Category Archives: British Royals

Margaret “Bobo” MacDonald, Nanny, Dresser, and Confidante of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Margaret MacDonald served Queen Elizabeth II for sixty-seven years, first as a nursemaid beginning in Elizabeth’s infancy and then as her dresser who looked after her clothes and jewelry and helped style her appearance. A constant presence in Elizabeth’s life from an early age, Margaret was also Elizabeth’s confidante and friend. Born in 1904, Margaret MacDonald was the Scots-born daughter of a railway worker. She grew up in a three-room railway company cottage in Black Isle, a peninsula north of Inverness in the Scottish Highlands. Margaret first worked as an apprentice chambermaid in a modest hotel. In 1926, when Princess Elizabeth (the future Queen Elizabeth II) was born, she joined the household of the Duke and Duchess of York (the future King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, later The Queen Mother) as a nursemaid.

Baby Elizabeth’s staff also included Clara Cooper Knight known as Allah, a traditional English nanny. Margaret, as nursemaid, would often play hide and seek with the toddler Elizabeth in the gardens calling, “Boo!” Elizabeth would clap her hands and answer “Boo! Boo!” and that is how Margaret got the name Bobo. She was called Bobo for the rest of her life and she was the only person outside the immediate royal family permitted to call Elizabeth by her childhood name Lilibet.

When Princess Margaret was born in 1930, Allah and Bobo’s younger sister Ruby MacDonald, who later became Princess Margaret’s dresser, took care of the new princess. Bobo took charge of Elizabeth and moved into her room to give her a stronger sense of security. Elizabeth would share a room with Bobo until she was thirteen-years-old and Bobo developed a devotion to Elizabeth that would last until she died in 1993. From 1930 onward, Bobo was closer to Elizabeth than anyone outside her family.

When Princess Elizabeth got older, Bobo was, officially, her dresser. She looked after Elizabeth’s clothes and jewelry and dealt with the royal dressmakers Norman Hartnell, Hardy Amies, and Ian Thomas. Unofficially, Bobo looked after Elizabeth. For sixty-seven years, Bobo loved, protected, and respected Elizabeth. She accompanied Elizabeth on her honeymoon and all her tours and lived in style at Buckingham Palace. Into her 80s, Bobo would still wake Elizabeth with a cup of tea, run her bath, and lay out her clothes for the day. In 1986, Queen Elizabeth II made Bobo a Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order.

In her later years, Bobo held a unique position in Buckingham Palace. She had her own suite, no duties, and enjoyed a closer personal friendship with Queen Elizabeth II than nearly anyone else, including some of the members of the royal family.

On September 22, 1993, Margaret MacDonald, Queen Elizabeth’s dear Bobo, died in her suite at Buckingham Palace at the age of 89. Bobo, who never married, was survived by her sister Ruby, who had been a member of the royal household since 1930. Bobo’s funeral was held on September 30, 1993, at The Queen’s Chapel at St. James’ Palace in London, England, on Marlborough Road, across from St. James’ Palace. The Queen’s Chapel was originally built as a Roman Catholic chapel for Queen Henrietta Maria, the French Catholic wife of King Charles I.

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Queen Elizabeth II after the funeral service for Margaret (Bobo) MacDonald

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

  • Brandreth, Gyles, 2004. Philip and Elizabeth: Portrait of a Royal Marriage. New York: W.W. Norton and Company.
  • Brough, James, 1978. Margaret – The Tragic Princess. New York: Avon Books.
  • Edwards, Anne, 1990. Royal Sisters. New York: Jove Books.
  • Lacey, Robert, 1977. Majesty. New York: Avon Books.
  • Lacey, Robert, 2002. Monarch. New York: Free Press.
  • MacLeod, John, 1993. Margaret MacDonald – Obituary. [online] Scottish Daily Mail. Available at: <https://www.pressreader.com/uk/scottish-daily-mail/20180915/282389810384190> [Accessed 17 February 2021].
  • Nytimes.com. 1993. Margaret MacDonald, Queen’s Servant, 89. [online] Available at: <https://www.nytimes.com/1993/09/25/obituaries/margaret-macdonald-queen-s-servant-89.html?ref=oembed> [Accessed 17 February 2021].

George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham, Favorite of King James I of England and King Charles I of England

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham; Credit – Wikipedia

Favorite: a person treated with special or undue favor by a king, queen, or another royal person

George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham, a courtier and favorite of King James I of England and his son King Charles I until a disgruntled army officer assassinated him, was born on August 28, 1592, in Brooksby, Leicestershire, England. George was the second of the three sons and the second of the four children of Sir George Villiers (circa 1544 – 1606) and his second wife Mary Beaumont (circa 1570 – 1632).

George had three siblings:

George had five half-siblings from his father’s first marriage to Audrey Saunders who died in 1588:

  • Sir William Villiers, 1st Baronet (circa 1575 – 1629), married (1) Anne Griffin, no children (2) Anne Fiennes, had one child (3) Rebecca Roper, had three children
  • Sir Edward Villiers (circa 1585 – 1626) married Barbara St. John, had ten children, grandparents of Barbara Villiers,1st Duchess of Cleveland, mistress of King Charles II
  • Elizabeth Villiers (died 1654), married John Boteler, 1st Baron Boteler of Brantfield, had eight children
  • Frances Villiers, unmarried
  • Anne Villiers (born 1588), married Sir William Washington (elder brother of Lawrence Washington, the great-great-grandfather of George Washington), had two children

Sir George Villiers, George’s father, was a well-to-do sheep farmer. He was High Sheriff of Leicestershire in 1591, knighted in 1593, and a Member of Parliament from 1604 until he died in 1606. George’s mother Mary Beaumont was a poor cousin of her husband but she had ambitions for her second son George. She recognized that he had potential and found the funds to send George to the French court where he learned courtly skills and improved his French. When George returned from France, Mary provided him with a suitable wardrobe and sent him to the English court in 1614 where he quickly became the new favorite of King James I. As George rose, his mother, his siblings, and his half-siblings rose along with him. In 1618, King James I retorted that he lived to no other end but to advance the Villiers family.

King James I of England; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1615, George was knighted and became a Gentleman of the Bedchamber. He became Master of the Horse in 1616, was raised to the peerage as Baron Whaddon, Viscount Villiers, and was made a Knight of the Garter. In 1619, George was made Lord High Admiral of England. In 1617, George was created Earl of Buckingham and climbed the steps of peerage when he was created Marquess of Buckingham in 1618, and Duke of Buckingham in 1623.

George’s mother Mary chose Katherine Manners, the only surviving child of Francis Manners, 6th Earl of Rutland, and the richest woman in England, to marry George. However, because Katherine was Catholic, King James I refused to allow the marriage, and Katherine’s father refused to accept the demands for an extremely lucrative dowry. Katherine did convert to the Church of England which greatly upset her father. George’s mother Mary entrapped Katherine into the marriage by arranging for her to spend the night under the same roof as George, ruining her reputation, and leaving her family with no choice but to allow her to marry George. George and Katherine married on May 16, 1620.

George and Katherine with their daughter Mary and son George; Credit – Wikipedia

George and Katherine had four children:

Whether the personal relationship between King James I and his male favorites was a sexual one is still debated by historians. Some historians think that James I’s need for a close male favorite came from a lack of family while growing up in Scotland where he became King of Scots when he was one year old. James I did not know his parents Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley and Mary, Queen of Scots and he had no siblings. His maternal grandparents died before he was born. His paternal grandfather died while James was still a boy and his paternal grandmother lived in England. James I compared his love for George to Jesus’ love of his apostle John when he spoke to his Privy Council about rumors in 1617: “You may be sure that I love the Earl of Buckingham more than anyone else, and more than you who are here assembled. I wish to speak in my own behalf and not to have it thought to be a defect, for Jesus Christ did the same, and therefore I cannot be blamed. Christ had John, and I have George.”

King Charles I of England; Credit – Wikipedia

George was King James I’s constant companion and closest advisor until the king died. George greatly influenced James I’s son and successor, the future King Charles I, while he was Prince of Wales. By 1624, an increasingly ill James I was finding it difficult to control Parliament. Before King James I died in March 1625, Charles and George had already assumed de facto control of England. At the end of King James I’s reign and the beginning of King Charles I’s reign, George had a number of diplomatic and military failures that caused Parliament to refuse to fund any more of his endeavors. Parliament then attempted to impeach George twice but King Charles I rescued him by dissolving Parliament both times. George was widely considered a public enemy by the English people. George’s physician Dr. Lambe, popularly supposed to have an evil influence on him, was killed by a mob in the street. A pamphlet published after Dr. Lambe’s death said:

Let Charles and George do what they can
The Duke shall die like Doctor Lambe

 John Felton (1595 – 1628) had been an army officer and had submitted petitions to the Privy Council over two matters, back pay he believed he was owed, and his promotion to captain, which he believed he had been unfairly denied. He was unsuccessful in resolving these matters and believed George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham was responsible. Felton further believed that his grievances against George were part of George’s treacherous and wicked influence on the English government. He decided to kill George and traveled to Portsmouth where he knew George was staying.

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Assassination of George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham

On August 23, 1628, George was staying at the Greyhound Inn in Portsmouth, England while planning another military campaign. After having breakfast, George left the inn. John Felton made his way through the crowd that surrounded George and stabbed the 35-year-old Duke of Buckingham in the chest with a dagger, killing him. Felton could have escaped in the resulting chaos but instead, expecting to be well received, he confessed to the gathering crowd. He was immediately arrested, and taken before a judge who sent him to London for interrogation. Because of the unpopularity of the Duke of Buckingham, Felton’s deed received widespread approval and was celebrated in poems and pamphlets. After being tried and found guilty, John Felton was hanged on November 29, 1628, at Tyburn, the principal place for execution in London.

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The Chapel of St. Nicholas at Westminster Abbey where George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham is buried

King Charles I ordered George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham to be buried at Westminster Abbey in London, England in the Chapel of St. Nicholas which had previously been reserved for those only of royal descent.  A lavish tomb of black and white marble and bronze was constructed by his widow in 1634 with an effigy of George and his wife Katherine although she is not buried there. Katherine succeeded to one of her father’s titles Baron de Ros of Helmsley upon his death in 1632, becoming the 18th Baroness de Ros of Helmsley in her own right. She married for a second time to Randal MacDonnell, 1st Marquess of Antrim in 1635, and went to live at Dunluce Castle in County Antrim, Ireland. Katherine survived her first husband by twenty-one years, dying in Waterford, Ireland, probably of the plague. She was buried in Waterford but there is a memorial to her in Westminster Abbey.

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. 2020. George Villiers (Died 1606). [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Villiers_(died_1606)> [Accessed 10 December 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. George Villiers, 1St Duke Of Buckingham. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Villiers,_1st_Duke_of_Buckingham> [Accessed 10 December 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. John Felton (Assassin). [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Felton_(assassin)> [Accessed 10 December 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Katherine Villiers, Duchess Of Buckingham. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katherine_Villiers,_Duchess_of_Buckingham> [Accessed 10 December 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Mary Villiers, Countess Of Buckingham. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Villiers,_Countess_of_Buckingham> [Accessed 10 December 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Personal Relationships Of James VI And I. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_relationships_of_James_VI_and_I#George_Villiers.2C_1st_Duke_of_Buckingham> [Accessed 10 December 2020].

Arnold van Keppel, 1st Earl of Albemarle, Favorite of King William III of England

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Arnold van Keppel, 1st Earl of Albemarle; Credit – Wikipedia

Favorite: a person treated with special or undue favor by a king, queen, or another royal person

An ancestor of Queen Camilla, Arnold van Keppel, 1st Earl of Albemarle was born in Zutphen, Dutch Republic, now in the Netherlands. He was christened on January 30, 1670, so it can be assumed he was probably born shortly before his christening. His parents were Osewolt van Keppel, Lord of Voorst (1630 – 1685) and Reinira Anna Geertruida van Lintelo (1638 – 1700). The van Keppel family is of old Gelderland nobility.

Arnold had at least one brother:

  • Jan Rabo van Keppel (circa 1665-1733), married Cornelia Mechteld Van Lynden, had at least one son

King William III of England, also Willem III, Prince of Orange; Credit – Wikipedia

Sometime in his teens, possibly as early as 1685, Arnold became a page of honor to Willem III, Prince of Orange. Willem III was the only child of Willem II, Prince of Orange and Mary, Princess Royal, who was the eldest daughter of King Charles I of England. In 1677, Willem III married his first cousin the future Queen Mary II of England, the elder of the two surviving children, both daughters, of the future King James II of England and his first wife Anne Hyde. Being the grandson of King Charles I of England, Willem III was also in the line of succession to the English throne and eventually co-reigned as King William III of England with his wife and first cousin Queen Mary II of England. William and Mary came to power in England during the Glorious Revolution of 1688, following the birth of a Catholic heir James Francis Edward Stuart to Maria Beatrice of Modena, the second wife of King James II of England, Mary’s father and Willem III’s uncle. When the new King William III of England, with his name anglicized as William, came to England, Arnold accompanied him as a member of his household. King William III remained Prince of Orange and Stadtholder of the Dutch Republic.

Arnold rose in royal favor and became a Gentleman of the Bedchamber (1690 – 1695) in William III’s household. He copied William’s letters and spent many hours with the king, resulting in jealousy among some courtiers, particularly William’s long-time friend and favorite, and a fellow Dutchman, William Bentinck, 1st Earl of Portland.  William found Arnold to be better company because Bentinck, who had governmental duties, was always preoccupied with the affairs of state. In 1691, William returned to the Dutch Republic where a military meeting with his allies was planned in The Hague and Arnold accompanied him. During a hunting holiday with some of the meeting participants at Het Loo Palace in Apeldoorn, Dutch Republic, now in the Netherlands, Arnold was thrown from his horse and broke his leg. William was impressed that Arnold never complained about his pain and often visited him during his recovery.

Arnold began to receive favors and honors, both English and Dutch. In 1692, Arnold received from William, in his capacity as Prince of Orange and Stadtholder of the Dutch Republic, the titles of Knight of Zutphen, Knight of Holland and West Friesland, and Lord van der Voorst. From 1695 – 1701, he served as William III’s Master of the Robes. Arnold was created an English peer by William in 1697 receiving the titles Earl of Albemarle, Viscount Bury, and Baron Ashford. He served as Captain and Colonel of His Majesty’s Own Troop of Horse Guards from 1699 – 1710 and in 1700, he was created a Knight of the Order of the Garter.

William Bentinck, 1st Earl of Portland, who was Groom of the Stole, Keeper of the Privy Purse, and a Privy Councilor, continued to be jealous of Arnold, and because of this, in 1700, he resigned all his offices in the royal household. However, he never lost the esteem of King William III who continued to trust him and use him as an advisor, and it was in the arms of Bentinck that William III took his last breath in 1702.

Gertrude van Keppel, Countess of Albemarle; Credit – www.thepeerage.com

On July 10, 1701, Arnold married Geertruida van der Duyn (1674 – 1741) in The Hague, Dutch Republic, now in the Netherlands. Her father Adam van der Duyn, Lord of ‘s-Gravenmoer (1639 – 1693) was a Major-General in the Dutch Army and Master of the Buckhounds to King William III. King William III gave the couple his blessing and provided the bride with a dowry and jewels.

Arnold and his wife, whose name was anglicized to Gertrude, had two children:

On February 20, 1702, King William III went riding at Hampton Court Palace. The horse stumbled on a molehill and fell. William tried to pull the horse up by the reins, but the horse’s movements caused William to fall on his right shoulder. His collarbone was broken and was set by a surgeon, but instead of resting, William insisted on returning to Kensington Palace that evening by coach. A week after the fall, the fracture was not healing well and William’s right hand and arm were puffy and did not look right which probably meant an infection developed. His condition continued to worsen and by March 3, William had a high fever and had difficulty breathing. By March 7, the doctors knew that William was dying and he began to say goodbye to his friends and advisors. In early February 1702, William III had sent Arnold to the Dutch Republic to plan for the upcoming military campaign, and he only returned in time to receive William’s farewell. William gave Arnold the keys to his cabinet and private drawers, and said, “You know what to do with them.” On March 8, 1702, William III died. William bequeathed to Arnold the huge sum of 200,000 guilders and the Dutch Lordship of Breevorst.

After William’s death, Arnold returned to the Dutch Republic and took his seat as a member of the nobility in the States-General, the legislature of the Dutch Republic. He was one of the two commanders of the Dutch forces in the Grand Alliance’s campaigns during the War of Spanish Succession (1701–1714). John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, the Grand Alliance commander, who had been on good terms with Arnold, expressed pleasure at his rejoining the allied army. In 1705, Arnold visited England and attended Queen Anne on a visit to Cambridge University, where he received the honorary degree of doctor of laws. On the death of Queen Anne in 1714, Arnold was sent to the Electorate of Hanover by the States-General to congratulate the new King George I on his accession to the British throne. Both Queen Anne and King George I held Arnold in high esteem.

Arnold van Keppel, 1st Earl of Albemarle, aged 48, died on May 30, 1718, in The Hague, Dutch Republic, now in the Netherlands, and was buried in The Hague.

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. 2021. Arnold van Keppel, 1st Earl of Albemarle. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnold_van_Keppel,_1st_Earl_of_Albemarle> [Accessed 1 February 2021].
  • En.wikisource.org. 2021. Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Keppel, Arnold Joost van – Wikisource, the free online library. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Dictionary_of_National_Biography,_1885-1900/Keppel,_Arnold_Joost_van> [Accessed 1 February 2021].
  • Genealogics.org. 2021. Arnold Joost van Keppel, 1st Earl of Albemarle : Genealogics. [online] Available at: <https://www.genealogics.org/getperson.php?personID=I00005350&tree=LEO> [Accessed 1 February 2021].
  • Nl.wikipedia.org. 2021. Arnold Joost van Keppel. [online] Available at: <https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnold_Joost_van_Keppel> [Accessed 1 February 2021].
  • Thepeerage.com. 2021. Person Page – Arnold van Keppel, 1st Earl of Albemarle. [online] Available at: <https://www.thepeerage.com/p1684.htm#i16835> [Accessed 1 February 2021].
  • Van Der Kiste, John, 2003. William and Mary. Phoenix Hill: Sutton Publishing.

Robert Carr, 1st Earl of Somerset, Favorite of King James I of England

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Robert Carr, 1st Earl of Somerset; Credit – Wikipedia

Favorite: a person treated with special or undue favor by a king, queen, or another royal person

Born circa 1587, in Wrington, Somerset, England, Robert Carr, 1st Earl of Somerset was a favorite of King James I of England and held government positions until his supposed involvement in a murder led to his downfall. Robert was the youngest of the four children and the youngest of the three sons of Thomas Kerr of Ferniehirst, a Scottish landowner, a Roman Catholic and supporter of Mary, Queen of Scots, and his second wife Janet Scott of Buccleuch, daughter of Sir William Scott of Kirkurd, Younger of Buccleuch. Mary, Queen of Scots was a godparent to one of their sons.

Robert had three elder siblings:

Robert had five half-siblings from his father’s first marriage to Janet Kirkcaldy:

  • Andrew Kerr, 1st Lord Jedburgh (died 1633) married (1) Anna Stewart, had four children (2) Katherine McCulloch, no children
  • William Kirkcaldy of Grange (died circa 1589), married Elizabeth Lyon, daughter of John Lyon, 8th Lord Glamis, had one son
  • Mary Kerr, married James Douglas, son of William Douglas, 6th Earl of Morton
  • Juliane Kerr (died 1 647), married (1) Patrick Hume of Polwarth, had four children (2) Thomas Hamilton, 1st Earl of Haddington, had one son
  • Margaret Kerr (died 1594), married Robert Melville, 2nd Lord Melville of Monymaill, no children

Robert Carr’s friend Thomas Overbury; Credit – Wikipedia

Around 1601 while he was the page of a Scottish nobleman, George Home, 1st Earl of Dunbar, Robert met the poet and essayist Thomas Overbury, who was six years older, in Edinburgh. The two became friends and traveled to London together shortly after James VI, King of Scots succeeded to the English throne as James I, King of England upon the death of Elizabeth I, Queen of England in 1603. It appears that Thomas Overbury first obtained a position at court. In 1607, probably thanks to the influence of Thomas Overton, Robert participated in a tournament attended by King James I and attracted the king’s attention by breaking his leg.

King James I from the period 1603–1609; Credit – Wikipedia

King James I immediately took a liking to nineteen-year-old Robert, got him some medical treatment, and decided to improve his education. Robert did not have great intellectual gifts, however, he was good-looking, had a good temperament, and good character and this must have been enough for King James who knighted him and kept him under his wing.

Whether the personal relationship between King James I and his male favorites was a sexual one is still debated by historians. Some historians think that James I’s need for a close male favorite came from a lack of family while growing up in Scotland where he became King of Scots when he was one year old. James I did not know his parents Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley and Mary, Queen of Scots and he had no siblings. His maternal grandparents died before he was born. His paternal grandfather died while James was still a boy and his paternal grandmother lived in England.

The ruins of the old Sherbourne Castle, Robert Carr’s home; Credit – By Steinsky at the English language Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4628974

In 1603, Sir Walter Raleigh, among others, was tried and imprisoned in the Tower of London for their part in the Main Plot, an alleged conspiracy by English courtiers to remove King James I from the English throne and to replace him with his cousin Lady Arbella Stuart. Through his attainder, Sir Walter Raleigh had forfeited his ownership in the manor of Sherborne in Dorset, England, now known as Sherborne Castle, and King James gave the manor to Robert. Robert’s influence over King James I had grown so much that in 1610, he was instrumental in persuading James I to dissolve Parliament, which had shown signs of attacking the king’s Scottish favorites. In 1611, Robert was created Viscount Rochester and named a Privy Councillor.

In 1612, when Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury, Secretary of State died, King James I had the idea of ​​governing by being his own Secretary of State and giving Robert many of the positions that had been Cecil’s. However, neither King James I nor Robert had the expertise or experience. Soon, the Howard faction, led by Henry Howard, 1st Earl of Northampton and Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Suffolk, took control of much of the government. Robert struggled with the government positions assigned to him and had to ask his friend Thomas Overbury for assistance.

Frances Howard, Robert’s mistress and then his wife; Credit – Wikipedia

Before this time, Robert began an affair with Frances Howard, daughter of Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Suffolk. Frances was married to Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex, the son and heir of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex who was a favorite of Queen Elizabeth I and been executed for his part in an unsuccessful rebellion against Elizabeth. Robert Carr and Frances wanted to marry but Robert’s friend Thomas Overbury mistrusted the Howards and tried to prevent the marriage.

The Howard faction wanted to get rid of Thomas Overbury because of his influence, so they first manipulated Overbury into seeming to be disrespectful to Queen Anne, King James I’s wife. Next, the Howards persuaded King James I to offer Overbury the assignment as ambassador to Russia, aware that if Overbury refused, it would be insulting and nearly equivalent to treason. Overbury did decline the position and on April 22, 1613, Overbury was sent to the Tower of London, dying there five months later “of natural causes.”

On September 25, 1613, with the support of King James I, Frances’ marriage to Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex was annulled. Robert Carr was created Earl of Somerset on November 3, 1613, and then appointed Treasurer of Scotland on December 23, 1613. He had been named Secretary of State in 1612, and then Lord Chamberlain and Lord Privy Seal in 1614.

Robert and Frances’ only child, circa 1638; Credit – Wikipedia

Robert and Frances were married on December 26, 1613, and they had one daughter:

Seemingly the plotting of the Howard faction worked as they had wanted until rumors of foul play in Thomas Overbury’s death began circulating. In September 1615, just as King James I was in the process of replacing Robert Carr with a new favorite George Villiers, later 1st Duke of Buckingham, the king received a letter from the Governor of the Tower of London. The letter stated that one of the warders had been bringing Thomas Overbury poisoned food and medicine. King James was not inclined to start an investigation however, when the rumor began hinting at the king’s possible involvement, he was forced to order an investigation. Edward Coke, considered the greatest jurist during the reigns of Elizabeth I and James I, and Sir Francis Bacon, Attorney General of England and Wales, were in charge of the investigation and then presided over the trial.

Six defendants – Robert Carr, his wife Frances, and Richard Weston, Anne Turner, Sir Gervaise Helwys, and Simon Franklin – were tried for the murder of Thomas Overbury in late 1615 and early 1616. It appeared very likely that Thomas Overbury was the victim of a plot contrived by Henry Howard, 1st Earl of Northampton and Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Suffolk, with Robert Carr’s knowledge, to keep Overbury out of the way during the annulment of the marriage of Frances Howard and Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex.

It was not known at the time, and it is not certain even now, how much Robert participated in any crime or if he was ignorant of what was happening. However, Frances Howard was determined that Thomas Overbury “should return no more to this stage.” She arranged for Sir William Wade, Lord Lieutenant of the Tower to be replaced with a new Lieutenant of the Tower, Sir Gervaise Helwys. Richard Weston, a jailer who was “well acquainted with the power of drugs,” was to attend Overbury while imprisoned. Weston, aided by Anne Turner, the widow of a physician, and by an apothecary Simon Franklin, gave Thomas Overbury copper vitriol, today better-known as copper sulfate, an insecticide and fungicide.

Frances Howard admitted that she had a part in Overbury’s murder but Robert Carr maintained his innocence. Fearing what Robert might say about him in court, King James I repeatedly sent messages to the Tower of London pleading with him to admit his guilt in return for a pardon. In May 1616, Robert Carr and his wife Frances were found guilty and sentenced to death for their part in the conspiracy. However, they were not executed but remained prisoners in the Tower of London until they were pardoned and released, Frances in 1622 and Robert in 1624. The other four defendants – Richard Weston, Anne Turner, Sir Gervaise Helwys, and Simon Franklin – were found guilty in 1615 and, lacking powerful connections, were all hanged.

After their release, Robert and Frances lived in seclusion, apart from each other, and were not allowed to return to court. Frances lived the rest of her at the Howard family mansion Audley End House in Saffron Walden, Essex, England. She died at the age of 42, on August 27, 1632, and was buried in the Howard vault at Walden Abbey in Saffron Walden, Essex, England. Robert Carr resided in Dorset at Sherborne Castle and died there on July 17, 1645, at around the age of 58. He was buried at St. Paul’s Churchyard, Covent Garden, in London, England.

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

Works Cited

  • https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Carr,_1._Earl_of_Somerset
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Frances Carr, Countess Of Somerset. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frances_Carr,_Countess_of_Somerset> [Accessed 25 December 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Robert Carr, 1St Earl Of Somerset. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Carr,_1st_Earl_of_Somerset> [Accessed 25 December 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Thomas Overbury. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Overbury> [Accessed 25 December 2020].
  • Genealogics.org. 2020. Leo’s Genealogics. [online] Available at: <https://www.genealogics.org/> [Accessed 25 December 2020].
  • It.wikipedia.org. 2020. Robert Carr, I Conte Di Somerset. [online] Available at: <https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Carr,_I_conte_di_Somerset> [Accessed 25 December 2020].
  • Thepeerage.com. 2020. The Peerage. [online] Available at: <https://www.thepeerage.com/> [Accessed 25 December 2020].

William Bentinck, 1st Earl of Portland, Favorite of King William III of England

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

William Bentinck, 1st Earl of Portland; Credit – Wikipedia

Favorite: a person treated with special or undue favor by a king, queen, or another royal person

William Bentinck, 1st Earl of Portland was born Hans Willem Bentinck on July 20, 1649, in Diepenheim, Overijssel, Dutch Republic, now in the Netherlands. He was the fourth of the eight children and the third of the three sons of Berent Bentinck, 6th Baron Bentinck (1597 – 1668) and Anna van Bloemendale (1622 – 1685). The Bentinck family is an old Dutch noble family whose noble rank can be traced to the 14th century.

Bentinck had seven siblings:

  • Hendrik Bentinck, 7th Baron Bentinck (1640 – 1691), married Ida Magdalena van Ittersum, had three daughters
  • Eusebius Bentinck, 8th Baron Bentinck (1643 – 1710), married (1) Elizabeth de Brakell, had two sons and one daughter (2) Hendrina Schimmelpenninck van der Oye, no children, died two months after her wedding
  • Eleonore Bentinck (1644 – 1710), married Robert van Ittersum, Baron Nijenhuis, no children?
  • Isabelle Bentinck (1651 – 1687), married Alexander Schimmelpenninck van der Oye, Baron van De Engelenburg, no children, died five months after her wedding
  • Anna Bentinck (1652 – 1721), married Dirk Borre van Amerongen, had two daughters
  • Agnes Bentinck (1654 – 1722), unmarried?
  • Johanna Bentinck (1597 – 1668), unmarried?

Willem III, Prince of Orange, 1661; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1664, fifteen-year-old Hans Willem Bentinck came to the court of fourteen-year-old Willem III, Prince of Orange, as a page. Willem III was the only child of Willem II, Prince of Orange and Mary, Princess Royal, the eldest daughter of King Charles I of England. Willem III’s father died at age 24 of smallpox eight days before Willem III’s birth, so when he was born on November 14, 1650, Willem III succeeded to his father’s titles. Being the grandson of King Charles I of England, Willem III was also in the line of succession to the English throne and eventually co-reigned as King William III of England with his wife and first cousin Queen Mary II of England.

In 1672, Bentinck became Willem III’s chamberlain. Along with his role at the court where he was an important advisor for Willem III, Bentinck also had a military career. When Willem III became ill with smallpox in 1675, Bentinck cared for him for sixteen days. When Willem III recovered, Bentinck fell ill with smallpox but recovered in time to accompany Willem III on a military campaign that year. Sadly, smallpox caused much personal loss for Willem III. His father Willem II, Prince of Orange, his mother Mary, Princess Royal, Princess of Orange, and his wife Queen Mary II of England all died from smallpox.

The future Queen Mary II of England in 1677; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1677, Bentinck was Willem III’s special envoy to England where he sought the support of Willem’s uncle King Charles II of England in the Dutch Republic’s struggle against France. At the same time, Bentinck negotiated a marriage for Willem III with his first cousin Mary, the elder surviving daughter of James, Duke of York, later King James II of England, and his first wife Anne Hyde. 27-year-old Willem and a weepy 15-year-old Mary, prodded on by their uncle King Charles II, were married at St. James’ Palace in London, England on November 4, 1677. Bentinck served as Willem III’s best man.

Bentinck’s first wife Anne Villiers; Credit – Wikipedia

Bentinck’s first wife Anne Villiers (circa 1651 – 1688) was the eldest child of Sir Edward Villiers and his wife Lady Frances Howard, daughter of Theophilus Howard, 2nd Earl of Suffolk. Anne’s mother had been the governess to Willem III’s new wife Mary and her younger sister, the future Queen Anne, and she used her position at court to secure positions in Mary’s new household for her daughters. Anne Villiers and her sisters Elizabeth and Katherine, were among the maids of honor who accompanied Mary to The Hague in the Dutch Republic, now in the Netherlands, to serve the new Princess of Orange. The three Villiers sisters were the first cousins of Barbara Palmer, 1st Duchess of Cleveland, born Barbara Villiers, a mistress of King Charles II of England. Their fathers were brothers.

Bentinck and Anne Villiers became acquainted and on February 1, 1678, they were married. They are ancestors of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom through her mother’s family, specifically through her maternal grandmother born Cecilia Cavendish-Bentinck. Five months after giving birth to her last child, Anne died on November 30, 1688, in The Hague, Dutch Republic, now in the Netherlands.

Bentinck and Anne had seven children:

Anne’s sister Elizabeth Villiers; Credit – Wikipedia

Anne’s sister Elizabeth Villiers became the mistress of Willem III, and reportedly, she was his only mistress. In 1679, when Willem III made his first advances to Elizabeth, she tried to discourage him. However, by 1680, Elizabeth was his mistress, rumors of the affair reached Paris, and Mary was probably aware of her husband’s relationship with Elizabeth. In 1685, Mary’s father, now King James II of England, hoping to break up his daughter’s marriage with Willem III, had encouraged others to relay gossip from Mary and Willem III’s household to him. Through the meddling of King James II, Elizabeth and Willem III’s affair became public knowledge and Elizabeth was sent back to England. To stop rumors continuing in England, Elizabeth’s father begged Willem III and Mary to allow Elizabeth to return to The Hague. Elizabeth was permitted to return but Mary refused to receive her. Elizabeth then went to live with her sister Katherine who had married and settled in The Hague. Bentinck had forbidden his wife Anne to socialize with her sister Elizabeth. Meanwhile, the affair between Elizabeth and Willem III continued and was to last until 1695, a total of fifteen years.

The Landing of His Royal Highness in England by Bastiaen Stopendael (Stoopendael), or by Daniel Stopendael (Stoopendael) etching, circa 1689 NPG D22617 © National Portrait Gallery, London

Following his initial visit to England in 1677, Bentinck was sent on many other diplomatic missions to England, resulting in the development of a strong and influential network of contacts within English political circles. As a result, Bentinck was to play a key role in the planning and execution of the Glorious Revolution of 1688, following the birth of a Catholic heir James Francis Edward Stuart to Maria Beatrice of Modena, the second wife of King James II of England, Mary’s father and Willem III’s uncle. Willem III, Prince of Orange landed in England vowing to safeguard the Protestant interest. He marched to London, gathering many supporters. James II panicked and sent his wife and infant son to France. James later fled to France where his first cousin King Louis XIV of France offered him a palace and pension. Parliament refused to depose James II but declared that having fled to France, James had effectively abdicated the throne and therefore, the throne had become vacant. James’s elder daughter Mary was declared Queen Mary II and she was to rule jointly with her husband Willem, whose name would be anglicized to William. He would reign in England as King William III but he remained Willem III, Prince of Orange and Stadtholder of the  Dutch Republic.

Quartered arms of William Bentinck, 1st Earl of Portland, KG, PC; Credit – By Rs-nourse – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=68789077

Having supported King William III throughout his efforts to secure the English throne, and after accompanying him to England, Bentinck was generously rewarded. Parliament passed an act of naturalization so that he and his children would be British subjects. He was created Earl of Portland, Viscount Woodstock, and Baron Cirencester. With these titles came significant estates, including Theobalds House in Hertfordshire, England. Bentinck was appointed Groom of the Stole, Keeper of the Privy Purse, and a Privy Councilor, and he remained William III’s closest advisor. In 1697, William III created Bentinck a Knight of the Order of the Garter.

In late December 1694, when Mary was very ill with smallpox, Bentinck was one of the two people William III would see. On December 28, 1694, Queen Mary II of England, aged only 32, died of smallpox at Kensington Palace. When Mary’s grief-stricken husband collapsed at her death bed, it was Bentinck who carried the nearly insensible William from the room.

Bentinck was responsible for overseeing affairs in Scotland and played an influential role in English politics. His main achievements were diplomatic. In 1697, Bentinck played a major role in securing the Treaty of Ryswick, ending the Nine Years’ War (1688 – 1697) between France and the Dutch Republic. He was active in addressing the crisis of the Spanish succession through the Treaty of The Hague (1698) and the Treaty of London (1700) and became William III’s ambassador to France.

Bentinck became very jealous of the rising influence of another Dutchman Arnold Joost van Keppel. Keppel was created Earl of Albemarle by William III and emerged as the second favorite. Because of this, in 1700, Bentinck resigned all his offices in the royal household. However, he never lost the esteem of King William III who continued to trust him and use him as an advisor.

Jane Martha Temple, Bentinck’s second wife; Credit – Wikipedia

On May 12, 1700, 51-year-old Bentinck married again to 28-year-old Jane Martha Temple (1672 – 1751), daughter of Sir John Temple, and widow of John Berkeley, 3rd Baron Berkeley of Stratton. He spent his final years consolidating his estates and adding to his family.

Bentinck and Jane had six children:

On February 20, 1702, King William III went riding at Hampton Court Palace. The horse stumbled on a molehill and fell. William tried to pull the horse up by the reins, but the horse’s movements caused William to fall on his right shoulder. His collarbone was broken and was set by a surgeon, but instead of resting, William insisted on returning to Kensington Palace that evening by coach. Bentinck called on William every day as he recovered. However, a week after the fall, the fracture was not healing well and William’s right hand and arm were puffy and did not look right which probably meant an infection developed. His condition continued to worsen and by March 3, William had a high fever and had difficulty breathing. By March 7, the doctors knew that William was dying and he began to say goodbye to his friends and advisors. By the time Bentinck arrived on March 8, 1702, William had lost his power of speech but with a look, he beckoned Bentinck to his bedside. Bentinck bent down and put his ear to William’s mouth but could only distinguish a few words of William’s incoherent speech. William then took Bentinck’s hand and placed it against his heart. Then William’s head fell back, he closed his eyes, took two or three breaths, and died.

William Bentinck, 1st Earl of Portland; Credit – Wikipedia

William Bentinck, 1st Earl of Portland, aged 60, died on November 23, 1709, at Bulstrode Park, one of his principal residences, in Buckinghamshire, England. He was buried at Westminster Abbey in London, England, in the Ormond Vault at the eastern end of Henry VII’s Chapel. He has no monument but his name and date of death were added to the vault stone in the late 19th century. The Ormond Vault is now located in the Royal Air Force Chapel at Westminster Abbey and a carpet permanently covers the vault-stone with the inscribed names.

Bentinck’s second wife Jane survived him by 42 years, dying on June 26, 1751, in London, England, at the age of 79. She was buried in the cemetery at St. Mary the Virgin Church in Walthamstow, London, England.

Ormond Vault at Westminster Abbey is located under the carpet; Credit – https://www.westminster-abbey.org

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. 2021. William Bentinck, 1st Earl of Portland. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Bentinck,_1st_Earl_of_Portland> [Accessed 30 January 2021].
  • Genealogics.org. 2021. Berent Bentinck, Heer van Diepenheim : Genealogics. [online] Available at: <https://www.genealogics.org/getperson.php?personID=I00003344&tree=LEO> [Accessed 30 January 2021].
  • Nl.wikipedia.org. 2021. Hans Willem Bentinck. [online] Available at: <https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Willem_Bentinck> [Accessed 30 January 2021].
  • Nottingham.ac.uk. 2021. Biography of Hans William Bentinck, 1st Earl of Portland (1649-1709) – The University of Nottingham. [online] Available at: <https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/manuscriptsandspecialcollections/collectionsindepth/family/portland/biographies/biographyofhanswilliambentinck,1stearlofportland(1649-1709).aspx> [Accessed 30 January 2021].
  • Sir Hans Willem Bentinck, 1. and Diepenheim, N., 2021. Hans Willem Bentinck, 1st Earl of Portland. [online] geni_family_tree. Available at: <https://www.geni.com/people/Sir-Hans-Willem-Bentinck-1st-Earl-of-Portland/6000000003265080482> [Accessed 30 January 2021].
  • Thepeerage.com. 2021. Person Page – Hans William Bentinck, 1st Earl of Portland. [online] Available at: <http://www.thepeerage.com/p965.htm#i9646> [Accessed 30 January 2021].
  • Van Der Kiste, John, 2003. William and Mary. Phoenix Hill: Sutton Publishing.
  • Westminster Abbey. 2021. William & Henry Bentinck | Westminster Abbey. [online] Available at: <https://www.westminster-abbey.org/abbey-commemorations/commemorations/william-henry-bentinck> [Accessed 30 January 2021].

Ancestors of King Charles III of the United Kingdom

compiled by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

King Charles III of the United Kingdom Credit – Wikipedia

King Charles III is the first British monarch to be descended from two children of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. All monarchs after Queen Victoria have been descendants of her son and heir King Edward VII of the United Kingdom. Through his father, Charles is also a descendant of Princess Alice of the United Kingdom, the second daughter and third child of Queen Victoria. Prince Philip’s royal pedigree also brings a good deal more royal heritage into the British royal family because both of Prince Philip’s parents were royal while only one parent of Queen Elizabeth II was royal.

Parents, Grandparents, Great-Grandparents, Great-Great-Grandparents, and Great-Great-Great-Grandparents of King Charles III of the United Kingdom (born November 14, 1948)

The links below are from Unofficial Royalty, Wikipedia, or The Peerage.

Parents

Prince Charles’ parents; Credit – Wikipedia

Grandparents

Prince Andrew of Greece and Princess Alice of Battenberg, paternal grandparents; Credit – Wikipedia

Great-Grand-Parents

King George I of Greece and Grand Duchess Olga Konstantinovna of Russia, great-grandparents; Credit – Wikipedia

Great-Great-Grandparents

Great-great-grandparents Prince Francis of Teck and Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge with the daughter Princess Victoria Mary of Teck, Prince Charles’ great-grandmother; Credit – Wikipedia

Great-Great-Great-Grandparents

King Christian IX of Denmark and Princess Louise of Hesse-Kassel; great-great-great-grandparents; Credit – Wikipedia

Sources:

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.

Esmé Stewart, 1st Duke of Lennox, Favorite of King James VI of Scotland/King James I of England

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Esmé Stewart, 1st Duke of Lennox; Credit – Wikipedia

Favorite: a person treated with special or undue favor by a king, queen, or another royal person

Esmé Stewart, 1st Duke of Lennox, born circa 1542 in France, was the only child of John Stewart, 5th Lord of Aubigny (died 1567) and Anne de la Queuille, a French noblewoman. Esmé’s paternal grandfather was John Stewart, 3rd Earl of Lennox, a prominent Scottish lord. In 1526, John Stewart, 3rd Earl of Lennox led an army to Linlithgow Palace intending to free the young James V, King of Scots from the pro-English Douglases. The 3rd Earl of Lennox was taken captive and murdered. He was succeeded by his eldest son Matthew Stewart, 4th Earl of Lennox who married Lady Margaret Douglas, the daughter of Margaret Tudor, eldest daughter of King Henry VII of England. Their son was Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, second husband and first cousin of Mary, Queen of Scots and the father of her only child James VI, King of Scots, later also King James I of England. Esmé and Lord Darnley were first cousins and so Esmé and James VI, King of Scots were first cousins once removed.

Château d’Aubigny; Credit- By Gerd Eichmann – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=79618765

In 1531, Esmé’s father John Stewart became an officer of the King of France’s Body Guard of Scots Archers and from 1536 – 1560, he served as the Captain of the Scots Archers. In 1544, John Stewart succeeded his great-uncle Sir Robert Stewart, 4th Lord of Aubigny, and inherited all his great-uncle’s estate including the Château d’Aubigny. Esmé spent part of his childhood at the French court. Upon his father’s death on May 31, 1567, Esmé succeeded him as 6th Lord of Aubigny. In 1572, Esmé married, Catherine de Balsac (died circa 1631), a distant cousin of his mother, and they had five children:

The death in 1576 of his first cousin Charles Stewart, 5th Earl of Lennox (brother of Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley who was the father of King James VI) without male heirs, opened up the possibility for Esmé to acquire the Earldom of Lennox since the new Earl, Robert Stewart, Esmé’s uncle, was in his 50s and childless. In September 1579, Esmé first came to Scotland, the homeland of his family, and was introduced to his first cousin once removed, thirteen-year-old James VI, King of Scots. Twenty-four years later, upon the death of Queen Elizabeth I of England, James succeeded her as King James I of England because of his descent from King Henry VII of England through his eldest daughter Margaret Tudor. Both his parents were grandchildren of Margaret Tudor. Esmé, having been raised in France and being a member of the Stewart family, fascinated James, and Esmé quickly became a favorite.

James VI, King of Scots; Credit - Wikipedia

James VI, King of Scots, circa 1574; Credit – Wikipedia

Whether the personal relationship between James VI and his male favorites was a sexual one is still debated by historians. Some historians think that James’ need for a close male favorite came from a lack of family while growing up in Scotland where he became King of Scots when he was only one year old. James did not know his parents Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley and Mary, Queen of Scots and he had no siblings. His maternal grandparents James V, King of Scots and Marie of Guise died before he was born. His paternal grandfather Matthew Lennox, 4th Earl of Lennox died while James was still a young boy and his paternal grandmother Lady Margaret Douglas lived in England until she died in 1578.

Favors soon came Esmé’s way. In 1580, James VI forced Esmé’s uncle Robert Stewart to resign his Earldom of Lennox and Lordship of Darnley. Instead, Robert Stewart was given the titles Earl of March and Lord of Dunbar, and Esmé was created Earl of Lennox and Lord of Dunbar. In 1581, Esmé was appointed to the Privy Council of Scotland and created Duke of Lennox, Earl of Darnley, and Lord Aubigny, Dalkeith, Torboltoun, and Aberdour. James VI gave Esmé jewels that from the collection of his mother Mary, Queen of Scots.

Esmé was a Roman Catholic and while Scotland once was Roman Catholic, the Church of Scotland was Presbyterian, a form of Calvinistic Protestantism. The Church of Scotland did not trust the Catholic Esmé and he had to convert to the Presbyterian religion so that he would not lose his power. However, the Church of Scotland remained suspicious of Esmé’s conversion. There was further alarmed when James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton, the last of the four Regents of Scotland during the minority of King James VI, was arrested and beheaded on charges of treason.

Ruthven Castle now called Huntingtower Castle; Credit – By Astrid Horn, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=14282500

In response to the execution of the Earl of Morton, a group of Scottish nobles plotted to oust Esmé. In August 1582, in what became known as the Ruthven Raid, William Ruthven, 1st Earl of Gowrie and Archibald Douglas, 8th Earl of Angus lured James VI, King of Scots to Ruthven Castle and held him there. James VI was forced to banish Esmé and an official denunciation was issued in September 1582 citing Esmé’s religion, his control over the royal household and international intrigue, and his association with the murderers of Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley (James VI’s father), James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray (illegitimate son of James V, King of Scots, Regent of Scotland for James VI, from 1567 until his assassination in 1570) and Matthew Stewart, 4th Earl of Lennox (James VI’ paternal grandfather, Regent of Scotland for James VI, from 1570 until his murder in 1571).

Esmé returned to France and corresponded secretly with James VI. The Scottish nobles were convinced that once in France Esmé would return to Catholicism but Esmé remained a Presbyterian, although he is buried in a Catholic church. Shortly before his death, Esmé wrote to James Stewart, 1st Lord Doune, asking him to take care of his son and heir Ludovic and help him recover his former possessions in Scotland. Esmé Stewart, 1st Duke of Lennox died in Paris, France on May 26, 1583, aged 40 – 41. He was buried at the Church of Saint-Martin in Aubigny-sur-Nere, France. William Schaw, Master of Works to James VI, King of Scots was in Paris at the time of Esmé’s death and he took Esmé’s heart back to Scotland.

Church of Saint-Martin in Aubigny-sur-Nere, France; Credit – By Ji-Elle – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=27055521

King James VI memorialized Esmé in a poem called Ane Tragedie of the Phoenix that compares Esmé to an exotic bird of unique beauty killed by envy. For the rest of his life, James kept Esmé’s family in high regard and told his son and heir King Charles I of England to do the same. King Charles I faithfully fulfilled this obligation and the Lennox family had considerable influence at the Scottish and English courts for three generations. All Esmé’s surviving children except Gabrielle who was a nun, came to Scotland and/or England, married there, and lived out their lives there. Esmé’s elder son Ludovic Stewart succeeded him as 2nd Duke of Lennox. Esmé’s great-grandson Charles Stewart, 3rd Duke of Richmond, 6th Duke of Lennox died without male heirs in 1672, and the Duke of Lennox title became extinct. In 1675, the titles Duke of Richmond, Duke of Lennox and Earl of March, were revived for Charles Lennox, 1st Duke of Richmond and Lennox, the illegitimate son of King Charles II of England by his mistress Louise de Kérouaille, and his descendants still hold the titles.

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. 2020. Esmé Stewart, 1St Duke Of Lennox. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esm%C3%A9_Stewart,_1st_Duke_of_Lennox> [Accessed 15 December 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. John Stewart, 3Rd Earl Of Lennox. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Stewart,_3rd_Earl_of_Lennox> [Accessed 15 December 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Personal Relationships Of James VI And I. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_relationships_of_James_VI_and_I#George_Villiers.2C_1st_Duke_of_Buckingham> [Accessed 10 December 2020].
  • Ru.wikipedia.org. 2020. Стюарт, Эсме, 1-Й Герцог Леннокс. [online] Available at: <https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A1%D1%82%D1%8E%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%82,_%D0%AD%D1%81%D0%BC%D0%B5,_1-%D0%B9_%D0%B3%D0%B5%D1%80%D1%86%D0%BE%D0%B3_%D0%9B%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%BA%D1%81> [Accessed 15 December 2020].

Abigail Masham, Baroness Masham, Favorite of Queen Anne of Great Britain

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Abigail Masham, Baroness Masham; Credit – Wikipedia

Favorite: a person treated with special or undue favor by a king, queen, or another royal person

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 was born Abigail Hill, circa 1670, in London, England. Abigail’s father was Francis Hill, a London merchant, and her mother was Elizabeth Jennings, one of the twenty-two children of Sir John Jennings and Alice Spencer. Abigail’s mother and Sarah’s father Richard Jennings were siblings.

The Dictionary of National Biography 1885-1900 makes reference to Abigail having three siblings:

  • An unnamed elder brother who obtained a position in the custom-house, a government building at a port where the documents for goods leaving or entering a country were checked and taxes were paid
  • Alice Hill (1685 – 1762), younger sister, a laundress in the household of Anne’s longest surviving child Prince William, Duke of Gloucester until his death at age 11 in 1700, later a Woman of the Bedchamber to Queen Anne
  • Major-General John Hill (? – 1735), younger brother, does not appear to have been married, he left his estate to his nephew Samuel Masham, 2nd Baron Masham

Abigail’s father made some unfortunate business speculations and the family’s financial situation was seriously affected. Because of this, Abigail was forced to work as a servant in the household of Sir John Rivers, 2nd Baronet of Chafford. Eventually, Abigail’s cousin Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough, who was Queen Anne’s Mistress of the Robes, the highest office in the royal court that could be held by a woman, took Abigail into her household, where, according to Sarah, “she lived with me and my children, and I treated her with as great kindness as if she had been my sister.” In 1704, through Sarah’s influence, Abigail received an appointment in Queen Anne’s household as a Woman of the Bedchamber.

Abigail’s cousin Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough; Credit – Wikipedia

Queen Anne and Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough, born Sarah Jennings, had known each other since 1673, when Anne was eight-years-old and 13-year-old Sarah was appointed a maid of honor to Anne’s stepmother Maria Beatrice of Modena, then Duchess of York. However, during Sarah’s frequent absences from court, Abigail and Queen Anne grew close. While Sarah was assertive and outspoken, Abigail was understated and meek. Abigail was not only happy to show Queen Anne the kindness and consideration that Anne needed but she also never pressured Anne about politics. In addition, Abigail’s opinions on church and political matters, unlike her cousin Sarah’s, were similar to Queen Anne’s.

While in service to Queen Anne, Abigail became acquainted with another courtier Samuel Masham (1678/79 – 1758). Samuel was the second son of Sir Francis Masham, 3rd Baronet and Mary Scott, and had entered royal service as a page to the then Princess Anne. Upon Anne’s accession to the throne in 1702, Samuel was appointed an Equerry and then in 1706, Groom of the Bedchamber, to Anne’s husband Prince George of Denmark, Duke of Cumberland. Samuel combined his time at court with being a captain in the 2nd Regiment of Foot Guards. Although Samuel had been advised of the advantages of marrying a royal favorite, he described his relationship with Abigail as a love match. Probably in June 1707, Abigail and Samuel were secretly married at Kensington Palace in the presence of Queen Anne. Sarah Churchill had no idea about either Abigail’s marriage or the friendship that had developed between Queen Anne and Abigail. She became enraged and jealous and unsuccessfully attempted to force Queen Anne to dismiss Abigail.

Abigail and Samuel had five children. It appears that none of their children had children. Their son Samuel lived to be 64, married twice but he had no children. Their daughter Anne, named after Queen Anne who was her godmother, died a year after her marriage and since her parents married in 1707, she was probably no older than nineteen when she died. Elizabeth died in her teens. George died young and it can probably be assumed that Francis also died young. The list of their children below is not in birth order.

  • Samuel Masham, 2nd Baron Masham (1712 – 1776), married (1) Harriet Winnington, no children (2) Charlotte Dives, no children; Samuel was Comptroller of the household of George, Prince of Wales, the future King George II. His titles became extinct upon his death which means he had no male heirs.
  • Anne Masham (? – 1727), married Henry Hoare, a London banker, no children
  • Elizabeth Masham (circa 1709 – 1724), died as a teenager
  • George Masham, died young
  • Francis Masham, no information

Queen Anne, 1705; Credit – Wikipedia

Sarah was further angered when Abigail moved into rooms at Kensington Palace that Sarah considered her own although she rarely used them. The fondness Queen Anne showed for Abigail and the refusal to dismiss her so angered Sarah that she implied without evidence that a sexual affair was taking place between the two women. This turned Anne completely against Sarah and paved the way for Abigail’s rise. While there have been rumors of sexual relationships, as depicted in the 2018 film The Favourite, between both Queen Anne and Sarah, and Queen Anne and Abigail, most historians and biographers reject this idea.

In January 1711, Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough lost her positions of Mistress of the Robes, Groom of the Stole, and Keeper of the Privy Purse. Elizabeth Seymour, Duchess of Somerset became Mistress of the Robes and Groom of the Stole. Abigail Masham was made Keeper of the Privy Purse, continued in her position as Woman of the Bedchamber, and remained Queen Anne’s favorite until Anne’s death in 1714. In December 1711, Sarah’s husband John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough was dismissed as Captain-General of the British Army. Meanwhile, Samuel Masham was enjoying the rewards of having a wife who was the queen’s favorite. He was promoted to Brigadier General and became a Member of Parliament. In 1712, he became a peer when he was created 1st Baron Masham.

Queen Anne suffered a stroke on July 30, 1714. She died at Kensington Palace on August 1, 1714, at the age of 49 after suffering another stroke. Abigail had 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 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.

All Saints Church in High Laver, Essex, England where Abigail and Samuel are buried in the churchyard; Credit – Wikipedia

Abigail Masham, aged 64, died on December 6, 1734, after a long illness at Oates Hall, Samuel’s family home, in High Laver, Essex, England. She was buried in the churchyard of All Saint Church in High Laver. Samuel Masham survived Abigail by twenty-four years, dying in 1758 in London, England at the age of 79. He was buried with his wife at All Saint Church in High Laver.

Table tombs of Abigail and Samuel, their son Samuel and his two wives, Abigail’s brother John and her sister Alice; Credit – Wikipedia

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. 2021. Abigail Masham, Baroness Masham. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abigail_Masham,_Baroness_Masham> [Accessed 29 January 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Samuel Masham, 1st Baron Masham. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Masham,_1st_Baron_Masham> [Accessed 29 January 2021].
  • En.m.wikisource.org. 2021. Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Masham, Abigail – Wikisource, the free online library. [online] Available at: <https://en.m.wikisource.org/wiki/Dictionary_of_National_Biography,_1885-1900/Masham,_Abigail> [Accessed 29 January 2021].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2016. Queen Anne Of Great Britain. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/queen-anne-of-great-britain/> [Accessed 29 January 2021].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2021.Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough, Favorite of Queen Anne of Great Britain. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/sarah-churchill-duchess-of-marlborough-favorite-of-queen-anne/> [Accessed 29 January 2021].
  • Somerset, Anne, 2012. Queen Anne: The Politics of Passion. New York: Vintage Books.
  • Thepeerage.com. 2021. The Peerage: A Genealogical Survey Of The Peerage Of Britain As Well As The Royal Families Of Europe. [online] Available at: <http://www.thepeerage.com/> [Accessed 24 January 2021].

Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, Favorite of Queen Elizabeth I of England

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex; Credit – Wikipedia

Favorite: a person treated with special or undue favor by a king, queen, or another royal person

A favorite of Queen Elizabeth I but beheaded for treason, Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex was the great-grandson of Mary Boleyn, sister of Anne Boleyn, and the stepson of Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester, Queen Elizabeth I’s favorite. Born November 10, 1565, at Netherwood near Bromyard, Herefordshire, England. Robert was the eldest of the three sons and the eldest of the five children of Walter Devereux, 1st Earl of Essex (1541 – 1576), and Lettice Knollys (1543 – 1634). Robert’s father was an army general in service to Queen Elizabeth I. Robert’s mother Lettice Knollys was the daughter of Sir Francis Knollys, who was a courtier in the service of King Henry VIII, King Edward VI, and Queen Elizabeth I, and Catherine Carey. Catherine Carey was the daughter of Mary Boleyn, the sister of Anne Boleyn, King Henry VIII’s second wife, and the mother of Queen Elizabeth I. This made Lettice Knollys the first cousin once removed of Queen Elizabeth I and therefore her son Robert was Elizabeth’s first cousin twice removed.

Robert’s sisters Dorothy and Penelope Devereux; Credit – Wikipedia

Robert had four younger siblings:

Robert’s father died in 1576, and the eleven-year-old became the 2nd Earl of Essex and the ward of William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley, the chief adviser of Queen Elizabeth I. On September 21, 1578, Robert got a stepfather when his mother married Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester, Queen Elizabeth I’s long-time favorite and Robert’s godfather. Dudley feared Elizabeth I’s reaction to his marriage and insisted it be kept secret. However, Elizabeth I found out about the marriage two months later. She banished her cousin Lettice permanently from court, never forgave her, and never accepted the marriage. Although Dudley remained at court, he was alternately humiliated in public by Elizabeth and treated as fondly as always.

Robert had one half-brother who died in childhood from his mother’s second marriage:

  • Robert Dudley, Lord Denbigh (1581 – 1584)

Robert Dudley had much influence on his godson and stepson Robert Devereux. Robert served in the military under his stepfather’s command in the Netherlands. Several years before he died in 1588, Dudley introduced Robert to the Elizabethan court, and Elizabeth I increasingly became interested in the young man. Robert spent much time in the company of Elizabeth I and succeeded his stepfather in royal favor. Although Elizabeth I was thirty-two years older than Robert, she found it very pleasant to be adored by such a young man. In June 1587, Robert replaced Dudley as Master of the Horse. After Dudley died in 1588, Elizabeth I transferred Dudley’s royal monopoly on sweet wines to Robert, providing him with lucrative revenue. In 1593, Robert was made a member of the Privy Council.

Frances Walsingham and her son Robert; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1590, Robert married Frances Walsingham, the only surviving child of Sir Francis Walsingham, Secretary of State and spymaster for Queen Elizabeth I, and Ursula St. Barbe. The marriage greatly displeased Queen Elizabeth I because the couple had not asked for permission beforehand, but she forgave them relatively quickly.

Robert and Frances had five children:

Robert in 1590; Credit – Wikipedia

Robert had a petulant nature, acted on whims, and often acted disdainfully and disrespectfully. His behavior would ultimately lead to his downfall. At court, he dueled with Sir Walter Raleigh, among others, which displeased Elizabeth I. In 1591, Robert was given command of an army that was to come to the aid of Henri IV, King of France but he defied Elizabeth’s instructions. In the summer of 1596, Robert managed to easily take the Spanish port of Cadiz. However, because the Spanish were able to burn their ships before the attack, there was nearly no loot but Robert’s bold act made him famous throughout Europe. However, the next year, an expedition to the Azores with Sir Walter Raleigh was a complete failure.

In 1599, Robert reluctantly accepted the post of Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. At that time, the Irish revolutionary Hugh O’Neill, Earl of Tyrone was rebelling against the English rule in Ireland. After several costly battles and an armistice that was disadvantageous for England, Robert disregarded an explicit order from Elizabeth I to remain at his post in Ireland. He left Ireland in September 1599 and reached London four days later where he gained access to the chambers of the not-yet-fully-dressed Queen Elizabeth I. After interrogation by the Privy Council, Robert was placed under house arrest for ten months.

Robert was released from house arrest in August 1600 but the source of his income, the monopoly on sweet wines, was not renewed. His financial situation became more and more desperate. Robert had inherited large debts from his father, and he had amassed his own large debts. Essex House, Robert’s London mansion, became a meeting place for people who were upset with Elizabeth I’s government. On February 3, 1601, five conspiracy leaders met at the home of Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton. Hoping to avoid suspicion, Robert was not present. The group discussed Robert’s proposals for seizing the court, the Tower of London, and the City of London. Their goal was to force Queen Elizabeth I to change the leaders in her government, particularly Robert Cecil, Secretary of State.

Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton; Credit – Wikipedia

On February 8, 1601, four messengers including Lord Keeper Thomas Egerton,1st Viscount Brackley came to Essex House in the name of Queen Elizabeth I to try to persuade Robert to surrender. Robert seized the four messengers and held them hostage. Then Robert and about 200 followers made their way to the City of London. Meanwhile, Robert Cecil sent a warning to the Lord Mayor of London denouncing Robert as a traitor and ordered the heralds to spread the warning throughout London. Once the word traitor was used, many of Robert’s followers disappeared, and none of the citizens joined him as he had expected. Robert’s position was desperate, and he returned to Essex House. When he got there, he found the hostages gone. Soldiers under Lord High Admiral Charles Howard, 1st Earl of Nottingham, besieged Essex House and rescued the hostages. By that evening, after burning incriminating evidence, Robert surrendered and was arrested along with the Earl of Southampton and the other conspirators.

On February 19, 1601, Robert and Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton were tried on charges of treason. The trial lasted only a day and it was no surprise that the verdict was guilty. Robert had burned incriminating evidence to save his followers before his arrest but he was convinced by a minister he needed to reveal the identity of his conspirators to save his soul. He revealed everyone involved including his sister Penelope Blount, Countess of Devonshire on whom he put a great deal of the blame but no action was taken against her. Robert, the Earl of Southampton, and four others were sentenced to death. Other conspirators were fined. Through the efforts of Robert Cecil, Southampton’s sentence was reduced to life imprisonment. Southampton and one other conspirator remained imprisoned in the Tower of London and were freed when King James I succeeded to the throne in 1603 upon the death of Queen Elizabeth I.

Site of the scaffold in front of St. Peter’s Chapel at the Tower of London; Credit – By August – originally posted to Flickr as Off with their Heads!, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4530234

Robert’s wife Frances attempted to see Queen Elizabeth I to plead for clemency but the queen refused to see her. On February 25, 1601, Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, aged 34, was beheaded on Tower Green within the Tower of London. Beheading in the privacy of Tower Green was considered a privilege of rank and those executed there were spared insults from the jeering crowd. He was buried in the Chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula at the Tower of London. Robert’s conviction for treason meant that his earldom was forfeit and his son did not inherit the title. However, after Queen Elizabeth I’s death, King James I reinstated the earldom in favor of Robert’s disinherited son, Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex.

Plaque in the Chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula; Credit – https://elizregina.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/q1-i-was-here.jpg

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

  • De.wikipedia.org. 2020. Robert Devereux, 2. Earl Of Essex. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Devereux,_2._Earl_of_Essex> [Accessed 8 December 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Essex’s Rebellion. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Essex%27s_Rebellion> [Accessed 8 December 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Robert Devereux, 2Nd Earl Of Essex. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Devereux,_2nd_Earl_of_Essex> [Accessed 8 December 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Henry Wriothesley, 3Rd Earl Of Southampton. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Wriothesley,_3rd_Earl_of_Southampton> [Accessed 8 December 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Lettice Knollys. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lettice_Knollys> [Accessed 8 December 2020].
  • Erickson, Carolly, 1983. The First Elizabeth. New York: St. Martin’s Griffin.
  • es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Devereux,_II_conde_de_Essex
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2015. Queen Elizabeth I Of England. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/queen-elizabeth-i-of-england/> [Accessed 29 November 2020].
  • Weir, Alison, 2011. The Children Of Henry VIII. New York: Random House Publishing Group.
  • Weir, Alison., 2013. The Life Of Elizabeth I. New York: Random House Publishing Group.

Ancestors of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

compiled by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Credit – Wikipedia

Although the initial articles in the ancestors series dealt with current European monarchs (ancestor articles for European heirs have since been added, all the articles can be seen at Unofficial Royalty: Royal Relationships), Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, was included. The initial articles were published in 2021, the year of Prince Philip’s 100th birthday. Sady, Prince Philip died on April 9, 2021, just two months short of his 100th birthday. At that time, he was the only consort of a currently reigning European monarch to have been born royal – and it is quite likely that he may be the last.

Born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark via his patrilineal descent from his grandfather King George I of Greece (formerly Prince Vilhelm of Denmark) and his great-grandfather King Christian IX of Denmark, Philip has an impressive royal pedigree that includes British, Danish, Greek, Prussian, and Russian monarchs, in addition to rulers from German principalities, duchies, and grand duchies. Through his mother Princess Alice of Battenberg, Philip is a descendant of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. Indeed, his royal pedigree is more royal than the royal pedigree of his wife Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom. (See Unofficial Royalty: Ancestors of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom.) The only major blip in his pedigree is the morganatic or unequal marriage of his great-grandfather Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine to Countess Julia von Hauke.

The marriage of Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine to Countess Julia von Hauke deprived their children of their paternal royal titles, status, and inheritance. Julia was created Countess of Battenberg, with the style Illustrious Highness by her brother-in-law Grand Duke Ludwig III of Hesse and by Rhine. Her children took their titles from her, becoming Count/Countess of Battenberg. In 1858, the Grand Duke elevated Julia and her children to the rank of Prince/Princess, with the style Serene Highness. However, they remained ineligible for the Grand Ducal throne of Hesse and by Rhine.

The status of the Battenberg family was raised considerably by two marriages. In 1884, Alexander and Julia’s son Prince Louis of Battenberg married Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine, the daughter of Ludwig IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine and Princess Alice of the United Kingdom and therefore, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. Louis of Battenberg and Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine are Prince Philip’s maternal grandparents. The following year Queen Victoria’s youngest child Princess Beatrice married Prince Louis of Battenberg’s brother Prince Henry of Battenberg, and they are the ancestors of the Spanish royal family.

In 1917, due to anti-German sentiments during World War I, King George V of the United Kingdom decreed that all his relatives who had Germanic names and titles and were British subjects should exchange their old names and titles for new English-sounding ones. The Battenberg surname was anglicized to Mountbatten – berg being the German word for mountain – and Philip’s grandfather Prince Louis of Battenberg, who had become a British subject, became the Marquess of Milford Haven in the Peerage of the United Kingdom.

Prince Philip is:

A descendant of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom through his mother
Queen Victoria → Princess Alice of the United Kingdom → Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine → Princess Alice of Battenberg → Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark

A descendant of King Christian IX of Denmark through his father
King Christian IX of Denmark → King George I of Greece (born Prince Vilhelm of Denmark) → Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark → Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark

A descendant of Peter the Great of Russia and Catherine the Great of Russia through his father
Emperor Peter I (the Great) → Grand Duchess Anna Petrovna → Emperor Peter III of Russia married Empress Catherine II (the Great) (born Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst) → Emperor Paul → Emperor Nicholas I → Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich of Russia → Grand Duchess Olga Konstantinovna of Russia → Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark → Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark

Parents, Grandparents, Great-Grandparents, Great-Great-Grandparents, and Great-Great-Great-Grandparents of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (1921 – 2021)

The links below are from Unofficial Royalty,  Wikipedia, Leo’s Genealogics Website, or The Peerage.

Parents

Prince Philip’s parents; Credit – Wikipedia

Grandparents

Prince Louis of Battenberg and Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine, maternal grandparents Credit – Wikipedia

Great-Grandparents

Ludwig IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine and Princess Alice of the United Kingdom, great-grandparents; Credit – Wikipedia

Great-Great-Grandparents

Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia and Charlotte of Prussia, great-great-grandparents; Credit – Wikipedia

Great-Great-Great-Grandparents

Friedrich Wilhelm III, King of Prussia and Duchess Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, great-great-great-grandparents; Credit – Wikipedia

Sources:

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.