Category Archives: Current Monarchies

Arcadie Claret, Mistress of King Leopold I of the Belgians

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Arcadie Claret was the mistress of King Leopold I of the Belgians from around 1842 until the King’s death in 1865.

Arcadie Claret, Baroness von Eppinghoven. source: Wikipedia

Marie Anne Arcadie Eugénie Claret was born in Brussels on May 30, 1826, one of thirteen children of Major Charles-Joseph Claret and Henriette Neetesonne. Her father was a veteran of Napoleon’s army and the treasurer of the Ministry of War’s Fund for Widows and Orphans of the Belgian Army.

Leopold I of the Belgians. source: Wikipedia

Arcadie was just in her late teens when she became the mistress of King Leopold I. The King moved her into a grand house in Saint-Josse-ten-Node near Brussels, where he visited often. Because their relationship became publicly known and widely discussed in the press, Leopold arranged a marriage between Arcadie and Ferdinand Meyer, his Master of the Stable and friend. This marriage of convenience took place in 1845 and provided some relief from the intense speculation about Arcadie and her relationship with Leopold. Arcadie and Leopold had two sons together. Both were registered as the children of her husband, and given the surname Meyer:

Georg Meyer, Baron von Eppinghoven. source: Wikipedia

  • Georg Meyer, Baron von Eppinghoven (November 14, 1849-February 3, 1904) – born at the monastery of Saint-Joseph des Filles de la Croix in Liège, served as an officer in the Prussian Army. He and his wife, Anna Brust (a former chambermaid of his mother’s), had three children. They lived primarily at the family farm in Langenfeld before his death in Monheim in 1904.

Arthur Meyer, Baron von Eppinghoven. source: Wikipedia

  • Arthur Meyer, Baron von Eppinghoven (September 25, 1852 – November 9, 1940) – born at the Château de Stuyvenberg Laken, served as Grand Marshal of the Grand Ducal Court of Coburg. He and his wife, Anna Harris, had one daughter. After the fall of the German monarchies in 1918, he returned to Belgium, formally changing his surname to von Eppinghoven, and took Belgian citizenship. He received some financial support from his half-nephew, King Albert I of the Belgians, and is buried near the Royal Crypt in the cemetery of Laeken.

The subject of intense criticism following the birth of her first child, Arcadie left Belgium in late 1850, just days before King Leopold’s wife Queen Louise Marie, died. After living for a year in Germany, Arcadie returned to Belgium in the fall of 1851, determined to maintain a discreet profile. With financial help from Leopold, she purchased the Château de Stuyvenberg for 80,000 francs, just steps from the Palace of Laeken. Over the next few years, she had the Château enlarged to provide a home for her own family, her mother, and several siblings. Here, the King would often visit every day, enjoying a quiet family life with Arcadie and their sons.

In addition to purchasing Stuyvenberg, Arcadie received a farmhouse in Monheim, Germany, from the King in 1851. A modest residence – originally an abbey farm named Eppinghoven – Arcadie soon had a more substantial castle built and following the King’s death, she would spend the remainder of her life there.

Château de Stuyvenberg. source: Wikipedia

In 1862, a year after Arcadie and her husband formally separated, King Leopold I sought to secure the future of their sons. He attempted to have them elevated to the Belgian nobility but  the government denied his request. Instead, he asked his nephew, Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, to establish noble titles within the Coburg nobility. Both George and Arthur were created Baron von Eppinghoven in 1862, and the following year, Arcadie was also elevated to Baroness von Eppinghoven. I 1870, Arcadie purchased a farm – the Langfort Domain – in Langenfeld for her sons – once again with the help of King Leopold and his generosity.

During the relationship, which lasted over 20 years, Arcadie and King Leopold were devoted to each other. She often accompanied him on his travels and visits abroad and maintained a  peaceful and quiet home for the King in Belgium. Stuyvenberg became a refuge for him from the stresses of his role.

Following the King’s death in December 1865, Arcadie was no longer welcome within the Belgian royal family. Within days of his death, Arcadie and her sons left Brussels and settled at her castle in Monheim. Despite leaving, she maintained ownership of Stuyvenberg for the next 24 years before finally selling it – through an intermediary – to King Leopold II who later transferred it to the Royal Trust.

Arcadie Claret Meyer, Baroness von Eppinghoven, lived a quiet and private life in Monheim for the next 31 years before passing away there on January 13, 1897.

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.

Crown Prince Al-Muhtadee Billah of Brunei

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Crown Prince Al-Muhtadee Billah of Brunei; Credit – Wikipedia

Crown Prince Al-Muhtadee Billah of Bahrain was born on February 17, 1974, at the Darul Hana Palace in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei. He is the elder of the two sons and the third of the six children of first cousins Hassanal Bolkiah, Sultan of Brunei and his first wife Princess Saleha of Bahrain.

Al-Muhtadee Billah has one brother and four sisters:

  • Princess Rashidah (born 1969), married Prince Haji ‘Abdul Rahim
  • Princess Muta-Wakkilah (born 1971), unmarried
  • Princess Majeedah (born 1976), married Prince Khairul Khalil
  • Princess Hafizah (born 1980), married Prince Haji Mohammad Ruzaini
  • Prince Abdul Malik (born 1983), married Princess Raabi’atul A’dawiyyah Binti Pengiran Haji Bolkiah

Al-Muhtadee Billah has four half-siblings from his father’s marriage (divorced 2003) to Mariam Abdul Aziz, a former flight attendant for Royal Brunei Airlines:

Al-Muhtadee Billah has two half-siblings from his father’s marriage (divorced 2010) to Azrinaz Mazhar Hakim, a former Malaysian TV3 presenter:

  • Prince Abdul Wakeel (born 2006)
  • Princess Ameerah Wardatul (born 2008)

Al-Muhtadee Billah received his early education at the Darul Hana Palace. He completed his primary education at St. Andrew’s School, a private school in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei. He then attended the Paduka Seri Begawan Sultan Science College, a selective government secondary school in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei. He completed his secondary education at Emanuel School, an independent, coeducational day school in Battersea, London, England. Al-Muhtadee Billah began his university studies with tutorials at the University of Brunei Darussalam and then studied at the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies in Oxford, England. He remained in Oxford and attended the University of Oxford‘s Foreign Service Programme at Magdalen College, Oxford, graduating in 1997 with a Diploma in Diplomatics Studies.

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Crown Prince’s Proclamation: The Sultan of Brunei inserts the Keris Si Naga into his son’s waistband

On August 10, 1998, Al-Muhtadee Billah was proclaimed Crown Prince of Brunei. His father Hassanal Bolkiah, Sultan of Brunei presented his eldest son with the Keris Si Naga, a golden dagger gold in the shape of a cobra (naga) with ruby ​​eyes on the handle. It is also known as the Dragon’s Dagger and symbolizes the authority of the Sultans of Brunei. Its possession is necessary for a successor to claim the throne and for his coronation. As Crown Prince, Al-Muhtadee Billah acts as Deputy Sultan when his father is out of the country and holds several positions:

  • Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office
  • General in the Brunei Armed Forces
  • Deputy Inspector General of the Royal Brunei Police Force
  • Head of the National Disaster Management Committee

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On September 9, 2004, at the Nurul Iman Palace, the largest residential palace in the world and the largest single-family residence ever built, in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei, 30-year-old Crown Prince, Al-Muhtadee Billah married 17-year-old Dayangku Sarah binti Pengiran Salleh Ab Rahaman. Two weeks of pre-nuptial celebrations preceded the three days of ceremonies concluding with a traditional Islamic wedding ceremony. After the wedding ceremony, the newlyweds were driven through the streets of Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital of Brunei, in a golden Rolls-Royce followed by 103 limousines, with a marching band leading the procession. The price tag for the wedding festivities was five million dollars.

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Sarah’s father was descended in the male line of a Sultan of Brunei and used the title Pengiran. Sarah’s title Dayangku is used for unmarried daughters of a Pengiran and retained after marriage if the husband is a commoner. Sarah is the only daughter of Pengiran Salleh Ab Rahaman Pengiran Damit and Dayang Rinawaty Abdullah. Her father worked as a laboratory assistant and her mother, born in Switzerland as Suzanne Aeby, worked as a nurse. They met while attending school in the United Kingdom. Sarah attended St. Andrew’s School in Bandar Seri Begawan and Paduka Seri Begawan Sultan Science College, schools her husband has also attended. At the time of her marriage, Sarah was still a student at Paduka Seri Begawan Sultan Science College and she completed her studies after her marriage. After her marriage, Sarah was referred to by state media and English language publications in Brunei as the wife of the Crown Prince, but not Crown Princess. The style Pengiran Anak Isteri is given to wives of princes.

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The Duke of Gloucester was among the many guests at the wedding

Guests at the wedding included Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester representing his cousin Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, Crown Prince Naruhito of Japan, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia, Prince Bandar and Prince Saud al-Faisal of Saudi Arabia, King Hamad of Bahrain and other Malaysian sultans. The wedding was also attended by heads of state and government from Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines.

Al-Muhtadee Billah and Sarah with their two eldest children; Credit – https://www.bn.emb-japan.go.jp/itpr_en/20161024.html

Al-Muhtadee Billah and his wife Sarah have four children:

  • Prince Abdul Muntaqim (born 2007)
  • Princess Muneerah Madhul Bolkiah (born 2011)
  • Prince Muhammad Aiman (born 2015)
  • Princess Faathimah Az-Zahraa’ Raihaanul Bolkiah (born 2017)
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The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, now King and Queen of the United Kingdom, are accompanied by the Crown Prince of Brunei and his wife Sarah upon arriving in Brunei in 2017

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. 2020. Al-Muhtadee Billah. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Muhtadee_Billah> [Accessed 13 August 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Sarah, Crown Princess Of Brunei. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah,_Crown_Princess_of_Brunei> [Accessed 13 August 2020].
  • Mehl, Scott, 2014. Hassanal Bolkiah, Sultan And Yang Di-Pertuan Of Brunei. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/hassanal-bolkiah-sultan-and-yang-di-pertuan-of-brunei/> [Accessed 13 August 2020].
  • Ms.wikipedia.org. 2020. Pengiran Muda Mahkota Al-Muhtadee Billah. [online] Available at: <https://ms.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pengiran_Muda_Mahkota_Al-Muhtadee_Billah> [Accessed 13 August 2020].
  • The Independent. 2004. The $5M Royal Wedding. [online] Available at: <https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/the-5m-royal-wedding-5351560.html> [Accessed 13 August 2020].

Omar Ali Saifuddien III, Sultan of Brunei

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Omar Ali Saifuddien III, Sultan of Brunei; Credit – Wikipedia

Omar Ali Saifuddien III, Sultan of Brunei was born at the Istana Kota in Kampong Sultan Lama, Brunei Town (now Bandar Seri Begawan), Brunei on September 23, 1914, one of the ten children of Muhammad Jamalul Alam II, Sultan of Brunei and his two wives, Fatimah binti Pengiran Tua Omar Ali (died 1947) and Tengah (died 1924). For some of Omar’s siblings, it is unclear which wife is their mother, and when they were born and died. It is thought that Omar’s mother was Fatimah.

Omar’s five brothers:

  • Bongsu (1908 – 1910)
  • Ahmad Tajuddin, Sultan of Brunei, son of Fatimah (1913 – 1950)
  • Anum, son of Tengah (? – 1924)
  • Gambar, son of Tengah (? – 1924)
  • Bagol (? – 1945) died during the Japanese occupation of Brunei

Omar’s four sisters:

  • Besar, daughter of Fatimah (1902 – 1993)
  • Tengah (1910 – 1969)
  • Damit (1911 – ?)
  • Tinggal

Omar’s father Muhammad Jamalul Alam II, Sultan of Brunei died on September 11, 1924, at the age of 35 during a malaria outbreak along with his wife Tengah and two of his sons. Omar’s surviving elder brother eleven-year-old Ahmad Tajuddin became the Sultan of Brunei. Brunei was part of the British protectorate North Borneo and Sir Roland Evelyn Turnbull, a British colonial official and Governor of British North Borneo, was a mentor to Omar while he was growing up. Omar came to regard Sir Roland as a replacement for his father who had died when Omar was ten-years-old. It was Sir Roland who suggested that Omar enroll at the Malay College Kuala Kangsar in Perak, British Malaya (now in Malaysia) which Omar attended from 1932 – 1936. Omar was the first Sultan of Brunei to attend a foreign educational institution.

After graduating from college, Omar had several jobs that gave him valuable experience. In his position in the Forestry Department in Kuala Belait, he closely worked with people in villages and remote areas and was able to better understand their problems and their needs. When he worked in the Judiciary Department, also in Kuala Belait, he was able to learn about the Criminal and Civil Procedure Code. When working as an administrator in the British Resident’s Office, he studied and perfected his English language skills. After World War II, Omar was appointed a member of the Brunei State Council and chairman of the Shariah Court which deals with Islamic religious law.

Omar married three times:

  • Amin binti Pehin Orang Kaya Pekerma, married in 1937, divorced in 1944, no children
  • Princess Damit binti Pengiran Bendahara Seri Maharaja Permaisuara (1924 – 1979), married in 1941 his second cousin, the mother of his ten children (see below)
  • Princess Salhah binti Pengiran Bendahara Seri Maharaja Permaisuara (? – 2011), married in 1980 his second cousin, the sister of his deceased second wife, no children

Sultan Omar and his wife Sultana Damit visiting a British navy ship in the 1960s; Credit – Wikipedia

Omar had four sons and six daughters with his second wife Damit:

Sons:

  • Hassanal Bolkiah, Sultan of Brunei (born 1946), married (1) married 1965 his paternal first cousin Princess Saleha binti Al-Marhum , Sultanah of Brunei (born 1946), had six children (2) married 1982 Mariam Abdul Aziz, had three children, divorced in 2003 (3) married 2005 Azrinaz Mazhar, had two children, divorced 2010
  • Prince Mohammed (born 1948), married his first cousin Princess Zariah binti Al-Marhum, had ten children
  • Prince Sufri (born 1951), married (1) Princess Salma binti Pengiran Anak Muhammad Salleh, had three children, divorced (2) Ruhaizah binti Ibrahim, had one child (3) Mazuin binti Hamzah, had two children, divorced (4) Princess Faizah binti Dato Haji Nasir, had four children, divorced
  • Prince Jefri (born 1954), married (1) Princess Norhayati binti Pengiran Jaya Negara, had three children (2) Fatimah binti Abdullah, no children (3) Ayen Munji, one child, divorced (4) Jefrida binti Mohammed, one child (4) Salma binti Abdullah, one child

Daughters:

  • Princess Masna (born 1948), married (1) Prince ‘Abdu’l Rahman, no children, divorced (2) Prince Laila Cheteria Sahib ul-Najabah, had five children
  • Princess Nor’ain (born 1950), married Pangiran Maharaja Laila Sahib ul-Kahar Pangiran Anak Haji Muhammad Yusuf, had eight children
  • Princess ‘Umi Kalthum al-Islam (born 1956), married Prince Indira Setia di-Raja Sahib ul-Karib Pangiran Anak Haji Idris, had five children
  • Princess Rakiah (born 1957), married PrincIndira Negara Pangiran Anak Tahir ud-din, had two children
  • Princess Nasibah (born 1960), married Prince Negara Indira Pangiran Dato Laila Utama Haji Kamar ul-Zaman, had two sons
    Princess Jefriah (born 1963), married Prince Muhammad Bey Muntassir, had five children
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Omar Ali Saifuddien III, Sultan of Brunei, arriving for an audience with Queen Elizabeth II in London, November 6, 1957

Omar’s brother, Ahmad Tajuddin, Sultan of Brunei died on June 3, 1950. Because his brother had no male heirs, Omar succeeded to the throne of Brunei. In 1959, a constitution went into effect that gave Brunei self-government with the power to rule the domestic affairs of the country in the hands of the Sultan of Brunei, an important step toward complete independence from the United Kingdom, which would come in 1984.

On October 4, 1967, Omar voluntarily abdicated in favor of his eldest son Hassanal Bolkiah but he still wielded most of the power in Brunei for a number of years. At the coronation of his son, Omar placed the crown upon Hassanal Bolkiah’s head. Omar became his son’s personal adviser and guided him in carrying out the duties as the Sultan in preparation for the time Brunei would eventually become an independent and sovereign country.

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Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, now King of the United Kingdom, visits Brunei to officially confer independence on the nation, speaking to Omar Ali Saifuddien III, the former Sultan of Brunei, 1984

At the stroke of midnight on December 31, 1983, Brunei became an independent country. Omar was appointed by his son Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah to be Minister of Defence in Brunei’s first cabinet and received the rank of Field Marshal in the Royal Brunei Armed Forces.

Omar Ali Saifuddien III, the former Sultan of Brunei died at the Istana Darussalam in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei on September 7, 1986, two weeks before his 72nd birthday. A state funeral was held on September 8, 1986, attended by many world leaders. His body lay in state at the Lapau, the ceremonial hall where the royal ceremonies of Brunei are traditionally held, in the capital city of Bandar Seri Begawan before being moved to nearby Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque for the funeral. His casket draped with his royal standard flag was placed on a carriage for the funeral procession around the capital city. Sultan Omar was buried in the Kubah Makam Diraja Brunei, the Royal Mausoleum in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei in the main dome alongside the three previous Sultans of Brunei: his grandfather Hashim Jalilul Alam Aqamaddin, his father Muhammad Jamalul Alam II and his eldest brother and predecessor Ahmad Tajuddin.

Tomb of Omar Ali Saifuddien III, Sultan of Brunei; Credit – www.findagrave.com

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

Works Cited

  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Omar Ali Saifuddien III. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omar_Ali_Saifuddien_III> [Accessed 10 August 2020].
  • Ms.wikipedia.org. 2020. Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien. [online] Available at: <https://ms.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sultan_Haji_Omar_%27Ali_Saifuddien_Sa%27adul_Khairi_Waddien> [Accessed 10 August 2020].
  • Royalark.net. 2020. Brunei Royal Genealogy. [online] Available at: <https://www.royalark.net/Brunei/brunei12.htm> [Accessed 10 August 2020].

Said bin Taimur, Sultan of Oman

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

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Born on August 13, 1910, in Muscat, Sultanate of Muscat and Oman, now in the Sultanate of Oman, Said bin Taimur, Sultan of Oman was the eldest child of Taimur bin Feisal, Sultan of Muscat and Oman (1886 – 1965) and the first of his six wives, Sheikha Fatima bint ‘Ali Al-Sa’id (1891 – 1967).

Said’s father Taimur was married to six women and had five sons and one daughter, therefore Said had five half-siblings:

Wife 2: Unknown woman from Yemen:

  • Prince Majid bin Taimur al-Said (1912 – ?)

Wife 3: Unknown slave from the Dhofar

  • Prince Fahr bin Taimur al-Said (1920 – 1996)

Wife 4: Kamila Khanum, later took the name Madame Kamile lgiray, divorced

Prince Tarik bin Taimur al-Said (1921 – ?)

Wife 5: Kiyoko Oyama (1916 – 1939, divorced

  • Princess Buthainah bint Taimur Al Said (1937 – ?)

Wife 6: Sayyida Nafisa Bundukji, divorced

  • Prince Shabib bin Taimur al-Said (1943 – ?)

Said was first educated at home. However, his father was strongly against his children learning the ways of the Western world and speaking English. When Said and his brother Majid were found with an English primer, a first textbook for teaching reading, their father ordered all their books to be burned. At the age of twelve, Said was sent to Ajmer, Rajputana, India to attend Mayo College, a boys-only independent boarding school. Said became proficient in both Urdu and English despite his father’s feelings about English. After Said finished his education at Mayo College, advisers suggested to his father that Said continue his education in Beirut, Lebanon. His father feared Said would be influenced by the Christian element in Lebanon. Instead, he was sent to Baghdad, Iraq to study Arabic literature and history for a year.

In 1932, Said’s father, Taimur bin Feisal, abdicated. He had little desire for life in Muscat, or anywhere else in Oman. Afterward, the former Sultan lived in exile in India where he died in Bombay in 1965. The new 21-year-old Sultan of Oman inherited a country heavily in debt to the United Kingdom and India. To break away from the United Kingdom (Oman had become a British protectorate in 1891) and maintain autonomy, Oman needed to regain economic independence. During his reign, Said maintained close oversight of Oman’s budget.

Sheikha Mazoon Said’s second wife; Credit – https://alchetron.com/Mazoon-al-Mashani

Said had two wives who were cousins, his first wife Sheikha Fatima bint Ali al-Mashani and his second wife (married 1936) Sheikha Mazoon bint Ahmed al-Mashani (1925 – 1992). Some serious issues arose during Said’s second marriage. The wedding was interrupted because the bride’s Al-Mashani tribe thought that the bride price was not high enough so they kidnapped Sheikha Mazoon and brought her into the mountains. Another tribe, the Tabook tribe, rode after the kidnappers in pursuit. They succeeded in stopping the kidnappers and forced them to return the kidnapped Sheikha Mazoon.

Sultan Said with his son, the future Sultan Qaboos; Credit – https://www.pinterest.com/pin/544794886157722438/

Said had no children with his first wife but he had one son and two daughters with his second wife:

Oil wealth would have allowed Said to modernize his country. However, his policies were extremely conservative and he opposed any modernization so Oman was isolated from the outside world. He achieved Oman’s independence from the United Kingdom in 1951.

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Sultan Said with British Lord Privy Seal Edward Heath at the Foreign Office, London, August 1961

During the 1950s, there were several confrontations between Said’s regime and religious leader Ibadi Imam Ghalib bin Ali, whose revolt in Jebel Akhdar was suppressed in 1955 with British help. In 1964, when Said’s son Qaboos returned from his educational studies in the United Kingdom at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, and a year of service in the British Army, Said placed Qaboos under house arrest. In 1965, the Dhofar Rebellion broke out resulting in an assassination attempt on Said in 1966 by Dhofari rebels. On July 23, 1970, Said was overthrown in a coup d’etat led by the supporters of his son Qaboos who became the Sultan of Qaboos.

Said bin Taimur, former Sultan of Oman lived out the rest of his life in exile in the United Kingdom. He lived the last two years at the Dorchester Hotel in London, where he died on October 19, 1972, at the age of 62. Said was originally buried at Brookwood Cemetery in Woking, Surrey, England. His remains were eventually transported back to Oman, and he was buried in the Royal Cemetery in Muscat, Oman.

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. سعيد بن تيمور. [online] Available at: <https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%B3%D8%B9%D9%8A%D8%AF_%D8%A8%D9%86_%D8%AA%D9%8A%D9%85%D9%88%D8%B1> [Accessed 12 August 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Mazoon Al-Mashani. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mazoon_al-Mashani> [Accessed 12 August 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Said Bin Taimur. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Said_bin_Taimur> [Accessed 12 August 2020].
  • Royalark.net. 2020. Oman Genealogy. [online] Available at: <https://www.royalark.net/Oman/oman9.htm> [Accessed 12 August 2020].

Crown Prince Jigme Namgyel Wangchuck, Dragon Prince of Bhutan

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Crown Prince Jigme Namgyel Wangchuck, on the left, with his family; Credit – Facebook page of King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck of Bhutan

His Royal Highness Crown Prince Jigme Namgyel Wangchuck, Druk Gyalsey (Dragon Prince) of Bhutan was born on February 5, 2016, at the Lingkana Palace in Thimphu, Bhutan. He is the elder of the two sons of King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck of Bhutan and Jetsun Pema, Queen of Bhutan. Jigme Namgyel is the heir apparent to the throne of Bhutan. Before his birth, his paternal uncle Prince Jigyel Ugyen of Bhutan was the heir presumptive.

In honor of Jigme Namgyel’s birth, all 82,000 households in Bhutan planted a tree and volunteers planted another 26,000 in various districts around the country, for a total of 108,000 trees.

Volunteers plant trees in honor of the new prince’s birth; Credit – EcoWatch

As is customary in Bhutan, the Crown Prince’s name was not announced until a special Buddhist naming ceremony was held. The naming ceremony was held on April 16, 2016, Zhabdrung Kuchoe, Bhutan’s national day of celebration, at the Punakha Dzong, a 17th-century palace housing the relics of a famous Buddhist master in Punakha, the administrative capital of the Punakha district, one of the 20 districts within Bhutan. The national day marks the anniversary of the death in 1651 of Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, the unifier of Bhutan as a nation. On this day, the people of Bhutan visit local temples and offer gifts to the gods.

The King and Queen arrive for the naming ceremony with the infant Crown Prince; Credit – His Majesty King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck Facebook Page

On the day of the ceremony, King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Queen Jetsun Pema prayed at a Buddhist monastery in Thimphu, Bhutan’s capital, before driving to Punakha.

King Jigme Khesar Namgyel giving his speech; Credit – His Majesty King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck Facebook Page

At the public ceremony, King Jigme Khesar Namgyel explained the meaning behind his son’s names in a special speech. An English translation of the speech was posted on his official Facebook page:

“Jigme means fearless. It symbolizes great courage to overcome any challenge that he may confront in the future as he serves our country.

Namgyel means victorious in all directions and victory over all obstacles. It is a name taken from the revered Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel, who enabled the Dharma to flourish in all directions as prophesied by Guru Rinpoche.

Wangchuck is the name of the royal lineage and dynasty. (Note: In Bhutan, only members of the royal family have traditional surnames.)

When the time comes for Gyalsey Jigme Namgyel Wangchuck to serve his country, he must always place the concerns of his country above all else and serve his people justly with great love and dedication. It will be his sacred responsibility to build a harmonious and just society, and thereby, fulfill all the aspirations of his people. He must live such a life as a good human being and serve his country in a manner that it will be exemplary and worthy of emulation.”

Jigme Namgyel has one younger brother and one younger sister:

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

  • DW.COM. 2016. Bhutan Names New Crown Prince Jigme Namgyal Wangchuck | DW | 16.04.2016. [online] Available at: <https://www.dw.com/en/bhutan-names-new-crown-prince-jigme-namgyal-wangchuck/a-19192920> [Accessed 7 August 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Jigme Namgyel Wangchuck. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jigme_Namgyel_Wangchuck> [Accessed 7 August 2020].
  • HELLO!. 2016. The Newborn Prince Of Bhutan Will Get His Name In April. [online] Available at: <https://www.hellomagazine.com/royalty/2016030968997/prince-of-bhutan-to-be-named-in-april/> [Accessed 7 August 2020].
  • Kuenselonline.com. 2016. His Royal Highness The Gyalsey Is Born – Kuenselonline. [online] Available at: <https://kuenselonline.com/his-royal-highness-the-gyalsey-is-born-2/> [Accessed 7 August 2020].
  • PEOPLE.com. 2016. Bhutan’s Dragon Prince Has A Name, King Jigme And Queen Jetsun Announce. [online] Available at: <https://people.com/royals/bhutans-dragon-prince-has-a-name-king-jigme-and-queen-jetsun-announce/> [Accessed 7 August 2020].

Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2020

Credit – Wikipedia

Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa was born on October 21, 1969, in Riffa, Bahrain. He is the eldest of the twelve children of King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain, who has four wives, and the eldest of the four children and the eldest of the three sons of King Hamad and his first wife and his first cousin, Sabika bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa.

Salman has two brothers and one sister:

  • Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa (born 1975), married
  • Hessa bint Salman al Khalid Al Khalifa, had two sons and two daughters
  • Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad Al Khalifa (born 1977)
  • Sheikha Najla bint Hamad Al Khalifa (born 1981)

Salman has two half-brothers from his father’s second wife Sheia bint Hassan Al Khrayyesh Al Ajmi:

  • Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa (born 1987), married Shaikha bint Mohammed bin Rashed Al Maktoum, daughter of the Emir of Dubai, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, had one daughter and three sons
  • Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa (born 1989), married (1) Princess Sahab bint Abdullah Al Saud, daughter of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, had two sons, divorced (2) Sheikha Hessa bint Mohammed bin Isa Al Khalif, had one daughter (3) Nouf Al Ajmi

Salman has one half-brother and two half-sisters from his father’s third wife Hessa bint Faisal Muhammad Shreim Al-Marri:

  • Sheikh Faisal bin Hamad Al Khalifa (1991 – 2006), unmarried, died in a car accident
  • Sheikha Noura bint Hamad Al Khalifa (born 1993)
  • Sheikha Munira bint Hamad Al Khalifa (born 1990)

Salman has one half-brother and two half-sisters from his father’s fourth wife Binh bint Jabr Al-Nuaimi:

  • Sheikh Sultan bin Hamad Al Khalifa
  • Sheikha Hessa bint Hamad Al Khalifa married Sheikh Hashim bin Muhammad bin Salman Al Khalifa, had children
  • Sheikha Rima bint Hamad Al Khalifa (born 2002)

Salman attended the Bahrain School, a United States Department of Defense school located in Juffair, Manama, Bahrain. The student body is primarily the children of the United States Navy stationed in Bahrain. However, about half of the students are children of diplomatic personnel, employees of ARAMCO ( the state-owned oil company of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabi), and wealthy Bahraini citizens. After graduating from the Bahrain School, Hamad attended American University in Washington D.C. where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science in 1992. He then attended Queens’ College, Cambridge in England, receiving a Master of Arts degree in the Philosophy of History in 1994.

Salman served as vice-chairman of the Bahrain Centre for Studies and Research from 1992–1995 and then served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees from 1995–1999. In addition, Salman served as Undersecretary of Defence at the Ministry of Defence from 1995–1999.

On March 6, 1999, Salman’s grandfather Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, Emir of Bahrain died and his father became Emir of Bahrain. Three days later, Salman was sworn in as Crown Prince of the Emirate of Bahrain. Following a national referendum, Bahrain was declared a constitutional monarchy in 2002, becoming the Kingdom of Bahrain, and Salman’s father Hamad became King of Bahrain.

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Crown Prince Salman with The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall in 2016

In his role as Crown Prince, Salman was appointed to the following positions:

  • Chairman of the Economic Development Board (appointed 2002): formulates and oversees Bahrain’s economic development strategy
  • Deputy Supreme Commander of the Bahrain Defence Force (appointed 2008)
  • First Deputy Prime Minister (appointed 2013)

Salman married Sheikha Hala bint D’aij Al Khalifa, the youngest daughter of D’aij bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, the Assistant Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Finance & National Economy. Hala was the Honorary President of the Women and Children Information Center and President of the Bahrain Society for Mental Retardation. She also began the “Be Free” campaign to protect children from abuse. On June 10, 2018, the state-run Bahrain News Agency announced Hala’s death. The press release had no details about Hala’s death but it described Hala as the “former wife” of Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa so it can be inferred that the couple had divorced.

Salman and Hala had two sons and two daughters:

  • Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa (born 1990), second in the line of succession after his father, educated at Bahrain School, graduated from American University in Washington DC, married Sheikha Jawaher Bint Abdullah Bin Isa Bin Salman Al Khalifa, has three sons
  • Mohammed bin Salman Al Khalifa (born 1991), educated at Bahrain School, graduated from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, graduated from King’s College in London, England, married, has a son and a daughter
  • Fatima Al Danah bint Salman Al Khalifa, attended Riffa Views International School in Al Mazrowiah, Bahrain
  • Al Joud bint Salman Al Khalifa

Salman attending the graduation ceremony of his daughter Sheikha Fatima Al Danah bint Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa from Riffa Views International School in 2017; Credit Website of HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa

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. سلمان بن حمد آل خليفة. [online] Available at: <https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%B3%D9%84%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86_%D8%A8%D9%86_%D8%AD%D9%85%D8%AF_%D8%A2%D9%84_%D8%AE%D9%84%D9%8A%D9%81%D8%A9> [Accessed 7 August 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Salman, Crown Prince Of Bahrain. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salman,_Crown_Prince_of_Bahrain> [Accessed 7 August 2020].
  • Office of the First Deputy Prime Minister, K., 2020. About His Royal Highness Prince Salman Bin Hamad Al Khalifa – Office Of The First Deputy Prime Minister, Kingdom Of Bahrain. [online] Fdpm.gov.bh. Available at: <https://www.fdpm.gov.bh/en/biography.html> [Accessed 7 August 2020].
  • Sheikha Hala, Wife of Bahrain’s Crown Prince, Dies. [online] @businessline. Available at: <https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/world/sheikha-hala-wife-of-bahrains-crown-prince-dies/article24127495.ece> [Accessed 7 August 2020].

Sheikh Isa bin Salman al-Khalifa, Emir of Bahrain

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

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Sheikh Isa bin Salman al-Khalifa, Emir of Bahrain was born on June 3, 1933, in the village of Al Jasra in Bahrain. He was the son of Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa, Hakim of Bahrain and Mouza bint Hamad al-Khalifa, one of his father’s three wives.

Isa had one full brother and one half-brother and six half-sisters.

Isa’s full brother:

Isa’s half-brother from his father’s wife Latifa bint Ibrahim al-Khalifa:

Isa’s six half-sisters:

  • Thajba bint Salman al-Khalifa
  • Fatima bint Salman Al Khalifa
  • Maryam bint Salman al-Khalifa
  • Aisha bint Salman al-Khalifa
  • Sheikha bint Salman al-Khalifa
  • Nura bint Salman al-Khalifa

On May 8, 1949, Isa married his cousin Hessa bint Salman al-Khalifa (1933 – 2009) and the couple had five sons and four daughters:

  • Sheikh Hamad bin Isa bin Salman al-Khalifa, King of Bahrain (born 1950), Wife 1 Sabika bint Ibrahim al-Khalifa, had three sons and one daughter; Wife 2 Sheia bint Hassan al-Khrayyesh Al Ajmi, had two sons; Wife 3 Hessa bint Faisal Muhammad Shreim al-Marri, had one son and two daughters; Wife 4 Binh bint Jabr al-Nuaimi, had one son and two daughters
  • Sheikh Rashed bin Isa bin Salman al-Khalifa (? – 2011), married ?, had seven sons
  • Sheikh Mohamed bin Isa bin Salman al-Khalifa, married Sheika Kholoud al-Khalifa, had two sons and one daughter
  • Sheikh Abdullah bin Isa bin Salman al-Khalifa, married Sheikha Haya bint Muhammad al-Khalifa, had three sons and one daughter
  • Sheikh Ali bin Isa bin Salman al-Khalifa (born 1955), married Sheikha Anoud bint Muhammad al-Khalifa, had three sons and one daughter
  • Sheikha Munira bint Isa al-Khalifa, married Sheikh Salman bin Muhammad al-Khalifa, had five sons and one daughter
  • Sheikha Maryam bint Isa al-Khalifa, married Sheikh Ali bin ‘Abdullah al-Khalifa, had two sons and three daughters
  • Sheikha Shaikha bint Isa al-Khalifa married Sheikh Duaij bin Hamad al-Khalifa had two sons and three daughters
  • Sheikha Noura bint Isa al-Khalifa (? – 2018), married and divorced Sheikh Isa bin Ali bin Hamad al-Khalifa, had two sons
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Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, Emir of Bahrain and his son and heir Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa at the Mons Officer Cadet School in Aldershot, the UK in 1968, after the Commissioning Parade, where the Hamid  was commissioned into the Bahrain Royal Guard

The Kingdom of Bahrain is an island country in the Persian Gulf, situated between the Qatar peninsula and the northeastern coast of Saudi Arabia. In the 1800s, Bahrain became a protectorate of the United Kingdom and remained so until independence was declared in 1971. The House of Khalifa has reigned in Bahrain since 1783.

Isa became Hakim of Bahrain upon the death of his father on November 2, 1961. On August 15, 1971, Bahrain declared its independence from the United Kingdom and signed a new treaty of friendship with the United Kingdom. Isa changed the title of the ruler of Bahrain to the Emir of Bahrain and appointed his brother Khalifa bin Salman al-Khalifa as the first Prime Minister of the newly sovereign country, the Emirate of Bahrain.

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Queen Elizabeth ll and Prince Philip with Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, Emir of Bahrain, following dinner at the Al-Qudaibiya Palace in Manama, Bahrain in 1979

In 1973, Isa introduced a moderate form of parliamentary democracy, and men (but not women) were allowed to vote in parliamentary elections. However, parliamentary democracy was short-lived. In August 1975, however, Isa dissolved Parliament because it refused to pass the State Security Law of 1974 which caused a period of political suppression with the torture of political prisoners and human rights violations. In 2001, Isa’s son Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa, who had succeeded him as Emir of Bahrain in 1999, abolished the State Security Law, declared Bahrain a constitutional monarchy following a national referendum, and changed the title of the ruler of Bahrain to King of Bahrain.

Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, Emir of Bahrain, during a visit to the Pentagon in 1998; Credit – Wikipedia

On March 6, 1999, at the Al-Sakhir Palace in Sakhir, Bahrain, 65-year-old Isa bin Salman al-Khalifa, Emir of Bahrain died of a heart attack just minutes after concluding a meeting with the United States Secretary of Defense William Cohen. Isa had suffered heart problems in the past. In 1998, he visited Cleveland, Ohio to undergo heart treatment.

Isa bin Salman al-Khalifa, Emir of Bahrain was buried at the Al-Rifa’a Cemetery with crowds of people showering the 12-mile funeral route with flowers in a traditional display of mourning. Isa’s son and successor Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa, now Emir of Bahrain, and Isa’s brother Prime Minister Khalifa bin Salman al-Khalifa, attended the funeral which was held within hours of Isa’s death following the Islamic custom of quick burial. Many of the 10,000 mourners at the royal cemetery pushed forward to help members of the royal family carry the wooden bier on which Isa’s cloth-wrapped body was carried from an ambulance to his grave.

Although he had dissolved Parliament in 1975 and took on absolute power, during Isa’s 38 years as Emir, Bahrain was transformed into a modern nation and became an important financial center in the Persian Gulf area. President Bill Clinton called him “a good friend of peace” and United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan described him as “a force for stability” in the region.

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. عيسى بن سلمان آل خليفة. [online] Available at: <https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%B9%D9%8A%D8%B3%D9%89_%D8%A8%D9%86_%D8%B3%D9%84%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86_%D8%A2%D9%84_%D8%AE%D9%84%D9%8A%D9%81%D8%A9> [Accessed 3 August 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Isa Bin Salman Al Khalifa. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isa_bin_Salman_Al_Khalifa> [Accessed 3 August 2020].
  • Nytimes.com. 2020. Bahrain Emir Dies In Palace After Meeting On U.S. Arms. [online] Available at: <https://www.nytimes.com/1999/03/07/world/bahrain-emir-dies-in-palace-after-meeting-on-us-arms.html?ref=oembed> [Accessed 3 August 2020].
  • Royalark.net. 2020. Bahrain Royal Genealogy. [online] Available at: <https://www.royalark.net/Bahrain/bahrain10.htm> [Accessed 3 August 2020].
  • Tulsa World. 1999. Bahrain’s Emir Dies Suddenly. [online] Available at: <https://tulsaworld.com/archive/bahrains-emir-dies-suddenly/article_72c18e9d-2f63-5b15-a2a5-31a932fb68a7.html> [Accessed 3 August 2020].

Why did former King Juan Carlos leave Spain?

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2020

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In March 2020, Swiss authorities began investigating former King Juan Carlos of Spain, who abdicated in favor of his son King Felipe VI in 2014,  concerning a $100 million donation given to the former king’s alleged mistress Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn in 2012. This donation was linked to alleged kick-back fees from Saudi Arabia for Juan Carlos’ role as a facilitator in the construction of a high-speed rail connecting Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia.

On March 15, 2020, King Felipe VI announced that he would renounce any future inheritance from his father that was connected with his foreign bank accounts. He also stripped Juan Carlos of his annual stipend.

In June 2020, Spain’s prosecutor general decided that prosecutors from the Supreme Court of Spain should investigate Juan Carlos’ role in the Saudi Arabia case to determine whether there is sufficient evidence that Juan Carlos committed a crime after his abdication. As King of Spain, Juan Carlos was immune from prosecution via crown immunity from 1975 to 2014.

On August 3, 2020, Juan Carlos I informed his son, King Felipe VI, via a letter, of his decision to leave Spain because of increased media press concerning his business dealings in Saudi Arabia. By the time the letter had been made public, Juan Carlos had already left Spain. Juan Carlos’ location is unclear but the Dominican Republic, Portugal, France, and Italy have been suggested. Juan Carlos said he would be available if prosecutors needed to interview him.

Queen Sofia will remain in Spain, staying at her home, Zarzuela Palace in Madrid, and continuing with her activities.

On August 3, 2020, the following letter was sent to King Felipe VI from his father, Juan Carlos, the former King of Spain:

Your Majesty, Dear Felipe, with the same zeal to serve Spain that inspired my reign and faced with the public impact that certain past actions of my private life are causing, I wish to show you my absolute willingness to contribute to helping the exercise of your functions with the peace and tranquility required of your high level of responsibility. My legacy, and my own dignity as a person, demands it.

A year ago, I told you of my willingness and desire to stand down from my institutional activities. Now, guided by the conviction to provide the best service to Spaniards, its institutions, and to you as King, I am informing you of my well-considered decision to move away from Spain.

It is a decision I take, with deep feeling but great calm. I was king of Spain for 40 years and during all those years I have always wanted the best for Spain and the Crown.

With my loyalty always.

With great affection, your father.

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

Wedding of Princess Beatrice of York and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Photo Credit – https://www.instagram.com/p/CC05fTMH_HJ/ Photograph by Benjamin Wheeler

On Friday, July 17, 2020, at 11:00 AM, Princess Beatrice of York married Mr. Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in a small private ceremony held at the Royal Chapel of All Saints Chapel, located on the grounds of Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park in Windsor, England.

Princess Beatrice of York

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Princess Beatrice of York was born on August 8, 1988, at 8:18 pm at Portland Hospital in London, England. She is the elder of the two daughters of Prince Andrew, Duke of York and his former wife née Sarah Ferguson, known as Sarah, Duchess of York after her divorce. Princess Beatrice has a younger sister, Princess Eugenie, born in 1990.

Princess Beatrice started her schooling in 1991 at Upton House School in Windsor, Berkshire, England. In 1995, Beatrice began attending Coworth Park School in Windlesham, Surrey, England which merged in 2004 with Flexlands School to become Coworth Flexlands School. From 2000-2007, Beatrice attended St. George’s School in Ascot, Berkshire, England. She completed A-Levels in Drama, History, and Film Studies and in her final year was Head Girl. In September 2008, Beatrice started a three-year course studying for a Bachelors’s degree in History and History of Ideas at Goldsmiths College, University of London, England graduating in 2011.

On her 18th birthday, Beatrice said she wanted to use her position to assist others through charity work.  She has been active in a number of charities including Children in Crisis, a charity founded by her mother, Sarah, Duchess of York, whose goal is to help educate children and women in some of the poorest countries, and The Big Change Charitable Trust, a charity Beatrice founded with six friends that identifies and supports projects that improve the lives of young people. At the time of her wedding, Beatrice was working for Afiniti, an artificial intelligence software firm, as vice president of partnerships and strategy.

Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi

 

Born on November 19, 1983, in Westminster, London, England, Edoardo (Edo) Mapelli Mozzi is the younger of the two children of Count Alessandro (Alex) Mapelli Mozzi and his first wife Nicola (Nikki) Burrows. Eduardo has a sister Natalia Alice Yeomans (born 1981) and a half-brother Alby Shale (born 1991) from his mother’s second marriage to Christopher Shale, British businessman and Conservative politician, who died in 2011. Edoardo’s father made a second marriage to Ebba Eckermann and his mother made a third marriage to sculptor David Williams-Ellis.

Edoardo’s father is a member of an Italian noble family, whose family seat is the Villa Mapelli Mozzi located in Ponte San Pietro, Bergamo, Italy. Count Alessandro Mapelli Mozzi’s title, which he uses as a courtesy, is not officially recognized in either Italy or the United Kingdom. He holds both Italian and British citizenship and competed in the 1972 Winter Olympics in three alpine skiing events as a member of the British Olympic team.

Edoardo attended Radley College, a boys’ independent boarding school near Radley, Oxfordshire, England, which was founded in 1847. He received a master’s degree in politics at the University of Edinburgh in Edinburg, Scotland.

When he was 23-years-old, Edoardo founded Banda Property, a property development and interior design company that focuses on designing homes for affluent clients in undervalued parts of London. He is also a co-founder of the British-Rwandan charity Cricket Builds Hope whose goal is to use cricket as a tool for positive social change in Rwanda.

The Engagement

Engagement Photo of Princess Beatrice of York and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi; Photo Credit – https://twitter.com/RoyalFamily © Princess Eugenie

The families of Beatrice and Edoardo had been close friends for decades. In 2018, the couple started dating. Beatrice and Edoardo attended their first royal family event together, the wedding of Beatrice’s second cousin once removed, Lady Gabriella Windsor, in May 2019.

Beatrice and Edoardo became engaged in Italy in September 2019, and on September 26, 2019, Buckingham Palace formally announced their engagement.  Edoardo helped design the engagement ring with British jeweler Shaun Leane. The setting is platinum with the main diamond of 2.5 karats and .75 karat baguette diamonds on the side.

Wedding Guests

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

A press release stated:  “The small ceremony was attended by the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh and close family. The wedding took place in accordance with all relevant government guidelines.” When the COVID lockdown began on March 23, 2020, weddings in England were banned under almost all circumstances. After July 4, 2020, weddings with up to 30 attendees were allowed to take place. It is known that there were approximately twenty guests including the bride and groom’s parents and siblings, and the bride’s paternal grandparents Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

Wedding Attendants

The bride’s sister Princess Eugenie, Mrs. Jack Brooksbank was the matron of honor. The groom’s four-year-old son from his relationship with American architect Dara Huang,  Christopher Woolf Mapelli Mozzi, known as Wolfie, served as both the best man and a pageboy. The groom’s niece and nephew, five-year-old Coco Yeomans and three-year-old Freddie Yeomans, the children of his sister Natalia Yeomans, served as bridesmaid and pageboy.

The Wedding Attire

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

Princess Beatrice wore a vintage peau de soie taffeta dress, in shades of ivory and trimmed with duchess satin and encrusted with diamante, originally designed by Norman Hartnell, on loan from her grandmother Queen Elizabeth II. The dress was a modified version of the dress Queen Elizabeth II wore to the world premiere of the film Lawrence Of Arabia at the Odeon Cinema Leicester Square, London in December 1962. Beatrice’s wedding dress was remodeled and fitted by the Queen’s senior dresser Angela Kelly and designer Stewart Parvin. 

 

Princess Beatrice’s floor-length veil was attached by the Queen Mary diamond fringe tiara loaned to her by her grandmother Queen Elizabeth II. It is the same tiara Beatrice’s grandmother wore on her wedding day in 1947. The tiara was made in 1919 for Queen Mary, Beatrice’s great-great-grandmother, from diamonds taken from a necklace given to Mary by Queen Victoria as a wedding present in 1893. Princess Anne, the only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II, also wore the tiara for her marriage to Captain Mark Phillips in 1973. So it was fitting that Princess Beatrice as Queen Elizabeth II’s eldest royal granddaughter wore the same tiara on her wedding day.

Queen Mary’s Diamond Fringe Tiara; Photo Credit – https://www.tiara-mania.com/2011/11/fringe-tiara.html

The bouquet consisted of trailing jasmine, pale pink and cream sweet peas, royal porcelain ivory spray roses, pink O’Hara garden roses, pink waxflower, baby pink astilbe and, in keeping with royal tradition, sprigs of myrtle. After the wedding, the bouquet was placed on the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior in Westminster Abbey. This has been a tradition for British royal brides since 1923 when Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, the wife of King George VI and Beatrice’s great-grandmother, placed her bouquet of white roses on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, whose remains had been brought from France and buried in the Westminster Abbey floor three years earlier. No doubt Lady Elizabeth was thinking of her brother Fergus Bowes-Lyon and all the other British soldiers who had died in World War I.

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The Ceremony

Royal Chapel of All Saints, the site of the wedding; Credit – By Wilfridselsey – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=56272459

The wedding was scheduled to take place on May 29, 2020, at the Chapel Royal at St James’s Palace in London, England, followed by a private reception in the gardens of Buckingham Palace. However, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the wedding was postponed.

The wedding was held on July 17, 2020, in private at the Royal Chapel of All Saints on the grounds of Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park in Windsor, England. The new date had not been announced in advance and Buckingham Palace said the ceremony was small and confirmed that Prince Andrew, Duke of York, the bride’s father, walked her down the aisle.

The ceremony was officiated by The Reverend Canon Paul Wright, Sub-Dean of the Chapel Royal and The Reverend Canon Martin Poll, Domestic Chaplain to Her Majesty. In line with British government guidelines for COVID-19, all social distancing measures were followed.

The service included two of the couple’s favorite poems, read by their mothers: Sonnet 116 – Let me not to the marriage of true minds admit impediments by William Shakespeare and  I carry you in my heart by E.E. Cummings; and a biblical reading: St. Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians Chapter 13, verses 1-13 – If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.

Prayers were said but in accordance with British government guidelines for COVID-19, no hymns were sung, but a selection of music was played. The National Anthem was played but not sung.

The Wedding Reception

A small party was held afterward at Royal Lodge, the Windsor home of The Duke of York and his former wife Sarah, Duchess of York, featuring specialty cocktails, made-to-order catering, an exquisitely decorated Indian-style tent, and a bouncy castle. Many of the twenty guests stayed overnight in glamping pods.

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

  • Andrews, E., 2020. Beatrice Poses With New Husband Edoardo And Grandparents After Wedding. [online] Mail Online. Available at: <https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8537155/Beatrice-poses-new-husband-Edoardo-grandparents-socially-distanced-wedding.html> [Accessed 23 July 2020].
  • BBC News. 2020. Princess Beatrice’s Wedding Photos Released. [online] Available at: <https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-53457958> [Accessed 23 July 2020]
  • Film, T., Edition, U., McKnight, J., Film, T., Edition, U. and NEWSLETTER, H., 2020. Everything You Need To Know About Princess Beatrice’s Wedding: From Her Dress To The Ceremony. [online] HELLO!. Available at: <https://www.hellomagazine.com/brides/2020071893730/princess-beatrice-wedding-details-everything-you-need-to-know/> [Accessed 23 July 2020].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2020. Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, Husband Of Princess Beatrice Of York. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/edoardo-mapelli-mozzi-fiance-of-princess-beatrice-of-york/> [Accessed 23 July 2020].
  • Unofficial Royalty. 2014. Princess Beatrice, Mrs. Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi. [online] Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/princess-beatrice-of-york/> [Accessed 23 July 2020].

Johann Friedrich Struensee, Favorite of King Christian VII of Denmark and Norway and Lover of his wife Queen Caroline Matilda

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Johann Friedrich Struensee, Credit – Wikipedia

The scandalous story of King Christian VII of Denmark, his wife Queen Caroline Matilda, and Johann Friedrich Struensee has been told in several novels including Norah Loft’s The Lost Queen (1969) and Per Olov Enquist’s The Visit of the Royal Physician (1999) and also in the Danish film A Royal Affair (2012) which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and starred Academy Award-winning supporting actress (for The Danish Girl) Alicia Vikander as Queen Caroline Matilda.

Johann Friedrich Struensee was born on August 5, 1737, in Halle, Kingdom of Prussia, now in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. He was the third of the seven children and the second of the four sons of Adam Struensee (link in German) and Maria Dorothea Carl.

Struensee had six siblings:

  • Sophie Elisabeth Struensee (1733 – 1768), married her cousin, Samuel Struensee
  • Carl August Struensee (link in German) (1735 – 1804), Prussian Minister of Finance, married Karoline Elisabeth Müller, had three daughters
  • Samuel Adam Struensee (born 1739), died young
  • Maria Dorothea Struensee (1744 – 1820), married Wilhelm Alexander Schwollmann
  • Johanna Henrietta Struensee (born 1745), died young
  • Gotthilf Christoph Struensee (link in German) (1746 – 1829), married unknown wife

Struensee’s mother Maria Dorothea Carl was the daughter of Johann Samuel Carl, (link in German) the personal physician of Ludwig Ferdinand, Count of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg. In 1736, Carl became the personal physician of King Christian VI of Denmark and Norway and also served as personal physician to Christian VI’s son and successor King Frederik V of Denmark and Norway. Struensee’s father Adam Struensee was a Lutheran minister who adhered to Pietism, a movement that originated in the Lutheran Church in the 17th century in Germany that stressed personal piety over religious formality and orthodoxy. Adam Struensee was a pastor in Halle and a professor of theology at the University of Halle. In 1758, he accepted the position as pastor of Trinity Church in Altona, now in Germany, but then under the administration of the Danish monarchy. In 1760, Adam Struensee became superintendent-general (similar to a bishop) of the Duchy of Schleswig-Holstein, then part of Denmark.

In 1752, at the age of fifteen, Johann Friedrich Struensee entered the University of Halle and graduated as a Doctor in Medicine on December 12, 1757. He moved with his parents to Altona in 1758 and took a low-paying position as a public physician. In Altona, Struensee fought the spread of epidemics by improving hygiene and introducing the smallpox vaccination. In 1760, he was appointed physician of the County of Rantzau, and in that position, he also treated bourgeois and noble patients. Struensee began to publish articles in medical journals. In his articles, he wrote about the links between lack of education, poor hygiene, and diseases in poor neighborhoods and recommended reforms. He believed that the government had a duty to ensure the health and education of its citizens. Struensee also believed that this care should apply to unmarried mothers and the mentally ill. Over time, Struensee earned a good reputation with the Schleswig-Holstein nobility. In 1768, because he was known for a new kind of therapy for mental illness, Struensee was called to treat 18-year-old King Christian VII of Denmark and Norway while he was staying in Altona.

King Christian VII of Denmark and Norway; Credit – Wikipedia

When King Christian VII was not quite two years old, his mother, Queen Louisa, daughter of King George II of Great Britain, died at age 27 due to complications from a miscarriage. The next year, his father, King Frederik V of Denmark and Norway, made a second marriage to Juliana Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. By all reports, Christian seemed to be an intelligent child and was taught in Danish, German, and French. However, he had a nervous disposition and was poorly educated and terrorized by a brutal governor, Christian Ditlev Reventlow, Count of Reventlow.

Queen Caroline Matilda; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1766, Christian VII succeeded to the Danish and Norwegian thrones after the early death of his father at age 42. Since there was a connection between the British and Danish royal families and both families were Protestant, it was natural that a British bride should be sought for Christian. The choice fell upon fifteen-year-old Princess Caroline Matilda, his first cousin, the daughter of Christian’s deceased maternal uncle, Frederick, Prince of Wales. On October 1, 1766, a proxy marriage was held at St. James’s Palace in London, with Caroline Matilda’s brother, King George III, standing in for King Christian VII. Caroline Matilda arrived in Copenhagen on November 8, 1766, and married Christian in person later that day in the Christiansborg Palace Chapel in Copenhagen, Denmark.

A copperplate engraving depicting the first dance of King Christian VII and Queen Caroline Mathilde of Denmark at their wedding at Christiansborg Palace; Credit – Wikipedia

It was soon clear that Christian VII was not quite normal. It is unknown if Christian’s mental illness was caused by the brutal treatment of the Count of Reventlow, possibly porphyria inherited from his Hanover mother, or schizophrenia. Christian’s behavior wandered into excesses, especially sexual promiscuity. He publicly declared that he could not love Caroline Matilda because it was “unfashionable to love one’s wife”. His symptoms included paranoia, self-mutilation, and hallucinations. Christian wandered the streets of Copenhagen, visiting the city’s taverns and brothels with his favorite Count Frederik Vilhelm Conrad Holck. It was becoming clearer and clearer that Christian could not fulfill his role as king.

In May 1768, Christian VII took a long tour of Europe, including stays in Altona, Paris, and London. The trip had been arranged because it was believed that new environments could change Christian’s behavior. It was on this journey that he became acquainted with Johann Friedrich Struensee. Struensee was the first person who understood that Christian was seriously ill. When Christian came home from the trip, Struensee accompanied him and was employed as Christian’s personal physician. Struensee could handle Christian’s instability, which was a great relief to the king’s advisers, and Christian developed confidence in him.

Princess Louise Auguste of Denmark, probably the child of Queen Caroline Matilda and Johann Friedrich Stuensee; Credit – Wikipedia

Because of Christian VII’s confidence in him, Struensee gained political power. In 1770, Struensee became Master of Requests and Minister of the Royal Cabinet. Within a short time, Struensee tried to reform the Danish state in the spirit of the Enlightenment. He also became the lover of the ill-treated Caroline Matilda, whose marriage was less than satisfactory. In 1771, when Caroline Matilda gave birth to her daughter Louise Auguste, no one doubted that Struensee was the father of the princess, who was given the unflattering nickname la petite Struensee, although Christian VII officially acknowledged her as his daughter. Eventually, Queen Dowager Juliana Maria maneuvered a coup that would bring about the fall of Struensee and discredit Caroline Matilda.

Contemporary woodcarving of the arrest of Struensee; Credit – Wikipedia

Early on the morning of January 17, 1772, following a ball at the court theater at Christiansborg Palace, Christian VII was awakened and forced to sign orders for the arrest of Struensee, his friend Count Enevold Brandt, and Caroline Matilda. Caroline Matilda was immediately taken to Kronberg Castle in Helsingør, Denmark, immortalized as Elsinore in William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, to await her fate. She was allowed to keep her daughter with her, but the four-year-old Crown Prince Frederik stayed with his father. Upon hearing of Caroline Matilda’s arrest, Struensee confessed to his relationship with her, and eventually, Caroline Matilda also confessed. 34-year-old Struensee and his friend Brandt were condemned to death and both suffered a brutal execution on April 28, 1772. In the presence of thousands of people, their right hands were severed first, then their bodies were broken on the wheel, and finally, they were beheaded. Struensee’s parents were both still alive when he was executed.

Johann Friedrich Struensee and his friend Count Enevold Brandt are beheaded; Credit – Wikipedia

The bodies of Stuensee and Brandt were put on public display at the execution site for two years until only their bones were left. Exactly what happened to their remains is unknown. By tradition, it is said that Struensee and Brandt’s remains were buried at the Vestre Cemetery in Copenhagen and that in the 1920s, their coffins were placed in the burial chapel under the German-speaking St. Peter’s Church in Copenhagen However, according to St. Peter’s Church, Struensee and Brandt are not in the burial chapel, but are buried in the churchyard. There has never been an investigation to determine if Struensee and Brandt are buried at St. Peter’s Church.

Queen Caroline Matilda was also punished. Her marriage was dissolved on April 6, 1772. She lost her title of Queen and was forcibly separated from her children, whom she never saw again. Caroline Matilda was not quite 20 years old. Originally, it was decided that Caroline Matilda was to be held in custody for life at Aalborghus Castle in Aalborg, Denmark, but her brother King George III intervened. King George III sent Sir Robert Murray Keith, a British diplomat, to negotiate her release from Danish imprisonment. On May 28, 1772, Caroline Matilda was sent to Celle in her brother’s Kingdom of Hanover and lived the rest of her life at Celle Castle. Her imprisonment was not to last long. Caroline Matilda died of “a putrid fever and sore throat,” probably scarlet fever, on May 10, 1775, at the age of 23. She was buried at the Stadtkirche St. Marien (link in German) in Celle next to her great-grandmother Sophia Dorothea of Celle, Electoral Princess of Hanover, wife of the future King George I of Great Britain, who suffered a similar fate.

After the fall of Struensee, Christian VII’s stepmother, Dowager Queen Juliana Marie, and her son, Christian’s half-brother, Hereditary Prince Frederik, reinstated the Council of State. Christian was only nominally king from 1772 onward. Between 1772 and 1784, Denmark was ruled by Queen Dowager Juliana Marie, Hereditary Prince Frederik, and Cabinet Secretary Ove Høegh-Guldberg. From 1784, Christian’s son, the future King Frederik VI, ruled permanently as a prince regent.

The former King Christian VII lived in isolation with a caretaker. When he was behaving too violently, he was locked up in his room or tied to his chair. His only involvement with the government was when he had to sign “Christian Rex” on formal papers. On March 13, 1808, in Rendsburg, Schleswig (then in Denmark, now in Germany), King Christian VII died from a stroke at the age 59. He was buried in Frederik V’s Chapel at Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde, Denmark.

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Works Cited

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