Wilhelmine of Baden, Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Wilhelmine of Baden, Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine; source: Wikipedia

Wilhelmine of Baden was the second Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine, as the wife of Grand Duke Ludwig II. She was born in Karlsruhe, Margraviate of Baden, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, on September 21, 1788, the youngest child of Karl Ludwig, Hereditary Prince of Baden and Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt. Wilhelmine had seven siblings:

Ludwig II. source: Wikipedia

On June 19, 1804, in Karlsruhe, Wilhelmine married her first cousin, the future Grand Duke Ludwig II of Hesse and by Rhine. They had five children:

In 1810, Wilhelmine had a large garden, called the Rosenhöhe (link in German), built on a hill in Darmstadt. Soon, she added several buildings, including a summer residence and a tea house. When her daughter Elisabeth died in 1826, Wilhelmine decided to have a mausoleum built in the park instead of using the traditional grand-ducal tomb in the Darmstadt Stadtkirche. It is because of this that the Rosenhöhe has become the traditional burial site for the Grand Ducal Family.

Schloss Heiligenberg. photo: by Heidas – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3645053

Wilhelmine’s marriage was never happy, and she separated from her husband after the birth of their first three children. In the 1820s, Wilhelmine purchased Schloss Heiligenberg in Jugenheim and expanded and designed the grounds just as she had done at Rosenhöhe. There she met her chamberlain Baron August von Searclens de Grancy, and began a longtime affair. Although Wilhelmine’s husband recognized their younger children as his own, it is believed they were fathered by de Grancy.

Despite her separation, Wilhelmine became Grand Duchess upon her husband’s accession in 1830. With the increased means now at her disposal, she set about expanding Heiligenberg and avoiding the court in Darmstadt as much as possible.

Grand Duchess Wilhelmine died in Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in Hesse, Germany, on January 27, 1836, after contracting typhoid fever. She is buried in the Altes Mausoleum in the Rosenhöhe in Darmstadt.

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.

Hesse and by Rhine Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman; Credit – Wikipedia

Arabic Naming Conventions

  • Al – family/clan of…
  • bin or ibn – son of…
  • bint – daughter of…

Since the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was founded in 1932 by Abdulaziz “Ibn Saud”, the first King of Saudi Arabia, all six of his successors have come from among his 45 sons. In Saudi Arabia, there is no clear line of succession. All vacancies to the throne have been filled by the Crown Prince. Crown Princes have been appointed according to male line seniority from among the sons of Abdulaziz “Ibn Saud”. If Crown Prince Mohammad, a grandson of Abdulaziz “Ibn Saud”, becomes king, he will be the first king of the next generation.

Mohammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud became Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia on June 21, 2017, when his cousin Prince Muhammad bin Nayef Al Saud, the first grandson of Abdulaziz “Ibn Saud” to be named Crown Prince, was relieved of all his positions by royal decree. Previously Crown Prince Mohammad was Deputy Crown Prince.

Crown Prince Mohammad was born in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on August 31, 1985. He is the eldest of the six sons of King Salman of Saudi Arabia and his third wife Princess Fahda bint Falah bin Sultan bin Hathleen.

Crown Prince Mohammad has five younger brothers:

Crown Prince Mohammad has six older half-siblings from his father’s first marriage to Princess Sultana bint Turki Al Sudairi (died 2011):

  • Prince Fahd (1955 – 2001), married Princess Nuf bint Khalid bin Abdallah Al Saud, had four children, died of heart failure
  • Prince Sultan (born 1956), married Princess Haifa Bint Saud Al Faisal bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, had three children, former Royal Saudi Air Force pilot who flew aboard the American Space Shuttle Discovery in 1985 as a payload specialist – first member of a royal family, first Arab and first Muslim to fly in space
  • Prince Ahmed (1958 – 2002), married Princess Lamia bint Mishaal, had five children, died of heart failure
  • Prince Abdulaziz (born 1960), married Princess Sara bint Khalid bin Musa’ad bin Abdulaziz, had three children
  • Prince Faisal (born 1970), married Princess Luloh bint Ahmed bin Mousaed bin Ahmed Al Sudairi, had four children
  • Princess Hassa (born 1974)

Crown Prince Mohammad has one younger half-sibling from his father’s second marriage to Princess Sara Bint Faisal Bin Daidan Abu Ateen Al-Subaie (divorced):

  • Prince Saud (born 1986), married Chorouk bint Mohammad Almejfel, had one child

Crown Prince Mohammad received his primary and secondary education at the Princes’ School in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He then received a bachelor’s degree in law from King Saud University in Riyadh where he was second in his class.  In 2007, Mohammad became a full-time adviser to the Saudi Bureau of Experts.  He continued in this position until he was appointed a special advisor to his father who was then the governor of Riyadh Province.

In 2008, Crown Prince Mohammad married his first cousin Princess Sara bint Mashhoor bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. The couple has five children:

  • Prince Salman
  • Prince Mashhour
  • Princess Fahda
  • Princess Nora
  • Prince Abdulaziz

In 2012, Mohammad’s father Salman was named Crown Prince following the death of his brother Crown Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. On January 23, 2015, King Abdullah died (reigned 2005 – 2015) and 79-year-old Crown Prince Salman became King. Prince Mohammad bin Salman was then appointed Minister of Defense. King Salman’s brother Deputy Crown Prince Muqrin bin Abdulaziz Al Saud became Crown Prince but he died three months later. Prince Muhammad bin Nayef, the son of the Crown Prince that Salman had replaced in 2012, was named Crown Prince, and Salman’s son Mohammad was named Deputy Crown Prince. On June 21, 2017, Prince Muhammad bin Nayef was replaced as Crown Prince by Prince Mohammad bin Salman in a move, according to the New York Times, that was “upending decades of royal custom and profoundly reordering the kingdom’s inner power structure.”

Crown Prince Mohammad is the power behind the throne. There has been much media speculation as to the state of King Salman’s health. Some media reports have suggested that the King is suffering from some form of dementia, possibly Alzheimer’s Disease. There has been no formal statement from the Royal Court regarding these claims.

Crown Prince Mohammad has instituted several successful reforms including restrictions on the powers of the religious police, allowing women to drive, the first Saudi public concerts by a female singer, the first Saudi sports stadium to admit women, and an increase in women in the workforce.  Despite this, his leadership and his violation of human rights have been criticized internationally.

On November 4, 2017, there was an announcement that at the request of Crown Prince Mohammad, billionaire Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal bin Abdulaziz al Saud, a grandson of Abdulaziz “Ibn Saud”, along with over forty Saudi princes and government ministers, was arrested on charges of corruption and money laundering. The New York Times wrote: “The sweeping campaign of arrests appears to be the latest move to consolidate the power of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the favorite son and top adviser of King Salman. The king had decreed the creation of a powerful new anti-corruption committee, headed by the crown prince, only hours before the committee ordered the arrests.”

In October 2018, Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist and a critic of the crown prince went missing after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Turkish officials believe that Khashoggi was murdered at the consulate and many intelligence agencies around the world believe that the crown prince ordered the murder.

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

  • Aljazeera.com. (2017). Profile: Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. [online] Available at: http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2017/06/profile-saudi-crown-prince-mohammed-bin-salman-170621130040539.html [Accessed 8 Nov. 2017].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2017). Mohammad bin Salman. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohammad_bin_Salman [Accessed 8 Nov. 2017].
  • Kirkpatrick, D. (2017). Saudi Arabia Arrests 11 Princes, Including Billionaire Alwaleed bin Talal. [online] Nytimes.com. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/04/world/middleeast/saudi-arabia-waleed-bin-talal.html [Accessed 8 Nov. 2017].
  • Ar.wikipedia.org. (2017). محمد بن سلمان آل سعود. [online] Available at: https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%85%D8%AD%D9%85%D8%AF_%D8%A8%D9%86_%D8%B3%D9%84%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86_%D8%A2%D9%84_%D8%B3%D8%B9%D9%88%D8%AF [Accessed 8 Nov. 2017]

Ludwig II, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine: The House of Hesse-Darmstadt was one of several branches of the House of Hesse. After the fall of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, the Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt was raised to the Grand Duchy of Hesse, and Ludwig X, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt became the first Grand Duke, Ludwig I.  Several years later, at the Congress of Vienna, Ludwig was forced to cede his Westphalian territories but in return was given the Rheinhessen region and the Grand Duchy of Hesse became the Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine. Ernst Ludwig, a grandson of Queen Victoria, was the last Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine. With the fall of the German states, Ernst Ludwig refused to abdicate but still lost his throne on November 9, 1918. Today the territory that encompassed the Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine is in the German state of Hesse.

********************

Ludwig II, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine; Credit – Wikipedia

Ludwig II was Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine from April 6, 1830 until his abdication in 1848. He was born in Darmstadt, Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt, now in Hesse, Germany on December 26, 1777, the eldest son of Ludwig X, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt (the future Grand Duke Ludwig I) and Luise of Hesse-Darmstadt. He had five siblings:

  • Princess Luise (1779-1811) – married Ludwig of Anhalt-Köthen, had issue
  • Prince Georg (1780-1856) – married Caroline Török de Szendrö, had issue
  • Prince Friedrich (1788-1867) – unmarried
  • Prince Emil (1790-1856) – unmarried
  • Prince Gustav (1791-1806) – unmarried

Ludwig became Hereditary Grand Duke in 1806 when the Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine was established. He served in the First Chamber of the Hessian Parliament and was a member of the Council of State from 1823 to 1830. He also represented the Grand Duchy at the Congress of Erfurt in 1808 and the Congress of Vienna in 1814-1815.

Wilhelmine of Baden, Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine; Credit: Wikipedia

On June 19, 1804, in Karlsruhe, Ludwig married his first cousin, Princess Wilhelmine of Baden. She was the daughter of Karl Ludwig, Hereditary Prince of Baden and Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt. Ludwig and Wilhelmine had five children:

Ludwig became Grand Duke upon his father’s death in March 1830 and continued his father’s policies. Soon after his accession, he demanded that the state assume his personal debts. This led to a growing dislike for Ludwig amongst the Hessian people. He also stood strongly against calls for a more liberal government. Following the beginning of the March Revolution, Grand Duke Ludwig II abdicated on March 5, 1848, in favor of his eldest son.

Grand Duke Ludwig II died three months later, on June 16, 1848. He is buried in the Altes Mausoleum in the Rosenhöhe in Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in Hesse, Germany.

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.

Hesse and by Rhine Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Luise of Hesse-Darmstadt, Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Luise of Hesse-Darmstadt, Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine; Credit – Wikipedia

Luise Henriette Karoline of Hesse-Darmstadt was the first Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine through her marriage to Grand Duke Ludwig I. She was born in Darmstadt, Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt, now in Hesse, Germany on February 15, 1761, the daughter of Prince Georg Wilhelm of Hesse-Darmstadt and Countess Maria Luise Albertine of Leiningen-Falkenburg-Dagsburg. Luise had eight siblings:

Ludwig I, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine; Credit –  Wikipedia

On February 19, 1777, in Darmstadt, Luise married her first cousin, Ludwig of Hesse-Darmstadt (the future Grand Duke Ludwig I), the son of Ludwig IX, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt and Caroline of Zweibrücken. Luise and Ludwig had eight children:

Luise’s husband Ludwig succeeded his father in April 1790 as Ludwig X, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt. After the fall of the Holy Roman Empire, Hesse-Darmstadt was raised to the Grand Duchy of Hesse, with Ludwig becoming its first Grand Duke, Ludwig I. Some years later, at the Congress of Vienna, he was forced to cede his Westphalian territories, but in return was given the Rheinhessen region which included the city of Mainz. It was then, on July 7, 1816, that the Grand Duchy of Hesse became the Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine.

Since the mid-1780s, Grand Duchess Luise had spent the summer months in Bensheim-Auerbach an der Bergstrasse, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in Hesse, Germany, where the family had a summer residence in a large park known as the Fürstenlager (link in German). It was there that she died on October 24, 1829. She was buried in the Darmstadt Stadtkirche in Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in Hesse, Germany until 1910 when her remains were moved to the Altes Mausoleum in the Rosenhöhe in Darmstadt.

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.

Hesse and by Rhine Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Ludwig I, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine

by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine: The House of Hesse-Darmstadt was one of several branches of the House of Hesse. After the fall of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, the Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt was raised to the Grand Duchy of Hesse, and Ludwig X, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt became the first Grand Duke, Ludwig I.  Several years later, at the Congress of Vienna, Ludwig was forced to cede his Westphalian territories but in return was given the Rheinhessen region and the Grand Duchy of Hesse became the Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine. Ernst Ludwig, a grandson of Queen Victoria, was the last Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine. With the fall of the German states, Ernst Ludwig refused to abdicate but still lost his throne on November 9, 1918. Today the territory that encompassed the Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine is in the German state of Hesse.

********************

Ludwig I, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine.source: Wikipedia

Ludwig I was the first Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine, reigning from 1806-1830. He was born on June 14, 1753, in Prenzlau, Duchy of Zweibrücken, now in Brandenburg, Germany, the eldest son of Ludwig IX, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt and Caroline of Zweibrücken. Ludwig had seven siblings:

Along with his siblings, Ludwig was raised primarily in Buchsweiler, now Bouxwiller, in France, by his mother, while his father was often away with his military career. Ludwig attended the University of Leiden and then traveled throughout Europe. After escorting his sister Wilhelmine to Russia for her wedding to the future Emperor Paul I in 1773, Ludwig remained in Moscow and served with the Russian military. With the rank of General, he fought in the Russo-Turkish War of 1774. In 1776, he was engaged to Sophia Dorothea of Württemberg. However, Catherine II  (the Great), Empress of All Russia, instead chose Sophia Dorothea as the second wife for her son, the future Paul I, Emperor of All Russia, after Ludwig’s sister Wilhelmine died in childbirth.

Luise of Hesse-Darmstadt; Credit – Wikipedia

The following year, on February 19, 1777, Ludwig married Luise of Hesse-Darmstadt, his first cousin. She was the daughter of Prince Georg Wilhelm of Hesse-Darmstadt and Maria Luise of Leiningen-Falkenburg-Dagsburg. Ludwig and Luise had six children:

Ludwig succeeded his father in April 1790 as Ludwig X, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt. His reign saw the establishment of constitutional rule in Hesse-Darmstadt, with Catholics and Jews being given equal rights. Having lost significant territory to France, he soon saw the Landgraviate expand when he was given the former Duchy of Westphalia in 1803, as part of the German mediatization. After the fall of the Holy Roman Empire, Hesse-Darmstadt was raised to the Grand Duchy of Hesse, and Ludwig became its first Grand Duke, Ludwig I. Some years later, at the Congress of Vienna, he was forced to cede his Westphalian territories, but in return was given the Rheinhessen region, which included the city of Mainz. On July 7, 1816, the Grand Duchy of Hesse became the Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine.

As Grand Duke, Ludwig granted the first constitution and worked to establish cultural institutions in the Grand Duchy. He established the court theater in Darmstadt and the court library and promoted the arts. He is also credited with creating the Botanical Garden in Darmstadt.

Grand Duke Ludwig I died in Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in Hesse, Germany, on April 6, 1830, and was succeeded by his eldest son. He was buried in the Darmstadt Stadtkirche until 1910, when his remains were moved to the Altes Mausoleum in the Rosenhöhe in Darmstadt.

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.

Hesse and by Rhine Resources at Unofficial Royalty

November 1917: Royalty and World War I

by Susan Flantzer

  • Captain The Right Honorable Neil James Archibald Primrose
  • Timeline: November 1, 1917 – November 30, 1917
  • A Note About German Titles
  • November 1917 – Royals/Nobles/Peers/Sons of Peers Who Died In Action

********************

Captain The Right Honorable Neil James Archibald Primrose

Photo Credit – Wikipedia

One of the 25 Members of Parliament who lost their lives during World War I and a peer’s son, Captain The Right Honorable Neil James Archibald Primrose was the younger son and the youngest of the four children of former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery and Hannah de Rothschild, granddaughter of Baron Nathan Mayer Rothschild, who had founded N M Rothschild & Sons, the English branch of the Rothschilds’ banking empire.

Neil was born on December 14, 1882 at the family home Dalmeny House in Midlothian, Scotland. He was educated at Eton and Oxford where he played with the Oxford University Polo Club.

Neil Primrose, 1910; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Neil had three older siblings:

Lady Victoria Stanley and The Honorable Neil Primrose; Photo Credit – Daily Mail Historical Archive, 1915

On April 7, 1915, Neil married Lady Victoria Stanley, daughter of Edward Stanley, 17th Earl of Derby and Lady Alice Montagu. Neil and Victoria had one daughter:

Caricature of Neil Primrose by unknown artist, pen and ink, early 20th century, NPG D9908 © National Portrait Gallery, London

Neil followed his father into politics and was elected in 1910 as a Member of Parliament for Wisbech.  He served as Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury. In June 1917, he became a member of the Privy Council. (Note: Neil had the courtesy style “The Honorable” as the son of an Earl.  Members of the Privy Council use the style “The Right Honorable.”)

When the United Kingdom declared war on Germany in August 1914, Neil joined the Royal Buckinghamshire Yeomanry as a Lieutenant. He was promoted to Captain in 1915 and was awarded the Military Cross in 1916. Neil died at the age of 34 on November 15, 1917 from wounds received in action at Gezer, Palestine while leading his squadron against Turkish positions on the Abu Shusha Ridge during the Sinai and Palestine Campaign of the Third Battle of Gaza. He was buried in the Ramleh Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery in Ramla, Israel.

 

Grave of Captain The Right Honorable Neil Primrose; Photo Credit – By Zev Gross – Self-photographed, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=53298425

On November 19, 1917, Prime Minister David Lloyd George addressed the House of Commons regarding Neil’s death:

“May I be permitted before I sit down to utter one word of another who held an inconspicuous position in the Army but who was well known to all Members of this House. I refer to Captain Neil Primrose. The House knew his bright and radiant spirit well. To his intimates, he was one of the most lovable men we ever met. He had ability far above the average, and, in spite of the reserve and shyness which held him back, his future was full of hope. He had already rendered distinguished service in the field, and for that service he had been recognised at the suggestion of his commanding officer; and he might well, for he had many offers, have occupied positions where he could have rendered services to the public, positions honourable to him, but positions of personal safety and the fact that he had been chosen by his constituents to serve in this House would have rendered his acceptance of these positions honourable to himself. He chose deliberately the path of danger. He fell charging at the head of his troops, at the very moment of victory, and Members of the House will, I feel certain, join me in an expression of deepest sympathy with those whom he has left behind to mourn him.”

********************

Timeline: November 1, 1917 – November 30, 1917

Mud, water, and barbed wire illustrate the horrible terrain at the Battle of Passchendaele; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

********************

A Note About German Titles

Many German royals and nobles died in World War I. The German Empire consisted of 27 constituent states, most of them ruled by royal families. Scroll down to German Empire here to see what constituent states made up the German Empire.  The constituent states retained their own governments, but had limited sovereignty. Some had their own armies, but the military forces of the smaller ones were put under Prussian control. In wartime, armies of all the constituent states would be controlled by the Prussian Army and the combined forces were known as the Imperial German Army.  German titles may be used in Royals Who Died In Action below. Refer to Unofficial Royalty: Glossary of German Noble and Royal Titles.

24 British peers were also killed in World War I and they will be included in the list of those who died in action. In addition, more than 100 sons of peers also lost their lives, and those that can be verified will also be included.

********************

November 1917 – Royals/Nobles/Peers/Sons of Peers Who Died In Action

The list is in chronological order and does contain some who would be considered noble instead of royal. The links in the last bullet for each person is that person’s genealogical information from Leo’s Genealogics Website or to The Peerage website. If a person has a Wikipedia page or a website page with biographical information, their name will be linked to that page.

Captain The Honorable Elidyr John Bernard Herbert

**********

Captain The Right Honorable Neil James Archibald Primrose (see above)

Memorial in St. Gile’s Cathedral, Edinburgh, Scotland; Photo Credit – By Andrewrabbott – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=48508210

**********

Photo Credit – http://www.surreyinthegreatwar.org.uk

Lieutenant The Honorable Alick George Cubitt

**********

Lieutenant The Honorable Arthur Middleton Kinnaird

**********

Major The Honorable Robert Nathaniel Dudley Ryder

Prince Valdemar of Denmark

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Prince Valdemar of Denmark; Credit – Wikipedia

Prince Valdemar of Denmark was born on October 27, 1858, at Bernstorff Palace in Gentofte, Denmark. Valdemar was the youngest of the six children of King Christian IX of Denmark and Louise of Hesse-Kassel.

Valdemar had five siblings. Four of Valdemar’s five siblings became a monarch or a consort of a monarch.

Christian IX, King of Denmark and his family by Georg Emil Hansen, albumen carte-de-visite photomontage, 1862, NPG x74402 © National Portrait Gallery, London

In 1863, when Valdemar was five years old, his father succeeded to the Danish throne. Earlier that year, Valdemar had accompanied his family to England where his sister Alexandra had married Edward, Prince of Wales, the eldest son of Queen Victoria. Valdemar was educated at home by governesses and tutors. In the summer of 1874, Valdemar accompanied his father to Iceland to celebrate 1,000 years since Iceland’s first settlement in 874.

Valdemar with his father, circa 1863-1865; Credit – Wikipedia

After his confirmation in 1874, Valdemar enrolled at the Royal Danish Naval Academy.  As a younger son, it was expected that he would have a career in the military. Valdemar participated in several naval expeditions in the 1870s and became Lieutenant in 1880. In 1883, Valdemar’s 14-year-old nephew Prince George of Greece,  the second son of his brother King George I of Greece, was enrolled at the Royal Danish Naval Academy. George lived with Valdemar at Bernstorff Palace while he attended the naval academy. Having felt abandoned by his father at that time, George would later tell his fiancée the profound attachment he developed for his uncle Valdemar.

In 1885, Valdemar became engaged to Princess Marie of Orléans, the eldest child of Robert, Duke of Chartres and his wife, Françoise of Orléans, both grandchildren of King Louis Philippe of France, who was forced to abdicate after the outbreak of the French Revolution of 1848. Louis Philippe lived out his life in exile in England where his great-granddaughter Marie had been born. Marie lived the first years of her life in England. After the fall of Napoleon III in 1871, her family’s rival, Marie’s family moved back to France.

Princess Marie of Orléans; Credit – Wikipedia

Valdemar and Marie were first married in a civil ceremony in Paris, France on October 20, 1885. Two days later, an extravagant religious ceremony and reception were held at the Chateau d ‘ Eu in Normandy, France, the home of Louis Philippe of Orléans, Count of Paris, a cousin of both Marie’s parents. More than 1,000 guests attended including members of the royal families of Denmark, Greece, Russia, and the United Kingdom. Valdemar remained Lutheran and Marie remained Roman Catholic. When Pope Leo XIII gave his permission for the marriage, he agreed to the provision that any daughters would be raised Roman Catholic and any sons would be raised Lutheran. After their marriage, the couple lived at the Yellow Palace in Copenhagen and Valdemar’s birthplace, Bernstorff Castle in Gentofte, nearby Copenhagen.

Valdemar and Marie had four sons and one daughter. Three of their sons made unequal marriages and relinquished their position within the Danish Royal Family upon marrying without official consent from the monarch. For more information, see Unofficial Royalty: The Danish Counts of Rosenborg.

Valdemar, Marie, and their children; Credit – www.findagrave.com

Prince Valdemar and King Chulalongkorn of Siam (Thailand), during Valdemar’s visit to Siam in 1900; Credit – Wikipedia

Valdemar had a lifelong naval career which frequently caused him to be away from home. He was appointed Vice-Admiral in 1911 and Admiral in 1918. Valdemar was offered two European thrones, Bulgaria and Norway, but he rejected both offers. His wife Marie died on December 4, 1909, in the Yellow Palace in Copenhagen, Denmark at the age of 44 after a long illness. Unfortunately, at the time of Marie’s death, Valdemar was on a long naval voyage. Prince Valdemar survived Marie by thirty years, dying on January 14, 1939, at the age of 80 in the Yellow Palace in Copenhagen. Both Marie and Valdemar were buried in Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde, Denmark.

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. (2017). Prins Valdemar. [online] Available at: https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prins_Valdemar [Accessed 7 Aug. 2017].
  • Da.wikipedia.org. (2017). Prinsesse Marie af Orléans. [online] Available at: https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prinsesse_Marie_af_Orl%C3%A9ans [Accessed 7 Aug. 2017].
  • De.wikipedia.org. (2017). Waldemar von Dänemark. [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waldemar_von_D%C3%A4nemark [Accessed 7 Aug. 2017].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2017). Prince Valdemar of Denmark. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Valdemar_of_Denmark [Accessed 7 Aug. 2017].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2017). Princess Marie of Orléans (1865–1909). [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Marie_of_Orl%C3%A9ans_(1865%E2%80%931909) [Accessed 7 Aug. 2017].
  • Fr.wikipedia.org. (2017). Marie d’Orléans (1865-1909). [online] Available at: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie_d%27Orl%C3%A9ans_(1865-1909) [Accessed 7 Aug. 2017].

Juliana Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, Queen of Denmark and Norway

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Juliana Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, Queen of Denmark and Norway; Credit – Wikipedia

Born on September 4, 1729, Juliana Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel was the youngest of the six daughters and the eleventh of the thirteen children of Ferdinand Albert II, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel and Antoinette of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. Juliana Maria and her siblings were first cousins of Archduchess Maria Theresa of Austria, Queen of Hungary and Bohemia and brothers-in-law/sisters-in-law of King Friedrich (the Great) II of Prussia.

Juliana Maria had twelve siblings:

Juliana Maria’s father died when she was six-years-old, having had only a six-month reign as Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. The House of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel was one of the smaller German princely families and Juliana Maria had a simple, strict upbringing.

Juliana Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel; Credit – Wikipedia

On December 19, 1751, Louisa of Great Britain, the wife of King Frederik V of Denmark and Norway died while pregnant with her sixth child. Despite having parents with very strict religious beliefs, Frederik V had a very sensual nature and loved wine and women. He spent so much time visiting Copenhagen’s taverns and brothels that his father King Christian VI considered disinheriting him from the throne. When Frederik’s marriage to the youngest daughter of King George II of Great Britain was proposed, the Danish government hoped (incorrectly) that marriage would put a damper on Frederik’s affairs and drunkenness.

However, that strategy did not work as during the early years of his marriage to Louisa, Frederik had an affair with Else Hansen, known as Madame Hansen and they had five children. After Frederik became king in 1746, he took part in the government by attending council meetings, but he was afflicted with alcoholism and most of his reign was dominated by very able ministers such as Count Adam Gottlob Moltke, Count Johann Hartwig Ernst von Bernstorff, and Heinrich Carl von Schimmelmann.

King Frederik V of Denmark; Credit – Wikipedia

Count Moltke thought it would be a good idea if Frederik married again as soon as possible in hopes of stabilizing his behavior. Frederik preferred another British wife, but there was no British princess at an appropriate age. Count Moltke drew Frederik’s attention to Juliana Maria. Her portrait was sent to Denmark and it pleased Frederik. 29-year-old Frederik and 22-year-old Juliana Maria were married at Frederiksborg Palace on July 8, 1752. However, many Danish people felt the marriage occurred too quickly after the death of the beloved Queen Louisa.

The couple had one child:

Hereditary Prince Frederik by Vigilius Eriksen, 1777; Credit – Wikipedia

Her marriage to Frederik V also brought Juliana Maria four stepchildren, but she had no influence in their upbringing:

Despite her efforts, Juliana Maria found it difficult to replace Queen Louisa in the hearts of the Danish people. While Louisa had learned Danish and had insisted that her children learn Danish, a rarity in an almost German-language Danish court, Juliana Maria never fully mastered the Danish language but she did try to speak and write it. She appointed Danish tutors for her son so that he could master Danish. King Frederik V continued his affairs and his drinking and as Louisa had done, Juliana Maria pretended not to notice the problems. Juliana Maria led a quiet life and had no influence in government affairs despite the expectation of her brother-in-law King Friedrich II (the Great) of Prussia that she act as his agent.

In 1760, King Frederik V broke his leg in a drunken accident, affecting his health for the rest of his life. Frederik V died on January 14, 1766, at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen, Denmark at the age of 42. He was buried at Roskilde Cathedral in the Frederik V Chapel.

Frederik V was succeeded by his 17-year-old son from his first marriage, King Christian VII. Christian had been only two-years-old when his mother died. He had a nervous disposition and had been poorly educated and terrorized by a brutal governor, Christian Ditlev Reventlow, Count of Reventlow.  A few months after he became king, Christian married his first cousin Princess Caroline Matilda of Wales, the daughter of Frederick, Prince of Wales (who predeceased his father King George II) and the sister of King George III.

It was soon clear that Christian VII was not quite normal. He publicly declared that he could not love Caroline Matilda because it was “unfashionable to love one’s wife”. His symptoms included paranoia, self-mutilation, and hallucinations. Christian wandered the streets of Copenhagen visiting the city’s taverns and brothels. It became clearer and clearer that Christian could not fulfill his role as king. During a trip that had been arranged because it was believed that new environments could change Christian’s behavior, Christian became acquainted with the physician Johann Friedrich Struensee. Struensee was the first person who understood that Christian was seriously ill. When Christian came home from the trip, Struensee accompanied him and was employed as Christian’s personal physician. Struensee could handle Christian’s instability, which was a great relief to the king’s advisers, and Christian developed confidence in him.

King Christian VII; Credit – Wikipedia

Because of Christian’s confidence in him, Struensee gained political power. In 1770, Struensee became Master of Requests and Minister of the Royal Cabinet. He also became the lover of the ill-treated Caroline Matilda, whose marriage was less than satisfactory. When Caroline Matilda gave birth to her daughter Louise, no one doubted that Struensee was the father of the princess. Eventually, Queen Dowager Juliana Maria maneuvered a coup that would bring about the fall of Struensee and discredit Caroline Matilda. Juliana Maria arranged for King Christian VII to sign the arrest warrant of Struensee after she had already made the arrest in the name of the king. In 1772, Struensee was executed and Caroline Matilda was exiled.

After the fall of Struensee, Juliana Maria and her son Christian VII’s half-brother Hereditary Prince Frederik took charge of the Council of State. Christian VII was only nominally king from 1772 onward. Between 1772 and 1784, Denmark was ruled by Queen Dowager Juliana Maria, Hereditary Prince Frederik, and Cabinet Secretary Ove Høegh-Guldberg. Juliana Maria was given the responsibility of the upbringing of Christian VII’s eldest son Crown Prince Frederik, the future King Frederik VI. From 1784, Crown Prince Frederik ruled permanently as a prince regent. Crown Prince Frederik had no intention of allowing Juliana Maria and her son Frederik to continue their rule. He somehow managed to get his insane father to sign an order dismissing the supporters of Juliana Maria from the council and declaring that no royal order was legal unless co-signed by the Crown Prince, thereby deposing Queen Dowager Juliana Maria and Hereditary Prince Frederik.

Juliana Maria showing the portrait of her only child Hereditary Prince Frederik by Johann Georg Ziesenis, 1766-1767; Credit – Wikipedia

Juliana Maria lived the rest of her life quietly at court. She survived her husband by 30 years, dying on October 10, 1796, at Fredensborg Palace at the age of 67 and was buried at Roskilde Cathedral in the Frederik V Chapel.

Tomb of Juliana Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel – Photo by Susan Flantzer

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 Denmark Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • Da.wikipedia.org. (2017). Juliane Marie af Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel. [online] Available at: https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juliane_Marie_af_Braunschweig-Wolfenb%C3%BCttel [Accessed 7 Aug. 2017].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2017). Juliana Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juliana_Maria_of_Brunswick-Wolfenb%C3%BCttel [Accessed 7 Aug. 2017].
  • Unofficial Royalty. (2017). King Christian VII of Denmark. [online] Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-christian-vii-of-denmark/ [Accessed 7 Aug. 2017].
  • Unofficial Royalty. (2017). King Frederik V of Denmark. [online] Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-frederik-v-of-denmark/ [Accessed 7 Aug. 2017].

King Frederik V of Denmark and Norway

by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2017

King Frederik V of Denmark and Norway; Credit – Wikipedia

Frederik V, King of Denmark and Norway, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein was born at Copenhagen Castle in Copenhagen, Denmark on March 31, 1723. His birthplace was demolished in 1731 to make room for the first Christiansborg Palace.  The present Christiansborg Palace stands on the site and is the seat of the Danish Parliament, the Danish Prime Minister’s Office, and the Supreme Court of Denmark. Frederik was the only son and the eldest of the three children of King Christian VI of Denmark and Norway and Sophia Magdalene of Brandenburg-Kulmbach.

Frederik had two younger sisters, but only one survived infancy:

Frederik as a child; Credit – Wikipedia

Frederik’s education was inadequate, and he was far from an exemplary student. His teachers complained that he was more interested in hunting and other pleasurable activities. Frederik was taught the basics of reading, writing, German, French, Latin, and history, but he never wanted to extend his learning. Curiously, Danish was not a subject. Frederik’s teachers were all German except for a Frenchman who taught him French. He was never really proficient in Danish. Ironically, his mother called him “Der Dänische Prinz” (The Danish Prince in German) because he spoke Danish only occasionally.

Frederik’s parents were both adherents to Pietism, a movement in Lutheranism emphasizing Biblical doctrine, individual piety, and living a vigorous Christian life. Pietism considered frugality, humility, restraint, and a sense of duty important virtues. However, Frederik had a very sensual nature and loved wine and women. He spent so much time visiting Copenhagen’s pubs and brothels that his father considered disinheriting him from the throne.

Frederik (on the left) and Louisa (on the right), then Crown Prince and Princess of Denmark, with King Christian VI and Queen Sophie Magdalene sitting, by Marcus Tuscher circa 1744; Credit – Wikipedia

On December 11, 1743, in Altona, Duchy of Holstein, now in Germany, 20-year-old Frederik married 19-year-old Princess Louisa of Great Britain, the fifth daughter and the youngest of the nine children of King George II of Great Britain and Caroline of Ansbach. Frederik’s father, King Christian VI, hoped that this marriage would cause the British government to support his or his son’s claim to the Swedish throne.  Furthermore, the Danish government hoped (incorrectly) that marriage would put an end to Crown Prince Frederik’s affairs and drunkenness. From 1745 – 1752, Frederik had an affair with Else Hansen, known as Madame Hansen, and they had five children. Nevertheless, Frederik and Louisa got along reasonably well, and although Frederik continued his affairs, Louisa pretended not to notice them.

Frederik and Louisa had five children:

Louisa was popular with the Danish people and was interested in music, dance, and theater. The Danish people greatly appreciated Louisa’s efforts to learn and speak Danish and her insistence that her children learn Danish, a rarity in an almost German-language Danish court.

On August 6, 1746, King Christian VI died, and Frederik became King of Denmark and Norway and Duke of Schleswig-Holstein. Although Frederik took part in the government by attending council meetings, he was afflicted with alcoholism, and most of his reign was dominated by his very able ministers Count Adam Gottlob Moltke, a favorite of King Frederik V, Count Johann Hartwig Ernst von Bernstorff, and Heinrich Carl von Schimmelmann.

Queen Louisa by court painter C.G. Pilo, 1751; Credit – Wikipedia

While pregnant with her sixth child, 27-year-old Louisa died on December 19, 1751, at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen, Denmark due to complications from a miscarriage. She was buried in Roskilde Cathedral, the burial place of the kings and queens of Denmark, in Roskilde, Denmark.

Queen Juliana Maria; Credit – Wikipedia

Count Moltke wanted Frederik to marry again, hoping to stabilize his behavior. Moltke arranged a marriage with 22-year-old Princess Juliana Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, the youngest of the six daughters and the eleventh of the thirteen children of Ferdinand Albert II, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel and Antoinette of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. Frederik and Juliana Maria were married at Frederiksborg Palace on July 8, 1752.

The couple had one child:

In 1760, Frederik broke his leg in a drunken accident, which affected his health for the rest of his life. King Frederik V died on January 14, 1766, at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen, Denmark, aged 42. He was buried at Roskilde Cathedral in the Frederik V Chapel.

Tomb of King Frederik V – Photo © Susan Flantzer

Kingdom of Denmark Resources at Unofficial Royalty

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. (2017). Frederik 5.. [online] Available at: https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederik_5. [Accessed 5 Aug. 2017].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2017). Frederick V of Denmark. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_V_of_Denmark [Accessed 5 Aug. 2017].

Hilda of Nassau, Grand Duchess of Baden

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Hilda of Nassau, Grand Duchess of Baden; Credit – Wikipedia

Princess Hilda Charlotte Wilhelmine of Nassau was the last Grand Duchess of Baden, as the wife of Grand Duke Friedrich II. She was born at Biebrich Palace in Wiesbaden, Duchy of Nassau, now in Hesse, Germany, on November 5, 1864, the youngest child of Adolphe, Duke of Nassau (later Grand Duke of Luxembourg) and Adelheid-Marie of Anhalt-Dessau. Hilda had four siblings:

When Hilda was nearly two years old, the Duchy of Nassau was annexed by Prussia, causing her father to lose his ducal throne. He would later become Grand Duke of Luxembourg in 1890, following the death of King Willem III of the Netherlands. King Willem had also ruled Luxembourg in personal union. While his daughter Wilhelmina succeeded him on the Dutch throne, she was not eligible to succeed in Luxembourg which followed Salic Law. Under the terms of the Nassau Family Pact, the Luxembourg throne passed to Adolphe, Willem III’s nearest male heir despite being his 17th cousin once removed.

Friedrich II, Grand Duke of Baden. source: Wikipedia

On September 20, 1885, at Schloss Hohenburg, her family’s summer home in Lenggries, Kingdom of Bavaria, now in Bavaria, Germany, Hilda married the future Grand Duke Friedrich II of Baden. He was the son of Friedrich I, Grand Duke of Baden and Princess Luise of Prussia. The couple had no children.

Hilda became Grand Duchess upon her husband’s accession in September 1907. A keen supporter of the arts, the Grand Duchess often visited museums and exhibitions and helped to promote the arts throughout Baden. She also promoted education and several schools were named in her honor.

Hilda’s husband was deposed and forced to abdicate when the German Empire ended in November 1918. Upon news of the German Emperor’s abdication, riots broke out all over Germany. Hilda and her family managed to escape from Karlsruhe Palace despite a large mob who had gathered outside and made their way to Zwingenberg Castle before taking up residence at Langenstein Palace. The family was granted protection from the government, primarily because Hilda’s sister-in-law Queen Victoria of Sweden was with them. Soon the family was permitted to return to their home on the island of Mainau in Lake Constance in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Hilda was widowed in 1928 and spent the remainder of her life living quietly in Mainau and the surrounding areas.

Grand Duchess Hilda of Baden – source: Wikipedia

Hilda, the last Grand Duchess of Baden died in Badenweiler, Baden-Württemberg, Germany on February 8, 1952. Following a funeral held in the town church there, her remains were interred in the Grand Ducal Chapel in the Pheasant Garden in Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.

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.

Baden Resources at Unofficial Royalty