the British monarchy for centuries. Most recently, Diana’s grandmother, Lady Fermoy, was a close friend and a lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. Diana’s father served as equerry to King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II. Among the Spencer family ancestors are the famous soldier and statesman John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough and his wife Sarah Jennings who was a close friend of Queen Anne, and King Charles II through four of his illegitimate children.

Harry’s older brother Prince William was born on June 21, 1982. Unfortunately, the marriage of Harry’s parents was not a happy one. The couple separated in December 1992 and divorced in August 1996. Exactly a year later, Diana, Princess of Wales tragically died in a car accident in Paris. Accompanied by their father, their grandfather Prince Philip, and their uncle the 9th Earl Spencer, William and his brother Harry walked behind their mother’s coffin during her funeral procession. In 2005, Harry’s father married Camilla Parker-Bowles with whom he had a romantic relationship before and during his marriage.

Unofficial Royalty: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex

The Family of Meghan Markle

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Meghan and her mother Doria Ragland attend the Invictus Games with Prince Harry

Rachel Meghan Markle, born on August 4, 1981, in Los Angeles, California, is the daughter of Thomas Markle and Doria Ragland. Her father is a cinematographer and lighting director and worked on the primetime shows Married With Children and Facts of Life and the daytime shows General Hospital and Santa Barbara. He is the winner of two Daytime Emmys for Outstanding Achievement in Lighting Direction for a Drama Series and was nominated six other times. Meghan’s mother has a master’s degree in social work and works as a clinical therapist and yoga instructor. Meghan told Elle magazine in 2016, “My dad is Caucasian and my mom is African American. I’m half black and half white.” Meghan has two much older half-siblings from her father’s first marriage: Samantha Markle Grant born in 1965 and Thomas Markle Jr. born in 1966.

Meghan grew up and was educated at private schools in Los Angeles, California. She attended elementary school at Hollywood Little Red Schoolhouse and then attended Immaculate Heart High School, an all-girls high school. Meghan graduated from Northwestern University in Chicago Illinois in 2003 with a double major in theater and international relations. In 2011, Meghan married her long-time boyfriend Trevor Engelson, a film and television producer. The couple divorced in 2013.

Growing up in Hollywood and with a lighting director as a father, Meghan was around the entertainment industry and knew she would end up in show business in some capacity. Her first acting job was a one-episode role on the daytime show General Hospital in 2002. Thereafter, she had small roles on television shows and in several films. To help support herself, Meghan took on freelance calligraphy jobs. Starting in 2011, Meghan appeared on Suits, an American legal drama television series, playing Rachel Zane, a senior paralegal with dreams of going to law school.

Unofficial Royalty: Meghan, Duchess of Sussex

The Engagement

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s personal relationship started in June 2016, when they were introduced by a mutual friend. On November 8, 2016, Kensington Palace confirmed Meghan was “a few months” into a relationship with Prince Harry in a statement from the prince asking for the media harassment of Meghan and her family to end.

The engagement of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle was announced on November 27, 2017. They became engaged earlier in November 2017 in London. Meghan was the second American and the first person of mixed-race heritage to marry into the British royal family.

The Succession to the Crown Act 2013 states that the monarch must approve or disapprove marriages of the first six persons in the line of succession. Because Harry was fifth in the line of succession to the British throne at the time of his engagement, it was necessary that he obtain Queen Elizabeth II’s permission to marry. The Queen’s consent was declared to the Privy Council of the United Kingdom on March 14, 2018.

Instead of wedding presents, Harry and Meghan requested that people make a charitable donation and provided a list of seven organizations:

CHIVA (Children’s HIV Association): supports more than 1,000 young people living with HIV in the UK and Ireland
Crisis: works with homeless people to help rebuild their lives
The Myna Mahila Foundation: helps empower Indian women through offering stable employment, breaking cultural taboos, and teaching women life skills
Scotty’s Little Soldiers: supports children who have lost a parent while serving in the British Armed Forces
StreetGames: uses sport to help young people and communities become healthier and safer
Surfers Against Sewage: works to protect oceans, beaches, waves, and wildlife
The Wilderness Foundation UK: teaches vulnerable teenagers from urban communities about the great outdoors and rural employment opportunities

The Engagement Ring

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Meghan Markle’s engagement ring was designed by Prince Harry with the help of Cleave and Company, court jewelers to The Queen. The ring which is on a gold band features a cushion diamond from Botswana and two outside stones from the personal collection of Harry’s mother, Diana, Princess of Wales.

Partial Guest List

About 600 people were invited to the wedding service at St. George’s Chapel. The guests arrived at the Round Tower of Windsor Castle by bus and then walked to the South Door of St. George’s Chapel. At 11:20 AM, members of the royal family made their way from Windsor Castle either by foot or by car and entered St. George’s Chapel via the Galilee Porch.

British Royal Family

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Queen Elizabeth II: Harry’s grandmother
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh: Harry’s grandfather
Prince Charles, The Prince of Wales: Harry’s father
Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall: Harry’s stepmother
Prince William, Duke of Cambridge: Harry’s brother and best man
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge: Harry’s sister-in-law
Prince Andrew, Duke of York: Harry’s paternal uncle and godfather
Princess Beatrice of York: Harry’s paternal first cousin
Princess Eugenie of York: Harry’s paternal first cousin
Jack Brooksbank: fiancé of Princess Eugenie of York
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex: Harry’s paternal uncle
Sophie, Countess of Wessex: wife of the Earl of Wessex
Lady Louise Windsor: Harry’s paternal first cousin
James, Viscount Severn: Harry’s paternal first cousin
Anne, Princess Royal: Harry’s paternal aunt
Vice-Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence: husband of Anne, Princess Royal
Peter Phillips: Harry’s paternal first cousin
Autumn Phillips: Peter Phillips’s wife
Zara Tindall: Harry’s paternal first cousin
Mike Tindall: Zara Tindall’s husband
David Armstrong-Jones, 2nd Earl of Snowdon: the late Princess Margaret’s son, nephew of Queen Elizabeth II
Serena Armstrong-Jones, Countess of Snowdon: Earl of Snowdon’s wife
Charles Armstrong-Jones, Viscount Linley: Earl of Snowdon’s son
Lady Margarita Armstrong-Jones: Earl of Snowdon’s daughter
Lady Sarah Chatto: the late Princess Margaret’s daughter, Harry’s godmother, niece of Queen Elizabeth II
Daniel Chatto: Lady Sarah Chatto’s husband
Arthur Chatto: Lady Sarah Chatto’s son
Samuel Chatto: Lady Sarah Chatto’s son
Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester: Queen Elizabeth II’s paternal first cousin
Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester: Duke of Gloucester’s wife
Prince Edward, Duke of Kent: Queen Elizabeth II’s paternal first cousin
Katharine, Duchess of Kent: Duke of Kents’s wife
Prince Michael of Kent: Queen Elizabeth II’s paternal first cousin
Princess Michael of Kent (Marie-Christine): Prince Michael of Kent’s wife
Princess Alexandra, The Honorable Lady Ogilvy: Queen Elizabeth II’s paternal first cousin

Meghan Markle’s Family

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Doria Ragland: Meghan’s mother

Spencer Family

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Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer and his wife Karen Spencer, Countess Spencer

Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer: Harry’s maternal uncle
Karen Spencer, Countess Spencer: Earl Spencer’s third wife
Louis Spencer, Viscount Althorp: Harry’s maternal first cousin
Lady Kitty Spencer: Harry’s maternal first cousin
Lady Eliza Spencer: Harry’s maternal first cousin
Lady Sarah McCorquodale: Harry’s maternal aunt
Neil McCorquodale: Lady Sarah’s husband
Emily Hutt, Harry’s first maternal cousin, and her husband James Hutt
George McCorquodale, Harry’s first maternal cousin
Celia McCorquodale, Harry’s first maternal cousin
Lady Jane Fellowes, Baroness Fellowes: Harry’s maternal aunt
Robert Fellowes, Baron Fellowes: Lady Jane’s husband
Laura Pettman, Harry’s maternal first cousin
Alexander Fellowes, Harry’s first maternal cousin
Eleanor Fellowes, Harry’s first maternal cousin
Victoria Aitken: Earl Spencer’s first wife, the mother of his four eldest children

Foreign Royalty

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Prince Seeiso arrives with an unidentified woman

Prince Seeiso of Lesotho and his wife were the only foreign royalty attending the wedding.

Prince Seeiso of Lesotho: a friend of Harry and co-founder, with Harry, of the charity Sentebale
Princess Mabereng of Lesotho: wife of Prince Seeiso

Guests Sitting in the Quire (besides family members)

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Alessandra Balazs: Harry’s friend, became friends with Meghan
Carolyn Bartholomew: Harry’s godmother, friend of Diana, Princess of Wales, and her husband William Bartholomew
George Clooney: American actor, and his wife human rights lawyer Amal Clooney
Nicholas Walton Collins: Meghan’s former agent, and his wife Amelia Walton Collins
Adrian Dandridge: community worker in Botswana
Sophie Dandridge: community worker in Botswana
Heather Dorak: celebrity Pilates instructor, Meghan’s friend, and her husband Matt Cohen
Ed Lane Fox: Harry’s private secretary, and his wife Sonia Lane Fox
Hugh Grosvenor, 7th Duke of Westminster
Natalia Grosvenor, Duchess of Westminster: widow of the 6th Duke of Westminster
Lady Viola Grosvenor: sister of the 7th Duke of Westminster
Janina Gavankar: Meghan’s close friend and fellow actress
Michael Hess: American oil tycoon
Genevieve Hillis: Meghan’s long-time friend and former sorority sister
Daisy Jenks: Harry’s friend
Lindsay Jordan: author and Meghan’s friend also known as Lindsay Roth, and her husband Gavin Jordan
Celine Khavarani: Meghan’s friend
Brian Kocinski: Meghan’s friend
Arthur Landon: Harry’s long-time friend
Katalin Landon: Harry’s friend
The Honorable Dame Shan Legge-Bourke: mother of William and Harry’s nanny Tiggy Pettifer
Abraham Levy: friend of the couple
Benita Litt: Meghan’s close friends, and her husband Darren Litt
Sir John Major: Prime Minister from 1990 to 1997, and his wife Dame Norma Major, Lady Major
Isabel May: Meghan’s close friend
Lucy Meadmore: Meghan’s long-time friend
Jessica Mulroney: one of Meghan’s best friends, her three children were in the wedding party, and her husband Benedict Mulroney
Misha Nonoo: fashion designer, friend who set up Harry and Meghan’s blind date
Charles Pettifer: Tiggy Pettifer’s husband
Tiggy Pettifer: William and Harry’s nanny, formerly known as Tiggy Legge-Bourke
Sarah, Duchess of York: Harry’s former aunt by marriage, mother of Harry’s cousins Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie
Julia Samuel: close friend of Diana, Princess of Wales and Prince George’s godmother, and her husband, The Honorable Michael Samuel: chairman of the Anna Freud Centre’s trustees and Julia’s husband
Jill Smoller: high profile sports agent
Abigail Leigh Spencer: actress in Suits with Meghan
Silver Tree: producer and director of Suits
Emilie van Cutsem: widow of Prince Charles’ close friend Hugh van Cutsem
Charlie van Straubenzee: Harry’s long-time friend
Thomas van Straubenzee: known as Van, one of Harry’s best friends
Samuel Vestey, 3rd Baron Vestey: Master of the Horse to the Royal Household
Amanda Ward: widow of Harry’s godfather Gerald Ward
Lady Carolyn Warren: racing manager
John Warren: Lady Carolyn’s husband and The Queen’s current racing adviser
Susanna Warren: daughter of Lady Carolyne Warren
Jessie Webb: William and Harry’s nanny
Serena Williams: tennis player, Meghan’s friend, and her husband Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of Reddit
Oprah Winfrey: American talk show host, actress, producer, and philanthropist

Partial List of Other Guests (sitting in the nave)

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Patrick J. Adams: actor in Suits with Meghan, and his wife actress Troian Bellisario
Natasha Archer, personal stylist of the Duchess of Cambridge
David Beckham: soccer player, and his wife Victoria Beckham, fashion designer, model, and singer
James Blunt: singer-songwriter, and his wife Sofia Wellesley, granddaughter of the late 8th Duke of Wellington
Cressida Bonas: former girlfriend of Harry
Tom Bradby: British broadcaster, Harry’s friend , and his wife Claudia Bradby
Kevin Bray: director of Suits, and his wife Sophie de Rakoff
Priyanka Chopra: actress and Meghan’s friend
Amanda Cook Tucker, hairdresser of the Duchess of Cambridge
James Corden: actor, writer, producer, comedian, television host, and his wife Julia Carey
Baron Dannatt: retired general of the British army, and his wife Lady Dannatt
Chelsy Davy: former girlfriend of Harry
Rebecca Deacon: the Duchess of Cambridge’s former private secretary, and her husband Adam Priestley
Mark Dyer: former equerry to The Prince of Wales, and his wife Amanda Dyer
Idris Elba: actor, and his fiancée Sabrina Dhowre
Nacho Figueras: Argentine polo player, and his wife Delfina Blaquier
Dr. Noel Fitzpatrick: Channel 4 show Supervet, treated Meghan’s dog
Rick Genow: Meghan’s attorney
Will Greenwood: former rugby player, and his wife Caroline Greenwood
Lady Edwina Grosvenor: daughter of the late 6th Duke of Westminster, and her husband television presenter Dan Snow
Paddy Harverson: former communications secretary to the Prince of Wales, and his wife Mel Harverson
Bonnie Hammer: Chairman of NBCUniversal Cable and a mentor to Meghan
Tom Hardy: actor and producer, and his wife actress Charlotte Riley
James Haskell: rugby player, and his fiancée television presenter Chloe Madeley
Miguel Head: Prince William’s private secretary
David Henson: parasport athlete, Harry’s friend, and his wife Hayley Henson
Princess Xenia zu Hohenlohe-Langenburg: niece of the Duke of Edinburgh (non-reigning royalty)
Rick Hoffman: actor in Suits with Meghan
Olivia Hunt: Harry’s friend
Tom Inskip: Harry’s friend, and his wife Laura Inskip
Sir Elton John: English singer, pianist, and composer, and his husband David Furnish
Nick Jones: Soho House founder
Jason Knauf: communications secretary of Prince Harry and the Duke of Cambridge
Aaron Korsh: creator and writer of Suits
Amber Le Bon: model, Harry’s friend
Karl Lokko: youth community activist, Harry’s friend, and his wife Cassandra Lokko
Laura Lopes: Harry’s stepsister
Alex Lubomirski: official engagement and wedding photographer, and his wife Giada Lubomirski
Gabriel Macht: actor in Suits with Meghan, and his wife actress Jacinda Barrett
Tereza Maxová: model
Katrina McKeever: royal press officer
Andrew Meyer: Meghan’s business manager
Michael and Carole Middleton: parents of the Duchess of Cambridge
Pippa Middleton: sister of the Duchess of Cambridge, and her husband James Matthews
James Middleton: brother of the Duchess of Cambridge
Ellen Miller-Alexander: husband serves the royal family and drove the car that took Meghan and her mother to the wedding ceremony
Sir Keith Mills: Chairman of the Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry, and his wife Maureen, Lady Mills
Keleigh Thomas Morgan: Meghan’s former agent
Carey Mulligan: actress and singer, and her husband Marcus Mumford, lead singer of the band Mumford & Sons
Prince Franz Albrecht zu Oettingen-Spielberg: Harry’s friend, and his wife actress (Princess) Cleopatra von Adelsheim (non-reigning royalty)
Patricia Palmer Tompkinson: friend of the royal family
Tom Parker-Bowles: Harry’s step-brother, and his wife Sara Parker-Bowles
Gabriela Peacock: nutritionist
Guy Pelly: nightclub owner, Harry’s friend, and his wife Elizabeth Pelly
Sarah Rafferty: actress in Suits with Meghan, and her husband Aleksanteri Olli-Pekka Seppälä
Amanda Schull: actress in Suits with Meghan
Baroness Shackleton of Belgravia: royal solicitor
Sir Nicholas Soames: former equerry and friend of Prince Charles, and his wife Karen, Lady Soames
Joss Stone: singer, songwriter, and actress
Gina Torres: actress in Suits with Meghan
Alexander van Straubenzee: Harry’s close friend
Claire van Straubenzee: Harry’s close friend
William van Straubenzee: Harry’s close friend
Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo: nanny of Prince George and Princess Charlotte of Cambridge
The Honorable William Vestey: son and heir of Samuel Vestey, 3rd Baron Vestey, and his wife contributing editor for British Vogue Violet Vestey
Jake Warren: Harry’s close friend, and his wife Zoe Warren
Violet von Westenholz: Ralph Lauren publicist, Harry and Meghan’s friend

The Wedding Attendants

Harry and Meghan with the bridesmaids and page boys; Credit – https://www.royal.uk, photo by Alex Lubomirski

Meghan decided not have a maid of honor because she had a very close group of friends and did not want to choose one over the others and so, in accordance with royal tradition, her bridesmaids were children.

Best Man:

Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, brother of the groom

Bridesmaids:

Princess Charlotte of Cambridge: age 3, niece of Prince Harry, daughter of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge
Florence van Cutsem: age 3, goddaughter of Prince Harry, daughter of Mrs. Alice van Cutsem and Major Nicholas van Cutsem, a close friend of Prince Harry
Remi Litt: age, 6, goddaughter of Meghan Markle, daughter of Mrs. Benita Litt, a close friend of Meghan Markle, and Mr. Darren Litt
Rylan Litt: age, 7, goddaughter of Meghan Markle, daughter of Mrs. Benita Litt, a close friend of Meghan Markle, and Mr. Darren Litt)
Ivy Mulroney: age 4, daughter of Mrs. Jessica Mulroney, fashion stylist and a close friend of Meghan Markle, and Mr. Benedict Mulroney, a Canadian television host and son of former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney
Zalie Warren: age 2, goddaughter of Prince Harry, daughter of Mrs. Zoe Warren and Mr. Jake Warren, a close friend of Prince Harry

Page Boys:

Prince George of Cambridge: age 4, nephew of Prince Harry, son of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge
Jasper Dyer: age 6, godson of Prince Harry, son of Mrs. Amanda Dyer and Mr. Mark Dyer, a former equerry to The Prince of Wales who has been an influence on Prince Harry since his childhood
Brian Mulroney: age, 7, twin of John below, son of Mrs. Jessica Mulroney, fashion stylist and a close friend of Meghan Markle, and Mr. Benedict Mulroney, a Canadian television host and son of former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney
John Mulroney: age, 7, twin of Brian above, son of Mrs. Jessica Mulroney, fashion stylist and a close friend of Meghan Markle, and Mr. Benedict Mulroney, a Canadian television host and son of former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney

The Wedding Attire

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Meghan Markle’s wedding dress was designed by British designer Clare Waight Keller, the first female artistic director of the French fashion house Givenchy. Made of a double-bonded silk cady, the dress had three-quarter sleeves and an open bateau neckline. The lines of the dress extended towards the back where the train flowed in soft round folds.

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The veil was five meters long and was made from silk tulle with a trim of hand-embroidered flowers in silk threads and organza. The veil was embroidered with 53 flowers representing the 53 countries of the Commonwealth of Nations.

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The bride’s veil was held in place by Queen Mary’s diamond bandeau tiara, lent by Queen Elizabeth II. The bandeau, made in 1932, consists of diamonds and platinum and has a detachable brooch of ten brilliant diamonds set in the center. The diamond bandeau was made for Queen Mary and specifically designed to feature the center brooch which was given as a present to the then Princess Mary of Teck in 1893 by the County of Lincoln upon her marriage to Prince George, Duke of York (the future King George V). Upon Queen Mary’s death in 1953, the bandeau and the brooch were bequeathed to Queen Elizabeth II, Queen Mary’s granddaughter.

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The bride’s bouquet, designed by florist Philippa Craddock, was a petite design, made with delicate flowers including scented sweet peas, lily of the valley, astilbe, jasmine and astrantia, and sprigs of myrtle, bound with a naturally dyed, raw silk ribbon. The day before the wedding, Prince Harry handpicked several flowers from the couple’s private garden at Kensington Palace to add to the bouquet. Also included were forget-me-nots, the favorite flower of Diana, Princess of Wales. The couple specifically chose them to be included in the bouquet to honor the memory of the late Princess.

The myrtle in the bridal bouquet is a royal family tradition. Queen Victoria was given a nosegay containing myrtle during a visit to Gotha in Germany. A sprig from that nosegay was planted against the terrace walls of Osborne House on the Isle of Wight, where it continues to grow. In 1858, myrtle was first used in the bridal bouquet of Victoria, Princess Royal, Queen Victoria’s eldest daughter.

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The Duchess of Sussex’s bridal bouquet resting on the Grave of the Unknown Warrior

The new Duchess of Sussex sent her bridal bouquet to Westminster Abbey to rest on the Grave of the Unknown Warrior. The Grave of the Unknown Warrior is a tribute to the fallen soldiers of the First World War and all those who have since died in international military conflict. The tradition of royal brides’ bouquets being placed on the grave was started by the future Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother at her wedding in 1923, in memory of her brother Fergus Bowes-Lyon who was killed at the Battle of Loos in 1915 during the First World War.

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Prince Harry and The Duke of Cambridge, the best man, wore the frockcoat uniform of the Blues and Royals, which is an old Regiment of both The Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry. Harry served for ten years in the Blues and Royals, including in combat in Afghanistan. Her Majesty The Queen gave her permission for Prince Harry to get married in his uniform. Both uniforms were tailored at Dege & Skinner on Savile Row in London.

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Princess Charlotte of Cambridge in her bridesmaid’s dress

Clare Waight Keller also designed the six bridesmaids’ dresses. Made from ivory silk Radzimir, the dresses were high-waisted with a pleated skirt, had short puffed sleeves, and a double silk ribbon tied at the back in a bow. Each bridesmaid wore white leather Aquazurra shoes, monogrammed with her initials and the wedding date. The shoes were a gift from the bride as a keepsake of the special day. Florist Philippa Craddock designed the bridesmaids’ flower crowns

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Prince George of Cambridge in his page boy’s uniform

The four page boys wore a miniature version of the Blues and Royals frockcoats that Prince Harry and The Duke of Cambridge wore. As a special memento, each page boy has his initials embroidered in gold on the shoulder straps. The uniforms were cut and made by the tailors Dege & Skinner in Savile Row in London.

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Cleave and Company was chosen to make the wedding rings. Meghan’s ring was made from a piece of Welsh gold, given by Her Majesty The Queen. Prince Harry’s ring was a platinum band with a textured finish. The rings were carried to St. George’s Chapel on the day of the wedding by The Duke of Cambridge, in his capacity as best man.

The Ceremony

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Prince Harry and his brother and best man Prince William arrived at St. George’s Chapel by foot and entered via the West Steps. The two princes acknowledged the people gathered in the Castle precincts, including the 200 charity representatives gathered in the Horseshoe Cloister at the bottom of the West Steps.

In past royal weddings, it was the father who rode to the wedding with his daughter and walked her down the aisle. Meghan wanted to involve both her parents, who divorced when she was six years old. Meghan spent the night before the wedding at the Cliveden House Hotel with her mother Doria Ragland. Meghan and her mother rode in a car to Windsor Castle by way of the Long Walk, so that the public gathered there could see the bride as the car passed by. There was a brief stop at Windsor Castle where Ms. Ragland headed to the St. George’s Chapel and the bride was then joined by the bridesmaids and page boys before she continued her journey to the chapel.

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At 12:00 noon, Meghan entered the chapel by the West Steps along with the bridesmaids and page boys and walked unescorted down the aisle in the nave. Originally, Megan’s father Thomas Markle was to meet his daughter at the start of the quire and walk her the rest of the way down the aisle. However, Mr. Markle was unable to attend the wedding due to ill health. Two days before the wedding, Meghan released a statement: “Sadly, my father will not be attending our wedding. I have always cared for my father and hope he can be given the space he needs to focus on his health.” The day before the wedding, Kensington Palace released this statement: “Ms. Meghan Markle has asked His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales to accompany her down the aisle of the Quire of St. George’s Chapel on her Wedding Day. The Prince of Wales is pleased to be able to welcome Ms. Markle to The Royal Family in this way.”

The Dean of Windsor, The Right Reverend David Conner conducted the service. The Most Reverend and Right Honorable Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, officiated as the couple took their marriage vows. Harry and Markle asked The Most Reverend Michael Bruce Curry, the 27th Presiding Bishop and Primate of The Episcopal Church, the United States-based member church of the worldwide Anglican Communion, to give the address at their wedding. Presiding Bishop Curry traveled from Chicago, Illinois to Windsor to participate in the wedding service and gave a rousing address in the style of African-American ministers about the importance of love.

It was important to Prince Harry that his mother’s family be involved in his wedding. All three siblings of Diana, Princess of Wales attended the wedding and Diana’s sister Lady Jane Fellowes gave the reading.

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London-based florist Philippa Craddock created the floral displays for St. George’s Chapel using flowers and plants that were in season and blooming naturally in May including branches of beech, birch, and hornbeam, as well as white garden roses, peonies, and foxgloves. After the wedding, Harry and Meghan arranged for the flowers to be distributed to charitable organizations.

The Order of Service for the Wedding of Prince Harry and Ms. Meghan Markle

Music

The music was under the direction of James Vivian, Director of Music, St. George’s Chapel and was performed by:

Orchestra conducted by Christopher Warren-Green and was made up of musicians from the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, the English Chamber Orchestra and the Philharmonia.
The Choir of St George’s Chapel
Luke Bond, Organist and Assistant Director of Music, St George’s Chapel
State Trumpeters from the Band of the Household Cavalry
Elin Manahan Thomas, Welsh soprano
David Blackadder, principal trumpet with both the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and the Academy of Ancient Music
Karen Gibson and The Kingdom Choir, a gospel choir
Sheku Kanneh-Mason, a 19-year-old cellist

Music Performed During the Wedding Service

Bride’s Entrance: Eternal Source of Light Divine by George Frederick Handel (1685–1759), performed by the Orchestra and Elin Manahan Thomas (Soprano) with David Blackadder (Trumpet)
Hymn: Lord of All Hopefulness, words by Jan Struther (1901–53), music Slane, traditional Irish melody
Motet: If Ye Love Me by Thomas Tallis (1505–85), performed by the Choir of St George’s Chapel
Stand by Me, words by Jerry Leiber (1933–2011), music by Ben E. King (1938–2015) and Mike Stroller (b. 1933), arranged by Mark Delisser (b. 1973) performed by Karen Gibson and The Kingdom Choir
The Anthem: The Lord Bless You and Keep You by John Rutter (b. 1945) performed by the Choir of St George’s Chapel
Hymn: Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer, words by William Williams (1717–91), music Cwm Rhondda’, John Hughes (1873–1932), Descant verse: James Vivian (b. 1974)
During the Signing of the Register: performed by Sheku Kanneh-Mason (cellist) and the Orchestra:
- Sicilienne by Maria Theresia von Paradis (1759–1824), arranged by Chris Hazell (b.1948)
- Après un rêve by Gabriel Fauré (1845–1924), arranged by Chris Hazell
- Ave Maria by Franz Schubert (1797–1828), arranged by Chris Haze
National Anthem: God Save The Queen
Procession of the Bride and Groom:
- Symphony no. 1 in B-flat – Allegro by William Boyce (1711–1779)
- Amen by Jester Hairston (1901–2000)
- This Little Light of Mine by Harry Dixon Loes (1892–1965)

Involving the Public

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Prince Harry and Ms. Meghan Markle wanted their wedding day to be arranged to allow members of the public to feel part of the celebrations too. They invited 2,640 people into the grounds of Windsor Castle to watch the arrivals of the wedding party and the wedding guests at the chapel and to watch the carriage procession as it departs from the castle. This group was made up of:

1,200 members of the public from every corner of the United Kingdom will be nominated to attend by nine regional Lord Lieutenant offices.
200 people from a range of charities and organizations with which Prince Harry and Meghan have a close association, including those with which Prince Harry serves as Patron.
100 pupils from two local schools: The Royal School, Great Park, Windsor and St George’s School, Windsor Castle
610 Windsor Castle community members, including residents of Windsor Castle and members of the St George’s Chapel community.
530 Members of The Royal Households and Crown Estate.

Credit – https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/04/europe/royal-wedding-prince-harry-meghan-markle-intl/index.html

In addition, following the wedding service, the newly married couple undertook a carriage procession along a route from St. George’s Chapel, leaving Windsor Castle via Castle Hill and processing along the High Street and through Windsor Town, returning to Windsor Castle along the Long Walk. Harry and Meghan hoped that the carriage procession would provide an opportunity for more people to come together around Windsor to enjoy the atmosphere of this special day. The newlyweds rode in the Ascot Landau carriage pulled by Windsor Grey horses and were accompanied by an escort of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment.

The Lunchtime Wedding Reception

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St. George’s Hall set up for a banquet

Following the service, there was a reception at St. George’s Hall in Windsor Castle. All 600 guests who attended the wedding service were also invited to the lunchtime reception given by Her Majesty The Queen. Harry and Meghan joined the reception on return from the carriage procession.

The menu included:

A selection of canapés:

Scottish Langoustines wrapped in Smoked Salmon with Citrus Crème Fraiche
Grilled English Asparagus wrapped in Cumbrian Ham
Garden Pea Panna Cotta with Quail Eggs and Lemon Verbena
Heritage Tomato and Basil Tartare with Balsamic Pearls
Poached Free Range Chicken bound in a Lightly Spiced Yoghurt with Roasted Apricot
Croquette of Confit Windsor Lamb, Roasted Vegetables, and Shallot Jam
Warm Asparagus Spears with Mozzarella and Sun-Blush Tomatoes

A selection of bowl food:

Fricassee of Free Range Chicken with Morel Mushrooms and Young Leeks
Pea and Mint Risotto with Pea Shoots, Truffle Oil, and Parmesan Crisps
Ten Hour Slow Roasted Windsor Pork Belly with Apple Compote and Crackling

A selection of sweet canapés:

Champagne and Pistachio Macaroons
Orange Crème Brûlée Tartlets
Miniature Rhubarb Crumble Tartlets

A selection of drinks:

Pol Roger Brut Réserve Non-Vintage Champagne
A selection of wines
A range of soft drinks including an apple and elderflower mocktail, made with the same elderflower syrup as used in the wedding cake, and Sandringham Cox’s apple juice

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The wedding cake designed by native Californian Claire Ptak who owns the small, trendy Violet Bakery in east London, featured elderflower syrup made at The Queen’s residence in Sandringham from the estate’s elderflower trees. A light sponge cake was specially made for the couple with an Amalfi lemon curd and elderflower buttercream filling. The cake was decorated with Swiss meringue buttercream and 150 fresh flowers, mainly British and in season, including peonies and roses.

The reception included the cutting of the wedding cake and speeches from The Prince of Wales and Prince Harry. The Duke of Cambridge, the Best Man, acted as master of ceremonies for the reception. The Prince of Wales described how emotional he felt watching his youngest son, whom he still remembered so clearly as a baby, marrying the love of his life. Prince Harry gave a heartfelt speech and made it clear he was the happiest man in the world. He described how beautiful his new wife looked and made the guests laugh when he promised that the Americans would not steal the swords in the castle.

Sir Elton John was asked to perform at the lunchtime reception in recognition of the close connection he has with Prince Harry and his family. Sir Elton performed Tiny Dancer, which he dedicated to the bride, Your Song, and The Circle of Life.

The Evening Wedding Reception

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Later that evening, around 200 guests attended the private evening reception given by The Prince of Wales at Frogmore House. The newlywed couple traveled the short distance from Windsor Castle to Frogmore House in a silver-blue Jaguar E-Type Concept Zero. The bride wore an evening dress made of lily-white silk crepe with a high neck, designed by Stella McCartney.

Talk show host James Corden served as master of ceremonies for the evening reception, which included a sit-down dinner and dancing to music spun by DJ Sam Totolee. The evening guests dined on a more casual menu of dirty burgers, cotton candy, and playful cocktails, including one called “When Harry Met Meghan.” Some drinks featured rum and ginger in a nod to the groom’s ginger (red) hair.

The best man, Prince William, gave a speech, as did the groom and the bride, making Meghan the first royal bride to give a speech. The entertainment, which included an incredible firework display in the gardens of Frogmore House, went on until around 3:00 AM.

The Honeymoon

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The new Duke and Duchess of Sussex at their first royal engagement as a married couple, with The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall

Meghan and Harry did not leave for their honeymoon immediately after the wedding. Their honeymoon destination was kept private, but it was speculated by the press that the destination was somewhere in East Africa. The couple stayed at Windsor Castle on Saturday, May 19, 2018, after an evening reception with 200 of their friends and family. The next day, the newly married Duke and Duchess of Sussex left Windsor Castle. On Tuesday, May 22, 2018, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex attended their first royal engagement as a married couple, a Buckingham Palace garden party, part of the Prince of Wales’ 70th birthday celebrations. The garden party, held six months ahead of Prince Charles’ actual 70th birthday in November, celebrated his charity work, patronages, and military affiliations. More than 6,000 people from charities Prince Charles supports attended and Prince Harry gave a speech in honor of his father.

Works Cited

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“Lunchtime Reception”. The Royal Family, 2018, https://www.royal.uk/lunchtime-reception-0. Accessed 22 May 2018.
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The Royal Family. (2018). Details of the Flowers at the Wedding of HRH Prince Henry of Wales and Ms. Meghan Markle announced. [online] Available at: https://www.royal.uk/details-flowers-wedding-hrh-prince-henry-wales-and-ms-meghan-markle-announced [Accessed 4 May 2018].
The Royal Family. (2018). An update from the Communications Secretary to Prince Harry on the Wedding of Prince Harry and Ms. Markle. [online] Available at: https://www.royal.uk/update-communications-secretary-prince-harry-wedding-prince-harry-and-ms-markle [Accessed 4 May 2018].
The Royal Family. (2018). The Carriage for the Wedding of Prince Harry and Ms. Meghan Markle. [online] Available at: https://www.royal.uk/carriage-wedding-prince-harry-and-ms-meghan-markle [Accessed 4 May 2018].
“The Royal Wedding Guest List In Full”. Evening Standard, 2018, https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/royal-wedding-guest-list-in-full-all-the-celebrities-friends-and-family-members-who-were-invited-to-a3843506.html. Accessed 22 May 2018.
“Royal Wedding Guide To Who Sat Where At Harry And Meghan’s Marriage”. Mail Online, 2018, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5748561/Royal-wedding-whos-sitting-best-seats-Harry-Meghans-marriage.html. Accessed 22 May 2018.
“The Wedding Dress, Bridesmaids’ Dresses And Page Boys’ Uniforms”. The Royal Family, 2018, https://www.royal.uk/wedding-dress-bridesmaids%E2%80%99-dresses-and-page-boys-uniforms. Accessed 22 May 2018.
“These Were The Wedding Guests Of The Duke And Duchess Of Sussex”. Nettyroyal, 2018, https://www.nettyroyalblog.nl/engagements-weddings/wedding-guests-sussex/. Accessed 24 May 2018.

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The Family of Prince Harry

The Family of Meghan Markle

The Engagement

The Engagement Ring

Partial Guest List

The Wedding Attendants

The Wedding Attire

The Ceremony

Music

Involving the Public

The Lunchtime Wedding Reception

The Evening Wedding Reception

The Honeymoon

Works Cited

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