Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2021

by Isaac Oliver, circa December 1610; Credit – Wikipedia

Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales was the eldest of the seven children of King James I of England/VI of Scotland and his wife Anne of Denmark, daughter of King Frederik II of Denmark and Norway. He was born at Stirling Castle in Stirling, Scotland on February 19, 1594, and was named after his grandfathers, Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley and King Frederik II of Denmark. At the time of his birth, his father was only King James VI of Scotland, having succeeded to the throne as an infant when his mother Mary, Queen of Scots was forced to abdicate. From birth, Henry was styled Duke of Rothesay, Earl of Carrick, Lord of the Isles, the traditional titles for the heir apparent to the Scots throne. Upon the death of Queen Elizabeth I of England on March 24, 1603, Henry’s father became King James I of England and Henry automatically became Duke of Cornwall, traditionally held by the eldest son of the reigning English (now British) monarch. On June 10, 1610, Henry was created Prince of Wales.

Henry Frederick by Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger, circa 1603; Credit – Wikipedia

Henry had six siblings, but only two survived childhood:

by Charles Turner, published by Samuel Woodburn, after Willem de Passe, mezzotint, published 1814

‘James I and his royal progeny’ by Charles Turner, published by Samuel Woodburn, after Willem de Passe mezzotint, published 1814 NPG D9808 © National Portrait Gallery, London

Henry’s parents had a major argument over the transfer of his custody to John Erskine, Earl of Mar at Stirling Castle, in keeping with Scottish royal tradition. This led to estrangement and a competition for the custody of Henry. Henry remained in the Earl of Mar’s custody until 1603 when his father became King of England. Later that year, Henry accompanied his mother to England. Henry had an aptitude for learning and excelled at sports. He was so unlike his younger brother Charles (the future King Charles I) who was frail and late in development, possibly from rickets, At the age of three, Charles could not yet walk or talk, so he was left behind in Scotland when the rest of his family left for England in 1603.  Charles overcame his early physical problems, although he grew no taller than five feet four inches, and learned to ride, shoot, and fence. However, he was no physical match for his stronger and taller elder brother Henry, Prince of Wales, whom he adored.

Henry, Prince of Wales with Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex in the Hunting Field by Robert Peake the Elder, circa 1605; Credit – Wikipedia

Once in England, Henry and his sister Elizabeth were granted their own separate residence complete with servants and retainers. From an early age, they were treated with significant respect. In June 1603, Henry was invested with the Order of the Garter which found favor with his family’s new English subjects. In 1605, Henry began attending Magdalen College, Oxford where he proved capable in debates and arguments. Negotiations began for a bride for Henry and princesses from Spain, France, and Savoy were in the running. By the time Henry was 18 years old, he was physically mature, well-educated, an independent thinker, and ready to assume some government responsibility. He was on his way to making an excellent and popular king.

Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales by Robert Peake the Elder, circa 1610-1612; Credit – Wikipedia

Except for frequent nosebleeds when he was young, Henry’s health was excellent. However, on October 12, 1612, Henry began to have fevers but continued his physical activities. Over the next two weeks, Henry did not sleep well and continued to have fevers and developed gastrointestinal symptoms. On October 25, 1612, he played tennis and then felt much worse. He dined with his father that night, but his physicians noted that he had a fast pulse, a fever, a red face, a swollen stomach, gastrointestinal symptoms, and was very thirsty. By October 29, 1612, Henry had a continuous fever, and two days later he was delirious. On November 2, 1612, he alternated between sleeping and being confused and shouting. His servants had difficulty keeping him in bed. His condition worsened on November 4. He sang in his sleep and had violent convulsive movements. On November 6, 1612, the last day of his life, Henry was delirious, clammy, cold, and sweaty. His pulse weakened and he died. It was suspected that Henry had been poisoned, but a post-mortem found no evidence of poisoning. The cause of his death was said to be “a fever.” With modern medical knowledge, it is now suspected that Henry died from typhoid fever.

Henry’s death caused immense grief across England and Scotland and in his family. King James was too distraught to attend the funeral. Months later, in the middle of a meeting, he broke down, crying, “Henry is dead, Henry is dead.”  His mother Queen Anne could not bear to have Henry’s death mentioned and people were advised not to give her condolences.  After her son’s death, Anne’s health began to deteriorate and she withdrew from social activities. Charles, who was now the heir to the throne, felt the loss deeply and insisted until the end of his life that Henry had been poisoned. We can only wonder how different English history might have been if Henry Frederick had been King instead of his brother King Charles I who was ultimately beheaded.

Henry’s body lay in state at St. James’s Palace for four weeks. On December 7, 1612, two thousand people followed Henry’s funeral cortege to Westminster Abbey to hear a two-hour sermon delivered by George Abbot, the Archbishop of Canterbury. A magnificent hearse had been built upon which his richly dressed effigy was placed. Henry was buried in the vault of his grandmother Mary, Queen of Scots in the south aisle of the Henry VII Chapel. He has no monument.

Hearse of Henry Frederick Prince of Wales 1612, after Sandford

Effigy of Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales; Credit – http://www.westminster-abbey.org/__data/assets/thumbnail/0005/57524/Henry-Fred-fun-hearse-72.jpg

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
“Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales.” Wikipedia. N.p.: Wikimedia Foundation, 2 Oct. 2016. Web. 4 Oct. 2016.
Holmes, Frederick. The Sickly Stuarts. Thrupp: Sutton Publishing, 2003. Print.
Levy, Imogen, and Duck Soup. Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales. 2016. Web. 4 Oct. 2016.
Susan. “Anne of Denmark, Queen of Scots, Queen of England.” British Royals. Unofficial Royalty, 27 Jan. 2016. Web. 4 Oct. 2016.
Williamson, David. Brewer’s British Royalty. London: Cassell, 1996. Print.

Mary, Princess Royal, Princess of Orange

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

by Gerard van Honthorst, circa 1647; Credit – Wikipedia

Born on November 4, 1631, at St. James Palace in London, Mary, Princess Royal was the eldest daughter and the third of the nine children of King Charles I of England and Henrietta Maria of France. The newborn princess was not expected to live, so she was immediately christened with the names Mary Henrietta. Her godparents were:

In 1642, Mary was created the first Princess Royal. Her mother Queen Henrietta Maria, daughter of King Henri IV of France wanted to imitate the way the eldest daughter of the King of France was styled Madame Royale.  Holders retain the style for life, so a princess cannot receive the style during the lifetime of another Princess Royal. Since then, there have been seven Princesses Royal.

Princess Mary by Anthony van Dyck, circa 1637; Credit – Wikipedia

Mary had eight siblings:

Charles and Henrietta Maria’s five eldest children in 1637: Left to right: Mary, James, Charles, Elizabeth and Anne; Credit – Wikipedia

King Charles I wanted Mary to marry one of the sons of King Felipe IV of Spain or her first cousin Karl I Ludwig, Elector Palatine, but both marriage prospects failed. Instead, Mary was betrothed to Willem, Hereditary Prince of Orange, son of Frederik Hendrik, Prince of Orange and Amalia of Solms-Braunfels.  On May 2, 1641, at the Chapel Royal of the Palace of Whitehall, nine-year-old Mary married William, who would have his 15th birthday in a few weeks. Because of Mary’s young age, the marriage was not consummated for several years.

William III, Prince of Orange and Mary, Princess Royal; Credit – Wikipedia

In February 1642, Mary, accompanied by her mother, sailed from England to The Hague in the Dutch Republic. Once in The Hague, Mary was warmly greeted by her in-laws, her paternal aunt Elizabeth Stuart, Electress Palatine, and some of her children. A second marriage ceremony was held in The Hague on November 4, 1643.

The Prince and Princess of Orange; Credit – Wikipedia

Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange died in 1647 and his son became William II, Prince of Orange and Stadtholder of the United Provinces of the Netherlands. Mary’s two brothers, the future King Charles II and King James II, exiled because of the English Civil War, were welcomed to William and Mary’s court in 1648. In 1650, Mary was pregnant with her first child when her husband William fell ill with smallpox. He died on November 6, 1650, at the age of 24. Eight days later, on November 14, 1650, Mary gave birth to her only child William.

Willem III, Prince of Orange in 1654; Credit – Wikipedia

Mary’s fatherless son William was the sovereign Prince of Orange from birth. His 19-year-old widowed mother wanted to name her son Charles after her brother (King Charles II of England), but her mother-in-law insisted that her grandson be named William Henry (in Dutch Willem Hendrik), and she got her way. During William’s minority as Prince of Orange, his mother had to share his guardianship with his paternal grandmother Amalia of Solms-Braunfels and Friedrich Wilhelm, Elector of Brandenburg, whose wife Louise Henriette of Nassau, was the elder sister of William’s father. In 1658, Mary became the sole regent of the Principality of Orange but was opposed by the mayor. Her first cousin King Louis XIV of France came to her aid militarily so she could consolidate her position.

Mary as a widow; Credit – Wikipedia

In May 1660, Mary watched as her brothers, now King Charles II, and the future King James II sailed away from The Hague, returning to England upon the restoration of the English monarchy. Mary returned to her birth country in September 1660. Although the court was in mourning for her brother Henry, Duke of Gloucester who had died of smallpox, her brothers Charles and James traveled down the River Thames to meet her.

Sadly, Mary did not have much time to celebrate her brother’s accession to the English throne. On December 20, 1660, Mary fell ill with smallpox, and by the next day, she was dangerously ill. Mary died on December 24, 1660, at the Palace of Whitehall in London, England at the age of 29. She was buried in the Henry VII Chapel at Westminster Abbey in London, England. Her son William was just ten years old and had lost both parents to smallpox. William’s wife and co-ruler Queen Mary II would also die of smallpox at the age of 32.

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
Abrufstatistik. “Maria Henrietta Stuart.” Wikipedia. N.p.: Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 4 Oct. 2016.
“Maria Henriëtte Stuart.” Wikipedia. N.p.: Wikimedia Foundation, 4 Jan. 2016. Web. 4 Oct. 2016.
“Mary, princess royal and princess of Orange.” Wikipedia. N.p.: Wikimedia Foundation, 21 July 2016. Web. 4 Oct. 2016.
Williamson, David. Brewer’s British Royalty. London: Cassell, 1996. Print.

Cardinal Henry Benedict Stuart

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

Cardinal Henry Benedict Stuart; Credit – Wikipedia

Henry Benedict Stuart was born at the Palazzo Muti in Rome, Italy on March 6, 1725. He was baptized on the day of his birth by his godfather Pope Benedict XIII and given a long string of names: Henry Benedict Thomas Edward Maria Clement Francis Xavier. Henry was the younger of the two sons of James Francis Edward Stuart, The Old Pretender, the son of the exiled King James II of England/VII of Scotland, and Maria Clementina Sobieska, the granddaughter of King Jan III Sobieski of Poland. After his grandfather James II lost his throne, the Jacobite (from Jacobus, the Latin for James) movement formed. The goal of the Jacobites was to restore the Roman Catholic Stuart King James II of England/VII of Scotland and his heirs to the thrones of England and Scotland. From birth, Henry was styled Duke of York, the traditional title of the British sovereign’s second son.

After the failure of the 1715 Jacobite Rising, Henry’s father, James Francis Edward, (henceforth called James) lived in Avignon, then a Papal territory, now in France. In 1717, Pope Clement XI offered James the Palazzo Muti in Rome as his residence. James then organized a Jacobite court in Rome. Further efforts to restore the Stuarts to the British throne in 1719 and 1722 were unsuccessful. On September 3, 1719, James Francis Edward Stuart married Maria Clementina Sobieska. Their two sons, Charles Edward and Henry, grew up in Italy where they were educated by Scottish tutors.

Henry had one elder brother:

Henry Benedict Stuart; Credit – Wikipedia

Five years younger than his brother, Henry was more affected by his parents’ turbulent marriage. When he was eight months old, his mother Maria Clementina Sobieska retired to the convent of Santa Cecilia in Rome because she disagreed with her husband about their sons’ upbringing and was convinced that her husband had an affair. Maria returned two years later and put Henry in the care of a governess, Winifred Maxwell, Countess of Nithsdale. Thereafter, Maria lived separately from her husband, devoted herself to a life of piety and good deeds, and spent much of her time praying, fasting, and participating in Catholic ascetic rituals. In 1735, she died at the age of 32 when Henry was ten years old.

His mother’s piety and religious fervor affected Henry. In 1742, his tutor James Murray, Earl of Dunbar noted that Henry spent much of his time in prayer and sometimes attended up to four masses each day. He further noted that Henry was in a constant state of agitation, watching the clock so he would not miss any religious rituals. After the final, disastrous Jacobite Rising of 1745, Henry felt free from any military and political obligations and decided to pursue a religious life. His father, who always tried to downplay the Roman Catholicism of his family, was much displeased and said his son’s decision was “like a dagger in my heart.” Many Jacobites bitterly criticized Henry for choosing a church career instead of marrying and begetting Stuart heirs.

On June 30, 1747, Henry received the tonsure, the practice of cutting or shaving some or all of the hair on the scalp, as a sign of religious devotion, from his godfather Pope Benedict XIII. He was then created Cardinal-Deacon of Santa Maria in Portico in a special consistory held on July 3, 1747. Henry was a Cardinal for fifty-six years and is the longest-serving Cardinal in Roman Catholic Church history.  However, in modern times it is virtually impossible to become a Cardinal at the age of 22 as Henry did. He was addressed as “Your Royal Highness and Eminence” and was known as Cardinal Duke of York.

On September 1, 1748, Henry was ordained a priest and then made a Cardinal-Priest.  He was created Cardinal-Bishop of the Diocese of Frascati near Rome on July 13, 1761. Henry became Dean of the College of Cardinals, who is often, but not necessarily, the longest-serving member of the whole College of Cardinals on September 26, 1803.

by Hugh Douglas Hamilton, pastel, circa 1786

Henry Benedict Maria Clement Stuart, Cardinal York by Hugh Douglas Hamilton, pastel, circa 1786 NPG 378 © National Portrait Gallery, London

When his elder brother Charles Edward Stuart in 1788, Henry assumed the style “King Henry IX”, but no government considered him the legal King. After the French Revolution, Henry lost the funds the French royal family had been paying his exiled family and any French property he owned, causing him financial problems. In 1800, King George III granted Henry a pension of £4,000 per year. For many years the British government had promised to return the dowry of his grandmother Maria Beatrice of Modena but never did. Henry considered the £4,000 per year an installment on money legally owed him.

Henry Benedict Stuart died at the Episcopal Palace at Frascati on July 13, 1807, at the age of 82. With Henry’s death, the male line of the Royal House of Stuart was extinct. The Jacobite line of succession passed to King Carlo Emanuele IV of Sardinia through the line of Henrietta of England, Duchess of Orléans, the youngest child of King Charles I of England. The Jacobite line of succession has proceeded over the years to the House of Savoy, the House of Austria-Este, and the House of Wittelsbach. It appears in the future, that it will proceed to the House of Liechtenstein.

Henry was buried in the crypt at St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican where his father and his brother were also buried.  Besides the tombs in the crypt, in the left aisle of St. Peter’s Basilica is a monument to the Royal Stuarts, commemorating the last three members of the Royal House of Stuart: James Francis Edward Stuart, his elder son Charles Edward Stuart, and his younger son, Henry Benedict Stuart.

Tomb of James Francis Stuart and his two sons Charles Edward Stuart and Henry Benedict Stuart; Credit – Wikipedia

Monument to the Royal Stuarts in St. Peter’s Basilica; Credit – Wikipedia

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
Abrufstatistik. “Henry Benedict Stuart.” Wikipedia. N.p.: Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 3 Oct. 2016.
Stuart, Henry Benedict, and Catholic-H. “Henry Benedict Stuart.” Wikipedia. N.p.: Wikimedia Foundation, 21 Sept. 2016. Web. 3 Oct. 2016.
Susan. “Charles Edward Stuart.” British Royals. Unofficial Royalty, 18 Nov. 2016. Web. 3 Oct. 2016.
Susan. “James Francis Edward Stuart.” British Royals. Unofficial Royalty, 13 Nov. 2016. Web. 3 Oct. 2016.
Williamson, David. Brewer’s British Royalty. London: Cassell, 1996. Print.

A Windsor Centenary, Eighty Years, Seventy, and Sixty-five

by The Laird o’ Thistle
November 19, 2016

It has been some time since I wrote, not since before the Queen surpassed her great-great-grandmother to become the longest reigning monarch in British history, and before she surpassed the personal milestone of her 90th birthday. Coverage of these and other royal events in Britain has been well handled, and I really have not seen what I might usefully add to the mix. That said, there is something that I would like to point out about the upcoming twelve months.

On Sunday, 20 November, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip observe their 69th wedding anniversary, beginning their 70th year of marriage. From that mark, beginning in December 2016, there are a significant number of British royal milestones coming up in the next year. There is a centenary. There are a couple of important eightieth anniversaries. And, there is a series of important seventieth anniversaries, culminating on 20 November 2017. All of them are closely tied to HM Queen Elizabeth II, who also marks the sixty-fifth anniversary of her reign in 2017.

First, the Centenary of the House of Windsor: On 17 July 1917, toward the end of the third full year of World War I, the British royal family changed its name. At the instance of King George V, the briefly tenured House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, which began in 1901 when Edward VII succeeded Queen Victoria, the last Hanoverian, assumed a new identity as the House of Windsor. The stories of that change, in the face of wartime anti-German sentiment, are familiar to many. Also familiar is the fact that other branches of the extended British royal family were compelled to follow suit, including the members of the Battenberg family, who became Mountbattens.

In the century since, obviously, those two particular families have come together. Although officially a member of the Danish-Greek branch of the House of Oldenburg, Prince Philip assumed his maternal line surname when he was naturalized as a British subject in March 1947… seventy years ago. Upon Queen Elizabeth II’s accession to the throne, under pressure from Queen Mary (her grandmother) and Winston Churchill, it was announced that despite custom the official name of the British royal house and family would remain Windsor. (Lord Louis Mountbatten’s indiscreet boasting is said to have provoked Queen Mary.) In 1960 the Queen somewhat ameliorated this with the declaration that the actual surname of her descendants, apart from any royal titles, was to be “Mountbatten-Windsor”. The surname was first officially used by Princess Anne in 1973, in signing the register at her marriage to Captain Mark Philips. It has cropped up occasionally since then.

On 17 July 2017, then, the ninety-one-year-old Queen Elizabeth II, and her ninety-six-year-old husband will observe the 100th anniversary of both their families. So far as I know, no plans have yet been announced for how the anniversary will be marked, but given the Queen’s personal memory of, and deep connection to, her royal grandparents, and Prince Phillip’s corresponding attachment to his Mountbatten kin, it will doubtless be commemorated… perhaps at St. George’s, Windsor.

Second, come two significant eightieth anniversaries: On 11 December 1936, King Edward VIII abdicated and was succeeded by King George VI. At the same moment, of course, 10 ½-year-old Princess Elizabeth became Heiress Presumptive to the throne. In the following spring, on 17 May 1937, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (the late Queen Mum) were crowned at Westminster Abbey. Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret both took part in the coronation and balcony appearances afterward, under the stern gaze of their granny, Queen Mary.

The anniversaries of her father’s accession and her parents’ coronation will, doubtless, be more personal than public for the Queen. Nonetheless, they also mark her own entry into official public life in the United Kingdom, some fifteen years prior to her own accession.

Third comes a series of seventieth anniversaries: We have already quietly passed the anniversary of the private consent of King George VI that his daughter could wed Prince Phillip, which occurred in the summer of 1946. The king’s stipulation, however, was that the engagement not be made public until after Princess Elizabeth’s twenty-first birthday on 21 April 1947.

That birthday, most famously, was marked by the “my whole life, whether it be long or short…” speech given by the Princess. Broadcasting to the entire Empire/Commonwealth from South Africa, where the family was on an official tour, the Princess dedicated herself to the service of “our great imperial family, to which we all belong.” In a way, this may be the most important of all the 2017 anniversaries. It is remarkable that seventy years on, she still lives out that commitment daily.

The other anniversaries in this series relate to the Queen and Prince Phillip’s marriage. As noted, the Prince became a British subject, assuming the Mountbatten surname, in March 1947. Their engagement was publicly announced on 10 July 1947. On the eve of their wedding, Philip… along with Princess Elizabeth… was made a Knight of the Garter. He was also made Duke of Edinburgh (etc.) and designated a Royal Highness by King George VI. The royal couple was then married on 20 November 1947 in Westminster Abbey.

Seventieth wedding anniversaries are much more common at present than once seemed imaginable, given the combination of younger ages at marriage in that time, together with increased longevity, and the greater long-term stability of marriages from that generation (than current). That the Queen and Prince Phillip will… God willing… reached this milestone is, nonetheless, a great achievement for them both as spouses and as working partners.

Finally, in tenure: On 6 February 2017, Queen Elizabeth II will quietly mark the sixty-fifth anniversary of the death of her beloved father, and her own accession to the throne. Sadly, for her, shortly on the heels of this will come the fifteenth anniversary of the deaths of both her beloved sister and their mother.

As the Queen said in September last year (2015), a long life means passing many milestones. Some are things that have simply occurred, others are things achieved. More than anything else, in my opinion, 2017 marks the seventy years of “devoted service” by Queen Elizabeth II to the “great family” of former Empire and current Commonwealth. Seventy years of service to the century-old House of Windsor, and the Mountbatten-Windsor family. Seventy years of commitment and life together with a beloved husband and partner. Her whole, now long, life of devoted service is an achievement, possibly never to be matched.

Whether 2017 proves to be the culminating year… not in the sense of final, but perhaps in the sense of climatic significance… of the reign of an increasingly elderly and frail couple remains to be seen. The time, for them… and all of us… is not just moving on but counting down. Prince Phillip, over the years, has said that it is really rather obscene to try to create or define a legacy for oneself. But in a way his wife did so, lang syne, back in her own so-called “salad days”, with a speech from a Cape Town garden on a sunny April day…

Yours aye,
Ken Cuthbertson

Charles Edward Stuart, The Young Pretender, Bonnie Prince Charlie

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty

Charles Edward Stuart; Credit – Wikipedia

Fans of Diana Gabaldon‘s novels of The Outlander series and the television series of the same name know that the Battle of Culloden in 1746 resulted in a decisive defeat of the Jacobite forces that wanted to restore the heirs of Roman Catholic Stuart King James II of England/ VII of Scotland to the throne. Charles Edward Stuart was the instigator of the Jacobite rising of 1745, culminating in the Battle of Culloden.

Charles Edward Stuart (Bonnie Prince Charlie, The Young Pretender) was born at the Palazzo Muti in Rome, Italy on December 31, 1720. He was baptized on the day of his birth and given a long string of names: Charles Edward Louis John Casimir Sylvester Severino Maria. Charles was the elder of the two sons of James Francis Edward Stuart, The Old Pretender, who was the son of the exiled King James II of England/VII of Scotland. Charles’ mother was Maria Clementina Sobieska, the granddaughter of King Jan III Sobieski of Poland. After his grandfather James II lost his throne, the Jacobite (from Jacobus, the Latin for James) movement formed. The goal of the Jacobites was to restore the Roman Catholic Stuart King James II of England/VII of Scotland and his heirs to the thrones of England and Scotland. As the first-born son of the titular King James III of England/VIII of Scotland, Charles was styled as Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall from birth.

Charles had one younger brother:

After the failure of the 1715 Jacobite Rising, Charles’ father, James Francis Edward, (henceforth called James) lived in Avignon, then a Papal territory, now in France. In 1717, Pope Clement XI offered James the Palazzo Muti in Rome as his residence. James then organized a Jacobite court in Rome. Further efforts to restore the Stuarts to the British throne in 1719 and 1722 were unsuccessful. On September 3, 1719, James Francis Edward Stuart married Maria Clementina Sobieska. Their two sons grew up in Italy and were educated by Scottish tutors. When Charles was just 14, he took part in the War of the Polish Succession.  He was an observer at the 1734 Siege of Gaeta during the war, his first exposure to war. In the following years, he spent much time in France trying to gain support for the Jacobite cause.

Charles Edward Stuart as a teenager; Credit – Wikipedia

In December 1743, Charles’ father appointed him Prince Regent, giving Charles the authority to act on his father’s behalf. Eighteen months later, Charles began an uprising, attempting to gain the English and Scottish thrones for his father. Charles Edward led the Jacobite forces in the Jacobite Rising of 1745-1746 against the British forces which were led by the second son of King George II of Great Britain, Prince William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, who is known by the nicknames “The Butcher of Culloden” and “Butcher Cumberland.”

On July 23, 1745, Charles landed at Eriskay, an island in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland with seven companions hoping for the support of a French fleet. However, the French fleet, damaged in a storm, was blocked by the British Royal Navy and was forced to turn back to France. Charles was then forced to raise an army in Scotland. Many of the Highland clans, both Catholic and Protestant, supported Charles and the Jacobite cause. He was able to raise sufficient troops to march on Edinburgh, which surrendered quickly. Next, Charles defeated the British Army at the Battle of Prestonpans on September 21, 1745.

Then Charles decided to march on London, and on December 4, 1745, reached Derby, 130 miles/200 kilometers from London, which he took without a shot being fired. When the news about Derby reached London, there was much panic and King George II had the royal yacht prepared to take the royal family to France just in case. Only 300 English Jacobites had joined Charles’ army and his generals considered it dangerous to proceed any further from the Scottish border. After much discussion, Charles gave in to his generals and began his retreat to Scotland with the army of Prince William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland in pursuit.

On January 8, 1746, the Jacobite army seized control of Stirling, Scotland, but failed to take Stirling Castle. The Jacobites had their last victory on January 17, 1746, at the Battle of Falkirk Muir. Prince William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland and his army arrived in Edinburgh on January 30, 1746, and then proceeded to Inverness, where they made their headquarters. The Jacobite army marched to Nairn, 16 miles from Inverness, in a snowstorm. By the time the Jacobite army reached Nairn, it was an ill-fed, sorry sight due to Charles’ indecisive leadership and his failure to delegate authority to Lord George Murray, the second-in-command.

Photo Credit – © Susan Flantzer

Culloden Moor, the site of the Battle of Culloden; Photo Credit – © Susan Flantzer

The two armies met at Culloden Moor (which this writer has visited) near Inverness, Scotland at dawn on April 16, 1746. The exhausted Jacobite forces consisted of about 5,000 men while the British forces numbered 9,000 well-trained troops. The superior British forces needed just 25 minutes to defeat the Jacobite forces in the Battle of Culloden. Between 1,500 and 2,000 Jacobites were killed or wounded while the British losses were much lighter, with 50 dead and 259 wounded. William Augustus’ severity and brutality in pursuing the Jacobites after the battle earned him the nicknames “The Butcher of Culloden” and “Butcher Cumberland.” He ordered his troops to go through the battlefield and stab to death any wounded Jacobite troops and non-combatants. Towns suspected to be rebellious were burned and the livestock was confiscated. The captured Jacobites were hanged. Men and women suspected of being Jacobite sympathizers were arrested and shipped to London for trial. The conditions on the ships were horrible and many died en route. In Scotland, his name is still infamous. After the Battle of Culloden, there were no further Jacobite uprisings.

The Battle of Culloden by David Morier, 1746; Credit – Wikipedia

After the Battle of Culloden, there was a £30,000 price (about £4,210,000 today) on Charles’ head and he was forced into hiding. Disguised as a woman, Charles wandered for five months in the West Highlands and the Outer Hebrides, escorted by several companions. Charles eventually escaped with the help of Jacobite heroine Flora MacDonald, who took him to the Isle of Skye in a small boat disguised as her Irish maid Betty Burke. The escape is commemorated in the song “The Skye Boat Song.”  Flora MacDonald was imprisoned in the Tower of London for her part in helping Charles escape, but she was eventually released under the Act of Indemnity of 1747.

Flora MacDonald by Allan Ramsay; Credit – Wikipedia

Charles Edward Stuart circa 1747; Credit – Wikipedia

With the Jacobite cause lost, Charles took refuge first in France, where he had many affairs. His most prominent mistresses were:

Charlotte Stuart circa 1785-1786; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1766, Charles’s father James Francis Edward died. Pope Clement XIII had recognized James as King of England and Scotland as “James III and VIII”, but did not give Charles the same recognition. Charles was still unmarried and his only sibling was a Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. Charles decided to find himself a bride so the Stuart line could be continued. On March 28, 1772, 52-year-old Charles married 20-year-old Princess Louise of Stolberg-Gedern by proxy in Paris. The couple met for the first time on April 14, 1772, when they married in person in Macerata, Italy. Charles and Louise settled in Florence, Italy, but there was no child and in 1780, Louise left Charles due to his drinking and physical abuse. The couple separated but did not divorce since no such legal procedure existed in the Papal States. Louise was given permission to live separately from her husband.

Louise of Stolberg-Gedern 1793; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1784, Charles’ daughter Charlotte Stuart went to her father’s home in Florence where she found her alcoholic father living in a disgusting state. Charlotte enlisted the help of her uncle Cardinal Henry Benedict Stuart to get Charles back to his birthplace and boyhood home, the Palazzo Muti in Rome. Charlotte remained her father’s caretaker and companion and did her best to make his life bearable.

Charles Edward Stuart circa 1785; Credit – Wikipedia

67-year-old Charles Edward Stuart died of a stroke on January 31, 1788, at the Palazzo Muti in Rome. He was initially buried in the Cathedral of San Pietro in Frascati, Italy where his brother Henry Benedict Stuart was Cardinal Bishop. When Henry died in 1807, Charles’ remains were transferred to the crypt in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican where his father and Henry were buried.  Besides the tombs in the crypt, in the left aisle of St. Peter’s Basilica is a monument to the Royal Stuarts, commemorating the last three members of the Royal House of Stuart: James Francis Edward Stuart, his elder son Charles Edward Stuart, and his younger son, Henry Benedict Stuart. With their deaths, the male line of the British Royal House of Stuart became extinct.

The Jacobite line of succession to the British throne passed to King Carlo Emanuele IV of Sardinia through the line of Henrietta of England, Duchess of Orléans, the youngest child of King Charles I of England. The Jacobite line of succession has proceeded over the years to the House of Savoy, House of Austria-Este, and to the House of Wittelsbach. It appears in the future, that it will proceed to the House of Liechtenstein.

Tomb of James Francis Stuart and his two sons Charles Edward Stuart and Henry Benedict Stuart; Credit – Wikipedia

Monument to the Royal Stuarts in St. Peter’s Basilica; Credit – Wikipedia

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

  • Abrufstatistik. “Charles Edward Stuart.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation.
  • “Charles Édouard Stuart.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation.
  • “Charles Edward Stuart.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. 
  • Fraser, Flora. (2023). Flora Macdonald: Pretty Young Rebel: Her Life and Story. Alfred A. Knopf.
  • “Flora MacDonald.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation.
  • “Jacobitism.” Wikipedia.Wikimedia Foundation.
  • Riding, Jacqueline. (2017). Jacobites: A New History of the ’45 Rebellion. Bloomsbury.
  • Williamson, David. (1996). Brewer’s British Royalty. London: Cassell

Louisa Maria Teresa Stuart

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

Louisa Maria Teresa Stuart, circa 1705; Credit – Wikipedia

Louisa Maria Teresa Stuart was born June 28, 1692, at the Château of Saint-Germain-en-Laye in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, west of Paris, France.  Her parents were the deposed King James II of England and his second wife, Maria Beatrice of Modena.  In 1688, her Catholic father was overthrown during the Glorious Revolution in favor of his Protestant daughter Queen Mary II and her husband and paternal first cousin, Willem III, Prince of Orange, who reigned jointly with his wife as King William III.  King Louis XIV of France, her father’s first cousin, provided the Chtâeau of Saint-Germain-en-Laye as a residence for exiled James II and his family. Louisa Maria Teresa was baptized at the Chtâeau of Saint-Germain-en-Laye ‘s Sainte Chapelle.   Her godparents were her father’s first cousin, King Louis XIV of France, and Elisabeth Charlotte of the Palatine, Duchess of Orléans, the second wife of Louis XIV’s younger brother Philippe I, Duke of Orléans.

Château of Saint-Germain-en-Laye; Credit – Wikipedia

Louisa Maria Teresa had two surviving elder half-sisters from King James II’s first marriage to Lady Anne Hyde:

Between 1674 and 1684, James II’s second wife, Maria Beatrice, had 10 pregnancies and gave birth to five live children, all of whom died young.

Maria Beatrice’s pregnancies:

      • Unnamed child (March 1674), miscarriage
      • Catherine Laura Stuart (born and died 1673), died of convulsions
      • Unnamed child (October 1675), stillborn
      • Isabel Stuart (1676 – 1681)
      • Charles, Duke of Cambridge (born and died 1677), died of smallpox
      • Elizabeth Stuart (born and died 1678) died immediately after birth
      • Unnamed child (February 1681), stillborn
      • Charlotte Maria Stuart  (born and died 1682), died of convulsions
      • Unnamed child (October 1683), stillborn
      • Unnamed child (May 1684), miscarriage
      • James Francis Edward Stuart (James III and VIII to the Jacobites) (1688 – 1766) married Maria Clementina Sobieska, had children, including Charles Edward Stuart, the Young Pretender
      • Louisa Maria Teresa Stuart (1692 – 1712), unmarried, died of smallpox

Louisa Maria Teresa and her brother James Francis Edward; Credit – Wikipedia

James II regarded his daughter as a consolation sent to him in his exile, and Louisa Maria Teresa became known as “La Consolatrice“.  During the summer of 1701, James II was seriously ill and was sent away from Saint Germain with his wife, seeking medical treatment.  James and Maria Beatrice returned to the Château of Saint-Germain-en-Laye in time for the June birthdays of their two children. In early September, James II suffered a stroke but was still able to talk when his children visited him for the last time. His last words to nine-year-old Louisa were: “Adieu, my dear child. Serve your creator in the days of your youth. Consider virtue as the greatest ornament of your sex. Follow close the great pattern of it, your mother, who has been, no less than myself, over-clouded with calumny. But time, the mother of truth, will, I hope, at last make her virtues shine as bright as the sun.”  James II died on September 16, 1701, at St. Germain. His remains were buried at the Chapel of Saint Edmund in the Church of the English Benedictines in the Rue  St. Jacques in Paris.

Louisa was educated by an English Roman Catholic priest, Father Constable, who taught her Latin, history, and religion, and by her governess, the Countess of Middleton (born Lady Catherine Brudenell, daughter of Robert Brudenell, 2nd Earl of Cardigan), the wife of Charles Middleton, 2nd Earl of Middleton, Jacobite 1st Earl of Monmouth.  At the age of 13, Louisa was introduced at the court of Versailles, where she enjoyed dancing and attending the opera and became quite popular. Soon she had some potential marriage candidates, including Louis XIV’s grandson Charles, Duke of Berry and the future King Karl XII of Sweden, but nothing happened with either possibility.

Louisa Maria Teresa Stuart, 1704; Credit – Wikipedia

In April 1712, Louisa and her brother James Francis Edward fell ill with smallpox.  Her brother recovered, but Louisa’s condition became steadily worse.  She died at the age of 19 on April 18, 1712, at the Château of Saint-Germain-en-Laye.  Louisa was buried with her father at the Chapel of Saint Edmund in the Church of the English Benedictines in the Rue  St. Jacques in Paris.  In October 1793, the Chapel of Saint Edmund and all the English Benedictine buildings were destroyed by a mob along with the remains of King James II and Louisa Maria Teresa. Some of their remains were discovered after the French Revolution and reburied in 1824 at the Parish Church of Saint-Germain-en-Laye.

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
“Louisa Maria Stuart.” Wikipedia. N.p.: Wikimedia Foundation, 27 Aug. 2016. Web. 1 Oct. 2016.
“Louise Marie Thérèse Stuart.” Wikipedia. N.p.: Wikimedia Foundation, 28 June 1692. Web. 1 Oct. 2016.
Williamson, David. Brewer’s British Royalty. London: Cassell, 1996. Print.

James Francis Edward Stuart, The Old Pretender

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

James Francis Edward Stuart circa 1720; Credit – Wikipedia

On February 6, 1685, King Charles II of England died after converting to Roman Catholicism on his deathbed. Although he had at least fourteen illegitimate children, he had no legitimate children. The throne passed to his brother who reigned as King James II, who had converted to Roman Catholicism in the 1670s. Catholic King James II was tolerated because he had two surviving, married daughters via his first marriage with Lady Anne Hyde who had been raised in the Church of England, and no surviving children with his second Catholic wife Maria Beatrice of Modena. It was expected that his elder Protestant daughter Mary would succeed him.

However, King James II set upon a course of restoring Catholicism to England. He issued a Declaration of Indulgence removing restrictions imposed on those that did not conform to the Church of England. England might very well have continued tolerating King James II knowing that his heirs were the Protestant daughters of his first wife. However, on June 10, 1688, the childless Queen Maria Beatrice gave birth to a Roman Catholic son. Immediately, false rumors swirled that the infant had been smuggled into the queen’s chambers in a warming pan.

Thus, James Francis Edward Stuart, created Prince of Wales on July 4, 1688, came into the world at St. James Palace in London. The infant’s father, King James II of England, was the son of the beheaded King Charles I of England and the first cousin of King Louis XIV of France.   King James II’s mother was Henrietta Maria of France, daughter of the assassinated King Henri IV of France.

James Francis Edward with his mother Maria Beatrice of Modena; Credit – Wikipedia

James Francis Edward had two surviving elder half-sisters from King James II’s first marriage to Lady Anne Hyde:

Between 1674 and 1684, James II’s second wife Maria Beatrice had ten pregnancies and gave birth to five live children

    • Unnamed child (March 1674), miscarriage
    • Catherine Laura Stuart (born and died 1673), died of convulsions
    • Unnamed child (October 1675), stillborn
    • Isabel Stuart (1676 – 1681)
    • Charles, Duke of Cambridge (born and died 1677), died of smallpox
    • Elizabeth Stuart (born and died 1678) died immediately after birth
    • Unnamed child (February 1681), stillborn
    • Charlotte Maria Stuart (born and died 1682), died of convulsions
    • Unnamed child (October 1683), stillborn
    • Unnamed child (May 1684), miscarriage
    • James Francis Edward Stuart (James III and VIII to the Jacobites) (1688 – 1766) married Maria Clementina Sobieska, had issue, including Charles Edward Stuart, the Young Pretender
    • Louisa Maria Teresa Stuart (1692 – 1712), unmarried, died of smallpox

James Francis Edward and his sister Louisa Maria Teresa in 1695; Credit – Wikipedia

On November 5, 1688, William III, Prince of Orange, the nephew and son-in-law of King James II, landed in England vowing to safeguard the Protestant interest. He marched to London, gathering many supporters. James II panicked and sent his wife and infant son to France. He tried to flee to France about a month later but was captured. William III, Prince of Orange had no desire to make his uncle a martyr, so he allowed him to escape. James II was received in France by his first cousin King Louis XIV, who offered him a palace and a pension.

Back in England, Parliament refused to depose James II but declared that having fled to France, James II had effectively abdicated the throne and the throne had become vacant. James II’s elder daughter Mary was declared Queen Mary II and she was to rule jointly with her husband William, who would be King William III.  At that time, William, the only child of King James II’s elder sister Mary, Princess Royal was third in the line of succession after his wife and first cousin Mary and her sister Anne. This overthrow of King James II is known as the Glorious Revolution.

Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

James II, his wife, and his son settled at the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye,  provided by King Louis XIV of France, where a court in exile, composed mainly of Scots and English Catholics, was established. James II was determined to regain the throne and landed in Ireland with a French force in 1689. He was defeated by his nephew William at the Battle of the Boyne on July 1, 1690, and was forced to withdraw once again to France. James II spent the rest of his life in France, planning invasions that never happened. In 1692, Maria Beatrice gave birth to a daughter Louisa Maria Teresa. James II died from a stroke on September 16, 1701, at St. Germain.

James Francis Edward Stuart; Credit – Wikipedia

Upon his father’s death, James Francis Edward (henceforth called James) was recognized by King Louis XIV of France as the rightful heir to the English and Scottish thrones. Spain, the Vatican, and Modena recognized him as King James III of England and VIII of Scotland and refused to recognize William III, Mary II, or Anne as legitimate sovereigns. As a result of James claiming his father’s lost thrones, he was attainted for treason in 1702 and his titles were forfeited under English law. After James II lost his throne, the Jacobite (from Jacobus, the Latin for James) movement formed. The goal of the Jacobites was to restore the Roman Catholic Stuart King James II of England/VII of Scotland and his heirs to the thrones of England and Scotland.

In 1708, James, with the support of King Louis XIV, attempted to land in Scotland, but the British Royal Navy intercepted the ships and prevented the landing. In 1713, the Treaty of Utrecht forced King Louis XIV of France to recognize the British 1701 Act of Settlement settling the succession on the Electress Sophia of Hanover (a granddaughter of James VI of Scotland and I of England) and her non-Roman Catholic heirs. Upon the death of Queen Anne in August of 1714, George, Elector of Hanover (son of Electress Sophia of Hanover) ascended the British throne as King George I. With the death of King Louis XIV in 1715, the French government found James an embarrassment and he was no longer welcome in France. In 1715, Scottish Jacobites started “The ‘Fifteen” Jacobite Rising, an unsuccessful attempt aimed at putting “James III and VIII” on the throne.

After the failure of the 1715 Rising, James lived in Avignon, then a Papal territory, now in France. In 1717, Pope Clement XI offered James the Palazzo Muti in Rome as his residence.  James then organized a Jacobite court in Rome. Further efforts to restore the Stuarts to the British throne in 1719 and 1722 were unsuccessful.

On September 3, 1719, James Francis Edward Stuart married Maria Clementina Sobieska, granddaughter of King Jan III Sobieski of Poland, in the chapel of the episcopal palace of Montefiascone, Italy, in the Cathedral of Santa Margherita.

Wedding of James Francis Edward Stuart and Maria Clementina Sobieska; Credit – Wikipedia

The couple had two sons:

Charles Edward Stuart in 1745; Credit – Wikipedia

Cardinal Henry Benedict Stuart circa 1750; Credit – Wikipedia

After James’ failures to regain the throne, attention fell upon his son Charles Edward, The Young Pretender, whose Jacobite Rising of 1745 culminated in the final devastating loss for the Jacobites at the Battle of Culloden.  James Francis Edward Stuart died at his home, the Palazzo Muti in Rome, on January 1, 1766, and was buried in the crypt of St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican. Besides the tombs in the crypt, in the left aisle of St. Peter’s Basilica is a monument to the Royal Stuarts, commemorating the last three members of the Royal House of Stuart: James Francis Edward Stuart, his elder son Charles Edward Stuart, and his younger son, Henry Benedict Stuart. With their deaths, the male line of the British Royal House of Stuart became extinct.

Tomb of James Francis Stuart and his two sons; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Monument to the Royal Stuarts in St. Peter’s Basilica; Credit – Wikipedia

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
Abrufstatistik. “James Francis Edward Stuart.” Wikipedia. N.p.: Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 1 Oct. 2016.
“James Francis Edward Stuart.” Wikipedia. N.p.: Wikimedia Foundation, 27 Sept. 2016. Web. 1 Oct. 2016.
Susan. “King James II of England.” British Royals. Unofficial Royalty, 7 Mar. 2016. Web. 1 Oct. 2016.

Louisa Ulrika of Prussia, Queen of Sweden

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

Louisa Ulrika of Prussia, Queen of Sweden; Credit – Wikipedia

Princess Louisa Ulrika of Prussia was born on July 24, 1720, in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, now in the German state of Brandenburg. She was the fifth daughter and the tenth of the fourteen children of King Friedrich Wilhelm I of Prussia and his wife Sophia Dorothea of Hanover, the daughter of King George I of Great Britain and the only sibling of King George II of Great Britain.

Louisa Ulrike had thirteen siblings:

Louisa Ulrika’s brothers: left to right Friedrich, August Ferdinand, August Wilhelm, and Heinrich; Credit – Wikipedia

Louisa Ulrika received an education as befitted a princess of the Age of Enlightenment and saw nothing wrong with the militaristic views of her father unlike her elder brother and her father’s successor, the future King Friedrich “the Great” II, and her elder sisters. Influenced by her mother, Louisa Ulrika shared a common interest in science and culture with her brother Friedrich. Several royal suitors sought her hand in marriage including her first cousin Frederick, Prince of Wales; King Carlos III of Spain, and Louis IX, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt.

In 1743, an election was held to appoint an heir to the childless King Fredrik I of Sweden, and Adolf Fredrik of Holstein-Gottorp won the election. The powers that be decided that Louisa Ulrika or her youngest sister Anna Amalia would be married to the future King of Sweden. The Swedish ambassador to Prussia inspected both sisters and recommended Louisa Ulrika. The sisters’ brother Friedrich, who had succeeded to the Prussia throne in 1740, described Louisa Ulrika as arrogant and divisive and recommended Anna Amalia, described as kind-hearted and more suitable. Friedrich’s real reason for recommending Anna Amalia was that he wanted a sister who would gain influence in Sweden and considered his youngest sister more manageable. After getting the opinion of the groom Adolf Fredrik, the Swedish government insisted on Louisa Ulrika and King Friedrich II of Prussia gave his approval. Louisa Ulrika was taught about Sweden, converted to Lutheranism, and was advised to refrain from involvement in politics.

On July 17, 1744, Louisa Ulrika and Adolf Fredrik were married by proxy in Berlin with the bride’s brother August Wilhelm standing in for the groom. Louisa Ulrika was escorted to Sweden by the Swedish ambassador and his wife. On August 18, 1744, she was welcomed by King Fredrik I at Drottningholm Palace in Sweden, where the second wedding ceremony was held the same day, followed by a ball and a court reception.

Louisa Ulrika by Antoine Pesne, circa 1744; Credit – Wikipedia

King Adolf Fredrik of Sweden by Antoine Pesne; Credit – Wikipedia

Following a stillbirth, Louisa Ulrika and Adolf Fredrik had four children:

Adolf Fredrik was introverted, gentle, and submissive, and Louisa Ulrika was pleased with him because she immediately felt secure that she was his superior. Already during their first day together, she was meddling in politics, informing Adolf Fredrik that her brother Friedrich had plans for an alliance between Sweden, Russia, and Prussia, and asked Adolf Fredrik to raise the subject with the Prussian envoy, which he agreed to do. No children had been born to the Swedish royal family in over 50 years, so when Louisa Ulrika’s first child was born in 1746, she was seen as the salvation of a succession crisis. Eventually, Louisa Ulrika gave birth to three sons, two of whom became Kings of Sweden.

Louisa Ulrika’s three sons: King Gustav III, Prince Frederick Adolf, and King Carl XIII; Credit – Wikipedia

Upon her wedding in 1744, King Fredrik I gave Louisa Ulrika the ownership of Drottningholm Palace, not too far from the Swedish capital of Stockholm. During Louisa Ulrika’s ownership of Drottningholm Palace, the palace’s interior was redecorated in a more sophisticated French rococo style. On Louisa Ulrika’s 33rd birthday, Adolf Fredrik presented her with the Chinese Pavillion, on the grounds of Drottningholm Palace. In a letter to her mother, Louisa Ulrika wrote: “He brought me to one side of the garden and I was surprised to suddenly be part of a fairy tale, for the King had built a Chinese castle, the most beautiful one can see.” Louisa Ulrika was also responsible for rebuilding the Drottningholm Palace Theatre after the original building burned down in 1762. Louisa Ulrika encouraged the leading scientists of the time to gather at Drottningholm Palace. The famous Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus worked there, cataloging the royal collections’ natural objects. Louisa Ulrika and Adolf Fredrik continued to reside at the palace during their reign (1751–1771). In 1777, Louisa Ulrika sold Drottningholm Palace to the Swedish state. Currently, it is the home of the Swedish Royal Family.

Drottningholm

Drottningholm Palace; Photo Credit – Susan Flantzer

europe_august-5-to-18-967

Chinese Pavillon; Photo Credit – Susan Flantzer

On March 25, 1751, Louisa Ulrika’s husband succeeded to the Swedish throne. During his twenty-year reign, Adolf Fredrik had no real power. The Riksdag (Swedish Parliament) held the power. Adolf Fredrik tried to change this twice, unsuccessfully. King Adolf Fredrik died on February 12, 1771, after eating an extremely large meal. In Sweden, he is remembered as “the king who ate himself to death.”

In 1751, shortly after Adolf Fredrik became king, a match was arranged between two five-year-olds Crown Prince Gustav of Sweden and  Princess Sophia Magdalena of Denmark, daughter of King Frederik V of Denmark and his first wife Princess Louisa of Great Britain, daughter of King George II of Great Britain. The purpose of the match was to foster friendship between the two countries and was arranged by the Swedish parliament, not the Danish and Swedish royal families. Both mothers disliked the proposed match. Gustav’s mother Louisa Ulrika had a long-time conflict with the Swedish parliament and would have preferred a marriage with one of her nieces. Sophia Magdalena’s mother Louisa feared Louisa Ulrika would mistreat her daughter. After the couple married in 1766, Louisa’s fear became true as Louisa Ulrika harassed her daughter Sophia Magdalena was harassed.

After her husband’s death, Louisa Ulrika had difficulty with her new role as Queen Mother. Her relationship with her son, now King Gustav III, worsened when she finally realized that he did not want to let her be the power behind the throne. In 1777-1778, a scandal broke out regarding the legitimacy of Crown Prince Gustav Adolf when King Gustav III’s younger brothers claimed that the Crown Prince was a result of an affair between Sophia Magdalena and Count Adolf Fredrik Munck af Fulkila. The marriage of Sophia Magdalena and Gustav had remained unconsummated for ten years. There were various theories regarding the cause including Sophia Magdalena’s strict religious upbringing and introverted character, Gustav’s sexuality, and the possibility that either or both Sophia Magdalena and Gustav had a physical problem. Eventually, Count Adolf Fredrik Munck af Fulkila acted as a sexual instructor for the couple and Crown Prince Gustav Adolf was born. Louisa Ulrika accused her son of having another man father his child. A great scandal erupted, during which the king threatened to exile his mother. Eventually, Louisa Ulrika was forced to make a formal statement withdrawing her accusation. She was banned from the court and spent the remainder of her life at Fredrikshof Palace and Svartsjö Palace.

Louisa Ulrika by Alexander Roslin, 1775; Credit – Wikipedia

In the spring of 1782, Louisa Ulrika became ill during an influenza epidemic.  After mediation by her daughter-in-law Hedwig Elizabeth Charlotte (wife of her son Carl), Louisa Ulrika and her son King Gustav III finally reconciled.  She then requested that Sofia Magdalena and four-year-old Crown Prince Gustav Adolf, whom she had never met, come to her room. Louisa Ulrika died, aged 61 on July 16, 1782, at Svartsjö Palace with her son Frederik Adolf, her daughter Sophia Albertine, and her daughter-in-law Hedwig Elizabeth Charlotte present. She was buried at Riddarholm Church in Stockholm, Sweden.

Tomb of Louisa Ulrika; Credit – www.findagrave.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.

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“Chinese pavilion at Drottningholm.” Wikipedia. N.p.: Wikimedia Foundation, 21 Jan. 2016. Web. 1 Oct. 2016.
“History – Sveriges Kungahus.” n.d. Web. 1 Oct. 2016.
“Louisa Ulrika of Prussia.” Wikipedia. N.p.: Wikimedia Foundation, 25 Sept. 2016. Web. 1 Oct. 2016.
“Louise-Ulrique de Prusse.” Wikipedia. N.p.: Wikimedia Foundation, 25 Mar. 1751. Web. 1 Oct. 2016.
“Lovisa Ulrika av Preussen.” Wikipedia. N.p.: Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 1 Oct. 2016.
Susan. “Sophia Magdalena of Denmark, Queen of Sweden.” Danish Royals. Unofficial Royalty, 8 Nov. 2016. Web. 1 Oct. 2016.

Sophia Magdalena of Denmark and Norway, Queen of Sweden

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

Sophia Magdalena of Denmark and Norway, Queen of Sweden; Credit – Wikipedia

Princess Sophia Magdalena of Denmark and Norway, born on July 3, 1746, at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen, Denmark, was the eldest daughter and the eldest surviving child of the four children of King Frederik V of Denmark and Norway and his first wife Princess Louisa of Great Britain. She was a granddaughter of King George II of Great Britain and among her first cousins were King George III of the United Kingdom; her brother King Christian VII’s wife Caroline Matilda of Wales, Queen of Denmark and Norway; and Willem V, Prince of Orange. One month after her birth, Sophia Magdalena’s father became King of Denmark and Norway. After the death of her elder brother in 1747, Sophia Magdalena was the heir presumptive to the Danish and Norwegian thrones until the birth of her second brother in 1749.

Sophia Magdalena had four siblings:

Sophia Magdalena also had one half-brother from his father’s second marriage to Juliana Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel:

In 1743, Sophia Magdalena’s father was one of the candidates in the election for the heir to the Swedish throne, but Adolf Frederik of Holstein-Gottorp was elected the heir and succeeded to the Swedish throne in 1751. Adolf Frederik was married to Sophia Magdalena’s first cousin once removed Louisa Ulrika of Prussia, the daughter of Friedrich Wilhelm I, King in Prussia and Sophia Dorothea of Hanover, the daughter of King George I of Great Britain. Past wars and the result of the 1743 election caused tension between Denmark and Sweden. To foster friendship between the two countries, a betrothal was arranged by the Swedish Parliament in 1751 between two 5-year-olds, Sophia Magdalena and Crown Prince Gustav of Sweden, son of King Adolf Frederik of Sweden and Louisa Ulrika of Prussia. Both mothers disliked the proposed match. Gustav’s mother Queen Louisa Ulrika had long been in conflict with the Swedish parliament and would have preferred a marriage with her niece Philippine of Brandenburg-Schwedt. Sophia Magdalena’s mother Queen Louise feared that her daughter would be mistreated by the Louisa Ulrika of Prussia.

When Sophia Magdalena was five years old, her mother Queen Louise died at age 27 due to complications from a miscarriage. The next year, her father made a second marriage to Juliana Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. Raised to become Queen of Sweden, Sophia Magdalena received a strict religious upbringing at Hirschholm Palace, the home of her paternal grandmother and her namesake, Queen Dowager Sophie Magdalene (born Sophie Magdalene of Brandenburg-Kulmbach).

On October 1, 1766, Sophia Magdalena was married by proxy to Gustav at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen with her half-brother Frederik representing the groom. She then traveled to Sweden where she married Crown Prince Gustav in person on November 4, 1766, at the Royal Chapel at the Stockholm Royal Palace.

The wedding attire of Gustav and Sophia Magdalena at the Royal Armory (Swedish: Livrustkammaren), a museum in the Royal Palace in Stockholm

The marriage was not a happy one. Sophia Magdalena was quiet and serious and had difficulty adapting to her husband’s pleasure-loving court. The interference of Gustav’s jealous mother, Queen Louisa Ulrika, did not help the situation. Sophia Magdalena dutifully performed her ceremonial duties, but she did not care about social life and would rather exist in peace and quiet with a few friends.

Sophia Magdalena by Carl Gustaf Pilo, 1765; Credit – Wikipedia

Gustav III of Sweden by Alexander Roslin, 1772; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1771, King Adolf Frederick of Sweden died and Gustav succeeded his father as King Gustav III of Sweden. Gustav and Sophia Magdalena’s coronation was held on May 29, 1772, at the Storkyrkan (The Great Church) in Stockholm, Sweden.

Unfinished painting of Gustav III’s coronation by Carl Gustaf Pilo (Sophia Magdalena can be seen sitting on the right); Credit – Wikipedia

In 1772, Gustav arranged for a coup d’état known as the Revolution of 1772. Initially, Sophia Magdalena was not informed about the coup d’état, which reinstated absolute monarchy and ended parliamentary rule. Gustav imprisoned opposition leaders and established a new regime with extensive power for the king which he used wisely. He introduced freedom of the press and tried to remedy corruption in the government.

Gustav III (center right) at the Revolution of 1772 by Pehr Hilleström; Credit – Wikipedia

The marriage of Sophia Magdalena and Gustav remained unconsummated for ten years. There were various theories regarding the cause including Sophia Magdalena’s strict religious upbringing and introverted character, Gustav’s sexuality, and the possibility that either or both Sophia Magdalena and Gustav had a physical problem. Eventually, Count Adolf Fredrik Munck af Fulkila acted as a sexual instructor for the couple. The instruction resulted in the birth of a son. When it became known that Munck participated in the reconciliation between the royal couple, there were rumors that he was the father of Sophia Magdalena’s son. The couple eventually had another son, but he did not survive childhood:

Gustav III, Sophia Magdalena and Crown Prince Gustav Adolf in Haga Park by Cornelius Høyer, 1784–1785; Credit – Wikipedia

In the 1780s, Gustav III was preoccupied with foreign policy: a growing hatred of Denmark and a desire to conquer Norway. In 1788, he began a war against Russia, the Russo-Swedish War, but had to retreat because of a mutiny in the army. In 1789, he resumed the war with varying success. The war ended in 1790 with the Treaty of Värälä. The war with Russia destroyed Sweden’s economy, and when Gustav decided to attack France, a conspiracy developed.

On March 16, 1792, King Gustav III was shot by Jacob Johan Anckarström during a masquerade at the Royal Opera House in Stockholm, Sweden. King Gustav III died of his wounds at the Stockholm Royal Palace on March 29, 1792, at the age of 46. Assassination ringleader, Count Anckarström, was beaten for three days before he was beheaded, mutilated and dismembered. The event is the subject of Giuseppe Verdi’s 1859 opera Un ballo in maschera.  King Gustav III was buried at Riddarholm Church in Stockholm, Sweden.

Sophia Magdalena by Niklas Lafrensen, 1792; Credit – Wikipedia

Upon Gustav III’s assassination, his 14-year-old son succeeded to the throne as King Gustav IV Adolf, under the regency of his paternal uncle Prince Karl, Duke of Södermanland, who was later to become King Karl XIII of Sweden when his nephew was forced to abdicate and flee the country in 1809. Sophia Magdalena was horrified by the murder of her husband, but it was a relief that as Queen Dowager, she could retreat from public life. She lived in the Royal Palace in Stockholm during the winter, and at Ulriksdal Palace during the summer. Sophia Magdalena died from a stroke at the age of 67 on August 21, 1813, at Ulriksdal Palace. She was buried at Riddarholm Church in Stockholm, Sweden.

Tomb of Sophia Magdalena; Credit – www.findagrave.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
“Gustav III of Sweden.” Wikipedia. N.p.: Wikimedia Foundation, 25 July 2016. Web. 25 Sept. 2016.
“Gustav III.” Wikipedia. N.p.: Wikimedia Foundation, Feb. 2015. Web. 25 Sept. 2016.
“Sophie Magdalene af Danmark.” Wikipedia. N.p.: Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2016.
“Sophia Magdalena of Denmark.” Wikipedia. N.p.: Wikimedia Foundation, 25 Sept. 2016. Web. 25 Sept. 2016.
Susan Flantzer. “Princess Louisa of Great Britain, Queen of Denmark.” British Royals. Unofficial Royalty, 19 Dec. 2013. Web. 25 Sept. 2016.

King Christian VII of Denmark and Norway

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2016

King Christian VII of Denmark and Norway; Credit – Wikipedia

King Christian VII of Denmark and Norway was born on January 29, 1749, at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen, Denmark. He was the only surviving son of King Frederik V of Denmark and Norway and his first wife Princess Louisa of Great Britain, and a grandson of King George II of Great Britain. Among his first cousins were King George III of the United Kingdom; Christian’s wife Caroline Matilda of Wales, Queen of Denmark and Norway; and Willem V, Prince of Orange. Christian was christened two hours after his birth. His godparents were:

Christian had four siblings:

Christian also had one half-brother from his father’s second marriage to Juliana Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel:

When Christian was not quite two years old, his mother Queen Louisa died at age 27 due to complications from a miscarriage. The next year, his father made a second marriage to Juliana Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. Christian seemed to be an intelligent child and was taught Danish, German, and French. However, he had a nervous disposition and was poorly educated and terrorized by a brutal governor, Christian Ditlev Reventlow, Count of Reventlow.

Christian as Crown Prince by Louis Tocqué; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1766, Christian succeeded to the Danish and Norwegian thrones after the early death of his father at age 42. Since there was a connection between the British and Danish royal families and both families were Protestant, it was natural that a British bride should be sought for Christian. Even before the death of King Frederik V, negotiations for such a marriage were started. The preferred choice for a bride was initially his first cousin Princess Louisa of Wales, daughter of Christian’s deceased maternal uncle Frederick, Prince of Wales, but when the Danish representative in London heard of her ill health, her younger sister Princess Caroline Matilda of Wales became the prospective bride. The betrothal was announced on January 10, 1765.

Princess Caroline Matilda of Wales; Credit – Wikipedia

King Christian VII of Denmark & Norway; Credit – Wikipedia

On October 1, 1766, a proxy marriage was held at St. James’s Palace in London, with Caroline Matilda’s brother King George III standing in for King Christian VII. Fifteen-year-old Caroline Matilda soon left England for Denmark with a large contingent of attendants and servants. When she crossed the Danish border, Danish envoys sent her English attendants and servants back and replaced them with Danish ones. Caroline Matilda arrived in Copenhagen on November 8, 1766, and married Christian in person later that day in the Christiansborg Palace Chapel in Copenhagen.

A copperplate engraving depicting the first dance of King Christian VII and Queen Caroline Mathilde of Denmark at their wedding at Christiansborg Palace; Credit – Wikipedia

Caroline Matilda and Christian had two children, but Christian was probably not the father of Louise Auguste.

Engraving of the newborn Crown Prince Frederik with his mother Queen Caroline Matilda; Credit – Wikipedia

Princess Louise Auguste as a child; Credit – Wikipedia

It was soon clear that Christian was not quite normal. It is unknown if Christian’s mental illness was caused by the brutal treatment of the Count of Reventlow, possible porphyria inherited from his Hanover mother, or schizophrenia. Christian’s behavior wandered into excesses, especially sexual promiscuity. 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 with his favorite Count Frederik Vilhelm Conrad Holck. It was becoming clearer and clearer that Christian could not fulfill his role as king.

In May of 1768, Christian took a long tour of Europe, including stays in Altona (now in Germany, then in Denmark), Paris, and London. The trip had been arranged because it was believed that new environments could change Christian’s behavior. It was on this journey that he 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.

Johann Friedrich Struensee; 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 Auguste, no one doubted that Struensee was the father of the princess, who was given the unflattering nickname la petite Struensee, although Christian VII officially acknowledged her as his daughter. Eventually, Queen Dowager Juliana Maria maneuvered a coup that would bring about the fall of Struensee and discredit Caroline Matilda.

Early on the morning of January 17, 1772, following a ball at the court theater at Christiansborg Palace, Christian was awakened and forced to sign orders for the arrest of Struensee, his friend Count Enevold Brandt, and Caroline Matilda. Caroline Matilda was immediately taken to Kronberg Castle in Helsingør, Denmark, immortalized as Elsinore in William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, to await her fate. She was allowed to keep her daughter with her, but the four-year-old Crown Prince Frederik stayed with his father. Upon hearing of Caroline Matilda’s arrest, Struensee confessed to his relationship with her, and eventually, Caroline Matilda also confessed. Struensee and Brandt were condemned to death and both suffered a brutal execution. In the presence of thousands of people, their right hands were severed first, then their bodies were broken on the wheel, and finally, they were beheaded.

Johann Friedrich Struensee and his companion Brandt are beheaded in Copenhagen on April 28, 1772; Credit – Wikipedia

Caroline Matilda and Christian’s marriage was dissolved on April 6, 1772.  She lost her title of Queen and was forcibly separated from her children whom she never saw again. Caroline Matilda was not quite 20 years old. Originally, it was decided that Caroline Matilda was to be held in custody for life at Aalborghus Castle in Aalborg, Denmark, but her brother King George III intervened. King George III sent Sir Robert Murray Keith, a British diplomat, to negotiate her release from Danish imprisonment. On May 28, 1772, Caroline Matilda was sent to Celle in her brother’s Kingdom of Hanover and lived the rest of her life at Celle Castle.

Celle Castle; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Caroline Matilda’s dowry was restored and she was able to live in comfort, but she missed her children terribly. Her imprisonment was not to last long. Caroline Matilda died of “a putrid fever and sore throat,” probably scarlet fever, on May 10, 1775, at the age of 23. She was buried at the Stadtkirche St. Marien in Celle next to her great-grandmother Sophie Dorothea of Celle who suffered a similar fate.

Caroline Matilda’s story was told in several novels including Norah Loft’s The Last Queen (1969) and Per Olov Enquist’s The Visit of the Royal Physician (1999) and also in the Danish film A Royal Affair (2012). Stella Tillyard also covers Caroline Matilda’s affair in her nonfiction book A Royal Affair: George III and His Scandalous Siblings (2006). King George III’s six daughters had very sheltered upbringings and they spent most of their time with their parents and each other. The living conditions of King George III’s daughters came to be known as “the Nunnery.” None of the daughters was allowed to marry at the age when most princesses would marry, and only three of the six daughters ever married. Perhaps this over-protection of King George III’s daughters was due to what happened to his sister Caroline Matilda when she married King Christian VII of Denmark.

After the fall of Struensee, Christian’s stepmother Dowager Queen Juliana Marie and her son, Christian’s half-brother Hereditary Prince Frederik reinstated the Council of State. Christian was only nominally king from 1772 onward. Between 1772 and 1784, Denmark was ruled by Queen Dowager Juliana Marie, Hereditary Prince Frederik, and Cabinet Secretary Ove Høegh-Guldberg. From 1784, Christian’s son, the future King Frederik VI, ruled permanently as a prince regent.

King Christian VIi in 1782; Credit – Wikipedia

Christian lived in isolation with a caretaker. When he was behaved too violently, he was locked up in his room or tied to his chair. His only involvement with the government was when he had to sign “Christian Rex” on formal papers. On March 13, 1808, in Rendsburg, Schleswig (then in Denmark, now in Germany) King Christian VII died from a stroke at the age of 59. He was buried in Frederik V’s Chapel at Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde, Denmark.

Tomb of King Christian VII – Photo by Susan Flantzer

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Kingdom of Denmark Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited
“Christian VII of Denmark.” Wikipedia. N.p.: Wikimedia Foundation, 31 Aug. 2016. Web. 24 Sept. 2016.
“Christian 7.” Wikipedia. N.p.: Wikimedia Foundation, 16 Feb. 2013. Web. 24 Sept. 2016.
Susan. “Caroline Matilda of Wales, Queen of Denmark and Norway.” British Royals. Unofficial Royalty, 27 Oct. 2016. Web. 24 Sept. 2016.