Category Archives: Former Monarchies

Albrecht, Duke of Bavaria

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Albrecht, Duke of Bavaria was Head of the House of Wittelsbach and pretender to the former Bavarian throne from 1955 until his death in 1996. He was the eldest surviving grandson of the last reigning King of Bavaria, Ludwig III, and also the heir to the Jacobite succession.

Unofficial Royalty: The Jacobite Succession – Pretenders to the British Throne

Prince Albrecht Luitpold Ferdinand Michael of Bavaria was born in Munich on May 3, 1905, the son of Crown Prince Rupprecht of Bavaria and Duchess Marie Gabriele in Bavaria. He had three siblings, all of whom died young:

Luitpold, Hereditary Prince of Bavaria (1901) – died in his youth
Princess Irmingard (1902) – died in infancy
Prince Rudolf (1909) – died in childhood

Albrecht also had six half-siblings from his father’s second marriage to Princess Antonia of Luxembourg:

Prince Heinrich (1922) – married Anne Marie de Lustrac, no issue
Princess Irmingard (1923) – married Prince Ludwig of Bavaria, had issue
Princess Editha (1924) – married (1) Tito Tmmaso Brunetti, had issue; (2) Gustav Schimert, had issue
Princess Hilda (1926) – married Juan Lockett de Loayza, had issue
Princess Gabriele (1927) – married Karl, Duke of Croy, had issue
Princess Sophie (1935) – married Jean-Engelbert, Duke of Arenberg, had issue

Albrecht (left) with his father and elder brother Luitpold. photo: Wikipedia

Upon the death of his elder brother in 1914, Albrecht became Hereditary Prince of Bavaria, second in line to the Bavarian throne. However, four years later, in November 1918, the monarchy was abolished. After leaving Bavaria for a short time, he returned to Munich and began studying Forestry but was unable to complete his studies due to the rising Nazi regime.

On September 3, 1930 in Berchtesgaden, Albrecht married Countess Maria Drawkovich of Trakostjan, the daughter of Count Dionys Draskovich von Trakostjan and Princess Juliana Rose von Tentenuovo. At the time of their marriage, a family council deemed the marriage unequal, thus initially excluding Albrecht and his children from the line of succession. However, in 1948, it was ruled that the Head of the House (Albrecht’s father at the time) had the sole authority to determine the validity of the union, and their marriage was recognized as dynastic in May 1949. This reinstated Albrecht and his descendants as heirs to the former Bavarian throne.

Albrecht and his wife had four children:

Princess Marie Gabrielle (1931) – married Georg, Prince von Waldburg zu Zeil und Trauchburg, had issue
Princess Marie Charlotte (1931) – married Paul, Prince von Quadt zu Wykradt und Isny, had issue
Franz, Duke of Bavaria (1933) – unmarried
Prince Max, Duke in Bavaria (1937) – married Countess Elisabeth Douglas, had issue, including Sophie, Hereditary Princess of Liechtenstein

After several years living in Bad Kreuth in upper Bavaria, Albrecht and his family left the country in 1937, settling briefly in Croatia and then in Hungary by 1940. In October 1944 following the German invasion, the family was arrested and imprisoned in several concentration camps before finally being freed by American forces in April 1945.

Upon his father’s death in August 1955, Albrecht became Head of the House of Wittelsbach and pretender to the former Bavarian throne. It was at that time that he took on the style ‘Duke in Bavaria’. In addition, he became the recognized heir to the Jacobite succession.

Several years later, in 1959, Albrecht orchestrated an official ceremony at which the Greek Crown Jewels were returned to the Greek king. The jewels were originally made for Prince Otto of Bavaria, who had been elected as Greece’s first modern-day King in 1832, but was formally deposed in 1862, and had taken the jewels with him upon returning to Bavaria. Otto was then succeeded by Prince Vilhelm of Denmark who became King George I of the Hellenes. It was King George’s grandson, King Paul of the Hellenes, who accepted the jewels at the ceremony.

Following the death of his first wife in 1969, Albrecht remarried two years later, on April 21, 1971 in Weichselboden, Austria. His second wife was Countess Marie-Jenke Keglevich of Buzin, the daughter of Count Stephan Keglevich de Buzin and Countess Klára Zichy of Zich and Vásonkeö. They had no children.

Having returned to the study of forestry, Albrecht also developed a passion for hunting. He amassed a large collection of antlers, many of which became part of the Deer Museum at Berchtesgaden Castle. In addition, he and his second wife published two books of their research about deer, for which they received honorary doctorates from the University of Munich.

Berg Castle. photo: By 2micha – Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8311566

Albrecht, Duke of Bavaria died on July 8, 1996, at Berg Castle in Starnberg. Germany. Following a funeral at the Theatinerkirche in Munich, he was buried in the Wittelsbach cemetery at Andechs Abbey in Starnberg along with both of his wives.

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Bavarian Resources at Unofficial Royalty

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Maria Isabella of Spain, Queen of the Two Sicilies

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies was located in today’s southern Italy. It included the island of Sicily and all of the Italian peninsula south of the Papal States. Ferdinando I, the first King of the Two Sicilies, had previously reigned over two kingdoms, as Ferdinando IV of the Kingdom of Naples and Ferdinando III of the Kingdom of Sicily. He had been deposed twice from the throne of Naples: once by the revolutionary Parthenopean Republic for six months in 1799 and again by Napoleon in 1805, before being restored in 1816 after the defeat of Napoleon. After the 1816 restoration, the two kingdoms were united into the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.

Vittorio Emanuele II, King of Sardinia became a driving force behind the Italian unification movement along with Giuseppe Garibaldi, a general and nationalist, and Giuseppe Mazzini, a politician and journalist. Garibaldi conquered Naples and Sicily, the territories of the Kingdom of Two Sicilies. Francesco II, King of the Two Sicilies was deposed, the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies ceased to exist, and its territory was incorporated into the Kingdom of Sardinia. Eventually, the Sardinian troops occupied the central territories of the Italian peninsula, except Rome and part of Papal States. With all the newly acquired land, Vittorio Emanuele II was proclaimed the first King of the new, united Kingdom of Italy in 1861.

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Maria Isabella of Spain, Queen of the Two Sicilies; Credit – Wikipedia

Maria Isabella of Spain was the second wife of Francesco I, King of the Two Sicilies. María Isabel Antonia Josefa Ana Teresa Filipina was born at the Royal Palace in Madrid, Spain on July 6, 1789. She was the eleventh of the fourteen children and the fifth of the six daughters of Carlos IV, King of Spain and Maria Luisa of Parma. Her paternal grandparents were King Carlos III of Spain and Maria Amalia of Saxony. Felipe of Spain, Duke of Parma, who founded the House of Bourbon-Parma, and Louise Élisabeth of France, daughter of Louis XV, King of France, were her maternal grandparents.

The Family of Carlos IV by Francisco Goya, 1800. The man in the shadows in the background on the left is the artist Francisco Goya. From left to right: Carlos Maria Isidro, the future Fernando VII, Maria Josefa the sister of Carlos IV, an unknown woman, Maria Isabella, Queen Maria Luisa, Francisco de Paula, King Carlos IV, Antonio Pascual the brother of Carlos IV, Carlota Joaquina (only part of her head is visible), Luis of Parma and his wife Maria Luisa holding baby Carlos Luis the future Duke of Parma; Credit – Wikipedia

Maria Isabella had thirteen siblings:

Carlos Clemente of Spain (1771 – 1774), died in infancy
Carlota Joaquina of Spain (1775 – 1830), married João VI, King of Portugal, had nine children
Maria Luisa of Spain (1777 – 1782), died in childhood
Maria Amalia of Spain (1779 – 1798), married her paternal uncle Antonio Pascual, died in childbirth with her stillborn son
Carlos Domingo of Spain (1780 -1783), died in childhood
Maria Luisa of Spain (1782 – 1824), married Luis of Parma, King of Etruria, had two children
Carlos Francisco de Paula of Spain (1783 – 1784), twin of Felipe Francisco de Paula, died in infancy
Felipe Francisco de Paula of Spain (1783 – 1784), twin of Carlos Francisco de Paula, died in infancy
Fernando VII, King of Spain (1784 – 1833), married (1) Maria Antonia of Naples and Sicily, no children (2) his niece Maria Isabel of Portugal, had one child who died in infancy, died in childbirth along with her stillborn child (3) Maria Josepha Amalia of Saxony, no children (4) Maria Christina of the Two Sicilies, had two daughters including Queen Isabella II of Spain
Carlos María Isidro of Spain, Count of Molina (1788 – 1855), married (1) his niece Maria Francisca of Portugal, had three children (2) his niece Maria Teresa of Portugal, Princess of Beira, no children
Maria Teresa of Spain (1791 – 1794), died in childhood from smallpox
Felipe Maria of Spain (1792 – 1794), died in childhood
Francisco de Paula of Spain, Duke of Cadiz (1794 – 1865), married (1) his niece Luisa Carlotta of Naples and Sicily, had eleven children (2) morganatic marriage to Teresa de Arredondo y Ramirez de Arellano, had one son

Raised at the Royal Palace in Madrid, Maria Isabella received only a cursory education. Several possible husbands were considered for her including Napoleon Bonaparte, then the First Consul of France. Through Lucien Bonaparte, Napoleon’s brother and the French ambassador to Spain, a marriage between Maria Isabella and Napoleon was proposed in April 1801. Napoleon was married to Joséphine de Beauharnais but it had been suggested that he should divorce her and marry a princess of royal blood. However, Napoleon had a low opinion of the Spanish House of Bourbon.

Maria Isabella of Spain, circa 1801; Credit – Wikipedia

Despite Maria Isabella being only twelve years old, her mother Maria Luisa was anxious to find a match for her. Maria Clementina of Austria, the wife of Maria Isabella’s first cousin Francesco, Duke of Calabria, the heir to the thrones of Naples and Sicily, had died in 1801 from tuberculosis. A marriage between Spain and Naples and Sicily would be politically advantageous at a time when Europe was dealing with the expansionist policy of Napoleon. A double marriage was arranged between Spain and Naples and Sicily. Carlos IV, King of Spain was the brother of King Ferdinando IV of Naples and III of Sicily, and so these marriages were between first cousins. Maria Isabella would marry Franceso and her brother Ferdinand of Spain, Prince of Asturias, later King Ferdinand VII of Spain would marry Franceso’s sister Maria Antonia. On July 6, 1802, in Madrid Spain, 13-year-old Maria Isabella married her 25-year-old cousin Francesco by proxy with her brother Ferdinand standing in for the groom. The two couples were married in person in Barcelona, Spain on October 4, 1802. However, Maria Antonia died in 1806 from tuberculosis before her husband became King of Spain.

Although Maria Isabella did not make a good impression on her mother-in-law, born Maria Carolina of Austria, the Spanish ambassador to Naples informed the Spanish court that Maria Isabella was happy in Naples and that she attended theater performances and celebrations. Maria Isabella had a four-year-old stepdaughter from her husband’s first marriage:

Maria Carolina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (1798 – 1870), married (1) Charles Ferdinand d’Artois, Duke of Berry, son of the future Charles X, King of France, assassinated while leaving the opera in Paris, had four children but two died soon after birth (2) Ettore Carlo Lucchesi-Palli, 8th Duke della Grazia, had five children

Maria Isabella and Francesco’s family: Left to right: Maria Isabella holding Maria Carolina, Ferdinanda Luisa, Maria Antonia, Luisa Carlotta, Maria Cristina, Ferdinando, Francesco holding Maria Amalia, Carlo, Prince of Capua and Leopoldo, Count of Syracuse; Credit – Wikipedia

As a 15-year-old, Maria Isabella gave birth to her first child who was to be followed by eleven more children over the next twenty-three years. Unusual for the time, all twelve survived childhood.

Luisa Carlotta of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (1804 – 1844), married her maternal uncle Francisco de Paula of Spain, had eleven children
Maria Cristina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (1806 – 1878), married (1) her maternal uncle Ferdinand VII, King of Spain, had two daughters including Queen Isabella II of Spain (2) Agustín Fernando Muñoz y Sánchez, 1st Duke of Riánsares, had eight children
Ferdinando II, King of the Two Sicilies (1810 – 1859), married (1) Maria Cristina of Savoy, had one child Francesco II, King of the Two Sicilies, died from childbirth complications (2) Maria Theresa of Austria, had twelve children
Carlo Ferdinando of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Prince of Capua (1811 – 1862), married morganatically Penelope Smyth, had two children, because of his marriage, Carlo Ferdinando spent the rest of his life in exile in England
Leopoldo Beniamino of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Count of Syracuse (1813 – 1860), Maria of Savoy-Carignan, had one daughter who died in infancy
Maria Antonia of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (1814 – 1898), married Leopold II, Grand Duke of Tuscany, had ten children
Antonio Pasquale of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Count of Lecce (1816 – 1843), unmarried, clubbed to death by the husband of a married woman he had tried to seduce
Maria Amalia of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (1818 – 1857), married Infante Sebastian of Portugal and Spain, no children
Maria Carolina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (1820 – 1861), married Carlos of Spain, Count of Montemolin, Carlist pretender to the Spanish throne, no children
Teresa Cristina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (1822 – 1889), married Emperor Pedro II of Brazil, had four children
Luigi Carlo of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Count of Aquila (1824 – 1897), married Januária, Princess Imperial of Brazil, had four children
Francesco di Paola of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Count of Trapani (1827 – 1892), married his niece Maria Isabella of Austria, Princess of Tuscany, had six children

Francesco’s father Ferdinando was deposed twice from his thrones: once by the revolutionary Parthenopean Republic for six months in 1799 and again by Napoleon in 1805. In February 1806, Ferdinando, Maria Carolina, and their family, including Maria Isabella and Francesco, were forced to flee to the island of Sicily, which was still in their control, where they lived in the Royal Palace of Palermo under British protection. However, the government of Sicily was a feudal type and the British insisted on a government more similar to the British one. In 1813, Ferdinando essentially but not officially abdicated and Francesco was appointed regent. At the insistence of the British, who were becoming more and more adverse to Maria Carolina, she was forced to leave Sicily. She returned to her home in Austria where she died from a stroke in 1814.

Francesco I, King of the Two Sicilies; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1816, after Ferdinando abolished the constitution of the Kingdom of Sicily, the two kingdoms, Naples and Sicily, were united into the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. For the next four years, Ferdinando I, King of the Two Sicilies reigned as an absolute monarch and there were no constitutional reforms. In 1820, a revolt broke out in Sicily and riots occurred in Naples. Ferdinando was forced to sign a constitution and appoint his son Francesco as regent of Sicily. This only lasted until March 1821, when Austrian troops friendly to Ferdinando occupied Naples. Ferdinando was re-established as an absolute monarch and the constitution was withdrawn. Ferdinando died from a stroke on January 4, 1825, at the age of 73 and his son Francesco became King of the Two Sicilies and Maria Isabella became Queen Consort.

Maria Isabella, Queen of the Two Sicilies; Credit – Wikipedia

As Queen Consort, Maria Isabella had no interest in politics or government. After her many births, she was overweight and preferred to attend the theater, balls, and parties. She was described as kind and generous and was more popular than her husband. In 1829, she took over the patronage of the girls’ boarding school located in the monastery complex of Santa Maria dei Miracoli in Naples and established a girls’ boarding school at the former monastery Santi Marcellino e Festo also in Naples called Queen Isabella Secondary School.

Maria Isabella and her husband Francesco decided to travel to Spain for the wedding of their daughter Maria Christina and Maria Isabella’s brother Ferdinand VII, King of Spain. Ferdinand VII was three times a widower and had no surviving children. Although Francesco had gout and his health was declining, Maria Isabella had not been to Spain since her marriage twenty-seven years earlier and persuaded her husband to take the long trip. Leaving Naples in September 1829 on a ten-month trip, they visited Pope Pius VIII in Rome, and then in France, they visited Francesco’s daughter from his first marriage Maria Carolina who they had not seen for thirteen years. Finally, the bride Maria Christina and the groom Ferdinand VII met in Aranjuez, Spain on December 10, 1829, made their solemn entry into Madrid the next day, and were married. Maria Isabella and Francesco had an extended stay in Spain. On the return trip, Maria Isabella and Francesco met again with his daughter Maria Carolina and then traveled to Paris, France for a stay with King Charles X of France. Maria Isabella and Francesco arrived back in Naples on July 30, 1830.

Francesco I, King of the Two Sicilies, 1829; Credit – Wikipedia

It had been a wonderful trip but it was exhausting for the ailing Francesco. Francesco I, King of the Two Sicilies died on November 8, 1830, aged 53, in Naples, Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, now in Italy. He was buried at the Basilica of Santa Chiara in Naples, the traditional burial site of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies.

After the death of Francesco, his 20-year-old son succeeded him as Ferdinando II, King of the Two Sicilies. Prince Vincenzo Ruffo della Scarletta and Pietro Ugo, Marchese delle Favare (link in Italian) plotted to remove the conservative Ferdinando II from the throne only for a period of several years and to install Maria Isabella as regent in his place. This conspiracy, arranged without Maria Isabella’s knowledge and intended to bring about more liberal conditions, was quickly exposed and stopped. However, Maria Isabella and her son Ferdinando had a very cool relationship until Ferdinando’s first wife Maria Christina of Savoy reconciled them.

Maria Isabella was only 41-year-old when her husband died and despite being overweight, she was still attractive and had relationships with younger handsome servants. In 1835, Maria Isabella began a love affair with Baron Peter von Schmucker, a married Austrian officer. After the death of Schmucker’s wife in 1837, Maria Isabella wanted to marry him. However, Schmucker was too greedy. He wanted to be guaranteed that he would have the title and privileges of a Royal Highness if he married Maria Isabella. She refused and had her son Ferdinando II expel Schmucker from the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.

The Royal Palace of Capodimonte, home of Maria Isabella and her second husband Count Francesco del Balzo; Credit – By Mentnafunangann – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=37000184

Maria Isabella wanted to marry again and her son Ferdinando II provided her with a list of acceptable young nobles as potential husbands. On January 15, 1839, 50-year-old Maria Isabella married 34-year-old Count Francesco del Balzo. Her second husband was an attractive, high-ranking army officer but was not allowed to be at court with Maria Isabella. The couple withdrew from court and moved to the Royal Palace of Capodimonte in Naples, Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, now in Italy.

Coat of arms of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies on the entrance to the royal crypt; Credit – Di Giuseppe Guida – Flickr: Basilica di Santa Chiara., CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=20267754

Maria Isabella died on September 13, 1848, aged 59, at the Palace of Portici in Portici, Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. She was buried in the Basilica of Santa Chiara in Naples.

Kingdom of the Two Sicilies Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

De.wikipedia.org. 2021. Maria Isabel von Spanien – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Isabel_von_Spanien> [Accessed 7 August 2021].
En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Charles IV of Spain – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_IV_of_Spain> [Accessed 7 August 2021].
En.wikipedia.org. 2021. María Isabella of Spain – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mar%C3%ADa_Isabella_of_Spain> [Accessed 7 August 2021].
Flantzer, S., 2021. Francesco I, King of the Two Sicilies. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/francesco-i-king-of-the-two-sicilies/> [Accessed 7 August 2021].
It.wikipedia.org. 2021. Maria Isabella di Borbone-Spagna – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Isabella_di_Borbone-Spagna> [Accessed 7 August 2021].

Maria Clementina of Austria, Duchess of Calabria

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

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Maria Clementina of Austria, Duchess of Calabria; Credit – Wikipedia

Maria Clementina of Austria was the first wife of the future Francesco I, King of the Two Sicilies. Maria Clementina Josepha Johanna Fidelis was born on April 24, 1777, at the Villa del Poggio Imperiale in Poggio Imperiale in the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, now in Italy. She was the tenth of the sixteen children and the third of the five daughters of Pietro Leopoldo I, Grand Duke of Tuscany (later Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor) and Maria Luisa of Spain. Maria Clementina’s paternal grandparents were the formidable and powerful Holy Roman Empress Maria Theresa, who was in her own right Archduchess of Austria, Queen of Hungary, Queen of Croatia, and Queen of Bohemia, and Francis Stephen, Holy Roman Emperor, Grand Duke of Tuscany, and Duke of Lorraine. Even though her husband was the nominal Holy Roman Emperor, Maria Theresa wielded the real power. Maria Clementina’s maternal grandparents were Carlos III, King of Spain and Maria Amalia of Saxony.

Leopold I, Grand Duke of Tuscany with his wife Maria Luisa and their children (left to right) Maria Theresa, Karl, Alexander Leopold, Maria Clementina, Maria Anna, Josef Anton, Franz, and Ferdinand; Credit – Wikipedia

Maria Clementina had fifteen siblings:

Maria Theresa of Austria (1767 – 1827), married Anton, King of Saxony, had three children who died in early childhood
Franz II, Holy Roman Emperor, later Franz I, Emperor of Austria (1768 – 1835) married (1) Elisabeth of Württemberg, had one daughter who died in infancy, died in childbirth (2) Maria Theresa of Naples and Sicily, had twelve children, died in childbirth (3) Maria Ludovika of Austria-Este, no children, died from tuberculosis (4) Caroline Augusta of Bavaria, no children
Ferdinand III, Grand Duke of Tuscany (1769 – 1824), married (1) Luisa of Naples and Sicily, had five children, died in childbirth with her stillborn son (2) Maria Ferdinanda of Saxony, no children
Maria Anna of Austria (1770 – 1809), unmarried, Abbess at the Theresian Convent in Prague
Karl of Austria (1771 – 1847), married Henrietta of Nassau-Weilburg, had seven children
Alexander Leopold of Austria (1772 – 1795), unmarried, died from burns from a fireworks display he had created
Albrecht Johann Joseph of Austria (1773 – 1774), died in infancy
Maximilian of Austria (1774 – 1778), died in childhood
Josef Anton of Austria (1776 – 1847, married (1) Alexandra Pavlovna of Russia, had one daughter who died in infancy, died from childbirth complications (2) Hermine of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym, had fraternal twins, died from childbirth complications (3) Maria Dorothea of Württemberg, had five children
Anton Viktor of Austria, Grand Master of Teutonic Knights (1779 – 1835), unmarried
Maria Amalia of Austria (1780 – 1798), unmarried
Johann of Austria (1782 – 1859), married morganatically Anna Plochl, had one son
Rainer Joseph of Austria (1783 – 1853), married Elisabeth of Savoy-Carignan, had eight children
Ludwig of Austria (1784 – 1864), unmarried
Rudolf of Austria, Cardinal-Archbishop of Olomouc (1788 – 1831), unmarried

Maria Clementina’s husband Francesco, circa 1793-1797; Credit – Wikipedia

Maria Clementina was raised in the Grand Duchy of Tuscany until the death of her paternal uncle Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor in 1790. Her father became Holy Roman Emperor and the family moved to Vienna, Austria. In that same year, Maria Clementine became engaged to her double first cousin Franceso, Duke of Calabria and heir to the throne of Naples and Sicily, the son of Ferdinando, King of Naples and King of Sicily from 1759 – 1816, and King of the Two Sicilies from 1816 – 1825, and his first wife Archduchess Maria Carolina of Austria. Her father Leopold II was the brother of Francesco’s mother and her mother Maria Luisa was the sister of Francesco’s father. The marriage was planned to strengthen the alliance between Naples and Sicily and Austria. A proxy marriage took place in 1790 In Vienna, Austria. However, because the bride and the groom were both only thirteen years old and the French Revolution caused unrest in Europe, the actual wedding did not occur for seven years. On June 25, 1797, Francesco and Maria Clementina were married in person in Foggia, Kingdom of Naples, now in Italy. Upon her marriage, she was styled Duchess of Calabria, the female counterpart of her husband’s title Duke of Calabria as the heir apparent.

Maria Clementina and Francesco had two children:

Maria Carolina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (1798 – 1870), married (1) Charles Ferdinand d’Artois, Duke of Berry, son of the future Charles X, King of France, assassinated while leaving the opera in Paris, had four children but two died soon after birth (2) Ettore Carlo Lucchesi-Palli, 8th Duke della Grazia, had five children
Fernando Francesco of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (1800 – 1801), died in infancy

Maria Clementina and Francesco had a loving and happy but short marriage. She died from tuberculosis on November 15, 1801, aged 24, in Naples, then in the Kingdom of Naples, later in the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, now in Italy, before Francesco became King of the Two Sicilies. Her infant son had died four months earlier. Maria Clementina was buried at the Basilica of Santa Chiara in Naples with her son. Francesco married again in 1802 to another first cousin, Maria Isabella of Spain, and the couple had twelve children. Francesco reigned as King of the Two Sicilies from 1825 – 1830.

Kingdom of the Two Sicilies Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

De.wikipedia.org. 2021. Maria Klementine von Österreich (1777–1801) – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Klementine_von_%C3%96sterreich_(1777%E2%80%931801)> [Accessed 7 August 2021].
En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Archduchess Maria Clementina of Austria – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archduchess_Maria_Clementina_of_Austria> [Accessed 7 August 2021].
En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopold_II,_Holy_Roman_Emperor> [Accessed 7 August 2021].
Flantzer, S., 2021. Francesco I, King of the Two Sicilies. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/francesco-i-king-of-the-two-sicilies/> [Accessed 7 August 2021].
It.wikipedia.org. 2021. Maria Clementina d’Asburgo-Lorena (1777-1801) – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Clementina_d%27Asburgo-Lorena_(1777-1801)> [Accessed 7 August 2021].

Francesco I, King of the Two Sicilies

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

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Francesco I, King of the Two Sicilies; Credit – Wikipedia

King of the Two Sicilies for only five years, Francesco Gennaro Giuseppe Saverio Giovanni Battista was born in the Royal Palace of Naples in the Kingdom of Naples, now in Italy, on August 19, 1777. He was the fifth of the seventeen children and the second but the eldest surviving of the seven sons of Ferdinando, who reigned as King of Naples and King of Sicily from 1759 – 1816, and then as King Ferdinando I of the Two Sicilies from 1816 – 1825, and his first wife Archduchess Maria Carolina of Austria. Francesco’s paternal grandparents were Carlos III, King of Spain and Maria Amalia of Saxony. His maternal grandparents were the formidable and powerful Holy Roman Empress Maria Theresa, who was in her own right Archduchess of Austria, Queen of Hungary, Queen of Croatia, and Queen of Bohemia, and Franz, Holy Roman Emperor, Grand Duke of Tuscany, and Duke of Lorraine. Even though her husband was the nominal Holy Roman Emperor, Maria Theresa wielded the real power.

Included in the portrait are Ferdinando, Maria Carolina, and their children Maria Theresa, Maria Luisa, Maria Amelia, Francesco, Maria Cristina, and Gennaro, 1783; Credit – Wikipedia

Upon the death of his three-year-old elder brother Carlo, Duke of Calabria from smallpox, Francesco became the heir-apparent to the thrones of Naples and Sicily and Duke of Calabria, the traditional title of the heir apparent to the throne of Naples. Six more of Francesco’s sixteen siblings would also die from smallpox.

Maria Teresa of Naples and Sicily (1772 – 1807), married her first cousin Franz II, Holy Roman Emperor (later Franz I, Emperor of Austria), had twelve children, died in childbirth
Luisa of Naples and Sicily (1773 – 1802), married her first cousin Ferdinand III, Grand Duke of Tuscany, had five children, died in childbirth
Carlo of Naples and Sicily, Duke of Calabria (1775 – 1778), died in early childhood from smallpox.
Maria Anna of Naples and Sicily (1775 – 1780), died in childhood from smallpox.
Maria Cristina of Naples and Sicily (1779 – 1849), married Carlo Felice, King of Sardinia, no children
Gennaro of Naples and Sicily (1780 – 1789), died in childhood from smallpox
Giuseppe of Naples and Sicily (1781 – 1783), died in early childhood from smallpox.
Maria Amelia of Naples and Sicily (1782 – 1866), married Louis Philippe d’Orléans, Duke of Orléans, later King of the French, had ten children
Maria Carolina of Naples and Sicily (born and died 1783)
Maria Antonia of Naples and Sicily (1784 – 1806), married Infante Ferdinand of Spain, Prince of Asturias, later King Ferdinand VII of Spain, no children, died from tuberculosis
Maria Clotilde of Naples and Sicily (1786 – 1792), died in childhood from smallpox
Maria Enricheta of Naples and Sicily (1787- 1792), died in childhood from smallpox
Carlo Gennaro of Naples and Sicily (1788 – 1789), died in infancy from smallpox
Leopoldo of Naples and Sicily (1790 – 1851), married his niece Clementina of Austria, had two children
Alberto of Naples and Sicily (1792 – 1798), died in childhood
Maria Isabella of Naples and Sicily (1793 – 1801), died in childhood

Francesco at the age of thirteen; Credit – Wikipedia

Unlike his father who had received no comprehensive education, Francesco was well educated by highly qualified tutors such as physicist and biologist Giuseppe Saverio Poli and Cardinal Domenico Orsini d’Aragona. He showed great interest in history and the natural sciences, particularly botany. When Francesco was eighteen years old, he began to attend meetings of the state council so that he could learn about the government.

Francesco’s mother Maria Carolina of Austria; Credit – Wikipedia

Francesco’s mother Maria Carolina of Austria had been extremely well educated and well prepared for her role as Queen Consort. As part of her marriage contract, Maria Carolina was to have a place on the council of state after the birth of her first son. In 1775, after her first son was born, Maria Carolina took her place on the council of state. Bernardo Tanucci, the former president of her husband’s regency council, was still on the council of state and attempted to thwart her political influence and found himself dismissed in 1777. From then on, Maria Carolina was the de facto ruler of the Kingdoms of Naples and Sicily.

Maria Clementina of Austria, Francesco’s first wife; Credit – Wikipedia

Francesco accepted his mother’s plan that he marry his double first cousin Archduchess Maria Clementina of Austria, the daughter of Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor and Maria Luisa of Spain. Leopold II was the brother of Francesco’s mother and Maria Luisa was the sister of Francesco’s father. The marriage was planned to strengthen the alliance between Naples and Sicily and Austria. A proxy marriage took place in 1790. However, because the bride and the groom were both only thirteen years old and the French Revolution caused unrest in Europe, the actual wedding did not occur for seven years. On June 25, 1797, Francesco and Maria Clementina were married in person in Foggia, Kingdom of Naples, now in Italy.

Francesco and Maria Clementina had two children:

Maria Carolina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (1798 – 1870), married (1) Charles Ferdinand d’Artois, Duke of Berry, had two surviving children (2) Ettore Carlo Lucchesi-Palli, 8th Duke della Grazia, had five children
Fernando Francesco of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (1800 – 1801), died in infancy

Maria Isabella of Spain, Francesco’s second wife; Credit – Wikipedia

Maria Clementina died from tuberculosis in Naples, Kingdom of Naples on November 15, 1801, aged 24, and was buried at the Basilica of Santa Chiara, Naples. After her death, a double marriage was arranged with Spain. Carlos IV, King of Spain was the brother of Ferdinando I, King of Naples and Sicily, and so these marriages were between first cousins. Francesco was to marry Maria Isabella of Spain and his sister Maria Antonia was to marry Ferdinand of Spain, Prince of Asturias, later King Ferdinand VII of Spain. Maria Antonia died in 1806 from tuberculosis before her husband became King of Spain. On July 6, 1802, in Madrid Spain, 13-year-old Maria Isabella married her 25-year-old cousin Francesco by proxy with her brother Ferdinand standing in for the groom. The two couples were married in person in Barcelona, Spain on October 4, 1802.

Francesco’s family: Left to right: Maria Isabella, second wife of Francesco holding Maria Carolina, Ferdinanda Luisa, Maria Antonia, Luisa Carlotta, Maria Cristina, Ferdinando, Francesco holding Maria Amalia, Carlo, Prince of Capua and Leopoldo, Count of Syracuse; Credit – Wikipedia

Francesco and Maria Isabella had twelve children over twenty-three years. Unusual for the time, all twelve survived childhood.

Luisa Carlotta of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (1804 – 1844), married her maternal uncle Francisco de Paula of Spain, had eleven children
Maria Cristina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (1806 – 1878), married (1) her maternal uncle Ferdinand VII, King of Spain, had two daughters including Queen Isabella II of Spain (2) Agustín Fernando Muñoz y Sánchez, 1st Duke of Riánsares, had eight children
Ferdinando II, King of the Two Sicilies (1810 – 1859), married (1) Maria Cristina of Savoy, had one child Francesco II, King of the Two Sicilies, died from childbirth complications (2) Maria Theresa of Austria, had twelve children
Carlo Ferdinando of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Prince of Capua (1811 – 1862), married morganatically Penelope Smyth, had two children
Leopoldo Beniamino of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Count of Syracuse (1813 – 1860), Maria of Savoy-Carignan, had one daughter who died in infancy
Maria Antonia of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (1814 – 1898), married Leopold II, Grand Duke of Tuscany, had ten children
Antonio Pasquale of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Count of Lecce (1816 – 1843), unmarried, clubbed to death by the husband of a married woman he had tried to seduce
Maria Amalia of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (1818 – 1857), married Infante Sebastian of Portugal and Spain, no children
Maria Carolina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (1820 – 1861), married Carlos of Spain, Count of Montemolin, Carlist pretender to the Spanish throne, no children
Teresa Cristina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (1822 – 1889), married Emperor Pedro II of Brazil, had four children
Luigi Carlo of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Count of Aquila (1824 – 1897), married Januária, Princess Imperial of Brazil, had four children
Francesco di Paola of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Count of Trapani (1827 – 1892), married his niece Maria Isabella of Austria, Princess of Tuscany, had six children

Francesco’s father Ferdinando I, King of the Two Sicilies; Credit – Wikipedia

Francesco’s father Ferdinando was deposed twice from his thrones: once by the revolutionary Parthenopean Republic for six months in 1799 and again by Napoleon in 1805. In February 1806, Ferdinando, Maria Carolina, and their family was forced to flee to the island of Sicily, which was still in their control, where they lived in the Royal Palace of Palermo under British protection. However, the government of Sicily was a feudal type and the British insisted on a government more similar to the British one. In 1813, Ferdinando essentially but not officially abdicated and Francesco was appointed regent. At the insistence of the British, who were becoming more and more adverse to Maria Carolina, she was forced to leave Sicily. She returned to her home in Austria where she died from a stroke, aged 62, on September 8, 1814.

Less than three months after the death of his mother Maria Carolina, Francesco’s father Ferdinand married again to Lucia Migliaccio, Duchess of Floridia. The marriage caused a considerable scandal. Francesco had tried to dissuade his father from marrying Lucia, and always intensely disliked her. In 1816, after Ferdinando abolished the constitution of the Kingdom of Sicily, the two kingdoms, Naples and Sicily, were united into the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. For the next four years, Ferdinand reigned as an absolute monarch and there were no constitutional reforms. In 1820, a revolt broke out in Sicily and riots occurred in Naples. Ferdinando was forced to sign a constitution and appoint his son Francesco as regent of Sicily. This only lasted until March 1821, when Austrian troops friendly to Ferdinando occupied Naples. Ferdinando was re-established as an absolute monarch and the constitution was withdrawn. Ferdinando died from a stroke on January 4, 1825, at the age of 73 and his son Francesco became King of the Two Sicilies.

Francesco I, King of the Two Sicilies, 1829; Credit – Wikipedia

After his father’s death, Francesco expelled his stepmother Lucia Migliaccio, Duchess of Floridia from the royal court. When Lucia died in 1826, noticeably missing from her funeral were Francesco and members of the royal family of the Two Sicilies. Francesco wanted to demonstrate once and for all the true feelings he had for Lucia. As king, Francesco followed conservative policies. He was content to leave the running of the government in the hands of his favorites and advisers. During Francesco’s reign, the Carbonari, an informal network of secret revolutionary societies, grew stronger especially in eastern Sicily and in the Italian mainland part of the kingdom. In Sicily, smuggling and corruption flourished. Numerous crimes were committed by private armed gangs in the service of nobles and large landowners, from which the Cosa Nostra, also known as the Sicilian Mafia, later developed. Francesco’s major success was having the Austrian occupation force withdrawn, relieving a large financial burden on the treasury.

Francesco I, King of the Two Sicilies died on November 8, 1830, aged 53, in Naples, Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, now in Italy. He was buried at the Basilica of Santa Chiara in Naples, the traditional burial site of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. His second wife Maria Isabella survived him by eighteen years, dying on September 13, 1848, at the age of 59, at the Palace of Portici in Portici, Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, now in Italy. She was buried with her husband at the Basilica di Santa Chiara.

Kingdom of the Two Sicilies Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited:

De.wikipedia.org. 2021. Franz I. (Sizilien) – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_I._(Sizilien)> [Accessed 6 August 2021].
En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Francis I of the Two Sicilies – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_I_of_the_Two_Sicilies> [Accessed 6 August 2021].
Flantzer, Susan, 2021. Ferdinando I, King of the Two Sicilies. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/ferdinando-i-king-of-the-two-sicilies/> [Accessed 6 August 2021].
It.wikipedia.org. 2021. Francesco I delle Due Sicilie – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francesco_I_delle_Due_Sicilie> [Accessed 6 August 2021].

Crown Prince Rupprecht of Bavaria

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Rupprecht was Crown Prince of Bavaria from 1913 until the end of the Bavarian monarchy in 1918. From his father’s death in 1921, he became pretender to the former Bavarian throne, and Head of the House of Wittelsbach. Through his direct descent from King Charles I of England, he also became heir to the thrones of England, Scotland, and Ireland in the Jacobite Succession.

photo: Wikipedia

Rupprecht Maria Luitpold Ferdinand, Crown Prince of Bavaria, was born in Munich on May 18, 1869, the eldest child of the future King Ludwig III of Bavaria and Archduchess Maria Theresia of Austria-Este. He had 12 younger siblings:

Princess Adelgunde (1870-1958) – married Wilhelm, Prince of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, no issue
Princess Maria (1872-1954) – married Prince Ferdinando Pio of the Two Sicilies, Duke of Calabria, had issue
Prince Karl (1874-1927) – unmarried
Prince Franz (1875-1957) – married Princess Isabella of Croÿ, had issue
Princess Mathilde (1877-1906) – married Prince Ludwig Gaston of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, had issue
Prince Wolfgang (1879-1895) – died in his teens
Princess Hildegarde (1881-1948) – unmarried
Princess Notburga (born and died 1883) – died in infancy
Princess Wiltrud (1884-1975) – married Wilhelm, Duke of Urach, no issue
Princess Helmtrud (1886-1977) – unmarried
Princess Dietlinde (1888-1889) – died in infancy
Princess Gundelinde (1891-1983) – married Johann Georg, Count von Preysing-Lichtenegg-Moos

Rupprecht grew up at Schloss Leutstetten in Starnberg, and the family’s villa near Lindau, at Lake Constance. Initially educated at home, he became the first member of the Bavarian royal family to study at a public school, attending the Maximilian-Gymnasium in Munich. He began his military career serving in the Lifeguards Regiment of the Bavarian Army, quickly rising to the rank of Colonel and was given command of the 2nd Crown Prince’s Regiment. During this time, he also studied at the Universities of Berlin and Munich.

When Rupprecht was just 17, his future changed when his father was named Regent of Bavaria for both King Ludwig II and King Otto who had been declared insane and unable to reign. From that point, it was likely that he would someday succeed to the throne himself. When his grandfather died in 1912, Rupprecht’s father assumed the Regency, and the following year was formally named King of Bavaria as Ludwig III. Rupprecht formally became Crown Prince at that time.

Duchess Marie Gabriele in Bavaria. photo: Wikipedia

On July 10, 1900, Rupprecht married Duchess Marie Gabriele in Bavaria, at the Residenz (the Royal Palace in Munich). Marie Gabriele was the daughter of Karl-Theodor, Duke in Bavaria, and his second wife Infanta Maria José of Portugal, and was the younger sister of the future Queen Elisabeth of Belgium, the wife of King Albert I of the Belgians. Rupprecht and his wife had four children:

Luitpold, Hereditary Prince of Bavaria (1901) – died in his youth
Princess Irmingard (1902) – died in infancy
Albrecht, Duke of Bavaria (1905) – married (1) Countess Maria Draskovich de Trakostjan, had issue; (2) Countess Marie-Jenke Keglevich de Buzin, no issue
Prince Rudolf (1909) – died in childhood

After the outbreak of World War I, Rupprecht was given command of the German Sixth Army, serving on the Western front, and rose to the rank of Field Marshal by 1916. He then took command of Army Group Rupprecht, which consisted of the 1st, 2nd, 6th, and 7th armies. Despite the losses at the end of the war, Rupprecht had proven himself to be a skilled military leader. He resigned from his military positions on November 11, 1918 – Armistice Day. The following day, the Bavarian monarchy was abolished.

The next several years saw many changes in Rupprecht’s life. Upon his mother’s death in 1919, he became heir to the Jacobite succession, although he never made any claims based upon this, and discouraged anyone from making any claims on his behalf. And then in April 1921, having been widowed for nine years, Rupprecht remarried.

Princess Antonia of Luxembourg. photo: Wikipedia

In August 1918, Rupprecht had become engaged to Princess Antonia of Luxembourg, the 4th of 6 daughters of the late Guillaume IV, Grand Duke of Luxembourg and Infanta Maria Ana of Portugal. At the time they were engaged, Luxembourg was occupied by German forces, and Antonia’s eldest sister, Grand Duchess Marie-Adélaïde was facing intense criticism for her perceived close ties with Germany. These concerns forced Marie-Adélaïde to abdicate in early 1919 in favor of her sister, Charlotte, who would reign – much more successfully than her elder sister – as Grand Duchess for over 45 years. Finally, on April 7, 1921, Rupprecht and Antonia were married at Schloss Hohenburg in Lenggries, Bavaria. They had six children:

Prince Heinrich (1922) – married Anne Marie de Lustrac, no issue
Princess Irmingard (1923) – married Prince Ludwig of Bavaria, had issue
Princess Editha (1924) – married (1) Tito Tmmaso Brunetti, had issue; (2) Gustav Schimert, had issue
Princess Hilda (1926) – married Juan Lockett de Loayza, had issue
Princess Gabriele (1927) – married Karl, Duke of Croy, had issue
Princess Sophie (1935) – married Jean-Engelbert, Duke of Arenberg, had issue

Just five months later, in October 1921, King Ludwig III died and Rupprecht became Head of the House of Wittelsbach and pretender to the former Bavarian throne. He and his family lived at Berchtesgaden Castle, and the Leuchtenberg Palace in Munich before later returning to Leutstetten Castle. Rupprecht soon began pursuing the restitution of properties and estates which had been seized by the Bavarian state at the end of the war. After extensive negotiations, an agreement was reached in 1923, and the state established the Wittelsbach Compensation Fund. Properties and assets were placed into this foundation instead of being returned to any specific person. In addition, the family agreed to place numerous assets – including a large art collection – into the fund, with the provision that they be made accessible to the public. With this agreement in place, Rupprecht also waived any future claims for properties or assets. Today, the fund is self-supporting, with all income used to maintain the collections and to provide financial resources for the Wittelsbach family.

For many years, Rupprecht promoted the idea of a constitutional monarchy in Bavaria, but soon Hitler came to power. Despite attempts to lure him into the Nazi party, Rupprecht refused. In 1939, he and his family were forced into exile, moving to Italy as guests of King Vittorio Emanuele III. Following the 1944 assassination attempt on Hitler, Rupprecht and his family were targeted by the Gestapo for possibly being involved. Rupprecht managed to remain in hiding and avoid capture. However, his wife and children, who had earlier moved to Hungary, were taken into custody. They spent the remainder of the war in several concentration camps, before being freed in April 1945. Such was the treatment they received that his wife refused to ever return to German soil. Following the war, he established the Crown Prince Rupprecht of Bavaria Foundation for the Reconstruction of Würzburg which focused on rebuilding the damaged city and providing affordable housing for its residents. In addition, he continued his efforts for a restoration of the monarchy, with no success.

Leutstetten Castle. photo: Von Gras-Ober, Wikipedia/Wikimedia Commons (cc-by-sa-3.0), CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=14520511

Widowed in 1954, his health soon began to fail as well. On August 8, 1955, surrounded by his family, Crown Prince Rupprecht died at Leutstetten Castle at the age of 86. He was given a state funeral with full royal honors and his coffin placed in the crypt of the Theatinerkirche in Munich.

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Bavarian Resources at Unofficial Royalty

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Lucia Migliaccio, Duchess of Floridia, morganatic 2nd wife of Ferdinando I, King of the Two Sicilies

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Lucia Migliaccio, Duchess of Floridia; Credit – Wikipedia

Lucia Migliaccio, Duchess of Floridia was born on July 19, 1770, in Syracuse, Kingdom of Sicily, now in Italy. She was the daughter of Vincenzo Migliaccio, 8th Duke of Floridia, a Sicilian nobleman, and Dorotea Borgia dei Marchesi del Casale who was from a Spanish noble family. When Lucia was five years old, her father and elder brother Ignazio died, making her the sole heir to her father’s title.

On April 4, 1791, Lucia married Benedetto Grifeo, Prince of Partanna. The couple had seven children:

Girolamo Grifeo (circa 1790 – ?), died young
Vincenzo I Grifeo, Prince of Partanna (1791 – 1846), married Agata Gravina, Princess of Palagonia, had eight children
Giuseppe Grifeo (circa 1794 – circa 1857), married Agata Moncada, had four children
Dorotea Grifeo (circa 1795 – 1850), unmarried?
Leopoldo Grifeo, Prince of Pantelleria (1796 – 1871), married Antonia Reggio Requesens, had three children
Luigi Grifeo (circa 1800 – 1860), unmarried?
Marianna Grifeo (1809 – 1831), unmarried

Lucia became lady-in-waiting at the court of King Ferdinando IV of Naples and III of Sicily (later King of the Two Sicilies) and his wife, born Archduchess Maria Carolina of Austria. While at court, Lucia received the Order of the Noble Ladies of Queen Maria Luisa of Spain and the Austrian Order of the Star Cross. Lucia’s husband Benedetto Grifeo, Prince of Partanna died on March 28, 1812, aged 56, in Palermo, Kingdom of Sicily, now in Italy.

King Ferdinando IV of Naples and III of Sicily, after 1815 King of the Two Sicilies; Credit – Wikipedia

On September 8, 1814, Maria Carolina, the wife of King Ferdinando IV of Naples and III of Sicily died. Wanting to remarry, the 63-year-old Ferdinando turned his attention to the 44-year-old Lucia, whom he had met frequently at court. Protocol rules required at least one year of mourning. However, on November 27, 1814, less than three months after the death of his first wife, Ferdinando married Lucia. Ferdinando received a special dispensation from an archbishop to marry Lucia. The couple was married very privately by Ferdinando’s confessor in the presence of only two witnesses at the Palatine Chapel in the Royal Palace of Palermo, Kingdom of Sicily, now in Italy.

Lucia’s stepson Francesco I, King of the Two Sicilies; Credit – Wikipedia

The marriage caused a considerable scandal. Ferdinando and Maria Carolina’s eldest surviving son, the future Francesco I, King of the Two Sicilies had tried to dissuade his father from marrying Lucia, and always intensely disliked her. To protect Lucia, Ferdinando forced his son Francesco to sign a document stating that he would ensure Lucia’s high standard of living until her death. Because Lucia was not of royal blood, the marriage was morganatic and Lucia did not receive the title of queen and any children from the marriage would not be in the line of succession. However, the marriage remained childless. Ferdinando’s first wife Maria Carolina had been very politically involved and had been considered the de facto ruler of Naples and Sicily but Lucia had limited influence and little interest in politics.

Villa Floridiana: ; Credit – Di Armando Mancini – Flickr: Napoli – Villa Floridiana, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16730432

In 1817, Ferdinando purchased an unfinished villa on a hill in the Vomero district of Naples which he named the Villa Floridiana in honor of Lucia’s title Duchess of Floridia. The villa was completed in a neoclassical style and the gardens were landscaped in the English style. Ferdinando also acquired another nearby villa which he renamed Villa Lucia. The entire complex was given to Lucia as her own personal property.

In 1816, after Ferdinando abolished the constitution of the Kingdom of Sicily, the two kingdoms, Naples and Sicily, were united into the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. For the next four years, Ferdinand reigned as an absolute monarch and there were no constitutional reforms. In 1820, a revolt broke out in Sicily and riots occurred in Naples. Ferdinando was forced to sign a constitution and appoint his son Francesco as regent of Sicily. This only lasted until March 1821, when Austrian troops friendly to Ferdinando occupied Naples. Ferdinando was re-established as an absolute monarch and the constitution was withdrawn. Ferdinando died from a stroke in Naples on January 4, 1825, at the age of 73. He was buried at the Basilica of Santa Chiara in Naples, the traditional burial site of the Kings of Naples from the House of Anjou (1282 – 1501) and the Kings of the Two Sicilies from the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (1816 – 1861).

Detail from Lucia’s tomb showing her deathbed surrounded by her children from her first marriage; Credit – By © José Luiz Bernardes Ribeiro, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=39133853

Lucia’s great emotional pain over Ferdinando’s death combined with the many quarrels due to the substantial personal bequests made by Ferdinando to Lucia, and the insult for having been expelled from the royal court by the new king Francesco I of the Two Sicilies undermined Lucia’s health. She survived her husband by a little more than a year, dying on April 26, 1826, aged 55, in Naples. Lucia’s funeral was held at the Church of San Ferdinando in Naples and she was buried there by the order of her late husband who had forbidden any other burials at that church. Lucia’s funeral was attended by the nobility of Naples, government ministers, foreign ambassadors, and Lucia’s close relatives. Noticeably missing was Lucia’s stepson Francesco I, King of the Two Sicilies and members of the royal family of the Two Sicilies. Francesco I wanted to demonstrate once and for all the true feelings he had for Lucia.

Church of San Ferdinando in Naples; Credit – By Lalupa – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3551990

Works Cited

De.wikipedia.org. 2021. Lucia Migliaccio – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucia_Migliaccio> [Accessed 2 August 2021].
Di Rubbio, Lucia, 2017. LUCIA MIGLIACCIO GRIFEO: LA SPOSA DEL RE. [online] Altaterradilavoro.com. Available at: <https://www.altaterradilavoro.com/lucia-migliaccio-grifeo-la-sposa-del-re/?doing_wp_cron=1627851744.0155940055847167968750> [Accessed 2 August 2021].
En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Lucia Migliaccio – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucia_Migliaccio> [Accessed 2 August 2021].
Flantzer, Susan, 2021. Ferdinando I, King of the Two Sicilies. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/ferdinando-i-king-of-the-two-sicilies/> [Accessed 2 August 2021].
geni_family_tree. 2021. Lucia Migliaccio, duchessa di Floridia. [online] Available at: <https://www.geni.com/people/Lucia-Migliaccio-duchessa-di-Floridia/6000000004254760366> [Accessed 2 August 2021].
It.wikipedia.org. 2021. Lucia Migliaccio – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucia_Migliaccio> [Accessed 2 August 2021].

Maria Carolina of Austria, Queen of Naples and Sicily

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

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Maria Carolina of Austria, Queen of Naples and Sicily; Credit – Wikipedia

Archduchess Maria Carolina of Austria was the first wife of King Ferdinando IV of Naples and III Sicily, after her death, Ferdinando I, King of the Two Sicilies. Maria Carolina Louise Josepha Johanna Antonia was born on August 13, 1752, at Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna, Austria. She was the thirteenth of the sixteen children and the tenth of the eleven daughters of Empress Maria Theresa, who was in her own right Archduchess of Austria, Queen of Hungary, Queen of Croatia, and Queen of Bohemia, and Francis Stephen, Holy Roman Emperor, Grand Duke of Tuscany, and Duke of Lorraine. Although Maria Theresa’s husband was Holy Roman Emperor, she wielded the real power.

Empress Maria Theresa with her family in 1754; Credit – Wikipedia

Eight of Maria Carolina’s fifteen siblings died in childhood.

Archduchess Maria Elisabeth (1737 – 1740), died in childhood
Archduchess Maria Anna (1738 – 1789), died unmarried, suffered from ill health and physical disabilities
Archduchess Maria Carolina (1740 – 1741), died in infancy
Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II (1741 – 1790), married 1) Isabella of Parma, had two daughters who died young 2) Princess Marie Josephe of Bavaria, no children, died from smallpox
Archduchess Maria Christina (1742 – 1798), married Prince Albert of Saxony, Duke of Teschen, had one stillborn daughter
Archduchess Maria Elisabeth (1743 – 1808), died unmarried
Archduke Karl Joseph (1745 – 1761), died in his teens from smallpox
Archduchess Maria Amalia (1746 – 1804), married Ferdinand, Duke of Parma, had ten children
Pietro Leopoldo I, Grand Duke of Tuscany, Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor (1747-1792), married Infanta Maria Luisa of Spain, had sixteen children
Archduchess Maria Carolina (born and died 1748), died hours after baptism
Archduchess Maria Johanna (1750 – 1762), died in childhood from smallpox
Archduchess Maria Josepha (1751-1767), died in her teens from smallpox
Archduke Ferdinand Karl (1754 – 1806), married Maria Beatrice d’Este, Duchess of Massa, had ten children
Archduchess Maria Antonia (1755-1793), married King Louis XVI of France, became Queen Marie Antoinette of France, had four children, beheaded during the French Revolution
Archduke Maximilian Franz, Archbishop-Elector of Cologne (1756 – 1801), unmarried

Maria Carolina in the blue dress with her favorite sister Maria Antonia in the pink dress, the future Queen Marie Antoinette of France, circa 1764; Credit – Wikipedia

During childhood, Maria Carolina was very close to her younger sister Maria Antonia, better known as the ill-fated Marie Antoinette, Queen of France. All the children of Empress Maria Theresa were educated following a strict program developed by their mother. Their lesson schedule included history, political science, math, science, Latin, Italian, dance lessons, theater performances, and painting. The girls were also instructed in handicrafts and conversation. Empress Maria Theresa wrote specific rules of conduct for each of her children. One rule written for Maria Carolina was: “I cannot forget your naughtiness and I will never forgive you. Your voice and language are uncomfortable. You must never raise your voice. You have to keep your mind occupied because that will keep you from making inappropriate comments.”

Maria Carolina holding a portrait of her father, circa 1765, the year of his death; Credit – Wikipedia

Empress Maria Theresa and her foreign minister Wenzel Anton, Prince of Kaunitz-Rietberg planned to improve Austria’s relations with other countries and Austria’s position in Europe through family ties. Part of that plan was for Maria Theresa to develop marriage plans for her surviving children at an early age. In October 1767, a marriage was arranged as part of an alliance between Austria and Spain. Empress Maria Theresa’s daughter sixteen-year-old daughter Maria Josepha was engaged to marry sixteen-year-old King Ferdinando IV of Naples and III of Sicily, the son of King Carlos III of Spain. However, Maria Josepha died during a smallpox epidemic. Ferdinando’s father Carlos III of Spain was anxious to save the Austro-Spanish alliance, and so he requested one of Maria Josepha’s sisters as a replacement bride. Empress Maria Theresa offered a choice of two of her daughters, Maria Amalia or Maria Carolina. Because Maria Amalia was five years older than his son, Carlos III of Spain chose fifteen-year-old Maria Carolina.

Maria Carolina’s husband Ferdinando; Credit – Wikipedia

To say Maria Carolina was unhappy about her future marriage would be an understatement. Despite her objections, Maria Carolina was carefully prepared for her role as Queen of Naples and Sicily. Her mother’s instructions were “Do not make comparisons between our habits and theirs. Be a German in your heart and in the righteousness of your mind. In everything that does not matter, however, but not in what is bad, you must seem Neapolitan.” Nine months after the start of her preparations to become Queen of Naples and Sicily, on April 7, 1768, at the Augustinian Church in Vienna, Austria, Maria Carolina married Ferdinando by proxy, with her brother Ferdinand representing the groom. On that afternoon, Maria Carolina left for Naples. On May 12, 1768, Maria Carolina and Ferdinando were married in person at the Royal Palace of Caserta in Caserta, near Naples. As part of the marriage contract, Maria Carolina was to have a place on the council of state after the birth of her first son.

Maria Carolina circa 1768; Credit – Wikipedia

During the early months of their marriage, serious differences arose between the newlyweds which would worsen over the years. In contrast to Maria Carolina, who had been well educated and carefully prepared for her role as a future queen, Ferdinando had never received a comprehensive education and spent his time hunting, playing pranks, and eating excessively. Following her mother’s instructions, Maria Carolina earned Ferdinando’s trust by pretending to have an interest in hunting, his favorite activity.

Included in the portrait are Ferdinando, Maria Carolina, and their children Maria Theresa, Maria Luisa, Maria Amelia, Francesco, Maria Cristina, and Gennaro, 1783; Credit – Wikipedia

Despite her dislike for her husband, Maria Carolina fulfilled her most important duty – to continue the dynasty. Maria Carolina and Ferdinando had seventeen children but only seven survived childhood. Seven of their children died from smallpox. However, four of their five surviving daughters married sovereigns.

Maria Teresa of Naples and Sicily (1772 – 1807), married her first cousin Franz II, Holy Roman Emperor (later Franz I, Emperor of Austria), had twelve children, died in childbirth
Maria Luisa of Naples and Sicily (1773 – 1802), married her first cousin Ferdinand III, Grand Duke of Tuscany, had five children, died in childbirth
Carlo of Naples and Sicily (1775 – 1778), died in early childhood from smallpox.
Maria Anna of Naples and Sicily (1775 – 1780), died in childhood from smallpox.
Francesco I, King of the Two Sicilies (1777 – 1830), married (1) Maria Clementina of Austria, had two children (2) Maria Isabella of Spain, had twelve children
Maria Cristina of Naples and Sicily (1779 – 1849), married Carlo Felice, King of Sardinia, no children
Gennaro of Naples and Sicily (1780 – 1789), died in childhood from smallpox
Giuseppe of Naples and Sicily (1781 – 1783), died in early childhood from smallpox.
Maria Amelia of Naples and Sicily (1782 – 1866), married Louis Philippe d’Orléans, Duke of Orléans, later King of the French, had ten children
Maria Carolina of Naples and Sicily (born and died 1783)
Maria Antonia of Naples and Sicily (1784 – 1806), married Infante Ferdinand of Spain, Prince of Asturias, later King Ferdinand VII of Spain, no children, died from tuberculosis
Maria Clotilde of Naples and Sicily (1786 – 1792), died in childhood from smallpox
Maria Enricheta of Naples and Sicily (1787- 1792), died in childhood from smallpox
Carlo Gennaro of Naples and Sicily (1788 – 1789), died in infancy from smallpox
Leopoldo of Naples and Sicily (1790 – 1851), married his niece Clementina of Austria, had two children
Alberto of Naples and Sicily (1792 – 1798), died in childhood
Maria Isabella of Naples and Sicily (1793 – 1801), died in childhood

In 1775, after her first son was born, Maria Carolina took her place on the council of state. Bernardo Tanucci, the former president of her husband’s regency council, was still on the council of state and attempted to thwart her political influence and found himself dismissed in 1777. From then on, Maria Carolina was the de facto ruler of the Kingdoms of Naples and Sicily.

Ferdinando I was been deposed twice from his thrones: once by the revolutionary Parthenopean Republic for six months in 1799 and again by Napoleon, Emperor of the French in 1805. In February 1806, Ferdinando, Maria Carolina, and their family were forced to flee to the island of Sicily, which was still in their control, where they lived in the Royal Palace of Palermo under British protection. However, the government of Sicily was a feudal type and the British insisted on a government more similar to the British one. In 1813, Ferdinando essentially but not officially abdicated and his eldest surviving son Francesco was appointed regent. At the insistence of the British, who were becoming more and more adverse to Maria Carolina, she was forced to leave Sicily and return to Austria.

Maria Carolina in 1714; Credit – Wikipedia

Maria Carolina arrived in Vienna, Austria in January 1814, where she began negotiations with Prince Klemens von Metternich, then the Foreign Minister of the Austrian Empire, and her nephew Franz I, Emperor of Austria for the restoration of her husband and herself to the thrones of Naples and Sicily. However, this never happened in her lifetime. On September 8, 1814, Maria Carolina, aged 62, died from a stroke at Hetzendorf Palace in Vienna, Austria without seeing the final defeat of Napoleon and the Congress of Vienna’s restoration of her husband’s rights to the thrones of Naples and Sicily. Maria Carolina was buried at the Imperial Crypt in the Capuchin Church in Vienna, Austria, the traditional burial site of her birth family, the House of Habsburg.

Tomb of Maria Carolina of Austria, Queen of Naples and Sicily at the Imperial Crypt in Vienna, Austria; Credit – https://everythingieverloved.tumblr.com/post/177880600179/tiny-librarian-maria-carolina-of-austria-queen/amp

Less than three months after the death of Maria Carolina, Ferdinando married Lucia Migliaccio, Duchess of Floridia. Because Ferdinando and Lucia’s marriage was morganatic, Lucia was not Queen. In 1816, after Ferdinando abolished the constitution of the Kingdom of Sicily, the two kingdoms, Naples and Sicily, were united into the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. Ferdinando survived his first wife Maria Carolina by eleven years, dying from a stroke in Naples on January 4, 1825, at the age of 73. He was buried at the Basilica of Santa Chiara in Naples, then in the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, now in Italy.

Kingdom of the Two Sicilies Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

De.wikipedia.org. 2021. Maria Karolina von Österreich – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Karolina_von_%C3%96sterreich> [Accessed 1 August 2021].
En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Maria Carolina of Austria – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Carolina_of_Austria> [Accessed 1 August 2021].
Flantzer, S., 2021. Ferdinando I, King of the Two Sicilies. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/ferdinando-i-king-of-the-two-sicilies/> [Accessed 1 August 2021].
Flantzer, Susan, 2013. Maria Theresa, Archduchess of Austria, and Queen of Hungary, Croatia, and Bohemia. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/maria-theresa-archduchess-of-austria-queen-of-hungary-croatia-and-bohemia/> [Accessed 1 August 2021].
It.wikipedia.org. 2021. Maria Carolina d’Asburgo-Lorena – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Carolina_d%27Asburgo-Lorena> [Accessed 1 August 2021].

Georg Moritz, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Altenburg

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Georg Moritz was the Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Altenburg, and the last Head of the House of Saxe-Altenburg. Upon his death with no heir, the House of Saxe-Altenburg merged into the House of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach.

photo: By Schlegel, Dresden – Original publication: Published as a postcard in Europe.Immediate source: Private Collection – Wartenberg Trust, PD-US, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=36003998

Wilhelm Georg Moritz Ernst Albrecht Friedrich Karl Constantine Eduard Maximilian was born on May 13, 1900 in Potsdam, where his father – then 3rd in line to the ducal throne of Saxe-Altenburg – was serving with the 1st Regiment of Foot Guards of the Prussian army. His father was the future Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg, and his mother was Princess Adelheid of Schaumburg-Lippe. Georg Moritz had three siblings:

Princess Charlotte (1899) – married Prince Sigismund of Prussia, had issue
Princess Elisabeth Karola (1903) – unmarried
Prince Friedrich Ernst (1905) – unmarried

He became Hereditary Prince in February 1908 when his father became the reigning Duke. The family left Potsdam and returned to Altenburg, taking up residence at Altenburg Castle. The young prince was educated privately at home for several years before being sent to the King Georg High School in Dresden in 1913. He also received military training with the 8th Thuringian Infantry Regiment.

In November 1918, his father was forced to abdicate when the German monarchy was dissolved. From an early age, Georg Moritz was interested in anthroposophy – “a philosophy based on the teachings of Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925) which maintains that, by virtue of a prescribed method of self-discipline, cognitional experience of the spiritual world can be achieved.” (source: dictionary.com). From the early 1930s, he devoted much of his life to his interest, teaching and promoting anthroposophy at Hamborn Castle. He later rented a nearby farm where he lived for many years.

Although anthroposophy was banned by the Nazi regime, thanks to the intervention of Georg Moritz, research with disabled children was allowed to continue at Hamborn until 1941. The Gestapo put an end to the research and Georg Moritz was placed in custody for over nine months. He returned to Hamborn in 1946 after the war, living in a small apartment in the castle and promoting his research and studies. In addition, he served on the board of the local social charity for many years.

Upon his father’s death in 1955, Georg Moritz became Head of the House of Saxe-Altenburg and pretender to the former ducal throne.

Georg Moritz, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Altenburg died from pneumonia on February 13, 1991 in Rendsburg, Germany. As he had never married, and his younger brother had died several years earlier with no heirs, this brought an end to the House of Saxe-Altenburg. It was merged into the House of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, led by a distant cousin, Michael, the current pretender to the former grand ducal throne of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach.

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Saxe-Altenburg Resources at Unofficial Royalty

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St. Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh, Scotland

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

St. Giles’ Cathedral; Credit – By Carlos Delgado – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=35465527

Official Website: St. Giles Cathedral

Originally a Roman Catholic church, today St. Giles Cathedral, which this writer has visited, located on the Royal Mile in the Old Town of Edinburgh, Scotland, is a Presbyterian church (Church of Scotland). The founding of St. Giles is usually dated to 1124 and attributed to David I, King of Scots. Construction of the current church began in the 14th century and continued until the early 16th century. During the 19th and 20th centuries, there were major alterations including the addition of the Thistle Chapel, the chapel of the Order of the Thistle. St. Giles Cathedral is associated with many events and persons in Scottish history, notably John Knox (circa 1514 – 1572), a leader of the Scottish Reformation and the founder of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland who as the minister of St. Giles after the Scottish Reformation, delivered fiery sermons from the pulpit.

Below are some royal connections to St. Giles Cathedral.

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1437 – A Requiem Mass for James I, King of Scots

James I, King of Scots; Credit – Wikipedia

On February 20, 1437, plotters supporting the claim to the throne of Walter Stewart, Earl of Atholl, a son of Robert II, King of Scot’s second marriage, broke into the Blackfriars Priory in Perth, Scotland where James I, King of Scots and his wife Joan Beaufort were staying. The conspirators reached the couple’s bedroom where Joan tried to protect James but was wounded. James then tried to escape via an underground passage but was cornered and hacked to death by Sir Robert Graham. There was no strong support for the conspiracy and James’ assassins were soon captured and brutally executed. Although James I was buried in the Carthusian Charterhouse of Perth, which he had founded, a Requiem Mass was said for him at St. Giles Cathedral.

Unofficial Royalty: Assassination of James I, King of Scots

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The Royal Pew

The Royal Pew; Credit – By CPClegg – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=90158521

Marie of Guise was the second wife of James V, King of Scots, and the mother of Mary, Queen of Scots. In 1548, five-year-old Mary, Queen of Scots set sail for France where she would be raised with her future husband. She would not return to Scotland for thirteen years, after a short-lived marriage due to the early death of her first husband François II, King of France. Mary’s mother Marie remained in Scotland as a member of the Council of Regency and then in 1554, she became Regent of Scotland. There has been a royal loft or royal pew in St. Giles Cathedral since the regency of Marie of Guise. The current royal pew has a tall back and with the royal arms of Scotland standing atop a canopy. It was created for the 1953 visit of Queen Elizabeth II.

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1570 – Funeral and Burial of James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray

James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray, half-brother of Mary, Queen of Scots; Credit – Wikipedia

James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray (circa 1531 – 1570) was the elder half-brother of Mary, Queen of Scots, the son of James V, King of Scots and his mistress Lady Margaret Erskine. James Stewart became a Protestant as had most of his mother’s family. Left a childless widow by the death of her husband, James’ Roman Catholic half-sister 18-year-old Mary, Queen of Scots returned to Scotland from France in 1561. During Mary’s thirteen-year absence, the Protestant Reformation had swept through Scotland. Despite their religious differences, James Stewart became the chief advisor to his sister and Mary created her half-brother Earl of Moray. Eventually, Mary’s behavior angered even her half-brother and he joined other Protestant lords in a rebellion. In 1567, Mary, Queen of Scots was deposed and succeeded by her infant son James VI, King of Scots. James Stewart, Earl of Moray served as Regent for his infant nephew.

John Knox preaching the funeral sermon of the Earl of Moray, depicted in a stained-glass window at St. Gile’s Cathedral; Credit – By CPClegg – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=82436877

On January 23, 1570, in Linlithgow, Scotland, while still serving as Regent for his nephew James VI, King of Scots, the 39-year-old Moray was assassinated by James Hamilton of Bothwellhaugh, a supporter of his half-sister Mary, Queen of Scots. It was the first assassination by a firearm in recorded history. James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray was buried at St. Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh, Scotland. Seven earls and lords carried his body into the church, and John Knox, the Scottish minister who was a leader of Scotland’s Reformation and the founder of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland, preached at the funeral.

Monument to James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray at St. Giles Cathedral; Credit – By CPClegg – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=82436880

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1590 – Service of Thanksgiving for Anne of Denmark, Queen of Scots

Anne of Denmark, Queen of Scots, Queen of England; Credit – Wikipedia

James VI, King of Scots, the son of Mary, Queen Scots, was ready to marry to provide an heir to the throne of Scotland. In Denmark, Princess Anne, daughter of King Frederik II of Denmark, found that candidates for her hand in marriage were numerous as the Danish court was considered wealthy and a high dowry was expected. Anne’s mother Sophie of Mecklenburg-Güstrow, who conducted the marriage negotiations after the death of her husband in 1588, opted for King James VI. On August 20, 1589, Anne was married by proxy to James VI, King of Scots at Kronborg Castle in Helsingør, Denmark.

Ten days after the proxy wedding, Anne set sail for Scotland, but severe storms forced her to land in Norway. Upon hearing this, James set sail to personally bring Anne to Scotland. On November 23, 1589, the couple was formally married at the Bishop’s Palace in Oslo, Norway. After a prolonged visit to Denmark, James and Anne landed in Scotland on May 1, 1590. On May 15, 1590, Anne made her state entry into Edinburgh.

After such a long and sometimes dangerous ordeal, a service of thanksgiving was held at St. Giles Cathedral. Anne entered St. Giles under a red velvet canopy while the choir sang Psalm 19 “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows his handiwork.” Robert Bruce of Kinnaird, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, preached a sermon on Psalm 107, a reflection of thanksgiving for the safe return of those on the sea: “Those who go down to the sea in ships, who do business on great waters.”

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1633 – Visit of Charles I, King of England, King of Scots

Charles I, King of England, King of Scots; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1603, James VI, King of Scots succeeded Queen Elizabeth I of England and was then also King James I of England. His son and successor Charles I, King of England, King of Scots had been born at Dunfermline Palace in Fife, Scotland. Although Charles was crowned at Westminster Abbey on February 2, 1626, the Scots insisted that he should also be crowned in his northern kingdom. The coronation took place at the Palace of Holyrood in Edinburgh on June 18, 1633, during an elaborate and extravagant royal tour of Scotland. The crown, sword, and scepter used in the coronation date from the late 15th and early 16th centuries, and were first brought together for the coronation service of the nine-month-old Mary, Queen of Scots. On June 23, 1633, Charles I made an unannounced visit to St. Giles Cathedral and displaced the Church of Scotland clergy with his own clergy who conducted the service according to the rites of the Church of England.

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1822 – King George IV visits Scotland

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

In 1822, King George IV of the United Kingdom’s 21-day visit to Scotland, organized by author Sir Walter Scott, was the first by a British monarch since the reign of King Charles II. On his trip to Scotland, George IV frequently wore a kilt and this helped to make the traditional garb of Highland Scotland popular during the 19th century. During his visit, King George IV attended services at St. Giles Cathedral. The publicity of his visit created the motivation for the city council to fund much-needed renovations on St. Giles Cathedral.

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1953 – Queen Elizabeth II receives the Honours of Scotland

Embed from Getty Images

Queen Elizabeth II returning the crown of the Honours of Scotland to the care of the Duke of Hamilton, in St. Giles’ Cathedral, Edinburgh, during the Scottish National Service of Thanksgiving and Dedication.

The Honours of Scotland, also known as the Scottish Crown Jewels, date from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries and are the oldest surviving set of crown jewels of the United Kingdom. They were first used together as coronation regalia at the coronation of the nine-month-old Mary, Queen of Scots in 1543, and subsequently at the coronations of her infant son James VI in 1567 at Stirling Castle, her grandson Charles I in 1633 at Holyrood Palace, and her great-grandson Charles II in 1651 at Scone.

Embed from Getty Images

The crown (1540), the scepter (circa 1494), and the sword of state (1507) are the three main Honours of Scotland. During her first visit to Scotland after her coronation, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom received the Honours of Scotland at a National Service of Thanksgiving and Dedication at St. Giles Cathedral on June 24, 1953. During the service, the Honours of Scotland were formally presented to Queen Elizabeth II by Douglas Douglas-Hamilton, 14th Duke of Hamilton. The Queen then returned them to the Duke of Hamilton. The Duke of Hamilton is the senior dukedom in the Peerage of Scotland and the Hereditary Bearer of the Crown of Scotland. The Honours of Scotland are on display in the Crown Room at Edinburgh Castle.

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2022 – The Coffin of Queen Elizabeth II lies in rest

Embed from Getty Images

The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II lies at rest at St. Giles Cathedral as her four children stand in vigil

Because Queen Elizabeth II died at her Scottish home Balmoral Castle, her funeral plans incorporated Operation Unicorn, the contingency plans for the death of The Queen in Scotland. Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin rested in the ballroom at Balmoral Castle in Scotland where she died on September 8, 2022. On September 11, 2022, her coffin traveled by hearse from Balmoral Castle to the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, the official residence of the British monarch in Scotland. Upon arrival at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the coffin rested in the palace’s Throne Room. On the afternoon of September 12, 2022, Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin traveled by a procession from the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, Scotland, the short distance up the Royal Mile to St. Giles Cathedral, accompanied by King Charles III and members of the Royal Family. Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin rested in St. Giles Cathedral where members of the public were able to view the coffin. On the evening of September 12, 2022, King Charles III and members of the Royal Family held an evening vigil at St Giles Cathedral. The coffin departed St. Giles Cathedral on September 13, 2022, and traveled by plane to London.

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Order of the Thistle

Insignia of a Knight of the Order of the Thistle; Credit – Wikipedia

The Order of the Thistle is Scotland’s senior order and the second-highest order within the United Kingdom. Membership is limited to the Sovereign and sixteen members. In addition, members of the Royal Family and foreign sovereigns can be appointed as Extra Knights and Ladies. Queen Elizabeth II altered the statutes of the order in 1987 allowing women to be admitted as Ladies of the Thistle. Members are appointed in recognition of their public service, contributions to national life, or personal service to the Sovereign. Like the Order of the Garter, the Order of the Thistle is awarded at the sole discretion of the Sovereign. New members are traditionally announced on St. Andrew’s Day, November 30. During the Sovereign’s visit in June or July each year, a service for the Order is held at the Thistle Chapel at St Giles’ Church in Edinburgh, at which point any new members are installed.

Holyrood Abbey after its designation as the Chapel of the Order of the Thistle in 1687 and before the interior’s destruction in 1688; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1687, James VII, King of Scots (also James II, King of England) founded the Order of the Thistle and designated the Abbey Church at Holyrood Palace, where a Presbyterian congregation worshipped, to be the chapel of the new order. The Abbey Church was converted into a Catholic chapel, as James had converted to Roman Catholicism. A new church, the nearby Canongate Kirk, replaced the Abbey Church as the local Presbyterian parish church. In 1688, the Abbey Church was ransacked by a mob, furious with King James’ Roman Catholic allegiance. The Order of the Thistle was left without a chapel until the Thistle Chapel was added to the nearby St. Giles’ Cathedral in 1911.

Thistle Chapel; Credit – Wikipedia

Over the years, unsuccessful multiple proposals were made either to refurbish Holyrood Abbey for the Order of the Thistle or to create a new chapel at St Giles’ Cathedral. In 1906, the sons of Ronald Leslie-Melville, 11th Earl of Leven donated £24,000 from their father’s estate towards the endowment and the construction of a Thistle Chapel on the south side of St. Giles Cathedral. The Thistle Chapel was formally opened by King George V on July 19, 1911.

Swords, helms and crests of Knights of the Thistle above their stalls in the Thistle Chapel; Credit – By Philip Allfrey – Taken by the author, CC BY-SA 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=935442

This author has visited the Thistle Chapel and can verify that it is relatively small – 7.6 meters (25 feet) long and 4.3 meters (14 feet) wide. Each member, including the Sovereign, has a stall in the Thistle Chapel, above which his or her heraldic devices are displayed.

Stall plates of Knights of the Thistle; Credit – By Philip Allfrey – Taken by the author, CC BY-SA 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=935427

Enameled plates with the name, arms, and date of admission of members, living and deceased, who have sat in each stall are attached to the back of the stall. Unlike the Order of the Garter, the banners of Knights and Ladies of the Thistle are not hung in the chapel but instead in an adjacent part of St Giles Cathedral.

Banners of Knights of the Thistle, hanging in St Giles Cathedral; Credit – Wikipedia

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Works Cited

En.wikipedia.org. 2021. James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Stewart,_1st_Earl_of_Moray> [Accessed 22 May 2021].
En.wikipedia.org. 2021. St Giles’ Cathedral – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Giles%27_Cathedral> [Accessed 22 May 2021].
En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Order of the Thistle – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_the_Thistle> [Accessed 22 May 2021].
En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Thistle Chapel – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thistle_Chapel> [Accessed 22 May 2021].
Flantzer, S., 2016. Anne of Denmark, Queen of Scots, Queen of England. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/anne-of-denmark-queen-of-scots-queen-of-england/> [Accessed 22 May 2021].
Flantzer, Susan, 2020. Assassination of James I, King of Scots (1437). [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/assassination-of-james-i-king-of-scots-1437/> [Accessed 22 May 2021].
Flantzer, Susan, 2016. King Charles I of England. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-charles-i-of-england/> [Accessed 22 May 2021].
Flantzer, Susan, 2015. King George IV of the United Kingdom. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-george-iv-of-the-united-kingdom/> [Accessed 22 May 2021].
Flantzer, Susan, 2020. Lady Margaret Erskine, Mistress of James V, King of Scots. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/lady-margaret-erskine-mistress-of-james-v-king-of-scots/> [Accessed 22 May 2021].
Mehl, Scott, 2012. British Orders and Honours. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/current-monarchies/british-royals/british-orders-and-honours/> [Accessed 22 May 2021].
St GILES’ CATHEDRAL. 2021. St GILES’ CATHEDRAL. [online] Available at: <https://stgilescathedral.org.uk/> [Accessed 22 May 2021].
The Royal Family. 2021. The Honours of Scotland. [online] Available at: <https://www.royal.uk/honours-scotland> [Accessed 22 May 2021].

Ferdinando I, King of the Two Sicilies

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Ferdinando I, King of the Two Sicilies

Ferdinando I reigned as King of Naples and Sicily from 1759 – 1816, and then as King of the Two Sicilies from 1816 – 1825. Born at the Royal Palace in Naples, now Italy, on January 12, 1751, Ferdinando was the third of the six sons and the ninth of thirteen children of Carlos IV, King of Naples and Sicily, later Carlos III, King of Spain, and Maria Amalia of Saxony. Ferdinando’s paternal grandparents were Felipe V, King of Spain and his second wife Elisabeth Farnese of Parma. Ferdinando’s paternal grandfather Felipe V was born Philippe of France, Duke of Anjou, the son of Louis, Le Grand Dauphin, the heir apparent to the throne of France, and the grandson of Louis XIV, King of France. Ferdinando’s maternal grandparents were Odoardo Farnese, Hereditary Prince of Parma and Dorothea Sophie of Neuburg.

Ferdinando I had twelve siblings:

Princess Maria Isabel of Naples and Sicily (1740 – 1742), died in early childhood
Princess Maria Josefa of Naples and Sicily (born and died 1742), died in infancy
Princess Maria Isabel of Naples and Sicily (1743 – 1749), died in childhood.
Infanta Maria Josefa of Spain (1744 – 1801), unmarried
Infanta Maria Luisa of Spain (1745 – 1792), married Pietro Leopoldo I, Grand Duke of Tuscany (also Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor), had sixteen children
Prince Felipe of Spain, Duke of Calabria (1747 – 1777), excluded from succession to the throne due to his mental disability, died from smallpox
Carlos IV, King of Spain (1748 – 1819), married Princess Maria Luisa of Parma, had fourteen children
Princess Maria Teresa of Naples and Sicily (1749 – 1750), died in infancy
Infante Gabriel of Spain (1752 – 1788), married Mariana Vitória of Portugal, had three children
Princess Maria Ana of Naples and Sicily (1754 – 1755), died in infancy
Infante Antonio Pascual of Spain (1755 – 1817), married his niece Infanta Maria Amalia of Spain who died in childbirth with her son
Infante Francisco Javier of Spain (1757 – 1771), died in his teens

In 1759, upon the death of his childless half-brother King Ferdinand VI of Spain, King Carlos IV of Naples and Sicily succeeded him as King Carlos III of Spain. Because of treaties, Carlos could not be the sovereign of all three kingdoms. His eldest son Felipe was excluded from the succession because of intellectual disability and his second son Carlos was the heir apparent to the Spanish throne. That left the third son Ferdinando to become King of Naples and King of Sicily. Ferdinando was only eight years old when he became King of Naples and Sicily and a regency council ruled until his sixteenth birthday. Ferdinando resisted his studies and his court commitments and this was encouraged by Bernardo Tanucci, the president of the regency council, who wanted to control the government.

Maria Carolina of Austria, Ferdinando’s first wife; Credit – Wikipedia

On October 1767, a marriage was arranged as part of an alliance between Austria and Spain between Ferdinando and Maria Josepha of Austria, the daughter of Holy Empress Maria Theresa, who was in her own right Archduchess of Austria, Queen of Hungary, Queen of Croatia, and Queen of Bohemia, and Francis, Holy Roman Emperor, Grand Duke of Tuscany, and Duke of Lorraine. However, Maria Josepha died during a smallpox epidemic. Ferdinando’s father Carlos III of Spain was anxious to save the Austro-Spanish alliance, and so he requested one of Maria Josepha’s sisters as a replacement bride. Empress Maria Theresa, who wielded the real power, offered a choice of two of her daughters. Fifteen-year-old Archduchess Maria Carolina of Austria was chosen as Ferdinando’s bride. The couple was married by proxy in Vienna, Austria on April 7, 1768. On May 12, 1768, Ferdinando and Maria Carolina married in person at the Palace of Caserta in Caserta, near Naples. As part of the marriage contract, Maria Carolina was to have a place on the council of state after the birth of her first son.

During the early months of their marriage, serious differences arose between the newlyweds which would worsen over the years. In contrast to Maria Carolina, who had been carefully prepared for her role as a future queen, Ferdinando had never received a comprehensive education and spent his time hunting, playing pranks, and eating excessively.

Ferdinando, Maria Carolina, and their children Maria Theresa, Maria Luisa, Maria Amelia, Francesco, Maria Cristina, and Gennaro, 1783; Credit – Wikipedia

Despite her dislike for her husband, Maria Carolina fulfilled her most important duty – to continue the dynasty. Ferdinando and Maria Carolina of Austria had seventeen children but only seven survived childhood. Seven of their children died from smallpox. However, four of their five surviving daughters married sovereigns.

Maria Teresa of Naples and Sicily (1772 – 1807), married her first cousin Franz II, Holy Roman Emperor (later Franz I, Emperor of Austria), had twelve children
Maria Luisa of Naples and Sicily (1773 – 1802), married her first cousin Ferdinand III, Grand Duke of Tuscany, had five children
Carlo of Naples and Sicily (1775 – 1778), died in early childhood from smallpox.
Maria Anna of Naples and Sicily (1775 – 1780), died in childhood from smallpox.
Francesco I, King of the Two Sicilies (1777 – 1830), married (1) Maria Clementina of Austria, had two children (2) Maria Isabella of Spain, had twelve children
Maria Cristina of Naples and Sicily (1779 – 1849), married Carlo Felice, King of Sardinia, no children
Gennaro of Naples and Sicily (1780 – 1789), died in childhood from smallpox
Giuseppe of Naples and Sicily (1781 – 1783), died in early childhood from smallpox.
Maria Amelia of Naples and Sicily (1782 – 1866), married Louis Philippe d’Orléans, Duke of Orléans, later King of the French, had ten children
Maria Carolina of Naples and Sicily (born and died 1783)
Maria Antonia of Naples and Sicily (1784 – 1806), married Infante Ferdinand of Spain, Prince of Asturias, later King Ferdinand VII of Spain, no children, died from tuberculosis
Maria Clotilde of Naples and Sicily (1786 – 1792), died in childhood from smallpox
Maria Enricheta of Naples and Sicily (1787- 1792), died in childhood from smallpox
Carlo Gennaro of Naples and Sicily (1788 – 1789), died in infancy from smallpox
Leopoldo of Naples and Sicily (1790 – 1851), married his niece Clementina of Austria, had two children
Alberto of Naples and Sicily (1792 – 1798), died in childhood
Maria Isabella of Naples and Sicily (1793 – 1801), died in childhood

In 1775, after her first son was born, Maria Carolina took her place on the council of state. Bernardo Tanucci, the former president of the regency council, was still on the council of state and attempted to thwart her political influence and found himself dismissed in 1777. From then on, Maria Carolina was the de facto ruler of the Kingdoms of Naples and Sicily.

Ferdinando I was deposed twice from his thrones: once by the revolutionary Parthenopean Republic for six months in 1799 and again by Napoleon in 1805. In February 1806, Ferdinando, Maria Carolina, and their family was forced to flee to the island of Sicily, which was still in their control, where they lived in the Royal Palace of Palermo under British protection. However, the government of Sicily was a feudal type and the British insisted on a government more similar to the British one. In 1813, Ferdinando essentially but not officially abdicated and his eldest surviving son Francesco was appointed regent. At the insistence of the British, who were becoming more and more adverse to Maria Carolina, she was forced to leave Sicily. She returned to her home in Austria where she died from a stroke, aged 62, on September 8, 1814.

Ferdinando’s morganatic second wife Lucia Migliaccio, Duchess of Florida; Credit – Wikipedia

On November 27, 1814, in Palermo, Sicily, less than three months after the death of his first wife, Ferdinando I, King of the Two Sicilies married Lucia Migliaccio, Duchess of Floridia. She was the daughter of Vincenzo Migliaccio, 8th Duke of Floridia and Dorotea Borgia dei Marchesi del Casale, and had inherited her father’s dukedom. She had previously been married to Benedetto Grifeo, 8th Prince of Partanna, who predeceased her, and they had five children. Because Ferdinando and Lucia’s marriage was morganatic, Lucia was not Queen.

In 1815, the Congress of Vienna restored Ferdinando’s rights to the thrones of Naples and Sicily and he returned to Naples on June 17, 1815. In 1816, after Ferdinando abolished the constitution of the Kingdom of Sicily, the two kingdoms, Naples and Sicily, were united into the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. For the next four years, Ferdinand reigned as an absolute monarch and there were no constitutional reforms.

Entrance to the burial vault at the Basilica of Santa Chiara in Naples; Credit – Credit – Di Giuseppe Guida – Flickr: Basilica di Santa Chiara., CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=20267754

In 1820, a revolt broke out in Sicily and riots occurred in Naples. Ferdinando was forced to sign a constitution and appoint his son Francesco as regent of Sicily. This only lasted until March 1821, when Austrian troops friendly to Ferdinando occupied Naples. Ferdinando was re-established as an absolute monarch and the constitution was withdrawn. Ferdinando I died from a stroke in Naples on January 4, 1825, at the age of 73. He was buried at the Basilica of Santa Chiara in Naples.

Kingdom of the Two Sicilies Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

De.wikipedia.org. 2021. Ferdinand I. (Sizilien) – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferdinand_I._(Sizilien)> [Accessed 25 July 2021].
De.wikipedia.org. 2021. Maria Karolina von Österreich – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Karolina_von_%C3%96sterreich> [Accessed 25 July 2021].
En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferdinand_I_of_the_Two_Sicilies> [Accessed 25 July 2021].
En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Lucia Migliaccio – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucia_Migliaccio> [Accessed 25 July 2021].
En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Maria Carolina of Austria – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Carolina_of_Austria> [Accessed 25 July 2021].
It.wikipedia.org. 2021. Ferdinando I delle Due Sicilie – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferdinando_I_delle_Due_Sicilie> [Accessed 25 July 2021].

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