Drottningholm Palace

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

photo: © Susan Flantzer

photo: © Susan Flantzer

Drottningholm Palace

Drottningholm Palace, on the island Lovön in the lake Mälaren, is the residence of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden.  The island originally contained a royal estate called Torvesund, in the time of King Gustav Vasa. His son, later King Johan III, built a stone palace for his wife, Catherine Jaggelon, in 1579 and named it Drottningholm. After her death, the King only used Drottningholm occasionally, and it was later owned by several other Swedish Queens. In 1650, it was purchased by Magnus De la Gardie, a prominent Swedish statesman and brother-in-law of King Carl X Gustav. He, in turn, sold it to Queen Hedvig Eleonora in 1661 but the castle was destroyed by fire later the same year. Queen Hedvig Eleonora engaged famed Swedish architect Nicodemus Tessin the Elder (and later his son) to rebuild the palace in the design that we know today. For the next hundred years, it served as a regular royal residence for successive sovereigns. In 1744, it was given to the future Queen Louisa Ulrika when she married the future King Adolf Fredrik. The couple resided through their reign, and a few years after her husband’s death, Louisa Ulrika sold the palace to the Swedish state.

The palace was used less often over the next years and was empty for much of the 19th century. In 1846, King Oscar I began making repairs to the palace which was in danger of being torn down. His son, Oscar II continued with repairs. It was Oscar II’s son, King Gustav V, who in 1907 began a massive renovation project of the palace, which would take four years. Gustav V is credited with restoring the palace to its former glory, having removed much of the more ‘modern’ style put in place by his father and grandfather. By 1911, the palace had returned to royal use and has remained a royal residence ever since. In 1981, King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia moved from their apartments in the Royal Palace of Stockholm and made Drottningholm their primary residence, living in the southern wing of the palace.

In 1991, The Royal Domain of Drottningholm – including the palace, outbuildings, and grounds – was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was the first such site in Sweden.

The main block of the palace is flanked by two large wings, which surround inner courtyards. The southern wing contains the private residence of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia and is not open to the public.

Some of the notable rooms in the palace are:

Hedwig Eleonora’s State Bedchamber, 1966.  source: Wikipedia

Hedvig Eleonora’s State Bedchamber is located on the first floor of the palace and formed the main room of the State Rooms at the time. Despite its name, Hedvig Eleonora never actually used the room, instead, living in more private rooms in the southern wing of the palace.

The Ehrenstrhal Salon, 1966. source: Wikipedia

The Ehrenstrahl Salon was previously known as the Large Audience Room and is situated right next to Hedvig Eleonora’s State Bedchamber. It takes its name from the artist David Ehrenstrahl, who painted six large murals for the room which depict important events in the history of the royal family. More of his work also adorns the ceiling in the room.

The Palace Library. source: Wikipedia, Holger.Ellgaard

The Palace Library is found in the northern wing of the palace, overlooking the gardens. Originally a picture gallery, it was converted into a library by Queen Hedvig Eleonora in 1760, to house her extensive collection of books.

Carl X Gustav Gallery. source: Wikipedia

Carl X Gustav Gallery, on the first floor of the palace, was designed by Queen Hedvig Eleonora as a tribute to her late husband, King Carl X Gustav. The gallery contains paintings depicting the King’s military career.

Carl XI Gallery. source: Wikipedia, Holger.Ellgaard

On the second floor, directly above the Carl X Gustav Gallery is the Carl XI Gallery. This gallery contains paintings illustrating the military career of King Carl XI which was completed in 1695.

The Stone Hall, c1899. source: Wikipedia

The Stone Hall was originally Hedvig Eleonora’s dining room and takes its name from the stone floor. Today, it is part of the Royal Family’s private apartments and has occasionally been seen in personal photos released by the royal family for Christmas and birthday celebrations.

The State Hall. source: Wikipedia, Holger.Ellgaard

Directly above the Stone Hall is the Hall of State. It has often been called the Contemporary Hall after the large portraits of other European sovereigns from the time of King Oscar I. Queen Josefina had arranged for many of these portraits to be painted and upon receiving them, gave them all to the Swedish state. Today the room is used primarily for official functions.

The Porcelain Room. source: Wikipedia, Holger.Ellgaard

The Porcelain Room was designed by King Oscar II to display his large collection of faience from the 1700s. The room was completed in 1897, as a gift to the King from the palace staff.

The Palace Church (Slottskyrkan), 2011. source: Wikipedia, ArildV

The Palace Chapel is on the northern end of the palace and serves as the Lovö parish church. Construction began in 1696 and was completed in 1728. After several renovations, the church reopened in 1746 and has been in continuous use ever since. It has also been the site of many royal christenings.

The Palace Grounds

Just next to the southern wing of the palace is the Lake Wing (Sjoflygeln), which was the residence of Crown Princess Victoria prior to her marriage. Prince Daniel also lived at Drottningholm prior to marrying Victoria. He rented an apartment in the Page Building (Pagebyggnaden), just meters from Victoria’s home.  In April 2016, Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia took up residence in Sjoflygeln, while major renovations were being done to their home, Villa Solbacken.

The Baroque Gardens. source: Wikipedia, Hedwig Storch

The palace grounds include a stunning baroque garden on the western side of the palace, developed under Queen Hedvig Eleonora in the late 1600s. These gardens feature numerous sculptures and statues, along with several fountains and water features.

The English Gardens. source: Wikipedia, Holger.Ellgaard

Just north of the Baroque Gardens, King Gustav III designed a large area of the park as an English garden, with two ponds, bridges, and walking paths. The English Gardens feature many statues collected by King Gustav III from Italy.

Other buildings on the grounds of Drottningholm Palace include:

The Palace Theatre. photo: © Susan Flantzer

The Palace Theatre. photo: © Susan Flantzer

Located just north of the palace is the Drottningholm Palace Theatre. The current theatre was built at the direction of Queen Hedvig Eleonora, to replace the previous building which had been destroyed by fire in 1762. It formally opened in 1766. It was used extensively by King Gustav III but was then closed after his assassination. For many years it was used only occasionally and began to fall into disrepair. The theatre underwent a complete restoration and formally re-opened in 1922, and is now managed by a private foundation.

In front of the theatre is Theatre Square, which is flanked by four pavilions. These contain private apartments as well as the Theatre gift shop.

The Chinese Pavilion. photo: © Susan Flantzer

The Chinese Pavilion. photo: © Susan Flantzer

The Chinese Pavilion was originally built as a surprise birthday gift for Queen Louisa Ulrika in 1753. Unfortunately, the hastily constructed building could not stand up to the harsh Swedish weather. By 1763, it was deemed necessary to take the building down and rebuild it. The current structure was completed in 1769 and is surrounded by several pavilions which served as additional rooms.

The Guards Tent. photo: © Susan Flantzer

The Guards Tent. photo: © Susan Flantzer

Near the Chinese Pavilion is the Guards Tent, which was built in 1781-1782 to accommodate the Chinese Pavilion Guards. It was later used for storage for many years, and after a major renovation in the 1990s, serves as an exhibition space and part of the palace tours.

Interior of the Museum de Vries. source: Wikipedia, Bengt Oberger

The Museum de Vries is a collection of statues by the artist Adriaen de Vries. In addition to those in the museum, several of his works are featured in the Baroque Gardens. The museum is housed in the Dragon Stables, formerly the stables for the Life Regiment Dragoons. It was later used to house around 250 sheep, which were used to maintain the grounds of the palace until the 1950s. For the next 40 years it was used by the Royal Collection, and since 2001 has held the Museum de Vries.

Evert Lundquist’s Studio. source: Wikipedia, Holger.Ellgaard

Located at the southern end of the palace grounds is Evert Lundquist’s Studio Museum. Mr. Lundquist was a painter and graphic artist who used this building as his studio from 1953 until 1990. Per the artist’s wishes, the studio was opened as a museum in 1993 and remains a popular site on the palace grounds. Artwork by Mr. Lundquist and his wife (artist Ebba Reutercrona) and their two sons are showcased.

Learn more about the other Swedish Royal Residences here!

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.

The Royal Palace of Stockholm

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

source: Wikipedia, user Brorsson

source: Wikipedia

The Royal Palace of Stockholm

Located on the island of Stadsholmen in Stockholm’s Old Town (Gamla stan), The Royal Palace of Stockholm is the senior palace of the Swedish monarchy. It houses the offices of the Royal Court, as well as several museums, and serves as the setting for many official functions. It has not been used as an actual residence since 1981, although King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia still retain private apartments there. Instead, they use Drottningholm Palace as their primary residence. The Royal Palace is owned by the Swedish state and maintained by the National Property Board. Within the Royal Court, the Governor of the Royal Palaces is responsible for the daily operation of the palace, including public tours. His formal, and ceremonial role is to protect the King’s royal right to use the palace.

Tre Kroner Castle, as painted by Govert Camphuysen, 1661.  source: Wikipedia

The current palace was built on the site of the former Tre Kroner Castle, built in the 13th century. Nearly all of the palace was destroyed by fire in 1697, other than the Northern wing which had just recently been altered. Plans were immediately drawn up to rebuild the palace, with the expectation of taking 5 years. Needless to say, it was nearly 60 years before the Palace was completed and the royal family could take up residence. In 1754, King Adolf Fredrik and Queen Louisa Ulrika and their family moved into the newly finished palace, taking up residence in what is now known as The Bernadotte Apartments in the Northern wing.

The Palace is constructed with four main wings surrounding an inner courtyard. There are also two wings that protrude from the eastern side, and one off the western side. In addition, two rounded wings next to the western side form the outer courtyard.

The Northern Wing

Northern Wing. source: Wikipedia, Holger.Ellgaard

The Northern wing, which faces the buildings of the Swedish Riksdag (parliament), contains the Bernadotte Apartments on the first floor, and the State Apartments on the second floor. It also features the Tre Kroner Museum (in the basement of both the Northern and Western wings).

The Bernadotte Apartments were the apartments of the Sovereign from 1754 until 1907. At that time, the new King Gustav V chose not to use the Bernadotte apartments upon his accession, instead taking rooms on the second floor of the Eastern wing, now known as Prince Bertil’s Apartments. The Bernadotte Apartments are now used occasionally for State functions as well as private affairs.

"Pelarsalen 800p 2011" by Holger.Ellgaard - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pelarsalen_800p_2011.jpg#/media/File:Pelarsalen_800p_2011.jpg

The Pillar Hall, The Bernadotte Apartments. source: Wikipedia, Holger.Ellgaard

Included in the Bernadotte Apartments are:

  • The Pillar Hall — this was originally King Adolf Fredrik’s dining room, situated on the northeast corner of the apartments. Its name comes from the pillars which flank all four walls of the room.
  • The Victoria Salon — named for the statue of Victoria, goddess of victory, which previously stood in the room
  • The East and West Octagonal Cabinets — often used for ambassadors presenting their credentials to The King and other official presentations
  • The Bernadotte Gallery — contains portraits of many of the Bernadotte rulers of Sweden and their families
  • The Carl XVI Gustaf Jubilee Room — recently redone in honor of the King’s 40th Jubilee
  • Queen Louisa Ulrika’s Audience Room
  • Queen Louisa Ulrika’s Dining Room
Karl XI Gallery. photo: © Susan Flantzer

Karl XI Gallery, The State Apartments. photo: © Susan Flantzer

The State Apartments, on the second floor of the Northern wing, were originally designed to be the residence of the Sovereign. However, upon taking up residence in the newly rebuilt palace, King Adolf Fredrik chose instead to use the rooms on the floor below (now known as the Bernadotte Apartments). Comprised of about 10 rooms, these rooms are now used for State functions and private events, including the wedding banquet for Prince Carl Philip and Sofia Hellqvist in June 2015.

Vita Havet (White Sea Ballroom), photo: © Susan Flantzer

Vita Havet (White Sea Ballroom), photo: © Susan Flantzer

Included in the State Apartments are:

  • The Cabinet Room — used for the Sovereign’s meetings with the Prime Minister and other members of the government
  • The Audience Room — traditionally used by the King to receive foreign ambassadors, although since 2000 this usually takes place in one of the octagonal cabinets in the Bernadotte Apartments
  • Gustav III’s State Bedchamber
  • Karl XI’s Gallery
  • Sofia Magdalena’s State Bedchamber
  • The Don Quixote Salon — gets its name from the woven wallpaper depicting the story of Don Quixote. This was given to King Gustav III in 1784 by King Louis XVI of France
  • Vita Havet (White Sea Ballroom) — this is the palace’s ballroom and is used for larger functions. The wedding banquet for Prince Carl Philip was held here in 2015, and it was used for dancing following the 2010 wedding of Crown Princess Victoria and Daniel Westling.

Tre Kroner Museum. source: Wikipedia, Holger.Ellgaard

The Tre Kroner Museum is located in the basement in the Northern and Western wings. Part of the museum is housed in the original palace kitchens, some of the only rooms which survived the fire in 1697. Here you find information about the original palace, with 3D models and various artifacts.

The Eastern Wing

Eastern wing. source: Wikipedia, Holger.Ellgaard

The Eastern wing, facing the water, includes Princess Sibylla’s Apartments on the first floor, and Prince Bertil’s Apartments on the second floor. The Royal Armory is located in the basement.

Princess Sibylla’s Apartments, named after the current King’s mother, had previously been the private apartments of Queen Victoria, wife of King Gustaf V. From their marriage until Gustav’s accession, the couple shared this apartment. Following his accession, King Gustaf V took the rooms directly above while Queen Victoria remained here until her death in 1930.

In 1950, upon the accession of her father-in-law, King Gustaf VI Adolf, Princess Sibylla and her five children moved from their home at Haga Palace, and took up residence in this suite of rooms, remaining there until her death in 1972. The rooms then became the primary residence of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia from their marriage until moving to Drottningholm Palace in 1981. Today, these rooms remain the private apartments of the King and Queen and are used as everyday reception rooms.

View image | gettyimages.com

One of the rooms often seen is the Blue Salon. It was here in 1976 that the engagement of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Silvia Sommerlath was announced, and again in 2009 for Crown Princess Victoria and Daniel Westling.

A meeting behind held in Prince Bertil's Apartments. source: Swedish Royal Court

A meeting held in Prince Bertil’s Apartments. source: Swedish Royal Court

Prince Bertil’s Apartments are on the second floor of the eastern wing and are named for the King’s uncle, Prince Bertil, Duke of Halland. These rooms have typically been used as a royal residence, most recently for Prince Bertil until his death in 1997. They are now used primarily for meetings and seminars, and occasionally to house visitors in conjunction with State or official visits.

The Royal Armory. source: Wikipedia Commons, Livrustkammaren (The Royal Armory)/Göran Schmidt

The Royal Armory is housed primarily in the basement of the Eastern Wing. It contains countless artifacts including a large collection of armor, as well as clothing, jewelry, and artwork.  Also on display are several carriages used by the Royal Family in the past.  

The Northeastern wing, source: Wikipedia

There are also two smaller wings that extend off the Eastern wing. The Northeast wing contains the Bernadotte Library on the ground floor and Gustav III’s Museum of Antiquities in the basement.  The Southeast wing contains part of the Royal Armory.

The Bernadotte Library. source: Swedish Royal Court

The Bernadotte Library. source: Swedish Royal Court

The Bernadotte Library is the private research library of the Bernadotte sovereigns.  Containing over 100,000 books, over 1 million photographs and a large collection of sheet music.  The library is occasionally used for events, such as small concerts and exhibitions, and can be visited by appointment for purposes of research.  The space was originally used, in 1796, to house the Swedish National Library, which moved to a larger space in 1877.  After several years used by the Royal Armory, the King’s Library was established in the space following the death of King Oscar II in 1907.  The name was later changed to The Bernadotte Library.

Gustav III's Museum of Antiquities, source: Swedish Royal Court

Gustav III’s Museum of Antiquities, source: Swedish Royal Court

Gustav III’s Museum of Antiquities is the oldest public museum in Sweden, having first been opened (in its present location) in 1794 to display a vast collection of antique sculptures that had been collected by King Gustav III.  Through the years, the museum was moved several times but returned to the northeast wing in 1958.

The Southern Wing

The Southern wing. source: Wikipedia

The Southern wing is perhaps the one most often seen in connection with special occasions, both official and private. The wing contains the Hall of State and the Royal Chapel spanning three floors, and the Treasury which is found in the basement.

King Oscar II opening Parliament, 1898, in the Hall of State. source: Wikipedia

The Hall of State was originally used for the Opening of Parliament each year, beginning in 1755. This continued until 1975 when the event was moved to the neighboring Parliament building.  Today, the Hall is used for official and ceremonial functions.  This was the site of the wedding banquet in 2010 for Crown Princess Victoria and Daniel Westling.

The Hall of State. photo: ©Susan Flantzer

The Hall of State. photo: ©Susan Flantzer

At the far end sits a silver throne, given to Queen Cristina for her coronation in 1650.   

 

The Royal Chapel (seen above at the 2013 funeral of Princess Lilian, Duchess of Halland) has been in use since the Palace was built in 1754.  It is the third chapel, the first going back to the late 1200s.  The second was in the northern wing of the Tre Kroner Palace which was destroyed by fire in 1697.  Many of the fittings, including some of the benches, were saved from the fire and are in use today.  The chapel is used as a parish church for members of the Royal Court and their families and is also open to the public.  It has also been used for many weddings, christenings, and funerals.

The Treasury. source: Swedish Royal Court

The Treasury. source: Swedish Royal Court

The Treasury, located below the Hall of State, in the basement of the Southern wing, contains the Swedish Regalia and Crown Jewels. Included are Gustaf Vasa’s Sword of State, Eric XIV’s crown, scepter, and orb, and Louisa Ulrika’s crown, as well as the silver baptismal font made in 1696 and still used for royal baptisms.

The Western Wing

The Western wing. source: Wikipedia, Holger.Ellgaard

The Western wing includes the Apartments of the Orders of Chivalry on the first floor and the Guest Apartments on the second floor.

The Apartments of the Orders of Chivalry consist of four rooms, each dedicated to one of the Orders of Chivalry: the Order of the Seraphim, the Order of the Sword, the Order of the Polar Star, and the Order of Vasa. Originally these rooms were used by the Privy Council, and from 1789 until 1949, housed the Swedish Supreme Court.

The Empire Salon, The Guest Apartments. source: Wikipedia

The Guest Apartments, on the second floor, are used for visiting Heads of State in conjunction with State visits to Sweden. Included is the Margareta Room, named for Crown Princess Margareta (born Princess Margaret of Connaught), and features several of her paintings.

"Kunliga slottet 2 copy1" by Grishasergei - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kunliga_slottet_2_copy1.jpg#/media/File:Kunliga_slottet_2_copy1.jpg

Western wing and Outer Courtyard. source: Wikipedia

Off the Western wing is an extension built onto the northern side of the outer courtyard. This is known as the Chancery Wing. (upper left in the photo above)

Originally intended for use by the Royal Chancery, the northwest wing was used as a guardhouse, and housed offices and the Swedish National Archives. In 1780 it was converted into a royal apartment for the future King Gustav IV Adolf. It was later the apartments of Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf (Gustaf VI Adolf) from 1905, and he continued to live there until his death in 1973.  Today it houses the palace archives.

Flanking the outer courtyard are two curved buildings, which house the Royal Guard and the Royal Gift Shop.  The Royal Guard has been stationed at the palace, and its predecessor, since 1523, and are charged with guarding the Royal Palace and Drottningholm Palace, as well as providing a Guard of Honor for The King.  Each day, the changing of the guard takes place in the outer courtyard of the Palace.  In the summer months, this includes a parade through Stockholm with a military band.

Learn more about the other Swedish Royal Residences here!

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.

July 1915: Royalty and World War I

by Susan Flantzer


Two sons of British peers died at the very end of July 1915, one in battle and the other of typhoid fever while serving with the Serbian Relief Fund in Serbia because he was not medically fit for active service.

gerald grenfell

The Honorable Gerald William Grenfell ; Photo Credit – http://photos.geni.com

The Honorable Gerald William Grenfell, known as William or Billy, was born in London on March 29, 1890. He was the second of the five children and the second of the three sons of William Henry Grenfell, 1st Baron Desborough,  and Ethel Anne Priscilla Fane, daughter of the diplomat Julian Fane.  His elder brother, the war poet The Honorable Julian Grenfell, died from battle wounds on May 26, 1915 and was featured in May 1915: Royalty and World War I.  His younger brother The Honorable Ivo George Grenfell, died in 1926 as the result of a car accident. The title, Baron Desborough, became extinct upon the death of their father, the 1st Baron Desborough, in 1945.

Billy attended Oxford University and served as a Second Lieutenant in the 8th Battalion of Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort’s Own)  in the British Army. He was killed on July 30, 1915 at the age of 25 leading a charge near Hooge, a small village east of Ypres in the Flemish province of West-Vlaanderen in Belgium, within a mile of where Julian had been mortally wounded. Billy has no known grave, but is memorialized on the Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing in Ypres, Belgium, dedicated to the British and Commonwealth soldiers who were killed in the Ypres Salient of World War I and whose graves are unknown.

Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Like his brother Julian, Billy is also considered a British War Poet.  Along with his brother, Billy was featured in The Muse in Arms, an anthology of British war poetry published in November 1917.  Billy’s poem is a memorial to his friend The Honorable John Neville Manners, the eldest son of John Manners-Sutton, 3rd Baron Manners,  who died in 1914 during the early weeks of the war. The poem is one of the nine poems in the In Memoriam section of The Muse in Arms.

To John
(The Hon. John Manners)
by William Grenfell

O heart-and-soul and careless played
Our little band of brothers,
And never recked the time would come
To change our games for others.
It’s joy for those who played with you
To picture now what grace
Was in your mind and single heart
And in your radiant face.
Your light-foot strength by flood and field
For England keener glowed;
To whatsoever things are fair
We know, through you, the road;
Nor is our grief the less thereby;
O swift and strong and dear, good-bye.

grenfell memorial

Memorial to Gerald William Grenfell and his brother Julian near their family home; Photo Credit – www.grenfellhistory.co.uk

 

The Honorable Richard Chichester, the youngest son of Arthur Henry Chichester, 3rd Lord Templemore and his second wife Alice Dawkins was born on April 4, 1889. He was educated at Harrow School in London, England and graduated from Christ Church, Oxford University in 1910 with a Bachelor of Arts. Richard had been pronounced medically unfit for active service. However, he still wanted to serve in the war effort. In November 1914, he went to Serbia as acting honorary secretary to the first hospital unit of the Serbian Relief Fund, founded by Dame Louise Paget, Lady Paget, a British humanitarian. For his services in Serbia, Richard was given the honorary rank of Captain in the Serbian Army. He was planning to go home on leave, to try to persuade the army doctors to approve him for active service, when he caught a virulent form of typhoid fever and died in nine days, on July 31, 1915.

Petar Mirkovie, member of the Municipality of Novi Bazar, Serbia, sent this telegram to Lady Paget : “In the name of the citizens of Novi Bazar, I beg you to accept my deepest sympathy, learning the news of the sudden death of our young and noble Richard Chichester, who came to Serbia under pressure of his love for right, and far away from his own country left his life on this field of duty.”

Lady Paget wrote of Richard: “His devoted work of the previous winter, and his unfailing energy and courtesy, had endeared him to a far wider circle even than that with which he came into personal contact. For myself, I cannot express the value of his efficient and sympathetic help, nor what his loss meant to us. There was no member of the unit whose absence could have left a greater gap, or whose presence during the indescribable difficulties of the following winter would have been a more effective aid to us all.”

www.rastko.rs: British Medical Missions in Serbia 1914-1915

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Timeline: July 1, 1915 – July 31, 1915

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A Note About German Titles

Most of the royals who died in action during World War I were German. 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.  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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July 1915 – Royals/Nobles/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.

The Honorable Gerald William Grenfell

The Honorable Richard Chichester

  • son of Arthur Henry Chichester, 3rd Lord Templemore and his second wife Alice Dawkins
  • born April 4, 1889
  • died of typhoid fever July 31, 1915 in Niš, Serbia while working for the Serbian Relief Fund, age 26
  • http://www.thepeerage.com/p25003.htm#i250025

Alexandrine of Baden, Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2015

Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld/Saxe-Coburg and Gotha: In 1675, Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg died. Initially, his seven sons collectively governed the Duchy of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, as set out in their father’s will. In 1680, the seven brothers concluded a treaty of separation, with each brother getting a portion of the Duchy of Saxe-Gotha Altenburg and becoming a Duke. One of the seven new duchies was the Duchy of Saxe-Saalfeld and Johann Ernst, one of the seven sons of Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg became the first Duke of Saxe-Saalfeld.  When two of his brothers died without male heirs, Johann Ernst took possession of Coburg (in 1699) and Römhild (in 1714). In 1699, Johann Ernst’s title changed to Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld.

In 1825, 145 years after the initial split, another line became extinct and there was another split between three surviving duchies. Ernst III, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld became Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. For more information on the switch, see Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld/Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Index.

On November 9, 1918, after the German Empire lost World War I, the Workers’ and Soldiers Council of Gotha, deposed the last Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Charles Edward, a grandson of Queen Victoria.  Five days later, he signed a declaration relinquishing his rights to the throne. The territory that encompassed the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha is now in the German states of Bavaria and Thuringia.

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Alexandrine of Baden, Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha; Credit – Wikipedia

Alexandrine of Baden (Alexandrine Luise Amalie Friederike Elisabeth Sophie) was born Karlsruhe, Grand Duchy of Baden, Karlsruhe, Grand Duchy of Baden, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, on December 6, 1820. She was the eldest of the eight children of Leopold I, Grand Duke of Baden and Princess Sophie of Sweden.

Alexandrine had seven siblings:

Alexandrine, standing next to her mother, with four of her siblings; Credit – Wikipedia

Alexandrine was first courted by the future Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia. He visited her in Baden and preliminary marriage negotiations took place. However, on his way home to Russia, Alexander visited Hesse-Darmstadt and met Princess Marie of Hesse and by Rhine who was eventually his bride. On May 13, 1842, in Karlsruhe, Baden (now in Germany) Alexandrine married the future Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Before the marriage, Ernst was suffering from a venereal disease as a result of his many affairs. He had been warned that continued promiscuity could leave him unable to father children. Ernst had at least three illegitimate children, but his marriage was childless, perhaps due to Ernst passing the venereal disease to Alexandrine causing her to become infertile. Alexandrine was loyal and devoted to her husband despite his infidelities and believed that their lack of children was her fault.

Alexandrine, Painting by Franz Winterhalter, 1842; Credit – Wikipedia

After his marriage, Ernst continued to have affairs that Alexandrine apparently accepted. At one point, Ernst had two mistresses living with him and Alexandrine. Ernst’s sister-in-law Queen Victoria could not understand how Alexandrine accepted this and wrote to one of her children, “Uncle E.’s conduct is perfectly monstrous and I must blame Aunt very much. They have not written to me yet – but when they do I shall have to write very strongly.”

On January 29, 1844, Ernst’s father died and he became Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Ernst was not well-loved by his people, but Alexandrine was. She supported many charities including the Ernst Foundation for needy students. During the Franco-German War, Alexandrine worked with the Red Cross dealing with the German wounded soldiers. For her work, she was awarded the Bavarian Order of Theresa and the Prussian Order of Louise. Alexandrine founded the Gymnasium Alexandrinum, an all-girls school that was funded by her school foundation. Upon her death, she left 620,000 marks from her personal assets for the good of the people of Coburg.

Alexandrine (in black) with the family of Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha; Credit – Wikipedia

Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha died after a short illness at the age of 75 at Schloss Reinhardsbrunn in Coburg on August 22, 1893. Alexandrine survived him by eleven years, dying at Schloss Callenberg in Coburg, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, now in Bavaria, Germany on December 20, 1904, at the age of 84. She was buried in the Ducal Mausoleum in the Glockenberg Cemetery in Coburg.

Ducal Mausoleum in Glockenberg Cemetery; 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.

Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld/Saxe-Coburg and Gotha: In 1675, Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg died. Initially, his seven sons collectively governed the Duchy of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, as set out in their father’s will. In 1680, the seven brothers concluded a treaty of separation, with each brother getting a portion of the Duchy of Saxe-Gotha Altenburg and becoming a Duke. One of the seven new duchies was the Duchy of Saxe-Saalfeld and Johann Ernst, one of the seven sons of Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg became the first Duke of Saxe-Saalfeld.  When two of his brothers died without male heirs, Johann Ernst took possession of Coburg (in 1699) and Römhild (in 1714). In 1699, Johann Ernst’s title changed to Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld.

In 1825, 145 years after the initial split, another line became extinct and there was another split between three surviving duchies. Ernst III, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld became Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. For more information on the switch, see Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld/Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Index.

On November 9, 1918, after the German Empire lost World War I, the Workers’ and Soldiers Council of Gotha, deposed the last Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Charles Edward, a grandson of Queen Victoria.  Five days later, he signed a declaration relinquishing his rights to the throne. The territory that encompassed the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha is now in the German states of Bavaria and Thuringia.

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Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha; Credit – Wikipedia

Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was born on June 21, 1818, at Ehrenburg Palace in Coburg, Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, now in Bavaria, Germany. He was the elder of the two sons of Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and his first wife Louise of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg. Ernst had one brother:

Ernst (right) with his younger brother Albert and his mother Louise; Credit – Wikipedia

Since Ernst II and Albert were close in age, they were also close companions during childhood. However, their childhood was marred by their parents’ disastrous marriage, separation, and divorce. Ernst II’s mother and father were very different and drifted apart soon after Albert’s birth. Ernst I was a notorious womanizer, and as a result, his young wife Louise (who was 17 years younger than her husband) sought consolation with Baron Alexander von Hanstein, the Duke’s equerry. Louise was exiled from court in 1824 and divorced in March 1826. Seven months later, Louise secretly married von Hanstein. She died in 1831 at the age of 30 from cancer. After Louise’s exile from the court in 1824, she probably never saw her sons again. In 1831, Ernst I married again to Duchess Marie of Württemberg, his niece, the daughter of his sister Antoinette. Ernst I and Marie had no children but Marie had a good relationship with her two stepsons who were also her first cousins.

Ernst II and his brother Albert were first educated at home by a caring tutor, Johann Christoph Florschütz. Florschütz supervised the brothers over the next 15 years and was their primary caregiver. The brothers had lessons in German, Latin, English, French, history, science, philosophy, and geography. Their father often took lunch with his sons and occasionally took them hunting, but played only a minor role in their education. From June 1836 – April 1837, Ernst II studied mathematics, philosophy, foreign languages, and public and constitutional doctrine with private tutors in Brussels, Belgium, where his paternal uncle was King Leopold I of the Belgians. He then studied at the University of Bonn, which many German princes attended. While at the University of Bonn, Ernst II studied law and philosophy. In Dresden, Kingdom of Saxony, Ernst II received a military education with the Royal Saxon Guards Cavalry.

Ernst II in 1842; Credit – Wikipedia

At the urging of his brother Albert, who had married Queen Victoria in 1840, Ernst II began his search for a bride. He was suffering from a venereal disease as a result of his many affairs and had been warned that continued promiscuity could leave him unable to father children.  However, he did not have an affair with Harriet Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, Duchess of Sutherland as depicted in the television series Victoria. The real Harriet was twelve years older than Ernst II and her husband George Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 2nd Duke of Sutherland did not die until 1861. Harriet and her husband had a successful, loving marriage and had eleven children.

On May 13, 1842, in Karlsruhe, Grand Duchy of Baden, now in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, Ernst II married Princess Alexandrine of Baden, the daughter of Leopold I, Grand Duke of Baden and Princess Sophie of Sweden.  Ernst II had at least three illegitimate children, but his marriage was childless, perhaps due to his passing the venereal disease to Alexandrine causing her to become infertile. Alexandrine was loyal and devoted to her husband despite his infidelities and believed their lack of children was her fault.

Alexandrine in 1842, painted by Franz Winterhalter; Credit – Wikipedia

On January 29, 1844, Ernst II’s father died and he became Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Ernst II had financial difficulties throughout his reign due to his extravagance. In 1852, the constitutions of Coburg and Gotha merged into one constitution, converting the personal union of the two duchies into a real union. Ernst II was against his nephew Edward, Prince of Wales (Bertie) marrying Princess Alexandra of Denmark due to the Schleswig-Holstein Question, the relation of two duchies, Schleswig and Holstein to the Danish crown and the German Confederation. He had a reputation for being a strong friend of the United States. However, Ernst II was the only European sovereign to appoint an ambassador to the Confederate States of America. In 1862, after Otto of Bavaria, King of Greece was deposed, Ernst II was considered as Otto’s replacement. Eventually, the Princess of Wales’ younger brother Prince William of Denmark would become King George I of Greece. Ernst II was in favor of a German unified, federal state and supported Prussia in the Austro-Prussian and Franco-Prussian Wars. In 1871, he was on the podium in the Hall of Mirrors in the Palace of Versailles when King Wilhelm I of Prussia was proclaimed German Emperor.

The Proclamation of the German Emperor by Anton von Werner, Ernst II in the white uniform on the podium on the far left; Credit – Wikipedia

Ernst II was an excellent musician, an amateur composer, and a great patron of the arts and sciences in Coburg. He was the friend and patron of the German writer Gustav Freytag and the “Waltz King” Johann Strauss. From February to May 1862, Ernst II took a trip to Africa with travel writer Friedrich Gerstäcker and the zoologist Alfred Brehm and described his experiences in a book. Ernst II enriched the art collection at the Veste Coburg and Schloss Friedenstein in Gotha and the collection became part of the Ducal Museum in Gotha.

Although Queen Victoria loved Ernst II because he was her dear Albert’s brother, he annoyed her. In 1891, when Victoria and Ernst II met in France, one of the Queen’s ladies-in-waiting wrote “…the old Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha has been here today with his wife. He is the Prince Consort’s only brother and an awful looking man, the Queen dislikes him particularly. He is always writing anonymous pamphlets against the Queen and Empress Frederick, which naturally creates a great deal of annoyance in the family…” Queen Marie of Romania, born Princess Marie of Edinburgh, said of her great uncle, he is “… an old beau, squeezed into a frock-coat too tight for his bulk and uncomfortably pinched in at the waist’, sporting a top hat, lemon coloured gloves, and a rosebud in his lapel.”

The Duke and Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in 1893; Credit – Wikipedia

Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha died after a short illness at the age of 75 at Schloss Reinhardsbrunn in Coburg, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, now in Bavaria, Germany, on August 22, 1893. Thousands of people came to view the funeral procession. He was buried in the Ducal Mausoleum in the Glockenberg Cemetery in Coburg. Ernst was succeeded by his nephew Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh.

Ducal Mausoleum in Glockenberg Cemetery; Credit – Wikipedia

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Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld/Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Marie of Württemberg, Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2015

Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld/Saxe-Coburg and Gotha: In 1675, Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg died. Initially, his seven sons collectively governed the Duchy of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, as set out in their father’s will. In 1680, the seven brothers concluded a treaty of separation, with each brother getting a portion of the Duchy of Saxe-Gotha Altenburg and becoming a Duke. One of the seven new duchies was the Duchy of Saxe-Saalfeld and Johann Ernst, one of the seven sons of Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg became the first Duke of Saxe-Saalfeld.  When two of his brothers died without male heirs, Johann Ernst took possession of Coburg (in 1699) and Römhild (in 1714). In 1699, Johann Ernst’s title changed to Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld.

In 1825, 145 years after the initial split, another line became extinct and there was another split between three surviving duchies. Ernst III, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld became Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. For more information on the switch, see Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld/Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Index.

On November 9, 1918, after the German Empire lost World War I, the Workers’ and Soldiers Council of Gotha, deposed the last Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Charles Edward, a grandson of Queen Victoria.  Five days later, he signed a declaration relinquishing his rights to the throne. The territory that encompassed the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha is now in the German states of Bavaria and Thuringia.

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Marie of Württemberg, Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha; Credit – Wikipedia

Marie of Württemberg (Antoinette Friederike Auguste Marie Ann) was the second wife and the niece of Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Born on September 17, 1799, in Coburg, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, now in Bavaria, Germany, she was the eldest child and the only daughter of Duke Alexander of Württemberg and Antoinette of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld.  Marie had four brothers, but only two survived childhood. Marie and her brothers were first cousins of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.

  • Paul of Württemberg (1800–1801)
  • Alexander of Württemberg (1804-1881), married (1) Marie d’Orléans, daughter of Louis-Philippe I, King of the French, had one son; (2) Katharine Amalie Pfennigkaüfer, no issue
  • Ernest of Württemberg (1807–1868), married Nathalie Eschborn, had one daughter
  • Friedrich Wilhelm Ferdinand of Württemberg (1810 – 1815)

Marie’s first three years were spent at Schloss Fantaisie in Bayreuth, Bavaria (Germany). Her paternal aunt Sophie Dorothea of Württemberg (known as Maria Feodorovna after her marriage) was the second wife of Paul I, Emperor of All Russia. After serving in the Württemberg and Austrian armies, Marie’s father joined the Imperial Russian Army as a Lieutenant General and commander of the Riga Cuirassier Regiment. As a result, Marie lived on an estate at Mitau in present-day Latvia and in a palace in St. Petersburg, Russia from 1802-1832.

On December 23, 1832, Marie married her uncle Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha at Schloss Ehrenburg in Coburg. The groom was 48 and the bride was 33. Ernst had been anxious to find a new bride after the death of his first, estranged wife, Louise of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg. However, Ernst’s age and his negative reputation left him with limited choices for a bride. His mother Augusta, Dowager Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha arranged the marriage between her son and her granddaughter. After her marriage, Marie was not only the first cousin but also the stepmother of her husband’s sons from his first marriage, Ernst (later Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha) and Albert (later husband of Queen Victoria). Marie and Ernst had no children, but Marie had a good relationship with her stepsons and maintained a correspondence with Albert throughout their lives.

Marie was interested in literature, music, theater, art, and education. The newly built Landestheater Coburg opened on her 41st birthday. The composer Franz Liszt frequently visited her. In 1836, Marie took over the management of the Gothaer Marien-Institut, a private school for girls. The Marienschulstiftung (Marie School Foundation) opened in 1842 and still runs the kindergarten and nursery school that Marie started.

After Ernst died in 1844, Marie lived in her three dower castles in Gotha, Schloss Reinhardsbrunn, Schloss Friedrichsthal, and Schloss Friedenstein. She returned to Coburg whenever her English relatives visited. Marie died at Schloss Friedenstein in Gotha, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, now in Thuringia, Germany on September 24, 1860, at the age of 61 and was buried in the Ducal Mausoleum in the Glockenberg Cemetery in Coburg, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, now in Bavaria, Germany.

The Ducal Mausoleum in the Glockenberg Cemetery. photo: by Störfix – Selbst fotografiert, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4010189

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.

Louise of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, Duchess of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2015

Louise of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, Duchess of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld; Credit – Wikipedia

The mother of Prince Albert, Queen Victoria’s husband, Princess Louise of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg (Luise Pauline Charlotte Friederike Auguste) was born on December 21, 1800, at Schloss Friedenstein in Gotha, Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, now in Thuringia, Germany. Louise was the only child of Augustus, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg and his first wife Louise Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Louise’s mother never recovered from childbirth and died eleven days later at the age of 21.

Louise’s father Augustus married again in 1802 to Princess Karoline Amalie of Hesse-Kassel.  The marriage was childless, but Karoline Amalie was a devoted stepmother to Louise. Karoline Amalie and Augustus became estranged after a few years of marriage and Karoline Amalie withdrew from court life.

On December 20, 1816, the engagement of Louise and Ernst III, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (later Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha) was announced. The couple married on July 3, 1817, at Louise’s birthplace Schloss Friedenstein. The bride was 16 and the groom was 33. There is some indication that Louise had heard about Ernst’s womanizing before her marriage and his several illegitimate children, but she was optimistic about a happy life with him.

The couple had two sons:

Albert (left) and Ernst (right) with their mother Louise; Credit – Wikipedia

Although the marriage was initially happy, the couple soon grew apart due to Ernst’s infidelities. In 1823, Louise had an affair with Gottfried von Bülow, the court chamberlain. The following year, she had an affair with Alexander von Hanstein, one of her husband’s equerries. At midnight on September 2, 1824, Louise was forced into exile and permanently cut off from her children. She was given a home in St. Wendel in the Principality of Lichtenberg, now in the German state of Saarland, which Ernst had received as a reward for his participation in the Napoleonic Wars. Louise suffered greatly due to her separation from her two sons. Images of her sons and visitation rights were denied to her. Ernst and Louise were divorced on March 31, 1826.

Louise’s lover, Freiherr (Baron) Alexander von Hanstein followed her to St. Wendel, and the couple planned to marry. In preparation for the marriage, Friedrich, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg created Alexander Graf (Count) von Pölzig and Beiersdorf on July 19, 1826. On October 18, 1826, Alexander and Louise were married in St. Wendel. They resided in the Schlösschen (Little Palace) there and spent some happy years, but the marriage was childless. Louise had a great interest in the social life of the Principality of Lichtenberg and was revered as its Landesmutter (mother of the country).

Bronze statue of Louise at the St. Wendel town hall; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

On February 16, 1831, Louise traveled with her husband to see doctors in Paris, France because of the deterioration of her health. Unfortunately, incurable cervical cancer was diagnosed. Louise died on August 30, 1831, in Paris at the age of 30. Louise’s embalmed body had been kept at the Schlösschen (Little Palace) in St. Wendel, but then, as a result of intrigues within the House of Saxe-Coburg, it somehow disappeared. First, the coffin found its way to a legal assistant’s house, and then in 1833 to the church in the village of Pfeffelbach in the Principality of Lichtenberg, where it lay in a simple crypt under the pulpit and was almost forgotten. On June 9, 1846, Louise’s coffin was taken to Coburg, where it stayed at the Church of St. Moritz, before being moved to the Ducal Mausoleum in Glockenberg Cemetery in 1860.

Louise’s widower Alexander remarried and had three children. In 1845, Alexander contacted his stepson Prince Albert, who in the meantime had married Queen Victoria, and Albert granted him a pension.

The Ducal Mausoleum in the Glockenberg Cemetery. photo: by Störfix – Selbst fotografiert, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4010189

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Death of James Carnegie, 3rd Duke of Fife, 12th Earl of Southesk, 2nd cousin of Queen Elizabeth II

The Duke in front of Elsick House (photograph by Allan Warren, 1984); Photo Credit – Wikipedia

A great grandson of King Edward VII, James Carnegie, 3rd Duke of Fife and 12th Earl of Southesk, died on June 22, 2015 at the age of 85. He was born on September 23, 1929, the only child of Princess Maud of Fife and Charles Carnegie, 11th Earl of Southesk. Princess Maud was the younger of the two daughters of Princess Louise, Princess Royal (daughter of King Edward VII) and Alexander Duff, 1st Duke of Fife.

Long-term medication is not the only way viagra store usa to cure erectile dysfunction. Money are spent on CDs claiming to contain subliminal messages which discounts on cialis http://djpaulkom.tv/crakd-gravy-on-everything/ can help anyone to quit addictions, improve capabilities and alter personalities, just by listening to those CDs. One can easily get Kamagra online by placing an prices viagra generic order or you can also send your purchase request via post. If you do something complicated, you may need 6″, leaving 2″ for “other stuff.” As we age, our body undergoes constant wear and tear. http://djpaulkom.tv/author/saybz/page/8/ viagra sildenafil canada In 1959, James Carnegie succeeded his maternal aunt, Princess Arthur of Connaught, 2nd Duchess of Fife, as the 3rd Duke of Fife, because her only child, Alastair, 2nd Duke of Connaught, had predeceased her. James also succeeded his father upon his death in 1992 as the 12th Earl of Southesk and as Chief of the Clan Carnegie. Until his death, he was the first person in the line of succession to the British throne who was not a descendant of King George V. His son David Carnegie succeeds him as the 4th Duke of Fife and the 13th Earl of Southesk.
Wikipedia: James Carnegie, 3rd Duke of Fife
Telegraph: The Duke of Fife – Obituary

Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2015

Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld/Saxe-Coburg and Gotha: In 1675, Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg died. Initially, his seven sons collectively governed the Duchy of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, as set out in their father’s will. In 1680, the seven brothers concluded a treaty of separation, with each brother getting a portion of the Duchy of Saxe-Gotha Altenburg and becoming a Duke. One of the seven new duchies was the Duchy of Saxe-Saalfeld and Johann Ernst, one of the seven sons of Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg became the first Duke of Saxe-Saalfeld.  When two of his brothers died without male heirs, Johann Ernst took possession of Coburg (in 1699) and Römhild (in 1714). In 1699, Johann Ernst’s title changed to Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld.

In 1825, 145 years after the initial split, another line became extinct and there was another split between three surviving duchies. Ernst III, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld became Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. For more information on the switch, see Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld/Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Index.

On November 9, 1918, after the German Empire lost World War I, the Workers’ and Soldiers Council of Gotha, deposed the last Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Charles Edward, a grandson of Queen Victoria.  Five days later, he signed a declaration relinquishing his rights to the throne. The territory that encompassed the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha is now in the German states of Bavaria and Thuringia.

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Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha; Credit – Wikipedia

Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (Ernst Anton Karl Ludwig) was born January 2, 1784, in Coburg, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, now in Bavaria, Germany. He was the eldest son of Franz Friedrich Anton, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld and Augusta of Reuss-Ebersdorf.

Ernst had eight siblings:

Because his sister had married into the Russian Imperial Family, Ernst received commissions as colonel and general of Russian army regiments. On May 10, 1803, Ernst was legally declared an adult so he could participate in the duchy’s government as his father was seriously ill. In October of 1806, Ernst fought on the Prussian side in the Battle of Jena-Auerstedt which pitted the forces of Emperor Napoleon I of France and King Frederick William III of Prussia against each other. The loss suffered by the Prussian army subjugated the Kingdom of Prussia to the French Empire for six years.

Ernst’s father died on December 9, 1806, and Ernst succeeded him as Ernst III, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. However, as Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld was occupied by Napoleon’s troops and under French administration, Ernst could not gain control of the government. In 1807, with the help of Russia, the Treaties of Tilsit restored control of the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld to Ernst.

Ernst served as a general in the Prussian Army and participated in campaigns against Napoleon. After the Napoleonic Wars, Ernst worked on rebuilding the duchy. In 1821, he gave the country a new constitution. He promoted science and the arts and built theaters in Coburg and Gotha. Ernst oversaw romantic neo-Gothic renovations to the castles Rosenau, Ehrenburg, Callenberg, and Reinhardsbrunn and established the English-style landscape park at the castles.

Ernst was long content with bachelorhood until his mother insisted he marry to provide the duchy with heirs. Ernst considered several candidates for marriage, including some of the daughters of Paul, Emperor of All Russia, but settled on Princess Louise of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, the only child and heiress of Augustus, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg and Louise Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. She was a lively, romantic, and well-educated girl who was excited at the prospect of marrying Ernst, whom she thought was handsome and kind. There is some indication that Louise had heard about Ernst’s womanizing (and his several illegitimate children) before her marriage, she was optimistic about a happy life with him.

Ernst was her distant cousin and 33 years old to Louise’s 16 at the time of the wedding. The match was arranged by Ernst’s mother to bring Louise’s territory of Gotha to the duchy. Due to the Salic Law in force in the duchy, Louise could not rule the territories herself, but a husband or son could claim them on her behalf. Louise also brought a healthy dowry to the marriage, which could be used to restore Saxe-Coburg’s long-faltering finances.

The wedding was held in Gotha on July 3, 1817. The couple had two sons:

Albert (left) and Ernst (right) with their mother Louise; Credit – Wikipedia

Although the marriage was initially happy, the couple soon grew apart due to Ernst’s infidelities. After discovering Louise’s affair with her chamberlain in 1824, Ernst forced Louise out of the duchy. She was exiled and permanently cut off from her children. The couple was officially divorced on March 31, 1826. Louise died of cancer in 1831 at the age of 30.

In 1825, while Ernst and Louise’s divorce proceedings were occurring, Friedrich IV, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, Louise’s uncle, died without an heir. This necessitated a rearrangement of the Ernestine duchies. Ernst received Gotha and ceded Saalfeld to Saxe-Meiningen. He subsequently became Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

On December 23, 1832, Ernst married his niece Marie of Württemberg, the daughter of his sister Antoinette. The couple had no children and had little in common, but Marie had a loving relationship with her stepsons.

Marie of Württemberg; Credit – Wikipedia

Ernst died on January 29, 1844, at Schloss Friedenstein in Gotha, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, now in Thuringia, Germany. He was initially buried in the crypt of the Church of St. Moritz in Coburg, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, now in Bavaria, Germany. In 1860, his remains were re-interred in the Ducal Mausoleum in Glockenberg Cemetery in Coburg

Ducal Mausoleum in Glockenberg Cemetery; 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.

Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld/Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Augusta Reuss of Ebersdorf, Duchess of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2015

Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld/Saxe-Coburg and Gotha: In 1675, Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg died. Initially, his seven sons collectively governed the Duchy of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, as set out in their father’s will. In 1680, the seven brothers concluded a treaty of separation, with each brother getting a portion of the Duchy of Saxe-Gotha Altenburg and becoming a Duke. One of the seven new duchies was the Duchy of Saxe-Saalfeld and Johann Ernst, one of the seven sons of Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg became the first Duke of Saxe-Saalfeld.  When two of his brothers died without male heirs, Johann Ernst took possession of Coburg (in 1699) and Römhild (in 1714). In 1699, Johann Ernst’s title changed to Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld.

In 1825, 145 years after the initial split, another line became extinct and there was another split between three surviving duchies. Ernst III, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld became Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. For more information on the switch, see Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld/Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Index.

On November 9, 1918, after the German Empire lost World War I, the Workers’ and Soldiers Council of Gotha, deposed the last Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Charles Edward, a grandson of Queen Victoria.  Five days later, he signed a declaration relinquishing his rights to the throne. The territory that encompassed the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha is now in the German states of Bavaria and Thuringia.

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Augusta Reuss of Ebersdorf, Duchess of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld; Credit – Wikipedia

The grandmother of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and her husband Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Augusta Caroline Sophie was born a Countess Reuss of Ebersdorf on January 19, 1757, in Ebersdorf Castle, in Ebersdorf, County of  Reuss-Ebersdorf, now in Thuringia, Germany. She was the second of the seven children of Heinrich XXIV, Count Reuss of Ebersdorf and Karoline Ernestine of Erbach-Schönberg.

Ebersdorf Castle, Augusta’s birthplace; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Only three of Augusta’s six siblings survived childhood:

Ebersdorf was a center of Pietism in Germany. Pietism was a form of Lutheranism that stressed practicing individual piety and living a strict Christian life, and Augusta’s grandparents were considered ardent admirers of their religion. As a result, Augusta developed a deep religious belief.

Little is known of Augusta’s upbringing, but a portrait exists of Augusta in her youth as Artemisia II of Caria (died 350 BCE), the sister, the wife, and the successor of Mausolus, ruler of Caria. Augusta is the picture of serenity in the portrait with a peaceful smile on her face and her hands and eyes resting on an urn and an accompanying goblet. The painter, German artist Johann Heinrich Tischbein, made his living from painting German nobility and minor royalty. Augusta’s father had the portrait exhibited at the Perpetual Diet of Regensburg, the general assembly of Imperial Estates of the Holy Roman Empire, so potential marriage candidates were aware of his beautiful daughter.

Augusta Reuss of Erbersdorf as Artemisia; Credit – Wikipedia

Franz Friedrich Anton, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld had fallen in love with the beautiful Augusta and had purchased the Artemisia painting for four times the original price. However, he had to marry a relative, Princess Sophie of Saxe-Hildburghausen, but Sophie died seven months after the wedding. On June 13, 1777, in the bride’s hometown of Ebersdorf, Franz married Augusta.

Franz and Augusta had nine children:

Franz Friedrich Anton, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld; Credit – Wikipedia

Like her famous granddaughter Queen Victoria, Augusta kept a detailed journal of her adult life, outlining much of her rather astonishing accomplishments. Her great-granddaughter Princess Beatrice, the youngest child of Queen Victoria, translated and edited the memoirs of her great-grandmother which were published under the title In Napoleonic Times.

At the time of his marriage to Augusta, Franz was an avid collector of art (particularly engravings) and books. When he inherited the dukedom from his father in 1800, Franz inherited the legacy of his father’s poor administration and huge debts. Furthermore, Franz had little aptitude for or interest in running the duchy himself. Franz’s art-buying days were over as the family began a life of aristocratic poverty. Victoria, the future Duchess of Kent, remembered her mother once scolding her for tearing her dress, as there was no money for another.

Augusta may have been the first person to suggest a marriage between two of her grandchildren. In 1821, in a letter to her daughter Victoria, Duchess of Kent, she suggested the possibility of marriage between Victoria’s daughter, the future Queen Victoria, and Albert, the second son of her son Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Victoria and Albert were only two years old at the time.

Augusta did not live long enough to see the marriage of her grandchildren Victoria and Albert. She died in Coburg at the age of 74 on November 16, 1831, five months after the election of her son Leopold as King of the Belgians, and was buried with her husband in a mausoleum in the Coburg Court Garden.

Mausoleum of Franz Friedrich Anton and Augusta; Credit – “Coburg-Hofgarten-Mausoleum” von Störfix. Lizenziert unter CC BY-SA 3.0 über Wikimedia Commons – http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Coburg-Hofgarten-Mausoleum.jpg#/media/File:Coburg-Hofgarten-Mausoleum.jpg

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