Category Archives: Royal Churches

Royal Basilica of San Lorenzo de El Escorial in San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Spain

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Royal Site of San Lorenzo de El Escorial; Credit – By Turismo Madrid Consorcio Turístico from Madrid, España – Monasterio EscorialUploaded by Ecemaml, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6581920

The Royal Site of San Lorenzo de El Escorial is located in the town of San Lorenzo de El Escorial about 28 miles/45 kilometers from Madrid, Spain. It is dedicated to Saint Lawrence (San Lorenzo in Spanish) who was one of the seven deacons of the city of Rome during the papacy of Pope Sixtus II who were martyred during the persecution of the Christians ordered the Roman Emperor Valerian in 258. It was built from 1563 – 1584 by King Felipe II of Spain for several purposes, one being the burial site of the Kings of Spain. The complex includes a palace, basilica, monastery, and library. In 1559, Felipe II appointed Spanish architect Juan Bautista de Toledo architect-royal. Together they designed the Royal Site of San Lorenzo de El Escorial as a monument to Spain’s role as a center of the Christian world.

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The Royal Basilica of San Lorenzo de El Escorial

 

The Royal Basilica of San Lorenzo de El Escorial is a Roman Catholic church. It has been the burial place of Spanish monarchs since King Carlos I of Spain (1500 – 1558), better known as Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, and many members of the Spanish royal family. Often funerals are held at the basilica.

 

The Royal Crypt is located beneath the basilica and the convent. There are two Pantheons containing the remains. The Pantheon of Kings contains the remains of Kings and Queen Consorts who were also mothers of Kings of Spain. The Pantheon of Infantes is the resting place of other members of the Spanish Royal Family. There are four exceptions to the burials in the Pantheon of Kings. Elisabeth of France, the first wife of King Felipe IV, gave birth to an heir to the throne before she died. Her son Balthasar Carlos, Prince of Asturias died from smallpox two years after his mother’s death, at the age of sixteen. King Felipe IV decided that Elisabeth should be interred in the Pantheon of Kings. Francisco, Duke of Cádiz and King Consort of Spain, the husband of Queen Isabella II and the father of King Alfonso XII, is also buried in the Pantheon of Kings.

King Juan Carlos I also made exceptions for the final resting place of his parents Infante Juan, Count of Barcelona and María de las Mercedes of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Countess of Barcelona. Although his father did not reign, Juan, Count of Barcelona was the heir apparent of his father King Alfonso XIII because both of his elder brothers renounced their rights of succession. When Alfonso XIII, who had lost his throne when the Second Spanish Republic was declared in 1931, knew that his life was coming to an end, he formally abdicated in favor of his son Juan, who became the pretender to the Spanish throne. The dictator Francisco Franco had declared that the monarchy would be restored upon his own death. However, Franco felt that Juan would be too liberal, so he passed over him and chose Juan’s son, Juan Carlos, as heir to the Spanish throne. Although Juan, Count of Barcelona never reigned, he is considered a de jure king and he and his wife are parents of a king.

However, the royal remains are not initially interred in one of the Pantheons. Instead, the remains are taken to one of two decaying chambers (pudridero), where they remain for 30 to 40 years. The purpose of the pudridero is to reduce the size of the remains so that they will fit in lead chests, 3.2 feet/1 meter long and 16 inches/40 centimeters wide. The remains are then interred in the marble sepulchers or tombs in either the Pantheon of Kings or the Pantheon of Infantes.

Sepulchers of Carlos II, Luis I, Carlos III, and Carlos IV; Credit – By Bocachete – Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6493684

The remains of King Juan Carlos’ parents Juan, Count of Barcelona and María de las Mercedes of Bourbon-Two Sicilies currently lie in the pudridero, awaiting interment in the Pantheon of the Kings. When these remains are interred, all the sepulchers in the Pantheon of Kings will be filled. No decision has been announced as to the final resting place of former King Juan Carlos I and his wife Queen Sofia or for their son King Felipe VI and his wife Queen Letizia, the current king and queen.

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The Pantheon of Kings

The layout of the Pantheon of Kings: The two empty sepulchers 25 and 26 will be used by Don Juan, Count of Barcelona and Maria Mercedes of Two-Sicilies, parents of King Juan Carlos; Credit: By Basilio – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17239121

The Pantheon of Kings is located beneath the Basilica and houses 26 marble sepulchers containing the remains of the Kings and Queens of Spain. As seen in the layout above, it is octagonally shaped, with the sepulchers stacked in six columns around the room. An additional two sepulchers are located above the entrance. The Kings’ tombs are all on one side, while the Queens’ tombs are on the other.

The altar with two sets of niches on either side; Credit – By Bocachete – Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6493547

The Pantheon of Kings is an eight-sided dome made of black marble, which is located directly below the monastery church. The doorway to the Pantheon of Kings is in the southwest wall of this octagon. On the opposite side, the northeast wall, the altar is located. The walls of the other six sides contain (as Groups I-VI) four coffin niches are arranged one above the other. Two more coffin niches are located (as group VII) in the southwest wall above the entrance. In each of these coffin niches, there is a magnificent sarcophagus made of black marble with gold decorations with gold tablets naming the names of the persons buried within.

The following members of the Spanish royal family are buried in the Pantheon of Kings:

Group I

  • Carlos I, King of Spain, also Holy Roman Emperor Charles V (1500 – 1558)
  • Felipe II, King of Spain (1527 – 1598)
  • Felipe III, King of Spain (1578 – 1621)
  • Felipe IV, King of Spain (1605 – 1665)

Group II

  • Carlos II, King of Spain (1661- 1700)
  • Luis I, King of Spain (1707 – 1724)
  • Carlos III, King of Spain (1716 – 1788)
  • Carlos IV, King of Spain (1748 – 1819)

Group III

Group IV

  • Isabella of Portugal, Queen of Spain, wife of Carlos I, also Holy Roman Emperor Charles V (1503 – 1539)
  • Anna of Austria, Queen of Spain, 4th wife of Felipe II (1549 – 1580)
  • Margaret of Austria, Queen of Spain, wife of Felipe III (1584 – 1611)
  • Elisabeth of France, Queen of Spain, 1st wife of Felipe IV (1602 – 1644)

Group V

  • Mariana of Austria, Queen of Spain, 2nd wife of Felipe IV (1635 – 1696)
  • Maria Luisa of Savoy, Queen of Spain, 1st wife of Felipe V (1688 – 1714)
  • Maria Amalia of Saxony, Queen of Spain, wife of Carlos III (1724 – 1760)
  • Maria Luisa of Parma, Queen of Spain, wife of Carlos IV (1751- 1819)

Group VI

Group VII – The future burial place of The Count and Countess of Barcelona

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The Pantheon of Infantes

Pantheon of the Infantes looking from Chapel IX towards Chapel VI: Credit – By Holo^-^ – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=51849928

The Pantheon of Infantes is located on the same level as the Pantheon of Kings but under the monastery. In 1862, Queen Isabella II approved its construction which was carried out by José Segundo de Lema (link in Spanish), the senior architect of the Royal Palace. The Pantheon of Infantes was completed in 1888 and it was intended to be the burial place for Infantes and Infantas of Spain and for Queen Consorts of Spain who were not mothers of Kings of Spain. Infante and Infanta are Spanish royal titles that basically correspond to Prince and Princess.

The Pantheon of Infantes consists of nine chapels, each with its own altar. In contrast to the Pantheon of Kings, which is dominated by the colors black and gold, white marble was predominantly used for the walls and the sarcophagi in the Pantheon of the Infantes. In Chapel VI, a free-standing round monument serves as a collective burial site for children of the Spanish royal family who had not yet had their First Communion before they died. Among those buried In Chapel IX are sixteen members of the House of Habsburg.

The Pantheon of Infantes has its own pudridero (decaying chamber) where the remains of the deceased stay for 30 to 40 years before they are interred. Currently in the pudridero of the Pantheon of Infantes are:

Chapel I

Tombs of Infante Alfonso of Spain, Prince of the Two Sicilies, Duke of Calabria and his mother Infanta María de las Mercedes, Princess of Asturias; Credit – By Alexjab – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=65821441

Chapel II

Chapel III

Chapel IV

Tombs of Luis Alfonso of Bavaria, Infante of Spain and Maria de las Mercedes of Bavaria, Infanta of Spain; Credit – By Alexjab – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=65821301

Chapel V

Tomb of Don Juan of Austria; Credit – Wikipedia

  • Don Juan of Austria, illegitimate son of Carlos I, also Holy Roman Emperor Charles V (1547 – 1578)
  • Don Francisco Fernando of Austria, illegitimate son of Felipe V (1627 – 1634)
  • Don Juan José of Austria, illegitimate son of Felipe IV (1629 – 1679)

Chapel VI: Children’s Collective Grave

The free-standing round monument serves as a collective burial site for children of the Spanish royal family who had not yet had their First Communion before they died; Credit – Wikipedia

  • Infante Fernando, son of Carlos I, also Holy Roman Emperor Charles V (born and died 1529)
  • Infante Juan, son of Carlos I, also Holy Roman Emperor Charles V (1537 – 1538)
  • Infante Lorenzo, son of Felipe II (1573 – 1575)
  • Infanta Maria, daughter of Felipe II (1580 – 1583)
  • Infanta Maria, daughter of Felipe III (born and died 1603)
  • Infante Alfonso, son of Felipe III (1611 – 1612)
  • Infanta Margarita, daughter of Felipe IV (born and died 1621)
  • Infanta Catalina, daughter of Felipe IV (born and died 1623)
  • Infanta Maria, daughter of Felipe IV (1625 – 1627)
  • Infanta Isabel Teresa, daughter of Felipe IV (born and died 1627)
  • Infanta Ana Antonia, daughter of Felipe IV (born and died 1636)
  • Prince Ferdinand of Savoy-Carignano, son of Tommaso Francesco of Savoy, Prince of Carignano (1634 -1637)
  • Infanta Ambrosia, daughter of Felipe IV (born and died 1655)
  • Infante Fernando Tomás Carlos, son of Felipe IV (1658 – 1659)
  • Infante Felipe Próspero, son of Felipe IV (1657 – 1661)
  • Infante Felipe, son of Felipe V (born and died 1709)
  • Infante Francisco, son of Felipe V (born and died 1717)
  • Infant Carlos Clemens, son of Carlos IV (1771 – 1774)
  • Infanta Maria Luisa, daughter of Carlos IV (1777 – 1782)
  • Infante Carlos Eusebio, son of Carlos IV (1780 – 1783)
  • Infant Felipe, son of Carlos IV (1783 – 1784)
  • Infant Fernando Carlos Francisco, son of Carlos IV (1783 – 1784)
  • Infanta Maria Carlota, daughter of Infante Gabriel, granddaughter of Carlos III (born and died 1787)
  • Infante Carlos, son of Infante Gabriel, grandson of Carlos III (born and died 1788)
  • Infante Felipe, son of Carlos IV (1792 – 1794)
  • Infanta Maria Teresa, daughter of Carlos IV (1791 – 1794)
  • Infanta Isabel, daughter of Ferdinand VII (1817 – 1818)
  • Infante Francisco, son of Infante Francisco de Paula, grandson of Carlos IV (1820 – 1821)
  • Infanta Maria Teresa, daughter of Infante Francisco de Paula, granddaughter of Carlos IV (1828 – 1829)
  • Infante Eduardo, son of Infante Francisco de Paula, grandson of Carlos IV (1826 – 1830)
  • Infante Luis Fernando, son of Isabella II (born and died 1850)
  • Infanta Maria Cristina, daughter of Isabella II (born and died 1854)
  • Unnamed Infanta, daughter of Prince Antoine of Orléans, Duke of Montpensier and Infanta Luisa Fernanda – (1857)
  • Infanta María de Regla, daughter of Prince Antoine of Orléans, Duke of Montpensier and
  • Infanta Luisa Fernanda (1856 – 1861)
  • Infanta María de la Concepción, daughter of Isabella II (1859 – 1861)
  • Infante Felipe, son of of Prince Antoine of Orléans, Duke of Montpensier and Infanta Luisa Fernanda (1862 – 1864)
  • Infante Francisco Leopoldo, son of Isabella II (born and died 1866)
  • Infante Fernando, son of Alfonso XIII (stillborn 1910)

Chapel VII

Credit – By José Luis Filpo Cabana – Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=25388301

Chapel VIII

Credit – By José Luis Filpo Cabana – Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=25427185

Chapel IX

Credit – By José Luis Filpo Cabana – Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=26540368

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

Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. 2021. Real Sitio de San Lorenzo de El Escorial – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Real_Sitio_de_San_Lorenzo_de_El_Escorial> [Accessed 20 December 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. El Escorial – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Escorial> [Accessed 20 December 2021].
  • Es.wikipedia.org. 2021. Cripta Real del Monasterio de El Escorial – Wikipedia, la enciclopedia libre. [online] Available at: <https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cripta_Real_del_Monasterio_de_El_Escorial> [Accessed 20 December 2021].
  • Es.wikipedia.org. 2021. Panteón de Infantes – Wikipedia, la enciclopedia libre. [online] Available at: <https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pante%C3%B3n_de_Infantes> [Accessed 20 December 2021].
  • Es.wikipedia.org. 2021. Real Basílica de San Lorenzo de El Escorial – Wikipedia, la enciclopedia libre. [online] Available at: <https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Real_Bas%C3%ADlica_de_San_Lorenzo_de_El_Escorial> [Accessed 20 December 2021].
  • Es.wikipedia.org. 2021. Real Monasterio de San Lorenzo de El Escorial – Wikipedia, la enciclopedia libre. [online] Available at: <https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Real_Monasterio_de_San_Lorenzo_de_El_Escorial> [Accessed 20 December 2021].
  • Monasteriodelescorial.com. 2021. Comunidad Agustiniana – Real Monasterio de S.L. de El Escorial. [online] Available at: <http://monasteriodelescorial.com/> [Accessed 20 December 2021].

Oslo Cathedral in Oslo, Norway

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Oslo Cathedral; Credit – By rheins, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=59623505

Oslo Cathedral, located in Oslo, the capital of Norway, belongs Church of Norway, a Lutheran church, a denomination of Protestant Christianity. It is Norway’s national church and is used by the Norwegian royal family and the Norwegian government for events. After a previous cathedral was damaged during a city fire in 1686, a decision was made to build the present cathedral. Since the cathedral was built after the Protestant Reformation, it has always been a Protestant church.

The interior of the Oslo Cathedral; Credit – By Hans A. Rosbach – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=20018487

Oslo Cathedral was built 1694 – 1697 in the Baroque style and was consecrated in 1697. Over the centuries, the cathedral has undergone several extensive changes. During a renovation in the 1850s under the direction of architect Alexis de Chateauneuf, the current tower with its bronze spire was built. In keeping with the aesthetics of the 1850s, the original Baroque interior was replaced with a Neo-Gothic interior.

Oslo Cathedral in 1929

From 1933 – 1951, in anticipation of the 900th anniversary of the city of Oslo in 1950, the cathedral was restored, under the direction of architect Arnstein Arneberg and the interior was largely restored to its original Baroque interior. Oslo Cathedral was restored from 2006 – 2010, because of extensive moisture damage. The cathedral was closed during those years and was re-opened in April 2010 in the presence of King Harald V of Norway and the Norwegian royal family.

Royal Events

The wedding of the future King Olav V and Princess Märtha of Sweden

The Kingdom of Norway was established in 872 as a merger of many small kingdoms. From 1537 to 1814, Norway was a part of the Kingdom of Denmark-Norway, and from 1814 to 1905, it was in a personal union with the Kingdom of Sweden. In 1905, upon the dissolution of the union between Sweden and Norway, the Norwegian government began searching for candidates to become King of Norway.

The funeral of Crown Princess Märtha; Credit – By Unknown author – Oslo Museum: image no. OB.F12179, via digitaltmuseum.no., CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=32280021

Because of his descent from prior Norwegian monarchs, as well as the British connections of his wife Princess Maud of Wales, the daughter of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom, Prince Carl of Denmark, the second son of King Frederik VIII of Denmark, was the overwhelming favorite. Before accepting, Carl insisted that the voices of the Norwegian people be heard in regards to retaining a monarchy. Following a referendum with a 79% majority in favor, Prince Carl was formally offered and then accepted the throne. He took the name Haakon VII and his two-year-old son Prince Alexander of Denmark was renamed Olav and became Crown Prince of Norway and later succeeded his father as King Olav V.

The funeral of Ari Behn

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

Works Cited

  • “Kirkebygget.” Oslo Domkirke, https://kirken.no/nb-NO/fellesrad/kirkeneioslo/menigheter/oslo-domkirken/om-domkirken/om-oslo-domkike/les-mer-om-oslo-domkirke/kirkebygget/.
  • Oslo Cathedral.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 5 June 2021, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oslo_Cathedral.
  • “Oslo Domkirke.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 14 Aug. 2021, https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oslo_domkirke.

Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim, Norway

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Nidaros Cathedral; Credit – By Molde20 – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18361136

Originally a Roman Catholic church, Nidaros Cathedral is a church of the Church of Norway, a Lutheran denomination, in Trondheim, Norway. Trondheim’s original name was Nidaros and was founded in 997 as a trading post. During the Viking Age, it was the capital of Norway. Nidaros Cathedral was built over the burial site of King Olaf II of Norway (circa 995 – 1030), the patron saint of Norway. The cathedral was the site of coronations and now is the site of the consecration of Norwegian monarchs.

King Olaf II was killed at the Battle of Stiklestad in 1030. A year later, he was given the title Rex Perpetuus Norvegiae (Perpetual King of Norway) and was canonized a saint at Nidaros (Trondheim) by Bishop Grimketel, an English missionary who played a role in the conversion of Norway to Christianity. Olaf II’s sainthood encouraged the adoption of Christianity by Scandinavia’s Vikings/Norsemen. Pope Alexander III confirmed Olaf’s local canonization in 1164.

In the 1030s, a small wooden church was built over the burial site of Saint Olaf II. After a few years, it was replaced by a long stone church. The Romanesque and Gothic church we see today was built over a 230-year period, from 1070 to 1300. Nidaros Cathedral was dedicated to the Holy Trinity and consecrated in 1300. It remained a Roman Catholic church until 1537, during the Protestant Reformation.

Nidaros Cathedral had several fires – in 1328, 1432, 1451, and 1531 – which led to repairs and occasional new construction. The church also burned in 1708, when the entire cathedral burned except for the stone walls, and again in 1719 after being hit by lightning. Major rebuilding and restoration of Nidaros Cathedral started in 1869. It was officially completed in 2001 but the maintenance of the cathedral is an ongoing process with about 30 people continuously working on various projects.

The reconstruction of the west front of Nidaros Cathedral, the cathedral’s main façade. caused the most debate. The west front was among the most deteriorated parts of the church. Further complicating the situation was the fact that the west front was the most complex, least well documented, and most difficult to reconstruct. The oldest known depiction of the west front is an engraving by J.M. Maschius from 1661 showing two whole floors and parts of the third floor. A written source document says that Nidaros Cathedral had a rose window, a circular window found in Gothic cathedrals and churches

The reconstruction of the west front of Nidaros Cathedral; Credit – By H.-N. Meiforth, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=46715064

Because of the serious damage to the west front, many reconstruction professionals opposed any attempt to restore it without major reconstruction, and so it was decided to completely reconstruct the west front, a project that lasted from 1905 to 1983. The new west front has 76 sculptures but only five of them are preserved from the Middle Ages. During the restoration, sculptures had to be provided to fill three levels of the west front. The sculptures include saints with connections to Norway, apostles, bishops, and Biblical patriarchs. See Wikipedia: Nidaros Cathedral West Front Sculptures.

The rose window on the west front viewed from the inside; Credit – https://www.therosewindow.com/TheRoseWindow2/Trondheim.htm

The rose window on the west front was a gift from the women of Norway to commemorate the 900th anniversary of the death of King Olaf II in 1930. The women raised the funds by selling their crafts. Gabriel Kielland, a Norwegian painter, architect, and designer designed the rose window which was completed in 1930. The window depicts the Last Judgement.

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Coronations

King Haakon VII and Queen Maud seated on their thrones during their coronation in 1906; Credit – Wikipedia

Coronations took place in Norway between 1164, when the first coronation took place, and 1906 when the last coronation took place. The early coronations were held at Christ Church (Old Cathedral) in Bergen, Norway and then several coronations took place in Oslo. In 1397, the Kalmar Union united Norway, Sweden, and Denmark under one king. Until the Kalmar Union was dissolved in 1523, the kings were crowned in each of the three countries. In the 1400s, three of the Norwegian coronations took place at Nidaros Cathedral while the other coronations were held in Oslo.

Coronation of Karl III Johan in Nidaros Cathedral in 1818; Credit – Wikipedia

From 1537 to 1814, Norway was a part of the Kingdom of Denmark-Norway, and from 1814 to 1905, it was in a personal union with the Kingdom of Sweden. After absolutism was introduced in Denmark in 1660, the separate Norwegian coronations were abolished and a joint coronation was held in Denmark with the participation of both a Danish bishop and a Norwegian bishop. In 1814, the new Constitution of Norway stipulated that a coronation would be held at Nidaros Cathedral.

Consecrations

King Harald being consecrated by Bishop Finn Wagle; Photo: Royal House of Norway, Bjørn Sigurdsøn, Scanpix

At the beginning of the 20th century, many members of Storting, the Norwegian parliament, considered the coronation undemocratic and outdated. In 1908, two years after the coronation of King Haakon VII and Queen Maud, the provision requiring a coronation was removed from the Constitution with only two votes against it. When Olav V became king in 1957, he introduced a new tradition of consecration at Nidaros Cathedral that was continued by his son King Harald V in 1991. For more information, see Royal House of Norway: Consecration.

Wedding

Princess Märtha Louise and Ari Behn walking down the aisle of Nidaros Cathedral after their wedding; Photo: Royal House of Norway, Gorm Kallestad, Scanpix

Burials

King Olaf II’s remains are said to be buried under the altar; Credit – By Sparrow (麻雀) – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=78176353

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

Works Cited

  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Coronations in Norway – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coronations_in_Norway> [Accessed 23 October 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Nidaros Cathedral – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nidaros_Cathedral> [Accessed 23 October 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Nidaros Cathedral West Front – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nidaros_Cathedral_West_Front> [Accessed 23 October 2021].
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  • No.wikipedia.org. 2021. Nidarosdomen – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nidarosdomen> [Accessed 23 October 2021].
  • Thor, Evelyn, 2017. The rose window at the Nidaros Cathedral – a womans project : The NTNU University Library’s blog for special collections. [online] Ntnu.no. Available at: <https://www.ntnu.no/blogger/ub-spesialsamlinger/en/2017/09/11/the-rose-window-at-the-nidaros-cathedral-a-womans-project/> [Accessed 23 October 2021].

Nieuwe Kerk (New Church) in Delft, the Netherlands

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

The Nieuwe Kerk in Delft; Credit – Door Natuur12 – Eigen werk, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28304742

Since the establishment of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1815, all Dutch monarchs and consorts have been buried at the Nieuwe Kerk (The New Church) in Delft, located in South Holland (Zuid-Holland), the Netherlands. In addition to the monarchs of the Netherlands and their consorts, most Princes of Orange after Willem I (the Silent) and their consorts were also buried at the Nieuwe Kerk in Delft.

The Nieuwe Kerk in Delft was built in the 14th and 15th centuries and was originally a Roman Catholic Church dedicated to the Virgin Mary and Saint Ursula of Cologne. In 1572, during the Reformation, the Nieuwe Kerk in Delft was taken over by the Dutch Reformed Church. Today the Dutch royal family are members of the Protestant Church in the Netherlands. It was formed in 2004 by the merger of the Dutch Reformed Church, the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Netherlands. While the Nieuwe Kerk in Delft is open for visitors, the royal burial vaults of the House of Orange-Nassau are private and not open to the public and there are no photos of the tombs. The church has services every Sunday for members of the Protestant Church of the Netherlands in Delft.

The Nieuwe Kerk in Delft circa 1742 – 1801; Credit – Wikipedia

This church was the second church in Delft after the Oude Kerk (Old Church) and was therefore called the Nieuwe Kerk (New Church). The first Nieuwe Kerk was a temporary wooden church, constructed from 1381 – 1382 and consecrated on July 6, 1382. Two years later, the construction of a Gothic stone basilica around the wooden church started. On August 11, 1384, the foundation stone for the choir of the basilica was laid on the east side of the wooden church. After the completion of the interior, the wooden church was dismantled. The foundation stone of the tower was laid on September 6, 1396, by four city councilors of the city. On September 6, 1496, exactly 100 years after the start of construction, the tower was finished.

On May 3, 1536, a fire in Delft, probably caused by a lightning strike to the Nieuwe Kerk tower, caused hundreds of buildings to burn including the entire city archives resulting in the loss of recorded information from before 1536. The tower of the church was rebuilt.

View of Delft after the 1654 Delft Thunderclap by Egbert van der Poel, The Nieuwe Kerk can be seen on the left; Credit – Wikipedia

On October 12, 1654, the Delft Thunderclap (link in German) disaster took place. A gunpowder storage facility located in the northeast center of Delft exploded. The exact number of people who died in the disaster has never been established. Nearly every building in the city center was damaged and buildings further away, such as the Nieuwe Kerk, also suffered damage. All the stained glass windows in the Nieuwe Kerk were blown out. In 1872, the Nieuwe Kerk tower was damaged again after a lightning strike. The Dutch architect Pierre Cuypers designed a new tower using the strong Bentheimer sandstone.

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Burial Church of the Dutch Royal Family

A drawing made by a French journalist who entered the crypts in 1890 just before King Willem III was interred; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1584, Willem I (the Silent) Prince of Orange was assassinated at the Prinsenhof in Delft. He had planned to be buried at the Grote Kerk (Great Church) in Breda, where members of the Nassau-Dillenburg family, ancestors to the Dutch Royal Family, the House of Orange-Nassau, were traditionally buried, but Breda was under Spanish control. Instead, his remains were placed in a cloth-covered coffin in the choir of the Nieuwe Kerk in Delft.

It was not until 1609 that the States-General decided to build a tomb for Willem the Silent, considered the Vader des Vaderlands (Father of the Fatherland). Willem is the founder of the House of Orange-Nassau, the ancestor of the Dutch monarchs, the ancestor of British monarchs from King George I forward, and the ancestor of other European royal families. However, work on the tomb never began and in 1614, Willem the Silent’s fourth wife and widow Louise de Coligny insisted that a suitable tomb be built.

Tomb of Willem the Silent; Photo Credit – Door Zairon – Eigen werk, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=56280054

Hendrick de Keyser, a Dutch sculptor and architect, was commissioned to build the tomb. After his death, his son Pieter de Keyser, also a sculptor and an architect, completed the tomb in 1623. A crypt was constructed under the tomb with an entrance behind the tomb. The remains of Willem I (the Silent) were moved to the crypt at an unknown date. The crypt is sealed by a large stone cover with four brass rings commissioned by Queen Wilhelmina in 1925. On the stone cover is this inscription in Latin:  “Here Willem I, the Father of the Fatherland, expects the resurrection.”  The crypt became the burial site for subsequent Princes of Orange and their families and later for the monarchs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and their families. The original crypt, called the Old Crypt, was expanded in 1625 and 1752. In 1822, an additional crypt called the New Crypt was constructed.

The access to the royal crypt in the foreground and the cenotaph for William the Silent in the background and ; Credit – By Sander van der Wel from Netherlands – Royal grave tomb and the grave of Willem van Oranje, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28146859

Members of the House of Orange-Nassau visited and probably still visit the crypts but they have never been open to the public out of respect for the privacy of the royal family and because they are not suitable for public visits. The mayor of Delft is the commissioner of the royal vaults. He inspects the crypts once a year and ensures that the royal family can always visit them. The mayor opens the crypts in the presence of two members of the Dutch security service and two military police. Only sworn personnel may carry out work in the crypts. The large stone cover is only removed for burials of members of the Dutch royal family. For all other purposes, a small service entrance next to Willem the Silent’s tomb is used.

The only information about what the crypts look like comes from two drawings. In 1890, a drawing was made by a French journalist who entered the crypts just before King Willem III was interred.  In the same year, Victor Eugène Louis de Stuers, a Dutch art historian, lawyer, civil servant, and politician, made a pencil drawing of the Old Crypt.

Victor Eugène Louis de Stuers’ drawing of the Old Crypt with the body-like lead sarcophagus of Louise de Coligny on the bottom right and Willem I, Prince of Orange’s coffin on the bottom left; Credit – Wikipedia

On April 20, 2021, it was announced that the royal vault in the Nieuwe Kerk in Delft would be refurbished and expanded. From Royal House of the Netherlands: Expansion crypt Nieuwe Kerk Delft: “With the burials of Prince Claus (2002) and Princess Juliana and Prince Bernhard (2004), the maximum capacity of the burial vault of the Nieuwe Kerk in Delft has almost been reached. The expansion of the royal vault means that a new cellar will be built in the south ambulatory of the church. The crypt will be connected to the existing vestibule (dating from 1925) of the current royal crypt. In addition, the crypt will have a new secondary entrance on the outside of the church, creating direct access to the crypt. In the extension of the burial vault, space will be created for more than twenty burials.”

In the diagram below, the Old Crypt is labeled with the years 1623, 1625, and 1752. The New Crypt is labeled with the year 1822 and the newest crypt is labeled with the year 2022. The area labeled with the year 1925 is a vestibule.

Floor plan of the current royal burial vault in the Nieuwe Kerk in Delft, along with the new expansion of the burial vault to be built in 2022; Credit – Royal House of the Netherlands: Expansion crypt Nieuwe Kerk

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Burials at the Nieuwe Kerk, Delft

Queen Juliana and her husband Prince Bernhard and other members of the Dutch royal family watch as Queen Wilhelmina’s coffin is taken to the royal crypts in 1962; Credit – Wikipedia

Most funerals of those buried at the Nieuwe Kerk in Delft had funerals at the church.

Buried in the Old Crypt:

  • Willem I, Prince of Orange (Willem the Silent) (1533 – 1584)
  • Louise de Coligny, fourth wife of Willem I, Prince of Orange (1555 – 1620)
  • Maurits, Prince of Orange (1567 – 1625)
  • Princess Henriëtte Amalia, daughter of Frederik Hendrik, Prince of Orange (born and died 1628)
  • Princess Elisabeth of Orange-Nassau, daughter of Frederik Hendrik, Prince of Orange born and died 1630)
  • Prince Hendrik Lodewijk, son of Frederik Hendrik, Prince of Orange (born and died 1639)
  • Frederik Hendrik, Prince of Orange (1584 – 1647)
  • Princess Isabella Charlotte of Orange-Nassau, daughter of Frederik Hendrik, Prince of Orange (1632 – 1642)
  • Princess Catharina Belgica of Orange-Nassau, daughter of Willem I, Prince of Orange, wife of the Count of Hanau-Münzenberg  (1578 – 1648)
  • Amalia of Solms-Braunfels, wife of Frederik Hendrik,Prince of Orange (1602 – 1675)

Buried in the New Crypt:

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

Works Cited

  • An Ard Rí and Flantzer, Susan, 2012. Dutch Royal Burial Sites. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/nieuwe-kerk-new-church-in-delft-the-netherlands/> [Accessed 4 October 2021].
  • De.wikipedia.org. 2021. Nieuwe Kerk (Delft) – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nieuwe_Kerk_(Delft)> [Accessed 4 October 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Nieuwe Kerk (Delft) – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nieuwe_Kerk_(Delft)> [Accessed 4 October 2021].
  • Koninklijkhuis.nl. 2021. Uitbreiding grafkelder Nieuwe Kerk Delft. [online] Available at: <https://www.koninklijkhuis.nl/onderwerpen/overlijden/nieuwe-kerk-delft/uitbreiding-grafkelder> [Accessed 4 October 2021].
  • Nl.wikipedia.org. 2021. Delftse donderslag – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delftse_donderslag> [Accessed 4 October 2021].
  • Nl.wikipedia.org. 2021. Grafkelder van Oranje-Nassau – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grafkelder_van_Oranje-Nassau> [Accessed 4 October 2021].
  • Nl.wikipedia.org. 2021. Nieuwe Kerk (Delft) – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nieuwe_Kerk_(Delft)> [Accessed 4 October 2021].
  • Oude en Nieuwe Kerk Delft. 2021. Royal crypts. [online] Available at: <https://oudeennieuwekerkdelft.nl/en/new-church/royal-family/royal-crypts> [Accessed 4 October 2021].

Nieuwe Kerk (New Church) in Amsterdam, the Netherlands

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Nieuwe Kerk on the Dam Square in Amsterdam. The Royal Palace is on the left; Photo – © Susan Flantzer

The Nieuwe Kerk (New Church) in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, which this writer has visited, is located on the Dam Square next to the Royal Palace of Amsterdam. Originally a Roman Catholic Church dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary and later to St. Catherine of Sweden, the church became a Dutch Reformed Church after the Protestant Reformation. The current Dutch royal family belongs to the Protestant Church in the Netherlands. It was formed in 2004 by the merger of the Dutch Reformed Church, the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Netherlands.

The Nieuwe Kerk is no longer used for church services and has been converted into a cultural center. Since 1980, the Nationale Stichting De Nieuwe Kerk (National Foundation of the Nieuwe Kerk) has organized the exhibtions and concerts held in the church. However, the Nieuwe Kerk is used for the inauguration of the Dutch monarch according to Article 32 of the Constitution of the Kingdom of the Netherlands which states, the Dutch monarch “shall be sworn in and inaugurated as soon as possible in the capital city, Amsterdam, at a public and a joint session of the two Houses of the States-General.” In addition, the religious wedding of the future King Willem-Alexander and Máxima Zorreguieta Cerruti was held at the Nieuwe Kerk in 2002.

The Oude Kerk (Old Church) was becoming too small for the growing population of Amsterdam. Frederik van Blankenheim, Bishop of Utrecht gave permission for a second church to be constructed. Willem Eggert, a nobleman, banker, and alderman of Amsterdam, donated the orchard near his house for the church site and was the builder and financier of the church. Upon his death in 1417, Willem Eggert was buried in the Eggert Chapel at the Nieuwe Kerk. The Nieuwe Kerk was constructed between 1380 and 1408, and the church was consecrated in 1409.

The Nieuwe Kerk on fire in 1645; Credit – Wikipedia

Fires in 1421 and 1452 caused minor damage, however, there was a major fire on January 11, 1645. Due to the carelessness of workers, the roof caught on fire and a strong northeastern wind allowed the fire to quickly spread. The roof came crashing down, burning almost everything in the church. The interior of the church dates for the most part from after the fire of 1645. Although the time of Gothic architecture was over by then, the Gothic style was used for the restoration.

The church has undergone several restorations since the 1645 fire restoration. From 1892 – 1912, neo-Gothic elements were added to restore the church to its state before the 1645 fire. Between 1959 – 1980, modern conveniences such as lighting and heating were added and/or improved.

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The Inauguration of the Dutch Monarch

The Nieuwe Kerk during the inauguration of King Willem-Alexander in 2013

After the defeat of Napoleon, Willem VI, Prince of Orange, urged on by the powers who met at the Congress of Vienna, proclaimed the Netherlands a monarchy on March 16, 1815. After Napoleon’s defeat at the Battle of Waterloo and his second exile, the Congress of Vienna formally confirmed Willem as the hereditary ruler, King Willem I, of what was known as the United Kingdom of the Netherlands. Today, the title Prince/Princess of Orange is held by the heir apparent of the Dutch monarch and the Dutch Royal Family are members of the House of Orange-Nassau.

Upon his or her accession to the throne, the new Dutch monarch participates in an inauguration ceremony as required by the constitution at a joint session of the two houses of the States-General of the Netherlands at the Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam. The inauguration is strictly ceremonial as the successor to the throne instantly becomes the new monarch at the moment the former monarch dies or abdicates. A monarch must be eighteen years old to participate in an inauguration.

The Regalia of the Netherlands and the Constitution of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

The Regalia of the Netherlands and the constitution are placed on a table. The crown symbolizes the monarch’s sovereignty and dignity, the royal scepter symbolizes the monarch’s authority, the orb symbolizes the dominions upon which he reigns, and the constitution symbolizes the constitutional monarchy. The regalia are never physically given to or worn by the monarch. The monarch, wearing a royal mantle, sits on a chair of state opposite members of the States-General and the regalia. The monarch gives an address before taking the oath to uphold the constitution and protect the people of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

King Willem-Alexander taking the oath

The oath: I swear (promise) to the people of the Kingdom that I shall constantly preserve and uphold the Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Constitution. I swear (promise) that I shall defend and preserve the independence and the territory of the Kingdom to the best of my ability, that I shall protect the freedom and rights of all Dutch citizens and residents, and that I shall employ all means placed at my disposal by the law to preserve and promote prosperity, as a good king should do. So help me God! (This I promise!)

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September 21, 1815 – Inauguration of King Willem I; Credit – Wikipedia

Unofficial Royalty: King Willem I of the Netherlands

November 28, 1840 – Inauguration of King Willem II; Credit – Wikipedia

Unofficial Royalty: King Willem II of the Netherlands

May 12, 1849 – Inauguration of King Willem III; Credit – Wikipedia

Unofficial Royalty: King Willem III of the Netherlands

September 6, 1891 – Inauguration of Queen Wilhelmina; Credit – Wikipedia

Unofficial Royalty: Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands

September 6, 1948 – Inauguration of Queen Juliana; Credit – Wikipedia

Unofficial Royalty: Queen Juliana of the Netherlands

April 30, 1980 – Inauguration of Queen Beatrix; Credit – Wikipedia

Unofficial Royalty: Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands

April 30, 2013 – Inauguration of King Willem-Alexander; Credit – Wikipedia

Unofficial Royalty: King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands

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Wedding of the future King Willem-Alexander and Máxima Zorreguieta Cerruti

Willem-Alexander and Maxima leaving the Nieuwe Kerk after their marriage

On February 2, 2002, King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, then The Prince of Orange and heir to the Dutch throne, married Máxima Zorreguieta Cerruti in a civil ceremony at the Beurs van Berlage in Amsterdam, followed by a religious ceremony at Amsterdam’s Nieuwe Kerk. Approximately 1700 guests attended the religious service.

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

Works Cited

  • De Nieuwe kerk Amsterdam. 2021. De Nieuwe Kerk – Amsterdam. [online] Available at: <https://www.nieuwekerk.nl/en/> [Accessed 2 October 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Inauguration of the Dutch monarch – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inauguration_of_the_Dutch_monarch> [Accessed 2 October 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Inauguration of Willem-Alexander – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inauguration_of_Willem-Alexander> [Accessed 2 October 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Nieuwe Kerk, Amsterdam – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nieuwe_Kerk,_Amsterdam> [Accessed 2 October 2021].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2017. Wedding of King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands and Máxima Zorreguieta Cerruti. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/wedding-of-king-willem-alexander-and-maxima-zorreguieta-cerruti/> [Accessed 2 October 2021].
  • Nl.wikipedia.org. 2021. Nieuwe Kerk (Amsterdam) – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nieuwe_Kerk_(Amsterdam)> [Accessed 2 October 2021].

The Grote Kerk (The Great Church) in The Hague, the Netherlands

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Grote Kerk/Great Church; Credit – By Ralf Roletschek (talk) – Fahrradtechnik auf fahrradmonteur.de – https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10439163

The Grote Kerk or Sint-Jacobskerk (Great Church or St. James’ Church) is one of the oldest buildings in The Hague, the Netherlands. While Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands, The Hague is the administrative and royal capital of the Netherlands and its seat of government. Originally a Roman Catholic Church dedicated to Saint James the Greater, one of the Twelve Apostles, the church became a Dutch Reformed Church after the Protestant Reformation. The current Dutch royal family belongs to the Protestant Church in the Netherlands. It was formed in 2004 by the merger of the Dutch Reformed Church, the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Netherlands. The Grote Kerk has not been used for weekly services since 1982. It is owned by the City of The Hague and is mainly used for cultural events, such as concerts, fairs, and exhibitions. However, the House of Orange-Nassau, the Dutch royal family, has used and still uses the Grote Kerk for christenings and weddings.

Interior of the Grote Kerk; Credit- By Zairon – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=55374431

The Grote Kerk was founded in the late 13th century and the very first church was probably a wooden church. The present church was built in stages between the 14th and 16th centuries. Sources from 1337 refer to a “great church” which typically meant a brick structure. From 1420 – 1424, the 304 foot/92.5-meter high tower was built. The original brick church was built as a cruciform church with a nave and two side aisles. From 1434 – 1455, the width of the two side aisles was widened and the height of the aisles was raised to the roof level resulting in the loss of the cross shape. The resulting style was called a hall church.

Nave of the Grote Kerk; Credit – By Zairon – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=55374430

In 1539, lightning struck the church tower causing damage to the tower and the church. Lotteries and collections raised money for repairs. The stained glass windows were also destroyed. Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (also Archduke of Austria, King of Spain, and Lord of the Netherlands), the Bishop of Utrecht, and some city councils donated new stained glass windows. At least fourteen church windows received new stained glass windows in the 16th century but only two have survived: the Annunciation Window (1541) and the Emperor Charles Window (1547). The rest were replaced by unpainted stained glass windows.

Emperor Charles Window; Credit – Wikipedia

Speech from the Throne 2020 and 2021

King Willem-Alexander accompanied by Queen Maxima acknowledges the audience after the Speech from the Throne in the Grote Kerk on September 21, 2021

The third Tuesday of September is called Prinsjesdag (Prince’s Day, also called Budget Day) in the Netherlands. The monarch, as head of state, delivers the Speech from the Throne to a joint session of the legislature, States-General of the Netherlands. In the speech, the government indicates in general terms what government policy will be for the coming year. The Speech from the Throne has been delivered from the Ridderzaal (Knights Hall), a medieval reception hall in the Binnenhof in The Hague, the 13th-century Gothic castle originally used as the residence of the Counts of Holland. Today, the Binnenhof is a complex of buildings in The Hague that houses both houses of the States-General of the Netherlands, the Ministry of General Affairs, and the office of the Prime Minister of the Netherlands.

In 2020, it was decided that King Willem Alexander would deliver the Speech from the Throne that year in the Grote Kerk. The Ridderzaal could not offer enough space to keep an appropriate distance in accordance with Covid-19 measures. For the same reason, the Speech from the Throne in 2021 was also delivered in the Grote Kerk.

Royal Christenings

The christening of Princess Catharina-Amalia, now the Princess of Orange, who is being held by her mother, now Queen Maxima, as her father, now King Willem-Alexander, looks on

  • July 1, 1626 – Willem II, Prince of Orange, son of Frederik Hendrik, Prince of Orange
  • December 16, 1627 – Princess Louise Henriëtte, daughter of Frederik Hendrik, Prince of Orange
  • November 23, 1628 – Princess Henriëtte Amalia of Nassau, daughter of Frederik Hendrik, Prince of Orange
  • May 20, 1632 – Princess Isabella Charlotte of Nassau, daughter of Frederik Hendrik, Prince of Orange
  • June 8, 1634 – Princess Albertine Agnes of Nassau, daughter of Frederik Hendrik, Prince of Orange
  • March 29, 1637 – Princess Henriëtte Catharina of Nassau, daughter of Frederik Hendrik, Prince of Orange
  • October 26, 1642 – Princess Maria of Nassau, daughter of Frederik Hendrik, Prince of Orange
  • January 15, 1651 – Willem III, Prince of Orange (later also King William III of England), son of Willem II, Prince of Orange and Mary, Princess Royal (eldest daughter of King Charles I of England)
  • February 8, 1689 – Princess Maria Amalia of Nassau-Dietz, daughter of Prince Henry Casimir II of Nassau-Dietz, great-granddaughter of Frederik Hendrik, Prince of Orange
  • April 11, 1748 – Willem V, Prince of Orange, son of Willem IV, Prince of Orange
  • January 13, 1761 – Hereditary Prince Georg Wilhelm of Nassau-Weilburg, son of Karl Christian, Prince of Nassau-Weilburg, grandson of Willem IV, Prince of Orange
  • December 20, 1761 – Hereditary Prince Ludwig of Nassau-Weilburg, son of Karl Christian, Prince of Nassau-Weilburg, grandson of Willem IV, Prince of Orange
  • February 8, 1764 – Princess Maria of Nassau-Weilburg, daughter of Karl Christian, Prince of Nassau-Weilburg, granddaughter of Willem IV, Prince of Orange
  • October 2, 1765 – Princess Luise of Nassau-Weilburg, daughter of Karl Christian, Prince of Nassau-Weilburg, granddaughter of Willem IV, Prince of Orange
  • October 30, 1768 – Friedrich Wilhelm, Prince of Nassau-Weilburg, son of Karl Christian, Prince of Nassau-Weilburg, grandson of Willem IV, Prince of Orange
  • December 19, 1770 – Princess Louise of Orange-Nassau, daughter of Willem V, Prince of Orange
  • September 17, 1772 – King Willem I of the Netherlands, son of Willem V, Prince of Orange
  • March 3, 1774 – Prince Frederik of Orange-Nassau, son of Willem V, Prince of Orange
  • December 28, 1792 – King Willem II of the Netherlands, son of King Willem I of the
  • Netherlands
  • August 24, 1818 – Prince Alexander of the Netherlands, son of King Willem II of the Netherlands
  • May 4, 1824 – Princess Sophie of the Netherlands, daughter of King Willem II of the Netherlands
  • August 18, 1828 – Princess Louise of the Netherlands, daughter of Prince Frederik of the Netherlands, granddaughter of King Willem I of the Netherlands
  • August 12, 1841 – Princess Marie of the Netherlands, daughter of Prince Frederik of the Netherlands, granddaughter of King Willem I of the Netherlands
  • May 12, 1938 – Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, daughter of Queen Juliana of the Netherlands
  • September 2, 1967 – King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, son of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands
  • June 12, 2004 – Princess Catharina-Amalia of the Netherlands, Princess of Orange, daughter of King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands

Royal Weddings

Wedding of Queen Wilhelmina and Duke Hendrik of Mecklenburg-Schwerin in the Great Church in The Hague on February 7, 1901. To the left of the bride her mother Queen Emma and Hendrik’s cousin, Grand Duke Frederik Franz IV of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. To the right of the groom is his mother Marie of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. Credit – Wikipedia

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

Works Cited

  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Grote or Sint-Jacobskerk (The Hague) – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grote_or_Sint-Jacobskerk_(The_Hague)> [Accessed 1 October 2021].
  • Grote-kerk.nl. 2021. Grote Kerk Den Haag. [online] Available at: <https://www.grote-kerk.nl/> [Accessed 1 October 2021].
  • Nl.wikipedia.org. 2021. Grote of Sint-Jacobskerk (Den Haag) – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grote_of_Sint-Jacobskerk_(Den_Haag)> [Accessed 1 October 2021].

Cathedral of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception (Cathedral of Monaco) in Monaco-Ville, Monaco

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

The Cathedral of Monaco; Credit – By User:Berthold Wernerld Werner – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15613011

The Romanesque Revival style Cathedral of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, also known as the Cathedral of Monaco, is a Roman Catholic church in Monaco-Ville, Principality of Monaco. Monaco has been ruled by the House of Grimaldi since 1297 when Francesco Grimaldi from the Republic of Genoa, now in Italy, and his men captured the fortress protecting the Rock of Monaco while dressed as Franciscan monks. The modern Grimaldis are not descendants of Francesco. His marriage was childless, and after his death in 1309, he was succeeded by his cousin and stepson Rainier I of Monaco, Lord of Cagnes. The ruler of Monaco was known as Lord of Monaco until 1612 when the Council of Monaco recognized Honoré II as Sovereign Prince of Monaco.

The first parish church in Monaco was dedicated to St. Nicholas of Myra, the patron saint of sailors. Over the years, the Lords and Sovereign Princes of Monaco along with the people of Monaco generously gave funds to decorate and enlarge the Church of Saint Nicholas.

Interior of the Cathedral of Monaco; Credit – By Leandro Neumann Ciuffo – Catedral de Monte-Carlo – 2, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28378642

Prince Charles III (reigned 1856-1889) decided to build a new and larger church on the original site of the Church of Saint Nicholas. The original church was destroyed in 1874 and the first stone of the new church was laid in 1875. The new Cathedral of Monaco was dedicated to Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception with Saint Nicholas of Myra and Saint Benoît (Saint Benedict of Nursia) as secondary patron saints. Sometimes the cathedral is called St. Nicholas Cathedral after the original church. Although the new building was only two-thirds completed, the first services were held in 1886. The cathedral was inaugurated in 1903 and consecrated in 1911.

Altar of the Cathedral of Monaco; Credit – By Leandro Neumann Ciuffo – Catedral de Monte-Carlo – 3, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28378641

Royal Christenings

The christening of Princess Stéphanie of Monaco

This may not be a complete list.

Royal Weddings

The wedding of Rainier III, Prince of Monaco and Grace Kelly

This may not be a complete list.

Royal Funerals

The funeral of Rainier III, Prince of Monaco

This may not be a complete list.

Royal Burials

Grave of Rainier III, Prince of Monaco; Credit – www.findagrave.com

The current cathedral was built over the areas of the previous church and the old cemetery so that the sovereign princes and consorts originally buried at the Church of Saint Nicholas are now buried in the Cathedral of Monaco. All of Monaco’s sovereign princes except Jacques I and Honoré III and many of the consorts are buried at the Cathedral of Monaco.

Entrance to the common vault where the Grimaldi family members originally buried at the Church of St. Nicholas are buried; Credit – www.findagrave.com

Unofficial Royalty: Monaco Royal Burial Sites

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

Works Cited

  • An Ard Rí and Flantzer, Susan. Unofficial Royalty. 2012. Monaco Royal Burial Sites. [online] Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/royal-burial-sites/monaco-burial-sites/> [Accessed 13 September 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Cathedral of Our Lady Immaculate – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathedral_of_Our_Lady_Immaculate> [Accessed 13 September 2021].
  • Flantzer, Susan. 2019. Monaco Royal Christenings. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/monaco-royal-christenings/> [Accessed 13 September 2021].
  • Fr.wikipedia.org. 2021. Cathédrale Notre-Dame-Immaculée de Monaco — Wikipédia. [online] Available at: <https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cath%C3%A9drale_Notre-Dame-Immacul%C3%A9e_de_Monaco> [Accessed 13 September 2021].

Notre-Dame Cathedral in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Notre-Dame Cathedral in Luxembourg City; Credit – By Francisco Anzola – Notre Dame, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=32183261

Notre Dame Cathedral is a Roman Catholic church in Luxembourg City, the capital of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. Luxembourg was under Habsburg rule from 1444 – 1794 and then under French rule from 1794 -1815. At the Congress of Vienna in 1815, Luxembourg was made a Grand Duchy and united in a personal union with the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The King of the Netherlands was also the Grand Duke of Luxembourg. The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg remained in personal union with the Netherlands until the death of King Willem III of the Netherlands in 1890. His successor was his daughter Wilhelmina who could not inherit the throne of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg due to the Salic Law which prevented female succession. The new Grand Duke of Luxembourg was Adolphe who had been Duke of Nassau until it was annexed to Prussia in 1866. The Grand Ducal Family of Luxembourg was then, and still is, a member of the House of Nassau-Weilburg.

The Jesuit College of Luxembourg and its church in 1686; Credit – Wikipedia

The late Gothic style church was originally built for the Jesuit College of Luxembourg, (link in French) a Catholic Jesuit secondary school for boys. The church cornerstone was laid in 1613 and the church was consecrated and dedicated to the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary in 1621. In 1773, the Jesuit order was suppressed and the school became the secular Luxembourg Athenaeum which is still in existence. At that time, the Habsburg ruler, Empress Maria Theresa of Austria gave the church to Luxembourg City.

The church became a parish church in 1778 under the name St. Nicolas and St. Thérèse, In 1801, the church once again changed its name to St. Peter before receiving its final name in 1848, Notre-Dame, French for Our Lady, referring to the Virgin Mary. In 1870, when Luxembourg became a diocese, Notre-Dame Church became Notre-Dame Cathedral and Nikolaus Adames became the first Bishop of Luxembourg. In 1988, the Diocese of Luxembourg was raised to an Archdiocese and Jean Hengen became the first Archbishop of Luxembourg.

Notre-Dame Cathedral in Luxembourg City; Credit – By Ich (Jeff Croisé) – Self-photographed, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=33037478

From 1935 to 1938 the cathedral was enlarged and expanded using the plans of the Luxembourgish architect Hubert Schumacher (link in German) who also supervised the construction. The west tower, the original tower of the Jesuit church which contains the bells, was joined by two new towers, the east tower and the central tower which stands over the transept. A crypt was built under the choir for the tombs of the Bishops and Archbishops of Luxembourg.

Interior of Notre-Dame Cathedral; Credit – By Johnny Chicago at lb.wikipedia – Own workTransferred from lb.wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=644978

Another crypt was built for the Grand Ducal Family of Luxembourg. The entrance to the Grand Ducal Crypt is marked by a gate with two bronze lions on either side designed by the Luxembourgish sculptor and painter Auguste Trémont (link in French).

Entrance to the Grand Ducal Crypt; Credit – By Joachim Specht – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=44552120

Because the first three Grand Dukes of Luxembourg were also Kings of the Netherlands and Protestant, they were buried at the Nieuwe Kerk (New Church) in Delft, the Netherlands, the traditional burial place of the Dutch Royal Family. Grand Duke Adolphe, his wife Adelheid-Marie of Anhalt-Dessau, and their son Grand Duke Guillaume were also Protestant and were all buried at the Castle Chuch of Schloss Weilburg, the former residence of the Counts and Dukes of Nassau-Weilburg, now in Weilburg, Hesse, Germany. However, because the majority of his subjects were Roman Catholic, Grand Duke Guillaume married the Roman Catholic Infanta Marie Anne of Portugal and their six daughters were raised in the Catholic religion. Since then, the Grand Ducal Family of Luxembourg has been Roman Catholic.

Interior of the Grand Ducal Crypt; Credit – Par Abbaca — Travail personnel, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=74928427

Grand Duchess Marie-Adélaïde of Luxembourg, who reigned 1912 – 1919, was the first family member to be buried in the Grand Ducal Crypt after she died of influenza in 1924 at the age of 29. However, there are royal remains in the Grand Ducal Crypt that are much older. In 1945, the remains of Jean of Bohemia, Count of Luxembourg, King of Bohemia were removed from his burial place and reinterred with military honors in the Grand Ducal Crypt of Notre-Dame Cathedral. Born in Luxembourg in 1296, Jean is famous for having died while fighting in the Battle of Crécy at age 50, after having been blind for a decade. He is considered a Luxembourg national hero.

Tomb of Jean of Bohemia, Count of Luxembourg, King of Bohemia; Credit – By Dudva – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=79558829

Royal Weddings at Notre-Dame Cathedral

Wedding of Prince Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg and Countess Stéphanie de Lannoy in 2012; Credit – Grand Ducal Court, photo: Vic Fischbach

Royal Burials at Notre-Dame Cathedral

Grand Duke Jean’s coffin resting in the Ducal Crypt after his funeral in 2019. Memorial plaques for family members are on the wall; Photo – www.cathol.lu

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

Works Cited

  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Notre-Dame Cathedral, Luxembourg – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notre-Dame_Cathedral,_Luxembourg> [Accessed 11 September 2021].
  • Flantzer, Susan and Mehl, Scott, 2012. Luxembourg Royal Burial Sites. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/royal-burial-sites/luxembourg-royal-burial-sites/> [Accessed 11 September 2021].
  • Fr.wikipedia.org. 2021. Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Luxembourg — Wikipédia. [online] Available at: <https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cath%C3%A9drale_Notre-Dame_de_Luxembourg> [Accessed 11 September 2021].
  • Fr.wikipedia.org. 2021. Collège jésuite de Luxembourg — Wikipédia. [online] Available at: <https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coll%C3%A8ge_j%C3%A9suite_de_Luxembourg> [Accessed 11 September 2021].

Vaduz Cathedral (Cathedral of St. Florin) in Vaduz, Liechtenstein

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Vaduz Cathedral (Cathedral of St. Florin); Credit – By Dennis Jarvis – https://www.flickr.com/photos/archer10/19466233250, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=41624144

The neo-gothic Vaduz Cathedral, also known as the Cathedral of St. Florin, is a Roman Catholic church located in Vaduz, the capital of the Principality of Liechtenstein. The patron saint of the cathedral is St. Florin who was a priest in Remüs or Ramosch, now a small village in Switzerland. Miracles were attributed to him during his life, including the turning of water into wine. After his death in 856, numerous miracles were said to have taken place at his tomb in the parish church of Remüs. St. Florin is often depicted with a wine cup as can be seen below in a bust of him at the Vaduz Cathedral.

Bust of St. Florin at Vaduz Cathedral; Credit- By Dennis Jarvis – https://www.flickr.com/photos/archer10/19658735861, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=41623841

There had been a chapel in Vaduz dedicated to St. Florin since the Middle Ages that served the needs of the Counts of Vaduz. The Liechtenstein family purchased the County of Vaduz in 1712 from the Hohenems family. In 1719, Karl VI, Holy Roman Emperor elevated the territories of the Liechtenstein family to a Fürstentum (Principality) with the name the Principality of Liechtenstein.

The nave and the choir of Vaduz Cathedral; Credit – Von Cats’ photos – Eigenes Werk, Gemeinfrei, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=50950021

By 1868, St. Florin Chapel could no longer meet the demands of the Principality of Liechtenstein, and a decision was made to build a new church. The area south of St. Florin Chapel was chosen as the site of the new church. German architect Friedrich von Schmidt, who completed Cologne Cathedral and designed and built the Vienna City Hall designed the church and it was built under the direction of Liechtenstein architect Ignaz von Banko. The foundation stone was laid on August 17, 1869, and the church was consecrated in October 1873. The church was built during the reign of Prince Johann II who paid three-quarters of the construction cost. From 1965 – 1966, the church was renovated and a baptistery was added. In 1997, the church was raised to the status of a cathedral.

Christenings

The christening of Prince Nikolaus in 2000

There is limited information about the christenings of the Princely Family of Liechtenstein. However, the four children of Hereditary Prince Alois were christened at Vaduz Cathedral.

  • Prince Joseph Wenzel: born May 24, 1995, christened July 3, 1995
  • Princess Marie-Caroline: born October 17, 1996, christened December 16, 1996
  • Prince Georg: born April 21, 1999, christened May 13, 1999
  • Prince Nikolaus: born December 6, 2000, christened January 13, 200

Weddings

The wedding of Princess Tatjana and Baron Philipp von Lattorff in 1999

This may not be a complete list.

Royal Burials

The Princely Crypt, Vaduz Cathedral; Credit – Wikipedia

During the reign of Karl I, the first Prince of Liechtenstein, his brother Maximilian founded the Paulan monastery in Vranov, then in territory owned by the Liechtenstein family in Moravia, later in Czechoslovakia, now in the Czech Republic. Burial crypts were built there for members of the House of Liechtenstein. In 1945, the land owned by the House of Liechtenstein in Czechoslovakia was appropriated by the Czech Communist government. This necessitated the building of a new burial place at Vaduz Cathedral. The Princely Crypt, located next to the cathedral, was designed by the Liechtenstein architect Hans Rheinberger (link in German)  and completed in 1960.

The interior of the Princely Crypt; Credit – Wikipedia

Below are the members of the Princely Family of Liechtenstein buried in the Princely Crypt. Those who died before the completion of the Princely Crypt in 1960 were originally buried elsewhere.

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

Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. 2021. Kathedrale St. Florin (Vaduz) – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathedrale_St._Florin_(Vaduz)> [Accessed 25 October 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Vaduz Cathedral – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaduz_Cathedral> [Accessed 25 October 2021].
  • Ics.li. 2021. Pfarrei Vaduz – Die Kirchen. [online] Available at: <https://www.ics.li/pfarreivaduz/CFDOCS/cms/cmsout/index.cfm?GroupID=110&MandID=1&meID=3&Lang=1> [Accessed 25 October 2021].
  • Luxarazzi.com. 2021. Luxarazzi 101: Kathedrale St. Florin. [online] Available at: <http://www.luxarazzi.com/2015/08/luxarazzi-101-kathedrale-st-florin.html> [Accessed 25 October 2021].

Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde, Denmark

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Af CucombreLibre from New York, NY, USA – Roskilde Cathedral, Denmark, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=53832603

Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde, Denmark, which this writer has visited, located 19miles/30 km west of Copenhagen on the island of Zealand, is a church of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Denmark, sometimes called The Church of Denmark, the established, state-supported church in Denmark. It has been the main site for Danish royal burials since the 15th century and most monarchs and their consorts from the House of Oldenburg (1448 – 1863) and the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg (1863 – present) are buried there. The cathedral was also used for non-royal burials and the floor is covered with hundreds of grave markers with additional graves in the crypts.

Grave markers; Photo Credit © Susan Flantzer

King Harald Bluetooth named Roskilde the capital of Denmark in 960 and a small wooden church dedicated to the Holy Trinity was built on the location of the current cathedral. The first stone cathedral, in the Romanesque style, was completed in 1080 and a monastery was completed soon afterward.

Main Aisle of Roskilde Cathedral; Photo Credit © Susan Flantzer

In 1200, an expansion of the cathedral began and was completed in 1280, resulting in the Brick Gothic cathedral we see today The magnificent red brick building consists of about 2.5 million bricks and is twice as high as the old cathedral. A fire in 1443 damaged the cathedral, requiring renovations. During the Protestant Reformation, in 1538, Roskilde Cathedral ceased being a place of Catholic worship and became a house of Protestant worship.

Royal Burials

Roskilde Cathedral; Photo Credit © Susan Flantzer

To accommodate the many royal burials, chapels were added to the 13th century Brick Gothic cathedral, each built in the architectural style of its time. There are also burials of other members of the Danish royal family in the crypts. The years below are birth and death years.

Holy Trinity Church

Harald Bluetooth, who introduced Christianity to Denmark, was buried at the Holy Trinity Church, the wooden first church on the site. His son Sweyn Forkbeard was first buried in England and his remains were later moved to Denmark where they were interred near his father at the Holy Trinity Church. However, their tombs have never been found.

Pier in the Apse

Sweyn II Ertridsen was interred in the southeastern pier. A pier is similar to a column and is designed to support arches. In the photo below, a portrait of Sweyn II Ertridsen on the right marks the pier where he is buried.

Burial site of Sweyn II Estridsen; Credit By Richard Mortel from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – Funerary monuments, Roskilde Cathedral (2), CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=69758143

Close-up of the portrait of Sweyn II Estridsen that marks his place of burial; Credit – Wikipedia

Choir 

Queen Margrethe I was interred in a sarcophagus behind the high altar. Her beautiful sarcophagus was made by German sculptor Johannes Junge (link in German) in 1423. She had left property to the Roskilde Cathedral on the condition that Masses for her soul would be said regularly in the future. This was discontinued in 1536 during the Protestant Reformation although a special bell is still rung twice daily in memory of Queen Margrethe I.

Tomb of Margrethe I; Photo Credit © Susan Flantzer

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Tombs in the Apse

The apse is the end of a cathedral opposite the main entrance. It is often circular as it is at Roskilde Cathedral. The sarcophagi here are all grand white marble structures except for King Christopher III’s who lived more than two hundred years earlier and has a tomb with an effigy.

Tombs in the apse; Photo Credit © Susan Flantzer

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Trolle Chapel

Anna Sophie was hated by Frederik IV’s children from his first marriage to Louise of Mecklenburg-Güstrow. Upon Frederik IV’s death, his son and successor King Christian VI banished Anne Sophie from the court and kept her under house arrest at Clausholm Castle, her family home. When Anna Sophie died, King Christian VI allowed her to be buried at Roskilde Cathedral, but in the Trolle Chapel, originally built for members of the Trolle noble family, which is on the opposite side of the cathedral, far away from his parents’ tombs. The two smaller tombs are the tombs of two of six children (who all died in infancy) of Frederik IV and Anna Sophie.

Tomb of Anna Sophie Reventlow – Photo courtesy Findagrave.com

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Chapel of the Magi (Christian I’s Chapel)

King Christian I, the first monarch of the House of Oldenburg, built the Chapel of the Magi as a family burial chapel for the House of Oldenburg. While the elaborate tombs of King Christian III, King Frederik II, and their consorts are in the Chapel of the Magi, the graves of King Christian I and Queen Dorothea are marked with simple stones because the chapel itself was to be considered their memorial monument.

Graves of King Christian I and Queen Dorothea; Photo Credit © Susan Flantzer

Tomb of Christian III and Dorothea of Saxe-Lauenburg; Photo Credit © Susan Flantzer

Tomb of Frederik II and Sophie of Mecklenburg-Güstrow; Photo Credit © Susan Flantzer

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Christian IV’s Chapel

In 1613, a year after the death of his first wife Anna Katharina, Christian IV ordered the construction of a new burial chapel because the space inside Roskilde Cathedral for burials was very limited. Two older chapels were demolished to make space for the new burial chapel. The exterior of the new chapel was completed by 1641. However, when Christian IV died in 1648, the interior had not been completed and his coffin was placed in the crypt below. The interior of the chapel was not completed until 1866. Two large paintings illustrating important scenes from Christian IV’s life are on the walls and a statue of Christian IV watches over the chapel. King Christian IV’s silver-plated casket now stands in the middle of the chapel. His casket is surrounded by the caskets of his first wife Anna Katharina of Brandenburg, his eldest son and heir apparent Christian who predeceased him, his second son who succeeded him as King Frederik III, and Frederik III’s wife Sophie Amalie of Brunswick-Lüneberg.

Christian IV Chapel: Caskets front row left to right: Anna Katharina, Christian IV, Christian, Prince-Elect; back row left to right: Sophie Amalie of Brunswick-Lüneberg, Frederik III; Photo Credit © Susan Flantzer

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Frederik V’s Chapel

Frederik V’s Chapel consists of two chapels in the neoclassical style, constructed 1774–1825 and required the removal of a previous existing chapel. One chapel has two adjoining rooms and is referred to as Christian VI’s Chapel. The other, Frederik’s V Chapel, is a domed chapel in the shape of a cross. The interiors have the classic white-washed wall. The chapels show a gradual trend in moving from grand marble sarcophagi to more simple velvet-covered coffins, and in the case of Frederik VII, a wooden coffin. An example of a marble sarcophagus and examples of velvet-covered coffins can be seen in the photo below.

Frederik V’s Chapel; Photo Credit © Susan Flantzer

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Christian IX’s Chapel

The tombs of the first three kings and queen consorts of the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg are in the rather small Christian IX’s Chapel also known as the Glücksburg Chapel. When Christian IX died, a competition was held for a design of a double sarcophagus for him and his wife Queen Louise who had predeceased him. The winning design was later determined to be too controversial. Instead, the sarcophagus was designed by Edvard Eriksen, who created the famous Little Mermaid statue in the Copenhagen harbor, and architect Hack Kampmann. They created a large sarcophagus in white marble surrounded by three graceful sculptures depicting Remembrance, Love, and Sorrow.

Tombs of King Christian X and Queen Alexandrine; Photo Credit – © Susan Flantzer

Tombs of King Frederik VIII and Queen Louise; Photo Credit – © Susan Flantzer

Tombs of King Christian X and Queen Alexandrine; Photo Credit – © Susan Flantzer

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Maria Feodorovna’s Temporary Burial Site

Empress Maria Feodorovna of Russian, the wife of Alexander III, Emperor of All Russia and mother of Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia, was born Princess Dagmar of Denmark, the daughter of Christian IX, King of Denmark. After escaping from Russia after the Russian Revolution, she lived the rest of her life in Denmark. Upon her death in 1928, she was buried at Roskilde Cathedral. She had wished that at some point in time she could be buried with her husband. In 2005, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed, along with their governments, that her wish should be fulfilled. Her remains were transported to St. Petersburg and interred next to her husband in the Peter and Paul Cathedral on September 28, 2006.

First burial place of Empress Maria Feodorovna in Roskilde Cathedral; Credit – Wikipedia

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Frederik IX’s Burial Site

King Frederik IX had a career in the Royal Danish Navy where he had several senior commands and attained the rank of Rear Admiral. Unlike other Danish monarchs who had been buried inside Roskilde Cathedral, Frederik wanted to be buried outside the cathedral in sight of the sea. The two photos below of the burial site right outside of Roskilde Catherdral were taken by this author who can verify that the Roskilde Fjord can be seen from the site of the grave.

Site of King Frederik IX’s grave outside Roskilde Cathedral; Photo Credit © Susan Flantzer

Grave of King Frederik IX and his wife Queen Ingrid; Photo Credit © Susan Flantzer

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St. Brigid’s Chapel – Margrethe II’s Future Burial Site

In 2010, it was announced that Queen Margrethe II had chosen St. Brigid’s Chapel at Roskilde Cathedral as the burial site for herself and her husband Prince Henrik. St. Bridgid’s Chapel, built in 1485, is one of the two remaining old chapels. However, the Danish Royal Court announced on August 3, 2017, that Prince Henrik did not want to be buried in Roskilde Cathedral. Following his funeral in 2018, Prince Henrik’s remains were cremated with half of his ashes spread over Danish waters, and the other half interred in the private garden at Fredensborg Castle.

Danish artist Bjørn Nørgaard designed the sarcophagus. The photos below are from this author’s visit to Roskilde Cathedral in August 2011 where she was able to see a conservator restoring the 500-year-old murals on the chapel’s walls and a display about Queen Margrethe II’s tomb. Since this author’s visit, the sarcophagus has been finished and installed but is covered until the death of Queen Margrethe II.

Danish_TombSite_MargretheII_1

St. Brigid’s Chapel at Roskilde Cathedral; Photo Credit © Susan Flantzer

Danish_TombSite_Model_MargretheII 2

A poster describing the sarcophagus of Queen Margrethe II; Photo Credit © Susan Flantzer

Danish_TombSite_Model_MargretheII 3

Model of the sarcophagus of Queen Margrethe II; Photo Credit © Susan Flantzer

Danish_TombSite_MargretheII_PaintingWall 4

Conservator restoring the 500-year-old murals on the chapel’s walls; Photo Credit © Susan Flantzer

Danish_TombSite_MargretheII_WallDetail 5

Detail of the mural; Photo Credit © Susan Flantzer

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Other Royal Burials

One of the crypts at Roskilde Cathedral; Photo Credit © Susan Flantzer

The following are also buried in Roskilde Cathedral, mostly in the crypts.

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

Works Cited

  • Da.wikipedia.org. 2021. Roskilde Domkirke – Wikipedia, den frie encyklopædi. [online] Available at: <https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roskilde_Domkirke> [Accessed 4 September 2021].
  • De.wikipedia.org. 2021. Dom zu Roskilde – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dom_zu_Roskilde> [Accessed 4 September 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Roskilde Cathedral – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roskilde_Cathedral> [Accessed 4 September 2021].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2012. Danish Royal Burial Sites: House of Oldenburg, 1448 – 1863. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/royal-burial-sites/danish-royal-burial-sites/house-of-oldenburg-1448-1863/> [Accessed 4 September 2021].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2012. Danish Royal Burial Sites: House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, 1863 – present. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/royal-burial-sites/danish-royal-burial-sites/house-of-schleswig-holstein-sonderburg-glucksburg-1863-present/> [Accessed 4 September 2021].
  • Roskildedomkirke.dk. 2021. Visit Roskilde Cathedral | Roskilde Domkirke. [online] Available at: <https://roskildedomkirke.dk/english> [Accessed 4 September 2021].