Church of Our Lady in Copenhagen, Denmark

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Church of Our Lady in Copenhagen; Credit – By Lars Mongs, Arxfoto – https://arxfoto.se/, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=107615060

Once a Roman Catholic church, the Church of Our Lady (Vor Fruen Kirke in Danish) is a church of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Denmark, sometimes called The Church of Denmark, the established, state-supported church in Denmark. The original name of the church was St. Mary’s Church but during the Protestant Reformation, the name was changed to the Church of Our Lady, keeping the reference to the Virgin Mary without using “Saint”. There has been a church on the site since the 12th century, however, the church has been destroyed by fire three times and rebuilt three times. The present church was built in the early 19th century in the neoclassical style. The Church of Our Lady received cathedral status in 1922 and was designated as Denmark’s national cathedral in 1924.

Drawing from a contemporary engraving showing how the second Church of Our Lady looked in 1520; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1314, the first church was destroyed in a fire and subsequently, a new church was built of brick. Around 1416, Copenhagen became the capital of the Kingdom of Denmark when Eric of Pomerania (Eric III, King of Norway, Eric VII as King of Denmark, Eric XIII, King of Sweden), moved his seat of power in Denmark to Copenhagen Castle, and the Church of Our Lady, then still called St. Mary’ Church, became the main church of the Kings of Denmark. When the University of Copenhagen was established in 1479, the church’s dean became rector of the university, the church’s canons were the university’s teaching staff, and the court school was the first premises for the university. Today, the campus of the University of Copenhagen is adjacent to the Church of Our Lady.

The second church suffered from the consequences of the Protestant Reformation. The great majority of the citizens of Copenhagen opted to follow the teachings of Martin Luther. However, the Roman Catholic clergy at St. Mary’s Church attempted to keep the church as a center of Catholic resistance. The king at that time was Frederik I, the last Roman Catholic Danish monarch. All subsequent Danish monarchs have been Lutheran. Although Frederik remained Catholic, he was somewhat tolerant of the new Protestant Lutheran religion. He ordered that Lutherans and Roman Catholics share the same churches. This decree incensed the majority Lutheran segment of Copenhagen’s population. On December 27, 1530 hundreds of citizens stormed the St. Mary’s Church, destroying every statue and dismantling the choir stalls. The seventeen altars were stripped of jewels and gold and destroyed, as were reliquaries, vestments, and other church furnishings. In 1531, the name of the church was changed from St. Mary’s Church to the Church of Our Lady and officially started to use the Lutheran order of worship.

The third church built between 1728 – 1738; Credit – Wikipedia

The devastating four-day-long fire that started on October 20, 1728, destroyed a third of Copenhagen including the second church. When the church tower fell, the roof and all the furnishings in the church were demolished. Even the coffins in the crypt were smashed. By 1738, the third church was completed. The tower was 395 feet/120 meters high and was visible miles away from Copenhagen. By contrast, the current tower is only 193 feet/60 meters high.

The Church of Our Lady on fire in 1807, by Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg; Credit – Wikipedia

In September 1807, the third church was destroyed during the bombardment of Copenhagen by the British Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars. The British demanded the surrender of the city of Copenhagen and the Danish-Norwegian fleet. Kings at this time were Kings of both Denmark and Norway. The Danes refused and for three days the British royal navy bombarded the city. Royal Navy gunners used the tower of the church for target practice, setting it on fire, resulting in the church being burned to the ground, along with nearby sections of Copenhagen. Copenhagen surrendered and the Danish-Norwegian fleet was turned over to the British.

The interior of the fourth church. Bertel Thorvaldsen’s statues of the apostles can be seen along the sides; Credit – Wikipedia

The fourth and current version of the Church of Our Lady was designed by the architect Christian Frederik Hansen in the neoclassical style and was completed in 1829.  The fourth church has a tower although the neoclassical style did not include towers. The citizens of Copenhagen demanded a tower and one was built modeled on the older medieval tower.

The altar with Bertel Thorvaldsen’ statue of Jesus Christ and his baptismal font; Credit – By Matthias Schalk – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=31280252

Sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen was commissioned to decorate the interior with statues of Jesus Christ and the apostles. Thorvaldsen also carved and donated the baptismal font as a personal gift. Other artists also contributed sculptures and paintings

Royal Events at the Church of Our Lady

Wedding of King Frederik X and Mary Donalson in 2004

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.

Works Cited

  • Da.wikipedia.org. 2021. Vor Frue Kirke (København) – Wikipedia, den frie encyklopædi. [online] Available at: <https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vor_Frue_Kirke_(K%C3%B8benhavn)#F%C3%B8rste_kirkebygning> [Accessed 23 August 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Church of Our Lady, Copenhagen – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_Our_Lady,_Copenhagen> [Accessed 23 August 2021].
  • Vor Frue Kirke – Københavns Domkirke. 2021. Vor Frue Kirke (Church of Our Lady) In English. [online] Available at: <https://koebenhavnsdomkirke.dk/english> [Accessed 23 August 2021].

Francis Stephen of Lorraine, Duke of Lorraine, Grand Duke of Tuscany, Holy Roman Emperor

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Francis Stephen of Lorraine, Duke of Lorraine, Grand Duke of Tuscany, Holy Roman Emperor; Credit – Wikipedia

The Grand Duchy of Tuscany was located in present-day northwest Italy. It existed, with a few interruptions, from 1569 – 1859. Tuscany was ruled by the de Medici family from 1434–1494 and from 1512 until the extinction of its senior branch in 1737. In 1569, Pope Pius V elevated Tuscany to a Grand Duchy and Cosimo I de’ Medici became its first Grand Duke.

In 1737, the House of Habsburg-Lorraine obtained control of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany.  François Étienne, Duke of Lorraine exchanged the Duchy of Lorraine for the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. Stanisław I, the father-in-law of King Louis XV of France, had abdicated the throne of Poland in 1736 and now became the Duke of Lorraine.

Except for a period of thirteen years from 1801 – 1814 during the French Revolutionary Wars and Napoleonic Wars, the House of Habsburg-Lorraine retained the Grand Duchy of Tuscany until Tuscany was annexed to the Kingdom of Sardinia in 1860, as a part of the unification of Italy. In 1861, Vittorio Emanuele II, King of Sardinia was proclaimed the first King of the new, united Kingdom of Italy.

Two Grand Dukes of Tuscany were also Holy Roman Emperors: Francesco II Stefano, Grand Duke of Tuscany (reigned 1737 – 1765) also Franz I, Holy Roman Emperor (reigned 1745 – 1765) and Pietro Leopoldo I, Grand Duke of Tuscany (reigned 1765 – 1790) also Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor (reigned 1790 – 1792).

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The Holy Roman Empire was a limited elective monarchy composed of hundreds of kingdoms, principalities, duchies, counties, prince-bishoprics, and Free Imperial Cities in central Europe. The Holy Roman Empire was not really holy since, after Holy Roman Emperor Charles V in 1530, no emperors were crowned by the pope or a bishop. It was not Roman but rather German because it was mainly in the regions of present-day Germany and Austria. It was an empire in name only – the territories it covered were mostly independent each with its own rulers. The Holy Roman Emperor directly ruled over only his family territories, and could not issue decrees and rule autonomously over the Holy Roman Empire. A Holy Roman Emperor was only as strong as his army and alliances, including marriage alliances, made him, and his power was severely restricted by the many sovereigns of the constituent monarchies of the Holy Roman Empire. From the 13th century, prince-electors, or electors for short, elected the Holy Roman Emperor from among the sovereigns of the constituent states.

Frequently but not always, it was common practice to elect the deceased Holy Roman Emperor’s heir. The Holy Roman Empire was an elective monarchy. No person had a legal right to the succession simply because he was related to the current Holy Roman Emperor. However, the Holy Roman Emperor could and often did, while still alive, have a relative (usually a son) elected to succeed him after his death. This elected heir apparent used the title King of the Romans.

Learn more at Unofficial Royalty: What was the Holy Roman Empire?

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The subject of this article was François III Étienne, Duke of Lorraine (reigned 1729 – 1737), Francesco II Stefano, Grand Duke of Tuscany (reigned 1737 – 1765), and Franz I, Holy Roman Emperor (reigned 1745 – 1765). To avoid confusion, Francis Stephen, his English name will be mostly used in this article.

Born François Étienne of Lorraine on December 8, 1708, at the Ducal Palace of Nancy in the  Duchy of Lorraine, now in France, he was the ninth but the eldest surviving of the fourteen children and the fifth but the eldest surviving of the six sons of Leopold, Duke of Lorraine and Princess Élisabeth Charlotte of Orléans. His paternal grandparents were Charles V, Duke of Lorraine and Eleanor of Austria, daughter of Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand III. His maternal grandparents were Philippe I, Duke of Orléans (son of King Louis XIII of France and brother of King Louis XIV of France) and his second wife Elizabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate, known as Liselotte.

Francis Stephen with his mother, born Princess Élisabeth Charlotte of Orléans  circa 1722; Credit – Wikipedia

Francis Stephen had thirteen siblings but only three of his siblings reached adulthood. Four of his siblings died from smallpox, with three of them dying during one week in May 1711. Six additional siblings died in infancy or childhood.

  • Léopold, Hereditary Prince of Lorraine (1699 – 1700), died in infancy
  • Élisabeth Charlotte of Lorraine (1700 – 1711), died in childhood of smallpox
  • Louise Christine of Lorraine (born and died 1701), died in infancy
  • Marie Gabrièle Charlotte of Lorraine (1702 – 1711), died in childhood of smallpox
  • Louis, Hereditary Prince of Lorraine (1704 – 1711), died in childhood of smallpox
  • Joséphine Gabrièle of Lorraine (1705 – 1708), died in childhood
  • Gabrièle Louise of Lorraine (1706 – 1710), died in childhood
  • Léopold Clément, Hereditary Prince of Lorraine (1707 – 1723), died in his teens of smallpox
  • Eléonore of Lorraine (born and died 1710), died in infancy
  • Elisabeth Therese of Lorraine (1711 – 1741), married Carlo Emanuele III, King of Sardinia (his third wife), had three children, died due to childbirth complications
  • Charles Alexander of Lorraine (1712 – 1780), married Maria Anna of Austria who died giving birth to a stillborn son
  • Anne Charlotte of Lorraine (1714 – 1773), unmarried
  • Marie Louise of Lorraine (1716 – 1723), died in childhood

Francis Stephen and Maria Theresa at their wedding breakfast; Credit – Wikipedia

Holy Roman Emperor Karl VI favored the family of Leopold, Duke of Lorraine because they were not only related but also because the House of Lorraine had supported the Holy Roman Empire in its recent wars. Karl had planned to have his elder surviving daughter Maria Theresa of Austria marry Francis Stephen’s elder brother Léopold Clément, Hereditary Prince of Lorraine but he died from smallpox at the age of sixteen. Instead, Francis Stephen was chosen as Maria Theresa’s future husband and he was educated in Vienna, Austria with Maria Theresa. On February 12, 1736, in the Augustinian Church in Vienna, Austria, Francis Stephen married Maria Theresa.

Francis Stephen and Maria Theresa with their family; Credit – Wikipedia

Even though Francis Stephen had 16 children with his wife, he was not faithful during his marriage and had many affairs. Eight of the couple’s sixteen children died in childhood and four of the eight died from smallpox:

Tuscany had been ruled by the House of Medici from 1434–1494 and from 1512 until the extinction of its senior branch in 1737. The House of Habsburg-Lorraine obtained control of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. François Étienne, Duke of Lorraine exchanged the Duchy of Lorraine for the Grand Duchy of Tuscany and became Francesco II Stefano, Grand Duke of Tuscany. Stanisław I Leszczyński, the father-in-law of King Louis XV of France, had abdicated the throne of Poland in 1736 and now became the Duke of Lorraine.

Maria Theresa; Credit – Wikipedia

Throughout his reign, Holy Roman Emperor Karl VI expected to have a male heir and never really prepared his daughter Maria Theresa for her future role as sovereign.  Upon her father’s death in 1740, Maria Theresa became the sovereign ruler of the Habsburg territories in her own right of Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Bohemia, Transylvania, Mantua, Milan, Lodomeria and Galicia, the Austrian Netherlands, and Parma, and she was the only female to hold the position.

Francis Stephen as Holy Roman Emperor; Credit – Wikipedia

However, Maria Theresa was unable to become the sovereign of the Holy Roman Empire because she was female. The Habsburgs had been elected Holy Roman Emperors since 1438, but in 1742 Karl Albrecht, Duke of Bavaria and Prince-Elector of Bavaria from the Bavarian House of Wittelsbach was elected Holy Roman Emperor Karl VII. He died in 1745 and via a treaty Maria Theresa arranged for her husband Francis Stephen to be elected Holy Roman Emperor as Franz I. Despite the snub, Maria Theresa wielded the real power and Francis Stephen was content to leave the act of reigning to his wife. Francis Stephen had a good business sense and Maria Theresa let him be in charge of financial affairs, while she dealt with governing and the complicated politics and diplomacy of the Habsburg dominions.

Francis Stephen lying in state; Credit – Wikipedia

Francis Stephen died suddenly of a stroke or heart attack on August 18, 1765, at the age of 56, in his carriage while returning from the opera in Innsbruck, Austria. His son Joseph succeeded him as Holy Roman Emperor although Maria Theresa continued to wield the real power. His second surviving son Leopold succeeded him as Grand Duke of Tuscany as Pietro Leopoldo I. Later Leopold was elected to succeed his brother Joseph as Holy Roman Emperor reigning as Leopold II. Francis Stephen and Maria Theresa, who survived her husband by fifteen years, are buried together in a magnificent tomb in the Maria Theresa Crypt at the Imperial Crypt at the Capuchin Church in Vienna, Austria.

Tomb of Francis Stephen and Maria Theresa; Photo Credit – © Susan Flantzer

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.

Grand Duchy of Tuscany Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. 2021. Franz I. Stephan (HRR) – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_I._Stephan_(HRR)> [Accessed 19 September 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_I,_Holy_Roman_Emperor> [Accessed 19 September 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Leopold, Duke of Lorraine – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopold,_Duke_of_Lorraine> [Accessed 19 September 2021].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2013. Maria Theresa, Archduchess of Austria, and Queen of Hungary, Croatia, and Bohemia. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/maria-theresa-archduchess-of-austria-queen-of-hungary-croatia-and-bohemia/> [Accessed 19 September 2021].
  • It.wikipedia.org. 2021. Francesco I di Lorena – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francesco_I_di_Lorena> [Accessed 19 September 2021].

Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg, Queen of Sweden

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg, Queen of Sweden; Credit – Wikipedia

Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg was the wife of King Gustavus II Adolphus the Great of Sweden. Born on November 11, 1599, in Königsberg, Duchy of Prussia, now Kaliningrad, Russia, she was the third of the eight children and the second of the four daughters of Johann Sigismund, Elector of Brandenburg and Anna of Prussia. Maria Eleonora’s paternal grandparents were Joachim III Friedrich, Elector of Brandenburg and Katarina of Brandenburg-Küstrin. Her maternal grandparents were Albrecht Friedrich, Duke of Prussia, and Marie Eleonore of Cleves, who was a niece of Anne of Cleves, the fourth wife of King Henry VIII of England.

Maria Eleonora had seven siblings but three died in infancy:

Maria Eleonora’s mother Anna of Prussia; Credit – Wikipedia

The childhood of Maria Eleonora and her siblings was dominated by their temperamental and strong-willed mother Anna of Prussia. Anna was intellectually superior to her husband and reportedly threw plates and glasses at him during arguments. Anna, a fervent Lutheran, strongly disapproved of her husband’s conversion to Calvinism and made it clear that she did not oppose public protests against it. After her husband’s death, Anna continued to play an important role during the reign of her son. Against the will of her son Georg Wilhelm, Elector of Brandenburg, Anna arranged the marriage Maria Eleonora’s marriage to King Gustavus II Adolphus of Sweden.

Maria Eleonora’s husband Gustavus II Adolphus, King of Sweden; Credit – Wikipedia

On October 7, 1620, Maria Eleonora left Brandenburg for Sweden with her mother Anna and her sister Katarina. Gustavus Adolphus and Maria Eleonora were married in Stockholm on November 25, 1620. Three days later, Maria Eleonora was crowned Queen of Sweden at the Storkykan (Great Church) in Stockholm, Sweden. During the first years of the marriage, Maria Eleonora’s mother Anna and sister Katarina remained in Sweden. They did not return to Brandenburg until August 1624.

Gustavus Adolphus saying goodbye to his wife Maria Eleonora as he rides off to war; Credit – Wikipedia

Gustavus Adolphus is considered one of the greatest military commanders in history and made Sweden a great power, one of Europe’s largest and leading nations during the early modern period. For much of their marriage, Maria Eleonora and her husband lived apart because Gustavus Adolphus was often away at war.

Gustavus Adolphus’ only surviving brother Karl Philip had accompanied him on a military campaign and died from dysentery (also called the bloody flux), the scourge of armies for centuries. The House of Vasa found itself without a male heir and therefore, in danger. This situation created hopes for Gustavus Adolphus’ first cousin Sigismund III Vasa who was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1587 until his death in 1632 and King of Sweden and Grand Duke of Finland from his father’s death in 1592 until he was deposed by his uncle, Gustavus Adolphus’ father Karl IX, King of Sweden in 1599.

Although Maria Eleonora’s husband Gustavus Adolphus was successful in many endeavors, he was not successful in providing a male heir:

  • Stillborn daughter, born July 24, 1621
  • Christina (1623 – 1624), died in infancy
  • Stillborn son, born May 1625
  • Christina, Queen of Sweden (1626 – 1689), unmarried, succeeded her father, abdicated, subsequently converted to Roman Catholicism, and moved to Rome

When Maria Eleonora gave birth to her fourth child, Gustavus Adolphus had originally been told that the child was a boy. His half-sister Katarina of Sweden, Countess Palatine of Kleeburg informed him that the child was not a boy but a girl, and then carried the baby to him, afraid of his reaction. Gustav Adolphus said, “She’ll be clever, she has made fools of us all!” and decided that she would be called Christina after his mother. However, Maria Eleonora was in no condition to be told the truth about the baby’s gender, and Gustavus Adolphus waited several days before breaking the news to her. Maria Eleonora had a vicious reaction upon hearing the child was a girl and ordered the baby to be taken away from her. Gustavus Adolphus gave orders for the birth to be announced with all the ceremonies usually given to the birth of a male heir. This seemed to indicate that Gustavus Adolphus had little hope of having other children. Maria Eleonora’s state of health seems to be the most likely explanation for this. Gustavus Adolphus recognized Christina’s eligibility as a female heir and she became the undisputed heir presumptive. Maria Eleonora showed little affection for her daughter and was not allowed any influence in Christina’s upbringing. Christina was placed in the care of Gustavus Adolphus’ half-sister Katarina of Sweden, Countess Palatine of Kleeburg and Chancellor Axel Oxenstierna.

Gustavus Adolphus and Maria Eleonora, circa 1632; Credit – Wikipedia

In the year after Christina’s birth, Maria Eleonora was described as being in a state of hysteria owing to her husband’s absences. At a later date, Gustavus Adolphus described her as being “a very sick woman”. However, it seems Maria Eleonora had several causes for her mental issues: she had lost three babies, she was an isolated foreigner in a hostile country, her brother joined Sweden’s enemies, and her husband’s life was constantly in danger when he was on military campaign.

Before Gustavus Adolphus left to lead the Swedish army in the Thirty Years’ War (1618 to 1648), he legally secured his daughter Christina’s right to inherit the throne, in case he never returned and gave orders that Christina should receive an education normally given only to boys. At the Battle of Lützen on November 16, 1632, Gustavus Adolphus was killed. The long delay in providing Gustavus Adolphus with a timely burial was due to his wife. Already suffering from mental issues, Maria Eleonora’s grief was quite painful and her mental issues worsened considerably. She ordered her husband’s heart to be brought to her to keep him always near. She also refused to have her husband buried, spending whole days next to the body. Finally, eighteen months after the death of Gustavus Adolphus, the funeral and burial were held on June 22, 1634, at Riddarholmen Church in Stockholm, Sweden.

Christian, Queen of Sweden as a child; Credit – Wikipedia

Maria Eleonora and Gustavus Adolphus’ only surviving child Christina became Queen of Sweden at the age of six. However, Maria Eleonora was not included in the regency government during the minority of Christina because the council of the state did not consider her suitable as regent. In 1636, the regency government feared that Maria Eleonora’s mental instability would adversely influence the young Queen Christina. They decided to separate mother and daughter and Maria Eleonora was sent to Gripsholm Castle.

Maria Eleonora wanted to end her exile at Gripsholm Castle and go to Brandenburg, her birthplace but she was denied permission because her brother Georg Wilhelm, Elector of Brandenburg was an enemy of Sweden. Instead, Maria Eleonora began secret negotiations with King Chrisitan IV of Denmark, Sweden’s enemy, to allow her to live in Denmark. Maria Eleonora and her lady-in-waiting escaped from Gripsholm Castle on the night of July 22, 1640, by letting themselves down from a window. They were then rowed across a nearby lake where a carriage was waiting for them. The carriage took them to Nyköping, where they boarded a Danish ship and were taken to Denmark.

Maria Eleonora, circa 1650; Credit – Wikipedia

Sweden and Brandenburg signed a peace treaty in 1641. Among the terms of the treaty was an agreement that Maria Eleonora’s nephew Friedrich Wilhelm, Elector of Brandenburg would host his aunt in Brandenburg, and Sweden would give her a pension. In 1643, Maria Eleonora left Denmark for Brandenburg where she would live for five years. She was able to return to Sweden in 1648, enabling her to witness Christina’s coronation. Nyköping Castle was granted to her as a residence by order of her daughter.

Maria Eleonora’s daughter Christina, before 1656; Credit – Wikipedia

Christina caused a scandal when she decided not to marry and then when she abdicated her throne in 1654 in favor of her cousin Karl Gustav of Zweibrücken-Kleeburg who reigned as Carl V Gustav, King of Sweden. Maria Eleonora had concerns about Christina’s abdication and how it would affect her financial situation. Christina and her cousin Carl V Gustav visited Maria Eleonora and promised that she would have no financial worries. After her abdication, Christina left Sweden and lived for a year in Brussels, then in the Spanish Netherlands, now in Belgium. She then went to Austria where she converted to Roman Catholicism. Christina spent the rest of her life in Rome where she played a prominent role in the city’s cultural life. She is one of three women to be interred in the crypt at St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican.

Tomb of Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg, Queen of Sweden; Credit – Howard Flantzer

Maria Eleanora survived her husband by twenty-three years, dying at the age of 55, on March 28, 1655, in Stockholm, Sweden, shortly after the abdication of her daughter Queen Christina. Maria Eleanora was interred next to her husband at Riddarholmen Church in Stockholm, Sweden.

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 Sweden Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. 2021. Anna von Preußen (1576–1625) – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_von_Preu%C3%9Fen_(1576%E2%80%931625)> [Accessed 21 August 2021].
  • De.wikipedia.org. 2021. Maria Eleonora von Brandenburg – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Eleonora_von_Brandenburg> [Accessed 21 August 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Eleonora_of_Brandenburg> [Accessed 21 August 2021].
  • Flantzer, Susan. 2021. King Gustavus II Adolphus the Great of Sweden. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-gustavus-ii-adolphus-the-great-of-sweden/> [Accessed 21 August 2021].
  • Sv.wikipedia.org. 2021. Anna av Preussen (1576–1625) – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_av_Preussen_(1576%E2%80%931625)> [Accessed 21 August 2021].

Philipp, Landgrave of Hesse

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Philipp, Landgrave of Hesse; Credit – Wikipedia

Philipp, Landgrave of Hesse became head of the Electoral House of Hesse (also known as Hesse-Kassel) in 1940. In 1968, upon the death of his childless distant cousin, Prince Ludwig of Hesse and by Rhine, Philipp inherited the headship of the former Grand Ducal House of Hesse and by Rhine as well. This reunited the last two remaining branches of the historic House of Hesse, which had been divided in 1567.

Prince Philipp of Hesse-Kassel was born at Rumpenheim Castle in Offenbach on November 6, 1896, the third son of Prince Friedrich Carl, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel and Princess Margarethe “Mossy” of Prussia. Philipp had five brothers:

Philipp was raised by an English governess and briefly attended school in England before continuing his studies in Germany. He attended the Goethe-Gymnasium in Frankfurt and the Helmholtz-Gymnasium in Potsdam. Of his siblings, Philipp was the only one who did not attend a military academy. However, when World War I began, he enlisted in the Hessian Dragoon-Regiment along with his older brother Max. Both served in Belgium, where Max was killed in action in October 1914. His eldest brother, Friedrich Wilhelm, was also killed in action in 1916, making Philipp second in line to the Headship of the Electoral House of Hesse. He continued his military service, serving on the Eastern Front and the Hindenburg Line before being wounded in active combat in 1917.

In October 1918, just weeks before the war ended, Philipp’s father was elected to be King of Finland. At the time, it was decided that Philipp – although the eldest surviving son – would remain heir to the Electoral House, and his younger twin brother, Wolfgang – would be heir to the Finnish throne. However, following the fall of the German Empire, Philipp’s father quickly renounced the throne.

Following the War, Philipp enlisted in the Transitional Army, before focusing on his education. He attended the Technical University in Darmstadt, studying art history and architecture for several years before taking a job at the Kaiser-Friedrich Museum in Berlin. In 1923, he moved to Rome, where he established a successful interior design business.

Philipp and Mafalda on their wedding day. photo: Wikipedia

On September 23, 1925 at Castello di Racconigi, near Turin, Philipp married Princess Mafalda of Savoy. She was the second daughter of King Vittorio Emanuele III of Italy and Princess Elena of Montenegro. Philipp and Mafalda had four children:

  • Moritz, Landgrave of Hesse (1926) – married Princess Tatiana of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, had issue
  • Prince Heinrich of Hesse-Kassel (1927) – unmarried
  • Prince Otto of Hesse-Kassel (1937) – married (1) Angela von Doering, no issue; (2) Elisabeth Bonker, no issue
  • Princess Elisabeth of Hesse-Kassel (1940) – married Count Friedrich von Oppersdorff, had issue

Having returned to Germany in 1930, Philipp became a member of the National Socialist German Workers Party (the Nazi Party), and became a close friend of Hermann Göring. In 1933, he was appointed Governor Hesse-Nassau, and often served as a go-between for Hilter and Mussolini, primarily due to his marriage to the daughter of the Italian King. Due to his interest and knowledge of art, he also served as Hitler’s art agent in Italy, acquiring countless works for Hitler’s planned museum in Linz.

However, his relationship with the Italian King would soon become a problem for Philipp. In July 1943, King Vittorio Emanuele III had Mussolini arrested. Hitler, believing that Philipp and his family were complicit in Mussolini’s downfall, had the family arrested. Philipp was taken into custody in September 1943 and sent to Flossenburg concentration camp, where he was kept in solitary confinement. His wife was placed in custody in Rome, and following interrogations in Munich and Berlin, was sent to the Buchenwald concentration camp. Sadly, Mafalda was seriously injured when Buchenwald was bombed in August 1944, and died several days later. The following year, in April 1945, Philipp was transferred to Dachau and then to Tyrol, where he was freed by the Wehrmacht, but almost immediately arrested again by American forces. Due to his complicity in events of the Naxi regime, he was held by the Allies for two years, before finally being released in 1947.  Following his release, Philipp focused his efforts on the restoration of several of his properties which had been damaged during the war, and continuing with his interior design work.

Philipp was heir to his distant cousin, Prince Ludwig of Hesse and by Rhine, who had no children. In 1960, Ludwig adopted Philipp’s eldest son, Moritz, as his rightful heir, to ensure that the estates and assets of the House of Hesse and by Rhine would remain within the Hesse family. Thus, when Ludwig died in 1968, the House of Hesse and by Rhine was absorbed by the House of Hesse-Kassel. This would be the first time the historic House of Hesse was unified since initially being divided in 1567.

The Landgrave of Hesse died in Rome on October 25, 1980. He is buried in the family cemetery at the former Schloss Friedrichshof (now Schlosshotel Kronberg) in Kronberg im Taunus, Hesse. He was succeeded by his elder son, Moritz, as Head of the House of Hesse and pretender to the formal Grand Ducal throne of Hesse and by Rhine.

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Christiansborg Palace Chapel in Copenhagen, Denmark

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

The Three Christiansborg Palaces

Christiansborg Palace – The dome of the Palace Chapel can be seen on the left; Credit – Af Julian Herzog (Website) – Eget arbejde, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=36694087

Christiansborg Palace Chapel, part of Christiansborg Palace, belongs to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark, sometimes called The Church of Denmark, the established, state-supported church in Denmark. Christiansborg Palace, located on the islet of Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen, Denmark, was once a royal residence but now it is a government building. It is the seat of the Danish Parliament, the Danish Prime Minister’s Office, and the Supreme Court of Denmark. Several parts of Christiansborg Palace are still used by the Danish monarch and the royal family, including the Royal Reception Rooms, the Palace Chapel, and the Royal Stables.

Copenhagen Castle in 1698; Credit – Wikipedia

Prior to the three Christiansborg Palaces that have been on the site, there were two other castles. Absalon’s Castle was built in 1167 by Absalon, a Roman Catholic archbishop and statesman. The castle was demolished in 1370 when King Valdemar IV was defeated in a conflict with the Hanseatic League, who ordered the castle to be demolished. After the demolition of Absalon’s Castle, Copenhagen Castle was built and completed in the late 14th century. Originally Copenhagen Castle was the property of the Bishop of Roskilde until King Eric VII took over the rights to the castle in 1417. Copenhagen Castle then became the principal residence of the Danish kings and the center of government. In 1731, Copenhagen Castle was demolished to make room for the first Christiansborg Palace.

The first Christiansborg Palace; Credit – Wikipedia

The first Christiansborg Palace was commissioned by King Christian VI in 1733. Most of the palace complex was completed in 1745 and it was the largest palace in northern Europe at the time. The palace and chapel were destroyed by a fire in 1794.

The second Christiansborg Palace; Credit – Wikipedia

After the 1794 fire, the Danish royal family lived at Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen. The second Christiansborg Palace was started in 1803. By the time the palace was finished in 1828, King Frederik VI decided he did not want to live there and he only used the palace for entertainment. King Frederik VII was the only monarch to live there, between 1852 – 1863. The second Christiansborg Palace burned down in 1884, however, the riding school, the court theatre, and the palace chapel were saved. The ruins remained for twenty-three years due to political fighting over the plans for a third Christiansborg Palace.

The third Christiansborg Palace under construction in 1914; Credit – Wikipedia

The third Christiansborg Palace was built from 1907 – 1928, with premises for the Parliament and the Supreme Court and royal reception rooms for the Danish royal family to be used for official functions of the monarch such as banquets, state dinners, the New Year’s levée, diplomatic accreditations, audiences, and meetings of the council of state.

Christiansborg Palace Chapel

Today’s Christiansborg Palace Chapel; Credit – Wikipedia

The history of the Christiansborg Palace Chapel goes back to the first palace. The palace chapel was not in the palace itself but rather in a separate building connected to the palace by a walkway. Architect Nicolai Eigtved designed the interior of the chapel in the Rococo style. The new palace chapel was consecrated on Sunday, November 27, 1740, and was then used for the regular services for the palace’s many residents and for the large services that accompanied anniversaries and events of the royal family.

The 1794 Christiansborg Palace Fire; Credit – Wikipedia

On February 26, 1794, a fire broke out in a chimney in the Crown Prince’s rooms in the main wing. The fire spread over the next few hours, and a large crowd attempted to save the castle and its valuable contents and also the surrounding neighborhoods. The palace and the palace chapel were destroyed and 70-80 people were killed.

Embed from Getty Images 
The interior of the Christiansborg Palace Chapel

Originally the entire palace chapel was to be razed, however, it was decided to rebuild the palace chapel on the site of the previous palace chapel using a large portion of the original exterior walls and partitions. Architect Christian Frederik Hansen was responsible for the reconstruction and transformed what remained of the first palace chapel into a neoclassical building with a dome. The work began in 1813 and was completed in 1826. The new palace chapel was consecrated at a service on May 14, 1826, as part of the 1000th anniversary of the introduction of Christianity in Denmark.

The second fire at Christiansborg Palace occurred on October 3, 1884. Although the second Christiansborg Palace had firewalls, iron doors, and firefighting equipment installed, the building had many spaces through which the fire could spread. The fire spread along the main wing and the east wing, and after a while, the firefighters gave up trying to save the palace and instead concentrated their efforts on saving the palace chapel and the riding arena complex. Both the palace chapel and the riding arena complex were saved.

Interior of the Christiansborg Palace Chapel showing the domed ceiling; Credit – By seier+seier – c.f.hansen, christiansborg palace church, copenhagen, 1810-1826Uploaded by Anne-Sophie_Ofrim, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12086401

On June 7, 1992, the palace chapel roof caught fire from fireworks set off during the Whitsun carnival. The roof burned, the dome collapsed, and a substantial part of the interior was destroyed. There were no architectural drawings for the dome and roof construction, but systematic building archeological work using the charred building parts made it possible to recreate the dome and roof construction. Historically correct construction methods were used throughout the reconstruction process. After the restoration, the Christiansborg Palace Church was rededicated on January 15, 1997, in connection with Queen Margrethe II‘s Silver Jubilee.

Royal Events at Christiansborg Palace Chapel

The christening of Crown Prince Christian, son of King Frederik X, grandson of Queen Margrethe II in 2006

The funeral of Prince Henrik, husband of Queen Margrethe II in 2018; Credit – Keld Navntoft, Kongehuset

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.

Works Cited

  • Da.wikipedia.org. 2021. Christiansborg – Wikipedia, den frie encyklopædi. [online] Available at: <https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christiansborg> [Accessed 20 August 2021].
  • Da.wikipedia.org. 2021. Christiansborgs brand 1884 – Wikipedia, den frie encyklopædi. [online] Available at: <https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christiansborgs_brand_1884> [Accessed 20 August 2021].
  • Da.wikipedia.org. 2021. Christiansborg Slotskirke – Wikipedia, den frie encyklopædi. [online] Available at: <https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christiansborg_Slotskirke> [Accessed 20 August 2021].
  • Da.wikipedia.org. 2021. Kongelige bryllupper – Wikipedia, den frie encyklopædi. [online] Available at: <https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kongelige_bryllupper#Danmark> [Accessed 20 August 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Christiansborg Palace – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christiansborg_Palace> [Accessed 20 August 2021].
  • The Danish Monarchy. 2021. Christiansborg Palace. [online] Available at: <https://www.kongehuset.dk/en/palaces/christiansborg-palace> [Accessed 20 August 2021].
  • The Danish Parliament. 2021. The History of Christiansborg. [online] Available at: <https://www.thedanishparliament.dk/en/christiansborg-palace/the-history-of-christiansborg-palace> [Accessed 20 August 2021].

Gustavus II Adolphus the Great, King of Sweden

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Gustavus Adolphus the Great, King of Sweden; Credit – Wikipedia

Also known as Gustav II Adolf, King of Sweden, he was officially given the name Gustavus Adolphus the Great by the Riksdag of the Estates, the legislature, in 1634, two years after his death in battle. Gustavus Adolphus is considered one of the greatest military commanders in history and made Sweden a great power that would result in it becoming one of Europe’s largest and leading nations during the early modern period. Born on December 9, 1594, at Tre Kronor Castle which stood on the site of the present Royal Palace in Stockholm, Sweden, he was the eldest of the four children and the elder of the two sons of the future Karl IX, King of Sweden and his second wife Christina of Holstein-Gottorp.

Gustavus Adolphus had three younger siblings:

Gustavus Adolphus had six half-siblings from his father’s first marriage to Maria of Palatinate-Simmern but only one survived childhood:

  • Margareta Elisabeth of Sweden (1580 – 1585), died in childhood
  • Elisabeth Sabina of Sweden (1582 – 1585), died in childhood
  • Ludwig of Sweden (born and died 1583), died in infancy
  • Katharina of Sweden (1584 – 1638), married Count Palatine Johann Kasimir of Palatinate-Zweibrücken-Kleeburg, had eight children including Carl X Gustav, King of Sweden
  • Gustav of Sweden (born and 1587), died in infancy
  • Maria Sweden (1588 – 1589), died in infancy

Karl IX, King of Sweden, Gustavus Adolphus’ father; Credit – Wikipedia

Gustavus Adolphus’ father Karl was Regent of Sweden from 1599–1604 and King of Sweden from 1604 – 1611. He had the good sense to prepare his son for his future role. Gustavus Adolphus received a thorough humanistic and political education from Johannes Bureus, the Swedish royal librarian, and Johan Skytte, who later became the became Chancellor of Uppsala University. From the age of eight, Gustavus Adolphus was allowed to attend the meetings of the council of state and from the age of twelve, he performed public duties such as receiving foreign envoys. When Gustavus Adolphus was fifteen years old, he gave his first speech from the throne. He had military training with an experienced professional soldier Jakob De la Gardie. Gustavus Adolphus spoke only German with his mother and Swedish with his father and so he was fluent in both languages. He was taught all subjects in Latin and he also learned French and Dutch and ancient Greek.

Gustavus Adolphus’ early education and training proved useful as he became King of Sweden at the age of sixteen, when his father Karl IX, King of Sweden died on October 30, 1611. At that time. Sweden was a poor country with a weak army at war with Denmark, Poland, and Russia. With the help of the stateman Axel Oxenstierna, considered one of the most influential people in Swedish history, Gustavus Adolphus reshaped Sweden’s government and transformed the Swedish army into Europe’s most modern, well-trained, and feared army. Under Gustavus Adolphus’ leadership, peace was made with Denmark and Poland, and Russia was defeated on the battlefield.

Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg, Gustavus Adolphus’ wife; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1616, the 22-year-old Gustavus Adolphus started looking for a Protestant bride. He had received positive reports about the beauty and intelligence of 17-year-old Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg, the daughter of Johann Sigismund, Elector of Brandenburg, and Anna of Prussia. After prolonged back-and-forth negotiations with Maria Eleonora’s family, complete with many changes of opinions, it was agreed that Maria Eleonora and Gustavus Adolphus would marry. On October 7, 1620, Maria Eleonora left Brandenburg for Sweden with her mother Anna and her sister Katrina. Gustavus Adolphus and Maria Eleonora were married in Stockholm on November 25, 1620. During the first years of the marriage, Maria Eleonora’s mother Anna and sister Katarina remained in Sweden. They did not return to Brandenburg until August 1624.

Although Gustavus Adolphus was successful in many endeavors, he was not successful in providing a male heir:

  • Stillborn daughter, born July 24, 1621
  • Christina (1623 – 1624), died in infancy
  • Stillborn son, born May 1625
  • Christina, Queen of Sweden (1626 – 1689), unmarried, succeeded her father, abdicated, subsequently converted to Roman Catholicism, and moved to Rome

Gustavus Adolphus’ daughter Queen Christina as a child; Credit – Wikipedia

When Gustav Adolphus’s fourth child was born, he had originally been told that the child was a boy. His half-sister Katarina informed him that the child was not a boy but a girl, and then carried the baby to him, afraid of his reaction. Gustav Adolphus said, “She’ll be clever, she has made fools of us all!” and decided that she would be called Christina after his mother. He gave orders for the birth to be announced with all the ceremonies usually given to the birth of a male heir. This seems to indicate that Gustavus Adolphus had little hope of having other children. Maria Eleonora’s state of health seems to be the most likely explanation for this. Gustavus Adolphus’ legitimate younger brothers had all died. The one legitimate female left, his half-sister Katarina was excluded from the succession when she married a non-Lutheran. Gustavus Adolphus recognized Christina’s eligibility as a female heir and she became the undisputed heir presumptive.

The Thirty Years’ War was a conflict fought mostly within the Holy Roman Empire, mainly in present-day Germany, from 1618 to 1648. Although it started as a religious war (Protestant nations against Catholic nations), it developed into a territorial war. Before Gustavus Adolphus left to lead the Swedish army in the Thirty Years’ War, he secured his daughter Christina’s right to inherit the throne, in case he never returned and gave orders that Christina should receive an education normally given to only boys.

Gustavus Adolphus at the Battle of Breitenfeld by Johann Walter; Credit – Wikipedia

Gustavus Adolphus won a decisive victory at the First Battle of Breitenfeld in September 1631. He then marched across Germany, establishing his winter quarters near the Rhine, making plans for the invasion of the rest of the Holy Roman Empire. He had hopes of conquering the Holy Roman Empire and ascending its throne. However, it was not to be. The Battle of Lützen took place on November 16, 1632, between a Holy Roman Empire force under Albrecht von Wallenstein and a combined Swedish-German army led by Gustavus Adolphus. Generally viewed as a narrow Swedish victory, both sides suffered heavy casualties and it is now chiefly remembered for the death of Gustavus Adolphus.

Death of King Gustav II Adolf of Sweden at the Battle of Lützen by Carl Wahlbom; Credit – Wikipedia

Gustavus Adolphus was separated from the cavalry charge he was leading in a mix of gun smoke and fog. A bullet hit his left arm below the elbow. At the same time, his horse was hit by a bullet to the neck and became difficult to control. In the fog and smoke, Gustavus Adolphus mistakenly rode behind enemy lines. There he was shot in the back, was stabbed, and fell from his horse. Lying on the ground, 37-year-old Gustavus Adolphus received a final, fatal shot to his temple. When the shooting stopped and the smoke cleared, Gustavus Adolphus’ horse was spotted between the two lines but he was not on it and was nowhere to be seen. After a search, his body was found, and was secretly evacuated from the battlefield in a Swedish artillery wagon.

Embarkation of the body of Gustavus Adolphus at the port of Wolgast in 1633 by Carl Gustaf Hellqvist; Credit – Wikipedia

Gustavus Adolphus’ body was taken to Weissenfels, in the Electorate of Saxony, now in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt, where it was embalmed and dressed in a beautiful gold and silver woven uniform, then brought to Wolgast, in the Duchy of Pomerania, now in the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. His body remained in Wolgast until the summer of 1633 when it was taken by ship to Sweden. Once in Sweden, Gustavus Adolphus’ body was taken to Nyköping Castle in Nyköping, Sweden, and remained there until it was time to take it to Stockholm for the funeral.

The delays in providing Gustavus Adolphus with a timely burial were due to his wife. Already suffering from mental issues, Maria Eleonora’s grief was quite painful and her mental issues worsened considerably. She ordered that her husband’s heart be brought to her to keep him always near. She also refused to have her husband buried, spending whole days next to the body. Finally, eighteen months after the death of Gustavus Adolphus, the funeral and burial were held on June 22, 1634, at Riddarholmen Church in Stockholm, Sweden.

Gustavus Adolphus’ sarcophagus at Riddarholmen Church; Credit – By Frankie Fouganthin – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16785914

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 Sweden Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. 2021. Gustav II. Adolf – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustav_II._Adolf> [Accessed 19 August 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Gustavus Adolphus – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustavus_Adolphus> [Accessed 19 August 2021].
  • Flantzer, Susan. Karl IX, King of Sweden. 2021. [online] Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/karl-ix-king-of-sweden/> [Accessed 19 August 2021].
  • Sv.wikipedia.org. 2021. Gustav II Adolf – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustav_II_Adolf> [Accessed 19 August 2021].

Maximilian, Margrave of Baden

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Maximilian, Margrave of Baden and his wife in July 2017 at the wedding of Prince Ernst August of Hanover and Ekaterina Malysheva; Credit – Von Bernd Schwabe – Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=60818074

Maximilian, Margrave of Baden was the head of the House of Zähringen and pretender to the former Grand Ducal throne of Baden from 1963 until his death in 2022. Paternally, he was the grandson of his namesake, Prince Maximilian, Margrave of Baden. Maternally, he was the oldest living grandchild of Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark and Princess Alice of Battenberg. Thus, he was a nephew of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and the late Duke of Edinburgh, and first cousin of King Charles III of the United Kingdom and his siblings.

 

Maximilian Andreas Friedrich Gustav Ernst August Bernhard, Prince of Baden, was born on July 3, 1933 in Salem, the elder son of Berthold, Margrave of Baden and Princess Theodora of Greece and Denmark. He has two siblings:

He attended the Schule Schloss Salem, founded by his grandfather and Kurt Hahn, and then went on to study agriculture and forestry.

In the early 1960s, Max was engaged to his first cousin, Princess Beatrix of Hohenlohe-Langenburg. Beatrix was the daughter of Gottfried, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg and Princess Margarita of Greece and Denmark (his mother’s elder sister). However, the engagement was called off in 1961, and several years later, he married Archduchess Valerie of Austria. She was the daughter of Archduke Hubert of Austria and Princess Rosemary of Salm-Salm. Max and Valerie wed in a civil ceremony in Salem on September 23, 1966, followed by a religious ceremony held at Persenbeug Castle in Austria. They have four children:

  • Marie Louise, Princess of Baden (1969) – married Richard Dudley Baker, had issue
  • Bernhard, Margrave of Baden (1970) – married Stephanie Kaul, had issue
  • Leopold, Prince of Baden (1971) – unmarried
  • Michael, Prince of Baden (1976) – married Christina Höhne, no issue

Upon his father’s death in October 1963, Max became Head of the House of Zähringen and pretender to the former grand ducal throne of Baden. He also inherited the family’s vast estates – including four castles in Salem, Baden-Baden, Zwingenberg and Eberstein, and over 2,000 hectares of forests, vineyards, and land. However, due to poor investments and the overall global economic crisis, Max soon found himself greatly in debt. In 1995, he auctioned off most of the contents of Schloss Baden-Baden, bringing in over 55 million dollars. Three years later, he appointed his son and heir Bernhard as the administrator of the family’s assets.

The Margrave spent many years overseeing the family’s wine production business – an industry that has been in the family for hundreds of years. Based at Schloss Staufenberg in Durbach, and Schloss Salem, the Margrave of Baden Winery has been producing wine since the late 1700s.

The Margrave of Baden was involved in countless organizations and associations during his lifetime. One lasted many years – his association with the German Red Cross. He served on the honorary council of the Baden Regional Association and was an active participant. Max and his wife Valerie lived in a wing of Salem Abbey, one of the family’s ancestral homes.

On December 29, 2022, Maximilian, Margrave of Baden, aged 89, died at Salem Abbey, a family home, in Salem, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. He was buried at the Mimmenhausen Cemetery, in Salem, Germany. His funeral on January 13, 2023, was attended by former and current royalty including King Philippe of Belgium, Prince Albert II of Monaco and his sister Caroline, Princess of Hanover, Prince Hassan of Jordan, Hereditary Princess Sophie of Liechtenstein, and the heads or representatives of most of the former ruling houses of Germany. His first cousin King Charles III of the United Kingdom was represented by Donatus, Landgrave of Hesse.

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Baden Resources at Unofficial Royalty

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Church of Our Lady of Laeken in Brussels, Belgium

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Church of Our Lady of Laeken; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Built during the latter part of the nineteenth century, the Roman Catholic Church of Our Lady of Laeken in Brussels, Belgium, which this writer has visited, is the burial church of the Belgian royal family, built in memory of Queen Louise-Marie, the second wife of Belgium’s first king Leopold I, King of the Belgians.

Belgium has been a country only since 1830. In August 1830, the southern provinces (modern-day Belgium) of the Kingdom of the Netherlands rebelled against Dutch rule. International powers meeting in London agreed to support the independence of Belgium, even though the Dutch refused to recognize the new country. On April 22, 1831, Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, the uncle of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and her husband Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, was asked by the Belgian National Congress if he wanted to be king of the new country. Leopold swore allegiance to the new Belgian constitution on July 21, 1831, and became the first King of the Belgians. Under the Belgian Constitution, the Belgian monarch is styled “King/Queen of the Belgians” to reflect that the monarch is “of the Belgian people.”

Although the Belgian royal family is Roman Catholic, Leopold I was born a Lutheran and remained a Lutheran for his entire life. Before Leopold became King of the Belgians, he was first married to Princess Charlotte of Wales, the only child of King George IV of the United Kingdom, who tragically died in childbirth along with her son. Charlotte, who most likely would have been Queen of the United Kingdom,  and her son are buried at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England.

No family burial site had been planned for the members of the new Belgian royal family. When King Leopold I’s infant son Crown Prince Louis Philippe died suddenly in 1834, he was buried at the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula out of necessity.

Queen Louise-Marie, born Princess Louise-Marie of Orléans, predeceased her husband King Leopold I, dying of tuberculosis at age 38 in 1850. She wanted to be buried in the old Church of Our Lady of Laeken built in 1275  and her remains were buried there. To honor the memory of his wife, Leopold I, King of the Belgians conceived the idea of a new and larger church at Laeken. There has been a house of worship on this site since around 800.  In 1275, the original chapel was replaced by a church in the Gothic style called the Church of Our Lady of Laeken.

By royal decree on October 14, 1850, the government authorized the construction of the new church and organized a competition for the design of the new church. There were only two stipulations for the design, the church should be able to hold 2,000 people and its price should not exceed 800,000 francs. In 1852, the jury decided upon a neo-gothic design by Joseph Poelaert, a 34-year-old architect.  The German architect Friedrich von Schmidt designed the portal and the 99-meter-high tower.

The choir of the old Church of Our Lady of Laeken, now a chapel, in the center in the Laeken Cemetery; Credit – Par EmDee — Travail personnel, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=48239336

King Leopold I laid the foundation stone for the new church in 1854 and in 1872 the church was consecrated but it was not fully completed until 1909 because of a long interruption of work. In 1894, the old church was demolished due to its state of disrepair. However, the choir of the old church was preserved and has survived as a chapel in the center of the adjacent Laeken Cemetery.

Both Louise-Marie who died in 1850 and Leopold who died in 1865 were first buried at the old Church of Our Lady of Laeken.  On April 20, 1876, their remains were interred in the royal crypt at the new Church of Our Lady of Laeken. All the monarchs, all their consorts, and some other members of the Belgian royal family have been buried at the neo-gothic Roman Catholic Church of Our Lady of Laeken in Brussels, Belgium, the burial church of the Belgian royal family, built in memory of Queen Louise-Marie, the second wife of Belgium’s first king Leopold I.

Interior of the Church of Our Lady of Laeken; Photo © – Susan Flantzer

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Royal Burials

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Entrance to the Royal Crypt; Photo © Susan Flantzer

The crypt is located under the main altar. Two staircases on either side behind the main altar lead down to the crypt. At the foot of the stairs, just in front of the carved oak doors of the entrance to the crypt, is a mosaic depicting the nine coats of arms of the Belgian provinces.

Tomb of Leopold I, King of the Belgians and Queen Louise-Marie; Credit – Door Michel wal – Eigen werk, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7758486

In the center of the crypt is the large, white tomb of Leopold I, King of the Belgians and his second wife Queen Louise-Marie, topped by a royal crown with four mourning figures draped in black at the four corners.

Royal Crypt; Credit – Wikipedia

Surrounding the tomb of Leopold I and Louise-Marie are the tombs of Leopold I’s successors and their spouses. The niches in the wall house the coffins of other members of the royal family, such as Prince Charles, Duke of Flanders, Regent of Belgium, and other princes and princesses. A very nice touch that this writer observed was the framed photographs on the tombs.

Tomb of King Leopold III of Belgium, his first wife Queen Astrid, and his second wife Princess Lilian with their framed photos; Credit – www.findagrave.com

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Graves of (left to right) Crown Prince Louis Philippe, Empress Carlota of Mexico who was born Princess Charlotte of Belgium, and Prince Leopold of Liechtenstein with empty grave niches awaiting burials in the crypt at the Church of Our Lady of Laeken; Credit – www.findagrave.com

The management of the burial crypt at the Church of Our Lady of Laeken is under the direct authority of the Belgian monarch who manages the burial crypt on behalf of the members of the Belgian royal family. The Belgian government has no authority over the burial crypt. The Belgian monarch decides who will be allowed burial in the royal crypt and where they will be buried.

In 1927, Albert I, King of the Belgians allowed the burial of his aunt Empress Carlota of Mexico in the royal crypt. Empress Carlota was born Princess Charlotte of Belgium, the daughter of Leopold I, King of the Belgians, and the wife of Archduke Maximilian of Austria, who, as the ill-fated Emperor of Mexico, was executed by a firing squad. Under the laws of the Austrian House of Habsburg, Empress Carlota was to be buried in the Imperial Crypt in Vienna, Austria.

Although the tombs are designed for two remains, the tomb of King Leopold III contains three remains. King Leopold III ordered that his second wife Princess Lilian would be buried in his tomb upon her death, and this order was carried out by his son Albert II, King of the Belgians.

Baudouin, King of the Belgians allowed Prince Leopold of Liechtenstein, stillborn on May 20, 1984, in Brussels, Belgium, the son of his niece Princess Margaretha of Luxembourg and her husband Prince Nikolaus of Liechtenstein, to be buried in the royal crypt although he was not a member of the Belgian royal family. 

The following are interred in the royal crypt at the Church of Our Lady of Laeken. Note that Leopold III was styled as Leopold III, King of the Belgians from 1934 – 1951. After his abdication in 1951, he was styled King Leopold III of Belgium and that is how he is referred to below.

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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.

Works Cited

  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Church of Our Lady of Laeken – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_Our_Lady_of_Laeken> [Accessed 19 July 2021].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2012. Belgian Royal Burial Sites. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/royal-burial-sites/belgian-royal-burial-sites/> [Accessed 19 July 2021].
  • Fr.wikipedia.org. 2021. Église Notre-Dame de Laeken — Wikipédia. [online] Available at: <https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89glise_Notre-Dame_de_Laeken> [Accessed 19 July 2021].
  • Nl.wikipedia.org. 2021. Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk (Laken) – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk_(Laken)> [Accessed 19 July 2021].
  • The Belgian Monarchy. 2021. Royal Crypt in Laeken | The Belgian Monarchy. [online] Available at: <https://www.monarchie.be/en/heritage/royal-crypt-in-laeken> [Accessed 19 July 2021].
  • Unofficial Royalty. 2021. Kingdom of Belgium Index. [online] Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/royal-articles-index/belgian-royals-index/> [Accessed 19 July 2021].

Christina of Holstein-Gottorp, Queen of Sweden

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Christina of Hesse, Queen of Sweden; Credit – Wikipedia

Christina of Holstein-Gottorp was the second wife of Karl IX, King of Sweden. Born on April 13, 1573, in Kiel, Duchy of Holstein-Gottorp, now in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein, she was the fourth of the ten children and the second of the five daughters of Adolf, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp, and Christine of Hesse. Her father was the third son of King Frederik I of Denmark and Norway and his second wife Sophie of Pomerania. In 1544, Adolf, his brother Johann, and their half-brother King Christian III of Denmark divided the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein which belonged to Denmark. Adolf, as the youngest, got the first choice. Since he selected the part with the Gottorp Castle, the line of the House of Oldenburg founded by him was called the House of Holstein-Gottorp.

Christina had nine siblings:

Christina’s husband the future Karl IX, King of Sweden; Credit – Wikipedia

Maria of Palatinate-Simmern, the first wife of the future Karl IX, King of Sweden died in 1589 at the age of 28. Three years later, forty-two-year-old Karl married nineteen-year-old Christina, the first cousin of his first wife. The couple was married on August 27, 1592, at Nyköping Castle in Nyköping, Södermanland, Sweden. At the time of the marriage, Karl was a Prince of Sweden and the Duke of Södermanland and so Christina became a Princess of Sweden and the Duchess of Södermanland. Karl was a staunch Lutheran and Sweden was then ruled by Karl’s brother Johan III, King of Sweden who, although Protestant, was married to a Catholic Polish princess and had Catholic sympathies. Karl’s marriage with Christina created a stronger alliance with the German Protestants.

Karl had six children with his first wife Maria but five of them died in infancy or childhood before his second marriage. Christina became the stepmother of Karl’s only surviving child:

Christina and Karl had four children of their own:

In 1592, Karl’s brother Johan III, King of Sweden died and he was succeeded by his Roman Catholic son Sigismund III Vasa, who was already King of Poland. Eventually, because of religious issues, the Riksdag (legislature) gained control of the Swedish government and appointed the Lutheran Karl Regent of Sweden. Finally, on February 24, 1604, the Swedish Riksdag declared that Karl’s nephew Sigismund abdicated the Swedish throne and he was recognized as the sovereign – Karl IX, King of Sweden. After a delay of three years, Karl and his wife Christina were crowned King and Queen of Sweden on March 15, 1607, at Uppsala Cathedral in Uppsala, Sweden.

In 1604, Christina was appointed to be regent in the event that Karl should die before their sons reached the age of majority. As the potential guardian, Christina held an important leadership position. Although Karl did not allow Christina to dictate policy, he did ask for her advice. She did prevent the potential election of her son Karl Filip as Tsar of Russia. Count Jacob Pontusson De la Gardie, a Swedish statesman had proposed ten-year-old Karl Philip as a candidate for Tsar of Russia. When her husband Karl died in 1611, Christina refused to allow Karl Philip to leave for Russia. However, in 1613, Karl Filip went to Denmark to discuss the terms of a potential tsardom. When he got to Denmark, Karl Philip found out that Russian nobles had rejected several candidates, including him, and that Michael Romanov became the consensus candidate and had been elected the first Romanov ruler of Russia. Christina was relieved that the Russian affair was finally over.

Christina’s elder son Gustav II Adolf, King of Sweden in his youth

On October 30, 1611, at Nyköping Castle in Nyköping, Södermanland, Sweden, 61-year-old Karl IX, King of Sweden died. He was buried at Strängnäs Cathedral in Strängnäs, Södermanland, Sweden. After the death of Karl IX, Christina and Johan, Duke of Östergötland, the son of Karl’s brother Johan III, King of Sweden, shared the short regency of Gustav II Adolf, King of Sweden. The regency lasted from October 1611 to December 1611, when Christina’s elder son was declared of age. However, Christina remained the guardian of her younger son Karl Philip and was regent for his Duchies of Södermanland, Närke, and Värmland. Despite the short regency for her elder son, Christina was considered the real power behind the throne during the early years of Gustav II Adolf’s reign. She prevented the marriage of his marriage to Ebba Magnusdotter Brahe because she feared the complications of marriage with a noble and because she realized a dynastic marriage could have substantial political benefits.

Christina’s younger son Karl Filip; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1621, Christina’s younger son Karl Philip accompanied his brother Gustav II Adolf on his military campaign in the Baltic States. During the campaign, Karl Philip became seriously ill and traveled to Narva, then a Swedish possession, now in Estonia for treatment and rest. However, Karl Philip did not recover, dying on January 25, 1622, at the age of only 20. Christina was heartbroken after the death of her younger son, and she retired from public life and lived in seclusion. After Karl Philip’s death, his morganatic, secret marriage to Elisabet Ribbing was discovered, and Christina became the guardian of his posthumous daughter Elisabet Gyllenhielm.

Christina survived her husband by fourteen years, dying at the age of 52, on December 8, 1625, at Gripsholm Castle in Mariefred, Södermanland, Sweden. She was buried in the family crypt at Strängnäs Cathedral in Strängnäs, Sweden, below her husband’s most unusual grave monument – a rider on a horse wearing gold armor placed over the family crypt. The gold armor had been made by twelve of Stockholm’s most prominent goldsmiths.

Karl IX’s grave monument; Credit – Av Kigsz – Eget arbete, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=71076804

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 Sweden Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. 2021. Christine von Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorf – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christine_von_Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorf> [Accessed 14 July 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Adolf, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolf,_Duke_of_Holstein-Gottorp> [Accessed 14 July 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Christina of Holstein-Gottorp – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christina_of_Holstein-Gottorp> [Accessed 14 July 2021].
  • Flantzer, Susan. Karl IX, King of Sweden. [online] Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/karl-ix-king-of-sweden/> [Accessed 14 July 2021].
  • Sv.wikipedia.org. 2021. Kristina av Holstein-Gottorp – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kristina_av_Holstein-Gottorp> [Accessed 14 July 2021].

Berthold, Margrave of Baden

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Berthold, Margrave of Baden was the Head of the House of Zähringen and Pretender to the former Grand Ducal throne of Baden from 1929 until his death in 1963.

Prince Berthold Friedrich Wilhelm Ernst August Heinrich Karl of Baden was born in Karlsruhe, Germany on February 24, 1906. He was the only son of Prince Maximilian of Baden, Margrave of Baden and Princess Marie Luise of Hanover. Berthold had one older sister:

Berthold, his wife and two elder children, c1936. source: private collection

On August 17, 1931 in Baden-Baden, Berthold married Princess Theodora of Greece and Denmark, the second daughter of Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark and Princess Alice of Battenberg (as well as the elder sister of Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh). The couple were second cousins through their mutual great-grandfather, King Christian IX of Denmark. Berthold and Theodora had three children:

 

The last reigning Grand Duke of Baden, Friedrich II, had no children. Although the Headship of the House would pass to Berthold’s father Max, the Grand Duke’s assets would not. As part of an agreement following the end of the monarchy, Friedrich’s assets and estates would pass to the Republic of Baden if he had no legal children. To avoid this from happening, Friedrich and his wife, Hilda, legally adopted Berthold in August 1927. When Friedrich died the following year, his father became Head of the House, but it was Berthold who actually inherited all of the family’s assets.

 

Berthold, Margrave of Baden died suddenly on October 27, 1963 in Spaichingen, Germany, from an apparent heart attack. He is buried in the Mimmenhausen Cemetery in Salem, along with his wife, his parents, and his daughter.

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Baden Resources at Unofficial Royalty

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