March 30: Today in Royal History

© Unofficial Royalty 2024

Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother; Credit – Wikipedia

March 30, 1796 – Death of Augusta Wilhelmine of Hesse-Darmstadt, Duchess of Zweibrücken, first wife of Maximilian I Joseph, King of Bavaria, in Rohrbach, the French Republic now in Germany; buried at the Stadtkirche Darmstadt in Darmstadt, Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt, now in Hesse, Germany.
Princess Augusta Wilhelmine of Hesse-Darmstadt was the first wife of the future Maximilian I Joseph, King of Bavaria. 31-year-old Augusta Wilhelmine weakened from five pregnancies and the travails of war, died from pulmonary tuberculosis. Although she died before her husband became King of Bavaria, she was the mother of his successor King Ludwig I of Bavaria
Unofficial Royalty: Augusta Wilhelmine of Hesse-Darmstadt, Duchess of Zweibrücken

March 30, 1830 – Death of Ludwig I, Grand Duke of Baden, in Karlsruhe, Grand Duchy of Baden now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany; first buried in the Karlsruhe Stadtkirche, after World War II, his remains were moved to the Grand Ducal Chapel in the Pheasant Garden in Karlsruhe
As the third son, there was little expectation that Ludwig would succeed to the throne. He pursued a military career, serving in the Prussian army. He succeeded his nephew Karl Ludwig Friedrich as Grand Duke of Baden in 1818. Ludwig promoted the development of the country, as well as strengthening the military forces. He also established several universities and churches. Ludwig never married, but he did have several illegitimate children. He had a long relationship with Katharina Werner and this relationship resulted in three children. When Ludwig died in 1830 after suffering a stroke, he was succeeded by his half-brother, Leopold.
Unofficial Royalty: Ludwig I, Grand Duke of Baden

March 30, 1855 – Death of Charlotte of Prussia, Hereditary Princess of Saxe-Meiningen, first wife of the future Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, in Meiningen, Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen now in Thuringia, Germany, from childbirth complications; buried in the Park  Cemetery in Meiningen
Charlotte’s marriage in 1850 to the future Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen was truly a love match, although it was encouraged by Charlotte’s uncle King Friedrich Wilhelm IV of Prussia. Charlotte and Georg shared many of the same interests and unlike many marriages of the time, both were very happy to spend as much time together as possible. The couple had four children but sadly, Charlotte, aged 23, died in childbirth along with her fourth child.
Unofficial Royalty: Charlotte of Prussia, Hereditary Princess of Saxe-Meiningen

March 30, 1871 – Death of Queen Lovisa of Sweden and Norway, born Louise of the Netherlands, wife of King Charles XV of Sweden and Norway, at the Royal Palace in Stockholm, Sweden; buried at Riddarholmen Church in Stockholm, Sweden
In 1849, Louise met Prince Carl of Sweden, the son and heir of King Oscar I, and negotiations were soon underway to arrange a marriage between the two. While Louise was enamored of her future husband from their first meeting, he found her unattractive. However, King Oscar wanted to create familial ties between the relatively new Bernadotte dynasty in Sweden and some of the other long-established European dynasties. With Louise’s Dutch and Prussian families, as well as the promise of a large dowry, she was an ideal candidate. Prince Carl eventually conceded to his father’s wishes and Louise and Carl were married in 1850. The marriage was an unhappy one. Louise was desperately in love with her husband, but he was consistently unfaithful to her. Having had complications in her second pregnancy, Louise was unable to bear any more children. Following their son’s death in 1854, leaving no male heir to inherit the throne, Louise offered her husband a divorce, which he declined. Lovisa traveled to the Netherlands to be at her mother’s deathbed in late 1870. Upon returning, her husband fell ill and she nursed him back to health. Physically drained, Lovisa contracted pneumonia and died at the age of 42.
Unofficial Royalty: Louise of the Netherlands, Queen of Sweden and Norway

March 30, 2002 – Death of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, wife of King George VI, mother of Queen Elizabeth II, at Royal Lodge in Windsor, England; buried at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle in Windsor, England
Less than a month after the death of her younger daughter Princess Margaret, The Queen Mother passed away. Her daughter Queen Elizabeth II and two of her grandchildren, the children of Princess Margaret, David Armstrong-Jones, 2nd Earl of Snowdon and his sister Lady Sarah Chatto, were with her. At the time, she was the longest-lived member of the British Royal Family at age 101.  For The Queen Mother’s lying-in-state at Westminster Hall, her four grandsons, the Prince of Wales, the Duke of York, the Earl of Wessex, and Viscount Linley (now 2nd Earl of Snowdon) stood guard, repeating what the four sons of King George V did at his lying-in-state in 1936.
Unofficial Royalty: Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother
Unofficial Royalty: Death of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother
Unofficial Royalty: In Memorial – Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother (1900-2002)

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William Longespée, 3rd Earl of Salisbury, Illegitimate Son of King Henry II of England

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2024

Drawing of William Longespée from his effigy in Salisbury Cathedral; Credit – Wikipedia

Born circa 1176, William Longespée, 3rd Earl of Salisbury was the illegitimate son of King Henry II of England and his former royal ward and then mistress Ida de Tosny. His surname Longespée probably refers to William’s height and the oversized weapons he used. William’s paternal grandparents were Geoffrey V, Count of Anjou, Touraine, and Maine and Empress Matilda, Lady of the English, the only surviving legitimate child of King Henry I of England. His maternal grandparents were Ralph de Tosny, V, Lord of Flamstead (in Hertfordshire, England) and Margaret de Beaumont. Henry II had several long-term mistresses and around twelve illegitimate children, William’s half-siblings.

13th-century depiction of William’s royal half-siblings, (l to r) William, Young Henry, Richard, Matilda, Geoffrey, Eleanor, Joan, and John; Credit – Wikipedia

William had eight royal half-siblings from his father’s marriage to Eleanor of Aquitaine:

William’s mother Ida de Tosny married Roger Bigod, 2nd Earl of Norfolk and the couple had at least eight children, William’s half-siblings:

  • Margery Bigod (1174 – 1237), married William de Hastings, Steward to King Henry II, had at least two children
  • Hugh Bigod, 3rd Earl of Norfolk (circa 1182 – 1225), married Maud Marshal, had four children
  • Mary Bigod (1188 – 1237), married Ranulf FitzRobert, 4th Lord Middleham and Spennithorne, had at least one son
  • William Bigod (circa 1188 – ?), married Margaret de Sutton
  • Roger Bigod (1198 – 1230)
  • Ralph Bigod (circa 1201 – circa 1214), died in childhood
  • John Bigod
  • Ida Bigod

William’s father King Henry II of England; Credit – Wikipedia

King Henry II acknowledged William as his son but little is known about William’s childhood. According to William’s own statements, he grew up at times with Hubert de Burgh, later Earl of Kent and Chief Justiciar of England and Ireland during the reigns of King John and his son and successor King Henry III. In 1188, when William came of age, his father gave him the town of Appleby in Lincolnshire, England.

In 1196, William married a great heiress Ela of Salisbury, 3rd Countess of Salisbury, the only child of William FitzPatrick, 2nd Earl of Salisbury, and Eléonore de Vitré. Earlier in 1196, Ela’s father had died and she succeeded to the title of her father as 3rd Countess of Salisbury in her own right. After the marriage, William became the 3rd Earl of Salisbury by Jure uxoris, by right of his wife. Because Ela was only eleven years old, the couple did not have children for several years.

William and Ela had at least nine children:

Effigy of William’s half-brother King Richard I; By Adam Bishop – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17048652

William participated in the campaigns (1193 – 1198) of his half-brother King Richard I of England in the Duchy of Normandy (now in France) to recover the land seized by King Philippe II of France while Richard was participating in the Third Crusade. William was closest in age to King John, the youngest of his father’s legitimate children, who succeeded to the English throne in 1199. During King John’s reign, William was at court on important ceremonial occasions and held several positions: High Sheriff of Wiltshire, Lieutenant of Gascony, Constable of Dover, Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, Lord Warden of the Welsh Marches, and Sheriff of Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire.

Effigy of William’s half-brother King John; Credit – Wikipedia

William was a commander during the 1210 – 1212 Welsh and Irish campaigns of his half-brother King John of England and participated in the Anglo-French War of 1213–1214. In 1213, he led the English fleet in the Battle of Damme in which the English seized or destroyed a good portion of the French fleet. On July 27, 1214, William commanded the right flank of an English coalition army against France at the Battle of Bouvines, the last battle of the Anglo-French War of 1213–1214. The battle ended in defeat for the English coalition and capture for William when the priest-soldier Philippe de Dreux, Bishop of Beauvais threw a mace at his head. William was unhorsed and taken prisoner and the English soldiers fled. Because of the resounding French victory, all the Norman and Angevin French ancestral territories, Normandy, Maine, Touraine, Anjou, and Poitou, were lost forever to the English crown.

While King John was trying to save his French territories, his discontented English barons led by Stephen Langton, Archbishop of Canterbury, were protesting John’s continued misgovernment of England. The result of this discontent was the best-known event of John’s reign, the Magna Carta, the “great charter” of English liberties, forced from King John by the English barons and sealed at Runnymede near Windsor Castle on June 15, 1215. Among the liberties were the protection of church rights, protection for the barons from illegal imprisonment, access to swift justice, and limitations on feudal payments to the Crown.

William had returned to England during King John’s troubles with the English barons and was one of the few barons who was loyal to John. Infuriated by being forced to agree to the Magna Carta, John turned to Pope Innocent III, who declared the Magna Carta null and void and the rebel barons excommunicated. The conflict between John and the barons was transformed into an open civil war, the First Barons’ War (1215 – 1217). William was one of the leaders of King John’s army in the south of England. However, the rebel barons appealed to King Philippe II of France, and offered his son, the future King Louis VIII of France, the English crown. After Louis of France landed in England as an ally of the rebel barons, William went over to the rebel side because he thought John’s cause was lost.

William’s half-brother King John died of dysentery on October 19, 1216. He was succeeded by his nine-year-old son King Henry III of England. The First Barons’ War continued after King John’s death, but the great William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke, who served four English kings – Henry II, Richard I, John, and Henry III – managed to get most barons to switch sides from Louis of France to the new King Henry III and attack Louis. The Magna Carta was reissued in King Henry III’s name with some of the clauses omitted and was sealed by the nine-year-old king’s regent William Marshal. William Longespée supported his nephew King Henry III and held an influential place in the government during the young king’s minority.

William’s tomb in Salisbury Cathedral; Credit – By Bernard Gagnon – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7140363

In 1225, returning to England from Gascony (now in France), William was shipwrecked off the coast of Brittany (now in France). He spent several months in a monastery on the French island of Île de Ré.  Shortly after returning to England, William Longespée, 3rd Earl of Salisbury, aged about fifty, died on March 7, 1226, at his home, Salisbury Castle in Salisbury, Wiltshire, England which was part of Old Sarum and no longer exists. He was buried at Salisbury Cathedral where he had laid the foundation stones in 1220.

William’s wife Ela never remarried. Three years after William’s death, Ela founded Lacock Abbey in Lacock, Wiltshire, England. In 1238, she entered Lacock Abbey as a nun and was Abbess from 1240 – 1257. Ela survived her husband William by thirty-five years, dying on August 24, 1261, aged about seventy-three, and was buried in Lacock Abbey.

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

Works Cited

  • Ashley, Mike. (1998). The Mammoth Book of British Kings and Queens. Carroll & Graf Publishers.
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2016). King Henry II of England. Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-henry-ii-of-england/
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2016). King John of England. Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-john-of-england/
  • Ida De Tosny, Countess of Norfolk. geni_family_tree. (2022). https://www.geni.com/people/Ida-de-To%C3%ABny-Countess-of-Norfolk/6000000006428477266
  • Weir, Alison. (2008). Britain’s Royal Families – The Complete Genealogy. Vintage Books.
  • Wikimedia Foundation. (2023). Ela of Salisbury, 3rd Countess of Salisbury. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ela_of_Salisbury,_3rd_Countess_of_Salisbury
  • Wikimedia Foundation. (2023). Ida de Tosny. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ida_de_Tosny
  • Wikimedia Foundation. (2023). William Longespée, 3. Earl of Salisbury. Wikipedia (German). https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Longesp%C3%A9e,_3._Earl_of_Salisbury
  • Wikimedia Foundation. (2024). William Longespée, 3rd Earl of Salisbury. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Longesp%C3%A9e,_3rd_Earl_of_Salisbury
  • William Longespée, 3rd Earl of Salisbury. geni_family_tree. (2023). https://www.geni.com/people/William-Longesp%C3%A9e-3rd-Earl-of-Salisbury/6000000006232319371

Royal News Recap for Thursday, March 28, 2024

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Albania

Monaco

United Kingdom

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Disclaimer:Please be advised that any media article titles or content that appear in the Royal News which identify members of royal families with their maiden names, nicknames, incorrect style or title, etc., come directly from the media source and not from Unofficial Royalty. We encourage you to contact the media sources to express your concern about their use of the incorrect name, style, title, etc. Contact information can usually be found at the bottom of each media source’s main page.

March 29: Today in Royal History

© Unofficial Royalty 2024

King Gustav III of Sweden; Credit – Wikipedia

March 29, 1792 – Death of King Gustav III of Sweden at the Royal Palace in Stockholm, Sweden; buried at Riddarholmen Church in Stockholm, Sweden
On March 16, 1792, King Gustav III was shot at a masked ball at the Royal Opera House in Stockholm. King Gustav had not been killed as the conspirators had hoped and continued functioning as the head of state while he recovered. However, suddenly he weakened, and, as often happened in the days before antibiotics, his wound became infected, and sepsis, a life-threatening condition that arises when the body’s response to infection causes injury to its own tissues and organs, developed. Giuseppe Verdi’s 1859 opera Un Ballo in Maschera (A Masked Ball) is based on King Gustav III’s assassination and death.
Unofficial Royalty: Assassination of Gustav III, King of Sweden
Unofficial Royalty: King Gustav III of Sweden

March 29, 1832 – Death of Maria Teresa of Austria-Este, Queen of Sardinia, wife of Vittorio Emanuele I, King of Sardinia, in Geneva, Switzerland; buried at the Basilica of Superga in Turin, Kingdom of Sardinia, now in Italy
In 1789, Maria Theresa married the future Vittorio Emanuele I, King of Sardinia. They had six daughters and one son who died in early childhood from smallpox. Their five surviving daughters all married reigning monarchs. In 1802, Maria Theresa’s husband Vittorio Emanuele became King of Sardinia upon the abdication of his brother Carlo Emanuele. In March 1821, liberal revolutions were occurring throughout Italy. However, Vittorio Emanuele I was not willing to grant a liberal constitution so he abdicated the throne of Sardinia in favor of his brother Carlo Felice. Vittorio Emanuele died in 1824, aged 64. Maria Theresa survived her husband by eight years. She died unexpectedly, aged 58, on March 29, 1832.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Theresa of Austria-Este, Queen of Sardinia

March 29, 1913 – Death of Heinrich XIV, 4th Prince Reuss of Gera in Schleiz, Principality of Reuss-Gera, now in Thuringia, Germany; buried at the Bergkirche St. Marien, now in Schleiz, Thuringia, Germany
In 1858, Heinrich XIV married Duchess Agnes of Württemberg and had one son and one daughter. Upon the death of his father Heinrich LXVII, 3rd Prince Reuss of Gera on July 11, 1867, Heinrich XIV became the 4th Prince Reuss of Gera. After Agnes died in 1886, Heinrich XIV made a morganatic marriage to Friederike Graetz with whom he had one son. In 1902, Heinrich XIV became the Regent of the Principality of Reuss-Greiz. Heinrich XXIV, 6th and last Prince Reuss of Greiz, succeeded his father in 1902 but was unable to rule because of his physical and mental disabilities as a result of an accident in his childhood. Heinrich XIV was the Regent of the Principality of Reuss-Greiz until his death. Heinrich XIV, 4th Prince Reuss of Gera died on March 29, 1913, aged 80.
Unofficial Royalty: Heinrich XIV, 4th Prince Reuss of Gera

March 29, 1956 – Death of Infante Alfonso of Spain at the Villa Giralda in Estoril, Portugal; first buried at the Municipal Cemetery in Cascais, Portugal, in 1992 his remains were transferred to the Royal Crypt of the Monastery of El Escorial in Spain
Fourteen-year-old Infante Alfonso was killed by a gun while in a bedroom with his elder brother, the future King Juan Carlos I of Spain. What happened in that bedroom, who pulled the trigger, and whether or not it was an accident is still unclear.
Unofficial Royalty: Infante Alfonso of Spain

March 29, 1980 – Birth of Hamzah bin Al Hussein, formerly Prince Hamzah of Jordan, son of King Hussein of Jordan and his fourth wife Queen Noor, in Amman, Jordan
Hamzah is the eldest son of King Hussein of Jordan and his fourth wife Queen Noor (the former Lisa Halaby). Upon their father’s death in 1999, Hamzah was named Crown Prince by his elder half-brother, the new King Abdullah II, in accordance with their father’s wishes. However, on November 28, 2004, King Abdullah removed the title of Crown Prince. In a public letter, he said that … “Your holding this symbolic position has restrained your freedom and hindered our entrusting you with certain responsibilities that you are fully qualified to undertake.”  A few years later, King Abdullah II named his son Hussein Crown Prince of Jordan. In April 2021, Hamzah was accused of trying to mobilize tribal leaders against the government.  He was placed under house arrest and was ordered to stop actions that could be used to target the country’s “security and stability”. On April 3, 2022, Hamzah renounced his title of Prince of Jordan.
Unofficial Royalty: Hamzah bin Al Hussein

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Royal News Recap for Wednesday, March 27, 2024

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Denmark

Jordan

Monaco

Multiple Monarchies

Norway

United Kingdom

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Royal Maundy Service on Holy Thursday – United Kingdom

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2024

NOTE: This is the first in a series of new articles about Royal Ceremonies and Events in the ten European monarchies. This article is being published to coincide with the Royal Maundy Service of March 28, 2024, at Worcester Cathedral where Queen Camilla represented King Charles III who canceled engagements due to his cancer diagnosis. Additional Royal Ceremonies and Events articles will be published starting in May. Unofficial Royalty has some previously published articles at Unofficial Royalty: Royal Ceremonies, Events.

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Jesus Washing Peter’s Feet by Ford Madox Brown; Credit – Wikipedia

The Royal Maundy Service is held on Maundy Thursday, also called Holy Thursday, the Thursday before Easter and the day before Good Friday. It is the day during Holy Week that commemorates the Last Supper of Jesus Christ with the Apostles and Jesus washing of the feet of the Apostles, known as Maundy from Old French mandé and from Latin mandatum meaning “command”. The root of the practice of washing the feet is found in the hospitality customs of ancient civilizations, especially where sandals were the usual footwear. A host would provide water for guests to wash their feet, provide a servant to wash the feet of the guests, or even serve the guests by washing their feet. The traditional Maundy of washing feet is still observed in many Christian denominations. Today, the Royal Maundy Service involving the British monarch no longer involves foot washing. Instead, the monarch gives small silver coins known as Maundy Money as symbolic alms to elderly people. The only traces of the washing of the feet at the modern Royal Maundy Service are the nosegays, small flower bouquets, traditionally with the stems bound by doilies, and the linen towels worn by several officials.

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History of the Royal Maundy Service

The Royal Maundy Service in 1867 at the Chapel Royal, Whitehall during the reign of Queen Victoria. Samuel Wilberforce, Bishop of Oxford, represented Queen Victoria; Credit – Wikipedia

On April 15, 1210, King John (reigned 1199 – 1216) became the first recorded English monarch to distribute alms to the poor at a Maundy service when he gave clothes, forks, food, and other gifts to the poor of Knaresborough, Yorkshire, England. In 1213, King John also became the first recorded English monarch to give gifts of small silver coins to the poor when he gave gifts of thirteen pence to thirteen poor men at a ceremony in Rochester Cathedral. The number thirteen represented those at the Last Supper, Jesus and the Twelve Apostles. By 1363, during the reign of King Edward III (reigned 1327 – 1377), the monarch gave gifts of pence but also washed the feet of the recipients. King Henry IV (reigned 1399 – 1413) was the first monarch to decree that the number of pence given be determined by the monarch’s age.

Queen Elizabeth II and The Duke of Edinburgh with the traditional nosegays in 2005; Credit – Wikipedia

When washing the feet, the monarch used scented water to hide any unpleasant odors from the poor. In addition, the feet were washed three times before the monarch washed the feet, once by a servant and twice by court officials. In later years, sweet-smelling nosegays were used to hide odors and the nosegays are still carried today during the Royal Maundy Service. During the years when the plague was running rampant, the monarch did not attend the Royal Maundy Service. Instead, the Lord High Almoner attended, washed the feet, and distributed the alms.

The Catholic Queen Mary I (reigned 1553 – 1558) and her Protestant half-sister Queen Elizabeth I (reigned 1558 – 1603) both participated in elaborate Royal Maundy Services. In 1556, Mary washed the feet of forty-one poor women, one for each year of her age while “ever on her knees”, and gave each woman forty-one pence, along with gifts of bread, fish, and clothing. She also donated her gown to the poorest woman. In 1572, Elizabeth gave each woman £1 instead of gifting her gown because she disliked seeing the women trying to grab a piece of the royal gown.

King Charles I (reigned 1625 – 1649), who was beheaded resulting in the monarchy being replaced by the Commonwealth of England, rarely attended the Royal Maundy Service. After the Restoration in 1660, when the monarchy was restored, King Charles I’s son King Charles II (reigned 1660 – 1685) attempted to gain popularity by always attending the Royal Maundy Service. He even attended during the plague years of 1661 and 1663. His brother and successor King James II (reigned 1685 – 1688) also attended the services during his reign. King William III (reigned jointly with his wife and first cousin Queen Mary II, the daughter of King James II) attended the Royal Maundy Service in 1685. Pre-1725 records are vague and there is no record of any monarch attending the service from 1698 to 1932. However, over those years, the Lord High Almoner continued to attend and represent the monarch.

In the early 20th century, members of the royal family sometimes attended the Royal Maundy Service. Queen Alexandra, the wife of King Edward VII (reigned 1901 – 1910) attended twice. Most Royal Maundy Services during the first part of the 20th century were attended by Princess Helena, the fifth child, and third daughter of Queen Victoria, or Princess Helena’s daughter Princess Marie Louise. In 1931, Princess Marie Louise attended the Royal Maundy Service and suggested that her first cousin King George V (reigned 1910 – 1936) distribute the gifts the following year. King George did so in 1932, the only time he attended the service during his reign.

In January 1936, King George V died and his son King Edward VIII attended the Royal Maundy Service that year. King Edward VIII abdicated the throne in December 1936 and was succeeded by his brother King George VI (reigned 1936 – 1952). King George VI attended the Royal Maundy Service only twice during his reign in 1940 and 1944. He was represented at the services during the other years of his reign by the Lord High Almoner, Cosmo Gordon Lang, Archbishop of Canterbury.

Queen Elizabeth II (reigned 1952 – 2022) attended all but five Royal Maudy Services during her seventy-year-reign. She missed two services following childbirth and two services because she was on official visits to Commonwealth countries. In 2022, the year of the death of the 95-year-old Queen Elizabeth II, she was represented at the service by her son then The Prince of Wales and her daughter-in-law then The Duchess of Cornwall. Due to COVID, two services during the reign of Queen Elizabeth II (2020 and 2021) were canceled but the gifts of coins were mailed to the recipients.

King Charles III‘s first Royal Maundy Service as king took place at York Minster on April 6, 2023, and he was accompanied by Queen Camilla. After the announcement in February 2024 that King Charles III was temporarily stepping back from royal duties following a cancer diagnosis, he was represented by Queen Camilla at the 2024 service at Worcester Cathedral.

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Royal Maundy Service Sites

1877 Royal Maundy Service at the Chapel Royal, Whitehall. A Yeoman of the Guard carrying the Maundy Money on a silver dish; Credit – Wikipedia

For the monarch’s convenience, the Royal Maundy Service was usually held in or near London. After 1714, when the monarch no longer attended, the Royal Maundy Service was held at the renovated Chapel Royal, Whitehall in the former Banqueting Hall, the only part of the Palace of Whitehall to survive a fire in 1698, until the chapel was given to the Royal United Services Institute.

From 1890 – 1954, the service was held at Westminster Abbey, London except for years when there was a coronation. Because Westminster Abbey had to be closed for the coronation preparations, the Royal Maundy Service was held at St. Paul’s Cathedral, London during the coronation years. From 1954 to 1970, the service was held in even-numbered years at Westminster Abbey and in odd-numbered years at cathedrals throughout the United Kingdom. Since 1970, the Royal Maundy Service has been held at different churches, usually a cathedral, throughout the United Kingdom. Queen Elizabeth II had directed that the service be held in London only once every ten years. However, during the last years of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, the Royal Maundy Service was held or scheduled to be held at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle or Westminster Abbey in London for the convenience of the elderly Queen Elizabeth II.

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The Royal Maundy Gifts

Preparing the Maundy Money in 1932

Currently, the gift recipients are pensioners, retired people, one man and one woman for each year the monarch has lived including the year the monarch is currently living. They are chosen from various Christian churches for their service to their churches and communities. The gift recipients attend a Maundy Lecture so they will be familiar with the Royal Maundy Service. Until the joint reign of King William III and Queen Mary II (1689 – 1694), the gift recipients were poor people of the same gender as the monarch. During the the joint reign of King William III and Queen Mary II, each monarch made gifts to poor people of their gender but after Queen Mary II died in 1694, only men received gifts from King William III who reigned alone until he died in 1702. Beginning with the reign of King George I (1714 – 1727), both men and women have received gifts, with each gender in a number coinciding with the monarch’s age and each recipient receiving that number of pence. The gifts of food and clothing were eventually discontinued and replaced by monetary allowances. In 1837, when 71-year-old King William IV died and was succeeded by his 18-year-old niece Queen Victoria caused a large drop in the number of gift recipients.

Maundy Money from the 2023 service; Credit – Royal Maundy 2023 www.royal.uk

Today, each gift recipient receives two small leather purses, one red and one white. During the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, the red purse contained a total of £5.50, symbolizing the monarch’s gift of food and clothing once presented: £1 representing the money for the redemption of the monarch’s gown, £3 in place of the clothing, and £1.50 in place of the food. However, in 2023, the first Royal Maundy service during the reign of King Charles II, the red purse contained two commemorative coins, one to mark the King’s upcoming 75th birthday, the other to mark the 75th anniversary of the arrival of West Indian workers on the Empire Windrush and their contribution to multi-racial Britain.

Maundy Money from the 2023 service; Credit – Royal Maundy 2023 www.royal.uk

The white purse contains the Maundy coins equivalent in pence to the monarch’s age. The coins are legal tender but recipients usually consider them as a keepsake. At the 2023 Royal Maundy Service, the new Maundy coins using the official coinage portrait of King Charles III by Martin Jennings made their debut.

King Charles III’s official Maundy Money; Credit – The Royal Mint

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The Royal Maundy Service

King Charles III and Queen Camilla with the traditional nosegays, enter York Minster for their first Royal Maundy Service as King and Queen (2023)

After being greeted at the door of the church by the clergy, the monarch is presented with the traditional nosegay and then proceeds up the nave of the church.

The Yeomen of the Guard carrying the Maundy Money

The purses containing the Maundy Money are carried into the church by the Yeomen of the Guard on six silver dishes, held above their heads. Although the exact origin of this custom is uncertain, historians have speculated that it is related to earlier times when food was distributed to the gift recipients and that the dishes were held high to prevent premature grabbing of the food. The six silver dishes date from the reign of King Charles II (reigned 1660 – 1685) and are part of the Royal Regalia which is kept at the Jewel House of the Tower of London when not in use.

King Charles III and Queen Camilla at the 2023 Royal Maundy Service at York Minster in York, England

The Order of Service for Royal Maundy is short and simple. It begins with the reading of the Gospel of John 13:34, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” The second reading from the Gospel of Matthew 25: 35-36, says: “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me.”

King Charles III distributing the Maundy Money in 2023

The monarch distributes half the gifts after the first reading, and the other half after the second reading. During the gift distribution, the Chapel Royal Choir and the local choir sing anthems, concluding with George Frideric Handel‘s magnificent coronation anthem Zadok the Priest. The Royal Maundy Service concludes with prayers, the blessing and the singing of God Save the King.

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.

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Works Cited

  • Royal Maundy Service. The Royal Family. https://www.royal.uk/royal-maundy-service
  • Royal Maundy Service 2023. The Royal Family. (2023). https://www.royal.uk/news-and-activity/2023-04-06/royal-maundy-service-2023
  • The King’s Body Guard of the Yeomen of the Guard – Royal Maundy Service. The King’s Body Guard of the Yeomen of the Guard. https://www.yeomenoftheguard.co.uk/maundy-service
  • Wikimedia Foundation. (2024). Maundy (foot washing). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maundy_(foot_washing)
  • Wikimedia Foundation. (2024). Royal Maundy. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Maundy

March 28: Today in Royal History

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Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany; Credit – Wikipedia

March 28, 1654 – Birth of Sophie Amalie Moth, mistress of King Christian V of Denmark and Norway, in Copenhagen, Denmark
Sophie Amalie was recognized as Christian’s official mistress and was created Countess of Samsøe. Christian V and Sophie Amalie had six children who were all publicly acknowledged. Following the practice of his grandfather and father, Christian also gave his illegitimate children the surname Gyldenløve which means Golden Love. All the children also had Christian or Christiane among their names in honor of their royal father. The current Danish noble family of the Danneskiold-Samsøe descends from the eldest son of Sophie Amalie and King Christian V.
Unofficial Royalty: Sophie Amalie Moth, Mistress of King Christian V of Denmark and Norway

March 28, 1655 – Death of Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg, Queen of Sweden, wife of King Gustav II Adolf of Sweden, at Nyköping, Sweden; buried at Riddarholmen Church in Stockholm, Sweden
In 1620, Maria Eleonora married King Gustavus II Adolphus the Great of Sweden. Gustavus Adolphus is considered one of the greatest military commanders in history and made Sweden a great power, one of Europe’s largest and leading nations during the early modern period. Although Maria Eleonora’s husband Gustavus Adolphus was successful in many endeavors, he was not successful in providing a male heir. At the Battle of Lützen on November 16, 1632, Gustavus Adolphus was killed. His only surviving child was six-year-old Christina, Queen of Sweden who succeeded her father but never married,  abdicated, subsequently converted to Roman Catholicism, and moved to Rome. Already suffering from mental issues, Maria Eleonora’s grief was quite painful and her mental issues worsened considerably after her husband’s death in battle. Her young daughter’s regency government feared that Maria Eleonora’s mental instability would adversely influence the young Queen Christina. They decided to separate mother and daughter and Maria Eleonora was sent away from court. Years later, she was able to return to court and Nyköping Castle was granted to her as a residence by order of her daughter. Maria Eleanora survived her husband by twenty-three years, dying at the age of 55, on March 28, 1655, shortly after the abdication of her daughter Queen Christina.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg, Queen of Sweden

March 28, 1709 – Birth of Count Alexei Grigorievich Razumovsky, lover of Elizabeth, Empress of All Russia, in Chernihiv, Russian Empire, now in Ukraine
Alexei’s singing brought him to the Russian court of Elizabeth, Empress of All Russia where he joined the Court Choir. His beautiful singing and good looks earned him the interest of Tsesarevna Elizabeth Petrovna, daughter of Peter I (the Great), Emperor of All Russia, the future Elizabeth, Empress of All Russia  In 1732, Elizabeth made Alexei a member of the choir in her private chapel. Soon, he had a room near her apartments. Alexei had personality qualities that made him a good choice to be Elizabeth’s favorite and lover. He was a simple and decent person and well-liked for his kindness, good nature, and tact. He had no ambition and never interfered in politics.
Unofficial Royalty: Count Alexei Grigorievich Razumovsky, lover of Elizabeth, Empress of All Russia

March 28, 1743 – Death of Karl Friedrich, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen in Meiningen, Duchy of  Saxe-Meiningen now in Thuringia, Germany; buried at the Castle Church at Elisabethenburg Palace in Meiningen
Karl Friedrich and his elder brothers were both underage when they became the reigning Duke and so their uncles Friedrich Wilhelm and Anton Ulrich oversaw the running of the duchy. Karl Friedrich’s brother Ernst Ludwig II died in 1729, and Karl Friedrich became the reigning Duke. Despite his uncles’ guardianship ending in 1733 when Karl Friedrich reached his majority, he continued to leave the daily running of the duchy to his uncles and his court officials. In poor health, he was unable to walk, had to be carried and driven everywhere, and had little interest in anything that required responsibility. Never married, Karl Friedrich died on March 28, 1743, at the age of 31.
Unofficial Royalty: Karl Friedrich, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen

March 28, 1785 – Birth of Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in Coburg, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, now in Bavaria, Germany
Full name: Ferdinand Georg August
Ferdinand was the uncle of both Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Although Ferdinand remained Lutheran, he married the wealthy Catholic Princess Maria Antonia Koháry de Csábrág et Szitnya with the condition that they would raise their children Catholic. He was the father of King Ferdinand II of Portugal, the grandfather of Tsar Ferdinand I of Bulgaria, and the founder of the Catholic cadet branch of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

March 28, 1835 – Death of Auguste de Beauharnais, 2nd Duke of Leuchtenberg, first husband of Queen Maria II of Portugal, at the Palace of Necessidades in Lisbon, Portugal; buried at Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon, Portugal
Auguste was the eldest son of Eugène de Beauharnais and Princess Augusta of Bavaria, a daughter of King Maximilian I of Bavaria. Auguste’s father Eugène was the son of the French Empress Joséphine from her first marriage, and therefore a stepson of Napoleon I, Emperor of the French. In January 1835, Auguste married Queen Maria II of Portugal. Sadly, their marriage was to be very short-lived. On March 20, 1835, Auguste complained of a sore throat but refused to see a doctor. By March 23, 1835, his condition was worse and he finally consented to see a doctor. Within days, his condition became extremely grave, doctors told the family there was no hope, and Auguste was given the last rites. Auguste died on March 28, 1835, at the age of 24, most likely from diphtheria.
Unofficial Royalty: Auguste de Beauharnais, 2nd Duke of Leuchtenberg

March 28, 1841- Birth of Prince Alfonso of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Count of Caserta, Head of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies and pretender to the former throne, in Caserta, Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, now in Italy
Full name: Alfonso Maria Giuseppe Alberto
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.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Alfonso of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Count of Caserta

March 28, 1846 – Birth of Heinrich XXII, 5th Prince Reuss of Greiz in Greiz, Principality of Reuss-Greiz now in Thuringia, Germany
When Heinrich XXII was thirteen-years-old, his father Heinrich XX, 4th Prince of Reuss of Greiz died. He then succeeded his father as the 5th Prince Reuss of Greiz. Heinrich XXII’s mother Caroline Amalie was Regent of the Principality of Reuss-Greiz from 1859 until 1867. In 1872, Heinrich XXII married Princess Ida of Schaumburg-Lippe, and they had one son and five daughters including Princess Hermine Reuss of Greiz who was the second wife of the former German Emperor and King of Prussia, Wilhelm II. Heinrich XXII, 5th Prince of Reuss of Greiz died from heart disease on April 19, 1902, aged 56, in Greiz, Principality of Reuss-Greiz. Heinrich XXII’s disabled son Heinrich XXIV succeeded him nominally as the 6th Prince Reuss of Greiz. However, two regents from the House of Reuss-Gera (also called the Younger Line) successively ruled the Principality of Reuss-Greiz for the disabled Heinrich XXIV: Heinrich XIV, 4th Prince Reuss of Gera from 1901 – 1913, and then his son Heinrich XXVII, 5th and last Prince Reuss of Gera from 1913 – 1918, when the monarchy was abolished in 1918 at the end of World War I.
Unofficial Royalty: Heinrich XXII, 5th Prince Reuss of Greiz

March 28, 1884 – Death of Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany, son of Queen Victoria, at Villa Nevada in Cannes, France; buried in the Albert Memorial Chapel at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle in Windsor, England
Prince Leopold was the eighth of the nine children and the fourth and youngest son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Leopold was described as delicate from a very early age. It soon became apparent that he suffered from the genetic disease hemophilia. He was the first of the nine hemophiliacs among Queen Victoria’s descendants. In 1882, Leopold married Princess Helena of Waldeck-Pyrmont. The couple had a son and a daughter. Leopold and Helena are the great-grandparents of Carl XVI Gustaf, the current King of Sweden. Unfortunately, Leopold and Helena’s marriage was short-lived. In early 1884, Leopold’s doctors recommended that he spend the winter in Cannes, France, which he had done before. At the time, Helena was expecting her second child. On March 27, 1884, Leopold slipped and fell on the staircase at Villa Nevada, the private home where he was staying in Cannes. He injured his knee and hit his head, and died early in the morning of March 28, 1884, apparently of a cerebral hemorrhage, the injuries having been exacerbated by his hemophilia. He was 31 years old.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany
Unofficial Royalty: Hemophilia in Queen Victoria’s Descendants

March 28, 1896 – Birth of Nadejda Mikhailovna de Torby, Marchioness of Milford Haven, daughter of Grand Duke Mikhail Mikhailovich of Russia, wife of George Mountbatten, 2nd Marquess of Milford Haven, in Cannes, France
Nadejda was the daughter of Grand Duke Mikhail Mikhailovich of Russia, a grandson of Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia, and his morganatic wife Countess Sophie von Merenberg. As her parents’ marriage was morganatic, her father was stripped of his position at the Imperial Court and banished from Russia for the rest of his life. By the time she was four years old, Nadejda’s family had settled in England, but they also spent part of the year at their villa in Cannes, France. The family became prominent members of British society and developed friendships with several members of the British Royal Family. It was through these friendships that Nadejda met her future husband, Prince George of Battenberg, later 2nd Marquess of Milford Haven, and the uncle of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Nadejda and George married in 1916 and had two children. Nadejda was widowed when her husband succumbed to bone marrow cancer in 1938. She survived her husband by twenty-five years, dying at the age of 67.
Unofficial Royalty: Nadejda Mikhailovna de Torby, Marchioness of Milford Haven

March 28, 1901 – Birth of Crown Princess Märtha of Norway, wife of Crown Prince Olav of Norway (after her death, King Olav V of Norway), born Princess Märtha of Sweden at the Palace of the Hereditary Prince in Stockholm, Sweden
Full name: Märtha Sofia Lovisa Dagmar Thyra
The granddaughter of both King Oscar II of Sweden and King Frederik VIII of Denmark, Märtha married her first cousin, Crown Prince Olav of Norway. They had two daughters and one son, King Harald V, the current King of Norway. During World War II, Märtha and her children fled Norway when the Germans invaded, traveling to her native Sweden and then to the United States where she developed a close friendship with President Franklin Roosevelt. Märtha and her children were often included in both public and private functions at the White House. After World War II, she suffered from ill health and died in 1954 following a long battle with cancer. Her husband would go on to become King Olav V in 1957 until his death in 1991, when their son King Harald V, became King of Norway.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Märtha of Sweden, Crown Princess of Norway

March 28, 1910 – Birth of Princess Ingrid of Sweden, wife of King Frederick IX of Denmark, mother of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, at the Royal Palace in Stockholm, Sweden
Full name: Ingrid Victoria Sofia Louise Margareta
A great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria, Ingrid was the only daughter of the future King Gustav VI Adolf of Sweden and his first wife Princess Margaret of Connaught. In 1935, she married the future King Frederik IX of Denmark. The couple had three daughters including the current monarch of Denmark, Queen Margrethe II. As Queen, Ingrid reformed some of the outdated practices at court and created a more relaxed atmosphere. She was interested in gardening and art, and after doing her own research on the original appearance of Gråsten Palace, she oversaw the renovations there. Queen Ingrid died in 2000 at the age of 90, surrounded by her three daughters and her ten grandchildren.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Ingrid of Sweden, Queen of Denmark

March 28, 1965 – Death of Mary, Princess Royal, Countess of Harewood, daughter of King George V of the United Kingdom, at Harewood House in Leeds, Yorkshire, England; buried at All Saints Church in Harewood, West Yorkshire, England
Mary was the only daughter of King George V and Queen Mary and the paternal aunt of Queen Elizabeth II. In 1922, Mary married the future Henry Lascelles, 6th Earl of Harewood and the couple had two sons. Mary continued to carry out engagements during the reigns of her brother King George VI and her niece Queen Elizabeth II.  After her husband’s death in 1947, Mary lived at Harewood House with her elder son George, the 7th Earl of Harewood, and his family. On March 28, 1965, Mary went for a walk on the grounds of Harewood House with her elder son George and two of her grandsons. She stumbled and fell and her son helped her to a seat while his sons ran back to the house to get help. Before help arrived, Mary died peacefully in her son’s arms from a heart attack at the age of 67.
Unofficial Royalty: Mary, Princess Royal, Countess of Harewood

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Royal News Recap for Tuesday, March 26, 2024

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March 27: Today in Royal History

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Marguerite de Valois, Queen of France; Credit – Wikipedia

March 27, 1482 – Death of Mary, Duchess of Burgundy (in her own right) at Wijnendale Castle, Flanders, now in the Netherlands, after falling from her horse; buried in the Church of Our Lady in Bruges, now in Belgium
Mary married Archduke Maximilian of Austria from the Habsburg dynasty, who became Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I after her death. Their son Philip the Handsome succeeded his mother as Philip IV, Duke of Burgundy, and became King Philip I of Castile through his marriage to Queen Joanna of Castile and Aragon, the daughter of Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon. Mary’s lands eventually became part of the Habsburg Empire. Mary participated in a hunt in the woods near Wijnendale Castle in Flanders, Duchy of Burgundy now in Belgium. Mary was an experienced rider and she held her falcon in one hand and the reins in the other hand. However, her horse stumbled over a tree stump while jumping over a newly dug canal. The saddle belt under the horse’s belly broke causing Mary to fall out of the saddle and into the canal with the horse on top of her. Mary was seriously injured and died several weeks later from internal injuries.
Unofficial Royalty: Mary, Duchess of Burgundy, Archduchess of Austria

March 27, 1615 – Death of Marguerite de Valois, Queen of France, daughter of King Henri II of France, first wife of King Henri IV of France, at the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye in France; buried at the Basilica of Saint-Denis near Paris, France
Marguerite was the daughter of King Henri II of France and Catherine de’ Medici. In 1572, Marguerite married King Henri III of Navarre, later King Henri IV of France, the first king of the House of Bourbon. Just days after the wedding, the St. Bartholomew’s Day massacre, in which thousands of French Protestant Huguenots were killed, took place. Marguerite is alleged to have hidden several prominent Huguenots, as well as her new husband, to keep them safe from certain death. When her brother, King Henri III, died without an heir, the throne passed to Marguerite’s husband, who was the senior agnatic heir of King Louis IX of France. Henri IV needed a male heir, and his marriage to Marguerite had produced no children. He began negotiations with Marguerite to have their marriage annulled. After several years, the marriage was formally dissolved at the end of 1599. Marguerite retained her title as Queen of France. She died on March 27, 1615, aged 61.
Unofficial Royalty: Marguerite de Valois, Queen of France

March 27, 1625 – Death of King James I of England/James VI, King of Scots at Theobold’s Park in Hertfordshire, England; buried at Westminster Abbey in London, England
When James was 11 months old, Protestant rebels arrested his Catholic mother Mary, Queen of Scots, and forced her to abdicate in favor of her son James who reigned as James VI, King of Scots. James’ parents, Mary, Queen of Scots and Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley, were both grandchildren of Margaret Tudor, daughter of King Henry VII of England and sister of King Henry VIII of England, and therefore, James had a claim on the English throne. Since none of the children of Henry VIII had children, James was the senior heir of Henry VII through his eldest daughter Margaret Tudor. In 1589, James married Anne of Denmark. They had seven children, but only three survived childhood including King Charles I of England and Elizabeth whose daughter Sophia of Hanover became heiress presumptive to the British throne under the Act of Settlement 1701. Sophia’s son was King George I of Great Britain.  On her deathbed, Queen Elizabeth I gave her assent that James should succeed her. In March 1625, James became ill with a recurring fever and then suffered a stroke. He died on March 27, 1625, aged 58.
Unofficial Royalty: King James I of England

March 27, 1714 – Death of Charlotte Amalie of Hesse-Kassel, Queen of Denmark and Norway, wife of King Christian V of Denmark and Norway, at Charlottenborg Palace in Copenhagen, Denmark; buried at Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde, Denmark
In 1667, Charlotte Amalie married the future King Christian V of Denmark and Norway and they had seven children. Charlotte Amalie’s husband succeeded his father in 1670. During King Christian V’s reign, colonies were established in the Caribbean. The islands of Saint Thomas, Saint John, Saint Croix, and Water Island were originally a Danish colony, the Danish West Indies.  The city of Charlotte Amalie, on the island of St. Thomas, was named after Christian V’s wife. Denmark sold the islands to the United States in 1917 and now they are known as the United States Virgin Islands, and Charlotte Amalie is now the capital. King Christian V died in 1699 and was succeeded by his son King Frederik IV. On March 27, 1714, Charlotte Amalie, Queen of Denmark and Norway, aged 63, died of scarlet fever after being ill for six days.
Unofficial Royalty: Charlotte Amalie of Hesse-Kassel, Queen of Denmark and Norway

March 27, 1785 – Birth of Louis-Charles, Dauphin of France, titular King Louis XVII of France, son of King Louis XVI of France and pretender to the throne after his father’s execution, at the Palace of Versailles in France
Full name: Louis-Charles
Born in splendor at the Palace of Versailles, Louis-Charles died from tuberculosis at the age of ten, imprisoned at the Temple, the remains of a medieval fortress in Paris, after seeing his father Louis XVI, his mother Marie Antoinette, and his aunt Elisabeth led off to be beheaded. Of all the royal prisoners in the Temple, Louis-Charles’ sister Marie-Thérèse was the only one to survive.
Unofficial Royalty: Louis-Charles, Dauphin of France – Titular King Louis XVII of France

March 27, 1837 – Death of Maria Fitzherbert, mistress and morganatic wife of King George IV of the United Kingdom, at her home Steine House in Brighton, England; buried at the Church of St. John the Baptist in Brighton, England
Maria Fitzherbert was the mistress of The Prince of Wales (later King George IV of the United Kingdom) from 1784 until 1794 and again from 1798 until 1807. The couple married secretly in 1785, however, the marriage was not considered legal as it had not received the approval of the Sovereign as required under the Royal Marriages Act. The Prince became King George IV in 1820, and during his 10-year reign, the two only saw each other occasionally in social settings, but both remained in each other’s thoughts. When George died in June 1830, he was succeeded by his brother. The new King William IV was always very gracious and welcoming toward Maria and continued to provide her annual pension. King William IV reportedly offered her a dukedom, but she declined. Maria did ask his permission to dress in widow’s weeds and to allow her servants to dress in royal livery, both of which the King quickly agreed to. Maria outlived George IV by nearly seven years, dying on March 27, 1837, aged 80.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Fitzherbert, mistress and morganatic wife of King George IV of the United Kingdom

March 27, 1854 – Assassination of Carlo III, Duke of Parma in Parma, Duchy of Parma, now in Italy;  buried at the Chapel of the Villa Borbone now in Viareggio, Italy
Carlo’s father was in financial difficulty so he decided to marry his son to a princess with a large dowry. The chosen bride was Louise Marie Therese of France, the granddaughter of King Charles X of France. Carlo and Louise Therese Marie were married in 1847 and had four children.  Carlo became Duke of Parma upon the abdication in 1849 of his very unpopular father Carlo II Ludovico. Carlo III, Duke of Parma reigned for only five years and was assassinated for his authoritarian policies. His six-year-old son Roberto became Duke of Parma with his mother as regent but had a short reign. In 1859, the Duchy of Parma was abolished during the Italian unification movement. It was merged with the Kingdom of Sardinia as part of the unification of Italy. In 1861, Vittorio Emanuele II, King of Sardinia was proclaimed the first King of the new, united Kingdom of Italy.
Unofficial Royalty: Carlo III, Duke of Parma

March 27, 1879 – Death of Prince Waldemar of Prussia, grandson of Queen Victoria, at the Neues Palais in Potsdam, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany; originally buried at Friedenskirche in Potsdam, the remains of Waldemar and his brother Sigismund were later transferred to the Kaiser Friedrich Mausoleum at the Friedenskirche where their parents were buried.
Prince Waldemar was the son of Victoria, Princess Royal and Friedrich III, German Emperor. His birth came 20 months after the tragic death of his 21-month-old brother Sigismund from meningitis. Waldemar quickly took the place of his mother’s favorite son previously held by his deceased brother Sigismund. Vicky hoped Waldemar would be everything that his elder brothers Wilhelm and Heinrich were not. Sadly, Waldemar died of diphtheria at age 11, three months after his maternal aunt Princess Alice and her daughter Princess May died from the same disease. A favorite royal story involved Waldemar. When Waldemar’s family was visiting Queen Victoria, she was working on some papers in her room and when she looked up she saw a small crocodile staring at her. Naturally, she screamed and all within hearing came running.  Waldemar had let Bob, his pet crocodile, out of his box.  In fits of laughter, Waldemar retrieved his crocodile, and order was restored.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Waldemar of Prussia

March 27, 1883 – Death of John Brown, personal attendant and favorite of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England; buried in the cemetery at Crathie Kirk near Balmoral in Scotland
John Brown served Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom as a ghillie at Balmoral (Scottish outdoor servant) from 1849 – 1861 and a personal attendant from 1861 – 1883. Prince Albert’s untimely death in 1861 was a shock from which Queen Victoria never fully recovered. In 1864, Victoria’s personal physician Sir William Jenner ordered that she ride all winter. Victoria refused to be accompanied by a stranger and so John Brown was summoned to Osborne House on the Isle of Wight with Victoria’s Highland pony. His duties soon encompassed more than leading a horse. Brown became known as “the Queen’s Highland Servant” who took his orders exclusively from the Queen. From then on, until his death nearly twenty years later, Brown was never far from Victoria’s side. There were rumors of a romance and a secret marriage, and Victoria was called Mrs. Brown. Brown treated the queen in a rough and familiar but kind manner which she relished. In return, Brown was allowed many privileges which infuriated Victoria’s family. In March 1883, John Brown worked seven-day weeks despite fever and chills. On March 27, 1883, at Windsor Castle, 56-year-old John Brown fell into a coma and died. The cause of death was erysipelas, a streptococcal infection. He was buried in the cemetery at Crathie Kirk near Balmoral, next to his parents and some of his siblings. The inscription on his gravestone shows the affection between him and Queen Victoria.
Unofficial Royalty: John Brown, Personal Attendant and Favorite of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom

March 27, 2023 – Birth of Prince François of Luxembourg, son of Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume of Luxembourg, at the Grand Duchess  Charlotte Maternity Hospital in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
François is the second of the two sons of Prince Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg, and is third in the line of succession to the throne of Luxembourg after his father and his elder brother.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince François of Luxembourg

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Royal News Recap for Monday, March 25, 2024

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