Author Archives: Susan

Nobel Prize Events – Sweden – December 10

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2024

1950 Nobel Prize medal in Physiology/Medicine awarded to researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota; Photograph: Erik Lindberg –  File:NobelPrize.JPG, PD-US, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=58432969

Except for the Nobel Peace Prize, presented in Oslo, Norway, the Nobel Prizes in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, and Economic Sciences are presented in Stockholm, Sweden. On December 10th of each year, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death in 1896, the Swedish monarch presents the Nobel Prizes in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, and Economic Sciences at the Stockholm Concert Hall in Stockholm, Sweden. Each recipient, known as a laureate, receives an 18-carat green gold medal plated with 24-carat gold, a diploma, and a monetary award. The ceremony is followed by a banquet at the Stockholm City Hall for about 1,300 people, including 250 students.

Queen Silvia, Prince Daniel, King Carl XVI, and Crown Princess Victoria attend the 2023 Nobel Prize Award Ceremony

In attendance are the Swedish Monarch, his/her spouse, members of the Swedish royal family, representatives of the Swedish Riksdag (the Swedish legislature), representatives of the Swedish Government, international guests especially those who represent the sciences and cultural life, and Swedish citizens who participate in Nobel Prize-related functions.

*********************

Who was Alfred Nobel?

Alfred Nobel; Credit – Wikipedia 

Alfred Nobel (1833 – 1896) was a Swedish chemist, inventor, engineer, and businessman, known for inventing dynamite. His invention of dynamite in 1866 was developed with the idea of using it for mining, not for war. However, just four years later, dynamite was used by the Prussians and the French in the Franco-Prussian War (1870 – 1871). In 1891, Nobel commented about his dynamite factories, “Perhaps my factories will put an end to war sooner than your congresses: on the day that two army corps can mutually annihilate each other in a second, all civilized nations will surely recoil with horror and disband their troops.” Alfred Nobel died in 1896, so he was not alive during World War I to see how wrong his idea was.

On December 10, 1896, 63-year-old Alfred Nobel died in his villa in San Remo, Italy, from a cerebral hemorrhage. In his will, Nobel left instructions that his fortune be used to create a series of prizes for those who develop the “greatest benefit on mankind” in physics, chemistry, physiology, medicine, literature, and peace. Nobel bequeathed 94% of his total assets to establish the five Nobel Prizes. A sixth prize for Economic Sciences, endowed by Sweden’s central bank, Sveriges Riksbank, was first presented in 1969.

*********************

The Nobel Prizes

The Nobel Prizes in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, and Economic Sciences, are administered by five Nobel Committees, one for each Nobel prize. These committees come from the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences (for the prizes in physics, chemistry, and economic sciences), the Karolinska Institute (for the prize in physiology or medicine), and the Swedish Academy (for the prize in literature).

Nomination forms are sent by the Nobel Committees to about 3,000 individuals, usually in September the year before the prizes are awarded. These individuals are generally prominent academics working in an area relevant to each Nobel Prize. The Nobel Committees prepare reports reflecting the advice of experts in the relevant fields. The reports and a list of preliminary candidates are then submitted to the prize-awarding institutions: the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences for the prizes in physics, chemistry, and economic sciences, the Karolinska Institute for the prize in physiology or medicine, and the Swedish Academy for the prize in literature. Each institution then meets to choose the laureate(s) in for each Nobel Prize by a majority vote.

*********************

Nobel Prize Ceremonies and Events

The Nobel Lectures

Jon Fosse, Norwegian author, playwright, and 2023 Literature Nobel Prize Laureate, gives his Nobel Lecture at the Swedish Academy in Stockholm, Sweden, on December 7, 2023.

The Nobel Foundation statutes state that each laureate is required to give a public lecture on a subject related to the topic of their Nobel Prize within six months of receiving the prize. The Nobel Lectures usually occur during Nobel Week, the week leading up to the award ceremony and banquet. The lectures are organized by the same association which selected the laureates.

The Nobel Prize Award Ceremony

The Nobel Prize Awards Ceremony on December 10, 2023. Queen Silvia, King Carl XVI Gustaf, Prince Daniel, and Crown Princess Victoria can be seen on the right.

The Nobel Prize Award Ceremony takes place at 4:00 PM at the Stockholm Concert Hall in Stockholm, Sweden on December 10th of each year, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death. While at the Nobel Peace Prize Award Ceremony in Oslo, Norway, the Chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee presents the Nobel Peace Prize in the presence of the Norwegian monarch, in Sweden, the Swedish monarch presents the Nobel Prizes to the laureates.

King Carl XVI Gustaf presents the Nobel Prize in Chemistry to Moungi Bawendi in 2023

The Nobel Prize Award Ceremony begins with the Swedish Royal Anthem Kungssången followed by a short piece of music played by the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra while the Nobel Laureates take their seats. The Chairman of the Board of the Nobel Foundation makes an introductory speech followed by a short piece of music.

Each of the five Nobel Prizes – Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, and Economic Sciences – is introduced by an academic in that field of study. The laureates then receive their diploma and gold medal from the Swedish monarch. After each Nobel Prize presentation, the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra plays a short piece of music. The ceremony ends with the playing of the Swedish National Anthem Du gamla, Du fria. As the guests leave, the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra plays a lively piece of music.

The Nobel Banquet

The Nobel Prize Banquet at Stockholm City Hall on December 10, 2023

The Nobel Banquet is held on December 10th of each year in the Blue Hall of Stockholm City Hall after the Nobel Prize Award Ceremony. The Nobel Banquet is a formal affair, and for men, the dress code is white tie, and orders and decorations should be worn. Approximately 1,300 guests attend including 200 students. The Swedish royal family attends as guests of honor. The Nobel Prize laureates are usually accompanied by their entire family.

King Carl XVI Gustaf and Astrid Söderbergh Widding, Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Nobel Foundation and Queen Silvia and Vidar Helgesen, Executive Director of the Nobel Foundation descend the Grand Stairway into the Blue Hall of the Stockholm City Hall in 2023

The banquet begins with the entry procession of the Swedish royal family and guests of honor down the Grand Stairway and into the Blue Hall at 7:00 PM.

During the banquet, which lasts four hours, each Nobel laureate gives a speech, usually of a lighter nature. Two ceremonial toasts are given – one to the Swedish monarch and one the Swedish monarch gives in memory of Alfred Nobel. The speeches and toasts are presented by the banquet’s toastmaster, traditionally a Swedish student who holds the job for four years. Musical interludes are performed in between courses.

Golden Hall in Stockholm City Hall; Credit – Av Holger.Ellgaard – Eget arbete, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5820905

The banquet ends at around 11:00 PM. Dancing then begins in the Golden Hall of Stockholm City Hall.

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

Works Cited

  • Bidragsgivare till Wikimedia-projekten. (2005). Bankett Hållen i Blå Hallen i Stockholms Stadshus efter utdelningen av Nobelpriset. Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobelbanketten
  • Royen, Ulrika. (2021). The Nobel Prize Award Ceremonies and Banquets – NobelPrize.org. NobelPrize.org. https://www.nobelprize.org/ceremony/the-nobel-prize-award-ceremonies-and-banquets/
  • Royen, Ulrika. (2023). The Nobel Prize Award Ceremony 2023 – NobelPrize.org. NobelPrize.org. https://www.nobelprize.org/ceremony/the-nobel-prize-award-ceremony-2023/
  • Stockholm Award Ceremony Program 2023. (2023). Bawendi, M., Brus, L., & Yekimov, A. Retrieved November 21, 2024, from https://www.nobelprize.org/uploads/2023/12/stockholm-award-ceremony-program-2023.pdf
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2019). Alfred Nobel. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Nobel
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2024). Nobel Banquet. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2018). Nobel Prize. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobel_Prize

December 10: Today in Royal History

© Unofficial Royalty 2024

Leopold I, King of the Belgians, Credit – Wikipedia

Royal Events Today

Today in Royal History

December 10, 1756 – Birth of Friedrich Franz I, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin in Schwerin, then in the Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, now in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany
In 1775, Friedrich Franz married Princess Luise of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg and had six children. He also had numerous mistresses and fathered at least 15 illegitimate children. He maintained close contact with all of them, providing financial support and arranging for the best education possible for his sons. Friedrich Franz became the reigning Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin in 1785, following the death of his childless uncle Friedrich II. After Napoleon’s defeat, Friedrich Franz was raised to Grand Duke in 1815 by the Congress of Vienna. The remaining years of his reign were focused on strengthening the education system in the Grand Duchy, as well as pushing for legal reforms and the abolishment of serfdom.
Unofficial Royalty: Friedrich Franz I, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

December 10, 1825 – Birth of Sir Henry Ponsonby, Private Secretary to Queen Victoria, in Corfu, Greece, where his father was stationed with the British Army
In 1857, Henry was appointed Equerry to Prince Albert, beginning his service in the Royal Household which would continue until just months before his death in 1895. He was Queen Victoria’s Private Secretary from 1870-1895 as well as Keeper of the Privy Purse from 1878-1895.
Unofficial Royalty: Sir Henry Ponsonby

December 10, 1861 – Birth of Daisy Greville, Countess of Warwick, mistress of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom, born Frances Evelyn Maynard at 27 Berkeley Square in London, England
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. Interestingly, Daisy was descended from King Charles II of England in several different ways, through his mistresses Nell Gwyn, Barbara Palmer, and Louise de Kéroualle.
Unofficial Royalty: Daisy Greville, Countess of Warwick, mistress of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom

December 10, 1865 – Death of Leopold I, King of the Belgians at the Royal Palace of Laeken in Laeken, Brussels, Belgium; buried in the  Royal Vault at the Church of Our Lady in Laeken, Brussels, Belgium
Born Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, King Leopold was the uncle of both Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert. Leopold’s first marriage in 1816 to Princess Charlotte of Wales, the heir and the only child of the future King George IV of the United Kingdom, tragically ended when Charlotte delivered a stillborn son and died of postpartum hemorrhage. In 1831, the southern provinces of the Netherlands rebelled against Dutch rule and became a new country, Belgium. Leopold agreed to become the first King of the Belgians. Leopold had to marry to provide for the Belgian succession, and so in 1832, he married Princess Louise-Marie of Orléans, daughter of Louis-Philippe I, King of the French. The couple had four children. Leopold again became a widower when Louise-Marie died in 1850, at the age of 38 from tuberculosis. Leopold helped arrange the marriage of his niece, Queen Victoria, the daughter of his sister, to his nephew, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, son of his brother. Even before she succeeded to the throne, Leopold had been advising Victoria by letter, and after her accession continued to influence her. Leopold had a twenty-year relationship with Arcadie Claret with whom he had two sons. Leopold died at the age of 74. Among his last words were “Charlotte…Charlotte.” Was he calling to his daughter Charlotte or to his beloved first wife Princess Charlotte of Wales?
Unofficial Royalty: King Leopold I of the Belgians

December 10, 1936 – King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom signs the Instrument of Abdication
King Edward VIII signed the Instrument of Abdication at Fort Belvedere, his home in Windsor Great Park, in the presence of his brothers: Prince Albert, Duke of York, the heir to the throne; Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester; and Prince George, Duke of Kent. The next day, the last act of his reign was the royal assent to His Majesty’s Declaration of Abdication Act 1936, necessary because only Parliament can change the succession to the throne. On the evening of December 11, 1936, once again His Royal Highness Prince Edward, the former king gave his famous radio speech in which he said, “I have found it impossible to carry the heavy burden of responsibility and to discharge my duties as king as I would wish to do without the help and support of the woman I love.”
Unofficial Royalty: King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom, Duke of Windsor

December 10, 2014 – Birth of Princess Gabriella of Monaco, Countess of Carladès and Hereditary Prince Jacques of Monaco, Marquis of Baux, children of Prince Albert II of Monaco, at the Princess Grace Hospital Center in Monaco
Full names: Gabriella Thérèse Marie and Jacques Honoré Rainier
Princess Gabriella, Countess of Carladès and Hereditary Prince Jacques of Monaco, Marquis of Baux are the twin children of Prince Albert II of Monaco and his wife Princess Charlene (born Charlene Wittstock). Gabriella was born two minutes before her twin brother, however, she is second in the line of succession to the throne of Monaco. Because the succession to the throne is male-preference cognatic primogeniture, Gabriella’s brother Jacques is ahead of her in the line of succession even though she was born first.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Gabriella of Monaco
Unofficial Royalty: Jacques, Hereditary Prince of Monaco

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.

December 9: Today in Royal History

© Unofficial Royalty 2024

Pedro II, King of Portugal; Credit – Wikipedia

December 9, 1706 – Death of King Pedro II of Portugal at the Palhavã Palace in Alcântara, Portugal; buried at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon, Portugal
Pedro was King of Portugal from 1683 until his death, previously serving as regent for his mentally disabled brother King Afonso VI from 1668 until his accession. Pedro not only inherited his brother’s throne but also married his widow Marie-Françoise of Savoy. After his first wife died, Pedro married again to Maria Sophia of Neuberg because he had only one daughter with his first wife and wanted sons. On December 5, 1706, he had a seizure that resulted in a stroke and he died four days later. Pedro was succeeded by was 17-year-old son João V, King of Portugal.
Unofficial Royalty: King Pedro II of Portugal

December 9, 1709 – Birth of Louise-Élisabeth of Orléans, Queen of Spain, wife of King Luis I of Spain, at the Palace of Versailles in Versailles, France
Louise-Élisabeth was the daughter of Philippe II, Duke of Orléans and Françoise Marie de Bourbon, the legitimized daughter of King Louis XIV of France and his mistress Françoise-Athénaïs de Rochechouart, Marquise de Montespan. In 1721, eleven-year-old Louise Élisabeth married the future King Luis I of Spain. The marriage was unsuccessful and resulted in no children due to Louise Élisabeth’s being young and her increasingly erratic and impulsive behavior. In 1724, King Luis I died from smallpox. Louise Élisabeth was a widow at the age of fourteen. Because the marriage of Luis I and Louise Élisabeth had not been consummated, Louise Élisabeth was to be sent back to France. She lived at the Palais du Luxembourg in Paris, away from the court of King Louis XV, her first cousin once removed. Louise Élisabeth died lonely and forgotten, seventeen years later, on June 16, 1742. She was buried in the Church of Saint-Sulpice in Paris but her tomb was desecrated and destroyed during the French Revolution.
Unofficial Royalty: Louise-Élisabeth of Orléans, Queen of Spain

December 9, 1751 – Birth of Maria Luisa of Parma, Queen of Spain, wife of King Carlos IV of Spain, in the Duchy of Parma, now in Italy
Full name: Luisa María Teresa Ana
The daughter of Felipe, Infante of Spain, Duke of Parma (founder of the House of Bourbon-Parma) and Louise Élisabeth of France, Maria Luisa married her first cousin, the future King Carlos IV of Spain in 1765. Maria Luisa had twenty-three pregnancies. Thirteen of the pregnancies resulted in live births, including a set of twins. The other ten pregnancies ended in miscarriages. Of the fourteen children who were born alive, only seven survived childhood. In 1808, after riots and a revolt, King Carlos IV was forced to abdicate in favor of his son King Fernando VII. Less than two months later, Carlos IV and his son Fernando VII were summoned to a meeting with Napoleon I, Emperor of the French where he forced them both to abdicate, declared the Bourbon dynasty of Spain deposed, and installed his brother Joseph Bonaparte as King of Spain. Napoleon kept Carlos and Maria Luisa’s son Fernando VII under guard in France for more than five years until the 1813 Treaty of Valençay provided for the restoration of Fernando VII as King of Spain. After Napoleon’s final defeat in 1815, King Fernando VII refused to allow his parents to return to Spain. Carlos IV and Maria Luisa settled in Rome at the Palazzo Barberini where they both died in 1819.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Luisa of Parma, Queen of Spain

December 9, 1793 – Death of Gabrielle de Polastron, Duchesse de Polignac, favorite of Marie Antoinette, Queen of France, in Vienna, Austria; buried in Vienna, Austria
In 1775, Gabrielle and her husband were invited to visit Versailles by her sister-in-law, Diane de Polignac, who was a lady-in-waiting to Princess Elizabeth of France, the younger sister of King Louis XVI. Gabrielle was formally presented to Queen Marie Antoinette who instantly took a liking to her and soon asked her to move permanently to Versailles. Heavily in debt, this was not a move that Gabrielle and her husband could afford. Despite their aristocratic background, there was little money for extravagance. They lived on Jules’s military salary of just 4,000 livres and were heavily in debt. Becoming aware of this, Marie Antoinette quickly arranged to settle their debts and find a better position for Jules within the royal household. In 1782, Gabrielle was appointed Governess to the children of France. Following the storming of the Bastille in July 1789, Gabrielle and her family fled France, traveling throughout Europe before eventually settling in Vienna, Austria. During this time, she remained in close contact with Marie Antoinette for the next several years. Having developed what is believed to be cancer, her health quickly began to decline. Just two months after the Queen’s execution, Gabrielle died at the age of 44. Gabrielle is an ancestor of Albert II, Sovereign Prince of Monaco.
Unofficial Royalty: Gabrielle de Polastron, Duchesse de Polignac

December 9, 1799 – Birth of Lord Frederick FitzClarence, illegitimate son of King William IV of the United Kingdom, at Bushy House in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England
Frederick was one of the ten illegitimate children of the future King William IV of the United Kingdom and his mistress Dorothea Jordan. Frederick married Lady Augusta Boyle, the daughter of George Boyle, 4th Earl of Glasgow, and they had two children. Frederick had a military career. His highest military rank was Lieutenant-General. Frederick, aged fifty-four, died on October 30, 1854, in Pune, Maharashtra, India in active service as Commander-in-Chief of the Bombay Army.
Unofficial Royalty: Frederick FitzClarence, Illegitimate Son of King William IV of the United Kingdom

December 9, 1806 – Death of Franz Friedrich Anton, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld in Coburg, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, now in Bavaria, Germany; buried in a mausoleum in the Coburg Court Garden in Coburg
Franz Friedrich Anton was the grandfather of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. In 1777, Franz married Augusta Reuss of Ebersdorf. They had nine children including Franz’s successor and Prince Albert’s father Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, Queen Victoria’s mother Victoria, and Leopold who was the first King of the Belgians. In 1775, he began a print collection that ultimately consisted of 300,000 prints. The collection can be visited at the Veste Coburg. Because of Franz, the family’s library had an extensive collection of books. Franz conducted an extensive renovation of the family castles. Walls, ditches, and towers were demolished and replaced by gardens and other green areas. In 1805, Franz bought back Schloss Rosenau which the family had been forced to sell in 1704 due to debts. Franz Frederick Anton died, aged 56.
Unofficial Royalty: Franz Friedrich Anton, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld

December 9, 1810 – Birth of Auguste de Beauharnais, 2nd Duke of Leuchtenberg, first husband of Queen Maria II of Portugal, at the Royal Villa of Monza, just outside of Milan, Italy
Full name: Auguste Charles Eugène Napoléon
Auguste was the eldest son of Eugène de Beauharnais and Princess Augusta of Bavaria, a daughter of King Maximilian I of Bavaria. Auguste’s father Eugène was the son of the French Empress Joséphine from her first marriage, and therefore a stepson of Emperor Napoleon I. on January 26, 1835, Auguste married Queen Maria II of Portugal. Sadly, their marriage was to be very short-lived. On March 20, 1835, Auguste complained of a sore throat but refused to see a doctor. By March 23, 1835, his condition was worse and he finally consented to see a doctor. Within days, his condition became extremely grave, doctors told the family there was no hope, and Auguste was given the last rites. Auguste died on March 28, 1835, at the age of 24, most likely from diphtheria.
Unofficial Royalty: Auguste de Beauharnais, 2nd Duke of Leuchtenberg

December 9, 1963 – Birth of Empress Masako of Japan, wife of Emperor Naruhito of Japan, born Masako Owada at Toranomon Hospital in Tokyo, Japan
Masako’s father Hisashi Owada, was a former Japanese diplomat and served as Japanese Ambassador to the United Nations and as a member of the International Court of Justice, located in the Netherlands. Masako has a Bachelor’s degree in economics from Radcliffe College, part of Harvard University, and a Master’s Degree in International Relations from Balliol College, Oxford University. In 1986, Masako met her future husband, Emperor Naruhito of Japan, at a tea held in honor of Infanta Elena of Spain. She finally accepted his third proposal in December 1992.  On June 9, 1993, Naruhito and Masako were married in a traditional ceremony. The couple has one daughter Princess Aiko, born in 2001. In 2004, it was announced that she was suffering from Adjustment Disorder, although many speculate that she was dealing with clinical depression, brought on by the pressures and constraints placed upon her by the strict Imperial Household Agency. It would be many years before she would return to the public eye. In 2019, upon the abdication of his father Emperor Akihito, Masako’s husband became Emperor of Japan and she became Empress.
Unofficial Royalty: Empress Masako of Japan

December 9, 1987 – Death of Ernst August (IV), the former Hereditary Prince of Brunswick and Prince of Hanover, at Calenberg Castle in Schulenburg in Lower Saxony, Germany; buried at Marienburg Castle in Pattensen in Lower Saxony, Germany
Ernst August (IV) was the eldest son of Ernst August (III), Duke of Brunswick and Princess Viktoria Luise of Prussia, the only daughter of Wilhelm II, German Emperor and King of Prussia. He was the senior male-line descendant of King George III of the United Kingdom, which made him the pretender to the former Kingdom of Hanover. He was also a great-great-grandson of Queen Victoria via his mother. In 1951, Ernst August (IV) married Princess Ortrud of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg. They had six children including the present Prince Ernst August (V), the husband of Princess Caroline of Monaco. After his first wife’s death, Ernst August (IV) married Countess Monika zu Solms-Laubach. Ernst August (IV) died at the age of 73.
Unofficial Royalty: Ernst August (IV), Hereditary Prince of Brunswick and Prince of Hanover

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.

Royal Birthdays & Anniversaries: December 8-December 14

© Unofficial Royalty 2024

Below is a select list of birthdays and wedding anniversaries for current monarchies. It does not purport to be a complete list. Please see the Current Monarchies Index in the heading above for more information on current monarchies.

Empress Masako of Japan; Credit – Wikipedia

61st birthday of Empress Masako of Japan, born Masako Owada, wife of Emperor Naruhito of Japan; born in Tokyo, Japan on December 9, 1963
Unofficial Royalty: Empress Masako of Japan

 

10th birthday of Princess Gabriella of Monaco, Countess of Carladès and Hereditary Prince Jacques of Monaco, Marquis of Baux, children of Prince Albert II of Monaco, born at the Princess Grace Hospital Center in Monaco on December 10, 2014
Full names: Gabriella Thérèse Marie and Jacques Honoré Rainier
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Gabriella of Monaco
Unofficial Royalty: Jacques, Hereditary Prince of Monaco

*********************

Timothy Laurence and The Princess Royal; Credit – www.dailymail.co.uk

32nd wedding anniversary of Anne, Princess Royal and Timothy Laurence at Crathie Church in Ballater, Scotland on December 12, 1992
Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of Princess Anne and Timothy Laurence
Unofficial Royalty: Anne, Princess Royal
Unofficial Royalty: Timothy Laurence

********************************

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.

December 8: Today in Royal History

© Unofficial Royalty 2024

King Oscar II of Sweden; Credit – Wikipedia

December 8, 1521 – Death of Christina of Saxony, Queen of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, wife of King Hans of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, in Odense, Denmark; buried first in the Gråbrödre Klosterkirke in Odense, after her first burial site was demolished her remains were moved in 1805 to Saint Canute’s Cathedral in Odense, Denmark
In 1478, Christina married the future King Hans of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Christina and Hans had six children. In 1501, Hans began a long-term affair with Edel Jernskjæg, one of Christina’s ladies-in-waiting. The affair caused a scandal and a de facto termination of their marriage. From that time on, the marriage of Hans and Christina was one in name only. Christina was a devout Catholic (the Reformation had not yet occurred in Denmark) and she founded convents for the nuns of the Poor Clares in Copenhagen and Odense. In 1513, King Hans died from injuries after he was thrown from his horse. Christina survived her husband by eight years, dying aged 59, and was buried wearing the habit of a Poor Clares nun.
Unofficial Royalty: Christina of Saxony, Queen of Denmark, Norway and Sweden

December 8, 1542 – Birth of Mary, Queen of Scots at Linlithgow Palace in Scotland
The year before Mary’s birth, her grandmother Margaret Tudor died and her father James V saw no reason to keep the peace with England. When war broke out between England and France in 1542, it was inevitable that Scotland would go to war against England because of their treaty with France. When Henry VIII of England broke from the Roman Catholic Church, he asked James V of Scotland, his nephew, to do the same. James ignored his uncle’s request and further insulted him by refusing to meet with Henry VIII at York. Furious, Henry VIII sent troops against Scotland. In retaliation for the English raid into Scotland, James raised an army and attacked England. On November 24, 1542, the Battle of Solway Moss in Cumberland, England resulted in a decisive English victory. After the Battle of Solway Moss, James V fled to Falkland Palace in Scotland where he became ill and took to his bed. Overcome with grief and shame about the Battle of Solway Moss, James V lost the will to live. The news that his wife Marie of Guise had given birth to a daughter on December 8, 1542, did nothing to raise his spirits. James V, King of Scots died at Falkland Palace in Fife, Scotland on December 14, 1542, at the age of 30, and was succeeded by his only surviving, legitimate child, six-day-old Mary.
Unofficial Royalty: Mary, Queen of Scots

December 8, 1625 – Death of Christina of Holstein-Gottorp, Queen of Sweden, second wife of King Karl IX of Sweden, at Gripsholm Castle in Mariefred, Södermanland, Sweden; buried at Strängnäs Cathedral in Strängnäs, Sweden
In 1592, Christina married the future King Karl IX of Sweden as his second wife. They had four children including Gustavus II Adolphus the Great, King of Sweden. In 1611, Christina’s husband died. Christina was co-regent for her son Gustavus II Adolphus during his short regency. Christina was considered the real power behind the throne during the early years of her son’s reign. In 1622, Christina’s younger son Karl Philip died at the age of twenty after a serious illness. Christina was heartbroken after the death of her younger son, and she retired from public life and lived in seclusion. She survived her husband by fourteen years, dying at the age of 52.
Unofficial Royalty: Christina of Holstein-Gottorp, Queen of Sweden

December 8, 1708 – Birth of Francis Stephen, Duke of Lorraine, Grand Duke of Tuscany, Holy Roman Emperor at the Ducal Palace of Nancy, Duchy of Lorraine, now in France
In 1736, Francis Stephen married Maria Theresa of Austria, the only surviving child of Holy Roman Emperor Karl VI and the heir to the Habsburg empire. The couple had sixteen children but only eight survived childhood including two Holy Roman Emperors and Maria Antonia better known as Queen Marie Antoinette of France. Upon her father’s death in 1740, Maria Theresa became the sovereign ruler of the Habsburg territories in her own right of Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Bohemia, Transylvania, Mantua, Milan, Lodomeria and Galicia, the Austrian Netherlands, and Parma, and she was the only female to hold the position. However, Maria Theresa was unable to become the sovereign of the Holy Roman Empire because she was female. Maria Theresa’s right to succeed to her father was the cause of the eight-year-long War of the Austrian Succession. The Habsburgs had been elected Holy Roman Emperors since 1438, but in 1742 Karl Albrecht, Duke of Bavaria and Prince-Elector of Bavaria from the Bavarian House of Wittelsbach was elected Holy Roman Emperor Karl VII. He died in 1745 and via a treaty Maria Theresa arranged for her husband Francis Stephen, Duke of Lorraine to be elected Holy Roman Emperor as Franz I. Despite the snub, Maria Theresa wielded the real power and Francis Stephen was content to leave the act of reigning to his wife.
Unofficial Royalty: Francis Stephen, Duke of Lorraine, Grand Duke of Tuscany, Holy Roman Emperor

December 8, 1722 – Death of Elizabeth Charlotte (Liselotte) of the Palatinate, Duchess of Orléans, second wife of Philippe, Duke of Orléans, at the Château de Saint-Cloud, near Paris, France; buried at the Basilica of Saint-Denis, near Paris, France
Elizabeth Charlotte, called Liselotte, was the daughter of Karl I Ludwig, Elector Palatine. Her paternal grandmother was Elizabeth Stuart, the daughter of King James I of England and the granddaughter of Mary, Queen of Scots. Liselotte’s paternal aunt Sophia of the Palatinate, Electress of Hanover was the heiress presumptive to Queen Anne of Great Britain in accordance with the Act of Settlement 1701 but Sophia died two months before Queen Anne died. Upon Queen Anne’s death on August 1, 1714, Liselotte’s first cousin succeeded to the British throne as King George I of Great Britain. In 1670, Liselotte’s first cousin once removed, Henrietta of England, daughter of King Charles I of England, wife of Philippe, Duke of Orléans, and sister-in-law of King Louis XIV of France, died at the age of 26. In 1671, Liselotte became the second wife of Philippe, Duke of Orléans. Philippe and Liselotte had three children including Élisabeth Charlotte d’Orléans, the paternal grandmother of Maria Antoinette, Queen of France. After Philippe died in 1701, Liselotte was concerned that she would be forced to retire to a convent as stated in her marriage contract. However, her brother-in-law Louis XIV appreciated her and allowed Liselotte to keep her apartments at all the royal residences and retain her rank. Liselotte survived Philippe by twenty-one years, dying at age 70.
Unofficial Royalty: Elizabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate, Duchess of Orléans

December 8, 1793 – Execution by guillotine of Jeanne Bécu, Countess du Barry, mistress of King Louis XV of France, at the Place de la Révolution (now the Place de la Concorde), in Paris, France; buried at the Madeleine Cemetery in Paris, France
Jeanne Bécu, Countess du Barry was the last official mistress of King Louis XV of France, from 1768 until Louis XV died in 1774. After Louis XV’s death, Jeanne was banished from court and sent to the Abbey du Pont-aux-Dames. After a year, she was permitted to leave the abbey but banned from coming within 10 miles of Versailles. During her time as the King’s mistress, Jeanne had been gifted with a slave Zamor who remained in her household. Zamor later joined the Jacobin club, and upon discovering this, Jeanne dismissed him. In retaliation, Zamor gave testimony implying that Jeanne had assisted numerous aristocrats who had fled the French Revolution. Due to this testimony, Jeanne was arrested and charged with treason. A swift trial took place and she was found guilty and sentenced to death by guillotine.
Unofficial Royalty: Jeanne Bécu, Countess du Barry, mistress of King Louis XV of France

December 8, 1818 – Birth of Charles III, Prince of Monaco in Paris, France
Charles Honoré Grimaldi was born on December 8, 1818, in Paris, France. The famous Casino de Monte-Carlo was established and the construction of the Cathedral of Monaco began during his reign. In 1846, Charles married 18-year-old Countess Antoinette de Mérode, the daughter of Belgian politician Count Werner de Mérode. Although they sometimes were in Monaco, Charles and Antoinette preferred to live in France, where Antoinette had acquired the Château de Marchais in Aisne in northern France. The Château de Marchais still belongs to the Princely Family of Monaco. Charles and Antoinette had one child Albert I, Prince of Monaco.
Unofficial Royalty: Charles III, Prince of Monaco

December 8, 1818 – Death of Karl, Grand Duke of Baden at Schloss Rastatt in Rastatt, Grand Duchy of Baden, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany; buried St. Michael’s Church in Pforzheim, Grand Duchy of Baden, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Karl became Grand Duke of Baden upon the death of his grandfather Karl Friedrich, Grand Duke of Baden in 1811. In 1806, Karl had married Stéphanie de Beauharnais. They had five children but their only son died within a week of his birth. In 1817, with no living male heirs, and only one unmarried uncle to succeed him, Karl formally gave dynastic rights to his half-uncles – the sons of his grandfather Karl Friedrich from his second, morganatic, marriage. This kept the Grand Ducal throne of Baden from passing to Karl’s brother-in-law King Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria. In 1818, Karl oversaw the passing of a new and much more liberal constitution.  When Karl died in 1818 at the age of 32, the throne of Baden passed to his uncle, Ludwig I. However, through his daughters, his descendants include the former Kings of Romania and Yugoslavia, the Belgian royal family, the Luxembourg grand ducal family, and the Monaco princely family.
Unofficial Royalty: Karl, Grand Duke of Baden

December 8, 1826 – Birth of John Brown, personal attendant and favorite of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, in Crathie, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
John Brown served Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom as a ghillie at Balmoral (Scottish outdoor servant) from 1849 – 1861 and a personal attendant from 1861 – 1883. Prince Albert’s untimely death in 1861 was a shock from which Queen Victoria never fully recovered. In 1864, Victoria’s personal physician Sir William Jenner ordered that she ride all winter. Victoria refused to be accompanied by a stranger and so John Brown was summoned to Osborne House on the Isle of Wight with Victoria’s Highland pony. His duties soon encompassed more than leading a horse. Brown became known as “the Queen’s Highland Servant” who took his orders exclusively from the Queen. From then on, until his death nearly twenty years later, Brown was never far from Victoria’s side.
Unofficial Royalty: John Brown

December 8, 1875 – Death of Leopold III, Prince of Lippe in Detmold, Principality of Lippe, now in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany; buried in the Mausoleum at the Büchenberg in Detmold
When his father in 1851, Leopold became sovereign Prince of Lippe. A year later, he married Princess Elisabeth of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt but the couple had no children. In 1875, Leopold III, aged 54, died after suffering a stroke and was succeeded by his brother Woldemar. Leopold III had eight younger siblings. It appears that Leopold and his brother Woldemar were the only ones who married and neither had any children. This would eventually create a succession crisis. After the death of Leopold’s brother Alexander, who succeeded his brother Woldemar, and the extinction of the Lippe-Detmold line, the throne of the Principality of Lippe went to Count Leopold of Lippe-Biesterfeld who would be the last Prince of Lippe.
Unofficial Royalty: Leopold III, Prince of Lippe

December 8, 1907 – Death of King Oscar II of Sweden and Norway at the Royal Palace in Stockholm, Sweden; buried at Riddarholmen Church in Stockholm, Sweden
Oscar was the third of the four sons of King Oscar I of Sweden and Norway. In 1857, he married Princess Sophia of Nassau and the couple had four sons. Upon his father’s death in 1859, Oscar became Crown Prince and heir of his elder brother King Karl XV, who had no living male heirs. Oscar became King of Sweden and Norway when his brother died in 1872. In 1905, King Oscar II formally renounced his claim to the Norwegian throne, with Sweden finally recognizing Norway as an independent constitutional monarchy. Oscar’s great-nephew, Prince Carl of Denmark (a grandson of Oscar’s elder brother King Karl XV), was elected King of Norway, taking the name Haakon VII. Ironically, Haakon’s son Olav married the daughter of Oscar’s son Prince Carl of Sweden, and today it is Oscar’s great-grandson, King Harald V, who sits on the Norwegian throne. Through his children, Oscar II’s descendants currently occupy the thrones of Sweden, Norway, Belgium, and Luxembourg. Soon after the end of the union with Norway, King Oscar’s health began to decline. He died at the age of 78.
Unofficial Royalty: King Oscar II of Sweden

December 8, 1915 – Death of Julia Abercromby, Baroness Abercromby, Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Victoria, at Camperdown House in Dundee, Scotland
Born The Honorable Julia Haldane-Duncan, she was the eldest child of Adam Haldane-Duncan, 2nd Earl of Camperdown and married George Abercromby, 4th Baron Abercromby. In April 1874, Julia was appointed a Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Victoria and served until March 1885. She was an accomplished painter and was asked to paint the first official portrait of Queen Victoria for the National Portrait Gallery. She painted a watercolor portrait, based on an original painting by von Angeli. It was one of Queen Victoria’s favorite portraits of herself.
Unofficial Royalty: Julia Abercromby, Baroness Abercromby

December 8, 1942 – Death of Prince Eitel Friedrich of Prussia, son of Wilhelm II, German Emperor, at Villa Ingenheim in Potsdam, Germany; buried at the Antique Temple in Sanssouci Park, Potsdam, Germany
In 1906, Eitel Friedrich married Duchess Sophie Charlotte of Oldenburg. The couple had no children. The marriage was never a happy one as Eitel Friedrich was continually unfaithful and the couple divorced in 1926. After World War I and the end of the German Empire, Eitel Friedrich remained active in monarchist circles and supported the Stahlhelm paramilitary organization. He was later one of the founders of the Harzburg Front, a radical right-wing alliance formed to present unified opposition to the government of Chancellor Heinrich Brüning. However, Eitel Friedrich was an outspoken opponent of Hitler. When Eitel Friedrich died at the age of 59 in 1942, the Nazi regime refused to allow him any military honors at his funeral and forbade anyone to participate wearing their uniforms. Despite this, many of his former comrades, all in civilian clothes, participated in his funeral.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Eitel Friedrich of Prussia

December 8, 1956 – Death of Princess Marie Louise of Schleswig-Holstein, daughter of Princess Helena of the United Kingdom and granddaughter of Queen Victoria, at 10 Fitzmaurice Place, Berkeley Square, London, England; buried at the Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore in Windsor, England
In 1890, Marie Louise married Prince Aribert of Anhalt. However, the marriage was unsuccessful. In 1900, the marriage was dissolved by Marie Louise’s father-in-law, at her husband’s insistence. It has been speculated that the marriage was never consummated and that Aribert was homosexual, and had been caught in a delicate situation by either his wife or his father. In her memoirs, Marie Louise states that even though her marriage was annulled, she maintained the vows she had made at her wedding, and would never remarry. After World War II, Marie Louise and her unmarried sister Helena Victoria moved to 10 Fitzmaurice Place in Berkeley Square, London, England. She continued participating in most family functions and remained very close to King George VI and his family. Following her sister’s death in 1952, one of her last major appearances was the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. At the suggestion of Queen Elizabeth II, she began to write her memoir, My Memories of Six Reigns, published in 1956. Soon after the book was published, Princess Marie Louise died at the age of 84.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Marie Louise of Schleswig-Holstein

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.

Royal News Recap for Friday, December 6, 2024

Please join us on our Facebook group at Facebook: Unofficial Royalty

* * * * * * * * * *

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.

* * * * * * * * * *

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.

* * * * * * * * * *

Unofficial Royalty

Belgium

Denmark

Japan

Monaco

Sweden

United Kingdom

* * * * * * * * * *

Disclaimer: Please be advised that any media article titles or content that appear in the Royal News that identify members of royal families with their maiden names, nicknames, incorrect style or title, etc., come directly from the media source and not from Unofficial Royalty. We encourage you to contact the media sources to express your concern about their use of the incorrect name, style, title, etc. Contact information can usually be found at the bottom of each media source’s main page.

Sweden – Accession to the Throne

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2024

King Carl XVI Gustaf sitting on the Silver Throne of Queen Cristina during the Royal Affirmation Ceremony on September 19, 1973

The last accession to the Swedish throne occurred when 27-year-old King Carl XVI Gustaf succeeded his grandfather King Gustaf VI Adolf who died on September 15, 1973.

At the time of Carl Gustaf’s birth in 1946, the current King of Sweden was his great-grandfather King Gustaf V (reigned 1907 – 1950). On January 26, 1947, when Carl Gustaf was only nine months old, his father Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden, Duke of Västerbotten died in an airplane crash at Kastrup Airport near Copenhagen, Denmark. Prince Gustaf Adolf had been second in the line of succession behind his father, the future King Gustaf VI Adolf (reigned 1950 – 1973) and his son four-year-old Prince Carl Gustaf had been third in the line of succession. When his father died Carl Gustaf became second in the line of succession behind his grandfather. Carl Gustaf’s great-grandfather King Gustaf V died on October 29, 1950, and his grandfather became King Gustaf VI Adolf while four-year-old Carl Gustaf became Crown Prince.

History

King Oscar II, wearing the Regalia of Sweden, was the last monarch of Sweden to have a coronation (1873); Credit – Wikipedia

King Eric X was the first King of Sweden known to have a coronation. He was crowned in November 1210 in Uppsala, then the religious center of Sweden, by Archbishop Valerius of Uppsala. Coronations were held in various cities during the 13th and 14th centuries. From the middle of the 15th century onward, coronations were held at Uppsala Cathedral or the Storkyrkan (The Great Church) in Stockholm. The only exception is the coronation of King Gustav IV Adolf, which took place in Norrköping in 1800, where the Riksdag (Swedish legislature) was located because the political atmosphere in Stockholm was considered too uncertain.

Following the coronation of King Oscar II in 1873, all subsequent Swedish monarchs chose not to be crowned although there is no law preventing a coronation.

Since 1594, all Swedish monarchs have issued the required Konungaförsäkran (King’s Declaration). The King’s Declaration stated that the Swedish monarch would fulfill the duties required but not exceed them. For example, this meant that the Swedish monarch promised not to start a war without consulting the Riksdag and the Government and would follow the statutes of the constitution. The royal declaration also included the more solemn royal oath. However, the current Basic Laws of Sweden no longer mandate a King’s Declaration.

The Royal Affirmation, a eulogy for the deceased monarch and the announcement of the new monarch’s accession to the throne, is usually the new monarch’s first public statement. The new monarch also announces their royal name, title, and motto and gives a speech.

What Happened?

Minister for Justice Lennart Geijer administering the King’s Oath to King Carl XVI Gustaf in the Council Room at the Royal Palace; Credit – Photo: TT

On September 19, 1973, King Carl XVI Gustaf took the then-required King’s Declaration and Oath during a meeting of the Council of State, was enthroned in a simple ceremony, and made an accession speech.

The King’s Declaration and Oath

The Council Chamber at the Royal Palace of Stockholm; By Øyvind Holmstad – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=45911100

King Carl XVI Gustaf swore The King’s Declaration and Oath before the Council of State in the Council Chamber at the Royal Palace of Stockholm on Wednesday, September 19, 1973, at 2:00 p.m. The King’s paternal uncle Prince Bertil also participated in the council. Prime Minister Olof Palme read King Gustaf VI Adolf’s death certificate. Minister for Justice Lennart Geijer administered the King’s Oath to King Carl XVI Gustaf. After the oath was sworn, King Carl XVI Gustaf signed it.

King Carl XVI Gustaf’s King’s Declaration and Oath read as follows:

“We, Carl Gustaf, King of Sweden, solemnly swear that as it pleased the most high God, to call upon the formerly Most Mighty High Prince and Lord Gustaf VI Adolf, King of Sweden, Göte and Vende, and We, according to and by virtue of the Estates of the Kingdom of Sweden established on September 26, 1810, and the established Order of Succession, ascend to the Royal Swedish Throne.

Therefore, We hereby solemnly and most strongly affirm that We will govern the Kingdom according to the literal form of government established by the Estates of the Kingdom on June 6, 1809, and adopted by the King and the Estates of the Kingdom for compliance, as well as the Kingdom’s other valid constitutions, general laws, and make statutes.

We will, in accordance with the just-mentioned form of government, make laws, as a righteous King, and be a devoted father to the Swedish people, through a legal, just, and gentle government. May We with the help of God the most high, and with a clear conscience, to the best of Our ability, be able to defend, seek, and promote the true benefit and good of the kingdom and every citizen. Through free will and after mature consideration, We therefore confirm with the signature of Our name and with this oath, that We will comply with and fulfill this. So true, God help me for life and soul.”

The King then announced his royal name, title, and motto: “Since my dear ancestor, King of Sweden, the Goths and the Wends, Gustaf VI Adolf has died, I have succeeded Him as King of our nation. My regnal name shall be Carl XVI Gustaf, my regnal title shall be King of Sweden, and my motto shall be For Sweden – With the Times.”

Royal Affirmation

King Carl XVI Gustaf reading his Royal Affirmation; Credit – Bernadotte Library’s image archive

King Carl XVI Gustaf then appeared before the Riksdag (Swedish Parliament), the diplomatic corps, and other Swedish officials, for a ceremony in the Hall of State at the Royal Palace of Stockholm.

The impressive Hall of State in the Royal Palace in Stockholm and Silver Throne of Queen Cristina; Photo Credit: © Susan Flantzer

In the Hall of State, sitting on the Silver Throne of Queen Cristina, King Carl XVI Gustaf gave a speech in remembrance of his grandfather King Gustaf VI Adolf. Like his two predecessors, King Gustaf V and King Gustaf VI Adolf, King Carl XVI was not crowned. The Regalia of Sweden were displayed on cushions to the right and left of the Silver Throne but were never given to the king.

King Carl XVI Gustaf with his four sisters on the balcony of the Royal Palace of Stockholm

After the ceremonies, King Carl XVI Gustaf waved to the crowds from the balcony of the Royal Palace of Stockholm. He was joined by his four elder sisters Princess MargarethaPrincess BirgittaPrincess Désirée, Princess Christina and his paternal uncle Prince Bertil.

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

Works Cited

  • Bidragsgivare till Wikimedia-projekten. (2005). Anger kungens förpliktelse vid trontillträdet. Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Konungaf%C3%B6rs%C3%A4kran
  • Bidragsgivare till Wikimedia-projekten. (2011). Kröningar av Sveriges regent. Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Svenska_kr%C3%B6ningar
  • Carl XVI Gustaf. (2022). Wikipedia. https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_XVI_Gustaf
  • HM The King. (2016). Kungahuset.se. https://www.kungahuset.se/english/royal-house/hm-the-king#h-Biography
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2024). Coronation of the Swedish monarch. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.

Royal Burial Ground in Haga Park in Solna, Sweden

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2024

The bridge and gate to the Royal Burial Ground in Haga Park; Credit – Wikipedia

The Royal Burial Ground (in Swedish Kungliga Begravningsplatsen) in Haga Park in Solna, Sweden, is located just north of Stockholm on the island of Karlsborg in the Bay of Brunnsviken. The Royal Burial Ground was established in 1922 and now covers the whole island.

Karlsborg Island where the Royal Cemetery is located; Credit – Wikipedia

Born Princess Margaret of Connaught, the daughter of Queen Victoria’s son Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught, Crown Princess Margeret of Sweden, the first wife of the future King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden (reigned 1950 – 1973), came up with the idea to build a cemetery on the island. Margaret loved gardens and the outdoors and expressed her desire not to be buried inside a church. Riddarholmen Church, the traditional site for royal ceremonies, funerals, and burials, no longer had space for new burials. Margaret and Gustaf Adolf picked a site for the future burial site of the Swedish royal family near Haga Palace whose park was located on the Bay of Brunnsviken. The tip of a small cape was excavated to form Karlsborg Island where the new Royal Cemetery in Haga Park would be located. The entrance to the cemetery is accessible by a small bridge from the mainland part of Haga Park. Swedish architect Ferdinand Boberg designed the bridge to the island and the cemetery.

Crown Prince Margaret of Sweden; Credit – Wikipedia

Ironically, Crown Princess Margaret was the first member of the Swedish royal family to be buried at the Royal Burial Ground. Margaret was eight months pregnant with her sixth child in 1920 when she underwent mastoid surgery. An infection set in, killing Margaret, at the age of 38, and her unborn child on May 1, 1920, her father’s 70th birthday. Her family along with the Swedish and British public mourned her death greatly.

Grave of Crown Princess Margaret, her husband King Gustaf VI Adolf, and his second wife Queen Louise; Credit – Wikipedia

Until the Royal Burial Ground was completed, Crown Princess Margaret was temporarily interred at the Storkyrkan (The Great Church) next to the Royal Palace in Stockholm, Sweden. In 1922, Margaret’s remains were transferred to a burial site in the Royal Burial Ground that Margaret and her husband had chosen for themselves. Since 1922, with a few exceptions, all male members of the House of Bernadotte and their wives have been buried at the Royal Burial Ground. (See Wikipedia: Family buried elsewhere since 1922.) Recently deceased Princess Birgitta, sister of current King Carl XVI Gustaf and daughter of Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten, who would have been King of Sweden if he had not died in a plane crash, is expected to be buried at the Royal Burial Ground in keeping with her wishes.

The grave of Prince Gustaf Adolf and Princess Sibylla, parents of Carl XVI Gustaf, the current King of Sweden; Credit – By Holger.Ellgaard, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2431747

Burials at the Royal Burial Ground in Haga Park in Solna, Sweden:

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

Works Cited

  • Bidragsgivare till Wikimedia-projekten. (2005). Kyrkogård för svenska kungliga familjen. Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kungliga_begravningsplatsen#Andra_kungliga_gravplatser
  • The Royal Cemetery. (2023). Kungligaslotten.se. https://www.kungligaslotten.se/english/royal-palaces-and-sites/royal-national-city-park/the-royal-cemetery.html
  • ‌Wikipedia Contributors. (2023). Kungliga begravningsplatsen. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation

December 7: Today in Royal History

© Unofficial Royalty 2024

Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, Credit – Wikipedia

December 7, 1545 – Birth of Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, son of Matthew Stuart, 4th Earl of Lennox and Margaret Douglas (daughter of Margaret Tudor), at Temple Newsham in Yorkshire, England
Lord Darnley was the second husband of Mary, Queen of Scots and the father of King James VI of Scotland/James I of England. Like his wife Mary, Queen of Scots, Darnley was the grandchild of Margaret Tudor (daughter of King Henry VII of England and the older sister of King Henry VIII of England). Darnley had claims to both the Scottish and English thrones as he was descended from both James II of Scotland and Henry VII of England. In 1565, Darnley and Mary, Queen of Scots were married. They had one child, the future James VI, King of Scots who succeeded to the English throne upon the death of Queen Elizabeth I as King James I of England. In 1565, Mary while Mary was pregnant. Darnley, who was jealous of Mary’s friendship with her private secretary David Riccio, formed a conspiracy to do away with Riccio who was murdered in Mary’s presence. Mary’s marriage was all but over and she began to be drawn to James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell. Bothwell conspired with Archibald Campbell, 5th Earl of Argyll and George Gordon, 5th Earl of Huntly to rid Mary of her husband. 1567, Kirk o’ Field, the house where Darnley was staying, was blown up. Darnley and his servant were found dead near the house in an orchard outside the city walls.
Unofficial Royalty: Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, King Consort of Scotland

December 7, 1786 – Birth of Countess Maria Walewska, mistress of Emperor Napoleon I of France, born Countess Maria Łączyńska in Kiernozia, Poland
Maria Walewska was a member of the Polish nobility, and from 1807 – 1810, was the mistress of the French Emperor Napoleon I, with whom she had one son.
Unofficial Royalty: Countess Maria Walewska, Mistress of Emperor Napoleon I of France

December 7, 1803 – Birth of Maria Josepha of Saxony, Queen of Spain, third wife of King Ferdinand VII of Spain, in Dresden, Electorate of Saxony, now in Saxony, Germany
Full name: Maria Josepha Amalia Beatrix Xaveria Vincentia Aloysia Franziska de Paula Franziska de Chantal Anna Apollonia Johanna Nepomucena Walburga Theresia Ambrosia
In 1819, 16-year-old Maria Josepha married Ferdinand VII of Spain who had been widowed twice. Maria Josepha’s youth and inexperience made the adjustment to marriage difficult. There was much pressure upon Ferdinand VII to produce an heir. There were rumors that Maria Josepha Amalia’s devout Roman Catholicism caused her to believe that sexual relations between spouses was wrong and that it took Pope Pius VII to convince her that such relations were permissible. Nevertheless, the marriage remained childless and Maria Josepha Amalia died of a fever at the age of 25 in 1829.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Josepha of Saxony, Queen of Spain

December 7, 1805 – Death of Hereditary Prince Frederik of Denmark, son of King Frederick V of Denmark and his second wife Juliana Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, at Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen, Denmark; buried at Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde, Denmark
Frederik was the heir presumptive to the throne and acted as regent for his mentally unstable half-brother King Christian VII from 1772 to 1784.  In 1774, 21-year-old Hereditary Prince Frederik married 16-year-old Sophia Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. The couple had five children including  King Christian VIII of Denmark. After King Christain VII’s son, the future King Frederik V, came of age, he ruled permanently as Prince Regent and Hereditary Prince Frederik lost his power. Hereditary Prince Frederik died in 1805, at the age of 52.
Unofficial Royalty: Hereditary Prince Frederik of Denmark

December 7, 1807 – Birth of Feodora of Leiningen, Princess of Hohenlohe-Langenburg in Amorbach, Principality of Leiningen, now in Bavaria, Germany
Full name: Anna Feodora Auguste Charlotte Wilhelmine
Feodora was the elder maternal half-sister of Queen Victoria. In 1828, Feodora married Ernst I, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg at Kensington Palace in London, and the couple had six children. Victoria and Feodora wrote to each other religiously. Victoria and her mother visited Feodora and Feodora visited Victoria and their mother in England. Whenever she came, Victoria paid Feodora £300 for her expenses. After being widowed in 1860, Feodora moved to Baden-Baden, where, with some financial help from Queen Victoria, she purchased a cottage called Villa Friesenberg. Feodora came to England when Victoria needed her the most, in the summer of 1861 following the death of their mother and then in December 1861 following Prince Albert’s death.
Unofficial Royalty: Feodora of Leiningen, Princess of Hohenlohe-Langenburg

December 7, 1978 – Birth of Princess Bajrakitiyabha of Thailand, daughter of King Vajiralongkorn of Thailand, at the Amphorn Sathan Residential Hall on the grounds of Dusit Palace in Bangkok, Thailand
An attorney and a diplomat, Princess Bajrakitiyabha, The Princess Rajasarini Siribajra, also known as Princess Pa, is the eldest of the seven children of King Vajiralongkorn of Thailand, and the only child of the King and his first wife Princess Soamsawali of Thailand. Sadly, the princess remains in a coma after collapsing and losing consciousness due to a severe heart arrhythmia on December 14, 2022.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Bajrakitiyabha of Thailand

December 7, 2003 – Birth of Catharina-Amalia, Princess of Orange, daughter and heir apparent of King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, at Bronovo Hospital in The Hague, the Netherlands
Full name: Catharina-Amalia Beatrix Carmen Victoria
Known as Amalia she is the heir-apparent to the Dutch throne. She is Princess of Orange, the title of the heir to the Dutch throne, the first time in nearly 600 years the title was held by a female. The Netherlands changed its succession law in 1983 to absolute primogeniture where the succession passes to the eldest child of the sovereign regardless of gender. Males and females have equal succession rights. This means that Amalia is the heir apparent and comes first in the line of succession as the eldest child.
Unofficial Royalty: Catharina-Amalia, Princess of Orange

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.

December 6: Today in Royal History

© Unofficial Royalty 2024

Alexandrine of Baden, Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha; Credit – Wikipedia

December 6, 1421 – Birth of King Henry VI of England at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England
King Henry VI, from the House of Lancaster, is the youngest-ever English monarch. He is also on the top ten list of longest-reigning British monarchs, coming in at number seven. Henry VI’s father King Henry V, a warrior king, succumbed to dysentery, a disease that killed more soldiers than battle, leaving a nine-month-old son to inherit his throne. In 1445, Henry VI married Margaret of Anjou, the niece of King Charles VII of France. The couple had one son Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales who was killed at the Battle of Tewkesbury during the Wars of the Roses. Even before the birth of Henry’s son, factions were forming and the seeds of the Wars of the Roses were being planted. Henry’s wife Margaret Margaret believed her husband was threatened with being deposed by Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York who thought he had a better claim to the throne and would be a better king than Henry. Eventually, things came to a head between the Lancastrians and the Yorkists, and war broke out.  The Wars of the Roses did not end well for Henry VI. The final decisive Yorkist victory was at the Battle of Tewkesbury on May 4, 1471, where Henry’s son Edward was killed. Henry VI was sent to the Tower of London and died on May 21, 1471, probably murdered on orders from the Yorkist King Edward IV.
Unofficial Royalty: King Henry VI of England

December 6, 1685 – Birth of Marie Adélaïde of Savoy, Duchess of Burgundy, wife of Louis, Duke of Burgundy, Le Petite Dauphin at the Royal Palace of Turin, in the Duchy of Savoy, now in Italy
Marie Adélaïde of Savoy was the wife of Louis, Duke of Burgundy, Le Petite Dauphin, and the mother of Louis XV, King of France. King Louis XIV outlived both his son Louis, Duke of Burgundy, Le Grand Dauphin and his grandson Louis, Duke of Burgundy, Le Petite Dauphin, and was succeeded by his five-year-old great-grandson King Louis XV when he died in 1715. On February 12, 1712, at the Palace of Versailles, 26-year-old Marie Adélaïde died from measles. Her husband Louis dearly loved his wife and stayed by her side throughout her illness. He caught the disease and died six days after her death, on February 18, 1712, aged 29.
Unofficial Royalty: Marie Adélaïde of Savoy, Duchess of Burgundy

December 6, 1686 – Death of Eleonora Gonzaga of Mantua, the third of the three wives of Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor, in Vienna, Archduchy of Austria, now the capital of Austria, at the age of fifty-six; buried in the Imperial Crypt at the Capuchin Church in Vienna
Archduchess Maria Leopoldine of Austria, the second wife and first cousin of Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor, died in childbirth in 1649. Ferdinand III’s stepmother, the Dowager Holy Roman Empress, also named Eleonora Gonzaga, was the second wife of his father Ferdinand II and Eleonora’s great aunt. It was Dowager Holy Roman Empress Eleonora who arranged the marriage between her stepson Ferdinand III and grand niece and goddaughter Eleonora. Twenty-year-old Eleonora and forty-two-year-old Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor were married in 1651 and had four children but only two daughters survived childhood. After the death of her husband, Eleonora did all she could to ensure that her seventeen-year-old surviving stepson would be elected Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor. Eleonora was highly respected by Leopold who consulted with her on many political and personal issues. Eleonora survived her husband by twenty-nine years, dying on December 6, 1686, in Vienna, Austria, at the age of fifty-six.
Unofficial Royalty: Eleonora Gonzaga of Mantua, Holy Roman Empress, 3rd wife of Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor

December 6, 1734 – Death of Abigail Masham, Baroness Masham, favorite of Queen Anne of Great Britain, at Oates Hall, her husband’s family home, in High Laver, Essex, England; buried in the churchyard of All Saint Church in High Laver
Abigail Masham, Baroness Masham was the first cousin of Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough, born Sarah Jennings, and replaced Sarah as the favorite of Queen Anne of Great Britain. She remained Queen Anne’s favorite until Anne died in 1714. Abigail faithfully attended Anne during the last days of her life. However, upon Queen Anne’s death and the accession of the first Hanoverian monarch King George I, Abigail and her husband Samuel Masham, 1st Baron Masham were quickly evicted from their apartments in the various royal palaces. Even though Abigail and Samuel lost some income due to losing court positions, they were by no means poor. Just two weeks before Queen Anne’s death, Samuel had purchased a manor house three miles from Windsor, England where he retired with Abigail. Twenty years after Queen Anne’s death, 64-year-old Abigail died after a long illness.
Unofficial Royalty: Abigail Masham, Baroness Masham

December 6, 1792 – Birth of King Willem II of the Netherlands at Noordeinde Palace in The Hague, Dutch Republic, now in the Netherlands
Full name: Willem Frederik George Lodewijk
When he was two years old, Willem’s family was forced into exile when the French invaded and occupied the Dutch Republic during the Napoleonic Wars. Willem spent his childhood at the Prussian court where he received military training, and served in the Prussian Army. He attended Oxford University in England. In 1811, he entered the British Army and was an aide-de-camp to Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington. Willem’s family returned to the Netherlands in 1813 after the French retreated. In 1816, Willem married Grand Duchess Anna Pavlovna of Russia and the couple had five children. Willem came to the Dutch throne in 1840 when his father King Willem I abdicated due to constitutional changes he disagreed with, anger over the loss of Belgium, and his desire to make a morganatic second marriage with Henriëtte d’Oultremont after the death of his wife. During Willem II’s reign, the power of many monarchs diminished. The revolutions of 1848 and 1849, in which Louis-Philippe of France was deposed and other European monarchs were forced by violence to make concessions, made him fear for his throne. Willem decided to institute a more liberal government, believing it was better to grant reforms instead of having them imposed on him on less favorable terms later.
Unofficial Royalty: King Willem II of the Netherlands

December 6, 1792 – Birth of Maria Beatrice of Savoy, Duchess of Modena and Reggio, wife of Francesco IV, Duke of Modena and Reggio, in Turin, Kingdom of Sardinia, now in Italy
Full name: Maria Beatrice Vittoria Giuseppina
Maria Beatrice was the eldest of the seven children of Vittorio Emanuele I, King of Sardinia and Duke of Savoy. In 1812, 20-year-old Maria Beatrice married her 33-year-old maternal uncle Francesco IV, Duke of Modena and Reggio, and had four children. Like Maria Beatrice’s family, her husband Francesco had also been exiled since 1796 from the Duchy of Modena and Reggio due to the occupation of Napoleon’s French forces. After the fall of Napoleon in 1814, the couple was able to return and made their solemn entry into Modena on July 14, 1814. As the senior surviving descendant of Henrietta of England, Duchess of Orléans, daughter of King Charles I of England and sister of James II, King of England/James VII, King of Scots, Maria Beatrice became the Jacobite pretender to the thrones of England and Scotland after the death of her father Vittorio Emanuele I, King of Sardinia in 1824.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Beatrice of Savoy, Duchess of Modena
Unofficial Royalty: The Jacobite Succession – Pretenders to the British Throne

December 6, 1820 – Birth of Alexandrine of Baden, Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, wife of Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, in Karlsruhe, Grand Duchy of Baden, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Full name: Alexandrine Luise Amalie Friederike Elisabeth Sophie
Alexandrine was the eldest of the eight children of Leopold I, Grand Duke of Baden and Princess Sophie of Sweden. In 1842, she married the future Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, the elder brother of Queen Victoria’s husband Prince Albert. Before the marriage, Ernst was suffering from a venereal disease as a result of his many affairs. He had been warned that continued promiscuity could leave him unable to father children. Ernst had at least three illegitimate children, but his marriage was childless, perhaps due to Ernst passing the venereal disease to Alexandrine causing her to become infertile. Alexandrine was loyal and devoted to her husband despite his infidelities and believed their lack of children was her fault. In 1844, Ernst’s father died and he became Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Ernst was not well-loved by his people, but Alexandrine was. She supported many charities including the Ernst Foundation for needy students.
Unofficial Royalty: Alexandrine of Baden, Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

December 6, 1892 – Birth of George Mountbatten, 2nd Marquess of Milford Haven, son of Prince Ludwig (Louis) of Battenberg (later 1st Marquess of Milford Haven) and Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine, at the Neues Palais in Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in Hesse, Germany
Birth name: Prince George Louis Victor Henry Serge of Battenberg
Like his father, George had a career in the Royal Navy. In 1916, he married Countess Nadejda Mikhailovna de Torby, daughter of Grand Duke Mikhail Mikhailovich of Russia and Countess Sophie von Merenberg.  The couple had two children. George was instrumental in the upbringing of his nephew Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh after Philip’s mother suffered a breakdown and his father was more or less separated from the family. George became Philip’s primary guardian, serving as a surrogate father and arranging for, and financing, Philip’s education. George died from bone marrow cancer at the age of 45.
Unofficial Royalty: George Mountbatten, 2nd Marquess of Milford Haven

December 6, 1971 – Death of Mathilde Feliksovna Kschessinskaya, prima ballerina assoluta, mistress of Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia before his marriage, mistress of Grand Duke Sergei Mikhailovich of Russia, and mistress and wife of Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich of Russia, in Paris, France; buried at the Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois Russian Cemetery in Paris, France
Mathilde Feliksovna Kschessinskaya was one of the most famous ballerinas of the Maryinsky Ballet (now the Kirov Ballet) in St. Petersburg, Russia. She was awarded the title prima ballerina assoluta, traditionally reserved only for the most exceptional ballerinas of their generation.  Mathilde, who was ambitious, used her connections to the Romanovs to promote her career. Mathilde and Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich escaped from Russia after the Russian Revolution and married in 1921. Mathilde had previously had one son whose father was either Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich’s or Grand Duke Sergei Mikhailovich’s. In 1926, Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich, Head of the Romanov Family, gave Mathilde and her son Vladimir the title and surname of the Prince/Princess of Krasinsky. In 1935, Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich gave Mathilde and her son the surname Romanovsky-Krasinsky, and so they were formally styled Princess Maria Romanovsky-Krasinsky and Prince Vladimir Andreievich Romanovsky-Krasinsky. Mathilde opened a ballet studio in Paris and trained some of the most famous ballet dancers of the 20th century. She lived a long life dying in 1971, at the age of 99.
Unofficial Royalty: Mathilde Feliksovna Kschessinskaya

December 6, 1984 – Birth of Princess Sofia of Sweden, wife of Prince Carl Philip of Sweden, born Sofia Hellqvist in Täby, Sweden
Full name: Sofia Kristina
In August 2010, the Swedish Royal Court released a statement confirming that Sofia and Prince Carl Philip had a relationship. In the documentary The Year with the Royal Family, Prince Carl Philip explains how the couple met: “I was eating with friends in Baastad. Sofia was there with a friend and our friends knew each other. We started with a shy greeting and everything followed.” In April 2011, the couple moved in together at a private estate in Djurgården, Sweden and the Swedish Royal Court confirmed this two months later. Sofia and Prince Carl Philip became engaged on June 27, 2014, and were married on June 13, 2015, at the Royal Chapel in the Royal Palace of Stockholm. The couple had three children.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Sofia of Sweden

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