Category Archives: Current Monarchies

Dagmar of Denmark, Maria Feodorovna, Empress of All Russia

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

Dagmar of Denmark, Maria Feodorovna, Empress of All Russia; Credit – Wikipedia

Her Highness Marie Sophie Frederikke Dagmar of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, known as Princess Dagmar and called Minnie in her family, was born at the Yellow Palace in Copenhagen, Denmark on November 26, 1847. She was the fourth child and the second daughter of Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg and Princess Louise of Hesse-Kassel. In 1852, Prince Christian became heir to the Danish throne and in 1853 he was given the title Prince of Denmark and his children then became Princes and Princesses of Denmark. Christian succeeded to the Danish throne in 1863 and reigned as King Christian IX.

Minnie had five siblings:

Family of King Christian IX; Back Row: Frederik, King Christian, and William; Front Row: Dagmar, Valdemar, Queen Louise, Thyra, and Alexandra; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Minnie grew up in a close and happy family environment. Her parents gave their children a simple upbringing but attached great importance to their royal duties. As adults, all their children were known for their ability to deal with people, their sense of duty, and their ability to represent their royal families. Minnie was closest to her elder sister Alexandra and the two had close ties to each other for life.

Minnie with her first fiancé Nicholas Alexandrovich, Tsarevich of Russia; Credit – Wikipedia

Emperor Alexander II of Russia was searching for a bride for his eldest son and heir Tsarevich Nicholas Alexandrovich from countries other than the small German states that traditionally provided brides for the Romanovs. In 1864, Nicholas Alexandrovich went to Denmark and proposed to Minnie. Nicholas Alexandrovich suffered from poor health and died from meningitis on April 24, 1865. Reportedly, his last wish was for Minnie to marry his brother Alexander Alexandrovich, the future Emperor Alexander III. Minnie had already started receiving instruction in the Russian language and preparing for her conversion to the Russian Orthodox religion.

Engagement Photo: Alexander and Minnie; Credit – Wikipedia

In June 1866, on a visit to Copenhagen, Denmark, Alexander proposed to Minnie, his deceased brother’s fiancée. Minnie converted to Russian Orthodoxy and received the name Maria Feodorovna. Alexander and Minnie were married on November 9, 1866, in the Grand Church of the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia. After the wedding festivities, the newlyweds moved into the Anichkov Palace in St. Petersburg where they lived for the next 15 years. In addition, they spent time at their summer villa Livadia Palace in the Crimean Peninsula.

Wedding of Grand Duke Alexander Alexandrovich & Maria Feodorovna by M.Zichy 1867, Hermitage; Credit – Wikipedia

Alexander and Minnie had six children:

Alexander, Minnie and their children in 1888;  Credit – Wikipedia

Minnie was a popular member of the Russian Imperial Family. She rarely mingled in politics,  instead devoting herself to her family, charities, and social activities. Among the charities she worked with were the Russian Red Cross and several educational institutions, including the famous Smolny Institute for Noble Maidens.  Like her sister Alexandra, Princess of Wales, Minnie was anti-German because of the annexation of the previously Danish-owned Schleswig-Holstein duchies to Prussia in 1864. In the early years of their marriage, Minnie and Alexander settled into the huge Anichkov Palace on St. Petersburg’s main street, Nevsky Prospekt. The couple traveled around the Russian Empire and regularly attended family get-togethers in Denmark.

On March 13, 1881, Alexander’s father, Alexander II, was assassinated in St. Petersburg, a victim of a bombing by the underground organization, Narodnaya Volya (People’s Will), and Alexander succeeded to the Russian throne. Security was tightened and Minnie and Alexander had to move out of St. Petersburg to Gatchina Palace, 28 miles away from St. Petersburg, which provided greater protection. Alexander and Minnie’s traditional coronation in the Kremlin in Moscow was held in strict security because a dangerous conspiracy had been discovered.

The Imperial Family was always heavily guarded, but Minnie often went to St. Petersburg to participate in and organize balls, receptions, and other things she had enjoyed doing as a Grand Duchess. Minnie supported Alexander in his extreme conservative ideas. She sought to encourage foreign policy that favored Denmark and not Germany. In addition, she tried to get Russia to develop relations with the United Kingdom, two countries that traditionally were not allied.

Alexander and Dagmar’s visits to Denmark were always big events. The couple enjoyed being in Denmark because the atmosphere was more relaxed and they were under less stringent security than they were accustomed to in Russia. In 1885, during a Danish royal family dinner at Fredensborg Palace, Alexander announced that he would like to have his own home in Fredensborg. He bought a house near the castle grounds called Svalereden and it became known as Kejserens Villa or Emperor’s Villa. Minnie held ownership of the home until she died in 1928 when her daughter Olga sold the house.

Family Get-Together at Fredensborg Palace in Denmark, 1889. (l-r): Top row: King Haakon VII of Norway; Emperor Nicholas II of Russia; Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark; Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich of Russia; Princess Victoria of the United Kingdom; King Christian X of Denmark; King Frederik VIII of Denmark; Queen Louise of Denmark; King Constantine I of Greece; Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich of Russia; Prince George of Greece and Denmark; Queen Alexandra of the United Kingdom; Emperor Alexander III of Russia; Princess Maria of Greece and Denmark; Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna of Russia; King Christian IX of Denmark; Prince Harald of Denmark; Queen Maud of Norway; Middle row sitting: Prince Andrew of Greece; Empress Maria Feodorovna of Russia; Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna of Russia; Queen Louise of Denmark; King George I of Greece; Princess Alexandra of Greece; On their knees on the grass: Princess Thyra of Denmark and Princess Ingeborg of Denmark; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

In 1894, Alexander became ill with nephritis, a kidney disease. Later that year, Alexander was on his way to the Greek isle of Corfu where he hoped to recuperate at Mon Repos, the villa of Minnie’s sister-in-law, Queen Olga of Greece. However, when Alexander reached Crimea, he was too ill to continue traveling and stayed at Livadia Palace, his home in Crimea. It was soon obvious that Alexander would not survive and various relatives came to the Crimea including Princess Alix of Hesse and by Rhine, the fiancée of Alexander’s eldest son Nicholas. Insisting on receiving Princess Alix in his full dress uniform, Alexander gave her his blessing on October 21, 1894. Alexander’s condition rapidly deteriorated and he died on November 1, 1894, at the age of 49. His son Nicholas became the last Emperor of Russia. He married Princess Alix (Alexandra Feodorovna) on Minnie’s 47th birthday, November 26, 1894, just eight days after Emperor Alexander III was buried at the Peter and Paul Cathedral at the Fortress of Peter and Paul in St. Petersburg.

During the early years of her son’s reign, Emperor Nicholas II often sought his mother’s advice. For a time after his accession and his marriage, he lived with her in Anichkov Palace. According to Russian custom, Minnie was still the country’s first lady, and this caused some strain between Minnie and her daughter-in-law Empress Alexandra. The two never got close to each other, and their relationship was the subject of much gossip. Minnie was more popular than the daughter-in-law and enjoyed her continued role as the first lady.

Emperor Nicholas II and his mother Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna in 1896; Credit – Wikipedia

Minnie’s political views changed as discontent and revolutionary events increased in Russia. She thought that some autocratic political power should be transferred to a more democratic, representative government and that Russia should look more to the West. However, Nicholas II retained his absolute power and eventually, Minnie’s role as a political adviser to her son disappeared, and Nicholas leaned more on his wife.

When the Russian Revolution broke out during World War I in 1917, Minnie was in Kyiv (now in Ukraine). After Nicholas abdicated, she saw him one last time, and after some reflection, she went to the Crimea where members of the Imperial Family had several summer homes. Here she witnessed the October Revolution later that year, and then in 1918 came the news of the murder of her son and his family, which she did not believe. Being in Crimea became precarious due to food shortages, visits to the home by the Bolshevik officials, and the threat of being murdered by the Bolsheviks.

The Romanovs under house arrest in Crimea in 1918. Standing: Colonel Nikolai Kulikovsky, Mr. Fogel, Olga Konstantinovna Vasiljeva, Prince Andrei Alexandrovich. Seated: Mr. Orbeliani, Prince Nikita, Grand Duchess Olga, Grand Duchess Xenia, The Dowager Empress (Minnie), and Grand Duke Alexander. On the floor: Prince Vasili, Prince Rostislav, and Prince Dmitri

Although the monarchy was abolished by the Russian Revolution, Minnie did not initially leave Russia. She finally fled in 1919 to London when her nephew King George V of the United Kingdom sent the warship HMS Marlborough to retrieve his aunt when she could no longer stay in Crimea. Rescued along with Minnie were 25 other Romanovs and their relatives.

Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolaevich and Empress Maria Feodorovna escaping aboard the British battleship HMS Marlborough; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

After a short stay in London, Minnie returned home to her native Denmark where she briefly lived with her nephew King Christian X in a wing of the Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen. Minnie then decided to live at Hvidøre, the holiday villa near Copenhagen, that she had purchased with her sister Alexandra in 1906.

Minnie and Alexandra at Hvidøre, circa 1910; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Minnie’s last years were overshadowed by the many deaths in her immediate family and she still refused to believe in the massacre of her son, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren. Minnie died on October 13, 1928, at Hvidøre. Following services in Copenhagen’s Russian Orthodox Alexander Nevsky Church, Minnie was interred in the crypt of the Christian IX Chapel at Roskilde Cathedral, the traditional burial place of the Danish royal family in Roskilde, Denmark.

First burial place of Empress Maria Feodorovna in Roskilde Cathedral; Credit – Wikipedia

Minnie had wished that at some point in time, she could be buried with her husband. In 2005, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed, along with their governments, that Minnie’s wish should be fulfilled. Minnie’s remains were transported to St. Petersburg. Following a service at Saint Isaac’s Cathedral, she was interred next to her husband Emperor Alexander III on September 28, 2006 in the Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Europe_August 5 to 18 513

Tomb of Empress Maria Feodorovna; Credit – Susan Flantzer

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Romanov Resources at Unofficial Royalty

King Harald V of Norway: 25 Years on the Throne

Harald V_Sonja_Norway

Their Majesties King Harald and Queen Sonja. Photo: Jørgen Gomnæs / The Royal Court http://www.royalcourt.no/

25 years ago, on January 17, 1991, King Olav V of Norway died and his son became King Harald V of Norway.  The 25th anniversary of his accession to the throne was celebrated in Oslo, Norway with a Winter Festival at the Palace Square and a gala performance in the University Hall attended by members of the Norwegian royal family and Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden.
Royal House of Norway: Accession of the new monarch in 1991
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At the time of King Harald’s birth in 1937, his grandfather, King Haakon VII (born Prince Prince Carl of Denmark) was the monarch and his grandmother, Queen Maud (born Princess Maud of Wales, daughter of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom) was his consort. King Harald is closely related to several European monarchs: King Philippe of Belgium and Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg are his first cousins once removed, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and Queen Margrethe II of Denmark are his second cousins, and King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden is his second cousin once removed.  Harald’s mother Crown Princess Märtha, born a Swedish princess, died of cancer in 1954.  While Crown Prince, King Harald married a Norwegian commoner, Sonja Haraldsen.  The couple have two children and five grandchildren.

Read more about the Norwegian Family here.

The Year with the Swedish Royal Family (2015)

Swedish Royal Family, December 2015.  Photo Jonas Ekströmer, The Swedish Royal Court.

Swedish Royal Family, December 2015. Photo Jonas Ekströmer, The Swedish Royal Court.

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Diana, Princess of Wales

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Diana, Princess of Wales; Credit – By John Mathew Smith & www.celebrity-photos.com from Laurel Maryland, USA (Archived link) – BEST ALL-TIME DIANA! (Archived link), CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=85061623

Diana, Princess of Wales was the first wife of King Charles III of the United Kingdom and the mother of Prince William, The Prince of Wales and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex. She was born The Honourable Diana Frances Spencer, youngest daughter of John Spencer, Viscount Althorp (later the 8th Earl Spencer) and The Honourable Frances Roche, on July 1, 1961, at Park House on the Sandringham Estate.

Diana had four siblings:

Diana was christened on August 30, 1961, at St. Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, England.  Her godparents were:

  • John Floyd (Chairman of Christie’s, her father’s friend)
  • Alexander Gilmour (her father’s cousin)
  • Lady Mary Colman (niece of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother)
  • Mrs. Michael Pratt (friend and neighbor of Diana’s parents)
  • Mrs. William Fox (friend and neighbor of Diana’s parents)

Diana grew up at Park House, which her parents leased from The Queen for many years. In 1969, her parents divorced, and following a very contentious custody battle, Diana’s father was awarded full custody of the children. She was educated at Riddlesworth Hall and The New School at West Heath, graduating in 1977, and then attended L’Institut Alpin Videmanette, a Swiss finishing school.

In 1975, her father had succeeded to the Earldom, and Diana saw an ‘upgrade’ in her title as well. As the daughter of an Earl, she was now styled Lady Diana Spencer – a name that would soon become famous around the world when ‘Lady Di’ became involved with The Prince of Wales.

Following her schooling, Diana worked as a nanny, living in her mother’s apartment in London. The next year, her mother bought her an apartment at Coleherne Court, where Diana lived with some friends until the day her engagement was announced. She also worked as a dance teacher for children, a preschool assistant, a nanny for an American family living in London, and lastly as a kindergarten assistant at the Young England School.

Although they had known each other since her childhood, Diana and Charles became reacquainted in the summer of 1980 when they were both guests at a country weekend. Charles had previously dated Diana’s older sister, Sarah. The two made several other trips and weekends away, including a visit to Balmoral in November of 1980. Charles eventually proposed to Diana on February 6, 1981, but they kept the engagement secret for several weeks.

 

Diana made her first official appearance on March 9, 1981, at a poetry reading in London by Princess Grace of Monaco. When she stepped out of the car in a black strapless gown, she began what would become a lifelong ‘role’ in the media spotlight – something she both loved and despised at different times in her life.

Diana and Charles married on July 29, 1981, at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. Entering on her father’s arm as Lady Diana Spencer, she later emerged from the Cathedral as Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales, the third highest-ranked lady of the land.

Following their honeymoon, the couple took up residence at Kensington Palace, occupying apartments 8 and 9 which had been joined together, and  Highgrove, the Prince of Wales’s country home in Gloucestershire.

Diana and Charles had two sons:

Diana became taking on official duties soon after her marriage, often accompanying her husband in the United Kingdom and abroad. She made her first solo overseas visit in September 1982, when she represented Queen Elizabeth II at the funeral of Princess Grace of Monaco, with whom she felt a very strong bond. Diana made numerous foreign visits with her husband, the last being to South Korea in 1992 shortly before their separation. She served as patron or president of over 100 organizations and charities, using her position to bring attention to and support issues that were close to her heart. Some of these charities were:

  • The National AIDS Trust
  • Great Ormond Street Hospital
  • English National Ballet
  • Royal Marsden Hospital
  • Leprosy Mission
  • Centrepoint
  • Headway
  • Natural History Museum
  • Royal Academy of Music
  • Bernardo’s
  • British Red Cross
  • Chester Childbirth Appeal
  • British Lung Foundation
  • National Children’s Orchestra
  • Royal Brompton Hospital
  • The Guinness Trust
  • Royal School for the Blind
  • Welsh National Opera
  • Birthright
  • British Deaf Association

On December 9, 1992, after several years of media speculation, Buckingham Palace announced the separation of the Prince and Princess of Wales. The announcement stressed that the couple had no plans to divorce and that their constitutional positions were unaffected.

The following year, on December 3, 1993, Diana announced her withdrawal from public life. Following disastrous television interviews given by both Charles, in June 1994, and Diana, in November 1995, Buckingham Palace announced that The Queen had sent letters to both Diana and Charles, advising them to divorce as quickly as possible. Following many private meetings and negotiations with Prince Charles and representatives of The Queen, Diana agreed to a divorce in February 1996.

Their divorce became final on August 28, 1996. Diana received a payment of £17 million and an annual stipend to maintain her offices and retained the couple’s Kensington Palace apartments. A statement from Buckingham Palace established that she remained a member of the Royal Family and would continue to receive the precedence accorded to her during her marriage when attending state and national functions. With the Queen’s permission, she voluntarily relinquished all her honorary military appointments and would continue to have access to the Royal Flight and the State Apartments at St. James’s Palace. She would also retain any orders, insignia, and titles received during her marriage. However, the one thing she would not retain was her style of Royal Highness. She became simply Diana, Princess of Wales. The day after her divorce became final, Diana announced that she had resigned from almost all her charities and patronages. However, she continued her involvement with the six that were most important to her:

  • Centrepoint
  • The English National Ballet
  • Leprosy Mission
  • The National AIDS Trust
  • The Great Ormond Street Hospital
  • The Royal Marsden Hospital

She also remained very involved with the Red Cross Anti-Personnel Landmines Campaign, even though her formal patronage had ended. Her last public appearances were in early August 1997, when she visited several landmine projects in Bosnia.

After her divorce, Diana had a relationship with Dr. Hasnat Khan, a British-Pakistani heart surgeon, which ended in June 1997. She then became involved with Dodi Fayed, son of Mohamed Al-Fayed, the owner of Harrods and the Ritz Hotel in London. Diana and her sons joined the Fayed family in the south of France for a vacation that summer where she and Dodi reportedly began their romance. Following her trip to Bosnia, Diana again joined Dodi Fayed on a private cruise aboard the Fayed’s yacht, returning to Paris on August 30. Later that night, hounded by paparazzi, the couple left the Ritz to go to Dodi’s apartment in Paris. Just minutes later, their car crashed in the Pont de l’Alma tunnel, killing Dodi and the car’s driver, Henri Paul, instantly. Diana was critically injured and eventually taken to the Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital. Diana, Princess of Wales was pronounced dead at 4 am. See Unofficial Royalty: Tragedy in the British Royal Family at the End of August (scroll down).

The Prince of Wales, along with Diana’s two sisters, flew to Paris to accompany her body back to England. Draped with the Royal Standard, Diana’s coffin was taken to the Chapel Royal at St. James’s Palace where it remained for several days, before returning to her home at Kensington Palace. On Saturday, September 6, 1997, a procession began at Kensington Palace and ended at Westminster Abbey where Diana’s funeral was held. Following the funeral, the coffin was taken to Althorp, where it was interred privately on an island in the center of a lake on the grounds.

 

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King William IV of the United Kingdom

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

King William IV of the United Kingdom; Credit – Wikipedia

The third son and third child of the fifteen children of King George III of the United Kingdom and Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, His Royal Highness The Prince William Henry was born at Buckingham House (now Buckingham Palace) in London, England on August 21, 1765. At the time of his birth, it seemed highly unlikely that William would be anything more than a royal duke as he had two elder brothers. William was christened on September 18, 1765, at St James’s Palace In London, England by Thomas Secker, Archbishop of Canterbury and had three godparents:

William had 14 siblings:

George III children

Queen Charlotte painted by Benjamin West in 1779 with her 13 eldest children; Credit – http://www.royalcollection.org.uk

William was brought up with his brother Edward at Kew Palace where they were educated by Dr. John James Majendie, a classical scholar, and Major General Budé, a Swiss officer in the Hanover Army. King George III decided that William would have a career in the navy. In 1879, at the age of 13, William went to sea with his tutor Mr. Majendie, serving under Captain (later Admiral) Robert Digby on the HMS Prince George. On his father’s orders, William received no privileges and was treated the same as his fellow sailors.

William age 13 (left) and his younger brother Edward; Credit – Wikipedia

During his naval career, William, nicknamed Sailor Bill, served on several ships and in many places. In 1789, his ship saw action in the Battle of Cape St Vincent. He was then stationed in the West Indies and Nova Scotia. William was transferred to HMS Warwick and saw action in the Delaware Bay in the American Revolution. In 1785, William was made the third lieutenant of the frigate HMS Hebe. The following year, William was made captain of the HMS Pegasus.  The Pegasus was stationed in the West Indies under the command of Admiral Horatio Nelson, who became William’s close friend. When Admiral Nelson married in 1787, William gave away the bride. William returned to England in December of 1787 and was subsequently appointed to command the frigate HMS Andromeda in the West Indies. In 1789, William was appointed Rear Admiral and commanded the HMS Valiant in home waters, his last command afloat. Prince William received the Order of the Garter in 1782 and was created Duke of Clarence and St Andrews and Earl of Munster in 1789. He was appointed Vice-Admiral in 1799 and Admiral of the Fleet in 1811, both honorary positions.

by Sir Martin Archer Shee, oil on canvas, circa 1800

King William IV in naval dress uniform by Sir Martin Archer Shee, oil on canvas, circa 1800, NPG 2199 © National Portrait Gallery, London

In 1790, Dorothea Jordan, an actress, attracted William’s attention. Dorothea was born Dora or Dorothy Bland in 1761 in Ireland. Her father had been an actor, and she followed in her father’s footsteps, first acting in Dublin. In 1782, she came to England, adopted the name “Mrs. Jordan”, and had a daughter by Irish actor and theatrical manager Richard Daly.  Starting in 1786, Dorothea had another relationship with Sir Richard Ford, a police magistrate and a lawyer, and had three more children. She began her affair with William, once she realized Ford would not marry her. Dorothea and William had a happy relationship that lasted over 20 years and produced ten children. The couple resided at Clarence Lodge in Roehampton near London and at William’s apartments at St James’ Palace. When William became Ranger of Bushy Park, they lived at Bushy House near Hampton Court Palace.

by and published by John Jones, after John Hoppner, mezzotint, published 1 March 1791 (exhibited 1791)

Dorothy Jordan as Hypolita by and published by John Jones, after John Hoppner, mezzotint, published 1 March 1791, (exhibited 1791) NPG D3324 © National Portrait Gallery, London

King William IV and Dorothea Jordan had ten children. Nine of the ten children were named after nine of William’s fourteen siblings. The tenth child was given William’s middle name Henry.

The children of King William IV and Dorothea Jordan had an elder half-brother, William Henry Courtney, born around 1788 to an unknown mother, and named after his father whose given names were William Henry. Dorothea Jordan cared for William, and she was fond of him and he was fond of her. William served in the Royal Navy from 1803 until 1807 when his ship HMS Blenheim was lost in a gale off Madagascar. Despite an extensive search, no trace of the ship was ever found. 590 men were lost aboard HMS Blenheim, including King William IV’s eldest illegitimate son nineteen-year-old William Henry Courtney.

William and Dorothea’s children married into the British aristocracy and their many descendants include these notable people:

In 1811, William had an invalid father and saw that only three people stood between him and the throne: his brother George, George’s teenage daughter Charlotte, and his childless brother Frederick. William had always boasted that his healthier habits would cause him to outlive his elder brothers. Because of the possibility of ascending the throne and his mounting debts William decided to marry.

Dorothea was on tour with a play when she received a letter from William asking her to meet him so they could discuss the terms of a separation. She was so upset that on stage that night instead of laughing heartily as the script required, she burst into tears. In January 1812, a settlement was drawn up giving Dorothea an annual allowance of £1500 and £600 annually for a house and coach. In addition, she was to be given £800 per year for her two daughters from previous relationships and £1500 for the maintenance of her youngest daughters by William. However, if Dorothea returned to the stage, she would lose the £1500 and the custody of the youngest daughters. A few months later, Dorothea did return to the stage and the custody of the youngest daughters reverted to William.

In 1815, Dorothea made her last appearance on the stage. She retired to France in a terrible financial situation having settled the debts of the husband of her elder daughter by a previous relationship. Dorothea died in poverty on July 5, 1816, at the age of 54 and was buried in Cimetière de Saint-Cloud in Saint-Cloud, France.

On November 6, 1817, a great tragedy struck the British Royal Family.  Twenty-one-year-old Princess Charlotte of Wales died after delivering a stillborn son. Charlotte was mourned by the British people like the mourning of Diana, Princess of Wales. Charlotte’s pregnancy and delivery were grossly mismanaged and the doctor in charge later died by suicide. At the time of her death, Charlotte, who was second in line to the throne, was the only legitimate grandchild of King George III, even though eleven of his fifteen children were still living. Charlotte’s death left no legitimate heir in the second generation and prompted the aging sons of King George III to begin a frantic search for brides to provide for the succession. William, and his unmarried brothers Edward, Duke of Kent and Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge, all married.

Soon after Princess Charlotte of Wales died, negotiations began for the marriage of William to Princess Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen, and the engagement was announced on April 19, 1818. William was 52 and Adelaide was 25. William and Adelaide were married on July 14, 1818, at Kew Palace in the presence of an ailing Queen Charlotte who died in November of the same year.

by Sir William Beechey, oil on canvas, circa 1831

Queen Adelaide (Princess Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen) by Sir William Beechey, oil on canvas, circa 1831, NPG 1533 © National Portrait Gallery, London

Adelaide loved children but was destined not to have one of her own. Her first child was born prematurely on March 27, 1819, as a result of Adelaide being ill with pleurisy. The baby girl was christened Charlotte Augusta Louisa and died the same day. Adelaide suffered a miscarriage on September 5, 1819. On December 10, 1820, Adelaide gave birth to a girl, Elizabeth Georgiana Adelaide, six weeks prematurely. Princess Elizabeth, who had been healthy despite being premature, died 12 weeks later on March 4, 1821, of the then-inoperable condition of a strangulated hernia. Twin boys were stillborn on April 23, 1822. A child of William and Adelaide would have succeeded to the throne as William’s two elder brothers, George IV and Frederick, Duke of York, had no surviving children. Adelaide wrote to her widowed sister-in-law the Duchess of Kent, “My children are dead, but your child lives, and she is mine too.” That child was Queen Victoria.

Recumbent effigy of Princess Elizabeth of Clarence in the Grand Corridor of Windsor Castle; Credit – Wikipedia

William’s brother King George IV died on June 26, 1830, and William succeeded to the throne. His coronation on September 8, 1831, was rather low-key due to government economics and was nicknamed “the half-crownation”. The traditional procession from Westminster Hall to Westminster Abbey and the coronation banquet were eliminated and have never again occurred. Adelaide had to provide the jewels for her crown and other jewels had to be hired.

William IV in his coronation robes; Credit – Wikipedia

Queen Adelaide; Credit – Wikipedia

William’s heiress presumptive was his niece Princess Victoria of Kent, the only child of his brother Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and the Duchess of Kent, born Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. William and Adelaide were very fond of their niece and wanted to be closer to her.  However, the Duchess of Kent did not allow this. In addition, she was rude to Queen Adelaide by refusing to recognize the Queen’s precedence, ignoring her letters, and taking space in royal stables and apartments for her own use.

In August 1836 at a dinner in honor of his 71st birthday, William publically insulted the Duchess of Kent in a speech. After his health had been toasted, he replied with this:

“I trust in God that my life may be spared for nine months longer, after which period, in the event of my death, no regency would take place. I should then have the satisfaction of leaving the royal authority to the personal exercise of that young lady [pointing to the Princess Victoria], the Heiress Presumptive of the Crown, and not in the hands of a person now near me, who is surrounded by evil advisers and who is herself incompetent to act with the propriety in the station in which she would be placed. I have no hesitation in saying that I have been insulted – grossly and continually insulted – by that person, but I am now determined to endure no longer a course of behaviour so disrespectful to me. Among many other things I have particularly to complain of the manner in which that young lady has been kept away from my court: she has been repeatedly kept from my drawing room at which she ought always to have been present, but I am fully resolved that this shall not happen again. I would have her know that I am king, and that I am determined to make my authority respected, and for the future I shall insist and command that the Princess do upon all occasions appear at my court, as is her duty to do so.”

William IV drawn by his daughter Sophia de L’Isle and Dudley in early 1837; Credit – Wikipedia

William’s wish that his life would be spared for nine months was granted. Princess Victoria turned 18 on May 24, 1837, and a regency would no longer be required. William became ill with asthma or hay fever in May 1837, and pneumonia soon developed. King William IV died peacefully at 2:15 AM on June 20, 1837, at Windsor Castle and Princess Victoria ascended to the throne. An autopsy showed that heart disease and cirrhosis of the liver had contributed to his death. William was buried in the Royal Tomb House at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. His wife Adelaide survived William by twelve years, dying on December 2, 1849, at the age of 57.  She was buried after a simple funeral, following her wishes, in the Royal Tomb House beneath St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle where her husband had been buried.

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.

House of Hanover Resources at Unofficial Royalty

First Cousins: Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2015

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (1921 – 2021)

(All photos credits – Wikipedia unless otherwise noted)

His Royal Highness Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, husband of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, was born at Mon Repos on the Greek island of Corfu on June 10, 1921, as His Royal Highness Prince Philippos of Greece and Denmark. He was the only son and the youngest of the five children of Prince Andrew (Andreas) of Greece and Denmark and Princess Alice of Battenberg.  His father was the seventh of the eight children of King George I of Greece (born Prince Vilhelm of Denmark) and Grand Duchess Olga Konstantinovna of Russia.  His mother was the eldest of the four children of Prince Louis of Battenberg (later Louis Mountbatten, 1st Marquess of Milford Haven) and Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine.  Prince Philip shares his 20 first cousins with his siblings Princess Margarita of Greece, Princess of Hohenlohe-Langenburg; Princess Theodora of Greece, Margravine of Baden; Princess Cecilie of Greece, Hereditary Grand Duchess of Hesse; and Princess Sophie of Greece, Princess of Hesse, Princess of Hanover.

A descendant of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom through his mother
Queen Victoria → Princess Alice of the United Kingdom → Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine → Princess Alice of Battenberg → Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark

A descendant of King Christian IX of Denmark through his father
King Christian IX of Denmark → King George I of Greece (born Prince William of Denmark) → Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark → Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark

A descendant of Peter the Great of Russia and Catherine the Great of Russia through his father
Emperor Peter I (the Great) → Grand Duchess Anna Petrovna → Emperor Peter III of Russia married Empress Catherine II (the Great) (born Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst) → Emperor Paul → Emperor Nicholas I → Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich of Russia → Grand Duchess Olga Konstantinovna of Russia → Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark → Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark

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Prince Philip’s Paternal Aunts and Uncles: Children of King George I of Greece and Grand Duchess Olga Konstantinovna of Russia

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Prince Philip’s Maternal Aunts and Uncles: Children of Prince Louis of Battenberg (later Louis Mountbatten, 1st Marquess of Milford Haven) and Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine

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Paternal First Cousins: Children of King Constantine I of Greece and Princess Sophia of Prussia

King George II of Greece (1890 – 1947)

King George II of Greece reigned from 1922-1924 when he was deposed by a coup and from 1935 until his death in 1947. George married Princess Elisabeth of Romania, daughter of King Ferdinand of Romania and Princess Marie of Edinburgh. The couple had no children and divorced in 1935.
Unofficial Royalty: King George I of Greece

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King Alexander I of Greece (1893 – 1920)

King Alexander I of Greece succeeded his father King Constantine I in 1917 after his father and elder brother Crown Prince George, later King George I, were forced into exile. Alexander made a controversial marriage to the commoner Aspasia Manos. The couple had one child Princess Alexandra who married King Peter II of Yugoslavia. Alexander was a puppet king throughout his reign. He died in 1920 at the age of 27 from blood poisoning as a result of a monkey bite. After his death, his father King Constantine I was restored to the throne.
Unofficial Royalty: King Alexander I of Greece

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Princess Helen of Greece and Denmark, Queen Mother of Romania (1896 – 1982)

The eldest daughter in her family, Princess Helen married Crown Prince Carol of Romania in 1921. In 1925, Carol began an affair and at the end of the year, he renounced his rights to the throne and left Romania with his mistress. Helen and Carol’s only child Michael became the heir apparent to the Romanian throne. Michael succeeded to the throne in 1927 upon the death of his grandfather King Ferdinand.

In 1928, Helen and Carol’s marriage was officially dissolved. In 1930, a coup restored Carol to the throne and Michael was demoted to Crown Prince and remained in Romania. Helen went into exile and only saw her son for two months each year. King Carol reigned for 10 years when another coup restored his son Michael to the throne. King Michael reigned until 1947 when he was forced to abdicate by the Romanian Communists.

Helen again went into exile and lived at Villa Sparta in San Domenico, Italy. She later moved to Lausanne, Switzerland and died there in 1982 at the age of 86.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Helen of Greece and Denmark
Unofficial Royalty: King Michael (Mihai) of Romania

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King Paul I of Greece (1901 – 1964)

The third of King Constantine I’s three sons to become king, King Paul I succeeded to the throne upon the death of his brother King George II in 1947. Paul married Princess Frederica of Hanover, another descendant of Queen Victoria. They had three children: Princess Sofia who married King Juan Carlos of Spain, King Constantine II of Greece who married Princess Anne-Marie of Denmark, and Princess Irene who never married. King Paul died from cancer in 1964 and was succeeded by his son King Constantine II. Constantine II was forced to leave Greece after an unsuccessful coup to overthrow a military junta. In 1973, the Greek monarchy was officially abolished.
Unofficial Royalty: King Paul I of Greece

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Princess Irene of Greece and Denmark, Duchess of Aosta (1904 – 1974)

Princess Irene of Greece married Prince Aimone, 4th Duke of Aosta whose father reigned Spain briefly as King Amadeo and whose paternal grandfather was King Vittorio Emanuele II of Italy. Irene and her husband had one child, Prince Amedeo, 5th Duke of Aosta who was born in 1943. Irene’s husband was nominally King Tomislav II of Croatia from 1941 to 1943. Irene died in 1974 in Fiesole, Italy.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Irene of Greece and Denmark, Duchess of Aosta

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Princess Katherine of Greece and Denmark, The Lady Katherine Brandram (1913 – 2007)

Princess Katherine was 23 years younger than her eldest sibling and spent much of her early life living in exile. Her father died when she was 10 years old and her mother died when she was 19 years old. Katherine was educated in England and married an English commoner, Richard Campbell Brandram. She received permission to style herself The Lady Katherine Brandram from King George VI, who also granted her the status of a duke’s daughter in the order of precedence. This style was valid only within the United Kingdom, and she remained Princess Katherine of Greece and Denmark. Katherine and her husband had one child Richard Paul George Andrew Brandram, known as Paul, who was born in 1948. She attended the wedding of her first cousin Prince Philip and also the 80th birthday service for Prince Philip in 2001. Katherine was the last surviving great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria. She died in 2007 at the age of 94.
Telegraph: Obituary – Lady Katherine Brandram
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Katherine of Greece and Denmark, The Lady Katherine Brandram

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Paternal First Cousins: Children of Prince George of Greece and Denmark and Princess Marie Bonaparte

Prince Peter of Greece and Denmark (1908 – 1980)

Prince Peter was the only son of the second Prince George of Greece, the second son of King George I of Greece. He was an anthropologist who specialized in Tibetan culture. His mother Princess Marie Bonaparte was an author and a psychoanalyst who worked with Sigmund Freud and who financially helped Freud escape from Nazi Germany.

Peter held a doctorate of law from the University of Paris and a doctorate in anthropology from the London School of Economics. He forfeited his succession rights to the Greek throne by marrying a Russian commoner, Irina Aleksandrovna Ovtchinnikova. After the death of his uncle King Paul I, Peter was upset when the succession laws were changed to allow female dynasts. At the time his cousin King Constantine II was not married and the heir to the throne was Constantine’s younger, unmarried sister Princess Irene. Peter refused to recognize this and declared that he should be the heir presumptive. This train of thought continued when King Constantine II’s first child was a daughter, Princess Alexia, and she was then the heir presumptive to the throne.

After the end of the Greek monarchy, Peter sold all his possessions in Greece and lived in London, Paris, and Copenhagen. He died in London in 1980 and was buried at the Danish palace Bernstorff as the Greek government would not allow him to be buried at Tatoi, the burial place of the Greek royals.
Wikipedia: Prince Peter of Greece

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Princess Eugénie of Greece and Denmark, Duchess of Castel Duino (1910 – 1989)

Princess Eugénie was the only daughter and the youngest child of Prince George of Greece and Denmark. She attended the wedding of her cousin Prince Philip and the future Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom. Eugénie married twice. First, she married Prince Dominik Rainer Radziwiłł in 1938, but the couple divorced in 1946. They had a son and a daughter. Then Eugénie married Prince Raymundo della Torre e Tasso, Duke of Castel Duino. The couple had one son, but that marriage also ended in divorce. Eugénie died in Geneva, Switzerland in 1989 at the age of 79. A year after her death, her biography of Alexei Nikolaevich, Tsarevich of Russia, Le Tsarevitch, Enfant Martr, was published.
Wikipedia: Princess Eugénie of Greece and Denmark

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Paternal First Cousins: Children of Princess Alexandra of Greece and Denmark, Grand Duchess Alexandra Georgievna of Russia and Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich of Russia

Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia (1890 – 1958)

Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia and her younger brother Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich of Russia were not only first cousins of Prince Philip, but also first cousins of Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia. Maria and Dmitri’s father Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich was the youngest sibling of Nicholas II’s father, Alexander III, Emperor of All Russia. Maria is known as “Maria Pavlovna the Younger” so she is not confused with her aunt by marriage, the wife of her uncle Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich, who is known as “Maria Pavlovna the Elder”.

Maria’s mother, born Princess Alexandra of Greece and Denmark, died from complications while giving birth to Maria’s younger brother Dmitri when Maria was not yet two years old. Four years after the death of his wife, Maria’s father married a commoner without the permission of EmperorNicholas II. The marriage had taken place outside Russia, and the Emperor refused to allow the couple to return to Russia. Maria and her brother Dmitri were mostly raised by their uncle Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich and his wife Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovona, who had been born Princess Elisabeth of Hesse and by Rhine.

When Maria was 16 years old, she married Prince Wilhelm, Duke of Södermanland, the second son of King Gustav V of Sweden. The couple had one child, Prince Lennart, Duke of Småland, and later Count Bernadotte af Wisborg, but the marriage was not a happy one and it was officially dissolved. Maria had to leave her son in Sweden where he was raised by his paternal grandmother Queen Victoria, wife of King Gustav V of Sweden.

In 1917, Maria married Prince Sergei Mikhailovich Putyatin. Their son, Prince Roman Sergeievich Putyatin, died in infancy. With the situation in Russia becoming worse for the Romanovs, Maria and her husband Sergei left Russia and were helped by Maria’s first cousin Queen Marie of Romania. Maria divorced her second husband and her exile took her from Romania to Paris, and then to the United States and Argentina, and finally to Germany where she died in 1958 at the age of 68.
Unofficial Royalty: Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia

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Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich of Russia (1891 – 1942)

Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich’s claim to fame is that he was one of the conspirators who murdered the mystic faith healer Grigori Rasputin, who had much influence over Dmitri’s cousin Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia and his family. As explained above, Dmitri’s mother died due to complications during his birth. After Rasputin’s murder, Dmitri was exiled to Persia (now Iran), a move that most likely saved his life. After the Russian Revolution, Dmitri lived in exile in Paris where he had an affair with the fashion designer Coco Chanel. Dmitri married American heiress Audrey Emery in 1926, but the couple divorced in 1937. The marriage produced one child, Paul Ilyinsky, who was an American citizen and was elected mayor of Palm Beach, Florida. Dmitri died from tuberculosis at a Swiss sanatorium in 1942 at the age of 50.
Unofficial Royalty: Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich of Russia

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Paternal First Cousins: Children of Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark and Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna of Russia

Princess Olga of Greece and Denmark, Princess of Yugoslavia (1903 – 1997)

Princess Olga was the eldest of the three daughters of Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark and his wife Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna of Russia, who was a first cousin of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia. She married Prince Paul of Yugoslavia and the couple had two sons and a daughter. Through her daughter Elizabeth, Olga is the grandmother of actress Catherine Oxenberg. Olga died in Paris, France in 1997 at the age of 94.
Wikipedia: Princess Olga of Greece and Denmark

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Princess Elizabeth of Greece and Denmark, Countess of Toerring-Jettenbach (1904 – 1955)

Princess Elizabeth was the middle daughter of the three daughters of Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark. She married Carl Theodor, Count of Toerring-Jettenbach and the couple had a son and a daughter. Elizabeth died from cancer in 1955 at the age of 50 in Munich, Germany.
Wikipedia: Princess Elizabeth of Greece and Denmark

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Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark, Duchess of Kent (1906 – 1968)

The youngest of the three daughters of Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark, Princess Marina married into the British Royal Family. Her husband was Prince George, Duke of Kent, a son of King George V of the United Kingdom. Their three children, Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, Princess Alexandra of Kent, and Prince Michael of Kent are first cousins of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom. Marina was left a widow when she was 36 when her husband was killed in an airplane crash while on active service with the Royal Air Force during World War II. Marina died from a brain tumor in 1968 at the age of 61.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent

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Paternal First Cousins: Children of Princess Maria of Greece and Denmark, Grand Duchess Maria Georgievna of Russia and Grand Duke George Mikhailovich of Russia

Princess Nina Georgievna of Russia, Princess Paul Chavchavadze (1901 – 1974)

Princess Nina Georgievna of Russia was a great-granddaughter of Tsar Nicholas I of Russia through her father. The marriage of her parents was not happy and in 1914, her mother took her children to England supposedly to improve their health. They never returned to Russia because of World War I and the Russian Revolution. Nina’s father Grand Duke George Mikhailovich was shot by a firing squad, along with other Romanov relatives in January of 1919. Nina married Prince Paul Chavchavadze, a descendant of the last King of Georgia. The couple had one child, Prince David Chavchavadze. In 1939, the family moved to the United States, where Nina worked as an artist and her husband wrote books and also did translations. Her son became an agent for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Nina died in Hyannis, Massachusetts in 1974 at the age of 72.
Wikipedia: Princess Nina Georgievna of Russia

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Princess Xenia Georgievna of Russia, Mrs. Leeds, Mrs. Jud (1903 – 1965)

Princess Xenia Georgievna of Russia was the younger sister of Princess Nina above. As young children, Xenia and her sister Nina played with the two younger daughters of Tsar Nicholas II, Grand Duchesses Maria Nikolaevna and Anastasia Nikolaevna. Xenia married twice. Her first marriage was to William Bateman Leeds, the son and heir of an American tin magnate. William’s mother, the very wealthy American widow, Nonnie May “Nancy” Stewart Worthington Leeds, had married Xenia’s uncle Prince Christopher of Greece, but Nancy died three years later due to cancer. Xenia and William had one child, Nancy Helen Marie Leeds, but their marriage ended in divorce after nine years. Xenia’s childless second marriage was to Herman Jud, who survived her.

Xenia is known for her involvement with Anna Anderson who claimed to be Xenia’s childhood playmate Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna. Xenia claimed that Anna Anderson was Anastasia, a claim we now know was false due to DNA testing. In 1965, at the age of 62, Xenia died in Glen Cove, New York.
Wikipedia: Princess Xenia Georgievna of Russia

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Paternal First Cousin: Child of Prince Christopher of Greece and Denmark and Princess Françoise of Orléans

Prince Michael of Greece and Denmark (born 1939)

Prince Michael is the only child of Prince Christopher of Greece and Denmark and his second wife Princess Françoise of Orléans. Michael’s father died when he was less than a year old. Michael married Greek artist Marina Karella and the couple has two daughters. He is the author of several historical novels and biographies, and a contributing writer for Architectural Digest.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Michael of Greece

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Maternal First Cousins: Children of George Mountbatten, 2nd Marquess of Milford Haven and Countess Nadejda Mikhailovna de Torby

Lady Tatiana Mountbatten (1917 – 1988)

Lady Tatiana Mountbatten was mentally disabled. She was a train bearer at the wedding of her aunt Lady Louise Mountbatten to Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden, later King Gustaf VI Adolf and Queen Louise of Sweden. Eventually, Lady Tatiana was placed in St. Andrew’s Hospital, a psychiatric hospital in Northampton, England, where she spent the rest of her life.

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David Mountbatten, 3rd Marquess of Milford Haven (1919 – 1970)

David Mountbatten, 3rd Marquess of Milford Haven was the only son of George Mountbatten, 2nd Marquess of Milford Haven and Russian Countess Nadejda (Nada) Torby. He had a close relationship with his first cousin Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark. They both attended Dartmouth Naval College and David served as best man at Prince Philip’s wedding to the future Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom. David married twice. His first, childless marriage to Romaine Dahlgren Pierce ended in divorce after four years. He then married Janet Mercedes Bryce and the couple had two children: George Mountbatten, 4th Marquess of Milford Haven and Lord Ivar Mountbatten. David Mountbatten, 3rd Marquess of Milford Haven died, aged 50, in 1970.
Wikipedia: David Mountbatten, 3rd Marquess of Milford Haven

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Maternal First Cousins: Children of Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma and Edwina Ashley

Patricia (Mountbatten) Knatchbull, 2nd Countess Mountbatten of Burma, Dowager Lady Brabourne (1924 – 2017)

Patricia (Mountbatten) Knatchbull, 2nd Countess Mountbatten of Burma, Dowager Lady Brabourne is a British peer in her own right and the elder of the two daughters of Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma and his wife, the heiress Edwina Ashley. In 1946, Patricia married John Knatchbull, 7th Baron Brabourne and the couple had eight children. Upon the assassination of her father in 1979, Patricia succeeded to his titles as her father’s peerages had been created by the Crown with special remainder to his daughters and their heirs male.
Wikipedia: Patricia Knatchbull, 2nd Countess Mountbatten of Burma

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Lady Pamela (Mountbatten) Hicks (born 1929)

Lady Pamela (Mountbatten) Hicks is the younger of the two daughters of Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma and his wife, the heiress Edwina Ashley. She was a bridesmaid at the wedding of her first cousin Prince Philip and the future Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom. Pamela was a lady-in-waiting to Elizabeth and was with her in Kenya when news of the death of King George VI was received. In 1960, Pamela married interior decorator and designer David Hicks, and the couple had three children including India Hicks who was a bridesmaid at the wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer. Pamela has authored two volumes of her memoirs: India Remembered: A Personal Account of the Mountbattens During the Transfer of Power (2007) and Daughter of Empire: Life as a Mountbatten (2012).
Wikipedia: Lady Pamela Hicks

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Works Cited

  • Lundy, D. (2019). Main Page. [online] Thepeerage.com. Available at: http://www.thepeerage.com/. (for genealogy information)
  • Unofficial Royalty. (2019). Unofficial Royalty. [online] Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com. (for biographical and genealogy information)
  • Wikipedia. (2019). Main Page. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/.  (for biographical and genealogy information)

Caroline of Brunswick, Queen of the United Kingdom

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Caroline of Brunswick, Queen of the United Kingdom; Credit – Wikipedia

Her Highness Princess Caroline Amelia Elizabeth, Duchess of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, known as Caroline of Brunswick, was the third child of the seven children of Karl Wilhelm Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel and Augusta of Great Britain, the elder sister of King George III of the United Kingdom. Born in Brunswick, Duchy of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel now in the German state of Lower Saxony, on May 17, 1768.

Caroline had six siblings:

Caroline was rebellious and a tomboy who preferred playing with her brothers instead of with girls. She grew up not very educated in her mother’s uncultured court. Caroline’s mother, the elder sister of King George III, spent her time knitting and doing embroidery with her ladies at her palace outside of Brunswick, Caroline’s father lived in Brunswick with his mistress. Like many German princesses, she was brought up with no religious instructions to keep her options open for marriage to a prince of any religion.

Caroline in 1795, shortly before her marriage; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1794, over the British Channel in Great Britain, the eldest son of King George III, George, Prince of Wales was once again severely in debt. If he married, Parliament would settle his debts and his allowance would be increased by £ 100,000. In 1784, George had fallen in love with Maria Fitzherbert, a twice-widowed Catholic Irish woman. A marriage with a Catholic would mean that George would lose his place in the succession as stipulated by the Act of Settlement 1701. In addition, the Royal Marriages Act 1772 prohibited marriage without the consent of the King, which would never have been granted. Nevertheless, the couple went through with a legally void marriage at Maria Fitzherbert’s home on December 21, 1785. Maria Fitzherbert was convinced she was the lawful wife of the Prince of Wales as she viewed church law to be superior to the law of the state. For political reasons, the marriage remained secret, although there were rumors spreading all over London, and Maria Fitzherbert had promised not to let anything about it be announced in public.

On June 23, 1794, Maria Fitzherbert was informed by letter that her relationship with the Prince of Wales was over. Caroline, his first cousin, was selected George’s bride. Great Britain was at war with revolutionary France and eager to obtain allies on the European mainland. Caroline and George were married on April 8, 1795, at the Chapel Royal, St. James’ Palace, in London.

George and Caroline’s wedding; Credit – Wikipedia

This marriage is one of the worst ever royal marriages. Upon first seeing Caroline, George said to his valet, “Harris, I am not well; pray get me a glass of brandy.” Caroline said George was fat and not as handsome as his portrait. It is doubtful that the couple spent more than a few nights together as husband and wife. Their only child, Princess Charlotte of Wales, was born nine months later.  They found each other equally unattractive and never lived together nor appeared in public together. To make matters worse, George’s mistress, Frances Villiers, Countess of Jersey, was appointed Caroline’s Lady of the Bedchamber. Caroline was ignored at the court and lived basically under house arrest, and after two and a half years, she left the court and lived for ten years in a Montagu House in Blackheath, London. She was denied any part in the raising of her daughter Charlotte and was allowed to see her only occasionally.

Caroline, Princess of Wales, 1798 by Sir Thomas Lawrence; Credit – Wikipedia

At Montagu House, Caroline provided a home for nine orphan children. In 1802, she adopted one of the children, William Austin, and rumors circulated that he was Caroline’s child. Caroline retorted, “Prove it, and he shall be your King!” A secret commission was set up, known as the “Delicate Investigation”, to investigate the claim that William Austin was Caroline’s son, but the commissioners found there was no real evidence for the allegation.

King George III became so ill that it was necessary for Parliament to pass the Regency Act of 1811.  George acted as Regent until his father died in 1820 and was known as The Prince Regent. Caroline was increasingly unhappy with her situation and treatment and negotiated a deal with the Foreign Secretary to allow her to leave the country in exchange for an annual allowance of £35,000. On August 8, 1814, Caroline left Great Britain and spent several years traveling in Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Tunis, and Palestine. In Italy, she hired Bartolomeo Pergami as a courier and he soon became the head of her household, and rumors circulated that they were lovers. Caroline said that she had committed adultery only once – with Mrs. Fitzherbert’s husband.

A caricature mocking Caroline for her supposed affair with Pergami; Credit – Wikipedia

Caroline’s daughter Charlotte married Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (the uncle of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert and the future King of the Belgians), but she predeceased both her parents, dying in childbirth in 1817 at the age of 21, along with her son. Had Charlotte lived, she would have succeeded her father on the throne. Caroline, who had started receiving letters from her daughter once she was married, was devastated.

Caroline with her daughter Charlotte; Credit – Wikipedia

When King George III died in January of 1820, Caroline was determined to return to England and assert her rights as queen. On her way back to England, she received a proposal from George offering her £50,000 per year if she would continue to live outside of England. Caroline rejected the proposal and received a royal salute of 21 guns from Dover Castle when she set foot again in England. George was determined to be rid of Caroline and his government introduced a bill in Parliament, the Pains and Penalties Bill 1820, to strip Caroline of the title of queen consort and dissolve her marriage. The reading of the bill in Parliament was effectively a trial of Caroline. On November 10, 1820, a final reading of the bill took place, and the bill passed by 108–99. Prime Minister Robert Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool then declared that since the vote was so close, and public tensions so high, the government was withdrawing the bill.

The Trial of Queen Caroline, 1820 by Sir George Hayter; Credit – Wikipedia (Caroline is sitting in a chair in the lower middle of the painting)

King George IV’s coronation was set for July 19, 1821, but no plans had been made for Caroline to participate. On the day of the coronation, Caroline went to Westminster Abbey, was barred at every entrance, and finally left. Three weeks later on August 7, 1821, Caroline died at the age of 53, most likely from a bowel obstruction or cancer. Prior to her death, Caroline had requested that she be buried in her native Brunswick. The official route of Caroline’s cortege through London was to avoid major streets. However, members of the public blocked those streets and forced a new route through the major streets. Caroline was buried at Brunswick Cathedral in Brunswick, Duchy of Brunswick, now in the German state of Lower Saxony, alongside her father. Her casket bears the inscription, “Here lies Caroline, the Injured Queen of England.”

Tomb of Queen Caroline: 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.

Recommended book: The Unruly Queen: The Life of Queen Caroline by Flora Fraser (non-fiction)

House of Hanover Resources at Unofficial Royalty

King George IV of the United Kingdom

by Susan Flantzer    © Unofficial Royalty 2015

King George IV of the United Kingdom; Credit – Wikipedia

King George IV, the eldest child of the fifteen children of King George III of the United Kingdom and Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, was born at St James’ Palace in London, England on August 12, 1762. George’s birth marked the first time an heir had been born to a reigning monarch since the birth of King James II’s son in 1688. At birth, George was automatically Duke of Cornwall as the eldest son of the reigning monarch. Five days after his birth, George was created Prince of Wales. He was christened at St James’s Palace by Thomas Secker, Archbishop of Canterbury, and given the names George Augustus Frederick. His godparents were:

George (left) with his mother Queen Charlotte and younger brother Frederick, painted by Allan Ramsay in 1764; Credit – Wikipedia

George had fifteen siblings and he was 21 years older than his youngest sibling, Princess Amelia.

George III children

Queen Charlotte painted by Benjamin West in 1779 with her 13 eldest children; Credit – http://www.royalcollection.org.uk

George was created a Knight of the Garter at age three and was introduced to ceremonial functions at an early age. He was brought up and educated with his brother Prince Frederick at Kew Palace. Robert Darcy, 4th Earl of Holderness was their governor, and William Markham, Bishop of Chester was their chief tutor. After Markham became Archbishop of York, Richard Hurd, Bishop of Worcester became the princes’ chief tutor. The young princes spent eight hours a day with their tutors and learned to ride and fence.

Even as a young child, George irritated his father, starting another occurrence of Hanover heirs not getting along with their fathers. When he was a teenager, George increasingly rebelled against his parents. He became associated with prominent Whigs such as Charles James Fox, who were in opposition to the Conservative government of King George III. These Whig circles also promoted George’s gambling, his tendency to womanizing, and his extravagant lifestyle. Even before he came of age, George attracted the attention of London society by having an affair with Mary Robinson, actress, poet, dramatist, and novelist. Mary had gained fame portraying Perdita in Shakespeare’s The Winter Tale and was nicknamed Perdita. George was then nicknamed Florizel, Perdita’s love interest in the play. Caricatures and satires of the couple as Perdita and Florizel were popular at the time.

Caricature of the Prince of Wales as Florizel and Mary Robinson as Perdita, 1783; Credit – Wikipedia

Upon his 21st birthday in 1783, George became of age and received a grant from Parliament of £60,000 to pay his debts (£6,451,000 today) and an annual income of £50,000 (£5,376,000 today) from his father. To evade the strict lifestyle of his parents, George set up his own household at Carlton House, a residence on the Pall Mall in London. George’s lavish redecoration of Carlton House once again put him in debt and once again, Parliament and his father bailed him out.

Prince of Wales, Miniature by Richard Cosway, 1792; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1784, George fell in love with Maria Fitzherbert, a twice-widowed Catholic Irish woman. A marriage with a Catholic would mean that George would lose his place in the succession as stipulated by the Act of Settlement 1701. In addition, the Royal Marriages Act 1772, prohibited the marriage without the consent of the King, which would never have been granted. Nevertheless, the couple went through with a legally void marriage at Maria Fitzherbert’s home on December 21, 1785. Maria Fitzherbert was convinced she was the lawful wife of the Prince of Wales as she viewed church law to be superior to the law of the state. For political reasons, the marriage remained secret, although there were rumors spreading all over London, and Maria Fitzherbert had promised to not let anything about it be announced in public.

Maria Fitzherbert; Credit – Wikipedia

By 1794, George was again severely in debt. If he married, Parliament would settle his debts and his allowance would be increased by £ 100,000. On June 23, 1794, Maria Fitzherbert was informed by letter that her relationship with the Prince of Wales was over. Caroline of Brunswick, his first cousin, was selected as the bride. Her father Karl Wilhelm Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, was a favorite nephew of Frederick the Great, King of Prussia, and had distinguished himself as a commander in the Seven Years’ War. Britain was at war with revolutionary France and eager to obtain allies on the European mainland. Caroline’s mother Augusta was a sister of George III. Caroline and George were married on April 8, 1795, at the Chapel Royal, St. James’ Palace, in London.

George and Caroline’s wedding; Credit – Wikipedia

This marriage is one of the worst ever royal marriages.  Upon first seeing Caroline, George said to his valet, “Harris, I am not well. Pray get me a glass of brandy.”  Caroline said George was fat and not as handsome as his portrait.  It is doubtful that the couple spent more than a few nights together as husband and wife.  Their only child, Princess Charlotte of Wales, was born nine months later.  They found each other equally unattractive and never lived together nor appeared in public together.  Caroline was prevented from seeing her daughter. Their daughter Charlotte married Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (the uncle of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert and the future King of the Belgians), but she predeceased both her parents, dying in childbirth in 1817 at the age of 21, along with her son. Had Charlotte lived, she would have succeeded her father on the throne.

Caroline eventually went to live abroad where she ran up debts and had lovers. She returned to England when George became king and he promptly started divorce proceedings.  However, a parliamentary bill dissolving the marriage and stripping Caroline of her title of Queen failed.  Caroline was turned away from Westminster Abbey during her husband’s coronation in 1821.  She died a few weeks later and her remains were shipped back to her native Brunswick where she was buried at Brunswick Cathedral.  The inscription on her tomb reads, “Here lies Caroline, the Injured Queen of England.”

During the reign of King George III, he suffered attacks of illness and there has been speculation that he suffered from porphyria. The American Revolutionary War and the loss of the American colonies was a great blow to George III and in 1788, he suffered another attack. This attack was more serious and George III was terribly deranged for a period of six months. At this time, Parliament had introduced a Regency Bill which made the Prince of Wales the Regent, but before it could be passed King George III recovered.

By 1805, King George III was almost completely blind. On October 25, 1809, a golden jubilee for the 50th year of his reign was held. Princess Amelia, George III’s youngest child, died on November 10, 1810, and this hastened his final decline. George III became so ill that Parliament needed to pass the Regency Act of 1811.  The Prince of Wales acted as Regent until his father died in 1820 and was known as The Prince Regent. Queen Charlotte was her husband’s legal guardian, but could not bring herself to visit him due to his violent outbursts and erratic behavior.

Upon the death of King George III on January 29, 1820, The Prince Regent succeeded to the throne as King George IV. At the time of his succession, George IV was obese and probably addicted to laudanum. His coronation, on July 19, 1821, despite being expensive and lavish, was popular with the British people.

King George IV’s coronation; Credit – Wikipedia

King George IV in his coronation robes; Credit – Wikipedia

George IV was the first British monarch to visit Ireland (in August 1821) since the reign of King Richard II in the 14th century and the first British Hanover monarch (the British Hanover kings were also Kings of Hanover) to visit Hanover (in September 1821) in 66 years. His 21-day visit to Scotland in 1822, organized by author Sir Walter Scott, was the first by a British monarch since the reign of King Charles II. On his trip to Scotland, George IV frequently wore a kilt and this helped to make the traditional garb of Highland Scotland popular during the 19th century.

King George IV during his 1822 trip to Scotland; Credit – Wikipedia

The trip to Scotland was the last major trip that George IV took. After that, suffering from gout, arteriosclerosis, and edema, he spent more and more time in seclusion at Windsor Castle. Because of his excessive lifestyle, he had become so fat (his weight in 1830 was 130 kg/280 lbs) that he increasingly was an object of ridicule when he appeared in public. George IV’s final illness began in January 1830 with a severe cough. He improved slightly in March 1830 but continued to have respiratory problems, faintness, and urinary tract pain. King George IV died at the age of 67 on June 26, 1830, at Windsor Castle and the throne passed to the next surviving son of King George III, Prince William, Duke of Clarence who reigned as King William IV. George IV was buried in the Royal Tomb House at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle.

Lithograph of George IV in profile, by George Atkinson, printed by C. Hullmandel, 1821; Credit – Wikipedia

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Caroline of Ansbach, Queen of Great Britain

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Caroline of Ansbach, Queen of Great Britain; Credit – Wikipedia

Her Serene Highness Markgräfin (Margravine) Wilhelmina Charlotte Caroline of Brandenburg-Ansbach, known as Caroline of Ansbach, was the wife of King George II of Great Britain. Born on March 11, 1683, at the Residenz Ansbach in Ansbach, Margraviate of Brandenburg-Ansbach, now in Bavaria, Germany, Caroline was the eldest of the three children of Johann Friedrich, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach and his second wife Princess Eleonore Erdmuthe of Saxe-Eisenach,

Caroline had two younger siblings:

Caroline also had five older half-siblings from her father’s first marriage to Margravine Johanna Elisabeth of Baden-Durlach:

Ansbach in the 17th century; Credit -Wikipedia

When Caroline was three years old, her father died of smallpox, causing her mother and her siblings to live in poor circumstances in Crailsheim, now in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. Her mother Eleonore Erdmuthe remarried in 1692 to Johann Georg IV, Elector of Saxony, and Caroline and her brother Wilhelm Friedrich accompanied their mother to Saxony. The marriage was not a happy one. Johann Georg had been forced to marry by his mother to produce heirs and to end the affair between Johann Georg and his mistress. However, Johann Georg refused to give up his mistress and attempted to murder Eleonore Erdmuthe so he would be able to marry his mistress. The murder was averted by Johann Georg’s younger brother (known as Augustus II the Strong, Elector of Saxony), who parried the murder weapon, a sword, away from Eleonore Erdmuthe. Two years after the marriage, Johann Georg died of smallpox, and Caroline moved with her mother and brother to Schloss Pretzsch,  the residence of the widow of the Elector of Saxony.

In 1696, Eleonore Erdmuthe died and the 13-year-old orphaned Caroline was placed in the care of Friedrich, Elector of Brandenburg and his wife Sophia Charlotte of Hanover (later King and Queen in Prussia), friends of Eleonore Erdmuthe. Sophia Charlotte was the only daughter of Electress Sophia of Hanover, the grandmother of Caroline’s future husband, so Caroline became acquainted with the Hanover family. Sophia Charlotte was intelligent and attracted many scholars to her court including the mathematician and philosopher Gottfried Leibniz. Caroline was exposed to this intellectual environment and developed into quite a scholar.

Caroline, considered beautiful and well-educated, had several suitors, and Electress Sophia put her on a list of suitable wives for her grandson, the future King George II of Great Britain. George, whose title at the time was Electoral Prince of Hanover, traveled incognito to inspect his potential bride because his father did not want his son to repeat the disaster of his marriage. George immediately liked Caroline and the couple married on August 22, 1705, at the palace chapel at Schloss Herrenhausen in Hanover. Although the marriage was successful and happy, George had mistresses which Caroline knew about. The couple had eight children and through their children’s marriages, George and Caroline are the ancestors of many European royal families including the British, Danish, Dutch, Greek, Norwegian, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, and Swedish Royal Families.

George II and his family; Credit – Wikipedia

George’s father had a change in fortune when the British House of Stuart failed to produce a legitimate Protestant heir. His mother Electress Sophia of Hanover was the closest Protestant heir and was named the heiress presumptive to the British throne. However, Sophia of Hanover died two months before Queen Anne of Great Britain died and George’s father succeeded to the British throne as King George I in 1714 upon the death of Queen Anne. George was automatically Duke of Cornwall, Duke of Rothesay, and Earl of Carrick. On September 27, 1714, King George I created his eldest son Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester. Caroline was styled with the feminine versions of her husband’s titles.

George and Caroline made a concerted effort to learn English and acquire knowledge about Britain’s people, politics, and customs. George had a very poor relationship with his father. The first big rift occurred because of a disagreement over the choice of godparents for the Prince and Princess of Wales’ short-lived son George William, born in 1717. The disagreement grew out of proportion, and George was placed under arrest. The result was that George and Caroline were exiled from St. James’ Palace. They moved into Leicester House in Leicester Square, London, their chief residence for the rest of King George I’s reign. However, their children were kept at St. James’ Palace in the custody of their grandfather. Caroline acted as a mediator, and in cooperation with Prime Minister Robert Walpole, she finally reconciled King George I and his son.

On June 11, 1727, King George I died and was buried in Hanover, and his son succeeded him as King George II. George and Caroline were crowned at Westminster Abbey on October 22, 1727.

studio of Charles Jervas, oil on canvas, 1727

Caroline Wilhelmina of Brandenburg-Ansbach, studio of Charles Jervas, oil on canvas, 1727, 86 in. x 50 1/4 in. (2185 mm x 1276 mm), Purchased, 1873, Primary Collection, NPG 369 © National Portrait Gallery, London

Queen Caroline played a greater role in governmental affairs than any queen consort since the Middle Ages. King George II initially dismissed Robert Walpole, his father’s Prime Minister, but Caroline persuaded her husband to recall Walpole. During her husband’s absences, Caroline led the affairs of state, together with Prime Minister Robert Walpole. She initiated a reform of English criminal law when an investigation uncovered widespread abuses. Many historians have concluded that King George II was largely led by his queen. Caroline’s influence is illustrated in a poem popular at the time:

You may strut, dapper George, but ’twill all be in vain,
We know ’tis Queen Caroline, not you, that reign.
You govern no more than Don Philip of Spain.
Then if you would have us fall down and adore you,
Lock up your fat spouse, as your dad did before you.

Caroline had many scientific and artistic interests. She corresponded with several intellectuals including mathematician Gottfried Leibniz, whom she met when she was a child, and Christian Thomasius, German jurist and philosopher. Caroline supported French philosopher Voltaire during his exile in England from 1726-1729. Voltaire thanked her by dedicating his epic poem La Henriade to her. Caroline was also considered one of the greatest promoters of the composer George Frideric Handel, who had come to England with King George I. Handel dedicated his famous Water Music to her.

by Jacopo Amigoni, oil on canvas, 1735

Caroline Wilhelmina of Brandenburg-Ansbach by Jacopo Amigoni, oil on canvas, 1735, NPG 4332 © National Portrait Gallery, London

In 1724, during the birth of her youngest child, Caroline sustained an umbilical hernia. She ignored the condition until it became acute in November 1737. Then she was bled, purged, and operated on, without anesthetic, but there was no improvement in her condition. Gangrene set in and she died on November 20, 1737, at St. James’ Palace in London, England at the age of 54. As she lay dying, she begged her grief-stricken husband to marry again. George replied, “Never, never. I shall have only mistresses.” When George died, he left instructions that the sideboards of their coffins be removed so the two could be joined together in death.

Caroline was buried in Westminster Abbey in London, England, the last Queen Consort to be buried there. George Frideric Handel, who had been her friend for more than 30 years, composed, within a week, The Ways of Zion Do Mourn / Funeral Anthem for Queen Caroline, which was performed at her funeral on December 17, 1737.

Inscription on the floor of the Henry VII Chapel at Westminster Abbey marking the grave of Caroline of Ansbach; Credit – www.findagrave.com

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King George II of Great Britain

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

King George II of Great Britain; Credit – Wikipedia

The last British monarch born outside of Great Britain, King George II was born at Schloss Herrenhausen in Hanover, Duchy of Brunswick and Lüneburg, now in the German state of Lower Saxony, on November 10, 1683. He was the elder of the two children of Georg Ludwig, Hereditary Prince of Brunswick-Lüneburg (later King George I of Great Britain), and his wife and first cousin, Sophia Dorothea of Celle.  Georg Ludwig had a change in fortune when the British House of Stuart failed to produce a legitimate Protestant heir. His mother Sophia of Hanover was the closest Protestant heir and was named the heiress presumptive to the British throne. However, Sophia of Hanover died two months before Queen Anne of Great Britain died and Georg Ludwig succeeded to the British throne as King George I in 1714 upon the death of Queen Anne.

George had one sister:

George with his mother and sister, circa 1691; Credit – Wikipedia

George’s parents both committed adultery and their marriage was dissolved in 1694 when George was 11 years old. His mother was considered the guilty party and was confined in the Castle of Ahlden in Celle, Principality of Celle, now in Lower Saxony, Germany, for the rest of her life and George never saw her again. George and his sister Sophia were raised by their grandmother, the Dowager Electress of Hanover Sophia with the help of her Mistress of the Robes, Frau von Harling. The Dowager Electress provided English tutors for her grandchildren and great-grandchildren as soon as she was declared heiress presumptive to the British throne by the 1701 Act of Settlement. George also studied German and Italian, and particularly enjoyed studying genealogy, military history, and battle tactics. In 1705, George was naturalized as a British citizen via the Sophia Naturalization Act and was created a Knight of the Garter in 1706. On November 9, 1706, he was created Baron Tewkesbury, Viscount Northallerton, Earl of Milford Haven, and Duke and Marquess of Cambridge.

George’s father was keen on his marrying a woman he loved, so George traveled incognito to inspect a potential bride, Caroline of Ansbach, the daughter of Johann Friedrich, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach and his wife Princess Eleonore of Saxony-Eisenach. George immediately liked Caroline and the couple married on August 22, 1705, at the palace chapel at Schloss Herrenhausen. The marriage was a successful, happy one although George had mistresses which Caroline knew about. The couple had eight children and through their children’s marriages, George and Caroline are the ancestors of many European royal families including the British, Danish, Dutch, Greek, Norwegian, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, and Swedish Royal Families.

George II and his family; Credit – Wikipedia

Queen Anne died on August 1, 1714, shortly after the death of the Electress Sophia on June 8, 1714, and Sophia’s son succeeded to the British throne as King George I, the first monarch of the House of Hanover. His eldest son George was automatically Duke of Cornwall, Duke of Rothesay, and Earl of Carrick. On September 27, 1714, King George I created his eldest son Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester.

George as Prince of Wales; Credit – Wikipedia

George had a very poor relationship with his father. The first big rift occurred because of a disagreement over the choice of godparents for the Prince and Princess of Wales’ short-lived son George William, born in 1717. The disagreement grew out of proportion, and George was placed under arrest. The result was that George and Caroline were exiled from St. James’ Palace. They moved into Leicester House in Leicester Square, London which became their chief residence for the rest of King George I’s reign. However, their children were kept at St. James’ Palace in the custody of their grandfather.

On June 11, 1727, King George I died in Hanover and was buried there, and his son succeeded him as King George II. George II was crowned at Westminster Abbey on October 22, 1727. The composer George Frederick Handel was commissioned to write four new anthems for the coronation, including the rousing Zadok the Priest which has been played at every British coronation ever since. You can see it performed at the link below.

studio of Charles Jervas, oil on canvas, circa 1727

King George II, studio of Charles Jervas, oil on canvas, circa 1727 NPG 368 © National Portrait Gallery, London

Like his father, George had a negative relationship with his eldest son Frederick, Prince of Wales. Upon his father’s accession, George and his wife Caroline went to live in Great Britain as Prince and Princess of Wales. They left seven-year-old Frederick, now second in the line of succession to the British throne, in Hanover in the care of his great-uncle Ernest Augustus, Prince-Bishop of Osnabrück, and they did not see their son again for 14 years. Certainly, this long separation during childhood was a factor in the negative relationship Frederick had with his parents as an adult. In 1728, Frederick, who automatically became Duke of Cornwall and Duke of Rothesay at his father’s accession, was summoned to London.  There was more evidence of the feud between Frederick and his parents.  He was the heir to the throne but was not even met by any officials when he first arrived in London and had to take a hackney carriage to St. James’ Palace.

Frederick, Prince of Wales; Credit – Wikipedia

When Frederick’s wife Augusta went into labor with her first child at Hampton Court Palace where the King and Queen were in residence, Frederick insisted that Augusta endure a bumpy carriage ride back to St. James’ Palace in London just to prevent his hated parents from being present at the birth.  This event created an even larger rift between Frederick and his parents. Frederick predeceased his father, dying in 1751 at the age of 44. King George II was playing cards with his mistress when he was told of Frederick’s death.  He continued playing cards and later said, “I have lost my eldest son, but I am glad,” so the feud between father and son did not even end with death. Frederick’s eldest son George was now the heir apparent and was created Prince of Wales.

Queen Caroline played a greater role in governmental affairs than any queen consort since the Middle Ages. She gave her support to Prime Minister Robert Walpole and found a great mentor in John Hervey, 2nd Baron Hervey, a Whig Member of Parliament. Caroline’s influence is illustrated in a couplet popular at the time:

You may strut, dapper George, but ’twill all be in vain,
We know ’tis Queen Caroline, not you, that reign.

On November 20, 1737, Queen Caroline died of gangrene following an operation. As she lay dying, she begged her grief-stricken husband to marry again. George replied, “Never, never. I shall have only mistresses.” When George died, he left instructions that the sideboards of their coffins be removed so the two could be joined together in death.

Queen Caroline, circa 1735, by Joseph Highmore; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1743, King George II became the last British monarch to lead an army into battle at the Battle of Dettingen during the War of the Austrian Succession. The Jacobites once again attempted to put a Catholic Stuart on the British throne in 1745-1746 during the Jacobite Rising of 1745.  The Stuart in rebellion this time was Charles Edward Stuart, “Bonnie Prince Charlie” or “the Young Pretender.” Charles Edward was the son of the Old Pretender, James Francis Edward Stuart and the grandson of King James II. The rebellion failed and the Jacobites were defeated once and for all at the Battle of Culloden in 1746 by an army led by King George II’s son Prince William, Duke of Cumberland who gained the nickname “Butcher of Culloden.”

King George II at the Battle of Dettingen; Credit – Wikipedia

The British National Anthem has its origins during King George II’s reign. The earliest version, God Save Great George Our King, was first heard in 1745 when King George II attended a gala performance at Drury Lane Theater in London in celebration of the defeat of Charles Edward Stuart, “Bonnie Prince Charlie” or “the Young Pretender.” King George II is related to another famous musical work, Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus. No one knows why or when the custom of standing during the Hallelujah Chorus began. The most common theory is that King George II, attending the London premiere of “The Messiah’’ in March 1743, was so moved by the Hallelujah Chorus that he stood up. If the king stands, everybody stands. However, there is no contemporary evidence he was at the concert.

King George II, circa 1753 by Thomas Worlidge; Credit – Wikipedia

On October 25, 1760, King George II woke up early at Kensington Palace and had his usual cup of chocolate. He asked about the direction of the wind as he was anxious about receiving his overseas mail, and then he entered his water closet. A few minutes later, his valet heard a crash and found George lying on the floor. He was put into bed and asked for his favorite daughter Princess Amelia, but he died before the princess reached him. An autopsy showed that he died of a ruptured aortic aneurysm. King George II was buried in Westminster Abbey, the last monarch buried there. He was succeeded by his grandson, King George III.

Inscription on the floor of the Henry VII Chapel at Westminster Abbey marking the grave of George II, Credit: www.findagrave.com

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