Yearly Archives: 2017

James II, King of Scots

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

James II, King of Scots; Credit – Wikipedia

James II, King of Scots was born on October 16, 1430, at Holyrood Abbey in Edinburgh, Scotland. He had an elder twin brother named Alexander who died before his first birthday, making James the heir to the throne of Scotland and the holder of the titles Duke of Rothesay and Steward of Scotland. James was then the only son of James I, King of Scots and Lady Joan Beaufort, a granddaughter of John of Gaunt who was a son of King Edward III of England. James II had six sisters, three older and three younger. He was nicknamed “Fiery Face” because of a birthmark on his face.

James II had seven siblings:

During the reign of James I, there were lingering doubts about the validity of the first marriage of his grandfather Robert II, King of the Scots and this raised questions about James I’s own right to the throne of Scotland. James I faced challenges from descendants of his grandfather’s second marriage.

On February 20, 1437, plotters supporting the claim to the throne of Walter Stewart, Earl of Atholl, a son of Robert II’s second marriage, broke into the Carthusian Charterhouse of Perth where James I and his wife Joan were staying. The conspirators reached the couple’s bedroom where Joan tried to protect her husband. James I then tried to escape via an underground passage but was cornered and hacked to death by Sir Robert Graham.  There was no strong support for the conspiracy and James I’s assassins were soon captured and brutally executed. Thus, James I’s six-year-old son succeeded him to the throne as James II, King of Scots. He was crowned at Holyrood Abbey on March 25, 1437, by Michael Ochiltree, Bishop of Dunblane.

 Queen Joan took custody of her 6-year-old son King James II and declared a regency. The idea of having Scotland ruled by an Englishwoman was not popular. Three months later, King James II’s first cousin Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Douglas was proclaimed regent, a position he held until his death two years later. In 1439, Queen Joan married Sir James Stewart, known as the Black Knight of Lorne. The Stewarts of Lorne were trusted supporters of Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Douglas, the young king’s regent, and their power greatly increased while the Douglas family controlled Scotland. However, this all changed with the death of Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Douglas.

After Douglas’ death, the power of the regency was shared uneasily by William Crichton, 1st Lord Crichton, Lord Chancellor of Scotland, and Sir Alexander Livingston of Callendar, who was the custodian of the young King James II as the warden of Stirling Castle. Stewart and his Douglas allies planned to abduct the young James II from Stirling Castle. However, Livingston placed Joan and her new husband under house arrest at Stirling Castle. They were only released by making a formal agreement to relinquish custody of King James II in favor of Livingston, by giving up Joan’s dowry for her son’s maintenance, and by agreeing that Livingston’s actions were only to ensure the king’s safety. From then on, Joan had no participation in matters of state.

In 1440, in the name of James II, King of Scots, regents William Crichton and Alexander Livingston invited the two sons of the recently deceased former regent, Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Douglas to dinner at Edinburgh Castle. While 16-year-old William Douglas, 6th Earl of Douglas and his 10-year-old brother David Douglas ate their dinner, a black bull’s head, the symbol of death, was brought in and placed before the young Earl. The two brothers were then dragged out to Castle Hill, given a mock trial, and beheaded in the presence of a protesting 10-year-old King James II. This brutal incident of murder and betrayal of hospitality, done to break up the power of the Black Douglases, has become known as the “Black Dinner” and was an inspiration for the infamous “Red Wedding” massacre in The Game of Thrones.

The Black Dinner; Credit – http://www.stewartsociety.org/

Negotiations for a marriage to Mary of Guelders, the eldest of the five children of Arnold, Duke of Guelders and Catherine of Cleves began in July 1447 when an envoy from  Burgundy went to Scotland and were concluded in September 1448. Mary’s great uncle Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy promised to pay Mary’s dowry, while his wife Isabella of Portugal paid for her trousseau. Mary had been educated in their court. After negotiations were concluded, Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy settled a dowry of 60,000 crowns on his great-niece and Mary’s dower (given to a wife for her support should she become widowed) of 10,000 crowns was secured on lands in Strathearn, Athole, Methven, and Linlithgow in Scotland. William Crichton, 1st Lord Crichton, Lord Chancellor of Scotland came to Burgundy to escort Mary to Scotland, where they landed at Leith on June 18, 1449. 15-year-old Mary married 19-year-old James II, King of Scots, at Holyrood Abbey in Edinburgh on July 3, 1449. Immediately after the marriage ceremony, Mary was dressed in purple robes and crowned queen.

James II and Mary of Guelders; Credit – Wikipedia

James and Mary had seven children:

After the murders at the “Black Dinner”, the Douglases became the sworn enemies of Lord Chancellor Crichton and James II. They formed an alliance with Sir Alexander Livingston of Callendar despite Livingston being a conspirator in the “Black Dinner” murders. During the 1440s, the nobles of Scotland battled for power. By 1449, the Livingston family held much power including holding government offices and many castles. That same year, James II came of age and assumed the full powers of the king. He arrested most of the Livingstons who held office, imprisoned them, and executed two members of the family.

William Douglas, 8th Earl of Douglas left Scotland to avoid capture. He returned in 1450 and had a distant, but cordial relationship with James II. However, in 1452, James II learned that Douglas had allied with John of Islay, Earl of Ross and Alexander Lindsay, 4th Earl of Crawford.  Angry about the alliance, James II invited Douglas to dinner at Stirling Castle. He asked Douglas to break the alliance and when Douglas refused, James stabbed him as did the several men with him. According to the Auchinleck Chronicle, Sir Patrick Gray “struck out his brains with a pole ax”, and his body was thrown out of a window. The brother of the 8th Earl, the new 9th Earl of Douglas, James Douglas, attempted to continue the struggle with his brothers. However, they were defeated at the Battle of Arkinholm in 1455. Shortly after the battle the Black Douglases were attainted, the last few castles they held fell, and they ceased to be a serious force in Scotland.

James II of Scotland depicted in the diary of Jörg von Ehingen, 15th century; Credit – Wikipedia

James II supported the House of Lancaster in the English Wars of the Roses. His mother had been Lady Joan Beaufort, a granddaughter of John of Gaunt, from whom the House of Lancaster originated. The Lancaster King Henry VI of England was James II’s second cousin. In 1460, James II besieged Roxburgh Castle near the English border in support of King Henry VI. On August 3, 1460, 29-year-old James II, King of Scots was accidentally killed when a cannon nearby where he was standing exploded. Robert Lindsay of Pitscottie stated in his The Historie and Chronicles of Scotland, 1436–1565: “…as the King stood near a piece of artillery, his thigh bone was dug in two with a piece of misframed gun that brake in shooting, by which he was stricken to the ground and died hastily.” His remains were taken to Edinburgh and buried at Holyrood Abbey. His tomb, like so many others, has not survived.

As with the start of the reigns of James I and James II, Scotland once again had a child king in James III, King of Scots, the son of James II and Mary of Guelders. Mary served as the regent for her nine-year-old son until her death three years later. The rest of the Scottish Stuarts, James IV, James V, Mary, Queen of Scots, and James VI, would also be child monarchs. James II’s death also continued the violent deaths of the Scottish Stuarts which started with the assassination of his father James I and continued with the deaths in battle of James III and James IV and the beheading of Mary, Queen of Scots.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • Ashley, M. and Lock, J. (2012). The mammoth book of British kings & queens. London: Constable & Robinson.
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2017). Clan Douglas. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clan_Douglas [Accessed 24 Jun. 2017].
  • Unofficial Royalty. (2017). James II, King of Scots. [online] Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/james-ii-king-of-scots/ [Accessed 24 Jun. 2017].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2017). James II of Scotland. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_II_of_Scotland [Accessed 24 Jun. 2017].
  • Unofficial Royalty. (2017). Lady Joan Beaufort, Queen of Scots. [online] Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/lady-joan-beaufort-queen-of-scots/ [Accessed 24 Jun. 2017].
  • Unofficial Royalty. (2017). Mary of Guelders, Queen of Scots. [online] Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/mary-of-guelders-queen-of-scots/ [Accessed 24 Jun. 2017].
  • Williamson, D. (1996). Brewer’s British Royalty. London: Cassell.

Lady Joan Beaufort, Queen of Scots

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Lady Joan Beaufort, Queen of Scots; Credit – Wikipedia

Lady Joan Beaufort, the wife of James I, King of Scots, was born around 1404 in England. She was the third of the six children and the first of the two daughters of John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset and Margaret Holland. Her mother was the daughter of Thomas Holland, 2nd Earl of Kent, the eldest son of Joan, 4th Countess of Kent, known as “The Fair Maid of Kent” from her first marriage to Thomas Holland, 1st Earl of Kent, 2nd Baron Holland. Joan of Kent later married Edward, Prince of Wales (the Black Prince), the eldest son of King Edward III of England, and was the mother of King Richard II of England.

Joan Beaufort’s father John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset was the eldest of the four children of John of Gaunt, son of King Edward III, and his mistress Katherine Swynford. Their children were given the surname “Beaufort” after a former French possession of John of Gaunt. John of Gaunt and Katherine Swynford married on January 13, 1396, at Lincoln Cathedral in England. After the marriage of John and Katherine, their four children were legitimized by both King Richard II of England and Pope Boniface IX. After John of Gaunt’s eldest son from his first marriage to Blanche of Lancaster deposed his first cousin King Richard II in 1399, the new King Henry IV inserted a phrase excepta regali dignitate (“except royal status”) in the documents that had legitimized his Beaufort half-siblings which barred them from the throne.

Joan had five siblings:

Joan met her husband James I, King of Scots during his long captivity in England. After the probable murder of his elder son by an uncle, Robert III, King of Scots sent his only surviving son James to France for his safety. However, the ship 12-year-old James was sailing on was captured on March 22, 1406, by English pirates who delivered James to King Henry IV of England. Robert III died a month later and James, who was nominally King of Scots, spent the first eighteen years of his reign in captivity. As Joan was related to the English royal family, she was often at court. Joan is said to be the inspiration for The Kingis Quair  (“The King’s Book”), a poem supposedly written by James after he looked out a window and saw Joan in the garden.

James I, King of Scots; Credit – Wikipedia

Although there may have been an attraction between Joan and James, their marriage was political as it was a condition for James’ release from captivity. Joan was well-connected. She was a great-granddaughter of King Edward III, a first cousin once removed of King Richard II, a niece of King Henry IV, and a first cousin of King Henry V. Her paternal uncle Henry Beaufort was a Cardinal, Bishop of Winchester and Chancellor of England. The English considered a marriage to a Beaufort gave the Scots an alliance with the English instead of the French. Joan’s dowry of £6,000 was subtracted from James’ ransom of £40,000. The couple was married on February 12, 1424, at St. Mary Overie Church, now known as Southwark Cathedral in Southwark, London, England. James was released from his long captivity on March 28, 1424, and the couple traveled to Scotland. On May 21, 1424, James and Joan were crowned King and Queen of Scots at Scone Abbey by Henry Wardlaw, Bishop of St. Andrews.

Joan and James I, King of Scots had eight children:

Upon returning to Scotland after an absence of 18 years, James found that Scotland was in horrible condition, with much poverty and lawlessness. He vigorously set about transforming his kingdom and made many enemies. There were still doubts about the validity of the first marriage of James’ grandfather Robert II, and this raised questions about James’ own right to the throne of Scotland. James found himself facing challenges from descendants of his grandfather’s second marriage.

On February 20, 1437, plotters supporting the claim to the throne of Walter Stewart, Earl of Atholl, a son of Robert II’s second marriage, broke into the Blackfriars Priory in Perth, Scotland where James and Joan were staying. The conspirators reached the couple’s bedroom where Joan tried to protect James but was wounded. James then tried to escape via an underground passage but was cornered and hacked to death by Sir Robert Graham.  There was no strong support for the conspiracy and James’ assassins were soon captured and brutally executed.

Joan herself had been a target of her husband’s killers, and although wounded, she escaped, took custody of her 6-year old son King James II, and declared a regency. The idea of having Scotland ruled by an Englishwoman was not popular. Three months later, King James II’s first cousin, Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Douglas, was proclaimed regent, a position he held until his death two years later. On September 21, 1439, Joan married Sir James Stewart, known as the Black Knight of Lorne. The Stewarts of Lorne were trusted supporters of Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Douglas, the young king’s regent, and their power greatly increased while the Douglas family controlled Scotland. However, this all changed with the death of Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Douglas.

After Douglas’ death, the power of the regency was shared uneasily by William Crichton, 1st Lord Crichton, Lord Chancellor of Scotland, and Sir Alexander Livingston of Callendar, who was the custodian of the young King James II as the warden of Stirling Castle.  As a result, Joan’s second husband Sir James Stewart and his Douglas allies planned to abduct the young James II who was being held by Livingston at Stirling Castle. However, Livingston placed Joan and her new husband under house arrest at Stirling Castle. They were only released by making a formal agreement to relinquish custody of King James II in favor of Livingston, by giving up Joan’s dowry for her son’s maintenance, and agreeing that Livingston’s actions were only to ensure the king’s safety. From then on, Joan had no participation in matters of state.

Joan and Sir James Stewart, the Black Knight of Lorne had three sons:

In November 1444, Joan was besieged at Dunbar Castle by William Douglas, 8th Earl of Douglas from the Black Douglas faction, who may have had the blessing of King James II. Joan was under the protection of James Douglas, 3rd Earl of Angus from the Red Douglas faction and Sir Adam Hepburn of Hailes, the custodian of Dunbar Castle. Supplies from the nearby Red Douglas stronghold of Tantallon Castle were likely shipped in via a hidden passage to maintain the garrison at Dunbar Castle. However, after a ten-month siege, Joan died on July 15, 1445, at around 41 years of age and Dunbar Castle was turned over to the Black Douglas faction.

Joan was buried beside her first husband James I, King of Scots in the Carthusian Charterhouse of Perth, which he had founded. On May 11, 1559, following a sermon by John Knox, a leader of the Scottish Reformation and the founder of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland, the Carthusian Charterhouse in Perth was attacked by a mob of Protestant reformers. Everything was destroyed including the royal tombs and remains.

A monument marking the site of the Charterhouse; Photo Credit – By kim traynor, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=29398897

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • Ashley, Michael, and Julian Lock. The Mammoth Book Of British Kings & Queens. London: Constable & Robinson, 2012. Print.
  • “Dunbar Castle”. En.wikipedia.org. Web. 27 May 2017.
  • “Dunbar Versus Douglas – A Story Of Conflict”. Douglashistory.co.uk. Web. 27 May 2017.
  • info@undiscoveredscotland.co.uk, Undiscovered. “Joan Beaufort, Queen Of Scotland: Biography On Undiscovered Scotland”. Undiscoveredscotland.co.uk. Web. 27 May 2017.
  • “James I Of Scotland”. En.wikipedia.org. Web. 27 May 2017.
  • “Joan Beaufort, Queen Of Scots”. En.wikipedia.org. Web. 27 May 2017.
  • “John Beaufort, 1St Earl Of Somerset”. En.wikipedia.org. Web. 27 May 2017.
  • “Margaret Holland, Duchess Of Clarence”. En.wikipedia.org.  Web. 27 May 2017.
  • “Scottish Royal Burial Sites”. Unofficial Royalty. Web. 27 May 2017.
  • Williamson, David. Brewer’s British Royalty. London: Cassell, 1996. Print.

James I, King of Scots

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

James I, King of Scots; Credit – Wikipedia

James I, King of Scots, along with his elder twin brother Robert who died in infancy, was born July 25, 1394, at Dunfermline Abbey in Fife, Scotland. He was the second surviving son of Robert III, King of Scots and Anabella Drummond. In 1388, two years before he became king, James’ father was kicked by a horse and became an invalid. James’ grandfather Robert II, King of Scots died in 1390 and James’ father became King of Scots. At the time of his birth, James’ much older brother David was the heir to the throne of Scotland.

James had six siblings:

Several events occurred during James’ childhood that would eventually affect him. As time went by, Robert III’s disabilities worsened and he fell into a state of depression. There were disputes among the children of his two marriages as to who was the legitimate heir. Queen Anabella knew she had to take matters into her own hands to protect the rights of her elder son David, the heir to the throne. In 1398, Anabella arranged a tournament in Edinburgh at which her eldest surviving son 19-year-old David was knighted. Later that same year, he was created Duke of Rothesay and Lieutenant of the Realm. However, serious problems began to emerge between David and his uncle Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany, who was the third in line to the throne after David and James.

Anabella, Queen of Scots died in October 1401. With the loss of his mother’s protection and his father too incapacitated to protect him, David, Duke of Rothesay fell prey to his uncle Robert’s machinations. David was accused unjustifiably of appropriating and confiscating funds and was arrested in 1402. He was imprisoned at Falkland Palace and died on March 26, 1402, at the age of 22, probably of starvation.

Eight-year-old James, now heir to the throne, was the only one in the way of transferring the royal line to the Albany Stewarts. In 1402 Albany and his close Black Douglas ally Archibald Douglas, 4th Earl of Douglas were absolved of any involvement in David’s death, although it is surely likely that they were to blame This cleared the way for Albany’s re-appointed as the Lieutenant of the Realm. Eventually, fearing for the safety of his only surviving son James, Robert III sent him to France. However, the ship 12-year-old James was sailing on was captured on March 22, 1406, by English pirates who delivered James to King Henry IV of England. Robert III, King of Scots, aged 68, died at Rothesay Castle on April 4, 1406, after hearing of his son’s captivity.

12-year-old James was now the uncrowned King of Scots and would remain in captivity in England for eighteen years. Back in Scotland, his uncle Robert, Duke of Albany consolidated his power and ruled as regent in his nephew’s absence. Unsurprisingly, Albany made little effort to secure James’ ransom and return to Scotland, focusing instead on securing his power and interests. Albany died in 1420 and was succeeded as Duke of Albany and regent by his son Murdoch Stewart.

In England, James had a small household of Scots nobles. King Henry IV treated the young James well and provided him with a good education and James was able to observe Henry IV’s kingship and political control. During his captivity, James used personal visits from his nobles and letters to important people to maintain his connection to his kingdom. King Henry IV died in 1413 and his son King Henry V immediately ended James’s relative freedom, first holding him in the Tower of London with the other Scots prisoners. One of these prisoners was James’s cousin Murdoch Stewart, Albany’s son, who had been captured in 1402 at the Battle of Homildon Hill. Initially, they were held apart, but from 1413 until Murdoch’s release in 1415, they were together in the Tower of London and at Windsor Castle.

By 1420, 26-year-old James’ standing went from hostage to more of a guest. James accompanied Henry V to France where his presence was used against the Scots fighting on the French side during the Hundred Year’s War. He attended the coronation of Henry V’s wife Catherine of Valois in February 1421 and was honored by sitting on the queen’s left at the coronation banquet. In March 1421, James accompanied Henry V on a tour of important English towns. During this tour, James was knighted on Saint George’s Day. By July 1421, Henry V and James were back campaigning in France. Henry appointed his brother John of Lancaster, Duke of Bedford and James as the joint commanders of the Siege of Dreux. After Henry V died of dysentery in France on August 31, 1422, James was part of the escort taking the king’s body back to London.

While in England, James met his future wife Lady Joan Beaufort. She was the third of the six children and the first of the two daughters of John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset and Margaret Holland. Her mother was the daughter of Thomas Holland, 2nd Earl of Kent, the eldest son of Joan, 4th Countess of Kent, known as “The Fair Maid of Kent” from her first marriage to Thomas Holland, 1st Earl of Kent, 2nd Baron Holland. Joan of Kent later married Edward, Prince of Wales (the Black Prince), the eldest son of King Edward III of England, and was the mother of King Richard II of England.

Joan Beaufort’s father John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset was the eldest of the four children of John of Gaunt, son of King Edward III, and his mistress Katherine Swynford. Their children were given the surname “Beaufort” after a former French possession of John of Gaunt. On January 13, 1396,  John of Gaunt married Katherine Swynford at Lincoln Cathedral in England. After the marriage of John and Katherine, their four children were legitimized by both King Richard II of England and Pope Boniface IX. After John of Gaunt’s eldest son from his first marriage to Blanche of Lancaster deposed his first cousin King Richard II in 1399, the new King Henry IV inserted a phrase excepta regali dignitate (“except royal status”) in the documents which legitimized his Beaufort half-siblings which barred them from the throne.

As Joan was related to the English royal family, she was often at court. Joan is said to be the inspiration for The Kingis Quair  (“The King’s Book”), a poem supposedly written by James after he looked out a window and saw Joan in the garden. Although there may have been an attraction between Joan and James, their marriage was political as it was a condition for James’ release from captivity.

James I, King of Scots and Joan Beaufort; Credit – Wikipedia

Joan was well-connected. She was a great-granddaughter of King Edward III, a first cousin once removed of King Richard II, a niece of King Henry IV, and a first cousin of King Henry V. Her paternal uncle Henry Beaufort was a Cardinal, Bishop of Winchester, and Chancellor of England. The English considered a marriage to a Beaufort gave the Scots an alliance with the English instead of the French. Joan’s dowry of £6,000 was subtracted from James’ ransom of £40,000. The couple was married on February 12, 1424, at St. Mary Overie Church, now known as Southwark Cathedral in Southwark, London, England. James was released from his long captivity on March 28, 1424, and the couple traveled to Scotland. On May 21, 1424, James and Joan were crowned King and Queen of Scots at Scone Abbey by Henry Wardlaw, Bishop of St. Andrews.

The entrance, the only remaining part of Scone Abbey; Photo Credit – By Patrick Gruban from Munich, Germany – IMG_3910Uploaded by Kurpfalzbilder.de, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9553070

James and Joan had eight children:

Upon returning to Scotland after an absence of 18 years, James found that Scotland was in horrible condition, with much poverty and lawlessness. He set about transforming his kingdom, and made him many enemies. In addition, there were still doubts about the validity of the first marriage of Robert II, James’ grandfather, and this raised questions about James’ right to the throne of Scotland. James found himself facing challenges from descendants of his grandfather’s two marriages. He knew he had to crush the power of his cousin Murdoch Stewart, 2nd Duke of Albany to strengthen the crown’s power and restrain the power of the lawless nobles. A Parliament held in Perth in 1425 issued orders for Murdoch’s arrest, and in May 1425 a trial was held at Stirling where Murdoch, his sons Alexander and Walter Stewart, and his father-in-law Duncan, Earl of Lennox were all found guilty of treason and immediately executed. Murdoch’s third son James fled to Ireland, where he would spend the rest of his life in exile.

James ruled Scotland with a strong hand and made numerous financial and legal reforms. He tried to reshape the Scottish Parliament on the English model, and in 1428 renewed the Auld Alliance with France. On this occasion, James arranged for the marriage of his eldest daughter Margaret to the French Dauphin, the future King Louis XI of France. However, Margaret died before Louis became king. Although James’ measures were effective, he created many enemies.

On February 20, 1437, plotters supporting the claim to the throne of Walter Stewart, Earl of Atholl, a son of Robert II’s second marriage, broke into the Blackfriars Priory in Perth, Scotland where James and Joan were staying. The conspirators reached the couple’s bedroom where Joan tried to protect James but was wounded. James then tried to escape via an underground passage but was cornered and hacked to death by Sir Robert Graham. There was no strong support for the conspiracy and James’ assassins were soon captured and brutally executed.

James was buried in the Carthusian Charterhouse of Perth, which he had founded. On May 11, 1559, following a sermon by John Knox, a leader of the Scottish Reformation and the founder of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland, a mob of Protestant reformers attacked the Carthusian Charterhouse in Perth. Everything was destroyed including the royal tombs and remains.

A monument now marks the site of the Carthusian Charterhouse in Perth; Photo Credit – By kim traynor, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=29398897

James I, King of Scots was only 42 years old when he was killed and left a 7-year-old son to succeed him as King James II. James I’s wife Joan served as regent for her son for a few short months and then was forced to give up the regency and the custody of her son. Joan made a second marriage, had three more children, died in 1445, and was buried with her first husband.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • Ashley, Michael, and Julian Lock. The Mammoth Book Of British Kings & Queens. London: Constable & Robinson, 2012. Print.
  • “James I Of Scotland”. En.wikipedia.org. Web. 27 May 2017.
  • “Joan Beaufort, Queen Of Scots”. En.wikipedia.org. Web. 27 May 2017.
  • “Scottish Royal Burial Sites”. Unofficial Royalty. Web. 27 May 2017.
  • Williamson, David. Brewer’s British Royalty. London: Cassell, 1996. Print.

Wedding of King George V of The United Kingdom and Princess Mary of Teck

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2017

Princess Mary of Teck and Prince George, Duke of York, later King George V and Queen Mary; Credit – Wikipedia

Prince George, Duke of York (the future King George V of the United Kingdom) and Princess Victoria Mary of Teck were married on July 6, 1893, at the Chapel Royal at St. James’ Palace in London, England.

Prince George’s Family

HRH Prince George Frederick Ernest Albert was born on June 3, 1865, at Marlborough House, London. His parents were Albert Edward, Prince of Wales (later Edward VII), known as Bertie, and Alexandra of Denmark, known as Alix. Bertie’s sister Vicky, the Crown Princess of Prussia, had helped in the matchmaking. Bertie and Alix were married on March 10, 1863, at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor. Queen Victoria sorrowfully watched the ceremony from the Royal Closet, still blaming Prince Albert’s death in 1861 on a trip the ailing Albert had made to Oxford to sort out Bertie’s early sexual adventures.

Bertie and Alix had six children: Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence, known as Eddy (1864) who died in 1892 unmarried but engaged to Mary of Teck, George V (1865), Louise (1867) later Princess Royal who married the first Duke of Fife, Victoria (1868) who never married and served as her mother’s companion, Maud (1869) who married Prince Carl of Denmark (later King Haakon of Norway), and John who was born and died in 1871.

During their marriage, Bertie had many mistresses which Alix forced herself to accept without protest. The couple remained on friendly and affectionate terms throughout their marriage. While Bertie was on his deathbed, Alix summoned his last mistress Alice Keppel (the great-grandmother of Camilla, HRH The Duchess of Cornwall) so she might say goodbye. After Bertie died, Alix remarked, “Now at least I know where he is.”

George was related to many other royals. Through his father, he was the first cousin to Wilhelm II, German Emperor and King of Prussia, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna of Russia, Queen Marie of Rumania, Queen Sophie of Greece, Queen Ena of Spain, Crown Princess Margaret of Sweden, and was the brother of Queen Maud of Norway. Through his mother, he was the first cousin to King Christian X of Denmark, Emperor Nicholas II of Russia, King Constantine I of Greece, and King Haakon VII of Norway.

Sources:
“Brewer’s British Royalty” by David Williamson
Royal Genealogies –Menu, http://ftp.cac.psu.edu/~saw/royal/royalgen.html
Directory of Royal Genealogical Data, http://www.dcs.hull.ac.uk/public/genealogy/royal/

Princess Mary’s Family

Her Serene Highness Princess Victoria Mary Augusta Louise Olga Pauline Claudine Agnes of Teck was born at Kensington Palace, London on May 26, 1867. Mary’s mother was HRH Princess Mary Adelaide, the youngest child of HRH Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge (the seventh son and tenth child of King George III and Queen Charlotte) and HRH Princess Augusta of Hesse-Cassel. The new princess was known as Mary or May.

Princess Mary Adelaide weighed approximately 250 pounds and was affectionately known as “Fat Mary.” Her first cousin Queen Victoria wrote of her, “Her size is fearful. It is really a misfortune.” Princess Mary Adelaide, however, was high-spirited and full of life and was adored by the Victorian public who called her “The People’s Princess.”

Mary’s father was His Serene Highness Prince Francis of Teck, the product of a morganatic marriage. Prince Francis’ father, Duke Alexander of Württemberg, was once heir to the throne of Württemberg. However, Duke Alexander contracted a morganatic marriage (marriage to a person of a lower rank) to a Hungarian countess, Claudine Rhedey. Alexander lost his rights to the throne and his children lost the right to use the Württemberg name. Francis’ cousin King Karl of Württemberg eventually elevated him to the more important Germanic title of Duke of Teck.

“Fat” Mary Adelaide (age 33) and genealogically-tainted Francis (age 29) married on June 12, 1866, at Kew Palace, London. Mary Adelaide and Francis had a happy marriage but had chronic financial problems due to Mary Adelaide’s extravagance and generosity. Queen Victoria gave them an apartment at Kensington Palace where their four children were born: Mary (1867), Adolphus (1868) who became the second Duke of Teck and married Lady Margaret Grosvenor, daughter of the first Duke of Westminster, Francis (1870) who died unmarried in 1910, and Alexander (1874) who married Princess Alice of Albany, the daughter of Prince Leopold, the youngest son of Queen Victoria. During World War I in 1917, when British royals were anglicizing names and titles, Adolphus became the Marquess of Cambridge and Alexander became the Earl of Athlone. Both Adolphus and Alexander adopted the surname Cambridge.

Sources:
“Queen Mary’s Photograph Album” edited by Christopher Warwick
“Brewer’s British Royalty” by David Williamson
Royal Genealogies –Menu, http://ftp.cac.psu.edu/~saw/royal/royalgen.html
Directory of Royal Genealogical Data, http://www.dcs.hull.ac.uk/public/genealogy/royal/

Prince Eddy: Princess Mary’s First Fiancé

Prince Albert Victor Christian Edward (1864-1892) was the oldest son and eldest child of Albert Edward, Prince of Wales (later Edward VII) and Alexandra of Denmark. He was known in the family as Eddy. George was his younger brother. Prince Eddy was second in line to the throne held by his grandmother Queen Victoria.

Eddy was backward and lazy. He was an apathetic student and received very little education. He was primarily interested in pursuing pleasure which often led him into trouble. His lack of concentration on anything serious caused great concern in his family. There have been suggestions that Eddy was homosexual and frequented a notorious male brothel in Cleveland Street, London. A theory purported that Eddy was Jack the Ripper, but there is no evidence to support this theory.

Eddy’s family decided that finding a suitable wife might help correct his attitude and behavior. Eddy proposed to his cousin Alix of Hesse and by Rhine (later Empress Alexandra Feodorovna of Russia) but was rejected by her. Eddy then fell head over heels for French Catholic Princess Hélène of Orléans, who returned his love. However, Hélène’s father, the Comte de Paris, refused to allow his daughter to convert to Anglicanism and forbade the marriage.

It was at this time that, unbeknownst to her, Mary was considered the most suitable bride for Eddy. Eddy offered no resistance to this suggestion. Mary had been brought up to revere the monarchy and to be proud that she was a member of the British Royal Family. The fact that Mary’s father was a product of a morganatic marriage could have presented difficulties for her in the marriage market. Despite the shortcomings Eddy might have, Mary felt it was her duty to marry him.

Eddy proposed to Mary during a ball on December 3, 1891. The engagement was announced three days later and the wedding was set for February 27, 1892. The engagement was met with disdain by some German relatives who felt that dignified, well-educated Mary was unequal in rank due to her grandfather’s morganatic marriage. However, Queen Victoria approved wholeheartedly of the marriage.

In the midst of the wedding preparations, Eddy developed a high fever on January 7, 1892, at Sandringham. His sister Victoria and other household members already had been ill with influenza, which Eddy also developed. Two days later, his lungs became inflamed and pneumonia was diagnosed. In his delirium, Eddy frequently shouted out the name “Hélène.”

In the early morning hours of January 14, 1892, a chaplain was summoned to Eddy’s bedroom at Sandringham. There, surrounded by his parents, the Prince and Princess of Wales, his brother George, his sisters Louise, Victoria, and Maud, his fiancée Mary, and her mother the Duchess of Teck, Eddy died at 9:35 a.m. Eddy’s funeral was held at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor and he is buried in the Albert Memorial Chapel, Windsor. Mary’s wedding bouquet of orange blossoms lay on his coffin.

Sources:
“Royal Weddings” by Dulcie M. Ashdown
“Queen Mary” by James Pope-Hennessey
“Queen Mary’s Photograph Album” edited by Christopher Warwick
“Brewer’s British Royalty” by David Williamson

The Engagement

After the death of Prince Eddy, Mary and George spent much time together. As time passed and their common grief eased, there was hope that a marriage might take place between them. George proposed to Mary beside a pond in the garden of his sister Louise’s home, East Sheen Lodge, on April 29, 1893. The engagement was announced on May 3, 1893, with the blessing of Queen Victoria.

The Trousseau

Mary of Teck choosing her Wedding Trousseau by Arthur Hopkins May 1893

Mary already had a trousseau made in preparation for her wedding to Eddy. However, that trousseau had fallen out of fashion and would have been considered bad luck to use, so a new trousseau was necessary. To the rescue of the Tecks, always in financial crisis, came Mary’s aunt, the Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (Augusta, the sister of Mary’s mother). Aunt Augusta and her husband gave Mary £1000 for the purchase of a new trousseau. The new trousseau, made by English dressmakers Linton and Curtis, Scott Adie, and Redfern, included 40 outdoor suits, 15 ball dresses, five tea gowns, bonnets, shoes, gloves, traveling capes, traveling wraps, and driving capes.

Sources:
“Queen Mary by James Pope-Hennessey

The Wedding Dress

Mary visited Queen Victoria before the ceremony, who described Mary’s dress in her diary: “Her dress was very simple of white satin with a silver design of roses, shamrocks, thistles, and orange-flowers interwoven. On her head, she has a small wreath of orange-flowers, myrtle and white heather surmounted by a diamond necklace I gave her, which also can be worn as a diadem, and her mother’s wedding veil.”

Actually, Mary’s dress was far from simple. The satin brocade had been specially woven into national symbols and true love knots in silver. The bodice was cut to Mary’s figure and the front of the skirt was left open to reveal a plain satin slip. The overskirt was decorated with lace and sprays of orange blossoms. The long silk veil interwoven with May blossoms, originally made for Mary’s wedding to Eddy, was replaced with the Duchess of Teck’s wedding veil. This veil, which was little more than a short lace scarf, was secured with a diamond tiara.

Sources:
“Queen Mary” by James Pope-Hennessey
“Queen Mary’s Photograph Album” edited by Christopher Warwick

The Bridesmaids

Ten bridesmaids had been selected. At least three of the bridesmaids wished they were in Mary’s shoes.

  • Princesses Victoria of Wales, sister of the groom
  • Princess Maud of Wales, sister of the groom
  • Princesses Victoria Melita of Edinburgh, first cousin of the groom
  • Princess Alexandra of Edinburgh, first cousin of the groom
  • Princess Beatrice of Edinburgh of Edinburgh, first cousin of the groom
  • Princesses Margaret of Connaught, first cousin of the groom
  • Princess Patricia of Connaught, first cousin of the groom
  • Princess Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg, first cousin of the groom
  • Princess Helena Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein, first cousin of the groom
  • Princess Alice of Battenberg, daughter of the groom’s first cousin Victoria of Hesse and by RhineBack row: Princess Alexandra of Edinburgh, Princess Helena of Schleswig-Holstein, Princess Victoria-Melita of Edinburgh, Prince George, Duke of York, Princess Victoria of Wales, Princess Maud of Wales
  • In the middle: Princess Alice of Battenberg, Princess Margaret of Connaught, Princess Mary of Teck, Duchess of York
  • Front row: Princess Beatrice of Edinburgh, Princess Victoria-Eugenie of Battenberg, Princess Patricia of Connaught

Sources:
“Queen Mary” by James Pope-Hennessey
“Brewer’s British Royalty” by David Williamson

The Wedding Guests

The Groom’s Family

  • Queen Victoria, the groom’s paternal grandmother
  • The Prince and Princess of Wales, the groom’s parents
  • Princess Louise, Duchess of Fife and the Duke of Fife, the groom’s sister and her husband
  • Princess Victoria of Wales, the groom’s sister
  • Princess Maud of Wales, the groom’s sister
  • The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, the groom’s paternal uncle and aunt
  • Princess Victoria Melita of Edinburgh, the groom’s first cousin
  • Princess Alexandra of Edinburgh, the groom’s first cousin
  • Princess Beatrice of Edinburgh, the groom’s first cousin
  • The Duke and Duchess of Connaught, the groom’s paternal uncle and aunt
  • Prince Arthur of Connaught, the groom’s first cousin
  • Princess Margaret of Connaught, the groom’s first cousin
  • Princess Patricia of Connaught, the groom’s first cousin
  • Prince and Princess Henry of Prussia, the groom’s first cousins
  • Princess and Prince Louis of Battenberg, the groom’s first cousin and her husband
  • Princess Alice of Battenberg, the groom’s first cousin once removed
  • Princess and Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein, the groom’s paternal aunt and uncle
  • Prince Albert of Schleswig-Holstein, the groom’s first cousin
  • Princess Helena Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein, the groom’s first cousin
  • Princess Louise, Marchioness of Lorne and the Marquess of Lorne, the groom’s paternal aunt and uncle
  • Princess and Prince Henry of Battenberg, the groom’s paternal aunt and uncle
  • Prince Alexander of Battenberg, the groom’s first cousin
  • Princess Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg, the groom’s first cousin
  • King Christian IX and Queen Louise of Denmark, the groom’s maternal grandparents
  • Prince Valdemar of Denmark, the groom’s maternal uncle
  • Tsarevich Nicholas of Russia, the groom’s first cousin
  • The Hereditary Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, the groom’s half-second cousin
  • Prince Albert of Belgium, the groom’s paternal second cousin once removed
  • Prince Philipp of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, the groom’s paternal second cousin once removed
  • Countess Feodora Gleichen, the groom’s second cousin
  • Countess Helena Gleichen, the groom’s second cousin
  • Countess Victoria Gleichen, the groom’s second cousin

The Bride’s Family

  • The Duke and Duchess of Teck (Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge), the bride’s parents
  • Prince Adolphus of Teck, the bride’s brother
  • Prince Francis of Teck, the bride’s brother
  • Prince Alexander of Teck, the bride’s brother
  • Prince George, Duke of Cambridge, the bride’s maternal uncle
  • Augustus FitzGeorge, the bride’s cousin
  • The Grand Duchess (Princess Augusta of Cambridge)  and the Grand Duke Friedrich Wilhelm of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the bride’s maternal aunt and uncle

Other Foreign Royalty

  • Prince Edward of Saxe-Weimar and Princess Edward of Saxe-Weimar
  • HH the Maharaja of Bhavnagar
  • HH the Raja of Kapurthala
  • HH the Thakur Sahib of Morbi
  • HH the Thakur Sahib of Gondal

Envoys and Ambassadors

  • Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin, representing HM the King Wilhelm II of Württemberg
  • Baron Egor Egorovich Staal, HE the Russian Ambassador and Baroness Staal
  • Paul von Hatzfeldt, HE the German Ambassador
  • HE the Turkish Ambassador
  • Count Franz Deym, HE the Austro-Hungarian Ambassador and Countess Deym
  • Count Tornielli, HE the Italian Ambassador and Countess Tornielli
  • HE the Spanish Ambassador
  • Thomas F. Bayard, HE the United States Ambassador and Mrs. Bayard
  • Mr. Solvyns, HE the Belgian Minister and Mrs. Solvyns
  • Mr. Bille, HE the Danish Minister and Mrs. de Bille
  • Luís Pinto de Soveral, HE the Portuguese Minister
  • HE the Romanian Minister
  • Mr. Romanos, The Greek Chargé d’Affaires and Mrs. Romanos

Politicians

  • William Gladstone, The Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury and Mrs. Gladstone
  • Farrer Herschell, 1st Baron Herschell, The Lord Chancellor and Lady Herschell
  • Sir William Vernon Harcourt, The Chancellor of the Exchequer and Lady Harcourt
  • George Shaw-Lefevre, 1st Baron Eversley, The Chief Commissioner of Works and Lady Constance Shaw-Lefevre
  • John Wodehouse, 1st Earl of Kimberley, The Lord President of the Council and Secretary of State for India and the Countess of Kimberley
  • H. H. Asquith, The Secretary of State for the Home Department
  • Archibald Philip Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery, The Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
  • Henry Campbell-Bannerman, The Secretary of State for War and Mrs. Campbell-Bannerman
  • John Poyntz Spencer, 5th Earl Spencer, The First Lord of the Admiralty and Countess Spencer
  • Sir George Otto Trevelyan, 2nd Baronet, The Secretary of State for Scotland and Lady Trevelyan
  • John Morley, The Chief Secretary for Ireland
  • John Bryce, The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Mrs. Bryce

Royal Household

  • Gavin Campbell, 1st Marquess of Breadalbane, Lord Steward
  • Charles Robert Wynn-Carrington, The Lord Carrington, Lord Chamberlain
  • Sir Patrick Grant, Gold Stick-in-Waiting
  • George Venables-Vernon, 7th Baron Vernon, Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms
  • William Edwardes, 4th Baron Kensington, Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard
  • Edwyn Scudamore-Stanhope, 10th Earl of Chesterfield, Treasurer of the Household
  • George Leveson-Gower, Comptroller of the Household
  • The Right Honourable Charles Spencer, Vice-Chamberlain of the Household
  • John Clayton Cowell, Master of the Household
  • Thomas Lister, 4th Baron Ribblesdale, Master of the Buckhounds
  • Anne Emily Innes-Ker, The Dowager Duchess of Roxburghe, Acting Mistress of the Robes
  • Jane Spencer, Dowager Baroness Churchill, Lady of the Bedchamber
  • Francis Robert Stonor, 4th Baron Camoys, Lord-in-Waiting
  • Sir Albert Woods, Garter Principal King of Arms
  • Charles Harbord, 5th Baron Suffield, Lord-in-Waiting to the Prince of Wales
  • Charles John Colville, 1st Viscount Colville of Culross, Chamberlain to the Princess of Wales

Clergy

  • The Archbishop of Canterbury
  • Frederick Temple, The Bishop of London
  • Randall Davidson, The Bishop of Rochester

Other Guests

  • Henry Fitzalan-Howard, 15th Duke of Norfolk, Earl Marshal
  • Frances Osborne, The Duchess of Leeds
  • Spencer Cavendish, 8th Duke of Devonshire and Duchess of Devonshire
  • John Manners, 7th Duke of Rutland and Duchess of Rutland
  • William Montagu Douglas Scott, 6th Duke of Buccleuch and Duchess of Buccleuch
  • George Campbell, 8th Duke of Argyll and Duchess of Argyll
  • William Cavendish-Bentinck, 6th Duke of Portland and Duchess of Portland
  • James Hamilton, 2nd Duke of Abercorn and Duchess of Abercorn
  • Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury and Marchioness of Salisbury
  • The Marchioness of Breadalbane
  • William Edgcumbe, 4th Earl of Mount Edgcumbe of Mount Edgcumbe
  • Edward Bootle-Wilbraham, 1st Earl of Lathom and Countess of Lathom
  • Richard Cross, 1st Viscount Cross and Viscountess Cross
  • The Lady Carrington
  • Hardinge Stanley Giffard, 1st Baron Halsbury and Lady Halsbury
  • Lord and Lady George Hamilton
  • Arthur Wellesley Peel, The Speaker of the House of Commons
  • The Right Hon. George and Mrs. Goschen
  • The Right Hon. Joseph and Mrs. Chamberlain
  • The Right Hon. Arthur Balfour

Sources:
Wikipedia: Wedding of Prince George, Duke of York, and Princess Mary of Teck

The Wedding

The wedding was set for July 6, 1893, at the Chapel Royal, St. James’ Palace. St, George’s Chapel, Windsor, had been the choice for Mary’s planned marriage to Eddy, but it was considered inappropriate because it had been the site of Eddy’s funeral.

There was much excitement about the upcoming wedding. Women’s magazines produced special editions detailing Mary’s trousseau. Crowds visited London’s Imperial Institute where royal wedding gifts were displayed for the first time.

The summer of 1893 had been hot and July 6, the wedding day, was no different. Crowds gathered in the morning along the bridal procession route on Constitution Hill, Piccadilly, and St. James Street.

At 11:30 a.m., the first of the carriage processions left Buckingham Palace. Royalty from Britain and abroad rode in twelve open state landaus driven by cream-colored horses. The bridegroom and his father left the Palace at 11:45 a.m. followed by Queen Victoria in the Glass Coach. Accompanying the Queen was her cousin, the beaming Princess Mary Adelaide, the mother of the bride. The bride’s procession came last. Mary was accompanied by her brother Adolphus.

As Mary walked down the aisle of the Chapel Royal towards George, she leaned stiffly on her father’s arm and smiled at those guests she recognized. Edward White Benson, Archbishop of Canterbury performed the ceremony and was assisted by Frederick Temple, Bishop of London, and Randall Davidson, Bishop of Rochester, and five other prelates.  While exchanging vows, George gave his answers distinctly while Mary spoke quietly. After the wedding service, the royals returned in state to Buckingham Palace.

The royals feasted at round tables covered with food in a room separate from the other guests. The guests enjoyed themselves in the Ballroom where large buffet tables were set up. After the meal, there was a royal wedding “first.” Queen Victoria led George and Mary out onto the balcony at Buckingham Palace and presented them to the cheering crowds.

Sources:
“Matriarch” by Anne Edwards
Directory of Royal Genealogical Data, http://www.dcs.hull.ac.uk/public/genealogy/royal
“Royal Weddings” by Dulcie M. Ashdown
“Queen Mary” by James Pope-Hennessey
“Queen Mary’s Photograph Album” edited by Christopher Warwick

The Honeymoon

York Cottage at Sandringham

After the wedding festivities, George changed into a frock coat and top hat and Mary into a dress of cream-white poplin with gold braid and a small gold bonnet trimmed with white ostrich feathers and rosebuds. As the couple left Buckingham Palace, the wedding guests showered them with rice. Crowds cheered them as they drove down The Mall, through the City of London to Liverpool Street Station where they boarded a train to Sandringham. The couple spent their honeymoon at York Cottage on the Sandringham estate, a five-minute walk from the room where Eddy had died less than eighteen months earlier. Queen Victoria wrote to her daughter Vicky, “The young people go to Sandringham to the Cottage after the wedding which I regret and think rather unlucky and sad.”

Sources:
“Royal Weddings” by Dulcie M. Ashdown
“Queen Mary” by James Pope-Hennessey
“Queen Mary’s Photograph Album” edited by Christopher Warwick

Children of George V and Mary of Teck

George and Mary had six children:

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Anabella Drummond, Queen of Scots

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2017

Robert III, King of Scots and his wife Annabella Drummond as depicted on the 1562 Forman Armorial; Credit – Wikipedia

Anabella Drummond, born circa 1350 at Dunfermline Abbey in Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland, was the daughter of Sir John Drummond of Stobhall, 11th Thane of Lennox and Chief of Clan Drummond and Mary de Montfichet, daughter and co-heiress with her sisters of Sir William de Montfichet, of Stobhall, Cargill, and Auchterarder. Sir John’s sister Margaret Drummond was the second wife of David II, King of Scots.

Anabella had at least seven siblings:

  • Dougal Drummond
  • Sir Malcolm Drummond (circa 1351 – 1402), married Isabel Douglas, Countess of Mar, no issue, he was murdered by men from the Clan Stewart of Appin
  • Margaret Drummond (born circa 1354), married Sir Colin Campbell of Lochow
  • Sir John Drummond, 12th Thane of Lennox (1356 – 1428), married Elizabeth Sinclair
  • Mary Drummond (born 1357)
  • William Drummond, 1st Thane of Carnock (born 1358), married Elizabeth Airth
  • Jean Drummond (born 1362)

In 1367, Anabella married John Stewart, Earl of Carrick (the future Robert III, King of Scots), the eldest son of Robert II, King of Scots and his first wife Elizabeth Mure. The couple had seven children:

In 1388, two years before he became king, Anabella’s husband had been kicked by a horse and became an invalid. Robert II, King of Scots died in 1390 and Anabella’s husband John Stewart, Earl of Carrick became King of Scots. John decided to use Robert as his regnal name. He thought John was an unlucky name as evidenced by John Balliol, King of Scots, King John of England and Kings Jean I and II of France. Anabella was crowned with her husband Robert III, King of Scots at Scone on August 14, 1390, by William Trail, Bishop of St. Andrews.

As time went by, Robert III’s disabilities worsened and he fell into a state of depression. Supposedly, Robert told Anabella that he should be buried in a dung heap with an epitaph that read, “Here lies the worst of kings and the most miserable of men.” Anabella knew she had to take matters into her own hands to protect the rights of her son David, the heir to the throne. In 1398, Anabella arranged a tournament in Edinburgh at which her eldest surviving son 19-year-old David was knighted.  Later that same year, he was created Duke of Rothesay and Lieutenant of the Realm. Prior to David gaining more power, his paternal uncle Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany had held the power as protector of the kingdom.

In 1400, King Henry IV of England invaded Scotland and was able to reach Edinburgh where he laid siege to the castle, but eventually had to retreat because of the lack of supplies. The Scots had seemed powerless to respond to the English invasion. Anabella, Queen of Scots died in October 1401 at Scone Palace and was buried at Dunfermline Abbey. With the loss of his mother’s protection and his father too incapacitated to protect him, David, Duke of Rothesay fell prey to his uncle Robert’s machinations. David was accused unjustifiably of appropriating and confiscating funds and was arrested in 1402. He was imprisoned at Falkland Palace and died on March 26, 1402, at the age of 22, probably of starvation.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • “Anabella Drummond”. En.wikipedia.org. N.p., 2017. Web. 23 Apr. 2017.
  • Ashley, Michael. British Kings & Queens. 1st ed. New York: Barnes & Noble Books, 1998. Print.
  • “Clan Drummond”. En.wikipedia.org. N.p., 2017. Web. 23 Apr. 2017.
  • “David Stewart, Duke Of Rothesay”. En.wikipedia.org. N.p., 2017. Web. 23 Apr. 2017.
  • “Person Page”. Thepeerage.com. N.p., 2017. Web. 23 Apr. 2017.
  • “Robert III Of Scotland”. En.wikipedia.org. N.p., 2017. Web. 23 Apr. 2017.
  • Williamson, David. Brewer’s British Royalty. London: Cassell, 1996. Print.

Robert III, King of Scots

by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Robert III, King of Scots & his wife Anabella Drummond; Credit – Wikipedia

John Stewart, later Robert III, King of Scots, was born around 1337. He was the eldest child of Robert II, King of Scots, and his mistress Elizabeth Mure. The couple married in 1346, but the marriage violated the Canon Law of the Roman Catholic Church. After receiving a papal dispensation, the couple remarried, and the children born before the second marriage were legitimized. Despite the legitimization of Elizabeth’s children, there were family disputes over her children’s right to the crown. John’s mother, Elizabeth Mure, died before May 1355, when John was between 18 and 21 years old.

John had at least nine siblings:

John had four half-siblings from his father’s second marriage in 1355 to Euphemia de Ross:

John was created Earl of Carrick by his great uncle David II, King of Scots in 1368. In 1371, John’s father succeeded his uncle David II as Robert II, King of Scots, the first king of the House of Stewart (later Stuart). John was declared heir to the crown soon after his father’s accession.  To dispel all conflict among the children of his two marriages, Robert II had a succession act passed in Parliament in 1373. If the heir apparent, John, Earl of Carrick, died without sons, the succession would pass to his brother Robert, Duke of Albany, and then to his younger brothers from Robert II’s two marriages in order of birth. As his reign progressed, Robert II delegated more power to his three eldest sons, John, Earl of Carrick and heir to the throne; Robert, Duke of Albany, and Alexander, Earl of Buchan, who became his lieutenant in the north of Scotland.

In 1367, John married Anabella Drummond, daughter of Sir John Drummond of Stobhall, 11th Thane of Lennox and Chief of Clan Drummond and Mary de Montfichet, the daughter and co-heiress with her sisters of Sir William de Montfichet, of Stobhall, Cargill, and Auchterarder. Sir John’s sister Margaret Drummond was the second wife of David II, King of Scots.

The couple had seven children:

In 1388, two years before he became king, John was kicked by a horse and became an invalid. Robert II, King of Scots died in 1390, and John Stewart, Earl of Carrick became King of Scots. John decided to use Robert as his regnal name. He thought John was an unlucky name as evidenced by John Balliol, King of Scots, King John of England, and Kings Jean I and Jean II of France. Robert III, King of Scots and his wife Anabella were crowned at Scone on August 14, 1390, by William Trail, Bishop of St. Andrews. Because of his disability, Robert III delegated most of his power to his brother Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany.

As time went by, Robert III’s disabilities worsened and he fell into a state of depression. Supposedly, Robert told Anabella that he should be buried in a dung heap with an epitaph that read, “Here lies the worst of kings and the most miserable of men.” Anabella knew she had to take matters into her own hands to protect the rights of her son David, the heir to the throne. In 1398, Anabella arranged a tournament in Edinburgh at which her eldest surviving son, 19-year-old David, was knighted. Later that same year, he was created Duke of Rothesay and Lieutenant of the Realm.

Anabella, Queen of Scots died in October 1401 at Scone Palace and was buried at Dunfermline Abbey. With the loss of his mother’s protection and his father too incapacitated to protect him, David, Duke of Rothesay, fell prey to his uncle Robert’s machinations. David was accused unjustifiably of appropriating and confiscating funds and was arrested in 1402. He was imprisoned at Falkland Palace and died on March 26, 1402, at the age of 22, probably of starvation.

Fearing for the safety of his only surviving son James (the future James I, King of Scots), Robert III decided to send him to France. However, the ship 12-year-old James was sailing on was captured on March 22, 1406, by English pirates who delivered James to King Henry IV of England. Robert III, King of Scots, aged 68, died at Rothesay Castle on April 4, 1406, after hearing of his son’s captivity, and was buried at Paisley Abbey.

Paisley Abbey; Photo Credit – By © User:Colin / Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28719655

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.

Top Ten Articles of June 2017

The majority of the top ten viewed articles for June 2017 listed below focus on the British Royal Family. However, there were two articles about royals from Qatar, probably because the country of Qatar was in the news during June. We invite you to spend some time checking out our archive of over 1,000 articles about royalty, past and present and our other areas at Unofficial Royalty.

  1. Tragedy in the British Royal Family at the End of August
  2. Wedding of Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones and Daniel Chatto
  3. Rulers of the United Arab Emirates
  4. Americans Who Married Royalty

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  5. Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, Emir of Qatar
  6. The Spencers’ Royal Stuart Ancestors
  7. King Edward VIII, The Duke of Windsor
  8. Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al Missned of Qatar
  9. When The Queen Bowed
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July 1917: Royalty and World War I

by Susan Flantzer

  • July 17, 1917: The Birth of the House of Windsor
  • Timeline: July 1, 1917 – July 31, 1917
  • A Note About German Titles
  • July 1917 – Royals/Nobles/Peers/Sons of Peers Who Died In Action

********************

July 17, 1917: The Birth of the House of Windsor

Badge of the House of Windsor; Credit – Wikipedia

The anti-German feeling in the United Kingdom existed even before World War I. In 1912, two years before the start of World War I, Prince Louis of Battenberg, Admiral in the Royal Navy, had been appointed First Sea Lord, the professional head of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy. Some members of the British press were against Prince Louis’ appointment because he was a German.  Prince Louis was born Count Ludwig Alexander of Battenberg. He was the eldest son of Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine, and Countess Julia Hauke. As his parents’ marriage was morganatic, Louis and his siblings took their titles from their mother, who had been created Countess of Battenberg (later elevated to Princess of Battenberg in 1858). Louis’ brother Prince Henry of Battenberg was the husband of Princess Beatrice, the youngest child of Queen Victoria.

Influenced by his cousin’s wife, Princess Alice, a daughter of Queen Victoria, and by Prince Alfred, another of Queen Victoria’s children, Prince Louis had joined the British Royal Navy and had become a naturalized British subject in 1868 at the age of fourteen. In 1884, Louis married Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine, the daughter of his first cousin, Grand Duke Ludwig IV of Hesse and by Rhine and Princess Alice of the United Kingdom. (Note: Louis and Victoria are the maternal grandparents of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.) The couple made their home in England and raised their four children there.

Prince Louis of Battenberg; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Louis’ rank continued to rise, as did his influence in the Royal Navy. In 1902, he was made Director of Naval Intelligence, and two years later elevated to Rear Admiral. In 1908, he was made Vice-Admiral and Commander-in-Chief of the Atlantic Fleet. In 1911, he was appointed Second Sea Lord and was made Admiral in July 1912. Five months later, Prince Louis was made First Sea Lord.

However, in 1914, with war imminent, there was an intense anti-German sentiment in Britain. Louis, despite his exemplary 46-year career in the Royal Navy, was still seen by many as just a German prince. There were false accusations in the media of spying for the Germans. In fact, due to his German relations, he was able to learn much about the German military and share that information with the British. Despite protests from King George V, Louis was asked to resign his position as First Sea Lord in October 1914.

King George V by Walter Stoneman, for James Russell & Sons, bromide print, circa 1916, Photographs Collection, NPG Ax39000

By 1917, anti-German sentiment had reached a fevered pitch in the United Kingdom. The British Royal Family’s dynastic name had gone from one German name to another, the House of Hanover to the decidedly more Germanic-sounding, House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. Many British people felt that this implied a pro-German bias. Even Prime Minister David Lloyd George remarked as he was on his way to see King George V, “I wonder what my little German friend has got to say.” Letters were pouring into the Prime Minister’s office wondering how the British were going to win the war if the king was German.

In May 1917, King George V discussed the matter with his Private Secretary Arthur Bigge, 1st Baron Stamfordham.  Lord Stamfordham had to agree that Germanic names and titles were in several branches of the royal family and that no one was really certain what the royal family’s surname was. The College of Arms, which is delegated to act on behalf of the Crown in all matters of heraldry, the granting of new coats of arms, genealogical research and the recording of pedigrees, was consulted as to what was King George V’s surname. The answer was an uncertain one. Saxe-Coburg-Gotha was a geographic name. The surname was not Stuart and not Guelph which had been the old family name of the Hanoverians. That name was lost by common law when Queen Victoria married. Looking into Prince Albert‘s family, there was Wipper and Wettin,  but no one was absolutely certain of the answer.

“A Good Riddance” cartoon by Leonard Raven-Hill from Punch, Vol. 152, 27 June 1917, commenting on the King’s order to relinquish all German titles held by members of his family

King George V decided that to show the British people that the royal family was indeed British, a change of name was necessary. The king’s uncle Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught suggested the name Tudor-Stuart, but that name was discarded because of unpleasant implications. Other names suggested were Plantagenet, York, Lancaster and even just plain England. Meetings began to take on the nature of a parlor game. Lord Stamfordham ultimately came up with an acceptable idea. King Edward III had been known as Edward of Windsor after his birthplace Windsor Castle. Windsor, which comes from the old English windles-ore or “winch by the riverside,” had been a settlement hundreds of years before William the Conqueror had a castle built there in 1070. King George V agreed that Windsor would be the family name. On July 17, 1917, the Privy Council gave final approval and on the next day, the following proclamation from King George V appeared in newspapers:

GEORGE R.I.

WHEREAS We, having taken into consideration the Name and Title of Our Royal House and Family, have determined that henceforth Our House and Family shall be styled and known as the House and Family of Windsor:

And whereas We have further determined for Ourselves and for and on behalf of Our descendants and all other the descendants of Our Grandmother Queen Victoria of blessed and glorious memory to relinquish and discontinue the use of all German Titles and Dignities:

And whereas We have declared these Our determinations in Our Privy Council:

Now, therefore, We, out of Our Royal Will and Authority, do hereby declare and announce that as from the date of this Our Royal Proclamation Our House and Family shall be styled and known as the House and Family of Windsor, and that all the descendants in the male line of Our said Grandmother Queen Victoria who are subjects of these Realms, other than female descendants who may marry or may have married, shall bear the said Name of Windsor:

And do hereby further declare and announce that We for Ourselves and for and on behalf of Our descendants and all other the descendants of Our said Grandmother Queen Victoria who are subjects of these Realms, relinquish and enjoin the discontinuance of the use of the Degrees, Styles, Dignities, Titles and Honours of Dukes and Duchesses of Saxony and Princes and Princesses of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and all other German Degrees, Styles, Dignities. Titles, Honours and Appellations to Us or to them heretofore belonging or appertaining.

Given at Our Court at Buckingham Palace, this Seventeenth day of July, in the year of our Lord One thousand nine hundred and seventeen, and in the Eighth year of Our Reign.
GOD save the KING.
(London Gazette, issue 30186, July 17, 1917, p. 1.)

When Wilhelm II, German Emperor, a grandson of Queen Victoria and a first cousin of King George V, received the news, he smiled, got up from his chair, and said in his perfect English that he was off to the theater to see Shakespeare’s play The Merry Wives of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. A number of King George V’s relatives who had Germanic titles and were British subjects exchanged their old names and titles for new ones. While the transition in names and titles was occurring, Prince Louis of Battenberg spent some time at the home of his eldest son George. After his surname was anglicized from Battenberg to Mountbatten and Louis became the Marquess of Milford Haven instead of Prince of Battenberg, he wrote in his son’s guestbook, “Arrived Prince Hyde, Departed Lord Jekyll.”

The children of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and subsequently male-line descendants inherited the titles Prince/Princess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Duke/Duchess of Saxony through Prince Albert. Those particular titles held by British subjects were discontinued by the proclamation.  With the exception of the Saxe-Coburg and Gotha/Saxony titles above, family members who lost German names/titles and their new names/titles appear on the list below.

Works Cited

  • “House Of Windsor”. En.wikipedia.org. Web. 26 May 2017.
  • “Prince Louis Of Battenberg”. En.wikipedia.org. Web. 26 May 2017.
  • “Prince Louis Of Battenberg, Marquess Of Milford Haven”. Unofficial Royalty. Web. 26 May 2017.
  • “Queen Victoria’s Children And Grandchildren”. Unofficial Royalty. Web. 26 May 2017.
  • Spoto, Donald. The Decline And Fall Of The House Of Windsor. 1st ed. New York: Pocket Books, 1995. Print.
  • Velde, Francois. “Royal Styles And Titles Of Great Britain: Documents”. Heraldica.org. Web. 26 May 2017.
  • “Windsor, Berkshire”. En.wikipedia.org. Web. 26 May 2017.

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Timeline: July 1, 1917 – July 31, 1917

  • July 1-19 – The Kerensky Offensive fails. It is the last Russian initiative in the war
  • July 1-2 – Battle of Zborov in Zborov, Galicia, Austria-Hungary (now Ukraine), a phase of the Kerensky Offensive
  • July 6 – Arab rebels led by Lawrence of Arabia seize the port of Aqaba (now in Jordan)
  • July 20 – Corfu Declaration about the future Kingdom of Yugoslavia signed
  • July 11 – The Yser Testament or Open Letter to King Albert I of Belgium is published by Flemish Movement sympathizers within the Belgian Army on the Yser Front, complaining about official discrimination against Dutch language
  • July 22 – August 1 – Battle of Mărăști in Mărăști, Romania
  • July 29 – Battle of Kiawe Bridge, part of the East African Campaign in German East Africa (now Burundi, Rwanda, and the mainland part of present Tanzania)
  • July 31 – The Third Battle of Ypres (also known as Battle of Passchendaele) in Passendale, Belgium begins
  • July 31-August 2 – Battle of Pilckem Ridge in Pilckem, Ypres Salient, Belgium (Opening phase of the Third Battle of Ypres)

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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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July 1917 – 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 or a website page with biographical information, their name will be linked to that page.

Otto Albrecht, Graf von Westerholt und Gysenberg

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Captain The Honorable Edward Kay-Shuttleworth

Captain The Honorable Edward Kay-Shuttleworth; Photo Credit – http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205302231

Grave of Captain The Honorable Edward Kay-Shuttleworth; Photo Credit – www.findagrave.com

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Lieutenant Horace Michael Hynman Allenby

Grave of Lieutenant Horace Michael Hynman Allenby; Photo Credit – www.findagrave.com

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Lieutenant The Honorable Albert Edward George Arnold Keppel

Photo Credit – www.findagrave.com

Grave of Lieutenant The Honorable Albert Edward Keppel; Photo Credit – www.findagrave.com

Wedding of Prince William, The Prince of Wales and Catherine Middleton

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Embed from Getty Images 

Prince William, now The Prince of Wales and Catherine Middleton were married on April 29, 2011, at Westminster Abbey in London, England.

The Family of Prince William

william baby

William with his parents

HRH Prince William Arthur Philip Louis was born on June 21, 1982, at St. Mary’s Hospital in the Paddington section of London. William was the first child of Charles, The Prince of Wales and his wife of eleven months, the former Lady Diana Spencer. Charles was the eldest child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip of Greece. Upon his mother’s accession to the throne in 1952, Charles became her heir. He was created Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester on July 26, 1958. At birth, William became the second in the line of succession and is expected to follow his grandmother and father as monarch.

Diana was the third of four surviving children of Edward John Spencer, 8th Earl Spencer and The Honourable Frances Ruth Roche, younger daughter of the 4th Baron Fermoy. The Spencer family is an old English noble family. Althorp in Northamptonshire, England has been the ancestral home of the Spencer family since the early 16th century. The Spencer family has served the British monarchy for centuries. Most recently, Diana’s grandmother, Lady Fermoy, was a close friend and a lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. Diana’s father served as equerry to both King George VI and to Queen Elizabeth II. Among the Spencer family ancestors are the famous soldier and statesman John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough and his wife Sarah Jennings who was a close friend of Queen Anne, and King Charles II through four of his illegitimate children.

William’s brother Prince Harry was born on September 15, 1984. Unfortunately, the marriage of The Prince and Princess of Wales was not a happy one. The couple separated in December 1992 and divorced in August 1996. Exactly a year later, Diana, Princess of Wales tragically died in a car accident in Paris. Accompanied by their father, their grandfather Prince Philip, and their uncle the 9th Earl Spencer, William and his brother Harry walked behind their mother’s coffin during her funeral procession. In 2005, Prince Charles married Camilla Parker-Bowles with whom he had a romantic relationship before and during his marriage. It is understood that William and Harry have a good relationship with their stepmother.

The Family of Catherine Middleton

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A smiling young Kate in 1988

Catherine Elizabeth “Kate” Middleton was born on January 9, 1982, at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading, Berkshire. Kate is the oldest of the three children of Michael Francis Middleton and Carole Elizabeth Goldsmith. Michael Middleton worked as a flight dispatcher for British Airways. Carole Goldsmith also worked for British Airways, but as a flight attendant. In addition to Kate, the Middletons also have another daughter Philippa (Pippa) born in 1983 and a son James born in 1987.

Kate was raised in the village of Bucklebury in Berkshire. Her ancestors are basically English with a few Scots and French Huguenots in the family background. Michael Middleton’s family comes from Leeds in West Yorkshire and Carole Goldsmith’s family is from County Durham where they were laborers and miners.

After the birth of James, Carole had the idea to create a business to help parents with their children’s birthday parties called Party Pieces. The business grew from a cottage industry into a business that made the family millionaires. Recent research by some journalists has revealed that apparently, Michael’s side of the family are descendants of a Victorian mill owner who left the equivalent of £33million in his will and that some of the Middleton family’s wealth may come from this source.

The Engagement

William-Engagement

In 2001, Prince William and Kate Middleton first met each other while they were both students at the University of St. Andrews in Fife, Scotland. During their first year, they both lived at St. Salvator’s Hall, a residence hall at the university. For their final two years, they shared housing in the town. They started dating in 2003 and remained together for eight years except for a brief separation in 2007. The couple became engaged in October 2010 while on a private vacation in Kenya.

The official engagement announcement came from Clarence House on November 16, 2010: “The Prince of Wales is delighted to announce the engagement of Prince William to Miss Catherine Middleton.”

The Engagement Ring

William_Kate ring

William presented Kate with his mother’s engagement ring, a platinum ring set with a large oval sapphire and fourteen diamonds. The ring, reported to have cost in the region of $55,000 in 1981, was made by the royal jewelers Garrard & Company in Regent Street, London. William’s mother herself selected the largest and most expensive ring from a tray of engagement rings. As in 1981, copies of the engagement ring went on sale soon after the engagement was announced.

Partial Guest List

Members of the British Royal Family

  • The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh
  • The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall
  • Prince Henry of Wales
  • The Duke of York
  • Princess Beatrice of York
  • Princess Eugenie of York
  • The Earl and Countess of Wessex
  • The Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Timothy Laurence
  • Mr. and Mrs. Peter Phillips
  • Miss Zara Phillips with Mr. Mike Tindall
  • Viscount Linley and Viscountess Linley and The Hon. Charles Armstrong-Jones
  • Lady Sarah and Mr. Daniel Chatto, Master Samuel Chatto, and Master Arthur Chatto
  • The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester
  • Earl and Countess of Ulster
  • Lady Davina and Mr. Gary Lewis
  • Lady Rose and Mr. George Gilman
  • The Duke and Duchess of Kent
  • Earl and Countess of St. Andrews
  • Lord Downpatrick
  • Lady Marina-Charlotte Windsor
  • Lady Amelia Windsor
  • Lord and Lady Nicholas Windsor
  • Lady Helen and Mr. Timothy Taylor
  • Prince and Princess Michael of Kent
  • Lord and Lady Frederick Windsor
  • Lady Gabriella Windsor
  • Princess Alexandra, the Hon. Lady Ogilvy
  • Mr. and Mrs. James Ogilvy
  • Miss Marina Ogilvy

Members of Foreign Royal Families

  • Prince Philippe and Princess Mathilde of Belgium
  • The Sultan of Brunei and Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Hajah Saleha
  • King Simeon II and Queen Margarita of Bulgaria
  • Queen Margrethe II of Denmark
  • King Constantine and Queen Anne-Marie of the Hellenes
  • Crown Prince Pavlos, Crown Princess Marie-Chantal, and Prince Constantine of Greece
  • Sheikh Ahmad Hmoud Al-Sabah of Kuwait
  • Prince Seeiso Bereng Seeiso and Princess Mabereng Seeiso of Lesotho
  • Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg
  • The Yang di-Pertuan Agong and Raja Permaisuri Agong of Malaysia
  • Prince Albert II of Monaco and Miss Charlene Wittstock
  • Princess Lalla Salma of Morocco
  • Willem-Alexander, Prince of Orange and Princess of Maxima of the Netherlands
  • King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway
  • Prince Sayyid Haitham bin Tariq Al Said of Oman
  • Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani The Emir of The State of Qatar and Sheika Mozah bint Nasser Al Missned
  • King Michael I of Romania and Crown Princess Margarita
  • Prince Mohamed bin Nawaf bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia and Princess Fadwa bint Khalid bin Abdullah bin Abdulrahman
  • Queen Sofia of Spain
  • The Prince and Princess of the Asturias
  • King Mswati III of Swaziland
  • Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and Prince Daniel
  • Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand
  • King George Tupou V of Tonga
  • Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed of Abu Dhabi
  • Crown Prince Alexander and Crown Princess Katherine of Yugoslavia
  • Princess Elizabeth of Yugoslavia

Dignitaries

  • The Governor-General of Antigua and Barbuda
  • The Governor-General of Australia and His Excellency Mr. Michael Bryce
  • The Governor-General of The Bahamas and Lady Foulkes
  • The Governor-General of Barbados
  • The Governor-General of Belize and Lady Young
  • The Governor-General of Canada and Mrs. David Jonhnston
  • The Governor-General of Jamaica
  • The Governor-General of New Zealand and Lady Satyanand
  • The Governor-General of Papua New Guinea and Mrs. Michael Ogio
  • The Governor-General of the Solomon Islands and Lady Kabui
  • The Governor-General of St Christopher and Nevis
  • The Governor-General of St Lucia
  • The Governor-General of St Vincent and the Grenadines and Lady Ballantyne
  • The Prime Minister of Australia and Mr. Tim Matheison
  • The Prime Minister of The Bahamas and Ms. Delores Miller
  • The Prime Minister of Barbados
  • The Prime Minister of New Zealand and Mrs. John Key
  • The Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea and Lade Somare
  • The Prime Minister of Saint Lucia and Mrs. Rosalia Nestor King
  • The Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and The Grenadines and Mrs. Ralph Gonsalves
  • The Premier of Bermuda and Mr. Germain Nkeuleu
  • The Premier of The British Virgin Islands and Mrs. Ralph O’Neal
  • The Premier of the Cayman Islands and Mrs. Kerry Bush
  • The Hon. Sharon and Mr. Rodney Halford (Falkland Islands)
  • The Chief Minister of Gibraltar and Mrs. Peter Caruana
  • The Chief Minister of Montserrat and the Reverend Doctor Joan Delsol Meade
  • The Hon. John and Mrs. Vilma Cranfield (St. Helena)

Members of Government and Parliament

  • The Prime Minister and Mrs. David Cameron
  • The Deputy Prime Minister and Ms. Miriam Gonzalez Duantez
  • First Secretary of State, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and Mrs. William Hague
  • The Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Hon. Mrs. Osborne
  • The Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor and Mrs. Kenneth Clarke
  • The Secretary of State for the Home Department and Minister for Women and Equalities, and Mr. Philip May
  • The Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport and Mrs. Jeremy Hunt
  • The Rt. Hon Ed Miliband, M.P. and Ms. Justine Thornton
  • The Speaker of the House of Commons and Mrs. John Bercow
  • The Presiding Officer of the National Assembly for Wales and the Lady Elis-Thomas
  • The Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament and Mrs. Alex Fergusson
  • The Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly and Mrs. William Hay
  • The Lord Speaker and Mr. Martin Hayman
  • First Minister of Wales and Mrs. Carwyn Jones
  • First Minister of Northern Ireland and Mrs. Peter Robinson
  • First Minister of Scotland and Mrs. Alex Salmond
  • The Mayor of London and Mrs. Boris Johnson
  • The Rt. Hon. The Lord Mayor and The Lady Mayoress
  • Sir Gus and Lady O’Donnell
  • The Rt. Hon. The Lord Mayor of Westminster and Count Paolo Filo della Torre
  • Mr. and Mrs. Simon Fraser

Representatives from the Church of England and other Faiths

  • The Most Reverend Gregorious, Archbishop of the Greek Archdiocese of Thysteira and Great Britain
  • The Archbishop of Canterbury and Mrs. Rowan Williams
  • Rabbi Anthony Bayfield
  • Mr. Anil Bhanot
  • The Archbishop of Armagh, Cardinal Archbishop Sean Brady
  • Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, The Most Reverend David Chillingworth
  • The Right Reverend John Christie, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
  • Mr. Malcolm Deboo President, Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe
  • The Rt. Reverend Doctor Norman Hamilton
  • The Archbishop of Armagh, The Most Reverend Alan Edwin Harper
  • Monsignor Philip Kerr, The Convener, Action of Churches Together in Scotland
  • Commissioner Elizabeth Matear, Salvation Army
  • The Archbishop of Wales, The Most Reverend Doctor Barry Morgan
  • The Reverend Gareth Morgan Jones, President of the Free Church Council of Wales
  • Cardinal Cormac Murphy-Connor
  • The Archbishop of Westminster, The Most Reverend Vincent Nichols
  • Cardinal Keith Patrick O’Brien, Archbishop of St. Andrews and Edinburgh
  • Rabbi Alan Plancey
  • Imam Mohammad Raza
  • The Chief Rabbi (Lord Sacks)
  • The Venerable Bogoda Seelawimala, Acting Head Monk, The London Buddhist Vihara
  • Maulana Syed Raza Shabbarm, Muhammadi Trust
  • Mr. Natubhai Shah, President, the Jain Academy
  • Dr. Indarjit Singh, Director, Network Sikh Organisations (UK)
  • Canon Christopher Tuckwell
  • The Reverend Martin Turner
  • The Archbishop of York and Mrs. John Sentamu

Senior Members of the Defense Services

  • Major General and Mrs. William Cubitt, Major General Commanding Household Division and GOC London District
  • Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen and Lady Dalton, Chief of the Air Staff
  • General Sir Nicholas and Lady Houghton
  • Air Vice-Marshal the Hon. David and Mrs. Murray, Defence Services Secretary
  • General Sir David and Lady Richards, Chief of the Defence Staff
  • Admiral Sir Mark and Lady Stanhope, First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff
  • General Sir Peter and Lady Wall, Chief of the General Staff

Also invited are ambassadors representing countries with which the United Kingdom has normal diplomatic relations and Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenants for the United Kingdom. These individuals will not be accompanied by their spouses or partners.

What follows is a list of other guests who have a relationship with the bride and/or groom and guests whom television viewers may recognize. These guests have been invited along with their spouses or civil relationship partners.

  • Mr. David Allan, Chairman of Mountain Rescue, England, and Wales. Prince William has been Patron of the organization since 2007.
  • Major Tom Archer-Burton, was Prince William and Prince Harry’s Commanding Officer in the Household Cavalry.
  • Mr. Charlie Mayhew, Chief Executive of the Conservation Charity, Tusk Trust. Prince William and Prince Harry visited Tusk-funded projects in Botswana in 2010.
  • Mrs. Alison Moore-Gwyn, Chief Executive of Fields in Trust. Prince William is Patron of The Queen Elizabeth II Fields, an initiative to protect and create hundreds of playing fields throughout the UK in honor of The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. The project is run by Fields in Trust.
  • Mr. Seyi Obakin, Chief Executive of Centrepoint. Centrepoint became Prince William’s first Patronage in 2005. His mother, Diana, Princess of Wales was also Patron of the Charity.
  • Mr. Peter Cross, Chief Executive of the charity SkillForce, of which Prince William has been Patron since 2009.
  • Miss Amanda Berry, Chief Executive of BAFTA. Prince William has been President of BAFTA since 2010.
  • Mrs. Ann Chalmers, Chief Executive of the Child Bereavement Charity. Prince William has been Patron of the Charity since 2009.
  • Mrs. Julia Samuel, Chair of the Child Bereavement Charity and also a family friend of Prince William. Prince William has been Patron of the Charity since 2009.
  • Mrs. Tessa Green, former Chairman of The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust. Prince William became President of The Royal Marsden in May.
  • Mr. Simon Johnson, worked closely with Prince William as Chief Operating Officer of the FA’s 2018 World Cup bid.
  • Sir Trevor Brooking, the Football Association’s Director of Football Development and is responsible for youth-coaching standards in England. Prince William has been President of the FA since 2006.
  • Sir Clive Woodward, a former Coach of the England Rugby Team and the British and Irish Lions. Prince William was invited by Sir Clive to join the British and Irish Lions rugby team on their tour to New Zealand in 2005.
  • Mr. Gareth Thomas, Welsh Rugby player. Gareth Thomas several times in his role as Vice Patron of the Welsh Rugby Union.
  • Mr. Ian Thorpe, Australian Olympic swimmer. Prince William met the Olympic swimmer, Ian Thorpe, on a visit to Australia in 2010 and has since supported Mr. Thorpe’s charitable organization Fountain for Youth, which focuses on improving health and education for children.
  • Mr. Barty Pleydell-Bouverie led the Cycle of Life charity bike ride across Africa in 2008, which raised money for the Tusk Trust.
  • Rear Admiral Ian Corder, Rear Admiral of Submarines. Prince William was appointed Commodore-in-Chief of Submarines by The Queen in 2006.
  • Brigadier Ed Smyth-Osbourne, Brigadier Smyth-Osbourne was Prince William and Prince Harry’s Commanding Officer in the Household Regiment and acted as their military mentor.
  • Major William Bartle-Jones, Prince William’s Squadron Leader in the Household Cavalry Regiment based at Windsor.
  • Wing Commander Steven Bentley, Prince William’s Search and Rescue Force Squadron Leader at RAF Valley, Anglesey.
  • Sergeant Keith Best, a colleague of Prince William’s at RAF Valley, in Anglesey, North Wales.
  • Squadron Leader Paul Bolton, a colleague of Prince William’s at RAF Valley in Anglesey, North Wales.
  • Wing Commander Kevin Marsh met Prince William through his service in the RAF. He will be one of the Path Liners outside Westminster Abbey on the wedding day.
  • Lance-Corporal Martyn Compton, Lance-Corporal in the Household Cavalry. He was injured in an ambush in Afghanistan in 2006, which put him in a coma for three months and left him with 75 per cent burns.
  • Miss Holly Dyer, sister to 2nd Lieutenant Joanna Dyer, who was killed by a bomb in Iraq in 2007. Joanna was a close friend of Prince William’s at Sandhurst.
  • Mrs. Susie Roberts, widow of Major Alexis Roberts, who was killed in Afghanistan in 2007. Major Alexis Roberts was Prince William’s Platoon Commander at Sandhurst.
  • Mr. and Mrs. Bryn Parry, founded the charity Help for Heroes to assist wounded service men and women. Both Prince William and Prince Harry are supporters of the charity.
  • Mr. Edward Gould, Master of Marlborough College when Miss Middleton was a student.
  • Dr. Andrew Gailey, Vice-Provost of Eaton College and was Prince William’s Housemaster.
  • The Hon. Edward Dawson-Damer, ex-Irish Guards officer, who was Equerry to Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother in the 1980’s.
  • Mr. Sam Stevenson, New Zealander Sam Stevenson was Prince William’s New Zealand equerry during his visit to the country in July 2005.
  • Sir John Major, former Prime Minister, was appointed a Guardian to Prince William and Prince Harry with responsibility for legal and administrative matters after the death of their mother.
  • Mr. Rowan Atkinson, actor and close friend of The Prince of Wales.
  • Mr. Tom Bradby, journalist and news reporter. He has known both Prince William and Miss Middleton for some time and conducted their first joint interview together.
  • Mr. Ben Fogle, travel writer, television presenter and adventurer and has met Prince William on a number of occasions.
  • Sir Elton John, singer-songwriter, composer, and pianist. He performed at the funeral of the late Diana, Princess of Wales.
  • Mr. and Mrs. David Beckham, footballer (soccer player). Beckham and Prince William worked together as Ambassadors of England’s 2018 World Cup Bid.
  • Mr. Guy Ritchie, film-maker and friend of Prince William and Miss Middleton.
  • Miss Joss Stone, English Soul singer and songwriter, performed at the Concert for Diana at Wembley in 2007 and at City Salute in 2008.
  • Mr. Mario Testino, photographer, took Prince William and Miss Middleton’s official engagement photographs.
  • Miss Tara Palmer-Tomkinson, friend of The Prince of Wales and his family.
  • Mr. Sam Waley-Cohen, amateur jockey and friend of Prince William and Miss Middleton.
  • Mr. Galen Weston, friend of The Prince of Wales and his family.

The Wedding Attendants

William _wedding party

Bridesmaids:

  • The Honorable Margarita Armstrong-Jones, age 8, daughter of Viscount and Viscountess Linley
  • Lady Louise Windsor, age 7, daughter of the Earl and Countess of Wessex
  • Grace van Cutsem, age 3, daughter of bride and groom’s friend Hugh van Cutsem
  • Eliza Lopes, age 3, granddaughter of the Duchess of Cornwall

Page Boys:

  • William Lowther-Pinkerton, age 10, son of Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, the groom’s Private Secretary
  • Tom Pettifer, age 8, son of Tiggy Pettifer, the former nanny of the groom and his brother

William wedding_Harry_Pippa

Best Man: Prince Harry, brother of the groom

Maid of Honor: Philippa Charlotte “Pippa” Middleton, sister of the bride

The Wedding Attire

William_Kate-Middleton-Wedding-Dress

William-wedding-uniform

The Ceremony

William_weddding_ceremony

Announcement from Clarence House on November 23, 2010:

“The marriage of Prince William and Miss Catherine Middleton will take place at Westminster Abbey on Friday 29th April 2011. The Royal Family will pay for the wedding, following the precedents set by the marriages of The Prince and Princess of Wales in 1981 and Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip in 1947. “

The Lunchtime Wedding Reception

William_ Official Wedding Family Photo

Prior to the reception, there was a private photo session for the wedding party and family with photographer Hugo Burnand and then the bride and groom greeted the 650 guests.

William_greeting guests

Next, the bride and groom appeared on the balcony of Buckingham Palace where they pleased the crowd with the now obligatory kiss.

William-Kate-Middleton-balcony

Finally, Queen Elizabeth II hosted the lunchtime wedding reception for 650 guests at Buckingham Palace. Claire Jones, the official harpist of The Prince of Wales, entertained at the reception. The guests were served an assortment of canapés prepared by a team of 21 chefs, led by Royal Chef Mark Flanagan. The chefs prepared approximately 10,000 canapés. Along with the canapés, guests were served Pol Roger NV Brut Réserve Champagne and soft and alcoholic drinks. The selection of canapés included:

  • Cornish Crab Salad on Lemon Blini
  • Pressed Duck Terrine with Fruit Chutney
  • Roulade of Goats Cheese with Caramelised Walnuts
  • Assortment of Palmiers and Cheese Straws
  • Scottish Smoked Salmon Rose on Beetroot Blini
  • Miniature Watercress and Asparagus Tart
  • Poached Asparagus spears with Hollandaise Sauce for Dipping
  • Quails Eggs with Celery Salt
  • Scottish Langoustines with Lemon Mayonnaise Pressed Confit of Pork Belly with Crayfish and Crackling
  • Wild Mushroom and Celeriac Chausson
  • Bubble and Squeak with Confit Shoulder of Lamb
  • Grain Mustard and honey-glazed Chipolatas
  • Smoked Haddock Fishcake with Pea Guacamole
  • Miniature Yorkshire Pudding with Roast Fillet of Beef and Horseradish Mousse
  • Gateau Opera
  • Blood Orange Pate de Fruit
  • Raspberry Financier
  • Rhubarb Crème Brulee Tartlet
  • Passion Fruit Praline
  • White Chocolate Ganache Truffle
  • Milk Chocolate Praline with Nuts
  • Dark Chocolate Ganache Truffle

William_Kate_cake

Two cakes were served, a wedding cake and a chocolate biscuit cake specially requested by Prince William and made by McVitie’s Cake Company using a Royal Family recipe. The wedding cake was designed by Fiona Cairns and was made from 17 individual fruit cakes and had eight tiers. A garland design around the middle of the wedding cake matched the architectural garlands around the top of the Picture Gallery in Buckingham Palace where the cake was displayed. The wedding cake was decorated with 900 individually iced flowers and leaves of 17 different varieties. The flowers and the leaves on the wedding cake symbolized the following:

  • White Rose – National symbol of England
  • Daffodil – National symbol of Wales, new beginnings
  • Shamrock – National symbol of Ireland
  • Thistle – National symbol of Scotland
  • Acorns, Oak Leaf – Strength, endurance
  • Myrtle – Love
  • Ivy – Wedded Love, Marriage
  • Lily-of-the-Valley – Sweetness, Humility
  • Rose (Bridal) – Happiness, Love.
  • Sweet William – Grant me one smile
  • Honeysuckle – The Bond of Love
  • Apple Blossom – Preference, Good Fortune
  • White Heather – Protection, Wishes will come true
  • Jasmine (White) – Amiability
  • Daisy – Innocence, Beauty, Simplicity
  • Orange Blossom – Marriage, Eternal Love, Fruitfulness
  • Lavender – ardent attachment, devotion, success, and luck

The Evening Wedding Reception

Willian_kate_evening reception

300 of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s closest friends and family attended the evening wedding reception hosted by Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace. The Queen and Prince Philip were not in attendance, having left the Palace for the younger crowd. The new Duchess of Cambridge had changed into a floor-length ivory satin gazar gown with a diamante-embroidered waistband and a cream-colored angora bolero jacket which was also designed by her wedding dress designer Sarah Burton. William looked handsome in a black tie and dinner jacket. As the guests arrived, a military band played. Swiss chef Anton Mosimann, who owns a restaurant in the Knightsbridge section of London, was responsible for the dinner. The menu included:

  • Terrine of dressed crab and tiger prawns
  • Aberdeen Angus beef fillet from Longoe Farm, the Castle of Mey, Scotland
  • Welsh lamb from the Highgrove estate
  • Spring vegetables grilled and blanched (and not cooked in butter or cream)
  • Trio of chocolate puddings
  • Seasonal fruits
  • Ice cream with a brandy snap

When dinner was done, Prince Harry gave the best man’s speech and Michael Middleton gave the father of the bride speech. After the speeches, William and Catherine had their first dance to Elton John’s “Your Song” sung by Ellie Goulding. The music continued until 2 AM and most guests had departed by 3 AM after a long and memorable day.

The Honeymoon

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North Island in the Seychelles

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge spent their wedding night at Buckingham Palace. The next day, they left the Palace via helicopter for an undisclosed location in the United Kingdom. Prince William returned to work the next week as a Search and Rescue pilot on the island of Anglesey in Wales. On Tuesday, May 10, 2011, palace officials said that the couple had left for a honeymoon at an undisclosed location and declined to comment on the length of the honeymoon. At a later date, it was revealed that the couple spent a 10-day honeymoon in the island nation of Seychelles in the Indian Ocean. The location of their honeymoon was the private North Island in one of the 11 secluded, exclusive villas there. To learn more about North Island, see its official website.

Children

Embed from Getty Images
The Prince and Princess of Wales with their three children

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, now The Prince and Princess of Wales, have three children. The British Royal Family will descend from this marriage. Princess Charlotte became the first British princess not to be overtaken in the line of succession by her younger brother.  The Succession to The Crown Act 2013, which formally went into effect on March 26, 2015, put in place absolute primogeniture, which means that for those born after October 28, 2011, the eldest child born becomes the heir to his or her parent, regardless of gender.

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.

Wedding of Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden and Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

source: Wikipedia

Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden, Duke of Västerbotten, and Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha were married in Coburg in October 19-20, 1932. They were the parents of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden.

Gustaf Adolf’s Early Life

Gustaf Adolf (second from left) with his parents and siblings, 1912. source: Wikipedia

Prince Gustaf Adolf Oscar Fredrik Arthur Edmund of Sweden was the eldest son of the future King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden and his first wife, Princess Margaret of Connaught. He was born at the Royal Palace of Stockholm on April 22, 1906, and was soon joined by four younger siblings – Ingrid, Bertil, Sigvard, and Carl Johan. His education began privately at home and then he attended the Lundbergs School, a private boarding school in Värmland. After graduating in 1925, he began a military career, serving in the cavalry. He attended the Military Academy Karlberg and the War College, and later studied at Uppsala University and the Stockholm School of Economics.

In addition to his studies and military training, Gustaf Adolf (known within the family as Edmund) became quite skilled at both fencing and horse riding. He went on to become Swedish champion in saber fencing and competed in show jumping in the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin. He served as president of the Swedish Olympic Committee from 1933 until his death. He also was an avid steeplechase rider, although he later gave that sport up at the time of his marriage. Gustaf Adolf was also very involved with scouting, from the time he was a young boy. He remained involved his entire life, later serving as the first president of the Swedish Scouting Federation, and serving on the World Scout Committee.

Sibylla’s Early Life

Sibylla (center) with her parents and siblings, c1915. source: Wikipedia

Her Royal Highness Princess Sibylla Calma Marie Alice Bathildis Feodora of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was born at Schloss Friedenstein in Gotha on January 18, 1908. She was the second of five children of Carl Eduard, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (born Prince Charles Edward of Albany) and Princess Victoria Adelaide of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg. Her father was a grandson of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom (son of Victoria’s youngest son, Leopold, Duke of Albany), and her mother was a great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria’s half-sister, Feodora of Leiningen. Her siblings were Johann Leopold (1906-1972), Hubertus (1909-1943), Caroline Mathilde (1912-1983), and Friedrich Josias (1918-1998). At birth, she also held the title Princess of the United Kingdom, as her father was born a British prince.

Sibylla was educated at home, and then attended the Gymnasium Alexandrinum in Coburg, and then the Kunstgewerbeschule in Weimar, Saxony. During World War I, Sibylla’s father – despite being born a British prince – sided with the Germans as the reigning Duke of one of the German states. For this, his cousin, King George V of the United Kingdom had him stripped of the Order of the Garter which he had received in 1902. He was deposed in November 1918 and formally announced that he had “ceased to rule”, although he never technically abdicated. The family retained Schloss Callenberg in Coburg, as well as several other properties in Europe, and were given the right to live at Veste Coburg. They also received significant compensation for other lost possessions and properties.

In March 1919, the family was stripped of their British titles and peerages under the British Titles Deprivation Act. Sibylla lost her style of Royal Highness (which was derived from her father’s British title) and became simply Her Highness Princess Sibylla.

The Engagement

Despite being second cousins (both were great-grandchildren of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha), Gustaf Adolf and Sibylla did not meet until November 1931 at the wedding of Lady May Cambridge in London. Lady May was a first cousin of Sibylla and a second cousin of Gustaf Adolf. Sibylla and Gustaf Adolf’s sister, Ingrid, were both bridesmaids, and it was Ingrid who introduced them. A romance quickly developed, and soon there was much public speculation over a possible engagement.

Gustaf Adolf was very coy with the press, denying any engagement but still telling the media to “wait and see”. In mid-June 1932, he traveled to Coburg along with his sister Ingrid. Two days later, on June 16, after having received the formal consent of King Gustaf V of Sweden, the couple’s engagement was announced at Schloss Callenberg in Coburg.

Pre-Wedding Festivities

The Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, The Crown Prince of Sweden, Sibylla and Gustaf Adolf, The Crown Princess of Sweden, The Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

In the days leading up to the wedding, Sibylla and Gustaf Adolf, along with her parents, hosted a reception at the Veste Coburg for the press, who were able to find out many of the details of the wedding and see the display of wedding gifts. There were also several dinners and gala events, including a gala performance at the Opera, with many of the royal guests in attendance. In addition, a select few residents of Coburg were invited to attend as well.

Wedding Guests

Over sixty members of royal and noble families from Europe attended the wedding. One very prominent absentee was the groom’s grandfather, King Gustaf V, who refused to attend due to Coburg’s Nazi connections. He was instead officially represented by the Swedish Ambassador to Berlin. Some of the notable guests were:

The Groom’s Family
Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf and Crown Princess Louise
Prince Sigvard, Duke of Uppland
Princess Ingrid
Prince Bertil, Duke of Halland
Prince Carl Johan, Duke of Dalarna

The Bride’s Family
The Duke and Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Prince Johann Leopold
Prince Hubertus
Princess Caroline Mathilde
Prince Friedrich Josias

Royal Guests
Crown Prince Rupprecht of Bavaria
King Ferdinand of Bulgaria
Prince Harald of Denmark and Princess Helena Adelaide
Princess Feodora of Denmark
Princess Caroline-Mathilde of Denmark
Crown Prince Olav and Crown Princess Märtha of Norway
Grand Duchess Victoria Melita of Russia
Grand Duchess Kira Kirillovna of Russia
The Duke of Connaught
The Earl and Countess of Athlone

The Wedding Attire

For the church ceremony, the bride wore a simple gown of white silk satin with a long train. The train had belonged to Sibylla’s paternal grandmother, The Duchess of Albany, who had received it from Queen Victoria. Made of white satin, embroidered with silver and ostrich feathers, it was nine feet in length.

Another heirloom was her veil of Brussels lace. It had originally belonged to Queen Sofia, the consort of King Oscar II of Sweden (the great-grandparents of the groom), and has since become a traditional wedding bride for several Swedish brides. Instead of a tiara, Sibylla wore a crown of myrtle and flowers. She carried a bouquet of large white lilies.

The groom wore his uniform as a Lieutenant in the Swedish Guards, adorned with the sash and star of the Saxe-Ernestine House Order (of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha) and the star and insignia of the Swedish Order of the Seraphim and Order of the Sword.

The attendants wore simple white dresses, with pale blue shoes and white floral headdresses with blue ribbon. The blue matched the color of the groom’s regiment.

The Civil Ceremony

The civil ceremony took place on October 19, 1932, at the Coburg Castle. The brief ceremony was officiated by the Nazi Mayor of Coburg, Herr Franz Schwede. The groom wore a morning suit, while the bride wore a red wine dress. The Mayor gave a short speech, in which he recognized the joint effort of the Coburgers and the Swedes in defending the Coburg Castle during the Thirty Years’ War. He concluded that this must surely be a good omen for the success of the couple’s marriage.

Following the mayor’s speech, the marriage register was signed. Gustaf Adolf and Sibylla chose their fathers to serve as witnesses. The register was signed on a table that had originally belonged to Duke Ernst II of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, the older brother of the couple’s mutual great-grandfather, Prince Albert. After the ceremony, the couple drove to St. Moritz’s Church for the rehearsal of their religious wedding the following day.

That evening, Gustaf Adolf and Sibylla, along with their parents and royal guests, viewed a torchlight procession of members of various civil organizations dancers and musicians, as well as Nazi stormtroopers. This was followed by a private dinner at the castle.

The Religious Ceremony

The religious ceremony was held on October 20, 1932, at the St. Moritz Church in Coburg. In the very traditional Lutheran service, the bride was escorted down the aisle by her father, to Handle’s “Prelude”.

The bride and groom had the following attendants:

  • Princess Ingrid of Sweden
  • Grand Duchess Kira Kirillovna of Russia
  • Princess Feodora of Denmark
  • Princess Caroline of Denmark
  • Princess Marie Louise of Schleswig-Holstein
  • Countess Dagmar Bernadotte (trainbearer)
  • Prince Wilhelm of Prussia
  • Prince Alexander of Prussia
  • Prince Bertil of Sweden
  • Prince Sigvard of Sweden
  • Prince Carl Johan of Sweden
  • Prince Friedrich Josias of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (trainbearer)

The Wedding Banquet

Processing back to the castle (note the swastika displayed in the background). source: Wikipedia

Following the ceremony, the couple greeted the crowds gathered outside the church and then processed by car back to the Castle – with the roads lined with well-wishers – where a banquet was held in the Congress Hall. The guests dined on:

Wildsuppe von Fasan
(wild pheasant soup)

Seezungenfilet, gebacken, Rémouladensauce
(baked filet of sole with Rémoulade sauce)

Tarteletten mit Gänseleberpastete
(Tartelettes with goose liver pate)

Poularden, gebraten, Erbsengemüse, Kompott, Salat
(fried poulard with peas, compote and salad)

Wallsee Pudding

Käsegebäck
(Cheese pastry)

Return to Sweden

Haga Palace. photo By Holger.Ellgaard – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4389507

Gustaf Adolf and Sibylla spent a month honeymooning in Italy before returning to Sweden. They sailed into Trelleborg on November 24 and took the train to Stockholm, arriving the next day and being greeted by the Prime Minister and members of the Royal Family. They traveled by motorcade to the Royal Palace, where a Te Deum was held in the Royal Chapel. The following day, a reception was held in the Apartments of the Orders of Chivalry in the palace, followed by a musical performance in the Hall of State and then dinner in the White Sea Ballroom. The next day, a gala performance was held at the Royal Opera.

Tragically, Gustaf Adolf was killed in a plane crash in 1947, leaving Sibylla widowed with five young children. She continued to take a very active role in the Swedish Royal Family, and after the death of Queen Louise in 1965, she served as the first lady for her father-in-law. Sibylla died in November 1972, just ten months before her son succeeded to the throne as King Carl XVI Gustaf.

Children

Gustaf Adolf and Sibylla with their five children in 1946; Credit – Wikipedia

Gustaf Adolf and Sibylla had four daughters and one son:

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.