Maria Isabel of Portugal, Queen of Spain

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Maria Isabel of Portugal, Queen of Spain; Credit – Wikipedia

The second of the four wives of King Ferdinand VII of Spain, Infanta Maria Isabel of Portugal (Maria Isabel Francisca) was born on May 19, 1797, at the Palace of Queluz in Portugal. She was the third of the nine children of King João VI of Portugal and Infanta Carlota Joaquina of Spain, the elder sister of King Ferdinand VII.

Maria Isabel had three brothers and five sisters:

On September 29, 1816, Maria Isabel married her maternal uncle King Ferdinand VII of Spain, who was 13 years older than her. Ferdinand’s first wife had died childless ten years earlier. The marriage was made to strengthen relations between Spain and Portugal, and of course, to provide heirs to the throne. Maria Isabel was noted for her culture and love of art. Because of this, she took the initiative to gather works of art from the collection of the Spanish monarchs and create a museum. The Museo del Prado in Madrid, Spain, opened on November 19, 1819, and today it is the main Spanish national art museum.

Maria Isabel pointing to the Prado; Credit – Wikipedia

Maria Isabel had a daughter, María Luisa Isabel, who was born on August 21, 1817, but sadly, she died on January 9, 1818. Maria Isabel soon became pregnant again, but the pregnancy was difficult. On December 26, 1818, at the Palace of Aranjuez in Spain, Maria Isabel went into labor and there were terrible complications. The child, a daughter also named María Luisa Isabel, was in a breech position and died in utero. Maria Isabel had lost consciousness and appeared to have stopped breathing, so the doctors believed she had died. When they began to cut her open to remove the dead child, she let out a cry of pain, fainted, and bled to death. Maria Isabel was only 21 years old and was buried in the Pantheon of Princes in the Monastery of El Escorial, and not in the Pantheon of the Kings, traditionally reserved for monarchs and spouses of monarchs who had been parents of monarchs.

Maria Isabel of Spain_tomb

Tomb of Maria Isabel (Isabel = Elisabeth); Photo 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.

Kingdom of Spain Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Maria Antonia of Naples and Sicily, Princess of Asturias

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Maria Antonia of Naples and Sicily, Princess of Asturias; Credit – Wikipedia

The first of the four wives of King Ferdinand VII of Spain, Princess Maria Antonietta of Naples and Sicily (Maria Antonietta Teresa Amelia Giovanna Battista Francesca Gaetana Maria Anna Lucia), known as Maria Antonia, was named after her mother’s favorite sister Marie Antoinette, Queen of France, born Archduchess Maria Antonia of Austria.  Princess Maria Antonia was the eleventh of the seventeen children of King Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies (before 1816, Ferdinand IV of the Kingdom of Naples and Ferdinand III of the Kingdom of Sicily) and Archduchess Maria Carolina of Austria, daughter of Franz I, Holy Roman Emperor and Maria Theresa of Austria, Queen of Hungary and Bohemia.  Maria Antonia was born on December 14, 1784, at the Royal Palace of Caserta in Caserta, Kingdom of Naples and Sicily, now in Italy

Maria Antonia had sixteen siblings, sadly, eight of them died in childhood from smallpox:

Ferdinand IV, King of Naples, and his family (1783); Credit – Wikipedia

Maria Antonia married her first cousin Ferdinand, Prince of Asturias, heir to the Spanish throne, on October 10, 1802, in Barcelona, Spain. At the same time, Maria Antonia’s eldest brother Francesco of Naples and Sicily (later King of the Two Sicilies) married Ferdinand’s sister Maria Isabella of Spain.

Maria Antonia’s two pregnancies in 1804 and 1805 ended in miscarriages. Guided by her mother from Naples, Maria Antonia encouraged her husband to confront his mother Queen Maria Luisa, with whom she had a bad relationship, and the Queen’s possible lover Manuel Godoy, the Prime Minister of Spain. At the same time, Maria Antonia sought support for the cause of Ferdinand in the Spanish court.

Maria Antonia, aged 21, died on May 21, 1806, at the Royal Palace of Aranjuez from tuberculosis. There were rumors Maria Antonia had been poisoned by Manuel Godoy and Queen Maria Luisa, but there is no evidence that this is true. However, Maria Antonia’s mother, Queen Maria Carolina of Naples, was convinced that her daughter had been poisoned. Maria Antonia was buried in the Pantheon of Infantes in the Royal Crypt of the Monastery of El Escorial in Spain. The inscription on her tomb reads: ” Who God has loved, He has quickly freed from life.” Her husband succeeded to the Spanish throne as King Ferdinand VII and went on to have three additional marriages.

Maria Antonia of Spain_tomb

Tomb of Maria Antonia, Princess of Asturias; Photo 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.

Kingdom of Spain Resources at Unofficial Royalty

King Ferdinand VII of Spain

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

King Ferdinand VII of Spain; Credit – Wikipedia

King Ferdinand VII of Spain (Fernando Maria Francisco de Paula Domingo Vicente Ferrer Antonio Jose Joaquin Pascual Diego Juan Nepomuceno Januario Francisco Javier Rafael Miguel Gabriel Calixto Cayetano Faust) was born on October 14, 1784, at El Escorial, a royal palace in San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Spain about 28 miles from Madrid. His parents, King Carlos IV of Spain and Maria Luisa of Parma, had fourteen children and Ferdinand was the ninth child and eldest son of the six children who survived into adulthood.

Ferdinand’s siblings:

Family of King Carlos IV of Spain in 1802; Credit – Wikipedia

Ferdinand was educated by a priest, Father Felipe Riaza Scío, a teacher and translator, who became Bishop of Segovia in 1895. While growing up, Ferdinand was denied any participation in government affairs by his parents and his mother’s favorite and possible lover, Manuel Godoy, Prime Minister. Ferdinand was encouraged by his teacher to conspire against his parents and a group of supporters of Ferdinand called fernandistas arose. King Carlos IV’s popularity declined due to economic issues, rumors about a sexual relationship between the Queen and Godoy, and the King’s incompetence. After riots and a revolt, King Carlos IV was forced to abdicate in favor of his son on March 19, 1808. However, in April 1808, Ferdinand and his father were summoned to a meeting with Napoleon I, Emperor of the French who forced them both to abdicate, declared the Bourbon dynasty of Spain deposed, and installed his brother Joseph Bonaparte as King of Spain.  Napoleon kept Ferdinand under guard in France for six years at the Château de Valençay until the Treaty of Valençay on December 11, 1813, provided for the restoration of Ferdinand as King of Spain.

Ferdinand married four times:

Maria Antonia of Naples and Sicily; Credit – Wikipedia

1) Maria Antonia of Naples and Sicily (1784 – 1806), Ferdinand’s cousin, married him in 1802. Maria Antonia had two miscarriages and died at age 21 of tuberculosis. There were rumors that Maria Antonia had been poisoned by Ferdinand’s mother and Manuel Godoy.

Maria Isabel of Portugal; Credit – Wikipedia

2) Maria Isabel of Portugal (1797 – 1818) was Ferdinand’s niece, the daughter of his older sister Carlota Joaquina and King João VI of Portugal. She married Ferdinand on September 29, 1816, had one short-lived daughter, and then died at age 21 after giving birth to a stillborn daughter.

  • Infanta María Luisa Isabel of Spain (1817 – 1818)
  • Infanta María Luisa Isabel of Spain (December 26, 1818), stillborn

Maria Josepha Amalia of Saxony; Credit – Wikipedia

3) Maria Josepha Amalia of Saxony (1803–1829) and Ferdinand married in 1819. There were rumors that Maria Josepha Amalia’s devout Roman Catholicism caused her to believe that sexual relations between spouses were wrong and that it took Pope Pius VII to convince her that such relations were permissible. The marriage remained childless and Maria Josepha Amalia died in 1829 at the age of 25.

Maria Christina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies; Credit – Wikipedia

4) Maria Christina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (1806–1878) was another niece of Ferdinand, the daughter of his sister Maria Isabella of Spain and Francesco I of the Two Sicilies. She had two daughters and survived her husband. Shortly after his death, Maria Christina secretly married an ex-sergeant from the royal guard Agustín Fernando Muñoz and the couple had several children.

Maria Christina and Ferdinand’s two daughters:

Triumphal welcome of Ferdinand VII back to Spain in 1814; Credit – Wikipedia

When King Ferdinand VII was restored to the Spanish throne in 1813, the country had many problems and the citizens blamed the French, and at first, Ferdinand was welcomed. However, Spain was not the absolute monarchy it once was and Ferdinand was to reign under the liberal Constitution of 1812.  During the early days of Ferdinand’s restoration, he was encouraged by conservatives and leaders of the Spanish Catholic Church to reject the Constitution. On May 4, 1814, Ferdinand ordered the abolition of the Constitution of 1812 and arrested the liberal leaders responsible for the Constitution. Ferdinand ruled as an autocrat, guided by a group of his favorites. During this period, the free press disappeared, universities were closed, and confiscated properties were returned to the Catholic Church. Most of the Spanish territories in the Americas declared independence and only the Caribbean islands of Cuba and Puerto Rico, along with the Philippines, the Marianas (including Guam), and the Carolinas in the Pacific, remained under the control of Spain.

In 1820, a revolt broke out in favor of the Constitution of 1812, and Ferdinand was taken prisoner. In 1823, France invaded Spain intending to restore the throne of Spain to a descendant of King Henri IV of France, namely Ferdinand. After the Battle of Trocadero, Ferdinand was freed and once again took the reins of government. Rule by absolutism was restored and any opposition was suppressed.

Ferdinand VII and María Christina, 1823; Credit – Wikipedia

As Ferdinand had no sons, he persuaded the Spanish legislature to set aside the Salic Law, which allowed for only male succession. María Isabel Luisa, Ferdinand’s elder daughter by his fourth wife (and niece), was Princess of Asturias, the title of the heir to the Spanish throne, from birth. In Spain, even if there is no heir apparent, the title can be (but is not necessarily) given to the heir presumptive – a daughter, sibling, or matrilineal descendant of the monarch. King Ferdinand VII died on September 29, 1833, and his daughter, not quite three years old, succeeded to the throne as Queen Isabella II. This precipitated a series of wars known as the Carlist Wars in which Ferdinand’s brother Carlos, and later his descendants, fought over the succession. Even today, there are Carlist claimants to the Spanish throne. Isabella’s mother, and then Baldomero Espartero, Prince of Vergara served as regents during her minority.

Queen Isabella II of Spain as a child; Credit – Wikipedia

King Ferdinand VII was interred in the Pantheon of Kings in the Royal Crypt of the Monastery of El Escorial at the Royal Site of San Lorenzo de El Escorial in San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Spain.

Ferdinand VII of Spain_tomb

Tomb of King Ferdinand VII; Photo 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.

Kingdom of Spain Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Sarah, Duchess of York

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

The Telegraph

Sarah, Duchess of York source: The Telegraph

Sarah, Duchess of York (born Sarah Margaret Ferguson) is the former wife of Prince Andrew, The Duke of York, second son of Queen Elizabeth II and The Duke of Edinburgh. She was born at the Wellbeck Nursing Home in Marylebone, London, England on October 15, 1959, to Major Ronald Ferguson and the former Susan Wright. Her father, a former soldier in the Life Guards, served as polo manager to the Duke of Edinburgh, and for many years, to the Prince of Wales. Sarah’s parents divorced in 1974, and both remarried. She has an older sister – Jane – and three younger half-siblings – Andrew, Alice, and Eliza Charlotte – from her father’s second marriage.

Her ancestors include King Charles II of England (she is descended from two of his illegitimate sons, The Duke of Richmond and The Duke of Monmouth), The 6th Duke of Buccleuch, 1st Duke of Abercorn, and Georgina Spencer, Duchess of Devonshire. Through these ancestors, she is distantly related to her former husband.

 

Sarah spent the first eight years of her life living at Lowood House, the family home in Sunninghill, Berkshire, England. The family then moved to Dummer Down Farm in Hampshire,  England which had been in the Ferguson family for several generations. As a child, Sarah and her family often spent summer weekends at Smith’s Lawn where her father played polo. It was here that her father first met Earl Mountbatten and through him, The Duke of Edinburgh. She often played with the children of The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh although neither Sarah nor her sister has any clear recollections.

Sarah attended the Daneshill School in Hampshire, England, and then the Hurst Lodge School in Ascot, England graduating in 1977. Following her schooling, she attended Queen’s Secretarial College and took a job with a London public relations firm. She also worked at an art gallery and then a publishing company.

 

Despite having met several times in their youth, it wasn’t until the mid-1980s that Sarah and Prince Andrew developed a friendship when they were both guests at a weekend party at Floors Castle, the Scottish home of the Duke and Duchess of Roxburghe. Their friendship became romantic after a party at Windsor Castle in 1985, as part of Royal Ascot week. The Princess of Wales, with whom Sarah had been friends for several years, arranged for Sarah to be invited and made sure she was seated next to Prince Andrew. Before long, Andrew proposed while the couple was again visiting Floors Castle, and their engagement was announced in March 1986. Sarah’s engagement ring consisted of a large Burmese ruby surrounded by diamonds, designed by her fiance’.

 

Sarah and Prince Andrew married on July 23, 1986 in Westminster Abbey. As Andrew had been created Duke of York earlier that morning, Sarah emerged from the abbey as HRH The Duchess of York, and was the fourth most senior woman in the Royal Family, following The Queen, The Queen Mother, and The Princess of Wales.

Following their honeymoon, the couple lived in Prince Andrew’s apartments at Buckingham Palace while construction took place on their new home Sunninghill Park in Berkshire, England. As a wedding gift, Queen Elizabeth II had purchased five acres of the former Sunninghill Park estate from the Crown Commissioners. The previous house on the estate had once been the intended home of Queen Elizabeth II and Duke of Edinburgh following their marriage. However, it was destroyed by fire before they could take up residence. The new Sunninghill Park became Sarah and Andrew’s primary residence for the remainder of their marriage… and beyond.

Upon marriage, Sarah was very close to most of the members of the Royal Family. She shared a love of horses and country pursuits with Queen Elizabeth II and took up carriage driving which endeared her to the Duke of Edinburgh. The Prince of Wales, now King Charles III, admired her carefree spirit and exuberance. However, in the early months and years of her marriage, The Duke of York was often away on naval duties, leaving Sarah to fend for herself in the complex world of ‘The Firm’. As an outsider, unaccustomed to life in the royal household, she often stumbled in finding her way. Fortunately, she had her friend and sister-in-law Diana to help guide her. At the beginning of her marriage, the media loved Sarah but they soon began to turn on her. Constantly compared to Diana and ridiculed for her fashion sense and her weight, she was called ‘Duchess of Pork’ by many of the British tabloids. For Sarah, it was made more difficult because of the constant absence of her husband.

Over the next four years, Sarah and Andrew had two daughters:

Soon there were cracks in the marriage. The Duke of York was often away on naval duties, and Sarah was seen in the company of other men. After much speculation, the couple announced they were separating on March 19, 1992. A few months later, a tabloid published photos of the Duchess sunbathing topless with another man, causing the rift between her husband and his family to widen. When attempts at reconciliation failed, the couple divorced on May 30, 1996. Now styled as ‘Sarah, Duchess of York’, she initially retained the HRH style. However, Letters Patent were issued a few months later, clarifying that former wives were not entitled to use the royal style. As per The Lord Chamberlain’s office, she is still considered a member of the British Royal Family.

Despite their divorce, Sarah and Andrew continued to live together, both at Sunninghill Park and later at Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park. In 2007, she moved to the neighboring Dolphin House, where she lived until a fire in 2008 caused her to return to Royal Lodge. Sarah and Andrew purchased a ski chalet in Verbier, Switzerland, and Sarah has reportedly made this her primary residence. She also has an apartment in London and retains her rooms at Royal Lodge.

The relationship with her former husband has remained close, with Sarah often stating that he remains her ‘Prince Charming’. Rumors have circulated for years that the two plan to re-marry, but the two seem very happy with their current relationship. While both have had other relationships, they remained fully supportive – and protective – of each other.

One of the most polarizing British royals in recent years, Sarah, Duchess of York, despite her financial problems and scandals, has remained supportive and respectful of her former family and the monarchy. Since divorcing in 1996, she has been in the rare position of having to juggle her former position with her current one. Because of this, she is often, as the expression goes,  “damned if she does, and damned if she doesn’t.”

 

Sarah, Duchess of York has written or contributed to over 40 books, including her series of ‘Budgie the Little Helicopter’ books, several lifestyle books, and two books about Queen Victoria. She served for many years as a spokesperson for Weight Watchers and ventured into film as a producer of the movie The Young Victoria in 2009. She has also worked as a contributor to several news programs, both in the UK and the US.

Despite her successful business ventures, she has often had to deal with financial problems. Reportedly she was near bankruptcy before being bailed out by her husband and several other friends. In 2010, she was secretly filmed by a tabloid offering access to her former husband in exchange for money. This incident, along with others, caused increased tension with her former family, particularly with her former father-in-law The Duke of Edinburgh. However, Queen Elizabeth II was very welcoming to her former daughter-in-law and often invited Sarah to Balmoral or Sandringham with Andrew and their daughters.

Since the early years of her marriage, Sarah has been involved with numerous charities and organizations. Since 1990, she has been Patron of The Teenage Cancer Trust, and a few years later, founded Children in Crisis. Sarah, her former husband, and their daughters established Key To Freedom in 2013. Other organizations she supports include Mental Disability Rights International and the Motor Neurone Disease Association. She has worked with the American Cancer Society and in 2014 was named ambassador for the Institute of Global Health Innovation at Imperial College in London.

On June 25, 2023, it was announced that Sarah had breast cancer and underwent surgery at King Edward VII Hospital, a private clinic in central London that previously treated the late Queen Elizabeth II and other senior royals. She underwent reconstructive surgery following her mastectomy. On January 21, 2024, it was announced that Sarah had been diagnosed with malignant melanoma after having several moles removed for analysis.

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.

Mark Phillips, first husband of Anne, The Princess Royal

by Scott Mehl

© Unofficial Royalty 2015

source: Horse-Events.co.uk

Mark Phillips – source: Horse-Events.co.uk

Captain Mark Phillips was the first husband of Anne, Princess Royal and father of her two children. He was born Mark Anthony Peter Phillips on September 22, 1948, to Major Peter Phillips and the former Anne Tiarks, whose father was an Aide-de-Camp to King George VI. He had one sister, Sarah, who passed away.

Following his education at Stouts Hill Preparatory School and Marlborough College, Phillips entered the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst. After passing out, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Queen’s Dragoon Guards, eventually reaching the rank of Captain in 1975. He retired from the Army in March 1978.

 

An avid horseman, Philips was a member of the British Equestrian Team with whom he won the Team Three-Day Event world title in 1970, the European title in 1971, and Olympic Gold in 1972. He also won Silver at the 1988 Olympics and is a four-time champion at the Badminton Horse Trials.

 

It was through their mutual membership on the British Equestrian Team that Phillips met Princess Anne, the daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and The Duke of Edinburgh. Their engagement was announced on May 29, 1973, and they married at Westminster Abbey in London, England on November 14, 1973. Following their honeymoon, the couple settled at Gatcombe Park in Gloucestershire, England, an estate The Queen had purchased as a wedding gift. It has been speculated that The Queen offered – and Phillips declined – a peerage upon marriage but this has never been confirmed or denied by any member of the Royal Family.

The couple had two children:

In 1989, the couple separated following several years of a very strained marriage, and numerous claims of infidelity. In 1991, following court-mandated DNA testing, it was confirmed that Phillips had fathered a daughter, Felicity, in 1985 as a result of an affair with New Zealand art teacher Heather Tonkin. The following year, in April 1992, Captain Phillips and The Princess Royal were formally divorced.

In the 1980s, Phillips began working with the United States Equestrian Team, serving as Chef d’Equipe of the Eventing Team. It was through this that he met his second wife, Sandy Pflueger, a member of the US Dressage Team. They married on February 1, 1997, and have a daughter Stephanie born later that year. The couple separated in 2012.  Since 2012, Phillips has been in a relationship with Lauren Hough, also a member of the US Team, who is 18 years his junior.

As well as his work with the US Equestrian Team, Phillips is a columnist for Horse & Hound magazine and has designed several courses, including the cross-country venue for the Red Hills Horse Trials, an Olympic qualifying event, in Florida.

 

Captain Phillips is also the Chairman and course designer of the Gatcombe Horse Trials, which is held on The Princess Royal’s Gatcombe Park estate. Begun in the early 1980s by Phillips and The Princess Royal, the event continues to draw equestrians from around the world.

Despite their divorce, Phillips retains a friendly relationship with The Princess Royal. The two are, in fact, neighbors. Some years after their marriage, the couple had purchased the neighboring property of Aston Farm and incorporated it into their Gatcombe Park estate. Following their divorce, the Princess retained Gatcombe, while Phillips moved to Aston Farm which remains his residence in England. However, in recent years, he has been based primarily in the United States where he still serves as the Chef d’Equipe (team manager) of the United States Eventing Team.

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.

November 1915: Royalty and World War I

by Susan Flantzer

11th Earl of Seafield

James Ogilvy-Grant, 11th Earl of Seafield; Photo Credit – http://www.lijssenthoek.be/en/address/2749/-james-alias-earl-of-seafield-ogilvie-grant.html

James Ogilvy-Grant, 11th Earl of Seafield was one of the 24 British peers who died in World War I. The Earl of Seafield is a title in the Peerage of Scotland, created in 1701 for James Ogilvy, who in 1711 succeeded his father as 4th Earl of Findlater. The first Earl of Seafield’s branch of the Ogilvy family descended from the 15th century Sir John Ogilvy, whose brother Sir Walter Ogilvy was the ancestor of the Earls of Airlie.  The name Ogilvy may sound familiar to those acquainted with the British royal family.  The Right Honorable Sir Angus Ogilvy, the late husband of Princess Alexandra of Kent, Queen Elizabeth II’s first cousin, was the second son of the 12th Earl of Airlie.

James’ father, Francis William Ogilvy-Grant (10th Earl), was the son of The Honorable James Ogilvy-Grant (9th Earl), the fourth son of Francis William Ogilvy-Grant, 6th Earl of Seafield. In 1870, James’ father Francis (10th Earl) went to New Zealand where he bought a farm which soon failed. For about ten years, Francis (10th Earl) had a hard life as a laborer. In 1874, Francis (10th Earl) married his first cousin Ann Trevor Corry Evans, who was called by her nickname Nina, and they made their home in Oamaru, New Zealand. It was in Oamaru, on April 18, 1876, that James (11th Earl), the first of Francis (10th Earl) and Nina’s seven children was born. James (11th Earl) was educated in New Zealand at Warwick House Preparatory School in Christchurch, New Zealand; Christ’s College in Christchurch, New Zealand and Lincoln University in Lincoln, New Zealand.

In 1884, The Honorable James Ogilvy-Grant, the fourth son of Francis William Ogilvy-Grant, 6th Earl of Seafield succeeded his nephew as 9th Earl of Seafield. When the 9th Earl died in June of 1888, his son, James’ father, became the 10th Earl of Seafield and James (11th Earl) now used the courtesy title Viscount Reidhaven as the heir apparent to the Earl of Seafield title. Unfortunately, the 10th Earl lived for only six more months, dying on December 3, 1888. His son James then became the 11th Earl of Seafield and Chief of the Clan Grant at the age of 12.

Photo Credit – Wikipedia

On June 22, 1898 at St. Barnabas Church in Fendalton, Christchurch, New Zealand, 22 year old James Ogilvy-Grant, 11th Earl of Seafield married 22 year old Mary Elizabeth Nina Townend, who was called Nina like James’ mother. Their only child, a daughter, Nina Caroline Ogilvy-Grant was born on April 17, 1906.

In 1903, when the third wife of James’ grandfather the 9th Earl of Seafield died, James and his wife Nina took up residence at the ancestral homes in Scotland: Castle Grant in Grantown-on-Spey, Morayshire and Cullen House in Moray, Banffshire. James, 11th Earl of Seafield and Nina, Countess of Seafield became very popular and highly regarded. James devoted much time in activities that would benefit his tenants and gained a reputation for his knowledge of estate problems. He took a special interest in afforestation, the establishment of a forest or stand of trees in an area where there was no forest.

11th Earl of Seafield_2

Photo Credit – http://www.lijssenthoek.be/en/address/2749/-james-alias-earl-of-seafield-ogilvie-grant.html

During World War I, James served as a Captain in the 3rd Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders, and was attached to the 5th Battalion Cameron Highlanders. He started serving at the outbreak of the war, was with the reserves at the Battle of Loos, took part in the Hohenzollern Redoubt charge and helped to reorganize the 5th Battalion Cameron Highlanders after the battles.

In early November of 1915, James expected to soon be on leave in London. However, on Tuesday, November 8, 1915, several days before he was supposed to go on leave, he sent a letter to his sister saying, “My leave is cancelled until a later date. We have just come in from the trenches, and occupy others tomorrow. The trenches are very wet and swampy…Sunday last we had a very bad day, and lost eighteen men from shells.”

On Friday, November 11, 1915, Captain James Ogilvy-Grant, 11 Earl of Seafield was making his rounds in the trenches as commanding officer. A bullet passed through a sergeant’s arm and hit James in the head. On the morning of Saturday, November 12, 1915, the family received a telegram from the chaplain of the casualty clearing station stating that James was “dangerously wounded” and “not recovering.” Later on the same day, a telegram from the Secretary of State for War informed the family that James, age 39, had died. At the time of his death, he was the eighth British peer to have died in World War I. James was buried at Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery near Poperinge, West Flanders, Belgium.

11th Earl of Seafield_grave

Photo Credit – http://www.lijssenthoek.be/en/address/2749/-james-alias-earl-of-seafield-ogilvie-grant.html

Trevor Ogilvie-Grant, James’ younger brother succeeded him as 4th Baron Strathspey and Chief of Clan Grant. The Earldom of Seafield and the other subsidiary Scottish peerages could be passed on to female heirs. James’ daughter Nina became the 12th Countess of Seafield in her own right. At the time of her death in 1969, she was the second richest British woman, after Queen Elizabeth II.

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Timeline: November 1, 1915 – November 30, 1915

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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.

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November 1915 – 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, their name will be linked to that page.

by Sir (John) Benjamin Stone, platinum print in card window mount, 1903

Photo Credit- by Sir (John) Benjamin Stone platinum print, 1903 NPG x45001© National Portrait Gallery, London

Lieutenant The Honorable William Lionel Charles Walrond

  • son of William Walrond, 1st Baron Waleran and Elizabeth Katharine Pitman
  • born May 5, 1876
  • Member of Parliament
  • married 1904 The Honorable Charlotte Margaret Lothian Coats, had two sons, the younger son became the 2nd and last Baron Walrond
  • died on November 2, 1915 at Aboyne Castle in Craigendinnie, Scotland after contracting tubercular laryngitis on active service in France, probably from the effects of gas warfare, age 39
  • http://thepeerage.com/p23081.htm#i230804

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thomas-carew-trollope

Photo Credit – http://www.carewcheritoncontroltower.co.uk

Captain Thomas Trollope, 3rd Baron Kesteven

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(see article above)
James Ogilvy-Grant, 11th Earl of Seafield

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Schomberg McDonnell

Photo Credit – www.illustratedfirstworldwar.com

Major The Honorable Sir Schomberg Kerr McDonnell

  • son of Mark McDonnell, 5th Earl of Antrim and Jane Emma Hannah Macan
  • born March 22, 1861 at Glenarm Castle in County Antrim, Ireland
  • Principal Private Secretary to Lord Salisbury,Prime Minister, 1888 – 1902
  • Secretary to the Commissioner of Works, 1902 – 1912
  • Chief Intelligence Officer of the London District, 1914 – 1915
  • Knight Commander, Order of the Bath
  • Knight Grand Cross, Royal Victorian Order
  • married 1913 Ethel Henry Davis
  • died November 23, 1915 from wounds received in action on November 21, 1915, age 54
  • http://www.thepeerage.com/p866.htm#i8660
Schomberg McDonnell_grave

Grave of Major The Honorable Sir Schomberg Kerr McDonnell at the Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery in West Flanders, Belgium; Photo Credit – findagrave.com

Princess Charlotte of Wales

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Princess Charlotte; Credit – Official Facebook Page – The Royal Family

Princess Charlotte of Wales

Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana of Wales is the second child of the three children of Prince William, The Prince of Wales and the former Catherine Middleton. She was born at 8:34 am on May 2, 2015, at the Lindo Wing, St. Mary’s Hospital in London. For some background on her name see: Unofficial Royalty: What’s in a Name? – Princess Charlotte of Wales

Charlotte had an older and a younger brother:

Regardless of the gender of any younger siblings, Princess Charlotte will remain second in the line of succession to the British throne after her father The Prince, and her older brother Prince George of Wales until her older brother has children. The Succession to The Crown Act 2013, which formally went into effect on March 26, 2015, put in place absolute primogeniture, which means that for those born after October 28, 2011, the eldest child born becomes the heir to his or her parent, regardless of gender.  With the birth of her younger brother Prince Louis on April 23, 2018, Charlotte became the first British princess not to be overtaken in the line of succession by her younger brother.

Later that same day, Prince William brought Prince George to the hospital to meet his new baby sister. And just a few hours later, William and Catherine and their daughter left the hospital and returned home to Kensington Palace, where they were visited by members of their families. Two days later, the couple announced their daughter’s name – Charlotte Elizabeth Diana.

 

The family soon left Kensington Palace and traveled to their home on the Sandringham Estate, Anmer Hall. On July 5, 2015, Princess Charlotte was christened by the Archbishop of Canterbury at St. Mary Magdalene’s Church, Sandringham. The private service was attended only by immediate family, and Charlotte’s five godparents:

  • The Honorable Laura Fellowes (maternal first cousin of her father)
  • Adam Middleton (paternal first cousin of his mother)
  • Thomas van Straubenzee (a close friend)
  • James Meade (a close friend)
  • Sophie Carter (a close friend)

 

For her christening, Princess Charlotte wore the Royal Christening Gown which was made in 2008. It is an exact replica of the gown first used for the christening of Queen Victoria’s eldest daughter, Victoria, in 1841, and was used for all royal christenings since. The last to use the original gown was Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor, daughter of the Earl and Countess of Wessex in 2004. Also dating back to 1841, the Lily Font was used for Charlotte’s christening, with water from the River Jordan.  Following the christening, The Queen hosted a reception at Sandringham House.

On May 20, 2017, Princess Charlotte was a bridesmaid at the wedding of her aunt Pippa Middleton and James Matthews.

On January 8, 2018, Charlotte began attending the Willcocks Nursery School, close to her Kensington Palace home. Princess Charlotte became a big sister on April 23, 2018, when her younger brother Prince Louis was born.  Charlotte joined her brother George at Thomas’s Battersea School on Battersea High Street in London in September 2019.

Princess Charlotte on her first day of nursery school; Photo taken by The Duchess of Cambridge

In 2018, Princess Charlotte was a bridesmaid in two royal weddings – the wedding of her uncle Prince Harry to Meghan Markle and the wedding of her first cousin once removed Princess Eugenie of York to Jack Brooksbank.

Charlotte occasionally accompanies his parents on royal tours and engagements. On June 2, 2022, during her great-grandmother’s Platinum Jubilee celebration weekend, Charlotte and her siblings made their debut in the Trooping the Colour carriage procession.

Charlotte and her siblings ride in the Trooping the Colour carriage procession for the first time in 2022; Credit – By John Pannell from Watford, UK – Queen’s Platinum Jubilee 2022-0695, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=118639761

All three Cambridge children then joined their parents, Queen Elizabeth II, and other working royals on the Buckingham Palace balcony.

William and Catherine with their children on the Buckingham Palace balcony during the Platinum Jubilee celebrations of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022

In the summer of 2022, Charlotte and her family moved to Adelaide Cottage, a four-bedroom house on the grounds of Windsor Castle in Berkshire, England. The move was made to give Charlotte and her siblings a more normal family life. In the fall of 2022, Charlotte and her siblings began attending Lambrook School, a prestigious fee-paying school in Winkfield, near Windsor. The school is described on its website as a “leading coeducational Prep School for 615 boys and girls aged 3 and 13, set in 52 acres of beautiful Berkshire countryside.” Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis will not be the first royals who attended Lambrook School. Prince Christian Victor of Schleswig-Holstein and his brother Prince Albert of Schleswig-Holstein, grandsons of Queen Victoria and sons of Princess Helena and Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein, also attended Lambrook School.

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Marie Juliette Louvet, mistress of Prince Louis II of Monaco, mother of Princess Charlotte

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Marie Juliette Louvet; Credit – https://alchetron.com/Marie-Juliette-Louvet

Marie Juliette Louvet was the mistress of the future Prince Louis II of Monaco, and the mother of his only child, Princess Charlotte, Duchess of Valentinois. She is the grandmother of Prince Rainier III of Monaco, and the great-grandmother of Prince Albert II of Monaco.

Marie Juliett was born on May 9, 1867, in Pierreval, France, to Jacques Louvet and Joséphine Piedefer. At the age of 17, she married a Parisian photographer, Achille Delmaet, with whom she already had a son, Georges. The couple later had a daughter, Marguerite, before divorcing in 1893.

It is believed that Marie Juliette and Prince Louis met while she was working as a hostess in a cabaret in Paris, France. The following year, she was working as a seamstress in a military barracks in Constantine, Algeria, where Prince Louis was also based. Later that year, on September 30, 1898, Marie Juliette gave birth to the couple’s daughter Charlotte. While Louis’ father, Prince Albert I, would not permit the couple to marry, their daughter Charlotte was later recognized as a member of the Monegasque Princely Family, and in 1919, was formally adopted by Prince Louis, becoming Princess Charlotte of Monaco, and Duchess of Valentinois. She would also later become heir to the Monegasque throne following her father’s accession in 1922, later relinquishing her succession rights in favor of her son, the future Prince Rainier III.

Marie Juliette Louvet lived the rest of her life in Paris, where she died on September 24, 1930.

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Ghislaine Dommanget, Princess of Monaco

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Ghislaine Dommanget, Princess of Monaco; Credit – www.findagrave.com

Princess Ghislaine of Monaco was the wife of Prince Louis II of Monaco and the step-grandmother of Prince Rainier III of Monaco. She was born Ghislaine Marie Françoise Dommanget in Reims, France, on October 13, 1900, to Robert Joseph Dommanget and Marie Louise Meunier.

From an early age, Ghislaine was drawn to the stage and became an actress, working at the famed Comédie-Française in Paris. Before meeting Prince Louis II, she was married twice – to Paul Diey and André Brulé – and had one son, Jean Gabriel Brulé, born in 1934.

In 1942, she met Prince Louis II while on a tour of Monaco, and he later wrote that he knew instantly upon meeting that she would one day be his wife. The couple was married on July 24, 1946, in a civil ceremony, with a religious service held three days later, and she became The Princess of Monaco. Ghislaine was nearly 46 years old, while her husband was more than 30 years older. While Prince Louis II was very much in love with Ghislaine, the rest of the Monegasque princely family questioned her motives and viewed her as an opportunist and golddigger. Sadly, Prince Louis died less than three years later, in May 1949, and was succeeded by his grandson, Prince Rainier III. In his will, Louis had left half of his estate to Ghislaine, but Rainier and his sister Antoinette contested this, and the will was overturned. Ghislaine only received her jewelry and other gifts and retained a suite of rooms at The Prince’s Palace. She also received a small pension from the Monegasque government, later stopped by Prince Rainier.

The Dowager Princess returned to Paris, only occasionally returning to Monaco. In 1956, she attended the wedding of Prince Rainier and Grace Kelly. Despite a strained relationship with her step-grandson, Ghislaine developed and maintained a close friendship with Grace, who made efforts to include Ghislaine as part of the family. Later, Ghislaine returned to the stage, even appearing in Monaco, with the condition that she would not use her title of Princess of Monaco. Billed simply as “Ghislaine”, she appeared in three plays in Monaco – Ms. April in 1958, L’Aiglon in 1959, and Pea Flower in 1960.

 

Ghislaine then retired to Paris, where she wrote her memoirs, “Sois princesse” … dit-il (“Be Princess”… he said), which she dedicated to Princess Grace. In her later years, she only made two formal appearances in Monaco. In 1974, she attended the celebrations for Prince Rainier’s Silver Jubilee, and her last appearance was at Princess Grace’s funeral in 1982. Ghislaine, Dowager Princess of Monaco died in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, on April 30, 1991. She is buried in the Passy Cemetery in Paris.

Grave of Ghislaine Dommanget, Princess of Monaco. source: Wikipedia

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Principality of Monaco Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Prince Louis II of Monaco

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Prince Louis II of Monaco – source: Wikipedia

Prince Louis II of Monaco (Louis Honoré Charles Antoine Grimaldi) was born July 12, 1870, in Baden-Baden, Grand Duchy of Baden, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. He was the only child of Prince Albert I of Monaco and Lady Mary Victoria Hamilton, daughter of William Hamilton, 11th Duke of Hamilton and Princess Marie of Baden. Shortly after his birth, his mother left her husband and took Louis to the Grand Duchy of Baden, where he was raised until the age of 11. Louis then returned to Monaco to prepare for his future royal role.

Louis attended the Saint-Cyr Military Academy in France and then joined the French Foreign Legion. He served for 10 years and was awarded the Cross of the Legion of Honor. During this time, while serving in Algeria, Louis met Marie Juliette Louvet, a cabaret singer. The couple was deeply in love, but his father would not permit them to marry. A daughter was born in 1898:

Because Louis was unmarried and without an heir, the Monegasque throne was likely to pass to his first cousin once removed, Wilhelm, Duke of Urach, a German nobleman who was the son of his father’s aunt, Princess Florestine of Monaco.  To avoid this, Louis’ father, Prince Albert I, had a law passed recognizing Charlotte as Louis’ heir and part of the sovereign family. However, this law was later ruled invalid under earlier statutes. So, in October 1918, another law was passed allowing for the adoption of an heir with succession rights. On May 16, 1919, Louis legally adopted Charlotte, giving her the Grimaldi surname. Her grandfather created her HSH Princess Charlotte of Monaco and Duchess of Valentinois. Upon Louis’s accession in 1922, Charlotte became the Hereditary Princess of Monaco.

During World War I, Louis again served with the French Army and eventually reached the rank of Brigadier General. Recognized for his outstanding efforts, he was elevated to Grand Officer of the Legion of Honor. His military career ended when he ascended to the Monegasque throne upon his father’s death on June 27, 1922. Some of his contributions during his reign were the establishment of the Monaco Football Club and the Grand Prix of Monaco, which was first held in the principality in 1929. In 1931, he oversaw the establishment of the Ballet de l’Opéra à Monte-Carlo and the construction of the Stade Prince Louis II, a large football stadium in the center of the city. He was also a keen collector of items related to Napoleon, which later formed the basis for the Napoleon Museum, housed at the Prince’s Palace for many years.

Following World War II, during which the principality had been occupied by the Italians and Germans before liberation by the Allies, Prince Louis began spending most of his time in Paris and greatly ignored the principality. In 1944, his daughter Charlotte ceded her rights to the throne in favor of her son Rainier, who would eventually succeed his grandfather. In June 1946, Prince Louis married the French film star Ghislaine Dommanget. The couple lived primarily at the Château de Marchais, their estate outside of Paris.

On May 9, 1949, Prince Louis II died at the Prince’s Palace in Monaco. He is buried at the Cathedral of Monaco.

Grave of Louis II, Prince of Monaco; www.findagrave.com

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Principality of Monaco Resources at Unofficial Royalty