Author Archives: Scott

Imperial State Crown

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2023

photo: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2023

The Imperial State Crown is worn by the Sovereign to depart Westminster Abbey after the Coronation service. It is also traditionally worn for the State Opening of Parliament, and placed atop a late Sovereign’s coffin at their lying-in-state and funeral (along with the Orb and Sceptre).

The empty frame of Queen Victoria’s Imperial State Crown, 1838. photo: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2023

Following the Restoration, a new Imperial State Crown had to be made for King Charles II. Since then, there have been numerous versions of the crown. Queen Victoria’s Crown, made for her coronation in 1838, was also used for the coronations of King Edward VII (1902) and King George V (1911). The photo above shows the frame of Queen Victoria’s Crown, with the jewels removed, as well as the monde and cross which would have sat atop the arches. The current Imperial State Crown was made for the 1937 coronation of King George VI, and was modified slightly for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II (1953), with the arches lowered to give a more feminine appearance. It was modified once again for the coronation of King Charles III (2023).

The back of the Imperial State Crown. photo: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2023

Designed by Garrard & Co., the Imperial State Crown contains over 3,100 jewels and precious stones, including 2,868 diamonds, 273 pearls, 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds and 5 rubies. Some of the notable jewels in the crown are:

Cullinan II and Black Prince’s Ruby

close-up view of the Cullinan II and Black Prince’s Ruby on the front of the Imperial State Crown.  photo: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2023

The Cullinan II – often called the Second Star of Africa – is mounted on the front of the crown’s band, beneath the Black Prince’s Ruby. At 317.4 carats, it is one of the largest clear-cut diamonds in the world. It is cut from the famed Cullinan Diamond, which originally weighed 3,105 carats and was given to King Edward VII in 1907. (Read more about the Cullinan Diamond and it’s various stones HERE)

The 170 carat Black Prince’s Ruby (actually a spinel) is mounted on a cross patté on the front of the crown, just above the Cullinan II. According to legend, the stone was given to Edward, Prince of Wales (known as the Black Prince) in 1367 by King Pedro of Castile. It was later worn by King Henry V in his helmet at the Battle of Agincourt. A hole was drilled into the stone at some point, probably to allow the stone to be worn as a pendant. It was later filled with a small ruby. The stone was set in Queen Victoria’s Imperial State Crown (1838) and then in the same place on the current Imperial State Crown.

The Stuart Sapphire

close-up view of the Stuart Sapphire on the back of the Imperial State Crown. photo: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2023

The 104 carat Stuart Sapphire is mounted on the back of the crown’s band. It most likely belonged to King Charles II, and left England with James II fled to France after the Glorious Revolution. James II passed the stone to his son, James Stuart, who in turn bequeathed it to his own son, Henry Benedict – later Cardinal York. The sapphire, along with other Stuart relics, were sold, and later purchased by King George III in 1807, and returned to Britain.

It was set in the front of Queen Victoria’s Imperial State Crown (1838), just beneath the Black Prince’s Ruby. However, it was later moved to the back of the crown, to make way for the newly acquired Cullinan II in 1909. It maintains the same position in the current Imperial State Crown.

St. Edward’s Sapphire

close-up view of St. Edward’s Sapphire, mounted in the cross at the top of the Imperial State Crown. photo: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2023

St. Edward’s Sapphire, an octagonal rose-cut sapphire, is mounted in the center of the cross patté at the top of the crown. It is alleged to have originally been in the coronation ring of Edward the Confessor (later St. Edward), and taken from the ring when Edward’s remains were reinterred in Westminster Abbey in 1163. Since at least 1838, the Sapphire has been set in the Imperial State Crown – first in Queen Victoria’s 1838 crown, and then in the current crown.

Queen Elizabeth I’s Pearls

Queen Elizabeth’s Pearls, beneath the monde on the Imperial State Crown. photo: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2023

The four large pearls, suspended just beneath the monde, are often referred to as Queen Elizabeth’s earrings. Catherine de Medici received several pearls from Pope Clement VII upon her marriage to King Henri II of France in 1553. They were left to her daughter-in-law, Mary, Queen of Scots, and then sold to, or acquired, by Queen Elizabeth I. Despite the legend, it is most likely that the pearls are from a later period, as at least two of them did not enter the Royal Collection until the 19th century.

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St. Edward’s Crown

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2023

photo: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2023

St. Edward’s Crown is considered to be the most important piece of the British regalia, used only for the crowning of the Sovereign. The original medieval crown, claimed to have belonged to King Edward the Confessor (St. Edward) from the 11th century, had been destroyed or melted down in 1649 following the overthrow of the monarchy. After the Restoration, a new crown – designed very similarly to the original relic – was made in 1661 for the coronation of King Charles II.

The band, bordered in gold beads, is adorned with sixteen clusters, each set with a rectangular or octagonal stone, surrounded by topazes and aquamarines. Supported by the band are four crosses pattée and four fleurs-de-lis, all bejeweled. Four half-arches form the top of the crown, topped with a jeweled gold monde supporting a cross pattée.

Until 1911, the jewels used in the crown were rented or borrowed for the ceremony and then returned to the jewelers. However, for the coronation of King George V in 1911, the crown was permanently set with jewels which remain to this day.

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Prior to the 2023 Coronation of King Charles III, the last time St. Edward’s Crown was seen publicly was at a service at Westminster Abbey in June 2013, celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. This was the first time the Crown had left the Tower of London since The Queen’s Coronation in 1953.

Despite the intent that it be the coronation crown for all future sovereigns, it was only used three times – King Charles II (1661), King James II (1685) and King William III (1689) before it was deemed too heavy. Beginning with Queen Anne (1702), St. Edward’s Crown was instead included in the procession into Westminster Abbey and placed on the altar (with the exception of Queen Victoria’s Coronation in 1838, when St. Edward’s Crown was not used at all). It would be 209 years before it returned to use, at the coronation of King George V in 1911.

Crown of George I, 1714. photo: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2023

In the interim, several other crowns were used. Both Queen Mary II and Queen Anne chose smaller diamond crowns of their own. Kings George I (1714), George II (1727), George III (1761), and William IV (1831) all used the State Crown of George I, made for his coronation in 1714. King George IV (1821) had a new crown made for his Coronation. Queen Victoria (1838) chose to be crowned with her new Imperial State Crown, which was also used by her son, King Edward VII in 1902. It was King George V (1911) who brought St. Edward’s Crown back to the Coronation ceremony, and it has been used ever since.

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The Cullinan Diamond

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2023

The nine primary stones cut from the Cullinan Diamond.  (top – II, I, III; bottom – VIII, VI, IV, V, VII, IX)
photo: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2023

The Cullinan Diamond, found in 1905, was the largest gem-quality rough diamond ever discovered, weighing 3,106 carats. It was found on January 26, 1905 at the Premier No. 2 mine in Cullinan, South Africa (then the Transvaal Colony).

The large stone went on display in Johannesburg shortly after it was found, and then in April 1905, it was sent to the company’s London sales agent to be put up for sale. Despite much interest, the stone was never sold.

The Transvaal Prime Minister, Louis Botha, brought up the idea of buying the stone and gifting it to King Edward VII. At first, the King was advised to decline the offer, but later was persuaded by Winston Churchill – then the Colonial Under-Secretary – to accept it. The Transvaal government purchased the stone in October 1907 for £150,000.

The rough diamond was presented to King Edward VII at Sandringham House on November 9, 1907 – the king’s 66th birthday. It was promptly announced that the King was accepting the gift “for myself and my successors”, and that “this great and unique diamond be kept and preserved among the historic jewels which form the heirlooms of the Crown”.

Mr. Asscher using the hammer for the first operation on the Cullinan Diamond, February 1908. photo: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2023

Joseph Asscher & Co. in Amsterdam, was chosen to cut the large stone into the brilliant diamond we see today. After several weeks of planning, the first cut was made on February 10, 1908. However, it would be another eight months before the process was completed. The result was nine larger stones – totally 1,055.89 carats – as well as 96 brilliants and some unpolished fragments. Each of the nine larger stones were assigned a number – I through IX.

Cullinan I and II were given back to King Edward VII, and they became part of the Crown Jewels. Cullinan I was set in the Sceptre, and Cullinan II set in the Imperial State Crown. The remaining 7 stones (along with the brilliants and fragments) remained with Mr. Asscher as payment for his services. However, King Edward personally purchased the Cullinan VI as a gift for his wife, Queen Alexandra, that same year.

In 1910, after Edward VII died, the South African government purchased the remaining stones and presented them to Queen Mary, who quickly had them put in various settings which she used for the rest of her life. Unlike Cullinan I and II, the rest of the jewels were part of the Queen’s personal collection. Upon her death in 1953, she left them to her granddaughter, Queen Elizabeth II. They were then inherited by King Charles III in 2022.

CULLINAN I

Cullinan I, set in the sceptre.  photo: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2023

Cullinan I – known as the Great Star of Africa – is part of the Crown Jewels, set in the top of the Sovereign’s Sceptre with Cross. At 530.2 carats, this pear-shaped diamond is the largest clear cut diamond in the world. It was set in the sceptre in 1910, and first used for the 1911 coronation of King George V and Queen Mary. The stone is removable, and Queen Mary often wore the Cullinan I suspended from the Cullinan II as a brooch.

CULLINAN II

Cullinan II, set in the Imperial State Crown.  photo: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2023

Cullinan II – known as the Second Star of Africa – is part of the Crown Jewels, set in the front of the Imperial State Crown. It weighs 317.4 carats, and is a cushion cut. As with most of the jewels, it can be removed from the crown, and was worn often by Queen Mary as a brooch, with the Cullinan I suspended from it.

CULLINAN III and CULLINAN IV

Cullinan III suspended from Cullinan IV.  photo: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2023

The Cullinan III and Cullinan IV were first used in Queen Mary’s Crown for the 1911 coronation. Cullinan III is a 94.4 carat pear-shaped diamond, and was set in the cross pattée at the top of the crown. Cullinan IV is a 63.6 carat square-cut diamond, and was set in the front band of the crown, just beneath the Koh-i-Noor Diamond.

In 1914, both were removed from Queen Mary’s Crown and replaced with glass replicas. From that time until her death in 1953, Queen Mary often wore them paired together as a brooch, as seen in the photo above.

Queen Elizabeth II first wore the brooch in 1958 for a visit to the Asscher Diamond Company while on a State Visit to the Netherlands. In a touching gesture – and understanding the magnificence of the jewels – The Queen even removed the brooch to allow Louis Asscher (the 84-year old nephew of Joseph Asscher) to see and touch the stones 51 years after they’d first been cut.

The late Queen continued to wear the brooch, especially at important events and occasions, such as her Diamond Jubilee in 2012.

CULLINAN V

Cullinan V. photo: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2023

The Cullinan V is an 18.8 carat heart-shaped diamond, set in a platinum brooch. It formed part of the stomacher that Queen Mary had made to wear at the Delhi Durbar in 1911. Although typically worn alone, it can also be combined with Cullinan VII or Cullinan VIII. For the 1937 coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, Queen Mary had the Cullinan V added to her crown, which she wore without the arches or velvet cap. As a nod toward both Queen Mary and the late Queen Elizabeth II, the Cullinan V is again being added to Queen Mary’s Crown which is being used by Queen Camilla for the 2023 coronation.

CULLINAN VI

Cullinan VI suspended from Cullinan VIII.  photo: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2023

The Cullinan VI is an 11.5 carat marquise-cut diamond which was purchased by King Edward VII in 1908, as a gift for his wife, Queen Alexandra. Queen Mary inherited the stone in 1925, and since then it is typically worn suspended from the Cullinan VIII brooch, as seen above.

CULLINAN VII

Cullinan VII, as part of the Delhi Durbar Neclace. photo: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2023

The Cullinan VII is an 8.8 carat marquise-cut stone which is part of the Delhi Durbar Necklace, created in 1911. The stone is set as a pendant on the necklace, on a detachable chain of ten graduated brilliants.

CULLINAN VIII

The Cullinan VIII is a 6.8 carat emerald-cut stone set in a platinum brooch, very similar to the Cullinan V. Like the Cullinan V, the Cullinan VIII brooch was part of Queen Mary’s stomacher for the 1911 Delhi Durbar. Today it is typically worn with Cullinan VI suspended as a pendant (as seen in the photo above with Cullinan VI).

CULLINAN IX

The Cullinan IX Ring. photo: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2023

The smallest of the nine stones from the Cullinan Diamond, the Cullinan IX is 4.39 carats. In a stepped pear-shape cut, the stone is set in a platinum ring – known as the Cullinan IX Ring. Along with the Cullinan VII, this stone appears to have remained in its original setting and use since 1910.

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The Coronation Chair and Stone of Scone

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2023

The Coronation Chair (without the Stone of Scone), 2023. photo: By Darkmaterial – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=127657004

The Coronation Chair

The Coronation Chair (also known as St. Edward’s Chair) was commissioned by King Edward I in 1296 to hold the Stone of Scone, which he had seized from Scotland during the First Scottish War of Independence. It was first used for the Coronation of King Edward II and 1308, and has been used for the coronation of every English and British Sovereign since, with one exception. At the joint Coronation of King William III and Queen Mary II in 1689, King William was crowned in the Coronation Chair, while Queen Mary was crowned in a copy of the chair, made specifically for the occasion. (Queen Mary II’s Chair is also displayed at the Abbey, in the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Galleries.)

Traditionally, the Sovereign only uses the chair once – during their Coronation. However, there has been at least one exception. At a service celebrating her Golden Jubilee in 1887, Queen Victoria was once again seated in the Coronation Chair. For the occasion, the chair was given a dark coat of varnish, which was later painstakingly removed.

Originally, the Chair was gilded, painted and inlaid with glass mosaics, but today only small traces of those details remain. For many years, the Chair was kept in St. Edward’s Shrine in Westminster Abbey, where people were able to see and touch it. Through the years, tourists have tried to take small pieces of the chair, and choirboys from the Abbey often carved their initials and other graffiti into it. Much of that graffiti remains. Today, the Coronation Chair sits on a plinth – behind glass – in St. George’s Chapel, located in the nave of Westminster Abbey, where it is highly protected from being touched or damaged by the thousands of tourists who see it each year.

Through the years, it has undergone much preservation and restoration. A June 1914 bombing broke off part of the chair, which was quickly restored. From 2010-2012, the Chair underwent an extensive restoration, while in full-view of the public. And in 2023, it once again underwent an extensive restoration and conservation program in preparation for the Coronation of King Charles III.

The Coronation Chair has only left Westminster Abbey twice in its long history. The first time – in December 1653 – it was taken to Westminster Hall for the ceremony inducting Oliver Cromwell as Lord Protector. The second time – in August 1939 – it was taken to Gloucester Cathedral for the duration of World War II. (Queen Mary II’s Coronation Chair was taken to Winchester Cathedral.)

The Stone of Scone in the Coronation Chair, c1875-1885. photo: Wikipedia

The Stone of Scone

The Stone of Scone – also known as the Scone of Destiny – is a large block of red sandstone, weighing about 335 pounds, which was used for centuries in the coronation ceremonies of the Sovereigns of Scotland. Its history is steeped in legend. One claims the stone is Stone of Jacob – on which Jacob rested his head (Genesis 28:10-22). Another has its origins in Ireland, from where it was brought to Scotland by Fergus I – the first King of the Scots. However, geological studies have proven the stone was quarried in the area of Scone, challenging many of the legends. What is known is that the Stone was brought to Scone Abbey in 841 and was used for Scottish coronations for hundreds of years.

During the First War of Independence in 1296, the Stone was seized by King Edward I of England, who brought the stone to Westminster Abbey. He then had the Coronation Chair made to house the stone. It has been used for every English and British coronation since at 1308.

During World War II, the Stone was hidden away in a buried vault beneath the Abbey, while the Coronation Chair was moved to Gloucester Cathedral. On Christmas Day 1950, a group of Scottish Nationalists stole the Stone from its display in the Abbey. It was recovered 4 months later, and returned to the Abbey, being locked away in the WWII vault. It returned to the Coronation Chair in February 1952, after extensive security measures had been put in place to ensure its safety.

Embed from Getty Images

In 1996, British Prime Minister John Major announced that the Stone of Scone would be returned to Scotland to be displayed at Edinburgh Castle, with the provision that it would return to the Abbey for future coronations. On November 13, 1996, the Stone was removed from the Coronation Chair and placed in the Lantern of the Abbey. The following morning – under heavy police escort – the Stone of Scone made its journey back to Scotland. An official handover ceremony was held at Edinburgh Castle on November 30, 1996. The Duke of York represented Queen Elizabeth II at the ceremony, personally handing over the Royal Warrant which transferred the stone to the Commissioners for the Regalia. In 2020, it was announced that the Stone of Scone will be moved to the new Perth Museum, set in the former Perth City Hall, which is slated to open in 2024.

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Royal News Recap for Monday, April 17, 2023

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

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Unofficial Royalty: Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla – What To Expect

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Change of Titles within the Danish Royal Family as of January 1, 2023

Photo: Steen Brogaard, Kongehuset ©

On September 28, 2022, the Danish Royal House announced that there would be some changes coming for royal titles within the Danish Royal Family.

Queen Margrethe II has decided that, as of January 1, 2023, the children of HRH Prince Joachim would no longer hold the style and title of HH Prince/Princess.  However, they will hold the title Count/Countess of Monpezat, with the style of His/Her Excellency.  This slimming down is in keeping with recent changes in other royal families and will allow Prince Joachim’s children to pursue more independent lives and careers. Prince Joachim had two sons with his first wife Alexandra Manley (divorced 2005), now styled Her Excellency Countess Alexandra of Frederiksborg. He had one son and one daughter with his second wife Marie Cavallier, now styled Her Royal Highness Princess Marie.

As of January 1, 2023, Prince Joachim’s children are styled:

The Monpezat titles come from the Queen’s late husband, Prince Henrik, who was Count of Monpezat.  In 2008, Queen Margrethe granted the title to her sons and their descendants as well.

Here is the full statement issued by the Danish Royal House:

In April 2008, Her Majesty The Queen bestowed upon her sons, their spouses and their descendants the titles of count and countess of Monpezat. In May 2016, it was also announced that His Royal Highness Prince Christian, as the only one of The Queen’s grandchildren, is expected to receive an annuity from the state as an adult.

As a natural extension of this, Her Majesty has decided that, as of 1 January 2023, His Royal Highness Prince Joachim’s descendants can only use their titles as counts and countess of Monpezat, as the titles of prince and princess that they have held up until now will be discontinued. Prince Joachim’s descendants will thus have to be addressed as excellencies in the future. The Queen’s decision is in line with similar adjustments that other royal houses have made in various ways in recent years.

With her decision, Her Majesty The Queen wishes to create the framework for the four grandchildren to be able to shape their own lives to a much greater extent without being limited by the special considerations and duties that a formal affiliation with the Royal House of Denmark as an institution involves.

All four grandchildren maintain their places in the order of succession.

Danish Royal House: Changes in titles and forms of address in the Royal Family

1. “My Heart’s in the Highlands” / 2. The New Royal Family

by The Laird o’ Thistle (Special Edition)
© Unofficial Royalty 2022

As the two things I want to write about today do not lend themselves being combined into a single column, for this one time I am doing a double feature….

1. “My Heart’s in the Highlands”
My heart’s in the Highlands, my heart is not here;
My heart’s in the Highlands a-chasing the deer;
A-chasing the wild-deer, and following the roe,
My heart’s in the Highlands wherever I go.
— Robert Burns, 1789

I said to a friend yesterday that it feels like a dear aunt has passed, the aunt of the whole world.

In the midst of great sadness, I am taking some comfort in the fact that Queen Elizabeth II died peacefully yesterday at Balmoral, reportedly her favorite place on earth. She passed from this life in the place she loved best with her two eldest children in attendance. (Reports indicate that Prince William, the Wessexes, and Prince Andrew arrived shortly after her passing.) I am even taking a bit of bemused pride in the fact that by dying in Scotland, she died a Presbyterian… for the Sovereign is a member of the Kirk when in Scotland.

Balmoral has been a place of respite and refuge for two great queens, Victoria and Elizabeth. Queen Elizabeth has loved it from childhood when she and her parents, her sister, and (often) her cousin Margaret Rhodes would spend summer holidays at adjoining Birkhall. After her father became king the scene shifted to the castle itself, and three years into the reign the young princesses remained at Balmoral for the first three months of World War II before finally rejoining their parents “down south” in December 1939. In the postwar years Balmoral was the site of happy times for the King and his family, and of both courtship and honeymoon for Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip. A number of heartwarming photos remind us King George’s final summer at Balmoral with the entire family… including grandchildren Charles and Anne. (See: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/transition-the-final-months-of-king-george-vi-and-accession-of-queen-elizabeth-ii/ ) And, now, we will forever treasure the final image of Queen Elizabeth there, taken just two days before her death, a photo of the tiny and frail, but warmly smiling 96-year-old, tartan clad and leaning on her stick, standing by a roaring fire in the castle’s drawing room as she awaited the arrival of her 15th Prime Minister.

I am thankful that before being whisked off to England, the Queen’s body reposes today in the ballroom at Balmoral, where she loved dancing reels at the annual Ghillies Ball. I am also thankful that in a couple of days her coffin will be taken first to Edinburgh, to Holyrood, for due honours in her Scottish capital and palace where, in 1999, she reconvened the first Scottish Parliament since 1707. But as she departs Balmoral for the very last time, no doubt to the plaintive sound of the bagpipe, I hope someone there will quietly whisper in her behalf:

Farewell to the mountains, high-cover’d with snow,
Farewell to the straths and green valleys below;
Farewell to the forests and wild-hanging woods,
Farewell to the torrents and loud-pouring floods.
…My heart’s in the Highlands wherever I go.

2. The New Royal Family

I am sure that many will have shared my experience of startle-ment yesterday, upon hearing the words “His Majesty the King” spoken for the first time in my lifetime. The era of King Charles III and Queen Camilla has begun.

Over the last several years, while remaining firmly in charge, Queen Elizabeth took great care in preparing the way for this moment. She successfully won the agreement of the leaders of the Commonwealth that Charles should succeed her as its Head. In February she made it very clear that she wanted Camilla to be known as Queen Consort when the time came, and then she personally appointed and invested Camilla as a Lady of the Garter. For very practical, but also deeply symbolic, reasons she designated Charles as her representative to preside at the most recent State Opening of Parliament in May. Similarly, it was Charles who “took the salute” for her at the Trooping the Colour in June. And now he is King.

In a moment, yesterday afternoon, everything changed… not just for Charles and Camilla, but for many. William has… just this evening… been created Prince of Wales by the King. William and Catherine are now the Prince and Princess of Wales, Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and Cambridge, and… in Scotland… Duke and Duchess of Rothesay. William is now the Great Steward of Scotland and Lord of the Isles, as well. Their children are now Princes George and Louis, and Princess Charlotte of Wales. Harry’s children are now… if their parents so choose… Prince Archie, and Princess Lilibet of Sussex.

I deeply hope that King Charles will also fulfill his parents’ longstanding intention and deeply-held wish, and quickly move to create Prince Edward as Duke of Edinburgh. (Albeit, it may be the appropriate time to transition the Royal Dukedoms into lifetime appointments, rather than them being hereditary.)

King Charles has talked for years of transitioning to a “slimmed down” monarchy, with fewer working royals. Over the last several years it has sort of created itself, in large part through the disgrace of Prince Andrew and the departure of Prince Harry to America. I expect that the increasingly frail Duke of Kent (soon to be 87) and his sister Princess Alexandra (soon to be 86) will probably take the new King’s accession as their opportunity to retire from active service. The Duke of Gloucester (age 78) may continue to assist for a while, or he too may decide it is time to step back.

The big question in my mind concerns the ongoing roles of the Princess Royal and of Prince Edward and Sophie (either as Duke/Duchess of Edinburgh, or continuing as Earl/Countess of Wessex). Over the course of the pandemic, and following the departures of both Andrew and Harry from royal duties, they have become invaluable working members of the royal team. I have already heard rumours that Anne may choose to “retire” at some not-too-distant point. (Though, I hope not too soon!) On the other hand, Edward is “only” 58 and, having been forced out of his earlier career attempts largely by Charles, he and Sophie have worked hard for years now “in support of” the Queen, and the Crown.

As I see it, the practical reality for the next several years will be that there is more to be done than Charles and Camilla, and William and Catherine, can do. It is at least twelve years, and probably longer, before Prince George will assume any significant role. (He just turned age 9.) Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis may (or may not) both follow in turn. But, just as happened for Princes William and Harry, the family may also want to give the rising generation a bit more time… until around age 30 or so… before asking them to assume a full load of duty.

Finally, as odd as it seems to say this on his first day as King, I find myself hoping that Charles will at least consider adopting the model of other European royal houses and retiring (i.e. abdicating) at some point down the road. He has, today, pledge himself to “lifelong” service. But, sometimes such service is best offered by stepping back at the right moment.

King Charles will turn 74 in November. As much as I have loved and admired the Queen throughout my 66+ years of life, and have understood her ingrained sense of the “job-for-life” tradition, I have personally wished over the last couple of years that she would have followed Prince Philip’s lead in stepping back, for her own sake as well as for those coming after. She sort of did so, in a very careful and limited way. But as recently as this Tuesday she was still at work, possibly overextending herself in the end. King Charles will have to choose his own way, but I hope he at least holds the retirement option open.

And so, for today and days ahead… “God save the King! God bless the Prince of Wales! And, God bless all of the new Royal Family!”

Yours aye,
Ken Cuthbertson – the Laird o’ Thistle

Charles Alongside

by The Laird o’Thistle (Special Edition)
© Unofficial Royalty 2022

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I believe that this is the first time that I have been asked by the staff of Unofficial Royalty to address a particular topic, and not a small one at that. On Tuesday, 10 May 2022, Prince Charles presided at the State Opening of the new session of the U.K. Parliament in the Queen’s behalf. It was announced the previous day that the Queen, upon the advice of her doctors, had “reluctantly decided not to attend” the State Opening due to the “episodic mobility problems” that have limited her activities since early last autumn. In an unprecedented, but entirely legitimate and appropriate move, she issued “Letters Patent” designating Prince Charles and Prince William as “Counsellors of State” to act in her behalf, with Prince Charles taking the lead. Charles and William did so on Tuesday, also accompanied by Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall.

All of this was done under provisions of the 1937 Regency Act, which was adopted following the Accession of George VI as a contingency for what would happen if he were to die before Princess Elizabeth came of age. (The Act was subsequently updated in 1946 and 1953; and the need for further revisions is currently being discussed. See note.) The pertinent section invoked for Tuesday’s State Opening reads as follows:

[Section 6] Power to delegate royal functions to Counsellors of State.
(1) In the event of illness not amounting to such infirmity of mind or body as is mentioned in section two of this Act, or of absence or intended absence from the United Kingdom, the Sovereign may, in order to prevent delay or difficulty in the despatch of public business, by Letters Patent under the Great Seal, delegate, for the period of that illness or absence, to Counsellors of State such of the royal functions as may be specified in the Letters Patent, and may in like manner revoke or vary any such delegation.
(https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Edw8and1Geo6/1/16/section/6)

With two Counsellors of State being required, at least implicitly and by precedent, Prince William was called upon to accompany his father in this instance. Though some are questioning whether, in the Queen’s absence, it was actually a “State Opening” (versus simply an “Opening”), I would argue that it was… precisely due to H.M.’s invoking of the provisions of Section 6. This was further reinforced by the symbolic inclusion of the Imperial State Crown in the ceremony… placed on a small table on the very spot where H.M.’s throne usually stands.

So much for the facts of what occurred, and why. The question raised anew by it all concerns the degree to which we are seeing the emergence of a sort of “dual monarchy” in which Prince Charles and Camilla become the “public face” of the Crown, while the Queen… still the Sovereign… retreats more and more from public view. This, I think, is increasingly the case, with Prince Charles and Camilla being assisted by Prince William and Katherine, the Princess Royal, and Prince Edward and Sophie. (Although still officially active, the Duke of Gloucester, the Duke of Kent, and Princess Alexandra, are increasingly stepping back and “aging out” of their longtime service as “working” royals.) The question behind the question is whether this de facto situation may… sooner or later… shift to an official (de jure) designation.

My layperson’s read of the Regency Act is that it does not provide for the possibility of a co-Regency shared by the Queen and Prince Charles. Nor would the plural wording allow Prince Charles to be solely designated as Counsellor of State without a second Counsellor. Either would, I think, require a revision by Parliament of the legislation.

The focus then shifts to the Queen, and what she is willing to do? By all accounts she has, always and still, totally ruled out the idea of abdication. (One wonders if the future Charles III may hold a different attitude when his turn comes.) By all accounts the Queen is still fully compos mentis (i.e., sound of mind, memory, and understanding), and thus able to do the “desk job” of monarchy, as it were. The issues at hand are her great age, and her apparent physical disability to attend public events going forward.

She’s now at the age where Prince Philip chose to withdraw from public duties. There was talk in the press at the time that she might eventually follow suit. But, as recently as her statement released for the 70th anniversary of her Accession, it is clear that she takes her 1947 pledge that “my whole life, whether it be long or short, will be devoted to your service” VERY seriously. Her Coronation Oath, likewise. The thing that I wonder about, however, is whether she may be at, or near, the point at which that service needs to become vicarious? When does she reach the point at which her devotion to service itself requires her to step further back, if not away?

As in most families, this is probably not something that her family feel they can broach with their mother/grandmother, at least not yet. At some point her U.K. and Commonwealth governments may feel the need to raise the question. The U.K. press has begun making some noises on the topic in recent months. My own gut is telling me that once we get beyond the official Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June, something may significantly shift over the summer. Whether and how that involves some sort of more official and permanent “viceregal” role for Prince Charles will emerge.

All that being said, the one thing that I am absolutely confident about is that Queen Elizabeth II will continue to do her conscientious best in her stewardship of the Crown and her service to the peoples of the U.K. and the Commonwealth to her life’s end, in whatever form that takes. That is her never-wavering sacred trust.

Yours aye,
Ken Cuthbertson, the Laird o’ Thistle

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Prince Alfonso of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Count of Caserta

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2022

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

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

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Prince Alfonso of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Count of Caserta. source: Wikipedia

Prince Alfonso of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Count of Caserta, was a younger half-brother of King Francesco II, the last reigning King of the Two Sicilies. Upon Francesco’s death in 1894, Alfonso became Head of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies and pretender to the former throne.

Prince Alfonso Maria Giuseppe Alberto was born March 28, 1841 in Caserta, Two Sicilies, the third child of King Ferdinando II of the Two Sicilies and his second wife, Archduchess Maria Theresa of Austria. Alfonso had 11 siblings:

Alfonso also had one elder half-sibling from his father’s first marriage to Maria Cristina of Savoy:

At the time of his birth, Alfonso was 4th in line to the throne of the Two Sicilies, preceded by his three elder brothers, Francesco, Luigi and Alberto. Upon their father’s death in May 1859, his eldest brother, Francesco, became the last reigning King of the Two Sicilies. Alfonso, alongside his two surviving elder brothers, fought on the front lines in an attempt to defeat Garibaldi’s forces, but were unsuccessful, and the Kingdom was overtaken. Along with his brothers, he left the country in February 1861, and would spend the rest of his life in exile.

Upon the death of his brother Luigi in 1886, Alfonso became heir presumptive to his eldest brother who had no male heirs. Thus, when Franceso II died on December 27, 1894, Alfonso became Pretender to the former throne of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, and head of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies.

Princess Maria Antonietta of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. source: Wikipedia

On June 8, 1868, Alfonso married his cousin, Princess Maria Antonietta of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. She was the daughter of Prince Francesco of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Count of Trapani and Archduchess Maria Isabella of Austria, Princess of Tuscany. Alfonso and his wife were both grandchildren of King Franceso I of the Two Sicilies. Together they had 12 children:

Alfonso of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Count of Caserta; source: Wikipedia

Alfonso of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Count of Caserta died on May 26, 1934 in Cannes, France. He is buried in the Cimetière du Grand Jas in Cannes.

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Kingdom of the Two Sicilies Resources at Unofficial Royalty

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Philipp Albrecht, Duke of Württemberg

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Philipp Albrecht, Duke of Württemberg was Head of the House of Württemberg, and pretender to the former throne, from 1939 until his death in 1975.

photo: By Atelier E. Breber, Berlin – Original publication: Published as a postcard in Europe.Immediate source: Private Collection – Wartenberg Trust, PD-US, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=34113255

Prince Georg Philipp Albrecht Carl Maria Joseph Ludwig Lubertus Stanislaus Leopold of Württemberg was born in Stuttgart on November 14, 1893, the eldest son of Albrecht, Duke of Württemberg and Archduchess Margarete Sophie of Austria. He had six younger siblings:

  • Duke Albrecht Eugen (1895) – married Princess Nadezhda of Bulgaria, had issue
  • Duke Carl Alexander (1896) – unmarried
  • Duchess Maria Amalia (1897) – unmarried
  • Duchess Maria Theresa (1898) – unmarried
  • Duchess Maria Elisabeth (1899) -unmarried
  • Duchess Margarita Maria (1902) – unmarried

After attending the Eberhard-Ludwigs-Gymnasium in Stuttgart, Philipp Albrecht began studying law at the University of Tübingen. He left his studies after two semesters to join the Württemberg Army in 1912. He served in the Royal Dragoon Regiment No.25 during World War I, fighting on both the Eastern and Western Fronts. Following the November Revolution in 1918, which saw the end of the monarchy, he retired from military service and returned to his studies in Tübingen, eventually earning his doctorate in 1925.

Philipp Albrecht was married twice. His first wife was Archduchess Helena of Austria, Princess of Tuscany. She was the daughter of Archduke Peter Ferdinand of Austria and Princess Maria Cristina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. Philipp Albrecht and Helena married in Altshausen on October 24, 1923. Sadly, Helena died just a week after giving birth to their only child:

  • Duchess Maria Christina (1924) – married Prince Georg Hartmann of Liechtenstein, had issue

Four years later, on August 1, 1928, Philipp Albrecht married Archduchess Rosa of Austria, Princess of Tuscany. Rosa was the younger sister of his first wife. Together they had six children:

  • Duchess Helene (1929) – married Federico Pallavicini, Marchese Pallavicini, had issue
  • Duke Ludwig Albrecht (1930) – married (1) Baroness Adelheid von Bodman, had issue; (2) Angelika Kiessig, had issue
  • Duchess Elisabeth (1933) – married Prince Antoine of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, had issue
  • Duchess Marie Therese (1934) – married Prince Henri d’Orléans, Count of Paris, had issue
  • Carl, Duke of Württemberg (1936) – married Princess Diane d’Orléans, had issue
  • Duchess Maria Antonia (1937) – unmarried

Despite the monarchy having been abolished, Philipp Albrecht and his family continued to live at the Crown Prince’s Palace in Stuttgart until 1934 when they were forced to leave after he refused to fly the Nazi Flag above his home. They moved to Altshausen, where he became more involved in the family’s business ventures. After his father died in 1939, he became head of the House of Württemberg and pretender to the former throne and took over the management of the family’s estates. He remained very highly regarded in Württemberg for the rest of his life, unlike many of his contemporaries in other German monarchies.

Philipp Albrecht, Duke of Württemberg died in Ravensburg on April 1, 1975. He is buried in the family crypt in Altshausen.

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