King George Tupou V of Tonga

by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Kingdom of Tonga: Tonga consists of 169 islands, of which 36 are inhabited, in the south Pacific Ocean, about 1,100 miles/1,800 kilometers northeast of New Zealand’s North Island.

Tonga has long been a monarchy and by the 12th century, Tonga and its Paramount Chiefs had a strong reputation throughout the central Pacific Ocean. Tonga became a kingdom in 1845 and has been ruled by the House of Tupou. From 1900 to 1970, Tonga had a protected state status with the United Kingdom which looked after its foreign affairs under a Treaty of Friendship.

The order of succession to the throne of Tonga was established in the 1875 constitution. The crown descends according to male-preference cognatic primogeniture – a female can succeed if she has no living brothers and no deceased brothers who left surviving legitimate descendants.

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King George Tupou V of Tonga; Credit – Wikipedia

The eldest of the four children of King Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV of Tonga and Halaevalu Mataʻaho ʻAhomeʻe, King George Tupou V of Tonga was born on May 4, 1948, in Tongatapu, Tonga. George Tupou’s father became King of Tonga upon the death of his mother Queen Sālote Tupou III in 1965, and George Tupou was appointed Crown Prince of Tonga on May 4, 1966, his 18th birthday.

George Tupou had three younger siblings:

  • Princess Royal Salote Mafileʻo Pilolevu Tuita (born 1951), married Siosaʻia Maʻulupekotofa, Lord Tuita of ʻUtungake, had four daughters
  • Prince Fatafehi ʻAlaivahamamaʻo Tukuʻaho (1953 – 2004), married (1) Heimataura Seiloni, a commoner so he was stripped of his royal titles, his wife died in 1985 (2) Alaile’ula Poutasi Jungblut, had four children
  • King Tupou VI (born 1959), married Nanasipauʻu Tukuʻaho, daughter of Baron Vaea, a former Prime Minister of Tonga, had one daughter and two sons
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Studying in England in 1967

George Tupou attended King’s School, a primary school for boys in Auckland, New Zealand, and then King’s College, an independent secondary boarding and day school also is Auckland. He then attended The Leys School, a co-educational independent school in Cambridge, England before beginning his studies at the University of Oxford in Oxford, England. When George Tupou graduated from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in England in 1968, his parents attended his passing out parade.

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King Taufa’Ahau Tupou IV and Queen Halaevalu Mata’Aho ‘Ahome’E with their son Prince George Tupou at the prince’s passing-out parade from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, December 9, 1968

After he completed his education, Geoge Tupou returned to Tonga and began a career in public service. In 1979, his father appointed him Minister of Foreign Affairs and Defense, a position he held until 1998. George Tupou never married, however, he had an illegitimate daughter ʻIlima Lei Fifita Tohi, born in 1974.

On September 10, 2006, 88-year-old King Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV of Tonga died and his son George Tupou became the King of Tonga. King Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV had been an absolute monarch and resisted ceding any power during his forty-one-year reign. After his death, rioters, unhappy with the lack of a path toward democracy, took to the streets and destroyed the center of the capital, Nuku’alofa. George Tupou’s coronation was postponed until mid-2008 to allow for the rebuilding of Nuku’alofa.

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Queen Elizabeth II greets King George Tupou V of Tonga during a private meeting at Buckingham Palace, December 18, 2007

King George Tupou V is known for introducing democracy to Tonga. During his accession to the throne and his coronation, George Tupou and his advisors put together a framework for sweeping political reforms. Three days before the coronation ceremony, King George Tupou V announced he was ceding most of his executive powers to a democratically elected parliament. The parliament would be responsible for much of the day-to-day running of the country and the king would remain the head of state and retain the right to veto laws, decree martial law, and dissolve parliament. In November 2010, the citizens of Tonga voted for their first democratically elected parliament, making Tonga a constitutional monarchy. On the eve of the election, King George Tupou V said that “in future, the sovereign shall act only on the advice of his prime minister.”

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The traditional Tongan ceremony held on July 30, 2008

After a traditional Tongan ceremony on July 30, 2008, a second, European-style coronation ceremony took place on August 1, 2008, in the Centennial Chapel in Nuku’alofa, Tonga’s capital, attended by 1,000 guests including the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester representing Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, Crown Prince Naruhito of Japan, Prince and Princess Hitachi of Japan, Princess Maha Chakri Sirindom of Thailand, Hassanal Bolkiah, Sultan of Brunei and New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark.

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The Anglican Archbishop of Polynesia Jabez Bryce invested George Tupou V with the Tongan regalia – the ring, scepter, and sword – and placed the Tongan Crown on the monarch’s head. Interestingly, one of the Coronation Anthems, George Friedrich Handel composed for the coronation of King George II of Great Britain, the rousing Zadok the Priest which has been played at every British coronation ever since, was performed at King George Tupou V’s coronation by the Royal Maopa Choir in the Tongan language. The video below shows the performance and has some views of the king and the church.

On March 18, 2012, King George Tupou V, aged 63, died at Queen Mary Hospital in Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong. He was succeeded by his brother King Tupou VI. King George Tupou V had undergone surgery in September 2011 to remove a kidney following the discovery of a tumor and it is believed his death was caused by cancer.

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The royal standard draped casket of King George Tupou V is carried from the Royal Palace to Malaʻekula, the royal burial grounds

On March 27, 2012, the state funeral and burial were held at Malaʻekula, the royal burial grounds in Nukuʻalofa, Tonga. Guests at the funeral included the Duke of Gloucester representing Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, Prince and Princess Hitachi of Japan representing Emperor Akihito, President of Fiji Epeli Nailatikau, Governor-General of Australia, Quentin Bryce, and the Governor-General of New Zealand, Jerry Mateparae.

The Kings Road from the Royal Palace to Malaʻekula, with the tombs in the background; Credit – By Tauʻolunga – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2088528

Works Cited

  • Bangkok Post. 2012. Tongans Bid Farewell To Their Visionary Late King. [online] https://www.bangkokpost.com. Available at: <https://www.bangkokpost.com/world/286191/elaborate-funeral-bids-farewell-to-late-tongan-king> [Accessed 8 September 2020].
  • BBC News. 2012. Tonga’s King Tupou V Dies At 63. [online] Available at: <https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-17420114> [Accessed 8 September 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. George Tupou V. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Tupou_V> [Accessed 8 September 2020].
  • Fr.wikipedia.org. 2020. George Tupou V. [online] Available at: <https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Tupou_V> [Accessed 8 September 2020].
  • Nytimes.com. 2012. King George Tupou V, Political Reformer Of Tonga, Dies At 63. [online] Available at: <https://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/20/world/asia/king-george-tupou-v-leader-of-tonga-dies-at-63.html?ref=oembed> [Accessed 8 September 2020].
  • The Guardian. 2012. King George Tupou V Of Tonga Obituary. [online] Available at: <https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/mar/26/king-george-tupou-v-of-tonga> [Accessed 8 September 2020].
  • The Independent. 2012. King George Tupou V: Reformer Who Brought Democracy To Tonga. [online] Available at: <https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/king-george-tupou-v-reformer-who-brought-democracy-to-tonga-7582576.html> [Accessed 8 September 2020].

Queen Sālote Tupou III of Tonga

by Susan Flantzer

Kingdom of Tonga: Tonga consists of 169 islands, of which 36 are inhabited, in the south Pacific Ocean, about 1,100 miles/1,800 kilometers northeast of New Zealand’s North Island.

Tonga has long been a monarchy and by the 12th century, Tonga and its Paramount Chiefs had a strong reputation throughout the central Pacific Ocean. Tonga became a kingdom in 1845 and has been ruled by the House of Tupou. From 1900 to 1970, Tonga had a protected state status with the United Kingdom which looked after its foreign affairs under a Treaty of Friendship.

The order of succession to the throne of Tonga was established in the 1875 constitution. The crown descends according to male-preference cognatic primogeniture – a female can succeed if she has no living brothers and no deceased brothers who left surviving legitimate descendants.

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Queen Sālote Tupou III of Tonga; Credit – Wikipedia

Famed for her stature (6 feet 3 inches, 270 pounds) and her appearance at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, Queen Sālote Tupou III of Tonga, the first Queen Regnant of the Kingdom of Tonga and its longest-reigning monarch, was born on March 13, 1900, at the Royal Palace in Nukuʻalofa, the capital of Tonga. She was the only child of King George Tupou II of Tonga and his first wife Lavinia Veiongo. Sālote’s mother died from tuberculosis at the age of 23 on April 24, 1902.

Sālote ’s parents King George Tupou II of Tonga and his first wife Lavinia Veiongo; Credit – Wikipedia

Sālote had two half-sisters from her father’s second marriage to ‘Anaseini Takipō Afuha’amango:

  • Princess ʻOnelua (born and died 1911), died from convulsions at five months
  • Princess Fusipala (1912 – 1933), unmarried

As a child, Sālote was not popular in Tonga. Her unpopularity stemmed from her parents’ marriage. King George Tupou II was expected to marry Princess ʻOfakivavaʻu. However, the king wanted to marry Lavinia Veiongo who was not from the upper class and so he asked the Council of Chiefs to choose between the two women. When the majority of chiefs chose Princess ʻOfakivavaʻu, the king threatened to remain a bachelor unless he was allowed to marry Lavinia. The chiefs allowed the marriage to Lavinia to take place. However, the relationship between King George Tupou II and the rest of the country remained strained because of the rejection of Princess ʻOfakivavaʻu. Supporters of both women rioted in the streets of the capital of Nukuʻalofa, attacking each other with axes, clubs, and broken bottles. During her childhood, it was unsafe for Sālote to go outside the palace grounds.

Sālote in 1911; Credit – Wikipedia

In December 1909, Sālote was sent to Auckland, New Zealand, to start five years of education at the Diocesan High School for Girls, returning to Tonga every Christmas holiday. The month before Sālote left for New Zealand, her father married for a second time to ʻAnaseini Takipō Afuha’amango, a half-sister of the rejected Princess ʻOfakivava’u. The chiefs were jubilant and hoped for a son to displace Sālote from her place in the line of succession.

Sālote ’s half-sister Princess Fusipala; Credit – Wikipedia

After King George Tupou II’s second wife gave birth to a surviving daughter Princess Fusipala in 1912, a rival court centered around Princess Fusipala’s claim to the throne was set up by her maternal relatives against her half-sister Sālote, reviving the old rivalries between the family of Sālote’s mother Lavinia Veiongo and the family of Fusipala’s mother. After December 1914, the king ordered Sālote to stay home in Tonga as hopes for a male heir had diminished so that she could begin a course of instruction in Tongan history and customs in preparation for her future role as Queen of Tonga.

Sālote and her husband, circa 1917; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1916, King George Tupou II selected Viliami Tungī Mailefihi (known as Tungī), a Tongan high chieftain, as Sālote ’s husband. He was the son of Siaosi Tukuʻaho who had served as Prime Minister of Tonga from 1890 to 1893. On September 19, 1916, 16-year-old Sālote married 28-year-old Tungī in a Christian wedding ceremony. The traditional Tongan wedding ceremony, known as the Tu’uvala, was celebrated on September 21, 1916.

The royal family of Tonga. Front (L to R): Prince Uiliami Tukuʻaho, Prince Sione Ngū Manumataong;  Seated (L to R): Prince Viliami Tungī Mailefihi, Queen Sālote Tupou III; Back (L to R): Prince Siaosi Tāufaʻāhau Tupoulahi (later King Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV), Princess Fusipala, circa 1930; Credit – By Unknown author – Wood-Ellem, Elizabeth (1999) Queen Sālote of Tonga: The Story of an Era 1900–1965, Auckland, N.Z: Auckland University Press, pp. 144–145 ISBN: 978-0-8248-2529-4. OCLC: 262293605., CC BY-SA 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1211166

Sālote and Tungī had three sons:

  • King Tāufa‘āhau Tupou IV (1918 – 2006), married Halaevalu Mataʻaho ʻAhomeʻe, had three sons and one daughter
  • Prince Uiliami Tuku‘aho (1920 – 1936), died as a teenager
  • Prince Sione Ngū Manumataongo (1922 – 1999), married Melenaite Tupoumoheofo Veikune, had four daughters and two sons

Coronation of Queen Sālote; Credit – Wikipedia

On April 5, 1918, King George Tupou II died at the age of 43 and his 18-year-old daughter Sālote became Queen of Tonga. Her coronation was held on October 11, 1918, in the Royal Chapel on the grounds of the Royal Palace in Nukuʻalofa, Tonga.  In November 1918, after the death of ‘Anaseini Takipō Afuha’amango, King George Tupou II’s second wife, during the influenza pandemic, Sālote assumed the guardianship of her six-year-old half-sister Princess Fusipala. Princess Fusipala died in 1933 at the age of 20 from tubercular peritonitis, a type of tuberculosis located ina part of the body other than the lungs.

In the early years of her reign, Sālote was faced with political difficulties. First, there was an unsuccessful republican movement that threatened to unseat the young queen. Then there was a schism between the two branches of the Methodist Church that resulted in the formation of the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga, the largest Christian denomination in Tonga, often mistaken to be its state church. Sālote overcame these difficulties with the support of her husband Prince Tungī. During her reign, Sālote sought to improve the quality of life of the people of Tonga by the expansion of women’s rights and the construction of roads and health facilities. Prince Tungī served as his wife’s Prime Minister from 1923 until he died in 1941. His own experience helped him facilitate Sālote ’s role as Queen of Tonga. Tungī’s death in 1941 during World War II was a devastating blow to Queen Sālote.

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Queen Salote Tupou III of Tonga and Sultan Ibrahim IV of Kelantan riding a horse-drawn carriage during the coronation procession of Queen Elizabeth II

In 1953, Queen Sālote brought international attention to Tonga when she attended the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom. During the coronation procession, it began to rain and coverings were placed on the carriages in the procession. Tongan custom dictates that one should not imitate the actions of the person one is honoring, and so Queen Sālote, dressed in traditional Tongan dress, a cocoanut fiber skirt and a satin rose-colored mantle, refused a covering for her carriage and rode through the rain in an open carriage with Sultan Ibrahim IV of Kelantan, endearing herself to crowds along the procession route. In December 1953, Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip visited Queen Sālote in Tonga during their world tour of Commonwealth nations. Since then, the British royal family has remained close to the Tongan royal family.

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Queen Elizabeth II accompanied by Queen Sālote walks over a carpet of tapa cloth to the feast house as selected women seated on the ground form a guard of honor

On November 4, 1965, Queen Sālote flew to Auckland, New Zealand for treatment of diabetes and cancer. She was admitted to the hospital on December 12, 1965, with pleurisy and her condition steadily worsened. Queen Sālote of Tonga died on December 16, 1965, at the age of 65. Her funeral was held on December 23, 1965, and over 50,000 Tongans dressed in black mourning attended the impressive funeral (see highlights below). Queen Sālote was buried at Malaʻekula, the royal burial grounds in Nukuʻalofa, the capital of the Kingdom of Tonga.

Tongan Royal Tombs, Queen Sālote’s tomb is the second from the right; Credit – Around the Globe with the Rosens

Works Cited

  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. George Tupou II. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Tupou_II> [Accessed 7 September 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Lavinia Veiongo. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lavinia_Veiongo> [Accessed 7 September 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Sālote Tupou III. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S%C4%81lote_Tupou_III> [Accessed 7 September 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Viliami Tungī Mailefihi. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viliami_Tung%C4%AB_Mailefihi> [Accessed 7 September 2020].
  • Royal Over-Seas League (ROSL). 2018. From The Archives: Queen Salote Of Tonga. [online] Available at: <https://www.rosl.org.uk/rosl_news/517-from-the-archives-queen-Salote -of-tonga> [Accessed 7 September 2020].
  • Timesmachine.nytimes.com. 1965. Salote, Queen Of Tonga, Is Dead At 65. [online] Available at: <https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1965/12/16/95920444.pdf?pdf_redirect=true&ip=0> [Accessed 7 September 2020].
  • Timesmachine.nytimes.com. 1965. TONGANS PAY SALOTE THEIR LAST TRIBUTE. [online] Available at: <https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1965/12/24/96726736.pdf?pdf_redirect=true&ip=0> [Accessed 7 September 2020].

Frances Villiers, Countess of Jersey, Mistress of King George IV of The United Kingdom

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Frances Villiers, Countess of Jersey was one of the mistresses of King George IV of the United Kingdom from 1793 until 1807.

source: Wikipedia

Frances Twysden was born in London on February 25, 1753, the daughter of the late Rt. Rev. Dr. Philip Twysden, Lord Bishop of Raphoe, and his second wife, Frances Carter. Rev. Twysden was a younger son of Sir William Twysden, 5th Baronet of Roydon Hall. He died in November 1752, prior to Frances’s birth, after allegedly being shot while trying to rob a stagecoach. She had one older sister, Mary (born 1751), who died in infancy.

On March 26, 1770, Frances married George Bussy Villiers, 4th Earl of Jersey, who was more than twice her age. Villers had served in the House of Commons from 1756 until 1769 when he inherited the Earldom and took his seat in the House of Lords. He was a Lord of the Admiralty from 1761-1763, became a member of the Privy Council in 1765, and served as Vice-Chamberlain of the Household from 1765-1770. After becoming the 4th Earl in 1769, he served as a Gentleman of the Bedchamber to King George III from 1769-1777, Master of the Buckhounds from 1782-1783, and several other positions at court over the next 30 years. He would later be appointed Master of the Horse to the Prince of Wales in 1795. Frances and Villiers had ten children:

The Prince of Wales, circa 1798. source: Wikipedia

Frances began her affair with the Prince of Wales in 1793, following a string of other discreet affairs she had had with others, including Frederick Howard, 5th Earl of Carlisle, and William Cavendish, 5th Duke of Devonshire – the husband of her close friend Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire. By that time, George was secretly married to Maria Fitzherbert, but his wandering eye could not be kept in check. By the following year, Frances had convinced the Prince to end his relationship with Mrs. Fitzherbert and encouraged him to marry his future wife, Caroline of Brunswick. George and Caroline married in 1795, and Frances was appointed a Lady of the Bedchamber to the new Princess of Wales. Frances and George continued their affair and before long, he brought Mrs. Fitzherbert back into his life as well. The two disliked each other greatly, but the Prince continued his affairs with both. Then, a new mistress made her appearance, The Marchioness of Hertford soon replaced Frances as the Prince of Wales’s mistress. By 1807, Frances lost her position in the royal household and soon left the court completely.

Having been widowed in 1805 and left with little financial means, Frances struggled to maintain the lifestyle expected of someone of her rank. She benefited only from the generosity of her son who increased her annual income and often paid off her debts.

The Dowager Countess of Jersey died in Cheltenham on July 25, 1821, at the age of 68. She is buried in the Villiers Family vault in Middleton Stoney, Oxfordshire.

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.

Rosamund de Clifford, Mistress of Henry II, King of England

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2020

Fair Rosamund by John William Waterhouse, 1916; Credit – Wikipedia

Known as “The Fair Rosamund”, Rosamund de Clifford was probably born in Herefordshire, West Midlands, England as that was where her family home Clifford Castle was located. Her birth date is unknown but she was the youngest of her parents’ six children. Rosamund’s father was born Walter Fitz Richard (1113–1190) and he married Margaret de Tosny. Margaret’s father Ralph de Tosny was granted the castle by King William I (the Conquerer) of England in 1075 after it was forfeited by a traitor. After the marriage of Ralph’s daughter, Margaret de Tosny to Walter Fitz Richard, Walter became steward of the castle and later claimed it for himself via his marriage. In 1162, he changed his name to Walter de Clifford and the castle came to be known as Clifford Castle.

There is incomplete and conflicting genealogical information but Rosamund probably had five siblings:

  • Gilbert de Clifford
  • Richard de Clifford
  • Amicia de Clifford, married (1) Osbern Fitz Hugh of Richard’s Castle (2) Bartholomew de Mortimer
  • Lucy de Clifford, married Hugh de Say of Stokesay
  • Walter de Clifford (died 1221) married Agnes de Cuni, had four children

Ruins of Clifford Castle; Credit – By Humphrey Bolton, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4097700

Rosamund grew up at Clifford Castle before going to Godstow Abbey near Oxford, England to be educated by the nuns. Likely Rosamund first met King Henry II of England in 1163 when he was staying at Clifford Castle during the military campaign against the Welsh ruler Rhys ap Gruffudd. In 1166, Rosamund and Henry II began their affair. However, until 1174, almost no one knew about Rosamund’s relationship with Henry II.

Woodstock Palace; Credit – Wikipedia

Henry had Rosamund housed at Woodstock Palace, a royal residence near Oxford, England. Woodstock Palace was mostly destroyed during the English Civil War. In the early 1700s, Blenheim Palace, the principal residence of the Dukes of Marlborough, was built on the site, and stones from Woodstock Palace were used in its construction.

Henry II, King of England; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1174, the relationship between Henry II and Rosamund became public. Eleanor, Duchess of Aquitaine, Queen of England, Henry II’s wife had joined the uprising of their sons against her husband. Henry II eventually defeated the revolt and had Eleanor comfortably imprisoned for her part in inciting their sons. From that moment, Henry II began to live openly with Rosamund. Henry II had many mistresses and had treated earlier affairs discreetly, but he flaunted Rosamund. He may have done so to provoke Eleanor into seeking an annulment, but if so, Eleanor disappointed him as did the Pope who refused to consider a divorce. Nevertheless, rumors persisted, perhaps encouraged by Henry’s supporters, that Eleanor had Rosamund poisoned. In 1176, Rosamund became seriously ill and retired to Godstow Abbey near Oxford, where she died in the same year.

Godstow Abbey ruins; By Chris Gunns, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=14569666

Rosamund was buried at Godstow Abbey. King Henry II paid for her tomb in the choir of the abbey church and gave an endowment for the tomb to be tended by the nuns. Rosamund’s tomb became a popular local shrine until 1191, two years after Henry II’s death. Hugh of Lincoln, Bishop of Lincoln, while visiting Godstow Abbey, noticed Rosamund’s tomb right in front of the high altar. The tomb was covered with flowers and candles, evidence that the local people were praying there. Calling Rosamund a harlot, the bishop ordered her remains removed from the church. Her tomb was moved to the cemetery next to the nuns’ chapter house. Local people still prayed at Rosamund’s tomb but it was destroyed during the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the reign of King Henry VIII.

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

  • Barber, Richard, 1964. Henry Plantagent 1133-1189. New York: Barnes and Noble.
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Godstow. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godstow#History_of_Godstow_Abbey> [Accessed 22 July 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Rosamund Clifford. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosamund_Clifford> [Accessed 22 July 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Walter De Clifford (Died 1190). [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_de_Clifford_(died_1190)> [Accessed 22 July 2020].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2016. King Henry II Of England. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-henry-ii-of-england/> [Accessed 22 July 2020].
  • Ru.wikipedia.org. 2020. Клиффорд, Розамунда. [online] Available at: <https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9A%D0%BB%D0%B8%D1%84%D1%84%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%B4,_%D0%A0%D0%BE%D0%B7%D0%B0%D0%BC%D1%83%D0%BD%D0%B4%D0%B0> [Accessed 22 July 2020].
  • Thepeerage.com. 2020. Walter Fitz Richard Fitz Pons. [online] Available at: <http://www.thepeerage.com/p10486.htm#i104860> [Accessed 22 July 2020].

Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti of Thailand

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Prince Dipangkorn with his half-sister Princess Sirivannavari (on the right) and his half-sister Princess Bajrakitiyabha (on the left), 2019; Credit – By NBT – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKLRF8wE_nI, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=88430260

Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti of Thailand is the only child of King Maha Vajiralongkorn of Thailand and his third wife Srirasmi Suwadi. He was born on April 29, 2005, at Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok, Thailand. The prince’s parents divorced in 2014.

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Prince Dipangkorn with his parents in 2007

Prince Dipangkorn is the only officially recognized son of King Maha Vajiralongkorn. The prince has four much older half-brothers from his father’s second marriage, but they are not officially recognized as the king’s sons, since their mother fled the country with them. The 1924 Palace Law of Succession states that the king has the sole power and the prerogative to designate any descendant of the royal family as heir to the throne. The king also has absolute power to remove an heir apparent from the position. If he does so, his entire lineage is removed from any claim to the throne. The king can also exclude any member of the royalty from the line of succession. Prince Dipangkorn is eligible to be the heir to the throne of Thailand but so are his much older half-sisters listed below. King Maha Vajiralongkorn has not yet named an heir.

Prince Dipangkorn has one half-sister from his father’s first marriage in 1977 to his maternal first cousin Princess Soamsavali Kitiyakara. After her divorce in 1993, Princess Soamsavali Kitiyakara retained her title as princess and remained a member of the Thai royal family.

Prince Dipangkorn has four half-brothers and one half-sister from his father’s second marriage to Thai actress Yuvadhida Polpraserth. Maha Vajiralongkorn began living with Yuvadhida Polpraserth shortly after his first marriage. They eventually married in February 1994, and she took the name Sujarinee Mahidol na Ayudhaya. In 1996, she fled to the United Kingdom with her children. The Crown Prince accused her of adultery and managed to retrieve their daughter and bring her back to Thailand. Sujarinee and the couple’s sons were stripped of their royal titles and the couple’s marriage was dissolved. Known as Sujarinee Vivacharawongse, she moved with her sons to the United States.

  • Juthavachara Vivacharawongse (born 1979)
  • Vacharaesorn Vivacharawongse (born 1981)
  • Chakriwat Vivacharawongse (born 1983)
  • Vatcharawee Vivacharawongse (born 1985)
  • Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana (born 1987)
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Princess Sirivannavari (left) takes a photo as she stands with her half-brother Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti (2nd left), half-sister Princess Bajrakitiyabha (center), father King Maha Vajiralongkorn (2nd right), and Queen Suthida (right) as they wave from the balcony of Suddhaisavarya Prasad Hall of the Grand Palace on the final day of the king’s royal coronation, May 6, 2019

Prince Dipangkorn started his education at Chitralada School in Dusit Palace in Bangkok, Thailand, initially founded in 1957 by King Bhumibol Adulyadej for the children of the royal family and palace staff. Today the school accepts general students and has primary and secondary school programs. The prince now attends the Bavarian International School, located at the Schloss Haimhausen, a Rococo mansion located in Haimhausen, a short distance from Munich, Germany. Prince Dipangkorn lives in a villa with a pool in Tutzing, Bavaria, Germany, on Lake Starnberg with two dozen servants. There is speculation that Prince Dipangkorn has learning difficulties and that he is in a development program at the Bavarian International School. Further speculation suggests that after King Maha Vajiralongkorn’s death, Prince Dipangkorn will probably become King of Thailand but his maternal aunt Princess Sirindhorn or his eldest half-sibling Princess Bajrakitiyabha will rule.

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

Works Cited

  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Dipangkorn Rasmijoti. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dipangkorn_Rasmijoti> [Accessed 5 September 2020].
  • Political Prisoners in Thailand. 2020. Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti – Political Prisoners In Thailand. [online] Available at: <https://thaipoliticalprisoners.wordpress.com/tag/prince-dipangkorn-rasmijoti/> [Accessed 5 September 2020].
  • South China Morning Post. 2019. 5 Facts About Thailand’S Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti. [online] Available at: <https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3038884/5-things-know-about-prince-dipangkorn-rasmijoti-son-thai> [Accessed 5 September 2020].
  • Tanno, S., 2020. Thai King’s Son Lives A Life Of ‘Loneliness’ In German Villa. [online] Mail Online. Available at: <https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8348229/Thai-King-Rama-Xs-son-lives-life-loneliness-rejection-German-villa.html> [Accessed 5 September 2020].

Queen Suthida of Thailand

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Credit – By Tris_T7 – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=79159558

Queen Suthida of Thailand is the fourth wife of King Maha Vajiralongkorn who succeeded to the throne of the Kingdom of Thailand in 2016 after the 70-year-reign of his father King Bhumibol Adulyadej. The first three marriages of King Maha Vajiralongkorn all ended in divorce. Born Suthida Tidjai on June 3, 1978, in Hat Yai, Thailand, she is the daughter of Kham Tidjai and Jangheang Tidjai. She graduated from Hatyaiwittayalai School, a secondary school in Hat Yai, Thailand. Suthida then attended Assumption University, a private Catholic university with four campuses in Thailand, graduating in 2000 with a bachelor’s degree in communication arts.

Suthida was a flight attendant for JALways Airlines, now part of Japan Airlines, and then for Thai Airways. She met her future husband, then Crown Prince of Thailand, in 2013, and joined the palace guard later that year and was promoted to deputy commander of the Crown Prince’s bodyguard unit in 2014. Suthida was linked romantically to the Crown Prince following his divorce from his third wife Srirasmi Suwadee in 2014. In October 2016, international media reports labeled Suthida as the designated King’s Consort, despite the palace never officially declaring their relationship. On December 1, 2016, Suthida was appointed Commander of the Special Operations Unit of the King’s Guard and promoted to the rank of General in the Royal Thai Army.

Embed from Getty Images 
Marriage Ceremony

On May 1, 2019, just days before his coronation, King Vajiralongkorn surprisingly married Suthida at Amphorn Sathan Residential Hall, a mansion on the grounds of Dusit Palace in Bangkok, Thailand. During the ceremony, broadcast on Thai television, Suthida prostrated herself on the ground before the King while offering him incense and flowers, according to royal tradition. The King appointed her Queen and granted her royal powers in front of a gathering of senior politicians and members of the Thai royal family.

Suthida prostrating herself before the King; Credit – https://www.tellerreport.com/

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

Works Cited

  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Suthida. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suthida> [Accessed 4 September 2020].
  • Global News. 2019. Flight Attendant, General, Royal: Meet Thailand’S New Queen. [online] Available at: <https://globalnews.ca/news/5230848/queen-suthida-thailand/> [Accessed 4 September 2020].
  • Los Angeles Times. 2019. King Vajiralongkorn Of Thailand Marries His Bodyguard, Now Queen Suthida. [online] Available at: <https://www.latimes.com/world/la-fg-thai-king-bodyguard-queen-20190502-story.html> [Accessed 4 September 2020].

Princess Delphine of Belgium

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

HRH Princess Delphine of Belgium – formerly known as Delphine Boël – is the illegitimate daughter of King Albert II of Belgium and his longtime mistress, Baroness Sybille de Selys Longchamps.

Delphine and her daughter in 2008; photo: By Luc Van Braekel – https://www.flickr.com/photos/lucvanbraekel/2407637011/, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=26839140

Delphine Boël was born in Uccle, Brussels, Belgium on February 22, 1968, the daughter of Baroness Sybille de Selys Longchamps and the then-Prince of Liège (the future Albert II, King of the Belgians). Sybille and Albert had begun an affair in around 1964 which reportedly continued until 1982.  At the time of Delphine’s birth, Sybille was married to Jacques Boël, who was listed on the birth certificate as the child’s father. Her parents divorced in 1978, and four years later, her mother remarried. At that time, Delphine and her mother moved to London.

Delphine’s mother, Baroness Sybille de Selys Longchamps, in a television interview in 2013. source: VRT News

Delphine attended the Institut le Rosey – an exclusive boarding school in Switzerland – before enrolling at the Chelsea School of Art and Design in London, graduating with a degree in Fine Arts. She has worked as an artist for many years and has had numerous exhibitions of her work in Europe.

In 2003, Delphine married James O’Hare, an American, and the couple had two children, who are now a Prince and Princess of Belgium:

  • Princess Joséphine of Belgium (born 2003)
  • Prince Oscar of Belgium (born 2008)

Having had several exhibitions of her work in Belgium already, Delphine and her family moved to Brussels in 2003. It was then that her public profile began to rise again – both because of her art and her alleged relationship to King Albert.

In 1999, in a biography of Queen Paola, the first public allegation was made of Sybille’s affair with King Albert and the subsequent birth of their daughter. The Belgian royal court quickly dismissed the report as “gossip”, but King Albert seemed to refer to the situation later that year. In his Christmas message, he spoke of a “crisis” in his marriage some thirty years earlier that they had overcome, but of which they had been recently reminded. That would be the last public statement on the matter for many years.

Albert, Prince of Liege, c1964. source: Wikipedia

In May 2005, Delphine stated in an interview that she was King Albert’s daughter, having been told this by her mother when she reached the age of 18. She said that the future King had continued his relationship with her mother until around 1982 when he abruptly ended things and cut off all contact with them. She also alleged that when she and her mother moved to England, Albert thought about divorcing his wife and joining them, but Sybille was against the idea due to the impact it would have on Albert and his future role in the monarchy.

In June 2013, Delphine filed a lawsuit to prove, through DNA testing, that she was King Albert’s biological child. The King was named in the suit, however, he had complete immunity from prosecution at the time, so she also named two of his legitimate children – Philippe and Astrid. When the King abdicated in September of that year, she withdrew the suit against Philippe and Astrid, now being able to file against the former King. In 2017, her claim was initially rejected, but that was overturned in October 2018 by the Court of Appeal. Based on DNA testing, it was proven that Jacques Boël was not her father, thus furthering her claims. The former King was instructed to provide a DNA sample, but he appealed that ruling. Again, the Court of Appeal upheld the order in May 2019 and imposed a fine of €5,000 per day until King Albert complied. Within weeks, a DNA sample was provided for testing, and in January 2020, the former King finally acknowledged that he was Delphine’s biological father, as proven by the DNA testing.

On October 1, 2020, the Belgian Court of Appeal ruled that Delphine and her children are entitled to the style and title of HRH Prince/Princess of Belgium, and can use the former King’s surname of Saxe-Coburg. In addition, she is legally entitled to inherit one-quarter of the former King’s estate – a share equal to that of his three legitimate children. She is still considered illegitimate (born out of wedlock) and as such, Delphine and her descendants are not in the line of succession to the Belgian throne.

Princess Delphine and Philippe, King of the Belgians meet for the first time; Credit – Belgian Monarchy Facebook

On October 9, 2020, Princess Delphine met her half-brother Philippe, King of the Belgians for the first time at Laeken Castle, the king’s residence. A common message from King Philippe and Princess Delphine was posted on Facebook: “This Friday, October 9th, we met for the first time at Laeken Castle. Our meeting was warm. We had the opportunity to get to know each other during a long and rich exchange that allowed us to talk about each other’s lives and shared interests. This bond will now develop in a family setting.”

A photo made available by the Belgian Royal Palace of Queen Paola, King Albert, and Princess Delphine; Credit – Belgium Royal Palace

On October 25, 2020, King Albert and his wife Queen Paola met with Princess Delphine for the first time since she was recognized as a royal at Belvédère Castle in Brussels. A joint statement by all three was released: “On Sunday, October 25, a new chapter began, filled with emotions, appeasement, understanding and also of hope. Our meeting took place at Belvédère Castle, a meeting during which each of us was able to express our feelings and experiences serenely and with empathy. After the turmoil, suffering, and hurt, it is time for forgiveness, healing, and reconciliation. Together we decided to take this new path. This will take patience and effort, but we are determined.”

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.

Maria FItzherbert, Mistress of King George IV of The United Kingdom

by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2020

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.

Maria FItzherbert. source: Wikipedia

Maria Anne Smythe was born on July 26, 1756, at Tong Castle in Shropshire, England, the eldest child of Walter Smythe, a younger son of Sir John Smythe 3rd Baronet, and Mary Ann Errington. Her siblings included:

  • John Smythe (1758) – married, had issue
  • Frances Smythe (c1760) – married Sir Carnaby Haggerston, 5th Baronet, had issue

Maria’s husband Edward Weld. source: Wikipedia

In 1774, Maria married Edward Weld, a wealthy widower, twice her age. He was the son of Edward Weld and Mary Theresa Vaughan. Following his father’s death in 1761, Edward became one of the wealthiest men in England, having inherited Lulworth Castle in Dorset along with a large number of other properties and villages. Maria became a very wealthy woman upon her marriage, but it was not to last. Just three months after their marriage, Edward died of injuries he sustained after falling from his horse. He had not yet signed a new will to provide for his wife, and his entire estate passed to his younger brother.

Left without any financial resources, Maria soon sought out a new husband as soon as it was acceptable. In 1777, she married Thomas Fitzherbert, the son of Thomas Fitzherbert and Mary Theresa Throckmorton. The couple had one son who died in infancy, and Maria was once again widowed when her husband died on May 7, 1781. However, this time she was provided for, as Fitzherbert left her an annuity of £1,000 per year as well as a home in Mayfair, London.

The Prince of Wales, c1781. source: Wikipedia

After spending several years traveling throughout Europe, she returned to England in early 1784. One evening in March, she attended the opera with her uncle and was briefly introduced to the Prince of Wales, the future King George IV. Quickly enamored, the Prince pursued Maria relentlessly. Soon she was accepting his invitations to visit him at Carlton House, his home in London, just next to St. James’s Palace but made it clear that she had no interest in merely becoming his mistress. The Prince countered with an offer of marriage. Maria argued against it. There was no chance King George III would consent to his son’s marriage to Maria. Even if he did, Maria was Catholic which would make the Prince ineligible to inherit the throne. But the Prince continued his pursuit – even threatening to kill himself if Maria would not marry him.

In July 1784, the Prince stabbed himself just enough to make it look like a serious suicide attempt. Maria, accompanied by the couple’s mutual friend, Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire, was quickly taken to Carlton House where they found the Prince again threatening to kill himself if she did not agree to marry him. Maria signed a document agreeing to marry him knowing that the document would not be considered legal. The following day, she left England for France, hoping that things would cool off between them. But the Prince continued to pursue her, and eventually, Maria agreed to return to England and marry him. She returned to England in November 1785, and the Prince set about trying to find someone to conduct the marriage ceremony. He found a young curate, Rev. John Burt, who was in debtors’ prison at the time. Burt agreed to perform the ceremony in exchange for £500 to pay off his debts, and a position as one of the Prince’s chaplains. Quickly settled, Maria and George married in her Mayfair home on December 15, 1785, with just her uncle and brother present as witnesses.

They soon faced rumors and questions were raised in Parliament, all of which were denied by friends of the prince. For the next several years, the two maintained their relationship very discreetly and seemed to be immensely happy. But by 1793, the marriage was beginning to break down. While Maria was perfectly content with quiet nights at home, the Prince of Wales preferred to be out on the town and continued his philandering ways. Soon, he found a permanent replacement for Maria, after beginning an affair with Frances Villiers, Countess of Jersey. Lady Jersey convinced the Prince that the reason he was so unpopular was because of his relationship with the Catholic Mrs. Fitzherbert. Convinced that marrying an acceptable Protestant princess would be in his best interest, George informed Maria, on June 23, 1794, that their relationship was over. Soon he found a bride – his cousin Caroline of Brunswick – who he married in April 1795. But it seems Maria was still close to his heart, as the following year, he wrote his will, leaving everything “…to my Maria Fitzherbert, my wife, the wife of my heart.”

Steine House, Brighton. photo: By C.Suthorn / cc-by-sa-4.0 / commons.wikimedia.org, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=70710474

Within two years, the Prince began to once again pursue Maria, and by 1799 the two were once again in a relationship. In 1804, she had a home built in Brighton – Steine House – which would become her residence for the rest of her life. However, by 1807, the Prince’s wandering eye had once again turned its attention to someone else. The Marchioness of Hertford soon became his preferred companion, and Maria found herself pushed to the side again by 1809.

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 from all accounts, both remained in each other’s thoughts. When King George IV died in June 1830, he was succeeded by his brother. The new King William IV – always very gracious and welcoming toward Maria – continued to provide her annual pension (by that time she was receiving £10,000 per year). King William IV reportedly offered her a dukedom, but she declined. She did, however, 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, passing away at Steine House in Brighton on March 27, 1837. She is buried at the Church of St. John the Baptist in Brighton.

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.

Nawaf Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Emir of Kuwait

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Credit – By Cancillería Argentina – https://www.flickr.com/photos/mrecic-argentina/45363322135/, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=81110649

Originally a sheikhdom ruled by local sheikhs, Kuwait became a British Protectorate in 1899. The sheikhs still had power during the British Protectorate. Kuwait was granted independence in 1961 and Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah, 11th Ruler of Kuwait became the first Emir of Kuwait. The rulers of Kuwait belong to the House of Al-Sabah.

The Emir of Kuwait is nominated by a family council headed by prominent members of the family. The Crown Prince of Kuwait is also nominated by the family council and must be a senior member of the House of Al-Sabah. Both the Emir and the Crown Prince must be approved by the Kuwaiti parliament.

Nawaf Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Emir of Kuwait was born on June 25, 1937, in Kuwait City, Kuwait. He is the son of Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, 10th Ruler of Kuwait from 1944 – 1950 and Al-Yamamah. Nawaf grew up at Dasman Palace in Kuwait City with the sons and grandsons of his father. He was educated at the Al Mubarakiyya School which was established in 1911 as one of Kuwait’s first modern educational institutions. Afterward, he attended university in the United Kingdom.

Nawaf married Sharifah Suleiman Al-Jasem in the 1950s. They had four sons and one daughter:

  • Ahmed bin Nawaf Al-Sabah (born 1956), married Sheikha Basma bint Mubarak, had two sons and three daughters
  • Faisal bin Nawaf Al-Sabah (born 1957, married Hana‘an, née Al-Badr, had two sons and two daughters
  • Abdullah bin Nawaf Al-Sabah (born 1958), married ?, had four daughters
  • Salem bin Nawaf Al-Sabah (born 1960), married ?, had two sons and two daughters
  • Shekha bint Nawaf Al-Sabah, married Skeikh Jabir bin Duaij Al-Sabah, had three sons and one daughter
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Kuwaiti Interior Minister Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah attending a meeting of interior ministers from Gulf Cooperation Council states in October 2004

Before he became Emir, Nawaf was one of the most senior serving members of the House of Al-Sabah and served Kuwait in various capacities since 1962. Nawaf has played an important role in establishing programs that support national unity in the Gulf Cooperation Council, a regional intergovernmental political and economic union consisting of all Arab states of the Persian Gulf – Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates – except Iraq.  In Kuwait, Nawaf worked to encourage Kuwaiti youth to serve in all levels of government including the Kuwait National Guard, the Ministry of Defense, and the Ministry of the Interior.

Nawaf bin Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah served in the following positions in the government of Kuwait:

  • Governor of Hawali (1962-1978)
  • Minister for the Interior (1978-1988, 2003-2006)
  • Minister for Defense (1988-1991, 1992-1994)
  • Minister for Social Affairs and Labor (1991-1992)
  • Deputy Chief of the National Guard (1994-2003)
  • First Deputy Prime Minister (2003-2006)
  • Crown Prince (2006-2020)

Upon the death of his half-brother Sabah IV Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, Emir of Kuwait on September 29, 2020, Crown Prince Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah was been named by the Kuwaiti Council of Ministers as his successor. During a special session of the National Assembly on September 30, 2020, Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, 16th Ruler and 6th Emir of Kuwait, took the constitutional oath as Emir of Kuwait.

Funeral of Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Sabah, Emir of Kuwait

Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Sabah, Emir of Kuwait died on December 16, 2023, aged 86. In 2021, it was reported that Nawaf had received treatment in the United States for an unspecified medical condition. On November 29, 2023, Nawaf was admitted to the hospital following an emergency health issue. Nawaf’s half-brother Crown Prince Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, succeeded as Emir of Kuwait. After a funeral for family only at the Bilal bin Rabah Mosque in Kuwait City, Kuwait on September 17, 2023, Nawaf was buried at Sulaibikhat Cemetery in Kuwait City.

Burial site of Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Sabah, Emir of Kuwait

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

Works Cited

  • Ar.wikipedia.org. 2020. نواف الأحمد الجابر الصباح. [online] Available at: <https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%86%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%81_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D8%AD%D9%85%D8%AF_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AC%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%B1_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B5%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%AD> [Accessed 30 September 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nawaf_Al-Ahmad_Al-Jaber_Al-Sabah> [Accessed 30 September 2020].
  • Royalark.net. 2020. Genealogy Of Kuwait – Al-Sabah Dynasty. [online] Available at: <https://www.royalark.net/Kuwait/kuwait14.htm> [Accessed 30 September 2020].

Lady Margaret Erskine, Mistress of James V, King of Scots

By Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2020

Lady Margaret Erskine; Credit – The Lives of My Ancestors

James V, King of Scots had several mistresses but Lady Margaret Erskine was his favorite and the mother of the most important of his nine illegitimate children. Lady Margaret Erskine was born on October 8, 1515. She was the sixth of the nine children and the second of the four daughters of John Erskine, 5th Lord Erskine (1487 – 1555) and Lady Margaret Campbell, daughter of Archibald Campbell, 2nd Earl of Argyll and Elizabeth Stewart, daughter of John Stewart, 1st Earl of Lennox. In 1522, John Erskine, 5th Lord Erskine was appointed guardian of the ten-year-old James V, King of Scots and Constable of Stirling Castle. Margaret’s father was a claimant to the Earldom of Mar and in 1565, Margaret’s elder brother John became Earl of Mar.

Margaret had eight siblings:

  • John Erskine, 6th Lord Erskine,18th Earl of Mar (died 1572), married Annabel Murray, daughter of Sir William Murray, 10th of Tullibardine, had two sons and one daughter
  • Robert Erskine, Master of Erskine (died 1547), married Lady Margaret Graham, daughter of William Graham, 2nd Earl of Montrose, had one son, killed in the Battle of Pinkie Cleugh
  • Sir Alexander Erskine of Gogar (died 1592), married Margaret Home, daughter of George Home, 4th Lord Home, had seven sons and four daughters
  • Katherine Erskine, married Alexander Elphinstone, 2nd Lord Elphinstone, had five sons and four daughters
  • Thomas Erskine, Master of Erskine (died 1551), married Margaret Fleming, daughter of Malcolm Fleming, 3rd Lord Fleming, no children
  • Arthur Erskine of Blackgrange (died circa 1570-1571), married Magdalen Livingston, daughter of Alexander Livingston, 5th Lord Livingston, no children
  • Janet Erskine, married John Murray of Touchadam, had one son and one daughter
  • Elizabeth Erskine, married Sir Walter Seton, 4th of Touch, had one son and one daughter

On July 11, 1527, Margaret married Sir Robert Douglas of Lochleven and was styled Lady Douglas of Lochleven.

Margaret and Robert had six children:

  • Euphemia Douglas, married Patrick Lindsay, 6th Lord Lindsay of the Byres, had one son and two daughters
  • Robert Douglas, 4th Earl of Buchan (died 1580), married Christina Stewart, 4th Countess of Buchan in her own right, had one son and three daughters
  • Sir George Douglas, married (1) Janet Lindsay, daughter of John Lindsay, 6th of Dowhill (2) Margaret Durie, had one daughter
  • Janet Douglas married Sir James Colville, had one son
  • Catherine Douglas married David Durie of that Ilk, had one son and one daughter (Note: “Of that Ilk” is a term used in the Scottish nobility to denote a clan chieftain in some Scottish clans.)
  • William Douglas, 6th Earl of Morton (c. 1540 – 1606), married Lady Agnes Leslie, daughter of George Leslie, 4th Earl of Rothes, had eleven children

James V, King of Scots; Credit – Wikipedia

Within a few years of her marriage, Margaret, Lady Douglas of Loch Leven, became the mistress of James V, King of Scots. James V was born at Linlithgow Palace in Scotland on April 10, 1512. He was the only surviving child of James IV, King of Scots and Margaret Tudor, the daughter of King Henry VII of England and the sister of King Henry VIII of England. Therefore, James V was the nephew of King Henry VIII and the first cousin of his children King Edward VI, Queen Mary I and Queen Elizabeth I. 30-year-old James IV was killed by the English army at the Battle of Flodden, and his 17-month-old son succeeded him as James V, King of Scots.

Since Margaret’s father had been appointed guardian of the ten-year-old James V, King of Scots, Margaret, Lady Douglas of Loch Leven, and James had been acquainted from an early age. James V had nine illegitimate children, at least three of them were fathered before James V was 20 years old. His son with Margaret, James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray, born circa 1531, appears to be one of the three.

There is evidence that James V considered arranging the divorce of Margaret, Lady Douglas of Loch Leven, and her husband and then marrying her. It appears that in 1536, James V or an advisor asked Pope Paul III for his advice on the matter. On January 1, 1537, James married Madeleine of Valois, daughter of King François I of France, but the marriage lasted only six months as Madeleine died from tuberculosis. In 1538, James V married again to Marie of Guise, the eldest daughter of Claude of Lorraine, Duke of Guise, and head of the House of Guise. James V and Marie of Guise had two sons who died in infancy and one daughter. When James V died on December 14, 1542, at the age of 30, his six-day-old daughter succeeded him as the ill-fated Mary, Queen of Scots.

The ruins of Loch Leven Castle; Credit – By Otter – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4169460

During their marriage, Margaret, Lady Douglas of Loch Leven, and her husband Sir Robert Douglas of Lochleven lived at the family home, Loch Leven Castle set on an island in Loch Leven in central Scotland. On September 10, 1547, Robert and Margaret’s brother Robert Erskine, Master of Erskine were both killed at the Battle of Pinkie Cleugh, a catastrophic defeat for Scotland. It was part of the conflict known as the Rough Wooing. In the last years of his reign, King Henry VIII of England tried to gain an alliance with Scotland by arranging a marriage between two children, Mary, Queen of Scots, and Henry VIII’s son, the future King Edward VI. When diplomacy failed, and Scotland was on the point of an alliance with France, Henry launched a war against Scotland.

Because of the English hostilities, Scotland abandoned the possibility of an English marriage. In July 1548, the Scottish Parliament approved Mary’s marriage to François, Dauphin of France, the son and heir of King Henri II of France. Five-year-old Mary, Queen of Scots set sail for France where she would be raised with her future husband. She would not return to Scotland for thirteen years, after the death of her 16-year-old husband.

James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray; Credit – Wikipedia

During Mary’s thirteen-year absence, the Protestant Reformation had swept through Scotland, led by John Knox, considered the founder of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland. Therefore, Catholic Mary returned to a Scotland very different from the one she had left as a child. James Stewart, Margaret, Lady Douglas of Loch Leven’s son with James V, and Mary’s half-brother, had become Protestant as had most of Margaret’s family. Despite their religious differences, James Stewart became the chief advisor to his sister, and in September 1561, Mary created her half-brother Earl of Moray. Eventually, Mary’s behavior angered even her half-brother James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray and he joined other Protestant lords in a rebellion.

Mary, Queen of Scots Escaping from Loch Leven Castle (1805); Credit – Wikipedia

In 1567-1568, Mary, Queen of Scots was imprisoned in Loch Leven Castle for ten months, where Margaret, Lady Douglas of Loch Leven, and her son William became her keepers. On July 24, 1567, at Loch Leven Castle, Mary was forced to abdicate in favor of her one-year-old son who succeeded her as James VI, King of Scots.  James VI was Mary’s son by her second husband and first cousin Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley.  Mary and Darnley were both grandchildren of Margaret Tudor. James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray was made Regent for his nephew. In 1568, Mary escaped from her imprisonment at Loch Leven Castle with the help of Margaret, Lady Douglas of Loch Leven ’s son George Douglas. She made it to England only to be imprisoned by Queen Elizabeth I for nineteen years and ultimately beheaded in 1587.

James Hamilton of Bothwellhaugh preparing to assassinate the Earl of Moray; Credit – Wikipedia

James Stewart, Earl of Moray, Margaret’s son by James V, also had an unhappy ending. On January 23, 1570, in Linlithgow, Scotland, while still serving as Regent for his nephew James VI, King of Scots, the 39-year-old Earl of Moray was assassinated by James Hamilton of Bothwellhaugh, a supporter of his half-sister Mary, Queen of Scots. It was the first assassination by a firearm in recorded history. James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray was buried at St. Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh, Scotland. Seven earls and lords carried his body into the church.  John Knox, the Scottish minister, a leader of Scotland’s Reformation, and the founder of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland, preached at the funeral. Margaret, Lady Douglas of Loch Leven survived her son by two years, dying on May 5, 1572, at the age of 57.

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

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