Monthly Archives: January 2016

February 1916: Royalty and World War I

by Susan Flantzer

2nd Lieutenant John Alexander Thynne, Viscount Weymouth

Viscount-Weymouth

John Thynne, Viscount Weymouth; Photo Credit – www.winchestercollegeatwar.com

John Alexander Thynne, born November 25, 1895, was the eldest son of Thomas Thynne, 5th Marquess of Bath and Violet Mordaunt. Violet was the daughter of Harriet Moncreiffe and questionable daughter of her husband, Sir Charles Mordaunt, 10th Baronet.  Lord and Lady Mordaunt were involved in the Mordaunt Scandal which involved Prince Albert Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) and rocked British society in the 1890s.

Sir Charles Mordaunt was a wealthy and powerful Conservative Member of Parliament. He and his wife were members of the Marlborough Set, a group of people who surrounded the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) and named after his London home near Buckingham Palace. While Sir Charles was off fishing or hunting or attending sessions of Parliament, Harriet entertained numerous lovers, including the Prince of Wales and several of his aristocratic friends.

On February 28, 1869, Harriet gave birth to a premature daughter, Violet Caroline, the mother of John Thynne, Viscount Weymouth. The timing of the birth was significant as Sir Charles had been away on a fishing trip when the child would have been conceived. When baby Violet had a serious eye infection, Harriet hysterically thought it was from a venereal disease and confessed to her husband that she did not know who the father was, and that the Prince of Wales could have been one of several possibilities. Sir Charles sued for divorce and letters his wife had exchanged with the Prince of Wales were used in the divorce proceedings. Sir Charles threatened to name the Prince of Wales as a co-respondent in his divorce suit. Although this did not happen, the Prince was called to testify, further adding to the scandal. It was shown that the Prince of Wales had visited the Mordaunts’ house while Sir Charles was away. Although nothing further was proven and the Prince denied he had committed adultery, the suggestion of impropriety was damaging . The divorce destroyed Harriet who was declared insane and spent the rest of her life in an asylum, dying in 1906.

Harriet, Lady Mordaunt, grandmother of John Thynne, Viscount Weymouth in the 1860s; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

In 1895, John Alexander Thynne’s father became the 5th Marquess of Bath after his father died. John was then styled with the courtesy style, Viscount Weymouth and became the heir to the Marquess of Bath title. John had two older sisters, one younger brother and one younger sister.

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Longleat House; Photo Credit – Susan Flantzer

The family home, Longleat House, was built by Sir John Thynne, the steward to Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, brother of King Henry VIII’s third wife Jane Seymour and uncle to King Edward VI. Longleat House took 37 years to design and build. It has been the home of the Thynne family ever since and was the first British stately home opened to the public.

John Thynne, Viscount Weymouth was educated at Sevenoaks School in Sevenoaks, Kent, England which was founded in 1432. He then attended Winchester College in Winchester, Hampshire, England from 1909-1912. On August 15, 1914, shortly after the start of World War I, John was admitted to the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. He passed out of Sandhurst, and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the 2nd Dragoons (Royal Scots Greys) in December of 1915. On the prospect of being ordered to the front, John had written to his father, the 5th Marquess of Bath, “I am very glad I am high on the list because the sooner it comes the better. Don’t think that I funk going out, but, I know perfectly well I will be in the fright of my life but also very glad.” By October 20, 1915, John was serving in France.

Scots-Greys-1916 Trenches

Soldiers of the Royal Scots Greys, photographed in the trenches at the Hairpin on 19 January 1916 © IWM (Q 29052)

In February of 1916, John was in the trenches at the Hairpin, part of a large series of trenches near Hullach in France near the Belgian border. He expected to be home on leave soon. However on February 13, 1916, 20 year-old John and ten other Scots Greys were killed when German mines were detonated under a deep, narrow trench they were using to approach the German position.

An aerial reconnaissance photograph of the opposing trenches and no-man’s land between Loos and Hulluch in Artois, France, taken at 7.15 pm, 22 July 1917. German trenches are at the right and bottom, British trenches are at the top left. The vertical line to the left of centre indicates the course of a pre-war road. Photo Credit – Wikipedia

John Thynne, Viscount Weymouth was buried at the Vermelles British Cemetery, a British war cemetery in the village of Vermelles, in Pas-de-Calais, France. The cemetery was designed by British architect Sir Herbert Baker and contains memorials to 2,134 casualties. John’s younger brother Henry succeeded their father as the 6th Marquess of Bath in 1946.

Vermelles British Cemetery; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

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Timeline: February 1, 1916 – February 29, 1916

February 5-April 15 – Trebizond Campaign in Trabzon, Ottoman Empire (now in Turkey) begins
February 12 – Battle of Salaita Hill in Salaita, near Mount Kilimanjaro (now in Kenya)
February 21 – Battle of Verdun in Verdun-sur-Meuse, France begins and lasts until December 20, 1916
February 26 – Action of Agagia in Agagiya, Egypt
February 28 – Cameroon an African colony of Germany, surrenders

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A Note About German Titles

Many German royals and nobles died in World War I. The German Empire consisted of 27 constituent states, most of them ruled by royal families. Scroll down to German Empire here to see what constituent states made up the German Empire.  The constituent states retained their own governments, but had limited sovereignty. Some had their own armies, but the military forces of the smaller ones were put under Prussian control. In wartime, armies of all the constituent states would be controlled by the Prussian Army and the combined forces were known as the Imperial German Army.  German titles may be used in Royals Who Died In Action below. Refer to Unofficial Royalty: Glossary of German Noble and Royal Titles.

24 British peers were also killed in World War I and they will be included in the list of those who died in action. In addition, more than 100 sons of peers also lost their lives, and those that can be verified will also be included.

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February 1916 – Royals/Nobles/Peers/Sons of Peers Who Died In Action

The list is in chronological order and does contain some who would be considered noble instead of royal. The links in the last bullet for each person is that person’s genealogical information from Leo’s Genealogics Website. or to The Peerage website.  If a person has a Wikipedia page, their name will be linked to that page.

2nd Lieutenant John Alexander Thynne, Viscount Weymouth

Henrietta Maria of France, Queen of England

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

Henrietta Maria of France, Queen of England; Credit – Wikipedia

Henrietta Maria of France was born at the Louvre Palace in Paris, France on November 26, 1609. She was the youngest of the six children of King Henri IV of France and his second wife Marie de’ Medici.  When Henrietta Maria was six months old, her father was assassinated while driving in his carriage through the streets of Paris. Her nine-year-old eldest brother then became King Louis XIII.

Henrietta Maria in 1611; Credit – Wikipedia

Henrietta Maria had five siblings:

Henri IV and his family; Credit – Wikipedia

When Henrietta Maria was 14 years old, negotiations were started for her marriage to Charles, Prince of Wales, the heir of King James I of England. By the time the proxy marriage took place on May 1, 1625, on the steps of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, the groom had acceded to the throne as King Charles I. Henrietta and Charles were then married in person at Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, England on June 13, 1625. Charles’ coronation was held on February 2, 1626, at Westminster Abbey, but the Roman Catholic Henrietta Maria was not crowned because she refused to participate in a Church of England ceremony. She had proposed that a French Catholic bishop crown her but that was unacceptable to Charles and the English court.

Henrietta Maria as Princess of France; Credit – Wikipedia

Charles and Henrietta Maria had nine children:

Charles and Henrietta Maria’s five eldest children in 1637: Left to right: Mary, James, Charles, Elizabeth, and Anne; Credit – Wikipedia

Although we refer to her as Henrietta Maria, she was known as Queen Mary to her contemporaries in England. Initially, Charles and Henrietta Maria’s relationship was strained. However, their relationship improved after the assassination of George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham, who had been the favorite of Charles’ father King James I, and was a great influence on Charles. Henrietta Maria’s Roman Catholicism did not make her a popular queen. At court, she disrupted Anglican services by walking through with a pack of dogs. To the English people, her Catholic beliefs made her different and dangerous at a time when Catholic plots and subversion were feared. She did not speak English before she married and always had difficulties speaking and writing English.

Henrietta Maria was a strong patron of the arts and both she and her husband were knowledgeable art collectors. She enjoyed taking part in masques and dramatic entertainments. Henrietta Maria was interested in sculpture, garden design, and architecture and employed designer and architect Inigo Jones, garden designer André Mollet, and sculptor François Dieussart. The Queen’s House in Greenwich, London, England, started for Charles’ mother Anne of Denmark, was completed for Henrietta Maria under the supervision of Inigo Jones.

King Charles I had the same issues with Parliament as his father had, clashing with its members over financial, political, and religious issues. Henrietta Maria gave her support to her husband in his clashes with Parliament and in his plans to raise money. Ultimately, these clashes with Parliament led to the English Civil War and to Charles’ downfall. Henrietta accompanied her husband when he left London in 1642 and established a royal court in Oxford. However, in 1644, while seven months pregnant with her last child, Henrietta Maria was forced to leave Oxford because it was becoming less secure. She made her way to Exeter where she gave birth to her youngest child Henrietta. Henrietta Maria never saw Charles again. Leaving her newborn daughter in Exeter in the care of Lady Dalkeith (born Anne Villiers, the daughter of Sir Edward Villiers), Henrietta Maria escaped to France where she settled in Paris with the support of the French government.

Gaston de France, Duke of Orléans presents his sister widowed Henrietta Maria to Anne of Austria, regent of France for King Louis XIV. The young Louis XIV in peach stands in front of his mother and next to his brother Philippe. Henrietta Maria stands between Gaston and his daughter, the Grand Mademoiselle; Credit – Wikipedia

King Charles I was executed in 1649 and the monarchy was abolished. Henrietta Maria spent the years of the Commonwealth of England with her surviving children at the court of her nephew King Louis XIV. She formed a Royalist court in exile at Château de St-Germain-en-Laye.  Henrietta Maria attempted to convert her sons James and Henry to Catholicism. These attempts angered the Royalists in exile and her eldest son Charles. However, her youngest child Henrietta (nicknamed Minette) was brought up Catholic and married her first cousin, Philippe I, Duke of Orléans, the younger brother of King Louis XIV of France.

Henrietta Maria in mourning in the 1650s; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1660, when the English monarchy was restored and King Charles II took the throne, Henrietta Maria returned to England, where she was known as the Queen Mother, and lived at Somerset House in London. She received a grant from Parliament of £30,000 for the loss of her dower lands and the same amount as a pension from her son King Charles II. In 1661, Henrietta Maria returned to France to attend the marriage of her daughter Henrietta. When she returned to England in 1662, Henrietta Maria found life there disagreeable and the climate damaging to her health, so she returned to France where she lived for a while in Paris at the Hôtel de la Bazinière, the present Hôtel de Chimay.  She later lived at the Château de Colombes nearby Paris. It was there that Henrietta Maria died on September 10, 1669, at the age of 59 from an overdose of opiates taken for pain on the advice of King Louis XIV’s doctor.

Château de Colombes (now destroyed); Credit – Wikipedia

Henrietta Maria was buried beside her father, King Henri IV of France, at the Basilica of Saint-Denis near Paris. Her heart was buried at the Visitation Convent Chapel at Chaillot, France, which she had founded in 1651. Her remains and the other royal remains at the Basilica of St. Denis were desecrated on October 16, 1793, when a mob pillaged the Bourbon crypt and threw the remains into mass graves. The convent building where her heart had been buried was destroyed during the French Revolution. In 1817, the mass graves were opened, the remains were collected and reburied in the crypt of the Basilica of Saint-Denis. Plaques next to the gated entrance of the burial site list the remains of those buried there.

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Gated entrance to the reburial site of the French royals at the Basilica of Saint-Denis; 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

House of Stuart Resources at Unofficial Royalty

King Charles I of England

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

King Charles I of England; Credit – Wikipedia

Born at Dunfermline Palace in Fife, Scotland on November 19, 1600, Charles was the second son and fourth of the seven children of James VI, King of Scots (later also King James I of England) and Anne of Denmark. Charles’ paternal grandparents were Mary, Queen of Scots and Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, both grandchildren of Margaret Tudor, elder sister of King Henry VIII of England. His maternal grandparents were King Frederik II of Denmark and Sophie of Mecklenburg-Güstrow.

At his christening on December 23, 1600, Charles was created Duke of Albany, the traditional title of the second son of the King of Scots, along with the subsidiary titles of Marquess of Ormond, Earl of Ross and Lord Ardmannoch. At the time of Charles’ birth, his six-year-old elder brother Henry Frederick (named after his grandfathers) was the heir apparent to the throne of Scotland and used the traditional titles of the heir to the Scots’ throne: Duke of Rothesay, Earl of Carrick, and Lord of the Isles.

Charles had six siblings, but only two survived childhood:

On March 24, 1603, Queen Elizabeth I of England died and Charles’ father became King James I of England. Since none of the children of King Henry VIII of England had children, James was the senior heir of King Henry VII of England through his eldest daughter Margaret Tudor. (King Henry VII → Margaret Tudor married King James IV of Scotland → King James V of Scotland → Mary, Queen of Scots → King James VI of Scotland). Charles was frail and late in development, possibly from rickets, and could not yet walk or talk, so he was left behind in Scotland when his parents and his elder brother Henry and elder sister Elizabeth left for England. By July 1604, Charles was considered strong enough to travel to England.

Charles, circa 1610; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1605, Sir Robert Carey was appointed Charles’ governor and his wife Elizabeth patiently taught Charles how to walk and talk. Charles was created Duke of York, the traditional title of the English monarch’s second son in 1605. In the same year, Thomas Murray, a Scottish courtier and later the Provost of Eton College, was appointed Charles’ tutor and taught him classics, languages, mathematics, and religion. Charles overcame his early physical problems, although he grew no taller than five feet four inches, and learned to ride, shoot, and fence. However, he was no physical match for his stronger and taller elder brother Henry, Prince of Wales, whom he adored. When 18-year-old Henry died in 1612 from typhoid, it was a loss that Charles felt greatly. His only surviving sibling Elizabeth left home for her marriage in 1613, and Charles was then virtually an only child. Charles automatically became Duke of Cornwall and Duke of Rothesay upon his brother’s death and was created Prince of Wales in 1616.

Charles with his parents, after 1612; Credit – Wikipedia

King James I, seeking a Spanish alliance, had visions of Charles marrying Infanta Maria Anna of Spain, the youngest daughter of King Philip III of Spain and Margaret of Austria. In 1623, Charles went to Madrid with his father’s favorite George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham for marriage negotiations regarding the Infanta. The negotiations had long been at a standstill, and although religion was a stumbling block, it is believed that Buckingham’s offensive behavior was a key to the total collapse of the negotiations. The Spanish ambassador asked Parliament to have Buckingham executed for his behavior in Madrid, but Buckingham gained popularity by calling for war with Spain on his return.

Charles as Prince of Wales in 1623; Credit – Wikipedia

While Charles was traveling to Spain in 1623, he first saw King Louis XIII of France‘s sister and his future wife in Paris, Henrietta Maria, as she rehearsed a court entertainment with other members of the French royal family. On March 27, 1625, King James I died and Charles succeeded him. Since the Spanish negotiations failed, King Charles I now looked toward a French alliance and a marriage with Henrietta Maria was successfully negotiated. Henrietta Maria was the youngest daughter of King Henri IV of France and his second wife, Marie de’ Medici.  Henri IV was assassinated in 1610 when Henrietta Maria was still a baby and her brother King Louis XIII had succeeded their father. Charles and Henrietta Maria were married by proxy on May 1, 1625, on the steps of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. They were then married in person at Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, England on June 13, 1625. Charles’ coronation was held on February 2, 1626, at Westminster Abbey, but the Roman Catholic Henrietta Maria was not crowned because she refused to participate in a Church of England ceremony. She had proposed that a French Catholic bishop crown her, which was unacceptable to Charles and the English court.

Charles and Henrietta Maria had nine children:

Charles & Henrietta Maria’s five eldest children: L to R: Mary, James, Charles, Elizabeth, and Anne; Credit – Wikipedia

Charles had the same issues with Parliament as his father had, clashing with its members over financial, political, and religious issues. In the early years of Charles’ reign, Parliament was summoned and dissolved three times. Finally, in 1629, Charles, who believed in the divine right of kings, decided to govern without Parliament, beginning eleven years of personal rule. During his personal rule, William Laud, Archbishop of Canterbury and Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford were Charles’ most influential advisers. Parliament was finally summoned again in 1640 and demanded the execution of Stafford. Charles signed the death warrant, but never forgave himself. After this incident, the reconciliation of the King and Parliament became impossible.

Charles I in Three Positions by Anthony van Dyck, 1635–36; Credit – Wikipedia

On January 4, 1642, a point of no return was reached. On that day, Charles committed the unprecedented act of entering the House of Commons with an armed guard and demanding the arrest of five Members of Parliament. There was a great public outcry, Charles fled London and Civil War appeared inevitable. Since that day no British monarch has entered the House of Commons when it is sitting and a tradition recalling this is enacted at every State Opening of Parliament. When the monarch arrives in the House of Lords to read the speech from the throne, the Lord Great Chamberlain raises the wand of office to signal to the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod (known as Black Rod), whose duty is to summon the House of Commons. On Black Rod’s approach, the doors to the House of Commons are slammed shut in Black Rod’s face, symbolizing the rights of the House of Commons and its independence from the monarch. Black Rod then strikes the closed doors of the House of Commons with the end of the ceremonial staff (the Black Rod) three times and is then admitted. This is a show of the refusal by the House of Commons never again to be entered by force by the monarch or one of the monarch’s representatives when the House of Commons is sitting.

Speaker Lenthall asserting the Privileges of the Commons (Speaker of the House William Lenthall kneels to Charles during the attempted arrest of the Five Members); Credit – Wikipedia

On August 22, 1642, at Nottingham, Charles raised the Royal Standard and called for his loyal subjects to support him, beginning the Civil War between the Royalists or Cavaliers (Charles’ supporters) and the Roundheads (Parliament’s supporters). The Battle of Edgehill, the first real battle, was fought on October 26, 1642, and proved indecisive. The Cavaliers were defeated at the Battle of Marston Moor on July 2, 1644, and at the Battle of Naseby on June 14, 1645. The balance was now permanently tipped to the parliamentary side. In April 1646, Charles left Oxford, which had served as his capital city during the conflict, and surrendered to the Scottish Army expecting to be safe and well-treated. However, the Scots delivered Charles to Parliament in 1647.

Charles was imprisoned at Holdenby House in Northamptonshire until the New Model Army officer George Joyce took him by force to Newmarket. The New Model Army, created in 1645 to professionalize the Parliamentary army, felt neglected and ignored by Parliament, and Charles thought he could take advantage of these tensions. He was transferred to Oatlands and then Hampton Court Palace where negotiations continued without results. At this point, Charles considered that it would be in his best interest to escape and flee to France, southern England, or the Scottish border or to put himself under the protection of Colonel Robert Hammond, Parliamentary Governor of the Isle of Wight, whom he thought was sympathetic to him. He chose the second option and on November 11, 1647, Charles fled Hampton Court Palace and made arrangements to meet Hammond. However, this proved to be a mistake as Hammond held Charles in Carisbrooke Castle on the Isle of Wight and informed Parliament that Charles was in his custody. Charles was confined at Carisbrooke Castle for a year. During this period, Charles continued negotiations with foreign armies and wrote letters showing his lack of respect for Parliament and his determination to abolish anti-Catholic laws. These revelations made any further defense of Charles impossible. He was moved to Hurst Castle in Hampshire at the end of 1648 and then moved to Windsor Castle.

Engraving from “Nalson’s Record of the Trial of Charles I” in the British Museum. Charles (in the dock with his back to the viewer) facing the High Court of Justice; Credit – Wikipedia

On January 20, 1649, Charles was tried for treason and other high crimes in Westminster Hall in London before a tribunal of 135 judges. Charles refused to enter a plea because he believed no court could try a king. Nevertheless, he was found guilty and was sentenced to death. On January 30, 1649, after saying goodbye to his children Elizabeth and Henry, Charles walked from St. James’ Palace to the Palace of Whitehall where a scaffold had been built outside the Banqueting House. It was a cold day, and Charles wore two shirts because he might shiver from the cold and he did not want it thought that he trembled from fear. From the first floor of the Banqueting House, Charles stepped onto the scaffold from a window, and several minutes later was beheaded.

Contemporary German print of Charles I’s beheading; Credit – Wikipedia

No state funeral or public mourning was allowed and Charles was not permitted to be buried in Westminster Abbey. On February 7, 1649, Charles’ remains were taken to Windsor Castle where he was buried at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle in the choir aisle in the vault where Henry VIII and his third wife Jane Seymour were buried. England was a republic (Commonwealth of England) for 11 years until the monarchy was restored and Charles I’s eldest son Charles II became king in 1660.

Slab in the aisle indicates where Charles I was buried; Credit – www.findagrave.com

Coffins of King Henry VIII (center, damaged), Queen Jane (right), King Charles I with a child of Queen Anne (left), vault under the choir, St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, marked by a stone slab in the floor; Credit – Wikipedia

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.

House of Stuart Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Anne of Denmark, Queen of Scots, Queen of England

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2016

Anne of Denmark, Queen of Scots, Queen of England; Credit – Wikipedia

Princess Anne of Denmark (Anna in Danish) was born at Skanderborg Castle on the Jutland Peninsula in Denmark on December 12, 1574. She was the second of the eight children of King Frederik II of Denmark and Sophie of Mecklenburg-Güstrow. Anne had seven siblings:

Anne spent the first part of her childhood with her sister Elisabeth and her brother Christian in Güstrow with her maternal grandparents Ulrich, Duke of Mecklenburg- Güstrow and
Elisabeth of Denmark, sister of King Christian III of Denmark, the children’s paternal grandfather. In 1588, Anne’s father died and her 11-year-old brother became King Christian IV, and the three children returned to Denmark. King Christian IV reigned for 59 years and is the longest-reigning Danish monarch.

Anne was 14-years-old when she returned to Denmark and candidates for her hand in marriage were numerous as the Danish court was considered wealthy and a high dowry was expected. Anne’s mother opted for the Scottish King James VI, the son of Mary, Queen of Scots. On August 20, 1589, Anne was married by proxy to James VI, King of Scots at Kronborg Castle in Helsingør, Denmark. Ten days after the proxy wedding, Anne set sail for Scotland, but severe storms forced her to land in Norway. Upon hearing this, James set sail to personally bring Anne to Scotland. On November 23, 1589, the couple was formally married at the Bishop’s Palace in Oslo, Norway. After a prolonged visit to Denmark, James and Anne landed in Scotland on May 1, 1590. On May 5, 1590, Anne made her state entry into Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. She was crowned Queen of Scots on May 17, 1590, at the Holyrood Abbey in Edinburgh, Scotland.

James and Anne had seven children and at least three miscarriages. Only three of their children survived childhood:

by Charles Turner, published by Samuel Woodburn, after Willem de Passe, mezzotint, published 1814

‘James I and his royal progeny’ by Charles Turner, published by Samuel Woodburn, after Willem de Passe mezzotint, published 1814 NPG D9808 © National Portrait Gallery, London

Although Anne and James were close at the beginning of their marriage, their relationship deteriorated over the years. Their first major argument was over the transfer of the custody of their firstborn Henry, Prince of Wales to John Erskine, Earl of Mar at Stirling Castle, in keeping with Scottish royal tradition, which led to estrangement and a competition for the custody of the Prince of Wales. Anne refused to dismiss two of her ladies-in-waiting after their brothers were killed by James’ attendants for a supposed assault on the king, causing a three-year rift. When Anne shot and killed James’ favorite dog during a hunting session there was a serious confrontation.

On March 24, 1603, Queen Elizabeth I of England died and James became King James I of England. Since none of the children of King Henry VIII had children, James was the senior heir of King Henry VII through his eldest daughter Margaret Tudor. (King Henry VII → Margaret Tudor married King James IV of Scotland → King James V of Scotland → Mary, Queen of Scots → King James VI of Scotland). Anne was pregnant when Queen Elizabeth I died, so James left for England without her. Anne miscarried the child in May 1603 and joined James in England when she had recovered. James and Anne were crowned King and Queen of England at Westminster Abbey on July 25, 1603. Religion provided another conflict. Although Anne was raised a Lutheran, she refused to take Communion during the Church of England coronation at Westminster Abbey. There were suspicions that Anne secretly converted to Roman Catholicism which put James in an awkward situation as King of England.

Anne’s expensive tastes in clothing and jewels contributed much to the English court’s costs, hurting  James’ reputation. After 1606, Anne and James lived mostly apart, with Anne residing largely at Somerset House, renamed Denmark House.  In 1612, 18-year-old Henry, Prince of Wales died from typhoid fever, which was a great tragedy for Anne and the entire nation. Anne could not bear to have Henry’s death mentioned and people were advised not to give her condolences. After her son’s death, Anne’s health began to deteriorate and she withdrew from social activities.

Anne in mourning for her son Henry, Prince of Wales; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1616, the Queen’s House, designed by the famed architect Inigo Jones, was commissioned for Anne at Greenwich, London, but work on the house stopped in April 1618 when Anne became quite ill. Work did not restart again until 1629 when the house was given to Henrietta Maria of France by her husband King Charles I, and the house was completed in 1635.

The Queen’s House at Greenwich, Credit – Wikipedia, © Bill Bertram 2006, CC-BY-2.5 — Attribution

By 1617, Anne’s condition became debilitating. James visited Anne only three times during her last years, but her surviving son Charles was often with her and was at her bedside when Anne died at the age of 44 from dropsy (edema) at Hampton Court Palace on March 2, 1619. Also with Anne at her deathbed was her maid Anna Roos who came with Anne from Denmark in 1590. On May 13, 1619, Anne was buried at Westminster Abbey in a vault beneath the monument to the Dukes of Buckingham in the Henry VII Chapel. Her grave is marked by the inscription on the floor: “ANNE OF DENMARK QUEEN OF KING JAMES 1st 1619.” It had taken James twelve weeks to raise the money for proper funeral rites of his wife. James survived his wife by six years, dying on March 27, 1625, and was succeeded by his son King Charles I who was beheaded during the English Civil War.

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.

House of Stuart Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Dagmar of Denmark, Maria Feodorovna, Empress of All Russia

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

Dagmar of Denmark, Maria Feodorovna, Empress of All Russia; Credit – Wikipedia

Her Highness Marie Sophie Frederikke Dagmar of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, known as Princess Dagmar and called Minnie in her family, was born at the Yellow Palace in Copenhagen, Denmark on November 26, 1847. She was the fourth child and the second daughter of Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg and Princess Louise of Hesse-Kassel. In 1852, Prince Christian became heir to the Danish throne and in 1853 he was given the title Prince of Denmark and his children then became Princes and Princesses of Denmark. Christian succeeded to the Danish throne in 1863 and reigned as King Christian IX.

Minnie had five siblings:

Family of King Christian IX; Back Row: Frederik, King Christian, and William; Front Row: Dagmar, Valdemar, Queen Louise, Thyra, and Alexandra; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Minnie grew up in a close and happy family environment. Her parents gave their children a simple upbringing but attached great importance to their royal duties. As adults, all their children were known for their ability to deal with people, their sense of duty, and their ability to represent their royal families. Minnie was closest to her elder sister Alexandra and the two had close ties to each other for life.

Minnie with her first fiancé Nicholas Alexandrovich, Tsarevich of Russia; Credit – Wikipedia

Emperor Alexander II of Russia was searching for a bride for his eldest son and heir Tsarevich Nicholas Alexandrovich from countries other than the small German states that traditionally provided brides for the Romanovs. In 1864, Nicholas Alexandrovich went to Denmark and proposed to Minnie. Nicholas Alexandrovich suffered from poor health and died from meningitis on April 24, 1865. Reportedly, his last wish was for Minnie to marry his brother Alexander Alexandrovich, the future Emperor Alexander III. Minnie had already started receiving instruction in the Russian language and preparing for her conversion to the Russian Orthodox religion.

Engagement Photo: Alexander and Minnie; Credit – Wikipedia

In June 1866, on a visit to Copenhagen, Denmark, Alexander proposed to Minnie, his deceased brother’s fiancée. Minnie converted to Russian Orthodoxy and received the name Maria Feodorovna. Alexander and Minnie were married on November 9, 1866, in the Grand Church of the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia. After the wedding festivities, the newlyweds moved into the Anichkov Palace in St. Petersburg where they lived for the next 15 years. In addition, they spent time at their summer villa Livadia Palace in the Crimean Peninsula.

Wedding of Grand Duke Alexander Alexandrovich & Maria Feodorovna by M.Zichy 1867, Hermitage; Credit – Wikipedia

Alexander and Minnie had six children:

Alexander, Minnie and their children in 1888;  Credit – Wikipedia

Minnie was a popular member of the Russian Imperial Family. She rarely mingled in politics,  instead devoting herself to her family, charities, and social activities. Among the charities she worked with were the Russian Red Cross and several educational institutions, including the famous Smolny Institute for Noble Maidens.  Like her sister Alexandra, Princess of Wales, Minnie was anti-German because of the annexation of the previously Danish-owned Schleswig-Holstein duchies to Prussia in 1864. In the early years of their marriage, Minnie and Alexander settled into the huge Anichkov Palace on St. Petersburg’s main street, Nevsky Prospekt. The couple traveled around the Russian Empire and regularly attended family get-togethers in Denmark.

On March 13, 1881, Alexander’s father, Alexander II, was assassinated in St. Petersburg, a victim of a bombing by the underground organization, Narodnaya Volya (People’s Will), and Alexander succeeded to the Russian throne. Security was tightened and Minnie and Alexander had to move out of St. Petersburg to Gatchina Palace, 28 miles away from St. Petersburg, which provided greater protection. Alexander and Minnie’s traditional coronation in the Kremlin in Moscow was held in strict security because a dangerous conspiracy had been discovered.

The Imperial Family was always heavily guarded, but Minnie often went to St. Petersburg to participate in and organize balls, receptions, and other things she had enjoyed doing as a Grand Duchess. Minnie supported Alexander in his extreme conservative ideas. She sought to encourage foreign policy that favored Denmark and not Germany. In addition, she tried to get Russia to develop relations with the United Kingdom, two countries that traditionally were not allied.

Alexander and Dagmar’s visits to Denmark were always big events. The couple enjoyed being in Denmark because the atmosphere was more relaxed and they were under less stringent security than they were accustomed to in Russia. In 1885, during a Danish royal family dinner at Fredensborg Palace, Alexander announced that he would like to have his own home in Fredensborg. He bought a house near the castle grounds called Svalereden and it became known as Kejserens Villa or Emperor’s Villa. Minnie held ownership of the home until she died in 1928 when her daughter Olga sold the house.

Family Get-Together at Fredensborg Palace in Denmark, 1889. (l-r): Top row: King Haakon VII of Norway; Emperor Nicholas II of Russia; Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark; Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich of Russia; Princess Victoria of the United Kingdom; King Christian X of Denmark; King Frederik VIII of Denmark; Queen Louise of Denmark; King Constantine I of Greece; Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich of Russia; Prince George of Greece and Denmark; Queen Alexandra of the United Kingdom; Emperor Alexander III of Russia; Princess Maria of Greece and Denmark; Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna of Russia; King Christian IX of Denmark; Prince Harald of Denmark; Queen Maud of Norway; Middle row sitting: Prince Andrew of Greece; Empress Maria Feodorovna of Russia; Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna of Russia; Queen Louise of Denmark; King George I of Greece; Princess Alexandra of Greece; On their knees on the grass: Princess Thyra of Denmark and Princess Ingeborg of Denmark; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

In 1894, Alexander became ill with nephritis, a kidney disease. Later that year, Alexander was on his way to the Greek isle of Corfu where he hoped to recuperate at Mon Repos, the villa of Minnie’s sister-in-law, Queen Olga of Greece. However, when Alexander reached Crimea, he was too ill to continue traveling and stayed at Livadia Palace, his home in Crimea. It was soon obvious that Alexander would not survive and various relatives came to the Crimea including Princess Alix of Hesse and by Rhine, the fiancée of Alexander’s eldest son Nicholas. Insisting on receiving Princess Alix in his full dress uniform, Alexander gave her his blessing on October 21, 1894. Alexander’s condition rapidly deteriorated and he died on November 1, 1894, at the age of 49. His son Nicholas became the last Emperor of Russia. He married Princess Alix (Alexandra Feodorovna) on Minnie’s 47th birthday, November 26, 1894, just eight days after Emperor Alexander III was buried at the Peter and Paul Cathedral at the Fortress of Peter and Paul in St. Petersburg.

During the early years of her son’s reign, Emperor Nicholas II often sought his mother’s advice. For a time after his accession and his marriage, he lived with her in Anichkov Palace. According to Russian custom, Minnie was still the country’s first lady, and this caused some strain between Minnie and her daughter-in-law Empress Alexandra. The two never got close to each other, and their relationship was the subject of much gossip. Minnie was more popular than the daughter-in-law and enjoyed her continued role as the first lady.

Emperor Nicholas II and his mother Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna in 1896; Credit – Wikipedia

Minnie’s political views changed as discontent and revolutionary events increased in Russia. She thought that some autocratic political power should be transferred to a more democratic, representative government and that Russia should look more to the West. However, Nicholas II retained his absolute power and eventually, Minnie’s role as a political adviser to her son disappeared, and Nicholas leaned more on his wife.

When the Russian Revolution broke out during World War I in 1917, Minnie was in Kyiv (now in Ukraine). After Nicholas abdicated, she saw him one last time, and after some reflection, she went to the Crimea where members of the Imperial Family had several summer homes. Here she witnessed the October Revolution later that year, and then in 1918 came the news of the murder of her son and his family, which she did not believe. Being in Crimea became precarious due to food shortages, visits to the home by the Bolshevik officials, and the threat of being murdered by the Bolsheviks.

The Romanovs under house arrest in Crimea in 1918. Standing: Colonel Nikolai Kulikovsky, Mr. Fogel, Olga Konstantinovna Vasiljeva, Prince Andrei Alexandrovich. Seated: Mr. Orbeliani, Prince Nikita, Grand Duchess Olga, Grand Duchess Xenia, The Dowager Empress (Minnie), and Grand Duke Alexander. On the floor: Prince Vasili, Prince Rostislav, and Prince Dmitri

Although the monarchy was abolished by the Russian Revolution, Minnie did not initially leave Russia. She finally fled in 1919 to London when her nephew King George V of the United Kingdom sent the warship HMS Marlborough to retrieve his aunt when she could no longer stay in Crimea. Rescued along with Minnie were 25 other Romanovs and their relatives.

Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolaevich and Empress Maria Feodorovna escaping aboard the British battleship HMS Marlborough; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

After a short stay in London, Minnie returned home to her native Denmark where she briefly lived with her nephew King Christian X in a wing of the Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen. Minnie then decided to live at Hvidøre, the holiday villa near Copenhagen, that she had purchased with her sister Alexandra in 1906.

Minnie and Alexandra at Hvidøre, circa 1910; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Minnie’s last years were overshadowed by the many deaths in her immediate family and she still refused to believe in the massacre of her son, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren. Minnie died on October 13, 1928, at Hvidøre. Following services in Copenhagen’s Russian Orthodox Alexander Nevsky Church, Minnie was interred in the crypt of the Christian IX Chapel at Roskilde Cathedral, the traditional burial place of the Danish royal family in Roskilde, Denmark.

First burial place of Empress Maria Feodorovna in Roskilde Cathedral; Credit – Wikipedia

Minnie had wished that at some point in time, she could be buried with her husband. In 2005, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed, along with their governments, that Minnie’s wish should be fulfilled. Minnie’s remains were transported to St. Petersburg. Following a service at Saint Isaac’s Cathedral, she was interred next to her husband Emperor Alexander III on September 28, 2006 in the Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul in St. Petersburg, Russia.

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Tomb of Empress Maria Feodorovna; Credit – Susan Flantzer

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Alexander III, Emperor of All Russia

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

Alexander III, Emperor of All Russia; Credit – Wikipedia

The third child and second son of Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia and his first wife Marie of Hesse and by Rhine (Empress Maria Alexandrovna), Grand Duke Alexander Alexandrovich was born on March 10, 1845, at the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, the capital of the Russian Empire. He had seven siblings:

Since Alexander’s elder brother Nicholas Alexandrovich was the heir to the throne, Alexander received an education as befitted a Grand Duke and not a future Emperor. He had an abrupt and gruff personality and exhibited unusual physical strength. In the summer of 1864, Nicholas became engaged to Princess Dagmar of Denmark. She was the second daughter of King Christian IX of Denmark and Princess Louise of Hesse-Kassel and was a younger sister of Alexandra, Princess of Wales, wife of the heir to the British throne. However, events in early 1865 would change Alexander’s future. His brother Nicholas died from meningitis on April 24, 1865, at the age of 21. Alexander became the Tsesarevich of Russia, the heir to the Russian throne.

Alexander Alexandrovich, Tsarevich of Russia in 1865; Credit – Wikipedia

After his brother’s death, Alexander began to receive instruction in law and political science from Konstantin Pobedonostsev, a professor of civil law at Moscow State University. Pobedonostsev was very conservative and denounced democracy, trial by jury, and freedom of the press. He had a profound influence on Alexander for the remainder of his life. Tsesarevich Alexander’s political philosophy was the opposite of his liberal father, Alexander II. Emperor Alexander II was the most reforming emperor since Peter the Great.  His foremost accomplishment was the emancipation of the serfs in 1861.  In addition, Alexander II reorganized the judicial system, established local self-government called Zemstvo, instituted universal military service in which sons of the rich and the poor were required to serve, ended some of the privileges of the nobility, and promoted higher education in the universities.

Alexander Alexandrovich, Tsarevich of Russia and Princess Dagmar of Denmark engagement postcard; Credit – Wikipedia

In June 1866, while on a visit to Copenhagen, Denmark, Alexander proposed to his deceased brother’s fiancée, Princess Dagmar of Denmark, whose family nickname was Minnie. Minnie converted to Russian Orthodoxy and received the name Maria Feodorovna. Alexander and Minnie were married on November 9, 1866, in the Grand Church of the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg. After the wedding festivities, the newlyweds moved into the Anichkov Palace in St. Petersburg where they would live for the next 15 years. In addition, they spent time at their summer villa Livadia Palace in the Crimean Peninsula.

Wedding of Grand Duke Alexander Alexandrovich and Maria Feodorovna; Credit – Wikipedia

Alexander and Minnie had six children:

Alexander, Minnie and their children in 1888, Credit – Wikipedia

On March 13, 1881, Alexander’s father, Alexander II, was assassinated in St. Petersburg, a victim of a bombing by the underground organization, Narodnaya Volya (People’s Will), and Alexander succeeded to the Russian throne. On the day of his assassination, Alexander II had signed a proclamation creating a consulting group to advise the Emperor, which some considered a step towards constitutional monarchy. The new emperor, Alexander III, canceled the new policy before it was published.

Early in his reign, Alexander III weakened the power of the local self-government his father had created called Zemstvo and instituted the “May Laws”, which restricted the professions and free movement of the Jewish minority and led to the severe persecution of Russian Jews. Alexander felt that his empire would have been permeated by anarchist troublemakers and revolutionary agitators and in 1881, he created the Okhrana, the secret police, and started to imprison political opponents in the Siberian labor camp. Another problem Alexander saw was a foreign infiltration of Russian society and he launched a radical policy of Russification. No major wars were fought during Alexander’s reign and he was nicknamed “The Peacemaker.” Certainly one of the most important accomplishments during the 13-year reign of Alexander III was the planning and the beginning of the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway, the longest railway in the world.

On October 29, 1888, Alexander and his family were returning from a trip to the Caucasus via train when an accident occurred. The train derailed and plunged down a slope. When the roof of the dining car threatened to crush the passengers, including Imperial Family members, Alexander raised the roof with his shoulders and held it there until all were safely rescued. In the opinion of his doctors, Alexander’s super-human effort left permanent damage to his internal organs.

Emperor Alexander III and Empress Maria Feodorovna in 1893; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1894, Alexander became ill with nephritis, a kidney disorder. Alexander was on his way to the Greek isle of Corfu where he hoped to recuperate at Mon Repos, the villa of his wife’s sister-in-law, Queen Olga of Greece. However, when Alexander reached Crimea, he was too ill to continue traveling and stayed at Livadia Palace, his home in Crimea. It was soon obvious that Alexander would not survive and various relatives came to Crimea including Princess Alix of Hesse and by Rhine, the fiancée of Alexander’s eldest son Nicholas. Insisting on receiving Princess Alix in his full dress uniform, Alexander gave her his blessing on October 21, 1894. Thereafter, Alexander’s condition rapidly deteriorated and he died on November 1, 1894, at the age of 49. His son Nicholas became the last Emperor of Russia and married Princess Alix (Alexandra Feodorova) on November 26, 1894, just eight days after Alexander III was buried at the Peter and Paul Cathedral at the Fortress of Peter and Paul in St. Petersburg.

Alexander III’s death in Livadia by M.Zichy (Hermitage); Credit – Wikipedia

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Tomb of Emperor Alexander III of Russia; Photo Credit – Susan Flantzer

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Princess Maria da Glória of Orléans-Bragança, first wife of Crown Prince Alexander of Serbia

by Scott Mehl   © Unofficial Royalty 2016

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Princess Maria da Glória of Orléans-Bragança

Princess Maria da Glória of Orléans-Bragança was the first wife of Crown Prince Alexander II of Serbia. She was born Maria da Glória Henriqueta Dolores Lúcia Miguela Rafaela Gabriela Gonzaga of Orléans-Bragança on December 13, 1946, in Petrópolis, Brazil. She is the eldest daughter of Prince Pedro Gastão of Orléans-Bragança and Princess Maria de la Esperanza Amalia Raniera Maria Rosario Luisa Gonzaga of Bourbon-Two Sicilies.

Maria da Glória has five siblings:

  • Prince Pedro Carlos of Orléans-Braganza (born 1945), married  (1) Rony Kuhn de Souza, had one son (2) Patricia Branscombe, had one son
  • Prince Alfonso of Orléans-Braganza (born 1948), married  (1) Maria Parejo Gurruchaga, had children, divorced  (2) Silvia-Amália Hungria de Silva Machado, no children
  • Prince Manuel of Orléans-Braganza (1949), married and divorced Margarita Haffner, had two children
  • Princess Cristina of Orléans-Braganza (born 1950), married and divorced Prince Jan Pavel Sapieha-Rozanski, had two children
  • Prince Francisco of Orléans-Braganza (born 1956), married  (1) Christina Schmidt-Pecanha, had one child, divorced  (2) Rita de Cássia Pires, had three children

Maria da Glória earned a degree in architecture from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro.

source: Pinterest

Maria da Glória  and Alexander on their wedding day; source: Pinterest

On July 1, 1972, in both Catholic and Orthodox services, Maria da Glória married Crown Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia (as he was known at the time) in Villamanrique de la Condesa, Seville, Spain. He is the only child of the former King Peter II of Yugoslavia and Princess Alexandra of Greece. They settled in the United States, living in Chicago, Illinois, and Fairfax, Virginia, and had three sons:

Maria da Glória with her daughters

Maria da Glória with her daughters

On October 24, 1985, Alexander and Maria da Glória divorced. Maria da Glória then married Ignacio de Medina y Fernández de Córdoba, 19th Duke of Segorbe on October 24, 1985. The couple had two daughters:

  • Sol María de la Blanca de Medina y Orléans-Braganza, 54th Countess de Ampurias (born 1986)
  • Ana Luna de Medina y Orléans-Braganza, 17th Countess de Ricla (born 1988)

Through her father, Maria da Glória is a direct descendant of King Pedro II of Brazil and King Francisco I of the Two Sicilies. Through her mother, she is directly descended from King Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies, King Ferdinand VII of Spain, and Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor. Through both parents, she is descended from King Louis Philippe I of the French. She is also a first cousin, through her mother, of King Juan Carlos I of Spain.

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King Peter II of Yugoslavia

by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2016

King Peter II of Yugoslavia – source: Wikipedia

King Peter II of Yugoslavia was the last King of Yugoslavia. He was born on September 6, 1923, in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, now in Serbia, the eldest son of King Alexander I of Yugoslavia and Princess Maria of Romania.

Peter had two younger siblings:

source: Royal Family of Serbia

Peter as a child; source: Royal Family of Serbia

Peter was initially educated at the Royal Palace in Belgrade before attending the Sandroyd School in Wiltshire, England. Sadly, his father was assassinated on October 9, 1934, and the 11-year-old Peter ascended the throne as King Peter II. Because of his age, a Regency Council was established, led by his father’s cousin Prince Paul of Yugoslavia.

At the onset of World War II, Yugoslavia was surrounded by countries that had become allies of the Nazis. Prince Paul, against the advice of Peter and his advisers, decided in 1941 to enter into a non-aggression pact with Germany. This resulted in riots and protests in Yugoslavia and led to a coup, supported by the British. As a result, on March 27, 1941, 17-years-old, King Peter II was proclaimed of age and the Regency was ended.

Within weeks, Yugoslavia was occupied by Nazi forces forcing the government to surrender on April 17, 1941. King Peter went into exile with the government, first to Greece, then to Jerusalem, and to Cairo. In June 1941, King Peter went to the United Kingdom, where he finished his education at Cambridge University and joined the Royal Air Force.

King Peter and Princess Alexandra on their wedding day. source: Royal Family of Serbia

King Peter and Princess Alexandra on their wedding day, with King George VI of the United Kingdom (l) and King George II of the Hellenes (r). source: Royal Family of Serbia

While in London, he met Princess Alexandra of Greece, the daughter of King Alexander I of the Hellenes and Aspasia Manos. The couple married on March 20, 1944, at the Yugoslav Embassy in London. Guests at their wedding included King George VI of the United Kingdom, King George II of the Hellenes, King Haakon VII of Norway, and Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands.

Peter and Alexandra had one son:

Peter and Alexandra with Prince Alexander, 1945. source: Royal Family of Serbia

Peter and Alexandra with Prince Alexander, 1945. source: Royal Family of Serbia

Back in Yugoslavia, two rival resistance groups had been born during the Nazi invasion. The first loyalist group was led by Colonel Dragoljub Mihailovic who served as Minister of Defense for the Yugoslav government in exile. The other group, the Partisans, was led by the communist party leader Josip Broz – later known as Tito. Following the German occupation, civil war broke out between the two groups. Despite initially supporting Mihailovic, the Allies soon began to support Tito. In 1944, the Partisans entered Belgrade and established a Communist government. The following year, in November 1945, the new government abolished the monarchy and formally deposed King Peter II. This was, however, done without any referendum and the King never abdicated. Yugoslavia would remain a communist state for over 40 years.

After the war, Peter and Alexandra left London and lived in France and Switzerland before settling in the United States in 1949. The marriage suffered from the strain of Peter’s numerous affairs and the constant struggle to find sources of income. Eventually, they went their separate ways. King Peter settled permanently in the United States while Alexandra took her son and moved to Venice with her mother.

King Peter II, 1966 source: Royal Family of Serbia

King Peter II, 1966; source: Royal Family of Serbia

Suffering from cirrhosis of the liver, King Peter II died on November 3, 1970, in Denver, Colorado, following a failed liver transplant. Per his wishes, he was interred at the Saint Sava Monastery Church in Libertyville, Illinois. To date, he is the only European monarch to be buried in the United States. In January 2013, his remains were returned to Serbia and buried in the Royal Family Mausoleum beneath St. George’s Church at Oplenac.

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King Harald V of Norway: 25 Years on the Throne

Harald V_Sonja_Norway

Their Majesties King Harald and Queen Sonja. Photo: Jørgen Gomnæs / The Royal Court http://www.royalcourt.no/

25 years ago, on January 17, 1991, King Olav V of Norway died and his son became King Harald V of Norway.  The 25th anniversary of his accession to the throne was celebrated in Oslo, Norway with a Winter Festival at the Palace Square and a gala performance in the University Hall attended by members of the Norwegian royal family and Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden.
Royal House of Norway: Accession of the new monarch in 1991
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At the time of King Harald’s birth in 1937, his grandfather, King Haakon VII (born Prince Prince Carl of Denmark) was the monarch and his grandmother, Queen Maud (born Princess Maud of Wales, daughter of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom) was his consort. King Harald is closely related to several European monarchs: King Philippe of Belgium and Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg are his first cousins once removed, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and Queen Margrethe II of Denmark are his second cousins, and King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden is his second cousin once removed.  Harald’s mother Crown Princess Märtha, born a Swedish princess, died of cancer in 1954.  While Crown Prince, King Harald married a Norwegian commoner, Sonja Haraldsen.  The couple have two children and five grandchildren.

Read more about the Norwegian Family here.

King Alexander I of Yugoslavia

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

King Alexander I of Yugoslavia – source: Wikipedia

King Alexander I of Yugoslavia was born on December 16, 1888, in Cetinje, Montenegro. He was the fourth child of the future King Peter I of Serbia and Princess Zorka of Montenegro.

Alexander had four siblings:

When Alexander was only two-years-old, his mother died giving birth to her fifth child who also died. After Zorka’s death, the family moved to Geneva, Switzerland.  Alexander and his elder brother George attended the Imperial Page Corps in St. Petersburg, Russia. In 1903, a coup took place in Serbia, and Alexander’s father was proclaimed King. Alexander and his brother returned to Serbia to continue their education.

Crown Prince Alexander. source: Royal Family of Serbia

Crown Prince Alexander. source: Royal Family of Serbia

In 1909, his elder brother George renounced his rights to the throne, and Alexander became the Crown Prince. Alexander served in the Serbian military, commanding the First Army during the Balkan Wars of 1912 and 1913. In 1914, he became Regent when his father turned over his royal prerogatives. Just days later, the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria led to the onset of World War I. Alexander continued to lead his troops, attaining several important victories over the Austrian forces before being forced to retreat in 1915. Alexander and his father led their forces through Montenegro and Albania, eventually reaching the Greek island of Corfu.

Alexander and Maria on their wedding day. photo from the George Grantham Bain Collection at the Library of Congress; source: Wikipedia

Alexander’s father died on August 16, 1921, and he took the throne as King Alexander I of the Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes. The following year, on June 8, 1922, he married Princess Maria of Romania, the daughter of King Ferdinand of Romania and Princess Marie of Edinburgh, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria.

The couple had three sons:

On January 6, 1929, King Alexander abolished the Constitution and changed the name of the country to the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. He later ordered a new constitution that gave more power to the King and allowed him to appoint the upper house of the government.

Alexander and Maria, c.1933. source: Wikipedia/Bulgarian Archives State Agency

On October 9, 1934, while driving through the streets of Marseilles, France with the French Foreign Minister, King Alexander was killed when a gunman approached the car and shot him twice. The assassin was a member of the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization. The following day, his body was returned to Belgrade, where a state funeral was held. He is buried in the Mausoleum of the Serbian Royal Family beneath St. George’s Church, Oplenac in Topola, Kingdom of Yugoslavia, now in Serbia.

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