Author Archives: Susan

December 1917: Royalty and World War I

by Susan Flantzer

  • Captain The Honorable Cecil Edwardes
  • Timeline: December 1, 1917 – December 31, 1917
  • A Note About German Titles
  • December 1917 – Royals/Nobles/Peers/Sons of Peers Who Died In Action

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Captain The Honorable Cecil Edwardes

Mark IV Tank; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Captain The Honorable Cecil Edwardes was born on May 31, 1876, the third of the four sons and the seventh of the nine children of William Edwardes, 4th Baron Kensington and his wife Grace Johnstone-Douglas. Cecil had eight siblings:

  • William Edwardes, 5th Baron Kensington (1868 – 1900), unmarried, was killed in action during the Boer War
  • Hon. Gwendolen Edwardes (1869 – 1940), married Captain William Stirling-Home-Drummond-Moray, 20th Lord of Abercairny, had five children
  • Hon. Sibyl Edwardes (1871 – 1955), married William Edward de Winton, had five children
  • Hon. Grace Edwardes (1872 – 1957), married John Lane, had seven children
  • Hugh Edwardes, 6th Baron Kensington (1873 – 1938), married Mabel Pilkington, had four children
  • Hon. Winifred Edwardes (1875 – 1962), married Captain Walter Koe, no issue
  • Major Hon. George Edwardes (1877 – 1930), married Olive Kerr, had four children
  • Hon. Isobel Edwardes (1879 – 1934), married Major Frederick Whitfield Barrett, had two children

In 1901, Cecil married Canadian opera singer Marie Louise Lucienne Martin. Born in Montreal, Canada and known professionally as Louise Edvina, she sang at Covent Garden in London, the Montreal Opera Company, the Boston Opera Company, the Chicago Opera Company and the Metropolitan Opera in New York City.

Cecil and Louise had two daughters:

  • Marie Edwardes (1902 – ?)
  • Lumena Edwardes (1903 – 1944), unmarried

Louise Edvina; Photo Credit – https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca

The Edwardes family had a residence at St. Bride’s Hill, Pembrokeshire, Wales and Cecil lived there with his family. Cecil had served with the Royal Navy, but at the beginning of World War I had been commissioned into the Scottish Horse, a regiment of the British Army’s Territorial Army.

In 1916, the Royal Tank Corps was formed and the British first used tanks in September 1916 at the Battle of Flers–Courcelette during the Battle of the Somme. Cecil transferred to the Royal Tank Regiment in 1916 and served with H Battalion.

During the Battle of Cambrai in France (November 20 – December 7, 1917), the Royal Tank Corps saw much action. 476 tanks were used in the battle and 179 were lost, including the tank of Cecil Edwardes. Six tanks from H Battalion took the town Fontaine, four miles from Cambrai, getting into the village 30 minutes before infantry of the Seaforth Highlanders and Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders from the 51st Division followed up and occupied it. However, Cecil was killed when his tank was knocked out during the initial advance.

Captain Joseph Hassell, who served with Cecil, related this story about his death: “Edwardes had a premonition of his death. He told us the day before the action of this – settled up all his affairs. He was immensely popular and eight officers went up the day after his death, got his body out of the tank and carried him back for burial. In the absence of a Padre, I conducted such a burial service as was practicable.”

The exact date of Cecil’s death is unknown and the place of his grave is unknown, so he is remembered on the Cambrai Memorial to the Missing in Louverval, France.

Cambrai Memorial to the Missing; Photo Credit – http://www.cwgc.org/find-a-cemetery/cemetery/79300/CAMBRAI%20MEMORIAL,%20LOUVERVAL

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Timeline: December 1, 1917 – December 31, 1917

 

German soldiers recovering a British Mark IV tank, the type of tank Cecil Edwardes was in when he was killed; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

  • November 20 – December 7 – Battle of Cambrai in France
  • December 1 – Battle of El Burj, a phase of the Battle of Jerusalem
  • December 7 – The United States declares war on Austria-Hungary
  • December 16 – Russia signs a preliminary armistice with Germany
  • December 20–21 – Battle of Jaffa near the Auja River in Jaffa, a phase of the Battle of Jerusalem

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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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December 1917 – 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.

Captain The Honorable Cecil Edwardes

Private Lord Edward Beauchamp Seymour

Grave of Private Lord Edward Seymour; Photo Credit – www.findagrave.com

Prince George’s Christmas List

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(From Susan: I used to teach preschool way back when and I think this is adorable.)

From November 29 – 30, 2017, The Duke of Cambridge undertook a visit to Finland at the request of the Foreign Office. However, William had another task on his visit to Finland. He delivered Prince George’s Christmas list to Father Christmas/Santa Claus. On a pre-printed Christmas list, four-year-old George had circled at the top that he had been “nice”, filled in one of the five lines provided for gift requests with “police car”, and wrote his name.

Embed from Getty Images

Breaking News: Meghan Markle’s Engagement Ring

Meghan Markle’s engagement ring was reportedly designed by Prince Harry with the help of Cleave and Company, Court Jewellers and Medallists 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.

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Meghan, Duchess of Sussex

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2017

The Duchess of Sussex; By Fuzheado – File:SXSW-2024-OB7A0018-alih-Meghan,_Duchess_of_Sussex-crop2.jpg, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=147350005

Rachel Meghan Markle was born on August 4, 1981, in Los Angeles, California, and is the daughter of Thomas Markle and Doria Ragland. Her father was 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.

Meghan Markle attends the Wimbledon tennis tournament in June 2016

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. Harry and Meghan were introduced by a mutual woman friend.

In March 2017, after finishing filming the seventh season of Suits, it was announced that Meghan was “ready to be done with Suits” and with “acting in general.” A source told E! News, “Even before Harry, she was starting to think about transitioning out of acting. She wants to focus on other worldly endeavors she is passionate about, like her philanthropy.” In 2016, Meghan became the Global Ambassador for World Vision Canada, traveling to Rwanda for the Clean Water Campaign. She has also worked with the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women as an Advocate.

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

In September 2017, Prince Harry and Meghan made their first public appearances together at an official royal engagement, the wheelchair tennis event and the closing ceremony of the Invictus Games in Toronto, Canada.

Meghan is a direct descendant of John Hussey, 1st Baron Hussey of Sleaford, Chamberlain to King Henry VIII’s daughter Mary, the future Queen Mary I. Lord Hussey’s wife Lady Anne was one of Mary’s attendants. Lord Hussey was beheaded for his participation in the 1536 uprising the Pilgrimage of Grace. Prince Harry and Meghan share common ancestors: Richard Bowes (circa 1497 – 1558) and his wife Elizabeth Aske  (1505 – circa 1572). Meghan’s maternal great-great-great-grandfather was a slave on a Georgia plantation before being emancipated when slavery was abolished in 1865.

 

The engagement of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle was announced on November 27, 2017.  The couple was married on May 19, 2018, at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle where many royal weddings have been held. Following the couple’s marriage, Meghan was styled Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Sussex.

In preparation for the wedding, Meghan was baptized and confirmed into the Church of England on March 6, 2018, by the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby. The private ceremony, performed with holy water from the River Jordan, took place in the Chapel Royal at St James’s Palace.

 

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were married on May 19, 2018, at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle in Windsor, England.

Embed from Getty Images

Meghan and Harry have two children:

Their daughter is named after her paternal great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth II and her paternal grandmother Diana, Princess of Wales. “Lilibet” was Queen Elizabeth II’s family nickname, which originated from Elizabeth’s pronunciation of her name when she was young. As the children of a duke, Archie and Lilibet were entitled to the courtesy titles Earl of Dumbarton and Lady Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor. However, their parents declined the use. With the accession of the children’s grandfather as King Charles III, Archie and Lilibet are male-line grandchildren of the monarch and are entitled to be styled His/Her Royal Highness Prince/Princess.

In a New York Times editorial about loss published on November 25, 2020, the Duchess of Sussex revealed that she had a miscarriage in July 2020.

Lilibet being held by her mother with her father and brother Archie, from the 2021 Christmas card of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex; Credit – Alexi Lubomirski/The Duke and Duchess of Sussex

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

Below is their statement:

“After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution. We intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen. It is with your encouragement, particularly over the last few years, that we feel prepared to make this adjustment. We now plan to balance our time between the United Kingdom and North America, continuing to honour our duty to The Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages. This geographic balance will enable us to raise our son with an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born, while also providing our family with the space to focus on the next chapter, including the launch of our new charitable entity. We look forward to sharing the full details of this exciting next step in due course, as we continue to collaborate with Her Majesty The Queen, The Prince of Wales, The Duke of Cambridge and all relevant parties. Until then, please accept our deepest thanks for your continued support.”

It was announced on January 18, 2020, from Buckingham Palace that The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will no longer use their HRH titles or receive any public funds for royal duties, as they are no longer working members of the Royal Family. The couple has also made known their intentions to repay the funds used from the Sovereign Grant for the refurbishment of Frogmore Cottage, their home in Windsor Home Park. The statement also said that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex would balance their time between the United Kingdom and North America and would continue to honor their duty to The Queen, the Commonwealth, and their patronages.

However, a statement was released on February 19, 2021, stating that as part of the review planned a year earlier when the Duke and Duchess of Sussex first stepped away from royal duties, it has been decided that they will no longer have any of their royal patronages or honorary military roles.

Buckingham Palace made the following statement:

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have confirmed to Her Majesty The Queen that they will not be returning as working members of The Royal Family.  Following conversations with The Duke, The Queen has written confirming that in stepping away from the work of The Royal Family it is not possible to continue with the responsibilities and duties that come with a life of public service. The honorary military appointments and Royal patronages held by The Duke and Duchess will therefore be returned to Her Majesty, before being redistributed among working members of The Royal Family. While all are saddened by their decision, The Duke and Duchess remain much loved members of the 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.

Wedding of Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2017

By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=44115769

Princess Anne married Captain Mark Phillips on November 14, 1973, at Westminster Abbey in London, England. Anne and Mark separated in 1989 and divorced in 1992.

 

Princess Anne’s Early Life

Princess Anne with her parents and elder brother in October 1957; Photo Credit – By Library and Archives Canada, e010949328 / Bibliothèque et Archives Canada, e010949328 – http://www.flickr.com/photos/lac-bac/7195940876/, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=27933715

Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise was born at Clarence House in London, England on August 15, 1950. She was the second child of four children and the only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (born a Prince of Greece and Denmark). Anne had one elder brother Charles and two younger brothers, Andrew and Edward.

At the time of Anne’s birth, her mother was Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh and the sovereign was her grandfather, King George VI. The children of a daughter of a British sovereign would not usually have been accorded the style Royal Highness or the titles Prince/Princess as in the case of Anne’s own children. However, on October 22, 1948, Anne’s grandfather King George VI issued letters patent allowing the children of his eldest daughter and heiress presumptive, to use the style and title of a royal prince or princess. Therefore, Anne was Her Royal Highness Princess Anne of Edinburgh at birth.

King George VI died on February 6, 1952, and his elder daughter Princess Elizabeth became Queen. Upon her mother’s accession to the throne, Anne was styled Her Royal Highness The Princess Anne. Anne was too young to attend her mother’s coronation, but she did make an appearance on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.

Catherine Peebles, the governess of Prince Charles, was also Anne’s governess and was responsible for Anne’s early education. In 1959, a Girl Guides company, 1st Buckingham Palace Company was formed at the palace to allow Anne to socialize with other girls. Similar Girl Guide companies had been formed at Buckingham Palace for Anne’s mother and her aunt Princess Margaret. From 1963-1968, Anne attended Benenden School, an independent boarding school for girls in Kent, England.

From a young age, Princess Anne was passionate about riding and soon became an excellent equestrienne. In 1971, Anne won the European Eventing Championship and was voted the BBC Sports Personality of the Year. For more than five years Anne competed with the British eventing team, winning a silver medal in both individual and team disciplines in the 1975 European Eventing Championship. In the 1976 Montreal Summer Olympics, Anne competed as a member of the British equestrian team.

For more information, see Unofficial Royalty: Princess Anne, The Princess Royal

Mark Phillips’ Early Life

Mark Phillips, 1973; Photo Credit – By Peters, Hans / Anefo – [1] Dutch National Archives, The Hague, Fotocollectie Algemeen Nederlands Persbureau (ANeFo), 1945-1989, Nummer toegang 2.24.01.05 Bestanddeelnummer 926-7769, CC BY-SA 3.0 nl, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=32649600

Mark Anthony Peter Phillips was born on September 22, 1948, to Major Peter Phillips and the former Anne Tiarks (whose father was an Aide-de-Camp to King George VI). He had one sister, Sarah, who passed away.

Following his education at Stouts Hill Preparatory School and Marlborough College, Phillips entered the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst. After passing out, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Queen’s Dragoon Guards, eventually reaching the rank of Captain in 1975. He retired from the Army in March 1978.

An avid horseman, Philips was a member of the British Equestrian Team with whom he won the Team Three-Day Event world title in 1970, the European title in 1971, and the Olympic Gold Medal in 1972. He also won the Silver Medal at the 1988 Olympics and is a four-time champion at the Badminton Horse Trials.

For more information, see Unofficial Royalty: Mark Phillips

The Engagement

 

On May 29, 1973, Buckingham Palace announced: “It is with the greatest pleasure that the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh announce the betrothal of their beloved daughter The Princess Anne to Lieutenant Mark Phillips, the Queen’s Dragoon Guards, son of Mr. and Mrs. Peter Phillips.” The couple became engaged six weeks earlier at the Badminton Horse Trials, the major equestrian event in the United Kingdom, in which both Anne and Mark competed.

It was through their mutual love of horses that Mark met Princess Anne. The couple first met at the equestrian events during the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City where Mark was a reserve member of the British equestrian team. Prior to their engagement, Anne and Mark competed together at equestrian events throughout Europe. Their love of horses was inherited by their daughter Zara who won a silver medal in the Three-Day Event with the British equestrian team in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

Anne’s engagement ring was a classic ring of a sapphire between two diamonds made by Garrad Jewelers.

It has been speculated that The Queen offered – and Mark declined – a peerage upon marriage, but this has never been confirmed or denied by any member of the Royal Family.

The Wedding Guests

 

British Royal Family

    • Queen Elizabeth II and The Duke of Edinburgh, the bride’s parents
    • The Prince of Wales, the bride’s brother
    • Prince Andrew, the bride’s brother
    • Prince Edward, the bride’s brother
    • Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, the bride’s grandmother
    • Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon and The Earl of Snowdon, the bride’s aunt and uncle
    • Viscount Linley, the bride’s first cousin
    • Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones, the bride’s first cousin
    • The Duchess of Gloucester, the bride’s great aunt by marriage
    • Prince and Princess Richard of Gloucester, the bride’s first cousin once removed and his wife
    • The Duke and Duchess of Kent, the bride’s first cousin once removed and his wife
    • Earl of St Andrews, the bride’s second cousin
    • Lady Helen Windsor, the bride’s second cousin
    • Prince Michael of Kent, the bride’s first cousin once removed
    • Princess Alexandra, The Hon. Mrs. Ogilvy and The Hon. Mr. Angus Ogilvy, the bride’s first cousin once removed and her husband
    • Mr. James Ogilvy, the bride’s second cousin
    • Miss Marina Ogilvy, the bride’s second cousin
    • Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria, the bride’s first cousin three times removed and great-great-aunt by marriage
    • Lady Mary Whitley, the bride’s second cousin once removed

 

Some Other Royal Guests

      • King Constantine II and Queen Anne-Marie of Greece
      • Prince Rainier III and Princess Grace of Monaco
      • Princess Beatrix and Prince Claus of the Netherlands
      • Crown Prince Harald and Crown Princess Sonja of Norway
      • Prince Juan Carlos and Princess Sofia of Spain

The Wedding Attendants

 

Anne chose to have only two attendants because of her personal experience as a bridesmaid trying to keep younger attendants in line.

      • Best Man: Captain Eric Grounds
      • Bridesmaid: Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones, the bride’s nine-year-old first cousin and the daughter of Princess Margaret
      • Page Boy: Prince Edward, the bride’s nine-year-old brother

The Wedding Attire

 

To design her wedding dress, Anne picked Maureen Baker, the chief designer for the ready-to-wear label Susan Small, who had previously designed outfits for her. A number of Anne’s ideas were also incorporated into the dress. The Tudor-style silk wedding dress had a high collar and medieval sleeves. The train measured only seven feet, and the veil were simple and delicate.

Anne’s veil was crowned by Queen Mary’s Fringe Tiara. Queen Mary had this tiara made from a necklace Queen Victoria had given her as a wedding present. In 1936, Queen Mary gave the tiara to her daughter-in-law Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mother). In 1947, Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mother) loaned the tiara to her daughter Elizabeth for her wedding and then loaned it to her granddaughter Anne for her wedding.

Lieutenant Mark Phillips wore the full scarlet and blue uniform of his regiment, the Queen’s Dragoon Guards.

The Wedding Ceremony

 

Princess Anne and Mark Phillips were married on November 14, 1973, at 11:30 AM at Westminster Abbey in London. Princess Anne and her father left Buckingham Palace in the Glass Coach for the ride to Westminster Abbey. As they entered the Abbey, a fanfare especially written for the wedding was played by trumpeters from the groom’s regiment. The Duke of Edinburgh escorted his daughter down the aisle to the hymn Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken.

As the 2,000 guests in the Abbey and the 500 million television viewers watched, Princess Anne and Mark Phillips were married by Michael Ramsey, Archbishop of Canterbury. It was a simple ceremony from the 1662 Anglican Book of Common Prayer in which the bride promises to obey.

Some family traditions were followed. Princess Anne’s ring was made from the same nugget of Welsh gold that the rings of her grandmother, her mother, and her aunt were made. In her bouquet was a cutting from a myrtle bush grown from a sprig from Queen Victoria’s wedding bouquet.

After the ceremony, the newlyweds moved to the Edward the Confessor Chapel where the wedding register was signed. Princess Anne then made a deep curtsey to her mother while Mark respectfully bowed and the couple made their way down the aisle followed by their families as Charles-Marie Widor’s Toccata in F Major; Johann Strauss’s “Radetzky” March, the regimental march of the groom’s regiment, and the finale from Louis Vierne’s Organ Symphony No. 1 were played.

The Wedding Reception

 

After the bride and groom made the customary appearance on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, 120 guests attended the wedding breakfast at the Palace. The guests dined on lobster, partridge, fresh peas, peppermint ice cream, and a wedding cake made exactly five feet six inches tall – the height of the bride.

 

The Royal Army Catering Corp supplied the wedding cake. It weighed 145 pounds and among its ingredients were 10 pounds each of butter and sugar, 84 eggs, 12½ pounds of flour, 70 pounds of fruit, peel, and nuts, and two bottles of brandy. The top layer had a silver vase of flowers, the coat of arms of Princess Anne, and the regimental crest of Mark Phillips.

The groom cut the cake with his sword while the Grenadier Guards band played “A Bunch of Roses” and “Bless the Bride.” The Duke of Edinburgh, the bride’s father, toasted to the health of the bride and groom and the groom’s father Major Peter Phillips made the reply toast.

After the wedding breakfast, Princess Anne changed into a sapphire blue velvet dress and a short-cropped jacket with a mink collar and cuffs. Guests showered the couple with flower petals as they left the palace.

The Honeymoon

 

The day after the wedding, Anne and Mark flew to Barbados where they boarded the Royal Yacht Britannia. Their cruise around the islands of the Caribbean was disrupted to due storms and high waves and for most of the first week, the couple suffered from seasickness. Eventually, the storms subsided and the newlyweds could enjoy the scenes of the Caribbean. The couple ended their honeymoon in the Galapagos Islands in the Pacific Ocean.

Aftermath

The couple had two children: Peter, born in 1977 and Zara, born in 1981. Sadly, Princess Anne and Mark Phillips separated in 1989 and their divorce was finalized on April 23, 1992. Both Anne and Mark remarried.

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

  • Archives.chicagotribune.com. (2017).  [online] Available at: http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1973/11/15/page/92/article/a-royal-wedding-album [Accessed 26 Aug. 2017].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2017). Wedding of Princess Anne and Mark Phillips. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wedding_of_Princess_Anne_and_Mark_Phillips [Accessed 26 Aug. 2017].
  • Frayman, J. (2017). Princess Anne Is Engaged to an Army Lieutenant. [online] Nytimes.com. Available at: http://www.nytimes.com/1973/05/30/archives/princess-anne-is-engaged-to-an-army-lieutenant-princess-anne-is.html [Accessed 26 Aug. 2017].
  • News.bbc.co.uk. (2017). BBC ON THIS DAY | 14 | 1973: Crowds cheer marriage of Princess Anne. [online] Available at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/november/14/newsid_2519000/2519003.stm [Accessed 26 Aug. 2017].
  • Orderofsplendor.blogspot.com. (2017). Tiara Thursday: Queen Mary’s Fringe Tiara. [online] Available at: http://orderofsplendor.blogspot.com/2011/03/tiara-thursday-queen-marys-fringe-tiara.html [Accessed 26 Aug. 2017].
  • Shuster, A. (2017). Princess Anne Wed Amid British Pageantry. [online] Nytimes.com. Available at: http://www.nytimes.com/1973/11/15/archives/princess-anne-wedamidbritish-pageantry-couple-is-cheered-by-throngs.html?mcubz=3 [Accessed 26 Aug. 2017].
  • Stern, M. (2017). A Big Day for the Bridegroom’s Home Town. [online] Nytimes.com. Available at: http://www.nytimes.com/1973/11/10/archives/a-big-day-for-the-bridgerooms-home-town-5-23foot-wedding-cake-thats.html [Accessed 26 Aug. 2017].
  • Unofficial Royalty. (2017). Anne, Princess Royal. [online] Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/anne-the-princess-royal/ [Accessed 26 Aug. 2017].
  • Unofficial Royalty. (2017). Mark Phillips, first husband of Anne, The Princess Royal. [online] Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/mark-phillips-first-husband-of-anne-the-princess-royal/ [Accessed 26 Aug. 2017].

Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman; Credit – Wikipedia

Arabic Naming Conventions

  • Al – family/clan of…
  • bin or ibn – son of…
  • bint – daughter of…

Since the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was founded in 1932 by Abdulaziz “Ibn Saud”, the first King of Saudi Arabia, all six of his successors have come from among his 45 sons. In Saudi Arabia, there is no clear line of succession. All vacancies to the throne have been filled by the Crown Prince. Crown Princes have been appointed according to male line seniority from among the sons of Abdulaziz “Ibn Saud”. If Crown Prince Mohammad, a grandson of Abdulaziz “Ibn Saud”, becomes king, he will be the first king of the next generation.

Mohammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud became Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia on June 21, 2017, when his cousin Prince Muhammad bin Nayef Al Saud, the first grandson of Abdulaziz “Ibn Saud” to be named Crown Prince, was relieved of all his positions by royal decree. Previously Crown Prince Mohammad was Deputy Crown Prince.

Crown Prince Mohammad was born in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on August 31, 1985. He is the eldest of the six sons of King Salman of Saudi Arabia and his third wife Princess Fahda bint Falah bin Sultan bin Hathleen.

Crown Prince Mohammad has five younger brothers:

Crown Prince Mohammad has six older half-siblings from his father’s first marriage to Princess Sultana bint Turki Al Sudairi (died 2011):

  • Prince Fahd (1955 – 2001), married Princess Nuf bint Khalid bin Abdallah Al Saud, had four children, died of heart failure
  • Prince Sultan (born 1956), married Princess Haifa Bint Saud Al Faisal bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, had three children, former Royal Saudi Air Force pilot who flew aboard the American Space Shuttle Discovery in 1985 as a payload specialist – first member of a royal family, first Arab and first Muslim to fly in space
  • Prince Ahmed (1958 – 2002), married Princess Lamia bint Mishaal, had five children, died of heart failure
  • Prince Abdulaziz (born 1960), married Princess Sara bint Khalid bin Musa’ad bin Abdulaziz, had three children
  • Prince Faisal (born 1970), married Princess Luloh bint Ahmed bin Mousaed bin Ahmed Al Sudairi, had four children
  • Princess Hassa (born 1974)

Crown Prince Mohammad has one younger half-sibling from his father’s second marriage to Princess Sara Bint Faisal Bin Daidan Abu Ateen Al-Subaie (divorced):

  • Prince Saud (born 1986), married Chorouk bint Mohammad Almejfel, had one child

Crown Prince Mohammad received his primary and secondary education at the Princes’ School in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He then received a bachelor’s degree in law from King Saud University in Riyadh where he was second in his class.  In 2007, Mohammad became a full-time adviser to the Saudi Bureau of Experts.  He continued in this position until he was appointed a special advisor to his father who was then the governor of Riyadh Province.

In 2008, Crown Prince Mohammad married his first cousin Princess Sara bint Mashhoor bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. The couple has five children:

  • Prince Salman
  • Prince Mashhour
  • Princess Fahda
  • Princess Nora
  • Prince Abdulaziz

In 2012, Mohammad’s father Salman was named Crown Prince following the death of his brother Crown Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. On January 23, 2015, King Abdullah died (reigned 2005 – 2015) and 79-year-old Crown Prince Salman became King. Prince Mohammad bin Salman was then appointed Minister of Defense. King Salman’s brother Deputy Crown Prince Muqrin bin Abdulaziz Al Saud became Crown Prince but he died three months later. Prince Muhammad bin Nayef, the son of the Crown Prince that Salman had replaced in 2012, was named Crown Prince, and Salman’s son Mohammad was named Deputy Crown Prince. On June 21, 2017, Prince Muhammad bin Nayef was replaced as Crown Prince by Prince Mohammad bin Salman in a move, according to the New York Times, that was “upending decades of royal custom and profoundly reordering the kingdom’s inner power structure.”

Crown Prince Mohammad is the power behind the throne. There has been much media speculation as to the state of King Salman’s health. Some media reports have suggested that the King is suffering from some form of dementia, possibly Alzheimer’s Disease. There has been no formal statement from the Royal Court regarding these claims.

Crown Prince Mohammad has instituted several successful reforms including restrictions on the powers of the religious police, allowing women to drive, the first Saudi public concerts by a female singer, the first Saudi sports stadium to admit women, and an increase in women in the workforce.  Despite this, his leadership and his violation of human rights have been criticized internationally.

On November 4, 2017, there was an announcement that at the request of Crown Prince Mohammad, billionaire Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal bin Abdulaziz al Saud, a grandson of Abdulaziz “Ibn Saud”, along with over forty Saudi princes and government ministers, was arrested on charges of corruption and money laundering. The New York Times wrote: “The sweeping campaign of arrests appears to be the latest move to consolidate the power of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the favorite son and top adviser of King Salman. The king had decreed the creation of a powerful new anti-corruption committee, headed by the crown prince, only hours before the committee ordered the arrests.”

In October 2018, Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist and a critic of the crown prince went missing after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Turkish officials believe that Khashoggi was murdered at the consulate and many intelligence agencies around the world believe that the crown prince ordered the murder.

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

  • Aljazeera.com. (2017). Profile: Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. [online] Available at: http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2017/06/profile-saudi-crown-prince-mohammed-bin-salman-170621130040539.html [Accessed 8 Nov. 2017].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2017). Mohammad bin Salman. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohammad_bin_Salman [Accessed 8 Nov. 2017].
  • Kirkpatrick, D. (2017). Saudi Arabia Arrests 11 Princes, Including Billionaire Alwaleed bin Talal. [online] Nytimes.com. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/04/world/middleeast/saudi-arabia-waleed-bin-talal.html [Accessed 8 Nov. 2017].
  • Ar.wikipedia.org. (2017). محمد بن سلمان آل سعود. [online] Available at: https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%85%D8%AD%D9%85%D8%AF_%D8%A8%D9%86_%D8%B3%D9%84%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86_%D8%A2%D9%84_%D8%B3%D8%B9%D9%88%D8%AF [Accessed 8 Nov. 2017]

November 1917: Royalty and World War I

by Susan Flantzer

  • Captain The Right Honorable Neil James Archibald Primrose
  • Timeline: November 1, 1917 – November 30, 1917
  • A Note About German Titles
  • November 1917 – Royals/Nobles/Peers/Sons of Peers Who Died In Action

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Captain The Right Honorable Neil James Archibald Primrose

Photo Credit – Wikipedia

One of the 25 Members of Parliament who lost their lives during World War I and a peer’s son, Captain The Right Honorable Neil James Archibald Primrose was the younger son and the youngest of the four children of former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery and Hannah de Rothschild, granddaughter of Baron Nathan Mayer Rothschild, who had founded N M Rothschild & Sons, the English branch of the Rothschilds’ banking empire.

Neil was born on December 14, 1882 at the family home Dalmeny House in Midlothian, Scotland. He was educated at Eton and Oxford where he played with the Oxford University Polo Club.

Neil Primrose, 1910; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Neil had three older siblings:

Lady Victoria Stanley and The Honorable Neil Primrose; Photo Credit – Daily Mail Historical Archive, 1915

On April 7, 1915, Neil married Lady Victoria Stanley, daughter of Edward Stanley, 17th Earl of Derby and Lady Alice Montagu. Neil and Victoria had one daughter:

Caricature of Neil Primrose by unknown artist, pen and ink, early 20th century, NPG D9908 © National Portrait Gallery, London

Neil followed his father into politics and was elected in 1910 as a Member of Parliament for Wisbech.  He served as Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury. In June 1917, he became a member of the Privy Council. (Note: Neil had the courtesy style “The Honorable” as the son of an Earl.  Members of the Privy Council use the style “The Right Honorable.”)

When the United Kingdom declared war on Germany in August 1914, Neil joined the Royal Buckinghamshire Yeomanry as a Lieutenant. He was promoted to Captain in 1915 and was awarded the Military Cross in 1916. Neil died at the age of 34 on November 15, 1917 from wounds received in action at Gezer, Palestine while leading his squadron against Turkish positions on the Abu Shusha Ridge during the Sinai and Palestine Campaign of the Third Battle of Gaza. He was buried in the Ramleh Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery in Ramla, Israel.

 

Grave of Captain The Right Honorable Neil Primrose; Photo Credit – By Zev Gross – Self-photographed, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=53298425

On November 19, 1917, Prime Minister David Lloyd George addressed the House of Commons regarding Neil’s death:

“May I be permitted before I sit down to utter one word of another who held an inconspicuous position in the Army but who was well known to all Members of this House. I refer to Captain Neil Primrose. The House knew his bright and radiant spirit well. To his intimates, he was one of the most lovable men we ever met. He had ability far above the average, and, in spite of the reserve and shyness which held him back, his future was full of hope. He had already rendered distinguished service in the field, and for that service he had been recognised at the suggestion of his commanding officer; and he might well, for he had many offers, have occupied positions where he could have rendered services to the public, positions honourable to him, but positions of personal safety and the fact that he had been chosen by his constituents to serve in this House would have rendered his acceptance of these positions honourable to himself. He chose deliberately the path of danger. He fell charging at the head of his troops, at the very moment of victory, and Members of the House will, I feel certain, join me in an expression of deepest sympathy with those whom he has left behind to mourn him.”

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Timeline: November 1, 1917 – November 30, 1917

Mud, water, and barbed wire illustrate the horrible terrain at the Battle of Passchendaele; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

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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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November 1917 – 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.

Captain The Honorable Elidyr John Bernard Herbert

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Captain The Right Honorable Neil James Archibald Primrose (see above)

Memorial in St. Gile’s Cathedral, Edinburgh, Scotland; Photo Credit – By Andrewrabbott – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=48508210

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Photo Credit – http://www.surreyinthegreatwar.org.uk

Lieutenant The Honorable Alick George Cubitt

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Lieutenant The Honorable Arthur Middleton Kinnaird

**********

Major The Honorable Robert Nathaniel Dudley Ryder

Prince Valdemar of Denmark

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Prince Valdemar of Denmark; Credit – Wikipedia

Prince Valdemar of Denmark was born on October 27, 1858, at Bernstorff Palace in Gentofte, Denmark. Valdemar was the youngest of the six children of King Christian IX of Denmark and Louise of Hesse-Kassel.

Valdemar had five siblings. Four of Valdemar’s five siblings became a monarch or a consort of a monarch.

Christian IX, King of Denmark and his family by Georg Emil Hansen, albumen carte-de-visite photomontage, 1862, NPG x74402 © National Portrait Gallery, London

In 1863, when Valdemar was five years old, his father succeeded to the Danish throne. Earlier that year, Valdemar had accompanied his family to England where his sister Alexandra had married Edward, Prince of Wales, the eldest son of Queen Victoria. Valdemar was educated at home by governesses and tutors. In the summer of 1874, Valdemar accompanied his father to Iceland to celebrate 1,000 years since Iceland’s first settlement in 874.

Valdemar with his father, circa 1863-1865; Credit – Wikipedia

After his confirmation in 1874, Valdemar enrolled at the Royal Danish Naval Academy.  As a younger son, it was expected that he would have a career in the military. Valdemar participated in several naval expeditions in the 1870s and became Lieutenant in 1880. In 1883, Valdemar’s 14-year-old nephew Prince George of Greece,  the second son of his brother King George I of Greece, was enrolled at the Royal Danish Naval Academy. George lived with Valdemar at Bernstorff Palace while he attended the naval academy. Having felt abandoned by his father at that time, George would later tell his fiancée the profound attachment he developed for his uncle Valdemar.

In 1885, Valdemar became engaged to Princess Marie of Orléans, the eldest child of Robert, Duke of Chartres and his wife, Françoise of Orléans, both grandchildren of King Louis Philippe of France, who was forced to abdicate after the outbreak of the French Revolution of 1848. Louis Philippe lived out his life in exile in England where his great-granddaughter Marie had been born. Marie lived the first years of her life in England. After the fall of Napoleon III in 1871, her family’s rival, Marie’s family moved back to France.

Princess Marie of Orléans; Credit – Wikipedia

Valdemar and Marie were first married in a civil ceremony in Paris, France on October 20, 1885. Two days later, an extravagant religious ceremony and reception were held at the Chateau d ‘ Eu in Normandy, France, the home of Louis Philippe of Orléans, Count of Paris, a cousin of both Marie’s parents. More than 1,000 guests attended including members of the royal families of Denmark, Greece, Russia, and the United Kingdom. Valdemar remained Lutheran and Marie remained Roman Catholic. When Pope Leo XIII gave his permission for the marriage, he agreed to the provision that any daughters would be raised Roman Catholic and any sons would be raised Lutheran. After their marriage, the couple lived at the Yellow Palace in Copenhagen and Valdemar’s birthplace, Bernstorff Castle in Gentofte, nearby Copenhagen.

Valdemar and Marie had four sons and one daughter. Three of their sons made unequal marriages and relinquished their position within the Danish Royal Family upon marrying without official consent from the monarch. For more information, see Unofficial Royalty: The Danish Counts of Rosenborg.

Valdemar, Marie, and their children; Credit – www.findagrave.com

Prince Valdemar and King Chulalongkorn of Siam (Thailand), during Valdemar’s visit to Siam in 1900; Credit – Wikipedia

Valdemar had a lifelong naval career which frequently caused him to be away from home. He was appointed Vice-Admiral in 1911 and Admiral in 1918. Valdemar was offered two European thrones, Bulgaria and Norway, but he rejected both offers. His wife Marie died on December 4, 1909, in the Yellow Palace in Copenhagen, Denmark at the age of 44 after a long illness. Unfortunately, at the time of Marie’s death, Valdemar was on a long naval voyage. Prince Valdemar survived Marie by thirty years, dying on January 14, 1939, at the age of 80 in the Yellow Palace in Copenhagen. Both Marie and Valdemar were buried in Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde, Denmark.

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

  • Da.wikipedia.org. (2017). Prins Valdemar. [online] Available at: https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prins_Valdemar [Accessed 7 Aug. 2017].
  • Da.wikipedia.org. (2017). Prinsesse Marie af Orléans. [online] Available at: https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prinsesse_Marie_af_Orl%C3%A9ans [Accessed 7 Aug. 2017].
  • De.wikipedia.org. (2017). Waldemar von Dänemark. [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waldemar_von_D%C3%A4nemark [Accessed 7 Aug. 2017].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2017). Prince Valdemar of Denmark. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Valdemar_of_Denmark [Accessed 7 Aug. 2017].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2017). Princess Marie of Orléans (1865–1909). [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Marie_of_Orl%C3%A9ans_(1865%E2%80%931909) [Accessed 7 Aug. 2017].
  • Fr.wikipedia.org. (2017). Marie d’Orléans (1865-1909). [online] Available at: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie_d%27Orl%C3%A9ans_(1865-1909) [Accessed 7 Aug. 2017].

Juliana Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, Queen of Denmark and Norway

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Juliana Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, Queen of Denmark and Norway; Credit – Wikipedia

Born on September 4, 1729, Juliana Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel was the youngest of the six daughters and the eleventh of the thirteen children of Ferdinand Albert II, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel and Antoinette of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. Juliana Maria and her siblings were first cousins of Archduchess Maria Theresa of Austria, Queen of Hungary and Bohemia and brothers-in-law/sisters-in-law of King Friedrich (the Great) II of Prussia.

Juliana Maria had twelve siblings:

Juliana Maria’s father died when she was six-years-old, having had only a six-month reign as Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. The House of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel was one of the smaller German princely families and Juliana Maria had a simple, strict upbringing.

Juliana Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel; Credit – Wikipedia

On December 19, 1751, Louisa of Great Britain, the wife of King Frederik V of Denmark and Norway died while pregnant with her sixth child. Despite having parents with very strict religious beliefs, Frederik V had a very sensual nature and loved wine and women. He spent so much time visiting Copenhagen’s taverns and brothels that his father King Christian VI considered disinheriting him from the throne. When Frederik’s marriage to the youngest daughter of King George II of Great Britain was proposed, the Danish government hoped (incorrectly) that marriage would put a damper on Frederik’s affairs and drunkenness.

However, that strategy did not work as during the early years of his marriage to Louisa, Frederik had an affair with Else Hansen, known as Madame Hansen and they had five children. After Frederik became king in 1746, he took part in the government by attending council meetings, but he was afflicted with alcoholism and most of his reign was dominated by very able ministers such as Count Adam Gottlob Moltke, Count Johann Hartwig Ernst von Bernstorff, and Heinrich Carl von Schimmelmann.

King Frederik V of Denmark; Credit – Wikipedia

Count Moltke thought it would be a good idea if Frederik married again as soon as possible in hopes of stabilizing his behavior. Frederik preferred another British wife, but there was no British princess at an appropriate age. Count Moltke drew Frederik’s attention to Juliana Maria. Her portrait was sent to Denmark and it pleased Frederik. 29-year-old Frederik and 22-year-old Juliana Maria were married at Frederiksborg Palace on July 8, 1752. However, many Danish people felt the marriage occurred too quickly after the death of the beloved Queen Louisa.

The couple had one child:

Hereditary Prince Frederik by Vigilius Eriksen, 1777; Credit – Wikipedia

Her marriage to Frederik V also brought Juliana Maria four stepchildren, but she had no influence in their upbringing:

Despite her efforts, Juliana Maria found it difficult to replace Queen Louisa in the hearts of the Danish people. While Louisa had learned Danish and had insisted that her children learn Danish, a rarity in an almost German-language Danish court, Juliana Maria never fully mastered the Danish language but she did try to speak and write it. She appointed Danish tutors for her son so that he could master Danish. King Frederik V continued his affairs and his drinking and as Louisa had done, Juliana Maria pretended not to notice the problems. Juliana Maria led a quiet life and had no influence in government affairs despite the expectation of her brother-in-law King Friedrich II (the Great) of Prussia that she act as his agent.

In 1760, King Frederik V broke his leg in a drunken accident, affecting his health for the rest of his life. Frederik V died on January 14, 1766, at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen, Denmark at the age of 42. He was buried at Roskilde Cathedral in the Frederik V Chapel.

Frederik V was succeeded by his 17-year-old son from his first marriage, King Christian VII. Christian had been only two-years-old when his mother died. He had a nervous disposition and had been poorly educated and terrorized by a brutal governor, Christian Ditlev Reventlow, Count of Reventlow.  A few months after he became king, Christian married his first cousin Princess Caroline Matilda of Wales, the daughter of Frederick, Prince of Wales (who predeceased his father King George II) and the sister of King George III.

It was soon clear that Christian VII was not quite normal. He publicly declared that he could not love Caroline Matilda because it was “unfashionable to love one’s wife”. His symptoms included paranoia, self-mutilation, and hallucinations. Christian wandered the streets of Copenhagen visiting the city’s taverns and brothels. It became clearer and clearer that Christian could not fulfill his role as king. During a trip that had been arranged because it was believed that new environments could change Christian’s behavior, Christian became acquainted with the physician Johann Friedrich Struensee. Struensee was the first person who understood that Christian was seriously ill. When Christian came home from the trip, Struensee accompanied him and was employed as Christian’s personal physician. Struensee could handle Christian’s instability, which was a great relief to the king’s advisers, and Christian developed confidence in him.

King Christian VII; Credit – Wikipedia

Because of Christian’s confidence in him, Struensee gained political power. In 1770, Struensee became Master of Requests and Minister of the Royal Cabinet. He also became the lover of the ill-treated Caroline Matilda, whose marriage was less than satisfactory. When Caroline Matilda gave birth to her daughter Louise, no one doubted that Struensee was the father of the princess. Eventually, Queen Dowager Juliana Maria maneuvered a coup that would bring about the fall of Struensee and discredit Caroline Matilda. Juliana Maria arranged for King Christian VII to sign the arrest warrant of Struensee after she had already made the arrest in the name of the king. In 1772, Struensee was executed and Caroline Matilda was exiled.

After the fall of Struensee, Juliana Maria and her son Christian VII’s half-brother Hereditary Prince Frederik took charge of the Council of State. Christian VII was only nominally king from 1772 onward. Between 1772 and 1784, Denmark was ruled by Queen Dowager Juliana Maria, Hereditary Prince Frederik, and Cabinet Secretary Ove Høegh-Guldberg. Juliana Maria was given the responsibility of the upbringing of Christian VII’s eldest son Crown Prince Frederik, the future King Frederik VI. From 1784, Crown Prince Frederik ruled permanently as a prince regent. Crown Prince Frederik had no intention of allowing Juliana Maria and her son Frederik to continue their rule. He somehow managed to get his insane father to sign an order dismissing the supporters of Juliana Maria from the council and declaring that no royal order was legal unless co-signed by the Crown Prince, thereby deposing Queen Dowager Juliana Maria and Hereditary Prince Frederik.

Juliana Maria showing the portrait of her only child Hereditary Prince Frederik by Johann Georg Ziesenis, 1766-1767; Credit – Wikipedia

Juliana Maria lived the rest of her life quietly at court. She survived her husband by 30 years, dying on October 10, 1796, at Fredensborg Palace at the age of 67 and was buried at Roskilde Cathedral in the Frederik V Chapel.

Tomb of Juliana Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel – Photo by 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.

Kingdom of Denmark Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • Da.wikipedia.org. (2017). Juliane Marie af Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel. [online] Available at: https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juliane_Marie_af_Braunschweig-Wolfenb%C3%BCttel [Accessed 7 Aug. 2017].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2017). Juliana Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juliana_Maria_of_Brunswick-Wolfenb%C3%BCttel [Accessed 7 Aug. 2017].
  • Unofficial Royalty. (2017). King Christian VII of Denmark. [online] Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-christian-vii-of-denmark/ [Accessed 7 Aug. 2017].
  • Unofficial Royalty. (2017). King Frederik V of Denmark. [online] Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-frederik-v-of-denmark/ [Accessed 7 Aug. 2017].

King Frederik V of Denmark and Norway

by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2017

King Frederik V of Denmark and Norway; Credit – Wikipedia

Frederik V, King of Denmark and Norway, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein was born at Copenhagen Castle in Copenhagen, Denmark on March 31, 1723. His birthplace was demolished in 1731 to make room for the first Christiansborg Palace.  The present Christiansborg Palace stands on the site and is the seat of the Danish Parliament, the Danish Prime Minister’s Office, and the Supreme Court of Denmark. Frederik was the only son and the eldest of the three children of King Christian VI of Denmark and Norway and Sophia Magdalene of Brandenburg-Kulmbach.

Frederik had two younger sisters, but only one survived infancy:

Frederik as a child; Credit – Wikipedia

Frederik’s education was inadequate, and he was far from an exemplary student. His teachers complained that he was more interested in hunting and other pleasurable activities. Frederik was taught the basics of reading, writing, German, French, Latin, and history, but he never wanted to extend his learning. Curiously, Danish was not a subject. Frederik’s teachers were all German except for a Frenchman who taught him French. He was never really proficient in Danish. Ironically, his mother called him “Der Dänische Prinz” (The Danish Prince in German) because he spoke Danish only occasionally.

Frederik’s parents were both adherents to Pietism, a movement in Lutheranism emphasizing Biblical doctrine, individual piety, and living a vigorous Christian life. Pietism considered frugality, humility, restraint, and a sense of duty important virtues. However, Frederik had a very sensual nature and loved wine and women. He spent so much time visiting Copenhagen’s pubs and brothels that his father considered disinheriting him from the throne.

Frederik (on the left) and Louisa (on the right), then Crown Prince and Princess of Denmark, with King Christian VI and Queen Sophie Magdalene sitting, by Marcus Tuscher circa 1744; Credit – Wikipedia

On December 11, 1743, in Altona, Duchy of Holstein, now in Germany, 20-year-old Frederik married 19-year-old Princess Louisa of Great Britain, the fifth daughter and the youngest of the nine children of King George II of Great Britain and Caroline of Ansbach. Frederik’s father, King Christian VI, hoped that this marriage would cause the British government to support his or his son’s claim to the Swedish throne.  Furthermore, the Danish government hoped (incorrectly) that marriage would put an end to Crown Prince Frederik’s affairs and drunkenness. From 1745 – 1752, Frederik had an affair with Else Hansen, known as Madame Hansen, and they had five children. Nevertheless, Frederik and Louisa got along reasonably well, and although Frederik continued his affairs, Louisa pretended not to notice them.

Frederik and Louisa had five children:

Louisa was popular with the Danish people and was interested in music, dance, and theater. The Danish people greatly appreciated Louisa’s efforts to learn and speak Danish and her insistence that her children learn Danish, a rarity in an almost German-language Danish court.

On August 6, 1746, King Christian VI died, and Frederik became King of Denmark and Norway and Duke of Schleswig-Holstein. Although Frederik took part in the government by attending council meetings, he was afflicted with alcoholism, and most of his reign was dominated by his very able ministers Count Adam Gottlob Moltke, a favorite of King Frederik V, Count Johann Hartwig Ernst von Bernstorff, and Heinrich Carl von Schimmelmann.

Queen Louisa by court painter C.G. Pilo, 1751; Credit – Wikipedia

While pregnant with her sixth child, 27-year-old Louisa died on December 19, 1751, at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen, Denmark due to complications from a miscarriage. She was buried in Roskilde Cathedral, the burial place of the kings and queens of Denmark, in Roskilde, Denmark.

Queen Juliana Maria; Credit – Wikipedia

Count Moltke wanted Frederik to marry again, hoping to stabilize his behavior. Moltke arranged a marriage with 22-year-old Princess Juliana Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, the youngest of the six daughters and the eleventh of the thirteen children of Ferdinand Albert II, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel and Antoinette of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. Frederik and Juliana Maria were married at Frederiksborg Palace on July 8, 1752.

The couple had one child:

In 1760, Frederik broke his leg in a drunken accident, which affected his health for the rest of his life. King Frederik V died on January 14, 1766, at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen, Denmark, aged 42. He was buried at Roskilde Cathedral in the Frederik V Chapel.

Tomb of King Frederik V – Photo © Susan Flantzer

Kingdom of Denmark Resources at Unofficial Royalty

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

  • Da.wikipedia.org. (2017). Frederik 5.. [online] Available at: https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederik_5. [Accessed 5 Aug. 2017].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2017). Frederick V of Denmark. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_V_of_Denmark [Accessed 5 Aug. 2017].