Christiansborg Palace Chapel in Copenhagen, Denmark

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

The Three Christiansborg Palaces

Christiansborg Palace – The dome of the Palace Chapel can be seen on the left; Credit – Af Julian Herzog (Website) – Eget arbejde, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=36694087

Christiansborg Palace Chapel, part of Christiansborg Palace, belongs to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark, sometimes called The Church of Denmark, the established, state-supported church in Denmark. Christiansborg Palace, located on the islet of Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen, Denmark, was once a royal residence but now it is a government building. It is the seat of the Danish Parliament, the Danish Prime Minister’s Office, and the Supreme Court of Denmark. Several parts of Christiansborg Palace are still used by the Danish monarch and the royal family, including the Royal Reception Rooms, the Palace Chapel, and the Royal Stables.

Copenhagen Castle in 1698; Credit – Wikipedia

Prior to the three Christiansborg Palaces that have been on the site, there were two other castles. Absalon’s Castle was built in 1167 by Absalon, a Roman Catholic archbishop and statesman. The castle was demolished in 1370 when King Valdemar IV was defeated in a conflict with the Hanseatic League, who ordered the castle to be demolished. After the demolition of Absalon’s Castle, Copenhagen Castle was built and completed in the late 14th century. Originally Copenhagen Castle was the property of the Bishop of Roskilde until King Eric VII took over the rights to the castle in 1417. Copenhagen Castle then became the principal residence of the Danish kings and the center of government. In 1731, Copenhagen Castle was demolished to make room for the first Christiansborg Palace.

The first Christiansborg Palace; Credit – Wikipedia

The first Christiansborg Palace was commissioned by King Christian VI in 1733. Most of the palace complex was completed in 1745 and it was the largest palace in northern Europe at the time. The palace and chapel were destroyed by a fire in 1794.

The second Christiansborg Palace; Credit – Wikipedia

After the 1794 fire, the Danish royal family lived at Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen. The second Christiansborg Palace was started in 1803. By the time the palace was finished in 1828, King Frederik VI decided he did not want to live there and he only used the palace for entertainment. King Frederik VII was the only monarch to live there, between 1852 – 1863. The second Christiansborg Palace burned down in 1884, however, the riding school, the court theatre, and the palace chapel were saved. The ruins remained for twenty-three years due to political fighting over the plans for a third Christiansborg Palace.

The third Christiansborg Palace under construction in 1914; Credit – Wikipedia

The third Christiansborg Palace was built from 1907 – 1928, with premises for the Parliament and the Supreme Court and royal reception rooms for the Danish royal family to be used for official functions of the monarch such as banquets, state dinners, the New Year’s levée, diplomatic accreditations, audiences, and meetings of the council of state.

Christiansborg Palace Chapel

Today’s Christiansborg Palace Chapel; Credit – Wikipedia

The history of the Christiansborg Palace Chapel goes back to the first palace. The palace chapel was not in the palace itself but rather in a separate building connected to the palace by a walkway. Architect Nicolai Eigtved designed the interior of the chapel in the Rococo style. The new palace chapel was consecrated on Sunday, November 27, 1740, and was then used for the regular services for the palace’s many residents and for the large services that accompanied anniversaries and events of the royal family.

The 1794 Christiansborg Palace Fire; Credit – Wikipedia

On February 26, 1794, a fire broke out in a chimney in the Crown Prince’s rooms in the main wing. The fire spread over the next few hours, and a large crowd attempted to save the castle and its valuable contents and also the surrounding neighborhoods. The palace and the palace chapel were destroyed and 70-80 people were killed.

Embed from Getty Images 
The interior of the Christiansborg Palace Chapel

Originally the entire palace chapel was to be razed, however, it was decided to rebuild the palace chapel on the site of the previous palace chapel using a large portion of the original exterior walls and partitions. Architect Christian Frederik Hansen was responsible for the reconstruction and transformed what remained of the first palace chapel into a neoclassical building with a dome. The work began in 1813 and was completed in 1826. The new palace chapel was consecrated at a service on May 14, 1826, as part of the 1000th anniversary of the introduction of Christianity in Denmark.

The second fire at Christiansborg Palace occurred on October 3, 1884. Although the second Christiansborg Palace had firewalls, iron doors, and firefighting equipment installed, the building had many spaces through which the fire could spread. The fire spread along the main wing and the east wing, and after a while, the firefighters gave up trying to save the palace and instead concentrated their efforts on saving the palace chapel and the riding arena complex. Both the palace chapel and the riding arena complex were saved.

Interior of the Christiansborg Palace Chapel showing the domed ceiling; Credit – By seier+seier – c.f.hansen, christiansborg palace church, copenhagen, 1810-1826Uploaded by Anne-Sophie_Ofrim, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12086401

On June 7, 1992, the palace chapel roof caught fire from fireworks set off during the Whitsun carnival. The roof burned, the dome collapsed, and a substantial part of the interior was destroyed. There were no architectural drawings for the dome and roof construction, but systematic building archeological work using the charred building parts made it possible to recreate the dome and roof construction. Historically correct construction methods were used throughout the reconstruction process. After the restoration, the Christiansborg Palace Church was rededicated on January 15, 1997, in connection with Queen Margrethe II‘s Silver Jubilee.

Royal Events at Christiansborg Palace Chapel

The christening of Crown Prince Christian, son of King Frederik X, grandson of Queen Margrethe II in 2006

The funeral of Prince Henrik, husband of Queen Margrethe II in 2018; Credit – Keld Navntoft, Kongehuset

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

  • Da.wikipedia.org. 2021. Christiansborg – Wikipedia, den frie encyklopædi. [online] Available at: <https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christiansborg> [Accessed 20 August 2021].
  • Da.wikipedia.org. 2021. Christiansborgs brand 1884 – Wikipedia, den frie encyklopædi. [online] Available at: <https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christiansborgs_brand_1884> [Accessed 20 August 2021].
  • Da.wikipedia.org. 2021. Christiansborg Slotskirke – Wikipedia, den frie encyklopædi. [online] Available at: <https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christiansborg_Slotskirke> [Accessed 20 August 2021].
  • Da.wikipedia.org. 2021. Kongelige bryllupper – Wikipedia, den frie encyklopædi. [online] Available at: <https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kongelige_bryllupper#Danmark> [Accessed 20 August 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Christiansborg Palace – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christiansborg_Palace> [Accessed 20 August 2021].
  • The Danish Monarchy. 2021. Christiansborg Palace. [online] Available at: <https://www.kongehuset.dk/en/palaces/christiansborg-palace> [Accessed 20 August 2021].
  • The Danish Parliament. 2021. The History of Christiansborg. [online] Available at: <https://www.thedanishparliament.dk/en/christiansborg-palace/the-history-of-christiansborg-palace> [Accessed 20 August 2021].

Gustavus II Adolphus the Great, King of Sweden

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Gustavus Adolphus the Great, King of Sweden; Credit – Wikipedia

Also known as Gustav II Adolf, King of Sweden, he was officially given the name Gustavus Adolphus the Great by the Riksdag of the Estates, the legislature, in 1634, two years after his death in battle. Gustavus Adolphus is considered one of the greatest military commanders in history and made Sweden a great power that would result in it becoming one of Europe’s largest and leading nations during the early modern period. Born on December 9, 1594, at Tre Kronor Castle which stood on the site of the present Royal Palace in Stockholm, Sweden, he was the eldest of the four children and the elder of the two sons of the future Karl IX, King of Sweden and his second wife Christina of Holstein-Gottorp.

Gustavus Adolphus had three younger siblings:

Gustavus Adolphus had six half-siblings from his father’s first marriage to Maria of Palatinate-Simmern but only one survived childhood:

  • Margareta Elisabeth of Sweden (1580 – 1585), died in childhood
  • Elisabeth Sabina of Sweden (1582 – 1585), died in childhood
  • Ludwig of Sweden (born and died 1583), died in infancy
  • Katharina of Sweden (1584 – 1638), married Count Palatine Johann Kasimir of Palatinate-Zweibrücken-Kleeburg, had eight children including Carl X Gustav, King of Sweden
  • Gustav of Sweden (born and 1587), died in infancy
  • Maria Sweden (1588 – 1589), died in infancy

Karl IX, King of Sweden, Gustavus Adolphus’ father; Credit – Wikipedia

Gustavus Adolphus’ father Karl was Regent of Sweden from 1599–1604 and King of Sweden from 1604 – 1611. He had the good sense to prepare his son for his future role. Gustavus Adolphus received a thorough humanistic and political education from Johannes Bureus, the Swedish royal librarian, and Johan Skytte, later the Chancellor of Uppsala University. From the age of eight, Gustavus Adolphus was allowed to attend the meetings of the Council of State and from the age of twelve, he performed public duties such as receiving foreign envoys. When Gustavus Adolphus was fifteen years old, he gave his first speech from the throne. He had military training with an experienced professional soldier Jakob De la Gardie. Gustavus Adolphus spoke only German with his mother and Swedish with his father and was fluent in both languages. He was taught all subjects in Latin but he also learned French, Dutch, and ancient Greek.

Gustavus Adolphus’ early education and training proved useful as he became King of Sweden at the age of sixteen, when his father Karl IX, King of Sweden died on October 30, 1611. At that time Sweden was a poor country with a weak army at war with Denmark, Poland, and Russia. With the help of the stateman Axel Oxenstierna, considered one of the most influential people in Swedish history, Gustavus Adolphus reshaped Sweden’s government and transformed the Swedish army into Europe’s most modern, well-trained, and feared army. Under Gustavus Adolphus’ leadership, peace was made with Denmark and Poland, and Russia was defeated on the battlefield.

Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg, Gustavus Adolphus’ wife; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1616, the 22-year-old Gustavus Adolphus started looking for a Protestant bride. He had received positive reports about the beauty and intelligence of 17-year-old Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg, the daughter of Johann Sigismund, Elector of Brandenburg, and Anna of Prussia. After prolonged back-and-forth negotiations with Maria Eleonora’s family, complete with many changes of opinions, it was agreed that Maria Eleonora and Gustavus Adolphus would marry. On October 7, 1620, Maria Eleonora left Brandenburg for Sweden with her mother Anna and her sister Katrina. Gustavus Adolphus and Maria Eleonora were married in Stockholm on November 25, 1620. During the first years of the marriage, Maria Eleonora’s mother Anna and sister Katarina remained in Sweden. They did not return to Brandenburg until August 1624.

Although Gustavus Adolphus was successful in many endeavors, he was not successful in providing a male heir:

  • Stillborn daughter, born July 24, 1621
  • Christina (1623 – 1624), died in infancy
  • Stillborn son, born May 1625
  • Christina, Queen of Sweden (1626 – 1689), unmarried, succeeded her father, abdicated, subsequently converted to Roman Catholicism, and moved to Rome

Gustavus Adolphus’ daughter the future Queen Christina as a child; Credit – Wikipedia

When Gustav Adolphus’s fourth child was born, he was told that the child was a boy. His half-sister Katarina informed him that the child was not a boy but a girl, and then carried the baby to him, afraid of his reaction. Gustav Adolphus said, “She’ll be clever, she has made fools of us all!” and decided her name would be Christina after his mother. He ordered the birth to be announced with all the ceremonies usually given to the birth of a male heir. This seems to indicate that Gustavus Adolphus had little hope of having other children. Maria Eleonora’s state of health seems to be the most likely explanation for this. Gustavus Adolphus’ legitimate younger brothers had all died. The one legitimate female left, his half-sister Katarina was excluded from the succession when she married a non-Lutheran. Gustavus Adolphus recognized Christina’s eligibility as a female heir and she became the undisputed heir presumptive.

The Thirty Years’ War was a conflict fought mostly within the Holy Roman Empire, mainly in present-day Germany, from 1618 to 1648. Although it started as a religious war (Protestant nations against Catholic nations), it developed into a territorial war. Before Gustavus Adolphus left to lead the Swedish army in the Thirty Years’ War, he secured his daughter Christina’s right to inherit the throne, in case he never returned and gave orders that Christina should receive an education normally given to only boys.

Gustavus Adolphus at the Battle of Breitenfeld by Johann Walter; Credit – Wikipedia

Gustavus Adolphus won a decisive victory at the First Battle of Breitenfeld in September 1631. He then marched across Germany, establishing his winter quarters near the Rhine, where he planned for the invasion of the rest of the Holy Roman Empire. He had hopes of conquering the Holy Roman Empire and ascending its throne. However, it was not to be. The Battle of Lützen occurred on November 16, 1632, between a Holy Roman Empire force under Albrecht von Wallenstein and a combined Swedish-German army led by Gustavus Adolphus. Generally viewed as a narrow Swedish victory, both sides suffered heavy casualties and it is now chiefly remembered for the death of Gustavus Adolphus.

Death of King Gustav II Adolf of Sweden at the Battle of Lützen by Carl Wahlbom; Credit – Wikipedia

Gustavus Adolphus was leading the cavalry charge when he was separated in a mix of gun smoke and fog. A bullet hit his left arm below the elbow. At the same time, his horse was hit by a bullet to the neck and became difficult to control. In the fog and smoke, Gustavus Adolphus mistakenly rode behind enemy lines. There he was shot in the back, stabbed, and fell from his horse. Lying on the ground, 37-year-old Gustavus Adolphus received a final, fatal shot to his temple. When the shooting stopped and the smoke cleared, Gustavus Adolphus’ horse was spotted between the two lines but he was not on it and was nowhere to be seen. After a search, his body was found and secretly evacuated from the battlefield in a Swedish artillery wagon.

Embarkation of the body of Gustavus Adolphus at the port of Wolgast in 1633 by Carl Gustaf Hellqvist; Credit – Wikipedia

Gustavus Adolphus’ body was taken to Weissenfels, in the Electorate of Saxony, now in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt, where it was embalmed and dressed in a beautiful gold and silver woven uniform, then brought to Wolgast, in the Duchy of Pomerania, now in the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. His body remained in Wolgast until the summer of 1633 when it was taken by ship to Sweden. Once in Sweden, Gustavus Adolphus’ body was taken to Nyköping Castle in Nyköping, Sweden, and remained there until it was time to take it to Stockholm for the funeral.

Gustavus Adolphus’ wife caused the delay of his burial. Already suffering from mental issues, Maria Eleonora’s grief was quite painful and her mental issues worsened considerably. She ordered that her husband’s heart be brought to her to keep him always near. She also refused to have her husband buried, spending whole days next to the body. Finally, eighteen months after the death of Gustavus Adolphus, the funeral and burial were held on June 22, 1634, at Riddarholmen Church in Stockholm, Sweden.

Gustavus Adolphus’ sarcophagus at Riddarholmen Church; Credit – By Frankie Fouganthin – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16785914

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.

Kingdom of Sweden Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. 2021. Gustav II. Adolf – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustav_II._Adolf> [Accessed 19 August 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Gustavus Adolphus – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustavus_Adolphus> [Accessed 19 August 2021].
  • Flantzer, Susan. Karl IX, King of Sweden. 2021. [online] Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/karl-ix-king-of-sweden/> [Accessed 19 August 2021].
  • Sv.wikipedia.org. 2021. Gustav II Adolf – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustav_II_Adolf> [Accessed 19 August 2021].

Maximilian, Margrave of Baden

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Maximilian, Margrave of Baden and his wife in July 2017 at the wedding of Prince Ernst August of Hanover and Ekaterina Malysheva; Credit – Von Bernd Schwabe – Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=60818074

Maximilian, Margrave of Baden was the head of the House of Zähringen and pretender to the former Grand Ducal throne of Baden from 1963 until his death in 2022. Paternally, he was the grandson of his namesake, Prince Maximilian, Margrave of Baden. Maternally, he was the oldest living grandchild of Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark and Princess Alice of Battenberg. Thus, he was a nephew of Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh and first cousin of King Charles III of the United Kingdom and his siblings.

 

Maximilian Andreas Friedrich Gustav Ernst August Bernhard, Prince of Baden, was born on July 3, 1933, in Salem, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, the elder son of Berthold, Margrave of Baden and Princess Theodora of Greece and Denmark.

He has two siblings:

Max attended the Schule Schloss Salem, founded by his grandfather and Kurt Hahn, and then went on to study agriculture and forestry.

In the early 1960s, Max was engaged to his first cousin Princess Beatrix of Hohenlohe-Langenburg. Beatrix was the daughter of Gottfried, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg and Princess Margarita of Greece and Denmark (his mother’s elder sister). However, the engagement was called off in 1961, and several years later, he married Archduchess Valerie of Austria. She was the daughter of Archduke Hubert of Austria and Princess Rosemary of Salm-Salm. Max and Valerie wed in a civil ceremony in Salem on September 23, 1966, followed by a religious ceremony held at Persenbeug Castle in Austria.

They have four children:

  • Marie Louise, Princess of Baden (1969) – married Richard Dudley Baker, had issue
  • Bernhard, Margrave of Baden (1970) – married Stephanie Kaul, had issue
  • Leopold, Prince of Baden (1971) – unmarried
  • Michael, Prince of Baden (1976) – married Christina Höhne, no issue

Upon his father’s death in October 1963, Max became Head of the House of Zähringen and pretender to the former grand ducal throne of Baden. He also inherited the family’s vast estates, including four castles in Salem, Baden-Baden, Zwingenberg and Eberstein, and over 2,000 hectares of forests, vineyards, and land. However, due to poor investments and the overall global economic crisis, Max found himself in debt. In 1995, he auctioned off most of the contents of Schloss Baden-Baden, bringing in over 55 million dollars. Three years later, he appointed his son and heir Bernhard as the administrator of the family’s assets.

Max spent many years overseeing the family’s wine production business, an industry that had been in the family for hundreds of years. Based at Schloss Staufenberg in Durbach, and Schloss Salem, the Margrave of Baden Winery has been producing wine since the late 1700s.

The Margrave of Baden was involved in countless organizations and associations during his lifetime. One lasted many years – his association with the German Red Cross. He served on the honorary council of the Baden Regional Association and was an active participant. Max and his wife Valerie lived in a wing of Salem Abbey, one of the family’s ancestral homes.

On December 29, 2022, Maximilian, Margrave of Baden, aged 89, died at Salem Abbey, a family home, in Salem, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. He was buried at the Mimmenhausen Cemetery, in Salem, Germany. His funeral on January 13, 2023, was attended by former and current royalty including King Philippe of Belgium, Prince Albert II of Monaco and his sister Caroline, Princess of Hanover, Prince Hassan of Jordan, Hereditary Princess Sophie of Liechtenstein, and the heads or representatives of most of the former ruling houses of Germany. Max’s first cousin King Charles III of the United Kingdom was represented by Donatus, Landgrave of Hesse.

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Baden Resources at Unofficial Royalty

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Church of Our Lady of Laeken in Brussels, Belgium

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Church of Our Lady of Laeken; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Built during the latter part of the nineteenth century, the Roman Catholic Church of Our Lady of Laeken in Brussels, Belgium, which this writer has visited, is the burial church of the Belgian royal family, built in memory of Queen Louise-Marie, the second wife of Belgium’s first king Leopold I, King of the Belgians.

Belgium has been a country only since 1830. In August 1830, the southern provinces (modern-day Belgium) of the Kingdom of the Netherlands rebelled against Dutch rule. International powers meeting in London agreed to support the independence of Belgium, even though the Dutch refused to recognize the new country. On April 22, 1831, Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, the uncle of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and her husband Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, was asked by the Belgian National Congress if he wanted to be king of the new country. Leopold swore allegiance to the new Belgian constitution on July 21, 1831, and became the first King of the Belgians. Under the Belgian Constitution, the Belgian monarch is styled “King/Queen of the Belgians” to reflect that the monarch is “of the Belgian people.”

Although the Belgian royal family is Roman Catholic, Leopold I was born a Lutheran and remained a Lutheran for his entire life. Before Leopold became King of the Belgians, he was first married to Princess Charlotte of Wales, the only child of King George IV of the United Kingdom, who tragically died in childbirth along with her son. Charlotte, who most likely would have been Queen of the United Kingdom,  and her son are buried at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England.

No family burial site had been planned for the members of the new Belgian royal family. When King Leopold I’s infant son Crown Prince Louis Philippe died suddenly in 1834, he was buried at the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula out of necessity.

Queen Louise-Marie, born Princess Louise-Marie of Orléans, predeceased her husband King Leopold I, dying of tuberculosis at age 38 in 1850. She wanted to be buried in the old Church of Our Lady of Laeken built in 1275  and her remains were buried there. To honor the memory of his wife, Leopold I, King of the Belgians conceived the idea of a new and larger church at Laeken. There has been a house of worship on this site since around 800.  In 1275, the original chapel was replaced by a church in the Gothic style called the Church of Our Lady of Laeken.

By royal decree on October 14, 1850, the government authorized the construction of the new church and organized a competition for the design of the new church. There were only two stipulations for the design, the church should be able to hold 2,000 people and its price should not exceed 800,000 francs. In 1852, the jury decided upon a neo-gothic design by Joseph Poelaert, a 34-year-old architect.  The German architect Friedrich von Schmidt designed the portal and the 99-meter-high tower.

The choir of the old Church of Our Lady of Laeken, now a chapel, in the center in the Laeken Cemetery; Credit – Par EmDee — Travail personnel, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=48239336

King Leopold I laid the foundation stone for the new church in 1854 and in 1872 the church was consecrated but it was not fully completed until 1909 because of a long interruption of work. In 1894, the old church was demolished due to its state of disrepair. However, the choir of the old church was preserved and has survived as a chapel in the center of the adjacent Laeken Cemetery.

Both Louise-Marie who died in 1850 and Leopold who died in 1865 were first buried at the old Church of Our Lady of Laeken.  On April 20, 1876, their remains were interred in the royal crypt at the new Church of Our Lady of Laeken. All the monarchs, all their consorts, and some other members of the Belgian royal family have been buried at the neo-gothic Roman Catholic Church of Our Lady of Laeken in Brussels, Belgium, the burial church of the Belgian royal family, built in memory of Queen Louise-Marie, the second wife of Belgium’s first king Leopold I.

Interior of the Church of Our Lady of Laeken; Photo © – Susan Flantzer

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Royal Burials

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Entrance to the Royal Crypt; Photo © Susan Flantzer

The crypt is located under the main altar. Two staircases on either side behind the main altar lead down to the crypt. At the foot of the stairs, just in front of the carved oak doors of the entrance to the crypt, is a mosaic depicting the nine coats of arms of the Belgian provinces.

Tomb of Leopold I, King of the Belgians and Queen Louise-Marie; Credit – Door Michel wal – Eigen werk, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7758486

In the center of the crypt is the large, white tomb of Leopold I, King of the Belgians and his second wife Queen Louise-Marie, topped by a royal crown with four mourning figures draped in black at the four corners.

Royal Crypt; Credit – Wikipedia

Surrounding the tomb of Leopold I and Louise-Marie are the tombs of Leopold I’s successors and their spouses. The niches in the wall house the coffins of other members of the royal family, such as Prince Charles, Duke of Flanders, Regent of Belgium, and other princes and princesses. A very nice touch that this writer observed was the framed photographs on the tombs.

Tomb of King Leopold III of Belgium, his first wife Queen Astrid, and his second wife Princess Lilian with their framed photos; Credit – www.findagrave.com

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Graves of (left to right) Crown Prince Louis Philippe, Empress Carlota of Mexico who was born Princess Charlotte of Belgium, and Prince Leopold of Liechtenstein with empty grave niches awaiting burials in the crypt at the Church of Our Lady of Laeken; Credit – www.findagrave.com

The management of the burial crypt at the Church of Our Lady of Laeken is under the direct authority of the Belgian monarch who manages the burial crypt on behalf of the members of the Belgian royal family. The Belgian government has no authority over the burial crypt. The Belgian monarch decides who will be allowed burial in the royal crypt and where they will be buried.

In 1927, Albert I, King of the Belgians allowed the burial of his aunt Empress Carlota of Mexico in the royal crypt. Empress Carlota was born Princess Charlotte of Belgium, the daughter of Leopold I, King of the Belgians, and the wife of Archduke Maximilian of Austria, who, as the ill-fated Emperor of Mexico, was executed by a firing squad. Under the laws of the Austrian House of Habsburg, Empress Carlota was to be buried in the Imperial Crypt in Vienna, Austria.

Although the tombs are designed for two remains, the tomb of King Leopold III contains three remains. King Leopold III ordered that his second wife Princess Lilian would be buried in his tomb upon her death, and this order was carried out by his son Albert II, King of the Belgians.

Baudouin, King of the Belgians allowed Prince Leopold of Liechtenstein, stillborn on May 20, 1984, in Brussels, Belgium, the son of his niece Princess Margaretha of Luxembourg and her husband Prince Nikolaus of Liechtenstein, to be buried in the royal crypt although he was not a member of the Belgian royal family. 

The following are interred in the royal crypt at the Church of Our Lady of Laeken. Note that Leopold III was styled as Leopold III, King of the Belgians from 1934 – 1951. After his abdication in 1951, he was styled King Leopold III of Belgium and that is how he is referred to below.

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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.

Works Cited

  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Church of Our Lady of Laeken – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_Our_Lady_of_Laeken> [Accessed 19 July 2021].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2012. Belgian Royal Burial Sites. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/royal-burial-sites/belgian-royal-burial-sites/> [Accessed 19 July 2021].
  • Fr.wikipedia.org. 2021. Église Notre-Dame de Laeken — Wikipédia. [online] Available at: <https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89glise_Notre-Dame_de_Laeken> [Accessed 19 July 2021].
  • Nl.wikipedia.org. 2021. Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk (Laken) – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk_(Laken)> [Accessed 19 July 2021].
  • The Belgian Monarchy. 2021. Royal Crypt in Laeken | The Belgian Monarchy. [online] Available at: <https://www.monarchie.be/en/heritage/royal-crypt-in-laeken> [Accessed 19 July 2021].
  • Unofficial Royalty. 2021. Kingdom of Belgium Index. [online] Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/royal-articles-index/belgian-royals-index/> [Accessed 19 July 2021].

Christina of Holstein-Gottorp, Queen of Sweden

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Christina of Hesse, Queen of Sweden; Credit – Wikipedia

Christina of Holstein-Gottorp was the second wife of Karl IX, King of Sweden. Born on April 13, 1573, in Kiel, Duchy of Holstein-Gottorp, now in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein, she was the fourth of the ten children and the second of the five daughters of Adolf, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp, and Christine of Hesse. Her father was the third son of King Frederik I of Denmark and Norway and his second wife, Sophie of Pomerania. In 1544, Adolf, his brother Johann, and their half-brother King Christian III of Denmark divided the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein, which belonged to Denmark. Adolf, as the youngest, got the first choice. Since he selected the part with the Gottorp Castle, the line of the House of Oldenburg, founded by him was called the House of Holstein-Gottorp.

Christina had nine siblings:

Christina’s husband, the future King Karl IX of Sweden; Credit – Wikipedia

Maria of Palatinate-Simmern, the first wife of the future Karl IX, King of Sweden, died in 1589 at the age of 28. Three years later, forty-two-year-old Karl married nineteen-year-old Christina, the first cousin of his first wife. The couple was married on August 27, 1592, at Nyköping Castle in Nyköping, Södermanland, Sweden. At the time of the marriage, Karl was a Prince of Sweden and the Duke of Södermanland, and so Christina became a Princess of Sweden and the Duchess of Södermanland. Karl was a staunch Lutheran. Sweden was then ruled by Karl’s brother, Johan III, King of Sweden, who, although Protestant, was married to a Catholic Polish princess and had Catholic sympathies. Karl’s marriage to Christina created a stronger alliance with the German Protestants.

Karl had six children with his first wife Maria, but five of them died in infancy or childhood before his second marriage. Christina became the stepmother of Karl’s only surviving child:

Christina and Karl had four children of their own:

In 1592, Karl’s brother, Johan III, King of Sweden, died and was succeeded by his Roman Catholic son Sigismund III Vasa, who was already King of Poland. Eventually, because of religious issues, the Riksdag (legislature) gained control of the Swedish government and appointed the Lutheran Karl Regent of Sweden. Finally, on February 24, 1604, the Swedish Riksdag declared that Karl’s nephew Sigismund abdicated the Swedish throne and Karl was recognized as the sovereign, Karl IX, King of Sweden. After a delay of three years, Karl and his wife Christina were crowned King and Queen of Sweden on March 15, 1607, at Uppsala Cathedral in Uppsala, Sweden.

In 1604, Christina was appointed to be regent if Karl should die before their sons reached the age of majority. As the potential guardian, Christina held an important leadership position. Although Karl did not allow Christina to dictate policy, he did ask for her advice. She did prevent the potential election of her son Karl Philip as Tsar of Russia. Count Jacob Pontusson De la Gardie, a Swedish statesman, had proposed ten-year-old Karl Philip as a candidate for Tsar of Russia. When her husband Karl died in 1611, Christina refused to allow Karl Philip to leave for Russia. However, in 1613, Karl Philip went to Denmark to discuss the terms of a potential tsardom. When he got to Denmark, Karl Philip found out that Russian nobles had rejected several candidates, including him, and that Michael Romanov became the consensus candidate and had been elected the first Romanov ruler of Russia. Christina was relieved that the Russian affair was finally over.

On October 30, 1611, at Nyköping Castle in Nyköping, Södermanland, Sweden, 61-year-old Karl IX, King of Sweden, died. He was buried at Strängnäs Cathedral in Strängnäs, Södermanland, Sweden. After the death of Karl IX, Christina and Johan, Duke of Östergötland, the son of Karl’s brother Johan III, King of Sweden, shared the short regency of Gustavus II Adolphus, King of Sweden. The regency lasted from October 1611 to December 1611, when Christina’s elder son was declared of age. However, Christina remained the guardian of her younger son Karl Philip and was regent for his Duchies of Södermanland, Närke, and Värmland. Despite the short regency for her elder son, Christina was considered the real power behind the throne during the early years of Gustavus II Adolphus’s reign. She prevented his marriage to Ebba Magnusdotter Brahe because she feared the complications of marriage with a noble and realized a dynastic marriage could have substantial political benefits.

Christina’s younger son, Karl Philip; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1621, Christina’s younger son Karl Philip accompanied his brother Gustavus II Adolphus on his military campaign in the Baltic States. During the campaign, Karl Philip became seriously ill and traveled to Narva, then a Swedish possession, now in Estonia, for treatment and rest. Karl Philip did not recover, dying on January 25, 1622, at the age of only 20. Christina was heartbroken after the death of her younger son, and she retired from public life and lived in seclusion. After Karl Philip’s death, his morganatic, secret marriage to Elisabet Ribbing was discovered, and Christina became the guardian of his posthumous daughter, Elisabet Gyllenhielm.

Christina survived her husband by fourteen years, dying at the age of 52, on December 8, 1625, at Gripsholm Castle in Mariefred, Södermanland, Sweden. She was buried in the family crypt at Strängnäs Cathedral in Strängnäs, Sweden, below her husband’s most unusual grave monument, a rider on a horse wearing gold armor placed over the family crypt. The gold armor had been made by twelve of Stockholm’s most prominent goldsmiths.

Karl IX’s grave monument; Credit – Av Kigsz – Eget arbete, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=71076804

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.

Kingdom of Sweden Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. 2021. Christine von Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorf – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christine_von_Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorf> [Accessed 14 July 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Adolf, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolf,_Duke_of_Holstein-Gottorp> [Accessed 14 July 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Christina of Holstein-Gottorp – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christina_of_Holstein-Gottorp> [Accessed 14 July 2021].
  • Flantzer, Susan. Karl IX, King of Sweden. [online] Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/karl-ix-king-of-sweden/> [Accessed 14 July 2021].
  • Sv.wikipedia.org. 2021. Kristina av Holstein-Gottorp – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kristina_av_Holstein-Gottorp> [Accessed 14 July 2021].

Berthold, Margrave of Baden

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Berthold, Margrave of Baden was the Head of the House of Zähringen and Pretender to the former Grand Ducal throne of Baden from 1929 until his death in 1963.

Berthold, Margrave of Baden; Credit – Wikipedia

Prince Berthold Friedrich Wilhelm Ernst August Heinrich Karl of Baden was born in Karlsruhe, Germany on February 24, 1906. He was the only son of Prince Maximilian of Baden, Margrave of Baden and Princess Marie Luise of Hanover. Berthold had one older sister:

Berthold, his wife and two elder children, c1936. source: private collection

On August 17, 1931 in Baden-Baden, Berthold married Princess Theodora of Greece and Denmark, the second daughter of Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark and Princess Alice of Battenberg (as well as the elder sister of Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh). The couple were second cousins through their mutual great-grandfather, King Christian IX of Denmark. Berthold and Theodora had three children:

 

The last reigning Grand Duke of Baden, Friedrich II, had no children. Although the Headship of the House would pass to Berthold’s father Max, the Grand Duke’s assets would not. As part of an agreement following the end of the monarchy, Friedrich’s assets and estates would pass to the Republic of Baden if he had no legal children. To avoid this from happening, Friedrich and his wife, Hilda, legally adopted Berthold in August 1927. When Friedrich died the following year, his father became Head of the House, but it was Berthold who actually inherited all of the family’s assets.

 

Berthold, Margrave of Baden died suddenly on October 27, 1963, in Spaichingen, Germany, from an apparent heart attack. He is buried in the Mimmenhausen Cemetery in Salem, along with his wife, his parents, and his daughter.

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Baden Resources at Unofficial Royalty

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Cathedral of Saint Jacques-sur-Coudenberg in Brussels, Belgium

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Cathedral of Saint Jacques-sur-Coudenberg; Credit – By EmDee – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17166498

The Cathedral of Saint Jacques-sur-Coudenberg is a Roman Catholic church in the Place Royale, a historic square near the center of Brussels, Belgium. It is named for Saint James the Greater, one of the twelve Apostles, who is styled “the Greater” to distinguish him from another Apostle, James “the Less”, with greater meaning older or taller, rather than more important.

It is the church with the first connection to the Belgian royal family. Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, stood on the cathedral steps when he took the oath that made him Leopold I, the first King of the Belgians on July 21, 1831. Since the reign of Albert I, King of the Belgians, most baptisms of monarchs’ children have occurred at the Cathedral of Saint Jacques-sur-Coudenberg. However, the christenings of the children of Philippe, King of the Belgians all took place in the chapel at Ciergnon Castle in Houyet, Namur, Belgium, one of the favorite summer residences of the Belgian royal family. Several funerals for members of the Belgian royal family have also taken place at the Cathedral of Saint Jacques-sur-Coudenberg. Located close to the Royal Palace of Brussels, the cathedral is the parish church of the Royal Palace.

The interior of the Cathedral of Saint Jacques-sur-Coudenberg; Credit – By IDD5000 – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=20251585

Originally the Saint-Jacques-sur-Coudenberg Abbey, an Augustinian abbey, was on the site of the present cathedral. During the development of the Place Royale between 1776 and 1781, the abbey was demolished and the Cathedral of Saint-Jacques-sur-Coudenberg was built. Prince Charles Alexander of Lorraine, Governor of the Austrian Netherlands, laid the cornerstone on February 12, 1776. The Cathedral of Saint Jacques-sur-Coudenberg was the official church of the court of the Governors of the Habsburg Netherlands and served as an abbey church and a parish church.

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July 21, 1831: The Constitutional Oath of Leopold I, King of the Belgians

Leopold I, King of the Belgians takes the constitutional oath on the steps of the Cathedral of Saint-Jacques-sur-Coudenberg; Credit – Wikipedia

Belgium has been a country only since 1830. In August 1830, the southern provinces (modern-day Belgium) of the Kingdom of the Netherlands rebelled against Dutch rule. International powers meeting in London agreed to support the independence of Belgium, even though the Dutch refused to recognize the new country. On April 22, 1831, Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, the uncle of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and her husband Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, was asked by the Belgian National Congress if he wanted to be king of the new country. Leopold swore allegiance to the new Belgian constitution on July 21, 1831, and became the first King of the Belgians. Each year July 21 is celebrated as Belgian National Day.

The accession ceremony took place at the Cathedral of Saint Jacques-sur-Coudenberg. A stand was erected on the cathedral steps surrounded by the names of revolutionaries who died in the Belgian Revolution. After remarks from government leaders and the reading of the entire Belgian Constitution, Leopold, dressed in the uniform of a Belgian lieutenant-general, took the constitutional oath, as stated at the time in Article 80 of the Belgian Constitution, in French: “Je jure d’observer la constitution et les lois du peuple belge, the maintenir l’indépendance nationale et l’intégrité du territoire.” (Translation: “I swear that I will abide by the Constitution and the laws of the Belgian people, maintain the country’s independence and preserve the integrity of the territory.”

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Royal Baptisms

The future Albert II, King of the Belgians being carried into the Cathedral of Saint Jacques-sur-Coudenberg for his baptism. He is followed by his father Leopold III, King of the Belgians and mother Queen Astrid, his elder sister Princess Joséphine-Charlotte and elder brother Prince Baudouin

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Royal Funerals

The coffin of King Leopold III of Belgium leaving the Cathedral of Saint-Jacques-sur-Coudenberg; Credit – https://royalwatcherblog.com/2018/10/06/funeral-of-king-leopold-iii-of-belgium-1983/

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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.

  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Saint-Jacques-sur-Coudenberg – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint-Jacques-sur-Coudenberg> [Accessed 18 July 2021].
  • Fr.wikipedia.org. 2021. Cathédrale Saint-Jacques-sur-Coudenberg — Wikipédia. [online] Available at: <https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cath%C3%A9drale_Saint-Jacques-sur-Coudenberg> [Accessed 18 July 2021].
  • Nl.wikipedia.org. 2021. Intrede van Leopold I in België – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intrede_van_Leopold_I_in_Belgi%C3%AB> [Accessed 18 July 2021].
  • Nl.wikipedia.org. 2021. Sint-Jacob-op-Koudenberg – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sint-Jacob-op-Koudenberg> [Accessed 18 July 2021].
  • Paroisse-militaire-saint-jacques-sur-coudenberg.be. 2021. Eglise Saint-Jacques-sur-Coudenberg | Paroisse royale – Cathédrale du diocèse aux forces armées. [online] Available at: <https://paroisse-militaire-saint-jacques-sur-coudenberg.be/fr/accueil/> [Accessed 18 July 2021].

Maria of Palatinate-Simmern, Princess of Sweden, Duchess of Södermanland

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Karl IX, King of Sweden with his first wife Maria and second wife Christina, 1598 by Hieronymus Nützel; Credit – Wikipedia

Maria of the Palatinate-Simmern was the first wife of the future Karl IX, King of Sweden but she died before he became king. She was born in Heidelberg, Electorate of the Palatinate, now in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, on July 24, 1561. Maria was the eldest of the twelve children and the eldest of the seven daughters of Ludwig VI, Elector Palatine and Elisabeth of Hesse.

Maria had eleven younger siblings but only two siblings survived childhood:

  • Elisabeth (born and died 1562), died in infancy
  • Dorothea Elisabeth (born and died 1565), died in infancy
  • Dorothea (1566 – 1568), died in early childhood
  • Friedrich Philip (1567- 1568), died in infancy
  • Johann Friedrich (born and died 1569), died in infancy
  • Ludwig (1570 – 1571), died in infancy
  • Katharina (1572 – 1586), died in childhood
  • Christine (1573 – 1619), unmarried
  • Friedrich IV, Elector Palatine (1574 – 1610), married Louise Juliana of Orange-Nassau, had eight children
  • Philip (born and died 1575), died in infancy
  • Elisabeth (1576 – 1577), died in infancy

Maria was raised as a fervent Lutheran. Her father gave preference to Lutheranism over Calvinism, removing Calvinists from positions at Heidelberg University. In 1578, Prince Karl of Sweden, Duke of Södermanland traveled throughout the German monarchies looking for a suitable Protestant bride. Eighteen-year-old Karl visited Heidelberg in the Electorate of Palatinate and proposed to fifteen-year-old Maria. Her father accepted the marriage proposal on the condition that she be allowed to practice Lutheranism in Sweden which was then ruled by Karl’s brother Johan III, King of Sweden who, although Protestant, was married to a Catholic Polish princess and had Catholic sympathies. Maria and Karl were married on May 11, 1579, in Heidelberg. The newlyweds remained in Heidelberg until September 1579. In Sweden, they had the use of several castles in Karl’s Duchy of Södermanland.

Maria’s husband Karl; Credit – Wikipedia

Maria and Karl had six children but only one daughter survived childhood:

  • Margareta Elisabeth of Sweden (1580 – 1585), died in childhood
  • Elisabeth Sabina of Sweden (1582 – 1585), died in childhood
  • Ludwig of Sweden (born and died 1583), died in infancy
  • Katharina of Sweden (1584 – 1638), married Count Palatine Johann Kasimir von Pfalz-Zweibrücken-Kleeburg, had eight children including Carl X Gustav, King of Sweden
  • Gustav of Sweden (born and 1587), died in infancy
  • Maria Sweden (1588 – 1589), died in infancy

Marieholm, the former royal estate named after Maria; Credit – By (WT-shared) Riggwelter at wts.wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=22603872

Maria and Karl had a happy marriage. She accompanied Karl on his travels when she was not prevented by her pregnancies. Maria had a mild and conciliatory nature and was able to control her husband’s hot temper. No portrait of Maria survives but she was described as beautiful. The town Mariestad, founded in 1583, and the royal estate Marieholm (link in Swedish) in Mariestad are named for her.

On July 29, 1589, Maria died after a long illness, aged 28, at Eskilstuna Castle in Eskilstuna, Södermanland, Sweden, and was greatly mourned by Karl. She was buried at Strängnäs Cathedral in Strängnäs, Södermanland, Sweden. Her husband Karl married again in 1592 to Maria’s first cousin Christina of Holstein-Gottorp and had four children. Karl became King of Sweden in 1604. He died in 1611 at the age of 61 and was also buried at Strängnäs Cathedral.

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.

Kingdom of Sweden Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. 2021. Anna Maria von der Pfalz – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_Maria_von_der_Pfalz> [Accessed 13 July 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Louis VI, Elector Palatine – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_VI,_Elector_Palatine> [Accessed 13 July 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Maria of the Palatinate, Swedish princess – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_of_the_Palatinate,_Swedish_princess> [Accessed 13 July 2021].
  • Flantzer, Susan. Karl IX, King of Sweden. [online] Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/karl-ix-king-of-sweden/> [Accessed 13 July 2021].
  • Sv.wikipedia.org. 2021. Maria av Pfalz – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_av_Pfalz> [Accessed 13 July 2021].

Prince Maximilian of Baden, Margrave of Baden

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Prince Maximilian of Baden was the heir to the throne of the Grand Duchy of Baden, and served briefly as Chancellor of the German Empire.

Prince Maximilian of Baden, Margrave of Baden – photo: By Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-R04103 / CC-BY-SA 3.0, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5367974

Prince Maximilian Alexander Friedrich Wilhelm of Baden was born in Baden-Baden on July 10, 1867. He was the only son of Prince Wilhelm of Baden (a younger son of Grand Duke Leopold of Baden), and Princess Maria Maximilianovna of Leuchtenburg (a granddaughter of Emperor Nicholas I of Russia). Max had one older sister:

After his initial education, Max studied law and cameralism at Leipzig University before training as an officer in the Prussian Army. In 1907, upon the death of his uncle, Grand Duke Friedrich I of Baden, Max became heir-presumptive to his childless cousin, Friedrich II. In addition to his new position, he became President of the upper house of parliament in Baden. Four years later, he left the Prussian army with the rank of Major General.

Prince Max with his wife and children, c.1910. source: Wikipedia

On July 10, 1900, in Gmunden, Austria, Max married Princess Marie Luise of Hanover. She was the daughter of Ernst August, Crown Prince of Hanover and Princess Thyra of Denmark. The couple had two children:

Max returned to military service in 1914 at the beginning of World War I, serving as a general staff member, representing his cousin Friedrich II. However, he soon retired due to ill health. He became honorary president of Baden’s chapter of the German Red Cross, using his family connections to help prisoners of war. Staunchly liberal, he remained out of politics but spoke out against military policies he disagreed with. Despite maintaining a relatively low profile, it was through his friendship with Kurt Hahn that Max would later be appointed Chancellor of Germany. He was initially considered for the job in July 1917, and once again in September 1918 but was turned down by Kaiser Wilhelm II. However, later that same month, when it was clear that the German front was soon to fall, the entire cabinet of Chancellor Georg von Hertling resigned. Von Hertling himself recommended Prince Max to succeed him. This time the Kaiser agreed, and Max was formally appointed on October 3, 1918.

Just a month later, it was clear that the German Empire was ending. At noon on November 9, 1918, Prince Max announced Kaiser Wilhem II’s abdication and the formal renunciation of the Crown Prince. Max also resigned as Chancellor. Friedrich Ebert, the leader of the SPD, asked Max to remain in Berlin as Regent, but Max refused and returned to Baden.

With no further role in politics, Prince Max retired to Baden. He wrote and published several books, and in 1920, he helped Kurt Hahn establish the Schule Schloss Salem , a boarding school in Salem, Germany, later attended by Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, the brother of his son’s wife.

On August 9, 1928, the last reigning Grand Duke of Baden, Friedrich II, died, and Max became the pretender to the former throne and the Head of the House of Zähringen. At that time, he assumed the historic title of Margrave of Baden. Just over a year later, on November 6, 1929, Prince Max, Margrave of Baden died of kidney failure following several strokes. He is buried in the Mimmenhausen Cemetery in Salem.

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Baden Resources at Unofficial Royalty

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Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula in Brussels, Belgium

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula; Credit – By I, Luc Viatour, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4789498

While the construction of the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula, a Roman Catholic Church in Brussels, Belgium, which this writer has visited, began in 1226, its connection with the Kingdom of Belgium is short because Belgium has been a country only since 1830. In August 1830, the southern provinces (modern-day Belgium) of the Kingdom of the Netherlands rebelled against Dutch rule. International powers meeting in London agreed to support the independence of Belgium, even though the Dutch refused to recognize the new country. On April 22, 1831, Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, the uncle of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and her husband Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, was asked by the Belgian National Congress if he wanted to be king of the new country. Leopold swore allegiance to the new Belgian constitution on July 21, 1831, and became the first King of the Belgians. Under the Belgian Constitution, the Belgian monarch is styled “King/Queen of the Belgians” to reflect that the monarch is “of the Belgian people.”

The various predecessor states of the Kingdom of Belgium whose royalty also used the cathedral will be noticed below in the listing of royal events that occurred at the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula over the centuries. Before 1830, going back to the twelfth century, the predecessor states of Belgium were:

  • Duchy of Brabant – a state of the Holy Roman Empire established in 1183. It developed from the Landgraviate of Brabant and formed the core of the historic Low Countries. It was part of the Burgundian Netherlands and the Habsburg Netherlands. Today, the title of Duke or Duchess of Brabant is the title of the heir apparent to the Belgium throne.
  • Burgundian Netherlands (1384 – 1482) – Holy Roman Empire and French fiefs ruled in personal union by the Dukes of Burgundy of the House of Valois-Burgundy and later by their Habsburg heirs.
  • Habsburg Netherlands (1482 – 1797) is the collective name of Renaissance period fiefs in the Low Countries held by the Holy Roman Empire’s House of Habsburg.
    • Spanish Netherlands (1556 – 1714) – was the name for the Habsburg Netherlands ruled by the Spanish branch of the Habsburgs from 1556 to 1714
    • Austrian Netherlands (1714 – 1797) – was the name for the Habsburg Netherlands ruled by Governors from the Austrian House of Habsburg. It existed from the end of the Spanish War of Succession in 1714 until the conquest by French revolutionary troops and the annexation to the French Republic in 1797.
  • France (1797 – 1815) – France took over the Austrian Netherlands during the French Revolutionary Wars.
  • Kingdom of the Netherlands (1815 – 1830) – After the defeat of Napoleon, Willem V, Prince of Orange, urged on by the powers who met at the Congress of Vienna, proclaimed the Netherlands a monarchy on March 16, 1815. The new United Kingdom of the Netherlands consisted of territories that had belonged to the former Dutch Republic, Austrian Netherlands, and Prince-Bishopric of Liège

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Credit – Door SMYRKINNE – Eigen werk, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16769142

The current Belgian royal family has used the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula for weddings and funerals but not for burials. All the monarchs, all the consorts, and some other members of the Belgian royal family have been buried at the neo-gothic Roman Catholic Church of Our Lady of Laeken in Brussels, Belgium. The church was built in memory of Queen Louise-Marie, wife of Belgium’s first monarch King Leopold I. Since the reign of Albert I, King of the Belgians, most royal baptisms have been held at the Church of Saint Jacques-sur-Coudenberg in Brussels. Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld stood on the steps Church of Saint Jacques-sur-Coudenberg when he took the oath that made him Leopold I, the first King of the Belgians on July 21, 1831.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Above: Statues of Saint Michael the Archangel and Saint Gudula in the Cathedral of Saint Michael and Saint Gudula; Credit – Wikipedia

The patron saints of the church, Saint Michael and Saint Gudula, are also the patron saints of the City of Brussels. Saint Michael is the familiar Saint Michael the Archangel. A local female saint, Saint Gudula of Brabant, was born circa 646 in Brabant in present-day Belgium and died between 680 and 714. The cathedral stands on what was Treurenberg Hill in Brussels where there was a crossroads of two important old roads – Flanders to Cologne and Antwerp to Brussels. A chapel to St. Michael was built on Treurenberg Hill in the ninth century and was replaced by a Romanesque church in the eleventh century. In 1047, Lambert II, Count of Louvain and his wife Oda of Verdun founded a canon, a community of non-monastic clergy, in honor of Saint Gudula. Lambert arranged for the relics of St. Gudula to be transferred from another church in Brussels. From that time, the church became known as the Collegiate Church of St. Michael and St. Gudula.

Interior of the Cathedral of Saint Michael and Saint Gudula; Photo © Susan Flantzer

In 1200, under Henri I, Duke of Brabant, the church was restored and enlarged. However, in 1226, Henri II, Duke of Brabant decided to build a new Gothic-style church. The choir was constructed between 1226 – 1276. The nave and transept date from the 14th and 16th centuries. The façade and the two towers were built from 1470 – 1485. The new church was completed in 1519. Several chapels were added in the 16th and 17th centuries. Restoration work was carried out in the 19th century and further restoration occurred from 1983 – 1999.

Detail of the painting Pastoral Instruction, showing the church with the north tower still incomplete, c. 1480; Credit – Wikipedia

On June 6, 1579, the church was pillaged by the Protestant Geuzen, a group of Calvinist Dutch nobles, and Saint Gudula’s relics were scattered and lost. In February 1962, the church was given cathedral status, and since then it has been the seat of the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Mechelen-Brussels.

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Please note, the lists below may not be complete.

Royal Baptisms

The baptism of Louis-Philippe of Belgium, son of Leopold I, King of the Belgians; Credit – Wikipedia

  • 1480: Margaret of Austria – daughter of Mary, Duchess of Burgundy in her own right (daughter of Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy) and Maximilian of Austria, later Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor
  • 1498: Eleanor of Austria – daughter of Philip of Austria, Duke of Burgundy (son of Mary, Duchess of Burgundy and Maximilian of Austria, later Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor) and Juana I, Queen of Castile, Queen of Aragon
  • 1833: Louis Philippe, Crown Prince of Belgium – son of Leopold I, King of the Belgians, died before his first birthday

Royal Weddings

Wedding of the future Albert II, King of the Belgians and Paola Ruffo di Calabri

Royal Funerals

The royal families of Belgium and Luxembourg pray during the funeral mass for Baudouin, King of the Belgians. From left to right: Prince Laurent of Belgium, Prince Philippe of Belgium, Queen Paola of the Belgians, Baudouin’s brother King Albert II of the Belgians, Baudouin’s widow Queen Fabiola in white, Baudouin’s sister Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte of Luxembourg, Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg, and Princess Astrid of Belgium

Royal Burials

Tomb of Archduke Ernst of Austria; Credit – By PMRMaeyaert – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17308156

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

  • Cathedralisbruxellensis.be. 2021. Brussels Cathedral | Saint Michael and Saint Gudula Cathedral in Brussels. [online] Available at: <https://www.cathedralisbruxellensis.be/en/> [Accessed 17 July 2021].
  • Commons.wikimedia.org. 2021. Category:Tombs in the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula – Wikimedia Commons. [online] Available at: <https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Tombs_in_the_Cathedral_of_St._Michael_and_St._Gudula> [Accessed 17 July 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathedral_of_St._Michael_and_St._Gudula> [Accessed 17 July 2021].
  • Findagrave.com. 2021. Memorials in Cathedral of Saint Michael and Saint Gudula – Find A Grave. [online] Available at: <https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/639544/memorial-search?page=1#sr-19231> [Accessed 17 July 2021].
  • Fr.wikipedia.org. 2021. Cathédrale Saints-Michel-et-Gudule de Bruxelles — Wikipédia. [online] Available at: <https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cath%C3%A9drale_Saints-Michel-et-Gudule_de_Bruxelles> [Accessed 17 July 2021].
  • Nl.wikipedia.org. 2021. Kathedraal van Sint-Michiel en Sint-Goedele – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathedraal_van_Sint-Michiel_en_Sint-Goedele> [Accessed 17 July 2021].