Category Archives: Current Monarchies

Gunilla Johansdotter Bielke, Queen of Sweden

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Gunilla Johansdotter Bielke, Queen of Sweden; Credit – Wikipedia

Gunilla Johansdotter Bielke was the second wife of Johan III, King of Sweden. Born on June 25, 1568, in Liljesta, Östergötland, Sweden, she was the eldest of the three daughters and the third of the eight children of Johan Axelsson Bielke (? – 1576) and Margareta Axelsdotter Posse (1548 – 1575). The Bielke family was an aristocratic Swedish family. Gunilla’s father was a member of the royal council and Lieutenant of Östergötland.

Gunilla had seven siblings:

  • Gunder Johansson Bielke (1562 – ?)
  • Axel Johansson Bielke (? – 1597), married Ebba Bielke
  • Elsa Johansdotter Bielke (1569 – 1622), married Count Claes Bielke, had three children
  • Brita Johansdotter Bielke (1570 – 1599), married Count Sten Gustafsson, had one son
  • Erik Johansson Bielke, died young
  • Nils Johansson Bielke, died young
  • Ebba Johansdotter Bielke (born 1575 – ?), died young

When Gunilla was seven years old, her mother died, possibly in childbirth giving birth to her last child. Her father died the following year. Gunilla was then raised at court as a playmate of King Johan III’s daughter Princess Anna Vasa of Sweden. In 1582, Gunilla became a maid of honor to King Johan III’s first wife Queen Katarina Jagellonica. Queen Katarina fell sick in the spring of 1583 and died on September 16, 1583.

After the death of his wife, Johan III began the search for a new wife. He wanted to marry someone he knew and his choice was Gunilla, his deceased wife’s maid of honor and the daughter of one of his cousins. There was a 32-year age difference – Johan was 48 and Gunilla was 16. Several of Johan III’s siblings protested against the marriage and said he should marry a foreign princess. Johan’s brother Karl (the future Karl IX, King of Sweden) had married a foreign princess, Anna Marie of Palatinate-Simmern.

Gunilla had promised herself to a young nobleman named Per Jonsson Liljesparre. When King Johan III informed Gunilla of his intentions to marry her, she refused to agree. Johan III was so angry that he hit her in the face with his glove and left. Gunilla’s relatives saw a connection with the royal family as an opportunity that they could not allow slipping away, and so they pleaded, cajoled, and threatened until Gunilla finally gave in.

Gunilla’s husband Johan III, King of Sweden; Credit – Wikipedia

On February 21, 1585, Johan III, King of Sweden married Gunilla Bielke at Västerås Cathedral in Västerås, Sweden. Gunilla was crowned Queen of Sweden the following day. Johan’s brother Karl was still disturbed by his brother’s choice of a wife. He refused to attend the wedding festivities which further worsened the brothers’ already strained relationship.

Johan III and Gunilla had one son:

Gunilla and Johan III’s son Johan of Sweden, Duke of Finland, Duke of Östergötland; Credit – Wikipedia

Gunilla had two step-children, both close in age to her, from Johan III’s marriage to his first wife Katarina Jagellonica:

  • Sigismund III Vasa, King of Poland, King of Sweden, Grand Duke of Finland and Lithuania (1566 – 1632), married (1) Anne of Austria, had five children (2) Constance of Austria, had seven children
  • Anna Vasa of Sweden (1568 – 1625), unmarried

Gunilla had a significant influence on Johan. She had received a strict Lutheran education and is credited with influencing Johan’s policy regarding religion in favor of Protestantism, similar to the way his first wife had influenced him in favor of Catholicism. In 1590, Johan III named Gunilla to serve as regent, should their son Johan succeed to the throne as a minor. Gunilla and Johan III’s son never succeeded to the Swedish throne. First, he was put aside by his elder half-brother Sigismund III Vasa, and then by his uncle Karl IX.

After a reign of twenty-three years, Johan III, King of Sweden died on November 17, 1592, aged 54. He was succeeded by Sigismund III Vasa, his son by his first wife, the Roman Catholic Polish Princess Katarina Jagellonica. Sigismund, who had been raised Roman Catholic, had been elected King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania in 1587. However, the Catholic Sigismund was deposed in 1599 as King of Sweden by his Protestant uncle who then reigned as King Karl IX of Sweden. Sigismund lived the remainder of his life in Poland and reigned for a total of 45 years in Poland and Lithuania, dying in 1632.

Gunilla’s home Bråborg Castle; Credit – Wikipedia

After the death of her husband, Gunilla received a generous allowance and land willed to her by her husband, as well as custody of her three-year-old son and control of his Duchy of Östergötland. She retired to Bråborg Castle in the Duchy of Östergötland, where she resided until her death. Gunilla survived her husband by only five years, dying at the age of 29 of a fever on July 19, 1597. She was buried near her husband at Uppsala Cathedral in Uppsala, Sweden. After Gunilla’s death, her son Johan was raised by his uncle Karl IX, King of Sweden, who treated him like his own son. Johan was tutored with his first cousin, the future Gustavus Adolphus, King of Sweden.

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

Works Cited

  • Adelsvapen.com. 2021. Bielke af Åkerö nr 8 – Adelsvapen-Wiki. [online] Available at: <https://www.adelsvapen.com/genealogi/Bielke_af_%C3%85ker%C3%B6_nr_8> [Accessed 22 May 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Gunilla Bielke – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunilla_Bielke> [Accessed 22 May 2021].
  • Fr.wikipedia.org. 2021. Gunilla Bielke — Wikipédia. [online] Available at: <https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunilla_Bielke> [Accessed 22 May 2021].
  • Gunilla Bielke, Q., 2021. Gunilla Bielke, Queen of Sweden. [online] geni_family_tree. Available at: <https://www.geni.com/people/Gunilla-Bielke-Queen-of-Sweden/6000000000699070330> [Accessed 22 May 2021].
  • Historiesajten.se. 2021. Gunilla Bielke – Historiesajten. [online] Available at: <https://historiesajten.se/visainfo.asp?id=259> [Accessed 22 May 2021].
  • Sv.wikipedia.org. 2021. Gunilla Bielke – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunilla_Bielke> [Accessed 22 May 2021].
  • Tegenborg Falkdalen, K., 2018. Gunilla, drottning. [online] Skbl.se. Available at: <https://www.skbl.se/sv/artikel/GunillaBielke> [Accessed 22 May 2021].

Katarina Jagellonica of Poland, Queen of Sweden

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Credit – Wikipedia

Katarina Jagellonica of Poland was the first of the two wives of Johan III, King of Sweden. Born on November 1, 1526, in Kraków, Poland, she was the fifth of the six children and the youngest of the four daughters of Sigismund I, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania (1467 – 1548) and his second wife Bona Sforza of Milan (1494 – 1557), daughter of Gian Galeazzo Sforza, Duke of Milan and Isabella of Naples, daughter of King Alfonso II of Naples.

Katarina had five siblings:

Ten portrait miniatures of the Jagiellon Family: Sigismund I, Bona Sforza, Sigismund II Augustus, Elizabeth of Austria, Barbara Radziwiłł, Catherine of Austria, Isabella Jagiellon, Catherine Jagiellon, Sophia Jagiellon, Anna Jagiellon; Credit – Wikipedia

From her father’s first marriage to Barbara Zápolya (1495 – 1515), a Hungarian noblewoman who died two months after giving birth to her second child, Katharina had two half-sisters:

Katarina was raised with her sisters Sophia and Anna. Most of her parents’ attention was given to the two eldest children Isabella and Sigismund Augustus. Katarina was educated by Italian tutors to read, write and speak Latin, German, and Italian. In addition, she was instructed in riding, dancing, singing, and playing several musical instruments.

After the death of her father in 1548, Katarina’s brother Sigismund II Augustus succeeded as King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania. Sigismund II Augustus and his mother Bona Sforza previously had a conflict over his marriage to Barbara Radziwiłł, his former mistress. Bona eventually accepted her son’s decision to marry but their relationship was problematic and after her husband’s death, Bona and her three unmarried daughters moved away from the Polish court. In 1556, Katarina’s sister Sophia married and left for the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneberg. At the same time, Katarina’s mother decided to return to her home country, the Duchy of Milan. Katarina and her sister Anna were sent to the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania in Vilnius so that there would be a royal presence in Lithuania.

Johan III, King of Sweden; Credit – Wikipedia

Katarina was now in her 30s, quite old for a princess to remain unwed. In 1560, the widowed Ivan IV (the Terrible), Tsar of Russia proposed marriage but her brother Sigismund II Augustus did not consent to the marriage. Meanwhile, in Sweden, King Gustav I Vasa of Sweden died and was succeeded by his son from his first marriage Erik XIV, King of Sweden. Erik summoned the Riksdag (parliament) and at his urging, the Riksdag curtailed the authority of his half-brothers Johan, Duke of Finland and Karl, Duke of Södermanland in the dukedoms given to them by their father. As a further move against his half-brother Johan, Duke of Finland, Erik placed Johan’s city of Reval, now Tallinn, Estonia, under his protective power and led expansionist campaigns of conquest in Estonia. Johan then turned to Sigismund II Augustus for an alliance. In 1562, Johan’s envoys proposed a marriage between Katarina and Johan, Duke of Finland. However, Polish custom required that princesses marry in seniority. Katarina’s sister Anna who was three years older but was unmarried persuaded her brother to allow the marriage and he agreed. At the age of 35, Katarina married 25-year-old Johan, Duke of Finland in Vilnius, Grand Duchy of Lithuania on October 4, 1562.

Johan and Katarina Jagellonica had three children:

Katarina and Johan with their son Sigismund in captivity at Gripsholm Castle by Jozef Simmler,1859; Credit – Wikipedia

In exchange for marrying Katarina, Johan received a substantial sum of money and land in Livonia (located in present-day Estonia and Latvia) which then hindered the expansionist policy of his half-brother King Erik XIV. Erik’s response was to send 10,000 troops to besiege Johan’s home Turku Castle in Turku, Finland. On August 12, 1563, Turku Castle surrendered. Johan was tried for high treason and sentenced to death but he was pardoned and imprisoned for four years with Katarina at Gripsholm Castle in Mariefred, Södermanland, Sweden. Johan and Katarina’s two eldest children were born in captivity at Gripsholm Castle.

Due to King Erik XIV’s mental health issues, his participation in the 1567 Sture Murders, and his unpopular marriage to his mistress Karin Månsdotter, his younger half-brothers led a revolt against him with the support of many nobles that ended in Erik XIV’s removal as King of Sweden in September 1568 and his eldest half-brother succeeding to the throne as Johan III, King of Sweden. In January 1569, the Riksdag (parliament) legally dethroned Erik. Johan and Katarina were crowned King and Queen of Sweden on July 10, 1569, at Uppsala Cathedral in Uppsala, Sweden. Erik was imprisoned in various castles for nine years and died on February 26, 1577, aged 43. He was most likely murdered due to the three major conspiracies that attempted to depose his half-brother King Johan III and place Erik back on the Swedish throne. An examination of his remains in 1958 confirmed that Erik probably died of arsenic poisoning.

As Queen Consort of Sweden, Katarina had much political influence and influenced her husband in many areas, such as his foreign policy and his interest in Renaissance art. Johan III named her regent of Sweden should he die while their son was a minor. However, her greatest influence was in religious policy. The Protestant Johan had clear Catholic sympathies, inspired by the Catholic Katarina, and this created issues with the Protestant Swedish clergy and nobility. Their son Sigismund was raised as a Catholic in the hopes that he would acquire the Polish crown in the future.

Katarina’s tomb in Uppsala Cathedral; Credit – Wikipedia

In the spring of 1583, Katarina became seriously ill with gout, and after much suffering, she died on September 16, 1583, aged 56, at Tre Kronor Castle in Stockholm, Sweden, and was buried in Uppsala Cathedral in Uppsala, Sweden. After Katarina’s death, Johan III married again to Gunilla Bielke and had one son.

Katarina’s son Sigismund Vasa, circa 1590; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1587, Katarina and Johan III’s son Sigismund was elected monarch of the Polish – Lithuanian Commonwealth and became King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania. Upon the death of his father Johan III in 1592, Sigismund also became King of Sweden. However, the Catholic Sigismund was deposed in 1599 as King of Sweden by his Protestant uncle who then reigned as King Karl IX of Sweden. Sigismund lived the remainder of his life in Poland and reigned for a total of 45 years in Poland and Lithuania, dying in 1632.

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

Works Cited

  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Bona Sforza – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bona_Sforza> [Accessed 16 May 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Catherine Jagiellon – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catherine_Jagiellon> [Accessed 16 May 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Sigismund I the Old – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigismund_I_of_Poland> [Accessed 16 May 2021].
  • Flantzer, Susan. 2021. Johan III, King of Sweden. [online] Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/johan-iii-king-of-sweden/> [Accessed 16 May 2021].
  • Pl.wikipedia.org. 2021. Katarzyna Jagiellonka – Wikipedia, wolna encyklopedia. [online] Available at: <https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katarzyna_Jagiellonka> [Accessed 16 May 2021].
  • Sv.wikipedia.org. 2021. Katarina Jagellonica – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katarina_Jagellonica> [Accessed 16 May 2021].

St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

St. George’s Chapel; Photo Credit – © Susan Flantzer

St. George’s Chapel, which this writer has visited, is located in the Lower Ward of the precincts of Windsor Castle in Windsor, England. Calling it a chapel is a misnomer as it is more cathedral-like. St. George’s Chapel is a Royal Peculiar, a church under the direct jurisdiction of the monarch instead of a bishop, and is also the Chapel of the Order of the Garter. St. George’s Chapel seats around 800 people and has been the setting for many royal funerals since the reign of King George III and many royal weddings since the reign of Queen Victoria.

https://www.britainexpress.com/counties/berkshire/windsor-castle/st-georges-map.htm

1 – Nave
1a – Memorial to The Prince Imperial, son of Emperor Napoleon III and Empress Eugenie of France, killed in the Zulu War in 1879.
2 – Beaufort Chantry – Tomb of Charles Somerset, 1st Earl of Worcester and his first wife
3 – West Nave Central
4 – Urswick Chantry – Chantry chapel for Christopher Urswick, Dean of Windsor, Memorial to Princess Charlotte of Wales is also here
5 – Tomb of King George V and his wife Queen Mary
5a – Rutland Chapel – Tomb of George Manners, 11th Baron de Roos and his wife Anne.
6 – King George VI Memorial Chapel – King George VI, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother,  Princess Margaret, The Duke of Edinburgh, and Queen Elizabeth II are buried here
7 – Hastings Chantry – Chantry chapel for William Hastings, 1st Baron Hastings, executed by Richard III
8 – Tomb of King Edward IV and his wife Elizabeth Woodville
9 – Wrought Iron Gates – designed to protect the tomb of Edward IV
10 – Tudor Oriel Window – Built by King Henry VIII as a gallery for Catherine of Aragon
11 – Reredos and East Window – Built as a memorial to Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria
12 – The Garter Stalls – Stalls for the Knights of the Garter
13 – Entrance to the Royal Vault
14 – Crypt where King Henry VIII, his third wife Jane Seymour, and King Charles I are interred
15 – Roof Bosses – At the crossing are the arms of King Henry VII and the Garter Knights
16 – The Royal Stalls
17 – West Window – Stained-glass window portrays 75 royals, saints, and popes
18 – Bray Chantry – Tomb of Sir Reginald Bray
19 – Oliver King Chapel – Oliver King, Canon of Windsor, later Bishop of Bath and Wells
20 – Edward III’s battle sword measuring 6 feet 8 inches long
21 – Oxenbridge Chantry – Chantry chapel for John Oxenbridge, Canon of Windsor
22 – Tomb of King Henry VI
23 – Tomb of King Edward VII and his wife Queen Alexandra
24 – Lincoln Chapel – Tomb of Edward Clinton, 1st Earl of Lincoln and his third wife
25 – East Doors – 13th-century ironwork frames the doors which were the entry to King Henry III’s Chapel
26 – Dean’s Cloister – The site of the cloister was built in 1352

Note: The Albert Memorial Chapel is not labeled.  It is at the top of the diagram, above the number 25.

In 1348, King Edward III founded the Order of the Garter and the College of St. George at Windsor Castle. St. George’s Chapel is part of the College of St. George which now also includes St. George’s School, St. George’s House, the Military Knights of Windsor, the Chapter Library and Archives, and the Choir of St. George’s Chapel. At the time of the founding of the Order of the Garter, the church at Windsor Castle was the Chapel of St. Edward the Confessor which had been constructed by King Henry III in the early thirteenth century and stood on the site of the present Albert Memorial Chapel, part of St. George’s Chapel. The Chapel of St. Edward the Confessor was rededicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Edward the Confessor, and St. George, the patron saint of England, and became the Chapel of the Order of the Garter. A new porch was built on the chapel to serve as an entrance to the new College of St. George.  From 1475 – 1528, the 13th-century Chapel of Edward the Confessor was transformed into the cathedral-like chapel that we see today.

Heraldic banners of the members of the Order of the Garter; Credit – By Josep Renalias – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3530668

The quire of the current chapel is now the place where every June a special service is held for the members of the Order of the Garter. The heraldic banners of the current members hang above the stalls of the quire where the Knights of the Garter have a seat for life. Each stall has small enameled brass plates displaying the names and arms of each Knight of the Garter who has sat in that stall. Members of the Order of the Garter meet at Windsor Castle every June for the annual Garter Service. After lunch in the State Apartments (Upper Ward of the Castle), the Knights of the Garter process on foot in their robes and insignia, down to St. George’s Chapel for the service. If new members are to be admitted, they are installed at the service.

Tomb of Henry VI at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor; Credit – findagrave.com

Before the reign of the House of Hanover, there were only a handful of royal burials at St. George’s Chapel because the primary royal burial place had been Westminster Abbey in London. King Henry VI was interred in at St. George’s Chapel in a tomb on the south side of the altar and King Edward IV and his wife Elizabeth Woodville were interred in a tomb on the north side of the altar. Jane Seymour, the third wife of King Henry VIII, who died from childbirth complications after delivering his long-awaited son, King Henry VIII, and the beheaded King Charles I are all interred in the small vault in the floor of the Quire of St. George’s Chapel.

Coffins in the Royal Vault; Photo Credit – the-lothians.blogspot.com

By the time of King George II’s death in 1760, the royal burial vaults at Westminster Abbey were quite crowded. His successor, his grandson King George III, decided to build a new royal vault at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor. The new Royal Vault was constructed in 1804 under what is now the Albert Memorial Chapel. Between 1863 – 1873, Queen Victoria had the original chapel converted into a chapel in memory of her husband Prince Albert. Prince Albert is not buried there, but his son Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany, and his grandson Prince Albert Victor (Prince Eddy), Duke of Clarence are buried there. Also during Queen Victoria’s reign, a set of steps was built at the west end of the chapel to create a ceremonial entrance to St. George’s Chapel.

Ceremonial entrance at the west end of St. George’s Chapel; Photo Credit – © Susan Flantzer

Memorial to Princess Charlotte of Wales, the angel on the left holds her stillborn son; Photo Credit – http://www.stgeorges-windsor.org/

Only three of the Hanovers interred at St. George’s Chapel have a tomb or memorial. Princess Charlotte of Wales, who tragically died in childbirth at age 21 and most likely would have succeeded her father King George IV on the throne has a very moving memorial. Charlotte’s body is draped as she ascends to heaven along with angels, one of which carries her stillborn son.

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Albert Memorial Chapel

In the Albert Memorial Chapel, there are tombs with effigies for Queen Victoria’s hemophiliac son Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany who died at age 31 due to hemophilia complications after a fall, and for Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence (known as Prince Eddy), second in the line of succession after his father, Queen Victoria’s eldest son, the future King Edward VII. Prince Eddy died at age 28 after becoming ill with influenza and developing pneumonia. King Edward VII and his wife Queen Alexandra and King George V and his wife Queen Mary were interred in tombs with effigies in the aisles of the chapel.

King George VI Memorial Chapel; Credit – The Royal Family Facebook page

In 1969, construction was completed on an addition to St. George’s Chapel, the King George VI Memorial Chapel. King George VI, whose coffin had been in the Royal Vault since his death in 1952, was transferred there in 1969. His wife Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and the ashes of his daughter Princess Margaret were interred there in 2002.  In 2022, King George VI’s daughter and successor Queen Elizabeth II was interred in the King George VI Memorial Chapel. The coffin of her husband Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh who died in 2021, had been temporarily interred in the Royal Vault at St. George’s Chapel and was moved to the King George Memorial Chapel at the time of the burial of Queen Elizabeth II.

Royal Christenings at St. George’s Chapel – Reign of Queen Victoria and Later

Christening of The Prince of Wales by George Hayter, 1842; Credit – Wikipedia

For the most part, royal christenings prior to the reign of Queen Victoria were small events, often held at home. During the reign of Queen Victoria, christenings were usually held at The Private Chapel at Windsor Castle or Private Chapel at Buckingham Palace. Christenings of members of the House of Windsor have been also held at intimate settings, mostly palace chapels, including the Private Chapel in Windsor Castle, the Private Chapel at Buckingham Palace, the Music Room at Buckingham Palace, the Chapel Royal in St James’s Palace, and St. Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham. From the reign of Queen Victoria and later, only three christenings were held at a large church, St. George’s Chapel.

Royal Weddings at St. George’s Chapel – Reign of Queen Victoria and Later

Wedding of The Prince of Wales and Princess Alexandra of Denmark, painting by William Frith, circa 1865, Queen Victoria can be seen standing in the Royal Closet in the top right; Credit – Wikipedia

During the reign of Queen Victoria, we start to see royal weddings at St. George’s Chapel. In 1863, the wedding of Queen Victoria’s eldest son and heir, the future King Edward VII of the United Kingdom, and Princess Alexandra of Denmark would be the first royal wedding held at St. George’s Chapel, a tradition that has continued to this day for many members of the British Royal Family.

Royal Funerals at St. George’s Chapel – Reign of King George III and Later

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Funeral of King George V: His coffin has just been lowered into the Royal Vault

Since the reign of the House of Hanover, St. George’s Chapel has become the usual place for funerals of the British royal family. King George III, King George IV, King William IV, Queen Victoria, King Edward VII, King George V, King Edward VIII (as Duke of Windsor), and King George VI all had funerals at St. George’s Chapel.

Royal Burials at St. George’s Chapel

Tomb of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra on the south side of the altar; Photo Credit – https://www.royalcollection.org.uk/collection/606282/tomb-of-king-edward-vii-and-queen-alexandra

  • 1471 – King Henry VI: interred in a tomb on the south side of the altar
  • 1479 – George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Bedford, son of King Edward IV: died in early childhood, interred on the north side of altar near his parents’ tomb
  • 1482 – Mary of York, daughter of King Edward IV: died at age 14, interred on the north side of altar near her parents’ tomb
  • 1483 – King Edward IV: interred in a tomb on the north side of the altar
  • 1492 – Elizabeth Woodville, Queen of England, wife of King Edward IV: interred with her husband
  • 1537 – Jane Seymour, Queen of England, third wife of King Henry VIII: interred in the small vault in the Quire of St. George’s Chapel
  • 1547 – King Henry VIII: interred in the small vault in the Quire of St. George’s Chapel
  • 1649 – King Charles I: interred in the small vault in the Quire of St. George’s Chapel
  • 1698 – Stillborn son of Queen Anne: interred in the small vault in the Quire of St. George’s Chapel
  • 1805 – Prince William, Duke of Gloucester, brother of King George III: interred in the Gloucester Vault on the south side of the Quire
  • 1807 – Maria, Duchess of Gloucester (born Maria Walpole), wife of Prince William, Duke of Gloucester: interred in the Gloucester Vault on the south side of the Quire
  • 1810 – Princess Amelia, daughter of King George III: interred in the Royal Vault
  • 1813 – Princess Augusta, Duchess of Brunswick-Wolfenbuttel, sister of King George III: interred in the Royal Vault
  • 1817 – Princess Charlotte of Wales, daughter of The Prince of Wales, the future King George IV: interred in the Royal Vault
  • 1817 – Stillborn son of Princess Charlotte of Wales: interred in the Royal Vault
  • 1818 – Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Queen of the United Kingdom, wife of King George III: interred in the Royal Vault
  • 1818 – Stillborn daughter of Prince Ernest Augustus, son of King George III: interred in the Royal Vault
  • 1820 – Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, son of King George III and father of Queen Victoria: interred in the Royal Vault
  • 1820 – King George III: interred in the Royal Vault
  • 1820 (interred) – Prince Alfred, son of King George III: died 1782 in early childhood, first interred at Westminster Abbey, transferred to the Royal Vault in 1820 at the time of his father’s death
  • 1820 (interred) – Prince Octavius, son of King George III: died 1783 in early childhood, first interred at Westminster Abbey, transferred to the Royal Vault in 1820 at the time of his father’s death
  • 1821 – Princess Elizabeth of Clarence, daughter of Prince William, Duke of Clarence (the future King William IV): died in infancy, interred in the Royal Vault
  • 1827 – Prince Frederick, Duke of York, son of King George III: interred in the Royal Vault
  • 1830 – King George IV: interred in the Royal Vault
  • 1832 – Princess Louise of Saxe-Weimar, 15-year-old niece of Queen Adelaide: interred in the Royal Vault
  • 1834 – Prince William Frederick, Duke of Gloucester, nephew and son-in-law of King George III: interred in the Gloucester Vault on the south side of the Quire
  • 1837 – King William IV: interred in the Royal Vault
  • 1840 – Princess Sophia, daughter of King George III: interred in the Royal Vault
  • 1844 – Princess Sophia of Gloucester, great-granddaughter of King George II and niece of King George III: interred in the Gloucester Vault on the south side of the Quire
  • 1849 – Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen, Queen of the United Kingdom, wife of King William IV: interred in the Royal Vault
  • 1857 – Princess Mary, Duchess of Gloucester, daughter of King George III and wife of Prince William, Duke of Gloucester: interred in the Gloucester Vault on the south side of the Quire
  • 1876 – Prince Harald of Schleswig-Holstein, son of Princess Helena and grandson of Queen Victoria: lived only eight days, interred in the Royal Vault
  • 1878 – King George V of Hanover, grandson of King George III: interred in the Royal Vault
  • 1881 – Victoria von Pawel Rammingen, daughter of Princess Frederica of Hanover: interred in the Royal Vault
  • 1884 – Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany, son of Queen Victoria: first interred in the Royal Vault, transferred to Albert Memorial Chapel in 1885
  • 1892 – Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence, elder son of The Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII: first interred in the Royal Vault, transferred to the Albert Memorial Chapel
  • 1897 – Princess Mary Adelaide, Duchess of Teck, granddaughter of King George III and mother of Queen Mary: interred in the Royal Vault
  • 1900 – Prince Francis, Duke of Teck, husband of Prince Mary Adelaide, father of Queen Mary: interred in the Royal Vault
  • 1910 – King Edward VII: first interred in the Royal Vault, later interred in a sarcophagus on the south side of the altar
  • 1925 – Alexandra of Denmark, Queen of the United Kingdom, wife of King Edward VII: first interred in the Royal Vault, later interred in a sarcophagus on the south side of the altar
  • 1926 – Princess Frederika of Hanover, daughter of King George V of Hanover and wife of Baron Alfons von Pawel-Rammingen: interred in the Royal Vault
  • 1930 (interred) – Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge, son of King George III and grandfather of Queen Mary: died 1850, first interred at St. Anne’s Church in Kew, London, transferred to the Royal Vault in 1930
  • 1930 (interred) – Princess Augusta, Duchess of Cambridge, wife of Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge and grandmother of Queen Mary: died 1889, first interred at St. Anne’s Church in Kew, London, transferred to the Royal Vault in 1930
  • 1936 – King George V: first interred in the Royal Vault, later interred in a sarcophagus in the North Nave Aisle in 1939
  • 1952 – King George VI: first interred in the Royal Vault, transferred to the King George VI Memorial Chapel in 1969
  • 1953 – Victoria Mary of Teck, Queen Mary of the United Kingdom, wife of King George V: first interred in the Royal Vault, later interred in a sarcophagus in the North Nave Aisle
  • 2002 – Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, wife of King George VI: interred in the King George VI Memorial Chapel
  • 2002 – Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, daughter of King George VI: ashes first interred in the Royal Vault February 15, 2002, transferred to the King George VI Memorial Chapel April 9, 2002, at the time of her mother’s burial
  • 2021 – Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, husband of Queen Elizabeth II: interred in the Royal Vault April 17, 2021.
  • 2022 – Queen Elizabeth II: interred September 19, 2022 in the King George VI Memorial Chapel. At the same time, the coffin of her husband Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh was transferred from the Royal Vault and also interred in the King George VI Memorial Chapel.

Temporary Royal Burials at St. George’s Chapel

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A view inside the Royal Vault at St. George’s Chapel – the bench in the middle was used as a temporary place for coffins waiting to be interred elsewhere

Frogmore within the grounds of the Home Park, adjacent to Windsor Castle, is the site of three burial places of the British Royal Family: the Royal Mausoleum containing the tombs of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, the Duchess of Kent’s Mausoleum where Queen Victoria’s mother Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, Duchess of Kent is interred and the Royal Burial Ground.

Since its consecration on October 23, 1928, most members of the British Royal Family except for monarchs and their spouses have been buried at the Royal Burial Ground. Some royal family members who had previously been interred in the Royal Vault at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle were transferred to the Royal Burial Ground shortly after its consecration, freeing up some burial space in the Royal Vault. Other royal family members were temporarily interred in the Royal Vault at St. George’s Chapel for various reasons and then interred at a later date at the Royal Burial Ground.

  • 1861 – Princess Victoria, Duchess of Kent, mother of Queen Victoria, first interred in the entrance to the Royal Vault, transferred to her mausoleum, Frogmore later in 1861
  • 1861 – Prince Albert, The Prince Consort, husband of Queen Victoria: first interred in the entrance to the Royal Vault, transferred to the Royal Mausoleum, Frogmore in 1862
  • 1901 – Queen Victoria: placed in the Albert Memorial Chapel for two days, then transferred to Royal Mausoleum, Frogmore
  • 1910 – Prince Francis of Teck, brother of Queen Mary:  first interred in the Royal Vault, transferred to the Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore in 1928
  • 1912 – Alexander Duff, 1st Duke of Fife, husband of Louise, Princess Royal, Duchess of Fife: first interred in the Royal Vault, transferred to Private Chapel, Mar Lodge Mausoleum in Braemar, Aberdeenshire, Scotland later in 1912
  • 1917 – Louise Margaret of Prussia, Duchess of Connaught, wife of Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught: the first member of the Royal Family to be cremated, ashes first buried in the Royal Vault, transferred to the Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore in 1928
  • 1917 – Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein, husband of Princess Helena: first interred in the Royal Vault, transferred to the Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore in 1928
  • 1922 – Lord Leopold Mountbatten, son of Princess Beatrice, grandson of Queen Victoria: first interred in the Royal Vault, transferred to the Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore in 1928
  • 1923 – Princess Helena, daughter of Queen Victoria: first interred in the Royal Vault, transferred to the Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore in 1928
  • 1927 – Adolphus Cambridge, 1st Marquess of Cambridge, brother of Queen Mary: first interred in the Royal Vault, transferred to the Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore in 1928
  • 1928 – Rupert Cambridge, Viscount Trematon, son of Alexander Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone (brother of Queen Mary), and Princess Alice of Albany, Countess of Athlone (daughter of Prince Leopold): first interred in the Royal Vault, transferred to the Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore in 1928
  • 1931 – Louise, Princess Royal, Duchess of Fife, daughter of King Edward VII: first interred in the Royal Vault, transferred to Private Chapel, Mar Lodge Mausoleum in Braemar, Aberdeenshire, Scotland later in 1931
  • 1935 – Princess Victoria, daughter of King Edward VII: first interred in the Royal Vault, transferred to Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore in 1936
  • 1938 – Prince Arthur of Connaught, son of Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught: first interred in the Royal Vault, transferred to Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore in 1939
  • 1939 – Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll, daughter of Queen Victoria: ashes first interred in the Royal Vault, transferred to Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore in 1940
  • 1942 – Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught, son of Queen Victoria: first interred in the Royal Vault, transferred to Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore in 1942, two months later
  • 1942 – Prince George, Duke of Kent, son of King George V: first interred in the Royal Vault, transferred to Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore in 1968, the day before the burial of his wife Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent
  • 1944 – Princess Beatrice, daughter of Queen Victoria: first interred in the Royal Vault, transferred to Whippingham Church, Isle of Wight in 1945
  • 1948 – Princess Helena Victoria, daughter of Princess Helena, granddaughter of Queen Victoria: first interred in the Royal Vault, transferred to Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore later in 1948
  • 1956 – Princess Marie Louise, daughter of Princess Helena, granddaughter of Queen Victoria: first interred in the Royal Vault, transferred to Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore later in 1957
  • 1957 – Alexander Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone, husband of Princess Alice of Albany and brother of Queen Mary: first interred in the Royal Vault, transferred to Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore later in 1957
  • 1969 – Princess Andrew of Greece, born Princess Alice of Battenberg, great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria and mother of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh: first interred in the Royal Vault, transferred to the Convent of Saint Mary Magdalene on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem in 1988

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

  • College of St George. 2021. College of St George – Windsor Castle – Home. [online] Available at: <https://www.stgeorges-windsor.org/> [Accessed 15 May 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_George%27s_Chapel,_Windsor_Castle> [Accessed 15 May 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. State funerals in the United Kingdom – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_funerals_in_the_United_Kingdom> [Accessed 15 May 2021].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2018. St. George’s Chapel, Windsor: Royal Burials. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/st-georges-chapel-windsor-royal-burials/> [Accessed 15 May 2021].
  • 1989. St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle. North Way: Pitkin Pictorials Ltd.

Johan III, King of Sweden

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Credit – Wikipedia

Johan III, King of Sweden was born at Stegeborg Castle in Söderköping, Östergötland, Sweden on December 20, 1537. He was the eldest of the ten children and the eldest of the five sons of Gustav I Vasa, King of Sweden and his second wife Margareta Leijonhufvud.  Margareta was a member of the Leijonhufvud family, one of Sweden’s most powerful noble families. Her constant pregnancies took a toll on her health and she died from pneumonia at the age of 35 in 1551, when Johan, the eldest child, was 13-years-old.

Johan had nine younger siblings:

Johan had one elder half-brother from his father’s first marriage to Katharina of Saxe-Lauenburg:

Johan, along with his elder half-brother Erik, was well-educated by tutors. In 1557, King Gustav I wrote his will and divided his kingdom into hereditary duchies for his sons: Erik, Duke of Kalmar; Johan, Duke of Finland; Magnus, Duke of Östergötland; and Karl, Duke of Södermanland.

Johan’s half-brother Erik XIV, King of Sweden; Credit – Wikipedia

Upon the death of his father, Johan’s elder half-brother succeeded to the throne as Erik XIV, King of Sweden. Erik summoned the Riksdag (parliament) at Arboga where, under Erik’s urging, the Arboga Articles were adopted which curtailed the authority of his half-brothers Johan and Karl in the dukedoms given to them by their father. As a further move against his half-brother Johan, Duke of Finland, Erik placed the city of Reval, now Tallinn, Estonia, under his protective power and led expansionist campaigns of conquest in Estonia.

Johan’s first wife Katarina Jagellonica of Poland; Credit – Wikipedia

Johan then turned to Sigismund II Augustus, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania for an alliance. He married Katarina Jagellonica of Poland, the sister of Sigismund II Augustus.

Johan and Katarina Jagellonica had three children:

In exchange for marrying Katarina Jagellonica, Johan received a substantial sum of money and land in Livonia (located in present-day Estonia and Latvia) which then hindered King Erik XIV’s expansionist policy. Erik’s response was to send 10,000 troops to besiege Johan’s home Turku Castle in Turku, Finland. On August 12, 1563, Turku Castle surrendered. Johan was tried for high treason and sentenced to death but he was pardoned and imprisoned for four years with his wife at Gripsholm Castle in Mariefred, Södermanland, Sweden. Johan and Katarina’s two eldest children were born in captivity at Gripsholm Castle.

Johan, his wife Katarina, and his son Sigismund imprisoned at Gripsholm Castle by Jozef Simmler,1859; Credit – Wikipedia

King Erik XIV had suffered from mental health issues and from 1563 onwards these issues worsened. His decisions became more illogical and he exhibited violent behavior. Erik’s suspicion of the nobility led him to be suspicious of the Sture family, then headed by Svante Stensson Sture who was married to Märta Erikdotter Leijonhufvud, the sister of Johan’s mother Margareta Leijonhufvud. Erik lacked a legal heir and feared that the Sture family might claim his throne. These fears resulted in the 1567 Sture Murders, the murders of five Swedish nobles and Erik’s former tutor, in which Erik was an active participant and faced no immediate repercussions.

Due to King Erik XIV’s behavior and his marriage to his mistress Karin Månsdotter, his younger half-brothers led a revolt against Erik with the support of many nobles that ended in his removal as King of Sweden in September 1568 and his eldest half-brother succeeding to the throne as Johan III, King of Sweden. In January 1569, the Riksdag (parliament) legally dethroned Erik. Erik was imprisoned in various castles for nine years and died on February 26, 1577, aged 43. He was most likely murdered due to the three major conspiracies that attempted to depose his half-brother King Johan III and place Erik back on the Swedish throne. An examination of his remains in 1958 confirmed that Erik probably died of arsenic poisoning.

Tre Kronor Castle; Credit – Wikipedia

During his reign, Johan III carried out extensive building projects. He participated personally in the planning of various buildings and provided his own architectural drawings. Johan was particularly interested in the preservation of existing buildings. Some churches that had suffered damage were restored and refurbished including Uppsala Cathedral, Västerås Cathedral, Linköping Cathedral, and Skara Cathedral. In Stockholm, the Storkyrkan (Great Church) and the Riddarholmen Church both had extensive renovations. Tre Kronor Castle, which was on the site of the current Royal Palace in Stockholm, was significantly expanded and refurbished and a castle church was added.

In 1570, Johan III ended the Nordic Seven Years War with Denmark and Sweden, a war his half-brother Erik had started. During the following years, Johan successfully fought Russia in the Livonian War, concluded by the Treaty of Plussa in 1583. Johan had clear Catholic sympathies, inspired by his Catholic Polish wife, and this created issues with the Protestant Swedish clergy and nobility. His son Sigismund was raised as a Catholic to help him acquire the Polish crown and in 1587, Sigismund was elected monarch of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and became King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania.

Johan’s second wife Gunilla Bielke; Credit – Wikipedia

Katarina Jagellonica fell sick in the spring of 1583 and died in Stockholm on September 16, 1583, at the age of 56. She was buried in the royal crypt of the Uppsala Cathedral in Uppsala, Sweden. On February 21, 1585, Johan married Gunilla Bielke at Västerås Cathedral and his new wife was crowned Queen of Sweden the following day. Gunilla, who was thirty-one years younger than her husband, was the daughter of one of Johan’s cousins and had been orphaned at an early age. She was raised at court as a playmate of Johan’s daughter Anna. In 1582, Gunilla had been made a maid of honor to Queen Katarina Jagellonica. Gunilla had a significant influence on Johan. She is credited with influencing his policy regarding religion in favor of Protestantism, similar to the way his first wife had influenced him in favor of Catholicism.

Johan III and Gunilla had one son:

After a reign of twenty-three years, Johan III, King of Sweden died on November 17, 1592, aged 54, at Tre Kronor Castle in Stockholm, Sweden. He was buried in Uppsala Cathedral in Uppsala, Sweden. Gunilla survived her husband by only five years, dying at the age of 29 of a fever on July 19, 1597. She was buried at Uppsala Cathedral in Uppsala, Sweden.

Tomb of Johan III, King of Sweden; 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.

Kingdom of Sweden Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. 2021. Johann III. (Schweden) – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_III._(Schweden)> [Accessed 8 May 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. John III of Sweden – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_III_of_Sweden> [Accessed 8 May 2021].
  • Flantzer, Susan. 2021. Erik XIV, King of Sweden. Unofficial Royalty. [online] Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/erik-xiv-king-of-sweden/> [Accessed 8 May 2021].
  • Sv.wikipedia.org. 2021. Johan III – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johan_III> [Accessed 8 May 2021].

Royal Chapel of All Saints in Windsor, England

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

By Wilfridselsey – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=56272459

The Royal Chapel of All Saints is located on the grounds of Royal Lodge in the 5,000-acre Windsor Great Park in Windsor, England. Windsor Great Park was the private hunting ground of Windsor Castle for many centuries. The chapel is a Royal Peculiar, a Church of England parish or church that is under the direct jurisdiction of the monarch rather than a bishop. It serves as an informal parish church for the residents and staff of Windsor Great Park. Services at the chapel are often attended by members of the British Royal family, and Queen Elizabeth II regularly worshiped at the Royal Chapel of All Saints for reasons of privacy.

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The Earl and Countess of Wessex and their daughter Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor attended Sunday services at the Royal Chapel of All Saints two days after the death of The Duke of Edinburgh

The decision to build a new chapel came when the small chapels at Royal Lodge and Cumberland Lodge in Windsor Great Park could no longer accommodate the royal occupants and their growing royal household staff. The Royal Chapel of All Saints was designed by Jeffry Wyatville, an English architect and garden designer, and then built on the site of a porter’s lodge. First used on Palm Sunday in 1825, the Royal Chapel of All Saints is located less than a hundred yards from Royal Lodge. In contrast to St. George’s Chapel at Windsor, the Royal Chapel of All Saints Chapel is simpler and more intimate, with a maximum capacity of 180 people.

King George IV resided at Royal Lodge during the refurbishment of Windsor Castle in the 1820s and regularly worshipped at the Royal Chapel of All Saints. In the 1860s, Queen Victoria had the chapel remodeled in the Gothic Revival style with the design by Samuel Sanders Teulon and Anthony Salvin. The renovations included a new chancel and an east window in memory of Queen Victoria’s mother, the Duchess of Kent. Queen Victoria often attended services at the chapel.

In 1905, a window was dedicated at the Royal Chapel of All Saints in memory of Prince Christian Victor of Schleswig-Holstein, the son of Princess Helena, daughter of Queen Victoria, and Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein. While serving during the Boer War in 1900, Prince Christian Victor died of enteric fever in Pretoria, South African Republic, also known as the Transvaal Republic, now in South Africa. His parents lived at the nearby Cumberland Lodge

In 1931, King George V granted Royal Lodge to the Duke and Duchess of York (later King George VI and Queen Elizabeth) as a country house. The Duke and Duchess of York attended services at the nearby Royal Chapel of All Saints along with their young daughters, the future Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Margaret. They continued to visit the chapel after they became King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II. After the death of King George VI in 1952, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother continued to use Royal Lodge as a country house until her death. She enjoyed spending time at the chapel which was just a short distance from her home.

Recent Royal Events

The Royal Chapel, Windsor Great Park by Sir Hugh Casson, 1990; Credit – Royal Collection Trust

Resting of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother’s Coffin

The Queen Mother’s coffin at rest in the Royal Chapel of All Saints; Credit – https://img.17qq.com/images/gmmodpgmcpv.jpeg

The coffin of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother rested at the Royal Chapel of All Saints from March 31, 2002 until April 1, 2002 when her coffin was taken to London. The Queen Mother died on March 30, 2002, at Royal Lodge, her home in Windsor Great Park. Walking behind The Queen Mother’s coffin as it was carried the short distance from Royal Lodge to the Royal Chapel of All Saints were three members of her staff dressed in black livery. One staff member carried a potted jasmine, an Easter gift from King Charles III, then the Prince of Wales, to his grandmother. Later in the day, Queen Elizabeth II and members of the royal family attended a prayer service at the Royal Chapel of All Saints. The Queen Mother’s coffin, draped in her royal standard and adorned with a wreath of pink camellias, rested before the altar.

Wedding of Princess Beatrice of York and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi

Photo Credit – https://www.instagram.com/theroyalfamily/ Photograph by Benjamin Wheeler

On Friday, July 17, 2020, Princess Beatrice of York married Mr. Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in a small private ceremony held at the Royal Chapel of All Saints Chapel. There were approximately twenty guests including the bride and groom’s parents and siblings, and the bride’s paternal grandparents, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. The wedding took place following all relevant government COVID-19 guidelines. Originally scheduled to take place on May 29, 2020, at the Chapel Royal at St James’s Palace in London, England, followed by a private reception in the gardens of Buckingham Palace, the wedding was postponed and the original plans modified because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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

  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Royal Chapel of All Saints – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Chapel_of_All_Saints> [Accessed 8 May 2021].
  • Heychurches.co.uk. 2021. Royal Chapel of All Saints « HEYCHURCHES.CO.UK. [online] Available at: <https://heychurches.co.uk/02169082/Royal_Chapel_of_All_Saints> [Accessed 8 May 2021].
  • Royal Lodge Chapel of All Saints, W., 2021. Royal Lodge Chapel of All Saints, Windsor Great Park, Windsor: perspective view with deer shown grazing in the foreground | RIBA. [online] RIBApix. Available at: <https://www.architecture.com/image-library/RIBApix/image-information/poster/royal-lodge-chapel-of-all-saints-windsor-great-park-windsor-perspective-view-with-deer-shown-grazing/posterid/RIBA32113.html> [Accessed 8 May 2021].
  • The Guardian. 2002. Gun salutes honour Queen Mother. [online] Available at: <https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2002/apr/01/queenmother.monarchy5> [Accessed 8 May 2021].
  • Town & Country. 2020. Where Did Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi Get Married?. [online] Available at: <https://www.townandcountrymag.com/society/tradition/a33348976/princess-beatrice-edoardo-mapelli-mozzi-wedding-venue-royal-chapel-all-saints/> [Accessed 8 May 2021].

Karin Månsdotter, Queen of Sweden

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Credit – Wikipedia

Karin Månsdotter was one of several mistresses of Erik XIV, King of Sweden (1533 – 1577), and then briefly his Queen Consort. She was born on November 6, 1550, in Uppland, Sweden. Her father Måns was a mercenary and then a prison guard. Karin’s surname Månsdotter is a patronym, meaning daughter of Måns. Her mother Ingrid came from a family of peasants. It is thought that both of Karin’s parents died around 1560.

Gert Cantor was a musician at the court of Eric XIV, King of Sweden, and was also a favorite and confidant of the king. Cantor and his wife also managed an inn, which was frequented by the guests of the royal court. Karin Månsdotter was employed as a serving girl in the inn. Cantor’s wife managed the inn and introduced Karin to King Erik XIV. Erik XIV and Karin first met at the beginning of 1565. Karin then moved into Tre Kronor, a castle located in Stockholm, Sweden, on the site where the Royal Palace is today. Karin worked as a chambermaid for Elisabet Vasa, Erik IV’s half-sister from the second marriage of his father Gustav I Vasa, King of Sweden to Margareta Eriksdotter Leijonhufvud. Also, Karin took care of Virginia Eriksdotter (born 1559) one of Erik XIV’s illegitimate children by his mistress Agda Persdotter.

Erik XIV, King of Sweden; Credit – Wikipedia

Erik XIV was very taken by the teenage Karin and there are indications that early on he deeply loved her and wanted to marry her. Erik suffered from occasional bouts of mental illness and those closest to him noted that Karin had a calming effect on him. Karin quickly became Erik’s favorite mistress and he dismissed his other mistresses. She was given expensive clothes, her own apartments and servants, and openly appeared with Erik at court. When Karin and Erik’s first child Sigrid was born in 1566, she was immediately treated like a real princess.

Erik and Karin had four children. The first two were born before the second official marriage in 1568 (see below) but were later legitimized. The last two died in early childhood.

  • Princess Sigrid (1566 – 1633), married (1) Henrik Klasson Tott, had three children (2) Nils Nilsson Natt och Dag
  • Prince Gustav (1568 – 1607), unmarried
  • Prince Henrik (1570 – 1574)
  • Prince Arnold (1572 – 1573)

Erik had suffered from mental health issues and from 1563 onwards these issues worsened. His decisions became more illogical and he exhibited violent behavior. Starting early on in her relationship with Erik, courtiers used Karin to intercede with Erik. In May 1567, Erik imprisoned five nobles in Uppsala Castle: Svante Stensson Sture (husband of Märta Erikdotter Leijonhufvud, the sister of Margareta Leijonhufvud, the second wife of Erik’s father) and his sons Nils Svantesson Sture and Erik Svantesson Sture, Abraham Gustafsson Stenbock (brother of Katarina Gustavsdotter Stenbock, the third wife of King Gustav I Vasa), and Ivar Ivarsson Liljeörn. Svante Stensson Sture’s wife Märta appealed to Karin to ensure that the prisoners would be protected. Karin assured Märta no one would hurt the prisoners.

Svante Stensson Sture; Credit – Wikipedia

Later the same morning, Erik XIV visited Svante Stensson Sture in prison, fell on his knees before him, and begged for his friendship. However, later that day, all five men were killed in their cells on Erik’s orders in what is known as the Sture Murders. Erik personally stabbed Nils Svantesson Sture to death. After the murders, Erik’s former tutor Dionysius Beurreus found him outside the castle in a state of agitation. Beurreus tried to calm Erik but instead, Erik issued an order to kill Beurreus and vanished into a nearby forest. The guards then stabbed Beurreus to death. Karin participated in the search for Erik. Three days after the murder, he was found in the village of Odensala, disguised as a peasant and confused, and was brought to Stockholm. Apparently, there were no immediate repercussions for Erik’s behavior.

In 1567, Erik decided to marry Karin following the agreement he made with the state council in 1561 that he could marry whomever he pleased. On December 29, 1567, Erik and Karin were married morganatically in a secret ceremony. In 1568, Karin was ennobled and a second official wedding was held in Storkyrkan (Great Church) in Stockholm, Sweden on July 4, 1568, followed the next day by Karin’s coronation as Queen of Sweden.

Due to Erik’s behavior and his marriage to Karin, his younger half-brothers led a revolt against Erik with the support of many nobles that ended in his removal as King of Sweden in September 1568 and his eldest half-brother succeeding to the throne as Johan III, King of Sweden. In January 1569, the Riksdag (parliament) legally dethroned Erik.

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Erik XIV, Karin, and one of their sons in captivity

Erik and Karin were imprisoned but their children were initially placed in the care of Queen Dowager Katherina Stenbock, the third wife and widow of Erik’s father. In 1570, the children were returned to their parents. Karin gave birth to two children in captivity in 1570 and 1572, both of whom died young. In 1573, Karin and her children were separated from Erik to prevent the birth of any more children. They were taken to Turku Castle in Finland where they remained under house arrest. In 1575, King Johan III exiled Erik and Karin’s son seven-year-old-son Gustav because he feared that the supporters of Erik would try to install Gustav on the Swedish throne. Gustav was sent to Poland, placed under the care of Jesuit priests, and converted to Roman Catholicism.

Karin Månsdotter, drawing done by King Erik XIV while in captivity; Credit – Wikipedia

Erik was imprisoned in various castles for nine years. He died on February 26, 1577, aged 43, at Örbyhus Castle in Örbyhus, Sweden. He was most likely murdered due to the three major conspiracies that attempted to depose his half-brother Johan III and place Erik back on the Swedish throne. An examination of his remains in 1958 confirmed that Erik probably died of arsenic poisoning. Erik XIV was originally buried in a crypt at Västerås Cathedral in Västerås, Västmanland, Sweden. In 1797, Erik’s remains were reburied at Västerås Cathedral in a Carrara marble sarcophagus that King Gustav III of Sweden originally ordered for himself.

After Erik died in 1577, Karin and her daughter Sigrid were released. Johan III granted Karin the royal estate Liuksiala Manor in Kangasala, Finland, where she lived comfortably for the rest of her life. In 1582, Karin and her daughter Sigrid were invited to Stockholm to meet with King Johan III, his wife Catherine Jagellonica of Poland, and Queen Dowager Katerina Stenbock at Svartsjö Castle in what was called “The Meeting of Three Queens Catherine”.

Princess Sigrid of Sweden, daughter of Erik XIV  and Karin; Credit – Wikipedia

Karin’s daughter Princess Sigrid had a good relationship with her father’s family and frequently visited her mother. In 1582, she was made lady-in-waiting to her cousin Princess Anna of Sweden, daughter of King Johan III, and traveled with her to Poland, where she was present at the coronation of Anna’s brother King Sigismund III Vasa of Sweden as King of Poland in 1587. Sigrid married twice, both times to Swedish noblemen.

Karin’s son Gustav was not allowed to return to Sweden and Karin did not see him again until 1596 when she saw him in Reval (now Tallinn), Estonia. Gustav had forgotten her and they could not speak to each other because he had forgotten the Swedish language. Karin could identify him only by his birthmarks. Gustav was poor and worked as a mercenary. Karin tried to help him financially, and for the rest of her life, unsuccessfully attempted to get permission for him to return to Sweden but never saw him again.

Tomb of Karin Månsdotter in Turku Cathedral in Turku, Finland; Credit – By Hajotthu, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=41249703

Karin Månsdotter died, aged 61, at her home, Liuksiala Manor in Kangasala, Finland on September 13, 1612. She was buried at Turku Cathedral in Turku, Finland, now the Mother Church of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland. Karin’s daughter Sigrid and Sigrid’s son Åke Henriksson Tott are also buried at Turku Cathedral. Karin was initially buried in the crypt of the Tott Chapel at Turku Cathedral. In the 1860s, her coffin was moved to the Kankas Chapel where it was interred in a sarcophagus decorated with a crown resting on a golden pillow.

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

Works Cited

  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Karin Månsdotter – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karin_M%C3%A5nsdotter> [Accessed 2 May 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Sture murders – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sture_murders> [Accessed 2 May 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Turku Cathedral – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turku_Cathedral> [Accessed 2 May 2021].
  • Flantzer, Susan. 2021. Erik XIV, King of Sweden. [online] Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/erik-xiv-king-of-sweden/> [Accessed 2 May 2021].
  • Sv.wikipedia.org. 2021. Karin Månsdotter – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karin_M%C3%A5nsdotter> [Accessed 2 May 2021].
  • Sv.wikipedia.org. 2021. Karin Månsdotter – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karin_M%C3%A5nsdotter> [Accessed 2 May 2021].

Queen’s Chapel at St. James’s Palace in London, England

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Queen’s Chapel, St James’s Palace; Credit – By Steve Cadman – https://www.flickr.com/photos/stevecadman/411794867/, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=50925591

The Queen’s Chapel is located on Marlborough Road which runs between The Mall and Pall Mall in London. It is across from St. James’s Palace, adjacent to Marlborough House, and a very short distance from Buckingham Palace. The Queen’s Chapel is a royal peculiar, a Church of England parish or church under the direct jurisdiction of the monarch rather than the jurisdiction of a bishop.

The Queen’s Chapel was begun in 1623, as a consequence of the proposed marriage between Charles, Prince of Wales, the future King Charles I of England and son of King James I of England, and Infanta Maria Anna of Spain, daughter of King Felipe III of Spain. In 1622, King James I received an offer of marriage from King Felipe IV of Spain, brother of Maria Anna, to strengthen the relations between England and Spain. Active marriage negotiations began but ultimately Maria Anna did not wish to marry a Protestant and Charles would not convert to Catholicism. Officially, the wedding never took place due to political reasons and because of the reluctance of King Felipe IV to make a dynastic marriage with the House of Stuart.

Inigo Jones, the architect of the Queen’s Chapel; Credit – Wikipedia

Since England was Protestant, Maria Anna would have needed a Roman Catholic chapel for worship, and so planning for a chapel accessible from St. James’s Palace in London began during the marriage negotiations. Special dispensation was given to construct the chapel as at that time the construction of Roman Catholic churches was prohibited in England. The Queen’s Chapel was designed by Inigo Jones, the first significant English architect of the early modern period. Parts of the design for the Queen’s Chapel were inspired by the Pantheon of ancient Rome and Jones intended the church to evoke the Roman temple. The foundation stone was laid on May 30, 1623.

Henrietta Maria of France, Queen of England; Credit – Wikipedia

While King Charles I did not marry Infanta Maria Anna of Spain, he did marry another Roman Catholic princess, Henrietta Maria of France, the youngest of the six children of King Henri IV of France and his second wife Marie de’ Medici, and the sister of King Louis XIII of France. In 1625, Henrietta Maria arrived in England with over 400 attendants including 29 priests and a bishop. Parliament was outraged to discover that secret terms of the marriage contract permitted the daily celebration of the Catholic Mass. Charles I insisted on the rapid completion of the Queen’s Chapel to accommodate Henrietta Maria’s religious needs.

During the English Civil War (1642–1651), Parliament passed an ordinance demanding that the Royal Chapels be “cleansed from all Popish Reliques and superstitions.” The Queen’s Chapel was looted and much of the interior suffered damage. During the Commonwealth of England (1649 – 1660), when England was governed as a republic, the Queen’s Chapel was used as a stable.

Catherine of Braganza, Queen of England; Credit – Wikipedia

in 1660, upon the Restoration of the monarchy, the son of the beheaded King Charles I returned to England to reign as King Charles II of England. The Roman Catholic Catherine of Braganza, daughter of King João IV of Portugal, had first been suggested as a bride for the future King Charles II in 1645 during the reign of Charles II’s father King Charles I of England, and again in 1660 when the monarchy was restored in England. Already there were rumors of Catherine’s inability to have children – her marriage to Charles II turned out to be childless – but the newly restored King Charles II was eager to have her £300,000 dowry. Catherine arrived in England in 1662. According to the marriage treaty, Catherine was to be provided with “a private Chapel in her residence with the right to practice her Catholic religion,” and Charles II commenced work on the restoration of the Queen’s Chapel for Catherine’s use.

Maria Beatrice of Modena, Queen of England; Credit – Wikipedia

King Charles II’s brother, James, Duke of York, the future King James II of England, had secretly converted to Catholicism sometime after his first marriage to Anne Hyde who had also converted to Catholicism. After Anne’s death in 1671, King Charles II allowed his brother James to make a second marriage with the fifteen-year-old Catholic Maria Beatrice of Modena in 1673. Maria Beatrice’s deeply pious Catholicism could be expressed within the seclusion of the Queen’s Chapel where she and her husband James could practice their Roman Catholicism without public scrutiny. When the childless Charles II died in 1685, his brother succeeded him as King James II of England.

The Queen’s Chapel in 1688; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1688, the Catholic King James II was overthrown in the Glorious Revolution. He was replaced by his Protestant daughter Mary from his first marriage and her Protestant husband and first cousin Willem III, Prince of Orange who reigned jointly as King William III and Queen Mary II. Almost immediately, the Queen’s Chapel was purged of all traces of Roman Catholicism. The interior was stripped of its statues, relics, side altars, and paintings. William and Mary were unsure what to do with the Queen’s Chapel. They may have considered its demolition or its conversion to another purpose. Ultimately, it was decided to grant the use of the Queen’s Chapel to French Protestants who had settled in London to escape religious persecution in France.

The German Chapel in 1819; Credit – Wikipedia

By 1781, there was no longer a need for a French Protestant chapel. Instead, a group of Hanoverian Lutherans whose families had come from Hanover when King George I became king was granted the use of the Queen’s Chapel. The name of the chapel changed to the German Chapel.

In 1809, a fire destroyed the royal apartments adjacent to the German Chapel. Instead of rebuilding the royal apartments, King George III decided to connect Pall Mall with The Mall by building Marlborough Road right through the site of the destroyed royal apartments. This cut off the chapel from St. James’s Palace and placed a physical barrier, Marlborough Road,  between the royal residence and the chapel. The chapel now appeared to be connected not to St. James’s Palace but rather to Marlborough House, the London townhouse of the Dukes of Marlborough.

Alexandra of Denmark, Princess of Wales, later Queen Alexandra; Credit – Wikipedia

The German Chapel continued to exist under the patronage of Queen Victoria’s husband Prince Albert, born a Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, now in Germany, but this lasted only until Prince Albert died in 1861. After the death of George Spencer, 4th Duke of Marlborough in 1817, the ownership of Marlborough House had been taken over by The Crown. After their marriage in 1861, The Prince of Wales (the future King Edward VII) and his Danish wife Princess Alexandra made Marlborough House their home. Because the Queen’s Chapel was so close to Marlborough House, Alexandra used it as a private chapel. After 1881, the Queen’s Chapel became a Danish community church. After Queen Victoria died in 1901, the name of the chapel was changed to the Marlborough House Chapel and the Danish Church had exclusive use.

The chapel was closed in 1938 for its first major restoration since William III and Mary II had purged its Catholic past. The original name, the Queen’s Chapel, was restored in 1939. Restoration work stopped during World War II and was not fully completed until 1951. Although used regularly for weekly Sunday services for the public from Easter until October, the Queen’s Chapel no longer plays a major role in the life of the British royal family.

Recent Royal Events

Queen Elizabeth II after the funeral service for Margaret (Bobo) MacDonald

Margaret “Bobo” MacDonald, who died on September 22, 1993, was a member of the royal household since 1930 and was the nanny, dresser, and confidante of Queen Elizabeth II. From 1930 onward, Bobo was closer to Elizabeth than anyone outside her family. In her later years, Bobo held a unique position in Buckingham Palace. She had her own suite, no duties, and enjoyed a closer personal friendship with Queen Elizabeth II than nearly anyone else, including some of the members of the royal family. She was given a funeral on September 30, 1993, at the Queen’s Chapel attended by Queen Elizabeth II.

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The coffin of Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon lying in rest at the Queen’s Chapel

Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, daughter of King George VI and sister of Queen Elizabeth II: After her death at King Edward VII’s Hospital, London, on February 9, 2002, Princess Margaret’s coffin was initially taken to Kensington Palace. Her coffin then rested at the Queen’s Chapel February 12, 2002 – February 14, 2002, to enable her family and friends to pay their respects privately before the coffin was transferred to St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle for the funeral.

The Sub-Dean of the Chapels Royal, Reverend Willie Booth, kneels in prayer at the coffin of Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother in the Queen’s Chapel

Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, wife of King George VI and mother of Queen Elizabeth II: After her death on March 30, 2002, at her home, Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park, her coffin rested in the Royal Chapel of All Saints, Windsor Great Park until April 2, 2002, when it was taken to the Queen’s Chapel at St. James’s Palace where it rested to enable members of the royal family to their respects privately before the coffin was transferred to lie in state at Westminster Hall on April 5, 2002.

Alexander Windsor, Earl of Ulster and his bride leave the Queen’s Chapel after their wedding

Alexander Windsor, Earl of Ulster, son of Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, married Claire Alexandra Booth on June 22, 2002, at the Queen’s Chapel

Lady Rose Windsor and her husband leave the Queen’s Chapel after their wedding

Lady Rose Windsor, daughter of Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, married George Gilman on July 19, 2008, at the Queen’s Chapel

Works Cited

  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Queen’s Chapel – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen%27s_Chapel> [Accessed 1 May 2021].
  • Leyden, Kyle, 2015. Consorting with the Enemy: The Queen’s Chapel at St James’s Palace. [online] VITRUVIUS HIBERNICUS. Available at: <https://kyleleyden.wordpress.com/2015/01/24/consorting-with-the-enemy-the-queens-chapel-at-st-jamess-palace/> [Accessed 1 May 2021].
  • Timms, Elizabeth, 2018. The Queen’s Chapel, St James’s. [online] Royal Central. Available at: <https://royalcentral.co.uk/features/the-queens-chapel-st-jamess-102570/> [Accessed 1 May 2021].
  • Unofficial Royalty. 2021. Unofficial Royalty. [online] Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/> [Accessed 1 May 2021]. (various articles)

Erik XIV, King of Sweden

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Erik XIV, King of Sweden; Credit – Wikipedia

Erik XIV, King of Sweden is known for the Sture Murders in which he and his guards killed six men. Deposed by his half-brother, Erik was imprisoned, and likely murdered by arsenic poisoning. He was born on December 13, 1533, at Tre Kronor Castle in Stockholm, Sweden, the only child of Gustav I Vasa, King of Sweden and his first wife Katharina of Saxe-Lauenburg. In September 1535, during a ball given in honor of her brother-in-law, Christian III, King of Denmark and Norway, who was visiting Sweden, the pregnant Katharina fell while dancing with Christian III. The fall confined her to bed and led to pregnancy complications, and she died on September 23, 1535, the day before her twenty-second birthday along with her unborn child. Erik was not yet two years old.

Gustav I Vasa, King of Sweden, Erik’s father; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1536, Erik’s father Gustav I married his second wife Margareta Leijonhufvud. Margareta was a member of the Leijonhufvud family, one of Sweden’s most powerful noble families. Her constant pregnancies took a toll on her health and she died from pneumonia at the age of 35 in 1551.

Erik had ten half-siblings from his father’s second marriage:

In 1552, Erik’s father Gustav I married his third wife 17-year-old Katarina Stenbock, the daughter of Gustaf Olofsson Stenbock and Brita Eriksdotter Leijonhufvud, who was the sister of King Gustav I’s second wife Margareta Leijonhufvud. They had no children. Katarina survived her husband by sixty-one years, dying on December 13, 1621, aged 86.

Erik, along with his half-brother, the future Johan III, King of Sweden, was well-educated by tutors and excelled in foreign languages, mathematics, and history. In 1557, King Gustav I wrote his will and divided his kingdom into hereditary duchies for his sons: Erik, Duke of Kalmar; Johan, Duke of Finland; Magnus, Duke of Östergötland; and Karl, Duke of Södermanland. When Erik started to make public appearances, he was referred to as the “chosen king” (Swedish: utvald konung) until the Riksdag (parliament) granted him the title of “hereditary king” (Swedish: arvkonung) in 1560.

When Erik was in his early 20s, his relationship with his father became very strained. Against his father’s wishes, Erik entered into negotiations for a marriage with the future Queen Elizabeth I of England and pursued her for several years. The death of Gustav I Vasa, King of Sweden on September 29, 1560, prevented Erik from traveling to England to press Queen Elizabeth I for her hand in marriage. His later marriage proposals to Mary, Queen of Scots, Renata of Lorraine, Anna of Saxony, and Christine of Hesse were also rejected.

Now as Erik XIV, King of Sweden, he opposed the Swedish nobility and chose as his closest advisor Göran Persson who held the same views as Erik and who had narrowly escaped execution under the reign of Erik’s father. Erik summoned the Riksdag at Arboga where, under Erik’s urging, the Arboga Articles were adopted which curtailed the authority of his half-brothers Johan and Karl in the dukedoms given to them by their father. As a further move against his half-brother Johan, Duke of Finland, Erik placed the city of Reval, now Tallinn, Estonia, under his protective power and led expansionist campaigns of conquest in Estonia.

Johann then turned to Sigismund II Augustus, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania for an alliance. He married Katarina Jagellonica of Poland, the sister of Sigismund II Augustus and in exchange received a substantial sum of money and land in Livonia (located in present-day Estonia and Latvia) which then hindered Erik’s expansionist policy. Erik’s response was to send 10,000 troops to besiege Johan’s home Turku Castle in Turku, Finland. On August 12, 1563, Turku Castle surrendered. Johan was tried for high treason and sentenced to death but he was pardoned and imprisoned with his wife at Gripsholm Castle in Mariefred, Södermanland, Sweden.

Karin Månsdotter, Erik XIV, and Göran Persson; Credit – Wikipedia

Sometime in 1565, Erik entered into a relationship with low-born Karin Månsdotter, a maid to his half-sister Elisabet. In 1567, Erik decided to marry Karin following the agreement he made with the state council in 1561 that he could marry whomever he pleased. The marriage plans were supported by his advisor Göran Persson. On December 29, 1567, Erik and Karin were married morganatically in a secret ceremony. A second official wedding was held in Storkyrkan (Great Church) in Stockholm, Sweden on July 4, 1568, followed the next day by Karin’s coronation as Queen of Sweden.

Erik and Karin Månsdotter had four children. The first two were born before the second official marriage in 1568 (see below) but were later legitimized. The last two died in early childhood.

  • Princess Sigrid (1566 – 1633), married Henrik Klasson Tott, had three children
  • Prince Gustav (1568 – 1607), unmarried
  • Prince Henrik (1570 – 1574)
  • Prince Arnold (1572 – 1573)

Erik had suffered from mental health issues and from 1563 onwards these issues worsened. His decisions became more illogical and he exhibited violent behavior. Erik’s suspicion of the nobility led him to be suspicious of the Sture family, then headed by Svante Stensson Sture who was married to Märta Erikdotter Leijonhufvud, the sister of Margareta Leijonhufvud, the second wife of Erik’s father. Erik lacked a legal heir and feared that the Sture family might claim his throne. These fears resulted in the Sture Murders, the murders of five incarcerated Swedish nobles and Erik’s former tutor.

Svante Stensson Sture; Credit – Wikipedia

On May 24, 1567, in Uppsala Castle, Erik and his guards killed six men. Svante Stensson Sture, and his sons Nils Svantesson Sture and Erik Svantesson Sture, Abraham Gustafsson Stenbock (brother of Katarina Gustavsdotter Stenbock, the third wife of King Gustav I Vasa), and Ivar Ivarsson Liljeörn were killed in their cells inside the castle. Erik personally stabbed Nils Svantesson Sture to death. After the murders, Erik’s former tutor Dionysius Beurreus found him outside the castle in a state of agitation. Beurreus tried to calm Erik but instead, Erik issued an order to kill Beurreus and vanished into a nearby forest. The guards then stabbed Beurreus to death. Abraham Gustafsson Stenbock and Ivar Ivarsson Liljeörn already had been sentenced to death but Svante Sture and his sons were executed without trial on Erik’s order and the unfortunate Beurreus was killed on a whim.

Johan III, King of Sweden, Erik’s eldest half-brother and successor; Credit – Wikipedia

On May 27, 1567, Erik was found in the village of Odensala, disguised as a peasant and confused, and was brought to Stockholm. Eventually, he calmed down and then asked both God and the Swedish people for forgiveness. He sought reconciliation with the relatives of the murdered. For a period of time, a regency council took over the government of the country, freed Erik’s half-brother Johan from prison, and sentenced Erik’s advisor Göran Persson to death. However, this death sentence was not carried out for fear of how Erik would react when he recovered. The king’s younger half-brothers led a revolt against Erik which ended in his removal as King of Sweden in September 1568 and his eldest half-brother succeeding to the throne as Johan III, King of Sweden. In January 1569, the Riksdag legally dethroned Erik.

Erik was imprisoned in various castles for nine years. He died on February 26, 1577, aged 43, at Örbyhus Castle in Örbyhus, Sweden. He was most likely murdered due to the three major conspiracies that attempted to depose his half-brother Johan III and place Erik back on the Swedish throne. An examination of his remains in 1958 confirmed that Erik probably died of arsenic poisoning. Erik XIV, King of Sweden was originally buried in a crypt at Västerås Cathedral in Västerås, Västmanland, Sweden. In 1797, Erik’s remains were reburied at Västerås Cathedral in a Carrara marble sarcophagus that King Gustav III of Sweden originally ordered for himself.

Tomb of Erik XIV, King of Sweden; 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.

Kingdom of Sweden Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. 2021. Erik XIV. – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erik_XIV.> [Accessed 30 April 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Eric XIV of Sweden – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_XIV_of_Sweden> [Accessed 30 April 2021].
  • Sv.wikipedia.org. 2021. Erik XIV – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erik_XIV> [Accessed 30 April 2021].

Private Chapel at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

The original Private Chapel at Windsor Castle, lithograph by Joseph Nash, 1848; Credit – Wikipedia

The original octagonal-shaped Private Chapel at Windsor Castle was created for Queen Victoria by architect Edward Blore in the 1840s. It had previously been a music room, with an intricately carved screen separating it from St. George’s Hall. The Private Chapel had niches with marble sculptures, pews, and a large Gothic chandelier hanging from the ceiling. Some of Queen Victoria’s children were christened and confirmed there, her daughter Helena was married there, and Queen Victoria regularly worshipped there.

Windsor Castle on fire; Credit – www.windsorexpress.co.uk

On November 20, 1992, at 11:33 AM, a fire began in the Private Chapel at Windsor Castle when a spotlight left too close to curtains by a painter, ignited the curtains. The location of the fire was shown on a map of the castle by an indicator light and the chief officer of the castle’s fire brigade immediately sounded the public fire alarm. The fire was initially in the Brunswick Tower, but soon many other indicator bulbs lit up, as the fire spread to neighboring rooms, including the Windsor Castle State Apartments which are the rooms the public is allowed to visit. By 12:20 PM, the fire had spread to St. George’s Hall, built in the 1360s and the largest of the State Apartments, and the roof of St. George’s Hall would later collapse.

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh chaired the Restoration Committee. The restoration of the damaged areas took five years and was completed six months ahead of schedule on November 20, 1997, exactly five years after the fire and on the 50th wedding anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II and The Duke of Edinburgh, at a cost of £37 million (US $59.2 million), £3 million below budget. Queen Elizabeth II personally contributed £2 million towards the restoration. 70% of the cost of restoration was to be met by charging the public an entry fee to the Windsor Castle precincts, and for an admission fee to Buckingham Palace. Buckingham Palace had never been open to the public. Since 1993, it has been open during August and September and on some dates throughout the year.

The original Private Chapel was irreparable, and a plaque now marks the place where the fire started. The Lantern Lobby was created in the space where the original Private Chapel had previously stood, creating a formal passageway between the State Apartments and the private apartments.

 

The area where the new Private Chapel (artist’s drawing above) was created previously was a passageway between the public and private areas of Windsor Castle. It is much smaller than the original Private Chapel and has a capacity of only thirty people. Instead of pews, red giltwood chairs, originally commissioned by King George IV for the state dining room, are used. The new altar was made by Queen Elizabeth II’s nephew David Armstrong-Jones, 2nd Earl of Snowdon who is a furniture designer and maker. In a clip from the BBC documentary The Duke: In His Own Words, Prince Philip shows a camera crew around the Private Chapel in Windsor Castle where his coffin rested before his funeral. The clip can be seen in the link below.

Embed from Getty Images 
The stained glass window in the restored Private Chapel is based on an idea by the Duke of Edinburgh

Royal Events at the Private Chapel at Windsor Castle

Embed from Getty Images
The christening of Queen Victoria’s son Prince Alfred

In addition to the events listed below, there were a number of confirmations, particularly of Queen Victoria’s children and grandchildren, held at the Private Chapel at Windsor Castle. Queen Elizabeth II and her eldest two children, King Charles III and Princess Anne, were also confirmed there.

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

  • Flantzer, Susan, 2019. British Royal Christenings: House of Windsor. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/house-of-windsor-christenings/> [Accessed 25 April 2021].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2019. British Royal Christenings: Queen Victoria, Prince Albert, Their Children, and Select Grandchildren. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/christenings-of-queen-victoria-prince-albert-their-children-and-select-grandchildren/> [Accessed 25 April 2021].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2013. November 20, 1992 – Fire seriously damages Windsor Castle. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/november-20-1992-fire-seriously-damages-windsor-castle/> [Accessed 28 April 2021].
  • Flood, Rebecca, 2021. Inside the private chapel at Windsor Castle where Archie Harrison is due to be christened in top-secret ceremony. [online] The Sun. Available at: <https://www.thesun.co.uk/fabulous/9450387/archie-harrison-christening-chapel-windsor-castle-meghan-markle-prince-harry/> [Accessed 28 April 2021].
  • HELLO!. 2021. Prince Philip designed Queen’s private chapel where his coffin has been resting. [online] Available at: <https://www.hellomagazine.com/royalty/20210417111237/prince-philip-coffin-lying-in-rest-private-chapel-windsor-castle-he-designed/> [Accessed 28 April 2021].
  • Hill, Ben, 2021. Philip gives tour of private chapel at Windsor where he lies before funeral. [online] The US Sun. Available at: <https://www.the-sun.com/news/2697086/prince-philip-tour-private-chapel-windsor-castle/> [Accessed 28 April 2021].
  • Royal Collection Trust. 2021. The fire at Windsor Castle. [online] Available at: <https://www.rct.uk/visit/windsor-castle/the-fire-at-windsor-castle#/> [Accessed 28 April 2021].

Katarina Gustavsdotter Stenbock, Queen of Sweden

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Credit – Wikipedia

The third wife of Gustav I Vasa, King of Sweden, Katarina Gustavsdotter Stenbock was born on July 22, 1535, at the Torpa Stenhus (Torpa Stonehouse), a medieval castle near Lake Åsunden, in Västragötaland, Sweden. The well-preserved castle is still owned by descendants of the Stenbock family. Katarina was the second of the six daughters and the second of the eleven children of Gustaf Olofsson Stenbock and Birgitta Eriksdotter Leijonhufvud. Both Katarina’s parents were from Swedish noble families. Her father Gustaf Olofsson Stenbock was part of the contingent that brought Gustav Vasa’s first wife Katharina of Saxe-Lauenburg to Sweden. Over the years, he was appointed a state councilor, Governor of Västergötland, and a Marshal of Sweden.

Margareta Eriksdotter Leijonhufvud, 2nd wife of King Gustav I Vasa and the maternal aunt of Katarina; Credit – Wikipedia

Katarina’s mother Birgitta Eriksdotter Leijonhufvud was the sister of King Gustav I Vasa’s second wife Margareta Eriksdotter Leijonhufvud. Therefore, Katarina was the first cousin of the ten children of Gustav Vasa and Margareta Leijonhufvud. Katarina’s parents, like Margareta’s other relatives, were part of the Kungafränderna (The King’s Relatives) and were given prominent positions and had much influence at court. King Gustav I Vasa often attended their family celebrations and Katarina’s parents were considered his personal friends.

Katarina had ten siblings:

  • Beata Gustavsdotter Stenbock (1533 – 1583), married Per Brahe the Elder (nephew of King Gustav I Vasa), had thirteen children
  • Olof Gustavsson Stenbock (circa 1536 – 1599)
  • Karl Gustavsson Stenbock (circa 1537 – 1609), married Brita Claesdotter, had four children
  • Erik Gustavsson Stenbock (1538 – 1602), married his cousin Malin Sture, had two children
  • Arvid Gustafsson Stenbock (1541 – circa 1609), married Carin Månsdotter
  • Cecilia Gustavsdotter Stenbock
  • Margareta Gustavsdotter Stenbock
  • Märta Gustavsdotter Stenbock, married Svante Stensson Sture, had fifteen children
  • Ebba Gustavsdotter Stenbock (? – 1614), married Clas Eriksson Fleming, had four children
  • Abraham Gustafsson Stenbock (? – 1567)

Very little is known about Katarina’s life before she became Queen of Sweden. It is quite probable that she served as a maid of honor to her aunt Margareta Leijonhufvud. Margareta’s ten pregnancies in thirteen years took a toll on her health and she died from pneumonia at the age of 35 on August 26, 1551. After Margareta’s death, her children were placed in the care of her sisters Birgitta (Katarina’s mother) and Märta Eriksdotter Leijonhufvud (Katarina’s aunt) who had married Svante Stensson Sture.

Gustav I Vasa, King of Sweden; Credit – Wikipedia

In Sweden at that time, it was the norm for a noble widower with minor children to remarry, and King Gustav I Vasa stated that he needed a queen for his court and a mother for his children. In March 1552, Katarina’s mother, her aunt Märta and her husband Svante Stensson Sture, and Per Brahe the Elder (nephew of King Gustav I Vasa and the husband of Katarina’s sister Beata) were called to a family council. It is probable that at this meeting Gustav Vasa proposed marriage to Katarina, despite the king being 56 and Katarina being 17. Gustav Vasa saw this marriage as a way to forgo the costs and the time-consuming negotiations necessary to arrange a marriage with a foreign princess in the complicated political climate in Europe as a result of the ongoing conflicts caused by the Protestant Reformation. Katarina’s family saw the marriage as a way to preserve the family connection they had made with Gustav Vasa through his previous marriage with Margareta Leijonhufvud. On August 22, 1552, at Vadstena Abbey in Vadstena, Sweden, Katarina married King Gustav I Vasa, and the next day, she was crowned Queen of Sweden.

Katarina and Gustav Vasa had no children but Katarina served as a stepmother to her first cousins, the children of Gustav Vasa and her aunt Margareta Leijonhufvud. She was given responsibility for the royal nursery, especially for the upbringing of Gustav Vasa’s daughters.

Katarina’s stepchildren, also her first cousins:

In the late 1550s, King Gustav I Vasa’s health declined. He died on September 29, 1560, aged 64, at Tre Kronor Castle (Three Crowns Castle) which stood on the site of the present Stockholm Palace in Stockholm, Sweden. The official cause of death was cholera but it may have been dysentery or typhoid. Gustav I, King of Sweden was buried in the Vasa Chapel at Uppsala Cathedral in Uppsala, Sweden with his first two wives. Katarina never remarried despite being only 25-years old when King Gustav I died. She dressed in mourning for the rest of her life.

Katarina lived during the reigns of the next five Kings of Sweden who were either sons or grandsons of her husband:

King Erik XIV (reigned 1560 – 1568) – Gustav Vasa’s only surviving child from his first marriage to Katharina of Saxe-Lauenburg. Erik was deposed via a rebellion by his half-brother who became King Johan III. He was then imprisoned in various castles for nine years. He died in 1577 and was most likely murdered due to the three major conspiracies that attempted to depose his half-brother Johan III and place Erik back on the Swedish throne. An examination of his remains in 1958 confirmed that Erik probably died of arsenic poisoning.

King Johan III (reigned 1568 – 1592) – son of King Gustav I Vasa and his second wife Margaret Leijonhufvud and therefore, he was Katarina’s first cousin. During the reign of King Johan III, Katarina no longer had such a prominent place at court. However, because of her royal rank, she occupied a more dominant role in her own birth family, and often hosted family meetings and arranged family occasions such as weddings and funerals, and continued to act as a channel between her relatives and the royal house. King Johan III died in 1592.

King Sigismund III Vasa (reigned 1592 – 1599) – son of King Johan III and grandson of King Gustav I Vasa. Sigismund was not only King of Sweden but also King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania through his mother. Sigismund, who was Catholic, was deposed in 1599 as King of Sweden by his Protestant uncle who reigned as King Karl IX, and lived the remainder of his life in Poland.

King Karl IX (Regent of Sweden 1599 – 1604, King of Sweden 1604 – 1611) – youngest son of King Gustav I of Sweden and his second wife Margaret Leijonhufvud.  Karl became King of Sweden by championing the Protestant cause and deposing his Catholic nephew.

King Gustavus Adolphus (reigned 1611 – 1632) – son of Karl IX, King of Sweden and grandson of King Gustav I Vasa. 16-year-old Gustavus Adolphus became King of Sweden with his mother serving as Regent until he became of age. Gustavus Adolphus, aged 37, was killed in the Battle of Lützen during the Thirty Years War.

Strömsholm Castle, Katarina’s dowager home; Credit – By Christer Johansson – Own work (File produced by Christer Johansson), CC BY-SA 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2502279

Katarina spent her last years tending to her estates, engaging in her financial and business enterprises, and spending time with her relatives, especially her sisters. Katarina was well known for providing a safe haven for many female relatives of the exiled supporters of the deposed King Sigismund III Vasa and other charitable work. During her last years, she had issues with her mobility and for this reason not able to attend the wedding of her husband’s grandson King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden in 1620.

Katarina survived her husband by sixty-one years, dying on December 13, 1621, aged 86, at her home Strömsholm Castle in Strömsholm, Västmanland, Sweden. Upon her death, it was noted, “The poor have lost a friend, the orphans their mother.”  Katarina was buried in Uppsala Cathedral in Uppsala, Sweden with her husband and his first two wives but she has no monument or memorial.

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Works Cited

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