August 1914: Royalty and World War I

WWI_NYTimes_08051914

New York Times, August 2, 1914; Photo Credit – http://collections.yadvashem.org

by Susan Flantzer

Introduction
Timeline: June 28, 1914 – August 31, 1914
A Note About German Titles
August 1914 – Royals Who Died In Action


Introduction

This is the first of what we hope will be a monthly feature during the duration of the centenary of World War I. The plan is to have an introduction related to a World War I event that occurred during that particular month, followed by a general timeline of events for that month, and concluding with the royals who died in action during that month. The links above can be used to jump to the different sections.

August 1914 marks the start of World War I, one of the deadliest conflicts in human history with 17 million deaths and 20 million wounded (numbers include military and civilian casualties). Statistic for August 2014: 27,000 French soldiers were killed in a single day on August 22, 1914.

The Pulitzer Prize winning classic book The Guns of August (also published as August 1914) by Barbara Tuchman, published in 1962, details the first month of World War I. The book’s first chapter opens with the funeral of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom in May 1910, which was attended by nine kings, and then the chapter goes on to discuss Europe’s alliances and the diplomacy of royalty. King Edward VII was related to many of the royals on European thrones as World War I started. Despite being royal, these people also were members of an extended family that was affected personally by the war in a variety of ways. Below is a list of Edward VII’s relatives who sat on thrones in 1914.

Edward VII’s son: King George V of the United Kingdom
Edward VII’s daughter: Queen Maud of Norway
Edward VII’s son-in-law: King Haakon VII of Norway

Edward VII’s nephews and nieces (also grandchildren of Queen Victoria and all first cousins)

Edward VII’s nephews and nieces by marriage (nephews and nieces of his wife born Princess Alexandra of Denmark, also grandchildren of King Christian IX of Denmark and all first cousins)

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Timeline: June 28, 1914 – August 31, 1914

  • June 28 – Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir to the Austrian-Hungarian throne, and his wife in Sarajevo by Bosnian Serb Gavrilo Princip
  • July 5 – Austria-Hungary seeks German support for a war against Serbia in case of Russian mobilization; Germany gives assurances of support
  • July 23 – Austria-Hungary sends an ultimatum to Serbia; Serbia’s response is unsatisfactory to Austria-Hungary
  • July 28 – Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia; Russia mobilizes its forces
  • July 31 -Germany warns Russia to stop mobilizing; Russia says mobilization is against Austria-Hungary only
  • August 1 – Germany declares war on Russia; Italy declares its neutrality; Germany and the Ottoman Empire sign a secret alliance treaty
  • August 2 – Germany invades Luxembourg; Skirmish at Joncherey (France) the first military action on the Western Front
  • August 2-26 – Germany sieges and captures Longwy, France near the Luxembourg border, opening France to German invasion
  • August 3 – Germany declares war on France; Belgium does not allow German arms through to the French border
  • August 4 – Germany invades Belgium to outflank the French army; United Kingdom protests the violation of Belgian neutrality guaranteed by a treaty; German Chancellor replies that the treaty is just a scrap of paper; United Kingdom declares war on Germany; United States declares its neutrality
  • August 4–August 16 – Germans besiege and capture the fortresses of Liège, Belgium: Battle of Liège
  • August 5 – Montenegro declares war on Austria-Hungary; Ottoman Empire closes the Dardanelles, straits that connects the Black Sea to the Mediterranean Sea
  • August 6 – Austria-Hungary declares war on Russia; Serbia declares war on Germany
  • August 7 – British Expeditionary Force arrives in France
  • August 7–September 13 – Battle of the Frontiers fought in eastern France and southern Belgium; Germans are victorious against the British Expeditionary Force and France’s Fifth Army
  • August 7-August 10 – Battle of Mulhouse (France), a phase of the Battle of the Frontiers
  • August 9 – Montenegro declares war on Germany; Togoland Campaign begins (Togoland was a German protectorate in West Africa, now it comprises Togo and part of Ghana)
  • August 11 – France declares war on Austria-Hungary
  • August 12 – United Kingdom declares war on Austria-Hungary; Battle of Haelen (Belgium), a phase of the Battle of the Frontiers
  • August 14-August 25 – Battle of Lorraine (France), a phase of the Battle of the Frontiers
  • August 16–August 19 – Serbs defeat the Austro-Hungarians at the Battle of Cer (Serbia)
  • August 17 – Russian army enters East Prussia; Battle of Stalluponen (East Prussia now Nesterov, Russia)
  • August 20 – Germans launch a failed attack against the Russians in East Prussia, the Battle of Gumbinnen (East Prussia now Gusev, Russia); Germans occupy Brussels, Belgium; Battle of Morhange (France), a phase of the Battle of Lorraine; Battle of Sarrebourg (France), a phase of the Battle of Lorraine.
  • August 21 – Battle of Charleroi (Belgium), a phase of the Battle of the Frontiers
  • August 21-August 23 – Battle of the Ardennes (a forest in Belgium, Luxembourg, and France), a phase of the Battle of the Frontiers
  • August 22 – Austria-Hungary declares war on Belgium
  • August 23 – Japan declares war on Germany; Battle of Mons (Belgium), a phase of the Battle of the Frontiers
  • August 23–August 30 – Battle of Tannenberg (Allenstein, East Prussia now Olsztyn, Poland) resulting in a heavy defeat for the Russians by the Germans
  • August 23–September 11 – Battle of Galicia (Lemberg, Galicia now Lviv, Ukraine)
  • August 23–August 25 – Battle of Kraśnik (Russia Poland, Russian Empire now in Poland), a phase of the Battle of Lemberg; Austro-Hungarian First Army defeats the Russian Fourth Army
  • August 24 – Action of Elouges (Belgium); Battle of the Mortagne (France), a phase of the Battle of Lorraine
  • August 24–September 7 – Germans besiege and capture the Maubeuge Fortress in France
  • August 24-September 28 – Allied Great Retreat to the River Marne (From Mons, Belgium to River Marne, France)
  • August 25 – Japan declares war on Austria-Hungary
  • August 26 – British and French forces conquer Togoland, a German protectorate in West Africa which now comprises Togo and part of Ghana; Battle of Le Grand Fayt (France)
  • August 26–August 27 – Battle of Le Cateau (Le Cateau-Cambrésis, France); Allied retreat
  • August 26-August 30 – Battle of Gnila Lipa (Russian Poland, now Poland), a phase of the Battle of Lemberg
  • August 26-September 2 – Battle of Komarow (Komarow and Zamość, Russian Poland now in Poland), a phase of the Battle of Lemberg
  • August 27 – Battle of Étreux (France)
  • August 27–November 7 – Battle of Tsingtao; British and Japanese forces capture the German-controlled port of Tsingtao in China
  • August 28 – British Royal Navy wins the First Battle of Heligoland Bight
  • August 29–August 30 – Battle of Saint Quentin (Guise, France), aka Battle of Guise; Orderly Allied retreat
  • August 30 – New Zealand occupies German Samoa in the South Pacific (later Western Samoa)

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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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August 1914 – Royals Who Died In Action

Nine royals died in August 1914 and four of them are related.  The Lippe-Biesterfeld family and its Saxe-Meiningen relatives took a big hit. Adelheid of Lippe-Biesterfeld, whose husband Prinz Friedrich of Saxe-Meiningen died on August 23, 1814, lost not only her husband, but also her son, her brother and her nephew…all dead within 22 days!

The list is in chronological order according to the date of death 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.

Friedrich Wilhelm, Prinz of Lippe-Biesterfeld
friedrich_wilhelm_zur_lippe_medium

Ottokar, Graf of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg

Georges Alexandre Lamoral, Prince de Ligne

Friedrich, Prinz of Saxe-Meiningen
FriedrichSaxeMeiningen

Robert Cornwallis Maude, 6th Viscount Hawarden

Ernst, Prinz of Saxe-Meiningen

Friedrich Albert, Graf zu Rechteren-Limpurg-Speckfeld

Ernst, Prinz of Lippe-Biesterfeld

Helmut, Freiherr von Cornberg

Robert, Graf zu Stolberg-Wernigerode

Glossary of German Noble and Royal Titles

When dealing with German royals and nobles, we often see their titles in German. A glossary of these titles is below. The Weimar Constitution of 1919 abolished noble and royal titles and the current constitution, the German Basic Law, states that titles are only valid as part of a surname.

For more information, see:
Wikipedia: German Nobility
Heraldica: The German Nobility

  • Altgraf/Altgräfin – Altgrave/Altgravine – used by the counts of Lower Salm to distinguish themselves from the Wild- and Rhinegraves of Upper Salm
  • Burggraf/Burggräfin – Burgrave/Burgravine – hereditary governor of a castle or town
  • Edler/Edle – Noble – lowest rank of nobility in Austria-Hungary and Germany
  • Erzherzog(in) – Archduke/Archduchess – used by the Habsburg rulers of the Archduchy of Austria and later by all members of that dynasty
  • Freiherr/Freifrau – Baron(ess) – literally “free lord,” third lowest rank within the nobility
  • Freiin – unmarried daughter of a baron
  • Fürst(in) – Prince(ss) *see note below
  • Graf/Gräfin – Count(ess) – equivalent to the British earl
  • Grossherzog(in) – Grand Duke/Grand Duchess – a lesser sovereign in Germanic countries, ranking below a king but higher than a sovereign duke
  • Herr / Edler Herr – Lord / Noble Lord -similar to Edler
  • Herzog(in) – Duke/Duchess – hereditary ruler of a territorial duchy
  • Kaiser(in) – Emperor/Empress – emperors of the German Empire, the Austrian Empire and the Austro-Hungarian Empire
  • König(in) – King/Queen
  • Kronprinz(essin) – Crown Prince(ss) – heir apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy
  • Kurfürst(in) – Prince-Elector/Electress – members of the electoral college of the Holy Roman Empire
  • Landgraf/Landgräfin – Landgrave/Landgravine – ruled over an entire province or a large territory
  • Markgraf/Markgräfin – Margrave/Margravine – originally ruled over territory on the border of the Holy Roman Empire
  • Pfalzgraf/Pfalzgräfin – Count(ess) Palatine
  • Prinz(essin) – Prince(ss) *see note below
  • Reichsfreiherr/Reichsfreifrau – Baron(ess) of the Empire
  • Reichsgraf/Reichsgräfin – Count(ess) of the Empire
  • Ritter – Knight – second lowest rank within the nobility

*Fürst/Prince was used for a reigning sovereign ruler or monarch. The present-day rulers of the Principality of Liechtenstein bear the title of Fürst and the title is also used in German when referring to the ruling princes the Principality of Monaco. Non-reigning descendants of a Fürst are referred to in German as Prinz (prince) or Prinzessin (princess).

Hassanal Bolkiah, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

photo: Wikipedia

Hassanal Bolkiah, Sultan 7 Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei; Credit – Wikipedia

Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei (full name: Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien) was born on July 15, 1946, in Brunei Town, now called Bandar Seri Begawan. He is the eldest son of Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien III of Brunei and Rani Isteri Pengiran Anak Damit.

Following his early education in Brunei, he attended the Victorian Institution in Kuala Lumpur and then the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in the United Kingdom. On October 4, 1967, his father abdicated and Hassanal Bolkiah became the 29th Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan (Head of State) of Brunei.  He is also Prime Minister, Minister of Defense, and Minister of Finance.  At the time, Brunei was a protectorate of the United Kingdom.  However, the Sultan oversaw negotiations with Britain leading to Brunei’s independence in 1984.

The Sultan and Sultanah at the marriage ceremony of their daughter, 2012. Photo: Daily Mail

The Sultan and Sultanah at the 2012 marriage ceremony of their daughter, 
Photo: Daily Mail

The Sultan has had three wives and twelve children. On July 28, 1965, Hassanal Bolkiah married his paternal first cousin Saleha Mohamed Alam who was styled Her Majesty The Sultanah of Brunei after her husband became Sultan. Saleha and Hassanal Bolkiah had two sons and four daughters:

In 1982, Hassanal Bolkiah married a second wife Mariam Abdul Aziz, a former flight attendant for Royal Brunei Airlines. The Sultan divorced her for nusyuz, disobeying or opposing the will of the husband in 2003, and stripped her of all her titles. Four children were born from the marriage:

In 2005, Hassanal Bolkiah married Azrinaz Mazhar Hakim, a former Malaysian TV3 presenter. The Sultan divorced her for nusyuz, disobeying or opposing the will of the husband in 2010, and stripped her of all her titles. Two children were born from the marriage:

  • Prince Abdul Wakeel (born 2006)
  • Princess Ameerah Wardatul (born 2008)

Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and Sultanah Saleha reside at Nurul Iman Palace, a massive place with nearly 1,800 rooms. According to Guinness World Records, it is the largest residential palace in the world, and the largest single-family residence ever built.  As well as being the Sultan’s home and office, the palace also holds his immense car collection.

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.

Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, Dragon King of Bhutan

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, Dragon King of Bhutan; Credit – Wikipedia

Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, Dragon King of Bhutan was born on February 21, 1980, at the Dechencholing Palace in Thimphu, Bhutan. He is the eldest son of King Jigme Singye Wangchuck with his third wife, Queen Ashi Tshering Yangdon.

King Jigme has two full siblings:

He has seven half-siblings via his father’s other three wives:

With his first wife – Queen Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck

With his second wife – Queen Tshering Pem Wangchuck

With his fourth wife – Queen Sangay Choden Wangchuck

  • Prince Khasum Singye Wangchuck (1985)
  • Princess Euphelma Choden Wangchuck (1993)

After beginning his education in Bhutan, he attended boarding school in Massachusetts, first at the Phillips Academy and then graduating from the Cushing Academy in 1999. He attended Wheaton College, also in Massachusetts, before enrolling in the Foreign Services Program and earning his Master’s Degree in Politics at Magdalen College, Oxford. He attended a year-long course at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration in leadership development.

In 2005, his father announced his intention to abdicate in favor of Jigme Khesar in 2008, timed to coincide with the first democratic elections in the small nation. He began transferring many of his responsibilities to his son. However, on December 9, 2006, he formally abdicated and Jigme Khesar became the 5th Dragon King (Druk Gyalpo) of the Kingdom of Bhutan. At the time, he was the world’s youngest monarch, at just 24 years old.

photo: Zimbio

King Jigme Khesar married Jetsun Pema in their wedding day – photo: Zimbio

On October 13, 2011, King Jigme Khesar married Jetsun Pema in a traditional Buddhist ceremony at the Punakha Dzong. As part of the ceremony, he crowned her as Queen of Bhutan. Several days later, the couple also celebrated a traditional Hindu wedding ceremony.

Crown Prince Jigme Namgyel Wangchuck, on the left, with his family; Credit – Facebook page of King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck of Bhutan

The couple has two sons and one daughter:

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.

World War I: Who Was On What Side?

European military alliances prior to World War I. Beige indicates countries with no alliance at that time; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

The Entente Powers (also known as the Allies of World War I or the Allies)

*monarchy

  • Andorra
  • Armenia
  • Belgium*
  • Brazil
  • Republic of China
  • Costa Rica
  • Cuba
  • Czechoslovak Legions (volunteer armed forces composed predominantly of Czechs and Slovaks)
  • France (and the French colonial empire)
  • Greece*
  • Guatemala
  • Haiti
  • Honduras
  • Italy* – Italy had been part of the Central Powers, but joined the Allies in 1915
  • Japan* (Korea, Taiwan)
  • Liberia
  • Montenegro*
  • Nepal*
  • New Hebrides (British-French co-Dominion, now Vanuatu)
  • Nicaragua
  • Panama
  • Portugal (and the Portuguese colonial empire)
  • Romania*
  • Russia*
  • Serbia*
  • Siam* (now Thailand)
  • United Kingdom* [and the British Empire including Canada, British India (now India, Bangladesh, Burma and Pakistan), Newfoundland, Australia, New Zealand, Malta, South Africa, Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe and Zambia), British Crown Colonies]
  • United States (including Alaska, Hawaii, Philippines, Puerto Rico)

The Central Powers

  • Austria-Hungary* (Today the land occupied by Austria-Hungary includes  parts of these current countries: Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Ukraine)
  • Azerbaijan Democratic Republic
  • Bulgaria*
  • Dervish State* (now parts of Ethiopia and Somalia)
  • Germany* (and German colonial empire)
  • Jabal Shammar* (now parts of Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Jordan)
  • Ottoman Empire* (Today the land occupied by the Ottoman Empire includes  parts of these current countries: Albania, Algeria, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, Eritrea, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Oman, State of Palestine, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Slovakia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Ukraine, and Yemen)

Neutral countries

  • Afghanistan* – Received a German diplomatic mission trying to convince it to act against the British in India
  • Albania* – In political chaos since the beginning of the war, the country was occupied by both Central and Allied powers but never declared war on either side
  • Argentina
  • Bolivia
  • Bhutan*
  • Chile
  • Colombia
  • Denmark*
  • El Salvador
  • Ethiopia* – Received a German diplomatic mission trying to convince it to act against Italy, United Kingdom and France in East Africa
  • Liechtenstein* – Had a customs and monetary union with Austria-Hungary
  • Luxembourg* – Never declared war on the Central Powers despite being invaded and occupied by Germany
  • Bogd Khaanate of Mongolia* (now part of China)
  • Mexico – Declined an alliance with Germany (see Zimmermann Telegram)
  • Monaco*
  • Netherlands* – Ally of the United Kingdom by treaty; Traded with both sides
  • Norway* – Gave naval assistance to the United Kingdom
  • Paraguay
  • Persia* (later Iran) – Civil dispute and Allied Campaign against Ottomans
  • Spain* – Ally of the United Kingdom by treaty
  • Spitsbergen – Danish-Norwegian co-Dominion (now part of Norway)
  • Sweden* – Non-belligerent
  • Switzerland – Declared a “state of siege”
  • Tibet – Unrecognized but independent of China from 1912
  • Venezuela – Supplied the Allies with oil

Sheikh Hamad bin Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, King of Bahrain

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2014

Sheikh Hamad bin Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, King of Bahrain; Credit – Wikipedia

King Hamad bin Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa of Bahrain was born January 28, 1950, in Riffa, Bahrain, the eldest son of Emir Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa of Bahrain and his wife Hessa bint Salman Al Khalifa.

King Hamad began his primary education in Bahrain at the age of 6, along with studying the principles of Islam and the Arabic Language. Upon completing his primary education in 1964, he was proclaimed Crown Prince. Hamad then attended Applegarth College and The Leys School, both in England. He then undertook military training with the British Army at the Mons Officer Cadet School in Aldershot, Hampshire and the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst. He later attended the United States Army Command and General Staff College, graduating with a degree in leadership in 1973.

Hamad was a driving force in establishing the Bahrain Defense Force (BDF) and was appointed Commander-in-Chief. He later served as Minister of Defense and as Deputy Head of the Al Khalifa Family Council. An avid helicopter pilot, Hamad was instrumental in establishing the Bahrain Air Force.

Upon his father’s death on March 6, 1999, he became the Emir of Bahrain. Three years later, in 2002, he elevated the Emirate to a Kingdom and proclaimed himself the first King of Bahrain.

King Hamad and Queen Sabika with the Duke of York and Princess Beatrice of York, 2012. photo: Zimbio

King Hamad and Queen Sabika with the Duke of York and Princess Beatrice of York, 2012. photo: Zimbio

King Hamad has four wives and a total of twelve children.

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 Camilla of the United Kingdom

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2014

Queen Camilla of the United Kingdom; Credit – By Senedd Cymru / Welsh Parliament from Wales – Flickr, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=128562390

Her Majesty Queen Camilla is the second wife of King Charles III of the United Kingdom. Camilla Rosemary Shand was born at King’s College Hospital in London, England on July 17, 1947. She is the oldest of three children of Major Bruce Shand, a former British Army officer and later a wine merchant (1917-2006) and The Honorable Rosalind Cubitt (1921-1994).

Camilla_parents

Camilla’s parents on their wedding day; Photo Credit – www.telegraph.co.uk

Camilla was christened on November 1, 1947, at Firle Church in Lewes, Sussex, England. Her godparents were:

  • The Honourable Harry Cubitt (her maternal uncle, later the 4th Baron Ashcombe)
  • Major Neil Speke
  • Mrs. Lombard Hobson
  • Mrs. Heathcoat Amory
  • Miss Vivien Mosley
Camilla_Alice Keppel

Alice Keppel; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Camilla’s maternal grandparents were Roland Cubitt, 3rd Baron Ashcombe and Sonia Keppel. Sonia Keppel was the daughter of The Honorable George Keppel (son of William Keppel, 7th Earl of Albemarle) and Alice Keppel (née Edmonstone, daughter of Sir William Edmonstone, 4th Baronet). Alice Keppel, Camilla’s great-grandmother, was the mistress of King Edward VII, Prince Charles’ great-great-grandfather, from 1898 until King Edward died in 1910.

Camilla, along with Diana, Princess of Wales and Sarah, Duchess of York, is a descendant of King Charles II of England through one of his illegitimate children, Charles Lennox, 1st Duke of Richmond, son of Charles II and his mistress Louise de Kérouaille, Duchess of Portsmouth. In addition, Camilla is the great-great-great-granddaughter of Sir Allan MacNab, who was Premier of the Province of Canada before Confederation in 1867.

Camilla has two younger siblings:

CAMILLA PARKER BOWLES - 1952

Camilla on left with her siblings, Mark in the middle and Annabel on the right; Credit – www.dailymail.co.uk

The Shand family had two homes, The Laines, a former rectory, their country home in East Sussex and a three-story Victorian house in South Kensington, London. Camilla grew up as an avid reader, loved pets, learned to ride at an early age, and also learned to hunt. When she was five years old, Camilla started to attend Dumbrells School in Ditchling, a village in East Sussex. At the age of 10, Camilla went to Queen’s Gate School, an independent day school for girls in South Kensington, London, England, and stayed there until 1964. She then attended Mon Fertile finishing school in Tolochenaz, Switzerland. Camilla then decided to study French and French literature at the University of London Institute in Paris. In 1965, Camilla was a debutante at a party with 150 guests hosted by her parents to mark her coming out in society.

Camilla_mother

Camilla and her mother at her coming-out party; Credit – http://www.dailymail.co.uk

Camilla moved to her own flat in Belgravia, London, and worked as a secretary in the West End and then at Colefax & Fowler, a decorating in Mayfair, London

In 1971, Camilla and Prince Charles were introduced by Lucia Santa Cruz, their mutual friend, considered to be Charles’ first serious girlfriend. The two became friends and began dating, and eventually, Charles met Camilla’s family and Charles introduced her to some of his family. Their relationship was put on hold when Charles was serving aboard Royal Navy ships, and then it ended abruptly in 1973. Various reasons have been suggested for the breakup, but the exact reason has never been revealed.

Camilla_Charles

Charles and Camilla in the 1970s; Photo Credit – http://www.hellomagazine.com

Camilla had met Andrew Parker Bowles, a lieutenant in the Blues and Royals in the late 1960s. The two had an on-again, off-again relationship for a few years. When it broke up in 1970, Parker Bowles dated Princess Anne for a while and played on Prince Charles’ polo team. After the break-up with Prince Charles, Camilla and Andrew started dating again and their engagement was announced in 1973. They married on July 4, 1973, at the Guards Chapel at the Wellington Barracks in London. The wedding was the society wedding of the year and Princess Anne, The Queen Mother, and Princess Margaret attended. In 1995, Camilla and her husband decided to divorce, stating their divorce was amicable, and claimed it was due to different interests, which eventually led to separate lives.

Camilla and Andrew had two children:

Camilla_family

Andrew and Camilla Parker Bowles with their children; Photo Credit – http://www.dailymail.co.uk

In 1981, Prince Charles married Lady Diana Spencer and their marriage was not the fairy tale marriage it was expected to be. Within five years, the couple’s incompatibility and age difference of almost 13 years, as well as Diana’s concern about Charles’s previous girlfriend, Camilla Parker Bowles, became visible and was damaging to their marriage. Diana exposed Charles’s affair with Camilla in a book by Andrew Morton, Diana, Her True Story. Audiotapes showing evidence of her own extramarital affairs also surfaced. In December 1992, British Prime Minister John Major announced the formal separation of the Prince and Princess of Wales in Parliament. Charles and Diana divorced on August 28, 1996. Tragically, Diana died in a car crash in Paris on August 31, 1997.

In 1994, two years after the Prince and Princess of Wales had separated, Charles finally spoke about his relationship with Camilla Parker-Bowles in a televised interview with Jonathan Dimbleby. He told Dimbleby, “Mrs. Parker Bowles is a great friend of mine…a friend for a very long time. She will continue to be a friend for a long time.” The same year Charles admitted in The Prince of Wales: A Biography written by Dimbleby that his relationship with Camilla rekindled after his marriage had irretrievably broken down in 1986.

Following both Charles and Camilla’s divorces, Charles let it be known that his relationship with Camilla was “non-negotiable.” Charles knew that the relationship was causing much negative publicity and he had Mark Bolland, his Deputy Private Secretary, work on the rehabilitation of Camilla’s image which occurred from 1999 until 2005. Camilla was occasionally seen with Charles at unofficial events, then at some public events, and then Camilla accompanied Charles on some public engagements. Camilla met the Queen at the 60th birthday party for former King Constantine II of Greece in 2000 and this meeting was seen as the Queen’s approval of the relationship. Camilla attended events related to the Queen’s Golden Jubilee in 2002. In 2003, she moved into Clarence House which had become Charles’ official residence that same year. By 2004, Camilla accompanied Charles on almost all of his official engagements.

On February 10, 2005, the couple’s engagement was announced and polls conducted in the United Kingdom showed support for the marriage. Charles and Camilla married on April 9, 2005, in a civil ceremony held at the Guildhall in Windsor. Prince William and Tom Parker Bowles, Camilla’s son, served as the witnesses to the civil wedding ceremony. Later that afternoon, a Service of Prayer and Dedication was held at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor, presided over by The Archbishop of Canterbury.

charles-camilla-wedding

Photo Credit – Hugo Burnand, Pool/Getty Images

After her second marriage, Camilla automatically received the female counterparts of her husband’s titles, including Princess of Wales. However, because the title Princess of Wales is so strongly associated with the previous holder of that title, Diana, Princess of Wales, Camilla adopted the feminine form of her husband’s highest-ranking subsidiary title, Duke of Cornwall, so she was styled Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall. When in Scotland, she is known as The Duchess of Rothesay.  Queen Elizabeth II granted the Duchess of Cornwall a Royal Coat of Arms soon after her marriage. In 2012, The Queen appointed the Duchess of Cornwall to the Royal Victorian Order, an honor made by the Sovereign in recognition of personal service. In 2022, The Duchess was made a Royal Lady of the Order of the Garter – the most senior Order within the British Honours, given solely at the gift of the Sovereign.

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Photo Credit © Susan Flantzer, outside Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,  January 27, 2007

As The Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla traveled widely with The Prince of Wales and on her own solo engagements, meeting people from all over the world and all walks of life. Unofficial Royalty’s Susan Flantzer met the future Queen while on her first official visit to the United States with the Prince of Wales in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the United States in January 2007.

On February 5, 2022, Queen Elizabeth II released a Platinum Jubilee message to the people of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth. The highlight of the message was her statement that when her son Charles becomes king, “Camilla will be known as Queen Consort as she continues her loyal service.” Upon the death of Queen Elizabeth II on September 8, 2022, Charles succeeded to the throne as King Charles III and Camilla automatically became Queen Consort in accordance with English common law. However, after the coronation of Charles and Camilla, she was known as Queen Camilla.

On October 11, 2022, Buckingham Palace announced that the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla would be held on Saturday, May 6, 2023, at Westminster Abbey. Queen Elizabeth II’s 1953 coronation lasted nearly three hours and had 8,000 guests. King Charles III’s coronation was shorter, more diverse, and had fewer guests.

Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury crowns Queen Camilla

Camilla works with many charities as Patron or President. The links shown below are the official websites of each organization.

House of Windsor Resources at Unofficial Royalty

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Prince Daniel of Sweden, Duke of Västergötland

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

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Prince Daniel of Sweden, Duke of Västergötland; Credit – Wikipedia

Olof Daniel Westling was born at Örebro University Hospital in Örebro, Sweden on September 15, 1973, the same day his future father-in-law King Carl XVI Gustaf became King of Sweden. He is the youngest of two children of Olle Gunnar Westling, a social services manager, and Anna Ewa Kristina Westring, a post office employee. Daniel has one older sister, Anna Westling Söderström.

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Daniel at his christening; Photo: Swedish Royal Court

Daniel grew up in Ockelbo, Sweden, and attended Rabo Primary School and Pers Lunda School there. He then attended Hammar Upper Secondary School in Sandviken, Sweden, and graduated in 1991. Daniel then served in the Swedish Army as part of the national conscription in the Hälsingland Regiment in Gävle, Sweden.

In 1994, Daniel moved to Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, to study at the Lillsved Sports Folk High School.  He studied in the youth recreation leader program from 1994-1996. While studying and for a period of time after graduating, Daniel worked as a personal fitness trainer at a nearby gym.

Daniel started his own company in 1997 and worked as a consultant in the fitness industry. He then went on to run his own gym, Master Training, together with his business partner Benny Johansson. Master Training’s keyword was “discretion” because Daniel and his business partner created a place where wealthy, well-known people could work out in privacy.  Many of Stockholm’s more prominent businessmen, politicians, and artists started coming, as did many close to Crown Princess Victoria, including her sister Princess Madeleine and her friend Caroline Kreuger. When the Crown Princess herself began working out there, Daniel became her personal trainer. The couple certainly had many opportunities to chat, while working out a training program for Victoria. So when their professional relationship developed into something more personal, first friendship and then love, their closest friends were probably not too surprised.

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Daniel and Victoria working out; Photo source: Expressen

It was at a friend’s birthday party in 2002 that photographers caught a kiss between the two, fueling the interest in Victoria and Daniel’s personal life. Despite some public opinion against Daniel as a potential spouse for the princess due to his “common” background, Victoria made it clear that one’s background was not the deciding factor in marriage, but rather the happiness shared by the couple. Speculation increased in July 2008 when Daniel moved to a rental apartment in a wing of Drottningholm Palace. Many believed this was to allow him to be groomed for the role of consort to the Crown Princess. The engagement of Crown Princess Victoria to Mr. Daniel Westling was announced by the Royal Palace on February 24, 2009. The announcement indicated that after the wedding Daniel Westling would be known as Prince Daniel, Duke of Västergötland, duke being the male counterpart of Victoria’s title Duchess of Västergötland. Another announcement in May 2010 said that Westling would be granted the style His Royal Highness upon marriage.

 

The wedding was held at Stockholm Cathedral also known as Storkyrkan on June 19, 2010. One Canadian reporter said it was “Europe’s biggest royal wedding since the Prince of Wales married Lady Diana Spencer in 1981.” There were 1,200 invited guests and 500,000 people lined Stockholm’s streets. It was the biggest event that has ever been covered on television in Stockholm, according to Sveriges Television, the Swedish national public TV broadcaster.

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Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel greeting people in the streets of Stockholm; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Victoria and Daniel have a daughter and a son. Their daughter Estelle is second in line to the Swedish throne after her mother and remained in that position after the birth of her brother.

Crown Princess Victoria and her family, 2021; Photo: Linda Broström King. Hovstaterna / Linda Broström, The Royal Court of Sweden

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Princess Stéphanie, Hereditary Grand Duchess of Luxembourg

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

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Countess Stéphanie Marie Claudine Christine de Lannoy was born February 18, 1984, in Ronse, East Flanders, Belgium. She is the youngest of eight children of Count Philippe de Lannoy (1922 – 2019) and Alix della Faille de Leverghem (1941–2012). Both of Stéphanie’s parents come from noble Belgian families. Stéphanie grew up on the family estate, Anvaing Castle (Château d’Anvaing), in Anvaing, Hainaut, Belgium.

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Anvaing Castle; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Stéphanie has seven siblings, who, along with Stéphanie, all have the title of Count and Countess in Belgium, as sons and daughters of a Count:

  • Count Jehan de Lannoy (born 1966), married Béatrice Spates, had four children
  • Count Christian de Lannoy (born 1968), married Luisa Moreno de Porras-Isla-Fernández, had three children
  • Countess Nathalie de Lannoy (born 1969), married John Hamilton, had five children
  • Countess Gaëlle de Lannoy (born 1970), a Roman Catholic nun
  • Count Amaury de Lannoy (born 1971), married Countess Astrid d’ Harcourt, had one child
  • Count Olivier de Lannoy (born 1974), married Alice van Havre. had three children
  • Countess Isabelle de Lannoy (born 1976), married Baron Jean-Charles de le Court, had six children

Stéphanie received her primary education at Sancta Maria, a Dutch-speaking school in Ronse, Belgium. She started her secondary education at the Collège Sainte-Odile in northern France and completed her schooling at the Institut de la Vierge Fidèle in Brussels, Belgium where she obtained her school-leaving certificate in 2002. Stéphanie then spent a year in Moscow, Russia where she studied Russian language and literature and further developed her violin-playing skills. She received a degree in German philology at the Université Catholique de Louvain in Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium. Stéphanie continued her education in Berlin, Germany where she completed her Masters Degree by writing her thesis on the influence of German Romanticism on Russian Romanticism. She extended her stay in Berlin with an internship with the Walloon Export and Foreign Investment Agency under the sponsorship of the Belgian Embassy. When she returned to Belgium, she worked for an investment fund company. Stéphanie is fluent in French, German, and English and has a knowledge of Russian, Dutch, and Luxembourgish.

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The couple exiting Town Hall after the civil marriage; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

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Photo Credit – Zimbio

Stéphanie first met Prince Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg when they were introduced by friends in Germany eight years before they married. They did not see each other until they met again about five years later and that was when they fell in love. Guillaume proposed to Stéphanie three weeks before their engagement was announced. Unfortunately, Stéphanie’s mother died from a stroke two months before the wedding.

On April 26, 2012, the Luxembourg Court announced the engagement of Prince Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke to Countess Stéphanie de Lannoy. The couple was married in a civil ceremony at the City Hall in Luxembourg City, on October 19, 2012. Their religious wedding took place on October 20, 2012, at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Luxembourg City.

Photo Credit: Grand Ducal Court/ Marion Dessard

Stéphanie and Guillaume have two sons:

Grand Duke Henri, Grand Duchess Maria Theresa holding Prince François, Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie, Prince Charles, and Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume; Credit – House of the Grand Duke / Sophie Margue

In his Christmas Eve speech on December 24, 2024, Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg announced that he would abdicate in favor of his eldest son Prince Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg on October 3, 2025. Guillaume and Stéphanie will then become the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Luxembourg, Their elder son Prince Charles will become the Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg.

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Hereditary Princess Sophie of Liechtenstein

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

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Duchess Sophie Elizabeth Marie Gabrielle in Bavaria was born on October 28, 1967, in Munich, Germany. She is the eldest of five daughters of Prince Max, Duke in Bavaria and Countess Elizabeth Douglas.

Sophie has four younger sisters:

  • Duchess Marie-Caroline in Bavaria (born 1969), married Duke Philipp of Württemberg, had three daughters and one son
  • Duchess Helena Eugenie in Bavaria (born 1972), unmarried
  • Duchess Elisabeth Marie in Bavaria (born 1973), married Daniel Terberger, had one son and one daughter
  • Duchess Maria Anna in Bavaria (born 1975), married (1) Klaus Runow, no children, divorced  (2) Baron Andreas von Maltzahn, had two sons

Sophie was raised on the family’s estate, Wildbad Kreuth, about 65 kilometers south of Munich,  Germany, where she began her primary schooling. She then attended the Girls’ Home Primary School of the English Lady in Heiligenstadt, followed by the Girls’ Secondary Boarding School Hohenburg in Lenggries. In 1984, she enrolled in the Adolf Weber High School in Munich, graduating in 1988.

Following several months in London where she attended the Inchbald School of Interior Design, Sophie began studying history and English language and literature at the Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt in 1989.

photo: Corbis

photo: Corbis

On July 3, 1993, Sophie married Hereditary Prince Alois of Liechtenstein at the Vaduz Cathedral in Vaduz, Liechtenstein. He is the eldest son of Prince Hans-Adam II of Liechtenstein and Countess Marie Aglaë Kinsky of Wchinitz and Tettau. They had met some seven years earlier at a party hosted by a mutual friend.  The couple has four children:

  • Prince Joseph Wenzel (born 1995)
  • Princess Marie-Caroline (born 1996)
  • Prince Georg (born 1999)
  • Prince Nikolaus (born 2000)

The family initially lived in London but returned to Liechtenstein in 1996, where her husband began working for The Prince of Liechtenstein Foundation, which oversees and manages the various assets of the Princely Family.

The Hereditary Princess often accompanies her husband on foreign visits, as well as many events within Liechtenstein itself. She serves as a patron for many organizations and events, often relating to children, education, and the arts. She has been the President of the Liechtenstein Red Cross since 2015.

In 2006, she founded the Sophie of Liechtenstein Foundation for Woman and Child. “The goal of the foundation is to give women, who unintentionally become pregnant, a more positive life perspective for themselves and their child.” (Source: The Princely Family of Liechtenstein). The Foundation is funded by the Princely Family and by private donations, and the Hereditary Princess serves as President.

Sophie is a member of the House of Wittelsbach, formerly the reigning house of the Kingdom of Bavaria. She is second in line to the Jacobite succession to the British throne. The Jacobites sought to restore the British crown to King James II of England after he was deposed in the Glorious Revolution of 1688 and subsequently, to his heirs. The current Jacobite heir is Sophie’s childless uncle Franz, Duke of Bavaria, who has never pursued the claim. Franz’s heir is Sophie’s father, Maximilian, Duke in Bavaria who only has five daughters. As the eldest of her father’s daughters, Sophie will be his heir to the Jacobite claim and her eldest son is her heir.

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