Category Archives: British Royals

Æthelstan, King of the English

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Æthelstan presenting a book to St Cuthbert, the earliest surviving portrait of an English king, circa 930; Credit – Wikipedia

Modern historians regard Æthelstan as the first King of England although he used the style King of the English (Rex Anglorum in Latin). The Anglo-Saxon kings of England used numerous different styles, including King of the Anglo-Saxons, King of the English, and King of England. Æthelstan, born around 894, was the eldest son of Edward the Elder, King of the Anglo-Saxons and the only son of Ecgwynn, the first of Edward’s three wives. He was also a grandson of Alfred the Great.  Little is known about Æthelstan’s mother. Some medieval chroniclers describe Ecgywnn as a commoner while others describe her as from a noble family. Similarly, she is described as the wife and the concubine of Edward the Elder. Modern historians also disagree about Ecgwynn’s status.

Like his father Edward the Elder, Æthelstan was unwilling to marry his female relatives to his own subjects so they either became nuns or married foreign husbands. These marriages fostered close relationships with other European courts.

Æthelstan had one full sibling, a sister:

By his father’s second marriage to Ælfflæd, daughter of Ealdorman Æthelhelm, probably of Wiltshire, Æthelstan had eight half-siblings:

Æthelstan had three more half-siblings from his father’s third marriage to Eadgifu of Kent, the daughter of Sigehelm, Ealdorman of Kent:

Æthelstan was raised at the court of his paternal aunt Æthelflæd, Lady of the Mercians. His aunt’s husband Æthelred, Lord of the Mercians had ruled Mercia under the overlordship of his grandfather Alfred the Great, and under his father Edward the Elder. Because Æthelstan had been raised in Merica, he had a level of loyalty from the Mercians that others from his family never had.

Æthelstan in a 15h-century stained glass window in All Souls College Chapel, Oxford; Credit – Wikipedia

When Edward the Elder died on July 24, 924, the Mercians immediately proclaimed Æthelstan as their king but deliberations continued in Wessex. Perhaps Edward had suggested that Æthelstan would succeed him in Mercia but another son would succeed him in Wessex. It appears that Wessex picked Ælfweard, elder son of Edward’s second wife Ælfflæd, as their king but he died sixteen days after his father. Æthelstan was not recognized as king in Wessex until a year after his father’s death, suggesting there was considerable resistance to him.

Æthelstan’s coronation took place on September 4, 925 at Kingston-upon-Thames. He was crowned by Æthelhelm, Archbishop of Canterbury who wrote a new coronation service because Æthelstan was crowned with a crown instead of the traditional helmet. Opposition to Æthelstan continued after the coronation. There was a plot to blind Æthelstan because of his supposed illegitimacy and some nobility and churchmen resisted Æthelstan for some period of time.

The British Isles in the early tenth century; Credit – Wikipedia

Æthelstan’s father Edward the Elder had conquered the Danish territories in Mercia and East Anglia with the assistance of his sister Æthelflæd and her husband, but when Edward died the Danish king  Sitric Cáech still ruled the Viking Kingdom of York. In January 926, Æthelstan arranged for his sister to marry Sihtric Cáech. Æthelstan and Sihtric Cáech agreed not to invade each other’s territories or to support each other’s enemies. When Sihtric Cáech died the following year, Æthelstan saw his chance to invade. He easily captured the last Viking stronghold and received their submission. Later in 927, Welsh and Scots kings and princes accepted Æthelstan as their overlord. Æthelstan became the first king of all the Anglo-Saxon people and overlord of all Britain. He then was styled King of the English. In 937, Æthelstan’s position was further cemented after the Battle of Brunanburh in which he triumphed over an alliance of Olaf Guthfrithson, King of Dublin; Constantine II, King of Scots, and Owen, King of Strathclyde.

Æthelstan died in Gloucester on October 27, 939, around the age of 45. Instead of being buried in the traditional House of Wessex burial sites in Winchester, Æthelstan chose to be buried Malmesbury Abbey in Malmesbury, Wiltshire, England, where he was buried under the high altar. According to the 12th-century chronicler William of Malmesbury, Æthelstan was devoted to the abbey and the memory of its seventh-century abbot Saint Aldhelm. William of Malmesbury also wrote that Æthelstan’s body was disinterred in the 11th century and reburied in the abbot’s garden (now Abbey House Gardens) to avoid desecration by the Normans. Æthelstan is commemorated by an empty 15th-century tomb in the north aisle of Malmesbury Abbey.  Because he was never married, Æthelstan was succeeded by his half-brother Edmund I, King of the English.

Empty fifteenth-century tomb of King Æthelstan at Malmesbury Abbey; 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.

England: House of Wessex Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • Ashley, M. (1998). The Mammoth Book of British Kings & Queens. New York: Carroll & Graf Pub.
  • Cannon, J. and Griffiths, R. (1988). The Oxford Illustrated History of the British Monarchy. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  • Dodson, A. (2004). The Royal Tombs of Great Britain. London: Duckworth.
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2019). Æthelstan. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%86thelstan [Accessed 11 Feb. 2019].
  • Williamson, D. (1998). Brewer’s British Royalty. London: Cassell.

Edward the Elder, King of the Anglo-Saxons

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Edward the Elder, King of the Anglo-Saxons; Credit – Wikipedia

Born circa 874, probably at the royal palace in Wantage, now in Oxfordshire, England, Edward the Elder, King of the Anglo-Saxons was the elder of the two sons and the second of the five known children of Alfred the Great, King of Wessex, King of the Anglo-Saxons and his wife Ealhswith, daughter of a Mercian nobleman Æthelred Mucel, Ealdorman of the Gaini and his wife Eadburh, a member of the Mercian royal family. Edward was not called “the Elder” during his lifetime. At the end of the tenth century, “the Elder” was added to his name to distinguish him from King Edward the Martyr.

Edward had three sisters and one brother:

According to Asser, the Welsh monk, Alfred the Great’s contemporary biographer, Edward was brought up with his youngest sister Ælfthryth. They were educated at court by tutors and read ecclesiastical and secular works in English. Edward was a child throughout the wars his father fought with the Danes and was more of a soldier than a scholar like his father. By 892, he was commanding part of the Anglo-Saxon army, and upon his father’s death in 899, the Anglo-Saxons were prepared to accept him as their leader. Edward was crowned on June 8, 900 by Plegmund, Archbishop of Canterbury at Kingston-upon-Thames, where the ancient coronation stone can still be seen.

The Coronation Stone in the grounds of the Guildhall in Kingston-upon-Thames; Credit – By Mark Percy, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=13202093

However, after Alfred the Great’s death, Edward’s succession was challenged. Alfred the Great’s brother King Æthelred I died on April 23, 871 from battle wounds. Because King Æthelred I left two young sons, Æthelhelm and Æthelwold, who were deemed too young to succeed to the throne, Alfred became King of Wessex. In the interim, Æthelhelm had died but Æthelwold was alive and challenged his cousin’s succession. Æthelwold seized Wimborne but was soon chased out of Wessex. He was accepted by the Danes of York (then called Jorvik) as their leader and led a revolt of Danes in East Anglia. Æthelwold remained a problem until he was killed at the Battle of the Holme in 902.

Edward married three times and had about fourteen children.  He was unwilling to marry his daughters to his own subjects so they either became nuns or married foreign husbands. His son and successor Æthelstan continued this practice with his sisters.

Around 893, Edward married Ecgwynn but nothing is known about her. They had two children:

Around 899, Edward married Ælfflæd, daughter of Ealdorman Æthelhelm, probably of Wiltshire. It is possible that Ælfflæd was put aside so that Edward could marry his third wife Eadgifu. There is some evidence that Ælfflæd retired to Wilton Abbey, where she was joined by two of her daughters, Eadflæd and Æthelhild, and that all three were buried there.

Edward and Ælfflæd eight children:

Ancient picture of Queen Eadgifu from Canterbury Cathedral; Credit – Wikipedia

In about 919, Edward married Eadgifu of Kent, the daughter of Sigehelm, Ealdorman of Kent. Eadgifu died in 968.

Edward and Eadgifu had three known children:

England in the late 9th century; Credit – By Hel-hama – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19885072

In 918, Edward’s sister Æthelflæd, Lady of the Mercians died. She had been ruling Mercia since the death of her husband. Even though Æthelflæd’s daughter had technically succeeded her, Edward assumed control of Mercia. According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, there was a general submission of rulers in Britain to Edward in 920. The Danes in the southern part of the Danelaw submitted to Edward. Even Ragnall ua Ímair of Northumbria eventually submitted to Edward although his successor Sitric Cáech did not. Ragnall’s submission even jolted Constantine II, King of Scots and Owain ap Dyfnwal, King of Strathclyde into submission. Scotland and Strathclyde had been invaded by the Norse, and they needed Edward’s protection. By 922, Edward was the overlord of all of Britain except for York, Orkney, and the Western Isles.

Edward the Elder died at the royal estate of Farndon-on-Dee in Mercia on July 17, 924. He was initially buried in the New Minster, Winchester. In 1109, the New Minster was moved outside the city walls to become Hyde Abbey, and the following year, the remains of Edward and his parents were moved to the new abbey church which was destroyed in 1539 during the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the reign of King Henry VIII. His third wife and widow Eadgifu survived him by 44 years and died in the reign of her grandson King Edgar in 968.

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

England: House of Wessex Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • Ashley, M. (1998). The Mammoth Book of British Kings & Queens. New York: Carroll & Graf Pub.
  • Cannon, J. and Griffiths, R. (1988). The Oxford Illustrated History of the British Monarchy. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  • Dodson, A. (2004). The Royal Tombs of Great Britain. London: Duckworth.
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2019). Edward the Elder. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_the_Elder [Accessed 9 Feb. 2019].
  • Williamson, D. (1998). Brewer’s British Royalty. London: Cassell.

Alfred the Great, King of Wessex, King of the Anglo-Saxons

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Statue of Alfred the Great in Wantage, Oxfordshire; Credit – By Steve Daniels, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8862807

Alfred the Great was King of Wessex and later styled himself King of the Anglo-Saxons. Alfred and Cnut, King of England, Denmark, Norway, and parts of Sweden are the only British monarchs to be given the epithet “the Great”. Born circa 847 – 849, probably at a royal palace in Wantage, now in Oxfordshire, England, he was the youngest of the four known sons and the youngest of the five known children of Æthelwulf, King of Wessex and his first wife Osburga.

Alfred had four known elder brothers and one known elder sister:

Alfred’s father King Æthelwulf of Wessex; Credit – Wikipedia

From 854 – 855, Alfred accompanied his father on a pilgrimage to Rome and then they spent some time at the court of Charles the Bald, King of West Francia.  Being the fourth of four sons, Alfred was not expected to succeed to the throne and was probably being prepared for a career in the Roman Catholic Church. In 856, Alfred’s father King Æthelwulf married Judith of Flanders, daughter of Charles the Bald. Alfred’s mother Osburga had probably died, although she may have been put aside. King Æthelwulf and Judith had no children and after King Æthelwulf’s death, she married his son and successor Æthelbald.

King Æthelwulf died on January 13, 858, and was succeeded by his eldest surviving son Æthelbald in Wessex and his next surviving son Æthelberht in Kent. When King Æthelbald died two years later, Æthelbert became King of Wessex and remained King of Kent. Alfred’s public life began in 865 with the accession of his fourth brother Æthelred I. Also in 865, the Great Heathen Army of Danes landed in East Anglia with the goal of conquering the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. During King Æthelred I’s reign, Alfred fought beside him against the Great Heathen Army led by Ivar the Boneless and his brother Halfdan Ragnarsson. King Æthelred I was wounded at the Battle of Marton and died shortly afterward on April 23, 871. Because King Æthelred I left two young sons, Æthelhelm and Æthelwold, who were deemed too young to succeed to the throne, Alfred became King of Wessex.

In 868, Alfred married Ealhswith, daughter of a Mercian nobleman, Æthelred Mucel, Ealdorman of the Gaini and his wife Eadburh, a member of the Mercian royal family. As was customary in ninth-century Wessex, Ealhswith was not given the title of queen.

Alfred and Ealhswith had five known children:

Battles with the Danish invaders continued into the early years of Alfred’s reign. Alfred concluded a peace treaty in 876 which involved an exchange of hostages and oaths. However, the Danes broke their oath and killed all the hostages. In January 878, the Danes suddenly attacked Chippenham, a royal stronghold where Alfred had spent Christmas. Many people were killed but Alfred and a small group made their way to the marshes of Somerset. A fort was built at Athelney in the marshes where Alfred organized an effective resistance movement.

In May 878, Alfred left Athelney and led his army to Wiltshire where large contingents from Somerset, Wiltshire, and Hampshire also gathered. At the Battle of Edington, the Anglo-Saxon army defeated the Great Heathen Army led by Guthrum. Under the Treaty of Wedmore, the Danes agreed to withdraw from Wessex and settle in East Anglia, Mercia, and Northumberland in land ceded to them called the Danelaw.  The Viking leader Guthrum became a Christian and Alfred was his godfather at his baptism, giving him the name Athelstan.

England in 878; Credit – By Hel-hama – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0,

The next eight years were a peaceful period in Wessex. Alfred came to be regarded by the Anglo-Saxons as their overlord and although he was never really king of all England as the Danes held the north and east, he styled himself King of the Anglo-Saxons.

Map of the burghs; Credit – By Hel-hama – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0

Some accomplishments during the reign of Alfred the Great:

  • Burhs: Alfred the Great set about building a system of fortified towns or forts, known as burhs or burgs, in response to the continued Viking threat. These burhs included former Roman towns where stone walls were repaired and perimeter ditches were added along with temporary forts, and new towns.
  • Navy: Alfred ordered the construction of a small fleet of longboats that had 60 oars and were twice the size of Viking longboats. His goal was to intercept raiding Viking fleets before they landed
  • Legal reform: Alfred issued the Doom Book in which he compiled a legal code based on three prior Anglo-Saxon legal codes which he found the most just, those of Æthelberht of Kent (circa 602), Ine of Wessex (circa 694), and Offa of Mercia (circa 786). Alfred also included the Ten Commandments and rules of life from the Mosaic Code and Christian ethics.  Alfred’s legal code was administered by local shire reeves (or sheriffs) and judges.
  • Education: The Danish raids had a devastating effect on learning in England. Inspired by the educational reforms of Charlemagne almost a century before, Alfred undertook an ambitious effort to revive learning. Scholars were recruited from all over Britain and abroad. Alfred established a court school for the education of his own children, children of the nobility, and children of lesser birth. He declared that all sons of freemen should attend school and learn to read and write in English.

Except for a brief period in 885, peace was maintained until 893 when a war with the Danes in East Anglia started and lasted until 897. The Danes caused problems in Mercia and Wales but were unable to penetrate Wessex’s defenses.

Alfred the Great’s statue in Winchester; Credit – Wikipedia

Alfred had long suffered from a mysterious illness with periodic painful attacks. Alfred’s contemporary biographer, the Welsh monk Asser, gave a detailed description of his symptoms and modern doctors suspect that he had either Crohn’s disease or hemorrhoidal disease. However, Alfred’s grandson King Eadred also suffered from ill health all his life. He had symptoms similar to the symptoms Alfred had. A genetic disease such as porphyria, which King George III may have had, is also a possibility.  Alfred died on October 26, 899 at around the age of 50 from unknown causes. He was buried in the Old Minster in Winchester but that is not the end of the story for Alfred’s remains.

Four years later, Alfred’s remains were moved to the New Minster, a royal Benedictine abbey founded in 901 in Winchester. Alfred had intended to build the abbey but only got around to buying the land before he died. His son and successor, King Edward the Elder, finished the abbey according to Alfred’s wishes. In 1109, King Henry I ordered the New Minster to be moved to Hyde Mead and so Hyde Abbey was built just outside the walls of Winchester. When the new church of Hyde Abbey was consecrated in 1110, the remains of Alfred, his wife Ealhswith, and his son Edward the Elder were carried in state through Winchester and interred before the Hyde Abbey high altar.

In 1539, during the reign of King Henry VIII, Hyde Abbey was dissolved and demolished during the Dissolution of the Monasteries. Over the next 250 years, the choir end of Hyde Abbey, where Alfred, his wife, and his son had been interred, was gradually forgotten. In 1788, the land where Hyde Abbey had been located was to become the site of a small local prison. The prisoners were put to work digging the foundation and they came across a number of graves.

In the 19th century, excavations carried out on the site of Hyde Abbey claimed to have found the remains of Alfred the Great which then were reburied in a simple grave outside nearby St. Bartholomew’s Church. More recent excavations of the sites have not given positive or definite results. Bones found in 1999 proved to be those of an elderly woman. The bones found in 2003 were carbon-dated but the results showed that they were from the 1300s and therefore could not be Alfred’s. A fragment of a pelvis from the 1999 excavation was found in a box in a Winchester museum storeroom. Carbon dating showed that the pelvis fragment comes from the correct period. It has been suggested that this bone may belong to either Alfred or his son Edward but this remains unproven.

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

England: House of Wessex Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • Ashley, M. (1998). The Mammoth Book of British Kings & Queens. New York: Carroll & Graf Pub.
  • Cannon, J. and Griffiths, R. (1988). The Oxford Illustrated History of the British Monarchy. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  • Dodson, A. (2004). The Royal Tombs of Great Britain. London: Duckworth.
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2019). Alfred the Great. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_the_Great [Accessed 9 Feb. 2019].
  • Williamson, D. (1998). Brewer’s British Royalty. London: Cassell.

Princess Mary of Great Britain, Landgravine of Hesse-Kassel

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Credit – By Johann Heinrich Tischbein, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=74554565

On March 5, 1723, Princess Mary of Great Britain was born at Leicester House, Leicester Square in London, England. She was the seventh of the eight children and the fourth of the five daughters of King George II of Great Britain and Caroline of Ansbach, then the Prince and Princess of Wales. At the time of her birth, her grandfather King George I sat upon the throne of Great Britain. When Mary was four-years-old, her grandfather died and her father succeeded him. The next year the family moved to St. James’ Palace in London.

Mary had six older siblings and one younger sibling:

Mary’s husband Friedrich II, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1740, when Mary was 17 years old, a marriage was arranged for her with 20-year-old Friedrich II, the future Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel. Friedrich was the son of Wilhelm VIII, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel and Dorothea Wilhelmine of Saxe-Zeitz. As Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel, Friedrich became famous during the American Revolution as a supplier of thousands of Hessian soldiers who fought on behalf of the British.  A proxy marriage, with Mary’s brother William standing in for the groom, was held on May 19, 1740, in the Chapel Royal of St. James’ Palace. Mary left England In June and married Friedrich in person on June 28, 1740.

Mary and Friedrich had four sons:

Mary and her husband Friedrich are ancestors of the current British royal family through their fourth son Prince Friedrich. Prince Friedrich’s daughter Augusta was the grandmother of Princess Victoria Mary of Teck, better known as Queen Mary, the wife of King George V of the United Kingdom. Through their third son Prince Karl, Mary and her husband Friedrich are great-grandparents of King Christian IX of Denmark, as are Mary’s younger sister Louisa and her husband King Frederik V of Denmark. Through this line, Mary and Friedrich (along with her sister Louisa and Frederik V of Denmark) are ancestors of six of the ten current European royal families: Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, Spain, and the United Kingdom.

Mary in 1762; Credit – Wikipedia

Mary’s marriage was not a happy one and Friedrich was cruel and abusive. After the birth of their fourth son, Friedrich left Mary and their sons. Eventually, Friedrich sent her a letter saying that he had been in love with a Catholic woman who he had wanted to marry. However, she would not agree to marry Friedrich unless he converted to Catholicism which he refused to do, fearing the reaction of his family and future subjects.  Shortly before the birth of his fourth son, Friedrich received word that his former love was dying and he went to see her. She asked him to convert to Catholicism so their souls could be reunited in heaven and Friedrich agreed to do so.  In February 1749, Friedrich visited the Archbishop-Elector of Cologne, Clemens August of Bavaria, who received him into the Roman Catholic Church. Furious, Mary’s father King George II ordered his daughter back to England but she refused, saying that it was her duty to remain in the place that God had placed her and that she would ensure her sons would be brought up Protestant.

By 1754, it became obvious to Friedrich’s father Wilhelm VIII, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel, that the marriage of his son and Mary was irretrievably broken and he took in his daughter-in-law and grandchildren to live with him. In 1755, Mary and Friedrich officially separated but Mary refused a divorce in order to deprive her husband of the opportunity to remarry.  Friedrich’s father ordered him to leave the Protestant religion untouched in Hesse-Kassel and gave his eldest grandson the County of Hanau-Münzenberg, under the regency of Mary.  Friedrich never saw his wife again and did not see his children until 1782.

In 1756, Mary went to Denmark to take care of the children of her younger sister Louisa who had died a few years earlier. Mary’s sons grew up in the Danish royal court and two of them married Danish princesses. In 1760, Wilhelm VIII, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel died and his son and Mary’s husband became Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel. As there was no divorce, Mary was then Landgravine of Hesse-Kassel.


Mary’s sons: Wilhelm, Karl, and Friedrich; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1785, Mary’s oldest surviving son Wilhelm returned to Hesse-Kassel when his father died to succeed him as Wilhelm IX, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel. He later became Wilhelm I, Prince-Elector of Hesse. Karl became a Field Marshal in the Danish Army and was royal governor of the Danish duchies of Schleswig and Holstein from 1769 to 1836. Friedrich also served in the Danish Army. In 1781, he bought Rumpenheim Castle (link in German) from his brother Karl and it became his family’s seat. Mary had spent her last years living there.

Mary died on January 14, 1772, in Hanau, Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel, now in Hesse, Germany, at the age of 48. She was buried at the Marienkirche (link in German) in Hanau. Originally a Roman Catholic church built in the 1300s dedicated to Mary Magdalene, it was renamed the High German Reformed Church after the Reformation. In 1818, Mary’s son Wilhelm, now Prince-Elector of Hesse, decreed that the church should be renamed Marienkirche, St. Mary’s Church, in honor of his mother.

Tomb of Mary of Great Britain, Landgravine of Hesse-Kassel; 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. (2019). Frederick II, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_II,_Landgrave_of_Hesse-Kassel [Accessed 17 Jul. 2019].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2019). Princess Mary of Great Britain. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Mary_of_Great_Britain [Accessed 17 Jul. 2019].
  • Van der Kiste, J. (2013). King George II and Queen Caroline. New York: The History Press.
  • Van Der Kiste, John. The Georgian Princesses. Phoenix Mill: Sutton Publishing, 2000. Print.
  • Williamson, David. Brewer’s British Royalty. London: Cassell, 1996. Print. London: Cassell, 1996. Print.

Prince George William of Great Britain

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Prince George William of Great Britain; Credit – Wikipedia

Little Prince George William lived from November 13, 1717 – February 17, 1718, three months and four days, but an event in his short life caused a huge family argument. The principals in the argument were George William’s grandfather King George I of Great Britain and his father The Prince of Wales, the future King George II of Great Britain. It was the beginning of the battles between fathers and sons that would plague the House of Hanover. First, let us deal with Prince George William’s short life.

Prince George William of Great Britain was born at St. James’ Palace in London, England on November 13, 1717. His parents were the Prince and Princess of Wales, the future King George II and his wife, born Caroline of Ansbach. George William was the first of his parents’ eight children to be born in Great Britain. His four elder siblings, Frederick, Prince of Wales, Anne, Princess Royal, Princess Amelia, and Princess Caroline, had all been born in the Electorate of Hanover, now in Lower Saxony, Germany.

George William’s great-grandmother, Sophia of the Palatinate, Electress of Hanover was the heiress presumptive to Queen Anne of Great Britain per the Act of Settlement 1701, but Sophia died two months before Queen Anne died. Upon Queen Anne’s death on August 1, 1714, George William’s grandfather succeeded to the British throne as King George I of Great Britain. His father became the heir apparent to the British throne and was created Prince of Wales the following month.

In February 1718, Prince George William became ill. The infant prince died at about 8:00 PM on February 17, 1718, at Kensington Palace in London. The London Gazette officially reported that Prince George William “had been taken ill about ten days before of a cough and strainess of breathing, from which he had been recovering till the foggy weather on the 15th and 16th, which occasioning a relapse into his strainess of breathing, he fell into convulsions and died.” An autopsy determined that he had been born with a “polyp on his heart.”

On the night of February 23, 1718, Prince George William’s remains, accompanied by the king’s servants, the Yeomen of the Guard and the Horse Guards, were transported from Kensington Palace in one of King George I’s coaches to Westminster Abbey where he was privately interred. Francis Atterbury, Bishop of Rochester conducted the funeral service. It was not unusual for deceased royal children to be buried in this manner.

Backtracking to Prince George William’s christening: George William was christened at the Chapel Royal, St. James’s Palace in London, England on November 28, 1717, by John Robinson, Bishop of London. His godparents were:

  • King George I of Great Britain: his paternal grandfather
  • Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle: Lord Chamberlain of the King’s Household and later Prime Minister of Great Britain
  • Diana Beauclerk, Duchess of St Albans: Mistress of the Robes to his mother, born Lady Diana de Vere, wife of Charles Beauclerk, 1st Duke of St Albans, an illegitimate son of King Charles II and his mistress Nell Gwynne

King George I, Prince George William’s grandfather; Credit – Wikipedia

What should have been a perfectly normal, quiet christening turned into a shouting match that resulted in the parents of Prince George William being exiled from their home at St. James’ Palace and their children being kept at St. James’ Palace in the custody of their grandfather King George I.

George. Prince of Wales, Prince George William’s father; Credit – Wikipedia

The Prince of Wales (George) asked his father King George I and his paternal uncle Prince Ernst August of Hanover, who had been created Duke of York, to be godfathers. The Princess of Wales (Caroline) wanted to name her son William and initially King George I agreed. However, the little prince was the first of the British House of Hanover to be born in Great Britain, and apparently, the king’s government ministers insisted that the previous protocol be followed. The ministers told the king that since he was one of the godfathers, the infant prince should be named George. A compromise was reached and the prince’s name would be George William.

Caroline, Princess of Wales, mother of Prince George William; Credit – Wikipedia

Next, the ministers objected to Prince Ernst August of Hanover being one of the godparents. He was the reigning Prince-Bishop of Osnabrück (now in Lower Saxony, Germany) and unmarried. If Ernst August was named a godparent, he might make the British prince the heir to his German title. Furthermore, the ministers advised the king that it was the usual practice for the Lord Chamberlain, the most senior officer of the Royal Household, to be one of the godfathers. This writer, who has researched and written about Royal Christenings, can say that although the list of godparents for the British House of Stuart which preceded the House of Hanover is incomplete, there is no evidence that it was the usual practice for the Lord Chamberlain to be a royal godfather. Caroline was willing to compromise again and suggested that the Lord Chamberlain, Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle, could stand as proxy for Ernst August. Caroline was overruled by the ministers. She then asked for the christening to be postponed, and was again overruled.

Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle; Credit – Wikipedia

When the christening took place, George and Caroline were incensed at being repeatedly overruled. After the christening, George accused the Duke of Newcastle of acting dishonestly regarding the christening arrangements, shook his fists at him, and said, “You are a rascal but I shall find you out,” meaning get even. George had spoken English since he was a child but having lived in Hanover where German was the native language for the first thirty-one years of his life, he spoke English with a German accent. The Duke of Newcastle misunderstood George and thought he said, “I shall fight you.” The Duke quickly went to King George I and told him that his son had challenged him to a duel.

King George I summoned his cabinet for advice. A group of ministers was sent to George asking if the allegations were true. George denied he had challenged Newcastle to a duel, explained he had said “find” and not “fight” and further explained Newcastle had disrespected him by insisting he be a godfather when he knew it was against George’s wishes. When the ministers told George that Newcastle had been asked to be a godfather by the command of the king, George replied that while he respected his father, he did not believe it.

Within days, King George I ordered his son, the Prince of Wales, to leave St. James’ Palace. The Prince of Wales was further ordered to leave his children at St. James’ Palace in the custody of the king. The Princess of Wales was allowed to freely visit her children but her husband had to give notice. George appealed to the courts for his children to be returned to him but was told that according to British law, royal grandchildren belonged to The Crown. Most people in political and court circles felt that King George I overreacted.

The Prince and Princess of Wales needed a residence and they moved into Leicester House in Leicester Square, London which became their chief residence for the rest of King George I’s reign. After two years, the Princess of Wales acted as a mediator for her husband, and in cooperation with Prime Minister Robert Walpole, she finally reconciled King George I and his son.

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. (2019). Prince George William of Great Britain. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_George_William_of_Great_Britain [Accessed 16 Jul. 2019].
  • Thegazette.co.uk. (1718). Page 2 | Issue 5615, 8 February 1718 | London Gazette | The Gazette. [online] Available at: https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/5615/page/2 [Accessed 16 Jul. 2019].
  • Thegazette.co.uk. (1718). Page 2 | Issue 5616, 11 February 1718 | London Gazette | The Gazette. [online] Available at: https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/5616/page/2 [Accessed 16 Jul. 2019].
  • Van der Kiste, J. (2013). King George II and Queen Caroline. New York: The History Press.
  • Van Der Kiste, John. The Georgian Princesses. Phoenix Mill: Sutton Publishing, 2000. Print.
  • Williamson, David. Brewer’s British Royalty. London: Cassell, 1996. Print. London: Cassell, 1996. Print.

Princess Caroline of Great Britain

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Princess Caroline of Great Britain; Credit – Wikipedia

Born at Herrenhausen Palace in the Electorate of Hanover, now in Hanover, Lower Saxony, Germany, on June 10, 1713, exactly two years after the birth of her sister Princess Amelia, Princess Caroline was the fourth of the eight children and the third of the five daughters of the future King George II of Great Britain and his wife Caroline of Ansbach. At the time of her birth, her father was the Hereditary Prince of Brunswick-Lüneburg. Caroline’s paternal grandparents were the future King George I of Great Britain, who was the Elector of Hanover and Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg at that time, and his divorced, disgraced, and virtually imprisoned first cousin and former wife Sophia Dorothea of Celle. Caroline’s maternal grandparents were Johann Friedrich, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach and his second wife Princess Eleonore Erdmuthe of Saxe-Eisenach. The day after her birth, the infant princess was christened Caroline Elizabeth at Herrenhausen Palace.

Caroline had seven siblings:

Frederick, Prince of Wales, playing the cello, Anne, Princess Royal at the harpsichord, Princess Caroline playing the mandora and Princess Amelia reading; Credit – Wikipedia

Caroline’s great-grandmother, Sophia, Electress of Hanover was the heiress presumptive to Queen Anne of Great Britain per the Act of Settlement 1701, but Sophia died two months before Queen Anne died. Upon Queen Anne’s death on August 1, 1714, Caroline’s grandfather succeeded to the British throne as King George I of Great Britain and her father became the heir apparent to the British throne and was created Prince of Wales the following month. Amelia was then styled Her Royal Highness Princess Caroline of Great Britain. One-year-old Caroline along with her elder sisters Anne and Amelia accompanied their mother to England where they settled in the new home, apartments in St. James’ Palace in London.

The three elder daughters of King George II: Anne, Amelia, and Caroline; Credit – Wikipedia

Caroline’s parents, the Prince and Princess of Wales, disagreed over the choice of godparents for the short-lived son George William, born in 1717. The disagreement grew out of proportion, and Caroline’s father George was placed under arrest. The result was that her parents, the Prince and Princess of Wales, were exiled from St. James’ Palace. They moved into Leicester House in Leicester Square, London which became their chief residence for the rest of King George I’s reign. However, their children were kept at St. James’ Palace in the custody of their grandfather. The Prince and Princess of Wales were allowed to see their children only once a week. After two years, the Princess of Wales acted as a mediator for her husband, and in cooperation with Prime Minister Robert Walpole, she finally reconciled King George I and his son.

Princess Caroline was not only her mother’s namesake but her favorite child. She was known in the family for telling the truth and was always consulted when there were disagreements between the royal siblings because she could be counted on telling exactly what happened. On June 11, 1727, Caroline’s grandfather King George I died in Hanover, was buried there, and her father succeeded him as King George II. After the marriage of her eldest sister Anne to Willem IV, Prince of Orange, Caroline became her mother’s main confidant and she remained so for the rest of her mother’s life.

Portrait of Caroline from 1728, probably from the time of her father’s coronation; Credit – Wikipedia

Princess Caroline never married. When her mother died in 1737, Queen Caroline expressly left her three youngest children, all teenagers, in the care of her daughter Caroline. Caroline probably had an affair with John Hervey, 2nd Baron Hervey, a courtier and political writer. Lord Hervey was married and had eight children but apparently, he was bisexual and had affairs with both men and women. It is unknown if Lord Hervey had any real affections toward Caroline but she had affections toward him. After Lord Hervey died in 1743 at the age of 46, Caroline became a recluse, rarely leaving St. James’ Palace and seeing only her father, her sister Princess Amelia, her brother Prince William, Duke of Cumberland, and some favorite courtiers. She donated most of her money to charities, especially those associated with prisoners’ welfare, and also saw that Lord Hervey’s children were financially secure.

John Hervey, 2nd Baron Hervey,; Credit – Wikipedia

Princess Caroline had been a hypochondriac for most of her life and she lost the will to live. As she lay dying, she refused to see any of her family. On December 28, 1757, at the age of 44, Princess Caroline died at St. James’ Palace in London. She was buried in the Hanover vault below the central aisle of Henry VII’s chapel in Westminster Abbey in London. Horace Walpole, a writer and art historian,  wrote of Princess Caroline: “Her kindness was constant and united, her immense generosity, her charity were the most extensive; In short, I, not a royalist, can be generous in praise of her.”

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. (2019). Princess Caroline of Great Britain. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Caroline_of_Great_Britain [Accessed 13 Jul. 2019].
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2019). Princess Amelia of Great Britain. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/princess-amelia-of-great-britain/ [Accessed 13 Jul. 2019].
  • Van der Kiste, J. (2013). King George II and Queen Caroline. New York: The History Press.
  • Van Der Kiste, John. The Georgian Princesses. Phoenix Mill: Sutton Publishing, 2000. Print.
  • Williamson, David. Brewer’s British Royalty. London: Cassell, 1996. Print. London: Cassell, 1996. Print.

Princess Amelia of Great Britain

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Princess Amelia of Great Britain; Credit – Wikipedia

Princess Amelia of Hanover was born at Herrenhausen Palace in the Electorate of Hanover, now in Lower Saxony, Germany, on June 10, 1711. Christened Amelia Sophia Eleanora, she was known in the family as Emily. At the time of her birth, her father (the future King George II of Great Britain) was the Hereditary Prince of Brunswick-Lüneburg. Her mother was Caroline of Ansbach,  the eldest of the three children of Johann Friedrich, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach and his second wife Princess Eleonore Erdmuthe of Saxe-Eisenach. Her paternal grandfather (the future King George I of Great Britain) was the Elector of Hanover and Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg.

Amelia was the third of eight children and the second of her parents’ five daughters. She had seven siblings:

Frederick, Prince of Wales, playing the cello, Anne, Princess Royal at the harpsichord, Princess Caroline playing the mandora and Princess Amelia reading; Credit – Wikipedia

Amelia’s great-grandmother, Sophia, Electress of Hanover was the heiress presumptive to Queen Anne of Great Britain per the Act of Settlement 1701, but Sophia died two months before Queen Anne died. Upon Queen Anne’s death on August 1, 1714, Amelia’s grandfather succeeded to the British throne as King George I of Great Britain and her father became the heir apparent to the British throne and was created Prince of Wales the following month. Amelia was then styled Her Royal Highness Princess Amelia of Great Britain. Three-year-old Amelia, along with her elder sister Anne and her younger sister Caroline, accompanied their mother to England where they settled in the new home, apartments in St. James’ Palace in London.

The three elder daughters of King George II: Anne, Amelia, and Caroline; Credit – Wikipedia

Amelia’s parents, the Prince and Princess of Wales, had a disagreement over the choice of godparents for the short-lived son George William, born in 1717. The disagreement grew out of proportion, and Amelia’s father George was placed under arrest. The result was that her parents George and Caroline were exiled from St. James’ Palace. They moved into Leicester House in Leicester Square, London which became their chief residence for the rest of King George I’s reign. However, their children were kept at St. James’ Palace in the custody of their grandfather. The Prince and Princess of Wales were allowed to see their children only once a week. After two years, the Princess of Wales acted as a mediator for her husband, and in cooperation with Prime Minister Robert Walpole, she finally reconciled King George I and his son.

Amelia’s paternal aunt, Sophia Dorothea of ​​Hanover, Queen of Prussia, wanted Amelia to marry her eldest son, the future King Friedrich II of Prussia (the Great). However, Sophia Dorothea’s husband King Friedrich Wilhelm I did not support the idea and insisted his son marry Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel-Bevern. Amelia never did marry.

In 1727, Amelia’s grandfather died and her father succeeded to the British throne as King George II. After the death of her mother in 1737, Amelia became the constant companion to her father. She also acted as hostess for her unmarried brother Prince William, Duke of Cumberland, who had a career in the Royal Army, whenever he was in England. Amelia followed her brother’s military campaigns and was always quite worried about him when he was at the front.

In 1751, Princess Amelia became the Ranger of Richmond Park. According to her instructions, only family members and a few close friends were allowed into the park. This caused a great uproar from the public, accustomed to using the park. In 1758, a local brewer John Lewis was banned from the park and decided to take the case to court and won. Disgusted, Amelia resigned from her position as the ranger of Richmond Park.

Plaque to John Lewis, the Richmond brewer who secured public rights of access to the park in 1758; Credit – By Spudgun67 – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=46307376

On October 25, 1760, King George II woke up early at Kensington Palace and had his usual cup of chocolate. He asked about the direction of the wind as he was anxious about receiving his overseas mail, and then he entered his water closet. A few minutes later, his valet heard a crash and found George lying on the floor. He was put into bed and asked for his favorite daughter Princess Amelia, but he died before the princess reached him. Amelia hurried to her father’s rooms and, not realizing he was already dead, she put her head close to his head to hear what he had to say. Because she was quite deaf, Amelia did not realize her father was dead.

Amelia was the last surviving child of her parents and lived for the first twenty-six years of the reign of her nephew King George III whose father Frederick, Prince of Wales had predeceased his father King George II. Because of her deafness, Amelia retired from court life. She lived in a home in Cavendish Square when in London. In 1761, Amelia bought Gunnersbury Park, a country estate in the London Borough of Hounslow where she was famous for her parties and political intrigues.

Gunnersbury House around 1750; Credit – Wikipedia

In her later years, Amelia enjoyed taking the waters, playing cards, and engaging in gossip at Bath. Amelia was always fond of horses and dogs and every morning she visited the stables to see her horses. She donated generously to charity and was a wonderful great-aunt to the children of King George III, regularly inviting them to Gunnersbury Park.

In October 1786, Amelia knew she was dying and she put her affairs in order and made arrangements to provide for her servants. She left nothing to her relatives in England, instead, she left her estate to her three Hesse-Kassel nephews, the children of her sister Princess Mary. Princess Amelia Sophie died at the age of 75, on October 31, 1786, at her home in Cavendish Square. After her death, a pendant was found around her neck with a miniature portrait of her would-be husband, Crown Prince Friedrich of Prussia who became King Friedrich I of Prussia (the Great). Princess Amelia was buried in the Hanover vault below the central aisle of Henry VII’s chapel in Westminster Abbey in London. An inscription was carved in the black and white pavement in 1866 reads Amelia Sophia Eleonora 2 DA. of K.GEO. II 1786.

Amelia Island, an island in the Sea Islands chain that stretches along the East Coast of the United States from South Carolina to Florida and Amelia County in Virginia, United States are named for Princess Amelia.

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.Amelia Sophie von Großbritannien, Irland und Hannover. [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amelia_Sophie_von_Gro%C3%9Fbritannien,_Irland_und_Hannover [Accessed 11 Jul. 2019].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2019). Princess Amelia of Great Britain. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Amelia_of_Great_Britain [Accessed 11 Jul. 2019].
  • Van Der Kiste, John. The Georgian Princesses. Phoenix Mill: Sutton Publishing, 2000. Print.
  • Williamson, David. Brewer’s British Royalty. London: Cassell, 1996. Print.. London: Cassell, 1996. Print.

Prince Archie of Sussex

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Archie on his father’s lap with his mother and sister Lilibet, from the 2021 Christmas card of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex; Credit – Alexi Lubomirski/The Duke and Duchess of Sussex; Credit – Alexi Lubomirski/The Duke and Duchess of Sussex

The first child of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and the former Meghan Markle, Prince Archie of Sussex, was born at 5:26 AM on May 6, 2019, at Portland Hospital for Women and Children, a private hospital on Great Portland Street in London, England. He weighed 7 pounds, 3 ounces, and his father was present for his birth. Because his mother is American, Archie is an American citizen in addition to his British citizenship.

Credit – https://www.royal.uk/archie-harrison-mountbatten-windsor

Two days after his birth, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex presented their newborn son in St. George’s Hall, one of the State Rooms at Windsor Castle. They spoke with the representative of the press for several minutes. Click on the article below for more photos and a video.

Following their meeting with the media, the Duke and Duchess took their son to meet his great-grandparents, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Archie’s maternal grandmother Doria Ragland was also in attendance.  Shortly after that meeting, an announcement was made that the Duke and Duchess had named their son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. Archie is a name the Duke and Duchess liked and Harrison is from an English surname that means “son of Harry” and is quite fitting in this circumstance. For more background on the name, see Unofficial Royalty: What’s in a Name? – Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor.

Credit – https://www.royal.uk/archie-harrison-mountbatten-windsor

At the time of his birth, Archie was seventh in the line of succession to the British throne after his grandfather Charles, Prince of Wales (now King Charles III), his uncle Prince William, Duke of Cambridge (now Prince of Wales) and his three children, and his father Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex.

Archie is the heir apparent to his father’s Dukedom of Sussex, Earldom of Dumbarton, and Barony of Kilkeel. It is customary that a peer’s heir apparent use one of their parent’s subsidiary titles as a courtesy title. In this case, the courtesy title would be Earl of Dumbarton. However, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex instead decided that their son would be styled as Master Archie Mountbatten-Windsor in accordance with their wish that he lives his life as a private citizen.

However, at birth, Archie was not entitled to the style and title His Royal Highness Prince. In 1917, King George V issued Letters Patent changing the rights to the style Royal Highness and the title Prince/Princess. The children of the Sovereign, the children of the sons of the Sovereign, and the eldest living son of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales would be entitled to the style Royal Highness and the title Prince/Princess. Exceptions to the rule can be made by the Sovereign. For instance, in 2012, Queen Elizabeth II issued a Letters Patent declaring that all the children of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales should have the title Prince or Princess and the style Royal Highness. This meant that all the children of Prince William would be HRH Prince/Princess. Under the 1917 Letters Patent, Archie was entitled to the style and title His Royal Highness Prince, when his paternal grandfather succeeded to the throne. Archie would then be a male-line grandchild of the Sovereign.

With the accession of Archie’s grandfather as King Charles III on September 8, 2022, Archie is a male-line grandchild of the monarch and is entitled to be styled His Royal Highness Prince Archie of Sussex under the 1917 Letters Patent. In March 2023, after her christening, Archie’s sister was referred to as Princess Lilibet Diana by a spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, the first time that either child was referred to in public as Prince or Princess.

For more information, see Unofficial Royalty: Their Royal Highness Prince and Princess.

Windsor Castle: the Private Chapel, after the restoration drawn 1999 by Alexander Creswell: Credit – Royal Collection Trust

Archie was christened into the Church of England on July 6, 2019, by the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby in a private ceremony at the Private Chapel in Windsor Castle, not to be confused with St. George’s Chapel. The names of his godparents were not made public. Three of the godparents were later reported to be Charlie van Straubenzee (who attended Ludgrove School with Prince Harry and Prince William), Tiggy Pettifer (nanny and companion to Prince Harry and Prince William), and Mark Dyer (a former equerry to King Charles III who became a mentor and close friend to Charles’ sons). Twenty-five guests attended the christening but their names were not released.  A group photo, which is no longer available, showed Archie with his parents, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall, Doria Ragland, Archie’s maternal grandmother, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Lady Jane Fellowes, Archie’s great-aunts, the sisters of Diana, Princess of Wales.

 

From September 23 – October 2, 2019, when Archie was four-and-a-half months old, he accompanied his parents on an official trip to Africa. The trip started in South Africa and then the Duke of Sussex visited Angola, Malawi, and Botswana before rejoining the Duchess and his son in South Africa.  The Duke and Duchess took their son to visit South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

Archie’s parents announced on January 8, 2020, that they would step back as senior royals and divide time between the United Kingdom and North America. However, since that time the Duke and Duchess have made a home in California in the United States.

On June 4, 2021, Archie’s younger sister was born at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, California. Princess Lilibet of Sussex, nicknamed Lili, is named after her paternal great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth II and her paternal grandmother Diana, Princess of Wales. “Lilibet” is Queen Elizabeth II’s family nickname, which originated from Elizabeth’s pronunciation of her name when she was young.

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.

British Royal Christenings: House of Windsor

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2019

Children of the British Royal Family are christened following the Holy Baptism rite of the Church of England of which the monarch is the Supreme Governor. Royal christenings are small, private affairs usually attended by the immediate family, the godparents and their spouses. Only the christening of Princess Eugenie of York, the younger of the two daughters of Prince Andrew, Duke of York and his former wife Sarah, Duchess of York, was held at a regular Sunday service at St. Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, Norfolk, England.

Christenings of members of the House of Windsor have been held at intimate settings, mostly palace chapels, including the Private Chapel in Windsor Castle, the Private Chapel at Buckingham Palace, the Music Room at Buckingham Palace, the Chapel Royal in St James’s Palace, and St. Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham. Only one christening, that of Prince Harry in 1984, was held at a large church, St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle, but it was still a private, family affair.

The christening of Victoria, Princess Royal in the Throne Room at Buckingham Palace in 1841; Credit – Wikipedia

Several of the British Royal Family’s christening traditions started with the christening of Queen Victoria’s eldest child. After the birth of her first child Victoria, Princess Royal in 1840, Queen Victoria commissioned a christening gown to be made.  The gown of Honiton lace lined with Spitalfields silk was made by Janet Sutherland, the daughter of a Scottish coal miner from Falkirk, who received the title Embroiderer to the Queen for her work.  First worn by Victoria, Princess Royal at her christening on February 10, 1841, her parents’ first wedding anniversary, the gown was worn by 62 descendants of Queen Victoria.  Lady Louise Windsor, the elder of the two children of Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and Sophie, Countess of Wessex, was the last to wear the 1841 gown at her christening in 2004.

Exact replica of the original royal christening gown; Credit – www.rct.uk/collection

Due to the gown’s age and delicate condition, Queen Elizabeth II commissioned Angela Kelly, Dressmaker to The Queen, to make a hand-made replica in order to preserve the original.  James, Viscount Severn, the younger of the two children of Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and Sophie, Countess of Wessex, was the first to wear the replica gown at his christening in 2008.  Photos of royal babies wearing the original gown and the replica can be seen below.

The Lily Font; Photo Credit – https://www.royalcollection.org.uk

The Lily Font is a silver baptismal font commissioned by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in 1840 after the birth of their first child, Victoria, Princess Royal. It was first used at the christening of Victoria, Princess Royal in 1841 and has been used for royal christenings ever since except that of Princess Eugenie of York. Prince Albert helped design the font which is made from a silver gilt with the appearance of gold. Three winged cherubs sit on the base of the font above the royal arms of Queen Victoria, Prince Albert, and Victoria, Princess Royal. The cherubs are playing lyres and above them leaves reach up to support the bowl which is edged by water lilies. For the christening of Victoria, Princess Royal, the Lily Font was placed on a table as seen in the portrait above.  Sometimes the Lily Font is placed into the larger 1660 Charles II font and its basin or the christening basin made in 1735 and first used at the christening of the future King George III in 1738.  The portrait below shows the Lily Font placed in the 1660 Charles II font and basin.  The Lily Font is part of the Crown Jewels and is kept at the Jewel House at the Tower of London when not in use.

The Lily Font on top of the Charles II Font and Basin at the christening of Queen Victoria’s eldest son Albert Edward, Prince of Wales in 1842; Credit – Wikipedia

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Please note that not all of the photos below are christening photos. The first photo below shows the future King George V wearing the 1841 christening gown.

King George V, born Prince George of Wales

The Princess of Wales holding Prince George; Credit – http://glucksburg.blogspot.com/

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Queen Mary, born Princess Victoria Mary of Teck

With her parents The Duke and Duchess of Teck; Credit – Wikipedia

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The Duke of Windsor, formerly King Edward VIII, born Prince Edward of York

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Four Generations: Queen Victoria holding Prince Edward, The Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) and The Duke of York (later King George V)

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King George VI, born Prince George of York

The Duchess of York holding Prince Albert; Credit – https://www.royalcollection.org.uk

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Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, born The Honorable Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon

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  • Unofficial Royalty: Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother
  • Parents: Claude Bowes-Lyon, Lord Glamis, later the 14th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, and Nina Cecilia Cavendish-Bentinck
  • Born: August 4, 1900
  • Christened: September 23, 1900 at All Saints Church in St Paul’s Walden Bury, Hertfordshire, England
  • Names: Elizabeth Angela Marguerite
  • Godparents (incomplete list):
    • Lady Maud Bowes-Lyon (her paternal aunt)
    • Mrs. Arthur James (her mother’s second cousin, born Venetia Cavendish-Bentinck)

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Princess Mary, The Princess Royal, born Princess Mary of York

The Duchess of York with her only daughter Princess Mary

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Prince Henry, The Duke of Gloucester, born Prince Henry of York

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Queen Victoria at Osborne with the children of the Duke and Duchess of York (left to right) Prince Albert (George VI), Princess Mary (Princess Royal, Countess of Harewood), Prince Edward (Edward VIII) and Prince Henry (Duke of Gloucester) on Queen Victoria’s lap

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Prince George, The Duke of Kent, born Prince George of Wales

Prince George with his eldest brother Prince Edward of Wales

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Prince John of the United Kingdom, born Prince John of Wales

Queen Mary; Prince George, Duke of Kent; Princess Mary, Countess of Harewood; Prince John; Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester by William Edwin Sorrell, published by Rotary Photographic Co Ltd bromide postcard print, 1905 NPG x29776 © National Portrait Gallery, London

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Alastair Windsor, 2nd Duke of Connaught, born Prince Alastair of Connaught

Photo Credit – www.royalcollection.org.uk

  • Wikipedia: Alastair Windsor, 2nd Duke of Connaught
  • Parents: Prince Arthur of Connaught and Princess Alexandra, 2nd Duchess of Fife
  • Born: August 9, 1914 at 54 Mount Street in Mayfair, London, England
  • Christened: August 25, 1914 at 54 Mount Street in Mayfair, London, England
  • Names: Alastair Arthur
  • Godparents:
    • King George V (his father’s first cousin and his mother’s uncle)
    • Alfonso XIII, King of Spain (husband of his father’s first cousin and his mother’s first cousin once removed)
    • Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught (his paternal grandfather and his mother’s great-uncle)
    • Queen Alexandra (his father’s aunt by marriage and his maternal great-grandmother)
    • Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll (Queen Victoria’s daughter, his father’s aunt and his mother’s great-aunt)
    • Princess Mary (his father’s first cousin once removed and his mother’s first cousin)

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Queen Elizabeth II, born Princess Elizabeth of York

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Back Row (left to right): The Duke of Connaught, King George V, The Duke of York, The Earl of Strathmore; Front Row (left to right): Lady Elphinstone, Queen Mary, The Duchess of York holding Princess Elizabeth, The Countess of Strathmore, Princess Mary, Viscountess Lascelles

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Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh, born Prince Philippos of Greece and Denmark

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  • Unofficial Royalty: Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
  • Parents: Prince Andrew of Greece and Princess Alice of Battenberg
  • Born:  June 10, 1921 at the Villa Mon Repos on the Isle of Corfu, Greece
  • Christened: [no date] at St. George’s Church in the Old Fortress in Corfu, Greece according to the rites of the Greek Orthodox Church
  • Name: Philippos
  • Godparents:
    • Queen Olga of Greece (his paternal grandmother, born Grand Duchess Olga Konstantinovna of Russia)
    • The Corfu City Council (represented by Alexander S. Kokotos, Mayor of Corfu and Stylianos I. Maniarizis, Chairman of the City Council)

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Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, born Princess Margaret of York

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Princess Margaret with her mother The Duchess of York

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Prince Edward, The Duke of Kent, born Prince Edward of Kent

Credit – Prince George, Duke of Kent; Prince Edward, Duke of Kent; Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent by Unknown photographer, bromide print, 1936, NPG x182255 © National Portrait Gallery, London

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Princess Alexandra, The Honorable Lady Ogilvy, born Princess Alexandra of Kent

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A nanny holding Princess Alexandra

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Prince William of Gloucester

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Back Row (left to right): The Duke of Gloucester, King George VI, Lord William Montagu Douglas Scott; Front Row (left to right): Princess Helena Victoria, The Duchess of Gloucester, Queen Mary holding her grandson, Lady Margaret Hawkins

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Prince Michael of Kent

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Prince Michael with his family at his christening; three weeks later his father was killed in a plane crash

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Prince Richard, The Duke of Gloucester, born Prince Richard of Gloucester

Prince Richard with his brother Prince William and his mother The Duchess of Gloucester; Credit – cms.countrylife.co.uk

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King Charles III of the United Kingdom, born Prince Charles of Edinburgh

Christening of the future King Charles III with his parents and godparents: Seated left to right: Dowager Marchioness of Milford Haven (born Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine), the then Princess Elizabeth holding the infant Charles and Queen Mary. Standing left to right: Patricia Knatchbull, Baroness Brabourne, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (representing godparent Prince George of Greece), King George VI, David Bowes-Lyon, Alexander Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone (representing godparent King Haakon of Norway), and Princess Margaret

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Diana, Princess of Wales, born The Honorable Lady Diana Spencer

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Diana with her parents at her christening
  • Unofficial Royalty: Diana, Princess of Wales
  • Parents: John Spencer, Viscount Althorp, later the 8th Earl Spencer, and The Honourable Frances Burke Roche
  • Born:  July 1, 1961 at Park House in Sandringham, Norfolk, England
  • Christened: August 30, 1961 at St. Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, England
  • Names: Diana Frances
  • Godparents:
    • John Floyd (Chairman of Christie’s, her father’s friend)
    • Alexander Gilmour (her father’s cousin)
    • Lady Mary Colman (niece of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother)
    • Mrs. Michael Pratt (friend and neighbour of Diana’s parents)
    • Mrs. William Fox (friend and neighbour of Diana’s parents)

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Camilla, Queen Consort of the United Kingdom, born Camilla Shand

Camilla on left with her siblings, Mark in the middle and Annabel on the right; Photo Credit – www.dailymail.co.uk

  • Unofficial Royalty: Camilla, Queen Consort of the United Kingdom
  • Parents: Major Bruce Shand and The Honourable Rosalind Cubitt
  • Born: July 17, 1947 at King’s College Hospital, Denmark Hill, London
  • Christened: November 1, 1947 at Firle Church in Lewes, Sussex, England
  • Names: Camilla Rosemary
  • Godparents:
    • The Honourable Harry Cubitt (her maternal uncle, later the 4th Baron Ashcombe)
    • Major Neil Speke
    • Mrs. Lombard Hobson
    • Mrs. Heathcoat Amory
    • Miss Vivien Mosley

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Princess Anne, The Princess Royal, born Princess Anne of Edinburgh

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Back Row (left to right): 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, Princess Margarita of Greece and Denmark and The Honorable Reverand Andrew Elphinstone. Front Row (left to right): Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone, Princess Elizabeth holding Princess Anne and Queen Elizabeth

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Prince Andrew, The Duke of York

Andrew on his christening day with his parents and his elder brother Charles and elder sister Anne; Photo Credit – daysofmajesty.blogspot.com

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Prince Edward, The Duke of Edinburgh

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Edward with his mother and brother Andrew

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Prince William, The Prince of Wales, born Prince William of Wales

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The Prince and Princess of Wales with Prince William and his godparents (seated) ex-King Constantine of Greece, (standing, left to right) Princess Alexandra, Lord Romsey, Lady Hussey, Sir Laurens Van Der Post and the Duchess of Westminster

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Catherine, The Princess of Wales, born Catherine Middleton

  • Unofficial Royalty: Catherine, The Princess of Wales
  • Parents: Michael Middleton and Carole Goldsmith
  • Born: January 9, 1982 at Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading, Berkshire, England
  • Christened: June 20, 1982 at St. Andrew’s Church in Bradfield, Berkshire, England
  • Names: Catherine Elizabeth
  • Godparents:

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Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, born Prince Harry of Wales

Prince Harry’s Christening; Photo Credit – www.abc.net.au

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Princess Beatrice of York

Princess Beatrice’s christening; Photo Credit – entertainment.xin.msn.com

  • Unofficial Royalty: Princess Beatrice of York
  • Parents: Prince Andrew, Duke of York and Sarah Ferguson
  • Born: August 8, 1988 at Portland Hospital in London, England
  • Christened: December 20, 1988 at the Chapel Royal in St James’s Palace in London, England
  • Names: Beatrice Elizabeth Mary
  • Godparents:
    • David Armstrong-Jones, 2nd Earl of Snowdon (her father’s first cousin)
    • Peter Palumbo, Baron Palumbo (her maternal grandfather’s friend)
    • The Duchess of Roxburghe (the former Lady Jane Grosvenor, later Lady Jane Dawnay)
    • The Honourable Mrs. John Greenall (her mother’s friend, the former Gabrielle James)
    • Mrs. Henry Cotterell (her mother’s friend, the former Carolyn Beckwith-Smith)

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Princess Eugenie of York

photo: Days of Majesty

  • Unofficial Royalty: Princess Eugenie of York
  • Parents: Prince Andrew, Duke of York and Sarah Ferguson
  • Born: March 23, 1990 at Portland Hospital in London, England
  • Christened: December 23, 1990 at St. Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, Norfolk, England
  • Names: Eugenie Victoria Helena
  • Godparents:
    • James Ogilvy (her father’s second cousin)
    • Captain Alastair Ross (her father’s former commander on HMS Edinburgh)
    • Mrs. Ronald Ferguson (her mother’s stepmother)
    • Mrs. Patrick (Julia) Dodd-Noble (her parents’ friend)
    • Miss Louise Blacker (her mother’s friend)

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Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor

Front row (left to right) The Duke of Edinburgh, The Queen, The Earl of Wessex, The Countess of Wessex holding Lady Louise, Mr and Mrs Christopher Rhys-Jones, back row (left to right) Lord Ivar Mountbatten, Lady Alexandra Etherington, Lady Sarah Chatto, Mrs Urs Schwarzenbach and Mr Rupert Elliott; Photo by Lichfield/Getty Images

  • Unofficial Royalty: Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor
  • Parents: Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and Sophie Rhys-Jones
  • Born: November 8, 2003 at Frimley Park Hospital in Frimley, Surrey, England
  • Christened: April 24, 2004 in the Private Chapel at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England
  • Names: Louise Alice Elizabeth Mary
  • Godparents:
    • Lady Alexandra Etherington (her father’s third cousin, daughter of James Carnegie, 3rd Duke of Fife)
    • Lady Sarah Chatto (her father’s first cousin)
    • Lord Ivar Mountbatten (her father’s second cousin, son of David Mountbatten, 3rd Marquess of Milford-Haven)
    • Rupert Elliott (her father’s friend from Cambridge University)
    • Francesca Schwarzenbach (her parents’ friend)

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James Mountbatten-Windsor, Earl of Wessex

James, Viscount Severn with his parents; Credit – Daily Mail/Camera Press

  • Unofficial Royalty: James Mountbatten-Windsor, Viscount Severn
  • Parents: Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and Sophie Rhys-Jones
  • Born: December 17, 2007 at Frimley Park Hospital in Frimley, Surrey, England
  • Christened: April 19, 2008 in the Private Chapel at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England
  • Names: James Alexander Philip Theo
  • Godparents:
    • Denise Poulton (a friend of his mother and trustee of the Wessex Youth Trust)
    • Jeanye Erwin (his mother’s former flat-mate)
    • Alastair Bruce of Crionaich
    • Duncan Bullivant (a school friend of his father)
    • Thomas Hill

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Prince George of Wales, born Prince George of Cambridge

Four generations: Prince George with his father, grandfather, and great-grandmother; photo: Jason Bell/Camera Press

  • Unofficial Royalty: Prince George of Wales
  • Parents: Prince William, The Prince of Wales and Catherine Middleton
  • Born:  July 22, 2013 at the Lindo Wing of St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, London, England
  • Christened: October 23, 2013 in the Chapel Royal at St. James’ Palace in London, England
  • Names: George Alexander Louis
  • Godparents:
    • Oliver Baker (a schoolmate of his parents at The University of St Andrews)
    • Emilia d’Erlanger Jardine-Paterson (a schoolmate of his mother at Marlborough College)
    • Hugh Grosvenor, Earl Grosvenor (friend of his father)
    • Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton (private secretary to his parents)
    • Julia Samuel (a close friend of his late grandmother Diana, Princess of Wales)
    • William van Cutsem (a friend of his father)
    • Zara Phillips TIndall paternal first cousin of his father)

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Princess Charlotte of Wales, born Princess Charlotte of Cambridge

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Princess Charlotte with her mother
  • Unofficial Royalty: Princess Charlotte of Wales
  • Parents: Prince William, The Prince of Wales and Catherine Middleton
  • Born:  May 2, 2015 at the Lindo Wing of St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, London, England
  • Christened: July 5, 2015 at St. Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, Norfolk, England
  • Names: Charlotte Elizabeth Diana
  • Godparents:
    • The Honorable Laura Fellowes (maternal first cousin of her father)
    • Adam Middleton (paternal first cousin of his mother)
    • Thomas van Straubenzee (a close friend)
    • James Meade (a close friend)
    • Sophie Carter (a close friend)

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Prince Louis of Wales, born Prince Louis of Cambridge

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Prince Louis with his parents and siblings
  • Unofficial Royalty: Prince Louis of Wales
  • Parents: Prince William, The Prince of Wales and Catherine Middleton
  • Born:  April 23, 2018 at the Lindo Wing of St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, London, England
  • Christened: July 9, 2018, at The Chapel Royal, St. James’s Palace in London, England
  • Names: Louis Arthur Charles (Louis is pronounced Lou-ee)
  • Godparents
    • Mr. Nicholas van Cutsem (a friend of his father)
    • Mr. Guy Pelly (a friend of his father)
    • Mr. Harry Aubrey-Fletcher (an Eton College friend of his father)
    • Lady Laura Meade (friend of his father formerly Laura Marsham, daughter of Julian Marsham, 8th Earl of Romney; wife of James Meade who is a godfather of Princess Charlotte)
    • Mrs. Robert (Hannah) Carter (a school friend of his mother)
    • Miss Lucy Middleton  (paternal first cousin of his mother)

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Prince Archie of Sussex

  • Unofficial Royalty: Prince Archie of Sussex
  • Parents: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan Markle
  • Born:  May 6, 2019 at the Portland Hospital for Women and Children in London, England
  • Christened: July 6, 2019 at the Private Chapel in Windsor Castle in Windsor, England
  • Names: Archie Harrison
  • Godparents

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Princess Lilibet of Sussex

  • Unofficial Royalty: Princess Lilibet of Sussex
  • Parents: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan Markle
  • Born:  June 4, 2021, at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, California,
  • Christened: March 3, 2023 at the family home in Montecito, California
  • Names: Lilibet Diana
  • Godparents: Tyler Perry (friend of her parents)

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James Mountbatten-Windsor, Earl of Wessex

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2019

James Mountbatten-Windsor, Earl of Wessex; Credit – Wikipedia

James Alexander Philip Theo Mountbatten-Windsor was born on December 17, 2007, at Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey, England. He is the second child of the two children of Prince Edward, The Duke of Edinburgh and Sophie Rhys-Jones, The Duchess of Edinburgh. As the eldest son of an Earl, he used his father’s subsidiary title, Viscount Severn. When James’ father was granted the title The Duke of Edinburgh in March 2023, James then used Earl of Wessex as his courtesy title.  James was admitted to Great Ormond Street Hospital in London on January 24, 2008, for a minor allergic reaction and was released from the hospital in a few days.

James has one elder sister:

photo: Daily Mail/Camera Press

Like his sister before him, James was christened in the Private Chapel at Windsor Castle by the Dean of Windsor on April 19, 2008. He was the first person christened wearing a new replica of the original christening gown worn by royal babies since 1840.

James’ godparents:

  • Denise Poulton (a friend of his mother and trustee of the Wessex Youth Trust)
  • Jeanye Erwin (his mother’s former flat-mate)
  • Alastair Bruce of Crionaich
  • Duncan Bullivant (a school friend of his father)
  • Thomas Hill

The titles and styles of James and his sister Louise are often disputed. Under the terms of King George V’s Letters Patent of 1917, as grandchildren of the sovereign in the male line, they are Prince and Princess of the United Kingdom, with the style of Royal Highness. However, at the time of Edward and Sophie’s marriage, a press release was issued from Buckingham Palace. Along with announcing Prince Edward’s new title as Earl of Wessex, it stated that The Queen, with the agreement of Edward and Sophie, had decided that any children born to them should not be given the style of Royal Highness, but instead be given courtesy titles as children of an Earl. In 2023, when his father was granted the title Duke of Edinburgh, James began to use his father’s secondary title Earl of Wessex.

As they would already be well down the line of succession (Prince Edward was 7th in line at the time of his marriage), it is believed that this was done to alleviate some of the ‘burdens’ associated with having a royal title and to allow them somewhat more of a normal life. However, many argue that the press release does not supersede the terms of the 1917 Letters Patent and that Louise and James are, in fact, Prince and Princess. In June 2020, during an interview with the Sunday Times Magazine, James’ mother stated that she and her husband have raised their children with the intent that will have to work for a living as opposed to being working royals. She continued: “Hence we made the decision not to use HRH titles. They have them and can decide to use them from 18, but I think it’s highly unlikely.”

 

James has joined his parents on the balcony following the Trooping the Colour ceremonies and is often photographed with the family at more informal events, such as the Windsor Horse Show, and while attending church on the Sandringham Estate.

James attended St. George’s School, Windsor Castle in Windsor, England. The school was originally founded to educate the choirboys of the Choir of St. George’s Chapel. Now it also has over 400 boys and girls who attend as day students. He now attends Eagle House School, a coeducational preparatory school in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England.

James with his family on the Buckingham Palace balcony during the Platinum Jubilee celebrations for his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II, 2022

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.