Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, Duchess of Kent

by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, Duchess of Kent; Credit – Wikipedia

The mother of Queen Victoria, Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (Marie Louise Victoire), was born on August 17, 1786, in Coburg, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, now in the German state of Bavaria. She was the fourth daughter of the five daughters and seventh child of the ten children of Franz Frederick, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld and Augusta of Reuss-Ebersdorf.

Victoria had nine siblings:

At age 17, on December 21, 1803, Victoria became the second wife of Emich Carl, 2nd Prince of Leiningen, who was 23 years her senior.  Emich Carl died of pneumonia in 1814 and was succeeded by his 10-year-old son Karl.

Victoria and Emich Carl’s children:

In November of 1817, the death in childbirth of Princess Charlotte of Wales, the only legitimate grandchild of King George III, necessitated the marriages of the unmarried sons of King George III to provide an heir to the throne. On May 29, 1818, Prince Edward, Duke of Kent (fourth son of King George III) married the 32-year-old widow Victoria at Schloss Ehrenburg in Coburg. Edward had never married but had lived for 28 years with his mistress Julie de Montgenêt de Saint-Laurent. Upon the couple’s return to England, they had a second marriage ceremony on July 13, 1818, at Kew Palace in the presence of Edward’s ailing mother Queen Charlotte.

In September of 1818, Edward and Victoria set out for Leiningen, where the Duchess of Kent’s young son was the Sovereign Prince. However, when the Duchess became pregnant, they were determined to return to England so the possible heir to the throne would be born there. They took up residence in an apartment at Kensington Palace and it was there that their only child was born on May 24, 1819:

Toward the end of 1819, Edward leased Woolbrook Cottage in Sidmouth, a town on the English Channel, due to the need to economize and for benefits the sea air would have on the Duchess’ health. In early January, Edward caught a cold but insisted on taking a walk in the chilly weather. Within days, the cold worsened, he became feverish and delirious and developed pneumonia. His condition was aggravated by the bleeding and cupping of the physician sent from London to treat him. Edward became increasingly weaker and died on January 23, 1820, just six days before his father King George III died.

After King George III’s death, the infant Victoria was third in the line of succession after her uncles Frederick, Duke of York and William, Duke of Clarence. Neither the new king, George IV, nor his brothers Frederick and William had any heirs, and the Duchess of Kent decided she would take a chance on Victoria’s accession to the throne. The Duchess decided to stay in England rather than return to her homeland.

Victoria and the Duchess of Kent; Credit – Wikipedia

The Duchess of Kent and her daughter Victoria were given little financial support from Parliament. The Duchess’ brother Leopold (the future King Leopold I of the Belgians) was the widower of Princess Charlotte and received a very generous 50,000 pounds per year income from Parliament upon his marriage to Charlotte which was continued after her death. Leopold provided much-needed financial and emotional support to his sister and niece. In 1831, with King George IV dead for a year and his younger brother and heir King William IV still without legitimate issue, Victoria’s status as heir presumptive and her mother’s prospective place as regent led to major increases in income. Uncle Leopold became King of the Belgians in 1831, so an additional consideration was the impropriety of a foreign monarch supporting the heir to the British throne. Leopold had surrendered his British income upon his accession to the Belgian throne.

The Duchess developed a very close relationship with John Conroy, her household comptroller, who wanted to use his position with the mother of the future queen to obtain power and influence. Conroy and the Duchess tried to control and influence Victoria with their Kensington System, a strict and elaborate set of rules. The Duchess’ relationship with her daughter Victoria suffered greatly and did not normalize until Victoria herself had children.

There was no love lost between King William IV and his sister-in-law, the Duchess of Kent. Despite the Regency Act 1830 making the Duchess of Kent regent in case William died while Victoria was still a minor, the king distrusted the duchess’s capacity to be regent. William had been denied access to his young niece as much as the Duchess dared. The Duchess had offended the King by taking rooms in Kensington Palace that the King had reserved for himself. Both before and during William’s reign, the Duchess had snubbed his illegitimate children, the FitzClarences. All of this led to a scene at a dinner in 1836 where King William IV declared in the Duchess’ presence that he wanted to live until Victoria’s 18th birthday so that a regency could be avoided.

On May 24, 1837, Victoria turned 18 years old and it would not be necessary for the Duchess of Kent to serve as regent, much to the relief of Victoria’s uncle King William IV. Less than a month later, on June 20, 1837, King William IV died and Victoria acceded to the British throne. On the day Victoria became queen, she demonstrated her determination to free herself from her mother’s influence by ordering her bed removed from the room she and her mother had always shared.

In 1840, Queen Victoria married her first cousin and her mother’s nephew, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. After the birth of Victoria and Albert’s first child Victoria, Princess Royal, the Duchess was reconciled with Victoria probably due to Albert’s persuasion. Thereafter, the Duchess became a doting grandmother and her relationship with her daughter became closer than it had ever been.

Dowager Duchess of Kent; Credit – Wikipedia

In March of 1861, after the Duchess had surgery on her arm to remove an ulcer, a severe infection developed. On March 15, 1861, Queen Victoria was notified that her mother was not expected to survive for more than a few hours. Victoria, Albert, and their daughter Alice immediately traveled from London to Windsor where the Duchess resided at Frogmore House near Windsor Castle. The Queen found her mother in a semi-coma and breathing with great difficulty. At 9:30 on the morning of March 16, 1861, the Duchess of Kent died at the age of 74 without regaining consciousness. Victoria did not deal well with losing her mother and dealt even worse with a death that was to come at the end of 1861, that of her beloved husband Albert.

The Duchess of Kent’s final resting place is a mausoleum near Victoria and Albert’s mausoleum at Frogmore in Windsor Home Park.

Mausoleum of the Duchess of Kent. photo: Wikipedia

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Prince Edward, Duke of Kent

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Prince Edward, Duke of Kent; Credit – Wikipedia

Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, the father of Queen Victoria, was born at Buckingham House (later Buckingham Palace) in London, England on November 2, 1767. He was the fourth son and the fifth of the fifteen children of King George III and Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.

Edward had fourteen siblings:

The infant prince was christened Edward Augustus after his paternal uncle Prince Edward, Duke of York and Albany who died seven weeks before his birth. His godparents were:

Edward was first educated at home by the Rev. John Fisher (later Bishop of Exeter and then Bishop of Salisbury).  He then went to study in Lüneburg and Hanover (both now in Germany) and in Geneva, Switzerland accompanied by his tutor Baron von Wangenheim. In 1785, Edward began his military training with the Hanoverian Guards and was appointed a colonel the next year at the age of 18. His military training in Hanover was not unusual as his father was also King of Hanover. In 1790, Edward arrived back in England without permission and his angry father immediately had him sent to serve in the 7th Regiment of Foot (Royal Fusiliers) in Gibraltar.

While in Geneva, Edward became acquainted with Julie de Montgenêt de Saint-Laurent, who was his mistress from 1790 – 1818. Julie accompanied him wherever he went until when he married. After Edward’s marriage in 1818, Madame de Saint-Laurent went to Paris where she spent the rest of her life. There is no evidence that the couple had children, but several families in Canada have claimed descent from Edward and Julie.

Julie de Montgenêt de Saint-Laurent; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1791, Edward was transferred to an army position in Canada and his mistress Julie accompanied him. The couple was popular in Canadian society and remained in Canada until 1798 when Edward was allowed to return to England following a fall from his horse. In 1799, Edward returned to Canada as the Commander-in-Chief of British forces in North America.

In 1802, Edward was appointed Governor-General of Gibraltar, but his harshness to the army forces there led to serious consequences. Edward refused to allow the army garrison to celebrate Christmas Day with any alcoholic drink. The soldiers became mutinous and peace was not restored until blood was shed. This led to Edward being recalled to England although he retained the title Governor-General of Gibraltar for the rest of his life. As a consolation for the end of his active military career, Edward was promoted to the rank of Field Marshal and appointed Ranger of Hampton Court Park, which provided him with a grace and favor residence there known as The Pavilion.

In November 1817, the death in childbirth of Princess Charlotte of Wales, the only legitimate grandchild of King George III, necessitated the marriages of the unmarried sons of George III to provide an heir to the throne. Edward’s mistress Julie is said to have read the news of Edward’s engagement in the newspaper while seated at the breakfast table and reacted with violent hysterics. Edward was genuinely attached to her and deeply upset at their forced separation.

On May 29, 1818, 50-year-old Edward married 32-year-old Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld at Schloss Ehrenburg in Coburg, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, now in Bavaria, Germany. His new wife, the daughter of Franz Friedrich, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld and sister of Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, widower of the recently deceased Princess Charlotte, was the widow of Emich Carl, 2nd Prince of Leiningen and had two children. Upon the couple’s return to England, they had a second marriage ceremony on July 13, 1818, at Kew Palace in the presence of Edward’s ailing mother Queen Charlotte.

Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, Duchess of Kent; Credit – Wikipedia

In September 1818, Edward and Victoria set out for Leiningen, where Victoria’s young son was the Sovereign Prince. However, when Victoria became pregnant, they were determined to return to England so the possible heir to the throne would be born there. They took up residence in an apartment at Kensington Palace and it was there that their only child was born on May 24, 1819:

Toward the end of 1819, Edward leased Woolbrook Cottage in Sidmouth, a town on the English Channel, due to the need to economize and the benefits the sea air would have for the Duchess’ health. In early January, Edward caught a cold but insisted on taking a walk in the chilly weather. Within days, the cold worsened, and Edward became feverish and delirious and developed pneumonia. His condition was aggravated by the bleeding and cupping of the physician sent from London to treat him. Edward became increasingly weaker and died in Sidmouth, Devon, England on January 23, 1820, just six days before his father, King George III died. The Duke of Kent was buried in St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. He left only debts, which his daughter Victoria paid off when she became queen.

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Princess Alice of the United Kingdom, Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Princess Alice of the United Kingdom, Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine. photo: The Royal Collection Trust

Princess Alice Maud Mary of the United Kingdom was born on April 25, 1843, at Buckingham Palace in London, England, the third child, and second daughter, of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. She was named in honor of Viscount Melbourne, Queen Victoria’s former Prime Minister. Lord Melbourne had once told the Queen that Alice was his favorite name. Her second name, Maud (a form of Matilda), was in honor of her godmother, Princess Sophia Matilda of Gloucester; and her third name, Mary, in honor of Princess Mary, Duchess of Gloucester (Queen Victoria’s aunt), with whom she shared a birthday.

With the 2022 accession of King Charles III of the United Kingdom, the British Royal Family is not only the descendants of Queen Victoria’s son King Edward VII, but also of her daughter Princess Alice. Princess Alice of the United Kingdom → Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine → Princess Alice of Battenberg → Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh → King Charles III of the United Kingdom

Princess Alice was christened on June 2, 1843, in the newly renovated Private Chapel at Buckingham Palace, by William Howley, Archbishop of Canterbury.

Her godparents were:

Alice had eight siblings:

Alice’s upbringing was typical for the times, spending most of her time with her siblings under the watch of nannies and tutors. She formed very close relationships with her two elder siblings, especially her brother Bertie, with whom she would remain very close until her death. A very artistic child, from an early age, Alice developed a deep sense of compassion for others, which would continue to develop in her adult years.

In March 1861, Alice’s grandmother, the Duchess of Kent, died. Alice had been with her during her final days and established herself as the “family caregiver”. After her grandmother died, Prince Albert sent Alice to take care of Queen Victoria, whose intense grief over her mother’s death was unbearable. Queen Victoria later attributed Alice’s efforts to helping her get through the dark days that followed. Sadly, it would not be long until Alice’s caregiving skills would be needed again.

 

At the end of the same year, Alice’s father, Prince Albert, fell ill with typhoid fever. Alice stayed at his side, nursing him through the last few days of his life. Albert died on December 14, 1861, and Queen Victoria went into seclusion. Princess Alice stepped in as unofficial secretary to her mother, assisted by her younger sister Louise, handling the state papers and correspondence, while trying to support and comfort her mother.

In 1860, Alice became engaged to Prince Ludwig of Hesse and by Rhine, the son of Prince Karl of Hesse and by Rhine and his wife, Princess Elisabeth of Prussia. He would later succeed his uncle to become Grand Duke Ludwig IV of Hesse and by Rhine. After several other prospective grooms were dismissed by Queen Victoria, Alice’s sister Victoria suggested Ludwig. Ludwig and his brother were invited to Windsor Castle in 1860 for Queen Victoria to ‘look them over’, and he and Alice quickly developed a connection. On the second visit in December, the couple became engaged. Following the Queen’s formal consent, the engagement was announced on April 30, 1861. Queen Victoria also negotiated with the Prime Minister to get Parliament to approve a dowry of £30,000.

The wedding was scheduled for the following July, but the death of Alice’s father threatened to derail the plans. Queen Victoria, despite her intense mourning, insisted that the wedding would go on as planned, as that was Prince Albert’s wish. It would, however, be a much more somber affair. Queen Victoria even wrote to her eldest daughter that Alice’s wedding had been “…more of a funeral than a wedding…”

The Marriage of Princess Alice, 1st July 1862 by George Housman Thomas; Credit – Royal Collection Trust/© His Majesty King Charles III

The couple was married on July 1, 1862, in the dining room at Osborne House, on the Isle of Wight, England, which had been converted into a chapel for the day.

Following a brief honeymoon elsewhere on the Isle of Wight, the couple returned to Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in Hesse, Germany, where they were given a small house in the Old Quarter. This caused much distress to Queen Victoria, who held very high expectations when it came to the residences of her children. With significant financial support from Queen Victoria and Alice’s dowry, construction began on a new home, called the Neues Palais (New Palace). The couple would take up residence in the Neues Palais in 1866. In the meantime, they were also given the castle at Kranichstein, where they spent much of their time.

The couple had seven children:

Princess Alice with her husband and children, May 1875.  Photo: The Royal Collection Trust

Once in Darmstadt, Alice tried to find ways to help those less fortunate and attempted to learn as much as she could about the lives of ordinary people. One area of particular interest was nursing. Seeing the need for improved medical care, Alice befriended Florence Nightingale, who gave her suggestions and ways to help those in need. Alice embraced this role and worked tirelessly throughout the remainder of her life. During the Austro-Prussian War of 1866, and again during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871, Alice focused on wounded soldiers, making bandages, visiting the injured, and visiting the hospital wards. These visits would continue for the rest of her life, and she often brought her children along, hoping to instill that same compassion in them.

Tragedy struck the family in 1873. In February, Alice’s second son Frittie had been diagnosed with hemophilia after a cut on his ear took several days to stop bleeding. On May 29, 1873,  Frittie and his brother Ernst Ludwig were playing in their mother’s bedroom at the Neues Palais. Ernst went into another room to look through the window that was at an angle to the window in Alice’s bedroom. While Alice was out of the room to get Ernst, Frittie climbed up to the window in the bedroom to look for Ernst. The chair he climbed on tipped over, and Frittie fell from the window to the ground below. Due to his hemophilia, Frittie died from his injuries.

Over time, Alice’s relationship with her husband had become somewhat strained, despite their mutual love for each other. Their interests were quite different, with Alice being much more of an intellectual than Ludwig. In the early 1870s, she befriended the theologian David Strauss and shared many of his views on religion, some of which were quite controversial at the time. Strauss also offered a more intellectual bond than her husband was able to provide. However, following her son’s death in 1873, Alice returned to her more traditional religious beliefs, distancing herself from Strauss.

Alice’s relationship with her mother was also very strained at times. While initially having a very close relationship, the two often became estranged, often due to Alice voicing her thoughts and opinions, which usually differed from those of Queen Victoria. However, the Queen remained devoted to Alice and her children. After Alice’s death, Queen Victoria spent a significant amount of time with her Hessian grandchildren, helping to ensure that they grew up with the proper guidance.

 

Ludwig’s father died in March 1877, and three months later, his uncle, Grand Duke Ludwig III, also died. Ludwig and Alice became the reigning Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine. Alice continued her efforts in nursing, now having a much stronger position to bring about changes. Unfortunately, her time would be limited as tragedy would once again strike.

In November 1878, the family began to fall ill with diphtheria. Alice quickly slipped into her role as caregiver, nursing her husband and children back to health. Sadly, her youngest child, Princess Marie, succumbed to the illness and died on November 16, 1878. Alice tried to keep the news from her husband and other children until they were in better health. Eventually, when telling her son, Ernst Ludwig, Alice broke a major rule of nursing this horrible illness – she comforted her son with hugs and a kiss. Soon after, Alice herself began to fall ill and was also diagnosed with diphtheria. Her condition quickly deteriorated, and in the early morning of December 14, 1878, the 17th anniversary of her father’s death, Princess Alice, Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine died at the Neues Palais in Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in Hesse, Germany. She is buried in the Neues Mausoleum at Rosenhöhe Park in Darmstadt alongside her husband and two of her children.

Tomb of Princess Alice, Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine (She is hugging her daughter Marie on her left side); Photo Credit – 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.

Queen Victoria Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Hesse and by Rhine Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Recommended Books

  • Alice, The Enigma – A Biography of Queen Victoria’s Daughter – Christina Croft
  • Alice: Biographical Sketch and Letters – Alice, Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine
  • Princess Alice: Queen Victoria’s Forgotten Daughter – Gerard Noel

Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands; Credit – Wikipedia

Queen Wilhelmina holds the record for the longest-reigning Dutch monarch, 58 years. Her reign spanned World War I, the Great Depression, and World War II. Queen Wilhelmina’s father King Willem III was the third monarch of the Netherlands and had married his cousin Sophie of Württemberg in 1839. The couple had three sons, Willem (1840–1879), Maurits, (1843–1850), and Alexander (1851–1884), all predeceased their father without any legitimate children. Queen Sophie had died in 1877 and Willem was eager to remarry. After considering some other princesses, the 62-year-old Willem married Princess Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont who was 21 years old. 19 months later, Willem and Emma’s only child Wilhelmina was born on August 31, 1880, at Noordeinde Palace in The Hague, Netherlands. At the time of her birth, Wilhelmina was third in the line of succession after her half-brother Alexander and her great-uncle Prince Frederick of the Netherlands. By the time Wilhelmina was four years old, both men had died and Wilhelmina was the heir presumptive.

Wilhelmina was named for:

Wilhelmina with her mother; Credit – Wikipedia

King Willem III died on November 23, 1890, without producing a son with Queen Emma, so ten-year-old Wilhelmina became Queen of the Netherlands. Until Wilhelmina was 18 years old, Queen Emma served as regent. On September 6, 1898, when Wilhelmina was 18 years old, her inauguration was held at the Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam.

Inauguration of Queen Wilhelmina; Credit – Wikipedia

In May 1900, Queen Mother Emma and Queen Wilhelmina traveled to Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt in present-day Thuringia, Germany to meet with three marriage candidates: Prince Friedrich Wilhelm of Prussia (a great-grandson of King Willem I of the Netherlands) and two sons of Friedrich Franz II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Only one of the Mecklenburg-Schwerin brothers showed up, Heinrich of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, and it was him that Emma and Wilhelmina selected. The engagement was announced on October 16, 1900. The wedding preparations were overshadowed by the deaths of Wilhelmina’s uncle Karl Alexander, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach on January 5, 1901, and Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom on January 22, 1901.

The couple was married on February 7, 1901, at the Grote of Sint-Jacobskerk in The Hague in the Netherlands. Following the wedding, Heinrich became a Prince of the Netherlands and was known by Hendrik, the Dutch version of his name. Wilhelmina decreed that the Dutch royal house would remain the House of Orange-Nassau and not change to the House of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Although the marriage was a peaceful one, Wilhelmina and Hendrik grew apart due to her religious mysticism and his unfaithfulness and frustrations over his lack of an official role in the Netherlands.

Wilhelmina and Hendrik on their wedding day; Credit – Wikipedia

Wilhelmina needed to provide herself with an heir or the Dutch throne would pass to her second cousin Wilhelm Ernst, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, a grandson of Wilhelmina’s aunt Sophie.  On November 9, 1901, Wilhelmina had her first miscarriage. In March 1902, it was announced that the Queen was pregnant again, but a month later Wilhelmina was seriously ill with typhoid fever. She miscarried again in May 1902 and her condition was life-threatening. Wilhelmina recovered and on July 23, 1906, she had a third miscarriage. At the end of 1908, an announcement was made that Wilhelmina was once again pregnant and her only child Juliana was born. After Juliana’s birth, Wilhelmina suffered two additional miscarriages in 1912.

Wilhelmina with Juliana in 1914; Credit – Wikipedia

Wilhelmina had inherited a substantial amount of money from her father and her half-brother Alexander. She made wise investments that made her the world’s richest woman and the world’s first female billionaire (in United States dollars).

During World War I, the Netherlands remained neutral. While Queen Wilhelmina was concerned with the possibility of a German attack, the Allied blockade of Germany affected the Dutch. Dutch ships were included in the Allied blockade of Germany to ensure that none of the goods would get to the Germans. This severely restricted Dutch imports. At the end of World War I, Kaiser Wilhelm II fled to the Netherlands and was granted political asylum. When the Allied countries tried to gain custody of Wilhelm, Wilhelmina called the Allies’ ambassadors to a meeting and lectured them on the rights of political asylum.

During World War II, three days after Germany invaded the Netherlands in May 1940, the Dutch Royal Family left for London, England. One month later, Juliana and her daughters Beatrix and Irene went to Ottawa, Canada, where they would be safer. Juliana’s husband Prince Bernhard stayed with Queen Wilhelmina in London during the war, although both occasionally visited the family in Canada. Juliana’s third daughter Margriet was born while the family was in Canada. On August 2, 1945, the whole family returned to the Netherlands.

Queen Wilhelmina talks on the radio to the Dutch people during World War II; Credit – Wikipedia

After World War II, Juliana served twice as regent (October 14, 1947 – December 1, 1947, and May 14, 1948 – August 30, 1948) due to her mother’s ill health. On September 4, 1948, after a reign of nearly 58 years, Queen Wilhelmina abdicated in favor of her daughter and Juliana became Queen of the Netherlands. After her abdication, the former queen was styled Her Royal Highness Princess Wilhelmina of the Netherlands and retired to her home Het Loo Palace. She made few public appearances but did appear to support the Dutch people during the terrible floods of 1953.

The access to the royal crypt in the foreground; Credit – By Sander van der Wel from Netherlands – Royal grave tomb and the grave of Willem van Oranje, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28146859

On November 22, 1962, the Dutch government announced that while there was no reason for immediate concern, Wilhelmina’s health had taken a turn for the worse. On November 28, 1962, Wilhelmina died at the age of 82 due to heart disease. After Wilhelmina’s death, it was announced that her condition during the last weeks of her life was more serious than had been announced. Wilhelmina was buried on December 8, 1962, in the royal crypt at the Nieuwe Kerk in Delft. According to her wishes, white dress was the protocol at her funeral.

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 the Netherlands Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld, Prince Consort of the Netherlands

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld, Prince Consort of the Netherlands; Credit – Wikipedia

Prince Bernhard was the husband of Queen Juliana of the Netherlands. Bernhard Friedrich Eberhard Leopold Julius Kurt Carl Gottfried Peter, Graf von Biesterfeld was born on June 29, 1911, in Jena in the Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach now in the German state of Thuringia. He was the elder son of Prince Bernhard of Lippe (younger brother of Leopold IV, Prince of Lippe) and his wife Armgard von Cramm. Bernhard and Armgard’s marriage was considered morganatic, so the younger Bernhard was styled Graf von Biesterfeld (Count of Biesterfeld) at birth.  In 1916, Bernhard’s uncle, the reigning Prince of Lippe, created Armgard Princess of Lippe-Biesterfeld with the style Serene Highness and this title and style also was extended to her two sons.

Bernhard had one younger brother:

Bernhard started his education with tutors at home. When he was twelve years old, he was enrolled in a boarding school for boys in Züllichau in the Prussian province of Brandenburg, now Sulechów, Poland. In 1929, he completed his secondary education and studied law at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland and Friedrich-Wilhelm University in Berlin, Germany, now Humboldt University. Bernhard then obtained a job at the Parisian subsidiary of the German chemical company IG Farben, where he continued to work until his engagement to Juliana.

In February 1936, Bernhard attended the Winter Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Bavaria, Germany. There he met and fell in love with Princess Juliana of the Netherlands, the only child, and heir of Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands. After Queen Wilhelmina had lawyers draft a very detailed prenuptial agreement that specified exactly what Bernhard could and could not do, the couple’s engagement was announced on September 8, 1936. After a civil marriage at The Hague City Hall, a religious marriage was held at the Grote of Sint-Jacobskerk in The Hague, The Netherlands on January 7, 1937. Before the wedding, Bernhard had been granted Dutch citizenship and on his wedding day, he became His Royal Highness Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands.

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Juliana and Bernhard had four daughters:

Prince Bernhard also had two illegitimate daughters:

  • Alicia von Bielefeld (born 1952), whose mother has not been identified, Alicia is a landscape architect who lives in the United States
  • Alexia Grinda (born 1967), whose mother was French socialite and fashion model Hélène Grinda

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During World War II, three days after Germany began to invade the Netherlands in May 1940, the Dutch Royal Family left for London, England. One month later, Juliana and her daughters Beatrix and Irene went to Ottawa, Canada, where they would be safer. Prince Bernhard stayed with Queen Wilhelmina in London during the war, although both occasionally visited the rest of the family in Canada. Juliana and Bernhard’s third daughter Margriet was born while the family was in Canada. On August 2, 1945, the whole family returned to the Netherlands.

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On September 4, 1948, after a reign of nearly 58 years, Queen Wilhelmina abdicated in favor of her daughter and Juliana became Queen of the Netherlands and Bernhard became Prince Consort. From 1954 to 1976, Bernhard served as chairman of the Bilderberg Conference, an international political group that sought a better understanding between the cultures of the United States and Europe to encourage cooperation on political, economic, and defense issues. Prince Bernhard helped found the World Wildlife Fund and was its first president, serving from 1962 – 1976.

Bernhard was forced to step down from leadership roles in both groups after being involved in the Lockheed bribery scandal. The scandal comprised a series of bribes and contributions regarding the negotiations of the sale of aircraft made by officials of Lockheed, an American aerospace company, from the 1950s to the 1970s. It caused considerable political controversy in West Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Japan. Prince Bernhard received a $1.1 million bribe from Lockheed to ensure the Lockheed F-104 would win a contract over the French-made Mirage 5. The results of a Dutch government inquiry almost led to a constitutional crisis because Queen Juliana threatened to abdicate if Bernhard was prosecuted. Bernhard was not prosecuted but had to step down from several public positions and was forbidden to wear his military uniforms again. Although Bernhard always denied the charges, interviews published after his death revealed that he had admitted to taking the money.

Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard returning from Italy due to developments in the Lockheed scandal on August 26, 1976; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

On January 31, 1980, Queen Juliana announced that she would abdicate in favor of her eldest daughter Beatrix on April 30, 1980, her 71st birthday. After 1995, when Juliana’s general health began to decline, she made fewer public appearances. In 2001, during a television interview on the occasion of his 90th birthday, Prince Bernhard said that Juliana no longer recognized her family and had been suffering from Alzheimer’s disease for several years. On March 20, 2004, Juliana died in her sleep at the age of 94 due to pneumonia.

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Prince Bernhard with his daughter Queen Beatrix at Queen Juliana’s funeral

On November 17, 2004, eight months after Juliana’s death, it was announced that Prince Bernhard had lung cancer. An additional announcement was made two weeks later stating that he also had a malignant tumor in the intestines. Bernhard died at the University of Utrecht Medical Center on December 1, 2004, at the age of 93.

Funeral procession in Delft; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

A state funeral was held on December 11, 2004, in the Nieuwe Kerk in Delft. The funeral had a military nature and the coffin was brought to the church on a gun carriage as a Royal Air Force flyover in the missing man formation flew overhead. After the funeral, Prince Bernhard was interred in the royal crypt at the Nieuwe Kerk in Delft.

The access to the royal crypt in the foreground; Credit – By Sander van der Wel from the Netherlands – Royal grave tomb and the grave of Willem van Oranje, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28146859

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Kingdom of the Netherlands Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Queen Alia of Jordan

by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Queen Alia of Jordan; Credit – Wikipedia

Queen Alia was the third wife of King Hussein of Jordan. She was born Alia Baha Ad-Din Touqan on December 15, 1948, in Cairo, Egypt, the daughter of Baha Ad-Din Touqan and Hanan Hashim. Her father was a former Jordanian ambassador to the United Kingdom, Italy, Turkey, and Egypt. He served under King Abdullah I of Jordan, was instrumental in writing the Jordanian Constitution, and served as the country’s first ambassador to the United Nations.

Because of her father’s diplomatic work, the family moved often and Alia attended school wherever they lived. She attended the Rome Center of Liberal Arts in Rome (now the John Felice Rome Center), a branch of Loyola University Chicago, and studied political science, psychology, and public relations at Hunter College in New York. In 1971, she moved to Jordan where she worked for Royal Jordanian (at the time named Alia Airlines, in honor of King Hussein’s eldest daughter Alia). She was then asked to organize the first International Water Skiing Festival in Aqaba. It was there, where King Hussein had a holiday villa, the two began their relationship.

 

King Hussein and Alia married privately on December 24, 1972, and Alia was named Queen Alia al-Hussein. The couple had two children and one adopted daughter:

Along with raising her family, Queen Alia broke with tradition by taking on a much more public role than any of her predecessors. She established the Office of the Queen of Jordan and began working with numerous charities and organizations, particularly those dealing with women, children, and social development. She established scholarships to help impoverished children gain a quality education. She also promoted the arts and literature in Jordan, helping to establish libraries around the country, and starting several Arts festivals which continue to this day.

Queen Alia also tackled some political issues. She very publicly fought for the rights of women to vote and be elected to public office. Thanks in part to her efforts, a law was put forth in 1974 allowing both. However, it would not be enacted until 1989.

On February 9, 1977, Queen Alia was killed in a helicopter crash in Amman. She was returning from a trip to Tafileh, about 140 miles south of Amman, where she was inspecting a hospital after reading negative reports about it in the media. Flying in a violent rainstorm, the military helicopter crashed and all aboard were killed. Completely devastated, King Hussein announced Alia’s death on television and radio. Following a traditional funeral service, Queen Alia was interred at the Royal Cemetery at Al-Maquar. King Hussein had a huge mausoleum built for his wife on a hill outside of the city and Queen Alia’s remains were moved there in 1980.

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Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Joséphine of Leuchtenberg, Queen Josefina of Sweden and Norway

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Joséphine of Leuchtenberg, Queen Josefina of Sweden & Norway; Credit – Wikipedia

The wife of King Oscar I of Sweden and Norway, Princess Joséphine of Leuchtenberg was born on March 14, 1807, in Milan, then in the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy, now in Italy. Her father was Eugène de Beauharnais, the son of Empress Joséphine (Napoleon Bonaparte‘s first wife) from her first marriage to Alexandre, Vicomte de Beauharnais, who had been guillotined during the French Revolution. Her mother was Princess Augusta of Bavaria, daughter of King Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria and Princess Augusta Wilhelmine of Hesse-Darmstadt.  Augusta’s father created his son-in-law Duke of Leuchtenberg and Prince of Eichstätt with the style Royal Highness.  Joséphine had six siblings, some of whom made excellent marriages.

In Sweden, the king of a new upstart dynasty was considering how to provide his dynasty with legitimacy.  The House of Bernadotte has reigned in Sweden since 1818 when Jean Baptiste Jules Bernadotte, a Marshal of France, assumed the throne as King Carl XIV Johan. His predecessor King Carl XIII was childless and the House of Holstein-Gottorp was becoming extinct. On August 21, 1810, the Riksdag (Swedish Parliament) appointed Bernadotte as heir to the throne. The first four Bernadotte kings were also Kings of Norway until 1905 when the union between Sweden and Norway was dissolved. King Carl XIV John found the answer to his legitimacy problem in Joséphine.

Through her mother, Joséphine was a descendant of King Gustav I of Sweden and King Charles IX of Sweden from the House of Vasa which ruled Sweden from 1523-1654.  If Joséphine married the king’s only child Oscar, it would ensure that future members of the House of Bernadotte were descendants of the House of Vasa.  Oscar was born Joseph François Oscar Bernadotte on July 4, 1799, in Paris, France. Napoleon Bonaparte was his godfather. He was 11 years old when his father Jean Baptiste Bernadotte was elected Crown Prince of Sweden and he moved to Stockholm with his mother Désirée Clary, who ironically was once the fiancée of Napoleon.  Oscar was given the title Duke of Södermanland, and, unlike his mother, quickly learned Swedish and adapted to life in Sweden.

In 1823, Oscar married Joséphine and after her marriage, she was known as Josefina, the Swedish form of her name.  They married first by proxy at the Leuchtenberg Palace in Munich, Kingdom of Bavaria, now in the German state of Bavaria, on May 22, 1823, and in person at a wedding ceremony conducted in Stockholm, Sweden on June 19, 1823.

The couple had five children:

Josefina brought to Sweden jewelry that had belonged to her grandmother Empress Josephine, still worn by the Swedish and Norwegian royal families. The Cameo Tiara, originally made for her grandmother Joséphine, Empress of the French, was worn by her descendant Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden at her wedding in 2010.

josephineofleuchtenberg

Credit – Wikipedia

CrownPrincessVictoriaCameoTiara

Crown Princess Victoria wearing the Cameo Tiara at her wedding; Photo Credit – The Royal Order of Sartorial Splendor

Oscar and Josefina’s marriage was a happy one.  They shared interests in music and art and had similar personalities. While he was crown prince, Oscar had an affair with a lady-in-waiting which produced a daughter.  Unfortunately, Oscar had another well-known affair with Emilie Högquist, a famous Swedish actress at the Royal Dramatic Theatre.  Oscar had two sons by his mistress Emilie.  In 1832, Queen Josefina wrote in her diary that a woman was expected to endure a husband’s extramarital affairs: “A woman should suffer in silence.”  Josefina and her husband continued to appear together in public.  Oscar discontinued his extramarital affairs when he became King of Sweden and Norway in 1844 upon the death of his father.

Queen Josefina in 1874; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

After being bedridden for a long time, King Oscar I died at the Royal Palace in Stockholm on July 8, 1859, at the age of 60. An autopsy confirmed that he had a brain tumor.  King Oscar I was buried in the Bernadotte Chapel at Riddarholmen Church in Stockholm.  Josefina survived her husband for 17 years and died in Stockholm on June 7, 1876, at age 69. She remained Roman Catholic, was given a Catholic funeral, and was buried with her husband at Riddarholmen Church.

Bernadotte Chapel

Bernadotte Chapel at Riddarholmen Church; Photo Credit – Susan Flantzer, August 2011

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Kingdom of Sweden Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Princess Ingeborg of Denmark, Princess of Sweden

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Princess Ingeborg of Denmark, Princess of Sweden; Credit – Wikipedia

Born at Charlottenlund Palace in Copenhagen, Denmark on August 2, 1878, Ingeborg Charlotta Carolina Frederikke Louise was the second daughter and fifth child of the future King Frederik VIII of Denmark and his wife Lovisa of Sweden.  Unusually for the time, Ingeborg and her siblings were raised mostly by their mother rather than servants. Lovisa took considerable interest in her children, who imposed a loving if not strict upbringing on her children. Nonetheless, Ingeborg grew into an amiable, easygoing, and quick-witted woman.

Back row, left to right: Crown Prince Frederik (later King Frederik VIII of Denmark), Prince Christian (later King Christian X of Denmark), and Prince Carl (in 1905 elected king of Norway, under the name of Haakon VII). Front row, left to right: Princess Ingeborg, Princess Louise, Princess Thyra, Crown Princess Lovisa (later Queen of Sweden), Prince Harald; Credit – Wikipedia

Ingeborg had seven siblings:

Princess Ingeborg of Denmark and Prince Carl of Sweden in 1897; Credit – Wikipedia

In May 1897, an engagement was announced between Ingeborg and another Scandinavian royal, Prince Carl of Sweden.  Oscar Carl Wilhelm, called Prince Carl, was born at Arvfurstens Palace in Stockholm, Sweden on February 27, 1861. He was the third of four sons of King Oscar II of Sweden and Norway and Sophia of Nassau. Although neither was the heir to a throne, the prospect of another Danish-Swedish royal union was exciting to the families of the couple and citizens of their respective countries.  On their 50th wedding anniversary, Carl admitted that the couple’s fathers had completely arranged their marriage. Ingeborg added, “I married a complete stranger!”

The wedding was held at Christiansborg Palace Chapel in Copenhagen, Denmark, on August 27, 1897. Among the guests were Alexandra, Princess of Wales, and Russian Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna (Dagmar of Denmark), the bride’s aunts. Copenhagen was decorated with flowers and flags of both countries to celebrate the occasion. Following a brief stay in Denmark, the new couple set off for a honeymoon in Germany.

Carl and Ingeborg had a comfortable family life, dividing their time between Arvfurstens Palace in Stockholm and summers in Fridhem, Sweden. Despite the difference in their ages (Carl was 17 years older than Ingeborg), the two were happy and well-suited to one another.

The couple had four children born between 1899 and 1911:

During their young adulthood, the four children of Ingeborg and Carl were repeatedly sought after as spouses by several European monarchs. Astrid and Märtha were linked to the future King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom before their respective marriages. Queen Wilhelmina strongly desired a union between Carl and Juliana of the Netherlands, but the two vehemently disliked each other upon meeting in the late 1920s. The current royal families of Belgium, Luxembourg, and Norway descend from Carl and Ingeborg. Belgian Kings Baudouin and Albert II, Norwegian King Harald V, and Grand Duchess Josephine-Charlotte of Luxembourg, the wife of Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg, are all grandchildren of Carl and Ingeborg.

Prince Carl and Princess Ingeborg in 1926; Credit – Wikipedia

Carl and Ingeborg continued to play important roles in European history throughout their marriage. Ingeborg served as the de facto first lady of Sweden for several years during the absence of Sophia of Nassau and Viktoria of Baden. Due to her close familial connections, she also worked to bring peace to the three Scandinavian royal families following Norwegian independence in 1905. Carl distinguished himself as the President of the Swedish Red Cross, earning several Nobel Peace Prize nominations for his work with prisoners of war.

Both Carl and Ingeborg lived long lives. Carl died in 1951 at the age of 90. Ingeborg survived him by seven years, dying on March 12, 1958, at age 79 in Stockholm, Sweden. The two are buried in the Royal Burial Ground in Haga Park in Solna, Stockholm, Sweden

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King Miguel I of Portugal

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

King Miguel I of Portugal; Credit – Wikipedia

Miguel Maria do Patrocínio João Carlos Francisco de Assis Xavier de Paula Pedro de Alcântara António Rafael Gabriel Joaquim José Gonzaga Evaristo was born on October 26, 1802, in Lisbon, Portugal. Miguel was the seventh of the nine children of King João VI of Portugal and Carlota Joaquina of Spain.  He was long rumored to be the biological son of one of Carlota Joaquina’s lovers. During the Napoleonic Wars, he lived in exile with his family in Brazil.

Miguel’s siblings:

The Portuguese royal family returned to Portugal in 1821 from their exile in Brazil.  Miguel’s father King João VI, who had become King of Portugal in 1816 upon the death of his mother Queen Maria I, continued to reign until he died in 1826.   At that time, Miguel’s elder brother Pedro became King of Portugal.  Pedro was king for only two months, abdicating in favor of his daughter Maria II.  Miguel served as regent for his niece Maria.

As regent, Miguel claimed the Portuguese throne in his own right. This led to a difficult political situation, during which many people were killed, imprisoned, persecuted, or sent into exile, finally culminating in the Portuguese Liberal Wars.  Ultimately, Miguel was deposed in 1834 and lived his last 32 years in exile.

During his exile in Baden, Miguel met Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg, a daughter of Constantine, Hereditary Prince of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg and Princess Agnes of Hohenlohe-Langenburg.  Adelaide was brought up by her paternal grandparents after the early death of her father.  On September 24, 1851, at the age of 20, Adelaide married Miguel, who was 29 years her senior. The couple made their home in Schloss Bronnbach in Bronnbach, in the Grand Duchy of Baden, now in the German state of Baden-Württemberg.

Princess Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg; Credit – Wikipedia

Miguel and Adelaide had six daughters and a son, all styled as Infanta and Infante of Portugal.

Miguel and Adelaide with their two eldest children; Credit – Wikipedia

Miguel died while hunting in Bronnbach on November 14, 1866, at the age of 64.  Initially, Miguel was buried in his wife’s family’s vault at the Engelberg Monastery in Grossheubach, Bavaria. In 1967, his remains and those of his wife (who had been buried in Ryde on the Isle of Wight, England, where she had died) were transferred to the traditional burial site of the Portuguese royals, the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon.

When Miguel died, all his children were under the age of fifteen.  Adelaide continued to raise her children and arranged some rather brilliant marriages for them despite their dubious status. Through the marriages of their many children and grandchildren, Miguel and Adelaide are the ancestors of the current monarchs of Luxembourg, Belgium, and Liechtenstein, as well as pretenders to the thrones of Portugal, Austria, Bavaria, and Italy.

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Portugal Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Maria Ana of Portugal, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Maria Ana of Portugal, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg; Credit – Wikipedia

Infanta Maria Ana of Portugal was born on July 13, 1861, at Schloss Bronnbach in Bronnbach, Wertheim am Main in the Grand Duchy of Baden now in the German state of Baden-Württemberg.  She was the sixth of the seven children of the deposed King Miguel I of Portugal and Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg.

Maria Ana’s siblings were:

Maria Ana grew up mostly in Austria and Germany due to her father’s exile from Portugal. Despite the family’s status as ex-royalty, Maria Ana and her sisters all married well due in large part to the efforts of their mother. Ironically, before her engagement to Guillaume, Maria Ana was slated to become the bride of Protestant Alexander of Orange, the heir to the throne of the Netherlands. Alexander died before the two became officially engaged. She was also considered as a possible bride for Rudolf, the Crown Prince of Austria.

On June 21, 1893, Maria Ana married Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg at Schloss Fischhorn in Zell am See, Austria.  Guillaume was the eldest son of Adolphe, Grand Duke of Luxembourg and his second wife Adelheid-Marie of Anhalt-Dessau.  Adolphe, formerly the Duke of Nassau, was the first sovereign Grand Duke of Luxembourg from the House of Nassau following Luxembourg’s break from the Netherlands in 1890. Guillaume grew up Protestant among a Catholic majority in Luxembourg. When it came time to find a bride, Guillaume searched for Catholic princesses believing a Catholic land needed a Catholic monarch and he settled on Maria Ana.

The couple had six daughters:

Maria Ana and her family;  Credit – Wikipedia

In 1905, Guillaume succeeded his father as Grand Duke of Luxembourg.  At that time, the succession in Luxembourg was Salic, meaning a woman could not become monarch. When it became clear that Maria Ana would not have further children, Guillaume named his would-be successors the Counts of Merenburg (products of a morganatic union) to be ineligible for the throne. Marie-Adélaïde became her father’s heir, succeeding him as the first sovereign Grand Duchess of Luxembourg in 1912. She abdicated in 1919 in favor of her sister Charlotte, from whom the current Luxembourg grand ducal family descends.

Maria Ana and her daughters in 1920; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Maria Ana served as regent of Luxembourg for her daughter Marie-Adélaïde during Guillaume’s long illness from 1908-1912 and also served as the regent for Marie-Adélaïde during the first few months of her reign. Maria Ana fled the country with her family when the German Army invaded Luxembourg in 1940. She died in New York City on July 31, 1942, of a stomach ailment and was temporarily interred at Calvary Cemetery in Queens in New York City. Her remains were later returned to Luxembourg and buried at the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg.

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Grand Duchy of Luxembourg Resources at Unofficial Royalty