Category Archives: Current Monarchies

Suspicious Death of William II Rufus, King of England (1100)

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

On August 2, 1100, William II Rufus, King of England rode out from Winchester Castle on a hunting expedition to the New Forest, accompanied by his brother Henry and several nobles. During the hunt, an arrow hit William Rufus in his chest, puncturing his lungs, and killing him.

William II Rufus, King of England

Credit – Wikipedia

King William II Rufus of England was born in the Duchy of Normandy, now in France, between 1056 and 1060. He was the third of the four sons of King William I of England (the Conqueror) and Matilda of Flanders. At the time of William Rufus’ birth, his father was the Duke of Normandy. In 1066, William, Duke of Normandy invaded England and defeated the last Anglo-Saxon King, Harold Godwinson at the Battle of Hastings. The Duke of Normandy was then also King William I of England.

In 1087, King William I divided his lands between his two eldest surviving sons. The eldest son Robert Curthose was to receive the Duchy of Normandy and William Rufus, the second surviving son was to receive the Kingdom of England. William I’s other surviving son Henry (the future King Henry I of England) was to receive 5,000 pounds of silver and his mother’s English estates.

King William I of England died on September 9, 1087. Robert Curthose became Robert II Curthose, Duke of Normandy and William Rufus became King William II Rufus of England. Henry received the money, but no land. William Rufus never married and had no children.

In 1096, Robert Curthose left for the Holy Land on the First Crusade. In order to raise money for the crusade, he mortgaged the Duchy of Normandy to his brother King William II Rufus. The two older brothers made a pact stating that if one of them died without heirs, both Normandy and England would be reunited under the surviving brother. William then ruled Normandy as regent in Robert’s absence. Robert did not return until September 1100, one month after William Rufus’ death.

The Death of William Rufus

Death of William Rufus, 1895 lithograph; Credit – Wikipedia

On August 2, 1100, King William II Rufus rode out from Winchester Castle in Winchester England on a hunting expedition to the New Forest, accompanied by his brother Henry and several nobles. His elder brother Richard and his nephew Richard, the illegitimate son of his brother Robert Curthose, had both been killed in hunting accidents in the New Forest.

According to most contemporary accounts, the hunting party spread out as they chased their prey. William Rufus, in the company of William Tirel, a noble, became separated from the others as he chased after a stag. William Rufus shot an arrow but missed the stag. He then called out to Tirel to shoot, which he did, but the arrow hit the king in his chest, puncturing his lungs, and killing him.

The Aftermath

Fearing reprisals, Walter Tirel immediately jumped on his horse and fled to France where he took refuge in one of his French castles. The other nobles who had been with William Rufus abandoned his body and fled to their Norman and English lands to secure their possessions following the death of the king.

The next day, William Rufus’ body was found by a group of local farmers. The farmers loaded the king’s body on a cart and brought it to Winchester Cathedral where he was buried under a plain flat marble stone below the tower with little ceremony.

In 1107, the tower at Winchester Cathedral near William Rufus’ grave collapsed and the presence of William Rufus’ remains was considered to be the cause. Around 1525, the royal remains in Winchester Cathedral were rearranged. William Rufus’ remains were transferred to one of the mortuary chests next to the mortuary chest of King Cnut the Great atop the stone wall around the high altar.

In 1642, Winchester Cathedral was sacked by Parliamentary Troops during the English Civil War. The remains in the mortuary chests were scattered around the cathedral. Later the remains were returned to the mortuary chests in no particular order. In 2015, a project to record and analyze the contents of the mortuary chests began.

Mortuary chest in Winchester Cathedral; Credit – www.findagrave.com

In the New Forest, a memorial stone, known as the Rufus Stone, claims to marks the spot where William Rufus died.

Rufus Stone; Credit – Wikipedia

Was there a conspiracy to assassinate William Rufus?

Walter Tirel was an excellent archer but he badly missed his shot. He vigorously denied killing William Rufus on purpose and repeated the denial several times under oath to Abbot Suger of the Abbey of Saint-Denis, the principal minister of King Louis VI of France. There was no investigation into William Rufus’ death because it was thought that his death was an accident and not a deliberate act. Tirel was not subjected to any punishment or loss of land.

However, William Rufus’ younger brother Henry was among the hunting party that day and would have benefited directly from his death. Henry was among the nobles who abandoned William Rufus’ body in the New Forest. William Rufus’ elder brother Robert Curthose was still on crusade, so Henry was able to seize the crown of England for himself despite the pact his two elder brothers had made stating that if one of them died without heirs, both Normandy and England would be reunited under the surviving brother.

Henry hurried to Winchester to secure the royal treasury. The day after William Rufus’ funeral at Winchester, the nobles elected Henry king. Henry then left for London where he was crowned King Henry I of England three days after William Rufus’ death by the Bishop of London. Henry did not wait for the Archbishop of Canterbury to arrive. If William Rufus’ death was a conspiracy, the new King Henry I could have easily squelched any investigation and kept Walter Tirel free from any consequences.

Some modern historians find the assassination theory credible. Others say that hunting accidents were common as evidenced by William Rufus’ brother and nephew dying in hunting accidents and there is not enough hard evidence to prove murder.

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

Works Cited

  • Ashley, M. and Lock, J. (1998). The Mammoth Book of British Kings & Queens. New York: Carroll & Graf Publishers.
  • Dodson, A. (2004). The Royal Tombs of Great Britain. London, p.Gerald Duckworth and Co. Ltd.
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2019). Walter Tirel. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Tirel [Accessed 28 Dec. 2019].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2019). William II of England. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_II_of_England [Accessed 28 Dec. 2019].
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2016). King William II Rufus of England. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-william-ii-rufus-of-england/ [Accessed 28 Dec. 2019].
  • Fr.wikipedia.org. (2019). Gautier II Tirel. [online] Available at: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gautier_II_Tirel [Accessed 28 Dec. 2019].
  • Fr.wikipedia.org. (2019). Guillaume le Roux. [online] Available at: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guillaume_le_Roux [Accessed 28 Dec. 2019].
  • Williamson, D. (1996). Brewer’s British Royalty. London: Cassell.

Assassination of Edward the Martyr, King of the English (978)

by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2020

On March 18, 978, 16-year-old Saint Edward the Martyr, King of the English was stabbed in the back while mounted on his horse. He fell off, but his foot caught in the stirrup and he was dragged to his death.

Saint Edward the Martyr, King of the English

Credit – Wikipedia

Edward the Martyr was the eldest son of Edgar the Peaceful, King of the English. He was born around 962 to Æthelflæd who possibly was a nun at Wilton Abbey, a Benedictine abbey in Wiltshire, England, whom Edgar seduced. It is unclear whether Æthelflæd and Edgar married.

In 975, King Edgar died and leaving his two surviving sons: Edward around 13 years of age and Edward’s half- brother Æthelred around 7 years old, the son of Edgar’s wife Ælfthryth. Both boys were too young to have played any significant role in the political maneuvering, and so it was the brothers’ supporters who were responsible for the turmoil which accompanied the choice of a successor to the throne. In the end, Edward’s supporters, mainly Saint Dunstan, Archbishop of Canterbury and Oswald of Worcester, Archbishop of York, proved more powerful and persuasive, and he was crowned king before the year was out. The teenaged Edward was famous for temper tantrums and insulting influential people due to his lack of diplomatic behavior.

The Assassination

The texts in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle say that Edward was “killed” or “martyred” and that “no worse deed for the English race was done than this was.” It appears that Edward’s stepmother Ælfthryth may have been linked to his murder. Ælfthryth, the first woman known to have been crowned and anointed as Queen of England, was a powerful political figure. The legality of her marriage to King Edgar the Peaceful was not in doubt and she was the mother of the future Æthelred II the Unready, King of the English. However, Ælfthryth had a previous marriage.

Ælfthryth’s father was Ordgar, son of an ealdorman, who owned much land in Somerset. King Edgar decided to marry Ordgar’s daughter Ælfthryth and sent Æthelwald, Ealdorman of East Anglia to make the arrangements. Æthelwald instead took Ælfthryth for his own wife and reported back to King Edgar that she was unsuitable.

Æthelwald died in 962 and there are two versions of the story of his death. One version has King Edgar being told of Æthelwald’s deception and then killing him during a hunt. The second version comes from Saint Dunstan, Archbishop of Canterbury. Dunstan believed that Æthelwald was murdered by his wife Ælfthryth who then seduced King Edgar. Whatever the circumstances of Æthelwald’s death, Ælfthryth married King Edgar and by 964, her father Ordgar had been created Ealdorman of Devon. Apparently, Ordgar was one of King Edgar’s closest advisors because from 964 until his death in 971, he was a witness on almost all the charters Edgar issued.

A Victorian-era depiction of Ælfthryth putting her plan of murdering Edward the Martyr into motion; Credit – Wikipedia

It is reasonable to assume that Ælfthryth was not happy that her son Æthelred, born of a legal marriage, was not king. Furthermore, it is also reasonable to assume she might plot against Edward. On March 18, 978, 16-year-old Edward arrived at a hunting lodge probably at or near the mound on which the ruins of Corfe Castle in Dorset, England now stand. Aelfthryth had invited her stepson there and she arranged for him to be welcomed with a cup of wine. As Edward drank the wine, he was stabbed in the back while still mounted on his horse. He fell off, but his foot caught in the stirrup and he was dragged to his death.

Edward’s ten-year-old half-brother succeeded to the throne as Æthelred II the Unready, King of the English. Although Æthelred was not personally suspected of participation, it appears that the murder was committed by his supporters, and the specter of his half-brother’s murder hung over him for the rest of his life.

The Aftermath

Ælfthryth served as regent for her son Æthelred until he came of age in 984. Her reputation was tarnished because she was implicated in Edward’s murder. She founded the Benedictine Wherwell Abbey in Hampshire, England, and retired there to do penance for her part in the murders of her first husband Æthelwald and of her stepson Edward.

Edward was first buried at St. Mary’s Church in Wareham, Dorset, England. Soon people were saying miracles occurred at his burial place and he was declared a saint and a martyr. Edward is recognized as a saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Roman Catholic Church, and the Anglican Church, and is known as Saint Edward the Martyr.

In 981, Edward’s remains were moved to Shaftesbury Abbey, a convent founded by his great-great-grandfather Alfred the Great, and were buried there with great pomp under the supervision of Saint Dunstan, Archbishop of Canterbury. Many miracles were claimed to occur at the tomb of Saint Edward the Martyr, including the healing of lepers and the blind. The abbey became the wealthiest Benedictine convent in England and a major pilgrimage site.

In 1539, Edward’s remains were hidden to avoid desecration during the Dissolution of the Monasteries during the reign of King Henry VIII. In 1931, some remains were recovered by J.E. Wilson-Claridge during an archaeological excavation of Shaftesbury Abbey. Their identity was confirmed by Dr. T.E.A. Stowell, an osteologist, who said the remains were those of a young man of about 20 who had injuries that corresponded to a person being dragged backward over the pommel of a saddle and having their leg twisted in a stirrup.

In 1970, another examination performed on the remains suggested that death had been caused by the manner in which Edward supposedly had died. However, a later examination showed the remains to be from the same time period as Edward but that they belonged to a man in his late twenties or early thirties rather than a youth in his mid-teens. Nevertheless, Wilson-Claridge donated the remains to the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, which interred them as King Edward the Martyr in a shrine at St. Edward the Martyr Orthodox Church in Woking, Surrey, England.

Shrine of St Edward the Martyr in St. Edward the Martyr Orthodox Church; Credit – Wikipedia

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

Works Cited

  • Ashley, M. (1998). The Mammoth Book of British Kings & Queens. New York: Carroll & Graf Pub.
  • Cannon, J. and Griffiths, R. (1988). The Oxford Illustrated History of the British Monarchy. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  • Clarke, J. (2019). St Edward the Martyr. [online] John-clarke.co.uk. Available at: https://www.john-clarke.co.uk/st_edward_the_martyr.html [Accessed 21 Feb. 2019].
  • Dodson, A. (2004). The Royal Tombs of Great Britain. London: Duckworth.
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2019). Ælfthryth, wife of Edgar. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%86lfthryth,_wife_of_Edgar [Accessed 11 Dec. 2019].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2019). Edward the Martyr. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_the_Martyr [Accessed 21 Feb. 2019].
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2019). Edward the Martyr, King of the English. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/edward-the-martyr-king-of-the-english/ [Accessed 11 Dec. 2019].
  • Fr.wikipedia.org. (2019). Édouard le Martyr. [online] Available at: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89douard_le_Martyr [Accessed 21 Feb. 2019].
  • Williamson, D. (1998). Brewer’s British Royalty. London: Cassell.

Assassination of Edmund I, King of the English (946)

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

On May 26, 946, Edmund I, King of the English was stabbed to death at a royal hunting lodge in Pucklechurch, north of Bath, England while celebrating the feast of St. Augustine of Canterbury. Recent research indicates that Edmund may have been the victim of political assassination.

Edmund I, King of the English

Credit – Wikipedia

Edmund I, King of the English was born in 921, the elder of the two sons and the eldest of the three children of Edward the Elder, King of the Anglo-Saxons and his third wife Eadgifu of Kent, the daughter of Sigehelm, Ealdorman of Kent. He was also a grandson of Alfred the Great, King of Wessex, King of the Anglo-Saxons.

Edmund was just three years old when his father died on July 24, 924. Succeeding his father was Edmund’s 30-year-old half-brother Æthelstan, King of the English. When the unmarried Æthelstan died in 939, he was succeeded by his 18-year-old half-brother Edmund I, King of the English. Edmund was the first Anglo-Saxon monarch, whose dominion extended over the whole of England at the time of his accession.

Edmund married Ælfgifu of Shaftesbury around 940. They had two sons who both became King of England: Eadwig and Edgar the Peaceful, King of the English. In 944, after Ælfgifu’s death, Edmund married Æthelflæd of Damerham but the couple had no children.

The Assassination

An 18th-century engraving of the murder

On May 26, 946, Edmund I, King of the English was celebrating the feast of St. Augustine of Canterbury at a royal hunting lodge in Pucklechurch, north of Bath, England. During the celebrations, twenty-four-year-old Edmund was stabbed to death. Because Edmund’s two sons were very young, he was succeeded by his brother Eadred. Edmund was buried at Glastonbury Abbey in Glastonbury, Somerset, England but his tomb was destroyed during the Dissolution of the Monasteries during the reign of King Henry VIII.

The story usually told is from The Chronicle of John of Worcester: “While the glorious Edmund, king of the English, was at the royal township called Pucklechurch in English, in seeking to rescue his steward from the hands of Leofa, a most wicked thief, lest he be killed, was himself killed by the same man on the feast of St Augustine, teacher of the English, on Tuesday, 26 May, in the fourth indiction, having completed five years and seven months of his reign.”

Edmund seizing Leofa by the hair, from The Comic History of England, circa 1860

William of Malmesbury described the murder a bit differently in his chronicle Gesta Regum Anglorum (Deeds of the English Kings): “A thief named Leof, whom he had banished for his robberies, returned after six years, and on the festival of St Augustine, archbishop of Canterbury, at Pucklechurch, unexpectedly took his seat among the royal guests. It was the day when the English were accustomed to holding a festival dinner in memory of him who had preached the Gospel to them, and as it happened he was sitting next to the thegn whom the king had condescended to make his guest at dinner. The king alone noticed this, for all the rest were aflame with wine; and in sudden anger, carried away by fate, he leaped up from the table, seized him by the hair, and flung him to the ground. The man drew a dagger in stealth from its sheaf, and as the king lay on him plunged it with all his force into his chest. The wound was fatal and gave an opening for rumors about his death that spread all over England. The robber too, as the servants soon came running up, was torn limb from limb, but not before he had wounded several of them.”

A Victim of Political Association?

Recent research indicates that Edmund may have been the victim of political assassination and suggests that the characterization of Edmund’s killer as a thief was fabricated by later chroniclers to counter rumors that the king had been the victim of a political assassination. Kevin Halloran published a paper in 2015, A Murder at Pucklechurch: The Death of King Edmund, 26 May 946, explaining such a possibility.

In 944, Ælfgifu of Shaftesbury, the mother of Edmund’s two sons, Eadwig (born circa 940) and Edgar (born circa 943) died. She may not have been legally married to Edmund. No record of any marriage exists and she may not have been officially recognized as queen. Ælfgifu was styled as concubina regis (royal concubine) in a charter. In two later chronicles, she was styled as queen but this may be the result of her higher status after death as a saint and the mother of two kings. Possibly, the lack of a legal marriage between their parents could have questioned the succession rights of Eadwig and Edgar. Edmund’s brother Eadred appears to have been acknowledged as Edmund’s successor throughout his reign but if Edmund reigned until his sons reached maturity, the likelihood that Eadred would succeed to the throne would diminish. Edmund’s long absence away from court in 945 while on a military campaign in the north, could have provided Eadred the time to contemplate the situation and come up with a plan.

Halloran theorized that it is probable that Edmund’s killer was not apprehended or identified and so no motive for the murder could be established. Edmund’s killer was not named in any chronicles for more than 100 years after Edmund’s death and the name that eventually appeared was probably chosen on purpose because its meaning was understood all too well. In Old English leof(a) meant “beloved” and so the use of the name Leofa for an assassin seems quite ironic.

William of Malmesbury says in his chronicle that “…rumours about his death…spread all over England.” Some of these rumors may have blamed the person who had the most to gain from Edmund’s death – his brother Eadred. It is odd that a thief returned from an exile of six years and decided to attend a royal feast, uninvited, and that he did not hide in the back of the hall but sat next to a special guest. Furthermore, none of the guests recognized him but after his body is hacked, he is positively identified. It is also odd that King Edmund definitely recognized the uninvited guest and attacked him.

Halloran says that the accounts of John of Worcester and William of Malmesbury, who were both monks, are “improbable and conflicting” and that they “may have been written deliberately to counter any suggestion that the king’s death resulted from a politically motivated conspiracy.” He further suggests that prior accounts of the murder that suggested a conspiracy were revised and that Leofa was invented with two storylines – the thief who returned from exile intent upon killing the king or the thief who wanted to kill the king’s unnamed steward. Halloran says that the purpose of John of Worcester’s and William of Malmesbury’s stories about King Edmund’s death was to protect the reputation of the monarchy and the church which greatly benefited from kings.

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

  • Ashley, Mike. (1998). The Mammoth Book of British Kings & Queens. New York: Carroll & Graf Pub.
  • Cannon, J. and Griffiths, R. (1988). The Oxford Illustrated History of the British Monarchy. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  • Dodson, A. (2004). The Royal Tombs of Great Britain. London: Duckworth.
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2019). Edmund I. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edmund_I [Accessed 14 Feb. 2019].
  • Flantzer, S. (2019). Edmund I, King of the English. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/edmund-i-king-of-the-english/ [Accessed 10 Dec. 2019].
  • Halloran, Kevin. (2015). The Murder of King Edmund 26 May 946. [online] academia.edu. Available at: https://www.academia.edu/799350/The_murder_of_King_Edmund_26_May_946 [Accessed 10 Dec. 2019].
  • Williamson, D. (1998). Brewer’s British Royalty. London: Cassell.

Haitham bin Tariq Al Said, Sultan of Oman

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Credit – Wikipedia

Arabic Naming Conventions

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

Haitham bin Tariq Al Said, Sultan of Oman was born on October 11, 1954, in Muscat, the Sultanate of Muscat and Oman, now the Sultanate of Oman. His father Tariq bin Taimur Al Said was the son of Taimur bin Feisal, Sultan of Muscat and Oman who reigned from 1913 until 1932 when he abdicated in favor of his eldest son Said bin Taimur, the father of the late Sultan Qaboos of Oman. Haitham’s mother was Shawana bint Hamud bin Ahmad Al-Busaidiyah, the first of his father’s three wives.

Haitham has six brothers (listed first) and two sisters. Because his father had three wives some of these siblings are half-siblings.

  • Talal bin Tariq (born 1947), married Tahira (from Turkey), had four children
  • Qais bin Tariq (1952 – 2011), married Susan Schafer (Princess Sayyida Susan Al-Sa’id), had four children
  • Asad bin Tariq (born 1954), Deputy Prime Minister of Oman since 2017, married Na’emah bint Badr Al-Busa’idiyah, had five children
  • Shihab bin Tariq (born 1956), married ? , had six children
    Adham bin Tariq (born 1959), married ?, had three children
  • Fares bin Tariq (1961 – 1982)
  • Amal bint Tariq (born 1950) married a Lebanese national
  • Nawal bint Tariq (Kameela) (born 1951), married Qaboos, Sultan of Omanin 1976, divorced 1979, no children

In 1979, Haitham graduated from the Oxford University’s Foreign Service program and then continued his postgraduate studies at Pembroke College, Oxford.

Haitham’s wife Ahad bint Abdullah bin Hamad Al Busaidia, 2021; Credit – By مداد عمان – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=103975696

Haitham married Ahad bint Abdullah bin Hamad Al Busaidia and the couple had two sons and two daughters:

On January 11, 2021, Theyazin bin Haitham, the eldest son of Sultan Haitham, became the Sultanate’s first Crown Prince following constitutional amendments approved by Sultan Haitham., Theyazin bin Haitham, the eldest son of Sultan Haitham, became the Sultanate’s first Crown Prince following constitutional amendments approved by Sultan Haitham.

Haitham was the President of the Oman Football  Association (soccer) from 1983 to 1986. In 1986, Haitham joined the Omani Ministry for Foreign Affairs and held the following positions in the Omani government:

  • Under Secretary 1986-1992
  • Under Secretary for Political Affairs 1992-1996
  • Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 1996-2002
  • Minister for Heritage & Culture 2002-2020

Before January 11, 2021, the succession to the throne was handled in a somewhat unusual way. Upon the death of the Sultan, the royal family council was charged with naming his successor within three days. If they were unable to agree upon their choice, there was a sealed envelope from the late Sultan naming his personal choice to succeed him.  On January 11, 2020, the day after the death of Sultan Qaboos of Oman, Haitham’s first cousin, Haitham was named as Sultan of Oman after a sealed letter from Qaboos was opened identifying whom he wished to take his place. On the same day, Haitham was sworn in as the Sultan of Oman during an emergency session of the Council of Oman at the Al-Bustan Palace in Muscat, Oman. In his first public speech, Sultan Haitham promised to continue Sultan Qaboos’ peace-making foreign policy and to further develop Oman’s economy.

Embed from Getty Images 
Sultan Haitham speaks during the swearing-in ceremony

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

  • Ar.wikipedia.org. (2020). هيثم بن طارق آل سعيد. [online] Available at: https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%87%D9%8A%D8%AB%D9%85_%D8%A8%D9%86_%D8%B7%D8%A7%D8%B1%D9%82_%D8%A2%D9%84_%D8%B3%D8%B9%D9%8A%D8%AF [Accessed 12 Jan. 2020]. (Haitham, Sultan of Oman in Arabic)
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2020). Haitham bin Tariq Al Said. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haitham_bin_Tariq_Al_Said [Accessed 12 Jan. 2020].
  • Royalark.net. (2020). Oman Genealogy. [online] Available at: https://www.royalark.net/Oman/oman9.htm [Accessed 12 Jan. 2020].

Assassination of King Faisal of Saudi Arabia (1975)

by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Arabic Naming Conventions

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

On March 25, 1975, King Faisal of Saudi Arabia, aged 68, was shot and killed by his 30-year-old nephew Prince Faisal bin Musaid bin Abdulaziz Al Saud at the Royal Palace in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

King Faisal of Saudi Arabia; Credit – Wikipedia

King Faisal of Saudi Arabia

Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud was born on April 14, 1906, in Riyadh, then in the Emirate of Nejd and Hasa, now the capital of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. His father was Abdulaziz ibn Abdul Rahman Al Saud, also known as Ibn Saud, the founder and the first king of Saudi Arabia. Faisal’s mother was Tarfa bint Abdullah bin Abdullatif Al ash-Sheikh, one of his father’s 22-24 wives.

Faisal was introduced to politics at an early age. In 1919, at the age of thirteen, Faisal was sent to meetings in the United Kingdom and France as the head of the Saudi delegation. After Abdulaziz’s eldest son Turki, Faisal’s half-brother, died in 1919 during the influenza pandemic, Faisal became the second eldest of Abdulaziz’s sons after his half-brother Saud. Besides speaking Arabic, Faisal was fluent in English and French. Faisal had four wives and a total of seventeen children.

Faisal served as Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, Prime Minister, and Crown Prince. After a power struggle with Faisal’s half-brother King Saud, the cabinet and senior members of the Saudi royal family forced Saud to abdicate, and Faisal became the third King of Saudi Arabia in 1964.

For more information about King Faisal see Unofficial Royalty: King Faisal of Saudi Arabia

The Assassination

On March 25, 1975, at the Royal Palace in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, King Faisal was holding a reception. Prince Faisal bin Musaid bin Abdulaziz Al Saud joined the Kuwaiti delegation that had lined up to meet King Faisal. The king recognized his nephew Prince Faisal and bent his head forward so that his nephew could kiss the king’s head as a sign of respect. Prince Faisal took out a revolver from his robe and shot King Faisal twice in the head. The third shot missed and he threw the gun away. King Faisal fell to the floor. A bodyguard hit Prince Faisal with a sheathed sword but Saudi oil minister Ahmed Zaki Yamani yelled repeatedly not to kill the prince. Then bodyguards with swords and submachine guns subdued Prince Faisal and arrested him.

King Faisal was rushed to Riyadh Hospital where he was treated by an American doctor. Head wounds from the .38 caliber bullets fired at point-blank range were the cause of death. King Faisal’s death was announced shortly after 12 noon. A sobbing announcer read the official statement over Saudi radio: “ With great sorrow and sadness, on behalf of His Highness, the Crown Prince, the royal family and the nation announces the death of His Majesty King Faisal who died in Riyadh Hospital of wounds sustained in an attack on his life by mentally deranged Prince Faisal ibn Musaid Abdulaziz.”

Funeral of King Faisal; Credit – King Faisal Foundation https://kff.com/en/King-Faisal

On March 26, 1975, King Faisal was buried in Al Oud cemetery in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in a simple unmarked grave alongside hundreds of other unidentified graves. Leaders of the Arab world including Presiden Anwar el-Sadat of Egypt, King Hussein of Jordan, President Hafez al Assad of Syria, and Yasir Arafat, head of the Palestine Liberation Organization attended the funeral. King Faisal’s successor, his half-brother King Khalid, wept over his body at the funeral.

Who was the assassin Prince Faisal bin Musaid bin Abdulaziz Al Saud?

Prince Faisal bin Musaid bin Abdulaziz Al Saud; Credit – Wikipedia

Born on April 4, 1944, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Prince Faisal bin Musaid bin Abdulaziz Al Saud was the son of Prince Musaid bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. His father was one of the forty-five sons (of whom 36 survived to adulthood) of Abdulaziz ibn Abdul Rahman Al Saud, also known as Ibn Saud, the founder and the first king of Saudi Arabia. Prince Musaid was the half-brother of King Faisal and therefore, Prince Faisal was the king’s nephew.

Prince Faisal attended university in the United States. For two semesters, he attended San Francisco State College studying English. He then attended the University of Colorado at Boulder where he received a bachelor’s degree in political science in 1971. While in the United States, he lived with his American girlfriend Christine Surma for five years. He kept in touch with her when he returned to Saudi Arabia.

Why did Prince Faisal bin Musaid bin Abdulaziz Al Saud kill King Faisal?

At the time of the assassination, there were some conspiracy theories but an investigation later determined that Prince Faisal acted alone. The most probable reason for the assassination has to do with Prince Faisal wanting revenge for the death of his brother Prince Khalid. Five years earlier, Prince Faisal’s brother, Prince Khalid was killed by Saudi security agents as he led a demonstration of religious zealots against a television station in Riyadh. Strict Islamic law forbids the portrayal in any form of the human image. Prince Khalid was portrayed as a fanatic who called television “the instrument of the devil” and opposed all reforms introduced by King Faisal. The details of his death are disputed. Some reports allege that he died resisting arrest outside his own home. There was never an investigation into Prince Khalid’s death.

What happened to the assassin Prince Faisal bin Musaid bin Abdulaziz Al Saud?

Immediately after the assassination, in an official statement, it was said that Prince Faisal bin Musaid bin Abdulaziz Al Saud was mentally deranged. However, at a later date, a panel of medical experts ruled that he had been sane at the time of the assassination and could stand trial. His American girlfriend, Christine Surma, who lived with him for five years while he was in the United States, denied accusations that Prince Faisal was mentally ill.

Prince Faisal was tried, convicted, and executed on June 18, 1975. The trial took place in a sharia court that met in a closed session. Within hours, the sharia court reached their verdict that Prince Faisal was guilty of having shot his uncle King Faisal to death. Public beheading is the traditional form of execution for a convicted murderer in Saudi Arabia and the sentence was carried out a few hours later.

Deera Square where public executions and amputations take place; Credit – Wikipedia

At 4:30 PM on June 18, 1975, the sentence was carried out in front of a crowd of 10,000 in Deera Square in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. Deera Square, also known as Al-Safaa Square, Justice Square, and locally as Chop Chop Square, is located in front of the Palace of the Governor of Riyadh (also known as the Justice Palace) which faces the Grand Mosque of Riyadh (also known as the Imam Turki bin Abdullah Mosque).

Prince Faisal bin Musaid, wearing a white robe, was led by a soldier to the execution site and was reported to have walked unsteadily. Prince Faisal was then blindfolded and the large crowd watched silently until he was beheaded with one swing of a sword with a golden hilt. The crowd then broke into chants of “God is great!” and “Justice is done!”

Afterward, Prince Faisal bin Musaid’s head was displayed for a short time on a wooden stake before being removed by ambulance together with the body for burial. The beheading was witnessed by the Governor of Riyadh, Prince Salman, a younger half-brother of King Faisal. Prince Salman, the only member of the royal family to witness the execution Salman became the seventh king of Saudi Arabia in 2015.

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

  • Ar.wikipedia.org. (2019). اغتيال فيصل آل سعود. [online] Available at: https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%A7%D8%BA%D8%AA%D9%8A%D8%A7%D9%84_%D9%81%D9%8A%D8%B5%D9%84_%D8%A2%D9%84_%D8%B3%D8%B9%D9%88%D8%AF [Accessed 28 Nov. 2019].  (Arabic Wikipedia – Assassination of Faisal Al Saud)
  • Ar.wikipedia.org. (2019). فيصل بن عبد العزيز آل سعود. [online] Available at: https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%81%D9%8A%D8%B5%D9%84_%D8%A8%D9%86_%D8%B9%D8%A8%D8%AF_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%B2%D9%8A%D8%B2_%D8%A2%D9%84_%D8%B3%D8%B9%D9%88%D8%AF [Accessed 28 Nov. 2019]. (Arabic Wikipedia – Faisal bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud)
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2019). Faisal bin Musaid. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faisal_bin_Musaid [Accessed 28 Nov. 2019].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2019). Faisal of Saudi Arabia. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faisal_of_Saudi_Arabia [Accessed 28 Nov. 2019].
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2019). King Faisal of Saudi Arabia. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-faisal-of-saudi-arabia/ [Accessed 28 Nov. 2019].
  • New York Times. (1975). Assassin’s Fate and Motives Unknown. [online] Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/1975/03/27/archives/assassins-fate-and-motives-unknown.html?searchResultPosition=3 [Accessed 28 Nov. 2019].
  • New York Times. (1975). Faisal, Rich and Powerful, Led Saudis Into 20th Century and to Arab Forefront. [online] Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/1975/03/26/archives/faisal-rich-and-powerful-led-saudis-into-20th-century-and-to-arab.html?searchResultPosition=1 [Accessed 28 Nov. 2019].
  • New York Times. (1975). FAISAL’S KILLER IS PUT TO DEATH. [online] Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/1975/06/19/archives/faisals-killer-is-put-to-death-prince-is-beheaded-before-a-crowd-of.html [Accessed 28 Nov. 2019].
  • New York Times (1975). Moslem World Feels Shock And Loss Over King’s Death. [online] Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/1975/03/26/archives/moslem-world-feels-shock-and-loss-over-kings-death.html?searchResultPosition=7 [Accessed 28 Nov. 2019].
  • New York Times. (1975). MOTIVE UNKNOWN. [online] Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/1975/03/26/archives/motive-unknown-assassin-described-as-mentally-deranged-in-official.html?searchResultPosition=5 [Accessed 28 Nov. 2019].

Funeral of Ari Behn, former husband of Princess Märtha Louise of Norway

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Crown Prince Haakon, second from the left, was one of the pallbearers at the funeral of Ari Behn; Credit – http://www.royalcourt.no/

Ari Behn’s funeral was held on January 3, 2020, at the Oslo Cathedral, with services conducted by Kari Veiteberg, Bishop of Oslo. Ari Behn died by suicide on December 25, 2019. He was 47-years-old. His manager Geir Håkonsund made an announcement on behalf of his family: “It is with great sadness in our hearts that we, the closest relatives of Ari Behn, must announce that he took his own life today. We ask for respect for our privacy in the time to come.”

In addition to his former wife Princess Märtha Louise of Norway and their three daughters Maud Angelica Behn, Leah Isadora Behn, and Emma Tallulah Behn, Ari Behn leaves his parents Olav Bjørshol and Marianne Solberg Behn and his two younger siblings Anja Sabrina Bjørshol and Espen Bjørshol.

Behn’s former brother-in-law Crown Prince Haakon was one of the pallbearers. The other pallbearers were his father Olav Bjørshol, his brother Espen Bjørshol, his brother-in-law Christian Udnæs, and his nephews Ask and Isak. During the funeral service, Behn’s parents, his siblings, and his eldest daughter 16-year-old Maud Angelica Behn shared memories of their son, brother, and father.

During her speech, Behn’s daughter addressed those with mental health issues: “I just want to say to everyone who has gone through mental illness, that there is always a way out. Although it doesn’t feel that way. There are people out there who can help. Everyone deserves love and joy. There is never weakness to ask for help but strength. “

Ari Behn was buried at the Cemetery of Our Saviour in Olso, Norway.

An article and photos in English can be seen at the official website of the Royal House of Norway at Royal House of Norway: Ari Behn’s funeral

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.

Assassination of Gustav III, King of Sweden (1792)

by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2020

On March 16, 1792, 46-year-old King Gustav III of Sweden was shot at a masked ball at the Royal Opera House in Stockholm, Sweden. He died thirteen days later. Giuseppe Verdi’s 1859 opera Un Ballo in Maschera (A Masked Ball) is based on King Gustav III’s assassination and death.

King Gustav III by Lorens Pasch the Younger, 1791; Credit – Wikipedia

King Gustav III of Sweden

Born in 1746, King Gustav III was the eldest son of King Adolf Frederik of Sweden and Louisa Ulrika of Prussia, daughter of King Friedrich Wilhelm I of Prussia and Sophia Dorothea of Hanover, daughter of King George I of Great Britain. He was the first cousin of Empress Catherine II (the Great) of Russia and the nephew of King Friedrich II of Prussia (the Great). In 1766, Gustav married Sophia Magdalena of Denmark, the eldest daughter of King Frederik V of Denmark and his first wife Louisa of Great Britain, daughter of King George II of Great Britain. Gustav and Sophia Magdalena had two sons but only the future King Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden survived infancy.

In 1771, King Adolf Frederick of Sweden died and Gustav succeeded his father as King Gustav III of Sweden. In 1772, Gustav arranged for a coup d’état known as the Revolution of 1772 or Coup of Gustav III. The coup d’état reinstated an absolute monarchy and ended parliamentary rule. Gustav imprisoned opposition leaders and established a new regime with extensive power for the king.

For more information, see Unofficial Royalty: King Gustav III of Sweden.

The Assassination

Royal Opera House in Stockholm in 1880, demolished in 1892 and a new opera house was built. Credit – Wikipedia

The Russo-Sweden War and the implementation of the Union and Security Act in 1789, which gave the king more power and abolished many of the privileges of the nobility, contributed to the increasing hatred of King Gustav III, which had existed among the nobility since the 1772 coup. In the winter of 1791-1792, a conspiracy was formed within the nobility to kill the king and reform the government. The conspirators were:

  • Jacob Johan Anckarström, a Swedish military officer, from a noble family
  • Johan Ture Bielke, member of the Riksdag (Swedish Parliament)
  • Jacob von Engeström, former cabinet secretary and governor of Uppsala County
  • Johan von Engeström, member of the Riksdag
  • Count Claes Fredrik Horn, major in the Swedish Army, former court chamberlain
  • Carl Pontus Lilliehorn, colonel of the Svea Life Guards
  • Baron Carl Fredrik Pechlin, a former major general in the Swedish army and a member of the Riksdag
  • Count Adolph Ribbing, member of the Riksdag

The assassination was scheduled to take place on March 16, 1792, during a masked ball at the Royal Opera House in Stockholm. On that day, members of the conspiracy gathered at the home of Baron Carl Fredrik Pechlin to plan what would happen with the government once the king was dead. Jacob Johan Anckarström, Count Claes Fredrik Horn, and Count Adolph Ribbing met that afternoon and agreed that all three would go to the masked ball dressed in black robes and white masks. Anckarström then went to his home, where he loaded two pistols with bullets, furniture tacks, and bits of lead clippings and sharpened a butcher’s knife. Anckarström and Horn went to the opera house together and Ribbing met them there.

The mask Anckarström wore, his knife, pistols, and the bullets, furniture tacks and lead clippings he loaded in the pistols; Credit – Av LSH – http://emuseumplus.lsh.se/, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=27229892

King Gustav III and his friends ate a light supper at the opera house before the masked ball. Towards the end of the supper, a letter arrived for Gustav. At the last moment, one of the conspirators, Carl Pontus Lilliehorn, regretted his part in the conspiracy and sent an anonymous letter to Gustav warning him of the murder plans. Gustav’s friend Count Hans Henric von Essen begged him not to go to the masked ball. However, Gustav had received many threatening letters and ignored the warning.

King Gustav III’s masquerade dress; Credit – Wikipedia

King Gustav III, wearing a mask, a triangular hat, a Venetian cape, and the star of the Royal Order of the Seraphim, walked arm in arm with Count Hans Henric von Essen around the theatre once and then into the foyer where they met Captain Carl Fredrik Pollet. King Gustav, von Essen, and Pollet continued through the foyer towards the masked ball. Due to the crowd, Pollet receded behind the king, who then turned backward to talk to Pollet. Gustav was easily recognized because of the Royal Order of the Seraphim and was soon surrounded by conspirators Jacob Johan Anckarström, Count Claes Fredrik Horn, and Count Adolph Ribbing. One of the conspirators said to him in French: “Bonjour, beau masque” (“Good day, fine masked man.”). Anckarström edged himself behind Gustav, took out a pistol from his left inner pocket, and pulled the trigger. Because the king turned back to talk to Pollet, the shot went in at an angle left of the third lumbar vertebrae towards the left hip region.

King Gustav twitched but did not fall. Anckarström then lost courage because he thought that the king would immediately fall. He dropped the pistol and knife on the floor, took a few steps, and shouted fire. Then he quickly moved towards the door but von Essen had ordered the doors to be closed. Anckarström’s intention had been to shoot himself with the second pistol but instead, he hid the second pistol and mixed with the crowd. The police had everyone unmasked and recorded their names.

What happened to King Gustav III?

The chair where King Gustav rested after being shot. Blood can still be seen on the chair; Credit – Av Mats Landin, Nordiska museet – www.digitaltmuseum.se, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=24839722

Immediately after being shot, King Gustav III looked pale as his friend Count Hans Henric von Essen and several army officers escorted him away. As they passed a chair, Gustav said, “I’m hurt – stop here.” von Essen extinguished the king’s clothes which had begun to burn because of the gunshot. After a while, Gustav, who did not lose consciousness, said, “I feel weak, bring me to my room.” He was then taken up to the room where he had supper to rest. Eventually, Gustav was brought back to the Royal Palace in Stockholm.

King Gustav III had not been shot dead as the conspirators had hoped and continued functioning as the head of state while he recovered. However, suddenly he weakened and, as often happened in the days before antibiotics, his wound became infected, and sepsis, a life-threatening condition that arises when the body’s response to infection causes injury to its own tissues and organs, developed. On March 29, 1792, King Gustav III of Sweden died at the age of 46. He was succeeded by his 13-year-old son King Gustav IV Adolf.

The castrum doloris and King Gustav III’s casket in the Riddarholmen Church by Olof Fridsberg; Credit – Wikipedia

On May 14, 1792, King Gustav III was given a magnificent funeral at Riddarholmen Church, a former 13th-century abbey in Stockholm, Sweden, the burial site for Swedish monarchs until 1950. A castrum doloris, a structure with decorations that enclosed the catafalque (raised box or a similar platform to support the casket) was built. The castrum doloris was built in the shape of an Old Norse burial mound that was used from the Neolithic Age to the Viking Age. On the top was a bust of King Gustav III by Swedish sculptor Johan Tobias Sergel. Over the king’s bust hung a shining North Star (Polaris). Beneath the king’s bust was a grieving Mother Svea, a female national personification for Sweden, usually portrayed as a shield-maiden (in Scandinavian folklore and mythology, a female warrior) with one or two lions. The arched opening of the castrum doloris led to the stairs to the royal crypt where Gustav was buried.

King Gustav’s coffin, draped in purple velvet with ermine edges, was placed beneath the castrum doloris. Adjacent to the coffin were the royal regalia on the right and the orders which had been bestowed upon the king on the left. On the right of the coffin was the Riksbaneret, the Swedish national banner used at various royal ceremonies, such as christenings, weddings, and funerals. Two runestones, which described what the king had accomplished during his reign, were on either side of the castrum doloris. All of what is described can be seen in the painting above.

Joseph Martin Kraus, the royal chapel music master, considered the “Swedish Mozart,” composed and conducted a dramatic funeral cantata that was performed by a large orchestra, choir, and four vocal soloists. After the funeral, Gustav was buried in the crypt of Riddarholmen Church.

Tomb of King Gustav III; Credit – www.findagrave.com

What happened to the conspirators?

Jacob Johan Anckarström; Credit – Wikipedia

Jacob Johan Anckarström had left his two guns and his knife at the opera house and the next morning the guns were brought to several gunsmiths. A gunsmith who had repaired the guns for Anckarström recognized them and identified him as their owner. Anckarström was arrested the same morning and immediately confessed to the murder but initially denied that there was a conspiracy. Eventually, he implicated Count Claes Fredrik Horn and Count Adolph Ribbing.

A baker’s boy who had delivered Carl Pontus Lilliehorn’s letter to Gustav III at the opera house led the investigators to Lilliehorn. The deeply repentant Lilliehorn spilled the beans about the conspiracy and his fellow conspirators. It was decided that a limited number of the conspirators would be charged and that Anckarström would be the scapegoat. Anckarström’s principal accomplices Horn and Ribbing were sentenced to death and deprived of their nobility but were then pardoned and exiled from Sweden. Horn settled in Denmark, changed his name to Fredrik Claesson, and wrote for a newspaper. Ribbing changed his name to Adolphe de Leuven and lived in France. He was a writer, married, and had a son. Carl Pontus Lilliehorn was also sent into exile. He settled in Germany where he changed his name to Berg von Bergheim, became a teacher, and later married a wealthy woman.

The fate of the other conspirators:

  • Johan Ture Bielke – died by suicide with poison six days after the assassination
  • Jacob von Engeström – sentenced to life imprisonment and deprived of his nobility but the sentence was reduced to three years in prison
  • Johan von Engeström – a year’s suspension from his service
  • Baron Carl Fredrik Pechlin – died after four years in prison

A contemporary drawing of Anckarström being flogged; Credit – Wikipedia

Anckarström was sentenced on April 16, 1972. He was deprived of his estates and nobility privileges, sentenced to be chained in irons for three days, and publicly flogged and then executed. On his execution day, April 27, 1792, Anckarström’s right hand was cut off, he was beheaded, and then his corpse was quartered.

Anckarström had been married and his wife, born Gustaviana von Löwen, and four of their children were living at the time of his execution. After Anckarström’s execution, his family adopted the name Löwenström with royal permission. The new surname was a combination of Löwen, the birth surname of Anckarström’s wife, and – ström, the end of Anckarström’s name.

Un Ballo in Maschera – The Masked Ball, opera by Guiseppe Verdi

Frontispiece to the 1860 vocal score of Verdi’s Un Ballo in Maschera published by Ricordi, showing the final scene; Credit – Wikipedia

The plot of Italian composer Guiseppe Verdi‘s 1859 opera Un Ballo in Maschera is based on the assassination and death of King Gustav III of Sweden. Although the subject of the assassination had been used by other composers, Verdi ran into frustrating censorship issues. Originally, the opera was entitled Gustavo III but Verdi’s librettist Antonio Somma was told that the censors in Naples refused to allow the depiction of an actual monarch on the stage, and certainly not the monarch’s murder. Changes were then made to the setting (Stockholm to Stettin, then in the Kingdom of Prussia) and the main character (King Gustav III to the fictional Duke of Pomerania). However, an assassination attempt in 1858 of Napoleon III, Emperor of the French, led to further censorship issues. Censors demanded the setting not be in Europe. With the basic plot still remaining the assassination of King Gustav III, the setting was moved to Boston during the British colonial period, and the leading character became Riccardo, Earl of Warwick and governor of Boston.

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. (2019). Gustav III of Sweden. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustav_III_of_Sweden [Accessed 16 Nov. 2019].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2019). Jacob Johan Anckarström. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacob_Johan_Anckarstr%C3%B6m [Accessed 16 Nov. 2019].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2019). Un ballo in maschera. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Un_ballo_in_maschera [Accessed 16 Nov. 2019].
  • Sv.wikipedia.org. (2019). Gustav III. [online] Available at: https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustav_III [Accessed 16 Nov. 2019].
  • Sv.wikipedia.org. (2019). Gustav III:s begravning. [online] Available at: https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustav_III:s_begravning [Accessed 16 Nov. 2019].
  • Sv.wikipedia.org. (2019). Mordet på Gustav III. [online] Available at: https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mordet_p%C3%A5_Gustav_III [Accessed 16 Nov. 2019].

King Christian IX of Denmark: Children, Grandchildren, Great-Grandchildren and Notable Descendants

by Susan Flantzer

King Christian IX with his family in the Garden Hall of Fredensborg Palace in 1883 by Laurits Tuxen; Credit – Wikipedia

King Christian IX of Denmark and Princess Louise of Hesse-Kassel had six children and 39 grandchildren. Their grandchildren sat upon the thrones of Denmark, Greece, Norway, Russia, the United Kingdom. They are the ancestors of six of the ten current European monarchs: King Philippe of Belgium, King Frederik X of Denmark, Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg, King Harald V of Norway, King Felipe VI of Spain, King Charles III of the United Kingdom, and two former monarchs, the late King Michael of Romania and the late King Constantine II of Greece. See Wikipedia: Monarchs descended from King Christian IX.

King Christian IX and his family in 1862 (Front: Dagmar, Valdemar, Queen Louise, Thyra, Alexandra; Back: Frederik, King Christian, Vilhelm); Credit – Wikipedia

However, King Christian IX of Denmark was not born destined to be a king. King Christian IX was born a German prince, the sixth child and fourth son of Friedrich Wilhelm, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg- Glücksburg and Princess Louise Caroline of Hesse-Kassel, on April 8, 1818, at Gottorp Castle near the town of Schleswig in the Duchy of Schleswig, now in Germany.

Christian married his second cousin Princess Louise of Hesse-Kassel, the daughter of Prince Wilhelm of Hesse-Kassel and Princess Charlotte of Denmark. Both Christian and Louise were great-grandchildren of King Frederik V of Denmark. Their descents from King Frederik V are below.

King Frederik V of Denmark married Princess Louisa of Great Britain (1st wife) → Princess Louise of Denmark married Prince Charles of Hesse-Kassel → Princess Louise Caroline of Hesse-Kassel married Friedrich Wilhelm, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg → King Christian IX of Denmark

King Frederik V of Denmark married Duchess Juliana Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (2nd wife) → Frederik, Hereditary Prince of Denmark married Duchess Sophia Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin → Princess Charlotte of Denmark married Prince Wilhelm of Hesse-Kassel → Louise of Hesse-Kassel

So how did Christian become King of Denmark? When King Christian VIII, the son of Frederik, Hereditary Prince of Denmark, died in 1848, he was succeeded by his son King Frederik VII, who had married three times but had no children, and this resulted in a succession crisis. Louise, Christian IX’s wife, had lived in Denmark from the time she was three years old. She was a niece of King Christian VIII of Denmark and a closer heir than her husband. Women could inherit the Danish throne only if there were no male heirs (Semi-Salic Law), and Louise and her mother Charlotte of Denmark both rescinded their succession rights to Christian, Louise’s husband, in 1851. The Act of Succession of 1853 officially made Christian the heir of King Frederik VII, and he became king in 1863 when King Frederik VII died.

Christian IX and his wife Louise were as much the “Grandparents of Europe” as were Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Christian and Louise had 39 grandchildren and their grandsons included Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia, King Constantine I of Greece, King George V of the United Kingdom, King Christian X of Denmark and King Haakon VII of Norway. Over the years, numerous large family reunions were held at Fredensborg Palace in Denmark with children, in-laws, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

A story has been told about King Christian IX. Whether it is true or not, it illustrates his relationship with other European monarchies:

One day, Christian IX and his son Vilhelm (George I of Greece) and the husbands of two of his daughters (Alexander III of Russia and the Prince of Wales, the future Edward VII of the United Kingdom) went for a walk. They encountered a country gentleman who wondered who they were, thinking they were guests of some local squire. “I am your king,” explained Christian. “This is my son, the King of Greece, and this is my son-in-law, the Emperor of Russia, and my other son-in-law, the Prince of Wales.” The man was not impressed and said, “All right, I’ll tell you who I am. I am Jesus Christ!”

********************

All of King Christian IX’s children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren are listed below. In addition, notable great-great-grandchildren and great-great-great-grandchildren are also included.  Monarchs and consorts from former monarchies and current monarchies, along with current heirs, who are King Christian’s descendants are in bold. The links below are either from Unofficial Royalty or Wikipedia. Not all people have Wikipedia links.

Frederik VIII and his wife with their four eldest children by Elfelt, bromide postcard print, (circa 1877), NPG x74398 © National Portrait Gallery, London

1) King Frederik VIII of Denmark (1843-1912) married (1869) Princess Louise of Sweden (1851-1926), had four sons and four daughters

********************

Embed from Getty Images 
Alexandra and her husband with their children, circa 1880

2) Princess Alexandra of Denmark (1844 – 1925) married (1863) King Edward VII of the United Kingdom (1841 – 1910), had three sons and three daughters

********************

King George and Queen Olga with six of their children, circa 1890; Credit – Wikipedia

3) Prince Vilhelm of Denmark, later King George I of Greece (1845–1913) married (1867) Grand Duchess Olga Konstantinovna of Russia (1851-1926), had five sons and three daughters

Male-line descendants below of King Christian IX of Denmark also who held the title Prince or Princess of Greece also held the title of Prince or Princess of Denmark and are traditionally referred to as Prince or Princess of Greece and Denmark.

********************

Empress Maria Feodorovna and her husband with their five surviving children; Credit – Wikipedia

4) Princess Dagmar of Denmark, Maria Feodorovna, Empress of All Russia (1847-1928) married (1866) Alexander III, Emperor of All Russia (1845–1894), had four sons and two daughters

********************

Thyra and her husband with their six children; Credit – Wikipedia

5) Princess Thyra of Denmark (1853–1933), married (1878) Crown Prince Ernst August of Hanover, 3rd Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale (1845-1923), had three sons and three daughters

********************

Valdemar and his wife with their five children; Credit – Wikipedia

6) Prince Valdemar of Denmark (1858-1939) married (1885) Princess Marie of Orléans (1865-1909), had four sons and one daughter

  • Prince Aage, Count of Rosenborg (1887-1940), born Prince Aage of Denmark, after marrying without the monarch’s consent, he lost his succession rights and his royal style and the title Prince of Denmark, married (1914) Matilda Calvi Dei Conti di Bergolo (1885-1949), had one son, divorced
    • Valdemar, Count of Rosenborg (1915-1995) married (1949) Baroness Floria d’Huart Saint-Mauris (1925-1995), no children
  • Prince Axel of Denmark (1888-1964), married (1919) Princess Margaretha of Sweden (1899-1977), had two sons
    • Prince George Valdemar of Denmark (1920-1986), married (1950) Anne Bowes-Lyon (maternal first cousin of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, no children
    •  Count Flemming Valdemar of Rosenborg (1922-2002), born Prince Flemming Valdemar of Denmark, after marrying without the monarch’s consent, he lost his succession rights and his royal style and title, married (1949) Alice Nielson (1924-2010), had three sons and one daughter
  • Prince Erik, Count of Rosenborg (1890-1950), born Prince Erik of Denmark, after making an unequal marriage, he lost his succession rights and the title Prince of Denmark, he did retain his style His Highness, married (1924) Lois Frances Booth (1897-1941), had one son and one daughter, divorced
    • Countess Alexandra  of Rosenborg (1927-1992) married (1951) Ivar Emil Vind-Röj (1921-1977), had one daughter and two sons
    • Count Christian of Rosenborg (1932-1997), married (1962) Karin Lüttichau, had one son and one daughter
  • Prince Viggo, Count of Rosenborg (1893-1970), born Prince Viggo of Denmark, after marrying without the consent of the monarch, he lost his succession rights and his royal style and the title Prince of Denmark, married (1924) Eleonor Green (1895-1966), no children
  • Princess Margrethe of Denmark (1895-1992) married (1921) Prince René of Bourbon-Parma (1894-1962), had three sons and one daughter
    • Prince Jacques of Bourbon-Parma (1922-1964) married (1947) Birgitte von Holstein-Ledreborg, Countess of Holstein-Ledreborg, had  three children
    • Princess Anne of Bourbon-Parma (1923-2016) married (1948) former King Michael I of Romania (1921-2017), had five daughters
    • Prince Michel of Bourbon-Parma (1926-2018) married (1) (1951) Princess Yolande de Broglie-Revel, had three daughters and two sons, divorced; married (2) (2003) Princess Maria Pia of Savoy, no children
    • Prince André of Bourbon-Parma (1928-2011) married (1960) Marina Gacry, had  three children

********************

Wedding of Prince Edward, Duke of Windsor and Wallis Simpson

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

David and Wallis in 1934, the year their affair started; Credit – Wikipedia

On June 3, 1937, Prince Edward, Duke of Windsor (known as David) married Wallis Simpson at the Château de Candé in Monts, France, a 16th-century castle owned by Charles Bedaux, a ­­French-born, naturalized American industrial millionaire.

David’s Early Life

Embed from Getty Images
Four Generations: Left to right: The future King George V (David’s father), Queen Victoria (David’s great-grandmother), David (the future King Edward VIII), the future King Edward VII (David’s grandfather), circa 1900

The future King Edward VIII was born on June 23, 1894, at White Lodge, Richmond Park on the outskirts of London. At the time of his birth his great-grandmother Queen Victoria sat upon the throne of the United Kingdom. His parents, the future King George V and Queen Mary were the Duke and Duchess of York, and his grandparents, the future King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra were Prince and Princess of Wales. The infant prince was the eldest son of his parents and was third in the line of succession behind his grandfather and father. He was christened with a long string of names: Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David but in the family, he was known as David.

David and his brother, the future King George VI (called Bertie in the family), were raised by Frederick Finch, the nursery footman, and Henry Hansell, their tutor. Finch remained an important person in David’s life as he later became his valet and then his butler. David continued under Hansell’s instruction until 1907 when he enrolled at the Osborne Naval College. He did not enjoy his time there and after two years, he moved on to continue his studies at Royal Naval College, Dartmouth.

After his father succeeded to the throne in 1910 as King George V, David was the heir to the throne and his education intensified. He was withdrawn from his naval course before his formal graduation and then served as midshipman for three months aboard the battleship Hindustan. Next, he was enrolled at Magdalen College, Oxford, despite that he was underprepared intellectually. He left Oxford after eight terms without any academic qualifications.

When World War I started in 1914, David was eager to participate. He had joined the Grenadier Guards in June 1914 and was willing to serve on the front lines. However, Secretary of State for War Lord Kitchener refused to allow it because of the possible harm that could occur if the heir to the throne was captured by the enemy.

In the 1920s and the 1930s, David, as Prince of Wales, made several successful overseas tours. He was a popular prince and was admired for his fashion style and easy manner. Much to his father’s annoyance, David showed little interest in marrying and settling down. His father was disgusted by his affairs with married women and was reluctant to see him inherit the throne. King George V prophetically said, “After I am dead, the boy will ruin himself in 12 months.”

Wallis’ Early Life

Embed from Getty Images
Wallis and her mother

Bessie Wallis Warfield was born on June 19, 1896, in Square Cottage at the Monterey Inn in Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania, and grew up in Baltimore, Maryland.  She was the only child of  Teackle Wallis Warfield and Alice Montague. Five months after Wallis’ birth, her father died of tuberculosis at the age of 27. Wallis and her mother were dependent upon the charity of relatives until her mother remarried. Wallis’ uncle, her father’s brother, paid for her to attend the most expensive girls’ school in Maryland and she made friends with a number of girls from wealthy families.

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

Controversy and Abdication

Credit – Wikipedia

Through a friend, Consuelo Thaw, Wallis met Consuelo’s sister Thelma, Lady Furness, who was David’s mistress. In early 1931, Lady Furness introduced Wallis to David. Over the next several years, David and the Simpsons attended various house parties and other social events, and Wallis was presented at court. In January 1934, Wallis became David’s mistress.

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

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

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

Wedding Guests

Embed from Getty Images
Left to right: Herman Rogers who gave Wallis away, Wallis, David, and Major Edward Dudley Metcalfe (Fruity), the best man

David had wanted his brothers Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester and Prince George, Duke of Kent along with his close friend and second cousin Lord Louis Mountbatten (the future 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma) to attend the ceremony but his brother King George VI forbade members of the royal family from attending. Instead, the marriage was witnessed by a small group of faithful friends. Major Edward Dudley Metcalfe, known as Fruity Metcalfe, David’s close friend and former equerry, served as best man. Wallis was given away by her friend Herman Rogers.

In addition to the guests listed below, fifteen servants, five newspaper reporters, and several local officials including the Mayor of Monts, France who performed the civil marriage ceremony, attended the wedding.

  • George Allen (David’s solicitor)
  • Charles and Fern Bedaux (hosts of the wedding)
  • Randolph Churchill (journalist, writer, and politician, son of Sir Winston Churchill)
  • Dudley Forwood (David’s equerry)
  • W. C. Graham and Mrs. Graham (Graham was the British Consul at Nantes, France)
  • Bessie Montague Merryman (Wallis’ maternal aunt, the only relative to attend the wedding)
  • Major Edward Dudley Metcalfe (Fruity) and his wife Lady Alexandra Metcalfe (Fruity was
  • David’s close friend and former equerry)
  • Sir Walter Monckton (Attorney General of the Duchy of Cornwall, advisor to David during the abdication crisis)
  • Herman and Katherine Rogers (Wallis’ friends)
  • Baron Eugène Rothschild and his wife Baroness Rothschild (the Baroness, American-born Catherine “Kitty” Wolf, was Wallis’ friend, after his abdication, David stayed at the Rothschilds’ home in Austria)
  • Lady Selby (wife of David’s friend Sir Walford Selby, British Ambassador to Austria)
  • Hugh Lloyd Thomas (David’s former secretary, then First Secretary at the British Embassy in Paris)

Wedding Attire

Embed from Getty Images

David wore a morning suit, with a wing collar, striped trousers, a black and white checkered cravat, and a white carnation in his lapel.

The bride wore a soft crepe dress with a tight, buttoned bodice in her signature color of “Wallis Blue,” a halo-shaped hat of the same color, with shoes and gloves to match. The dress was created by Mainbocher, a fashion label founded by the American couturier Main Rousseau Bocher. In 1950, Wallis presented the dress to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. More than 25 years after the wedding, the dress was still considered one of the most copied dresses in modern times. At her neck, Wallis wore a glittering diamond and sapphire brooch and matching bracelet and earrings. She had a lavender orchid at her waist but carried no flowers.

The Wedding

Château de Candé in Monts, Indre-et-Loire, France; Credit – Wikipedia

On June 3, 1937, David married Wallis at the Château de Candé in Monts, France, a 16th-century castle owned by Charles Bedaux, a ­­French-born, naturalized American industrial millionaire.  Marcel Dupré, one of France’s leading organists, played the organ and the famous British photographer Cecil Beaton took the photographs.

A civil ceremony was required in France. It was performed in the green-paneled music room, the windows of which overlook the beautiful Indre Valley. Four chairs for the bride, the groom, the best man, and the bride’s supporter had been placed before the marriage table which was covered with a dark yellow cloth with large vases containing pink and white peonies at either end. The Mayor of the town of Monts, Dr. Charles Mercier, who was also a physician, performed the civil ceremony. The mayor then made a speech, the register was signed and the civil ceremony was over in five minutes. During the civil service, Marcel Dupré, in an adjoining room, softly played music by Bach, Schumann, and one of his own compositions.

When the Church of England refused to sanction the wedding, Reverend Robert Anderson Jardine, the Vicar of St Paul’s Church in Darlington, County Durham, England, offered to perform the ceremony. When Reverend Jardine returned home to Darlington, he soon became aware that he had performed an act that the Church of England could not accept. He was forced to resign his position and under pressure, he left England and settled in California.

The religious service was held in the music room. An improvised altar of an oak chest was in an alcove of the room. At each end of the altar was a single yellow candle with a cross in the middle. David and his best man entered the room and awaited the bride. While Marcel Dupré played the march from Georg Friedrich Handel’s oratorio “Judas Maccabeus”, Wallis entered the room on the arm of her friend Herman Rogers. Reverand Jardine performed the traditional Church of England wedding ceremony. During the benediction, Marcel Dupre played “O Perfect Love”. Ironically, “O Perfect Love” was specially written by English composer Sir Joseph Barnby for the wedding of David’s paternal aunt Louise, Princess Royal and Alexander Duff, 1st Duke of Fife.  “O Perfect Love” remains a popular wedding anthem.

Embed from Getty Images

After the wedding, the newlyweds led the guests to the terrace where the best man gave a champagne toast to the bride and groom’s happiness and long life together. The guests dined on a buffet luncheon of lobster, chicken a la king, salad, and strawberries. There was a three-foot-high wedding cake that the newlyweds cut together. More than 2,000 telegrams were delivered and they were packed up to be taken on the honeymoon and to be read at the couple’s leisure.

At 6:25 PM, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor climbed into their limousine, driven by George Ladbrooke, the Duke’s chauffeur for seventeen years, for the drive to the train station. Ahead of them went 226 pieces of luggage, including 183 trunks. They went by train to Wasserleonburg Castle in Austria where they spent their three-month honeymoon.

Wallis’ Style and Title

Embed from Getty Images

On December 12, 1936, at the accession meeting of the Privy Council, the new King George VI had announced he was going to give his brother the title Duke of Windsor with the style of Royal Highness. Letters Patent dated May 27, 1937 re-conferred the “title, style, or attribute of Royal Highness” upon the Duke of Windsor, but specifically stated that “his wife and descendants, if any, shall not hold said title or attribute”. This meant that Wallis would be styled as the wife of a duke, Her Grace The Duchess of Windsor, while her husband was styled His Royal Highness The Duke of Windsor.

The legality of King George VI’s Letters Patent stating that David’s style Royal Highness could not be extended to his wife or any children is doubtful. As the son of a British monarch, David was entitled to that style which should have automatically reverted to him upon his abdication without the need of a Letters Patent and automatically extended to his legal wife and any legitimate children. David considered the holding back of the style Her Royal Highness from his wife unjust but out of respect for his brother, he never made a public issue. In their household, the Duchess of Windsor was always addressed as Royal Highness.

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

  • Bocca, Geoffrey. (1954). The Woman Who Would Be Queen. New York: Rinehart & Company Inc.
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2019). Wedding dress of Wallis Warfield. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wedding_dress_of_Wallis_Warfield [Accessed 27 Oct. 2019].
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2013). King Edward VIII, The Duke of Windsor. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/may-28-daily-featured-royal-date/ [Accessed 27 Oct. 2019].
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2013). Wallis, Duchess of Windsor. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/april-24-daily-featured-royal-date/ [Accessed 27 Oct. 2019].
  • Hallemann, Caroline. (2017). Inside the Wedding That Changed the British Royal Family Forever. [online] Town & Country. Available at: https://www.townandcountrymag.com/society/tradition/a9967591/wallis-simpson-prince-edward-wedding/ [Accessed 27 Oct. 2019].
  • Higham, Charles. (1988). The Duchess of Windsor. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company.
  • Hough, Richard. (1991). Born Royal – The Lives and Loves of the Young Windsors. Leicester: Ulverscroft.
  • Nytimes.com. (1937). Duke Weds Mrs. Warfield; They Start on Austrian Trip; Windsor and Bride Appeal to Press for Privacy–Wed in Simple Civil Ceremony at Chateau, Followed by Anglican Service. [online] Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/1937/06/04/archives/duke-weds-mrs-warfield-they-start-on-austrian-trip-windsor-and.html?searchResultPosition=241 [Accessed 27 Oct. 2019].
  • Nytimes.com. (1937). WINDSOR WEDDING TO HAVE 16 GUESTS; Britain Permits Several Who Hold Official Posts to Attend, but None of Royalty. [online] Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/1937/05/27/archives/windsor-wedding-to-have-16-guests-britain-permits-several-who-hold.html?searchResultPosition=230 [Accessed 27 Oct. 2019].
  • Rothman, Lily. and Ronk, Liz. (2017). Inside the Wedding That Shook the British Monarchy. [online] Time. Available at: https://time.com/4781342/wallis-edward-wedding-photos/ [Accessed 27 Oct. 2019].
  • Staff Writers (2018). Flashback: A royal scandal, the marriage of Wallis and Edward.. [online] The Sydney Morning Herald. Available at: https://www.smh.com.au/world/europe/flashback-a-royal-scandal-the-marriage-of-wallis-and-edward-20180514-p4zf5g.html [Accessed 27 Oct. 2019].

Wedding of Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester and Lady Alice Montagu Douglas Scott

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Photo Credit – The wedding of Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester and Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester by and after Vandyk, hand-coloured bromide print, 6 November 1935, NPG x134883 © National Portrait Gallery, London

Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester and Lady Alice Montagu Douglas Scott were married on November 6, 1935, at the Private Chapel in Buckingham Palace in London, England. The wedding was originally set to be held at Westminster Abbey but the wedding venue was changed after the death of the bride’s father. John Montagu Douglas Scott, 7th Duke of Buccleuch died from cancer at Bowhill House in Selkirkshire, Borders, Scotland on October 19, 1935, less than three weeks before the wedding date. Because of the circumstances, it was deemed more appropriate to have the wedding at the Private Chapel at Buckingham Palace.

Henry’s Early Life

Henry with his siblings in 1912: 1912:(Front row) John, Mary and George (Back row) Albert, Henry and Edward; Credit – Wikipedia

Prince Henry was the third son of the five sons and fourth of the six children of George, Duke of York (later King George V) and Victoria Mary of Teck (later Queen Mary). He was born on March 31, 1900, at York Cottage on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk, England. Henry attended St. Peter’s Court School in Kent and then Eton College near Windsor which was unusual for a royal child at that time. He also attended the Royal Military College at Sandhurst and Trinity College, Cambridge. Henry had a military career in the British Army and served with The King’s Royal Rifle Corps and the 10th Royal Hussars. On his 28th birthday, his father King George V created him Duke of Gloucester.

For more information, see Unofficial Royalty: Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester

Alice’s Early Life

Mary Theresa (née Montagu-Douglas-Scott), Lady Burghley; Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester by Lafayette bromide print, circa 1910 NPG Ax29354 © National Portrait Gallery, London

Lady Alice Montagu Douglas Scott was born on December 25, 1901, at Montagu House in Whitehall, London, England. She was the third daughter and the fifth of eight children of John Montagu Douglas Scott, 7th Duke of Buccleuch and 9th Duke of Queensberry and Lady Margaret Bridgeman, daughter of George Bridgeman, 4th Earl of Bradford. Alice’s father was the largest landowner in Scotland, and she was a descendant of King Charles II through an illegitimate line. Alice grew up in her family’s country homes home, Boughton House in Northamptonshire, England, Drumlanrig Castle in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland and Bowhill House near Selkirk, Scotland. She attended St. James’ School for Girls, in West Malvern, Worcestershire, England.

For more information, see Unofficial Royalty: Lady Alice Montagu Douglas Scott, Duchess of Gloucester

The Engagement

Embed from Getty Images 
September 2, 1935: A royal gathering at Balmoral Castle on the occasion of the Duke of Gloucester’s engagement to Lady Alice Montagu Douglas Scott. From left to right: The Duchess of Buccleuch (Alice’s mother), King George V, Lady Alice Montagu Douglas Scott, Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester and Queen Mary

Both Prince Henry and Lady Alice were older than usual when they married. Henry was 35-years-old and Alice was nearly 34-years-old. Henry’s eldest brother David (the future King Edward VIII and later Duke of Windsor) was also not married and his parents had given up hope. David encouraged Henry’s bachelorhood because then he would feel more comfortable about not being the only single sibling. He also encouraged Henry’s travels which kept him out of any serious relationship. In the early 1930s, most of Henry’s friends thought he had his eye on Lady Alice and that Henry would have courted her if he would settle down.

Pressured by his parents, Prince Henry decided it was time to settle down and started to seriously court Lady Alice, sister of one of his best friends Lord William Montagu Douglas Scott. In May 1935, after an extended stay with an uncle in Kenya, Alice had returned home due to her father’s illness and the couple started to see quite a lot of each other. Henry and Alice were staying at Windsor Castle with Queen Mary while King George V, who was ill, was staying at Sandringham. Henry wrote to his father: “I saw Alice Scott several times & met her out riding each morning. I think Mama liked her.” George V replied quickly to his son, a surprise considering his health situation, “Mama thought Alice Scott very nice, glad you saw something of her at Windsor.”

While walking his dogs with Alice at Richmond Park, Henry finally proposed. Alice later wrote in her memoirs: “There was no formal declaration on his part, I think he just muttered it as an aside…nor was there any doubt about my acceptance. I was thirty-four, so I had had a very good innings. Apart from my great happiness in getting married, I felt too that it was time I did something useful with my life.”

King George V wrote to Alice’s father: “I must send you a line to say how delighted the Queen and I are that my son Harry is engaged to be married to your third daughter…Our families have known each other for many generations now, that it gives me great pleasure to think that they will be more closely connected still.”

Sadly, Alice’s father would not live to see her wedding day and Henry’s father would die ten weeks after the wedding.

The Wedding Site

Embed from Getty Images

The Private Chapel at Buckingham Palace was created by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in 1844 in what had originally been a conservatory. Queen Victoria was delighted with the result, which had been supervised by Prince Albert, and described it as “beautiful” and “exceedingly restrained”. During World War II, the Private Chapel was damaged by bombing and was later incorporated into The Queen’s Gallery. In 1889, the wedding of Henry’s aunt Louise, Princess Royal, Duchess of Fife was the first wedding to take place at the Private Chapel in Buckingham Palace.

Bridesmaids and Supporters

Embed from Getty Images
Left to right, back row: Clare Phipps, The Duke of York (later George VI), Lady Elizabeth Montagu Douglas Scott, the groom and the bride, Lady Angela Montagu Douglas Scott, The Prince of Wales (later Edward VIII), and Moyra Montagu Douglas Scott. Left to right, front row: Lady Mary Cambridge, Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth II), Princess Margaret of York and Anne Hawkins

Supporters:

Henry’s two eldest brothers The Prince of Wales (the future King Edward VIII, later the Duke of Windsor) and The Duke of York (the future King George VI) served as his supporters.

Bridesmaids:

  • Princess Elizabeth of York, the groom’s niece, the future Queen Elizabeth II
  • Princess Margaret of York, the groom’s niece, married Antony Armstrong-Jones, later 1st Earl of Snowdon
  • Lady Mary Cambridge, the groom’s first cousin once removed, daughter of George Cambridge, 2nd Marquess of Cambridge (nephew of Queen Mary), married Peter Whitley
  • Lady Angela Montagu Douglas Scott, the bride’s sister, married Vice-Admiral Sir Peter Dawnay
  • Lady Elizabeth Montagu Douglas Scott, the bride’s niece, daughter of Walter Montagu Douglas Scott, 8th Duke of Buccleuch, married Hugh Percy, 10th Duke of Northumberland
  • Anne Hawkins, the bride’s niece, daughter of Lady Margaret Montagu Douglas Scott and Admiral Sir Geoffrey Hawkins, married Commander Michael Edward St. Quintin Wall
  • Clare Phipps, the bride’s niece, daughter of Lady Sybil Montagu Douglas Scott and Charles Phipps, married David Hadow
  • Moyra Montagu Douglas Scott, the bride’s first cousin, daughter of Lord Francis Montagu Douglas Scott, married Colonel David Smiley

Wedding Attire

‘The Royal Wedding’ (Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester; Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester) by Vandyk, published by J. Beagles & Co bromide postcard print, 6 November 1935 NPG x197272 © National Portrait Gallery, London

The groom looked splendid in the blue and gold uniform of the 10th Royal Hussars with the sash and star of the Order of the Garter and black-topped boots. The Prince of Wales wore the uniform of a colonel of the Welsh Guard and the Duke of York wore the uniform of a colonel of the Scots Guards. The bridesmaids wore simple satin dresses with golden satin sashes.

Embed from Getty Images

Alice’s wedding dress was designed by Norman Hartnell, the first of many designs for the women of the British royal family. What was most striking about Alice’s dress was the color. It was not the traditional white but pink. Hartnell described the color as “glimmer of pearl” while others called it “blush pink” or simply “blush-colored.” Alice wanted a simple dress and Hartnell did as he was told. The dress was a modest, simple design, with long, narrow sleeves and a high neckline draped into a nosegay of artificial orange-blossom. The cathedral train was appropriate for the intended setting, Westminster Abbey.

Alice wore a pearl necklace, pearl stud earrings. Her tulle veil was held in place by a crystal headdress specially made for the day, instead of a tiara. The bridal bouquet was of white roses and lilies of the valley with a sprig of myrtle grown from a sprig taken from Queen Victoria’s wedding bouquet. Every royal bride has since carried a sprig of the myrtle for good luck.

The Wedding

Embed from Getty Images
The bride on the way to Buckingham Palace

Henry had breakfast with his parents and from the windows of the palace, they saw that the crowds were already lined up ten deep. Crowds also gathered near Alice’s family home in London, in Grosvenor Place hoping to get a glimpse of her.

The Private Chapel was decorated with hundreds of white flowers. Two gold vases full of lilies stood at the altar. The communion rails had garlands made from lilies, white heather, orange blossoms, roses, and narcissus. Flowers six feet high decorated the pillars.

Waiting in the Private Chapel were about 120 guests, far fewer than there would have been in Westminster Abbey. King George V and Queen Mary (the groom’s parents), Queen Maud of Norway (the groom’s aunt), King George II of Greece (the groom’s second cousin), the Duke of Kent (the groom’s brother), the Duchess of York (the groom’s sister-in-law, the future Queen Elizabeth, wife of King George VI) and The Princess Royal (the groom’s sister Mary) sat on the right side of the altar. Behind them sat the three surviving children of Queen Victoria: Arthur, Duke of Connaught, Princess Louise, and Princess Beatrice, along with Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden (the future King Gustaf VI Adolf), and Henry Lascelles, 6th Earl of Harewood (husband of The Princess Royal) and his two sons (the groom’s nephews). On the opposite side sat Walter Montagu Douglas Scott, 8th Duke of Buccleuch and his wife Vreda (the bride’s brother and sister-in-law) and Margaret Montagu Douglas Scott, Dowager Duchess of Buccleuch (the bride’s mother). Behind them sat other relatives and members of the Cabinet.

Alice accompanied by her brother Walter Montagu Douglas Scott, 8th Duke of Buccleuch, taking the place of his recently deceased father, rode in the Glass Coach to Buckingham Palace. After arriving at the palace, they met the bridesmaids in the Drawing Room and walked in a procession to the Private Chapel where the groom was waiting with his two eldest brothers.

The service was conducted by Cosmo Gordon Lang, Archbishop of Canterbury, Arthur Winnington-Ingram, Bishop of London, and Arthur Maclean, Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church. After the hymn “Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven” was sung, the Archbishop of Canterbury led the couple through their wedding vows. The Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church prayed for God’s blessing upon the couple. Then the Archbishop of Canterbury gave a short address, followed by his benediction. While Felix Mendelssohn’s “Wedding March” was played, the newlyweds proceeded to the adjacent household drawing-room to sign the wedding register.

After the Wedding

Embed from Getty Images
Left to right: Princess Elizabeth, Princess Margaret, King George V, Queen Maud of Norway (the king’s sister), The Duke Of Gloucester, The Duchess of Gloucester, and Queen Mary

After the signing of the wedding register, the royal party proceeded to the balcony of Buckingham Palace. Tremendous cheers greeted the newlyweds. When King George V and Queen Mary appeared the cheers were renewed. The crowd was especially delighted at the appearance of Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret. The new Duchess of Gloucester waved repeatedly to the crowd before leaving the balcony. Queen Maud, The Princess Royal, the Duchess of York, and other members of the royal family also appeared on the balcony.

The wedding breakfast was very simple. The guests were seated at twelve round tables decorated with gold vases filled with roses, chrysanthemums, heather, and mimosa. The bride and groom sat with King George V, Queen Mary, and Princess Elizabeth of York. King George V made a short toast to the health of the bride and groom.

After the wedding breakfast, the bride and groom were taken by carriage to St. Pancras Station in London. Along the way, the streets were crowded with well-wishers. The train took them to Kettering, Northamptonshire, England where they spent their honeymoon at Boughton House, one of the seats of the Duke of Buccleuch.

Boughton House; Credit – By Euan Myles – Euan Myles Photography, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.w.ikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=52799330

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

  • Bowles, Hamish. (2018). The Royal Bride Who Wore Pink. [online] Vogue. Available at: https://www.vogue.com/article/the-royal-bride-who-wore-pink-princess-alice-duchess-of-gloucester [Accessed 27 Oct. 2019].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2019). Wedding dress of Lady Alice Montagu Douglas Scott. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wedding_dress_of_Lady_Alice_Montagu_Douglas_Scott [Accessed 27 Oct. 2019].
  • Flantzer, S. (2014). Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/princess-alice-duchess-of-gloucester/ [Accessed 27 Oct. 2019].
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2013). Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/june-10-daily-featured-royal-date/ [Accessed 27 Oct. 2019].
  • Hough, Richard. (1991). Born Royal – The Lives and Loves of the Young Windsors. Leicester: Ulverscroft.
  • Nytimes.com. (1935). WEDDING BELLS FOR ANOTHER ROYAL SON; Duke of Gloucester’s Marriage Leaves the Prince of Wales Alone Unwed ANOTHER ROYAL SON TO WED The Marriage of the Duke of Gloucester Will Leave the Prince of Wales Alone a Bachelor. [online] Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/1935/11/03/archives/wedding-bells-for-another-royal-son-duke-of-gloucesters-marriage.html?ref=oembed [Accessed 27 Oct. 2019].
  • Orderofsplendor.blogspot.com. (2011). Wedding Wednesday: Alice, Duchess of Gloucester’s Gown. [online] Available at: http://orderofsplendor.blogspot.com/2011/11/wedding-wednesday-alice-duchess-of.html [Accessed 27 Oct. 2019].
  • Pope-Hennessy, James. (1959). Queen Mary, 1867-1953. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
  • Trove. (1935). ROYAL WEDDING – QUIET CEREMONY IN PALACE CHAPEL LONDON REGRETS LACK OF PAGEANTRY CROWDS CHEER HAPPY COUPLE LONDON, Nov. 6. – The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 – 1957) – 7 Nov 1935. [online] Available at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/11852400 [Accessed 27 Oct. 2019].