Monthly Archives: July 2021

Gunilla Johansdotter Bielke, Queen of Sweden

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Gunilla Johansdotter Bielke, Queen of Sweden; Credit – Wikipedia

Gunilla Johansdotter Bielke was the second wife of Johan III, King of Sweden. Born on June 25, 1568, in Liljesta, Östergötland, Sweden, she was the eldest of the three daughters and the third of the eight children of Johan Axelsson Bielke (? – 1576) and Margareta Axelsdotter Posse (1548 – 1575). The Bielke family was an aristocratic Swedish family. Gunilla’s father was a member of the royal council and Lieutenant of Östergötland.

Gunilla had seven siblings:

  • Gunder Johansson Bielke (1562 – ?)
  • Axel Johansson Bielke (? – 1597), married Ebba Bielke
  • Elsa Johansdotter Bielke (1569 – 1622), married Count Claes Bielke, had three children
  • Brita Johansdotter Bielke (1570 – 1599), married Count Sten Gustafsson, had one son
  • Erik Johansson Bielke, died young
  • Nils Johansson Bielke, died young
  • Ebba Johansdotter Bielke (born 1575 – ?), died young

When Gunilla was seven years old, her mother died, possibly in childbirth giving birth to her last child. Her father died the following year. Gunilla was then raised at court as a playmate of King Johan III’s daughter Princess Anna Vasa of Sweden. In 1582, Gunilla became a maid of honor to King Johan III’s first wife Queen Katarina Jagellonica. Queen Katarina fell sick in the spring of 1583 and died on September 16, 1583.

After the death of his wife, Johan III began the search for a new wife. He wanted to marry someone he knew and his choice was Gunilla, his deceased wife’s maid of honor and the daughter of one of his cousins. There was a 32-year age difference – Johan was 48 and Gunilla was 16. Several of Johan III’s siblings protested against the marriage and said he should marry a foreign princess. Johan’s brother Karl (the future Karl IX, King of Sweden) had married a foreign princess, Anna Marie of Palatinate-Simmern.

Gunilla had promised herself to a young nobleman named Per Jonsson Liljesparre. When King Johan III informed Gunilla of his intentions to marry her, she refused to agree. Johan III was so angry that he hit her in the face with his glove and left. Gunilla’s relatives saw a connection with the royal family as an opportunity that they could not allow slipping away, and so they pleaded, cajoled, and threatened until Gunilla finally gave in.

Gunilla’s husband Johan III, King of Sweden; Credit – Wikipedia

On February 21, 1585, Johan III, King of Sweden married Gunilla Bielke at Västerås Cathedral in Västerås, Sweden. Gunilla was crowned Queen of Sweden the following day. Johan’s brother Karl was still disturbed by his brother’s choice of a wife. He refused to attend the wedding festivities which further worsened the brothers’ already strained relationship.

Johan III and Gunilla had one son:

Gunilla and Johan III’s son Johan of Sweden, Duke of Finland, Duke of Östergötland; Credit – Wikipedia

Gunilla had two step-children, both close in age to her, from Johan III’s marriage to his first wife Katarina Jagellonica:

  • Sigismund III Vasa, King of Poland, King of Sweden, Grand Duke of Finland and Lithuania (1566 – 1632), married (1) Anne of Austria, had five children (2) Constance of Austria, had seven children
  • Anna Vasa of Sweden (1568 – 1625), unmarried

Gunilla had a significant influence on Johan. She had received a strict Lutheran education and is credited with influencing Johan’s policy regarding religion in favor of Protestantism, similar to the way his first wife had influenced him in favor of Catholicism. In 1590, Johan III named Gunilla to serve as regent, should their son Johan succeed to the throne as a minor. Gunilla and Johan III’s son never succeeded to the Swedish throne. First, he was put aside by his elder half-brother Sigismund III Vasa, and then by his uncle Karl IX.

After a reign of twenty-three years, Johan III, King of Sweden died on November 17, 1592, aged 54. He was succeeded by Sigismund III Vasa, his son by his first wife, the Roman Catholic Polish Princess Katarina Jagellonica. Sigismund, who had been raised Roman Catholic, had been elected King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania in 1587. However, the Catholic Sigismund was deposed in 1599 as King of Sweden by his Protestant uncle who then reigned as King Karl IX of Sweden. Sigismund lived the remainder of his life in Poland and reigned for a total of 45 years in Poland and Lithuania, dying in 1632.

Gunilla’s home Bråborg Castle; Credit – Wikipedia

After the death of her husband, Gunilla received a generous allowance and land willed to her by her husband, as well as custody of her three-year-old son and control of his Duchy of Östergötland. She retired to Bråborg Castle in the Duchy of Östergötland, where she resided until her death. Gunilla survived her husband by only five years, dying at the age of 29 of a fever on July 19, 1597. She was buried near her husband at Uppsala Cathedral in Uppsala, Sweden. After Gunilla’s death, her son Johan was raised by his uncle Karl IX, King of Sweden, who treated him like his own son. Johan was tutored with his first cousin, the future Gustavus Adolphus, King of Sweden.

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

Kingdom of Sweden Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • Adelsvapen.com. 2021. Bielke af Åkerö nr 8 – Adelsvapen-Wiki. [online] Available at: <https://www.adelsvapen.com/genealogi/Bielke_af_%C3%85ker%C3%B6_nr_8> [Accessed 22 May 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Gunilla Bielke – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunilla_Bielke> [Accessed 22 May 2021].
  • Fr.wikipedia.org. 2021. Gunilla Bielke — Wikipédia. [online] Available at: <https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunilla_Bielke> [Accessed 22 May 2021].
  • Gunilla Bielke, Q., 2021. Gunilla Bielke, Queen of Sweden. [online] geni_family_tree. Available at: <https://www.geni.com/people/Gunilla-Bielke-Queen-of-Sweden/6000000000699070330> [Accessed 22 May 2021].
  • Historiesajten.se. 2021. Gunilla Bielke – Historiesajten. [online] Available at: <https://historiesajten.se/visainfo.asp?id=259> [Accessed 22 May 2021].
  • Sv.wikipedia.org. 2021. Gunilla Bielke – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunilla_Bielke> [Accessed 22 May 2021].
  • Tegenborg Falkdalen, K., 2018. Gunilla, drottning. [online] Skbl.se. Available at: <https://www.skbl.se/sv/artikel/GunillaBielke> [Accessed 22 May 2021].

Royal News Recap for Thursday July 29, 2021

Royal News Recaps are published Mondays – Fridays and on Sundays except for Thanksgiving in the United States, Christmas Eve, and New Year’s Eve. The Royal News Recap for Sundays will be a weekend recap. If there is any breaking or major news, we will publish a breaking news article and/or a recap as necessary.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, many royal families have curtailed and/or canceled events, both in their own countries and in foreign countries. Therefore, we expect a continued decrease in the usual number of royal news articles.

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Georg Moritz, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Altenburg

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Georg Moritz was the Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Altenburg, and the last Head of the House of Saxe-Altenburg. Upon his death with no heir, the House of Saxe-Altenburg merged into the House of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach.

photo: By Schlegel, Dresden – Original publication: Published as a postcard in Europe.Immediate source: Private Collection – Wartenberg Trust, PD-US, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=36003998

Wilhelm Georg Moritz Ernst Albrecht Friedrich Karl Constantine Eduard Maximilian was born on May 13, 1900, in Potsdam, where his father – then 3rd in line to the ducal throne of Saxe-Altenburg – was serving with the 1st Regiment of Foot Guards of the Prussian army. His father was the future Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg, and his mother was Princess Adelheid of Schaumburg-Lippe. Georg Moritz had three siblings:

  • Princess Charlotte (1899) – married Prince Sigismund of Prussia, had issue
  • Princess Elisabeth Karola (1903) – unmarried
  • Prince Friedrich Ernst (1905) – unmarried

Georg Moritz became the Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Altenburg in February 1908 when his father became the reigning Duke. The family left Potsdam and returned to Altenburg, taking up residence at Altenburg Castle. The young prince was educated privately at home for several years before being sent to the King Georg High School in Dresden in 1913. He also received military training with the 8th Thuringian Infantry Regiment.

In November 1918, his father was forced to abdicate when the German monarchy was dissolved. From an early age, Georg Moritz was interested in anthroposophy – “a philosophy based on the teachings of Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925) which maintains that, by virtue of a prescribed method of self-discipline, cognitional experience of the spiritual world can be achieved.” (source: dictionary.com).  From the early 1930s, he devoted much of his life to his interest, teaching and promoting anthroposophy at Hamborn Castle. He later rented a nearby farm where he lived for many years.

Although anthroposophy was banned by the Nazi regime, thanks to the intervention of Georg Moritz, research with disabled children was allowed to continue at Hamborn until 1941. At that time, the Gestapo put an end to the research, and Georg Moritz was placed in custody for nine months. He returned to Hamborn in 1946 after the war, living in a small apartment in the castle and promoting his research and studies. In addition, he served on the board of the local social charity for many years.

Upon his father’s death in 1955, Georg Moritz became Head of the House of Saxe-Altenburg and pretender to the former ducal throne.

Georg Moritz, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Altenburg died from pneumonia on February 13, 1991, in Rendsburg, Germany. As he had never married, and his younger brother had died several years earlier with no heirs, this brought an end to the House of Saxe-Altenburg. It was merged into the House of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, led by a distant cousin, Michael, the pretender to the former grand ducal throne of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach.

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Saxe-Altenburg Resources at Unofficial Royalty

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St. Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh, Scotland

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

St. Giles’ Cathedral; Credit – By Carlos Delgado – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=35465527

Originally a Roman Catholic church, today St. Giles Cathedral, which this writer has visited, located on the Royal Mile in the Old Town of Edinburgh, Scotland, is a Presbyterian church (Church of Scotland). The founding of St. Giles is usually dated to 1124 and attributed to David I, King of Scots. Construction of the current church began in the 14th century and continued until the early 16th century. During the 19th and 20th centuries, there were major alterations including the addition of the Thistle Chapel, the chapel of the Order of the Thistle. St. Giles Cathedral is associated with many events and persons in Scottish history, notably John Knox (circa 1514 – 1572), a leader of the Scottish Reformation and the founder of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland who as the minister of St. Giles after the Scottish Reformation, delivered fiery sermons from the pulpit.

Below are some royal connections to St. Giles Cathedral.

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1437 – A Requiem Mass for James I, King of Scots

James I, King of Scots; Credit – Wikipedia

On February 20, 1437, plotters supporting the claim to the throne of Walter Stewart, Earl of Atholl, a son of Robert II, King of Scot’s second marriage, broke into the Blackfriars Priory in Perth, Scotland where James I, King of Scots and his wife Joan Beaufort 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. Although James I was buried in the Carthusian Charterhouse of Perth, which he had founded, a Requiem Mass was said for him at St. Giles Cathedral.

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The Royal Pew

The Royal Pew; Credit – By CPClegg – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=90158521

Marie of Guise was the second wife of James V, King of Scots, and the mother of Mary, Queen of Scots. In 1548, five-year-old Mary, Queen of Scots set sail for France where she would be raised with her future husband. She would not return to Scotland for thirteen years, after a short-lived marriage due to the early death of her first husband François II, King of France. Mary’s mother Marie remained in Scotland as a member of the Council of Regency and then in 1554, she became Regent of Scotland. There has been a royal loft or royal pew in St. Giles Cathedral since the regency of Marie of Guise. The current royal pew has a tall back and with the royal arms of Scotland standing atop a canopy. It was created for the 1953 visit of Queen Elizabeth II.

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1570 – Funeral and Burial of James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray

James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray, half-brother of Mary, Queen of Scots; Credit – Wikipedia

James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray (circa 1531 – 1570) was the elder half-brother of Mary, Queen of Scots, the son of James V, King of Scots and his mistress Lady Margaret Erskine. James Stewart became a Protestant as had most of his mother’s family. Left a childless widow by the death of her husband, James’ Roman Catholic half-sister 18-year-old Mary, Queen of Scots returned to Scotland from France in 1561. During Mary’s thirteen-year absence, the Protestant Reformation had swept through Scotland. Despite their religious differences, James Stewart became the chief advisor to his sister and Mary created her half-brother Earl of Moray. Eventually, Mary’s behavior angered even her half-brother and he joined other Protestant lords in a rebellion. In 1567, Mary, Queen of Scots was deposed and succeeded by her infant son James VI, King of Scots. James Stewart, Earl of Moray served as Regent for his infant nephew.

John Knox preaching the funeral sermon of the Earl of Moray, depicted in a stained-glass window at St. Gile’s Cathedral; Credit – By CPClegg – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=82436877

On January 23, 1570, in Linlithgow, Scotland, while still serving as Regent for his nephew James VI, King of Scots, the 39-year-old Moray was assassinated by James Hamilton of Bothwellhaugh, a supporter of his half-sister Mary, Queen of Scots. It was the first assassination by a firearm in recorded history. James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray was buried at St. Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh, Scotland. Seven earls and lords carried his body into the church, and John Knox, the Scottish minister who was a leader of Scotland’s Reformation and the founder of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland, preached at the funeral.

Monument to James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray at St. Giles Cathedral; Credit – By CPClegg – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=82436880

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1590 – Service of Thanksgiving for Anne of Denmark, Queen of Scots

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

James VI, King of Scots, the son of Mary, Queen Scots, was ready to marry to provide an heir to the throne of Scotland. In Denmark, Princess Anne, daughter of King Frederik II of Denmark, found that candidates for her hand in marriage were numerous as the Danish court was considered wealthy and a high dowry was expected. Anne’s mother Sophie of Mecklenburg-Güstrow, who conducted the marriage negotiations after the death of her husband in 1588, opted for King James VI. On August 20, 1589, Anne was married by proxy to James VI, King of Scots at Kronborg Castle in Helsingør, Denmark.

Ten days after the proxy wedding, Anne set sail for Scotland, but severe storms forced her to land in Norway. Upon hearing this, James set sail to personally bring Anne to Scotland. On November 23, 1589, the couple was formally married at the Bishop’s Palace in Oslo, Norway. After a prolonged visit to Denmark, James and Anne landed in Scotland on May 1, 1590. On May 15, 1590, Anne made her state entry into Edinburgh.

After such a long and sometimes dangerous ordeal, a service of thanksgiving was held at St. Giles Cathedral. Anne entered St. Giles under a red velvet canopy while the choir sang Psalm 19 “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows his handiwork.”  Robert Bruce of Kinnaird, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, preached a sermon on Psalm 107, a reflection of thanksgiving for the safe return of those on the sea: “Those who go down to the sea in ships, who do business on great waters.”

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1633 – Visit of Charles I, King of England, King of Scots

Charles I, King of England, King of Scots; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1603, James VI, King of Scots succeeded Queen Elizabeth I of England and was then also King James I of England. His son and successor Charles I, King of England, King of Scots had been born at Dunfermline Palace in Fife, Scotland. Although Charles was crowned at Westminster Abbey on February 2, 1626, the Scots insisted that he should also be crowned in his northern kingdom. The coronation took place at the Palace of Holyrood in Edinburgh on June 18, 1633, during an elaborate and extravagant royal tour of Scotland. The crown, sword, and scepter used in the coronation date from the late 15th and early 16th centuries, and were first brought together for the coronation service of the nine-month-old Mary, Queen of Scots. On June 23, 1633, Charles I made an unannounced visit to St. Giles Cathedral and displaced the Church of Scotland clergy with his own clergy who conducted the service according to the rites of the Church of England.

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1822 – King George IV visits Scotland

King George IV during his 1822 trip to Scotland; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1822, King George IV of the United Kingdom’s 21-day visit to Scotland, organized by author Sir Walter Scott, was the first by a British monarch since the reign of King Charles II. On his trip to Scotland, George IV frequently wore a kilt and this helped to make the traditional garb of Highland Scotland popular during the 19th century. During his visit, King George IV attended services at St. Giles Cathedral. The publicity of his visit created the motivation for the city council to fund much-needed renovations on St. Giles Cathedral.

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1953 – Queen Elizabeth II receives the Honours of Scotland

Queen Elizabeth II returning the crown of the Honours of Scotland to the care of the Duke of Hamilton, in St. Giles’ Cathedral, Edinburgh, during the Scottish National Service of Thanksgiving and Dedication.

The Honours of Scotland, also known as the Scottish Crown Jewels, date from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries and are the oldest surviving set of crown jewels of the United Kingdom. They were first used together as coronation regalia at the coronation of the nine-month-old Mary, Queen of Scots in 1543, and subsequently at the coronations of her infant son James VI in 1567 at Stirling Castle, her grandson Charles I in 1633 at Holyrood Palace, and her great-grandson Charles II in 1651 at Scone.

Embed from Getty Images 

The crown (1540), the scepter (circa 1494), and the sword of state (1507) are the three main Honours of Scotland. During her first visit to Scotland after her coronation, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom received the Honours of Scotland at a National Service of Thanksgiving and Dedication at St. Giles Cathedral on June 24, 1953. During the service, the Honours of Scotland were formally presented to Queen Elizabeth II by Douglas Douglas-Hamilton, 14th Duke of Hamilton. The Queen then returned them to the Duke of Hamilton. The Duke of Hamilton is the senior dukedom in the Peerage of Scotland and the Hereditary Bearer of the Crown of Scotland. The Honours of Scotland are on display in the Crown Room at Edinburgh Castle.

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2022 – The Coffin of Queen Elizabeth II lies in rest

The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II lies at rest at St. Giles Cathedral as her four children stand in vigil

Because Queen Elizabeth II died at her Scottish home Balmoral Castle, her funeral plans incorporated Operation Unicorn, the contingency plans for the death of The Queen in Scotland.  Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin rested in the ballroom at Balmoral Castle in Scotland where she died on September 8, 2022. On September 11, 2022, her coffin traveled by hearse from Balmoral Castle to the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, the official residence of the British monarch in Scotland. Upon arrival at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the coffin rested in the palace’s Throne Room. On the afternoon of September 12, 2022, Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin traveled by a procession from the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, Scotland, the short distance up the Royal Mile to St. Giles Cathedral, accompanied by King Charles III and members of the Royal Family. Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin rested in St. Giles Cathedral where members of the public were able to view the coffin. On the evening of September 12, 2022, King Charles III and members of the Royal Family held an evening vigil at St Giles Cathedral.  The coffin departed St. Giles Cathedral on September 13, 2022, and traveled by plane to London.

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Order of the Thistle

Insignia of a Knight of the Order of the Thistle; Credit – Wikipedia

The Order of the Thistle is Scotland’s senior order and the second-highest order within the United Kingdom. Membership is limited to the Sovereign and sixteen members. In addition, members of the Royal Family and foreign sovereigns can be appointed as Extra Knights and Ladies. Queen Elizabeth II altered the statutes of the order in 1987 allowing women to be admitted as Ladies of the Thistle. Members are appointed in recognition of their public service, contributions to national life, or personal service to the Sovereign. Like the Order of the Garter, the Order of the Thistle is awarded at the sole discretion of the Sovereign. New members are traditionally announced on St. Andrew’s Day, November 30. During the Sovereign’s visit in June or July each year, a service for the Order is held at the Thistle Chapel at St Giles’ Church in Edinburgh, at which point any new members are installed.

Holyrood Abbey after its designation as the Chapel of the Order of the Thistle in 1687 and before the interior’s destruction in 1688; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1687, James VII, King of Scots (also James II, King of England) founded the Order of the Thistle and designated the Abbey Church at Holyrood Palace, where a Presbyterian congregation worshipped, to be the chapel of the new order. The Abbey Church was converted into a Catholic chapel, as James had converted to Roman Catholicism. A new church, the nearby Canongate Kirk, replaced the Abbey Church as the local Presbyterian parish church. In 1688, the Abbey Church was ransacked by a mob, furious with King James’ Roman Catholic allegiance. The Order of the Thistle was left without a chapel until the Thistle Chapel was added to the nearby St. Giles’ Cathedral in 1911.

Thistle Chapel; Credit – Wikipedia

Over the years, unsuccessful multiple proposals were made either to refurbish Holyrood Abbey for the Order of the Thistle or to create a new chapel at St Giles’ Cathedral. In 1906, the sons of Ronald Leslie-Melville, 11th Earl of Leven donated £24,000 from their father’s estate towards the endowment and the construction of a Thistle Chapel on the south side of St. Giles Cathedral. The Thistle Chapel was formally opened by King George V on July 19, 1911.

Swords, helms and crests of Knights of the Thistle above their stalls in the Thistle Chapel; Credit – By Philip Allfrey – Taken by the author, CC BY-SA 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=935442

This author has visited the Thistle Chapel and can verify that it is relatively small – 7.6 meters (25 feet) long and 4.3 meters (14 feet) wide. Each member, including the Sovereign, has a stall in the Thistle Chapel, above which his or her heraldic devices are displayed.

Stall plates of Knights of the Thistle; Credit – By Philip Allfrey – Taken by the author, CC BY-SA 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=935427

Enameled plates with the name, arms, and date of admission of members, living and deceased, who have sat in each stall are attached to the back of the stall. Unlike the Order of the Garter, the banners of Knights and Ladies of the Thistle are not hung in the chapel but instead in an adjacent part of St Giles Cathedral.

Banners of Knights of the Thistle, hanging in St Giles Cathedral; Credit – Wikipedia

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

Works Cited

  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Stewart,_1st_Earl_of_Moray> [Accessed 22 May 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. St Giles’ Cathedral – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Giles%27_Cathedral> [Accessed 22 May 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Order of the Thistle – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_the_Thistle> [Accessed 22 May 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Thistle Chapel – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thistle_Chapel> [Accessed 22 May 2021].
  • Flantzer, S., 2016. Anne of Denmark, Queen of Scots, Queen of England. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/anne-of-denmark-queen-of-scots-queen-of-england/> [Accessed 22 May 2021].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2020. Assassination of James I, King of Scots (1437). [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/assassination-of-james-i-king-of-scots-1437/> [Accessed 22 May 2021].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2016. King Charles I of England. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-charles-i-of-england/> [Accessed 22 May 2021].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2015. King George IV of the United Kingdom. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-george-iv-of-the-united-kingdom/> [Accessed 22 May 2021].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2020. Lady Margaret Erskine, Mistress of James V, King of Scots. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/lady-margaret-erskine-mistress-of-james-v-king-of-scots/> [Accessed 22 May 2021].
  • Mehl, Scott, 2012. British Orders and Honours. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/current-monarchies/british-royals/british-orders-and-honours/> [Accessed 22 May 2021].
  • St GILES’ CATHEDRAL. 2021. St GILES’ CATHEDRAL. [online] Available at: <https://stgilescathedral.org.uk/> [Accessed 22 May 2021].
  • The Royal Family. 2021. The Honours of Scotland. [online] Available at: <https://www.royal.uk/honours-scotland> [Accessed 22 May 2021].

Ferdinando I, King of the Two Sicilies

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies was located in today’s southern Italy. It included the island of Sicily and all of the Italian peninsula south of the Papal States. Ferdinando I, the first King of the Two Sicilies, had previously reigned over two kingdoms, as Ferdinando IV of the Kingdom of Naples and Ferdinando III of the Kingdom of Sicily. He had been deposed twice from the throne of Naples: once by the revolutionary Parthenopean Republic for six months in 1799 and again by Napoleon in 1805, before being restored in 1816 after the defeat of Napoleon. After the 1816 restoration, the two kingdoms were united into the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.

Vittorio Emanuele II, King of Sardinia became a driving force behind the Italian unification movement along with Giuseppe Garibaldi, a general and nationalist, and Giuseppe Mazzini, a politician and journalist. Garibaldi conquered Naples and Sicily, the territories of the Kingdom of Two Sicilies. Francesco II, King of the Two Sicilies was deposed, the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies ceased to exist, and its territory was incorporated into the Kingdom of Sardinia. Eventually, the Sardinian troops occupied the central territories of the Italian peninsula, except Rome and part of Papal States. With all the newly acquired land, Vittorio Emanuele II was proclaimed the first King of the new, united Kingdom of Italy in 1861.

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Ferdinando I, King of the Two Sicilies; Credit – Wikipedia

Ferdinando I reigned as King of Naples and Sicily from 1759 – 1816, and then as King of the Two Sicilies from 1816 – 1825. Born at the Royal Palace in Naples, now Italy, on January 12, 1751, Ferdinando was the third of the six sons and the ninth of thirteen children of Carlos IV, King of Naples and Sicily, later Carlos III, King of Spain, and Maria Amalia of Saxony. Ferdinando’s paternal grandparents were Felipe V, King of Spain and his second wife Elisabeth Farnese of Parma. Ferdinando’s paternal grandfather Felipe V was born Philippe of France, Duke of Anjou, the son of Louis, Le Grand Dauphin, the heir apparent to the throne of France, and the grandson of Louis XIV, King of France. Ferdinando’s maternal grandparents were Odoardo Farnese, Hereditary Prince of Parma and Dorothea Sophie of Neuburg.

Ferdinando I had twelve siblings:

In 1759, upon the death of his childless half-brother King Ferdinand VI of Spain, King Carlos IV of Naples and Sicily succeeded him as King Carlos III of Spain. Because of treaties, Carlos could not be the sovereign of all three kingdoms. His eldest son Felipe was excluded from the succession because of intellectual disability and his second son Carlos was the heir apparent to the Spanish throne. That left the third son Ferdinando to become King of Naples and King of Sicily. Ferdinando was only eight years old when he became King of Naples and Sicily and a regency council ruled until his sixteenth birthday. Ferdinando resisted his studies and his court commitments and this was encouraged by Bernardo Tanucci, the president of the regency council, who wanted to control the government.

Maria Carolina of Austria, Ferdinando’s first wife; Credit – Wikipedia

On October 1767, a marriage was arranged as part of an alliance between Austria and Spain between Ferdinando and Maria Josepha of Austria, the daughter of Holy Empress Maria Theresa, who was in her own right Archduchess of Austria, Queen of Hungary, Queen of Croatia, and Queen of Bohemia, and Francis, Holy Roman Emperor, Grand Duke of Tuscany, and Duke of Lorraine. However, Maria Josepha died during a smallpox epidemic. Ferdinando’s father Carlos III of Spain was anxious to save the Austro-Spanish alliance, and so he requested one of Maria Josepha’s sisters as a replacement bride. Empress Maria Theresa, who wielded the real power, offered a choice of two of her daughters. Fifteen-year-old Archduchess Maria Carolina of Austria was chosen as Ferdinando’s bride. The couple was married by proxy in Vienna, Austria on April 7, 1768. On May 12, 1768, Ferdinando and Maria Carolina married in person at the Palace of Caserta in Caserta, near Naples. As part of the marriage contract, Maria Carolina was to have a place on the council of state after the birth of her first son.

During the early months of their marriage, serious differences arose between the newlyweds which would worsen over the years. In contrast to Maria Carolina, who had been carefully prepared for her role as a future queen, Ferdinando had never received a comprehensive education and spent his time hunting, playing pranks, and eating excessively.

Ferdinando, Maria Carolina, and their children  Maria Theresa, Maria Luisa, Maria Amelia, Francesco, Maria Cristina, and Gennaro, 1783; Credit – Wikipedia

Despite her dislike for her husband, Maria Carolina fulfilled her most important duty – to continue the dynasty. Ferdinando and Maria Carolina of Austria had seventeen children but only seven survived childhood. Seven of their children died from smallpox. However, four of their five surviving daughters married sovereigns.

In 1775, after her first son was born, Maria Carolina took her place on the council of state. Bernardo Tanucci, the former president of the regency council, was still on the council of state and attempted to thwart her political influence, and found himself dismissed in 1777. From then on, Maria Carolina was the de facto ruler of the Kingdoms of Naples and Sicily.

Ferdinando I was deposed twice from his thrones: once by the revolutionary Parthenopean Republic for six months in 1799 and again by Napoleon in 1805. In February 1806, Ferdinando, Maria Carolina, and their family were forced to flee to the island of Sicily, which was still in their control, where they lived in the Royal Palace of Palermo under British protection. However, the government of Sicily was a feudal type, and the British insisted on a government more similar to the British one. In 1813, Ferdinando essentially but not officially abdicated, and his eldest surviving son Francesco was appointed regent. At the insistence of the British, who were becoming more and more adverse to Maria Carolina, she was forced to leave Sicily. She returned to her home in Austria where she died from a stroke, aged 62, on September 8, 1814.

Ferdinando’s morganatic second wife Lucia Migliaccio, Duchess of Florida; Credit – Wikipedia

On November 27, 1814, in Palermo, Sicily, less than three months after the death of his first wife, Ferdinando I, King of the Two Sicilies married Lucia Migliaccio, Duchess of Floridia. She was the daughter of Vincenzo Migliaccio, 8th Duke of Floridia and Dorotea Borgia dei Marchesi del Casale, and had inherited her father’s dukedom. She had previously been married to Benedetto Grifeo, 8th Prince of Partanna, who predeceased her, and they had five children. Because Ferdinando and Lucia’s marriage was morganatic, Lucia was not Queen.

In 1815, the Congress of Vienna restored Ferdinando’s rights to the thrones of Naples and Sicily and he returned to Naples on June 17, 1815. In 1816, after Ferdinando abolished the constitution of the Kingdom of Sicily, the two kingdoms, Naples and Sicily, were united into the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. For the next four years, Ferdinand reigned as an absolute monarch and there were no constitutional reforms.

Entrance to the burial vault at the Basilica of Santa Chiara in Naples; Credit – Credit – Di Giuseppe Guida – Flickr: Basilica di Santa Chiara., CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=20267754

In 1820, a revolt broke out in Sicily and riots occurred in Naples. Ferdinando was forced to sign a constitution and appoint his son Francesco as regent of Sicily. This only lasted until March 1821, when Austrian troops friendly to Ferdinando occupied Naples. Ferdinando was re-established as an absolute monarch and the constitution was withdrawn. Ferdinando I died from a stroke in Naples on January 4, 1825, at the age of 73. He was buried at the Basilica of Santa Chiara in Naples.

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

Kingdom of the Two Sicilies Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. 2021. Ferdinand I. (Sizilien) – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferdinand_I._(Sizilien)> [Accessed 25 July 2021].
  • De.wikipedia.org. 2021. Maria Karolina von Österreich – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Karolina_von_%C3%96sterreich> [Accessed 25 July 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferdinand_I_of_the_Two_Sicilies> [Accessed 25 July 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Lucia Migliaccio – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucia_Migliaccio> [Accessed 25 July 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Maria Carolina of Austria – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Carolina_of_Austria> [Accessed 25 July 2021].
  • It.wikipedia.org. 2021. Ferdinando I delle Due Sicilie – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferdinando_I_delle_Due_Sicilie> [Accessed 25 July 2021].

Royalty on the International Olympic Committee

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2018
Revised 2021

Anne, Princess Royal, a member of the International Committee and a former Olympian, and her husband Timothy Laurence at the 2012 London Summer Olympics

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is the international, non-governmental, non-profit organization and the supreme authority of the worldwide Olympic movement. Members of royal families have served on the International Olympic Committee throughout the years and continue to serve.

*Current Member of the International Olympic Committee as of January 2024

#Honorary Members of the International Olympic Committee as of January 2024 (Most honorary members are former members who, after finishing their terms of office, are made honorary members.)

@Past Members or Past Honorary Members of the International Olympic Committee

Years in parentheses indicate the years served as a Member of the International Olympic Committee.

Belgium

@King Albert II of Belgium (1958-1964) as Prince Albert, Prince of Liège

Bhutan

*Prince Jigyel Ugyen Wangchuck of Bhutan (elected 2018)

Denmark

@Prince Axel of Denmark (1932-1958), honorary member 1958-1964
#King Frederik X of Denmark (2009-2021), honorary member 2021

Germany

@Duke Adolf Friedrich of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1926-1956)
@Prince Georg Wilhelm of Hanover (1966-1971)

Greece

#King Constantine II of Greece (1963-1974), honorary member 1974, Gold Medal in sailing in the 1960 Summer Olympics

Jordan

*Prince Feisal Al Hussein of Jordan (elected 2010)

Kuwait

*Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al Sabah of Kuwait (elected 1992, suspended)

Liechtenstein

@Franz Joseph II, Prince of Liechtenstein (1936-1980)
*Princess Nora of Liechtenstein (elected 1980)

Luxembourg

#Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg (1946-1998), honorary member 1998-2019
*Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg (elected 1998)

Malaysia

#Prince Tunku Imran of Negeri Sembilan, one of the thirteen states of Malaysia (2006-2019,  honorary member 2019

Monaco

@Prince Rainier III of Monaco (1949-1950)
@Prince Pierre of Monaco, Duke of Valentinois (1950-1964)
*Prince Albert II of Monaco (elected 1985), Winter Olympics participant in bobsled 1988, 1992, 1994, 1998, 2002

Netherlands

#King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands (1998-2013), honorary member 2013

Oman

@Sheikh Khalid Muhammad Alzubair of Oman (2017-2018)

Qatar

*Amir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani of Qatar (elected 2002)

Saudi Arabia

@Prince Faisal bin Fahd of Saudi Arabia (1984-1999)
#Prince Nawaf Bin Faisal of Saudi Arabia (2002-2014), honorary member 2014
*Princess Reema bint Bandar Al Saud of Saudi Arabia (elected 2020)

Spain

@Infanta Pilar of Spain (1996-2006), honorary member 2006-2020

United Arab Emirates

@Princess Haya bint Hussein of Jordan/United Arab Emirates (2007-2014), Summer Olympic participant in equestrian events 2000

United Kingdom

*Anne, Princess Royal (elected 1988), Summer Olympic participant in equestrian events 1976

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.

Katarina Jagellonica of Poland, Queen of Sweden

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Katarina Jagellonica of Poland, Queen of Sweden; Credit – Wikipedia

Katarina Jagellonica of Poland was the first of the two wives of Johan III, King of Sweden. Born on November 1, 1526, in Kraków, Poland, she was the fifth of the six children and the youngest of the four daughters of Sigismund I, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania (1467 – 1548) and his second wife Bona Sforza of Milan (1494 – 1557), daughter of Gian Galeazzo Sforza, Duke of Milan and Isabella of Naples, daughter of King Alfonso II of Naples.

Katarina had five siblings:

Ten portrait miniatures of the Jagiellon Family: Sigismund I, Bona Sforza, Sigismund II Augustus, Elizabeth of Austria, Barbara Radziwiłł, Catherine of Austria, Isabella Jagiellon, Catherine Jagiellon, Sophia Jagiellon, Anna Jagiellon; Credit – Wikipedia

From her father’s first marriage to Barbara Zápolya (1495 – 1515), a Hungarian noblewoman who died two months after giving birth to her second child, Katharina had two half-sisters:

Katarina was raised with her sisters Sophia and Anna. Most of her parents’ attention was given to the two eldest children Isabella and Sigismund Augustus. Katarina was educated by Italian tutors to read, write, and speak Latin, German, and Italian. In addition, she was instructed in riding, dancing, singing, and playing several musical instruments.

After her father died in 1548, Katarina’s brother Sigismund II Augustus succeeded as King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania. Sigismund II Augustus and his mother Bona Sforza previously had a conflict over his marriage to Barbara Radziwiłł, his former mistress. Bona eventually accepted her son’s decision to marry but their relationship was problematic and after her husband’s death, Bona and her three unmarried daughters moved away from the Polish court. In 1556, Katarina’s sister Sophia married and left for the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneberg. At the same time, Katarina’s mother decided to return to her home country, the Duchy of Milan. Katarina and her sister Anna were sent to the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania in Vilnius so that there would be a royal presence in Lithuania.

Johan III, King of Sweden; Credit – Wikipedia

Katarina was now in her 30s, quite old for a princess to remain unwed. In 1560, the widowed Ivan IV (the Terrible), Tsar of Russia proposed marriage but her brother Sigismund II Augustus did not consent to the marriage. Meanwhile, in Sweden, King Gustav I Vasa of Sweden died and was succeeded by his son from his first marriage Erik XIV, King of Sweden. Erik summoned the Riksdag (parliament) and at his urging, the Riksdag curtailed the authority of his half-brothers Johan, Duke of Finland and Karl, Duke of Södermanland in the dukedoms given to them by their father. As a further move against his half-brother Johan, Duke of Finland, Erik placed Johan’s city of Reval, now Tallinn, Estonia, under his protective power and led expansionist campaigns of conquest in Estonia. Johan then turned to Sigismund II Augustus for an alliance. In 1562, Johan’s envoys proposed a marriage between Katarina and Johan, Duke of Finland. However, Polish custom required that princesses marry in seniority. Katarina’s sister Anna who was three years older but was unmarried persuaded her brother to allow the marriage and he agreed. At the age of 35, Katarina married 25-year-old Johan, Duke of Finland in Vilnius, Grand Duchy of Lithuania on October 4, 1562.

Johan and Katarina Jagellonica had three children:

Katarina and Johan with their son Sigismund in captivity at Gripsholm Castle; Credit – Wikipedia

In exchange for marrying Katarina, Johan received a substantial sum of money and land in Livonia (located in present-day Estonia and Latvia), which hindered the expansionist policy of his half-brother King Erik XIV. Erik’s response was to send 10,000 troops to besiege Johan’s home Turku Castle in Turku, Finland. On August 12, 1563, Turku Castle surrendered. Johan was tried for high treason and sentenced to death but he was pardoned and imprisoned for four years with Katarina at Gripsholm Castle in Mariefred, Södermanland, Sweden. Johan and Katarina’s two eldest children were born in captivity at Gripsholm Castle.

Due to King Erik XIV’s mental health issues, his participation in the 1567 Sture Murders, and his unpopular marriage to his mistress Karin Månsdotter, his younger half-brothers led a revolt against him with the support of many nobles that ended in Erik XIV’s removal as King of Sweden in September 1568 and his eldest half-brother succeeding to the throne as Johan III, King of Sweden. In January 1569, the Riksdag (parliament) legally dethroned Erik. Johan and Katarina were crowned King and Queen of Sweden on July 10, 1569, at Uppsala Cathedral in Uppsala, Sweden. Erik was imprisoned in various castles for nine years and died on February 26, 1577, aged 43. He was most likely murdered due to the three major conspiracies that attempted to depose his half-brother King Johan III and place Erik back on the Swedish throne. An examination of his remains in 1958 confirmed that Erik probably died of arsenic poisoning.

As Queen Consort of Sweden, Katarina had much political influence and influenced her husband in many areas, such as his foreign policy and interest in Renaissance art. Johan III named her regent of Sweden should he die while their son was a minor. However, her greatest influence was in religious policy. The Protestant Johan had clear Catholic sympathies, inspired by the Catholic Katarina, and this created issues with the Protestant Swedish clergy and nobility. Their son Sigismund was raised as a Catholic in the hopes that he would acquire the Polish crown in the future.

Katarina’s tomb in Uppsala Cathedral; Credit – Wikipedia

In the spring of 1583, Katarina became seriously ill with gout, and after much suffering, she died on September 16, 1583, aged 56, at Tre Kronor Castle in Stockholm, Sweden, and was buried in Uppsala Cathedral in Uppsala, Sweden. After Katarina’s death, Johan III married again to Gunilla Bielke and had one son.

Katarina’s son Sigismund Vasa, circa 1590; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1587, Katarina and Johan III’s son Sigismund was elected monarch of the Polish – Lithuanian Commonwealth and became King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania. Upon the death of his father Johan III in 1592, Sigismund also became King of Sweden. However, the Catholic Sigismund was deposed in 1599 as King of Sweden by his Protestant uncle who then reigned as King Karl IX of Sweden. Sigismund lived the remainder of his life in Poland and reigned for a total of 45 years in Poland and Lithuania, dying in 1632.

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

Kingdom of Sweden Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Bona Sforza – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bona_Sforza> [Accessed 16 May 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Catherine Jagiellon – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catherine_Jagiellon> [Accessed 16 May 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Sigismund I the Old – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigismund_I_of_Poland> [Accessed 16 May 2021].
  • Flantzer, Susan. 2021. Johan III, King of Sweden. [online] Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/johan-iii-king-of-sweden/> [Accessed 16 May 2021].
  • Pl.wikipedia.org. 2021. Katarzyna Jagiellonka – Wikipedia, wolna encyklopedia. [online] Available at: <https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katarzyna_Jagiellonka> [Accessed 16 May 2021].
  • Sv.wikipedia.org. 2021. Katarina Jagellonica – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katarina_Jagellonica> [Accessed 16 May 2021].

Georg Friedrich, Prince of Prussia

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Georg Friedrich, Prince of Prussia is the current pretender to the Prussian throne, and head of the Prussian branch of the House of Hohenzollern. He is the direct male-line descendent of Prussia’s last King of Prussia and German Emperor Wilhelm II.

photo: By StagiaireMGIMO – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=33300040

Georg Friedrich Ferdinand was born in Bremen, Germany on June 10, 1976, the only son of Prince Ludwig Ferdinand of Prussia and Countess Donata of Castell-Rüdenhausen. He has one younger sister, Cornelie-Cécile, born in 1978. His father died in 1977 after suffering injuries in a military training exercise. As his father’s two elder brothers had lost their rights to succession, this made Georg Friedrich heir to his grandfather, also named Ludwig Ferdinand, as the future Head of the House of Hohenzollern.

He began his schooling in Fischerhude, before attending grammar schools in Bremen and Oldenburg. He then attended Glenalmond College in Scotland where he completed his A-levels. It was during that time, in 1994, when his grandfather died and Georg Friedrich – at just 18 years old – became Head of the House of Hohenzollern and pretender to the Prussian throne. This led to a dispute by two of his uncles – both of whom had been excluded from succession due to marriages that were deemed unequal – who challenged Georg Friedrich as being the sole heir of his grandfather. After over 10 years of legal battles and court cases, it was determined that while Georg Friedrich was indeed the heir to his grandfather and the rightful Head of the House, his uncles were also entitled to a portion of their father’s estate.

Georg Friedrich completed two years of military service with the Bundeswehr before earning a degree in Business Economics at the University of Freiburg. During that time, he took on internships at various software companies, both in Germany and abroad. Today, in addition to representing the House of Hohenzollern, he works as Managing Director of Kgl. Prussian Beer Manufacturer, based in Berlin. He is a member of the board of the Princess Kira of Prussian Foundation (founded by his grandmother) and served as Chairman for several years before handing the chairmanship over to his wife. As head of the house, he owns a ⅔ share of Hohenzollern Castle, with the other ⅓ owned by Karl Friedrich, Prince of Hohenzollern (the Swabian branch of the House of Hohenzollern). He also owns Princes’ Island in Plön and several other properties.

Georg Friedrich and Sophie – photo: By Rainer Halama – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=79088921

In January 2011, Georg Friedrich’s engagement to Princess Sophie of Isenburg was announced. Born in March 1978, Sophie is the daughter of Franz-Alexander, Prince of Isenburg and Countess Christine von Saurma zu der Jeltsch. The couple married in a civil ceremony held in the Potsdam Town Hall on August 25, 2011. Two days later, a religious ceremony was held at the Church of Peace, followed by a reception at the Orangery Palace, both in Sanssouci Park. The couple live in the Babelsberg district of Potsdam with their four children:

  • Carl Friedrich Franz Alexander (born 2013)
  • Louis Ferdinand Christian Albrecht (born 2013)
  • Emma Marie Charlotte Sofia (born 2015)
  • Heinrich Albert Johann Georg (born 2016)

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Prussian Resources at Unofficial Royalty

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

St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

St. George’s Chapel; Photo Credit – © Susan Flantzer

St. George’s Chapel, which this writer has visited, is located in the Lower Ward of the precincts of Windsor Castle in Windsor, England. Calling it a chapel is a misnomer as it is more cathedral-like. St. George’s Chapel is a Royal Peculiar, a church under the direct jurisdiction of the monarch instead of a bishop, and is also the Chapel of the Order of the Garter. St. George’s Chapel seats around 800 people and has been the setting for many royal funerals since the reign of King George III and many royal weddings since the reign of Queen Victoria.

https://www.britainexpress.com/counties/berkshire/windsor-castle/st-georges-map.htm

1 – Nave
1a – Memorial to The Prince Imperial, son of Emperor Napoleon III and Empress Eugenie of France, killed in the Zulu War in 1879.
2 – Beaufort Chantry – Tomb of Charles Somerset, 1st Earl of Worcester and his first wife
3 – West Nave Central
4 – Urswick Chantry – Chantry chapel for Christopher Urswick, Dean of Windsor, Memorial to Princess Charlotte of Wales is also here
5 – Tomb of King George V and his wife Queen Mary
5a – Rutland Chapel – Tomb of George Manners, 11th Baron de Roos and his wife Anne.
6 – King George VI Memorial Chapel – King George VI, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother,  Princess Margaret, The Duke of Edinburgh, and Queen Elizabeth II are buried here
7 – Hastings Chantry – Chantry chapel for William Hastings, 1st Baron Hastings, executed by Richard III
8 – Tomb of King Edward IV and his wife Elizabeth Woodville
9 – Wrought Iron Gates – designed to protect the tomb of Edward IV
10 – Tudor Oriel Window – Built by King Henry VIII as a gallery for Catherine of Aragon
11 – Reredos and East Window – Built as a memorial to Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria
12 – The Garter Stalls – Stalls for the Knights of the Garter
13 – Entrance to the Royal Vault
14 – Crypt where King Henry VIII, his third wife Jane Seymour, and King Charles I are interred
15 – Roof Bosses – At the crossing are the arms of King Henry VII and the Garter Knights
16 – The Royal Stalls
17 – West Window – Stained-glass window portrays 75 royals, saints, and popes
18 – Bray Chantry – Tomb of Sir Reginald Bray
19 – Oliver King Chapel – Oliver King, Canon of Windsor, later Bishop of Bath and Wells
20 – Edward III’s battle sword measuring 6 feet 8 inches long
21 – Oxenbridge Chantry – Chantry chapel for John Oxenbridge, Canon of Windsor
22 – Tomb of King Henry VI
23 – Tomb of King Edward VII and his wife Queen Alexandra
24 – Lincoln Chapel – Tomb of Edward Clinton, 1st Earl of Lincoln and his third wife
25 – East Doors – 13th-century ironwork frames the doors which were the entry to King Henry III’s Chapel
26 – Dean’s Cloister – The site of the cloister was built in 1352

Note: The Albert Memorial Chapel is not labeled.  It is at the top of the diagram, above the number 25.

In 1348, King Edward III founded the Order of the Garter and the College of St. George at Windsor Castle. St. George’s Chapel is part of the College of St. George which now also includes St. George’s School, St. George’s House, the Military Knights of Windsor, the Chapter Library and Archives, and the Choir of St. George’s Chapel. At the time of the founding of the Order of the Garter, the church at Windsor Castle was the Chapel of St. Edward the Confessor which had been constructed by King Henry III in the early thirteenth century and stood on the site of the present Albert Memorial Chapel, part of St. George’s Chapel. The Chapel of St. Edward the Confessor was rededicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Edward the Confessor, and St. George, the patron saint of England, and became the Chapel of the Order of the Garter. A new porch was built on the chapel to serve as an entrance to the new College of St. George.  From 1475 – 1528, the 13th-century Chapel of Edward the Confessor was transformed into the cathedral-like chapel that we see today.

Heraldic banners of the members of the Order of the Garter; Credit – By Josep Renalias – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3530668

The quire of the current chapel is now the place where every June a special service is held for the members of the Order of the Garter. The heraldic banners of the current members hang above the stalls of the quire where the Knights of the Garter have a seat for life. Each stall has small enameled brass plates displaying the names and arms of each Knight of the Garter who has sat in that stall. Members of the Order of the Garter meet at Windsor Castle every June for the annual Garter Service. After lunch in the State Apartments (Upper Ward of the Castle), the Knights of the Garter process on foot in their robes and insignia, down to St. George’s Chapel for the service. If new members are to be admitted, they are installed at the service.

Tomb of Henry VI at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor; Credit – findagrave.com

Before the reign of the House of Hanover, there were only a handful of royal burials at St. George’s Chapel because the primary royal burial place had been Westminster Abbey in London. King Henry VI was interred in at St. George’s Chapel in a tomb on the south side of the altar and King Edward IV and his wife Elizabeth Woodville were interred in a tomb on the north side of the altar. Jane Seymour, the third wife of King Henry VIII, who died from childbirth complications after delivering his long-awaited son, King Henry VIII, and the beheaded King Charles I are all interred in the small vault in the floor of the Quire of St. George’s Chapel.

Coffins in the Royal Vault; Photo Credit – the-lothians.blogspot.com

By the time of King George II’s death in 1760, the royal burial vaults at Westminster Abbey were quite crowded. His successor, his grandson King George III, decided to build a new royal vault at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor. The new Royal Vault was constructed in 1804 under what is now the Albert Memorial Chapel. Between 1863 – 1873, Queen Victoria had the original chapel converted into a chapel in memory of her husband Prince Albert. Prince Albert is not buried there, but his son Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany, and his grandson Prince Albert Victor (Prince Eddy), Duke of Clarence are buried there. Also during Queen Victoria’s reign, a set of steps was built at the west end of the chapel to create a ceremonial entrance to St. George’s Chapel.

Ceremonial entrance at the west end of St. George’s Chapel; Photo Credit – © Susan Flantzer

Memorial to Princess Charlotte of Wales, the angel on the left holds her stillborn son; Photo Credit – http://www.stgeorges-windsor.org/

Only three of the Hanovers interred at St. George’s Chapel have a tomb or memorial. Princess Charlotte of Wales, who tragically died in childbirth at age 21 and most likely would have succeeded her father King George IV on the throne has a very moving memorial. Charlotte’s body is draped as she ascends to heaven along with angels, one of which carries her stillborn son.

Embed from Getty Images 
Albert Memorial Chapel

In the Albert Memorial Chapel, there are tombs with effigies for Queen Victoria’s hemophiliac son Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany who died at age 31 due to hemophilia complications after a fall, and for Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence (known as Prince Eddy), second in the line of succession after his father, Queen Victoria’s eldest son, the future King Edward VII. Prince Eddy died at age 28 after becoming ill with influenza and developing pneumonia. King Edward VII and his wife Queen Alexandra and King George V and his wife Queen Mary were interred in tombs with effigies in the aisles of the chapel.

King George VI Memorial Chapel; Credit – The Royal Family Facebook page

In 1969, construction was completed on an addition to St. George’s Chapel, the King George VI Memorial Chapel. King George VI, whose coffin had been in the Royal Vault since his death in 1952, was transferred there in 1969. His wife Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and the ashes of his daughter Princess Margaret were interred there in 2002.  In 2022, King George VI’s daughter and successor Queen Elizabeth II was interred in the King George VI Memorial Chapel. The coffin of her husband Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh who died in 2021, had been temporarily interred in the Royal Vault at St. George’s Chapel and was moved to the King George Memorial Chapel at the time of the burial of Queen Elizabeth II.

Royal Christenings at St. George’s Chapel – Reign of Queen Victoria and Later

Christening of The Prince of Wales by George Hayter, 1842; Credit – Wikipedia

For the most part, royal christenings prior to the reign of Queen Victoria were small events, often held at home. During the reign of Queen Victoria, christenings were usually held at The Private Chapel at Windsor Castle or Private Chapel at Buckingham Palace. Christenings of members of the House of Windsor have been also held at intimate settings, mostly palace chapels, including the Private Chapel in Windsor Castle, the Private Chapel at Buckingham Palace, the Music Room at Buckingham Palace, the Chapel Royal in St James’s Palace, and St. Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham. From the reign of Queen Victoria and later, only three christenings were held at a large church, St. George’s Chapel.

Royal Weddings at St. George’s Chapel – Reign of Queen Victoria and Later

Wedding of The Prince of Wales and Princess Alexandra of Denmark, painting by William Frith, circa 1865, Queen Victoria can be seen standing in the Royal Closet in the top right; Credit – Wikipedia

During the reign of Queen Victoria, we start to see royal weddings at St. George’s Chapel. In 1863, the wedding of Queen Victoria’s eldest son and heir, the future King Edward VII of the United Kingdom, and Princess Alexandra of Denmark would be the first royal wedding held at St. George’s Chapel, a tradition that has continued to this day for many members of the British Royal Family.

Royal Funerals at St. George’s Chapel – Reign of King George III and Later

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Funeral of King George V: His coffin has just been lowered into the Royal Vault

Since the reign of the House of Hanover, St. George’s Chapel has become the usual place for funerals of the British royal family. King George III, King George IV, King William IV, Queen Victoria, King Edward VII, King George V, King Edward VIII (as Duke of Windsor), and King George VI all had funerals at St. George’s Chapel.

Royal Burials at St. George’s Chapel

Tomb of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra on the south side of the altar; Photo Credit – https://www.royalcollection.org.uk/collection/606282/tomb-of-king-edward-vii-and-queen-alexandra

  • 1471 – King Henry VI: interred in a tomb on the south side of the altar
  • 1479 – George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Bedford, son of King Edward IV: died in early childhood, interred on the north side of altar near his parents’ tomb
  • 1482 – Mary of York, daughter of King Edward IV: died at age 14, interred on the north side of altar near her parents’ tomb
  • 1483 – King Edward IV: interred in a tomb on the north side of the altar
  • 1492 – Elizabeth Woodville, Queen of England, wife of King Edward IV: interred with her husband
  • 1537 – Jane Seymour, Queen of England, third wife of King Henry VIII: interred in the small vault in the Quire of St. George’s Chapel
  • 1547 – King Henry VIII: interred in the small vault in the Quire of St. George’s Chapel
  • 1649 – King Charles I: interred in the small vault in the Quire of St. George’s Chapel
  • 1698 – Stillborn son of Queen Anne: interred in the small vault in the Quire of St. George’s Chapel
  • 1805 – Prince William, Duke of Gloucester, brother of King George III: interred in the Gloucester Vault on the south side of the Quire
  • 1807 – Maria, Duchess of Gloucester (born Maria Walpole), wife of Prince William, Duke of Gloucester: interred in the Gloucester Vault on the south side of the Quire
  • 1810 – Princess Amelia, daughter of King George III: interred in the Royal Vault
  • 1813 – Princess Augusta, Duchess of Brunswick-Wolfenbuttel, sister of King George III: interred in the Royal Vault
  • 1817 – Princess Charlotte of Wales, daughter of The Prince of Wales, the future King George IV: interred in the Royal Vault
  • 1817 – Stillborn son of Princess Charlotte of Wales: interred in the Royal Vault
  • 1818 – Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Queen of the United Kingdom, wife of King George III: interred in the Royal Vault
  • 1818 – Stillborn daughter of Prince Ernest Augustus, son of King George III: interred in the Royal Vault
  • 1820 – Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, son of King George III and father of Queen Victoria: interred in the Royal Vault
  • 1820 – King George III: interred in the Royal Vault
  • 1820 (interred) – Prince Alfred, son of King George III: died 1782 in early childhood, first interred at Westminster Abbey, transferred to the Royal Vault in 1820 at the time of his father’s death
  • 1820 (interred) – Prince Octavius, son of King George III: died 1783 in early childhood, first interred at Westminster Abbey, transferred to the Royal Vault in 1820 at the time of his father’s death
  • 1821 – Princess Elizabeth of Clarence, daughter of Prince William, Duke of Clarence (the future King William IV): died in infancy, interred in the Royal Vault
  • 1827 – Prince Frederick, Duke of York, son of King George III: interred in the Royal Vault
  • 1830 – King George IV: interred in the Royal Vault
  • 1832 – Princess Louise of Saxe-Weimar, 15-year-old niece of Queen Adelaide: interred in the Royal Vault
  • 1834 – Prince William Frederick, Duke of Gloucester, nephew and son-in-law of King George III: interred in the Gloucester Vault on the south side of the Quire
  • 1837 – King William IV: interred in the Royal Vault
  • 1840 – Princess Sophia, daughter of King George III: interred in the Royal Vault
  • 1844 – Princess Sophia of Gloucester, great-granddaughter of King George II and niece of King George III: interred in the Gloucester Vault on the south side of the Quire
  • 1849 – Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen, Queen of the United Kingdom, wife of King William IV: interred in the Royal Vault
  • 1857 – Princess Mary, Duchess of Gloucester, daughter of King George III and wife of Prince William, Duke of Gloucester: interred in the Gloucester Vault on the south side of the Quire
  • 1876 – Prince Harald of Schleswig-Holstein, son of Princess Helena and grandson of Queen Victoria: lived only eight days, interred in the Royal Vault
  • 1878 – King George V of Hanover, grandson of King George III: interred in the Royal Vault
  • 1881 – Victoria von Pawel Rammingen, daughter of Princess Frederica of Hanover: interred in the Royal Vault
  • 1884 – Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany, son of Queen Victoria: first interred in the Royal Vault, transferred to Albert Memorial Chapel in 1885
  • 1892 – Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence, elder son of The Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII: first interred in the Royal Vault, transferred to the Albert Memorial Chapel
  • 1897 – Princess Mary Adelaide, Duchess of Teck, granddaughter of King George III and mother of Queen Mary: interred in the Royal Vault
  • 1900 – Prince Francis, Duke of Teck, husband of Prince Mary Adelaide, father of Queen Mary: interred in the Royal Vault
  • 1910 – King Edward VII: first interred in the Royal Vault, later interred in a sarcophagus on the south side of the altar
  • 1925 – Alexandra of Denmark, Queen of the United Kingdom, wife of King Edward VII: first interred in the Royal Vault, later interred in a sarcophagus on the south side of the altar
  • 1926 – Princess Frederika of Hanover, daughter of King George V of Hanover and wife of Baron Alfons von Pawel-Rammingen: interred in the Royal Vault
  • 1930 (interred) – Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge, son of King George III and grandfather of Queen Mary: died 1850, first interred at St. Anne’s Church in Kew, London, transferred to the Royal Vault in 1930
  • 1930 (interred) – Princess Augusta, Duchess of Cambridge, wife of Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge and grandmother of Queen Mary: died 1889, first interred at St. Anne’s Church in Kew, London, transferred to the Royal Vault in 1930
  • 1936 – King George V: first interred in the Royal Vault, later interred in a sarcophagus in the North Nave Aisle in 1939
  • 1952 – King George VI: first interred in the Royal Vault, transferred to the King George VI Memorial Chapel in 1969
  • 1953 – Victoria Mary of Teck, Queen Mary of the United Kingdom, wife of King George V: first interred in the Royal Vault, later interred in a sarcophagus in the North Nave Aisle
  • 2002 – Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, wife of King George VI: interred in the King George VI Memorial Chapel
  • 2002 – Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, daughter of King George VI: ashes first interred in the Royal Vault February 15, 2002, transferred to the King George VI Memorial Chapel April 9, 2002, at the time of her mother’s burial
  • 2021 – Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, husband of Queen Elizabeth II: interred in the Royal Vault April 17, 2021.
  • 2022 – Queen Elizabeth II: interred September 19, 2022 in the King George VI Memorial Chapel. At the same time, the coffin of her husband Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh was transferred from the Royal Vault and also interred in the King George VI Memorial Chapel.

Temporary Royal Burials at St. George’s Chapel

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A view inside the Royal Vault at St. George’s Chapel – the bench in the middle was used as a temporary place for coffins waiting to be interred elsewhere

Frogmore within the grounds of the Home Park, adjacent to Windsor Castle, is the site of three burial places of the British Royal Family: the Royal Mausoleum containing the tombs of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, the Duchess of Kent’s Mausoleum where Queen Victoria’s mother Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, Duchess of Kent is interred and the Royal Burial Ground.

Since its consecration on October 23, 1928, most members of the British Royal Family except for monarchs and their spouses have been buried at the Royal Burial Ground. Some royal family members who had previously been interred in the Royal Vault at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle were transferred to the Royal Burial Ground shortly after its consecration, freeing up some burial space in the Royal Vault. Other royal family members were temporarily interred in the Royal Vault at St. George’s Chapel for various reasons and then interred at a later date at the Royal Burial Ground.

  • 1861 – Princess Victoria, Duchess of Kent, mother of Queen Victoria, first interred in the entrance to the Royal Vault, transferred to her mausoleum, Frogmore later in 1861
  • 1861 – Prince Albert, The Prince Consort, husband of Queen Victoria: first interred in the entrance to the Royal Vault, transferred to the Royal Mausoleum, Frogmore in 1862
  • 1901 – Queen Victoria: placed in the Albert Memorial Chapel for two days, then transferred to Royal Mausoleum, Frogmore
  • 1910 – Prince Francis of Teck, brother of Queen Mary:  first interred in the Royal Vault, transferred to the Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore in 1928
  • 1912 – Alexander Duff, 1st Duke of Fife, husband of Louise, Princess Royal, Duchess of Fife: first interred in the Royal Vault, transferred to Private Chapel, Mar Lodge Mausoleum in Braemar, Aberdeenshire, Scotland later in 1912
  • 1917 – Louise Margaret of Prussia, Duchess of Connaught, wife of Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught: the first member of the Royal Family to be cremated, ashes first buried in the Royal Vault, transferred to the Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore in 1928
  • 1917 – Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein, husband of Princess Helena: first interred in the Royal Vault, transferred to the Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore in 1928
  • 1922 – Lord Leopold Mountbatten, son of Princess Beatrice, grandson of Queen Victoria: first interred in the Royal Vault, transferred to the Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore in 1928
  • 1923 – Princess Helena, daughter of Queen Victoria: first interred in the Royal Vault, transferred to the Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore in 1928
  • 1927 – Adolphus Cambridge, 1st Marquess of Cambridge, brother of Queen Mary: first interred in the Royal Vault, transferred to the Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore in 1928
  • 1928 – Rupert Cambridge, Viscount Trematon, son of Alexander Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone (brother of Queen Mary), and Princess Alice of Albany, Countess of Athlone (daughter of Prince Leopold): first interred in the Royal Vault, transferred to the Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore in 1928
  • 1931 – Louise, Princess Royal, Duchess of Fife, daughter of King Edward VII: first interred in the Royal Vault, transferred to Private Chapel, Mar Lodge Mausoleum in Braemar, Aberdeenshire, Scotland later in 1931
  • 1935 – Princess Victoria, daughter of King Edward VII: first interred in the Royal Vault, transferred to Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore in 1936
  • 1938 – Prince Arthur of Connaught, son of Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught: first interred in the Royal Vault, transferred to Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore in 1939
  • 1939 – Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll, daughter of Queen Victoria: ashes first interred in the Royal Vault, transferred to Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore in 1940
  • 1942 – Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught, son of Queen Victoria: first interred in the Royal Vault, transferred to Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore in 1942, two months later
  • 1942 – Prince George, Duke of Kent, son of King George V: first interred in the Royal Vault, transferred to Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore in 1968, the day before the burial of his wife Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent
  • 1944 – Princess Beatrice, daughter of Queen Victoria: first interred in the Royal Vault, transferred to Whippingham Church, Isle of Wight in 1945
  • 1948 – Princess Helena Victoria, daughter of Princess Helena, granddaughter of Queen Victoria: first interred in the Royal Vault, transferred to Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore later in 1948
  • 1956 – Princess Marie Louise, daughter of Princess Helena, granddaughter of Queen Victoria: first interred in the Royal Vault, transferred to Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore later in 1957
  • 1957 – Alexander Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone, husband of Princess Alice of Albany and brother of Queen Mary: first interred in the Royal Vault, transferred to Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore later in 1957
  • 1969 – Princess Andrew of Greece, born Princess Alice of Battenberg, great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria and mother of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh: first interred in the Royal Vault, transferred to the Convent of Saint Mary Magdalene on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem in 1988

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

  • College of St George. 2021. College of St George – Windsor Castle – Home. [online] Available at: <https://www.stgeorges-windsor.org/> [Accessed 15 May 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_George%27s_Chapel,_Windsor_Castle> [Accessed 15 May 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. State funerals in the United Kingdom – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_funerals_in_the_United_Kingdom> [Accessed 15 May 2021].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2018. St. George’s Chapel, Windsor: Royal Burials. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/st-georges-chapel-windsor-royal-burials/> [Accessed 15 May 2021].
  • 1989. St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle. North Way: Pitkin Pictorials Ltd.

Johan III, King of Sweden

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Johan III, King of Sweden; Credit – Wikipedia

Johan III, King of Sweden was born at Stegeborg Castle in Söderköping, Östergötland, Sweden on December 20, 1537. He was the eldest of the ten children and the eldest of the five sons of Gustav I Vasa, King of Sweden and his second wife Margareta Leijonhufvud.  Margareta was a member of the Leijonhufvud family, one of Sweden’s most powerful noble families. Her constant pregnancies took a toll on her health and she died from pneumonia at the age of 35 in 1551, when Johan, the eldest child, was 13-years-old.

Johan had nine younger siblings:

Johan had one elder half-brother from his father’s first marriage to Katharina of Saxe-Lauenburg:

Johan, along with his elder half-brother Erik, was well-educated by tutors. In 1557, King Gustav I wrote his will and divided his kingdom into hereditary duchies for his sons: Erik, Duke of Kalmar; Johan, Duke of Finland; Magnus, Duke of Östergötland; and Karl, Duke of Södermanland.

Johan’s half-brother Erik XIV, King of Sweden; Credit – Wikipedia

Upon the death of his father, Johan’s elder half-brother succeeded to the throne as Erik XIV, King of Sweden. Erik summoned the Riksdag (parliament) at Arboga where, under Erik’s urging, the Arboga Articles were adopted curtailing the authority of his half-brothers Johan and Karl in the dukedoms given to them by their father. As a further move against his half-brother Johan, Duke of Finland, Erik placed the city of Reval, now Tallinn, Estonia, under his protective power and led expansionist campaigns of conquest in Estonia.

Johan’s first wife Katarina Jagellonica of Poland; Credit – Wikipedia

Johan then turned to Sigismund II Augustus, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania for an alliance. He married Katarina Jagellonica of Poland, the sister of Sigismund II Augustus.

Johan and Katarina Jagellonica had three children:

In exchange for marrying Katarina Jagellonica, Johan received a substantial sum of money and land in Livonia in present-day Estonia and Latvia, hindering King Erik XIV’s expansionist policy. Erik’s response was to send 10,000 troops to besiege Johan’s home Turku Castle in Turku, Finland. On August 12, 1563, Turku Castle surrendered. Johan was tried for high treason and sentenced to death but he was pardoned and imprisoned for four years with his wife at Gripsholm Castle in Mariefred, Södermanland, Sweden. Johan and Katarina’s two eldest children were born in captivity at Gripsholm Castle.

Johan, his wife Katarina, and his son Sigismund imprisoned at Gripsholm Castle; Credit – Wikipedia

King Erik XIV had suffered from mental health issues and from 1563 onwards these issues worsened. His decisions became more illogical and he exhibited violent behavior. Erik’s suspicion of the nobility led him to be suspicious of the Sture family, then headed by Svante Stensson Sture who was married to Märta Erikdotter Leijonhufvud, the sister of Johan’s mother Margareta Leijonhufvud. Erik lacked a legal heir and feared the Sture family might claim his throne. These fears resulted in the 1567 Sture Murders, the murders of five Swedish nobles and Erik’s former tutor, in which Erik was an active participant and faced no immediate repercussions.

Due to King Erik XIV’s behavior and his marriage to his mistress Karin Månsdotter, his younger half-brothers led a revolt against Erik with the support of many nobles that ended in his removal as King of Sweden in September 1568 and his eldest half-brother succeeding to the throne as Johan III, King of Sweden. In January 1569, the Riksdag (parliament) legally dethroned Erik. He was imprisoned in several castles for nine years and died on February 26, 1577, aged 43. He was most likely murdered due to the three major conspiracies that attempted to depose his half-brother King Johan III and place Erik back on the Swedish throne. An examination of his remains in 1958 confirmed that Erik probably died of arsenic poisoning.

Tre Kronor Castle; Credit – Wikipedia

During his reign, Johan III carried out extensive building projects. He participated in planning buildings and provided his own architectural drawings. Johan was particularly interested in the preservation of existing buildings. Some churches that had suffered damage were restored and refurbished including Uppsala Cathedral, Västerås Cathedral, Linköping Cathedral, and Skara Cathedral. In Stockholm, the Storkyrkan (Great Church) and the Riddarholmen Church both had extensive renovations. Tre Kronor Castle, located on the site of the current Royal Palace in Stockholm, was significantly expanded and refurbished and a castle church was added.

In 1570, Johan III ended the Nordic Seven Years War with Denmark and Sweden, a war his half-brother Erik had started. During the following years, Johan successfully fought Russia in the Livonian War, concluded by the Treaty of Plussa in 1583. Johan had clear Catholic sympathies, inspired by his Catholic Polish wife, and this created issues with the Protestant Swedish clergy and nobility. His son Sigismund was raised as a Catholic to help him acquire the Polish crown. In 1587, Sigismund was elected monarch of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and became King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania.

Johan’s second wife Gunilla Bielke; Credit – Wikipedia

Katarina Jagellonica fell sick in the spring of 1583 and died in Stockholm on September 16, 1583, at the age of 56. She was buried in the royal crypt of the Uppsala Cathedral in Uppsala, Sweden. On February 21, 1585, Johan married Gunilla Bielke at Västerås Cathedral, and his new wife was crowned Queen of Sweden the following day. Gunilla, who was thirty-one years younger than her husband, was the daughter of one of Johan’s cousins and had been orphaned at an early age. She was raised at court as a playmate of Johan’s daughter Anna. In 1582, Gunilla had been made a maid of honor to Queen Katarina Jagellonica. Gunilla had a significant influence on Johan. She is credited with influencing his policy regarding religion in favor of Protestantism, similar to the way his first wife had influenced him in favor of Catholicism.

Johan III and Gunilla had one son:

After a reign of twenty-three years, Johan III, King of Sweden died on November 17, 1592, aged 54, at Tre Kronor Castle in Stockholm, Sweden. He was buried in Uppsala Cathedral in Uppsala, Sweden. Gunilla survived her husband by only five years, dying at the age of 29 of a fever on July 19, 1597. She was buried at Uppsala Cathedral in Uppsala, Sweden.

Tomb of Johan III, King of Sweden; Credit – Wikipedia

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

Kingdom of Sweden Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. 2021. Johann III. (Schweden) – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_III._(Schweden)> [Accessed 8 May 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. John III of Sweden – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_III_of_Sweden> [Accessed 8 May 2021].
  • Flantzer, Susan. 2021. Erik XIV, King of Sweden. Unofficial Royalty. [online] Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/erik-xiv-king-of-sweden/> [Accessed 8 May 2021].
  • Sv.wikipedia.org. 2021. Johan III – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johan_III> [Accessed 8 May 2021].