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Feodora of Leiningen, Princess of Hohenlohe-Langenburg

Feodora of Leiningen, Princess of Hohenlohe-Langenburg in middle age. Photo credit: erhj.blogspot.com

September 23, 1872 – Death of Feodora of Leiningen, Princess consort of Hohenlohe-Langenburg

Feodora’s Wikipedia page

Anna Feodora Auguste Charlotte Wilhelmine was born in Amorbach, Germany, in December 1807. Her parents were Emich Carl, 2nd (ruling) Prince of Leiningen and Viktoria of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. Feodora (as she was known) had a brother, Carl, who was three years older.

Feodora’s father died in 1814. The family stayed in Amorbach for the next few years, where Viktoria served as regent for Carl. Viktoria’s brother Leopold and his wife Charlotte of Wales, the only legitimate grandchild of George II of the United Kingdom, began working in early 1817 to marry Viktoria to Edward, Duke of Kent (Charlotte’s uncle). Both parties were somewhat lukewarm to the idea of marriage, as Viktoria had a comfortable and secure position in Amorbach and Edward had a long-time mistress.

In November 1817, the British were facing a succession crisis as Charlotte died after giving birth to a stillborn son. George’s unmarried sons took to continental Europe to find brides to sire children and secure the succession. Not to be left out of the race, Edward convinced Viktoria to marry him in May 1818. Leaving her brother Carl in Amorbach, Feodora traveled with her stepfather and pregnant mother to the United Kingdom in early 1819. Feodora’s sister, the future Queen Victoria, was born at Kensington Palace that May.

Consequently, this is sildenafil online no prescription truly an exceptionally humiliating issue for the man as it makes him barren and does not permit him to have any sort of physical delight. Prostatic fluid produced by produced prostate is a buy female viagra major ingredient of semen. It is preferred in cases when the company or cheap levitra uk distributor needs to communicate with you through your phone, you do not have to worry about having therapy and talking it through with a stranger. For those people, order levitra online would definitely be a good option among all. Feodora’s stepfather died in 1820. Victoria’s close proximity to the throne made it unwise for Viktoria to leave Britain and return to continental Europe. Yet restricted funds and poor English kept the family isolated and Feodora bored. She later lamented that the only enjoyment she had was going on her daily rides with Victoria and Victoria’s governess, Baroness Louise Lehzen.

In the meantime, Feodora was growing into a rather beautiful young woman. During the mid-1820s, she began attracting the attentions of her stepfather’s brother, George IV of the United Kingdom. Viktoria realized that if this marriage occurred and produced children, young Victoria’s place in the succession would be jeopardized. Besides, Viktoria despised her gluttonous, arrogant brother-in-law. The idea of becoming his mother-in-law horrified her. Additionally, Feodora did not get along with Sir John Conroy, the Welsh army officer who controlled Viktoria’s finances – and had a Svengali-like influence over her.

Viktoria hurriedly searched for a suitable husband for her eldest daughter. In February 1828, Feodora married Ernst I, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg at Kensington Palace. Ernst was the cousin of Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen, the consort of William IV of the United Kingdom, giving Feodora an additional tie to the British monarchy. For her part, Feodora was glad to leave home and return to Germany. Her departure left Victoria lonely and at the mercy of her mother and Conroy.

The principality of Hohenlohe-Langenburg was controlled by Württemberg, giving Ernst little to do. Additionally, Feodora and Ernst barely knew each other at the time of their marriage. Nevertheless, the marriage was a happy one that produced six children.

Despite their eleven year age difference, Feodora and Victoria were quite close. They sent each other letters and sketches frequently, discussing mostly their children, their mother, and their upbringing. Feodora visited the United Kingdom as often as she could. After she became queen, Victoria also granted her sister a small allowance.

Feodora died in Baden-Baden in 1872. Victoria, who long lamented her lack of a large family of origin, was crushed by the loss of her sister. Victoria continued to take a great interest in her sister’s family, promoting the marriage of Feodora’s granddaughter Augusta Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein to her own grandson, the future German Emperor Wilhelm II, in 1882. Among Feodora’s other descendants include Regina of Saxe-Meiningen, the wife of Crown Prince Otto of Austria and Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg, the mother of Swedish king Carl XVI Gustav.

Archduchess Elisabeth Marie of Austria, Princess of Windisch-Graetz

by Emily McMahon © Unofficial Royalty 2013

Credit – Wikipedia

Born on September 2, 1883, at the Austrian imperial summer residence of Schloss Laxenburg, in Laxenburg, Austria, Elisabeth Maria Henriette Stephanie Gisela was the only child of Rudolf, Crown Prince of Austria and Stéphanie of Belgium. Elisabeth was the granddaughter of Franz Joseph I, Emperor of Austria and his wife, Elisabeth of Bavaria (Sissi) as well as Leopold II, King of the Belgians and Marie-Henriette of Austria. Named in honor of her famous paternal grandmother, the younger Elisabeth was known by the nickname of “Erszi,” short for the Hungarian version of her name.

Shortly after her birth, the relationship between Elisabeth’s parents began to deteriorate. It is likely that Rudolf infected Stéphanie with a sexually transmitted disease, rendering her sterile and unable to provide a male heir for the Austrian throne. Both Stéphanie and Rudolf began affairs with other people in the following years and intermittently spoke of divorce.

Elisabeth with her mother in 1894; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

In 1889, Rudolf was found shot to death with his mistress, Baroness Mary von Vetsera, at the imperial hunting lodge in Mayerling. Although the deaths were officially ruled a murder-suicide or double suicide, some evidence suggests the two may have been murdered. Imperial dislike of Stéphanie had been high, and as a result, her paternal grandfather took Elisabeth into his care. The two were close to the end of the Emperor’s life. Following her mother’s remarriage to a Hungarian count in 1900, Elisabeth broke off all contact with her mother.

Despite her unusual family history, as the granddaughter of the Emperor, Elisabeth was still considered politically and financially valuable as a possible royal bride. She was strongly considered as a wife for her distant cousin Albert I of the Belgians, but he married one of Elisabeth’s Bavarian relations (another Elisabeth of Bavaria) instead.

Elisabeth met minor Prince Otto of Windisch-Grätz at a court function and immediately persuaded her grandfather to allow her to marry him despite his low rank. Franz Joseph agreed to the engagement and a generous dowry. Otto, who barely knew Elisabeth, was forced to accept the engagement and break off a previous betrothal. The two married at Hofburg in 1902.

Elisabeth Marie and Prince Otto zu Windisch-Grätz; Credit – Wikipedia

The marriage was fraught with problems from the start. Otto naturally resented Elisabeth for forcing the union and began having an affair with an Austrian actress. It is said that Elisabeth shot the actress (who later died), but the incident was covered up due to Elisabeth’s high status. Within ten years of their wedding, both Otto and Elisabeth were seeing other people. Nevertheless, the marriage produced three sons and a daughter:

  • Prince Franz Josef of Windisch-Grätz (1904-1981), married Ghislaine d’Arschot Schoonhoven, had one daughter and one son
  • Prince Ernst of Windisch-Grätz (1905-1952), married  (1) Ellen Skinner, divorced  (2) Eva Isbary
  • Prince Rudolf of Windisch-Grätz (1907-1939), unmarried
  • Princess Stéphanie of Windisch-Grätz (1909-2005), married  (1) Count Pierre d’Alcantara de Querrieu, had one son  (2) Karl-Axel Björklund, had one son

Elisabeth and Otto separated officially following World War I, and a battle over custody of their children followed. The two, however, did not legally divorce for nearly 30 years.

Elisabeth enthusiastically joined the Austrian Social Democratic Party following her separation from Otto. She also met and began a relationship with Leopold Petznak, a socialist leader. Her association with the Social Democratic Party and her devotion to Leopold earned Elisabeth the nickname of “the Red Archduchess.” Leopold and Elisabeth married in 1948 and remained together until his death in 1956.

Elisabeth was in ill health and rarely ventured out in public after Leopold’s death. Her relationship with her two surviving children was poor, and she left them few possessions upon her death on March 16, 1963, at Villa Windisch-Graetz in Hütteldorf, Vienna, Austria, choosing instead to leave the majority to the Austrian state. Elisabeth is buried in a simple grave with her second husband in the Hütteldorfer Cemetery in Vienna, Austria.

Unmarked grave of Elisabeth Marie and Leopold Petznek; Photo Credit – By Artsunlimited – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16424510

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Prince Carl of Sweden, Duke of Västergötland

by Emily McMahon and Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2013

Prince Carl of Sweden; Credit – Wikipedia

Oscar Carl Wilhelm, called Prince Carl, was born at Arvfurstens Palace in Stockholm, Sweden on February 27, 1861. He was the third of four sons of King Oscar II of Sweden and Sophia of Nassau. Like his father, Carl exhibited excellent skills of diplomacy and was later sought to help mediate peace talks and arrange the release of political prisoners.  Carl had three brothers:

Princess Ingeborg of Denmark and Prince Carl of Sweden in 1897; Credit – Wikipedia

In May 1897, an engagement was announced between Carl and another Scandinavian royal, Princess Ingeborg of Denmark. Born at Charlottenlund Palace in Copenhagen, Denmark on August 2, 1878, Ingeborg was the second daughter and fifth child of the future King Frederik VIII of Denmark and his wife Lovisa of Sweden.  Although neither was the heir to a throne, the prospect of another Danish-Swedish royal union was exciting to the families of the couple and citizens of their respective countries.  On their 50th wedding anniversary, Carl admitted that their marriage had been completely arranged by the couple’s fathers. Ingeborg added, “I married a complete stranger!”

The wedding was held at Christiansborg Palace Chapel in Copenhagen, Denmark on August 27, 1897. Among the guests were Alexandra, Princess of Wales and Russian Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna (Dagmar of Denmark), the bride’s aunts. Copenhagen was decorated with flowers and flags of both countries to celebrate the occasion. Following a brief stay in Denmark, the new couple set off for a honeymoon in Germany.

Carl and Ingeborg had a comfortable family life, dividing their time between Arvfurstens Palace in Stockholm and summers in Fridhem, Sweden. Despite the difference in their ages (Carl was 17 years older than Ingeborg), the two were happy and well-suited to one another. The couple had four children born between 1899 and 1911. They were:

During their young adulthood, the four children of Ingeborg and Carl were repeatedly sought after as spouses by several European monarchs. Astrid and Märtha were both linked to the future King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom before their respective marriages. Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands strongly desired a marriage between Carl and her daughter and heir, the future Queen Juliana of the Netherlands.  However, the two vehemently disliked each other upon meeting in the late 1920s. Carl and Ingeborg are ancestors of the current Belgian royal family, Luxembourg grand ducal family, and Norwegian royal family. Belgian Kings Baudouin and Albert II, Norwegian King Harald V, and Grand Duchess Josephine-Charlotte of Luxembourg, the wife of Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg, are all grandchildren of Carl and Ingeborg.

Carl and Ingeborg continued to play important roles in European history throughout their marriage. Ingeborg served as the de facto first lady of Sweden for several years during the absence of Sophia of Nassau and Viktoria of Baden. Due to her close familial connections, she also worked to bring peace to the three Scandinavian royal families following the Norwegian independence in 1905. Carl distinguished himself as the President of the Swedish Red Cross, earning several Nobel Peace Prize nominations for his work with prisoners of war.

Both Carl and Ingeborg lived long lives. Carl died on October 24,  1951, in Stockholm, Sweden at the age of 90. Ingeborg survived him by seven years, dying in 1958 at age 79. The two are buried in the royal cemetery in Haga Park, Solna, Sweden.

Prince Carl and Princess Ingeborg in 1926; Credit – Wikipedia

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Prince Christopher of Greece and Denmark

by Emily McMahon  © Unofficial Royalty 2013

Prince Christopher of Greece and Denmark  source: Wikipedia

Born August 10, 1888, in Pavlovsk, near St. Petersburg, Russia, Prince Christopher was the fifth son of the five sons and the eighth of the eight children of King George I of the Hellenes and  Grand Duchess Olga Konstantinovna of Russia. Christopher was the only one of George’s and Olga’s children not born in Greece. His birth was a surprise, as his eldest sibling was 20 years old at the time of Christopher’s birth.

Christopher had seven older siblings:

Christopher had an excellent education and became fluent in English, Italian, Danish, Greek, French, and Russian. He entered the Hellenic Army at age 18, fighting in the 1912-1913 Balkan Wars.

Christopher was noted to have an excellent sense of humor and a talent for mimicry, earning him great affection within his family. He was also a talented musician, studying piano for many years. He was also offered the thrones of Lithuania, Albania, and Portugal, all of which he refused. Christopher believed a throne should be accepted only when the prospective ruler was seriously dedicated to leading a country. Christopher did not believe himself to be sufficiently up to the challenge.

Christopher had a romance with his distant cousin Alexandra of Fife (later the Duchess of Fife in her own right) in about 1910. The couple may have become unofficially engaged, although their parents did not approve of a marriage. Whatever the case, the two broke off their relationship. Alexandra later married another cousin, Prince Arthur of Connaught, in 1913.

Christopher with his first wife Princess Anastasia, the former Nancy Leeds. source: Wikipedia

On January 1, 1920, in Vevey, Switzerland, Christopher married Nancy Stewart Worthington Leeds, an American widow of a Cleveland tin manufacturer. The two became engaged in 1914, but the wedding was delayed due to the outbreak of World War I. Nancy’s fortune supported the Greek royal family during their war exile. The bride, who was a divorcee as well as a widow, was fifteen years older than Prince Christopher. During her marriage to Christopher, Nancy was known as Princess Anastasia after she joined the Greek Orthodox Church.

Obscure to the American press before his marriage, Christopher was immediately the focus of significant media attention following the wedding. William Leeds, Nancy’s son from her first marriage, later married Princess Xenia Georgievna of Russia, the daughter of Christopher’s sister Maria. Sadly, Anastasia was diagnosed with cancer not long after the wedding and died in London in 1923.

Francoise of Orleans, Christopher’s second wife. source: Wikimedia

Six years later, Christopher made a more acceptable dynastic marriage to French Princess Francoise of Orleans. Francoise was previously linked to Tsar Boris of Bulgaria, who later married Giovanna of Italy. Christopher and Francoise were married in Palermo, Italy on February 11, 1929. The couple may have met and begun their courtship in 1927 at the wedding of her sister Anne to the Duke of Apulia. The bride kept her Catholic faith upon the marriage, and Christopher remained Greek Orthodox.

Christopher and Francoise had one son:

Christopher died on January 21, 1940, in Athens, Greece, at the age of 51, after suffering several weeks with a lung abscess. His wife Francoise was by his side and their son Michael had just celebrated his first birthday. A memorial service was held in New York City for the prince at Holy Trinity Cathedral, commemorating his following among Greek Americans. Funeral services were held at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens, led by Christopher’s nephew King George II. Flags were flown at half-mast and shops in Athens were closed on the day of the funeral in Christopher’s honor. Christopher was buried with full military honors in the Royal Cemetery at Tatoi Palace near Athens.

Grave of Prince Christopher and Princess Françoise. photo: By Catlemur – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=65380068

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Luise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Queen of Prussia

by Emily McMahon and Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2013

Luise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Queen of Prussia; Credit – Wikipedia

Duchess Luise of Mecklenburg, Princess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (Luise Auguste Wilhelmine Amalie) was born in Hanover, Electorate of Hanover now in Lower Saxony, Germany on March 10, 1776.  She was third of the five daughters and the sixth of the ten children of Carl II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and his first wife Friederike of Hesse-Darmstadt.

Luise had nine siblings:

The family was connected to the British royal family as Carl’s sister Charlotte was the wife of King George III. During her childhood, Luise spent part of her early childhood at Leineschloss, the home of the Hanoverian kings. At the time, her father was the Governor-General of Hanover.  King George III was king and never visited Hanover so the residence was made available to the family.

Following her mother’s death in childbirth in 1782, Luise and her siblings were raised mostly by their maternal grandmother, Marie Louise Albertine of Leiningen-Falkenburg-Dagsburg who married  Prince George William of Hesse-Darmstadt, the brother of the reigning Landgrave Louis IX of Hesse-Darmstadt. Maria Louise Albertine made a comfortable home for the family in Darmstadt, Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt now in Hesse, Germany, and her grandchildren grew quite fond of her. In her grandmother’s care, Luise was given her lessons and religious instruction primarily in French, but she later grew very fond of German literature. She was also encouraged to devote herself to acts of charity.

Luise and her sister Frederica attracted the attention of two Prussian princes. Luise was betrothed to the future King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia, while Frederica was engaged to his brother Ludwig Karl.  Luise and Friedrich Wilhelm married on December 24, 1793, and her sister married Ludwig Karl two days later. It was hoped that the double marriage would improve the bond between the two German states.

Luise and Friedrich Wilhelm in 1794; Credit – Wikipedia

Luise was very popular in Prussia from the start, and descriptions of her from this time speak of her grace, goodness, and beauty. The marriage was happy and the couple raised their family quietly at Paretz Palace west of Berlin.

Luise and Friedrich Wilhelm had nine children:

Luise with her husband and children, circa 1806; Credit – Wikipedia

Friedrich Wilhelm became King of Prussia in 1797. As queen, Luise traveled around Prussia with her husband, becoming more well-known and well-liked. Luise took it upon herself to stay well-versed in the country’s affairs, earning her the respect of her husband’s advisers. Friedrich Wilhelm similarly trusted his wife’s intelligence and good judgment, treating her as an unofficial adviser.

Prussia declared war on France in 1806. Following a resounding defeat by Napoleon Bonaparte at the Battle of Jena-Auerstedt, Friedrich Wilhelm and Luise fled with their family to Königsberg in eastern Prussia. When Napoleon requested a meeting with Friedrich Wilhelm to discuss peace terms, Friedrich Wilhelm brought the pregnant Luise along to garner sympathy from the French emperor. Napoleon was charmed when the pregnant queen begged him for mercy for Prussia. Napoleon did not budge in his terms for peace, but Luise was even more beloved in Prussia.  Luise and Friedrich Wilhelm were absent from Berlin for three years following the war with the French.

Luise and Friedrich Wilhelm meeting with Napoleon; Credit – Wikipedia

On July 19, 1810, while visiting her father at Schloss Hohenzieritz in Hohenzieritz, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, now in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany, 34-year-old Luise died in her husband’s arms from an unidentified illness. The harshness of the French occupation may have hastened her death, as she often suffered from long bouts of ill health. Her grieving husband later instituted the Order of Louise in her name and her family mourned her death each year on July 19.  Luise was buried in the garden of Charlottenburg Palace, in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany where a mausoleum was built over her grave.  Friedrich Wilhelm  III survived his wife by thirty years and was buried by her side.

Sarcophagus of Luise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Queen of Prussia; Credit – Wikipedia

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Prussia Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine

by Emily McMahon  © Unofficial Royalty 2013

Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine; Credit – Wikipedia

Scandal followed Alexander in one way or another for much of his life. Born in Darmstadt in the Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in Hesse, Germany, on July 15, 1823, Alexander Ludwig Georg Friedrich Emil was the third son of Ludwig II, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine and Wilhelmina of Baden. At the time of Alexander’s birth, the couple had been living apart for some time. Alexander’s biological father may have been August Ludwig, Freiherr von Senarclens de Grancy, his mother’s chamberlain and lover. August is believed to have fathered Wilhelmina’s youngest four children. Nevertheless, Ludwig claimed all of Wilhelmina’s children as his own.

Alexander had four siblings:

In 1841, Alexander accompanied his sister Marie on her journey to Russia to marry the future Alexander II. After the wedding, Alexander stayed for a time in Russia, where he became close to his sister’s imperial in-laws. Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia was so impressed by Alexander that he considered marrying the Hessian prince to one of the daughters of his brother Grand Duke Michael Nikolaevich.

However, Alexander had fallen in love with Julia Hauke, one of Marie’s ladies-in-waiting and the daughter of the former minister of war. Although forbidden by Nicholas I to marry, the couple married anyway in 1851 as Julia was already pregnant with their first child. The marriage forced the couple to leave Russia, but the two were allowed to settle in the Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine. However, the marriage was viewed as morganatic and removed any future children from the Hesse and by Rhine line of succession. Julia was granted the title of Countess of Battenberg, a castle in Hesse and by Rhine. Eventually, the two regained some of their favor in Russia and Hesse and Hesse and by Rhine.

Julia and Alexander; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Alexander and Julia had five children.  Through their son Louis, they are the ancestors of the British Royal Family and through their son Henry, they are ancestors of the Spanish Royal Family.

Alexander’s second son, also named Alexander, was named Prince of Bulgaria in 1879, with help from his uncle, Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia. The younger Alexander ruled Bulgaria under considerable turmoil until 1886 when he was forced to resign. In the following years, Alexander was the object of affection of Victoria of Prussia, another granddaughter of Queen Victoria. A possible marriage between Alexander and Victoria was long debated in Prussia but was eventually vetoed due to Alexander’s now-sour relationship with Russia. The younger Alexander eventually made his own morganatic marriage to actress Johanna Loisinger.

Alexander died of cancer at the age of 65 on December 15, 1888, in Seeheim, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in Hesse, Germany. He was first buried in the Altes Mausoleum in the Rosenhöhe in Darmstadt.  In 1894, his remains were moved to the newly built Mausoleum on the grounds of Heiligenberg Castle, where his wife’s remains were also interred after her death in 1895.  In 1902, the mausoleum was converted to a memorial chapel, and Alexander and Julia’s remains were moved to a gravesite just outside of the mausoleum.

In the foreground, the graves of Alexander and his wife Julia; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

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Wedding of Alice of the United Kingdom and Ludwig IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine

by Emily McMahon and Susan Flantzer, Revised May 2020
© Unofficial Royalty 2013

Princess Alice of the United Kingdom, aged 19, married 24-year-old Prince Ludwig of Hesse and by Rhine, the future Ludwig IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine on July 1, 1862, at Osborne House in East Cowes, Isle of Wight, England. The couple had seven children and the British Royal Family, the line of King Charles III, descends from this marriage as his father, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, was a great-grandson of Alice and Ludwig.

Alice’s Early Life

Princess Alice painted in 1861 by Franz Xaver Winterhalter; Credit – Wikipedia

Alice was the third child and second daughter of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and her husband Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. Alice’s upbringing was typical for the times, spending most of her time with her siblings under the watch of nannies and tutors. From an early age, Alice developed a deep sense of compassion for others that would continue to develop in her adult years.

In March 1861, Alice’s maternal grandmother, the Duchess of Kent, died. Alice had been with her grandmother during her final days and had established herself as the “family caregiver”. After the Duchess of Kent died, it was Alice who Prince Albert sent to take care of Queen Victoria, whose intense grief over the Duchess’ death was unbearable. Queen Victoria later attributed Alice’s efforts with helping her to get through the dark days that followed. Sadly, it would not be long until Alice’s caregiving skills would be needed again.

At the end of 1861, Alice’s father, Prince Albert, fell ill with typhoid. Alice stayed at his side, nursing him through the last days of his life. Albert died on December 14, 1861, and Queen Victoria went into seclusion. It was Princess Alice who then stepped in as unofficial secretary to her mother, assisted by her younger sister Louise, handling all of the state papers and correspondence, all while trying to support and comfort her mother.

Ludwig’s Early Life

Prince Ludwig of Hesse and by Rhine in 1860; Credit – Wikipedia

Ludwig was the eldest of the four children of Prince Karl of Hesse and by Rhine (a son of Grand Duke Ludwig II and younger brother of Grand Duke Ludwig III) and his wife Princess Elisabeth of Prussia (a granddaughter of King Friedrich Wilhelm II). After it became evident that Grand Duke Ludwig III of Hesse and by Rhine would have no children with his wife Mathilde of Bavaria, his nephew Ludwig was groomed as his successor.

Ludwig began his military training in 1854, along with his younger brother Heinrich, and the two later studied at the University of Göttingen and the University of Giessen. From an early age, Ludwig was destined for a military career. After his marriage to Alice, he would go on to lead the Hessian forces in both the Austro-Prussian War of 1866 and the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871.

At the time of the wedding, Queen Victoria issued Letters Patent giving Ludwig the style Royal Highness. This would only be valid in the United Kingdom. Elsewhere, he was still a Grand Ducal Highness. Four days after the wedding, Ludwig was created a Knight of the Order of the Garter.

The Engagement

Alice and Ludwig in December 1860, after their engagement; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1858, Alice’s eldest sibling Victoria, Princess Royal (Vicky) married Prince Friedrich of Prussia, the future Friedrich III, German Emperor and King of Prussia, and Queen Victoria and Prince Albert had hoped to make an equally impressive marriage for Alice. A visit from Willem, Prince of Orange (son and heir of King Willem III of the Netherlands who predeceased his father), had failed to make a positive impression on Alice or her parents. Vicky had met Prince Ludwig of Hesse and by Rhine in the early months of her marriage and suggested that he may be suitable for Alice. Ludwig and his brother Heinrich were invited to Windsor in 1860 for Queen Victoria and Prince Albert to look him over.  Alice and Ludwig quickly developed a connection and on a second visit in December 1860, the couple became engaged. Following Queen Victoria’s formal consent, the engagement was announced on April 30, 1861. The Queen negotiated with Prime Minister Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston to get Parliament to approve a dowry of £30,000.

The Wedding Site

Osborne House; Credit – By Humac45 – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=35090565

Unfortunately for Alice and Ludwig, the deaths in 1861 of Alice’s maternal grandmother and father affected their wedding plans. The 1858 wedding of Victoria, Princess Royal at the Chapel Royal of St. James’s Palace in London had been a grand showcase but Alice’s wedding was a muted and sad private ceremony meant for family only. A spring wedding was out of the question but Queen Victoria declared that the wedding must be held sooner rather than later as Prince Albert had wished. A private wedding with far fewer guests than the weddings of Alice’s siblings was scheduled for July 1, 1862, at Osborne House in East Cowes, Isle of Wight, England.

Victoria and Albert, whose primary residences were Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle, felt they needed residences of their very own. They purchased Osborne House in 1845 but they soon realized that the house was too small for their growing family. They decided to replace the house with a new, larger residence. The new Osborne House was built between 1845 and 1851. Albert’s architectural talents are evident in the seaside Italian-style palace. Osborne House and Balmoral Castle in Scotland, which Albert also helped to design, became their favorite homes.

The Dining Room at Osborne House with the large painting of Queen Victoria, Prince Albert, and their five eldest children by Franz Xaver Winterhalter, was converted into a temporary chapel for the wedding ceremony. Also, above the door was a Winterhalter painting of Queen Victoria’s mother. Below is a painting of the wedding The Marriage of Princess Alice, 1st July 1862 by George Housman Thomas.

The Marriage of Princess Alice, 1st July 1862 by George Housman Thomas; Credit – Royal Collection Trust

Information about the above painting from Royal Collection Trust: The Marriage of Princess Alice, 1st July 1862: The marriage of Princess Alice, the third child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, and Prince Louis of Hesse took place ‘in the strictest privacy’ barely six months after the death of Prince Albert. The ceremony was held in the Dining Room at Osborne ‘which was very prettily decorated, the altar being placed under our large family picture’ (RCIN 405413), as the Queen recorded in her Journal. A portrait of Victoria, Duchess of Kent, by Franz Xaver Winterhalter (RCIN 405129) also hangs on the back wall in this painting. 

Wedding Guests

Royal Guests – The Bride’s Family

  • Queen Victoria, mother of the bride
  • The Prince of Wales, brother of the bride
  • Prince Alfred, brother of the bride
  • Prince Arthur, brother of the bride
  •  Prince Leopold, brother of the bride
  • Princess Helena, sister of the bride
  • Princess Louise, sister of the bride
  • Princess Beatrice, sister of the bride
  • The Duchess of Cambridge (Augusta of Hesse-Kassel), great-aunt of the bride
  • The Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (Augusta of Cambridge), first cousin once removed of the bride
  • Prince George, 2nd Duke of Cambridge, first cousin once removed of the bride
  • Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge, first cousin once removed of the bride
  • Crown Prince Friedrich of Prussia, brother-in-law of the bride (Crown Princess Victoria, Alice’s sister was eight months pregnant with her third child and was unable to travel)
  • Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, paternal uncle of the bride
  • Prince August of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, first cousin once removed of the bride
  • Princess August of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (Clémentine of Orléans), wife of Prince August
  • Princess Feodora of Leiningen, Princess of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, Queen Victoria’s half-sister, maternal half-aunt of the bride
  • The Count Gleichen (Prince Victor of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, the son of Queen Victoria’s half-sister Feodora who made a morganatic marriage), half-first-cousin of the bride

Royal Guests – The Groom’s Family

  • Prince Karl of Hesse and by Rhine, groom’s father
  • Princess Karl of Hesse and by Rhine (Elisabeth of Prussia), groom’s mother
  • Prince Heinrich of Hesse and by Rhine, brother of the groom
  • Prince Wilhelm of Hesse and by Rhine, brother of the groom
  • Princess Anna of Hesse and by Rhine, sister of the groom

Other Royal Guests

  • Prince Louis of Orleans, Duke of Nemours
  • Prince Edward of Saxe-Weimar
  • Maharajah Duleep Singh

Other Guests

Among the other guests, were several representatives of the British Government and friends of the royal family.

  • Count von Goertz, Minister of the Grand Ducal Court of Hesse and by Rhine accredited to Great Britain
  • Charles Longley, Archbishop of York
  • Richard Bethell, 1st Baron Westbury, Lord Chancellor
  • Granville Leveson-Gower, 2nd Earl Granville, Lord President of the Council
  • John Russell, 1st Earl Russell, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
  • Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston, First Lord of the Treasury
  • Sir George Grey, Baronet, Secretary of State for the Home Department
  • Jean-Sylvain Van De Weyer, Belgian Minister accredited to Great Britain, representing Leopold I, King of the Belgians, uncle to both Queen Victoria and Prince Albert and the bride’s great-uncle
  • James Hamilton, 2nd Marquess of Abercorn
  • Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby
  • George Villiers, 4th Earl of Clarendon
  • George Byng, 7th Viscount Torrington
  • Lord George Lennox, Gentleman of the Bedchamber to Prince Albert
  • Lord Alfred Paget, Chief Equerry to Queen Victoria
  • Lieutenant-General The Honourable Charles Grey and The Honourable Mrs. Charles
    Grey, Private Secretary to Queen Victoria and his wife
  • Major-General William Wylde
  • Colonel The Honorable Alexander Gordon
  • Colonel Francis Seymour
  • The Reverend W. Jolly
  • Dr. Becker, Prince Albert’s librarian

Her Majesty’s Household

  • Mistress of the Robes – Elizabeth Wellesley, Duchess of Wellington
  • Lady-in-Waiting – Anne Murray, Duchess of Atholl
  • The Lady Superintendent – Lady Caroline Barrington
  • Maids of Honor in Waiting – The Honorable Beatrice Byng, The Honorable Emily Cathcart
  • The Lord Steward – Edward Eliot, 3rd Earl of St. Germans
  • The Lord Chamberlain – John Townshend, 1st Viscount Sydney
  • The Master of the Horse – George Brudenell-Bruce, 2nd Marquis of Ailesbury
  • The Vice-Chamberlain – Valentine Augustus Browne, 4th Viscount Castlerosse
  • The Keeper of the Privy Purse – Colonel The Honourable Sir Charles Beaumont Phipps
  • The Honourable Lady Phipps and The Honourable Miss Harriet Phipps (Maid of Honour in Ordinary to Queen Victoria, later served as a Woman of the Bedchamber from 1889 until Victoria’s death) – wife and daughter of Sir Charles Beaumont Phipps
  • The Dean of Windsor and Resident Chaplain to The Queen – The Honourable and Very Reverend Gerald Wellesley and his wife The Honourable Mrs. Wellesley
  • The Master of the Household – Colonel Thomas Biddulph and his wife The Honourable Mrs. Biddulph
  • The Equerries in Waiting – Lieutenant-Colonel Lord Charles Fitzroy, Lieutenant-Colonel The Honourable Dudley de Ros
  • Physicians in Ordinary – Sir James Clark, Baronet
  • Librarian to The Queen – Mr. Bernard Woodward
  • German Librarian to The Queen – Mr. Carl Ruland
  • The Rector of Whippingham Church, Isle of Wight – Reverend G. Prothero
  • Equerry to The Prince of Wales – Captain Gray
  • Major Cowell – Major John Cowell
  • Governor to Prince Arthur and Prince Leopold – Major Howard Elphinstone
  • Lady-in-Waiting to The Duchess of Cambridge – Lady Geraldine Somerset
  • Gentleman-in-Waiting to The Duchess of Cambridge – Lieutenant.Colonel Home Purves
  • Equerry-in-Waiting to The Duke of Cambridge – Colonel Tyrwhitt
  • Lady in Waiting to The Queen in Attendance on Princess Alice – Jane Spencer, Baroness Churchill
  • Ladies in Waiting to Princess Alice – Baroness Von Schenck zu Schweinsberg, Baroness Von Grancy
  • Equerry to the Queen in Attendance on Princess Alice – Major-General Francis Seymour

Foreign Royalty Attendants

  • Gentleman-in-Waiting to Prince Ludwig of Hesse and by Rhine – Captain Westerweller
  • Equerry to the Queen in Attendance on Prince and Princess Karl of Hesse and by Rhine – Lieutenant-Colonel du Plat
  • Lady-in-Waiting to Princess Karl of Hesse and by Rhine – Baroness von Schaeffer-Bernstein
  • Lady-in-Waiting to Princess Anna of Hesse and by Rhine – Baroness von Roeder
  • Gentlemen in Waiting to Prince Karl of Hesse and by Rhine – Baron Von Ricou and Major Von Grolman

Bridesmaids and Supporters

Ludwig was supported by his 24-year-old brother Prince Heinrich of Hesse and by Rhine. Prince Albert’s elder brother Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, gave the bride away.

The bridesmaids were:

  • Princess Helena of the United Kingdom, Alice’s 16-year-old sister
  • Princess Louise of the United Kingdom, Alice’s 14-year-old sister
  • Princess Beatrice of the United Kingdom, Alice’s 5-year-old sister
  • Princess Anna of Hesse and by Rhine, Ludwig’s 19-year-old sister

The Wedding Attire

Princess Alice in her wedding dress; Credit – Royal Collection Trust https://www.rct.uk/collection/2905616/princess-alice-in-her-wedding-dress

Although Alice and her mother took some joy in arranging her trousseau, all the outfits were black due to the required mourning. On the morning of the wedding, Alice’s sisters wore their black mourning dresses. They changed into their white bridesmaid’s dresses right before the wedding ceremony and changed back into their mourning dresses after the newlyweds left for their honeymoon.

Alice wore a dress with a deep flounce of Honiton lace and a border of orange blossoms at the bottom of the dress. The veil of Honiton lace was held in place by a wreath of orange blossoms and myrtle. The dress was a simple style and did not have a court train. The bridesmaids wore similar white dresses with violet trim as depicted in the wedding painting above.

The guests were required to wear mourning dress: the men in black evening coats, white waistcoats, grey trousers, and black neckcloths; the ladies in grey or violet mourning dresses, and grey or white gloves.

The Wedding Ceremony

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The wedding service was conducted by Charles Longley, Archbishop of York in the “unavoidable absence” of the bedridden John Bird Sumner, Archbishop of Canterbury who died two months later and was succeeded by Longley. A local decorator had erected an altar in the Dining Room of Osborne House, covered in purple, velvet, and gold and surrounded by a gilt railing. No other decorating arrangements had been made.

At 1:00 PM, Queen Victoria accompanied by her four sons, The Prince of Wales, Prince Alfred, Prince Arthur, and Prince Leopold, and attended by Elizabeth Wellesley, Duchess of Wellington, Mistress of the Robes, and Anne Murray, Duchess of Atholl, Lady-in-Waiting were conducted from Queen Victoria’s apartments by the Lord Chamberlain, John Townshend, 1st Earl Sydney, to an armchair on the left side of the altar.

Next, the royal guests and the other guests were conducted to their places by the Lord
Chamberlain and the Vice-Chamberlain, Valentine Browne, 4th Earl of Kenmare. The parents of the bridegroom, Prince and Princess Karl of Hesse and by Rhine, and their youngest child Prince Wilhelm were placed on the left side of the altar. The Lord Chamberlain then conducted Ludwig, supported by his brother Prince Heinrich, to his place on the right side of the altar. Finally, the Lord Chamberlain proceeded to Queen Victoria’s apartments and conducted Alice to her place on the left side of the altar. Alice was supported by her uncle Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and was accompanied by her four bridesmaids, her sisters Princesses Helena, Louise, and Beatrice, and Ludwig’s sister Princess Anna. Once Alice was in her place, the wedding service began.

Queen Victoria sat in the armchair surrounded by her four sons, trying to maintain her composure. She spent the ceremony staring at the portrait of Prince Albert with his family hanging above the bride and groom. Queen Victoria would later describe the service to her daughter Vicky as “more of a funeral than a wedding.” Other guests similarly described the wedding as being a very sad occasion. Alice’s brothers cried throughout the service, as did the Archbishop of York. The death of Mathilde of Bavaria, the wife of Ludwig’s uncle Grand Duke Ludwig III of Hesse and by Rhine, a few weeks before the wedding, did nothing to raise the spirits of the wedding guests.

At the conclusion of the wedding ceremony, Alice and Ludwig  were conducted by the Lord
Chamberlain to the nearby Horn Room. The guests were conducted to the Council Room where they had luncheon. Queen Victoria remained seated in her armchair until everyone had left, and then, with Princess Beatrice, also was conducted to the Horn Room, where they had luncheon with the newlywed couple.

The Honeymoon, Leaving England, Arriving in the Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine

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St. Clare Castle where Alice and Ludwig spent their honeymoon. In 1960, it was demolished after a fire.

At about 5:00 PM, Alice and Ludwig left Osborne House to travel to Ryde, a seaside town on the northeast coast of the Isle of Wight where they stayed at St. Clare Castle which belonged to Colonel Francis Vernon-Harcourt.  Accompanying the newlyweds were Jane Spencer, Baroness Churchill (a Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Victoria from 1854 until 1900, the longest-serving member of Queen Victoria’s household), Major-General Francis Seymour (Prince Albert’s Groom in Waiting from 1840 until 1861), and Captain von Wenterweller (a courtier from the Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine).

The day after the wedding, Queen Victoria wrote to her daughter Vicky, “A dagger is plunged in my bleeding, desolate heart when I hear from Alice this morning that she is proud and happy to be Louis’ wife.” Queen Victoria visited Alice and Ludwig twice during their stay at St. Clare Castle.

On July 9, 1862, Alice and Ludwig left England on the royal yacht Victoria and Albert for continental Europe on the way to their final destination, Darmstadt in the Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in the German state of Hesse. They visited Brussels, Belgium where they briefly stayed with Leopold I, King of the Belgians, born a Prince of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, the uncle of both Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.

Alice and Ludwig arrived at the border of the Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine on July 12, 1862. A train then took them to Mainz, then part of the Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine,  where the first official reception took place. Alice and Ludwig crossed the Rhine River in a gaily decorated steamship. At the stop before Darmstadt, the capital of the Grand Duchy, Grand Duke Ludwig III and other members of the Hesse family boarded the steamship and accompanied the newlyweds to Darmstadt. At 4:30 PM on July 12, 1862, Alice and Ludwig made their state entry into Darmstadt. The streets were decorated with arches, flags, and flowers, the church bells were ringing and the assembled crowds enthusiastically cheered Alice and Ludwig.

Children

Alice, Ludwig, and their children, May 1875. Photo: The Royal Collection Trust

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Works Cited

  • 1884. Alice Grand Duchess Of Hesse, Princess Of Great Britain And Ireland – Biographical Sketch And Letters. London: John Murray.
  • Mehl, Scott, 2015. Ludwig IV, Grand Duke Of Hesse And By Rhine. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/ludwig-iv-grand-duke-of-hesse-and-by-rhine/> [Accessed 17 May 2020].
  • Mehl, Scott, 2015. Princess Alice Of The United Kingdom, Grand Duchess Of Hesse And By Rhine. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/princess-alice-of-the-united-kingdom-grand-duchess-of-hesse-and-by-rhine/> [Accessed 17 May 2020].
  • Packard, Jerrold., 2013. Victoria’s Daughters. New York: St. Martin’s Press.
  • Rct.uk. 2020. George Housman Thomas (1824-68) – The Marriage Of Princess Alice, 1St July 1862. [online] Available at: <https://www.rct.uk/collection/404479/the-marriage-of-princess-alice-1st-july-1862> [Accessed 17 May 2020].
  • The Gazette. 1862. Page 3429 | Issue 22641, 7 July 1862 | London Gazette /CEREMONIAL Observed At The Marriage Of HER ROYAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCESS ALICE-MAUD-MARY,. [online] Available at: <https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/22641/page/3429> [Accessed 18 May 2020].
  • The Royal Family. 2020. Royal Wedding Dresses Throughout History. [online] Available at: <https://www.royal.uk/wedding-dresses> [Accessed 17 May 2020].
  • Trove. 1862. THE MARRIAGE OF THE PRINCESS ALICE. – The Courier (Brisbane, Qld. : 1861 – 1864) – 25 Sep 1862. [online] Available at: <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/4608199> [Accessed 17 May 2020].
  • Van der Kiste, John, 2011. Queen Victoria’s Children. Stroud: The History Press.

Louis XII, King of France

by Emily McMahon and Susan Flantzer 
© Unofficial Royalty 2013

Louis XII, King of France; Credit – Wikipedia

King Louis XII of France was born on June 27, 1462, at the Chateau de Blois in Touraine, France, the only son and the second of the three children of Charles, Duke of Orléans and his third wife Marie of Cleves.  King Louis XII was the great-grandson of King Charles V of France through his second surviving son Louis I, Duke of Orléans after the line of Charles V’s eldest son and successor King Charles VI of France died out.

Louis had one half-sister from his father’s first marriage to Isabella of Valois, daughter of King Charles VI of France and widow of King Richard II of England.  Isabella died in childbirth at the age of 19.

Louis had one full elder sister and one full younger sister:

Louis succeeded his father as Duke of Orléans at the age of three. Although his descent from the French ruling line was somewhat distant, Louis was aware of his proximity to the throne should the main Valois line become extinct.

On September 8, 1476, 14-year-old Louis married 12-year-old Jeanne of France, daughter of King Louis XI of France. This was a political union arranged by King Louis XI, possibly to secure the succession due to the ill health of his heir, the future King Charles VIII of France. The marriage was unhappy, the couple lived apart, and there were no children.

King Louis XI died in 1483, leaving his 13-year-old son Charles VIII as king. Louis of Orléans was eager to dissolve his marriage with Jeanne as it now lacked importance due to the presumption that Charles would provide his own heirs. Nevertheless, Louis unsuccessfully attempted to join Charles’ sister Anne de Beaujeu as regent in 1484, ending in Anne’s arrest of Louis. Louis’ request to divorce Jeanne (Anne de Beaujeu’s sister) and marry Anne of Brittany, the heiress of the Duchy of Brittany, was declined by the Pope.

Louis escaped and joined several nobles against royal forces. His comrades included Francis II, Duke of Brittany (his intended fiancee’s father), Prince Jean of Orange, and Rene, Duke of Lorraine. The nobles held on for three years, after which Francis died and Louis was captured. During Louis’ captivity, Charles VIII married Francis’ daughter Anne, the new Duchess of Brittany, by force. Louis was pardoned by Charles in 1491 and joined the King on his failed Italian campaigns.

King Charles VIII died unexpectedly in 1498. Although he and Anne had had several children, none survived him, allowing Louis’ succession as King Louis XII of France. Eager to gain control of Anne’s funds and territories, Louis again attempted to annul his marriage to Jeanne. Unable to prove with any documented evidence his close relation to Jeanne (they were distant cousins) or his young age at the time of their marriage, Louis claimed that the marriage was unconsummated due to witchcraft and a deformity on Jeanne’s part. Although Jeanne fought admirably to save her reputation, Pope Alexander VI ruled in favor of Louis and granted the annulment.  After her marriage was annulled, Jeanne founded the monastic Order of the Sisters of the Annunciation of Mary and was canonized as a saint in 1950.

Anne of Brittany, Queen of France; Credit – Wikipedia

Louis XII married Anne, Duchess of Brittany on January 7, 1499, in Nantes, France. They had four stillborn sons and three miscarriages.  They did have two daughters who survived to adulthood:

Louis proved an able ruler, repairing the French treasury left in shambles by his predecessor through a more efficient tax collection. He also pursued a claim to the Duchy of Milan (which he claimed through his Italian grandmother, Valentina Visconti), holding the territory for twelve years. Louis also worked successfully with the French nobility, possibly because he understood the importance of their cooperation after his past as a rebel.

Louis XII and Anne of Brittany; Credit – Wikipedia

Although Queen Anne bore Louis several children, only daughters Claude and Renee were alive at the time of her death in 1514. Eager to provide himself a male heir, 52-year-old Louis quickly arranged a third marriage to Mary Tudor, the beautiful eighteen-year-old younger sister of King Henry VIII of England. There was a proxy marriage on August 19, 1514, at Greenwich Palace with Claude d’Orléans, Duke of Longueville standing in for Louis XII. Mary left for France on October 2, 1514.  They married in person at Abbeville on October 9, 1514. However, the marriage did not last long. Louis XII died on January 1, 1515, at the Hôtel des Tournelles in Paris, France, just three months after the wedding. As he had no sons, he was succeeded by his son-in-law François d’Angoulême from the House of Valois-Angoulême as King François I of France.

Louis did become the ancestor of the new line of French rulers. Although his daughter Claude could not succeed him due to the Salic Law of the Kingdom, she was married to his successor. Their second son became King of France in 1547 as Henri II. King Louis XII is buried with his second wife Anne of Brittany in the Basilica of St. Denis, the traditional burial place for French monarchs.  Their tomb has survived although it was desecrated in October 1793 and their bodies were thrown into a mass grave. However, the archaeologist Alexandre Lenoir saved much of the tomb and preserved it at the Museum of French Monuments. During the Second Bourbon Restoration (1815 – 1830), the tomb was returned to the Basilica of Saint-Denis. Read more about it at Wikipedia: Tomb of Louis XII and Anne of Brittany.

Tomb of Louis XII and Anne of Brittany; Photo Credit – By Photo: Myrabella / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18611160

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France Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Maria Clotilde of Savoy, Princess Napoleon

by Emily McMahon  © Unofficial Royalty 2013

Maria Clotilde of Savoy, Princess Napoleon;  Credit – Wikipedia

Born on March 2, 1843, at the Royal Palace of Turin in Savoy, now part of Italy, Ludovica Teresa Maria Clotilde was the eldest of the eight children of Vittorio Emanuele II, Duke of Savoy, the future first King of Italy, and Archduchess Adelheid of Austria. The princess was known from birth by her last two names, Maria Clotilde.

Maria Clotilde had seven younger siblings:

Maria Clotilde’s parents and siblings; Credit – Wikipedia

Just days after giving birth to her last child, Maria Clotilde’s mother Adelheid fell ill after attending the funeral of her mother-in-law. Adelheid died four days later, on January 20, 1855, leaving 11-year-old Maria Clotilde, the eldest of her six surviving children.

Despite her early death, Adelheid’s actions and character had a great deal of influence on her eldest daughter. Dutiful and deeply religious, Maria Clotilde tried to serve as a second mother to her brothers and sister. Vittorio Emanuele became King of Sardinia in 1849, a few weeks after his eldest daughter’s sixth birthday. He had only occasional contact with his children in the years that followed due to his work toward the unification of Italy and the attention he paid to his numerous mistresses.

Vittorio Emanuele was eager to gain the support of the United Kingdom and France against Austria during the Wars of Italian Independence. To seal a French-Italian alliance, a marriage between Maria Clotilde and a Bonaparte prince was arranged in 1858. Emperor Napoleon III’s only son was a toddler so his cousin Napoléon-Jérôme was selected as the Bonaparte groom. Napoléon-Jérôme Bonaparte  was the son of Jérôme Bonaparte, the brother of Emperor Napoleon I, and Princess Catherine of Württemberg.  Maria Clotilde was fifteen at the time and Napoléon-Jérôme was 37.

Maria Clotilde was not impressed by her portly, anti-clerical liberal fiancé. Her innocence, piety, and sense of duty clashed with Napoléon-Jérôme’s love of wine, women, and food. Nevertheless, the two were married at Turin on January 30, 1859. The differences between the bride and groom did not go without notice. The wedding was described as being between an elephant (Napoléon-Jérôme) and a gazelle (Maria Clotilde). The couple settled in Paris.

Maria Clotilde and her husband in 1859; Credit – Wikipedia

The couple had two sons and one daughter:

Maria Clotilda with one of her children, probably Napoléon Victor; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Maria Clotilde devoted her life to prayer, charity, and her family. She was well-respected in France for her sense of duty and grace, while her husband had long been disliked for his devotion to pleasure and his supposed avoidance of service during the Crimean War. Napoléon-Jérôme was a notorious womanizer both before and after his marriage.

Maria Clotilde was urged by her father to leave Paris just before the fall of the Second French Empire in 1870. At first, she refused to leave, sending her father a cold letter about her duties to the Houses of Savoy and Bonaparte. As the dangers increased and the remaining members of the Bonaparte family fled, Maria Clotilde and her husband eventually abandoned Paris for Switzerland. After a few years, Maria Clotilde and her husband quietly separated and she returned to Turin with her daughter.

Maria Clotilde continued her life of devotion and charity after she returned to Italy. She spent her final years at the traditional summer residence of the Savoy family, the Castle of Moncalieri in Montcalieri, a town located just outside of Turin. Maria Clotilde died there on June 25, 1911, at the age of 68, surviving her husband by twenty years.  She was buried at the Basilica of Superga near Turin, the traditional burial site of the House of Savoy.

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Maria Pavlovna of Russia, Grand Duchess of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach

Credit – Wikipedia

June 23, 1859 – Death of Maria Pavlovna of Russia, Grand Duchess of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach

Maria Pavlovna’s Wikipedia page

Born in St. Petersburg in 1786, Maria Pavlovna was the third daughter and fifth child of Tsar Paul of Russia and his second wife, Sophie Dorothea of Württemberg. Maria Pavlovna’s siblings included two future Russian Tsars, a Queen of Württemberg, and a Queen of the Netherlands. She grew up mainly at the imperial palaces at Pavlovsk and Gatchina, the latter of which was her parents’ favorite residence. Maria Pavlovna was known by the nickname of “Masha” within the family and was particularly close to her younger brothers Nicholas and Michael.

Maria Pavlovna was close to her sisters, but was not considered as pretty as her smallpox inoculation during her childhood had caused facial scarring. Nevertheless, Maria Pavlovna received an excellent education, with lessons in literature, math, music, and foreign languages. She was a particularly talented pianist. Like Paul’s older children, her lesson plans were designed in part by Maria Pavlovna’s paternal grandmother, Catherine II.

Maria Pavlovna grew up as somewhat of a tomboy, so much so that Catherine referred to her granddaughter as the “guardsman in a skirt” and remarked that she would more fortunate if born a boy. As she matured, Maria Pavlovna’s looks improved greatly, and she was noted for her charm and intelligence.

In 1804, Maria Pavlovna married Charles Frederick, the future Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach in a lavish ceremony in St. Petersburg. Charles Frederick had spent some months in Russia with the imperial family and had become very fond of his new wife, although their different personalities caused some strife in the following years. The match was an excellent one for intelligent Maria Pavlovna, as Weimar was then an important cultural center (particularly for music) in Europe. Her new husband shared her love of music and worked to keep Weimar’s musical heritage strong. Franz Liszt (who was invited to Weimar at Maria Pavlovna’s insistence) and Richard Wagner both enjoyed considerable success while in Weimar.

Maria Pavlovna maintained her intellectual pursuits during her time in Weimar, attending lectures at the University of Jena, hosting circles of local writers in her home, and serving as patroness of various literary, artistic, and scientific organizations. She also maintained correspondence with several Russian and German intellectuals of the time. Maria Pavlovna also established a horticultural school and provided funding for the establishment of several parks.

Maria Pavlovna and Charles Frederick had three surviving children. Their daughters Marie and Augusta respectively married Charles of Prussia and the future German Emperor Wilhelm I. Son Charles Alexander succeeded his father in the grand duchy. Several current European monarchs can claim descent from Maria Pavlovna, including Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and Sophia of Spain.

Maria Pavlovna died of a heart attack at Schloss Belvedere, surviving her husband by six years. She is buried beside her husband at a mausoleum in Weimar. A Russian Orthodox church was erected near the mausoleum in her honor.