Monthly Archives: January 2015

King Albert I of the Belgians

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Albert I, King of the Belgians: Credit – Wikipedia

King Albert I of the Belgians

King Albert I of Belgians was the third Belgian monarch, a grandson of King Leopold I of the Belgians (born Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg and Saalfeld). He was born Prince Albert Léopold Clément Marie Meinrad of Belgium on April 8, 1875, at the Palais de la Régence in Brussels, Belgium. Albert was the second son, and fifth child, of Prince Philippe, Count of Flanders (the third son of King Leopold I), and Princess Marie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen. At the time of his birth, his father’s brother was reigning as King Leopold II of the Belgians. As Leopold II’s only son had died, Albert’s father was the heir-presumptive, followed by Albert’s older brother Baudouin, and then Albert. At the age of 16, he became second in line, following the death of his brother.

Albert was raised and educated with the expectation that he would one day become King. He attended the Belgian Royal Military Academy and served with the Belgian forces. He served in the Belgian Senate from 1893 until his accession (a position accorded to all children of the sovereign) and represented his uncle throughout Europe and abroad. It was on such a trip that he met his future wife.

Engagement photo of Albert and Elisabeth. photo: Wikipedia

In 1897, Albert met Duchess Elisabeth in Bavaria, daughter of Karl-Theodor, Duke in Bavaria, and his wife Infanta Maria Josepha of Portugal, while attending the funeral of the Duchess of Alençon in Paris. The Duchess of Alençon was born Duchess Sophie Charlotte in Bavaria and was Elisabeth’s aunt. Several months later, having become quite smitten, Albert proposed to Elisabeth, reportedly by asking her, “Do you think you could stand the air in Belgium?” She quickly accepted, and the couple was married on October 2, 1900, in Munich, Kingdom of Bavaria, now in the German state of Bavaria. Following a honeymoon in Italy, they settled in Brussels. They had three children:

 

In early 1909, Albert took an extensive tour of the Belgian Congo, which had been annexed by Belgium the previous year. Finding the conditions horrendous, he returned to Belgium and began proposing reforms to protect the land and its people, as well as developing means of technological progress. This would become a cause that Albert promoted for the remainder of his life. Later that year, on December 17, 1909, King Leopold II died. Albert, who had become heir-presumptive upon his father’s death in 1905, succeeded his uncle as King Albert I of the Belgians.

 

When Germany invaded Belgium (which was guaranteed neutrality under the terms of the Treaty of London 1839), King Albert took command of his troops as directed by the Belgian constitution, and held off the German forces long enough for the British and French to prepare for the Battle of the Marne. For the next four years, Albert fought on the front lines with his troops, refusing to follow his government into exile in France. During this time, his wife worked as a nurse, and his elder son, Leopold, who had enlisted at the age of 14, fought on the front lines with the Belgian army. The King also tried to work secretly for a negotiated peace between Germany and the Entente (the Russians, French, and British). Finally, at the end of the war, King Albert and his wife and family returned triumphantly to Brussels. Thus began the King’s efforts to rebuild the Belgian kingdom. In sweeping reforms, King Albert announced plans to introduce universal suffrage, equality of the two national languages in Belgium, and recognition of trade union freedoms. Accompanied by his wife and elder son, he made an official visit to the United States in 1919. He also continued his efforts in the Belgian Congo, and in 1925 established Africa’s first national park – Albert National Park (now called Virunga National Park). In 1928, he established the National Fund for Scientific Research, to encourage industrial development in Belgium.

King Albert I mountain climbing; Credit – Wikipedia

In addition to being a lifelong conservationist, King Albert was also an avid mountain climber. Sadly, this would bring about his early death. On February 17, 1934, while climbing alone on the Roche de Vieux Bon Dieu at Marche-les-Dames, in the Ardennes region of Belgium, King Albert I fell to his death. He was just 58 years old. His tragic death brought about great mourning in Belgium and around the world. Following a few days of laying in state at the Royal Palace in Brussels, a state funeral was held at the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula in Brussels, Belgium on February 22nd. After the funeral, the king’s remains were interred in the Royal Crypt at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Laeken in Brussels, Belgium. King Albert I was succeeded by his eldest son, King Leopold III.

Tomb of King Albert I and Queen Elisabeth. photo: Wikipedia

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Princess Lilian of Belgium, Princess de Réthy

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Princess Lilian of Belgium, Princess de Réthy – photo: Wikipedia

Princess Lilian of Belgium, Princess de Réthy, was the second wife of King Leopold III of Belgium. She was born Mary Lilian Baels, on November 28, 1916, in Highbury, London, England. Lilian was one of eight children of Henri Baels and Anne Marie de Visscher. Henri Baels was a shipowner from Belgium and later rose in the ranks of government, becoming Governor of West Flanders in 1936. He was also a close friend of Albert I, King of the Belgians, and later an advisor to King Leopold III.

Lilian began her studies in London, and then attended the College of the Sacred Heart in Ostend, following her family’s return to Belgium. She later studied French in Brussels and attended a finishing school in London. In the late 1930s, Lilian encountered her future husband several times, often accompanying her father to official events. Later, she was often invited by Leopold’s mother, Dowager Queen Elisabeth, who saw an opportunity to bring the couple together. Following several visits to Laeken, where the King was under house arrest by the Nazis, Leopold proposed in July 1941. Lilian accepted but declined the title of Queen. Instead, Leopold gave her the title ‘Princess de Réthy’, and it was decided that any children would not have succession rights. They would, however, be styled and titled HRH Prince/Princess of Belgium.

Lilian and Leopold married in a religious ceremony held in the chapel at the Palace of Laeken in Laeken, Brussels, Belgium on September 11, 1941. This was against Belgian law which required a civil ceremony to be held first. They had planned to wait until after the war to hold a civil ceremony, but Lilian’s pregnancy led them to hold the civil ceremony on December 6, 1941, at which point their marriage was made public. The announcement was met with mixed reactions from the Belgian people. While some sent congratulations, many others felt that the marriage sullied the memory of Leopold’s first wife, their beloved Queen Astrid who had died in a car accident, and that Lilian was nothing more than a “social climber.” Despite this, the couple had a very close and happy marriage. She also had a close relationship with Leopold’s three children – Josephine-Charlotte, Baudouin, and Albert.

Leopold and Lilian had three children who were Prince/Princess of Belgium but did not have any rights of succession:

In 1944, King Leopold and his family were deported to Germany and then Austria, before being freed by US forces in 1945. However, due to questions about Leopold’s actions during the war, they were unable to return to Belgium and settled in Switzerland. Finally, in 1950, they returned, but King Leopold’s reign was short-lived. He quickly transferred most of his duties to his eldest son, and in July 1951, formally abdicated in his favor.

Leopold, Lilian, and their children remained at the Palace of Laeken until 1960 when King Baudouin married. Having been pressured to move elsewhere by the government (who felt that King Leopold was exerting too much influence on his son), and with Baudouin now married, the couple moved to the Domain of Argenteuil, a government-owned property which had previously been offered to Leopold’s brother Charles after he served as Regent from 1944-1950.

Over the years, Lilian’s relationships with her stepchildren deteriorated to a certain degree, specifically around the time of their marriages. When Josephine-Charlotte married Hereditary Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg, Lilian caused a stir by insisting, unsuccessfully, that she should take precedence over her mother-in-law Dowager Queen Elisabeth. This caused the bride much stress and caused a rift between the two for the rest of their lives. When Baudouin married in 1960, his new wife, Queen Fabiola clashed with Lilian in taking her rightful place as First Lady of Belgium. This relationship deteriorated to the point that they were only seen together publicly on one occasion – the funeral of Queen Elisabeth in 1965.

However, Lilian did maintain a closer relationship with Albert and his wife, Queen Paola. This was tested when she sold off some of the jewelry she’d been given by King Leopold, following his death in 1983. Most notable was the Cartier tiara originally owned by her mother-in-law, Queen Elisabeth. She sold the tiara back to Cartier in 1987. In her defense, however, it should be noted that these were not jewels owned by the family or a family foundation like many other royal houses have. Belgium does not have anything like that established, meaning that most of the jewelry is privately owned and sadly, often leaves the family through marriages or auctions. Despite this, Albert remained close to his stepmother for the remainder of her life.

 

Despite surviving her husband by nearly 20 years, it was at his funeral that Princess Lilian made her last official public appearance. She spent the remaining years of her life pursuing her interests in medicine, having established a Cardiology Foundation in 1958 following her son Alexandre’s heart surgery the previous year in the United States, and editing her husband’s memoirs “Pour l’Histoire” (For History), published in 2001.

Princess Lilian remained at Argenteuil where she died on June 7, 2002. Her funeral was held at the Church of Our Lady of Laeken in Brussels, Belgium, attended by all of the Belgian royal family except for her elder daughter Marie-Christine, who had completely severed all ties with her family. Princess Lilian was interred in the Royal Crypt at the Church of Our Lady of Laeken, beside her husband and his first wife Queen Astrid.

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Queen Astrid of Belgium

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

photo: Wikipedia

Queen Astrid of Belgium

Queen Astrid of Belgium was the first wife of King Leopold III of Belgium. She was born Princess Astrid Sofia Lovisa Thyra of Sweden, on November 17, 1905, at the Arvfurstens palats (Hereditary Prince’s Palace) in Stockholm, Sweden. Astrid was the third of four children of Prince Carl of Sweden, Duke of Västergötland, and Princess Ingeborg of Denmark. Through both of her parents, she was closely related to the Swedish, Danish, and Norwegian royal families. Her father was the son of King Oscar II of Sweden and brother of King Gustav V of Sweden. Her mother was the daughter of King Frederik VIII of Denmark, and sister to King Christian X of Denmark and King Haakon VII of Norway.

Astrid had two older sisters and a younger brother:

Considered a potential bride for several royals, including the future King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom, and the future King Olav V of Norway (who ended up marrying her sister Märtha), Astrid fell in love with the future King Leopold III of Belgium. The two were third cousins once removed, through their mutual descent from King Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria.

 

Their engagement was announced in September 1926 and the couple was married two months later. A civil ceremony was held first, on November 4, 1926, in Stockholm, Sweden and a religious ceremony followed on November 10 at the Cathedral of St Michael and St Gudula in Brussels, Belgium.

The couple eventually settled at Stuyvenberg Palace and had three children:

Astrid was quickly embraced by the Belgian people and worked very hard to support causes and efforts which brought her into contact with them. The country celebrated the birth of their children, particularly when their first son, Baudouin, was born. In 1934, just months before the birth of their youngest son, Leopold’s father King Albert I passed away, and they became the new King and Queen of the Belgians. Just 28 at the time, Astrid threw herself into her royal duties, while continuing to raise her young family. Sadly, it would be just a year later that Astrid’s life would come to an end.

Queen Astrid Chapel, Küssnacht am Rigi, Switzerland. photo: Wikipedia

In August 1935, the family was on holiday in Switzerland. On August 29, 1935, having sent the children ahead, Leopold and Astrid decided to take one last outing before returning to Belgium. On a drive in the mountains near Lake Lucerne, with King Leopold at the wheel, and Astrid beside him, the king was distracted by something Astrid pointed out to him and lost control of the car. The convertible went off the road and down a steep slope, crashing into a tree. Both of them were thrown from the car, but Leopold was not seriously injured. Astrid, however, was thrown into another tree and died from her injuries. She was just 29 years old. Later, a chapel and memorial were built in her honor in Küssnacht am Rigi, at the scene of the accident.

photo: Wikipedia

Following a state funeral in Brussels, Queen Astrid was buried in the Royal Crypt at the Church of Our Lady of Laeken in Laeken, Brussels, Belgium. Her husband, King Leopold III and his second wife Princess Lilian were buried alongside her.

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Kingdom of Belgium Resources at Unofficial Royalty

King Leopold III of Belgium

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

photo: Wikipedia

King Leopold III of Belgium

King Leopold III of Belgium was born Prince Léopold Philippe Charles Albert Meinrad Hubert Marie Miguel, on November 3, 1901, at the Palace of the Marquis d’Assche (link in French) in Brussels, Belgium. He was the eldest of three children of the future King Albert I and Duchess Elisabeth in Bavaria. His younger siblings were:

In 1909, Leopold’s father became King of the Belgians, and as heir to the throne, Leopold was given the title Duke of Brabant. He enrolled in the Belgian army at the age of 14, later attended the military academy, and served with the 1st Grenadiers.

photo: Wikipedia

On November 4, 1926, in a civil ceremony held in the throne room of the Royal Palace of Stockholm in Sweden, Leopold married Princess Astrid of Sweden, daughter of  Prince Carl of Sweden, Duke of Västergötland, and Princess Ingeborg of Denmark.  A religious ceremony was held on November 10, 1926, at St. Michael and St. Gudula Cathedral in Brussels, Belgium.

The couple had three children:

King Albert I died In February 1934, and Leopold took the throne as King Leopold III. With his wife and children, he was very popular amongst the Belgian people. Sadly, in August 1935, Queen Astrid was killed in a car accident while the family was on vacation in Switzerland. While driving their convertible, with Queen Astrid at his side, and the chauffeur in the back seat, Leopold was distracted by something his wife pointed out to him and lost control of the car. Astrid was thrown from the convertible and killed. She was just 29 years old.

Following the beginning of World War II, Belgium declared its neutrality. When Germany invaded in May 1940, they were quickly able to take control of Belgium. Unlike other sovereigns, Leopold vowed to remain in the country, while the Belgian government fled right away. Despite their pleas, he refused to leave, saying that he would stand with his troops, regardless of the outcome. His courageous choice would come back to haunt him in the years to come. On May 27, 1940, Leopold formally surrendered to the German forces. The Belgian government, already in exile, quickly issued statements condemning the King and his actions, stating that it was for them to make that decision, not the Sovereign. And they declared that by acting without their advice, the King had gone against the Belgian constitution. Unfortunately, the government could not assemble both chambers, which would be necessary for them to formally declare the King unable to reign and to appoint a Regent. So for the next several years, they instead campaigned against the King and his actions, from afar.

Leopold and his family found themselves under house arrest, primarily at the Royal Palace of Laeken. The King attempted to assert his position as King of the Belgians, but the Germans were having no part of that, and his own Belgian government, by now settled in London, wasn’t either.

 

In September 1941, Leopold married Lilian Baels, in a religious ceremony held in the chapel of the Palace of Laeken. The couple planned to hold a civil ceremony after the war, but instead held it in December of the same year, after discovering that they were expecting a child. There were several issues with the marriage which further damaged Leopold’s reputation with the Belgian people. First, the order of the ceremonies went against Belgian law, which states that a civil ceremony must take place before a religious one. Secondly, and perhaps most impactful, was the fact that he remarried at all. The Belgian people loved the late Queen Astrid, and perceived Lilian Baels as simply a “social climber”. Following the marriage, Lilian was given the title Princess de Réthy and was not styled as Queen. It was also decided that any children would be Prince/Princess of Belgium but without any rights of succession. They had three children:

In 1944, the Nazis moved Leopold and his family to Germany, and later Austria, where they were kept under heavy guard. In May 1945, they were freed by United States forces, but due to the questions about his actions during the war, they were unable to return to Belgium. They settled in Switzerland, while Belgium began to rebuild from the war, under the leadership of Leopold’s brother Charles who had been named Regent in 1944. It would be six years before Leopold was able to return to his country and his throne. After much debate within the Belgian government over the “royal question”, he was cleared of any charges of treason. And following a public referendum in 1950, with 57% in favor of his return, Leopold and his family were able to return to Belgium, on July 20, 1951.

However, upon his return, he was met with a violent general strike. Within just ten days, Leopold, probably urged by the Belgian government, chose to step down from the throne. On August 1, 1950, he formally ceded many of his responsibilities to his eldest son Baudouin who was created Prince Royal. But for all intents and purposes, he was simply beginning the process of abdicating. King Leopold III formally abdicated on July 16, 1951. His son became King Baudouin of the Belgians.

Leopold III signing the abdication papers, Photo Credit: http://crossoflaeken.blogspot.co.uk

Following the abdication, Leopold continued to advise King Baudouin, and the two maintained a close relationship. They all continued to live at the Royal Palace of Laeken until Baudouin’s marriage in 1960. At that point, due to the marriage, as well as the government’s insistence that the former King move to a separate residence, the couple moved to another property owned by the government, Château d’Argenteuil, in Brabant. Leopold spent his remaining years exploring his interests in anthropology and entomology.

King Leopold III died on September 25, 1983, a few hours after undergoing emergency heart surgery. He was buried in the Royal Crypt at the Church of Our Lady of Laeken, alongside his first wife, Queen Astrid, and later his second wife, Princess Lilian, who died in 2002.

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King Baudouin of the Belgians

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

photo: Wikipedia

King Baudouin of the Belgians

King Baudouin of the Belgians reigned from July 1951 until July 1993, making him the longest-reigning Belgian monarch. He was born Prince Baudouin Albert Charles Léopold Axel Marie Gustave of Belgium on September 7, 1930, at Stuyvenberg Castle in Laeken, Brussels, Belgium, son of the future King Leopold III and Princess Astrid of Sweden. As the eldest son of the heir to the throne, he was given the traditional title of Count of Hainaut. He had two siblings:

Baudouin also had three half-siblings from his father’s second marriage to Lilian Baels:

 

Baudouin was not yet four years old when his grandfather, King Albert I, was killed in a mountain-climbing accident in February 1934. Baudouin’s father became King Leopold III, and Baudouin was now heir-apparent to the Belgian throne and titled Duke of Brabant. The following year, on August 29, 1935, tragedy would once again come to the Belgian royal family when Baudouin’s mother, Queen Astrid, was killed in a car accident in Switzerland. Soon after his mother’s death, the family moved from Stuyvenberg Castle to the Royal Palace of Laeken, where he would live for the rest of his life.

In May 1940, when the German forces were invading Belgium, Baudouin and his siblings were evacuated from Belgium, settling in France and then Spain, before returning in August of the same year. For much of the next four years, the family was under house arrest at the Palace of Laeken, where they were schooled privately. In 1944, the family was sent to Germany and then to Austria by the Germans, where they would remain until being liberated by American forces in 1945. Because of the tense political situation in Belgium, the family settled in Switzerland for several years, while King Leopold III’s brother, Charles, served as Regent. While in Switzerland, Baudouin attended the Institut Le Rosey, in Rolle. They returned to Belgium in July 1950, however, the political situation was still very tense, and many questions were raised about King Leopold’s actions relating to the war. Due to this, the following month, King Leopold transferred much of his authority to Baudouin, creating him ‘Prince Royal’. Despite this, the King abdicated less than a year later, and Baudouin succeeded as King of the Belgians, in July 1951.

 

The new king maintained a very close connection with his father, who continued to reside at the Palace of Laeken despite his abdication. This led many to fear that Leopold and his second wife, Lilian, would exert too much influence on the new king, and calls for the former King to move elsewhere. However, it would not be until after Baudouin’s marriage that this would happen.

 

On December 15, 1960, King Baudouin married Doña Fabiola de Mora y Aragón. Fabiola was from an aristocratic family in Spain and had a close relationship with the Spanish royal family. The two were married first in a civil ceremony, held in the Throne Room at the Royal Palace of Brussels, followed by a religious ceremony at the Cathedral of St Michael and St Gudula in Brussels, Belgium. After their marriage, they remained at the Palace of Laeken, while Baudouin’s father and stepmother soon moved to another royal property, the Château Bellevue, where they both remained until their deaths.

Despite several pregnancies, the couple never had any children, which greatly affected both of them. Fortunately, they maintained very close relationships with his brother’s children, particularly the future King Philippe, who was a frequent visitor to their homes. Although Baudouin’s heir was his brother Albert, he saw Philippe as his true successor and spent much time grooming him for his future role.

 

Although King Baudouin had heart surgery in March 1992 this death from heart failure still came unexpectedly, and sent much of Belgium into a period of deep mourning. On July 31, 1993, he died at Villa Astrida, the couple’s private retreat in Motril, Spain. He was succeeded by his brother, King Albert II, who would reign for the next 20 years until he abdicated in favor of his son Philippe. Baudouin’s funeral was held at the Cathedral of St Michael and St Gudula in Brussels, Belgium, attended by many royals from around the world. One notable guest was Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, who rarely attended royal funerals. Following the funeral, King Baudouin’s remains were entombed in the Royal Crypt at the Church of Our Lady of Laeken, the traditional burial site of the Belgian monarchs. In December 2014, his beloved Fabiola passed away and was buried by his side.

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Count Christian of Rosenborg

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Christian of Rosenborg

Count Christian of Rosenborg and his wife Countess Anne Dorte; Credit – http://danishroyalmediawatch.blogspot.com

Count Christian of Rosenborg (Christian Frederik Franz Knud Harald Carl Oluf Gustav Georg Erik) was born a Prince of Denmark on October 22, 1942, at Sorgenfri Palace in Lyngby, Denmark, north of Copenhagen. He was the younger son and the youngest of the three children of Prince Knud of Denmark (son of King Christian X) and Princess Caroline-Mathilde of Denmark (daughter of Prince Harald of Denmark who was a son of King Frederik VIII). Christian had an elder sister and an elder brother:

  • Princess Elisabeth (1935 – 2018), unmarried
  • Prince Ingolf (born 1940), married (1) Inge Terney without consent, lost his royal title, became His Excellency Count Ingolf of Rosenborg, married (2) Sussie Hjorhøy Pedersen

Christian served as an officer in the Royal Danish Navy. Upon his retirement in 2006, after 40 years of service, he was officially adopted as the commander of the Danish Greenland Patrol with the rank of Lieutenant Commander.

The Danish Act of Succession of 1953 allowed a woman to inherit the Danish throne if she had no brothers. Prior to this Christian was third in the line of succession to the Danish throne after his father Prince Knud and his elder brother Prince Ingolf. Now they were all bumped down three places as the three daughters of King Frederik IX were numbers one through three. In 1972, King Frederik IX’s eldest daughter succeeded him as Queen Margrethe II, and in 2009 the succession law was changed to allow for the succession of the firstborn child regardless of gender.

On February 27, 1971, Christian married Anne Dorte Maltoft-Nielsen (October 3, 1947 –  January 2, 2014). As his brother Ingolf did three years previously, Christian did not seek the permission of King Frederik IX to marry, and therefore forfeited his succession rights and lost his royal title. After his wedding, he was styled His Excellency Count Christian of Rosenborg. For a history of the title Count of Rosenborg, see Unofficial Royalty: The Danish Counts of Rosenborg.  Count Christian and Countess Anne Dorte lived in a wing of the Sorgenfri Palace in Lyngby near Copenhagen.

The couple had three daughters who are not in the Danish line of succession:

  • Josephine Caroline Elisabeth af Rosenborg (born October 29, 1972), married Thomas Christian Schmidt, had issue
  • Camilla Alexandrine Cristine af Rosenborg (born October 29, 1972), married Mikael Rosanes, had issue
  • Feodora Mathilde Helena af Rosenborg (born February 27, 1975), (1) married and divorced Eric Patte, no issue, (2) married Morten Rønnow, had issue

Count Christian of Rosenborg died at Gentofte Hospital in Gentofte, Denmark on May 21, 2013, at the age of 70. He had been suffering from throat cancer since 2009. His funeral was attended by his first cousin Queen Margrethe II and other members of the Danish Royal Family. Christian was buried at Lyngby Church in Lyngby, Denmark. His wife Countess Anne Dorte survived him for only seven months also dying from throat cancer on January 2, 2014, at the age of 66, and was buried with her husband.

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Count Ingolf of Rosenborg

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Count Ingolf of Rosenborg with his wife Countess Sussie; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Count Ingolf of Rosenborg (Ingolf Christian Frederik Knud Harald Gorm Gustav Viggo Valdemar Aage) was born a Prince of Denmark on February 17, 1940, at Sorgenfri Palace in Lyngby-Taarbæk, Denmark, north of Copenhagen. He was the elder son and the second of the three children of Prince Knud of Denmark (son of King Christian X) and Princess Caroline-Mathilde of Denmark (daughter of Prince Harald of Denmark who was a son of King Frederik VIII). Ingolf had an elder sister and a younger brother:

  • Princess Elisabeth (1935 – 2018), unmarried
  • Prince Christian (1942 – 2013), married Anne Dorte Maltoft-Nielsen without consent, lost his royal title, became His Excellency Count Christian of Rosenborg

In 1947, Ingolf’s grandfather King Christian X died and his uncle King Frederik IX acceded to the throne. At that point in time, only males were allowed to be in the line of succession. King Frederik had three daughters, and so Ingolf’s father and the King’s only brother, Prince Knud, was the heir presumptive and Ingolf was second in the line of succession. As the early years of King Frederik’s reign passed and no baby prince was born to King Frederik, it seemed likely that Knud would succeed his brother as King and that subsequently, Ingolf would be King.

Because of the unpopularity of Prince Knud and the belief that the 1853 succession law was outdated, the Danish Act of Succession was adopted on March 27, 1953. The new law allowed for female succession in the event that the monarch had no sons. This enabled the daughters of King Frederik IX to supplant their uncle Knud and their cousin Ingolf in the line of succession. Instead of being first and second in the line of succession, Knud and Ingolf were now fourth and fifth behind Margrethe, Benedikte, and Anne-Marie, the daughters of King Frederik IX. To compensate for the change in the succession, Knud was given the title Hereditary Prince of Denmark, and both Knud and his elder son Ingolf were granted fixed annuities and additional flexible annuities for life. In 1972, Frederik’s eldest daughter succeeded him as Queen Margrethe II and in 2009 the succession law was changed to allow for the succession of the firstborn child regardless of gender.

In 1968, Ingolf decided to marry Inge Terney (1938 – 1996), an untitled commoner. He decided to marry without seeking the permission of King Frederik IX because he had little chance of succeeding to the throne and it was expected that the King would not give his permission. This would mean that Ingolf’s succession rights would be forfeited. The title Count of Rosenborg had been granted to other Danish princes who had relinquished their position within the Royal Family upon marrying without official consent from the monarch. Prior to his son’s wedding, Prince Knud tried to convince his brother that Ingolf should be allowed to retain his royal title after marriage, but King Frederik IX refused and after his wedding on January 13, 1968, Ingolf was styled His Excellency Count Ingolf of Rosenborg. For a history of the title Count of Rosenborg, see Unofficial Royalty: The Danish Counts of Rosenborg.

After his first wife died in 1996, Ingolf married lawyer Sussie Hjorhøy Pedersen (born 1950) on March 7, 1998, at the City Hall in Egtved, Denmark. Ingolf had no children from either marriage and lives at his estate Egeland in Egtved, Denmark. Ingolf and his wife attend major events of the Danish Royal Family.

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Caroline-Mathilde of Denmark, Hereditary Princess of Denmark

by Susan Flantzer    © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Caroline-mathilde

Caroline-Mathilde of Denmark, Hereditary Princess of Denmark; Credit – http://realeza.foros.ws

On April 27, 1912, Princess Caroline-Mathilde of Denmark was born at Jægersborghus, a country house in Gentofte north of Copenhagen, Denmark. She was the second child of the five children of Prince Harald of Denmark and his wife Princess Helena of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg.  At the time of her birth, her grandfather Frederik VIII, was King of Denmark, although he died three weeks after her birth. Caroline-Mathilde was named after her maternal grandmother and was known as Calma in the family. Her full name was Caroline-Mathilde Louise Dagmar Christine Maud Augusta Ingeborg Thyra Adelheid.

Caroline-Mathilde had two sisters and two brothers:

  • Princess Feodora (1910 – 1975), married her first cousin, Prince Christian of Schaumburg-Lippe, had issue
  • Princess Alexandrine-Louise (1914 – 1962), married Count Luitpold of Castell-Castell, had issue
  • Prince Gorm (1919 – 1991), unmarried, no issue
  • Prince Oluf (1923 – 1990), lost his title, became His Excellency Count Oluf of Rosenborg after marrying without consent (1) Annie Helene Dorrit Puggard-Müller (2) Lis Wulff-Juergensen, had issue with both wives

On September 8, 1933, Princess Caroline-Mathilde married her first cousin Prince Knud of Denmark at Fredensborg Palace in Zealand, Denmark. Knud was the younger son of King Christian X of Denmark who was the brother of Caroline-Mathilde’s father Prince Harald. The couple lived at Sorgenfri Palace in Kongens Lyngby, north of Copenhagen, Denmark.

Caroline-Mathilde and Knud had one daughter and two sons:

  • Princess Elisabeth (1935 – 2018), unmarried
  • Count Ingolf of Rosenborg, born Prince Ingolf of Denmark (born 1940), married (1) Inge Terney, no children; Ingolf married without consent and therefore lost his royal style and title and his succession rights  (2) Sussie Hjorhøy, no children
  • Count Christian of Rosenborg, born Prince Christian of Denmark (1942 – 2013), married Anne Dorte Maltoft-Nielsen, had three daughters who are not in the line of succession; Christian married without consent and therefore lost his royal style and title and his succession rights
Knud of Denmark Family

Caroline-Mathilde and her family; Credit – danishroyalmediawatch.blogspot.com

From 1947 to 1953, Prince Knud was the heir presumptive of his older brother King Frederick IX. Knud would have become king and Caroline Mathilde queen, but a 1953 change in the succession law caused Knud to lose his place in the succession to his niece, who became Queen Margrethe II upon the death of her father in 1972. After the change, Prince Knud was given the title of Hereditary Prince and Caroline Mathilde became Hereditary Princess.

Prince Knud died in 1976, and Caroline-Mathilde survived him by 19 years. She died in her home, Sorgenfri Palace in Kongens Lyngby, Denmark on December 12, 1995, at the age of 83, and was buried with her husband at Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde, Denmark.

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Hereditary Prince Knud of Denmark

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Hereditary Prince Knud of Denmark; Credit – Wikipedia

Prince Knud Christian Frederik Michael was born on July 27, 1900, at Sorgenfri Palace in Lyngby-Taarbæk, Denmark,  the younger of the two sons of King Christian X of Denmark and his wife Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin.

Knud had one older brother:

Knud on the right with his brother Frederik in 1919; Photo Credit – Wikipedia, German Federal Archive

Prince Knud had a military education and attended the Royal Danish Naval Academy. While serving as a naval officer, Prince Knud held several commands, including serving as the commander of Kongelunds Fort in Copenhagen.

On September 8, 1933, Prince Knud married his first cousin Princess Caroline-Mathilde of Denmark (known as Calma) at Fredensborg Palace in Zealand, Denmark. Caroline-Matilda was the daughter of Prince Harald of Denmark who was a brother of Prince Knud’s father King Christian X. The couple lived at Sorgenfri Palace in Kongens Lyngby north of Copenhagen, Denmark.

Knud and Caroline-Mathilde had one daughter and two sons:

  • Princess Elisabeth (1935 – 2018), unmarried
  • Count Ingolf of Rosenborg, born Prince Ingolf of Denmark (born 1940), married (1) Inge Terney, no children; Ingolf married without consent and therefore lost his royal style and title and his succession rights  (2) Sussie Hjorhøy, no children
  • Count Christian of Rosenborg, born Prince Christian of Denmark (1942 – 2013), married Anne Dorte Maltoft-Nielsen, had three daughters who are not in the line of succession; Christian married without consent and therefore lost his royal style and title and his succession rights
Knud of Denmark Family

Prince Knud and his family; Photo Credit – danishroyalmediawatch.blogspot.com

In 1947 when King Christian X died and his elder son became King Frederik IX, Knud was the heir presumptive. Danish succession law did not allow female succession, so King Frederik IX’s three daughters were not in the line of succession. It was expected that Knud and then his elder son Ingolf would become king. However, the 1953 Danish Act of Succession allowed for a female to become queen if she did not have any brothers. With the passage of that act, Knud and Ingolf went from being first and second in the line of succession to being fourth and fifth after the three daughters of King Frederik. The 2009 Act of Succession now allows for the eldest child to become the monarch regardless of gender. To compensate for the change in the succession, Knud was given the title Hereditary Prince of Denmark, and both Knud and his elder son Ingolf were granted fixed annuities and additional flexible annuities for life.

Prince Knud was the inspiration for the idiom, “One more time for Prince Knud,” which has become common in Danish. The meaning of the idiom is that the speaker will repeat what was just said because the listener was slow to grasp it. In 1958, Knud and his wife were attending a ballet at Falconer Centre in Frederiksberg, Denmark. Knud was asked if he had liked a certain scene of the ballet and responded that he had not been able to see it clearly from his vantage point. The whole scene was repeated again, the incident made the newspapers, and the newspaper articles made it seem like, to use another idiom, Prince Knud was not the sharpest tool in the shed.

Hereditary Prince Knud died on June 14, 1976, in Gentofte, Denmark at the age of 75. Hereditary Princess Caroline-Mathilde survived her husband for 19 years and died on December 12, 1995, at the age of 83. Both were interred at Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde, Denmark.

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.