Prince Friso of Orange-Nassau

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Prince Friso of Orange-Nassau; Credit – By H G Cladder – File:Friso 2.jpg (cropped), CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18563030

Prince Friso of Orange-Nassau was the second son of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands and Claus von Amsberg, and a younger brother of King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands. He was born Prince Johan Friso Bernhard Christiaan David of the Netherlands on September 25, 1968, at the University Medical Center in Utrecht, the Netherlands.

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Prince Friso with his parents on his christening day

Prince Friso was christened on December 28, 1968, at the Domkerk in Utrecht, the Netherlands. His godparents were:

Prince Friso had two brothers:

A young Prince Friso (left) with his family. photo: The Guardian/Rex Features

A young Prince Friso (left) with his family. photo source: The Guardian/Rex Features

Following his primary education at the Nieuwe Baarnse School in Baarn and secondary education at the Eerste Vrijzinnig Christelijk Lyceum in The Hague, he enrolled at the University of California, Berkeley, studying mechanical engineering. He then attended Delft University of Technology, graduating in 1994 with a degree in aeronautical engineering. From 1990-1995, Friso studied economics at Erasmus University Rotterdam, earning a master’s degree in 1995. In 1997, he earned his MBA from INSEAD in France.

Prince Friso worked at several companies, both in London and the Netherlands.

Prince Friso was the co-founder of the MRI Centre in Amsterdam, and the founding shareholder of Wizz Air, a low-cost airline based in Hungary. He was also, along with his younger brother Prince Constantijn, honorary chairman of the Prince Claus Fund for Culture and Development.

In June 2003, Prince Friso’s engagement to Mabel Wisse Smit was announced. There was public controversy regarding Mabel’s past and her reported relationship with a known drug lord. Having been somewhat vague in their responses to questions about the issue, and Friso’s insistence that he would marry Mabel with or without formal approval from the government, the decision was made not to request formal consent from the Dutch parliament for the marriage. In doing so, Prince Friso relinquished his rights to the Dutch throne and his title of Prince of the Netherlands. However, he retained his personal title of Prince of Orange-Nassau and was granted the hereditary title Count of Orange-Nassau, with the surname Orange-Nassau van Amsberg.

 

Friso and Mabel were married on April 24, 2004, in Delft, the Netherlands. Following a civil ceremony, a religious ceremony was held in the Oude Kerk in Delft, the Netherlands. The couple had two daughters:

  • Countess Luana of Orange-Nassau van Amsberg (born 2005)
  • Countess Zaria of Orange-Nassau van Amsberg (born 2006)

Prince Friso of Orange-Nassau and his family, Credit – www.holland.com

On February 17, 2012, while on the royal family’s annual skiing holiday in Lech, Austria, Prince Friso was buried under an avalanche and was in a coma. According to medical reports, he had been buried for 25 minutes and suffered neurological injuries due to the lack of oxygen. On March 1, 2012, he was moved to Wellington Hospital in London, England, closer to his family’s home. In the summer of 2013, he was declared to be in a minimally conscious state and no longer in need of hospital care. He was moved again on July 9, 2013, to Huis ten Bosch Palace, his mother’s residence in The Hague in the Netherlands. It was there, on August 12, 2013, that Prince Friso passed away at the age of 44.

Prince Friso’s funeral

A private funeral was held at the Stulpkerk Church in Lage Vurrsche, the Netherlands near Castle Drakensteijn where he had grown up. He was buried at the Dutch Reformed Cemetery in Lage Vuursche, Utrecht,  the Netherlands. A memorial service was held on November 2, 2013, at the Oude Kerk in Delft.

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Prince Guillaume of Luxembourg

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Prince Guillaume of Luxembourg; Credit – Wikipedia By Sultan Edijingo – Own work

Prince Guillaume Marie Louis Christian of Luxembourg was born May 1, 1963, at Betzdorf Castle in Luxembourg. He is the youngest of the five children of Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg and Princess Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium.

Guillaume has four older siblings:

Following his primary and secondary schooling in Luxembourg, Switzerland, and France, Prince Guillaume attended the University of Oxford in England, and Georgetown University in the United States, graduating from Georgetown in 1987. He worked for six months in the office of the Executive Director of the International Monetary Fund in Washington, DC, and then for two years for the Commission of the European Communities in Brussels, Belgium. In 1982, he became President of Lux-Development, the company that runs the bilateral and intergovernmental program of development assistance to the government of Luxembourg. In addition, he serves as a director of Arcelor-Mittal and Banque Générale du Luxembourg. He serves as patron of the Luxembourg Basketball Federation and the youth section of the Prince Guillaume Municipal Band of the city of Differdange.

photo: Royal Order of Sartorial Splendor

Guillaume and Sibilla on their wedding day  – photo: Royal Order of Sartorial Splendor

Prince Guillaume is married to Sibilla Weiller, a distant cousin. Sibilla is a descendant of Queen Victoria via her youngest child, Princess Beatrice. She is a granddaughter of Infanta Beatriz of Spain and a second cousin of King Felipe VI of Spain. Guillaume and Sibilla were married first in a civil ceremony held on September 8, 1994, in Sélestat, France, followed by a religious ceremony on September 24, 1994, at the Versailles Cathedral (Cathédrale Saint-Louis de Versailles). The couple had four children:

  • Prince Paul Louis of Nassau (born 1998)
  • Prince Léopold of Nassau (born 2000, twin of Charlotte)
  • Princess Charlotte of Nassau (born 2000, twin of Léopold)
  • Prince Jean of Nassau (born 2004)

In September 2000, Prince Guillaume and Princess Sibilla were injured in a serious car accident in France. For a period of time, Guillaume was in a coma. Due to the accident and the prince’s condition, his father’s planned abdication as Grand Duke of Luxembourg, scheduled for September 28, 2000, was postponed until the first week of October.

Prince Guillaume and his family live in Luxembourg and are often in attendance at major events in the Grand Duchy, as well as most family functions.

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Prince Guillaume, Princess Sibilla, and their children, at the wedding of Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume of Luxembourg, 2012

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Prince Nikolaus of Liechtenstein

by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Prince Nikolaus of Liechtenstein; Credit – Wikipedia

Prince Nikolaus Ferdinand Maria Josef Raphael of Liechtenstein was born October 24, 1947, in Zurich, Switzerland, the third son of the four sons and the third of the five children of Prince Franz Josef II of Liechtenstein and Countess Georgina von Wilczek.

Prince Nikolaus has four siblings:

Nikolaus was raised at Vaduz Castle and began his primary education nearby. He then attended the Schottengymnasium (Scots College) in Vienna. Following high school in Zuoz, Switzerland, he studied law at the University of Vienna, graduating in 1972.

The Prince worked for the International Red Cross in Geneva, and later as a consultant in Liechtenstein’s Office of International Relations. From 1979-1989, he served as Permanent Representative to the Council of Europe. In 1986, he was appointed the first non-resident Ambassador to the Holy See, a position he held until July 2017. In addition, he served as Ambassador to Switzerland from 1989-1996, and Ambassador to Belgium and the European Union from 1996-2010.

On March 20, 1982, Prince Nikolaus married Princess Margaretha of Luxembourg, at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg. She is the daughter of Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg and Princess Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium, as well as the younger sister of Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg. So far, their marriage is the last between two reigning royal houses in Europe. They had four children:

  • Prince Leopold (born and died 1984)
  • Princess Maria-Anunciata (born 1985), married Emanuele Musini
  • Princess Marie-Astrid (born 1987), married Raphael Worthington
  • Prince Josef-Emanuel (born 1989), married María Claudia Echavarría Suárez

 

Princess Margaretha and Prince Nikolaus with their children, 2010. photo: www.royaltyonline.blogspot.com

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Princess Margaretha of Luxembourg, Princess of Liechtenstein

by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2014

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Princess Margaretha of Luxembourg was born Princess Margaretha Antonia Marie Félicité of Luxembourg. Born on May 15, 1957, at Betzdorf Castle in Luxembourg, she is the second daughter of the two daughters and the fourth of the five children of Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg and Princess Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium. Through her birth and marriage, Princess Margaretha is a member of two currently reigning royal families.

Margaretha (standing) with her parents and siblings, 1971; Credit – Wikipedia

photo: Royal Order of Sartorial Splendor

Wedding of Princess Margaretha of Luxembourg and Prince Nikolaus of Liechtenstein photo: Royal Order of Sartorial Splendor

Princess Margaretha married Prince Nikolaus of Liechtenstein, son of Franz Josef II of Liechtenstein and Countess Georgina von Wilczek on March 20, 1982, at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg. Their marriage would be the last between two reigning royal houses in Europe. They had four children:

  • Prince Leopold (born and died 1984)
  • Princess Maria-Anunciata (born 1985), married Emanuele Musini
  • Princess Marie-Astrid (born 1987), married Raphael Worthington
  • Prince Josef-Emanuel (born 1989), married María Claudia Echavarría Suárez
Princess Margaretha with her husband, daughters and younger son, 2010. photo: www.royaltyonline.blogspot.com

Princess Margaretha and Prince Nikolaus with their children, 2010. photo: www.royaltyonline.blogspot.com

Princess Margaretha is active in charity work. She is the patron of Dyslexia International, Princess Margaretha Luxembourgeois Girl Guides of Leudelange and the Crèche de Luxembourg.

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Prince Jean of Luxembourg

by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2014

photo: Zimbio

Prince Jean of Luxembourg – Photo: Zimbio

Prince Jean Félix Marie Guillaume of Luxembourg was born May 15, 1957, at Betzdorf Castle in Luxembourg. He is the second son of the three sons and the third of the five children of Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg and Princess Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium.

Prince Jean has four siblings:

Prince Jean was educated in Luxembourg, Switzerland, and France before attending the Bell School of Languages in Cambridge, England. He then enrolled in the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, graduating in 1978. He continued his education at the University of Geneva, and Webster University, also in Geneva, and began working at a financial firm in New York City. He returned to Europe in 1985, and the following year earned an MBA from INSEAD in France.

photo: Nobles & Royalties

Prince Jean and his first wife, Hélène Vestur.  photo: Nobles & Royalties

On May 27, 1987, Prince Jean married Hélène Vestur at the Church of Saint-Philippe-du-Roule in Paris, France. Jean had given up his succession rights the previous year, just after the birth of the couple’s first child. So upon marriage, his wife and children took on the surname ‘de Nassau’ with no royal style or title. In 1995, they were raised to Count/Countess of Nassau, and in 2004, Grand Duke Henri elevated the children to Prince/Princess of Nassau, with the style of Royal Highness. However, they do not have any succession rights. Jean and Hélène divorced in 2004.

The couple had four children:

  • Princess Marie-Gabrielle of Nassau (born 1986), married Antonius Willms, had two sons
  • Prince Constantin of Nassau (born 1988), married Kathryn Mechie, had one son
  • Prince Wenceslas (born 1990)
  • Prince Carl-Johan (born 1992)

In 2009, Prince Jean married Diane de Guerre at the City Hall in Roermond, the Netherlands. She holds the title of Countess de Nassau. They have no children.

Prince Jean does not undertake any official duties for the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, however, he is often in attendance at private family functions. He works with the GDS-Suez Group and serves as Executive Vice President of the Suez Foundation, and a member of the board of Degrémont, a company that specializes in the production of clean and healthy drinking water. Degrémont is a subsidiary of Suez Environnement, SA. Continuing with his work in the area of water sanitation, Prince Jean purchased a subsidiary of Suez Environnement in 2006, and created Mea Aqua. This organization is focused on developing water and energy solutions in the Middle East and Asia.

Prince Jean and Countess Diane de Nassau at the 2013 wedding of his nephew, Prince Félix of Luxembourg. photo: Zimbio

Prince Jean and Countess Diane de Nassau at the 2013 wedding of his nephew, Prince Félix of Luxembourg. photo: Zimbio

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Archduke Carl Christian of Austria

by Scott Mehl

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Archduke Carl Christian of Austria (Carl Christian Maria Anna Rudolph Anton Marcus d’Aviano), known as Christian, is the husband of Princess Marie Astrid of Luxembourg.  He was born on August 26, 1954, at the Château de Belœil in Belgium, the second son of Archduke Carl Ludwig of Austria and Princess Yolande of Ligne.  Carl Christian is a grandson of the last Austrian Emperor Karl I and his wife, Princess Zita of Bourbon-Parma.

Carl Christian has three siblings:

  • Archduke Rudolf of Austria (born 1950), married Baroness Hélène de Villenfagne de Vogelsanck, had eight children
  • Archduchess Alexandra of Austria (born 1952), married Héctor Riesle, Chilean ambassador to the Holy See, had three children
  • Archduchess Maria Constanza of Austria (born 1957) married Franz Josef, Prince of Auersperg-Trautson, had three daughters and one adopted daughter

On February 6, 1982, Archduke Carl Christian married his second cousin, Princess Marie-Astrid of Luxembourg, the daughter of Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg and Princess Joséphine Charlotte of Belgium. A civil ceremony was held at the Grand Ducal Palace followed by a religious ceremony at the Cathédrale Notre Dame, both in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg.

The couple had five children:

  • Archduchess Marie-Christine of Austria (born 1983), married Count Rodolphe de Limburg-Stirum, had three children
  • Archduke Imre of Austria (born 1985), married Kathleen Elizabeth Walker, had five children
  • Archduke Christoph of Austria (born 1988), married Adélaïde Marie Béatrice Drapé-Frisch, had four children
  • Archduke Alexander of Austria (born 1990), married married Natacha Roumiantzeff-Pachkevitch
  • Archduchess Gabriella of Austria (born 1994), married Prince Henri of Bourbon-Parma, had three children

Carl Christian was very close to his uncle Archduke Otto (Dr. Otto von Habsburg), and traveled extensively with him, often speaking on his behalf. He was also a very visible member at any events relating to the beatification of his grandfather Emperor Karl of Austria.

The Archduke works in Geneva, Switzerland where he manages a company specializing in audit and control of financial institutions. In addition, he serves as President of the Board of Directors of G&C Kreglinger.

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Princess Marie-Astrid of Luxembourg, Archduchess of Austria

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

 

Princess Marie-Astrid Liliane Charlotte Léopoldine Wilhelmine Ingeborg Antoinette Élisabeth Anne Alberte of Luxembourg was born on February 17, 1954, at Betzdorf Castle in Luxembourg, the eldest child of Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg and Princess Joséphine Charlotte of Belgium.

Marie-Astrid has four younger siblings:

Marie-Astrid was educated in Luxembourg and Belgium, and earned her certification as a registered nurse in 1974, with a specialized certificate in tropical medicine in 1977. Since 1970, she has been President of the Red Cross for Luxembourg Youth. In the late 1970s, she was rumored to be a prospective bride for Prince Charles, Prince of Wales. However, these rumors proved to be unfounded, and quite unlikely. Marie-Astrid is a devout Catholic and a marriage between the two would not have been permitted under the British Royal Marriages Act.

photo: Royal Order of Sartorial Splendor

Marie-Astrid and Carl Christian on their wedding day -photo: Royal Order of Sartorial Splendor

On February 6, 1982, in Luxembourg, Marie-Astrid married her second cousin Archduke Carl Christian of Austria. A civil ceremony was held at the Grand Ducal Palace, followed by a religious ceremony at the Cathédrale Notre Dame, both in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg. Upon marriage, her full title became Her Imperial and Royal Highness Archduchess Marie-Astrid of Austria, Princess Imperial of Austria, Princess Royal of Hungary, Croatia, and Bohemia, Princess of Luxembourg, Princess of Nassau, Princess of Bourbon-Parma.

The couple had five children:

  • Archduchess Marie-Christine of Austria (born 1983), married Count Rodolphe de Limburg-Stirum, had three children
  • Archduke Imre of Austria (born 1985), married Kathleen Elizabeth Walker, had five children
  • Archduke Christoph of Austria (born 1988), married Adélaïde Marie Béatrice Drapé-Frisch, had four children
  • Archduke Alexander of Austria (born 1990), married married Natacha Roumiantzeff-Pachkevitch
  • Archduchess Gabriella of Austria (born 1994), married Prince Henri of Bourbon-Parma, had three children
photo: ©2013 Cour grand-ducale/Vic Fischbach

photo: ©2013 Cour grand-ducale/Vic Fischbach

Marie-Astrid is typically in attendance at family functions in Luxembourg, as well as the occasional official events. Amongst several patronages and involvements, she serves on the Board of Directors of l’Arche International, an organization that works with people with intellectual disabilities.  In the photo above, she is seen, along with her father, Grand Duke Jean, and the Hereditary Grand Duke and Grand Duchess in October 2013, at a concert of the Luxembourg Philharmonic held in memory of her late mother, Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte.

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Princess Claire of Belgium

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

 

Princess Claire of Belgium (neé Claire Louise Coombs) is the wife of Prince Laurent of Belgium, the youngest child of King Albert II of Belgium and Paola Ruffo di Calabria. She was born on January 18, 1974, in Bath, England, the daughter of the British Nicholas Coombs and his Belgian wife Nicole Eva Mertens. She has an older sister Joanna, and a younger brother Matthew.

The family moved to Belgium when Claire was three years old. She completed her primary and secondary education at the Institut de la Providence, in Wavre, Belgium. She then studied as a surveyor, completing her training in 1999. She then worked for Brone & Oldenhove, a surveying firm in Wavre where she had also worked as an intern during her education.

In December 2002, the engagement of Claire Coombs and Prince Laurent was announced by the Royal Palace. The couple had first met in 2000 at the home of a mutual friend. Their marriage took place on April 12, 2003. A civil ceremony was held at Brussels Town Hall, followed by a religious ceremony at the Cathedral of St Michael and St Gudula in Brussels. By Royal Decree issued by the King, Claire was elevated to Princess of Belgium in her own right. Claire and Laurent live at Villa Clémentine in Tervuren, with their three children:

  • Princess Louise of Belgium (born 2004)
  • Prince Nicolas of Belgium (born 2005) – twin of Aymeric
  • Prince Aymeric of Belgium (born 2005) – twin of Nicolas

Princess Claire and her family in 2022; Credit – https://www.facebook.com/fondation.prince.stichting.prins.laurent/photos

In 2004, Princess Claire was chosen to serve as an assessor at a polling station in Tervuren during the regional and European elections. This was the first time a member of the Belgian Royal Family had taken on a position like this, and it was hailed as a sign of the modernization of the monarchy.

Unlike her two sisters-in-law, Queen Mathilde and Princess Astrid, Princess Claire has no official role. However, she is often in attendance at official events and state functions with her husband. She serves as Patron of The Brussels Choral Society and Green Spaces and Garden Arts and is the Honorary President of the Pro Renovassistance Foundation.

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October 1914: Royalty and World War I

by Susan Flantzer

Deaths of High Profile Royals
Timeline: October 1, 1914 – October 31, 1914
A Note About German Titles
October 1914 – Royals Who Died In Action


Deaths of High Profile Royals

In October 1914, four high-profile royals were killed in action: a grandson of Queen Victoria; a son of Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich of Russia; a nephew of Wilhelm II, German Emperor; and an uncle of Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands. Prince Maurice of Battenberg, the grandson of Queen Victoria, has a separate article, and the other three are profiled here.

Prince Oleg Konstantinovich of Russia; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Prince Oleg Konstantinovich of Russia was born in St. Petersburg, Russia on November 27, 1892. His father, Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich of Russia, was a grandson of Emperor Nicholas I of Russia. The Grand Duke was a poet, playwright, and translator and arranged for his nine children to have lessons from experts in a variety of fields in addition to their traditional education. Prince Oleg wrote poetry like his father and was thought to be the most intelligent of the nine children. He attended the prestigious Alexander Lyceum instead of receiving a military education. Just before the outbreak of World War I, Prince Oleg was engaged to his cousin Princess Nadejda Petrovna of Russia.

Shortly after the start of World War I, five of the six sons of Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich were sent to the front to serve with the Imperial Guards. On October 10, 1914, Prince Oleg was wounded in an attack against the Germans in East Prussia. Unfortunately, blood poisoning set in before it was realized that Prince Oleg was seriously wounded. He was transported to Vilna (now in Lithuania) for an unsuccessful emergency operation. Before he died, Prince Oleg was able to see his parents and receive the Order of St. George from his father. On his deathbed, Prince Oleg said, “I am so happy…It will encourage the troops to know that the Imperial House is not afraid to shed its blood.” He died on October 12, 1914, at the age of 21, and at his request was buried at his father’s estate Ostashevo on the banks of the Ruza River in the Moscow countryside.

Sadly, three of Prince Oleg’s brothers, Ioann, Gavriil, and Konstantin, were executed by the Bolsheviks on July 18, 1918, at the same time as Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna of Russia (the elder sister of Empress Alexandra Feodrovna) and two additional members of the Romanov family, Grand Duke Sergei Mikhailovich, and Prince Vladimir Paley. See Unofficial Royalty: July 18, 1918 – Murder of Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna of Russia.

Maximilian of Hesse

Prince Maximilian of Hesse-Kassel; Photo Credit – www.flickr.com

Prince Maximilian of Hesse-Kassel was born on October 20, 1894, at Schloss Rupenheim in Offenbach, Hesse (Germany). His parents were Princess Margaret of Prussia and Friedrich Karl, Prince and Landgrave of Hesse. Through his mother, Prince Maximilian was a great-grandson of Queen Victoria and a nephew of Wilhelm II, German Emperor.

Prince Maximilian was serving with the Grand Ducal Hessen Dragoons when he was severely wounded by British machine-gun fire at Saint-Jean-Chappelle, near Bailleul, France on October 13, 1914. He was taken to a Trappist monastery where the monks cared for him, but the British advanced and took control of the monastery. Prince Maximilian told a British army doctor that he was a great-grandson of Queen Victoria and asked him to send a locket to his mother which the doctor promised to do. The prince died three hours later at the age of 19 and the British army doctor died three days later. The locket was sent to the doctor’s widow who forwarded it to Queen Mary, the wife of King George V of the United Kingdom. Eventually, the locket did reach Prince Maximilian’s mother.

The mayor of the town where Prince Maximilian died ordered a local carpenter to construct a coffin for the prince and he was then buried in a local cemetery. However, local people who had suffered greatly in the fighting protested the burial when they found out the prince was the Kaiser’s nephew and the prince’s remains were moved to a secret location. In 1926, King George V assisted Prince Maximilian’s family in recovering his remains.

Prince Maximilian’s older brother Prince Friedrich Wilhelm was killed in action in 1916 and a younger brother, Prince Christoph, was killed in World War II.

Prince Wolrad Friedrich of Waldeck and Pyrmont ; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Prince Wolrad of Waldeck and Pyrmont was born on June 26, 1892, in Arolsen, Waldeck and Pyrmont (Germany). He was the only child of George Victor, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont and his second wife Princess Louise of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg.

Prince Wolrad was the half-brother of Queen Emma of the Netherlands, wife of King William III of the Netherlands; Princess Helena, Duchess of Albany who married Queen Victoria’s youngest son Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany; and Friedrich, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont, last reigning Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont. Therefore, the prince was the uncle of Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, the reigning monarch during World War I; and the uncle of the two children of Prince Leopold: Charles Edward, the reigning Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha during World War I and Princess Alice of Albany.

Prince Wolrad was a lieutenant in Grand Ducal Hessen Dragoons. On the evening of October 17, 1914, he led a cavalry patrol near Moorslede, Belgium. The patrol came under fire from the advancing British troops. Several of the dragoons were hit and fell off their horses and Prince Wolrad’s horse was also hit. The prince and his aide reached a nearby trench, but then Prince Wolrad saw one of his men lying a short distance from the trench. The prince crawled to the wounded man and tried to pull him to safety, but was fatally hit with gunfire and died from his wounds at the age of 22.

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Timeline: October 1, 1914 – October 31, 1914

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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.  German titles may be used in Royals Who Died In Action below. Refer to our 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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October 1914 – Royals 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 from The Peerage.  If a person has a Wikipedia page, their name will be linked to that page.

Karl, Freiherr von Vequel-Westernach

Hermann, Freiherr von Landsberg-Velen

Karl, Prinz zu Solms-Braunfels

Klemen, Freiherr von Loë

Prince Oleg Constantinovitch of Russia

Prince Maximilian of Hesse-Kassel

Paul Maria Joseph, Graf von Hompesch-Bollheim

Wolrad Friedrich, Prinz zu Waldeck und Pyrmont

Heinrich XLVI, Prinz Reuss

Joseph Ferdinand, Prinz von Lobkowicz

  • son of Dr. Maria Ferdinand Georg August Melchior, Prinz von Lobkowicz and Ida Maria, Gräfin Podstatzky-Lichtenstein
  • born September 4, 1885 in Unterberkowic
  • 1913 married Gisela, Gräfin von Silva-Tarouca, had issue
  • killed in action at Jaroslau, Galicia (now in Poland) on October 25, 1914, age 29
  • http://www.genealogics.org/getperson.php?personID=I00126814&tree=LEO
Maurice of Battenberg

Prince Maurice of Battenberg; Photo Credit – www.firstworldwar.com

Prince Maurice of Battenberg

Prince Laurent of Belgium

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Embed from Getty Images 

Prince Laurent of Belgium (Laurent Benoît Baudouin Marie) was born on October 16, 1963, at the Château de Belvédère in Laeken, Brussels, Belgium. He is the youngest of the three children of King Albert II of the Belgians, who abdicated in favor of his son Philippe in 2013, and his wife Queen Paola (born Paola Ruffo di Calabria).

Laurent has an older brother and an older sister:

Laurent has a half-sister from his father’s affair with Baroness Sybille de Selys Longchamps. After years of legal battles, on October 1, 2020, the Belgian Court of Appeal ruled that Delphine and her children are entitled to the style and title of HRH Prince/Princess of Belgium, and can use the former King’s surname of Saxe-Coburg.

  • Princess Delphine of Belgium (born 1968), married James O’Hare, an American, had two children, now styled Princess Joséphine of Belgium and Prince Oscar of Belgium

Prince Laurent began his education at (link translated from French) in Brussels where he was educated in French and then attended school in Loppem where he was educated in Dutch. In 1977, he began his studies at the (link translated from Dutch) in Antwerp and completed his studies there in 1980. Laurent then studied at the Royal Cadet School in Laeken, Brussels. He then proceeded to the Royal Military Academy where he was educated as an officer of the armed forces. Upon completion, Laurent joined the Belgian Navy as a naval trainee on a minehunter. He trained to become a diver and helicopter pilot and his highest naval rank was Captain.

In 1996, Prince Laurent founded The Prince Laurent Foundation, a Belgian non-profit organization for the welfare of domestic and wild animals. The foundation focuses on veterinary dispensaries, alternative methods to animal experimentation, equine research, and welfare, and scientific prizes and awards.

On December 19, 2002, the engagement of Prince Laurent and British-born, but Belgian-raised Claire Coombs was announced. The couple met at a mutual friend’s dinner party in 2000. Laurent was helping wash the dishes when Claire came in to lend a hand. The two barely talked and did not see each other again for two months. After their second meeting, Claire was impressed with Laurent’s generosity and sensitivity and Laurent knew Claire was right for him because of her honesty, spontaneity, and love for children.  Laurent and Claire married on April 12, 2003, at the Cathedral of Saints Michael and Gudula in Brussels, Belgium.

photo: The Exiled Belgian Royalist

The couple had three children:

  • Princess Louise of Belgium (born 2004)
  • Prince Nicolas of Belgium (born 2005) – twin of Aymeric
  • Prince Aymeric of Belgium (born 2005) – twin of Nicolas

In 2018, the Belgian parliament cut Prince Laurent’s annual allowance by 15% for a year.  The sanction was imposed after Prince Laurent, in full naval uniform, attended a Chinese embassy reception in 2017 without government permission.  The government had warned Laurent to ask permission from the foreign ministry before conducting any diplomatic activity. Despite that, he went to the embassy event and tweeted a photo of himself there.

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