Yearly Archives: 2017

June 1917: Royalty and World War I

by Susan Flantzer

  • King Constantine I of Greece Deposed
  • Timeline: June 1, 1917 – June 30, 1917
  • A Note About German Titles
  • June 1917 – Royals/Nobles/Peers/Sons of Peers Who Died In Action

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King Constantine I of Greece Deposed

King Constantine I of Greece; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

King Constantine I of Greece was born on August 2, 1868 in Athens, Greece. Constantine’s birth was met with great joy in Greece as he would be the first Greek-born child of a modern Greek monarch. He was the eldest of the eight children of King George I and his wife Grand Duchess Olga Konstantinovna of Russia, daughter of Grand Duke Konstantine Nikolaievich who was a son of Tsar Nicholas I of Russia. Constantine’s father was born Prince Vilhelm (William) of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg and later became a Prince of Denmark when his father succeeded to the Danish throne as King Christian IX. When he was only 17 years old, Prince Vilhelm was elected King by the Greek National Assembly.

On October 27, 1889 in Athens, Greece, Constantine married Princess Sophie of Prussia, the seventh of the eight children of Friedrich III, German Emperor and King of Prussia and Victoria, Princess Royal, and a granddaughter of Queen Victoria. Sophie and Constantine had become engaged shortly after the death of Sophie’s father in 1888 when her brother Wilhelm succeeded their father as Wilhelm II, German Emperor and King of Prussia. Sophie and Constantine had six children including three kings of Greece (George II, Alexander I, and Paul I). On March 18, 1913, Constantine’s father King George I was assassinated and he acceded to the Greek throne as King Constantine I.

Constantine’s family circa 1910, Top left: Constantine holding Irene, Top right: the future George II, Left: Sophie, Center: Helen, Right: the future Alexander I, Front: the future Paul I, Katherine is not yet born; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

At first, Constantine was a popular king because of his success in the Balkan Wars of 1912-1913. Early in World War I, Constantine had rejected a request from his brother-in-law Wilhelm II that Greece should join Germany and the Central Powers in the war. Many Greek people thought that German-born Sophie, Constantine’s wife and Wilhelm II’s sister, supported Germany, but she was actually pro-British. Like her father, Sophie had been influenced by her mother, the British-born Victoria, Princess Royal. Greek Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos was strongly pro-Allies, having established excellent rapport with the British and French, and was convinced that German aggression had caused the war. Constantine had decided upon a policy of neutrality because it seemed the best was to ensure that Greece would emerge from the World War I intact and with the substantial territorial gains it had won in the recent Balkan Wars. The disagreement between King Constantine I and Prime Minister Venizelos was called “The National Schism” and would have repercussions in Greek politics until past World War II.

Constantine with Eleftherios Venizelos in 1913; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Despite the popularity of Venizelos and his clear majority in Parliament for supporting the Allies, Constantine continued to oppose the Prime Minister. In 1913, after the Balkan Wars, Greece had signed the Greek–Serbian Alliance which obliged each country to come to the other’s aid should either be attacked. When Austria-Hungary invaded Serbia, Venizelos wanted to mobilize the Greek army and enter the war on the side of the Allies, but was met with the refusal of Constantine, who was popularly considered to be a German sympathizer. In an attempt to force the king’s hand, Venizelos allowed a British-French force to land in Thessaloniki, Greece in 1915 in order to aid the Serbs, establishing the Salonica Front. Constantine’s constant refusal to allow Greece to fulfill its treaty commitments led to the resignation of Venizelos as Prime Minister in September 1915.

King Constantine I of Greece in the uniform of a German Field Marshal, a rank awarded to him by German Emperor Wilhelm II in 1913; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Protests began to occur in Greece and threats on Constantine’s life were received. In July 1916, arsonists, possibly at the instigation of the Greek secret police, attempted to kill Constantine and some members of the Greek royal family while they were at Tatoi Palace, the summer palace outside Athens. The forest surrounding the palace was set on fire and due to the hot, dry weather, the fire quickly spread. Tatoi Palace was burned down, sixteen people were killed, and Constantine was injured but managed to escape with his family.

In August 1916, an Allied-supported popular revolt broke out in Thessaloniki. There, the former Prime Minister, Venizelos established a provisional revolutionary government, which declared war on the Central Powers. With Allied support, the revolutionary government of Venizelos gained control of half the country.

In the Royal Palace in Athens, Constantine was basically a prisoner. Only the veto of Russia’s Tsar Nicholas II prevented the British and French from deposing Constantine. That changed with the Russian Revolution in March 1917 when Nicholas II abdicated. In May 1917, supporters of Venizelos protested, calling upon the government in Athens to depose Constantine. The government in Athens realized that is was inevitable that this would happen. On June 10, 1917, the Allied High Commissioner Charles Jonnart required King Constantine I to abdicate on the grounds that he had violated his oath to rule as a constitutional monarch. The Allies were opposed to Constantine’s eldest son George becoming king. George had served in the German army and was viewed as having German sympathies.

At a Crown Council in the Royal Palace, Constantine explained that he would leave because Athens would be a bloodbath if he did not. He named his second son Alexander his successor with the understanding that he would return to Greece after the war. The 23-year-old Alexander was horrified. Constantine explained that he was holding the throne in trust for his father and his elder brother. Neither Constantine or his son George would sign any renunciation of succession. On June 11, 1917, Constantine left Greece for exile in neutral Switzerland and on June 30, 1917, Greece officially declared war on the Central Powers.

The rest of the story…

King Alexander was bitten by a monkey while walking in the grounds of Tatoi Palace on October 2, 1920. Thinking it was not serious, he had the wound cleaned and dressed, but it soon became infected. He developed septicemia, became delirious with fever, and died on October 25, 1920 at the age of 27.

On December 19, 1920, a plebiscite was held and nearly 99% of votes were in favor of Constantine returning to the throne. He ruled until September 27, 1922 when an army revolt caused him to abdicate in favor of his eldest son King George II. Constantine died shortly afterward, on January 11, 1923 in Palermo, Sicily, Italy at the age of 54 from a brain hemorrhage.

Read more about the Greek Royal Family at Unofficial Royalty: Greek Royals

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Timeline: June 1, 1917 – June 30, 1917

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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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June 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.

Lieutenant The Honorable Gerald George Samuel

The poem below was found in Samuel’s belongings after his death.

Consolation by Gerald George Samuel

Oh! I sigh when I think of the men
In the trenches of Flanders and France;
And I dream of the days of romance,
Of the bow and the shield and the lance,
And the chivalrous tales than pen
Of a poet could celebrate then.

For the brutal inventions of crime
Are the weapons of battle today;
And the guns that remorselessly slay
Blow the ramparts and shelters way,
And there in the mud and the slime
Are the heroes who fall in their prime.

And I grieve for the widows who weep,
And the parents and orphans forlorn,
And the hearts that in anguish are torn;
And yet it is idle to mourn
For the dead are serenely asleep,
And our faith in the Lord we must keep.

For the faith that is steadfast and clear,
Brings to the sorrowing hearts the reward
That our belief in our God can afford.
They are happy who trust in the Lord;
They find comfort to whom he is dead
And know that his spirit is near.

Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing in Ypres, Belgium; Photo Credit – By Johan Bakker – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16483671

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Rifleman The Honorable Norton Humphrey Adderley

Wedding of King Alfonso XIII of Spain and Princess Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

 

King Alfonso XIII of Spain and Princess Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg were married on May 31, 1906, at the Royal Monastery of San Jerónimo in Madrid, Spain.

King Alfonso XIII of Spain’s Background

King Alfonso XIII of Spain with his mother and sisters, 1897; Credit – Wikipedia

On November 25, 1885, three days before his 28th birthday, King Alfonso XII of Spain died from tuberculosis at the Royal Palace of El Pardo in Madrid, leaving two daughters and his queen pregnant with her third child. It was decided that Alfonso’s widow, born Archduchess Maria Christina of Austria, would rule as regent until the child was born. If the child were a male, he would become king and if the child were a female, Alfonso and Maria Christina’s elder daughter María Mercedes would become queen.

On May 17, 1886, Maria Christina gave birth to a son. King Alfonso XIII of Spain was the Spanish sovereign from his birth until the establishment of the Second Spanish Republic on April 14, 1931. He was given the names Alfonso León Fernando María Jaime Isidro Pascual Antonio de Borbón y Habsburgo-Lorena. His mother would remain Regent until Alfonso turned 16 and took control of the monarchy. He had two older sisters:

  • Infanta Mercedes, Princess of Asturias (1880 – 1904)
  • Infanta Maria Teresa (1882 -1912)

During Maria Christina’s regency, Spain lost its colonial rule over Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines to the United States as a result of the Spanish-American War (1898). In 1902, at the age of sixteen, Alfonso XIII was declared of legal age and assumed the constitutional role of head of state. The week of his sixteenth birthday was marked by festivities, bullfights, balls, and celebrations throughout Spain.

Princess Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg’s Background

Princess Victoria Eugenie with her mother and brothers, 1900; Credit – Wikipedia

Princess Victoria Eugenie Julia Ena of Battenberg (known as Ena, which will be used in the rest of the article) was born on October 24, 1887, at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, the only daughter of Prince Henry of Battenberg and Princess Beatrice of the United Kingdom, the youngest daughter of Queen Victoria. She had three brothers:

  • Prince Alexander of Battenberg, later Alexander Mountbatten, Marquess of Carisbrooke (1886-1960)
  • Prince Leopold of Battenberg, later Lord Leopold Mountbatten (1889-1922), hemophilia sufferer
  • Prince Maurice of Battenberg (1891-1914), killed in action during World War I

Raised in her grandmother’s household, the family moved constantly between Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, Balmoral Castle, and Osborne House. In January 1896, Ena’s father died of malaria while en route to fight in the Ashanti War. Following his death, Queen Victoria gave the family apartments at Kensington Palace where they lived while in London. After Queen Victoria’s death in 1901, Kensington Palace became their primary residence, along with Osborne Cottage on the grounds of Osborne House.

The Engagement

 

In 1905, nineteen-year-old King Alfonso XIII of Spain toured Europe seeking a bride, and he made a stop in the United Kingdom where the press speculated that Queen Victoria’s granddaughter Princess Patricia of Connaught, known as Patsy, would most likely catch Alfonso’s eye. At a dinner at Buckingham Palace, Queen Victoria’s eligible granddaughters were seated around the dinner table, all aware that they had the possibility of being the next Queen of Spain. Alfonso had been seated next to Queen Victoria’s daughter Princess Helena who answered his questions about the princesses. When his eyes fell on seventeen-year-old blonde Ena, Alfonso was immediately smitten and asked, “And who is that young lady with the nearly white hair?”

Alfonso saw the tall, blond, dignified Ena again the next night at a reception. However, he forgot her name and referred to her as “the fair-haired one” and his feelings were reciprocated by Ena. A ball was held at Buckingham Palace on the third evening and it was the first time Alfonso and Ena could speak privately with each other. Because Alfonso’s English was limited and Ena spoke no Spanish, they spoke French. While dancing together, Alfonso asked Ena if she collected postcards, a common hobby for well-born women. When Ena said she did, Alfonso promised he would send her some postcards if she promised to reply.

After the London visit, the couple exchanged letters and Alfonso regularly sent her postcards, and it was through this correspondence that their courtship developed. However, there were several problematic issues. The first issue was religion. Alfonso was Catholic while Ena was Protestant. It was unthinkable that a Queen of Spain not be Roman Catholic. The second issue was the potential of Ena bringing hemophilia into the Spanish royal family. As Ena’s brother Leopold suffered from the disease, there was a chance that Ena herself was a carrier. Today we know that there was a 50% chance that Ena would be a hemophilia carrier. However, with little known about the disease at the time, Alfonso did not seem too concerned. The third obstacle was Alfonso’s mother, Maria Christina. She did not feel the Battenbergs were royal enough due to the morganatic marriage which started that family and wanted her son to marry a member of the Habsburg dynasty of Austria.

Nevertheless, Ena and Alfonso met again in Biarritz, France in January 1906 where they became unofficially engaged. Six days later, Ena went to Spain for the first time and met Alfonso’s mother at Miramar Palace in San Sebastian, Basque Country, Spain. Maria Christina finally agreed to her son’s choice of a bride and sent a letter to Princess Beatrice, Ena’s mother, telling her about the love Alfonso felt for her daughter and seeking unofficial contact with King Edward VII, Beatrice’s brother and Ena’s uncle. Several days later at Windsor Castle, King Edward congratulated his niece on her future engagement.

Ena agreed to convert to Roman Catholicism and she started religious instruction with Monsignor Robert Brindle, Bishop of Nottingham. She was officially received into the Roman Catholic Church on March 7, 1906, at Miramar Palace, and the engagement was officially announced on the same day. On April 3, 1906, King Edward VII elevated his niece’s style from “Her Highness” to “Her Royal Highness” thereby softening Maria Christina’s objection that the Battenbergs were not royal enough.

The terms of the marriage were settled by two agreements, a public treaty and a private contractual arrangement. The treaty was executed between Spain and the United Kingdom in London on May 7, 1906. One of the provisions of the treaty stated that Ena “forfeits forever all hereditary rights of succession to the Crown and Government of Great Britain.” This was solely because by marrying and becoming a Roman Catholic, Ena lost any right to inherit the British crown as a consequence of the Act of Settlement 1701. Any of Ena’s descendants who did not become Roman Catholic or marry a Roman Catholic would remain in the line of succession to the British Throne.

Wedding Preparations

Royal Palace of Madrid; Photo Credit – By Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=42954029

On May 24, 1906, Ena arrived in France onboard a British warship and took a special train to the Spanish border where she was met by Alfonso, the Spanish Prime Minister and the Spanish Foreign Minister who accompanied her to the Royal Palace of El Pardo in the Fuencarral-El Pardo district of Madrid. Enormous crowds assembled outside the gates of Pardo Palace and greeted the king and their future queen with loud cheering and cries of “Long live the King!” and “Long live the Queen!” Once they entered the palace, the gates were opened and the crowds were admitted to the palace grounds. Alfonso appeared on the palace balcony holding Ena’s hand, thrilling the crowd. Later in the evening, Alfonso returned to the Royal Palace of Madrid and Ena stayed at Pardo Palace with her mother until the wedding.

The Royal Palace of Madrid was a scene of constant reception of arriving delegations, many of them bringing splendid presents. Presents already fill three large salons at the palace. On May 29, 1906, many foreign royals and envoys arrived in Madrid. That night, festivities were held at Pardo Palace for guests, including a theater performance.

The streets of Madrid were colorful and full of activity. Trains continued to arrive with thousands of Spaniards and foreigners and the streets were packed with throngs of people in bright summer attire. The streets along the cortege route were colorfully decorated with floral arches, British and Spanish flags, and floral garlands on balconies. 1,200 tons of flowers had been ordered from the Canary Islands and parks and other public places were transformed into gardens by planting thousands of palms and rose bushes. Many buildings were decorated with huge crowns that sparkled at night with electric lights. Even the trolleys were decorated with streamers.

Alfonso’s presented jewelry to Ena said to be worth over one million dollars (in 1906 dollars!) including a gold crown with brilliant-cut diamonds to be worn on state occasions; a diadem; two collars (necklaces), one of pearls and the other of rubies and sapphires; a pair of gold bracelets; a pair of magnificent pendants; and a large diamond brooch. Ena gave Alfonso an exquisite jeweled sword designed in Toledo, Spain.

Wedding Guests

The Prince and Princess of Wales (the future King George V and Queen Mary of the United Kingdom) arriving at the church; Photo Credit – Archivo HUM historia urbana de Madrid

Below is a list of some of the wedding guests. It is assumed that spouses of guests were also invited, but the only spouses listed are the ones found in sources.

Family of the Groom

  • Queen Maria Christina, mother of the groom
  • Infante Carlos de Borbón y Borbón, brother-in-law of the groom
  • Infante Alfonso de Borbón-Dos Sicilias y Borbón, nephew of the groom, heir presumptive to the Spanish throne
  • Infanta Isabel Alfonsa de Borbón, niece of the groom
  • Infanta Isabel de Borbón y Borbon, Countess of Girgenti, aunt of the groom
  • Infanta Maria de la Paz de Borbón y Borbón, Princess of Bavaria, aunt of the groom
  • Infante Fernando de Baviera y Borbón, cousin of the groom
  • Princess Pilar of Bavaria, cousin of the groom
  • Infanta Eulalia de Borbón y Borbón, Princess of Orleans, aunt of the groom
  • Infante Alfonso de Orleáns, cousin of the groom
  • Prince Genaro de Borbón-Dos Sicilias, distant cousin of the groom
  • Prince Raniero de Borbón-Dos Sicilias, distant cousin of the groom
  • Prince Philip, de Borbón-Dos Sicilias, distant cousin of the groom

Family of the Bride

  • Princess Beatrice of the United Kingdom, mother of the bride
  • Prince Alexander of Battenberg, brother of the bride
  • Prince Leopold of Battenberg, brother of the bride
  • Prince Maurice de Battenberg, brother of the bride
  • The Prince of Wales, cousin of the bride, and The Princess of Wales (future King George V and Queen Mary)
  • The Dowager Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Dowager Duchess of Edinburgh, aunt of the bride
  • Princess Beatrice of Edinburgh and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, cousin of the bride
  • Princess Alice of Albany, cousin of the bride, and her husband Prince Alexander of Teck
  • Princess Maria Carolina of Battenberg, Princess of Erbach-Schönberg, aunt of the bride

Foreign Princes

  • Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria (heir to the Austrian-Hungarian throne) and his wife Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg
  • Prince Albert of Belgium (future King Albert I of the Belgians)
  • Crown Prince Constantine of Greece (future King Constantine I of Greece) and Crown Princess Sophie (born Princess Sophie of Prussia), cousin of the bride
  • Prince Andrew of Greece
  • Hereditary Prince Louis of Monaco (future Louis II, Prince of Monaco)
  • Prince Heinrich of Prussia, cousin of the bride
  • Prince Friedrich Wilhelm of Prussia
  • Prince Albrecht of Prussia, Regent of Brunswick
  • Prince Luís Filipe, Duke of Braganza (heir apparent to the throne of Portugal)
  • Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich and his wife Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia
  • Prince Tommaso of Savoy, 2nd Duke of Genoa
  • Prince Eugen of Sweden, Duke of Närke

Other Guests

  • Segismundo Moret, President of the Council of Ministers
  • Álvaro de Figueroa y Torres, Count of Romanones, Minister of Interior
  • Juan Manuel Sánchez Gutiérrez de Castro, Duke of Almodovar, Minister of State
  • Manuel García Prieto, Minister of Justice
  • Amós Salvador Rodrigáñez, Minister of Finance
  • Agustín de Luque y Coca, Minister of War
  • Víctor María Concas, Minister of the Navy
  • Vicente Santamaría de Paredes, Minister of Education and Fine Arts
  • Antonio de Aguilar y Correa, Marquis de la Vega de Armijo, President of the Congress of Deputies
  • José López Domínguez, President of the Senate
  • Ciriaco Sancha and Hervás, Archbishop of Toledo
  • José María Martín de Herrera, Archbishop of Santiago de Compostela
  • Salvador Casañas and Pagés, Bishop of Barcelona
  • José María Salvador y Barrera, Bishop of Madrid-Alcalá
  • Eduardo Martínez del Campo and Acosta, President of the Supreme Court
  • Carlos Martinez de Irujo y Alcáza, Duke of Sotomayor, Majordomo of the King
  • Manuel Falcó y Osorio, Marquis de la Mina, Equerry of the King
  • Sir Maurice de Bunsen, British Ambassador to Madrid
  • Luis Polo de Bernabé, Spanish Ambassador to London
  • William Miller Collier, American Ambassador to Madrid
  • Frederick Wallingford Whitridge, American Special Envoy

Wedding Attire

Ena’s Wedding Dress; Credit – http://www.theroyalforums.com

Ena’s wedding dress was made by the Madrid dressmaker L. Heroe, who submitted several designs to Alfonso and Ena for their approval. The fabric was white duchesse satin which was embroidered by hand. In addition, point d’aiguille Brussels lace was used on the dress, veil, and train.

The bodice and skirt were embroidered with intertwined wreaths of silver roses and orange blossoms, bordered with fleur-de-lys, a symbol of the House of Bourbon. To support the enormous train, there was a court mantle, also of white satin and with the same decorations as the dress. In accordance with the strict observance of the Roman Catholic Church in Spain, the dress did not expose the bride’s decolletage or shoulders. The entire dress was given to the shrine of Nuestra Señora de la Paloma (Our Lady of the Dove) in a poor part of Madrid.

Ena wore a tiara resting on a wreath of orange blossoms. The impressive tiara, a wedding gift from Alfonso and known as “The Fleur-de-Lys Tiara”, is still in the possession of the Spanish royal family and is nicknamed “La Buena” (“The Good One”).  Set in platinum, the tiara features three large fleur-de-lys motifs, each filled with large round diamonds, and connected by swirls and scrolls of larger-sized diamonds.   The tiara is part of the jewelry that is passed down to Queens of Spain. Queen Sofia, the wife of King Juan Carlos I of Spain, often wore the tiara and Queen Letizia, the wife of King Felipe VI, continued the tradition of wearing the tiara.

 Queen Letizia wearing the Fleur-de-Lys Tiara in February 2017

 

King Alfonso XIII wore the Spanish Army’s Field Marshal uniform with the blue and white sash of the Order of Carlos II. On his uniform, wore the Order of the Golden Fleece and British Order of the Garter.

Wedding Ceremony

Alfonso and Ena leaving the church

Earlier in the morning, Ena and her mother traveled from Pardo Palace to the Ministry of Marine in the center of Madrid where they would prepare for the wedding. At 8:30 AM, the wedding procession started at the Royal Palace. Church bells were ringing, artillery salutes were firing and crowds of cheering people lined the procession route.

The crowds were thrilled when the royal coaches, each drawn by eight white horses with golden and silver harnesses wearing colored plumage on their heads, appeared: the Amaranth Coach for the ladies-in-waiting, the Cypher Coach for the lords-in-waiting, the Coach of the Ducal Crown for the Infantas and Infantes, and then and the Shell Coach for Queen Mother Maria Christina. Next came the Grandees of Spain, the highest-ranking members of the Spanish nobility, in twenty-five coaches drawn by only two horses according to the Spanish protocol. The coaches of the visiting foreign royalty followed.

Next came a coach bearing a royal crown carrying King Alfonso XIII, his witness Infante Carlos de Borbón y Borbón, the widower of Alfonso’s elder sister María de las Mercedes, and four-year-old Infante Alfonso de Borbón-Dos Sicilias y Borbón, son of Carlos and María de las Mercedes, nephew of the groom, and heir presumptive to the Spanish throne.

Immediately following the king’s coach came the bride’s procession with more gala coaches carrying the lords and ladies-in-waiting and princes and princesses of the House of Battenberg. Finally in a beautiful mahogany coach, came Princess Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg (Ena) with her mother Princess Beatrice of the United Kingdom.

The Royal Monastery of San Jerónimo was regally decorated. Over the entrance was a huge canopy of red and yellow velvet embroidered with Spanish heraldic symbols and supported by gold-tipped lances. Royal guards and halberdiers stood awaiting. As the procession entered the church, the Spanish national anthem was played.

Inside the church, a majestic canopy with the arms of Spain in gold embroidery hung over a raised dais on the left side of the altar. On the dais, was a throne and two beautiful gilded armchairs with silk cushions. On the opposite side of the altar were gilded chairs for Queen Maria Christina, Princess Beatrice, the Spanish Infantas and Infants, and the members of the Battenberg family. Besides them were the foreign princes and princesses.

Credit – http://www.fororeal.net/bodasreyes.htm

As the royal procession entered the church, the congregation stood and a 200-voice choir sang a processional march. Alfonso looked calm and happy, but as usual, slightly pale. Ena entered with her mother, eldest brother, and Queen Maria Christina. Alfonso advanced to meet Ena and they stood together as the ceremony, officiated by Cardinal Ciriaco Sancha, Archbishop of Toledo, began. The hour-long ceremony ended with the Papal Nuncio, the Pope’s representative in Spain, pronouncing the papal blessing of the newlyweds and the chanting of the Te Deum, a hymn of praise.

The Bombing

Photograph taken moments after the assassination attempt on Alfonso and Ena on their wedding day; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

At the end of the ceremony, the newlyweds left the church while the joyful crowds cheered, church bells rang, and cannons boomed. Alfonso and Ena entered the royal coach for the journey through the streets back to the Royal Palace. Crowds along the route shouted, “Long live Queen Victoria!” However, the happy day soon turned into a tragic day when a bomb, concealed in a floral bouquet, was thrown at the royal coach from a third-floor window of an inn on Calle Major, a main street in Madrid.

Building from where the bomb was thrown; Credit – By Basilio – Treball propi, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17730999

The bomb hit the ground and exploded to the right of the royal coach between the last pair of horses and the front wheels of the coach. It would have hit the coach and most likely killed Alfonso and Ena if the bomb had not been deflected by an electric wire. Alfonso and Ena were not hurt, but the bomb killed 23 people and injured more than 100. Blood of the victims had spattered Ena’s wedding dress. Screams of the terrified crowd combined the groans of the injured and dying.

The dead included the Marchioness of Colosa and her fourteen-year-old daughter, Don Antonio Calvo and his six-year-old niece, Captain Barros who commanded the king’s escort, two other officers and six soldiers, a groom who was leading the horses, and two of the horses who were drawing the royal coach.

The sound and shock of the explosion were massive. The Duke of Cornachuelos immediately rushed forward, opened the door of the royal coach, and helped out Alfonso and Ena, who entered another coach and were quickly taken to the Royal Palace. The next day, Alfonso and Ena appeared in public in an open automobile without a military guard to reassure the people of Madrid.

Mateu Morral Roca, a Catalan anarchist, was responsible for the bombing. After the bombing, Morral tried to get lost in the crowd and was then helped and hidden by journalist José Nakens. Morral managed to escape from Madrid with the help of Nakens, but on June 2, 1906, he was recognized by several people in a village near Torrejón de Ardoz where he stopped to eat. These people warned a local policeman and after some inquiries, the policeman decided to follow Morral.

What happened next is unclear. The official investigation says that Morral surrendered peacefully, but while he was being led by the policeman to the Torrejón de Ardoz jail, Morral shot dead the policeman and then died by suicide. However, a forensic examination of the four photographs taken of Morral’s corpse indicates that the bullet wound in his chest is incompatible with both a close-shot range and the Browning pistol Morral allegedly carried.

Children

 Queen Victoria Eugenie in 1918, with her six children: (from left to right) Infanta Maria Cristina, Alfonso, Prince of Asturias, Infante Gonzalo, Infante Juan, Infante Jaime, and Infanta Beatriz

Alfonso and Ena had six children:

Afterword

Unfortunately, Alfonso and Ena’s marriage was not a happy one. After the birth of their first son Alfonso in 1907, it was discovered that he was suffering from hemophilia. Despite having known the risks beforehand, King Alfonso blamed Ena, and it began a rift in their marriage that would never fully heal. Their fourth and last son Gonzalo also had the disease. Both hemophiliac sons died young from internal bleeding after separate car accidents. See Unofficial Royalty: Hemophilia in Queen Victoria’s Descendants.

From 1914 on, Alfonso had several mistresses and fathered five illegitimate children. A sixth illegitimate child had born before his marriage. Following the establishment of the Second Spanish Republic in 1931, the family went into exile. Settling first in France, and then Italy, the couple eventually went their separate ways. Alfonso remained in Rome, while Ena eventually settled in Switzerland.

On January 15, 1941, feeling that his life was coming to an end, Alfonso formally abdicated his claim to the defunct Spanish throne in favor of his third son, Juan, Count of Barcelona, the father of King Juan Carlos I of Spain. His two older sons, Alfonso who had hemophilia and Jaime who was deaf, had both renounced their claims to the throne in the early 1930s. Just weeks later, on February 28, 1941, King Alfonso XIII died at the Grand Hotel in Rome.

In February 1968, Ena returned to Spain for the first time since going into exile in 1931. Staying at the Palace of Liria with her goddaughter, the Duchess of Alba, Ena was there to serve as godmother to her new great-grandson, the future King Felipe VI. Her trip to Spain would be one of her last public appearances. She returned to her home in Switzerland, and soon her health began to fail. Ena died on April 15, 1969, at her home, surrounded by her family.

Both Alfonso and Ena were buried outside of Spain due to the rule of dictator Francisco Franco. In 1969, Franco formally named Alfonso and Ena’s grandson Juan Carlos as his successor, giving him the newly created title ‘The Prince of Spain’. Franco died on November 22, 1975, and Juan Carlos was proclaimed King of Spain. Eventually, both Alfonso and Ena’s remains were returned to Spain where they were interred in the Pantheon of the Kings in the Royal Crypt of the Monastery of El Escorial.

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 

  • “ALFONSO PREDICTS ASSASSIN’s SUCCESS; Is Resigned, But Regrets He Brought Victoria To Spain. BOMB THROWER’s SUICIDE Morales Killed A Guard Before He Killed Himself — Was Intercepted By An Observant Watchman.”. Query.nytimes.com. N.p., 2017. Web. 8 May 2017.
  • “Boda De Alfonso XIII Con Victoria Eugenia De Battenberg”. Es.wikipedia.org. N.p., 2017. Web. 8 May 2017.
  • Dennison, Matthew. The Last Princess. 1st ed. Print.
  • “Diamond Tiara Fleur De Lys Ansorena | Wedding Gift Jewels| Royal Marriage Presents | Queen Victoria Eugenie Of Spain”. Royal-magazin.de. N.p., 2017. Web. 12 May 2017.
  • Duff, David. The Shy Princess. 1st ed. London: Muller, 1974. Print.
  • “FLOWER-STREWN STREETS FOR ALFONSO’s WEDDING; 1,200 Tons Of Blossoms Ordered From The Canaries. HOTELS CHARGING $25 DAILY Bride To Drive To The Church In A Coach Of Tortoise Shell Drawn By Eight White Horses.”. Query.nytimes.com. N.p., 2017. Web. 8 May 2017.
  • Gelardi, Julia P. Born To Rule. 1st ed. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2006. Print.
  • “King Alfonso XIII Of Spain”. Unofficial Royalty. N.p., 2017. Web. 8 May 2017.
  • “MADRID ENTHUSIASTIC OVER ALFONSO’s BRIDE; Princess Ena Is Acclaimed By Enormous Crowds. ROAD STREWN WITH FLOWERS The King, With His Ministers, Meets His Fiancee At The Frontier And Accompanies Her To The Capital.”. Query.nytimes.com. N.p., 2017. Web. 8 May 2017.
  • “MADRID FETES GO ON AMID FEAR AND GLOOM; King And Queen Drive Unattended In An Automobile. WEYLER SERIOUSLY INJURED Twenty Killed On Thursday And Five Of The Wounded Are Dying — An Englishman Arrested.”. Query.nytimes.com. N.p., 2017. Web. 8 May 2017.
  • “Mateo Morral”. Es.wikipedia.org. N.p., 2017. Web. 13 May 2017.
  • “PRINCES REACH MADRID FOR ALFONSO’s WEDDING; British, German, Russian, And Other Royalties There. OUR SPECIAL ENVOY ARRIVES City Beautifully Decorated — Performance At The Pardo Theatre — Ascension Of Twelve Balloons.”. Query.nytimes.com. N.p., 2017. Web. 8 May 2017.
  • “PRINCESS ENA SAVES A CRIMINAL’s LIFE; Pardon Arrives As The March To The Scaffold Is To Begin. WEDDING DRESS IS SPANISH Only The Lace Imported — Cabinet Ministers Are Enthusiastic Over The King’s Bride.”. Query.nytimes.com. N.p., 2017. Web. 8 May 2017.
  • “SPANIARDS CAPTIVATED BY ALFONSO’s FIANCEE; All Classes Share The Admiration For Princess Ena. KING’s SPLENDID PRESENTS Sovereign Gives Jewels Worth Over $1,000,000 To His Bride — Palace For The American Envoy.”. Query.nytimes.com. N.p., 2017. Web. 8 May 2017.
  • “SPLENDID WEDDING CORTEGE.; Brilliant Scenes In The Streets — The Marriage Ceremony.”. Query.nytimes.com. N.p., 2017. Web. 8 May 2017.
  • “Victoria Eugenie Of Battenberg”. En.wikipedia.org. N.p., 2017. Web. 8 May 2017.
  • “Victoria Eugenie Of Battenberg, Queen Of Spain”. Unofficial Royalty. N.p., 2017. Web. 8 May 2017.

Royal Wedding Flashbacks

source: Daily Mail

They say that everyone loves a wedding. Well here at Unofficial Royalty, there’s nothing we like more than a Royal Wedding!

For many years, royal weddings were small private events, with only a handful of family and guests in attendance. Fortunately for us, that has all changed and royal weddings are now often State Events with carriage processions, balcony appearances and live-streaming media coverage broadcast around the world. (How many of us were awake in the wee hours of the morning to watch Lady Diana Spencer, traveling to St. Paul’s Cathedral in the Glass Coach for her wedding to The Prince of Wales?)

For some to order Kamagra OTC, they also need to be avoided by women as they are specifically meant for men with deeprootsmag.org discount viagra ED. Improve Heart Health Having a cialis 20 mg poor cardiovascular health Erectile dysfunction is defined as the inability to maintain erection. Calivita natural products helpful viagra sample free http://deeprootsmag.org/2013/02/12/when-robert-mitchum-was-like-so/ in biliary dyskinesia – Natural supplements based on lecithin extracted from soy, as Super Soya Lecithin – 100 caps, are effective in reducing inflammation, which in turn can provide a certain degree of pain relief. Build relationships with loved ones, create achievable goals for yourself, and put yourself in situations where you can exercise your personal strengths and abilities; viagra generico 5mg it will help you experience greater feelings of satisfaction.

And let’s not forget the hundreds of invited guests! Today, most royal weddings are a virtual “who’s who” of royalty from around the world.

With June being a popular month for weddings, we’ve decided to spend the month looking back at some of the many royal weddings. Each day this month, we’ll be featuring a different royal wedding from Europe and beyond.  We’re even starting a day early because there are just so many royal weddings we want to highlight!

Be sure to check back tomorrow – and every day this month – and join in on the discussions over on our Forums. Stop by and tell us what you’re favorite wedding is!

Wives of Robert II, King of Scots: Elizabeth Mure and Euphemia de Ross, Queen of Scots

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2017

Robert II, King of Scots from the Forman Armorial produced for Mary, Queen of Scots; Credit – Wikipedia

Robert II, King of Scots, the first monarch of the House of Stewart, had two wives. Elizabeth Mure died before Robert became king and Euphemia de Ross was his only Queen Consort.

Elizabeth Mure

The first wife of Robert II, King of Scots, Elizabeth Mure was probably born at Rowallan Castle near Kilmaurs, a village in East Ayrshire, Scotland. Her parents were Sir Adam Mure of Rowallan and Janet Mure of Pokellie. Elizabeth died before her husband became king.

Rowallan Castle; Photo Credit – By VERNON MONAGHAN, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9552921

Robert Stewart, the future Robert II, King of Scots, was born in 1316. He was the only child of Walter Stewart, 6th High Steward of Scotland and Marjorie Bruce, the daughter of Robert I the Bruce, King of Scots. Marjorie died in childbirth at age 19. She was thrown from her horse and went into premature labor and died soon after delivering her son Robert. Robert was heir presumptive to the throne of Scotland as his uncle David II, King of Scots, the son of Robert I’s second marriage, was childless. Upon the death of his father in 1327, Robert Stewart became the 7th High Steward of Scotland.

At first, Elizabeth was the mistress of Robert Stewart. The couple married in 1346, but the marriage was not in agreement with the Canon Law of the Roman Catholic Church. After receiving a papal dispensation, the couple remarried. The children born before their marriage were legitimized. Despite the legitimization of Elizabeth’s children, there were family disputes over her children’s right to the crown.

Elizabeth and Robert’s daughter Jean Stewart and her second husband Sir John Lyon, Lord of Glamis had one son Sir John Lyon. Through him, Jean, and therefore Elizabeth Mure and Robert II, are ancestors of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, formerly Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon.  The elder Sir John was a courtier and diplomat, who was appointed Keeper of the Privy Seal upon the accession of Robert II in 1371. The following year, Robert II granted him “the free barony of Glamuyss in the sheriffdom of Forfar.” Glamis has remained the seat of the family ever since. See Wikipedia: Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne for more information.

Elizabeth and Robert had at least ten children:

Elizabeth Mure died before May 1355 and was buried at Paisley Abbey in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland. Her eldest son, John Stewart, Earl of Carrick would eventually succeed to the throne upon the death of his father as Robert III, King of Scots.

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Euphemia de Ross, Queen of Scots

King Robert II of Scotland and Euphemia de Ross from the Forman Armorial produced for Mary, Queen of Scots; Credit – Wikipedia

Euphemia de Ross was the daughter and probably the only child of Hugh, 4th Earl of Ross and his second wife Margaret de Graham, daughter of Sir David de Graham of Montrose. Hugh’s first wife was Marjorie (or Matilda) Bruce, the sister of Robert I the Bruce, King of Scots. Hugh was a favorite of Robert I who granted him Cromarty Castle, a third of the lands of Kirkcudbright and lands in Skye, Strathglass, and Strathcona. Hugh was also one of the Scots nobles responsible for negotiating the marriage contract of David II, King of Scots, son and successor of Robert I, and Joan of the Tower, daughter of King Edward II of England. Hugh, 4th Earl of Ross was killed along with many other Scottish nobles at the Battle of Halidon Hill on July 19, 1333

Euphemia had at least three half-siblings from her father’s first marriage:

Arms of Euphemia de Ross; Credit – By Sodacan – Own work, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=38494578

Euphemia was first married to John Randolph, 3rd Earl of Moray. He was the son of Thomas Randolph, 1st Earl of Moray, a supporter of Robert the Bruce. John Randolph was an important figure in the reign of David II, King of Scots, and served as joint Regent of Scotland along with Robert Stewart, 7th High Steward of Scotland, Euphemia’s second husband. John was killed on October 17, 1346, at the Battle of Neville’s Cross leaving Euphemia a young, childless widow.

Nine years later, on May 2, 1355, Euphemia married Robert Stewart, 7th High Steward of Scotland. In 1357, Robert was granted the title Earl of Strathearn, so Euphemia was then the Countess of Strathearn. On February 22, 1371, upon the death of his childless nephew David II, King of Scots, Euphemia’s husband became Robert II, King of Scots, the first monarch of the House of Stewart, and Euphemia became Queen of Scots.

Euphemia and Robert had four children. The children of Robert II from both his marriages considered themselves the rightful heirs to the throne of Scotland, causing considerable family conflict.

Euphemia Stewart, Countess of Strathearn, granddaughter of Euphemia and Robert through their son David Stewart, Earl of Strathearn, is an ancestor of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother formerly Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon. As an only child, Euphemia Stewart was heir to her father’s earldoms. She married Patrick Graham and their daughter Elizabeth married Sir John Lyon, 1st Master of Glamis, the son of Sir John Lyon who had married Jean Stewart, daughter of Robert II and Elizabeth Mure (see above). See Wikipedia: Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne for more information.

Euphemia de Ross, Queen of Scots died in 1386 and was buried at Paisley Abbey in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland. Her husband Robert II, King of Scots survived her by four years, dying on April 19, 1390.

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

  • “Aodh, 4. Earl Of Ross”. De.wikipedia.org. N.p., 2017. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.
  • “David II, King Of Scots”. Unofficial Royalty. N.p., 2017. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.
  • “Elizabeth Mure”. En.wikipedia.org. N.p., 2017. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.
  • “Euphemia De Ross”. En.wikipedia.org. N.p., 2017. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.
  • “Hugh, Earl Of Ross”. En.wikipedia.org. N.p., 2017. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.
  • “Person Page”. Thepeerage.com. N.p., 2017. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.
  • “Robert I, King of Scots”.Unofficial Royalty. N.p., 2017. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.
  • “Robert II Of Scotland”. En.wikipedia.org. N.p., 2017. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.

Robert II, King of Scots

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

The Great Seal of Robert II, King of Scots; Credit – Wikipedia

The first monarch of the House of Stewart, Robert II, King of Scots, was born at Paisley Abbey on March 2, 1316. He was the only child of Walter Stewart, 6th High Steward of Scotland and Marjorie Bruce, the daughter of Robert I the Bruce, King of Scots. On the day of his birth, 19-year-old mother Marjorie had been riding in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland. Her horse was suddenly startled and threw her to the ground. Marjorie went into premature labor, and Robert was delivered by caesarean section at the nearby Paisley Abbey. Sadly, Marjorie died within a few hours.

Robert’s father, Walter Stewart, 6th High Steward of Scotland, gave his name to the Royal House of Stewart (later Stuart). The surname Stewart comes from the word steward, which means one who organizes the house of a king. The title of High Steward or Great Steward was given in the 12th century to Walter FitzAlan, and shortly afterward, it was made a hereditary title. Walter FitzAlan’s grandson started to use Stewart as his surname. In 1371, Robert II, the 7th, and the last High Steward, inherited the throne of Scotland. Since that time, the title of High (or Great) Steward of Scotland has been held as a subsidiary title of Duke of Rothesay and Baron of Renfrew, among the titles traditionally held by the heir apparent of Scotland. When James VI, King of Scots succeeded to the English throne upon the death of Queen Elizabeth I, those titles for the heir apparent came with James. Even today, The Prince of Wales holds the titles traditionally held by the English heir apparent, but also the traditional titles of the Scottish heir apparent: Duke of Rothesay, Earl of Carrick, Baron of Renfrew, Lord of the Isles, Prince and Great Steward of Scotland.

Robert had three half-siblings from his father’s second marriage to Isabel de Graham, daughter of Sir Nicholas de Graham, Lord of Dalkeith and Abercorn and Mary of Strathearn

  • Sir John Stewart of Ralston, married Alicia Mure, had issue
  • Sir Andrew Stewart, no issue
  • Egidia Stewart, married (1) Sir James Lindsay, of Crawford, Lord of Crawford and Kirkmichael, had issue (2) Sir Hugh Eglinton, Laird of Aird Rosainb, Eglintoun and Ormdale (3) Sir James Douglas of Dalkeith

In 1318, two-year-old Robert was declared heir to the Scottish throne if Robert I, his grandfather, did not have any male children. Six years later, Robert I and his second wife, Elizabeth de Burg,h had a son, David, who became heir to the Scottish throne. Robert’s father, Walter Stewart, 6th High Steward of Scotland, died on April 9, 1326. He was buried at Paisley Abbey, alongside his first wife, Marjorie Bruce, and the previous five High Stewards. Ten-year-old Robert became the 7th High Steward of Scotland. The orphaned Robert was placed under the guardianship of his paternal uncle, Sir James Stewart of Durrisdeer, who raised his nephew and served as his tutor.

On June 7, 1329, Robert’s grandfather, Robert I the Bruce, King of Scots, died at the age of 54 and was succeeded by his five-year-old son, David II, King of Scots. Robert I’s funeral procession was led by a line of knights dressed in black, including Robert I’s 13-year-old grandson Robert Stewart, 7th High Steward of Scotland, the future Robert II, King of Scots, the son of his daughter Marjorie Bruce. In 1326, the Scottish Parliament restored Robert Stewart to the line of succession if his uncle David, who was eight years younger, did not have any male heirs. At the time of his restoration to the succession, Robert received grants of land in Argyll, Roxburghshire, and the Lothians.

However, David II’s accession to the throne sparked another war, the Second War of Scottish Independence, and Robert’s position as heir was threatened. Robert I’s death had weakened Scotland considerably, and his successor, David II, was still a child. The year before he died, Robert I had arranged for the marriage of his four-year-old David to the seven-year-old Joan of the Tower, youngest daughter of King Edward II of England, in hopes of strengthening relations with England.

Battle of Neville’s Cross from a manuscript in Froissart’s Chronicle; Credit – Wikipedia

However, in 1332-1333, David’s brother-in-law, King Edward III of England, invaded Scotland, supporting Edward Balliol‘s claim to the Scots throne, and defeated the Scots. Edward Balliol was the eldest son of John Balliol, who had been King of Scots from 1292 – 1296. David and Joan sought refuge in France and remained there from 1334 until May 1341, when David returned to Scotland and took control of the government. King Philippe VI of France persuaded David to invade England. However, the Scots forces were defeated at the Battle of Neville’s Cross on October 17, 1346. David was taken prisoner and was held by the English for eleven years. He was finally freed in 1357 by the Treaty of Berwick, which stipulated that a large ransom would be paid over the next 10 years. Robert Stewart played a major role in the Bruce resistance to Edward Balliol, and acted as Guardian of the Kingdom (regent) during David II’s years in France and his imprisonment in England.

Robert had two wives. Elizabeth Mure died before Robert became king, and Euphemia de Ross was his only Queen Consort. At first, Elizabeth Mure was the mistress of Robert Stewart. The couple married in 1346, but the marriage was not in agreement with the Canon Law of the Roman Catholic Church. After receiving a papal dispensation, the couple remarried. The children born before their marriage were legitimized, but there were family disputes over their children’s right to the crown.

Elizabeth and Robert’s daughter Jean Stewart and her second husband Sir John Lyon, Lord of Glamis had one son, Sir John Lyon. Through him, Elizabeth Mure and Robert II are ancestors of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, formerly Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon. The elder Sir John was a courtier and diplomat and was appointed Keeper of the Privy Seal upon the accession of Robert II in 1371. The following year, Robert II granted him “the free barony of Glamuyss in the sheriffdom of Forfar.” Glamis has remained the seat of the family ever since. See Wikipedia: Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne for more information.

Elizabeth and Robert had at least ten children:

Robert II, King of Scots and Euphemia, Queen of Scots from Forman Armorial (produced for Mary, Queen of Scots); Credit – Wikipedia

Euphemia de Ross was the daughter and probably the only child of Hugh, 4th Earl of Ross, and his second wife Margaret de Graham, daughter of Sir David de Graham of Montrose. On May 2, 1355, Euphemia married Robert Stewart, 7th High Steward of Scotland. In 1357, Robert was granted the title Earl of Strathearn, so Euphemia was then the Countess of Strathearn.

Euphemia and Robert had four children. The children of Robert II from both his marriages considered themselves the rightful heirs to the throne of Scotland, causing considerable family conflict.

Euphemia Stewart, Countess of Strathearn, granddaughter of Euphemia and Robert through their son David Stewart, Earl of Strathearn, is an ancestor of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother formerly Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon. As an only child, Euphemia Stewart was heir to her father’s earldoms. She married Patrick Graham, and their daughter Elizabeth married Sir John Lyon, 1st Master of Glamis, the son of Sir John Lyon, who had married Jean Stewart, daughter of Robert II and Elizabeth Mure (see above). See Wikipedia: Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne for more information.

In the later years of his reign, David II, King of Scots continued to pursue peace with England and worked to make Scotland a stronger kingdom with a more prosperous economy. David II, aged 46, died unexpectedly on February 22, 1371, at Edinburgh Castle and was buried at Holyrood Abbey in Edinburgh, now in ruins. As both his marriages were childless, David was succeeded by his nephew, his senior by eight years, the son of his half-sister Marjorie, who became Robert II, King of Scots, the first monarch of the House of Stewart.

Robert II, King of Scots was crowned at Scone on March 26, 1371, by William de Landallis, Bishop of St. Andrews. Immediately after his coronation, his eldest son John, Earl of Carrick, was recognized as the heir apparent. 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 dies without sons, the succession would pass to 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, the heir to the throne; Robert, Duke of Albany, and Alexander, Earl of Buchan, who became his lieutenant in the north of Scotland.

Dundonald Castle; Credit – Wikipedia By Otter – Own work

Fortunately, Robert II’s reign was more peaceful than previous reigns. Hostilities with England were renewed in 1378 and continued intermittently for the rest of Robert II’s reign. In 1384, when Robert II became senile, the kingdom’s administration was given to his eldest son John, Earl of Carrick.  Euphemia de Ross, Queen of Scots died in 1386 and was buried at Paisley Abbey in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland. Robert II, King of Scots survived his wife by four years, dying on April 19, 1390, at the age of 74 at Dundonald Castle in Ayrshire, andwas buried at Scone Abbey. His son John, Earl of Carrick succeeded him as Robert III, King 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

  • “David II, King Of Scots”. Unofficial Royalty. N.p., 2017. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.
  • “High Steward Of Scotland”. En.wikipedia.org. N.p., 2017. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.
  • “Robert I Of Scotland”. Unofficial Royalty. N.p., 2017. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.
  • “Robert II Of Scotland”. En.wikipedia.org. N.p., 2017. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.
  • “Walter Stewart, 6Th High Steward Of Scotland: Genealogics”. Genealogics.org. N.p., 2017. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.
  • “Walter Stewart, 6Th High Steward Of Scotland”. En.wikipedia.org. N.p., 2017. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.
  • Williamson, David. Brewer’s British Royalty. London: Cassell, 1996. Print.
  • “Wives of Robert II: Elizabeth Mure and Euphemia de Ross”. Unofficial Royalty. N.p., 2017. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.

Charlotte of Schaumburg-Lippe, Queen of Württemberg

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Charlotte of Schaumburg-Lippe, Queen of Württemberg; Credit – Von Andreas Faessler – Eigenes Werk, CC-BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=39455299

Princess Charlotte Marie Luise Ida Hermine Mathilde of Schaumburg-Lippe was the second wife of King Wilhelm II of Württemberg, and the kingdom’s last Queen. She was born on September 10, 1864, at Schloss Ratiborschitz in Bohemia, now in the Czech Republic, to Prince Wilhelm of Schaumburg-Lippe and Princess Bathildis of Anhalt-Dessau, and had seven younger siblings:

Charlotte was raised primarily at Schloss Náchod, the family’s estate in Náchod, now in the Czech Republic, and showed a great interest in sports and hunting, in addition to the more traditional music and art.

King Wilhelm II of Württemberg. source: Wikipedia

At 22 years old, Charlotte married the then-Crown Prince Wilhelm of Württemberg on April 8, 1886. Wilhelm had been widowed four years earlier and had a young daughter. Despite hoping that this new marriage might produce a male heir, Charlotte and Wilhelm had no children of their own.

In October 1891, Charlotte became Queen of Württemberg when her husband succeeded to the throne. The couple took up residence at the Wilhelmspalais in Stuttgart, Kingdom of Württemberg, now in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. As Queen, Charlotte did not enjoy the same popularity as her husband. Much of this is her unwillingness to carry out her public role expected by the people of Württemberg. She much preferred more private events, and after some time stopped accompanying her husband on many official events.

Queen Charlotte of Württembergsource: Wikipedia

Despite this, Charlotte took on the charity work expected of her, assuming the role in several organizations vacated by her predecessor. Charlotte was most interested in causes involving the health and welfare of women.  She was most willing to use her royal position to bring support and attention to them.

When the monarchy ended in 1918, King Wilhelm II negotiated with the new German state to ensure that he and his wife would receive an annual income and a residence for life, Schloss Bebenhausen. The two retired to Bebenhausen, now in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. where Wilhelm died in 1921. Queen Charlotte remained there, going by the title Duchess of Württemberg, for another 25 years.

After suffering a stroke that confined her to a wheelchair for two years, Queen Charlotte died at Schloss Bebenhausen on July 16, 1946. With little pomp or ceremony, she was quietly buried beside her husband in the Old Cemetery on the grounds of Ludwigsburg Palace in Ludwigsburg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. In addition to being the last Queen of Württemberg, Charlotte was also the last living Queen from any of the German states.

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.

Württemberg Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Marie of Waldeck-Pyrmont, Princess of Württemberg

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Marie of Waldeck-Pyrmont, Princess of Württemberg; Credit – Wikipedia

Princess Marie of Waldeck and Pyrmont was the first wife of Prince Wilhelm of Württemberg, who later reigned as King Wilhelm II of Württemberg. She was born Georgine Henriette Marie on May 23, 1857, in Arolsen, Principality of Waldeck and Pyrmont, now in Hesse, Germany, the third daughter of Georg Viktor, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont and Princess Helena of Nassau. Marie had six siblings:

Marie had one half-brother from her father’s second marriage to Princess Louise of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg:

Wilhelm of Württemberg. source: Wikipedia

On February 15, 1877, in Arolsen, Marie married Prince Wilhelm of Württemberg, the future  King Wilhelm II of Württemberg, who was the son of Prince Friedrich of Württemberg and Princess Katherina of Württemberg (a daughter of King Wilhelm I). They had two children:

Princess Marie’s grave at the Old Cemetery, Ludwigsburg Palace. photo: Von peter schmelzle – Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18585848

On April 24, 1882, Marie gave birth to her third child, a stillborn daughter, and suffered serious complications from childbirth. She died six days later, on April 30, 1882, at Ludwigsburg Palace in Ludwigsburg, Kingdom of Württemberg, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. She is buried in the Old Cemetery on the grounds of Ludwigsburg Palace.

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.

Württemberg Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Wilhelm II, King of Württemberg

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Kingdom of Württemberg: Württemberg was a County, a Duchy, and an Electorate before becoming a Kingdom in 1806. At the end of 1805, in exchange for contributing forces to France’s armies, Napoleon, Emperor of the French recognized Württemberg as a kingdom, with Elector Friedrich formally becoming King Friedrich I  on January 1, 1806. The reign of Wilhelm II, the last King of Württemberg, came to an end in November 1918, after the fall of the German Empire led to the abdications of all the ruling families. Today the land that encompassed the Kingdom of Württemberg is located in the German state Baden-Württemberg.

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Wilhelm II, King of Württemberg; Credit – Wikipedia

King Wilhelm II was the last King of Württemerg, reigning from 1891 until the monarchy was abolished in 1918. He was born Wilhelm Karl Paul Heinrich Friedrich in Stuttgart, Kingdom of  Württemberg, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, on February 25, 1848, the only child of Prince Friedrich of Württemberg, a grandson of King Friedrich I of Württemberg, and Princess Katherina Friederike of Württemberg, a daughter of King Wilhelm I of Württemberg.

He studied law, political science, and finance at the University of Tübingen and the University of Göttingen and served in the Prussian army. As his uncle, King Karl, was childless, Wilhelm was raised with the expectation that he would one day become King.

Princess Marie of Waldeck and Pyrmont. source: Wikipedia

Wilhelm’s first wife was Princess Marie of Waldeck and Pyrmont, the daughter of Georg Viktor, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont and Princess Helena of Nassau. The couple married in Arolsen, Principality of Waldeck and Pyrmont, now in the German state of Hesse, on February 15, 1877, and had two children:

On April 30, 1882, Princess Marie died as a result of complications from giving birth several days earlier to a stillborn daughter. Having already lost his young son, Wilhelm was devastated, and never fully recovered from these two losses. However, with a young daughter, and hoping for a male heir, Wilhelm soon married again.

Princess Charlotte of Schaumburg-Lippe. source: Wikipedia

His second wife was Princess Charlotte of Schaumburg-Lippe, whom he married in Bückeburg, Principality of Schaumberg-Lippe, now in the German state of Lower Saxony, on April 8, 1886. Charlotte was the daughter of Prince Wilhelm of Schaumburg-Lippe and Princess Bathildis of Anhalt-Dessau. They had no children.

Wilhelm became King on October 6, 1891, upon the death of King Karl. By then, Württemberg was part of the German Empire, although it retained its status as a Kingdom. The King was much loved by his people, and respected for his more down-to-earth nature. He was often seen unaccompanied walking his dogs in the streets of Stuttgart and greeting the people he met along the way.

King Wilhelm II with Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph I, c1909. source: Wikipedia

Wilhelm’s reign ended in November 1918, after the fall of the German Empire led to the abdications of all of the ruling families. Before formally abdicating, Wilhelm negotiated with the new government to receive an annual income and retain Schloss Bebenhausen in Bebenhausen, Germany where he and his wife lived for the remainder of their lives.

Wilhelm II, King of Württemberg; source: Wikipedia

On October 2, 1921, 73-year-old Wilhelm died at Schloss Bebenhausen in Bebenhausen, Germany, and was buried at the Old Cemetery (link in German) in Ludwigsburg, Germany beside his first wife  Pauline and their infant son Ulrich.  When his second wife Charlotte died in 1946, she was buried next to Wilhelm.

Grave of Wilhelm and his two wives; Credit – Von peter schmelzle – Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18586267

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Princess Mako of Japan to marry

Princess Mako of Japan; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

It has been announced that Princess Mako of Japan, the elder of the two daughters of Prince Akishino, the second son of Emperor Akihito, will marry commoner Kei Komuro. Princess Mako and Kei Komuro met while they were both students at the International Christian University in Tokyo. Japan’s imperial law requires a princess to leave the Imperial Family after marrying a commoner and lose their imperial style and title.

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Since 1950, seven Japanese princesses had to leave the Imperial Family and lost their imperial style and title.

  • Princess Taka (1929 – 1989), daughter of Emperor Hirohito, married Toshimichi Takatsukasa in 1950
  • Princess Yori (born 1931), daughter of Emperor Hirohito, married Takamasa Ikeda in1952
  • Princess Suga (born 1939), daughter of Emperor Hirohito, married Hisanaga Shimazu in 1960
  • Princess Yasuko (born 1944), daughter of Prince Mikasa, a brother of Emperor Hirohito, married Tadateru Konoe in 1966
  • Princess Masako (born 1951), daughter of Prince Mikasa, a brother of Emperor Hirohito, married Soshitsu Sen in 1983
  • Princess Yori born 1969, daughter of Emperor Akihito, married Yoshiki Kuroda in 2005
  • Princess Noriko (born 1988), daughter of Prince Takamado, son of Prince Mikasa, married Kunimaro Senge in 2014

Succession to the Japanese throne is only through the male line and only males can be in the line of succession. Currently, the line of succession has only four people. Counting Emperor Akihito, there are only five males in the Imperial Family. Unless the succession is changed to allow for female succession and succession through the female line, the future of the succession falls solely upon young Prince Hisahito, Princess Mako’s little brother.

  1. Crown Prince Naruhito (1960) – eldest son of Emperor Akihito
  2. Prince Akishino (1965) – second son of Emperor Akihito
  3. Prince Hisahito (2006) – son of Prince Akishino
  4. Prince Hitachi (1935) – younger brother of Emperor Akihito

Olga Nikolaevna of Russia, Queen of Württemberg

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Olga Nikolaevna of Russia, Queen of Württemberg; Credit –  Wikipedia

Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna of Russia was the wife of King Karl I of Württemberg. She was born at the Anichkov Palace  in St. Petersburg, Russia, on September 11, 1822, to Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia and Princess Charlotte of Prussia, and had six siblings:

Crown Prince Karl of Württemberg, circa 1851. source: Wikipedia

In January 1846, Olga met her future husband Crown Prince Karl of Württemberg while both were in Palermo, Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, now in Italy. Karl was the son of King Wilhelm I of Württemberg and Duchess Pauline of Württemberg. Karl proposed on January 18 and Olga accepted. They were married in a lavish ceremony at the Peterhof Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia on July 13, 1846. They had no children of their own, but in 1863, took in Olga’s niece, Grand Duchess Vera Konstantinovna, the daughter of Olga’s brother Konstantin. They later formally adopted Vera in 1871. It is believed by many that Karl was gay, which contributed to their not having any children. Whether true or not, it is a fact that he had very close relationships with several men, some of which caused significant public outcry and scandal.

From the time she arrived in Württemberg, Olga threw herself into charity work, focusing on the education of girls, and helping wounded soldiers and handicapped people. After becoming Queen in 1864, she continued to support these, and many other causes, earning her the utmost respect and devotion of the people of Württemberg.

Queen Olga (left), with two ladies-in-waiting and a reader (possibly her husband’s chamberlain and reputed lover Charles Woodcock), c1885. photo: Wikipedia

Aside from her charity work, Queen Olga also had several other interests. One of these was a significant interest in natural science, and she amassed an extensive collection of minerals, later left to the State Museum of Natural History in Stuttgart. In 1881, Olga wrote a memoir “The Golden Dream of My Youth” about her childhood and life in Russia up until the time of her marriage.

The Altes Palais (Old Castle) in Stuttgart. photo: By BuzzWoof – Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3869267

Just a year after her husband’s death, Dowager Queen Olga died on October 30, 1892, at Schloss Friedrichshafen (link in German), in Friedrichshafen, Kingdom of Württemberg, now in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. She is buried alongside her husband in the crypt below the Schlosskirche at the Old Castle (Altes Palais) in Stuttgart, Kingdom of Württemberg, now in the German state of Baden-Württemberg.

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.

Württemberg Resources at Unofficial Royalty