Category Archives: British Royals

March 30, 2002 – Death of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother

by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2013

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March 30, 2002 – Death of Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother, wife of George VI, mother of Elizabeth II, at Royal Lodge, Windsor; buried at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle

On Saturday, March 30, 2002, at 3:15 pm, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother died peacefully in her sleep, at her home, Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park, at the age of 101. Her daughter Queen Elizabeth II and two of her grandchildren, the children of Princess Margaret, David Armstrong-Jones, 2nd Earl of Snowdon and his sister Lady Sarah Chatto, were with her.

Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon was born on August 4, 1900, in London. She was the fourth daughter and the ninth of ten children of Claude Bowes-Lyon, Lord Glamis (who succeeded his father as 14th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne in 1904), a descendant of King Robert II of Scotland, the first Stewart king, and Cecilia Cavendish-Bentinck, a descendant of the Marquess Wellesley (brother of the Duke of Wellington) and the Kings of Ireland. Elizabeth bore the courtesy title of “Honorable” until her father became Earl when she exchanged it for “Lady.”

Lady Elizabeth married the second son of King George V, Prince Albert, Duke of York, on April 26, 1923, at Westminster Abbey, London.  See Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of George VI and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon for detailed information on the wedding.

The couple had two children, Elizabeth (born 1926) who succeeded her father as Queen Elizabeth II and Margaret, who died shortly before her mother (1930-2002).  Upon the abdication of his brother King Edward VIII in 1936, the Duke of York acceded to the throne as King George VI.  During the difficult years of World War II, King George VI and his wife Queen Elizabeth continually boosted the morale of the British people.  In 1952, King George VI died of lung cancer at the age of 56 and Queen Elizabeth changed her style to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother to avoid confusion with her daughter, now Queen Elizabeth II.

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Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother lay in state in Westminster Hall at the Palace of Westminster.  At one point, her four grandsons Prince Charles, Prince Andrew, Prince Edward, and Viscount Linley exchanged places with the guards as a mark of respect to their grandmother. (See photo above.)  The funeral was held on April 9, 2002, at Westminster Abbey.  The Queen Mother was laid to rest with her husband and the ashes of her younger daughter Princess Margaret in the King George VI Memorial Chapel in St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. On September 19, 2022, her elder daughter Queen Elizabeth II was interred in the crypt of the King George VI Memorial Chapel. At the same time, the coffin of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, who died in 2021, was moved from its temporary place in the Royal Vault beneath St. George’s Chapel and also interred in the crypt of the King George VI Memorial Chapel.

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

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Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany

by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2013

Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany; Credit: Wikipedia

Prince Leopold was the eighth of the nine children and the fourth and youngest son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Born on April 7, 1853 at Buckingham Palace in London, England, Leopold was described as delicate from a very early age.  It soon became apparent that he suffered from the genetic disease hemophilia. He was the first of the nine hemophiliacs among Queen Victoria’s descendants.

The infant prince was christened Leopold George Duncan Albert in the Private Chapel of Buckingham Palace on June 28, 1853, by the Archbishop of Canterbury, John Bird Sumner.  His godparents were:

Prince Leopold photographed by John Jabez Edwin Mayall, March 1, 1861; Credit – Wikipedia

Leopold had eight siblings:

Albert, Victoria and their nine children, 1857. Left to right: Alice, Arthur, Albert, Edward, Leopold, Louise, Victoria with Beatrice, Alfred, Victoria, and Helena; Credit – Wikipedia

Naturally, Leopold’s childhood activities were curtailed due to his hemophilia.  He was perhaps Queen Victoria’s most intellectual child and had the artistic tastes of his father, Prince Albert.  Leopold somehow managed to convince his mother to allow him to spend four years (1872-1876) at Christ Church, Oxford University and he received an honorary doctorate in civil law in 1876.  While at Oxford, Leopold became friendly with Alice Liddell, the daughter of the Dean of Christ Church, Oxford.  Alice was the inspiration for the classic Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, who in real life was Charles Lutwidge Dodgson and who held the Christ Church Mathematical Lectureship.  There have been rumors of a romance between Leopold and Alice.  Alice did name her first child Leopold and the prince was his godfather.  Leopold’s first child was named Alice, perhaps after Alice Liddell and/or perhaps after his sister Alice who had died several years earlier.

 Prince Leopold in 1873 during the time he was at Christ Church, Oxford

In 1881, Leopold first met his future wife Princess Helena of Waldeck-Pyrmont in Darmstadt where Leopold was staying with Ludwig IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine, who was the widower of Leopold’s sister Alice. Helena’s parents were George Victor, Sovereign Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont and Princess Helena of Nassau. Through both of her parents, Helena was a descendant of Anne, Princess Royal, the eldest daughter of King George II of Great Britain.

Princess Leopold and Princess Helena of Waldeck-Pyrmont; Credit – Wikipedia

Leopold saw marriage as a way to become independent from Queen Victoria, his overbearing mother. Besides having hemophilia, Leopold also had mild epilepsy.  Although hemophilia had more serious consequences, it was a disease that was not completely understood at the time, and it was Leopold’s epilepsy that caused him problems while seeking a bride.  Epilepsy was considered a social stigma and many families hid away their epileptic relatives.  After Leopold was rejected by several potential royal brides, Queen Victoria and her eldest daughter Victoria stepped in and made arrangements for Leopold and Helena to meet.  The couple became engaged on November 17, 1881.  Leopold was ecstatic when he wrote of the news to his brother-in-law Ludwig, widower of his sister Alice: “…we became engaged this afternoon…Oh, my dear brother, I am so overjoyed, and you, who have known this happiness, you will be pleased for me, won’t you?…You only know Helena a little as yet – when you really know her, then you will understand why I’m mad with joy today.”

 The wedding of Leopold and Helena

On April 27, 1882, Leopold and Helena were married at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle.  Helena was escorted down the aisle by her father George Victor, Sovereign Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont and her brother-in-law King Willem III of the Netherlands.  Her wedding gown of white satin, decorated with traditional orange blossom and myrtle was a gift from her sister Queen Emma of the Netherlands.  Leopold had requested that his friend, the French composer Charles Gounod, compose a wedding march to be played as Helena made her way to the altar.

The couple had two children:

Helena, Duchess of Albany with her two children Alice and Charles Edward in 1887; Credit – http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/

Unfortunately, Leopold and Helena’s marriage was short-lived.  In early 1884, Leopold’s doctors recommended that he spend the winter in Cannes, France, which he had done before.  At the time, Helena was expecting her second child.  On March 27, 1884, Leopold slipped and fell on the staircase at Villa Nevada, the private home where he was staying in Cannes.  He injured his knee, hit his head, and died early in the morning of March 28, 1884, apparently of a cerebral hemorrhage, the injuries having been exacerbated by his hemophilia. He was 31 years old. Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany was buried in the Albert Memorial Chapel at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle.

Prince Leopold’s tomb in the Albert Memorial Chapel; Credit – Connie Nisinger, www.findagrave.com

Prince Leopold’s effigy; Credit – Scott Michaels, www.findagrave.com

Four months after Leopold’s death, Helena gave birth to a son, Charles Edward.  Charles Edward became Duke of Albany at birth (his father’s title) and in 1900 succeeded his uncle Alfred as the last reigning Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.  During World War I, he was deprived of his British titles due to his taking up arms against his native country.  After World War II, Charles Edward was imprisoned due to his Nazi sympathies and was heavily fined and almost bankrupted.  Charles Edward’s grandson, King Carl XVI Gustaf, currently sits upon the throne of Sweden.  Leopold’s daughter Alice married a brother of Queen Mary, Alexander Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone, and died in 1981, the last surviving grandchild of Queen Victoria.

New York Times: Death of Prince Leopold
Poem – The Death of Prince Leopold by William Topaz McGonagall
Recommended Biography: Prince Leopold: The Untold Story of Queen Victoria’s Youngest Son by Charlotte Zeepvat

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Queen Victoria Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Sophia Dorothea of Hanover, Queen of Prussia

by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2013

Sophia Dorothea of Hanover, Queen of Prussia; Credit: Wikipedia

Princess Sophia Dorothea of Hanover was born on March 26, 1687, in Hanover, Principality of Calenberg, now in Lower Saxony, Germany.  At the time of her birth in 1687, her father was styled His Highness Duke Georg Ludwig of Brunswick-Lüneburg and became Elector of Hanover when his father died in 1698. Upon the death of Queen Anne of Great Britain in 1714, he became King George I of Great Britain due to the provisions of the 1701 Act of Settlement.  Sophia Dorothea’s mother was Sophia Dorothea of Celle.

Sophia Dorothea had one sibling, an elder brother:

Sophia Dorothea of Hanover, on the right, with her mother Sophia Dorothea of Celle on the left, and her brother, the future King George II of Great Britain, in the middle

The marriage of Sophia Dorothea’s parents was happy at first, but George and Sophia Dorothea found affection elsewhere. George fell in love with one of his mother’s ladies-in-waiting, Melusine von der Schulenburg.  Sophia Dorothea fell in love with Swedish Count Philip Christoph von Königsmarck, an officer in the Hanoverian army. Despite warnings from her mother and friends, Sophia Dorothea and her lover wrote letters to each other, met secretly, and planned to escape Hanover together. On the morning of July 2, 1694, after a meeting with Sophia Dorothea, von Königsmarck disappeared from Leineschloss Castle and was never seen again. It was widely believed that George ordered von Königsmarck’s death. There is speculation that the letters were forgeries, and Sophia Dorothea’s guilt is still debated.

On December 28, 1694, a tribunal of judges and Lutheran Church officials declared the marriage of George and Sophia Dorothea dissolved on the grounds of Sophia Dorothea’s desertion. George was not satisfied with punishing his former wife with just a marriage dissolution.  He had his 27-year-old former wife imprisoned in the Castle of Ahlden until she died 32 years later. Sophia Dorothea was never allowed to see her children again.

Sophia Dorothea was eight years old when her disgraced mother was divorced and banished for the rest of her life.  She was raised by her paternal grandmother Sophia, Electress of Hanover at Herrenhausen, the Hanover home.  She married her first cousin Crown Prince Friedrich Wilhelm of Prussia, son of Friedrich, King  I of Prussia and Sophia Charlotte of Hanover on November 28, 1706, in Berlin.  The couple had fourteen children:

Sophia Dorothea, Queen of Prussia in the center with some of her children during the visit of King Augustus II of Poland to Berlin; Credit – Wikipedia

Sophia Dorothea and Friedrich Wilhelm had met as children as they shared a grandmother, Sophia, Electress of Hanover, and they had disliked each other ever since.  Their interests were very different and Friedrich Wilhelm contemplated divorcing Sophia Dorothea the same year they were married, but nothing ever came of it.  Sophia Dorothea became Queen of Prussia in 1713 when her husband acceded to the Prussian throne.

Friedrich Wilhelm I, King of Prussia, 1713; Credit – Wikipedia

Friedrich Wilhelm was faithful, but they did not have a happy relationship. Sophia Dorothea feared his unpredictable temper and resented him for allowing her no influence at court and for refusing to marry her children to their English cousins. She detested his cruelty towards their son and the heir Friedrich, with whom she was close.  In his own way, Friedrich Wilhelm was devoted to Sophia Dorothea.  Their daughter Wilhelmine wrote that when her father was dying, “he had himself rolled in his chair to the queen’s room. Not having thought the danger was imminent, she was still asleep. ‘Get up,’ the king said to her, ‘I have only a few more hours to live and I wish to have the happiness of dying in your arms.'”  Friedrich Wilhelm died on May 31, 1740, in Berlin.  During World War II, his remains were removed and hidden and were later found by American Forces and reburied at St. Elisabeth’s Church in Marburg. In 1953, his remains were moved to Hohenzollern Castle where they remained until 1991. In 1991, his coffin was finally laid to rest on the steps of the altar at the Kaiser Friedrich Mausoleum at the Friedenskirche, the Church of Peace, in Sanssouci Park, surrounding Sanssouci Palace, in Potsdam, Germany.

Sophia Dorothea survived her husband by 17 years, dying at the age of 70 on June 28, 1757, at the Palace of Monbijou near Berlin, and was buried at the Berlin Cathedral.

Tomb of Sophia Dorothea of Hanover; Credit – findagrave.com

Prussia Resources at Unofficial Royalty

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Mary of Teck, Queen of the United Kingdom

by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2013

Mary of Teck, Queen of the United Kingdom;  Credit – Wikipedia

Her Serene Highness Princess Victoria Mary Augusta Louise Olga Pauline Claudine Agnes of Teck (known as Mary or May) was born at Kensington Palace, London on May 26, 1867. She was the eldest of the four children and the only daughter of Prince Francis, Duke of Teck, and Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge. Mary was christened at the Private Chapel in Kensington Palace by Charles Thomas Longley, Archbishop of Canterbury on July 27, 1867.  Her godparents were:

The infant Mary with her parents; Credit – Wikipedia

Mary’s mother was a male-line granddaughter of King George III and a first cousin of Queen Victoria. Princess Mary Adelaide weighed approximately 250 pounds and was affectionately known as “Fat Mary.” Queen Victoria wrote of her, “Her size is fearful. It is really a misfortune.” Princess Mary Adelaide, however, was high-spirited and full of life, and was adored by the Victorian public who called her “The People’s Princess.”

Mary’s father was His Serene Highness Prince Francis of Teck, the product of a morganatic marriage. Prince Francis’ father, Duke Alexander of Württemberg, was once heir to the throne of Württemberg. However, Duke Alexander contracted a morganatic marriage (marriage to a person of a lower rank) to a Hungarian countess, Claudine Rhedey. Duke Alexander lost his rights to the throne and his children lost the right to use the Württemberg name. Francis’ cousin King Karl of Württemberg eventually elevated him to the more important Germanic title of Duke of Teck.

Mary Adelaide and Francis had a happy marriage but had chronic financial problems due to Mary Adelaide’s extravagance and generosity. Queen Victoria gave them an apartment at Kensington Palace where their four children were born. Mary had three younger brothers:

NPG x96004; Queen Mary with her mother and brothers by Alexander Bassano

Queen Mary with her mother and brothers by Alexander Bassano, half-plate glass negative, circa 1884 NPG x96004 © National Portrait Gallery, London

Mary spent her first sixteen years in London.  The Tecks were always in financial difficulties, and in 1883 fled from their creditors to the European continent where it was cheaper to live. The family lived with various relatives in Europe and eventually settled in Florence, Italy where Mary acquired an interest in art that would remain with her throughout her life. In 1885, the family returned to London.

Mary was first engaged to Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence (known as Prince Eddy), the oldest son and eldest child of Albert Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) and Princess Alexandra of Denmark.  Backward and lazy, Eddy had been an apathetic student and received very little education. He was primarily interested in pursuing pleasure which often led him into trouble. His lack of concentration on anything serious caused great concern in his family. Eddy’s family decided that finding a suitable wife might help correct his attitude and behavior.

by Gunn & Stuart, albumen cabinet card, 21 December 1891

Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale; Queen Mary when Princess Victoria Mary of Teck by Gunn & Stuart, albumen cabinet card, 21 December 1891, NPG x29174 © National Portrait Gallery, London

Unbeknownst to her, Mary was considered the most suitable bride for Eddy. Eddy offered no resistance to this suggestion. Mary had been brought up to revere the monarchy and to be proud that she was a member of the British Royal Family. The fact that Mary’s father was a product of a morganatic marriage could have presented difficulties for her in the marriage market. Despite Eddy’s shortcomings, Mary felt it was her duty to marry him. The engagement was announced on December 6, 1891, and the wedding was set for February 27, 1892.  A month after the engagement announcement, Prince Eddy became ill with influenza. Within a few days, his lungs became inflamed and pneumonia was diagnosed.  He died on January 14, 1892.

After Prince Eddy’s death, Mary and his brother George, the future King George V, now second in the line of succession after his father, spent much time together. As time passed and their common grief eased, there was hope that a marriage might take place between them. George proposed to Mary beside a pond in the garden of his sister Louise’s home, East Sheen Lodge, on April 29, 1893. The engagement was announced on May 3, 1893, with the blessing of George’s grandmother Queen Victoria, and the couple married on July 6, 1893, at the Chapel Royal in St. James’ Palace.

Wedding of Mary and George, standing from left to right: Alexandra of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Helena Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein, Victoria Melita of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Prince George, Victoria of Wales, Maud of Wales; sitting from left to right: Alice of Battenberg, Margaret of Connaught, Mary of Teck; front row: Beatrice of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Victoria Eugénie of Battenberg and Patricia of Connaught; Credit – Wikipedia

George and Mary on their wedding day; Credit – Wikipedia

George and Mary had six children:

 

In 1901, after the accession of King Edward VII, George and Mary toured the British Empire, visiting Malta, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. In 1906, they toured India and then traveled to Spain for the wedding of George’s first cousin Princess Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg to King Alfonso XIII of Spain. Soon afterward, George and Mary traveled to Norway for the coronation of King Haakon VII, George’s first cousin, and Queen Maud, George’s sister.

Mary in 1901; Credit – Wikipedia

On May 6, 1910, George’s father King Edward VII died and George became King. George and Mary’s coronation was held at Westminster Abbey on June 22, 1911. See Unofficial Royalty: Coronation of King George V and Queen Mary. In December 1911, King George V and Queen Mary traveled to India for the Delhi Durbar where they were presented as Emperor and Empress of India.  In 1919, George and Mary’s youngest child 13-year-old Prince John, who had epilepsy, died after a very severe seizure, most likely from Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy or SUDEP.

On May 6, 1935, King George V and Queen Mary celebrated their Silver Jubilee. George was a heavy smoker and was already very ill at that time. He died on January 20, 1936, and was succeeded by his eldest son, King Edward VIII.  King Edward VIII abdicated less than a year later and his brother Prince Albert, Duke of York ascended the throne, taking the regnal name George VI. King George VI was followed on the throne by his daughter Queen Elizabeth II.

 

During World War II, King George VI wanted to evacuate his mother from London. Mary was very reluctant, but eventually, she went to live with her niece Mary, Duchess of Beaufort, the daughter of her brother Adolphus, at Badminton House in Gloucestershire.    Mary annoyed her niece by having the ivy torn from the walls of Badminton House because she considered it ugly and a health hazard.  In 1942, Mary’s son Prince George, Duke of Kent was killed in an airplane crash while on active service. See Unofficial Royalty: Tragedy in the British Royal Family at the End of August.

 

In 1952, King George VI died.  Queen Mary had lived long enough to see her granddaughter Elizabeth become queen, but died on March 24, 1953, at age 85 of lung cancer (although her illness was referred to as “gastric problems”) just ten weeks before the coronation. Before her death, Queen Mary had insisted that the coronation go ahead as scheduled. Mary was buried in St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle with her husband King George V.

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Tomb of King George V and Queen Mary in St. George’s Chapel, Windsor

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House of Windsor Resources at Unofficial Royalty

King Henry IV of England

by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2013

King Henry IV of England; Credit – Wikipedia

King Henry IV of England, who usurped the throne from his first cousin King Richard II of England, and became the first Lancaster king, was the eldest surviving son of John of Gaunt (third surviving son of King Edward III of England) and his first wife Blanche of Lancaster, Duchess of Lancaster.  He was born at Bolingbroke Castle in Lincolnshire, England, and was called Henry Bolingbroke.  The date of his birth is not certain, although April 15, 1367, is generally the date used.  However, various sources list his birth date as  April 3, April 4, April 15, and May 30 and the years 1366 and 1367.  Historian Ian Mortimer wrote an article about this topic.  The abstract of the article says, “The date of Henry IV’s birth has proved problematic for two key reasons. The failure of any contemporary chronicler to note the date is one. Another is the assumption that medieval people assigned their birthdays to a specific calendar date. This note argues that Henry IV was born on a movable feast – Maundy Thursday 1367 – and celebrated his birthday accordingly. In addition, it suggests that the origin of the custom of the sovereign’s age-related donations, on Maundy Thursday, lies in Henry’s own attempt to draw attention to the fact that he, like Richard II, was born on a religious feast day.”  In 1367, Maundy Thursday was April 15.

Henry was the sixth of his parents’ seven children and their only surviving son:

Henry had two half-siblings from his father’s second marriage to Constance of Castile:

Henry had four half-siblings from his father’s relationship with Katherine Swynford.  John of Gaunt married Katherine in 1396, and their children were eventually legitimized.

When Henry IV was still a young child, his mother Blanche died, possibly of the plague or due to childbirth complications, at age 23, on September 12, 1368.  On July 27, 1380, at Arundel Castle, 13-year-old Henry married an 11-year-old heiress, Mary de Bohun. Mary was the second daughter of Humphrey de Bohun, 7th Earl of Hereford, 6th Earl of Essex, 2nd Earl of Northampton. Upon his death in 1373, his estate was divided between his two surviving daughters. Henry and Mary had six children, but Mary died giving birth to their last child at the age of 25.

In 1377, Henry’s grandfather King Edward III died and he was succeeded by another grandson, King Richard II, the only child of King Edward III’s eldest son Edward, Prince of Wales (the Black Prince), who had predeceased his father.  In 1387, Henry participated in the rebellion of the Lords Appellant,  a group of nobles who wanted to restrain some of King Richard II’s favorites from the power they held.  The Lords Appellant were successful for a time until John of Gaunt’s support (Richard’s uncle and Henry’s father) enabled Richard to regain power.

In 1398, Henry quarreled with Thomas de Mowbray, 1st Duke of Norfolk, who accused him of treason.  The two men planned to duel, but instead, King Richard II banished them from England.  Henry went to France, and on a visit to the court of Brittany, he met his future second wife Joan of Navarre, the widow of Jean V, Duke of Brittany.  John of Gaunt died on February 3, 1399, and Richard confiscated the estates of his uncle and stipulated that Henry would have to ask him to restore the estates.  Henry returned to England while his cousin Richard was on a military campaign in Ireland and began a military campaign of his own, confiscating the land of those who had opposed him.  King Richard II eventually was abandoned by his supporters and was forced by Parliament on September 29, 1399, to abdicate the crown to his cousin Henry.  King Henry IV was crowned in Westminster Abbey on October 13, 1399.  Richard was imprisoned at Pontefract Castle in Yorkshire where he died on or around February 14, 1400. The exact cause of his death, thought to have been starvation, is unknown.

Henry of Bolingbroke, flanked by the lords spiritual and temporal, claims the throne in 1399. From a contemporary manuscript, British Library, Harleian Collection; Credit – Wikipedia

Joan of Navarre had not forgotten Henry.  Apparently, Henry had made a good impression on her and she became determined to marry him if the opportunity should arise. In 1402, after Joan’s son came of age and could rule Brittany on his own, she sent an emissary to England to arrange a marriage with Henry.  Henry was agreeable to the marriage and a proxy marriage was held on April 3, 1402, with Joan’s emissary standing in for the bride.  Joan left France for England in January of 1403 with her two youngest daughters and then traveled to Winchester where Henry met her and they were married at Winchester Cathedral on February 7, 1403. They eventually traveled to London where Joan’s coronation was held at Westminster Abbey on February 26, 1403.  At the time of their marriage, Henry was about 37 and Joan was about 35, but they had no children together. Joan got along well with her stepchildren especially Henry of Monmouth, Prince of Wales, the future King Henry V of England.

During much of King Henry IV’s 13-year reign, he was occupied with war.  Owain Glyndŵr‘s fight for Welsh independence took 10 years to put down.  The French attacked along England’s south coast and the Scots kept Henry’s armies busy in the north.  The Percy family, led by Sir Henry Percy (Hotspur), and their supporters made three attempts to overthrow Henry.

In his last years, Henry suffered from a disfiguring disease (possibly leprosy, syphilis, or psoriasis) and had severe attacks (possibly from epilepsy or cardiovascular disease).   On March 20, 1413, while in prayer at the shrine of Edward the Confessor at Westminster Abbey, Henry suffered a fatal attack, possibly a stroke.  He was carried to the Jerusalem Chamber, a room in the house of the abbot, where he died at age 45.  Henry was not buried at Westminster Abbey but instead requested that he be buried at Canterbury Cathedral, presumably because of an affinity towards St. Thomas Becket whose shrine was there.

Tomb of Henry IV and his second wife Joan of Navarre in Canterbury Cathedral; Credit: © Susan Flantzer

England: House of Lancaster Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Princess Patricia of Connaught, Lady Patricia Ramsay

by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2013

Princess Patricia of Connaught; Credit – Wikipedia

Known as Patsy in the family, Princess Patricia of Connaught was born on March 17, 1886, at Buckingham Palace in London, England.  She was the youngest of the three children of Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught, son of Queen Victoria, and Princess Louise Margaret of Prussia. Patricia had an elder sister and brother:

On May 1, 1886, the infant princess was christened at St. Anne’s Church near her parent’s home Bagshot Park in Bagshot, England.  She was given the names Victoria Patricia Helena Elizabeth, after her three godmothers: her grandmother Queen Victoria, her paternal aunt Princess Helena, and her maternal aunt, born Princess Elisabeth Anna of Prussia, and St. Patrick, the saint of her birthday.

Princess Patricia spent two years in India while her father the Duke of Connaught, who served in the British Army, was posted there.  In 1911, the Duke of Connaught was appointed Governor-General of Canada and Patricia accompanied her parents there.  She became popular with the Canadian people during the five-year period she lived in Canada.  In 1917, her picture appeared on the Dominion of Canada one-dollar note.

In 1914, at the start of World War I, Canada had insufficient military forces, and Captain Andrew Hamilton Gault offered the Canadian government $100,000 to help raise and equip an infantry battalion.  Lieutenant-Colonel Francis D. Farquhar, Military Secretary to Canada’s Governor-General, then the Duke of Connaught, asked the Duke of Connaught for permission to name the regiment after his daughter.  Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry was formed and Princess Patricia was named Colonel-in-Chief on February 22, 1918, and held that appointment until her death in 1974.  She personally designed the badge and colors for the regiment and the regiment attended and played their march at her wedding in 1919.  Besides World War I, the regiment has served in World War II, the Korean War, and the War in Afghanistan, as well as in numerous NATO operations and United Nations peacekeeping missions.

Princess Patricia inspecting the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry in 1919; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

There was much speculation about whom Princess Patricia would marry and she was matched with a number of foreign royals, but ultimately she chose a commoner, albeit the son of a peer, The Honorable Alexander Ramsay, then a Captain in the Royal Navy and the third son of John Ramsay, 13th Earl of Dalhousie, and his wife, Lady Ida Bennet, daughter of Charles Bennet, 6th Earl of Tankerville.  Alexander had been a naval aide-de-camp to the Duke of Connaught in his early years as Governor-General of Canada.  The marriage proposal occurred at the fishing lodge of J. K. L. Ross, a Canadian businessman, sportsman, thoroughbred racehorse owner/breeder, and philanthropist, on St. Anns Bay in Nova Scotia, Canada.

The wedding was held at Westminster Abbey on February 27, 1919.  This was the first major royal event after World War I and the first royal wedding at Westminster Abbey since the 1382 wedding of King Richard II and Anne of Bohemia. The bridal party consisted of eight bridesmaids and two train-bearers:

Photo Credit – Bain News Service – Library of Congress

Upon her marriage Princess Patricia, voluntarily relinquished the style of Royal Highness and the title of Princess of Great Britain and Ireland and assumed the style of Lady Patricia Ramsay. She was not obligated to renounce her royal title but she wished to have a social status and rank closer to that of her husband. The decision was made with the agreement of her father The Duke of Connaught and her first cousin King George V.  Lady Patricia remained a member of the British Royal Family, remained in the line of succession, and attended all major royal events including weddings, funerals, and coronations.

The couple had one child:

Lady Patricia and her son; Photo Credit – Wikipedia, Bain News Service – Library of Congress

Lady Patricia was an accomplished watercolor artist and was made an honorary member of the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours.

At the age of 91, Alexander Ramsay died at his home Ribsden Holt in Windlesham, Surrey, England on October 8, 1972, and was buried in the Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore, in Windsor, England. Fourteen months later, on January 12, 1974, Lady Patricia died at Ribsden Holt at the age of 87 and was buried alongside her husband.

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