Author Archives: Susan

Princess Mary of the United Kingdom, Duchess of Gloucester and Edinburgh

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2013

Princess Mary, Duchess of Gloucester and Edinburgh; Credit – Wikipedia

Princess Mary of the United Kingdom, the fourth daughter and eleventh of fifteen children of King George III of the United Kingdom and Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, was born on April 25, 1776, at the Queen’s House (now Buckingham Palace) in London. Mary was christened on May 19, 1776, in the Great Council Chamber at St. James’s Palace, by Frederick Cornwallis, Archbishop of Canterbury.

Her godparents were:

Princess Mary at age six; Credit – Wikipedia

Mary had fourteen siblings:

Queen Charlotte in 1779 with her 13 eldest children; Credit – Wikipedia

The three younger sisters, Mary, Sophia, and Amelia, were educated together, spending much time with Charlotte de Montmollin, their French governess, who taught the sisters French and needlework. Jane Gomm joined the sisters in 1786 as an English teacher and then supervised their education. Mary, Sophia, and Amelia lived much of the time apart from their parents, sometimes with the younger brothers, at Kew Palace, but most often at Lower Lodge (now called Royal Lodge) at Windsor. The three younger sisters were much less disciplined than the three elder sisters. The artist John Singleton Copley discovered this when he painted Mary, Sophia, and Amelia with the family pets in 1785. The children, the dogs, and the parrots would not cooperate. Somehow, Copley managed to finish the painting, but returned to historical painting and never painted another portrait. The Copley painting is below.

Mary at left, age nine, with her two younger sisters, Sophia and Amelia, by John Singleton Copley, 1785; Credit – Wikipedia

Mary’s childhood was very sheltered. The living conditions of King George’s daughters came to be known as “the Nunnery.” None of the daughters was allowed to marry at the age when most princesses would marry. Perhaps this over-protection of King George III’s daughters was due to what happened to his sister Caroline Matilda when she married King Christian VII of Denmark. Christian’s mental illness led to Caroline Matilda having an affair, being caught, the execution of her lover, her exile, and her early death from scarlet fever at age 23. The story was told in several novels, including Per Olov Enquist’s The Visit of the Royal Physician (1999) and in the Danish film A Royal Affair (2012). Stella Tillyard also covers Caroline Matilda’s affair in her nonfiction book A Royal Affair: George III and His Scandalous Siblings (2006). Despite what happened to their aunt, the sisters longed to escape from “the Nunnery.”

Princess Mary in 1797; Credit – Wikipedia

Around 1796, Mary fell in love with her second cousin, Prince Frederick of Orange-Nassau, the youngest son of King George III’s first cousin William V, Prince of Orange and Stadtholder of the Dutch Republic, when his family lived in exile in London. There was no marriage because King George III mandated that his oldest daughters be married first. In 1799, Prince Frederick died of an infection while serving in the army, and Mary was allowed to go into mourning for him.

Prince Frederick of Orange-Nassau, Mary’s would-be bridegroom, circa 1790; Credit – Wikipedia

Before King George’s first bout with what probably was porphyria in 1788, he had told his daughters that he would take them to Hanover to find them husbands. Further bouts occurred in 1801 and 1804 and prevented talk of marriage for his daughters. Queen Charlotte feared that the subject of marriage, which had always bothered her husband, would push him back into insanity. She was stressed by her husband’s illness and wanted her daughters to remain close to her. The sisters – Charlotte, Augusta, Elizabeth, Mary, Sophia, and Amelia – continued to be over-protected and isolated. This restricted them from meeting eligible suitors of their own age.

Princess Amelia  in 1807; Credit – Wikipedia

Mary had a very close relationship with her youngest sibling, Princess Amelia, and jokingly called her “Mama’s Tool” because she was so obedient to her mother. By 1810, Amelia was fatally ill with pulmonary tuberculosis. She then developed erysipelas, an acute skin infection. Before the advent of antibiotics, erysipelas frequently resulted in death. Amelia’s case of erysipelas was particularly severe, with the rash literally from her head to her toes. Mary nursed her sister through her last illness and was at Amelia’s bedside when she died on November 2, 1810, at the age of 27. Mary deeply mourned Amelia’s premature death for many years.

Eventually, three of the six sisters married, and one of them was Mary. Charlotte, Princess Royal married at age 29, a rather late age for marriage, but Elizabeth was 48 and Mary was 40 at the time of their marriages. On July 22, 1816, at the Chapel Royal in St James’s Palace, Princess Mary married her paternal first cousin, Prince William Frederick, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh, the son of King George III’s brother, Prince William Henry, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh. Prince William was six months older than Mary and had become Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh upon his father’s death in 1805. William had been encouraged to remain single so that there might be a suitable match for Princess Charlotte of Wales, the heiress to the throne, in case no foreign prince proved suitable. However, ten weeks earlier, Princess Charlotte married Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. As a great-grandson of King George II, William was styled His Highness Prince William of Great Britain. On the day of his marriage, Mary’s brother, The Prince Regent (the future King George IV), granted William the style of His Royal Highness.

Prince William Frederick, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh; Credit – Wikipedia

Prince William attended Trinity College (University of Cambridge) and was granted a Master of Arts degree in 1790. From 1811 until his death, he was Chancellor of the University of Cambridge. He entered the British Army at the age of thirteen in 1789 and quickly ascended the ranks: Major-General in 1796, Lieutenant-General in 1799, General in 1808, and Field-Marshal in 1816. In 1799, he participated in the Anglo-Russian invasion of Holland as a Major-General of the British Army, under the command of his cousin, Prince Frederick, Duke of York.

Mary and William’s marriage was childless, and the couple lived at Gloucester House in Piccadilly, London, and Bagshot Park, now the home of Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh.  Although William wanted to marry Mary, he often treated her unkindly. Mary’s meddling sister-in-law, Princess Sophia Matilda of Gloucester, made her situation even more difficult.

William died after eighteen years of marriage at the age of 58 on November 30, 1834, at Bagshot Park. Mary was a great favorite with all the members of the royal family, particularly her niece, Queen Victoria. She was renowned for her charm and kindness. Princess Mary, Duchess of Gloucester and Edinburgh died at age 81, the longest-lived and the last survivor of her parents’ fifteen children, on April 30, 1857, at Gloucester House in London. She also has the distinction of being the only child of King George III to be photographed (see below). Princess Mary was buried with her husband in the Gloucester Vault at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle.

Princess Mary at age 80 on the right with her niece Queen Victoria and two of Victoria’s children, Princess Alice and the Prince of Wales (future Edward VII); Credit – Wikipedia

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
Fraser, Flora. Princesses: The Six Daughters of George III. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2004. Print.
“Prince William Frederick, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh.” Wikipedia. N.p.: Wikimedia Foundation, 2017.
“Princess Mary, Duchess of Gloucester and Edinburgh.” Wikipedia. N.p.: Wikimedia Foundation, 2017.
Van Der Kiste, John. The Georgian Princesses. Phoenix Mill: Sutton Publishing, 2000. Print.
Williamson, David. Brewer’s British Royalty. London: Cassell, 1996. Print.

Wallis, Duchess of Windsor

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2013

 

Bessie Wallis Warfield was born on June 19, 1896, in Square Cottage at the Monterey Inn in Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania, and grew up in Baltimore, Maryland. She was the only child of  Teackle Wallis Warfield and Alice Montague and was named after her mother’s older sister Bessie Montague Merryman and her father. Teackle’s family had money, but it was “new money,” and the family was looked down upon by the older, established families.  Solomon Warfield, Teackle’s brother, was a self-made millionaire, but Teackle was the least eligible catch of the family.  He was sickly, had been ill with tuberculosis since he was 18 years old, and had a poor-paying job as a county auctioneer. Wallis’ mother was Alice Montague from a Southern “Old Family”.

The Montague family could not fathom Alice’s decision to marry Teackle.  Only three people attended their wedding: Alice’s sister Bessie and two of Teackle’s friends.  Five months after Wallis’ birth, her father died at the age of 27.  Wallis and her mother were dependent upon the charity of relatives.  Her uncle Solomon paid for Wallis to attend the most expensive girls’ school in Maryland, where she made friends with a number of girls from wealthy families.

Wallis at six months with her mother; Credit -www.findagrave.com

When Wallis was 20, she married Earl Winfield Spencer, a U.S. Navy pilot.  Allegedly, Spencer was abusive and an alcoholic. After several separations, the Spencers divorced in December 1927.  Before her marriage was officially ended, Wallis became involved with Ernest Simpson, a shipping executive, who had been born in the United States but became a British citizen during World War I.  Wallis and Ernest married in 1928.

Earl Winfield Spencer, Jr., Wallis’s first husband; Credit – Wikipedia

Ernest Simpson, Wallis’s second husband; Credit – Wikipedia

Through a friend, Consuelo Thaw, Wallis met Consuelo’s sister Thelma, Viscountess Furness, the mistress of Edward, Prince of Wales, the eldest son of King George V of the United Kingdom.  In early 1931, Thelma introduced Wallis to the Prince of Wales.  Over the next several years, the Prince of Wales and the Simpsons attended various house parties and other social events, and Wallis was presented at court.  In January 1934, Wallis became the mistress of the Prince of Wales, known as David in the family.  Wallis eventually divorced her second husband in October 1936.  On May 7, 1937, Wallis legally resumed her maiden name but continued to use the title “Mrs.” so she was Mrs. Wallis Warfield.

Wallis in 1936; Credit – Wikipedia

On January 20, 1936, King George V died, and David became King Edward VIII. The new king showed impatience with court protocol and caused concern with his disregard for established constitutional conventions. He was also completely enthralled by Wallis and was naively convinced that once she was free from her marriage, he would be able to marry her and she would be queen.  At that time, it was unthinkable that the Supreme Governor of the Church of England could marry a person who had been divorced not just once, but twice.  David’s insistence on proceeding with these plans, despite advice to the contrary, provoked a government crisis.

King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson on holiday in Yugoslavia, 1936; Credit – Wikipedia

David informed Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin that he would abdicate if he could not marry Wallis. Baldwin then presented the king with three choices:  (1) give up the idea of marriage  (2) marry against his ministers’ wishes  (3) abdicate. It was evident that David was not prepared to give up Wallis, and he knew that if he married against the advice of his ministers, he would cause the government to resign, prompting a constitutional crisis. He chose to abdicate.

King Edward VIII signed the Instrument of Abdication on December 10, 1936, in the presence of his brothers: Prince Albert, Duke of York, the heir to the throne; Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester; and Prince George, Duke of Kent. The next day, the last act of his reign was the royal assent to His Majesty’s Declaration of Abdication Act 1936, necessary because only Parliament can change the succession to the throne. On the evening of December 11, 1936, once again His Royal Highness Prince Edward, the former king gave his famous radio speech in which he said, “I have found it impossible to carry the heavy burden of responsibility and to discharge my duties as king as I would wish to do without the help and support of the woman I love.”

On December 12, 1936, at the accession meeting of the Privy Council, the new King George VI announced he would give his brother the title Duke of Windsor with the style of Royal Highness. Letters Patent dated May 27, 1937 re-conferred the “title, style, or attribute of Royal Highness” upon the Duke of Windsor, but specifically stated that “his wife and descendants, if any, shall not hold said title or attribute”.

On June 3, 1937, David married Wallis Simpson at the Château de Candé, near Tours, France. The legality of King George VI’s Letters Patent stating that David’s style of Royal Highness could not be extended to his wife or children is doubtful.  As the son of a British monarch, David was entitled to that style, which should have automatically reverted to him upon his abdication and automatically extended to his legal wife and any legitimate children. David considered holding back the style Her Royal Highness from his wife unjust, but out of respect for his brother, he never made a public issue.  In their household, the Duchess of Windsor was always addressed as Royal Highness.

 Wedding Day, June 3, 1937

During World War II, David was at first stationed with the British Military Mission to France. However, after accusations that he held Nazi sympathies, he was appointed Governor of the Bahamas to remove him from Europe during World War II. The Duke and Duchess of Windsor lived the latter part of their lives in Paris, France, in a mansion they called Villa Windsor, located at 4 Route du Champ d’Entraînement in the Bois de Boulogne, a large park. The house is owned by the city of Paris and was leased to the Windsors at a nominal rent from 1952 to 1986.  During the 1950s and 1960s, the Duke and Duchess were treated as celebrities and were the toast of parties they hosted and attended as guests.  The couple visited Presidents Dwight Eisenhower and Richard Nixon at the White House and were popular guests among society around the world.

 The Duke and Duchess of Windsor attend a ball in Paris in 1962

The Duke and Duchess with their beloved pugs.  Photograph in honor of my daughter-in-law’s puggle whose name is Wallis, after the Duchess.

The Duchess was never fully accepted by the British Royal Family. Her mother-in-law, Queen Mary, refused to formally receive her. Occasionally, the Duke visited his mother and brother King George VI, but he did attend his brother’s funeral in 1952 or his mother’s funeral in 1953. He did not attend the coronation of his niece, Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. In 1965, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor visited London, and they were visited by Duke’s niece, Queen Elizabeth II, the Duke’s sister-in-law, Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent, and the Duke’s sister, Mary, Princess Royal, Countess of Harewood. During their visit to London, the Duke’s sister Mary suddenly died, and the couple attended her funeral. The 1968 funeral of Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent was the last royal event the Duke attended. He was invited to the investiture of Prince Charles as Prince of Wales in 1969 but declined the invitation.

The Duke’s health started to decline during the 1960s when he was treated for an aneurysm and detached retina. He was a heavy smoker and in late 1971, was diagnosed with throat cancer. Early in 1972, the Duke underwent surgery for a hernia. On May 18, 1972, Queen Elizabeth II, the Duke of Edinburgh, and the Prince of Wales, visited the Duke at his Paris home while on a state visit to France. The Duke was too ill to come downstairs to tea, but the Queen spent 15 minutes talking alone with her Uncle David in his sitting room after the Duchess of Windsor hosted tea in the downstairs drawing room.

 The Duchess curtseying to The Queen when she visited the Duke at his Paris home in May 1972

Ten days later, a statement from Buckingham Palace said: “It is announced with deep regret that His Royal Highness, the Duke of Windsor, has died at his home in Paris at 2:25 A.M., Sunday, May 28, 1972.” The Duke of Windsor died a month before his 78th birthday. The Duke’s body lay in state at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle, and an unexpectedly large number of people filed by the casket. At the Duke’s request, a private royal funeral was held at St. George’s Chapel. Except for the Duke’s only surviving brother, The Duke of Gloucester, who was very ill, all other adult members of the Royal Family attended the funeral along with King Olav V of Norway, who was the Duke’s first cousin.  The Duke of Windsor was buried near his brother The Duke of Kent at the Royal Burial Ground behind the Royal Mausoleum of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert at Frogmore near Windsor Castle. The Duchess of Windsor attended her husband’s funeral.

 Queen Elizabeth II, The Duchess of Windsor, and The Queen Mother at the Duke of Windsor’s funeral

The Duchess of Windsor survived her husband by fourteen years. Increasingly frail and suffering from dementia, she lived the remainder of her life as a recluse, supported by her husband’s estate and an allowance from Queen Elizabeth II.  She suffered several falls and broke her hip twice. After the Duke of Windsor’s death, the Duchess’s French lawyer, Suzanne Blum, assumed power of attorney. Blum sold items belonging to the Duchess to her friends at a lower than market value and was accused of exploiting the Duchess.  In 1980, the Duchess lost her ability to speak. She became bedridden and did not receive any visitors except her doctor and nurses.

The Duchess of Windsor in 1975

The Duchess of Windsor died on April 24, 1986, at the age of 89, at her home in the Bois de Boulogne, Paris, France.  Her funeral was held at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle, and was attended by her two surviving sisters-in-law: The Queen Mother and Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, and also Queen Elizabeth II, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince and Princess of Wales (Charles and Diana), Princess Anne, and Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.  Queen Elizabeth II, the Duke of Edinburgh, and the Prince and Princess of Wales also attended the burial. Wallis was buried next to her husband in the Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore, near Windsor Castle.

Graves of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor at the Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore, adjacent to Windsor Castle, Photo Credit – www.findagrave.com

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

  • Birmingham, Stephen. Duchess: The Story Of Wallis Warfield Windsor. 1st ed. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 1981. Print.
  • Higham, Charles. The Duchess Of Windsor. 1st ed. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley, 2005. Print.
  • “King Edward VIII, The Duke Of Windsor”. Unofficial Royalty. N.p., 2017. Web. 27 Mar. 2017.
  • “Wallis Simpson”. En.wikipedia.org. N.p., 2017. Web. 27 Mar. 2017.
  • Williamson, David. Brewer’s British Royalty. London: Cassell, 1996. Print.

Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden, Duke of Västerbotten

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2013

Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden, Duke of Västerbotten; Credit – Wikipedia

Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden was the father of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and would have himself become King of Sweden had he not died tragically in an airplane crash at the age of 40. He was born on April 22, 1906, at the Royal Palace of Stockholm, the eldest son of the future King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden and Princess Margaret of Connaught. He had four younger siblings:

Gustaf Adolf as an infant, held by his great-grandfather, King Oscar II. His grandfather, King Gustaf V, and father, King Gustaf VI Adolf, stand behind them. source: Wikipedia

Gustaf Adolf’s mother, Princess Margaret of Connaught, was the daughter of Queen Victoria’s third son, Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught. She married the future King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden in 1905. The marriage was a happy one, but was tragically cut short when Margaret died from an infection after a mastoid operation in 1920. She was eight months pregnant with her sixth child, who also died.

Gustaf Adolf, c1913. source: Wikipedia

Gustaf Adolf grew up at the Royal Palace in Stockholm and spent summers at Sofiero Castle and his maternal grandparents’ home, Bagshot Park, in England. With his siblings, he began his education privately at home, before attending the Lundbergs School, a private boarding school in Värmland. Along with his studies, the prince excelled at fencing and horse riding. He was the Swedish champion in saber fencing, and in 1936, competed in show jumping at the Olympic Games held in Berlin. He would later serve as President of the Swedish Olympic Committee from 1933 until he died in 1947. He was also very involved in the Scouting movement, both as a child and an adult.

Graduating from Lundbergs School in 1925, Gustaf Adolf began his military career, entering the cavalry. He later attended the Military Academy Karlberg, becoming a lieutenant in the Life Guards. In 1927, he attended the War College and attained the rank of Captain in the Mounted Life regiment. He later attended Uppsala University and the Stockholm School of Economics, in preparation for his future role in the monarchy.

In November 1931, while attending the wedding of Lady May Cambridge in London, Gustaf Adolf’s sister Ingrid introduced him to one of the other bridesmaids, Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Sibylla was the daughter of Prince Carl Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Princess Viktoria Adelheid of Schleswig-Holstein. Gustaf Adolf and Sibylla were second cousins, through their mutual descent from Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. A romance quickly began, and they were engaged on June 16, 1932.

Gustaf Adolf & Sibylla at their wedding; Credit – Wikipedia

Gustaf Adolf and Sibylla married in a civil ceremony on October 19, 1932, at Veste Castle in Coburg. The following day, a religious ceremony was held at St. Moritz Church.

After extensive renovations, they took up residence at Haga Palace and had five children:

Gustaf Adolf with his family, 1946. source: Wikipedia

Along with his participation in the Olympic committee, Prince Gustaf Adolf also served as Chairman of the Swedish Guide and Scout Council, President of the International Scout Committee, Chairman of the Swedish Sports Confederation, and Chairman of the Swedish Hunters Association, among others.

Prince Gustaf Adolf was killed in a commercial airplane crash on January 26, 1947, at the Kastrup Airport in Kastrup, Denmark, near Copenhagen. He was returning from a hunting trip and a visit to Princess Juliana and Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands. The plane had landed at Kastrup for a routine stop before continuing to Stockholm. After taking off, the plane climbed to an altitude of only 150 feet, stalled, and plummeted nose-first to the ground, where it exploded upon impact. All 22 people aboard the plane were killed. Also killed in the accident were the prince’s aide, Count Albert Stenbock, Danish actress Gerda Neumann, and American opera singer Grace Moore.

Grave of Prince Gustaf Adolf and Princess Sibylla. source: Wikipedia

Following a funeral held at the Storkyrkan (Stockholm Cathedral) in Stockholm, Sweden, on February 4, 1947, Prince Gustaf Adolf was buried at the Royal Burial Ground in Haga Park in Solna, Stockholm, Sweden. His only son, nine-month-old Carl Gustaf, became second in the line of succession and would succeed his grandfather, King Gustaf VI Adolf, in 1973.

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 Sweden Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Elisabeth of Württemberg, Archduchess of Austria

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2013

Elisabeth of Württemberg, Archduchess of Austria; Credit – Wikipedia

Elisabeth of Württemberg (Elisabeth Wilhelmine Luise) was born on April 21, 1767, in Treptow an der Rega in Brandenburg-Pomerania, now Trzebiatów, Poland. She was one of the twelve children of Friedrich II Eugene, Duke of Württemberg and Sophia Dorothea of Brandenburg-Schwedt. Elisabeth had eleven siblings:

At the age of 15, Elisabeth went to Vienna to prepare to become the bride of Archduke Franz, the nephew of Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II. The Protestant princess was educated by nuns at the Church and Monastery of the Visitation and converted to Roman Catholicism. Elisabeth married Archduke Franz (the future emperor) on January 6, 1788, when she was 20 years old.

Elisabeth was very close to Emperor Joseph, and his final illness in February 1790 greatly upset the then-pregnant Elisabeth. She fainted upon seeing the dying emperor and, on February 18, 1790, gave premature birth to a daughter, Archduchess Ludovika Elisabeth. The labor had lasted more than 24 hours, and Elisabeth, age 22, died the same day due to complications. Holy Roman Emperor Joseph died two days later. Archduchess Elisabeth was buried at the Capuchin Church in Vienna, in the Imperial Crypt in the Franzensgruft (Franz’s Vault), where her husband and his three other wives are also buried. Elisabeth’s baby, Ludovika Elisabeth, lived only until June 24, 1791, and is buried in the Imperial Crypt in the southwest pier of Ferdinandsgruft (Ferdinand’s Vault) along with other Habsburgs who died young. After her death, Elisabeth’s husband became Holy Roman Emperor and then Emperor of Austria.

Tomb of Elisabeth of Württemberg, first wife of Holy Roman Emperor Franz II/Emperor Franz I of Austria; Photo Credit – Susan Flantzer

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Austria Resources at Unofficial Royalty

King Christian X of Denmark

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2013

King Christian X of Denmark; Credit – Wikipedia

King Christian X of Denmark (Christian Carl Frederik Albert Alexander Vilhelm) was born on September 26, 1870, at the Charlottenlund Palace in Gentofte Kommune near Copenhagen, Denmark. He was the eldest of the eight children of King Frederik VIII of Denmark and Princess Louise of Sweden, daughter of King Carl XV of Sweden. At the time of his birth, his grandfather, King Christian IX, was the King of Denmark.

Christian had seven siblings:

Christian was related to many European royals through his paternal aunts and uncles. Among his first cousins were Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia, King Constantine I of Greece, King George V of the United Kingdom, and Maud of Wales, Queen of Norway, who married his brother Carl, the future King Haakon VII of Norway.

In 1889, Christian passed the studenter-eksamen (the upper secondary school exit examination), the first Danish prince to do so. He then began a military career, which was common for many princes at that time. Christian served in the 5th Dragoon Regiment and studied at the Officers Academy in Randers, Denmark, from 1891 to 1892.

Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Christian; Credit – Wikipedia

It was in the French city of Cannes, located on the French Riviera, that Christian met his future wife, Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, daughter of Friedrich Franz III, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Grand Duchess Anastasia Mikhailovna of Russia, a granddaughter of Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia.  Because of the poor health of Grand Duke Friedrich Franz, the family spent much time in warm climates, including Cannes, where they had a large estate, Villa Wenden.  Christian and Alexandrine were married in Cannes, France, on April 26, 1898.

The couple had two sons:

Prince Frederik and Prince Knud, 1912; Credit – Wikipedia

Christian and Alexandrine received the newly built Marselisborg Palace in Aarhus as a wedding present from the Danish public, but it was not completed until 1902.  The couple made Christian VIII’s Palace at Amalienborg their Copenhagen base, and Sorgenfri Palace, north of Copenhagen, was their summer residence.

Marselisborg Palace; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

In 1906, Christian’s grandfather King Christian IX died. Christian’s father succeeded him on the throne as King Frederik VIII, and Christian became Crown Prince of Denmark.  Frederik VIII’s reign was to last only six years. Returning to Copenhagen after a trip to Nice, France, Frederik made a stopover in Hamburg, Germany on May 13, 1912. He registered at the Hamburger Hof Hotel using the pseudonym Count Kronborg. On the following evening, May 14, 1912, Frederik left the hotel alone for an evening stroll. When he was not found in his hotel room the next morning, a discreet search revealed that the body of a well-dressed unknown gentleman had been found on a park bench. The body, which had been moved to the city morgue a little before midnight, was that of the 68-year-old King Frederik, who had died of a heart attack. Upon his father’s death, Christian succeeded to the Danish throne as King Christian X.

King Christian X proclaimed king at Amalienborg Palace in 1912; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1940, during World War II, Germany occupied Denmark. Unlike King Haakon VII of Norway (Christian’s brother, born Prince Carl of Denmark) and Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, both of whom went into exile during the German occupation of their countries, King Christian remained in Denmark.  He is remembered for his daily horse ride without a guard through the streets of Copenhagen during the Nazi occupation of Denmark, a symbol of Danish sovereignty.

King Christian X riding his horse through Copenhagen during World War II in defiance of Nazi occupation of Denmark; Credit – Wikipedia

After a fall from his horse in October 1942, Christian was more or less an invalid for the rest of his life.  King Christian X died at Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen on April 20, 1947, at age 76, and is buried in the Glücksburger Chapel at Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde, Denmark. His wife Alexandrine survived him by five years, dying in 1952.

Tombs of King Christian X and Queen Alexandrine; Credit – Susan Flantzer

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Kingdom of Denmark Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Johanna Loisinger, Countess von Hartenau

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2013

Johanna Loisinger with her two children circa 1894, Credit – Wikipedia

Born on April 18, 1865, in Preßburg, Hungary (now Bratislava, Slovakia),  Johanna Maria Louise Loisinger, was the wife of the former reigning Prince of Bulgaria who was born Prince Alexander of Battenberg. Johanna, an opera singer, virtuoso pianist, and actress was the only daughter of conductor Johann Loisinger and his wife Maria Meier.  Coming from a musical family, it was natural that Johanna received musical training.  She sang soprano operatic roles in Prague and Opava (now in the Czech Republic), in Linz, Austria, and at the court theater in Darmstadt in the Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine (now in Hesse, Germany).  Johanna was one of the best-known singers of Mozart’s music of her time.

Johanna’s husband, Prince Alexander of Battenberg; Credit – Wikipedia

On February 6, 1889, Johanna married the former reigning Prince of Bulgaria, born Prince Alexander of Battenberg, (known as Sandro) in Menton, Alpes-Maritimes, France. It is possible that the couple met in Darmstadt as Sandro’s father, Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine, was the son of Ludwig II, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine.  Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine had fallen in love with Countess Julia Hauke, lady-in-waiting to his sister Marie, the wife of  Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia.  Alexander of Battenberg and Julia married morganatically and were allowed the style and title of His/Her Serene Highness Prince/Princess of Battenberg, as were their children.  Besides Sandro, Alexander and Julia had two sons who made notable marriages.  Prince Henry of Battenberg married Queen Victoria’s youngest child Princess Beatrice and Prince Louis of Battenberg married Queen Victoria’s granddaughter Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine. Louis and Victoria are the maternal grandparents of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

After their marriage, Sandro and Johanna assumed the style of Count and Countess of Hartenau and withdrew from public life.  Alexander joined the Austrian Imperial Army and lived with his family in Graz, Austria.  The marriage lasted only four years as Sandro died in 1893 at the age of 36.

Sandro and Johanna had two children:

  • Assènne Ludwig Alexander, Count von Hartenau (1890 – 1965), married Bertha Husa-Ramos, no children
  • Marie Therese Vera Zvetana, Countess von Hartenau (1893 – 1935), married Charles Ercula Boassevan, no children

After Sandro’s death, Johanna received a pension from Bulgaria, and she and her young children moved to Vienna, Austria.  Johanna was active in Viennese musical life and was involved in the building of the Academy Mozarteum in Mozart’s birthplace, Salzburg, Austria. She served as president of the Vienna Mozart Society, the Vienna Concert Association, and the Vienna Symphony Orchestra.

Johanna died on July 20, 1951, in Vienna at the age of 86. She was buried at St. Leonhard Cemetery in Graz, Austria, where her daughter had been buried.

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Marie of Saxe-Altenburg, Queen of Hanover

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2013

Marie of Saxe-Altenburg, Queen of Hanover; Credit – Wikipedia

Born on April 14, 1818, in Hildburghausen, Duchy of Saxe-Hildburghausen, now in the German state of Thuringia, Marie was the eldest daughter of the six daughters of Joseph, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg and Amalie of Württemberg.  She was given a long string of names: Alexandrine Marie Wilhelmine Katharine Charlotte Theresia Henriette Luise Pauline Elisabeth Friederike Georgine.  Marie was born as a Princess of Saxe-Hildburghausen, but in 1826 she became a Princess of Saxe-Altenburg due to a transfer of territories within her family.

Marie had five sisters:

  • Pauline (1819 – 1825), died young
  • Therese (1823 – 1915), unmarried
  • Elisabeth (1826 – 1896), married Peter II, Grand Duke of Oldenburg, had issue
  • Alexandra (1830 – 1911), married Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich of Russia, son of  Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia; had issue, their daughter Grand Duchess Olga Konstantinovna and her husband King George I of Greece (born Prince William of Denmark) are ancestors of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Queen Sofía of Spain, and five Kings of Greece.
  • Luise (1832 – 1833), died young

In 1839, Marie met Crown Prince George of Hanover at Schloss Monbrillant, a summer palace of the Hanovers.  George was the son of Ernest Augustus, the fifth son of George III of the United Kingdom, who had inherited the throne of Hanover upon the accession of his niece Victoria in 1837.  Up until that point, Hanoverian kings of the United Kingdom were also Electors or Kings of Hanover. However, Hanover followed the Salic Law, which did not allow female succession.  Ernest Augustus, as the eldest surviving male, became King of Hanover.

Crown Prince George was totally blind, having lost sight in his left eye due to illness when he was ten years old and the sight in his right eye due to an accident four years later.  There were some doubts about his ability to be king due to his blindness, but his father decided to keep him in the line of succession.  Marie and George were married on February 18, 1843.

The couple had three children:

Marie and her family; Credit – Wikipedia

George succeeded his father as King of Hanover and Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, as well as Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale, in the Peerage of Great Britain, and Earl of Armagh, in the Peerage of Ireland, on November 18, 1851, and Marie assumed the female counterparts of the styles and titles.  King George V of Hanover reigned for only 15 years, being exiled from Hanover in 1866 because of his support for Austria in the Austro-Prussian War.

On September 20, 1866, Hanover was annexed by Prussia. George never abdicated from the throne of Hanover, and he and Marie lived in exile at Gmunden, Austria, until he died in 1878. After George’s death, Marie continued living in the Villa Thun in Gmunden, known as the Queen’s Villa, still owned by the House of Hanover.  She died on January 9, 1907, and was buried in the mausoleum at Schloss Cumberland in Gmunden, Austria.  Through her son Ernst Augustus, Marie is the ancestor of former King Constantine I of Greece, his sister Queen Sofia of Spain, Sofia’s son King Felipe VI of Spain, and Prince Ernst Augustus of Hanover, the husband of Princess Caroline of Monaco.

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Unofficial Royalty Kingdom of Hanover Resources

Princess Viktoria of Prussia, Princess of Schaumburg-Lippe, Mrs Zoubkoff

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2013

Viktoria of Prussia, Princess of Schaumburg-Lippe, Mrs Zoubkoff; Credit – Wikipedia

Princess Viktoria of Prussia (Frederica Amalia Wilhelmine Viktoria) was born on April 12, 1866, at the Neues Palais in Potsdam, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany. Known in the family as Moretta, she was the second daughter and fifth of eight children of Friedrich III, German Emperor, King of Prussia and his wife Victoria, Princess Royal, a daughter of Queen Victoria.  Moretta was born two months before the tragic death of her brother Sigismund at the age of 21 months due to meningitis.  Sigismund was a favorite of their mother, who suffered intense grief upon her son’s death.  Unlike some of her older siblings, Moretta was devoted to her mother and very English in her ways.

Moretta had seven siblings:

Moretta’s family; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Moretta’s mother and grandmother, Queen Victoria, recommended her first possible love match. Prince Alexander of Battenberg (called Sandro), was a brother of Prince Henry of Battenberg (husband of Moretta’s aunt Princess Beatrice of the United Kingdom), and a brother of Prince Louis of Battenberg (husband of Moretta’s cousin Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine), and had been selected the reigning Prince of Bulgaria in 1879. Sandro visited the Prussian court at the suggestion of Moretta’s mother in 1881, and at age 15, Moretta fell in love with Sandro. Her parents were eager for a marriage, but Moretta’s grandfather, Wilhelm I, German Emperor, and Chancellor Otto von Bismarck were not in favor of the marriage.  They felt that Alexander III, Emperor of All Russia would be offended by the marriage because Russia and Bulgaria did not have a positive relationship.  When Moretta’s father became the German Emperor in 1888, it appeared that it was possible that the marriage would occur.  However, Friedrich III, already ill with throat cancer, died three months after becoming Emperor.  The new Emperor, Moretta’s brother Wilhelm II, took Bismarck’s advice and did not give permission for the marriage.  The dejected princess was forced to give up the possibility of marrying Sandro.

Engagement photo of Princess Viktoria of Prussia and Prince Adolf of Schaumburg-Lippe; Credit – Wikipedia

Over the next several years, Moretta, who was not considered attractive, became convinced that she would remain unmarried. There was talk about Moretta marrying Prince Carl of Sweden and a couple of Russian Grand Dukes.  In June 1890, Moretta, her sister Mossy (Margaret), and their mother visited Princess Marie of Wied.  Prince Adolf of Schaumburg-Lippe was one of the other guests.  The weather during the visit was rainy, and Adolf and Moretta spent time together indoors.  On June 11, 1890, the couple became engaged.  They married on November 19, 1890.  Moretta suffered a miscarriage early in the marriage, and the couple never had children.  Prince Adolf died in 1916.

Moretta with her second husband, Alexander Zoubkoff; Credit – Wikipedia

Moretta’s second marriage was made despite the disapproval of her siblings.  On November 19, 1927, Moretta married Alexander Zoubkoff, a Russian refugee described as a “dancer”, who was 35 years younger.  Moretta’s finances were not good, but her new husband carelessly spent her money and was at home very infrequently.  Moretta was forced to sell the contents of Palais Schaumburg, her home in Bonn, Germany, but the sale did not net much money, and she moved into a single furnished room in the Bonn suburb of Mehlem.  In 1929, Moretta announced that she was divorcing her second husband, but she died of pneumonia a few days later on November 13, 1929, at the Hospital of St. Francis in Bonn, Germany.  She was buried at the home her mother had built after her father’s death, the Schloss Friedrichshof in Kronberg im Taunus, Germany.

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Queen Isabella II of Spain

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2013

Queen Isabella II of Spain; Credit: Wikipedia

Queen Isabella II was born on October 10, 1830, at the Royal Palace in Madrid, Spain, the elder daughter of King Ferdinand VII of Spain and his fourth wife (and niece), Maria Christina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies.  Isabella was baptized María Isabel Luisa and was Princess of Asturias, the title of the heir to the Spanish throne, from birth.  In Spain, even if there is no heir apparent, the title can be (but is not necessarily) given to the heir presumptive – a daughter, sibling, or matrilineal descendant of the monarch.  Ferdinand VII died on September 29, 1833, and Isabella succeeded to the throne, not quite three years old.

Isabella had one younger sister:

Queen Isabella II as a child; Credit – Wikipedia

Ferdinand persuaded the Spanish legislature to set aside the Salic Law, which allowed only male succession. This precipitated a series of wars known as the Carlist Wars in which Ferdinand’s brother Carl, and later his descendants, fought over the succession. Even today, there are Carlist claimants to the Spanish throne. Isabella’s mother and Baldomero Espartero, Prince of Vergara, served as regents during her minority.  In 1843, the military led a coup against Baldomero Espartero and then had the legislature declare that Isabella had reached her majority at age 13.

In a series of diplomatic twists and turns, called the Affair of the Spanish Marriage, Isabella married her double first cousin Infante Francisco de Asís de Borbón, Duke of Cadiz instead of the groom the English proposed, Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, a first cousin of Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert. At the same time, Isabella’s younger sister, Luisa Fernanda, married Antoine d’Orléans, Duke of Montpensier, the younger son of King Louis Philippe of France. These marriages pleased Louis Philippe and alienated the British.

Isabella and her husband; Credit – Wikipedia

Isabella’s marriage was not happy. There were persistent rumors that few, if any of her children, were fathered by her husband.  Isabella had nine children, but only five reached adulthood.

Isabella’s children:

Isabella and her three youngest daughters; Credit – Wikipedia

Isabella’s authoritarianism, her religious fanaticism, her alliance with the military, and the chaos of her reign — sixty different governments — helped bring about the Revolution of 1868 that exiled her to Paris. The new government replaced Isabella with King Amadeo I, the second son of King Vittorio Emmanuele II of Italy.  During Amadeo’s reign, there were many republican uprisings, and he abdicated in 1873 and returned to Italy. The First Spanish Republic was declared but lasted less than two years. Isabella officially abdicated in 1870, and after the First Spanish Republic collapsed, her son Alfonso XII became king.

Isabella in exile in Paris; Credit – Wikipedia

Isabella and her husband Francisco separated in 1870, but they both continued to live in France.  Over time, they had become friends, and Isabella and two of her daughters were present when Francisco died in 1902. Isabella died from influenza complications in Paris, France, on April 10, 1904. Isabella and Francisco are buried in the Pantheon of Kings at the Royal Site of San Lorenzo de El Escorial in San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Spain, near Madrid, Spain.

Tomb of Queen Isabella II; Photo Credit – www.findagrave.com

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Kingdom of Spain Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Arthur, Prince of Wales

by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2013

Arthur, Prince of Wales; Credit: Wikipedia

The first child of King Henry VII of England, the first Tudor monarch, and Elizabeth of York, daughter of King Edward IV, niece of King Richard III,  and sister of King Edward V, was born purposefully in Winchester, England, once the capital of the Kingdom of Wessex, on September 20, 1486.  The name Arthur was chosen in hopes that he would bring a new Arthurian age to the new Tudor dynasty.

Arthur was christened on September 24, 1486, at Winchester Cathedral. His godparents were:

Arthur had six siblings:

Henry VII’s family, including children who did not survive childhood: At left, Henry VII, with Arthur, Prince of Wales behind him, then Henry (later Henry VIII), and Edmund. To the right is Elizabeth of York, with Margaret, then Elizabeth, Mary, and Katherine; Credit – Wikipedia

Arthur had an education befitting the heir to the throne. A household was set up for him in Ludlow Castle near the Welsh border when he was six years old. His early education covered the basics of reading, writing, and arithmetic, which he learned very quickly. In 1491,  John Rede, former Headmaster of Winchester College, became his tutor, followed by the blind poet Bernard André in 1496, and then Thomas Linacre in 1501.

When Arthur was very young, his father began negotiations for him to marry Catherine of Aragon, the youngest child of King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile. The Treaty of Medina del Campo, ratified by Spain in 1489 and England in 1490, contained the marriage contract between Catherine and Arthur. Catherine left Spain in 1501, never to return, and on November 14, 1501, the two 15-year-olds, Catherine and Arthur, were married at the Old St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. Catherine was escorted to the cathedral by Arthur’s brother, the 10-year-old Henry, Duke of York, who would eventually become her second husband.

Catherine of Aragon, circa 1502; Credit – Wikipedia

After the marriage, the couple lived at Ludlow Castle in Shropshire, England, near the Welsh border, where, as Prince of Wales, Arthur presided over the Council of Wales and the Marches.  It is doubtful that the marriage was consummated, and this question later became vitally important when King Henry VIII sought to annul his marriage to Catherine.  Arthur and Catherine became ill within months of the marriage, probably because of the sweating sickness.  Catherine survived, but she was left a widow as Arthur did not survive. 15-year-old Arthur died on April 2, 1502, and was buried in Worcester Cathedral. Henry VII and his wife Elizabeth were naturally distraught at the death of their eldest son. Their second son succeeded his father as King Henry VIII in 1509, leaving us to ask the question, “What if Arthur had become king?”

Tomb of Arthur, Prince of Wales; Credit – www.geograph.org.uk

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