Category Archives: British Royals

Katherine of England

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2022

An image of Katherine in a 14th-century illuminated manuscript; Credit – Wikipedia

Born on November 25, 1253, at the Palace of Westminster in Westminster, London, England, Katherine was the youngest of the five children and the third of the three daughters of Henry III, King of England and Eleanor of Provence. She was given the name Katherine because she was born on the feast day of Saint Katherine of Alexandria. Her paternal grandparents were King John of England and his second wife Isabella, Countess of Angoulême in her own right. Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Provence and Beatrice of Savoy were Katherine’s maternal grandparents.

King Henry III (on top) with his five children; Credit – Wikipedia

Katherine had four elder siblings:

On January 5, 1254, a large banquet was held to celebrate Katherine’s birth. Katherine was baptized by her mother’s maternal uncle Boniface of Savoy, Archbishop of Canterbury who was also her godfather. Within months of her birth, Katherine’s mother Eleanor of Provence had to leave England to join her husband King Henry III for a short while in the Duchy of Gascony, then a possession of the King of England, now in France. Katherine was left at Windsor Castle in the care of her governess Lady Emma le Despencer, the wife of Geoffrey le Despencer, Lord of Martley from one of the great noble families of England, and two wet nurses Agnes and Avisa. There was always a circle of trusted men and women to care for young Katherine when her parents could not be in her company.

The description by 13th-century chronicler Matthew Paris that Katherine was “‘mute and useless
though with a most beautiful face” has often been interpreted that she had an intellectual disability or degenerative disease. However, it may indicate that Katherine merely had a stammer or some other speech impediment. There is much disagreement on what disease or disability Katherine may have had, or if she had one at all. Contemporary evidence suggests that the reaction of Katherine’s parents to her illnesses followed a similar reaction to the illnesses of her siblings and that Katherine was treated no differently than her siblings, suggesting that there were no serious or long-term health concerns.

The South Ambulatory of Westminster Abbey, to the right of the main altar, where Katherine is buried

Katherine did have some kind of illness during the spring of 1257, that resulted in her death on May 3, 1257, when she was three and a half years old. Her parents King Henry III and Queen Eleanor deeply mourned her death and were emotionally distraught. Katherine was buried in the south ambulatory between the Chapel of Edward the Confessor and the Chapel of St. Benedict, to the right of the main altar at Westminster Abbey in London, England. In 1042, King Edward the Confessor began rebuilding St. Peter’s Abbey to provide himself with a royal burial church, the first Westminster Abbey. Construction of the second and present church began in 1245 by Katherine’s father King Henry III who selected the site for his burial.

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

  • Armstrong, Abigail Sophie, 2018. The Daughters of Henry III. Ph.D. dissertation. Canterbury Christ Church University.
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2022. Katherine of England – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katherine_of_England> [Accessed 30 August 2022].
  • Fr.wikipedia.org. 2022. Catherine d’Angleterre — Wikipédia. [online] Available at: <https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catherine_d%27Angleterre> [Accessed 30 August 2022].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2015. King Henry III of England. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-henry-iii-of-england/> [Accessed 30 August 2022].
  • Williamson, David, 1996. Brewer’s British Royalty. London: Cassell.

Beatrice of England, Countess of Richmond

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2022

Beatrice of England, Countess of Richmond; Credit – Wikipedia

Born on June 25, 1242, in Bordeaux, Duchy of Aquitaine, now in France, Beatrice of England was the third of the five children and the second of the three daughters of Henry III, King of England and Eleanor of Provence. At the time of Beatrice’s birth, the Duke of Aquitaine was one of the titles and the Duchy of Aquitaine was one of the possessions of the King of England. Beatrice’s paternal grandparents were King John of England and his second wife Isabella, Countess of Angoulême in her own right. Her maternal grandparents were Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Provence and her namesake Beatrice of Savoy.

King Henry III (on top) with his five children; Credit – Wikipedia

Beatrice had four siblings:

King Henry III and Queen Eleanor had a happy marriage, and Beatrice grew up in a loving family and was close to her siblings. There were concerns about the health of Beatrice’s elder brother and heir to the throne the future King Edward I.  As a child, Edward was very seriously ill in 1246, 1247, and 1251 but recovered. The death of Beatrice’s youngest sibling Katherine caused her parents overwhelming grief. Many of Queen Eleanor’s maternal Savoy relatives had come to the English court causing the English to be unhappy with King Henry III due to the influence that Eleanor and her Savoy relatives exercised on the monarchy, and the barons demanded more power. This situation created many problems for Henry III and his family.

Seal of John II, Duke of Brittany, Beatrice’s husband; Credit – Wikipedia

On June 22, 1260, at the Basilica of Saint Denis in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis, Kingdom of France, Beatrice married John of Dreux. John was the eldest son of John I, Duke of Brittany and Infanta Blanche of Navarre, daughter of King Theobald I of Navarre. The marriage helped to forge an alliance with France. In 1268, King Henry III granted the title Earl of Richmond to John I, Duke of Brittany as an enticement when tensions rose with France. However, John I soon transferred the title of Earl of Richmond to his son and heir John of Dreux, who also became John II, Duke of Brittany upon his father’s death in 1286. John of Dreux became Duke of Brittany after the death of Beatrice so she never became the Duchess of Brittany.

Beatrice and John had six children:

Beatrice died on March 24, 1275, aged 32, in London, England while visiting her brother King Edward I of England. Possibly she died due to childbirth complications as her youngest child Eleanor was born in London in 1275. Beatrice was buried at Grey Friars Church in Greenwich, London which was destroyed by the Great Fire of London in 1666. Her heart was interred at Fontevrault Abbey near Chinon, in the Duchy of Anjou, now in France.

Beatrice’s husband John II, Duke of Brittany never remarried. He survived Beatrice by thirty years. In November 1305, John traveled to Lyon, now in France, then under the rule of the Archbishop of Lyon, to attend the coronation of Pope Clement V, a native of the Duchy of Aquitaine. During Pope Clement V’s coronation celebrations, John II, Duke of Brittany was leading the Pope’s horse through the crowd. So many spectators had piled on top of the city walls that one of the walls crumbled and collapsed on top of John. He died four days later, on November 18, 1305, aged 66. John II, Duke of Brittany was buried in the Carmelite convent he had founded in Ploërmel, Duchy of Brittany, now in France. After the convent was destroyed during the French Wars of Religion (1562 – 1598), the tomb of John II, Duke of Brittany was moved in 1591 to the Priory of Saint-Nicolas, the new convent of the Carmelites. During the French Revolution (1789 – 1799), the tomb was destroyed and the recumbent effigy was removed. The effigy was later found and in 1820, the recumbent effigy of John III, Duke of Brittany was placed in the Church of Saint-Armel (link in French) in Ploërmel, France.

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

Works Cited

  • En.wikipedia.org. 2022. Beatrice of England – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beatrice_of_England> [Accessed 18 August 2022].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2022. John II, Duke of Brittany – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_II,_Duke_of_Brittany> [Accessed 18 August 2022].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2016. Isabella of Angoulême, Queen of England. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/isabella-of-angouleme-queen-of-england/> [Accessed 18 August 2022].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2015. King Henry III of England. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-henry-iii-of-england/> [Accessed 18 August 2022].
  • Fr.wikipedia.org. 2022. Béatrice d’Angleterre — Wikipédia. [online] Available at: <https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C3%A9atrice_d%27Angleterre> [Accessed 18 August 2022].
  • Fr.wikipedia.org. 2022. Jean II de Bretagne — Wikipédia. [online] Available at: <https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_II_de_Bretagne> [Accessed 18 August 2022].
  • Williamson, David, 1996. Brewer’s British Royalty. London: Cassell.

William (of England) IX, Count of Poitiers

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2022

William from an early 13th-century genealogical tree; Credit – Wikipedia

William IX, Count of Poitiers was the firstborn child of the future Henry II, King of England and Eleanor, Duchess of Aquitaine and Countess of Poitiers in her own right. He would have been King of England had he survived his father. William was born on August 17, 1153, in the County of Poitiers, now part of France, and was styled Count of Poitiers. At the time of William’s birth, his father was known as Henry FitzEmpress and was the Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, and Count of Nantes, all in present-day France. William’s paternal grandparents were Geoffrey V, Count of Anjou, Touraine, and Maine, and Matilda of England, known as Empress Matilda, the widow of Heinrich V, Holy Roman Emperor. Matilda was the only surviving legitimate child of Henry I, King of England. William’s maternal grandparents were his namesake William X, Duke of Aquitaine and Aenor de Châtellerault.

William’s parents Henry and Eleanor; Credit – Wikipedia

William had two elder half-sisters from his mother’s annulled first marriage to Louis VII, King of France:

13th-century depiction of Henry and his legitimate children: (l to r) William, Young Henry, Richard, Matilda, Geoffrey, Eleanor, Joan, and John; Credit – Wikipedia

William had seven younger siblings although he was alive for the birth of only two:

At the time of William’s birth, his father Henry was involved in a long civil war for the throne of England known as The Anarchy (1135 – 1153) between Empress Matilda (Henry FitzEmpress’ mother and the only surviving legitimate child of Henry I, King of England) and her first cousin Stephen of Blois, King of England since 1135. Stephen unsuccessfully attempted to have his son Eustace, recognized by the Church as the next King of England. By the early 1150s, most of the barons and the Church wanted long-term peace.

Finally, the armies of Henry FitzEmpress and King Stephen of England met at Wallingford in Oxfordshire, England. Pressured by the barons, Stephen called a ceasefire and agreed to a truce, over the objections of his son Eustace. Eustace flew into a rage and plundered church lands of the Abbey of Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk, England. On August 17, 1153, Eustace, aged about twenty-three, died suddenly. Various chroniclers of the time attribute Eustace’s death to the wrath of God for plundering church lands, a fever, a fit of madness, or poisoning. Ironically, the death of Eustace, King Stephen’s heir, and the birth of William, Henry FitzEmpress’ firstborn child occurred on the same day.

Shortly after Eustace’s death, King Stephen and Henry FitzEmpress reached a formal agreement known as the Treaty of Wallingford. The treaty allowed Stephen to keep the throne until his death but forced him to recognize Empress Matilda’s son Henry FitzEmpress, as his heir. Henry and Eleanor were finally reunited in Rouen, Duchy of Normandy at Easter in 1154, where Henry met his eight-month-old son William for the first time.

King Stephen survived for a little more than a year after the death of Eustace, dying on October 25, 1154, and a line of fourteen Plantagenet kings who ruled England until 1485 started, with Henry FitzEmpress, now King Henry II of England. In December 1154, Henry and Eleanor, now King and Queen of England, sailed to England from Normandy with their son William, where their coronation was held at Westminster Abbey on December 19, 1154.

On February 28, 1155, Eleanor gave birth to a second son named Henry after his father. In April 1155, Henry II and Eleanor brought their two young sons to Wallingford in Oxfordshire, England to present them to the English barons and clergy, and to command them to swear allegiance to William as his father’s heir and then to Henry as successor in the event of William’s early death.

For centuries, the Dukes of Aquitaine held the Count of Poitiers as a minor title, and so it had passed to Eleanor from her father. However, Eleanor separated the County of Poitiers from the Duchy of Aquitaine and gave the title of Count of Poitiers to her son William, making him the reigning Count of Poitiers as William IX.

In 1156 (date uncertain), William died at Wallingford Castle in Oxfordshire, England, aged two or three. The circumstances of his death are uncertain but some sources say he died from convulsions. William was buried at the feet of his great-grandfather Henry I, King of England at Reading Abbey in Reading, England, which was mostly destroyed during King Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries.

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

  • Barber, Richard, 1964. Henry Plantagenet. New York: Barnes and Noble.
  • De.wikipedia.org. 2022. Wilhelm von Poitiers (Prinz) – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilhelm_von_Poitiers_(Prinz)> [Accessed 14 August 2022].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2022. William IX, Count of Poitiers – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_IX,_Count_of_Poitiers> [Accessed 14 August 2022].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2016. Eleanor, Duchess of Aquitaine, Queen of England. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/eleanor-of-aquitaine-queen-of-england/> [Accessed 14 August 2022].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2016. King Henry II of England. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-henry-ii-of-england/> [Accessed 14 August 2022].
  • Fr.wikipedia.org. 2022. Guillaume IX de Poitiers — Wikipédia. [online] Available at: <https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guillaume_IX_de_Poitiers> [Accessed 14 August 2022].
  • Weir, Alison, 1999. Eleanor of Aquitaine: By Wrath of God, Queen of England. London: Jonathan Cape.

The State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2022

Credit – The Royal Family Facebook page

The State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom took place on Monday, September 19, 2022, at 11:00 AM British Time at Westminster Abbey in London, England. In the United Kingdom, a state funeral is usually reserved for the monarch or a very distinguished person with the approval of the monarch and Parliament such as Sir Winston Churchill‘s funeral in 1965. The arrangements for Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral were planned over many years, with The Queen’s involvement. After The Queen’s death, King Charles III may have made some changes and then signed off on the funeral plans.

Note: All article links for family members who participated in events and services are in the Guests section at the end of this article.

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The last photo of Queen Elizabeth II – Taken at Balmoral Castle two days before her death when she had a meeting with the new Prime Minister Liz Truss

Before the Funeral

Queen Elizabeth II died on September 8, 2022, at 3:10 PM British time, at Balmoral Castle, her home in Scotland. Her death was announced three hours later at 6:30 PM British time by Huw Edwards, the BBC’s chief presenter.  The death certificate which was made public on September 29, 2022, stated the cause of death as “old age”.

The Ballroom at Balmoral Castle where the coffin of Queen Elizabeth rested for three days; Credit – Royal Collection Trust

Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin was made over thirty years before the funeral. It was made of English oak and lined with lead, a long-time royal tradition, to protect from moisture damage. Due to the weight, eight pallbearers were required for carrying rather than the usual six. The Queen’s coffin, draped with the Scottish version of the Royal Standard of the United Kingdom, rested in the ballroom at Balmoral Castle until September 11, 2022. On that day, the coffin traveled by hearse to the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, the official residence of the British monarch in Scotland. Upon arrival at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the coffin rested in the palace’s Throne Room.

The Throne Room at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, Scotland; Credit – Royal Collection Trust

On September 12, 2022, Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin traveled by hearse from the Palace of Holyroodhouse, up the Royal Mile to St. Giles Cathedral accompanied by King Charles III and members of the Royal Family on foot. The coffin lay in rest at St. Giles Cathedral and the people of Scotland visited the cathedral to pay their respects. In the evening of September 12, 2022, King Charles III and his three siblings stood vigil at their mother’s coffin at St. Giles Cathedral.

Queen Elizabeth’s coffin arrives at St. Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh, Scotland

The coffin was taken from St. Giles Cathedral to Edinburgh Airport on September 13, 2022, at 5:00 PM British time. Accompanied by The Queen’s only daughter Princess Anne, The Princess Royal, the coffin traveled by plane to RAF Northolt, a Royal Air Force base near London. The coffin then traveled by hearse to Buckingham Palace in London where it was met by King Charles III, Queen Consort Camilla, and other members of the Royal Family. The coffin rested in the Bow Room, which overlooks the gardens. A rotating group of chaplains watched over the coffin.

Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin made its way along The Mall from Buckingham Palace, as it traveled to Westminster Hall. Members of the Royal Family followed on foot.

On September 14, 2022, Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin was moved from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall, at the Palace of Westminster, also called the Houses of Parliament, where the Queen lay in state for four days. King Charles III, his sons The Prince of Wales and The Duke of Sussex, and The King’s siblings The Princess Royal, The Duke of York, and the Earl of Wessex walked behind the coffin. Also walking behind the coffin were Princess Anne’s husband Sir Timothy Laurence, Princess Anne’s son Peter Phillips, The Queen’s nephew David Armstrong-Jones, 2nd Earl of Snowdon, and The Queen’s first cousin Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester. The Queen Consort, The Princess of Wales, The Duchess of Sussex, and the Countess of Wessex traveled by car. Members of the public were able to pay their respects to The Queen’s coffin in Westminster Hall, 24 hours a day until 6:30 AM British Time on Monday, September 19, 2022, the day of the funeral.

The four children of Queen ELizabeth II stand vigil around her coffin

On the evening of September 16, 2022, The Queen’s four children, King Charles III, The Princess Royal, The Duke of York, and The Earl of Wessex, held a vigil around the coffin of The Queen. On the evening of September 17, 2022, Queen Elizabeth II’s eight grandchildren, The Prince of Wales, The Duke of Sussex, Peter Phillips, Zara Tindall, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Lady Louise Windsor, and Viscount Severn, held a vigil around the coffin of their grandmother.

Queen Elizabeth II’s eight grandchildren stand vigil around her coffin

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The Funeral Service

The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II is carried down the aisle of Westminster Abbey 

At 10:44 AM British Time, on Monday, September 19, 2022, the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II traveled in procession on the State Gun Carriage of the Royal Navy pulled by 142 Royal Navy sailors the short distance from the Palace of Westminster to Westminster Abbey for the State Funeral. King Charles III, members of the Royal Family, and members of The King’s Household followed the coffin.

The State Funeral Service was conducted by David Hoyle, Dean of Westminster. The Sermon was given by Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, who also gave the Commendation.
Music: The Choir of Westminster Abbey and the Choir of the Chapel Royal, St James’s Palace, (Joseph McHardy, Director of Music) under the direction of James O’Donnell, Organist and Master of the Choristers, Westminster Abbey. The organ was played by Peter Holder, Sub-Organist, Westminster Abbey

For more detailed information including texts of prayers and hymns, see Westminster Abbey: Order of Service The State Funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Members of the Royal Family follow the coffin down the aisle of Westminster Abbey

The coffin was carried down the aisle of Westminster Abbey followed by a procession that included King Charles III, Queen Consort Camilla, The Princess Royal, her husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, The Duke of York, The Earl of Wessex, The Countess of Wessex, The Prince of Wales, The Princess of Wales, Prince George of Wales, Princess Charlotte of Wales, The Duke of Sussex, The Duchess of Sussex, Peter Phillips, The Earl of Snowdon, The Duke of Gloucester, The Duke of Kent, and Prince Michael of Kent.

During the Procession of the Coffin, the choir sang The Sentences – five lines of scripture set to music by William Croft (1678 – 1727) and Henry Purcell (1659 – 1695).

David Hoyle, Dean of Westminster, gave The Bidding, giving thanks for The Queen’s “life-long sense of duty and dedication.”

The choir and the congregation sang the hymn The day thou gavest, Lord, is ended written by Reverend John Ellerton (1826 – 1893).

Patricia Janet Scotland, Baroness Scotland of Asthal, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations read The First Lesson: 1 Corinthians 15: 20–26, 53–end

The choir sang Psalm 42: 1–7 Like as the Hart, with music composed specially for this service by Judith Weir (born 1954) who holds the title of Master of the King’s Music, a role within the royal household in which she composes music at the monarch’s request.

Prime Minister Liz Truss read the Second Lesson: John 14: 1–9a

The choir and the congregation sang the hymn The Lord’s My Shepherd by Jessie Seymour Irvine (1836- 1887), the daughter of a Church of Scotland parish minister. This hymn was sung at The Queen’s wedding to Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh in 1947.

Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, in the pulpit on the left, gave the sermon.

The choir sang The Anthem My soul, there is a country from Songs of Farewell by Hubert Parry (1848 – 1918).

The Prayers were said by Iain Greenshields, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland; Shermara Fletcher, Principal Officer for Pentecostal and Charismatic Relations, Churches Together in England; Dame Sarah Mullally, Bishop of London and Dean of His Majesty’s Chapels Royal; Helen Cameron, Moderator of the Free Churches Group; Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster; and Stephen Cottrell, Archbishop of York.

The choir sang Psalm 34: 8 – Taste and see how gracious the Lord is composed by Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872 – 1958) for the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.

The congregations said The Lord’s Prayer.

The choir and the congregation sang the hymn Love Divine, All Loves Excelling, words by Charles Wesley (1707 – 1788), melody Blaenwern by William Penfro Rowlands (1860 – 1937). This hymn was sung at the 2005 Service of Prayer and Dedication following the marriage of King Charles III and Camilla Parker-Bowles and the 2011 wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton.

Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury said The Commendation, in which the deceased person is commended to God.

The Choir sang The Anthem Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? composed specially for this service by Sir James MacMillan (born 1959).

David Hoyle, Dean of Westminster pronounced The Blessing.

Four trumpeters from the British Army’s Household Cavalry sounded The Last Post, a short military fanfare, traditionally played in the United Kingdom at military funerals, on Remembrance Day, and at ceremonies commemorating those who have lost their lives in war.

Two Minutes of Silence was observed at Westminster Abbey and throughout the United Kingdom.

The trumpeters sounded The Reveille to signal the end of the Two Minutes of Silence.

The choir and the congregation sang God Save The King, the National Anthem.

The Queen’s Piper, Warrant Officer Class 1 (Pipe Major) Paul Burns, played a traditional bagpipe lament, Sleep, Dearie, Sleep. Paul Burns was the personal piper of Queen Elizabeth II. He woke The Queen every morning with the sound of his bagpipes outside her window.

The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II was carried up the aisle of Westminster Abbey in a procession that included King Charles III, Queen Consort Camilla, The Princess Royal, her husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Lawrence, The Duke of York, The Earl of Wessex, The Countess of Wessex, The Prince of Wales, The Princess of Wales, Prince George of Wales, Princess Charlotte of Wales, The Duke of Sussex, The Duchess of Sussex, Mr. Peter Phillips, The Earl of Snowdon, The Duke of Gloucester, The Duke of Kent, and Prince Michael of Kent.

The Duchess of Sussex, The Queen Consort, Prince George of Wales, The Princess of Wales, Princess Charlotte of Wales, and the Countess of Wessex watch as the coffin is put on the gun carriage after the funeral

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Procession to Wellington Arch and then to Windsor

Royal Navy sailors pull the gun carriage bearing the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II through Wellington Arch

After the funeral service, Queen Elizabeth’s coffin was placed on the State Gun Carriage of the Royal Navy and pulled by 142 Royal Navy sailors in a procession led by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police from Westminster Abbey to Wellington Arch near Hyde Park. Walking behind the coffin were King Charles II, The Princess Royal, The Duke of York, The Earl of Wessex, The Prince of Wales, The Duke of Sussex, Peter Phillips, The Earl of Snowdon, The Duke of Gloucester, and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence. Following behind in cars were Queen Consort Camilla, The Princess of Wales, Prince George of Wales, Princess Charlotte of Wales, The Countess of Wessex, The Duchess of Sussex, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, and The Duchess of Gloucester. At Wellington Arch, the coffin was transferred to a hearse for the trip to Windsor where the Committal Service would take place at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle

The hearse leaves Wellington Arch on its way to Windsor

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The Committal Service

The Committal Service at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle

A committal service commits the deceased person to their final resting place. The Committal Service for Queen Elizabeth II was held at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle in Windsor, England on Monday, September 19, 2022, at 4:00 PM British Time. 800 guests attended the committal service. Among those who attended were members of the British Royal Family, foreign royalty, past and present members of The Queen’s Household, including from the private estates and Governors-General and Realm Prime Ministers. Some people only attended the committal service as noted on the guest list at the end of this article.

For more detailed information including texts of prayers and hymns, see St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle: The Committal of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

The Committal Service was led by David Conner, Dean of Windsor. The Blessing was pronounced by Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury. Music was provided by the Choir of St George’s Chapel conducted by James Vivian, Director of Music. The organ was played by Luke Bond, Assistant Director of Music.

At 4:00 PM British Time, the coffin was carried into St. George’s Chapel in a procession that included King Charles III, Queen Consort Camilla, The Princess Royal, her husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Lawrence, The Duke of York, The Earl of Wessex, The Countess of Wessex, The Prince of Wales, The Princess of Wales, The Duke of Sussex, The Duchess of Sussex, Mr. Peter Phillips, The Earl of Snowdon, The Duke of Gloucester, The Duke of Kent, and Prince Michael of Kent. As the coffin proceeded down the aisle, the choir sang Psalm 121 – I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills: from whence cometh my help with music by Sir Henry Walford Davies (1869 – 1941).

The choir sang The Russian Kontakion of the Departed, music from a Kyiv melody, words translated by William J. Birkbeck (1869 – 1916). This was also sung at the funeral of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh as an homage to his Eastern Orthodox religious background. His paternal grandfather was King George I of Greece and his paternal grandmother Queen Olga of Greece  was born Grand Duchess Olga Konstantinovna of Russia, a granddaughter of Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia.

David Conner, Dean of Windsor gave The Bidding.

The choir and congregation sang the hymn All My Hope on God Is Founded, originally a German Hymn “Meine Hoffnung stehet feste” written around 1680 by Joachim Neander , words translated into English by Robert Bridges (1844 – 1930), music by Herbert Howells (1892 – 1983)

The Reading, Revelation 21.1–7, was read by David Conner, Dean of Windsor.

The Prayers were read by Paul Williams, Rector of St. Mary Magdalene Church, Sandringham, Kenneth Mackenzie, Minister of Crathie Kirk, and Martin Poll, Chaplain of the Royal Chapel, Windsor Great Park

The Congregation said The Lord’s Prayer.

The Choir sang The Motet, Bring Us, O Lord God, At Our Last Awakening, music composed by Sir William Henry Harris (1883 – 1973), words by the poet John Donne (1572 – 1631).

The Imperial State Crown, The Orb and The Sceptre being carried to The Dean of Windsor

The congregation stood in silence while the Imperial State Crown, The Orb, and The Sceptre were removed from The Queen’s coffin by the Crown Jeweler Mark Appleby (on the left in above photo). He then gave the regalia to Chris Livett, The Queen’s Bargemaster, (in the middle i and a Serjeant of Arms. They were then given to David Conner, Dean of Windsor who placed them on the High Altar.

David Conner, Dean of Windsor places the Imperial State Crown on the High Altar

The choir and congregation sang the hymn Christ is Made the Sure Foundation, adapted from the final section of Henry Purcell‘s anthem O God, thou art my God; words from a 6th or 7th-century Latin monastic hymn Urbs beata Jerusalem, translated by John M. Neale (1818 – 1866). This hymn was sung during the weddings of Princess Margaret and Antony Armstrong-Jones in 1960, and Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer in 1981, and was the opening hymn of The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee service in St. Paul’s Cathedral on June 3, 2022

King Charles III places The Queen’s Company Camp Colour of the Grenadier Guards on the coffin

At the end of the hymn, The Queen’s Company Camp Colour of the Grenadier Guards was placed on the coffin by King Charles III having received it from the Regimental Lieutenant Colonel Grenadier Guards. The monarch’s Company Colour is crimson. Queen Elizabeth II held the position of Company Commander of the Grenadier Guards’ Queen’s Company. Only one flag is presented across a monarch’s reign. That crimson flag was retired following the funeral and went with The Queen’s coffin when she was interred.

Andrew Parker, Baron Parker of Minsmere, The Lord Chamberlain breaks his wand of service

Andrew Parker, Baron Parker of Minsmere, The Lord Chamberlain, the most senior official in Queen Elizabeth III’s Royal Household, stood in front of the coffin, broke his wand of office, and laid the two pieces on the coffin. This was a symbolic gesture marking the death of the sovereign he served.

As the coffin was lowered into the Royal Vault under St. George’s Chapel, David Conner, Dean of Windsor said Psalm 103. 13–17, Like as a father pitieth his own children: even so is the Lord merciful unto them that fear him.

David Conner, Dean of Windsor then said the prayer:

Go forth upon thy journey from this world,
O Christian soul;
In the name of God the Father Almighty who created thee;
In the name of Jesus Christ who suffered for thee;
In the name of the Holy Spirit who strengtheneth thee.
In communion with the blessèd saints,
and aided by Angels and Archangels,
and all the armies of the heavenly host,
may thy portion this day be in peace,
and thy dwelling in the heavenly Jerusalem.
Amen.

David Vines White, The Garter King of Arms proclaimed The Styles and Titles of Queen Elizabeth II:

Thus it hath pleased Almighty God to take out of this transitory life unto His Divine Mercy the late Most High, Most Mighty, and Most Excellent Monarch, Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith, and Sovereign of the Most Noble Order of the Garter.

The Queen’s Piper, Warrant Officer Class 1 (Pipe Major) Paul Burns played a lament, A Salute to the Royal Fendersmith, from the North Quire Aisle.

David Vines White, The Garter King of Arms said:

Let us humbly beseech Almighty God to bless with long life, health and honour, and all worldly happiness the Most High, Most Mighty and Most Excellent Monarch, our Sovereign Lord, now, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of His other Realms and Territories King, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith, and Sovereign of the Most Noble Order of the Garter. GOD SAVE THE KING.

Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury pronounced The Blessing.

The choir and the congregation sang God Save The King, the National Anthem.

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The Burial

King George VI Memorial Chapel; Credit – Connie Nissinger, www.findagrave.com

In a private, family service conducted by David Conner, Dean of Windsor at 7:30 PM British Time, on the day of the funeral, Queen Elizabeth II was interred in the crypt of the King George VI Memorial Chapel which is located on a side aisle of St. George’s Chapel. At the same time, the coffin of her husband Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, who died in 2021, was moved from its temporary place in the Royal Vault beneath St. George’s Chapel and interred in the crypt of the King George VI Memorial Chapel. The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II now rests with the coffins of her husband, her father King George VI, her mother Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, and the ashes of her sister Princess Margaret.

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

After the interment of Queen Elizabeth II and The Duke of Edinburgh, a replacement ledger stone with a metal star of the Order of the Garter between the couples’ names was put into the floor of the King George Memorial Chapel. A memorial headstone with a slanted top for Princess Margaret, which had been placed by her children, leans against the wall.

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Guests

Around 2,000 invited guests attended the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. In addition to foreign dignitaries and The Queen’s family and friends, guests included United Kingdom former prime ministers, cabinet ministers, government leaders, and political party leaders. In addition, there were religious representatives, courtiers and employees, recipients of orders and decorations, and volunteers who supported charities important to The Queen. All 2,000 guests are not listed below. A more inclusive, but not complete list can be seen at Wikipedia: List of dignitaries at the state funeral of Elizabeth II.

Below is a list of members of the British Royal Family, members of reigning royal houses, members of non-reigning royal houses, and close non-royal family members who attended the funeral. For many, the relationship with Queen Elizabeth II is noted.

British Royal Family

Some members of the British Royal Family (Front Row) King Charles III; Queen Consort Camilla; The Princess Royal; Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence; The Duke of York; The Earl of Wessex; The Countess of Wessex; The Prince of Wales; Prince George of Wales; The Princess of Wales; Princess Charlotte of Wales; Peter Phillips; Zara Tindall; Mike Tindall; (Second Row) The Duke of Sussex; The Duchess of Sussex; Princess Beatrice; Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi; Lady Louise Windsor; Viscount Severn; Jack Brooksbank; Princess Eugenie; Sarah, Duchess of York; The Earl of Snowdon; Viscount Linley; Lady Margarita Armstrong-Jones (Third Row) Samuel Chatto; Arthur Chatto; Lady Sarah Chatto; Daniel Chatto; The Duke of Gloucester; The Duke of Kent; Earl and Countess of St Andrews; Edward Windsor Lord Downpatrick; Lady Amelia Windsor; Lady Marina Windsor

Descendants of Queen Elizabeth II

Descendants of King George VI

  • David Armstrong-Jones, 2nd Earl of Snowdon, The Queen’s nephew, son of the late Princess Margaret
  • Charles Armstrong-Jones, Viscount Linley, The Queen’s great-nephew, son of The Earl of Snowdon
  • Lady Margarita Armstrong-Jones, The Queen’s great-niece, daughter of The Earl of Snowdon
  • Lady Sarah Chatto, The Queen’s niece, daughter of the late Princess Margaret, and her husband Daniel Chatto
  • Samuel Chatto, The Queen’s great-nephew, son of Lady Sarah Chatto
  • Arthur Chatto, The Queen’s great-nephew, son of Lady Sarah Chatto

Descendants of King George V – Extended British Royal Family

  • Prince Richard, The Duke of Gloucester, The Queen’s first cousin, and his wife Birgitte, The Duchess of Gloucester
  • Alexander Earl of Ulster, The Queen’s first cousin once removed, son of The Duke of Gloucester
  • Xan Windsor, Lord Culloden, The Queen’s first cousin twice removed, son of Earl of Ulster
  • Lady Cosima Windsor, The Queen’s first cousin twice removed, daughter of Earl of Ulster
  • Lady Davina Windsor, The Queen’s first cousin once removed, daughter of The Duke of Gloucester
  • Senna Lewis, The Queen’s first cousin twice removed, daughter of Lady Davina Windsor
  • Lady Rose Gilman, The Queen’s first cousin once removed, daughter of The Duke of Gloucester, and her husband George Gilman
  • Lyla Gilman, The Queen’s first cousin twice removed, daughter of Lady Rose Gilman
  • Prince Edward, The Duke of Kent, The Queen’s first cousin
  • George Windsor, Earl of St. Andrews, The Queen’s first cousin once removed, son of The
  • Duke of Kent, and his wife Countess of St Andrews
  • Edward Windsor, Lord Downpatrick, The Queen’s first cousin twice removed, son of Earl of St. Andrews
  • Lady Marina Windsor, The Queen’s first cousin twice removed, daughter of Earl of St. Andrews
  • Lady Amelia Windsor, The Queen’s first cousin twice removed, daughter of Earl of St. Andrews
  • Lady Helen Taylor, The Queen’s first cousin once removed, daughter of The Duke of Kent, and her husband Timothy Taylor
  • Columbus Taylor, The Queen’s first cousin twice removed, son of Lady Helen Taylor
  • Cassius Taylor, The Queen’s first cousin twice removed, son of Lady Helen Taylor
  • Eloise Taylor, The Queen’s first cousin twice removed, daughter of Lady Helen Taylor
  • Estella Taylor, The Queen’s first cousin twice removed, daughter of Lady Helen Taylor
  • Lord Nicholas Windsor, The Queen’s first cousin once removed, son of The Duke of Kent
  • Albert Windsor, The Queen’s first cousin twice removed, son of Lord Nicholas Windsor
  • Leopold Windsor, The Queen’s first cousin twice removed, son of Lord Nicholas Windsor
  • Princess Alexandra, The Honorable Lady Ogilvy, The Queen’s first cousin
  • James Ogilvy, The Queen’s first cousin once removed, son of Princess Alexandra, and his wife Julia Ogilvy,
  • Flora Vesterberg, The Queen’s first cousin twice removed, daughter of James Ogilvy, and her husband Timothy Vesterberg
  • Alexander Ogilvy, The Queen’s first cousin twice removed, son of James Ogilvy
  • Marina Ogilvy, The Queen’s first cousin once removed, daughter of Princess Alexandra
  • Zenouska Mowatt, The Queen’s first cousin twice removed, daughter of Marina Ogilvy
  • Christian Mowatt, The Queen’s first cousin twice removed, daughter of Marina Ogilvy
  • Prince Michael of Kent, The Queen’s first cousin, and his wife Princess Michael of Kent
  • Lord Frederick Windsor, The Queen’s first cousin once removed, son of Prince Michael of Kent, and his wife Lady Frederick Windsor
  • Lady Gabriella Kingston, The Queen’s first cousin once removed, daughter of Prince Michael of Kent, and her husband Thomas Kingston

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Non-Royal Family Members

Descendants of King Edward VII

The Fife family are descendants of Princess Louise, The Princess Royal, the eldest daughter of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom and Princess Alexandra of Denmark, and her husband Alexander Duff, 1st Duke of Fife.

  • David Carnegie, 4th Duke of Fife, The Queen’s second cousin once removed, son of James Carnegie, 3rd Duke of Fife, and his wife Caroline Carnegie, Duchess of Fife (present only at the committal service)
  • Lady Alexandra Etherington, The Queen’s second cousin once removed, daughter of James Carnegie, 3rd Duke of Fife, and her husband Mark Etherington

Descendants of Queen Victoria

While the following people are related to The Queen, they are members of the Mountbatten family and are more closely related to the late Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. The Mountbatten family and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh are descendants of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha through their daughter Princess Alice of the United Kingdom and her husband Ludwig IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine.

The Spencer Family

The Parker Bowles and Shand Family

  • Tom Parker Bowles, son of Queen Consort Camilla, godson of King Charles III
  • Lola Parker Bowles, granddaughter of Queen Consort Camilla, daughter of Tom Parker Bowles
  • Frederick Parker Bowles, grandson of Queen Consort Camilla, son of Tom Parker Bowles
  • Laura Lopes, daughter of Queen Consort Camilla, and her husband Harry Lopes
  • Eliza Lopes, granddaughter of Queen Consort Camilla, daughter of Laura Lopes
  • Gus Lopes, grandson of Queen Consort Camilla, son of Laura Lopes
  • Louis Lopes, grandson of Queen Consort Camilla, son of Laura Lopes
  • Annabel Elliot, sister of Queen Consort Camilla, and her husband Simon Elliot

The Middleton Family

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Members of Reigning Royal Houses

Some foreign royalty: (Front Row) Princess Beatrix, Queen Máxima and King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands; Queen Silvia and King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden; Crown Prince Frederik and Queen Margrethe II of Denmark (Second Row) King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway; Queen Sofia and King Juan Carlos of Spain; Queen Letizia and King Felipe VI of Spain (Third Row) Prince Albert II of Monaco, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa and Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg (Fourth Row) Margareta, Custodian of the Crown of Romania, Crown Princess Marie-Chantal, Crown Prince Pavlos and Queen Anne-Marie of Greece.

Queen Elizabeth II is related to all the current reigning European sovereigns. She is most closely related to King Harald V of Norway. They are both great-grandchildren of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom and Princess Alexandra of Denmark. Most European royals are related via their descent from Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and her husband Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and/or King Christian IX of Denmark and his wife Princess Louise of Hesse-Kassel.

Note: The Kingdoms of Cambodia, Eswatini, and Thailand did not send royal representatives. Instead, those kingdoms were represented by:

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Members of Non-Reigning Royal Houses

Queen Elizabeth II is also related to many members of non-reigning royal houses.

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.

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Works Cited

  • En.wikipedia.org. 2022. Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_and_state_funeral_of_Elizabeth_II> [Accessed 28 September 2022].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2022. List of dignitaries at the state funeral of Elizabeth II – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_dignitaries_at_the_state_funeral_of_Elizabeth_II> [Accessed 28 September 2022].
  • McQuillan, Laura, 2022. All the music from Queen Elizabeth’s funeral service at Westminster Abbey | CBC News. [online] CBC. Available at: <https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/music-queen-elizabeth-funeral-1.6587717> [Accessed 28 September 2022].
  • The Royal Family. 2022. St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle: The Committal of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. [online] Available at: <https://www.royal.uk/sites/default/files/media/committal_of_her_majesty_queen_elizabeth_ii_-_order_of_service.pdf> [Accessed 28 September 2022].
  • Westminster-abbey.org. 2022. Order of Service The State Funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. [online] Available at: <https://www.westminster-abbey.org/media/15467/order-of-service-the-state-funeral-of-her-majesty-queen-elizabeth-ii.pdf> [Accessed 28 September 2022].

Marie of Blois, Countess of Boulogne

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2022

Marie’s coat of arms as Countess of Boulogne; Credit – Wikipedia

A daughter of King Stephen of England, Marie of Blois was Countess of Boulogne in her own right after the deaths of her mother Matilda I, Countess of Boulogne in her own right and her two surviving brothers Eustace and Willliam who were both Count of Boulogne but had childless marriages. As a young girl, Marie entered a convent and became a nun. Shortly after Marie became Countess of Boulogne, she was abducted from her convent by a young nobleman and forced into marriage with the nobleman who then claimed the title of Count of Boulogne jure uxoris (by right of his wife).

Marie’s father King Stephen of England; Credit – Wikipedia

Born in 1136, Marie was the fourth of the five children and the second but the only surviving daughter of Stephen I, King of England (born Stephen of Blois) and Matilda I, Countess of Boulogne in her own right. Boulogne was a county within the Kingdom of France from 896 – 1501, centered on the city of Boulogne-sur-Mer, a coastal city in Northern France. Marie’s paternal grandparents were Stephen II, Count of Blois and Adela of Normandy and England, a daughter of William I, King of England (the Conqueror). His maternal grandparents were Eustace III, Count of Boulogne and Mary of Scotland, daughter of King Malcolm III of Scotland and Saint Margaret of Scotland, born an Anglo-Saxon princess.

Marie had four siblings but only two brothers survived childhood:

The sinking of the White Ship; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1120, a terrible tragedy caused a succession crisis in England. The White Ship, carrying King Henry I of England’s only legitimate son William Ætheling, sank as it left France to sail to England, and William Ætheling was among the estimated 300 passengers who drowned. Empress Matilda was then King Henry I’s only legitimate child and on Christmas Day in 1126, Henry I had his barons swear to recognize his only surviving legitimate child Empress Matilda and any future legitimate heirs she might have as his successors.

On December 1, 1135, King Henry I of England died. His nephew, Marie’s father Stephen of Blois, quickly crossed over the English Channel from the County of Boulogne, now in France, to England, accompanied by his military household. With the help of his brother Henry of Blois, Bishop of Winchester, Stephen seized power in England and was crowned King of England on December 22, 1135. However, Empress Matilda did not give up her claim to England and Normandy, leading to the long civil war known as The Anarchy between 1135 and 1153. After eighteen long years of war, Stephen and Henry FitzEmpress, the son of Empress Matilda and the future Henry II, King of England reached a formal agreement known as the Treaty of Wallingford. The treaty allowed King Stephen to keep the English throne until his death but forced him to recognize Empress Matilda’s son Henry FitzEmpress as his heir. Marie’s father King Stephen only survived until the next year, dying on October 25, 1154. A line of fourteen Plantagenet kings who ruled England until 1485 started, with Henry FitzEmpress, now King Henry II of England.

The original church built for the Priory of Lillechurch (now Higham; Credit – By St. Mary’s Church, Lower Higham by Roger Smith, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=106871590

As a young girl, Marie was placed in a convent in Stratford, Middlesex, England. Marie’s parents established a new convent for her, the Priory of Lillechurch (now Higham) in Kent, England, which Marie entered as a novice. She later transferred to Romsey Abbey in Romsey, Hampshire, England which had been rebuilt by her paternal uncle Henry of Blois, Bishop of Winchester. Marie took her vows as a nun at Romsey Abbey and was elected Abbess of Romsey in 1155. Four years later, on October 11, 1159, her brother William died. As his marriage to Isabel de Warenne, 4th Countess of Surrey in her own right had been childless, Marie, his only surviving sibling, succeeded as Countess of Boulogne in her own right.

Matthew of Alsace was the second son of Thierry, Count of Flanders and Sibylla of Anjou, the paternal aunt of King Henry II of England. As his elder brother would succeed their father as Count of Flanders, the ambitious Matthew decided to get himself a title and the land that came with the title. In 1160, Matthew abducted Marie from Romsey Abbey and forced her to marry him despite her religious vows. Via the marriage, Mattew became jure uxoris (by right of his wife) Count of Boulogne, and her co-ruler.

The church reacted immediately. Pope Alexander III wrote to Henri of France, Archbishop of Reims (son of King Louis VI of France), and Matthew and Maria were excommunicated. In 1162, their excommunication was renewed and all the priests who supported the couple were also excommunicated. Finally, in 1168, an interdict was imposed on the people of the County of Boulogne, a punishment forbidding certain sacraments and prohibiting participation in certain religious rites. Only then did Marie and Matthew submit to the will of the church and separate.

Ida of Flanders, Countess of Boulogne, Marie and Matthew’s elder daughter; Credit – Wikipedia

However, Marie and Matthew had two daughters:

In 1169, the marriage of Marie and Matthew was annulled but Pope Alexander III legitimized their two daughters. Matthew remained in the County of Boulogne and retained the title Count of Boulogne until his death when he was succeeded by his elder daughter Ida as Countess of Boulogne in her own right. In 1171, Matthew married Eleanor, Countess of Vermandois in her own right. They had one short-lived daughter. Matthew, a supporter of Henry the Young King, the eldest surviving son of King Henry II of England, died in 1173, aged about 36, from a crossbow wound fighting at the Siege of Driencourt during the 1173 – 1174 revolt of King Henry II’s sons.

Marie returned to religious life as a nun at the Abbey of St. Austrebert near Montreuil-sur-Mer, County of Boulogne, where she died on July 25, 1182, at the age of about 46. She was buried at the Abbey of St. Austrebert.

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

Works Cited

  • En.wikipedia.org. 2022. Marie I, Countess of Boulogne – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie_I,_Countess_of_Boulogne> [Accessed 22 July 2022].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2016. King Stephen of England. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-stephen-of-england/> [Accessed 22 July 2022].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2014. Matilda of Boulogne, Queen of England. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/may-3-1152-death-of-matilda-of-boulogne-wife-of-king-stephen-of-england/> [Accessed 22 July 2022].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2015. The Sinking of the White Ship and How It Affected the English Succession. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/november-25-1120-the-sinking-of-the-white-ship-and-how-it-affected-the-english-succession/> [Accessed 22 July 2022].
  • Fr.wikipedia.org. 2022. Marie de Boulogne — Wikipédia. [online] Available at: <https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie_de_Boulogne> [Accessed 22 July 2022].
  • Williamson, David, 1996. Brewer’s British Royalty. London: Cassell.

William of Blois, Count of Boulogne

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2022

William’s coat of arms as Count of Boulogne; Credit – Wikipedia

Born circa 1137, William of Blois, Count of Boulogne was the youngest of the five children and the third but the second surviving of the three sons of Stephen I, King of England (born Stephen of Blois) and Matilda I, Countess of Boulogne in her own right. Boulogne was a county within the Kingdom of France from 896 – 1501, centered on the city of Boulogne-sur-Mer, a coastal city in Northern France.

William’s paternal grandparents were Stephen II, Count of Blois and Adela of Normandy and England, a daughter of William I, King of England (the Conqueror). His maternal grandparents were Eustace III, Count of Boulogne and Mary of Scotland, daughter of King Malcolm III of Scotland and Saint Margaret of Scotland, born an Anglo-Saxon princess.

William had four elder siblings:

Circa 1148 – 1149, William married Isabel de Warenne, 4th Countess of Surrey in her own right. Isabel was the only child of William de Warenne, 3rd Earl of Surrey and Adela of Ponthieu. Isabel’s father had died in 1148 at the Battle of Mount Cadmus during the Second Crusade and she inherited his earldom of Surrey. Upon his marriage, William became Earl of Warenne jure uxoris (by right of his wife. As a result of his marriage, William became one of the richest barons in England. This marriage was also strategic because it allowed King Stephen to increase his control in England because the Warenne lands included more than 200 manors in Sussex Norfolk, Yorkshire, and many other English counties. William and Isabel did not have children.

The sinking of the White Ship; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1120, a terrible tragedy caused a succession crisis in England. The White Ship, carrying King Henry I of England’s only legitimate son William Ætheling, sank as it left France to sail to England, and William Ætheling was among the estimated 300 passengers who drowned. Empress Matilda was then King Henry I’s only legitimate child and on Christmas Day in 1126, Henry I had his barons swear to recognize his only surviving legitimate child Empress Matilda and any future legitimate heirs she might have as his successors.

Stephen of Blois and his wife Matilda of Boulogne stayed close to his maternal uncle King Henry I and spent much time in England realizing that Stephen was very close to the throne. Stephen’s mother Adela of Normandy and England was the daughter of William I, King of England (the Conqueror). Henry I’s daughter Empress Matilda had left England as a child to marry Holy Roman Emperor Heinrich V. The marriage was childless and Holy Roman Emperor Heinrich V died in 1125. After her husband’s death, Empress Matilda went to the royal court in the Duchy of Normandy (Kings of England were also Dukes of Normandy). Eventually, King Henry I made arrangements for his daughter to marry Geoffrey V, Count of Anjou in 1128. Empress Matilda and Geoffrey did not get along and their marriage was stormy with frequent, long separations but they did produce three sons, including Henry FitzEmpress, the future Henry II, King of England.

William’s father King Stephen of England; Credit – Wikipedia

On December 1, 1135, King Henry I of England died. His nephew Stephen of Blois quickly crossed over the English Channel from the County of Boulogne, now in France, to England, accompanied by his military household. With the help of his brother Henry of Blois who was Bishop of Winchester, Stephen seized power in England and was crowned King of England on December 22, 1135. However, Empress Matilda did not give up her claim to England and Normandy, leading to the long civil war known as The Anarchy between 1135 and 1153.

Empress Matilda; Credit – Wikipedia

Geoffrey of Anjou, Empress Matilda’s husband, began a systematic conquest of the Duchy of Normandy. By 1143, Geoffrey secured all of Normandy west and south of the Seine River and he then assumed the title of Duke of Normandy. Geoffrey held the duchy until 1149 when he and Empress Matilda ceded it to their son Henry FitzEmpress.  In 1151, William’s brother Eustace and King Louis VII of France launched an invasion of the Duchy of Normandy. However, they were defeated by the troops of Henry FitzEmpress.

At a council held in London on April 6, 1152, King Stephen asked the barons to recognize his eldest son Eustace as their next king and to pay him homage. He wanted to follow the French practice of ensuring the succession by declaring his heir Eustace the junior king. The barons refused. By the early 1150s, after years of civil war, most of the barons and church leaders wanted long-term peace. Theobald of Bec, Archbishop of Canterbury refused to grant Stephen’s request to crown Eustace and Pope Eugene III refused to recognize Eustace as Stephen’s successor.

William’s mother Matilda I, Countess of Boulogne in her own right died on May 3, 1152, and her eldest son succeeded her as Eustace IV, Count of Boulogne. On August 17, 1153, Eustace, aged about twenty-three, died suddenly and William became Count of Boulogne. William was also the heir to the English throne for a short time. Shortly after Eustace’s death, on December 25, 1153, William’s father King Stephen and Henry FitzEmpress father King Stephen and Henry FitzEmpress reached a formal agreement known as the Treaty of Wallingford. The treaty allowed King Stephen to keep the English throne until his death but forced him to recognize Empress Matilda’s son Henry FitzEmpress as his heir. Henry FitzEmpress guaranteed that William, Count of Boulogne would retain his possessions in England and Normandy, the lands of the House of Boulogne, and the lands of the House of Warenne.

William’s father King Stephen survived for a little more than a year after the death of Eustace, dying on October 25, 1154. A line of fourteen Plantagenet kings who ruled England until 1485 started, with Henry FitzEmpress, now King Henry II of England. William did not attempt to oppose Henry II’s accession to the English throne. For the rest of his life, William remained loyal to King Henry II.

In 1159 William accompanied King Henry II on an unsuccessful invasion of the County of Toulouse, now in France. William died October 11, 1159, aged circa twenty-two, from an illness on the return trip to England, while still in the County of Toulouse. He was buried at the Abbey of Montmorel (link in French) in the Duchy of Normandy, now in France.

With William’s death, the male line of King Stephen died out. The County of Boulogne and other possessions of the Boulogne family were inherited by William’s only surviving sibling Marie of Blois who became Countess of Boulogne in her own right. In 1164, King Henry II arranged for William’s widow Isabella de Warenne to marry Hamelin of Anjou, the illegitimate son of Geoffrey V, Count of Anjou. Hamelin was, therefore, the half-brother of King Henry II and the uncle of his sons King Richard I and King John and was prominent at their courts. Hamelin adopted the surname de Warenne, as did his descendants. Isabel and Hamelin had one son and three daughters. Isabel survived her first husband William of Blois, Count of Boulogne by forty-four years, dying on July 12, 1203, aged about sixty-six.

Sharon Kay Penman’s excellent historical fiction novel When Christ and His Saints Slept deals with The Anarchy and most of the historical figures mentioned here are characters.

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

Works Cited

  • En.wikipedia.org. 2022. Isabel de Warenne, Countess of Surrey – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isabel_de_Warenne,_Countess_of_Surrey> [Accessed 19 July 2022].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2022. William I, Count of Boulogne – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_I,_Count_of_Boulogne> [Accessed 19 July 2022].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2016. King Stephen of England. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-stephen-of-england/> [Accessed 19 July 2022].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2014. Matilda of Boulogne, Queen of England. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/may-3-1152-death-of-matilda-of-boulogne-wife-of-king-stephen-of-england/> [Accessed 19 July 2022].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2015. The Sinking of the White Ship and How It Affected the English Succession. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/november-25-1120-the-sinking-of-the-white-ship-and-how-it-affected-the-english-succession/> [Accessed 19 July 2022].

Eustace (of Blois) IV, Count of Boulogne

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2022

Eustace’s coat of arms as Count of  Boulogne; Credit – Wikipedia

Born circa 1129, Eustace (of Blois) IV, Count of Boulogne was the second but the eldest surviving of the five children and the second but the eldest surviving of the three sons of Stephen I, King of England (born Stephen of Blois) and Matilda I, Countess of Boulogne in her own right. Boulogne was a county within the Kingdom of France from 896 – 1501, centered on the city of Boulogne-sur-Mer, a coastal city in Northern France.

Eustace’s paternal grandparents were Stephen II, Count of Blois and Adela of Normandy and England, a daughter of William I, King of England (the Conqueror). His maternal grandparents were Eustace III, Count of Boulogne and Mary of Scotland, daughter of King Malcolm III of Scotland and Saint Margaret of Scotland.

Eustace had four siblings. After the death of his elder brother Baldwin in 1135, Eustace became the heir of his father’s and mother’s lands.

The sinking of the White Ship; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1120, a terrible tragedy caused a succession crisis in England. The White Ship, carrying King Henry I of England’s only legitimate son William Ætheling, sank as it left France to sail to England, and William Ætheling was among the estimated 300 passengers who drowned. Empress Matilda was then King Henry I’s only legitimate child. On Christmas Day in 1126, Henry I had his barons swear to recognize Empress Matilda and any future legitimate heirs she might have as his successors.

Stephen and his wife Matilda of Boulogne stayed close to his maternal uncle King Henry I and spent much time in England realizing that Stephen was very close to the throne. Stephen’s mother Adela of Normandy and England was the daughter of William I, King of England (the Conqueror). Henry I’s daughter Empress Matilda had left England as a child to marry Holy Roman Emperor Heinrich V. The marriage was childless and Holy Roman Emperor Heinrich V died in 1125. After her husband’s death, Empress Matilda went to the royal court in the Duchy of Normandy (Kings of England were also Dukes of Normandy). Eventually, King Henry I made arrangements for his daughter to marry Geoffrey V, Count of Anjou in 1128. Empress Matilda and Geoffrey did not get along and their marriage was stormy with frequent, long separations but they did produce three sons, including Henry FitzEmpress, the future Henry II, King of England.

Eustace’s father King Stephen of England; Credit – Wikipedia

On December 1, 1135, King Henry I of England died. His nephew Stephen quickly crossed over the English Channel from the County of Boulogne, now in France, to England, accompanied by his military household. With the help of his brother Henry of Blois, Bishop of Winchester, Stephen seized power in England and was crowned King of England on December 22, 1135. Eustace was now also the heir apparent to the throne of the Kingdom of England and the Duchy of Normandy, However, Empress Matilda did not give up her claim to England and Normandy, leading to the long civil war known as The Anarchy between 1135 and 1153.

Empress Matilda; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1137, as heir apparent to the English throne, Eustace did homage for the Duchy of Normandy to King Louis VII of France, whose sister, Constance of France, he subsequently married in 1140. Eustance and Constance had no children. However, Geoffrey of Anjou, Empress Matilda’s husband, began a systematic conquest of the Duchy of Normandy. By 1143, Geoffrey secured all of Normandy west and south of the Seine River and assumed the title of Duke of Normandy. Geoffrey held the duchy until 1149 when he and Empress Matilda ceded it to their son Henry FitzEmpress

Eustace was knighted in 1147. By this time he was sixteen or seventeen years old and he began to take a more active part in the civil war. In 1151, Eustace and King Louis VII of France launched an invasion of the Duchy of Normandy. However, they were defeated by the troops of Henry FitzEmpress.

At a council held in London on April 6, 1152, Stephen asked the barons to recognize Eustace as their next king and to pay him homage. He wanted to follow the French practice of ensuring the succession by declaring his heir Eustace the junior king. The barons refused. By the early 1150s, after years of civil war, most barons and church leaders wanted long-term peace. Theobald of Bec, Archbishop of Canterbury refused to grant Stephen’s request to crown Eustace and Pope Eugene III refused to recognize Eustace as Stephen’s successor. However, Eustace’s mother Matilda I, Countess of Boulogne died of a fever on May 3, 1152, and her eldest son succeeded her as Eustace IV, Count of Boulogne.

Finally, the armies of Henry FitzEmpress and King Stephen of England met at Wallingford in Oxfordshire, England. Pressured by the barons, Stephen called a ceasefire and agreed to a truce, over the objections of his son Eustace. Eustace flew into a rage and plundered church lands of the Abbey of Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk, England.

On August 17, 1153, Eustace, aged about twenty-three, died suddenly in Bury St. Edmunds.  Various chroniclers of the time attribute Eustace’s death to the wrath of God for plundering church lands, a fever, a fit of madness, or poisoning. Eustace was buried in Faversham Abbey in Faversham, Kent, England, founded by his parents who were also buried there. All three tombs were lost when Faversham Abbey was demolished during the Dissolution of the Monasteries during the reign of King Henry VIII. Their remains were reportedly thrown into the nearby Faversham Creek. Their empty tombs were unearthed in 1964 near what had been the center of the choir. At St. Mary of Charity Church, the parish church in Faversham, there is a tomb where it is said that the remains of King Stephen, his wife Matilda of Boulogne, and his son Eustace were reinterred after the destruction of Faversham Abbey.

The supposed tomb of King Stephen, his wife Matilda, and their son Eustace; Credit – www.findagrave.com

Shortly after Eustace’s death, King Stephen and Henry FitzEmpress reached a formal agreement known as the Treaty of Wallingford. The treaty allowed Stephen to keep the throne until his death but forced him to recognize Empress Matilda’s son Henry FitzEmpress, as his heir. King Stephen survived for a little more than a year after the death of Eustace, dying apparently of appendicitis at Dover Castle on October 25, 1154, and a line of fourteen Plantagenet kings who ruled England until 1485 started, with Henry FitzEmpress, now King Henry II of England. Ironically, on August 17, 1153, the day of Eustace’s death, the first child of Henry FitzEmpress, the future King Henry II, and his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine was born. The child, William IX, Count of Poitiers, survived for only two years, but he was followed by seven siblings, two of whom became Kings of England, King Richard I (the Lionheart) and King John.

Sharon Kay Penman’s excellent historical fiction novel When Christ and His Saints Slept deals with The Anarchy and most of the historical figures mentioned here are characters.

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Works Cited

  • En.wikipedia.org. 2022. Eustace IV, Count of Boulogne – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eustace_IV,_Count_of_Boulogne> [Accessed 14 July 2022].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2016. King Stephen of England. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-stephen-of-england/> [Accessed 14 July 2022].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2014. Matilda of Boulogne, Queen of England. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/may-3-1152-death-of-matilda-of-boulogne-wife-of-king-stephen-of-england/> [Accessed 14 July 2022].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2015. The Sinking of the White Ship and How It Affected the English Succession. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/november-25-1120-the-sinking-of-the-white-ship-and-how-it-affected-the-english-succession/> [Accessed 14 July 2022].
  • Fr.wikipedia.org. 2022. Eustache IV de Boulogne — Wikipédia. [online] Available at: <https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eustache_IV_de_Boulogne> [Accessed 14 July 2022].
  • Williamson, David, 1996. Brewer’s British Royalty. London: Cassell.

Monday, September 19, 2022 – The Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II – What we can expect to happen?

Westminster Abbey; Credit – By Σπάρτακος (changes by Rabanus Flavus) – File:Westminster-Abbey.JPG, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=76031882

This is the first time since the funeral of King George II in 1760 that the funeral of a British monarch has been held at Westminster Abbey. The funerals of British monarchs from King George III to King George VI, Queen Elizabeth II’s father, were held at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor.

  • The Lying-in-State of Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin at Westminster Hall will end at 6:30 AM British Time, 1:30 AM US Eastern Time as the final members of the public will be admitted.
  • At 10:44 AM British Time, 5:44 AM US Eastern Time, the coffin will travel in procession on the State Gun Carriage of the Royal Navy the short distance from the Palace of Westminster to Westminster Abbey for the State Funeral. King Charles III, members of the Royal Family, and members of The King’s Household will follow the coffin. The procession will arrive at Westminster Abbey eight minutes later. The coffin will be lifted from the State Gun Carriage and carried into Westminster Abbey for the State Funeral Service.
  • The State Funeral Service will be conducted by David Hoyle, Dean of Westminster. During the Service, Prime Minister Liz Truss and Secretary General of the Commonwealth Patricia Scotland, Baroness Scotland of Asthal will read Lessons. Stephen Cottrell, Archbishop of York; Vincent Nichols, Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster; Iain Greenshields, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland; and Helen Cameron, Free Churches Moderator will say Prayers. The Sermon will be given by Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, who will also give the Commendation. The Dean of Westminster will then pronounce the Blessing. Two Minutes Silence will be observed in Westminster Abbey and throughout the United Kingdom. The National Anthem will be sung and the State Funeral Service will end at approximately 12 noon British Time, 7:00 AM US Eastern Time.
  • After the State Funeral Service, the coffin will be carried out of Westminster Abbey and returned to the State Gun Carriage. There will be a procession to Wellington Arch, Hyde Park Corner which King Charles III and members of the Royal Family will follow. Guns will be fired every minute in Hyde Park and Big Ben will toll throughout the duration of the procession.
  • The procession will arrive at Wellington Arch at approximately 1:00 PM British Time, 8:00 AM US Eastern Time. The coffin will be transferred to a hearse for the trip to St. George’s Chapel in Windsor where the burial will take place. As the hearse departs, there will be a Royal Salute and the National Anthem will be played. King Charles III and members of the Royal Family will then travel to Windsor by car.
  • When the coffin reaches Windsor, the hearse will join a procession on Albert Road and travel along the Long Walk to St.George’s Chapel, Windsor for the Committal Service.
  • Members of the Royal Family will join the procession in the Quadrangle at Windsor Castle. Guns will be fired each minute on the East Lawn of Windsor Castle and bells will toll. The procession will end at the bottom of the West Steps of St. George’s Chapel. The coffin will be carried in procession into the chapel.
  • The Committal Service will begin at 4:00 PM British Time, 11:00 AM US Eastern Time. The congregation will include King Charles III, members of the Royal Family, past and present members of The Queen’s Household, including from the private estates, Governors-General, and Commonwealth Realm Prime Ministers. The service will be conducted by David Conner, Dean of Windsor, with prayers said by The Reverand Canon Jonathan Riviere, Rector of Sandringham; Kenneth Mackenzie, Minister of Crathie Kirk; and Martin Poll, Chaplain of Windsor Great Park.
  • Before the final hymn, the Imperial State Crown, the Orb, and the Sceptre will be removed from the coffin, and placed on the altar. After the final hymn, King Charles III will place The Queen’s Company Camp Colour of the Grenadier Guards on the coffin and Andrew Parker, Baron Parker of Minsmere, The Lord Chamberlain, the most senior officer of the Royal Household of the United Kingdom, will break his Wand of Office and place it on the coffin.
  • As the coffin is lowered into the Royal Vault, the Dean of Windsor will say a Psalm and the Commendation followed by David White, Garter King of Arms pronouncing Her Majesty’s styles and titles. The Sovereign’s Piper will play a Lament and The Archbishop of Canterbury will pronounce the Blessing. The National Anthem will be sung at the conclusion of the Committal Service.
  • A private burial will take place in the King George VI Memorial Chapel at St. George’s Chapel later in the evening, conducted by the Dean of Windsor in which Queen Elizabeth II will be buried together with her husband Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh in the King George VI Memorial Chapel where The Queen’s parents King George VI and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and the ashes of her sister Princess Margaret are buried.

King George VI Memorial Chapel; Photo Credit – http://thebluerememberedhills.blogspot.com/

The Death of Queen Elizabeth II – Operation London Bridge – What we can expect to happen on Sunday, September 18, 2022

On Saturday, all eight grandchildren of Queen Elizabeth II stood vigil at her coffin – From left to right, going around the coffin: Zara Tindall, Lady Louise-Mountbatten-Windsor, Princess Beatrice, The Duke of Sussex, Princess Eugenie, Viscount Severn, Peter Phillips, and The Prince of Wales (both partially hidden)

  • Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin will lie in state for the fourth full day in Westminster Hall, where people will be able to pay their respects.
  • King Charles III will hold an audience with Prime Minister Liz Truss at Buckingham Palace.
  • King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla will also host heads of state and official overseas guests for an official state event at Buckingham Palace.
  • A one-minute silence will be held across the United Kingdom at 8:00 PM British Time, 3:00 PM US Eastern Time. People can observe the silence privately in their own homes, on the street with neighbors, or at community events and vigils.

The Death of Queen Elizabeth II – Operation London Bridge – What we can expect to happen on Saturday, September 17, 2022

All eight grandchildren of Queen Elizabeth II stood vigil at her coffin – From left to right, going around the coffin: Zara Tindall, Lady Louise-Mountbatten-Windsor, Princess Beatrice, The Duke of Sussex, Princess Eugenie, Viscount Severn, Peter Phillips, and The Prince of Wales (both partially hidden)