by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2015

November 25, 1120, was one of those days that changed the fate of British royal history.

In 1120, the third of the Norman kings, King Henry I, had been on the English throne for twenty years.  Still uneasy about the fate of the Norman dynasty his father William the Conqueror had started in 1066 with the defeat of the Anglo-Saxon King of England, Harold Godwinson, at the Battle of Hastings, King Henry I had made a strategic dynastic marriage in the year of his accession. His choice of a bride was Matilda of Scotland (originally known as Edith), the daughter of King Malcolm III of Scotland and Saint Margaret of Scotland.  Margaret was born an Anglo-Saxon princess and through her, Matilda was the niece of Edgar the Ætheling, the great-granddaughter of Edmund Ironside, and a descendant of Alfred the Great.  The blood of the Anglo-Saxon kings would flow in the veins of Matilda’s children.  By marrying Matilda of Scotland, King Henry I increased the legitimacy of the Norman dynasty.  King Henry I and Matilda had two children who survived childhood: a daughter Matilda, sometimes called Maud, born in 1102 and a son William Ætheling, born in 1103.  In Anglo-Saxon England, Ætheling was used to designate males of the royal dynasty who were eligible for the throne and by using Ætheling as part of his only son’s name, Henry made a further connection to the Anglo-Saxon kings.

Because the Kings of England still held Normandy (in France) and were Dukes of Normandy, they were often in Normandy, and this was the case in November 1120.  After the successful military campaign in which King Henry I of England had defeated King Louis VI of France at the Battle of Brémule, the English were finally preparing to return to England.   King Henry I was offered the White Ship for his return to England, but he had already made other arrangements.  Instead, Henry suggested that his son William sail on the White Ship along with his retinue which included William’s half-brother Richard of Lincoln, his half-sister Matilda FitzRoy, Countess of Perch, Richard d’Avranches the 2nd Earl of Chester and many of the heirs of the great estates of England and Normandy.

William Ætheling and his retinue boarded the ship in a festive mood and barrels of wine were brought on board to celebrate the return to England.  Soon both passengers and crew were inebriated.   By the time the ship was ready to set sail, there were about 300 people on board.  William and his retinue ordered the captain of the White Ship to overtake the ship of King Henry I so that the White Ship would be the first ship to return to England.  Unfortunately, the White Ship hit a submerged rock and capsized.  William’s bodyguard quickly got the heir to the throne into the safety of a dinghy.

However, William Ætheling heard the screams of his half-sister Matilda and ordered the dinghy to turn back to rescue her.  At this point, the White Ship began to sink and the many people in the water desperately sought the safety of William’s dinghy. The chaos and the weight were too much causing William Ætheling’s dinghy to capsize and sink without a trace.  The chronicler Orderic Vitalis claimed that only two people survived the shipwreck by clinging to a rock all night.

Among those who died in the tragic sinking of the White Ship were:

Captain and Crew

• Thomas FitzStephen, Captain of the White Ship
• Helmsman, apparently drunk
• Approximately 50 oarsmen and sailors

Family of King Henry I of England

• William Ætheling, the only legitimate son of King Henry I
• Matilda FitzRoy, Countess of Perche, illegitimate daughter of King Henry I
• Richard of Lincoln, illegitimate son of King Henry I

D’Avranches Family

• Richard d’Avranches, 2nd Earl of Chester
• Lucia-Mahaut of Blois, Countess of Chester, wife of Richard d’Avranches, 2nd Earl of Chester, sister of Stephen of Blois, the future King Stephen of England, and niece of King Henry I
• Ottuel d’Avranches, the illegitimate half-brother of Richard d’Avranches, Governor of King Henry I’s sons
• Geoffrey Ridel, royal justice and brother-in-law of Richard d’Avranches, 2nd Earl of Chester

Seigneurs de l’Aigle

• Gilbert d’Aigle, Viscount of Exmes, first cousin of Richard d’Avranches, 2nd Earl of Chester
• Geoffroy de l’Aigle, son of Gilbertd’Aigle, Viscount of Exmes, survived clinging to a rock, but then died of exhaustion
• Engenulf d’Aigle, son of Gilbertd’Aigle, Viscount of Exmes

Royal Household

• William Bigod, Steward of King Henry I’s household
• Gisulf, King Henry I’s Secretary
• Robert I of Mauduit, King Henry I’s Chamberlain
• Stewards, chamberlains, cupbearers, and other household members
• An armed marine force, who were very disorderly and drunk

Nobles of England

• 140 knights or noblemen and 18 noblewomen

Nobles of Normandy

• Ralph the Red of Pont-Echanfray, Ralph’s second wife may have also been on the White Ship
• Ivo II and William de Grandmesnil, described as the “two beautiful sons” of Ivo de Grandmesnil
• William of Rhuddlan, son of Robert of Rhuddlan and cousin of Ivo II and William de Grandmesnil

Clergy

• Geoffrey, Archdeacon of Hereford
• William, son of Roger, Bishop of Coutances, his brother and three nephews

Family of Holy Roman Emperor Heinrich V

• Theodoric, a relative of Holy Roman Emperor Heinrich V

King Henry I holds the record for the British monarch with the most illegitimate children, 25 or so illegitimate children, but the tragedy of the White Ship left him with only one legitimate child, his daughter Matilda.  Henry’s nephews were the closest male heirs.  In January 1121, Henry married Adeliza of Louvain, hoping for sons, but the marriage remained childless.  On Christmas Day of 1226, King Henry I of England gathered his nobles at Westminster where they swore to recognize Matilda and any future legitimate heir she might have as his successors.  That plan did not work out.  Upon hearing of Henry’s death on December 1, 1135, Stephen of Blois, one of Henry’s nephews, quickly crossed the English Channel from France, seized power, and was crowned King of England on December 22, 1135.  This started the terrible civil war between Stephen and Matilda known as The Anarchy.  England did not see peace for 18 years until Matilda’s son acceded to the throne as King Henry II of England in 1153.

Recommended Book: The White Ship: Conquest, Anarchy and the Wrecking of Henry I’s Dream
by Charles Spencer

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.

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Sarah, Duchess of York (born Sarah Margaret Ferguson) is the former wife of Prince Andrew, The Duke of York, second son of Queen Elizabeth II and The Duke of Edinburgh. She was born at the Wellbeck Nursing Home in Marylebone, London, England on October 15, 1959, to Major Ronald Ferguson and the former Susan Wright. Her father, a former soldier in the Life Guards, served as polo manager to the Duke of Edinburgh, and for many years, to the Prince of Wales. Sarah’s parents divorced in 1974, and both remarried. She has an older sister – Jane – and three younger half-siblings – Andrew, Alice, and Eliza Charlotte – from her father’s second marriage.

Her ancestors include King Charles II of England (she is descended from two of his illegitimate sons, The Duke of Richmond and The Duke of Monmouth), The 6th Duke of Buccleuch, 1st Duke of Abercorn, and Georgina Spencer, Duchess of Devonshire. Through these ancestors, she is distantly related to her former husband.

 

Sarah spent the first eight years of her life living at Lowood House, the family home in Sunninghill, Berkshire, England. The family then moved to Dummer Down Farm in Hampshire,  England which had been in the Ferguson family for several generations. As a child, Sarah and her family often spent summer weekends at Smith’s Lawn where her father played polo. It was here that her father first met Earl Mountbatten and through him, The Duke of Edinburgh. She often played with the children of The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh although neither Sarah nor her sister has any clear recollections.

Sarah attended the Daneshill School in Hampshire, England, and then the Hurst Lodge School in Ascot, England graduating in 1977. Following her schooling, she attended Queen’s Secretarial College and took a job with a London public relations firm. She also worked at an art gallery and then a publishing company.

 

Despite having met several times in their youth, it wasn’t until the mid-1980s that Sarah and Prince Andrew developed a friendship when they were both guests at a weekend party at Floors Castle, the Scottish home of the Duke and Duchess of Roxburghe. Their friendship became romantic after a party at Windsor Castle in 1985, as part of Royal Ascot week. The Princess of Wales, with whom Sarah had been friends for several years, arranged for Sarah to be invited and made sure she was seated next to Prince Andrew. Before long, Andrew proposed while the couple was again visiting Floors Castle, and their engagement was announced in March 1986. Sarah’s engagement ring consisted of a large Burmese ruby surrounded by diamonds, designed by her fiance’.

 

Sarah and Prince Andrew married on July 23, 1986 in Westminster Abbey. As Andrew had been created Duke of York earlier that morning, Sarah emerged from the abbey as HRH The Duchess of York, and was the fourth most senior woman in the Royal Family, following The Queen, The Queen Mother, and The Princess of Wales.

• Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of Prince Andrew, Duke of York and Sarah Ferguson

Following their honeymoon, the couple lived in Prince Andrew’s apartments at Buckingham Palace while construction took place on their new home Sunninghill Park in Berkshire, England. As a wedding gift, Queen Elizabeth II had purchased five acres of the former Sunninghill Park estate from the Crown Commissioners. The previous house on the estate had once been the intended home of Queen Elizabeth II and Duke of Edinburgh following their marriage. However, it was destroyed by fire before they could take up residence. The new Sunninghill Park became Sarah and Andrew’s primary residence for the remainder of their marriage… and beyond.

Upon marriage, Sarah was very close to most of the members of the Royal Family. She shared a love of horses and country pursuits with Queen Elizabeth II and took up carriage driving which endeared her to the Duke of Edinburgh. The Prince of Wales, now King Charles III, admired her carefree spirit and exuberance. However, in the early months and years of her marriage, The Duke of York was often away on naval duties, leaving Sarah to fend for herself in the complex world of ‘The Firm’. As an outsider, unaccustomed to life in the royal household, she often stumbled in finding her way. Fortunately, she had her friend and sister-in-law Diana to help guide her. At the beginning of her marriage, the media loved Sarah but they soon began to turn on her. Constantly compared to Diana and ridiculed for her fashion sense and her weight, she was called ‘Duchess of Pork’ by many of the British tabloids. For Sarah, it was made more difficult because of the constant absence of her husband.

Over the next four years, Sarah and Andrew had two daughters:

• Princess Beatrice, Mrs. Mapelli Mozzi (born 1988), married Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, had two daughters
• Princess Eugenie, Mrs. Jack Brooksbank (born 1990), married Jack Brooksbank, had two sons

Soon there were cracks in the marriage. The Duke of York was often away on naval duties, and Sarah was seen in the company of other men. After much speculation, the couple announced they were separating on March 19, 1992. A few months later, a tabloid published photos of the Duchess sunbathing topless with another man, causing the rift between her husband and his family to widen. When attempts at reconciliation failed, the couple divorced on May 30, 1996. Now styled as ‘Sarah, Duchess of York’, she initially retained the HRH style. However, Letters Patent were issued a few months later, clarifying that former wives were not entitled to use the royal style. As per The Lord Chamberlain’s office, she is still considered a member of the British Royal Family.

Despite their divorce, Sarah and Andrew continued to live together, both at Sunninghill Park and later at Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park. In 2007, she moved to the neighboring Dolphin House, where she lived until a fire in 2008 caused her to return to Royal Lodge. Sarah and Andrew purchased a ski chalet in Verbier, Switzerland, and Sarah has reportedly made this her primary residence. She also has an apartment in London and retains her rooms at Royal Lodge.

The relationship with her former husband has remained close, with Sarah often stating that he remains her ‘Prince Charming’. Rumors have circulated for years that the two plan to re-marry, but the two seem very happy with their current relationship. While both have had other relationships, they remained fully supportive – and protective – of each other.

One of the most polarizing British royals in recent years, Sarah, Duchess of York, despite her financial problems and scandals, has remained supportive and respectful of her former family and the monarchy. Since divorcing in 1996, she has been in the rare position of having to juggle her former position with her current one. Because of this, she is often, as the expression goes,  “damned if she does, and damned if she doesn’t.”

 

Sarah, Duchess of York has written or contributed to over 40 books, including her series of ‘Budgie the Little Helicopter’ books, several lifestyle books, and two books about Queen Victoria. She served for many years as a spokesperson for Weight Watchers and ventured into film as a producer of the movie The Young Victoria in 2009. She has also worked as a contributor to several news programs, both in the UK and the US.

Despite her successful business ventures, she has often had to deal with financial problems. Reportedly she was near bankruptcy before being bailed out by her husband and several other friends. In 2010, she was secretly filmed by a tabloid offering access to her former husband in exchange for money. This incident, along with others, caused increased tension with her former family, particularly with her former father-in-law The Duke of Edinburgh. However, Queen Elizabeth II was very welcoming to her former daughter-in-law and often invited Sarah to Balmoral or Sandringham with Andrew and their daughters.

Since the early years of her marriage, Sarah has been involved with numerous charities and organizations. Since 1990, she has been Patron of The Teenage Cancer Trust, and a few years later, founded Children in Crisis. Sarah, her former husband, and their daughters established Key To Freedom in 2013. Other organizations she supports include Mental Disability Rights International and the Motor Neurone Disease Association. She has worked with the American Cancer Society and in 2014 was named ambassador for the Institute of Global Health Innovation at Imperial College in London.

On June 25, 2023, it was announced that Sarah had breast cancer and underwent surgery at King Edward VII Hospital, a private clinic in central London that previously treated the late Queen Elizabeth II and other senior royals. She underwent reconstructive surgery following her mastectomy. On January 21, 2024, it was announced that Sarah had been diagnosed with malignant melanoma after having several moles removed for analysis.

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.

by Scott Mehl

© Unofficial Royalty 2015

Captain Mark Phillips was the first husband of Anne, Princess Royal and father of her two children. He was born Mark Anthony Peter Phillips on September 22, 1948, to Major Peter Phillips and the former Anne Tiarks, whose father was an Aide-de-Camp to King George VI. He had one sister, Sarah, who passed away.

Following his education at Stouts Hill Preparatory School and Marlborough College, Phillips entered the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst. After passing out, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Queen’s Dragoon Guards, eventually reaching the rank of Captain in 1975. He retired from the Army in March 1978.

 

An avid horseman, Philips was a member of the British Equestrian Team with whom he won the Team Three-Day Event world title in 1970, the European title in 1971, and Olympic Gold in 1972. He also won Silver at the 1988 Olympics and is a four-time champion at the Badminton Horse Trials.

 

It was through their mutual membership on the British Equestrian Team that Phillips met Princess Anne, the daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and The Duke of Edinburgh. Their engagement was announced on May 29, 1973, and they married at Westminster Abbey in London, England on November 14, 1973. Following their honeymoon, the couple settled at Gatcombe Park in Gloucestershire, England, an estate The Queen had purchased as a wedding gift. It has been speculated that The Queen offered – and Phillips declined – a peerage upon marriage but this has never been confirmed or denied by any member of the Royal Family.

• Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips

The couple had two children:

• Peter Phillips (1977) – married to Autumn Kelly, two daughters, divorced
• Zara Phillips (1981) – married to Mike Tindall, two daughters and one son

In 1989, the couple separated following several years of a very strained marriage, and numerous claims of infidelity. In 1991, following court-mandated DNA testing, it was confirmed that Phillips had fathered a daughter, Felicity, in 1985 as a result of an affair with New Zealand art teacher Heather Tonkin. The following year, in April 1992, Captain Phillips and The Princess Royal were formally divorced.

In the 1980s, Phillips began working with the United States Equestrian Team, serving as Chef d’Equipe of the Eventing Team. It was through this that he met his second wife, Sandy Pflueger, a member of the US Dressage Team. They married on February 1, 1997, and have a daughter Stephanie born later that year. The couple separated in 2012.  Since 2012, Phillips has been in a relationship with Lauren Hough, also a member of the US Team, who is 18 years his junior.

As well as his work with the US Equestrian Team, Phillips is a columnist for Horse & Hound magazine and has designed several courses, including the cross-country venue for the Red Hills Horse Trials, an Olympic qualifying event, in Florida.

 

Captain Phillips is also the Chairman and course designer of the Gatcombe Horse Trials, which is held on The Princess Royal’s Gatcombe Park estate. Begun in the early 1980s by Phillips and The Princess Royal, the event continues to draw equestrians from around the world.

Despite their divorce, Phillips retains a friendly relationship with The Princess Royal. The two are, in fact, neighbors. Some years after their marriage, the couple had purchased the neighboring property of Aston Farm and incorporated it into their Gatcombe Park estate. Following their divorce, the Princess retained Gatcombe, while Phillips moved to Aston Farm which remains his residence in England. However, in recent years, he has been based primarily in the United States where he still serves as the Chef d’Equipe (team manager) of the United States Eventing Team.

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.

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Princess Charlotte of Wales

Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana of Wales is the second child of the three children of Prince William, The Prince of Wales and the former Catherine Middleton. She was born at 8:34 am on May 2, 2015, at the Lindo Wing, St. Mary’s Hospital in London. For some background on her name see: Unofficial Royalty: What’s in a Name? – Princess Charlotte of Wales

Charlotte had an older and a younger brother:

• Prince George of Wales (born July 22, 2013)
• Prince Louis of Wales (born April 23, 2018)

Regardless of the gender of any younger siblings, Princess Charlotte will remain second in the line of succession to the British throne after her father The Prince, and her older brother Prince George of Wales until her older brother has children. The Succession to The Crown Act 2013, which formally went into effect on March 26, 2015, put in place absolute primogeniture, which means that for those born after October 28, 2011, the eldest child born becomes the heir to his or her parent, regardless of gender.  With the birth of her younger brother Prince Louis on April 23, 2018, Charlotte became the first British princess not to be overtaken in the line of succession by her younger brother.

Later that same day, Prince William brought Prince George to the hospital to meet his new baby sister. And just a few hours later, William and Catherine and their daughter left the hospital and returned home to Kensington Palace, where they were visited by members of their families. Two days later, the couple announced their daughter’s name – Charlotte Elizabeth Diana.

 

The family soon left Kensington Palace and traveled to their home on the Sandringham Estate, Anmer Hall. On July 5, 2015, Princess Charlotte was christened by the Archbishop of Canterbury at St. Mary Magdalene’s Church, Sandringham. The private service was attended only by immediate family, and Charlotte’s five godparents:

• The Honorable Laura Fellowes (maternal first cousin of her father)
• Adam Middleton (paternal first cousin of his mother)
• Thomas van Straubenzee (a close friend)
• James Meade (a close friend)
• Sophie Carter (a close friend)

 

For her christening, Princess Charlotte wore the Royal Christening Gown which was made in 2008. It is an exact replica of the gown first used for the christening of Queen Victoria’s eldest daughter, Victoria, in 1841, and was used for all royal christenings since. The last to use the original gown was Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor, daughter of the Earl and Countess of Wessex in 2004. Also dating back to 1841, the Lily Font was used for Charlotte’s christening, with water from the River Jordan.  Following the christening, The Queen hosted a reception at Sandringham House.

On May 20, 2017, Princess Charlotte was a bridesmaid at the wedding of her aunt Pippa Middleton and James Matthews.

On January 8, 2018, Charlotte began attending the Willcocks Nursery School, close to her Kensington Palace home. Princess Charlotte became a big sister on April 23, 2018, when her younger brother Prince Louis was born.  Charlotte joined her brother George at Thomas’s Battersea School on Battersea High Street in London in September 2019.

Princess Charlotte on her first day of nursery school; Photo taken by The Duchess of Cambridge

In 2018, Princess Charlotte was a bridesmaid in two royal weddings – the wedding of her uncle Prince Harry to Meghan Markle and the wedding of her first cousin once removed Princess Eugenie of York to Jack Brooksbank.

Charlotte occasionally accompanies his parents on royal tours and engagements. On June 2, 2022, during her great-grandmother’s Platinum Jubilee celebration weekend, Charlotte and her siblings made their debut in the Trooping the Colour carriage procession.

All three Cambridge children then joined their parents, Queen Elizabeth II, and other working royals on the Buckingham Palace balcony.

William and Catherine with their children on the Buckingham Palace balcony during the Platinum Jubilee celebrations of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022

In the summer of 2022, Charlotte and her family moved to Adelaide Cottage, a four-bedroom house on the grounds of Windsor Castle in Berkshire, England. The move was made to give Charlotte and her siblings a more normal family life. In the fall of 2022, Charlotte and her siblings began attending Lambrook School, a prestigious fee-paying school in Winkfield, near Windsor. The school is described on its website as a “leading coeducational Prep School for 615 boys and girls aged 3 and 13, set in 52 acres of beautiful Berkshire countryside.” Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis will not be the first royals who attended Lambrook School. Prince Christian Victor of Schleswig-Holstein and his brother Prince Albert of Schleswig-Holstein, grandsons of Queen Victoria and sons of Princess Helena and Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein, also attended Lambrook School.

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.

by Scott Mehl and Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Destined to become the longest-reigning British monarch, Princess Elizabeth of York was born at 2:40 am on April 21, 1926, at 17 Bruton Street in Mayfair, London, the home of her maternal grandparents. She was the daughter of the future King George VI and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, at the time the Duke and Duchess of York. She was named in honor of her mother, her great-grandmother Queen Alexandra, who had died five months earlier, on November 20, 1925, and her grandmother Queen Mary. Her paternal grandparents were King George V and Queen Mary, born Princess Victoria Mary of Teck, and her maternal grandparents were Claude Bowes-Lyon, 14th and 1st Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, and Cecilia Cavendish-Bentinck. At the time of her birth, Elizabeth was third in the line of succession to the British throne, following her uncle The Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII and Duke of Windsor) and her father.

Queen Elizabeth II Resources 

• Unofficial Royalty: Ancestors of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
• Unofficial Royalty: Contemporary Monarchs of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
• Unofficial Royalty: Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II
• Unofficial Royalty: First Cousins of Queen Elizabeth II
• Unofficial Royalty: Margaret “Bobo” MacDonald, nanny, dresser, and confidante
• Unofficial Royalty: Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
• Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of Queen Elizabeth II and Lt Philip Mountbatten, RN

On May 29, 1926, in the Private Chapel at Buckingham Palace in London, England, Princess Elizabeth of York was christened.

Her godparents were:

• King George V (her paternal grandfather)
• Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught (Queen Victoria’s son, her father’s great-uncle)
• Claude Bowes-Lyon, 14th and 1st Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne (her maternal grandfather)
• Queen Mary (her paternal grandmother)
• Princess Mary, Viscountess Lascelles (her paternal aunt, later Princess Royal, Countess of Harewood)
• Lady Elphinstone (her maternal aunt, born Lady Mary Bowes-Lyon)

For the first few years of her life, Elizabeth was raised at her parents’ home at 145 Piccadilly, in London, and at White Lodge in Richmond Park.

Elizabeth had one younger sibling:

• Princess Margaret (1930 – 2002), married and divorced Antony Armstrong-Jones, created 1st Earl of Snowdon, had one son and one daughter

In 1930, after the birth of Princess Margaret, the family moved to Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park. Royal Lodge is most associated with her mother, as it was her country home until she died in 2002. It is now the home of Prince Andrew, The Duke of York.

In January 1936, Elizabeth’s grandfather, King George V, died at Sandringham. Her uncle David became King Edward VIII, and her father was now heir-presumptive to the throne. Even then, it was expected that the King would marry and have an heir – but as history shows us, this was not how things would turn out. In December 1936, King Edward VIII abdicated the throne, and Elizabeth’s father became King George VI. The quiet family life the Yorks had enjoyed would be changed forever. The young 10-year-old princess was now the heiress-presumptive to the British throne. However, because there was always the possibility of a younger brother being born and becoming heir apparent, Elizabeth did not receive any of the titles traditionally held by the heir. She remained, simply, The Princess Elizabeth.

King George VI’s coronation was held in 1937 (on the date originally scheduled for his elder brother, Edward VIII). Princess Elizabeth and her sister, Princess Margaret, attended the ceremony, resplendent in ermine robes and small gold coronets.

The two princesses often attended events with their parents. One that would be most notable in Elizabeth’s life was a visit to the Royal Naval College in Dartmouth in 1939. Here she met and spent time with, her second cousin once removed via King Christian X of Denmark and her third cousin via Queen Victoria, Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark. Philip was the son of Prince Andrew of Greece and Princess Alice of Battenberg. Philip was a cadet at the College, and because of his family relationship, was asked to join the official party to entertain the young princesses. The two had already met some years earlier at the wedding of Elizabeth’s uncle, The Duke of Kent, to Philip’s cousin, Princess Marina of Greece but it was in Dartmouth that the 13-year-old Elizabeth truly took notice of her nearly 18-year-old cousin. It is said that Elizabeth was instantly smitten with the dashing Philip and the two began a correspondence that quickly blossomed into a romance.

Princess Elizabeth undertook her first official public engagement on her 16th birthday – an inspection of the Grenadier Guards, of whom she had been appointed Colonel-in-Chief. From this point on, her public role increased and she took on more official engagements, both with her parents and on her own. In 1945, she joined the Women’s Auxiliary Territorial Service with the rank of Subaltern, where she trained as a driver and mechanic. She was later promoted to the rank of Junior Commander.

Unbeknownst to the British people, Philip and Elizabeth had become engaged privately in 1946. The King consented, with the condition that the announcement would be held off until after Elizabeth’s 21st birthday the following year. The family was on a tour of southern Africa when Elizabeth turned 21. On that day, the Princess gave a radio address from Cape Town, South Africa, in which she dedicated her life to the service of the Commonwealth:

“I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted
to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong.”

(You can hear the entire speech HERE.)

Upon the family’s return home, the engagement of The Princess Elizabeth and Lt Philip Mountbatten was announced on July 10, 1947. The couple married four months later, on November 20, 1947, at Westminster Abbey. Just prior, the King issued Letters Patent granting Philip the style of His Royal Highness, and the titles Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth, and Baron Greenwich. In addition, he was made a Knight of the Order of the Garter.

• Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of Queen Elizabeth II and Lt Philip Mountbatten, RN

Following their honeymoon, spent at Broadlands (the Mountbatten estate in Hampshire) and Birkhall on the Balmoral Estate, the couple took up residence at Windlesham Moor, a country home in Surrey that was leased for them. They remained at Windlesham Moor until July 1949 when they moved into Clarence House in London. Elizabeth and Philip had four children, two born before she became Queen and two born after she became Queen.

• King Charles III of the United Kingdom (born 1948), married  (1) Lady Diana Spencer, daughter of John Spencer, 8th Earl Spencer, had two sons, divorced  (2) Camilla Shand Parker-Bowles, no children
  • Prince William, The Prince of Wales (born 1982), married Catherine Middleton, had two sons and one daughter
  • Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex (born 1984), married Meghan Markle, had one son and one daughter
• Princess Anne, The Princess Royal (born 1950), married (1) Mark Philipps, had one son and one daughter, divorced  (2) Timothy Laurence, no children
  • Peter Phillips (born 1977), married Autumn Kelly, had two daughters, divorced
  • Zara Phillips (born 1981), married Mike Tindall, had two daughters and one son
• Prince Andrew, The Duke of York (born 1960), married Sarah Ferguson, had two daughters, divorced
  • Princess Beatrice, Mrs. Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi (born 1988), married Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, had one daughter
  • Princess Eugenie, Mrs. Jack Brooksbank (born 1990), married Jack Brooksbank, had two sons
• Prince Edward, The Duke of Edinburgh (born 1964), married Sophie Rhys-Jones, had one daughter and one son
  • Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor (born 2003)
  • James Mountbatten-Windsor, Earl of Wessex (born 2007)

In late January 1952, Elizabeth and Philip embarked on a tour of Australia and New Zealand on behalf of her father, whose doctors would not allow him to travel. On February 6, 1952,  King George VI passed away at Sandringham. The new Queen learned of his death at the Sagana Lodge in Kenya, where the royal party was staying en route to Australia. They immediately returned to London, where she made her Accession Declaration to the Privy Council on February 8, 1952.

On June 2, 1953, the Queen’s coronation was held at Westminster Abbey. This was the first British Coronation that had been televised although some parts were deemed too sacred to be seen. In November 1952, the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh embarked on a six-month tour of the Commonwealth, ending in Malta. Here, the couple was joined by their children, Prince Charles and Princess Anne, and the family returned to London on the newly fitted HMY Britannia.

During her reign, Queen Elizabeth II was perhaps the most recognizable person in the world. She made numerous foreign visits, including State Visits, and hosted numerous incoming State Visits, all in her role as Head of State. She also made numerous visits to Commonwealth countries in her role as Head of the Commonwealth.

In 2012, she celebrated her Diamond Jubilee. Queen Elizabeth joined her great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria, as the only two British monarchs to reach 60 years on the throne. Several days of celebrations were held, including a grand regatta on the Thames, a concert in front of Buckingham Palace, and a Service of Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey. It was celebrated not only in the United Kingdom but around the world. Members of the Royal Family traveled to all of the Commonwealth Realms and many other Commonwealth countries on her behalf while Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh traveled throughout the United Kingdom.

On July 27, 2012, Queen Elizabeth II officially opened the Olympic Games in London. Breaking with tradition, Her Majesty appeared in a short film that began the Opening Ceremonies. Seated at her desk in Buckingham Palace, she is joined by James Bond (played by Daniel Craig), and the two leave for the stadium, where they arrive by parachute! Needless to say, the crowd was overjoyed, and Queen Elizabeth was greeted by the cheers and applause of everyone in attendance. The following year, she was presented with an honorary BAFTA award for her support of the British film industry. The presenter referred to her as “the most memorable Bond girl yet”. I think all of us would agree. You can watch Queen Elizabeth II’s Olympic entrance HERE.

 

On April 9, 2021, Queen Elizabeth’s husband of seventy-three years, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh died at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England, at the age of 99, just two months short of his 100th birthday. The funeral arrangements were planned over the years, with Prince Philip’s involvement and Queen Elizabeth signed off on the funeral plans. Last-minute changes were necessary to ensure compliance with COVID-19 restrictions, including only thirty guests being allowed at the funeral. One of the most poignant images of the funeral was the nearly 95-year-old Queen Elizabeth II, now a widow, sitting alone in a choir stall at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor.

In 2022, Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her Platinum Jubilee, marking seventy years on the throne. There were celebrations throughout the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth nations. See Unofficial Royalty: Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee Weekend.

On September 6, 2022, at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, Queen Elizabeth II had a meeting with the outgoing Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and then had a meeting with the incoming Prime Minister Liz Truss. On the evening of September 7, 2022, Queen Elizabeth was to be at a virtual Privy Council meeting during which Liz Truss would have taken her oath as First Lord of the Treasury (a position the Prime Minister also holds) and her new cabinet ministers would have been sworn into their roles. However, this statement was released: “After a full day yesterday, Her Majesty has this afternoon accepted doctors’ advice to rest. This means that the Privy Council meeting that had been due to take place this evening will be rearranged.”

On September 8, 2022, Buckingham Palace issued this statement: “Following further evaluation this morning, the Queen’s doctors are concerned for Her Majesty’s health and have recommended she remain under medical supervision. The Queen remains comfortable and at Balmoral.”  All of Queen Elizabeth’s children and her grandsons Prince William and Prince Harry traveled to Balmoral.

Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom died at the age of 96, at Balmoral Castle, her home in Balmoral, Scotland, on September 8, 2022, at 3:10 PM, more than three hours before the public was informed. The death certificate, released by the National Records of Scotland cites that she died of “old age”. The informant of her death was The Princess Royal, Queen Elizabeth II’s daughter Princess Anne.  Only The Princess Royal and King Charles III were with Queen Elizabeth II when she died.

After a state funeral at Westminster Abbey in London, England on September 19, 2022, Queen Elizabeth II was interred in the King George VI Memorial Chapel in St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle in Windsor England, where her parents and her sister had been interred. At the time of Queen Elizabeth II’s burial, the coffin of her husband Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, who died in 2021, was moved from the Royal Vault at St. George’s Chapel to the King George VI Memorial Chapel.

• Unofficial Royalty: The Death and Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom

Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom is the longest-reigning British monarch having surpassed her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria on September 9, 2015. In May 2022, Queen Elizabeth II surpassed Prince Johann II of Liechtenstein (reigned from November 12, 1858 to  February 11, 1929, for 25,658 days or 70 years, 91 days) and then in June 2022, she surpassed King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand (reigned June 9, 1946 to October 13, 2016, for 25,694 days or 70 years, 126 days) to become the second longest-reigning monarch. Queen Elizabeth II reigned from February 6, 1952 – September 8, 2022, 70 years, 214 days. Only King Louis XIV of France, (reigned May 14, 1643 to September 1, 1715, for 26,407 days or 72 years, 110 days) has reigned longer. (Note: Lengths of reign are from a list of monarchs of states that were internationally sovereign for most or all of their reigns and have verifiable reigns by an exact date.)

• Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom – Seventy Years of the Throne

Many monarchs came and went during the long reign of Queen Elizabeth II. See who they were at:

• Unofficial Royalty: Contemporary Monarchs of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom

There were fifteen Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom during the reign of Queen Elizabeth II:

• Sir Winston Churchill 1951 – 1955
• Sir Anthony Eden 1955 – 1957
• Harold Macmillan 1957 – 1963
• Sir Alec Douglas-Home 1963 – 1964
• Harold Wilson 1964 – 70 and 1974 – 1976
• Edward Heath 1970 – 1974
• James Callaghan 1976 – 1979
• Margaret Thatcher 1979 – 1990
• John Major 1990 – 1997
• Tony Blair 1997 – 2007
• Gordon Brown 2007 – 2010
• David Cameron 2010 – 2016
• Theresa May 2016 – 2019
• Boris Johnson 2019 – 2022
• Liz Truss 2022 (became Prime Minister two days before Queen Elizabeth II’s death)

• A Short Guide to The Parliament of the United Kingdom

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.

House of Windsor Resources at Unofficial Royalty

• United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Index
• House of Windsor Index
• Birth of the House of Windsor
• British Royal Weddings
• Children, Grandchildren, Great-Grandchildren, and Great-Great-Grandchildren of King George V
• Coronations after the Norman Conquest (1066 – present)
• First Cousins of Queen Elizabeth II
• History and Traditions: Windsor Weddings Part 1 – Children of King George V
• History and Traditions: Windsor Weddings Part 2 – Later Windsor Weddings
• House of Windsor Christenings
• House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and House of Windsor Burial Sites
• Line of Succession to the British Throne
• Royal Churches: United Kingdom
• Windsor Weddings Part 1 – Children of King George V
• Windsor Weddings Part 2 – Later Windsor Weddings
• When The British Monarch Dies

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Queen Victoria came to the British throne because of a great tragedy that struck the British Royal Family on November 6, 1817. Twenty-one-year-old Princess Charlotte of Wales, the only child of George, Prince of Wales (the future King George IV), died after delivering a stillborn son. At the time of her death, Charlotte, who was second in line to the throne, was the only legitimate grandchild of King George III, even though twelve of his fifteen children were still alive.  If Charlotte had survived her grandfather King George III and her father, the future King George IV, she would have become Queen. Her death left no legitimate heir in the second generation and prompted the aging sons of King George III to begin a frantic search for brides to provide for the succession.

King George III’s eldest son (Charlotte’s father, the future King George IV) and his second son Frederick, Duke of York, were in loveless marriages, and their wives, both in their late forties, were not expected to produce heirs. The third son, William, Duke of Clarence (the future King William IV), age 53, married 26-year-old Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen, while the fourth son, 50-year-old Edward, Duke of Kent, married 32-year-old widow Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saafeld.  Victoria was the sister of Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saafeld (the future King Leopold I of the Belgians), Princess Charlotte’s widower. Twenty-one-year-old Augusta of Hesse-Cassel married 44-year-old Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge, the seventh son. It was then the scramble to produce an heir began.

Within a short time, the three new duchesses, along with Frederica, wife of the fifth son, Ernest, Duke of Cumberland, became pregnant. Augusta, Duchess of Cambridge gave birth to a son on March 26, 1819, and Adelaide, Duchess of Clarence had a daughter the following day. Victoria, Duchess of Kent produced a daughter on May 24, 1819, and three days later Frederica, Duchess of Cumberland had a boy. Adelaide’s daughter would have been the heir, but she died in infancy as did another daughter born the following year. The child of the next Royal Duke in seniority stood to inherit the throne. This was Alexandrina Victoria, daughter of Edward, Duke of Kent and Victoria. The baby was fifth in line to the throne after her father’s three elder brothers George, Frederick, and William, and her father Edward.

The baby’s father, Edward, died on January 23, 1820, eight months after her birth, and the infant princess was fourth in the line of succession. Six days later, King George III’s death brought his eldest son to the throne as George IV. Frederick, Duke of York, died in 1827, bringing the young princess a step closer to the throne. George IV died in 1830 and his brother William (IV) succeeded him. During William’s reign, little Drina, as she was called, was the heiress presumptive. There was always the possibility that King William IV and Queen Adelaide would still produce an heir, but it was not to be.  King William IV died on June 20, 1837, and left the throne to his 18-year-old niece, who is known to history as Queen Victoria.

Queen Victoria was born at Kensington Palace in London, England on May 24, 1819. She was the only child of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. This was the second marriage for Victoria’s mother who was previously married to Emich Carl, 2nd Prince of Leiningen, and was widowed after 13 years of marriage. This marriage produced a half-brother and half-sister for Victoria:

• Karl, 3rd Prince of Leiningen (1804 – 1856), married Countess Maria Klebelsberg, had two sons
• Princess Feodora of Leiningen (1807 – 1872), married Ernst I, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, had three sons and three daughters; Feodora’s granddaughter Princess Augusta Viktoria of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg married Queen Victoria’s grandson Wilhelm II, German Emperor and King of Prussia

Because Karl became the sovereign Prince of Leiningen at the age of ten, he lived in Leiningen (now in Germany), but Feodora lived in England with her mother and half-sister Victoria until her marriage in 1828. Victoria and Feodora had a close relationship and maintained a lifelong correspondence.

Victoria was christened a month after her birth at Kensington Palace and was given the names Alexandrina (after Alexander I, Emperor of All Russia, one of her godparents) and Victoria (after her mother). Efforts by her parents to use the names Georgina or Georgiana, Charlotte, and Augusta were thwarted by the Prince Regent (later King George IV). Her godparents were:

• Alexander I, Emperor of All Russia
• The Prince Regent (her paternal uncle, later King George IV)
• Dowager Queen of Württemberg (her maternal aunt Charlotte, Princess Royal)
• Dowager Duchess of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (her maternal grandmother, born Augusta Reuss of Ebersdorf)

On January 23, 1820, Victoria’s father died of pneumonia six days before his father King George III died and less than a year after his daughter’s birth. After King George III’s death, the infant Victoria was third in the line of succession after her uncles, Frederick, Duke of York and William, Duke of Clarence. Neither the new king, George IV, nor his brothers Frederick and William had any legitimate heirs, and the Duchess of Kent decided she would take a chance on Victoria’s accession to the throne. The Duchess decided to stay in England rather than return to her homeland.

The Duchess of Kent and her daughter Victoria were given little financial support from Parliament. The Duchess’ brother Leopold (the future King Leopold I of the Belgians) was the widower of Princess Charlotte and received a very generous 50,000 pounds per year income from Parliament upon his marriage to Charlotte which was continued after her death. Leopold provided much-needed financial and emotional support to his sister and niece. In 1831, with King George IV dead for a year and his younger brother and heir King William IV still without legitimate issue, Victoria’s status as heir presumptive and her mother’s prospective place as regent led to major increases in income. Uncle Leopold became King of the Belgians in 1831, so an additional consideration was the impropriety of a foreign monarch supporting the heir to the British throne. Leopold had surrendered his British income upon his accession to the Belgian throne.

There was no love lost between King William IV and his sister-in-law, the Duchess of Kent. Despite the Regency Act 1830 making the Duchess of Kent regent in case William died while Victoria was still a minor, the King distrusted the duchess’s capacity to be regent. In 1836 King William IV declared during a dinner in the Duchess’ presence that he wanted to live until Victoria’s 18th birthday so that a regency could be avoided.

Victoria’s governess was Louise Lehzen, born to a Lutheran pastor in Hanover, Germany. Lehzen, as she was called, gave Victoria a very solid early education. When Victoria turned eight, she began to receive lessons from tutors in French, German, writing, mathematics, drawing, dancing, music, and singing. Shortly before, Victoria’s uncle William became king, Lehzen inserted a genealogical table in Victoria’s history book. Victoria carefully looked at it and said, “I see I am nearer to the throne than I thought,” and burst into tears. After she composed herself, Victoria said her famous remark, “I will be good.”

Lehzen was strongly protective of Victoria, who resided in a household dominated by the controlling Kensington System, implemented by the Duchess of Kent and her comptroller Sir John Conroy. Lehzen encouraged Victoria to become strong, informed, and independent from her mother’s and Conroy’s influence, causing friction between the two and Lehzen. Lehzen remained with Victoria until 1841 when she was quietly dismissed after Prince Albert, Victoria’s husband, had had enough of her jealousy and troublemaking. Lehzen was pensioned off to Hanover although Victoria and her former governess continued to correspond with each other.

On May 24, 1837, Victoria turned 18 years old and it would not be necessary for the Duchess of Kent to serve as regent, much to the relief of Victoria’s uncle King William IV. Less than a month later, on June 20, 1837, King William IV died and Victoria acceded to the British throne. On the day Victoria became queen, she demonstrated her determination to free herself from her mother’s influence by ordering her bed removed from the room she and her mother had always shared. Victoria’s coronation took place on June 28, 1838, at Westminster Abbey.

 

Even before Victoria became queen, the question of her eventual marriage had been discussed. Since 1836, Uncle Leopold had hoped to arrange a marriage between Victoria and his nephew (and Victoria’s first cousin) Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Leopold, Victoria’s mother, and Albert’s father Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha were all siblings. Victoria’s paternal uncle, King William IV, disapproved of a Coburg match and favored a marriage with Prince Alexander of the Netherlands, the second son of the future King Willem II of the Netherlands.

First cousins Victoria and Albert met for the first time in 1836 when Albert and his elder brother Ernst visited England. Seventeen-year-old Victoria seemed instantly infatuated with Albert. She wrote to her uncle Leopold, “How delighted I am with him, and how much I like him in every way. He possesses every quality that could be desired to make me perfectly happy.”

In October 1839, Albert and Ernst again visited England, staying at Windsor Castle with Victoria, who was now Queen. On October 15, 1839, the 20-year-old monarch summoned her cousin Albert and proposed to him. Albert accepted, but wrote to his stepmother, “My future position will have its dark sides, and the sky will not always be blue and unclouded.” The couple was married in the Chapel Royal at St. James’ Palace in London on February 10, 1840, at 1 p.m. Traditionally, royal weddings took place at night, but this wedding was held during the day so the Queen’s subjects could see the couple as they traveled down The Mall from Buckingham Palace.

• Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of Queen Victoria and Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

 

Shortly after his marriage, Albert wrote to a friend, “I am only the husband and not the master in my house.” Albert was expected to be ready at a moment’s notice to go to his new wife to read aloud, play the piano, be petted, or blot her signature. Victoria was delighted to parade Albert before her court and, as she confided to her diary, to have him put her stockings on her feet.

During Victoria’s early pregnancies, Albert showed a talent for diplomatic dealings with her ministers and an ability to understand complex government documents. Soon Albert was dealing with more and more of Victoria’s governmental duties and they worked with their desks side by side. As Albert’s influence over Victoria grew, she began to defer to him on every issue.

Victoria was quite temperamental and had a strong sexuality which Albert apparently met, as evidenced by the birth of nine children. Albert was somewhat prudish and his high moral standards would never allow extramarital affairs. He found marriage to Victoria a full-time job which exhausted him physically and mentally. Victoria rewarded Albert by making him Prince Consort in 1857.

 

All of Victoria and Albert’s nine children grew to adulthood. However, their youngest son, Leopold, was afflicted with the genetic blood clotting disease hemophilia and two of their daughters, Alice and Beatrice, were hemophilia carriers.

• Unofficial Royalty: Hemophilia in Queen Victoria’s Family

Victoria and Albert’s nine children:

• Victoria, Princess Royal (1840-1901) married Friedrich III, German Emperor and King of Prussia, had four sons and four daughters
• King Edward VII of the United Kingdom (1841-1910) married Princess Alexandra of Denmark, had two sons and three daughters
• Princess Alice (1843-1878) married Ludwig IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine, had two sons and five daughters
• Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1844-1900) married Grand Duchess Marie Alexandrovna of Russia, had one son and four daughters
• Princess Helena (1846-1923) married Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein, had two sons and two daughters
• Princess Louise (1848-1939) married John Campbell, Marquess of Lorne, 9th Duke of Argyll, no children
• Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught (1850-1942) married Princess Louise Margaret of Prussia, had one son and two daughters
• Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany (1853-1884) married Princess Helena of Waldeck and Pyrmont, had one son and one daughter
• Princess Beatrice (1857-1944) married Prince Henry of Battenberg, had three sons and one daughter

Victoria and Albert’s children and grandchildren married into other European royal families giving Victoria the unofficial title of “Grandmother of Europe.” Their grandchildren sat upon the thrones of Germany/Prussia, Greece, Norway, Romania, Russia, Spain, and the United Kingdom as monarchs or consorts. Through these marriages, Victoria and Albert’s daughters and granddaughters transmitted the genetic disease hemophilia to other royal families. Victoria and Albert’s descendants currently sit upon the thrones of Denmark, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.

• Unofficial Royalty: Queen Victoria’s Children and Grandchildren
• Unofficial Royalty: Queen Victoria’s Great-Grandchildren
• Unofficial Royalty: Queen Victoria’s Great-Great-Grandchildren
• Unofficial Royalty: Bibliography of Royal Biographies: Queen Victoria and Family

Victoria and Albert, whose primary residences were Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle, felt they needed their own residences. Albert’s architectural talents are evident in the seaside Italian-style palace Osborne House on the Isle of Wight and Balmoral, a castle in the Scottish highlands. Osborne and Balmoral became Victoria’s favorite homes.  Following Victoria’s death, Osborne was given to the state and served as a Royal Navy training college from 1903-1921.  Today it is open to the public as a home of Queen Victoria.  Balmoral Castle remains the private property of the monarch and is used by the British Royal Family for their summer holidays.

In December 1861, Albert, exhausted from dealing with a foreign policy issue and his eldest son’s affair with an actress, fell ill with a fever. Delirious and suffering from pain and chills, Albert died at Windsor Castle on December 14, 1861, at the age of 42. The cause of his death was diagnosed as typhoid fever, but modern medical experts speculate that he died from stomach cancer or some other debilitating disease.

• Unofficial Royalty: December 14 – Queen Victoria’s Dire Day

Left a widow at 42, Victoria never fully recovered from her beloved Albert’s death. For the rest of her life, she wore only clothes of mourning black with a white widow’s cap on her head. Her handkerchiefs and stationery displayed wide black edges. In each of her homes, Albert’s room was kept as if he were still alive. Servants opened and closed the curtains, changed linens, and laid out Albert’s clothes. Victoria slept with his nightshirt for years. Most notable was her almost complete withdrawal from public life for the rest of her reign. She did find some comfort in her ever-growing family of children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Eventually, Victoria made trips to the south of France, where she enjoyed the Mediterranean sunshine.

During her widowhood, two servants became important to Victoria, much to the distress of her family. During her early widowhood, Victoria relied heavily on her Scottish Highland servant John Brown from Balmoral. There were rumors of a romance and a secret marriage, and Victoria was called Mrs. Brown. Brown treated the queen in a rough and familiar but kind manner, which she relished. In return, Brown was allowed many privileges which infuriated Victoria’s family.

After John Brown died in 1883, Queen Victoria became similarly attached to an Indian Muslim servant Abdul Karim, called the Munshi, who began working for her in 1887. The Munshi was resented even more than John Brown had been. At least John Brown’s loyalty to Queen Victoria was without question, but there was evidence that the Munshi exploited his position for personal gain and prestige. The Munshi remained with Victoria until her death when he was dismissed and sent back to India by Victoria’s son and successor King Edward VII.

On January 1, 1877, Victoria was proclaimed Empress of India. This was a great source of pride and satisfaction to Victoria because now she was on an equal status with Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria, Emperor Alexander II of Russia, and Wilhelm I, German Emperor as she considered herself greatly superior to all of them.

In 1887, Queen Victoria celebrated her Golden Jubilee marking 50 years on the throne, and ten years later she celebrated her Diamond Jubilee marking her 60th year as queen. On September 23, 1896, Victoria surpassed her grandfather King George III as the longest-reigning British monarch. On September 9, 2015, her great-great-granddaughter Queen Elizabeth II surpassed Queen Victoria as the longest-reigning British monarch.

By the time Queen Victoria was in the last year of her life, she had lost three of her nine children. Princess Alice died on December 14, 1878, the 17th anniversary of Prince Albert’s death, at the age of 35 from diphtheria. Prince Leopold, who suffered from hemophilia, died at the age of 30 on March 28, 1884, from a cerebral hemorrhage following a fall. Lastly, Prince Alfred, aged 55, died of throat cancer, on July 30, 1900. Victoria, Princess Royal was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1899 and then spine cancer in 1900. She died on August 5, 1901, less than seven months after her mother’s death. Two of Victoria’s children, Princess Louise and Prince Arthur, lived to be 91. Victoria’s youngest child Princess Beatrice outlived all her siblings. She died at the age of 87 in 1944 and the 18-year-old Princess Elizabeth, the future Queen Elizabeth II, attended her funeral.

Queen Victoria had enjoyed good health throughout her life but in the last year of her life, she suffered from indigestion, insomnia, weight loss, and some difficulty with speaking, reading, and writing. Rheumatism made it difficult to walk and cataracts made it difficult to see. On December 18, 1900, she traveled to Osborne House on the Isle of Wight for the last time. The journey exhausted her, but after a few days, she seemed somewhat recovered. However, by January 16, 1901, it was obvious that Queen Victoria’s life was drawing to an end. She died at Osborne House on January 22, 1901, surrounded by her family. Her funeral was held at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle, and she was interred beside Prince Albert in the Frogmore Mausoleum in Windsor Great Park.

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.

House of Hanover and Queen Victoria Resources at Unofficial Royalty

• United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Index
• House of Hanover Index
• House of Hanover: Queen Victoria Index
• Bibliography of Royal Biographies: Queen Victoria and Family
• British Royal Weddings
• Christenings of Queen Victoria, Prince Albert, Their Children, and Select Grandchildren
• Coronations after the Norman Conquest (1066 – present)
• First Cousins of Queen Victoria
• Hemophilia in Queen Victoria’s Family
• History and Traditions: Weddings of Queen Victoria and Her Children
• House of Hanover Burial Sites
• Queen Victoria’s Children and Grandchildren Articles Index
• Queen Victoria’s Great-Grandchildren
• Queen Victoria’s Great-Great-Grandchildren
• Queen Victoria’s Inner Circle Index (Household, Ladies, Prime Ministers, Private Secretaries, Relatives Articles)

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

King Henry III became king on October 18, 1216, at the age of nine and reigned 56 years, 29 days, until he died in 1272. Only King George III, Queen Victoria, and Queen Elizabeth II have reigned longer. Henry was born at Winchester Castle on October 1, 1207, the eldest of the five children of King John and his second wife Isabella, Countess of Angoulême in her own right. Their firstborn child was named after King John’s father, King Henry II.  Henry’s siblings all survived into adulthood, made excellent marriages, and all but Joan had children.

Henry’s siblings:

• Richard, Earl of Cornwall, King of the Romans (1209 – 1272), married (1) Isabel Marshal, had three sons and a daughter, only one son survived childhood, Isabel died in childbirth (2) Sanchia of Provence, had two sons, only one son survived childhood (3) Beatrice of Falkenburg, no children
• Joan of England (1210 – 1238), married Alexander II, King of Scots, no children
• Isabella of England (1214 – 1241), married Friedrich II, Holy Roman Emperor, had at least four children
• Eleanor of England (1215 – 1275), married (1) William Marshal, 2nd Earl of Pembroke, no children (2) Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, had seven children

King John died on October 18, 1216, leaving Henry, a nine-year-old, to inherit his throne amid the First Barons’ War (1215–17), in which a group of rebellious barons supported by a French army, made war on King John because he refused to accept and abide by the Magna Carta. The rebellious barons and the French controlled a large part of eastern England. Henry was crowned as soon as possible to reinforce his claim to the throne. On October 28, 2016, at Gloucester Cathedral Henry was crowned with a golden circlet belonging to his mother as the coronation regalia were at Westminster in London.

William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke, who had served three kings: Henry II, Richard I, and John, was named as the protector of King Henry III, and regent of the kingdom. Despite being around 70 years of age, Marshal actively participated in the war against the French and the rebel barons with amazing energy. In the Battle of Lincoln, he charged and fought at the head of the young king’s army, leading them to victory. He was preparing to besiege the French in London when the war ended with the naval victories at the Battle of Dover and the Battle of Sandwich. Upon his death in 1219, which greatly affected the young Henry, Marshal was eulogized as “best knight that ever lived” by Stephen Langton, Archbishop of Canterbury.

In July 1217, Henry’s mother Isabella of Angoulême left him in the care of his regent, William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke, and returned to France to assume control of her inheritance of Angoulême, basically abandoning her children by King John. In 1220, she married Hugh X of Lusignan, Count of La Marche with whom she had nine children. Henry’s education was entrusted to Peter de Roches, Bishop of Winchester and Hubert de Burgh, 1st Earl of Kent became regent after the death of William Marshal. On May 20, 1220, Henry was crowned a second time in Westminster Abbey with a full coronation ceremony. He was declared of age in 1223 by the pope, but he did not actually reign independently until 1227 when he was 20.

On January 14, 1236, at Canterbury Cathedral, 29-year-old Henry married 13-year-old Eleanor of Provence,  the second of the four daughters of Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Provence and Beatrice of Savoy.  All four daughters married kings and therefore became queens.

Henry and Eleanor had five children:

• King Edward I of England (1239 – 1307), married (1) Eleanor of Castile, had issue including his heir Edward II (2) Margaret of France, had issue
• Margaret, Queen of Scots (1240 – 1275), married Alexander III, King of Scots, had issue
• Beatrice, Countess of Richmond (1242 – 1275), married John II, Duke of Brittany, had issue
• Edmund Crouchback, 1st Earl of Lancaster (1245–1296), married (1) Aveline de Forz, no issue (2) Blanche of Artois, had issue
• Katherine of England  (1253 – 1257), died in childhood

Many of Eleanor’s maternal Savoy relatives came to the English court including uncles Pietro and Bonifacio. Pietro lived in England for a long time, served as a diplomat, and became Earl of Richmond. In 1263, he became Count of Savoy.  Bonifacio became Archbishop of Canterbury, a position secured by his brother-in-law Henry III. In 1247, Henry’s half-brothers from his mother’s second marriage, the Lusignans came to England and competed for lands and promotions with the queen’s Savoy relatives. Henry’s relatives were rewarded with large estates, largely at the expense of the English barons. From 1236 to 1258, the weak king fluctuated repeatedly between various advisers including his brother Richard of Cornwall and his Lusignan half-brothers, greatly displeasing the English barons. In addition, the English barons were displeased with Henry III’s demands for extra funds, Henry’s methods of government, and widespread famine.

The displeasure of the English nobility with the king ultimately resulted in a civil war, the Second Barons’ War (1264–1267). The leader of the forces against Henry was led by his brother-in-law Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, who was married to Henry’s sister Eleanor. de Montfort wanted to reassert the Magna Carta and force the king to surrender more power to the baron’s council.

In 1264 at the Battle of Lewes, Henry and his son, the future King Edward I, were defeated and captured. Henry was forced to summon a parliament and promise to rule with the advice of a council of barons. Henry was reduced to a figurehead king, and de Montfort broadened parliamentary representation to include groups beyond the nobility, members from each county of England, and many important towns. Fifteen months later, Edward led the royalists into battle again, defeating and killing de Montfort at the Battle of Evesham in 1265. Ultimately, authority was restored to King Henry III and severe retribution was exacted on the rebellious barons. In 1266, a reconciliation between the king and the rebels was worked out with the Dictum of Kenilworth. In the years that followed his death, Simon de Montfort’s grave was frequently visited by pilgrims. Today, de Montfort is considered one of the fathers of representative government.

Henry was increasingly ill and infirm during his final years. His son and heir Edward became the Steward of England and began to play a more prominent role in government. The most important legacy of King Henry III is Westminster Abbey. In 1042, 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 Henry III who selected the site for his burial. In 1269, Henry oversaw a grand ceremony to rebury Edward the Confessor in a magnificent new shrine, helping to carry the body to its new resting place.

King Henry III died at the age of 69 on November 16, 1272, at the Palace of Westminster in London, England. By his own direction, Henry was buried in the original coffin of Edward the Confessor. Eventually, a grander tomb was built for Henry, and on May 10, 1290, his remains were moved to their current location in Westminster Abbey in Edward the Confessor’s Chapel, in a tomb directly north of Edward the Confessor’s shrine.

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.

England: House of Plantagenet Resources at Unofficial Royalty

• United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Index
• House of Plantagenet Index (1216 – 1399)
• British Royal Births, Marriages, Deaths, and Other Important Events
• Coronations after the Norman Conquest (1066 – present)
• History and Traditions: Norman and Plantagenet Weddings
• House of Plantagenet Burial Sites

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

King Edward III of England is considered one of the important English rulers of the Middle Ages. After the disastrous reign of his father King Edward II, Edward III made his kingdom into one of the most organized military powers in Europe. During his reign there were changes in the government with the legislative branch, Parliament, gaining power. Edward’s reign of 50 years, 147 days is surpassed only by the reigns of King Henry III, King George III, Queen Victoria, and Queen Elizabeth II.

Edward was born on November 13, 1312, at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England. During his childhood, he was called Edward of Windsor after his birthplace, a common way of naming royal children at the time. He was the eldest child of King Edward II of England and Isabella of France, daughter of King Philippe IV of France and Queen Joan I of Navarre. Several days after his birth, his father, the first English Prince of Wales, created him Earl of Chester, but for some reason, never created him Prince of Wales.

Edward had three younger siblings:

• John of Eltham, 1st Earl of Cornwall (1316 – 1336), unmarried, no children
• Eleanor of Woodstock (1318 – 1355), married Reinoud II of Guelders, had two sons
• Joan of The Tower (1321 – 1362), married David II, King of Scots, no children

Edward had a difficult childhood. His father Edward II was a weak king, and his relationship with his favorites Piers Gaveston and Hugh Despenser the Younger, whether they were friends, lovers, or sworn brothers, was problematic and caused discontent among the nobles and the royal family. Opposition to the regime grew, and when Edward II’s wife Isabella was sent to France to negotiate a peace treaty in 1325, she turned against Edward and refused to return. Isabella allied herself with the exiled Roger Mortimer, 3rd Baron Mortimer, 1st Earl of March, and invaded England with a small army in 1326. Edward II’s regime collapsed and he fled to Wales, where he was captured in November 1326. Edward was forced to give up his crown in January 1327 in favor of his 14-year-old son Edward III, with Isabella and Mortimer acting as regents. King Edward III was crowned in Westminster Abbey on February 1, 1327. Edward II died in Berkeley Castle on September 21, 1327, probably murdered on the orders of Isabella and Mortimer.

During this same period, Edward III was searching for a bride and chose Philippa of Hainault.   Born June 24, 1314, Philippa was the daughter of William I, Count of Hainault (also Count of Holland, Count of Avesnes, and Count of Zeeland) and Joan of Valois. When Philippa was only eight years old, she was already considered a bride for the future King Edward III who was only seven. Walter de Stapledon, Bishop of Exeter was sent to inspect Philippa. The bishop gave a very detailed report to King Edward II. Seven years later in 1326 Prince Edward and his mother Queen Isabella checked out Philippa when they visited the court of Hainault. The young prince liked what he saw and he and Philippa were betrothed in the summer of 1326.

A year later on January 24, 1328, Edward and Philippa married at York Minster in York, England. The couple’s main home was Woodstock Palace in Oxfordshire, England. It was Philippa’s favorite residence and the birthplace of four of her fourteen children including her eldest child, Edward the Black Prince, who was born days before her sixteenth birthday. The sons of Edward and Philippa married into the English nobility and their descendants later battled for the throne in the Wars of the Roses.

Edward and Philippa had fourteen children:

• • Edward, Prince of Wales, the Black Prince (1330 – 1376), married Joan, 4th Countess of Kent, had two sons, only the future King Richard II survived childhood
  • Isabella of England (1332 – 1379) married Enguerrand VII de Coucy, 1st Earl of Bedford, had two daughters
  • Joan of England (circa1334 – 1348), died of the plague on the way to marry Pedro of Castile
  • William of Hatfield (born and died 1337)
  • Lionel of Antwerp, 1st Duke of Clarence (1338 – 1368), married (1) Elizabeth de Burgh, 4th Countess of Ulster, had one daughter (2) Violante Visconti, no children
  • John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster (1340 – 1399), married (1) Blanche of Lancaster, had seven children including King Henry IV of England (2) Infanta Constance of Castile, had one daughter and one son (3) Katherine Swynford (formerly his mistress), had three sons and one daughter (Note: All monarchs of England, Great Britain, and the United Kingdom since King Henry IV are descended from John of Gaunt, and most European monarchies are also descended from John. The Houses of Lancaster, York, and Tudor were all descended from John of Gaunt’s children.)
  • Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York (1341 – 1402), married (1) Infanta Isabella of Castile, had two sons and one daughter (2) Joan Holland, no children
  • Blanche of the Tower (born and died March 1342)
  • Mary of Waltham (1344 – 1362), married John V, Duke of Brittany, no children
  • Margaret of Windsor, Countess of Pembroke (1346 – 1361), married John Hastings, 2nd Earl of Pembroke, no children
  • Thomas of Windsor (1347 – 1348), died of the plague
  • William of Windsor (born and died 1348), died of the plague
  • Thomas of Woodstock, 1st Duke of Gloucester (1355 – 1397), married Eleanor de Bohun, had one son and four daughters

Edward III was theoretically King of England, but the true ruler was Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March. After the birth of Edward and Philippa’s first son, Mortimer realized that his situation had deteriorated. Many nobles were jealous and angry because Mortimer abused power. Then, in March 1330, Mortimer ordered the execution of Edmund of Woodstock, Earl of Kent, the half-brother of Edward II. After this execution, the nobles begged the young king to assert his independence, which he did shortly before his 18th birthday. In October 1330, Parliament was summoned to Nottingham Castle, and Mortimer and Isabella were seized by Edward and the nobles. Isabella begged for mercy for Mortimer, but he was accused of assuming royal power and of various other crimes and was condemned without a trial and hanged. Isabella was initially held at Berkhamsted Castle and then held under house arrest at Windsor Castle until 1332, when she moved back to her own home Castle Rising in Norfolk where she died on August 22, 1358.

Edward’s main preoccupation during his long reign was his claim to the French throne which started the Hundred Years War.  In 1340, Edward assumed the title of King of France through his mother, as the heir of her brother King Charles IV of France who had died in 1328 without a male heir.  The French did not recognize inheritance through the female line and Charles IV had been succeeded by his cousin King Philippe VI.  Edward did homage to Philippe for his French lands, but later Philippe declared Edward’s French lands forfeit and invaded Guienne, part of the Duchy of Aquitaine which had come to the English monarchs through King Henry II’s wife Eleanor of Aquitaine, Duchess in her own right.

Edward III’s reaction was to take up arms and defend his French land by sea and by land. In the naval Battle of Sluys (1340), the English gained control of the English Channel. The English won the Battle of Crécy (1346) and the Battle of Poitiers (1356) with the superiority of the English longbowmen. In 1347, the port city of Calais was taken after a long siege, giving the English an important economic and military base.

The hero of these battles was Edward III’s eldest son and heir, Edward, Prince of Wales, who has come to be known as the Black Prince. The Black Prince died at the age of 45, probably of dysentery, in 1376, a year before his father died, and his son succeeded his grandfather as King Richard II.

Edward III’s reign saw many changes. England prospered through the export of wool but the prosperity was tempered by the devastation of the bubonic plague.  Modern historians give estimates of death rates ranging from around 25% to over 60% of the total English population. In 1362, English replaced French as the official language of the courts of law. A year later, Parliament was opened in English. Literary works, including Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, were written in English. The office of Justice of the Peace was created and Parliament was divided into two houses. In 1348, Edward founded the Order of the Garter, still one of the leading orders of chivalry in Europe.

From about 1371, Edward III’s health was failing and he became senile. Edward’s third surviving son, John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster, led the affairs of state but he could not prevent military failures. An attempt led by Edward’s second surviving son, Lionel of Antwerp, 1st Duke of Clarence, to gain control of the Irish princes failed. In addition, there was a series of setbacks for the English, as the new French King Charles V defeated every military project of the English, and little by little the country recovered much of the land his father had lost. Ultimately, the only English possessions in France were Bordeaux, Calais, and Bayonne.

King Edward III suffered a stroke in May 1377. He died at Sheen Palace in Richmond, England on June 21, 1377, at the age of 64, and was buried in Westminster Abbey in London, England beside his wife Philippa, who had died in 1369.

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.

England: House of Plantagenet Resources at Unofficial Royalty

• United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Index
• House of Plantagenet Index (1216 – 1399)
• British Royal Births, Marriages, Deaths, and Other Important Events
• Coronations after the Norman Conquest (1066 – present)
• History and Traditions: Norman and Plantagenet Weddings
• House of Plantagenet Burial Sites