Author Archives: Scott

The Laird o’ Thistle – Special Edition – HRH and Other Royal Monikers

by The Laird o’Thistle
March 8, 2021

There is plenty of uproar in the worldwide media today over the interview of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex with Oprah Winfrey, broadcast last night in the U.S. While I have no intention of wading into any issues and allegations involved in the interview, there are some factual bits concerning honorifics and titles that may be helpful in sorting out what was said.

One of the headline grabbers today has been about young Archie not being a “Prince” or an HRH. That is true. But, that is because of some royal streamlining rules put in place as long ago as 1917, during the reign of the Queen’s grandfather, King George V.

According to those rules, the honorific of being “His/Her Royal Highness” by birth, and the title “Prince” or “Princess” (of Wales, Cambridge, York, Kent, etc.), pertains to the children and grandchildren of the sovereign “in the male line.” While a special exception has been granted for three of the Queen’s great-grandchildren – Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis – that is specifically because they are the children of the heir’s heir in direct succession… that is, because their father will one day be King… as someday will Prince George, assuming that the monarchy continues.

The Duke of Sussex is the Queen’s grandson, via Prince Charles, and thus automatically an HRH (though not currently using the honorific) and a Prince. His children are not yet grandchildren of the sovereign, and thus not automatically entitled [sic] to be HRH or Prince/Princess. When Prince Charles eventually becomes King, they too will automatically become HRHs and Prince and Princess of Sussex… unless they choose to not assume the status, as has been the choice of Prince Edward for his family.

In looking at other members of the current royal family, among the Queen’s other grandchildren (besides William and Harry), only Beatrice and Eugenie are titled “HRH” and “Princess” – statuses their father insists they retain. Princess Eugenie’s new son, however, is simply August Brooksbank with no other title. As noted, Prince Edward’s children… though entitled to do so… are more simply James, Viscount Severn (more on courtesy titles in a moment) and Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor. Princess Anne’s children, under the old “male-line” rule and at her insistence years ago, have no royal titles. The late Princess Margaret’s children, the Earl of Snowdon and Lady Sarah Chatto, are not royal either. Their titles derive from the one granted to their late father.

The other “HRH” Princes and Princess by birth are Prince Richard (Duke of Gloucester), Prince Edward (Duke of Kent), Prince Michael of Kent, and Princess Alexandra (Lady Ogilvy). They are all grandchildren of George V, through their fathers. None of their children or descendants are of “royal” status. The descendants of George V’s daughter, Princess Mary (Countess of Harewood), have no royal status.

The other somewhat confusing issue in play is that of courtesy titles. The custom is that when a Peer holds several titles, their direct line heir can their secondary titles (etc.) as a courtesy title. That is why the son of Prince Edward, who is Earl of Wessex, is called Viscount Severn… Edward’s secondary title. The best known instance is the current Earl of Snowdon, who was known as Viscount Linley from the day of his birth up until his father’s death in 2017. Similarly, the Duke of Gloucester’s son is the Earl of Ulster; and the Duke of Kent’s eldest is the Earl of St. Andrews.

As Duke of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan’s son Archie already has every right to be known as the Earl of Dumbarton, Harry’s secondary title. Every indication has been that it has been their choice to not do so, and for him to simply be known as Archie Mountbatten-Windsor.

So, while there is certainly a case to be made for a revision of the rule concerning who is or isn’t an “HRH” and “Prince” or “Princess” by birth – especially in regard to the restriction to the “male line” – the issue with the Sussexes is not one of being denied something, but of not being granted an exception as was done for Prince William’s children. And, it may be argued that the rationale that exists for the young Cambridges does not exist for the young Sussexes… especially given Prince Charles’s long-expressed intention (well before the Sussex wedding) to “downsize” the working royal family when he succeeds as King.

As for the tangentially related issue of extending official police protection to the Queen’s grandchildren and their families, the rule of thumb is that it applies to “working” members of the Royal Family, and extends to the family of immediate heirs such as the Cambridge children. Until leaving the UK, Harry was covered… unlike his first cousins Beatrice, Eugenie, and so on. (Long-time Royal watchers will recall the vocal protestations raised by Prince Andrew when protection was withdrawn from Beatrice and Eugenie in 2011.) Those to whom government-funded protection does not apply have to make private arrangements, sometimes with the financial assistance of other family members.

Yours aye,

Ken Cuthbertson – The Laird o’ Thistle

March 8, 2021

Postscript: After completing the column, it occurred to me that in 1948 an earlier exception to the “male line” rule had to be made by King George VI, for the children of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip, granting the status of “HRH” and the style of “Prince or Princess” to their children, in anticipation of the birth of Prince Charles. It applied for both Prince Charles and Princess Anne at their births. Otherwise they would have been known as the Earl of Merioneth and Lady Anne Mountbatten.

Magda Lupescu, third wife of King Carol II of Romania

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Magda Lupescu was the mistress, and then third wife of King Carol II of Romania. The couple was married several years after Carol abdicated the Romanian throne.

King Carol II of Romania and Magda Lupescu; Credit – Wikipedia

Elena “Magda” Lupescu was born in Iaşi, Romania on September 15, 1899, to Nicolae Lupsecu and Elise Falk. Her father was born Jewish but he converted to Orthodoxy and changed his surname to Lupescu. Her mother was also born Jewish but converted to Roman Catholicism before her marriage. Magda had one younger brother Constantin. Raised Catholic, Magda attended a Catholic boarding school in Bucharest.

On February 17, 1919, Magda married Ion Tâmpeanu, an officer in the Romanian Royal Army. They had no children and were divorced by 1923. Sometime in 1923, Magda met Crown Prince Carol, and by early 1925 a relationship had developed. By this time, Carol had already been married twice, first to Zizi Lambrino, a marriage that had been annulled, and was currently married to Princes Helen of Greece with whom he had one son, the future King Mihai of Romania. Once again, his romantic involvement caused a great scandal in Romania. Unhappy in his marriage to Helen, Carol wanted to divorce her and marry Magda. However, the Romanian constitution forbade him from marrying a Romanian citizen. Unable to overcome that restriction, Carol formally renounced his rights to the Romanian throne in December 1925, and was removed from the Royal House by his father King Ferdinand. Carol and Magda were forced to leave Romania, settling in Paris, France.

In June 1930, Carol returned to Romania. Following a coup, his previous renunciation to succession rights was invalidated and he was proclaimed King of Romania on June 8, 1930. Soon after, Magda also returned, taking up residence in a villa, Aleea Vulpache in Bucharest, where she hosted the highest of Romanian society. Despite the public acknowledgment of their relationship, Magda had no official titles or styles, nor did she accompany King Carol at official functions.

After ten years on the throne, Carol was forced to abdicate in September 1940, with his young son Mihai returning to the throne. Once again forced to leave the country, Carol and Magda traveled to Spain and Portugal before settling in Mexico for several years.

After moving to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1944, Magda and Carol were finally married in a Brazilian hotel room during the summer of 1947. Magda became known as Princess Elena of Romania, however, this was simply by courtesy, as there was never a formal grant of such a title or style.

Magda” Lupescu source: The Times

Magda and Carol soon moved again, settling in Estoril, Portugal, where they would live the rest of their lives. The former King Carol died suddenly of a heart attack in 1953, and his coffin was placed in the Pantheon of the House of Brangza at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon, Portugal.

Magda survived her husband by 24 years, dying in Estoril, Portugal on June 29, 1977. Her coffin was placed beside her husband’s. In 2003, the coffins of both Magda and Carol were returned to Romania and interred at the Curtea de Argeş Monastery, the traditional burial site of the Romanian royal family in Curtea de Argeș, Romania. While Carol’s coffin was placed in the Royal Chapel, Magda’s was interred in the surrounding cemetery.

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.

Zizi Lambrino, First Wife of King Carol II of Romania

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Zizi with then-Prince Carol, c1918. source: Wikipedia

Zizi Lambrino was the first wife of the future King Carol II of Romania. The couple married in 1918, but by the following year, the Romanian government had deemed the marriage unconstitutional and it was annulled. Joanna Marie Valentina “Zizi” Lambrino was born October 3, 1898, in Romania, the daughter of Colonel Constantin Lambrino and Euphrosine Alcaz. She was educated in a Catholic school in France before returning to her native Romania.

Zizi met the then-Crown Prince Carol in 1918, and the two quickly began a romance. Despite the opposition of the Royal Family, Carol insisted on pursuing Zizi and made clear his intentions to marry her. On August 18, 1918, Carol and Zizi crossed the border into Ukraine and were married in the Orthodox Cathedral of Odesa. When his father King Ferdinand found out he ordered that Carol be confined in the Bistrita Monastery for 75 days. Carol threatened to renounce his right to the throne if his marriage was not allowed to remain intact. In August 1919, when the Supreme Court ruled that it was unconstitutional and had the marriage annulled, Carol formally renounced his rights to the throne.

On August 8, 1920, in Bucharest, Zizi gave birth to the couple’s only child, a son named Mircea Gregor Carol Lambrino. As Zizi and Carol’s marriage had been legally annulled, the child was considered illegitimate and was given his mother’s surname.

Soon after the birth, Carol ended his relationship with Zizi, choosing instead to remain in line for the Romanian throne. Zizi and her son were forced to leave the country and were financially supported by the Romanian government. A villa was purchased for her in Neuilly-sur-Seine, just outside of Paris, and Zizi was granted an annual pension of 110,000 Francs.

Zizi with her son. photo: De la Sursa, Utilizare cinstită, https://ro.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=792858

Carol Lambrino later claimed he was entitled to some of his father’s estate, and pursued legal action. In 1955, a Portuguese court decreed that he was King Carol II’s legitimate son and he was permitted to take Hohenzollern as his surname. Two years later, a similar ruling in France allowed young Carol to claim his inheritance rights to his father’s French properties. King Mihai I of Romania, his half-brother, unsuccessfully appealed the ruling. Finally, in 1995, a Romanian court ruled that Carol was the former king’s legitimate son. King Mihai once again appealed several times, each time unsuccessfully.

Carol Lambrino. photo: By Prince Paul of Romania – Flickr: HRH Prince Carol Mircea/ ASR Printul Carol Mircea al Romaniei, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18516938

Young Carol was married three times and had two sons. His elder son Paul-Philippe Hohenzollern (born 1948) claims he is the rightful head of the Royal House.

Having lived a relatively quiet life in France for over 30 years, Zizi Lambrino died in near poverty on March 11, 1953, in Neuilly-sur-Seine, just three weeks before the death of her former husband, Carol II.

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.

Alexandre-Athenase Noghès, 1st Husband of Princess Antoinette of Monaco

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Alexandre-Athenase Noghès was the lover and first husband of Princess Antoinette of Monaco, with whom he had three children. The couple married three months after their last child was born, but divorced three years later.

Alexandre-Athenase Noghès was born in Monaco on June 15, 1916, the son of Antony Noghès and Marie Markellos-Petsalis. His father, Antony, served in the Monegasque government, responsible for the procurement, manufacturing, and sale of tobacco in the principality. An avid racing fan, he served as Commissioner-General of the Monte Carlo Automobile Club (his own father was the club’s first president), and organized the first Monaco Grand Prix which took place in 1929. He later succeeded his father as President of the club in 1940. Alexandre had one sister and one half-brother from his father’s second marriage:

  • Bathilde Noghès (1913-2002) – married Grégoire Livieratos, had issue
  • Gilles Noghès (born 1947) – married (1); Martine Peyret, no issue, divorced; (2) Florence Leroux, had issue, divorced; (3) Ellen Van Faasen, no issue. Gilles has worked in the Monegasque government since 1979, and in 2006, he became the Principality’s first Ambassador to the United States and served as Ambassador to the United Nations.

Aleco (as he was known) became a tennis player, playing in tournaments around Europe and representing Monaco in the Davis Cup. He later became a lawyer. He was married three times. His first wife was Marie Angèle Bastel, who he married in Monaco.

The couple had one son before divorcing:

  • Lionel Noghès (born 1941) – race car driver for several years until suffering serious injuries in a crash at Le Mans. He has since had several businesses including a home furnishings company and published an autobiography in 2016.

Princess Antoinette of Monaco, Baroness de Massy. photo: AP

In the mid-1940s, he began a relationship with Princess Antoinette of Monaco, the elder sister of Prince Rainier III of Monaco.

The couple had three children together:

  • Elizabeth-Ann de Massy, born January 13, 1947 – married Baron Bernard Alexandre Taubert-Natta, had issue, divorced; (2) Nicolai Vladimir Costello, had issue, divorced. Elizabeth-Ann died on June 10, 2020
  • Christian Louis de Massy, born January 17, 1949 – married (1) María Marta Quintana y del Carril, had issue, divorced; (2) Anne Michelle Lütken, no issue, divorced; (3) Julia Lakschin, no issue, divorced; (4) Cécile Irène Gelabale, had issue, divorced.
  • Christine Alix de Massy, born July 8, 1951 – married (1) Charles Wayne Knecht, had issue; (2) Leon Leroy, no issue. Christine Alix died on February 15, 1989.

As they were illegitimate, the children all had the surname Grimaldi, until October 1951, when Antoinette was created Baroness de Massy, and they began using de Massy as their surnames. On December 4, 1951, Aleco and Antoinette were married in a civil ceremony held at the Monegasque Consulate in Genoa. The marriage legitimated their children and them places in the line of succession at the time. The marriage only lasted three years, and the couple divorced in 1954. Antoinette retained full custody of the children, and limited their contact with their father.

Aleco spent several years living on his yacht in Monaco before moving to the United States. There, he met his third wife Margaret “Margot” James. The couple married in Las Vegas on June 13, 1970, and eventually settled in California. Alexandre Athenase Noghès died in Los Angeles on February 16, 1999, just three months before his 83rd birthday.

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.

Alice Keppel, Mistress of King Edward VII of The United Kingdom

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Alice Keppel was the mistress of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom from 1898 until his death in 1910. Through her daughter Sonia, she is the great-grandmother of the wife of KIng Charles III of the United Kingdom, Queen Camilla.

Alice Keppel.source: Wikipedia

Alice Frederica “Freddie” Edmonstone was born in Woolwich, Kent on April 29, 1868, the youngest child of Sir William Edmonstone, 4th Baronet and Mary Elizabeth Parsons. She had 10 siblings:

  • Mary Emma Edmonstone – died in childhood
  • Archibald Edmonstone – died in infancy
  • Jessie Edmonstone – married Major Edward Winnington-Ingram, no issue
  • Louisa Ann Edmonstone – married Major General Henry Pipon, no issue
  • Charlotte Henrietta Edmonstone – married Rev. John Kitson, had issue
  • Frances Euphemia Edmonstone – married Alexander Duncan, no issue
  • Sophia Edmonstone – married James Hope, had issue
  • Susanna Emily Edmonstone – married Jonathan Bucknill, had issue
  • Mary Clementina Edmonstone – married Andrew Murray, 1st Viscount Dunedin, had issue
  • Sir Archibald Edmonstone, 5th Baronet – married Ida Forbes, had issue

On June 1, 1891, Alice married The Honorable George Keppel, a younger son of William Keppel, 7th Earl of Albemarle and Sophia Mary MacNab. The couple had two daughters:

  • Violet Keppel (1894) – married Denys Trefusis, no issue
  • Sonia Keppel (1900) – married Roland Calvert Cubitt, 3rd Baron Ashcombe, had issue

As a younger son and a serviceman, George Keppel did not have much in the way of financial resources. As a result, Alice had several affairs with rich men to help maintain their lifestyle and standing within London society. These lovers included Ernest Beckett, 2nd Baron Grimthorpe, and Humphrey Sturt, 2nd Baron Alington. As was often the case at the time, her husband took no issue with her affairs and discreetly took several lovers himself. Through her connections, Alice became one of the leading hostesses in London society. It was through her connections that she met The Prince of Wales and began a relationship that would last through his succession as King Edward VII and until he died in 1910.

King Edward VII. source: Wikipedia

The Prince of Wales, notorious for his womanizing, quickly set his sights on Alice after the two met in 1898, and the two soon began an affair. Despite a significant 26-year age difference, Alice quickly proved to be a calming and steadying force in the aging Prince’s life. Alice even gained the favor – albeit minimally – of The Princess of Wales who had long ago accepted her husband’s indiscretions, and appreciated Alice’s discretion.

Alice benefited greatly from her relationship with the Prince. Through his generosity, she gained a significant fortune with the help and advice of his bankers and financial advisors, including Sir Ernest Cassel whose granddaughter Edwina would later marry Edward VII’s great-nephew, The Earl Mountbatten of Burma. One gift alone from the Prince – some shares in a rubber company – would later provide her with £50,000 (around $ 8 million today).

Perhaps the greatest benefit was to Edward himself. Alice proved to be one of the few people in his circle who could calm his fiery temper and was often approached by his ministers to present things to the King, hoping to change his mind on issues or at least see them from a different perspective. Throughout the King’s reign, Alice remained one of his closest and most valued companions and advisors – and maintained the utmost level of discretion and privacy. Even when traveling together to Biarritz each year (while both of their spouses conveniently remained in England), Alice ensured that her presence went mostly unknown, insisting upon staying separately from the King and maintaining as much anonymity as possible. It was on one of these trips to Biarritz in 1910 that the King became ill. He returned to London in April, but his health continued to deteriorate. Alice – having a letter from the King which instructed that she should be permitted to his bedside – quickly rushed to Buckingham Palace to be with him in his final hours.

Villa dell’ Ombrellino. photo: Di Sailko – Opera propria, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=41839507

King Edward VII died on May 6, 1910, and Alice’s position with the Royal court quickly ended. Alice and her family left the United Kingdom later that year, traveling throughout the Far East for two years before returning to London in 1912. Later, Alice and her husband moved to Italy in 1925, where they purchased the Villa dell’ Ombrellino in Bellosguardo, near Florence. There, they established their own social set, hosting events and gatherings, and hosting guests such as Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Returning to London in 1940 due to World War II, Alice and her husband finally returned to Bellosguardo in 1946 where they would remain until their deaths.

Graves of Alice Keppel and her husband. photo: By Elisa.rolle – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=57790238

Alice Keppel died at Villa dell’ Ombrellino on September 11, 1947, of cirrhosis of the liver. She and her husband – who died just 10 weeks later – are buried at the Cimitero Evangelico degli Allori in Florence.

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.

Daisy Greville, Countess of Warwick, Mistress of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Daisy Greville, Countess of Warwick, was the mistress of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom from 1889 until 1898, while he was The Prince of Wales. A renowned social hostess, she later put much of her time and effort – and fortune – into helping those less fortunate.

Daisy Greville, Countess of Warwick – source: Wikipedia

Frances Evelyn “Daisy” Maynard was born in London on December 10, 1861, the daughter of Col. Charles Maynard and Blanche FitzRoy. Her father was the son and heir of Henry Maynard, 3rd Viscount Maynard. Daisy’s father Charles died several months before his father, resulting in the VIscountcy Maynard becoming extinct. As the elder child, Daisy inherited the majority of the Maynard estates and fortune. Daisy’s mother was descended from King Charles II in several different ways, through his mistresses Nell Gwyn, Barbara Palmer and Louise de Kéroualle.

Daisy had one younger sister:

  • Blanche Maynard (1864) – married Col. Lord Algernon Gordon-Lennox, had issue

Two years after being widowed, Daisy’s mother married Robert St Clair-Erskine, 4th Earl of Rosslyn, a favorite of Queen Victoria. Through this marriage, Daisy had five half-siblings:

Having inherited her paternal grandfather’s estates and fortune in 1865, including the family seat, Easton Lodge in Essex, Daisy was greatly pursued as a potential bride. One prominent possibility was a marriage to Queen Victoria’s youngest son Prince Leopold. The Queen herself wanted to arrange a marriage, but it never came to be. Instead, Daisy fell in love with Leopold’s aide-de-camp Francis Greville.

Francis Greville, 5th Earl of Warwick. source: Wikipedia

On April 30, 1881, Daisy and Francis were married at Westminster Abbey, with several members of the Royal Family in attendance including The Prince and Princess of Wales. Daisy’s new husband was the eldest son and heir of George Greville, 4th Earl of Warwick and Lady Anne Wemyss-Charteris, daughter of the 9th Earl of Wemyss. Following their marriage, the couple lived at Easton Lodge, and after her husband succeeded as 5th Earl of Warwick in 1893, they moved to Warwick Castle.

Daisy and Francis had five children:

  • Leopold Guy Greville, 6th Earl of Warwick (1882) – married Elfrida Marjorie Eden, had issue
  • Marjorie Blanche Greville (1884) – married (1) Charles Duncombe, 2nd Earl of Feversham, had issue; (2) Sir William Gervase Beckett, 2nd Baronet, had issue
  • The Hon. Charles Greville (1885) – died in childhood
  • The Hon. Maynard Greville (1898) – married Dora Pape, had issue
  • Lady Mercy Greville (1904) – married (1) Basil Dean, had issue; (2) Patrick Gamble, no issue; (3) Richard Marter, no issue

It is believed that only the couple’s first child was the legitimate child of Daisy’s husband. She alleged Lord Charles Beresford was the father of her elder daughter Marjorie and it is possible that her son Charles was also Beresford’s child. Her last two children were fathered by Joe Laycock, a wealthy bachelor with whom Daisy maintained a long-term affair despite his wandering ways.

The Prince of Wales, the future King Edward VII; Credit – Wikipedia

Quickly rising in the ranks of London society, Daisy became one of the most celebrated hostesses amongst the Marlborough House Set – the upper echelon of society led by the Prince and Princess of Wales. When her affair with Charles Beresford became a public scandal in 1889, Daisy turned to the Prince of Wales for advice and support. This quickly turned into an affair that would last for nine years. The Prince would often visit her at Easton Lodge, where she had a rail station built closer to the house to make it easier for him to come and go more discreetly. After her husband succeeded his father as Earl of Warwick in 1893, the Prince of Wales became less discreet about his relationship with Daisy, often attending the theatre and other events together. This led to the Princess of Wales, who had formerly enjoyed Daisy’s company, to refuse to include Daisy in any further social events at Marlborough House and Sandringham.

After ending her affair with the Prince of Wales, Daisy threw herself into philanthropic work. Getting involved with the Social Democratic Federation, she fought for better working conditions, salaries, and education for women and those less fortunate. Within several years, she had depleted much of the fortune she had inherited from her grandfather, however, she refused an offer to write her memoirs and discuss her relationship with the then-King Edward VII. But after he died in 1910, her debt continued to increase and she began to consider the possibility of publishing her private letters. Her threats to publish them in the hopes of getting a financial settlement from the new King George V were unsuccessful. The King’s lawyers took the matter to court where it was decided that the Crown held the copyright to those letters and they could not be published in the United Kingdom. A subsequent threat to publish the letters in the United States was more successful. British politician Arthur Du Cros paid off a large amount of Daisy’s debt in exchange for the letters.

Daisy, Countess of Warwick in her later years. source: The Peerage

Having survived her husband for 24 years, The Dowager Countess of Warwick died at Easton Lodge on July 26, 1938, at the age of 76. She is buried at the Collegiate Church of Saint Mary in Warwick, England.

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.

Lady Randolph Churchill, Mistress of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Jennie Jerome was an American socialite who was briefly the mistress of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom, among others. Through her first marriage, she was the mother of Prime Minister Winston Churchill. She is also reported to have had affairs with King Milan I of Serbia, Prince Karl Kinsky, and Herbert von Bismark.

Jennie Jerome – source: Wikipedia

Jeanette “Jennie” Jerome was born in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, New York on January 9, 1854, one of four daughters of Leonard Jerome and Clarissa “Clara” Hall. Leonard Jerome had become a very wealthy and prominent financier and stock speculator, earning the nickname “King of Wall Street” for the number of fortunes he made and lost through the years. Despite his losses, he always managed to recover and earn even more, providing his family with a very lavish lifestyle. The family’s home in New York City, the Jerome Mansion, was one of the prominent homes in the area and included a theatre that could seat 600 people.

Jennie had three sisters:

As was common at the time, Jennie’s mother took Jennie and her sisters to Europe, settling for some time in Paris before moving on to London in 1870 after the German invasion of France. In London, Jennie first met The Prince of Wales, the future King Edward VII, and began a passionate affair that lasted for about two years. Jennie and The Prince of Wales remained close for the rest of his life and continued to see each other on occasion. She would be one of three former mistresses of The Prince of Wales to be invited to attend his coronation, joining Lillie Langtry and Sarah Bernhardt in a box at Westminster Abbey to view the ceremony.

Lord Randolph Churchill. source: Wikipedia

While attending a sailing regatta on the Isle of Wight in August 1873, Jennie was introduced (by The Prince of Wales) to her future first husband. Lord Randolph Spencer-Churchill was a younger son of John Winston Spencer-Churchill, 7th Duke of Marlborough and Lady Frances Anne Vane. The couple was engaged within just three days, but it took several months for their parents to agree to a financial settlement. The Spencer-Churchills opposed the marriage, but after a $250,000 (several million dollars today) dowry was offered,  they quickly agreed to the marriage. The couple was married at the British Embassy in Paris on April 15, 1874, and Jennie became Jennie Jerome. The family surname was Spencer-Churchill, but they were known simply as Churchill.

Jennie with her two sons, c1889. source: Wikipedia

The couple had two sons:

George Cornwallis-West. source: Wikipedia

Lord Randolph Churchill died in 1895 and within a few years, Jennie met her next husband. She was introduced to George Cornwallis-West while attending a party held by The Countess of Warwick (another of Edward VII’s mistresses). Cornwallis-West, a member of the Scots Guards,  was just two weeks older than Jennie’s elder son, but the two quickly began a relationship. He was the son of William Cornwallis-West, a prominent politician, and Mary “Patsy” FitzPatrick, an Irish aristocrat who had once been the lover of the future King Edward VII in the early 1870s. George had two sisters. His elder sister, Daisy, married Prince Hans Heinrich XV von Hochberg, Prince of Pless. His younger sister, Constance (born in 1876) was the first wife of Hugh Grosvenor, 2nd Duke of Westminster.

Jennie and George were married on July 28, 1900, at St. Paul’s Church in Knightsbridge, London. At first, the marriage was happy but within about ten years the marriage began to show signs of strain. Jennie and George separated in 1912 and were divorced on April 1, 1914. Jennie returned to her former name, Lady Randolph Churchill and George Cornwallis-West married Stella Campbell, a noted stage actress.

Montagu Porch in later life. photo: By Source (WP:NFCC#4), Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=64490806

Four years later, on June 1, 1918, Jennie married a third time. Her new husband was Montagu Phippen Porch. Porch, a former member of the British Army, had served with the Colonial Service since 1906 and was three years younger than Jennie’s son Winston. Porch continued to serve in the British Army until the end of World War I, devoting his time to several successful ventures in Africa. Following Jennie’s death, Porch returned to Africa for some time and remarried in 1926 to Donna Guilia Patrizi, the daughter of the Marchese Patrizi della Rocco. After being widowed again in 1938, he returned to England until he died in 1964.

Lady Randolph Churchill, c1899. source: Wikipedia

After breaking her ankle in May 1921, Jennie suffered from gangrene and had to have her lower leg amputated in June 1921. Two weeks later, on June 29, 1921, she died at her home in London as a result of a hemorrhage in her thigh. Jennie is buried in the Spencer-Churchill family plot at St. Martin’s Church, Bladon, alongside her first husband, her two sons, and their families.

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.

Lillie Langtry, Mistress of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Lillie Langtry was the mistress of the future King Edward VII (while he was Prince of Wales) from 1877-1880. A married socialite at the time, she later embarked on a career in the theatre, with the encouragement and support of the Prince. She also took several other lovers, including Prince Louis of Battenberg, the Prince of Wales’s future nephew-by-marriage, who possibly fathered her only child.

Lillie Langtry; Credit – Wikipedia

Lillie Langtry was born Emilie Charlotte “Lillie” Le Breton on October 13, 1853, at the Old Rectory at St. Saviour Church on the Island of Jersey, part of the United Kingdom. She was the only daughter of the Very Reverend William Corbet Le Breton and his wife Emilie Martin Davis. Her father was the Rector at St. Saviour and also served as Dean of Jersey. Lillie had six brothers:

  • Francis Corbet Le Breton (1843) – unmarried
  • William Inglis Le Breton (1846) – married Elizabeth Price, had issue
  • Trevor Alexander Le Breton (1847) – unmarried
  • Maurice Vavasour Le Breton (1849) – unmarried
  • Clement Martin Le Breton (1851) – married Alice Jones, had issue
  • Reginald Le Breton (1855) – unmarried

On March 9, 1874, Lillie married Edward Langtry, a wealthy Irish landowner who had recently been widowed. They had known each other just six weeks but shared a love of sailing and bonded very quickly. Later in life, Lillie would jokingly say that “to become mistress of the yacht, I married the owner.” The couple moved to London, where Lillie soon became part of the London society scene. The couple remained married until 1897 but had been estranged for many years. Having become an American citizen in 1897, Lillie successfully filed for divorce from Langtry, who died several months later.

Upon her arrival in London, Lillie soon found herself amidst London’s high society. Her beauty caught the eye of the artist Frank Miles, who soon asked Lillie to sit for a portrait.   The portrait was purchased by Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany the younger brother of The Prince of Wales, the future King Edward VII. Lillie also sat for portraits by several other artists, leading to her quick entrance into the highest ranks of society.

The Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII. source: Wikipedia

In May 1877, Lillie attended a dinner party that was also attended by The Prince of Wales, who had arranged to be seated next to her.  Soon, the two began a relationship that would last until June 1880. However, she also had several other relationships during this time. One lover was The Earl of Shrewsbury, who she began seeing in July 1879. This relationship led to some media speculation that her husband was planning to divorce her, and name the Prince of Wales as one of the co-respondents. The Prince quickly sued the journalist who was later sentenced to prison for his allegations. Other lovers during this time were Prince Louis of Battenberg (who would later marry the Prince of Wales’s niece, Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine), and Arthur Jones, the brother of Lilly’s sister-in-law. One of these affairs led to Lilly becoming pregnant in mid-1880. Lilly told Prince Louis that he was the father, and he was quickly dispatched to a warship with the Royal Navy. However, Lilly left for Paris – along with Arthur Jones – thanks to funding from The Prince of Wales. She gave birth to a daughter – Jeanne Marie – on March 8, 1881. It is most likely that Jones was the child’s father, but it was never confirmed. Prince Louis’s son Earl Mountbatten stated numerous times that he believed his father was the biological father.

Lillie’s pregnancy ended her affair with The Prince of Wales, but the two would remain in occasional contact and the Prince often used his influence to help her in her future career. In 1881, back in London, Lillie found herself in financial distress. A close friend, writer Oscar Wilde, suggested she try the theatre. She began with a local amateur theatre and soon made her debut at the Haymarket Theatre in London. Lillie quickly became a success, starting her own theatre company which toured throughout Europe and the United States over the next 26 years. She retired from the stage in 1917.

During her time in the United States, Lillie had a long-term affair with an American, Frederick Gebhard, who introduced Lillie to horse racing. Together the two bought a stable of horses which they trained and raced throughout the United States. She later became involved with George Alexander Baird, a very wealthy gentleman in the horse-racing world. After his death several years later, Lillie purchased several of his horses and some of his properties. By 1919, finding that horse racing was more of a financial drain than an income, Lillie sold all her horses and interests and moved to Monaco.

Lillie in 1915; Credit – Wikipedia

Two years after divorcing her first husband, Lillie married a second time. On July 27, 1899 at St. Saviour’s Church in Jersey, Lillie married Hugo Gerald de Bathe with just her daughter and the officials present. Eighteen years her junior, de Bathe had seven older siblings, but as he was the firstborn after his parents’ marriage, he was the heir to his father’s Baronetcy. He succeeded his father as 5th Baronet and inherited a large portfolio of properties in Sussex, Devon and Ireland. These in Sussex included Woodend, a 17-bedroom property on 71 acres, Hollandsfield, a 10-bedroom property on 52 acres, and Balsom’s Farm which consisted of 206 acres. The couple used Woodend as their primary residence. All of the properties were later sold, in 1919.

Lillie remained in close contact with The Prince of Wales and was a guest at his Coronation, sitting alongside Sarah Bernhardt and Lady Randolph Churchill. She was also a guest at his funeral in 1910.

In her later years, Lady de Bathe, as she was known after 1907, lived primarily in Monaco while her husband lived in nearby Vence, Alpes Maritimes. De Bathe later served as an ambulance driver with the French Red Cross during World War I. Instead of her husband, Lillie’s main companion was her dear friend Mathilde Marie Peat who inherited a large part of Langtry’s estate including a bequest of £10,000, her home in Monaco. Villa le Lys, and her car.

Emilie Charlotte “Lillie” Langtry, Lady de Bathe, died of pneumonia in Monaco in the early morning of February 12, 1929. She was 75 years old. Per her wishes, she was buried along with her parents at St. Saviour’s Church in Jersey.

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Dorothea Jordan, Mistress of King William IV of the United Kingdom

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Dorothea Jordan was the mistress of the future King William IV of the United Kingdom from 1790 until 1811. William was the Duke of Clarence at the time.

Dorothea Jordan; Credit – Wikipedia

Dorothea Bland was born on November 21, 1761, in County Waterford, Ireland, the daughter of Francis Bland, a stagehand, and his mistress Grace Phillips, an actress. She had five siblings:

  • George Bland (c.1758-1807) – married Maria Theresa Romanzini, had issue
  • Hester Bland (1760-1848) – unmarried
  • Lucy Bland (c.1763-1778) – unmarried
  • Francis Bland (c.1765 – ?) – unmarried
  • Nathaniel Phillips Bland (c.1766-1830) – married Phoebe James, no issue

In 1774, Dorothea’s father abandoned his family to marry someone else. He continued to support the family, on the condition that they didn’t use his surname, so Dorothea took her mother’s name, becoming known as Dorothea Phillips. Around this time, her mother encouraged Dorothea to enter the theater, and within just a few years, she began to draw large crowds for her performances. She left Ireland in 1782 while pregnant with her first child, and moved to Leeds. It was at this point that she took the name Jordan. She performed for three years with the York Company, before being lured away in 1785 to move to the Royal Theatre, Drury Lane in London. By then, Dorothea was becoming a very popular performer and could be counted on to bring large crowds every night. It was at Drury Lane that her life would come to the attention of The Duke of Clarence several years later.

During her stage career, and before meeting the Duke of Clarence, Dorothea had several relationships, resulting in at least four children. In the early 1780s, she became involved with Richard Daly, the married manager of the Theatre Royal in Cork, and had a daughter:

  • Frances Daly (1782-1821) – married Thomas Alsop, no issue

Other lovers included an Army Lieutenant, Charles Doyne, who proposed to her but she declined. She went to work for a theater company run by Tate Wilkinson, with whom she also had a brief affair. It was then that she took on the stage name ‘Mrs. Jordan’. After that relationship ended, she fell in love with another actor, George Inchbald, but that relationship also ended in heartbreak.

In 1786, after leaving Inchbald, Dorothea began an affair with Sir Richard Ford, a magistrate and lawyer who promised that he would marry her. This relationship resulted in three children:

  • Dorothea Maria Ford (1787) – married Frederick March
  • unnamed son (1788) – died at birth
  • Lucy Hester Ford (1789) – married General Sir Samuel Hawker, had issue

Dorothea realized that Ford would not marry her, and she ended their affair in 1790.  Soon after that, she began her relationship with The Duke of Clarence, the son of King George III. Her children moved in with her sister Hester, and Dorothea transferred much of her savings to provide for the children’s upbringing and education, in addition to providing them with an annual allowance.

The Duke of Clarence (later King William IV); source: Wikipedia

In 1790, Dorothea was first noticed by The Duke of Clarence (later King William IV) while performing at Drury Lane. They quickly began an affair that would last for the next 21 years. Dorothea moved in with the Duke at his home, Clarence Lodge in Roehampton, and later they moved to Bushy House in Bushy Park, Richmond upon Thames.

King William IV and Dorothea Jordan had ten children. Nine of the ten children were named after nine of William’s fourteen siblings. The tenth child was given William’s middle name Henry. The children were given the surname FitzClarence.

The children of King William IV and Dorothea had an elder half-brother, William Henry Courtney, born around 1788 to an unknown mother, and named after his father whose given names were William Henry. Dorothea cared for William, and she was fond of him and he was fond of her. William served in the Royal Navy from 1803 until 1807 when his ship HMS Blenheim was lost in a gale off Madagascar. Despite an extensive search, no trace of the ship was ever found. 590 men were lost aboard HMS Blenheim, including King William IV’s eldest illegitimate son nineteen-year-old William Henry Courtney.

William ensured Dorothea was well taken care of, providing her with an annual allowance of £1,200 and allowing her to continue performing on the stage in London and around England. Aside from her career, Dorothea was very content to enjoy the family life she had always wanted and kept out of political matters completely.

William and Dorothea’s children married into the British aristocracy and their many descendants include these notable people:

By 1811, William was pressured by his family to find a suitable wife. At the time he was fourth in line for the throne following his elder brother, the future King George IV, George’s daughter, Princess Charlotte of Wales, and his next oldest brother, The Duke of York. William gave in to the pressure and ended his relationship with Dorothea, but again made sure she was very well provided for. He gave her an annual allowance of £4,400 (half of which was designated for the welfare of their children), and she kept custody of their daughters while he retained custody of their sons. The one condition he insisted upon was that to receive that money annually, she could not return to the theatre. This arrangement lasted just three years before Dorothea returned to the stage in 1814, to earn money to help settle the extensive debts of her son-in-law Thomas Alsop. Hearing this, William took back custody of their daughter and canceled her annual stipend.

Dorothea performed for just a year before retiring in 1815. Still in debt, she sold her house and moved to France to escape her creditors, settling in Saint-Cloud, just outside Paris. After losing much of her savings when her eldest daughter and her husband ran up large debts in Dorothea’s name, her health quickly began to decline. Virtually penniless, Dorothea Jordan died in Saint-Cloud, France on July 5, 1816, at the age of 54. She is buried in the local cemetery in Saint-Cloud.

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Elizabeth Conyngham, Marchioness Conyngham, Mistress of King George IV of The United Kingdom

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Elizabeth Conyngham, Marchioness Conyngham was the last mistress of King George IV of the United Kingdom, from 1820 until the King died in 1830.

Elizabeth Conyngham, Marchioness Conyngham – source: Wikipedia

Elizabeth Denison was born on July 31, 1769, the eldest child of Joseph Denison, a wealthy banker, and his wife Elizabeth Butler. She had two younger siblings:

On July 5, 1794 at St. Martin-in-the-Fields Church in Covent Garden, London, Elizabeth married Henry Burton Conyngham, Viscount Conyngham (later the 1st Marquess Conyngham). Viscount Conyngham was created Earl Conyngham and Viscount Mount Charles in the Irish peerage in 1797. In 1800, he was one of the original Irish representative peers to sit in the British House of Lords and was installed in the Order of St. Patrick in 1801. He served as Governor of County Donegal from 1803 until 1831, and in 1816 was created Marquess of Conyngham, Earl of Mount Charles, and Viscount Slane in the Irish peerage. In 1821, he was created Baron Minster of Minster Abbey in the Peerage of the United Kingdom, became a member of the Privy Council and was appointed Lord Steward. In 1829, he was named Constable and Governor of Windsor Castle and served until he died in 1832. Elizabeth and her husband had five children:

According to the Duke of Wellington (to whom Elizabeth had become mistress in 1817), Elizabeth had expressed the desire to become the mistress of the Prince of Wales as early as 1806. Through the Duke of Wellington, she was introduced to the British court and caught the attention of the future King. By 1820, she had become his primary mistress, having replaced her friend, the Marchioness of Hertford. The aging king was besotted with Elizabeth, going so far as to ensure she was nearby at his coronation, reportedly winking and smiling at her during most of the ceremony. Quickly Elizabeth began to hold great influence over the new King, however, she avoided political matters, instead, she focused on the personal and financial gain of herself and her family. Her husband benefited greatly from the relationship – he was elevated to Marquess and received several positions within the royal household. One of her sons was made a Groom of the Bedchamber and Master of the Robes to the King, and of course, Elizabeth herself received lavish and expensive gifts as well, including some priceless jewelry from the royal vaults.

King George IV. source: Wikipedia

King George IV provided housing for Elizabeth and her family at Windsor Castle and the Brighton Pavilion. He ensured they traveled with him when he moved from one residence to another. Elisabeth was given full use of the King’s horses and carriages, and most of the large dinners held at her London townhouse were prepared in the kitchens of St. James’s Palace. To King George IV, nothing was ‘off limits’ for his beloved Elizabeth. Such was the King’s devotion to her that he bequeathed her all his plate and jewels although she refused them when he died.

However, it would all end on the morning of June 26, 1830, when King George IV died at Windsor Castle. By the following day, Elizabeth had packed her belongings and left Windsor for her brother’s home before traveling to Paris, reportedly expelled from the country by the new King William IV.

St. Mary’s Church, Patrixbourne. photo: By John Salmon, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2747370

Widowed in 1832, Elizabeth remained in Paris until the death of William IV in 1837. She returned to the family’s Bifrons estate in the village of Patrixbourne, near Canterbury, where she lived the remainder of her life. The Dowager Marchioness Conyngham died at Bifrons on October 11, 1861, at the age of 92, having survived all but one of her children. She is buried alongside her husband at St. Mary’s Church in Patrixbourne.

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.