Category Archives: Pretenders to the Throne

Sigismund of Habsburg-Lorraine, Archduke of Austria

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2023

Sigismund of Habsburg-Lorraine is the current Pretender to the former Grand Ducal throne of Tuscany. He holds the courtesy titles of Archduke of Austria and Grand Duke of Tuscany.

photo by SigismondoAL — Travail personnel, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=105626406

Sigismund was born in Lausanne on April 21, 1966, the elder son of Archduke Leopold Franz of Austria and Laetitia de Belzunce d’Arenberg. He has one younger brother:

  • Gontran (1967) – married Debora de Sola, had issue

He was raised in Switzerland, Uruguay and the United Kingdom, and later studied computer science and worked in the banking industry. In 1993, his father renounced his rights as head of the house upon his second marriage. Since then, Sigismund has been the pretender to the former throne.

On September 11, 1999 in London, Sigismund married Elyssa Edmonstone, the daughter of Sir Archibald Edmonstone, 7th Baronet Duntreach and Elizabeth Deakin. The couple had three children before divorcing in 2013:

  • Leopold (2001)
  • Tatyana (2003)
  • Maximilian (2004)

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Grand Duchy of Tuscany Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Archduke Leopold Franz of Austria

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2023

Archduke Leopold Franz of Austria was the Pretender to the former Grand Ducal throne of Tuscany from 1984 until renouncing his rights in favor of his son in 1993.

Archduke Leopold Franz Peter Ferdinand Maria Joseph Gottfried Georg Karl Otto Rudolf Michael was born at Leutstetten Castle, near Starnberg, Bavaria, on October 25, 1942. He was the only son of Archduke Gottfried of Austria and Princess Dorothea of Bavaria. He had three sisters:

  • Archduchess Elisabeth (1939) – married Friedrich Edler von Braun, had issue
  • Archduchess Alice (1941) – married Baron Vittorio Manno, had issue
  • Archduchess Marie Antoinette (1950) – married Baron von Proff zu Irnich, had issue

Leopold Franz married Laetitia de Bezunce d’Arenberg in a civil ceremony on June 19, 1965 and religious ceremony on July 28, 1965. The couple had two children:

  • Sigismund (1966) – married Elyssa Edmonstone, had issue
  • Gontran (1967) – married Debora de Sola, had issue

He studied engineering in Munich and later lived in Uruguay from 1965 until 1973 when he moved to Austria. He and his wife divorced in 1981. Twelve years later, he married for a second time, in June 1993, to Marta Julia Perez Valverde. At that time, Leopold Franz renounced his rights as head of the House of Tuscany in favor of his son, Sigismund. The couple later divorced in 1998.

Archduke Leopold Franz died on June 23, 2021 at the age of 78.

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Grand Duchy of Tuscany Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Archduke Gottfried of Austria

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2023

Archduke Gottfried of Austria was the Pretender to the former Grand Ducal throne of Tuscany from 1948 until his death in 1984.

Archduke Gottfried of Austria as a child – source: Wikipedia

Archduke Gottfried Maria Joseph Peter Ferdinand Hubert Anton Rupert Leopold Heinrich Ignaz Alfons was born Mary 14, 1902 in Linz, Austria, the elder son of Archduke Peter Ferdinand of Austria and Princess Maria Cristina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. He had three siblings:

He was raised in Salzburg and Vienna in Austria until the family relocated to Lucerne, Switzerland at the end of World War I.

Wedding of Gottfried and Dorothea of Bavaria; Credit – Wikipedia

Gottfried married Princess Dorothea of Bavaria in civil and religious ceremonies held on August 2 and 3, 1938 in Sárvár, Hungary. She was the daughter of Prince Franz of Bavaria and Princess Isabella Antonie of Croÿ. The couple had four children:

  • Archduchess Elisabeth (1939) – married Friedrich Edler von Braun, had issue
  • Archduchess Alice (1941) – married Baron Vittorio Manno, had issue
  • Archduke Leopold Franz of Austria, Prince of Tuscany (1942) – married Laetitia de Bezunce d’Arenberg, had issue
  • Archduchess Marie Antoinette (1950) – married Baron von Proff zu Irnich, had issue

After World War II, Gottfried and his family settled in Sankt Gilgen, just outside of Salzburg, Austria. They lived a very quiet life, despite Gottfried succeeding his father as pretender to the former Grand Ducal throne of Tuscany in 1948.

Archduke Gottfried died in Bad Ischl, Austria on January 21, 1984. He is buried in the parish cemetery of Sankt Gilgen, in Salzburg. Gottfried was succeeded by his only son, Archduke Leopold Franz.

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

Grand Duchy of Tuscany Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Archduke Peter Ferdinand of Austria

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2023

Archduke Peter Ferdinand of Austria, Prince of Tuscany was the Pretender to the former Grand Ducal throne of Tuscany from 1921 until he died in 1948.

Archduke Peter Ferdinand of Austria – source: Wikipedia

Peter Ferdinand (Pietro Ferdinando) was born in Salzburg, Austria on May 12, 1874, the third son of Ferdinando IV, the last Grand Duke of Tuscany, and his second wife, Princess Alicia of Parma. He had 9 siblings:

  • Archduke Leopoldo Ferdinando (1868) – married 3 times, no issue
  • Archduchess Luisa (1870) – married (1) Crown Prince Friedrich August of Saxony, had issue; (2) Enrico Toselli, had issue
  • Giuseppe Ferdinando (1872) – married (1) Rosa Kaltenbrunner, no issue; (2) Gertrude Tomanek von Beyerfels-Mondsee, had issue
  • Archduke Enrico Fernando (1878) – married Maria Ludescher, had issue
  • Archduchess Anna Maria (1879) – married Johannes, Prince of Hohenlohe-Bartenstein, had issue
  • Archduchess Margherita (1881) – unmarried
  • Archduchess Germana (1884) – unmarried
  • Archduke Roberto Ferdinando (1885) – died in childhood
  • Archduchess Agnese (1891) – unmarried

He also had an older half-sister from his father’s first marriage to Princess Anna of Saxony:

Princess Maria Antonietta of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. source: Wikipedia

On November 8, 1900 in Cannes, France, Peter Ferdinand married Princess Maria Cristina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. She was the daughter of Prince Alfonso, Count of Caserta and Princess Antonietta of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. The couple had four children:

Pietro Ferdinando with his wife and children, c1911. source: Wikipedia

Peter Ferdinand had a long military career, quickly climbing through the ranks to become Fieldmarshal in 1914. At the beginning of World War I, he was commanding the 25th Infantry Division, fighting against Russian forces in Galicia and southern Poland. However, he was blamed for the force’s failures and was relieved of his command in June 1915. Two years later, in April 1917, he was reinstated as General of the Infantry and took command of army troops on the Italian front. He continued to command positions until the end of the war.

Archduke Peter Ferdinand died in St. Gilgen, Salzburg, Austria on November 8, 1948. He is buried in the local cemetery.

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

Grand Duchy of Tuscany Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Archduke Giuseppe Ferdinando of Austria

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2023

Archduke Giuseppe Ferdinando of Austria was the Pretender to the Grand Ducal Throne of Tuscany from 1908 until 1921 when he married unequally, and was forced to renounce his rights.

source: Wikipedia

Archduke Giuseppe Ferdinando of Austria was born in Salzburg on May 24, 1872, the second son of Ferdinando IV, the last Grand Duke of Tuscany, and his second wife, Princess Alicia of Parma. He was given the names Giuseppe Ferdinando Salvatore Maria Francesco Leopoldo Antonio Alberto Giovanni Battista Carlo Ludovico Roberto Maria Ausiliatrice. He had 9 siblings:

He also had an older half-sister from his father’s first marriage to Princess Anna of Saxony:

Giuseppe Ferinando attended the Oberrealschule at Hranice and the Maria Theresa Military Academy at Wiener Neustadt. He was then commissioned in the Austrian military, where he served in various regiments. During World War I, he held several command positions, but was forced to retire in June 1916 after suffering devastating losses during the Brusilov Offensive. He later served as Inspector General of the Imperial Air Force from July 1917 until September 1918.

Giuseppe Ferdnando was fascinated with aviation, especially hot air balloons. He made several attempts to incorporate both into his military service, with little success. He did, however, arrange for a balloon flight from his home in Linz, landing in Dieppe, France 16 hours later.

Giuseppe was married twice. His first marriage, on May 2, 1921, was to Rosa Kaltenbrunner. The couple divorced in 1928 with no issue. He married again on January 27, 1929 to Gertrude Tomanek von Beyerfels-Mondsee. The couple had two children:

  • Claudia von Habsburg-Lothringen (1930) – unmarried
  • Maximilian von Habsburg-Lothringen (1932) – married to Doris Williams, had issue

He had become his father’s heir in 1902, when his elder brother renounced his membership in the Imperial House in order to marry . But Giuseppe too lost his claim to the former throne in 1921, when he also renounced his membership in the Imperial House and his claim to the throne. He was succeeded by his younger brother, Pietro Ferdinando.

In 1938, Giuseppe Ferdinando was arrested by the Gestapo and sent to the Dachau Concentration Camp. After three months, he was released but remained under constant observation by the Gestapo. He settled in Vienna, where he died on August 28, 1942.

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

Grand Duchy of Tuscany Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich of Russia

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2023

Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich of Russia in 1938

Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich of Russia was the pretender to the throne of Russia from 1938 – 1992.

About the Russian Succession

Russian Imperial Coat of Arms; Credit – Wikipedia

The succession to the former Russian throne has been in dispute, mainly due to disagreements over the validity of marriages. In 1924, after Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich (son of Alexander III, Emperor of All Russia and brother of Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia) was declared legally dead, Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich, a male-line grandson of Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia, declared himself Guardian of the Throne and later assumed the title Emperor of All Russia. In 1938, upon the death of Kirill Vladimirovich, his son Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich assumed the Headship of the Russian Imperial Family.

Vladimir Kirillovich’s only child, Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna (born 1953), claims to have succeeded her father upon his death in 1992. Her claim to the Headship of the Russian Imperial Family is based on a claim that all male lines of the Romanov family are either extinct, illegitimate, or morganatic, triggering semi-salic succession, and that she is the closest female to the last dynast. The claim of Maria Vladimirovna as Head of the Russian Imperial Family is disputed by the Romanov Family Association made up of the majority of the male-line descendants of Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia. Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna and father Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich, male-line descendants of Nicholas I, never joined.

Pre-revolutionary Romanov house law allowed only those born of an equal marriage between a Romanov dynast and a member of a royal or sovereign house to be in the line of succession to the Russian throne. The throne could only pass to a female and through the female line upon the extinction of all legitimately-born, male dynasts.

Maria Vladimiovna’s mother Princess Leonida of Bagration belonged to a family that had been kings in Georgia from medieval times until the early 19th century. However, no male line ancestor of Leonida had reigned as a king in Georgia since 1505 and her branch of the Bagrations, the House of Mukhrani, had been naturalized as non-ruling nobility of Russia after Georgia was annexed to the Russian empire in 1801. Prince Karl Emich of Leiningen, another pretender, and his supporters, the Monarchist Party of Russia, argue that there is a precedent for a marriage with the House of Bagration-Mukhrani being an unequal marriage. They argue that the House of Bragation-Mukhrani, the house of Leonida Bagration-Mukhrani, Maria Vladimirovna’s mother, did not possess sovereign status and was not recognized as an equal marriage by Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia for the purpose of dynastic marriages at the time of the marriage of Princess Tatiana Konstantinovna of Russia and Prince Konstantine Bragation-Mukhrani in 1911, thirty-seven years before the marriage of Princess Leonida of Bragation-Mukhrani and Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich. The couple married but Princess Tatiana Konstantinovna was required to renounce her rights to the Russian throne and she was no longer a member of the House of Romanov.

Therefore, after the death of Vladimir Kirillovich in 1992, Prince Nicholas Romanov claimed that he was the Head of the Imperial Family of Russia. Except for Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna, who said that the marriage of Nicholas’ parents was not in conformity with the house laws, Nicholas was recognized by the rest of the family as head of the Romanov family. However, Maria Vladimirovna seems to be more accepted by European royalty and she is sometimes invited to royal events. She attended the 2023 funeral of former King Constantine II of Greece.

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Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich of Russia was born on August 30, 1917, in Porvoo, Grand Duchy of Finland, Russian Empire, now in Finland. He was the third of the three children and the only son of first cousins Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich of Russia and Princess Victoria Melita of Edinburgh and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, a granddaughter of both Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and Alexander, Emperor II of All Russia. Vladimir’s paternal grandparents were Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich of Russia (son of Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia) and Duchess Marie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. His maternal grandparents were Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (son of Queen Victoria) and Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia (daughter of Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia).

Vladimir’s family: (left to right) Maria Kirillovna, Victoria Melita, Kirill Vladimirovich holding Vladimir Kirillovich, and Kira Kirillovna; Credit – Wikipedia

Vladimir had two older sisters:

Vladimir had one half-sister from his mother’s first marriage, which ended in divorce, to her first cousin Grand Duke Ernst Ludwig of Hesse and by Rhine:

Soon after the abdication of Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia in March 1917, Vladimir’s parents Kirill and Victoria Melita, known in Russia as Grand Duchess Victoria Feodorovna, decided it was best to leave Russia. Victoria Melita was pregnant with Vladimir. They traveled to Finland, then part of Russia, where Vladimir was born on August 30, 1917. In the fall of 1919, they moved to Germany where they reunited with Vladimir’s maternal grandmother Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia who was the widow of Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

After the death of Victoria Melita’s mother in 1920, Kirill and Victoria Melita now had two homes at their disposal, a villa in Nice, France and the Villa Edinburg, which later became known as the Kirill Palace, in Coburg, formerly in the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, now in Bavaria, Germany. For the next several years, the family split their time between the two homes. In 1924, when Kirill assumed the title Emperor of All Russia, he granted Vladimir the style Imperial Highness and the titles Grand Duke and Tsesarevich (heir apparent). In 1926, the family moved for the last time, purchasing a villa in Saint-Briac-sur-Mer on the coast of Brittany in France. Here the family settled into a quiet life, while Victoria Melita put her energies into raising her son Vladimir and ensuring her two daughters made significant marriages.

Vladimir’s family in 1926: (left to right) Vladimir Kirillovich, Victoria Melita, Kira Kirillovna, Kirill Vladimirovich; Credit – Wikipedia

Vladimir was educated privately and was fluent in Russian, English, French, German, and Spanish. He lived in London, England for a period of time, studying at the University of London. Vladimir’s mother Victoria Melita suffered a stroke in February 1936, while attending the christening of her fifth grandchild, and died on March 1, 1936.

Vladimir (in the center) in Paris, France in 1938

Upon the death of his father Kirill on October 12, 1938, the 21-year-old Vladimir was recognized as the Head of the Russian Imperial House by the Grand Dukes and Princes of Imperial Blood behind him in order of dynastic seniority and by the majority of the reigning houses of Europe. Unlike his father, Vladimir did not proclaim himself Emperor of All Russia. Instead, he used the style and title His Imperial Highness The Sovereign Grand Duke for the rest of his life.

During World War II, Vladimir lived in the family villa in Saint-Briac-sur-Mer on the coast of Brittany in France. However, in 1944, the Germans, who had occupied the area, feared the Allies might invade the Brittany coast, Vladimir and other family members were moved to the interior of France. When the interior of France was deemed unsafe, Vladimir and family members were allowed to move to Amorbach Castle in Amorbach, Bavaria, Germany which had long belonged to the family of Vladimir’s brother-in-law Karl, 6th Prince of Leiningen.

After Germany’s defeat in World War II, Vladimir feared that he might be captured by the Soviet army. For his safety from the Soviets, Vladimir wanted to settle in Liechtenstein or Switzerland. However, neither country would give him an entrance visa. Vladimir’s maternal aunt Princess Beatrice of Edinburgh and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha had married Infante Alfonso of Spain, Duke of Galliera, the first cousin of King Alfonso XIII of Spain. Beatrice was able to obtain a Spanish visa for Vladimir. After living with his aunt at her estate El Botánico in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Spain, Vladimir settled in Madrid, Spain, but frequently visited the family villa in Saint-Briac-sur-Mer, Brittany France, and Paris, France.

Princess Leonida Georgievna Bagration-Mukhrani; Credit – Wikipedia

Vladimir first met his future wife Princess Leonida Georgievna Bagration-Mukhrani at a restaurant in Paris, France during World War II. They did not meet again until they were both staying in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Spain. Leonida was the daughter of Prince George Alexandrovich Bagration-Mukhrani, a Georgian nobleman, and Elena Sigismundovna Zlotnitskaya, the daughter of a Russian nobleman of Polish origin. Leonida had been married to Sumner Moore Kirby, a wealthy American in 1934. They had one daughter Helen Louise Kirby and divorced after three years of marriage. Vladimir and Leonida were married on August 13, 1948, at St. Gerasimus Orthodox Church in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Vladimir and Leonida had one daughter:

Pre-revolutionary Romanov house law allowed only those born of an equal marriage between a Romanov dynast and a member of a royal or sovereign house to be in the line of succession to the Russian throne. Princess Leonida of Bagration belonged to a family that had been kings in Georgia from medieval times until the early 19th century. However, no male line ancestor of Leonida had reigned as a king in Georgia since 1505 and her branch of the Bagrations, the House of Mukhrani, had been naturalized as non-ruling nobility of Russia after Georgia was annexed to the Russian empire in 1801. There is controversy as to whether Vladimir’s marriage to Leonida was equal or morganatic.

By the end of Vladimir’s life, there were no longer members of the Russian Imperial House in the male line who were not in unequal, dynastic marriages. Children from such marriages, according to the laws of the Russian Empire and the Institution of the Russian Imperial Family, are not members of the Russian Imperial House. Vladimir declared his daughter Maria Vladimirovna was born from an equal marriage and that she was his heiress.

Vladimir and his wife Leonida visiting St. Petersburg, Russia in 1991

After the Soviet Union fell in 1991, Vladimir was the first member of the Russian Imperial Family to visit Russia. Upon arriving, as he set foot on the land of his ancestors, where he had never been, he was moved to tears.

Funeral of Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich

Vladimir frequently traveled to the United States. On April 21, 1992, Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich died from a heart attack at the age of 74 while addressing a gathering of Spanish-speaking bankers and investors at Northern Trust Bank in Miami, Florida. Vladimir was buried in the Grand Ducal Mausoleum at the Peter and Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg, Russia, the first Romanov to be buried in Russia since the Russian Revolution. At that time, it was noted in the Russian press, that the funeral “was regarded by civic and Russian authorities as an obligation to the Romanov family rather than a step toward restoration of the monarchy.”

Grave of Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich of Russia; Credit – www.findagrave.com The inscription reads: Reads: His Imperial Highness the Blessed Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich Born in Borgo, 1917 August 30th Died in Miami, 1992 April 21st Interred 1993 May 29th

After the death of Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich, his only child, Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna claims to have succeeded her father. Her claim to the Headship of the Russian Imperial Family is based on a claim that all male lines of the Romanov family are either extinct, illegitimate, or morganatic, triggering semi-salic succession, and that she is the closest female to the last dynast. Maria Vladimirovna’s claim is disputed by the Romanov Family Association, a private organization of living male-line descendants of Paul I, Emperor of All Russia (except Maria Vladimirovna and her son). Prince Nicholas Romanov claimed that he was the Head of the Russian Imperial Family. Except for Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna, who said that the marriage of Nicholas’ parents was not in conformity with the house laws, Nicholas was recognized by the rest of the Romanov family as the Head of the Russian Imperial Family.

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

Works Cited

  • Flantzer, Susan. (2012) Romanovs Who Survived the Russian Revolution, Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/former-monarchies/the-romanovs/romanov-survivors/ (Accessed: February 18, 2023).
  • Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich of Russia (2023) Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Duke_Vladimir_Kirillovich_of_Russia (Accessed: February 18, 2023).
  • Романов, Владимир Кириллович (Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich of Russia) (2022) Wikipedia (Russian). Wikimedia Foundation. Available at: https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A0%D0%BE%D0%BC%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B2,_%D0%92%D0%BB%D0%B0%D0%B4%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%B8%D1%80_%D0%9A%D0%B8%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%BB%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%87 (Accessed: February 18, 2023).
  • Leonida Bagration of Mukhrani (2023) Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonida_Bagration_of_Mukhrani (Accessed: February 18, 2023).
  • Багратион-Мухранская, Леонида Георгиевна (Bagration-Mukhranskaya, Leonida Georgievna) (2023) Wikipedia (Russian). Wikimedia Foundation. Available at: https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%91%D0%B0%D0%B3%D1%80%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%BE%D0%BD-%D0%9C%D1%83%D1%85%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B0%D1%8F,_%D0%9B%D0%B5%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B0_%D0%93%D0%B5%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%B3%D0%B8%D0%B5%D0%B2%D0%BD%D0%B0 (Accessed: February 18, 2023).
  • Mehl, Scott. (2015) Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich of Russia, Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/grand-duke-kirill-vladimirovich-of-russia/ (Accessed: February 18, 2023).
  • Mehl, Scott. (2015) Victoria Melita of Edinburgh and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Grand Duchess Victoria Feodorovna of Russia, Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/princess-victoria-melita-of-edinburgh-and-saxe-coburg-and-gotha-grand-duchess-victoria-feodorovna-of-russia/ (Accessed: February 18, 2023).
  • Perry, John Curtis and Pleshakov, Constantine. (2001) The flight of the Romanovs: A Family Saga. New York: Basic Books.
  • Vladimir Kirillovitch de Russie (2023) Wikipedia (French). Wikimedia Foundation. Available at: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vladimir_Kirillovitch_de_Russie (Accessed: February 18, 2023).

Prince Alfonso of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Count of Caserta

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2022

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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Prince Alfonso of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Count of Caserta. source: Wikipedia

Prince Alfonso of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Count of Caserta, was a younger half-brother of King Francesco II, the last reigning King of the Two Sicilies. Upon Francesco’s death in 1894, Alfonso became Head of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies and pretender to the former throne.

Prince Alfonso Maria Giuseppe Alberto was born March 28, 1841 in Caserta, Two Sicilies, the third child of King Ferdinando II of the Two Sicilies and his second wife, Archduchess Maria Theresa of Austria. Alfonso had 11 siblings:

Alfonso also had one elder half-sibling from his father’s first marriage to Maria Cristina of Savoy:

At the time of his birth, Alfonso was 4th in line to the throne of the Two Sicilies, preceded by his three elder brothers, Francesco, Luigi and Alberto. Upon their father’s death in May 1859, his eldest brother, Francesco, became the last reigning King of the Two Sicilies. Alfonso, alongside his two surviving elder brothers, fought on the front lines in an attempt to defeat Garibaldi’s forces, but were unsuccessful, and the Kingdom was overtaken. Along with his brothers, he left the country in February 1861, and would spend the rest of his life in exile.

Upon the death of his brother Luigi in 1886, Alfonso became heir presumptive to his eldest brother who had no male heirs. Thus, when Franceso II died on December 27, 1894, Alfonso became Pretender to the former throne of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, and head of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies.

Princess Maria Antonietta of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. source: Wikipedia

On June 8, 1868, Alfonso married his cousin, Princess Maria Antonietta of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. She was the daughter of Prince Francesco of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Count of Trapani and Archduchess Maria Isabella of Austria, Princess of Tuscany. Alfonso and his wife were both grandchildren of King Franceso I of the Two Sicilies. Together they had 12 children:

Alfonso of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Count of Caserta; source: Wikipedia

Alfonso of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Count of Caserta died on May 26, 1934 in Cannes, France. He is buried in the Cimetière du Grand Jas in Cannes.

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Kingdom of the Two Sicilies Resources at Unofficial Royalty

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Philipp Albrecht, Duke of Württemberg

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Philipp Albrecht, Duke of Württemberg was Head of the House of Württemberg, and pretender to the former throne, from 1939 until his death in 1975.

photo: By Atelier E. Breber, Berlin – Original publication: Published as a postcard in Europe.Immediate source: Private Collection – Wartenberg Trust, PD-US, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=34113255

Prince Georg Philipp Albrecht Carl Maria Joseph Ludwig Lubertus Stanislaus Leopold of Württemberg was born in Stuttgart on November 14, 1893, the eldest son of Albrecht, Duke of Württemberg and Archduchess Margarete Sophie of Austria. He had six younger siblings:

  • Duke Albrecht Eugen (1895) – married Princess Nadezhda of Bulgaria, had issue
  • Duke Carl Alexander (1896) – unmarried
  • Duchess Maria Amalia (1897) – unmarried
  • Duchess Maria Theresa (1898) – unmarried
  • Duchess Maria Elisabeth (1899) -unmarried
  • Duchess Margarita Maria (1902) – unmarried

After attending the Eberhard-Ludwigs-Gymnasium in Stuttgart, Philipp Albrecht began studying law at the University of Tübingen. He left his studies after two semesters to join the Württemberg Army in 1912. He went on to serve in the Royal Dragoon Regiment No.25 during World War I, fighting on both the Eastern and Western Fronts. Following the November Revolution in 1918, which saw the end of the monarchy, he retired from military service and returned to his studies in Tübingen, eventually earning his doctorate in 1925.

Philipp Albrecht was married twice. His first wife was Archduchess Helena of Austria, Princess of Tuscany. She was the daughter of Archduke Peter Ferdinand of Austria and Princess Maria Cristina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. Philipp Albrecht and Helena married in Altshausen on October 24, 1923. Sadly, Helena died just a week after giving birth to their only child:

  • Duchess Maria Christina (1924) – married Prince Georg Hartmann of Liechtenstein, had issue

Four years later, on August 1, 1928, Philipp Albrecht married Archduchess Rosa of Austria, Princess of Tuscany. Rosa was the younger sister of his first wife. Together they had six children:

  • Duchess Helene (1929) – married Federico Pallavicini, Marchese Pallavicini, had issue
  • Duke Ludwig Albrecht (1930) – married (1) Baroness Adelheid von Bodman, had issue; (2) Angelika Kiessig, had issue
  • Duchess Elisabeth (1933) – married Prince Antoine of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, had issue
  • Duchess Marie Therese (1934) – married Prince Henri d’Orléans, Count of Paris, had issue
  • Carl, Duke of Württemberg (1936) – married Princess Diane d’Orléans, had issue
  • Duchess Maria Antonia (1937) – unmarried

Despite the monarchy having been abolished, Philipp Albrecht and his family continued to live at the Crown Prince’s Palace in Stuttgart until 1934 when they were forced to leave after he refused to fly the Nazi Flag above his home. They moved to Altshausen, where he became more involved in the family’s business ventures. After his father’s death in 1939, he became head of the House of Württemberg and pretender to the former throne and took over the management of the family’s estates. He remained very highly regarded in Württemberg for the rest of his life, unlike many of his contemporaries in other German monarchies.

Philipp Albrecht, Duke of Württemberg died in Ravensburg on April 1, 1975. He is buried in the family crypt in Altshausen.

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Albrecht, Duke of Württemberg

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Albrecht, Duke of Württemberg was heir presumptive to the throne of Württemberg for just a year before the monarchy was abolished in 1918. Three years later, upon the death of his distant cousin, King Wilhelm II, he became Head of the House of Württemberg and pretender to the former throne.

source: Wikipedia

Albrecht Maria Alexander Philipp Joseph of Württemberg was born in Vienna on December 23, 1865, the eldest son of Duke Philipp of Württemberg and Archduchess Maria Teresa of Austria. He had four younger siblings:

Albrecht studied law at the University of Tübingen before beginning his military career. Having joined the Württemberg Army in 1885, he also received training in the Prussian Army. Rising quickly through the ranks, Albrecht held numerous commands and became Commander-in-Chief of the 4th Army on the Western Front during World War I. He was considered one of the most skilled military leaders of the war, and he was highly recognized. German Emperor Wilhelm II awarded him the German Order of Merit and appointed him Fieldmarshal in the Prussian Army.

source: Wikipedia

On January 24, 1893 in Vienna, Albrecht married Archduchess Margarete Sophie of Austria, the daughter of Archduke Carl Ludwig of Austria and Princess Maria Annunciata of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. Margarete Sophie’s father was the younger brother of both Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria, and Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico. And her brother was Archduke Franz Ferdinand, whose assassination in 1913 was a primary cause of World War I. As the heir-presumptive to the throne of Württemberg, Albrecht and Margarete took up residence in the Crown Prince’s Palace in Stuttgart, where they had seven children:

Altshausen Castle. photo: Andreas Praefcke – Eigenes Werk own photograph, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=169884

On November 30, 1918, King Wilhelm II abdicated, ending the monarchy of Württemberg. At that time, the former King gave Albrecht and his family Altshausen Castle to use as their primary residence. (link in German). Just three years later, on October 2, 1921, the former King died and Albrecht became Head of the House of Württemberg and pretender to the former throne.

Albrecht, Duke of Württemberg died at Altshausen Castle in Althausen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany on October 31, 1939. He was buried in the family crypt at the Church of St. Michael, Althausen Castle.

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Prince Friedrich Christian of Saxony, Margrave of Meissen

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Prince Friedrich Christian of Saxony, Duke of Saxony, Margrave of Meissen was the first pretender to the former throne of Saxony, and head of the House of Saxony, from 1932 until his death in 1968.

photo: Wikipedia

Prince Friedrich Christian Albert Leopold Anno Sylvester Macarius of Saxony was born in Dresden on December 31, 1893, the second son of the last King of Saxony, King Friedrich August III of Saxony and his wife Archduchess Luise of Austria, Princess of Tuscany. He had six siblings:

After studying at the Military Academy in Dresden, Friedrich Christian served during World War I in the General Staff on the Western Front. Due to his fluency in several languages, he was sent on several diplomatic missions to Spain, Turkey, and Austria. The Saxon monarchy ended in November 1918 when his father abdicated and the German Empire collapsed. Friedrich Christian then devoted his time to academics, studying law at universities in Cologne, Freiburg, Wroclaw, and Würzburg. After earning his degree, he taught art history privately before being asked by his father to take over the management of the family’s estates in Saxony and Silesia.

On June 16, 1923 in Regensburg, Friedrich Christian married Princess Elisabeth Helene of Thurn und Taxis, the daughter of Albert, 8th Prince of Thurn und Taxis and Archduchess Margarethe Klementine of Austria. Together, the couple had five children:

  • Prince Maria Emanuel, Margrave of Meissen (1926) – married Princess Anastasia of Anhalt, no issue
  • Princess Maria Josepha (1928) – unmarried
  • Princess Anna (1929) – married Roberto de Afif, had issue
  • Prince Albert, Margrave of Meissen (1934) – married Elmira Henke, no issue
  • Princess Mathilde (1936) – married Prince Johannes Heinrich of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, had issue

That same year, Friedrich Christian became heir apparent to the former throne of Saxony when his elder brother renounced his rights to the throne and entered the priesthood. Nine years later, in February 1932, his father died and Friedrich Christian became Head of the House of Saxony and pretender to the former throne. At that time, he took on the historic title Margrave of Meissen. Over the next years, the family moved around quite a bit – living in Bamberg for several years before settling at Wachwitz Castle in Dresden until 1945. Moving several more times, they eventually settled in Munich in 1955.

Burial site at the Königskapelle. photo: Wikipedia

Friedrich Christian, Margrave of Meissen, died on August 9, 1968 in Samedan, Switzerland. Some years earlier, he had chosen the Königskapelle in Karrösten, North Tyrol to be his future burial site, as opposed to Dresden Cathedral which had been the traditional burial site for the Saxon family. Instead, he had a crypt designed in the grounds next to the chapel and is buried there alongside his wife and eldest son.

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Saxony Resources at Unofficial Royalty

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