by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2014

Her Majesty Queen Camilla is the second wife of King Charles III of the United Kingdom. Camilla Rosemary Shand was born at King’s College Hospital in London, England on July 17, 1947. She is the oldest of three children of Major Bruce Shand, a former British Army officer and later a wine merchant (1917-2006) and The Honorable Rosalind Cubitt (1921-1994).

Camilla was christened on November 1, 1947, at Firle Church in Lewes, Sussex, England. Her godparents were:

• The Honourable Harry Cubitt (her maternal uncle, later the 4th Baron Ashcombe)
• Major Neil Speke
• Mrs. Lombard Hobson
• Mrs. Heathcoat Amory
• Miss Vivien Mosley

Camilla’s maternal grandparents were Roland Cubitt, 3rd Baron Ashcombe and Sonia Keppel. Sonia Keppel was the daughter of The Honorable George Keppel (son of William Keppel, 7th Earl of Albemarle) and Alice Keppel (née Edmonstone, daughter of Sir William Edmonstone, 4th Baronet). Alice Keppel, Camilla’s great-grandmother, was the mistress of King Edward VII, Prince Charles’ great-great-grandfather, from 1898 until King Edward died in 1910.

Camilla, along with Diana, Princess of Wales and Sarah, Duchess of York, is a descendant of King Charles II of England through one of his illegitimate children, Charles Lennox, 1st Duke of Richmond, son of Charles II and his mistress Louise de Kérouaille, Duchess of Portsmouth. In addition, Camilla is the great-great-great-granddaughter of Sir Allan MacNab, who was Premier of the Province of Canada before Confederation in 1867.

Camilla has two younger siblings:

• Sonia Annabel Shand (born 1949), married Simon Elliot, had three children
• Mark Roland Shand (1951 – 2014), married Clio Goldsmith, had one daughter

The Shand family had two homes, The Laines, a former rectory, their country home in East Sussex and a three-story Victorian house in South Kensington, London. Camilla grew up as an avid reader, loved pets, learned to ride at an early age, and also learned to hunt. When she was five years old, Camilla started to attend Dumbrells School in Ditchling, a village in East Sussex. At the age of 10, Camilla went to Queen’s Gate School, an independent day school for girls in South Kensington, London, England, and stayed there until 1964. She then attended Mon Fertile finishing school in Tolochenaz, Switzerland. Camilla then decided to study French and French literature at the University of London Institute in Paris. In 1965, Camilla was a debutante at a party with 150 guests hosted by her parents to mark her coming out in society.

Camilla moved to her own flat in Belgravia, London, and worked as a secretary in the West End and then at Colefax & Fowler, a decorating in Mayfair, London

In 1971, Camilla and Prince Charles were introduced by Lucia Santa Cruz, their mutual friend, considered to be Charles’ first serious girlfriend. The two became friends and began dating, and eventually, Charles met Camilla’s family and Charles introduced her to some of his family. Their relationship was put on hold when Charles was serving aboard Royal Navy ships, and then it ended abruptly in 1973. Various reasons have been suggested for the breakup, but the exact reason has never been revealed.

Camilla had met Andrew Parker Bowles, a lieutenant in the Blues and Royals in the late 1960s. The two had an on-again, off-again relationship for a few years. When it broke up in 1970, Parker Bowles dated Princess Anne for a while and played on Prince Charles’ polo team. After the break-up with Prince Charles, Camilla and Andrew started dating again and their engagement was announced in 1973. They married on July 4, 1973, at the Guards Chapel at the Wellington Barracks in London. The wedding was the society wedding of the year and Princess Anne, The Queen Mother, and Princess Margaret attended. In 1995, Camilla and her husband decided to divorce, stating their divorce was amicable, and claimed it was due to different interests, which eventually led to separate lives.

Camilla and Andrew had two children:

• Thomas Henry Charles Parker Bowles (born 1974 – Charles is his godfather), married Sara Buys, had one daughter and one son
• Laura Rose Parker Bowles (born 1978), married Harry Lopes, had one daughter and twin sons

In 1981, Prince Charles married Lady Diana Spencer and their marriage was not the fairy tale marriage it was expected to be. Within five years, the couple’s incompatibility and age difference of almost 13 years, as well as Diana’s concern about Charles’s previous girlfriend, Camilla Parker Bowles, became visible and was damaging to their marriage. Diana exposed Charles’s affair with Camilla in a book by Andrew Morton, Diana, Her True Story. Audiotapes showing evidence of her own extramarital affairs also surfaced. In December 1992, British Prime Minister John Major announced the formal separation of the Prince and Princess of Wales in Parliament. Charles and Diana divorced on August 28, 1996. Tragically, Diana died in a car crash in Paris on August 31, 1997.

In 1994, two years after the Prince and Princess of Wales had separated, Charles finally spoke about his relationship with Camilla Parker-Bowles in a televised interview with Jonathan Dimbleby. He told Dimbleby, “Mrs. Parker Bowles is a great friend of mine…a friend for a very long time. She will continue to be a friend for a long time.” The same year Charles admitted in The Prince of Wales: A Biography written by Dimbleby that his relationship with Camilla rekindled after his marriage had irretrievably broken down in 1986.

Following both Charles and Camilla’s divorces, Charles let it be known that his relationship with Camilla was “non-negotiable.” Charles knew that the relationship was causing much negative publicity and he had Mark Bolland, his Deputy Private Secretary, work on the rehabilitation of Camilla’s image which occurred from 1999 until 2005. Camilla was occasionally seen with Charles at unofficial events, then at some public events, and then Camilla accompanied Charles on some public engagements. Camilla met the Queen at the 60th birthday party for former King Constantine II of Greece in 2000 and this meeting was seen as the Queen’s approval of the relationship. Camilla attended events related to the Queen’s Golden Jubilee in 2002. In 2003, she moved into Clarence House which had become Charles’ official residence that same year. By 2004, Camilla accompanied Charles on almost all of his official engagements.

On February 10, 2005, the couple’s engagement was announced and polls conducted in the United Kingdom showed support for the marriage. Charles and Camilla married on April 9, 2005, in a civil ceremony held at the Guildhall in Windsor. Prince William and Tom Parker Bowles, Camilla’s son, served as the witnesses to the civil wedding ceremony. Later that afternoon, a Service of Prayer and Dedication was held at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor, presided over by The Archbishop of Canterbury.

• Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of King Charles III and Camilla Parker Bowles

After her second marriage, Camilla automatically received the female counterparts of her husband’s titles, including Princess of Wales. However, because the title Princess of Wales is so strongly associated with the previous holder of that title, Diana, Princess of Wales, Camilla adopted the feminine form of her husband’s highest-ranking subsidiary title, Duke of Cornwall, so she was styled Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall. When in Scotland, she is known as The Duchess of Rothesay.  Queen Elizabeth II granted the Duchess of Cornwall a Royal Coat of Arms soon after her marriage. In 2012, The Queen appointed the Duchess of Cornwall to the Royal Victorian Order, an honor made by the Sovereign in recognition of personal service. In 2022, The Duchess was made a Royal Lady of the Order of the Garter – the most senior Order within the British Honours, given solely at the gift of the Sovereign.

As The Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla traveled widely with The Prince of Wales and on her own solo engagements, meeting people from all over the world and all walks of life. Unofficial Royalty’s Susan Flantzer met the future Queen while on her first official visit to the United States with the Prince of Wales in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the United States in January 2007.

On February 5, 2022, Queen Elizabeth II released a Platinum Jubilee message to the people of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth. The highlight of the message was her statement that when her son Charles becomes king, “Camilla will be known as Queen Consort as she continues her loyal service.” Upon the death of Queen Elizabeth II on September 8, 2022, Charles succeeded to the throne as King Charles III and Camilla automatically became Queen Consort in accordance with English common law. However, after the coronation of Charles and Camilla, she was known as Queen Camilla.

On October 11, 2022, Buckingham Palace announced that the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla would be held on Saturday, May 6, 2023, at Westminster Abbey. Queen Elizabeth II’s 1953 coronation lasted nearly three hours and had 8,000 guests. King Charles III’s coronation was shorter, more diverse, and had fewer guests.

• Unofficial Royalty: Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla (2023)

Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury crowns Queen Camilla

Camilla works with many charities as Patron or President. The links shown below are the official websites of each organization.

• • National Osteoporosis Society, President; Queen Camilla’s mother and grandmother died as a result of osteoporosis
  • Maggie’s Cancer Caring Centres, President, provides a supportive and caring environment for people with cancer
  • Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, President
  • Arthritis Research UK, Patron
  • Royal National Hospital For Rheumatic Diseases, Patron
  • The Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists, Patron
  • Trinity Hospice and Helen & Douglas House, Patron, looks after children and young adults with life-shortening conditions
  • National Literacy Trust, Patron, promotes literacy in young people
  • BookTrust, Patron, promotes literacy in young people
  • First Story, Patron, promotes literacy in young people
  • Emmaus, Patron, provides homeless people of all ages with a home, work and the chance to rebuild their self-respect
  • Barnardo’s, President, supports children who have been affected by drug misuse, disability, youth crime, mental health, sexual abuse, domestic violence, poverty, and homelessness
  • Royal Voluntary Service, President, supports older people and their families
  • Moorland Mousie Trust, Patron, promotes and conserves the Exmoor Pony
  • Animal Care Trust, Patron, supports the University of Bristol Veterinary School to promote the practice, advancement and teaching of veterinary science
  • Cornwall Community Foundation, Patron
  • Cornwall Air Ambulance Trust, Patron
  • Public Catalogue Foundation’s Cornish Catalogue, Patron
  • ShelterBox, President, provides emergency aid for victims of natural and other disasters anywhere in the world
  • Wilts and Berks Canal Trust, Patron
  • Scotland’s Gardens Scheme, Patron
  • Ditchling Museum, Patron
  • Fan Museum, Patron
  • Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum, Patron
  • London Chamber Orchestra, Patron
  • St Johns Smith Square, Patron
  • New Queen’s Hall Orchestra, Patron
  • Theatre Royal Bath, Patron

House of Windsor Resources at Unofficial Royalty

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

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

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Charles Philip Arthur George was born at Buckingham Palace in London, England on November 14, 1948. He was the first child of the four children of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (born a Prince of Greece and Denmark).

• Unofficial Royalty: Ancestors of King Charles III of the United Kingdom
• Unofficial Royalty: First Cousins of King Charles III of the United Kingdom

The children of a daughter of a British sovereign, in this case, the then Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh, would not have been accorded the style Royal Highness or the titles Prince/Princess as in the case of the children of Anne, Princess Royal. However, on October 22, 1948, Charles’ grandfather King George VI issued letters patent allowing the children of his eldest daughter and heiress presumptive, to use the style and title of a royal prince or princess. Therefore, Charles was His Royal Highness Prince Charles of Edinburgh at birth.

Charles was christened on December 15, 1948, in the Music Room at Buckingham Palace in London, England using water from the Jordan River. His grandparents were:

• King George VI of the United Kingdom  (his maternal grandfather)
• King Haakon VII of Norway (a distant cousin via both his parents’ descent from King Christian IX of Denmark, born Prince Carl of Denmark, represented by Alexander Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone)
• Queen Mary  (his mother’s grandmother)
• Princess Margaret  (his maternal aunt)
• Prince George of Greece and Denmark (his father’s paternal uncle, represented by Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh)
• Dowager Marchioness of Milford Haven (his father’s maternal grandmother born Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria)
• Lady Brabourne (his father’s first cousin, born Patricia Mountbatten later 2nd Countess Mountbatten of Burma)
• The Honorable David Bowes-Lyon  (his mother’s maternal uncle)

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

The infant Charles and his parents lived at Buckingham Palace until he was eight months old. The family then moved to Clarence House, a short distance from the palace. Two nannies, Helen Lightbody and Mabel Anderson, were in charge of the nursery.

Charles has one sister and two brothers:

• • Princess Anne, The Princess Royal (born 1950), married (1) Mark Philipps, had one son and one daughter, divorced  (2) Timothy Laurence, no children
  • Prince Andrew, The Duke of York (born 1960), married Sarah Ferguson, had two daughters, divorced
  • Prince Edward, The Duke of Edinburgh (born 1964), married Sophie Rhys-Jones, had one daughter and one son

When King George VI died on February 6, 1952, his elder daughter Princess Elizabeth succeeded him as Queen Elizabeth II and three-year-old Charles became heir to the throne. Upon his mother’s accession to the throne, Charles automatically became Duke of Cornwall and also the Scottish titles Duke of Rothesay, Earl of Carrick, Baron of Renfrew, Lord of the Isles and Prince and Great Steward of Scotland. The title Prince of Wales is not automatic and must be conferred by the sovereign.

Charles attended his mother’s coronation in Westminster Abbey on June 2, 1953, and he sat between his grandmother The Queen Mother and his aunt Princess Margaret. Along with his sister Anne, Charles later joined his parents and other members of the royal family on the Buckingham Palace balcony.

Charles started his early education with a governess, Catherine Peebles. In 1955, Buckingham Palace announced that Charles would go to school, and not be educated by private tutors as had been the case with heirs to the throne in the past. On November 7, 1956, a week before his eighth birthday, Miss Peebles accompanied Charles to Hill House School, a preparatory day school in Knightsbridge, London. Charles then attended two schools his father had also attended: Cheam School in Berkshire, England, and Gordonstoun School in Moray, Scotland.

In October 1967, Charles was admitted to Trinity College, Cambridge University, where he studied anthropology, archaeology, and history. During his second year, Charles attended the University College of Wales in Aberystwyth, Wales where he studied Welsh history and language for a term. He graduated from Cambridge with a 2:2 Bachelor of Arts in 1970, and was the first heir apparent to earn a university degree.

Charles had been created Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester in 1958. His formal investiture as Prince of Wales was held on July 1, 1969, at Caernarfon Castle in Wales where Charles gave his replies and speech in both Welsh and English.

Prince Charles served in both the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. During his university years, he started training in the air force, and after university, he enrolled at the Royal Air Force College Cranwell to train as a jet pilot. Charles then enrolled at the Royal Naval College Dartmouth and served on the guided-missile destroyer HMS Norfolk (1971–1972) and the frigates HMS Minerva (1972–1973) and HMS Jupiter (1974). He qualified as a helicopter pilot at Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton in 1974 and joined the 845 Naval Air Squadron aboard the HMS Hermes. On February 9, 1976, Charles took command of the HMS Bronington, a coastal minehunter, for his last ten months of active service in the Royal Navy.

Charles reached the age of 30 without getting married and was considered the world’s most eligible bachelor. Among the women Charles had been linked to include Georgiana Russell, daughter of the British Ambassador to Spain; Lady Jane Wellesley, daughter of the 8th Duke of Wellington; Davina Sheffield; Lady Sarah Spencer; and Camilla Shand, who later became his second wife.  Charles’ great-uncle Lord Mountbatten, encouraged a marriage with his granddaughter Amanda Knatchbull.  Supposedly, Charles did propose to Amanda Knatchbull sometime after the IRA bombing deaths of her maternal grandfather Lord Mountbatten, her paternal grandmother, and youngest brother Nicholas, but after the deaths of her family members, Amanda was reluctant to join the royal family.

Charles first met Lady Diana Spencer in 1977 while visiting her home, Althorp, while dating her elder sister Sarah. During the summer of 1980, Charles first became seriously interested in Diana as a potential bride when they were guests at a country weekend. The relationship continued to develop as Charles invited Diana for a sailing weekend aboard the royal yacht Britannia. Then an invitation to Balmoral followed for Diana to meet Charles’ family during a weekend in November of 1980. Diana was well received by Queen Elizabeth II, the Duke of Edinburgh, and the Queen Mother. The couple continued to see each other in London. Charles proposed on February 6, 1981, and Lady Diana accepted, but their engagement was kept secret for the next few weeks until it was officially announced on February 24, 1981. The wedding was held at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London on July 29, 1981. 3,500 invited guests attended the ceremony at St. Paul’s, 600,000 people lined the streets of London, and 750 million people watched on television.

• Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of King Charles III and Lady Diana Spencer

Charles and Diana had two sons:

• Prince William, The Prince of Wales (born 1982), married Catherine Middleton, had two sons and one daughter
  • Prince George of Wales (born 2013)
  • Princess Charlotte of Wales (born 2015)
  • Prince Louis of Wales (born 2018)
• Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex (born 1984), married Meghan Markle, had one son and one daughter
  • Prince Archie of Sussex (born 2019)
  • Princess Lilibet of Sussex (born 2021)

Unfortunately, Charles and Diana’s marriage was not the fairy tale marriage it was expected to be. Within five years, the couple’s incompatibility and age difference of almost 13 years, as well as Diana’s concern about Charles’s previous girlfriend, Camilla Parker Bowles, became visible and was damaging to their marriage. Diana exposed Charles’s affair with Camilla in a book by Andrew Morton, Diana, Her True Story. Audiotapes showing evidence of her own extramarital affairs also surfaced. In December of 1992, British Prime Minister John Major announced the formal separation of the Prince and Princess of Wales in Parliament. Charles and Diana divorced on August 28, 1996. Tragically, Diana died in a car crash in Paris on August 31, 1997. Charles flew to Paris with Diana’s sisters to accompany her body back to London.

In 1994, two years after the Prince and Princess of Wales had separated, Charles finally spoke about his relationship with Camilla Parker-Bowles in a televised interview with Jonathan Dimbleby. He told Dimbleby, “Mrs. Parker Bowles is a great friend of mine…a friend for a very long time. She will continue to be a friend for a long time.” The same year Charles admitted in The Prince of Wales: A Biography written by Dimbleby that his relationship with Camilla rekindled after his marriage had irretrievably broken down in 1986. In 1995, Andrew Parker-Bowles and Camilla, who had been living apart for quite a while, announced their divorce.

Following both Charles and Camilla’s divorces, Charles let it be known that his relationship with Camilla was “non-negotiable.” Charles knew that the relationship was causing much negative publicity and he had Mark Bolland, his Deputy Private Secretary, work on the rehabilitation of Camilla’s image which occurred from 1999 until 2005. Camilla was occasionally seen with Charles at unofficial events, then at some public events, and then Camilla accompanied Charles on some public engagements. Camilla socialized with Queen Elizabeth II at the 60th birthday party for former King Constantine II of Greece in 2000 and this meeting was seen as the Queen’s approval of the relationship. Camilla attended events related to Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee in 2002. In 2003, she moved into Clarence House which had become Charles’ official residence that same year. By 2004, Camilla was accompanying Charles on almost all of his official engagements.

On February 10, 2005, the couple’s engagement was announced and polls conducted in the United Kingdom showed support for the marriage. Charles and Camilla married on April 9, 2005, in a civil ceremony held at the Guildhall in Windsor. Prince William and Tom Parker Bowles, Camilla’s son, served as the witnesses to the civil wedding ceremony. Later that afternoon, a Service of Prayer and Dedication was held at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor, presided over by The Archbishop of Canterbury.

• Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of King Charles III and Camilla Parker Bowles

While Prince of Wales, Charles had no constitutional role. With the support of his wife Camilla, he strived to make a positive difference in his country and internationally. To do this, he undertook royal duties in support of his mother Queen Elizabeth II, worked as a charitable entrepreneur, and promoted and protected national traditions, virtues, and excellence.

As Prince of Wales, Charles was the Patron or President of over 400 charitable organizations. Two organizations supported a number of areas:

• The Prince’s Trust: provided training programs, mentoring support and financial grants to build the confidence and motivation of disadvantaged young people
• The Prince of Wales’s Charitable Foundation: uses the profits from the sale of Duchy Originals from Waitrose and Highgrove Enterprises to support the environment, responsible business and enterprise, young people and education, and global sustainability

King Charles III and Queen Camilla at the Presentation Of Addresses by both Houses of Parliament in Westminster Hall, London on September 12, 2022

Upon the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II on September 8, 2022, Charles succeeded to the throne as King Charles III of the United Kingdom. King Charles III is the first British monarch to be descended from two children of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. All monarchs after Queen Victoria have been descendants of her eldest son and heir King Edward VII of the United Kingdom. Through his father, Charles is also a descendant of Princess Alice of the United Kingdom, the second daughter and third child of Queen Victoria. Prince Philip’s royal pedigree also brings a good deal more royal heritage into the British royal family because both of Prince Philip’s parents were royal while only one parent of Queen Elizabeth II was royal.

The coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla was held on Saturday, May 6, 2023, at Westminster Abbey. Queen Elizabeth II’s 1953 coronation lasted nearly three hours and had 8,000 guests. King Charles III’s coronation was shorter, more diverse, and had fewer guests.

• Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla (2023)

On February 5, 2024, Buckingham Palace announced that King Charles had been diagnosed with “a form of cancer.” The statement from Buckingham Palace said:

During The King’s recent hospital procedure for benign prostate enlargement, a separate issue of concern was noted. Subsequent diagnostic tests have identified a form of cancer. His Majesty has today commenced a schedule of regular treatments, during which time he has been advised by doctors to postpone public-facing duties. Throughout this period, His Majesty will continue to undertake State business and official paperwork as usual. The King is grateful to his medical team for their swift intervention, which was made possible thanks to his recent hospital procedure. He remains wholly positive about his treatment and looks forward to returning to full public duty as soon as possible.

King Charles made his first major public appearance since his cancer diagnosis at the Easter service held at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, on March 31, 2024. In April 2024, it was announced that he would resume public duties after making progress in his cancer treatment.

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

House of Windsor Resources at Unofficial Royalty

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

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark was born at Mon Repos, formerly the summer residence of the Greek Royal Family, on the Greek island of Corfu on June 10, 1921. His parents were Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark and Princess Alice of Battenberg.

Prince Phillip was christened on an unknown date at St. George’s Church in the Old Fortress in Corfu, Greece according to the rites of the Greek Orthodox Church. His godparents were:

• • 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)

Prince Philip has some interesting genealogy and several connections to other royal families. His paternal grandparents were King George I of Greece and Grand Duchess Olga Konstantinovna of Russia. King George was born Prince William of Denmark and was the son of King Christian IX of Denmark and the brother of King Frederik VIII of Denmark, Queen Alexandra of the United Kingdom and Empress Maria Feodorovna of Russia. Philip’s paternal grandmother Grand Duchess Olga Konstantinovna of Russia was the daughter of Grand Duke Konstantine Nikolaevich, the second son of Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia.

Philip’s paternal aunts and uncles were:

• King Constantine I of Greece who married Princess Sophia of Prussia, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria
• Prince George of Greece who once saved the life of his first cousin, the future Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia
• Princess Alexandra of Greece who married Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich of Russia; their son, Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich of Russia, was one of the assassins of Grigori Rasputin
• Prince Nicholas of Greece who married Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna of Russia; their daughter, Princess Marina, married Prince George, Duke of Kent, son of King George V
• Princess Marie of Greece who married Grand Duke George Mikhailovich of Russia
• Prince Christopher of Greece who married (1) Nancy Stewart Worthington Leeds (2) Princess Françoise of Orléans

Philip’s maternal grandparents were Prince Louis of Battenberg and Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine. Through his maternal grandmother Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine, Philip is a great-great-grandson of Queen Victoria. Princess Victoria’s mother was Princess Alice of the United Kingdom, the third child of Queen Victoria. Philip’s maternal grandfather, Prince Louis of Battenberg, had a 40-year career in the British Navy and was First Sea Lord.  During World War I, at the request of his wife’s first cousin King George V of the United Kingdom, Prince Louis relinquished his German styles and titles and changed his name to Mountbatten. King George V created him Marquess of Milford Haven.

Philip’s maternal aunts and uncles were:

• Queen Louise of Sweden who was the second wife of King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden
• George Mountbatten, 2nd Marquess of Milford Haven
• Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma who was Supreme Allied Commander South East Asia Command during World War II, the last Viceroy of India, the first Governor-General of India, and First Sea Lord; he was killed by an IRA bomb in 1979.

Philip has some interesting first cousins and his royal pedigree is more royal than the royal pedigree of his wife Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom.

• • Unofficial Royalty: Ancestors of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
  • Unofficial Royalty: First Cousins – Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

Philip’s sisters: Princess Theodora, Princess Cecilia, Princess Margarita, and Princess Sophia

Philip had four sisters, all quite a bit older than him:

• Princess Margarita of Greece and Denmark (1905 – 1981) married Prince Gottfried of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (1897 – 1960), five children
• Princess Theodora of Greece and Denmark (1906 – 1969), married Prince Berthold, Margrave of Baden (1906 – 1963), three children
• Princess Cecilie of Greece and Denmark (1911 – 1937), married Georg Donatus, Hereditary Grand Duke of Hesse (1906 – 1937), three children; Cecilie, her husband, their two sons, and her husband’s mother all died in a plane crash. See the Unofficial Royalty article about this here.
• Princess Sophie of Greece and Denmark (1914 – 2001), married (1) Prince Christoph of Hesse (1901 – 1943), five children (2) Prince Georg Wilhelm of Hanover (1915 – 2006), three children

In 1922, when Philip was a little more than a year old, his uncle King Constantine I was forced to abdicate and his father Prince Andrew was arrested by the military government and court-martialed. Prince Andrew was found guilty and faced possible death. Through the efforts of King George V of the United Kingdom, arrangements were made for Andrew to be spared and with his family to go into exile in Paris. The family settled in the Paris suburb of Saint-Cloud in a house lent to them by Andrew’s French-born sister-in-law Princess Marie Bonaparte.

Prince Philip as a toddler, July 1922

Prince Philip first attended the MacJannet School for Young Americans in Saint-Cloud, France. In 1928, he was sent to England where he lived with his maternal grandmother at Kensington Palace and his maternal uncle George Mountbatten, 2nd Marquess of Milford Haven at Lynden Manor in Bray, Berkshire, England.  He started to attend the Cheam School in Ashford Hill, Hampshire, England in 1930. Over the next three years, all four of Philip’s sisters married German royals, his mother was placed in a sanatorium after being diagnosed with schizophrenia, and his father moved to a small apartment in Monte Carlo. Philip spent most of his childhood in the care of other family members and did not see his mother again until the funeral of his sister Cecilie in 1937. In 1938, Philip’s uncle and primary guardian, the Marquess of Milford Haven, died at age 45 of bone marrow cancer.

In 1933, Philip was sent to the Schule Schloss Salem in Germany where money could be saved on his tuition because the family of his brother-in-law, Berthold, Margrave of Baden, owned the school. With the rise of Nazism in Germany, Schule Schloss Salem’s Jewish founder, Kurt Hahn, left Germany and founded Gordonstoun School in Moray, Scotland. After two terms at Schule Schloss Salem, Philip moved to Gordonstoun School where he became Head Boy and captain of the hockey and cricket teams.

After finishing Gordonstoun School, Philip joined the British Royal Navy in 1939. He completed his training at the Royal Naval College Dartmouth, where he was the best cadet in his class. Philip was on active duty during World War II and remained in the Royal Navy until 1952.

Princess Elizabeth (third from left), with King George VI, Lord Louis Mountbatten (standing, third from right) and Queen Elizabeth during a visit to the chapel at the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, July 23, 1939. Also present is naval cadet Prince Philip of Greece, standing, second from right)

In 1939, during Philip’s first year at the Royal Naval College Dartmouth,  the British Royal Family: King George VI, his wife Queen Elizabeth, and their daughters Princess Elizabeth, and Princess Margaret, made a visit. Because of his family relationship (Elizabeth and Philip are second cousins once removed through their descent from King Christian IX of Denmark and third cousins through their descent from Queen Victoria), Philip was asked to join the party to entertain the two young princesses. Elizabeth and Philip had already met in 1934 when she was a bridesmaid at the wedding of her uncle, The Duke of Kent, to Philip’s first cousin, Princess Marina of Greece. However, it was at Dartmouth that the 13-year-old Elizabeth truly took notice of her nearly 18-year-old cousin. It is said that Elizabeth was instantly smitten with the dashing Philip and the two began a correspondence that quickly blossomed into a romance.

Eventually, in the summer of 1946, Philip asked King George VI for Elizabeth’s hand in marriage. The King consented, with the condition that the announcement would be held off until after Elizabeth’s 21st birthday the following year. In March 1947, Philip relinquished his Greek and Danish royal titles, adopted the surname Mountbatten from his mother’s family, and became a naturalized British subject. The engagement of Princess Elizabeth and Lt. Philip Mountbatten was announced on July 10, 1947. The day before the wedding, King George VI bestowed the style His Royal Highness on Philip, and on the morning of the wedding, he was made the Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth, and Baron Greenwich.

Philip and Elizabeth were married at Westminster Abbey in London, England on November 20, 1947.

• Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of Elizabeth and Philip Mountbatten

 

Following their honeymoon, spent at Broadlands (the Mountbatten estate in Hampshire) and Birkhall on the Balmoral Estate, the couple took up residence at Windlesham Moor, a country home in Surrey that was leased for them. They remained at Windlesham Moor until July 1949 when they moved into Clarence House in London.

The couple had four children:

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

On February 6, 1952, while on a visit to Kenya, Philip broke the news to Elizabeth that her father King George VI had died and they immediately returned to London. Queen Elizabeth’s coronation took place on June 2, 1953.

• Unofficial Royalty: Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey

With Elizabeth’s accession, it seemed probable that the royal house would become the House of Mountbatten, following the custom of a wife taking her husband’s surname upon marriage. However, both Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Elizabeth’s grandmother, Queen Mary, were in favor of keeping the House of Windsor. On April 9, 1952, Queen Elizabeth issued a declaration that Windsor would continue to be the name of the royal house. Prince Philip supposedly told some friends, “I am the only man in the country not allowed to give his name to his own children.” In 1960, Queen Elizabeth modified the 1952 declaration by declaring that “while I and my children will continue to be styled and known as the House and Family of Windsor, my descendants, other than descendants enjoying the style, title or attributes of Royal Highness and the titular dignity of Prince or Princess, and female descendants who marry and their descendants, shall bear the name Mountbatten-Windsor.”

Then there was a situation with Philip’s titles. On the day before his marriage to Elizabeth, Lt. Philip Mountbatten, who had previously relinquished Greek and Danish styles and titles, was created His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh. Apparently, King George VI was under the impression that since he had given Philip the style of His Royal Highness, it meant he was also giving him the title of prince, which was not so. It wasn’t until February 22, 1957, that Queen Elizabeth corrected this situation and issued a Letters Patent that made her husband a Prince of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Prince Philip was the patron of over 800 organizations in the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth with special interests in scientific and technological research and development, the encouragement of sport, the welfare of young people, and conservation and the environment. His first patronages date back to the late 1940s soon after his marriage to Queen Elizabeth.

On May 4, 2017, Buckingham Palace announced Prince Philip decided that he would no longer carry out public engagements. In making this decision, he had the full support of Queen Elizabeth.  From 1952 until 2017, Prince Philip made over 620 solo visits to 143 countries. He also accompanied Queen Elizabeth on all her Commonwealth tours and State visits, as well as on most of her public engagements in the United Kingdom.

On February 16, 2021, Prince Philip was admitted to King Edward VII Hospital in London as a precautionary measure after feeling unwell. It was later confirmed that he was being treated for an infection. Prince Philip was transferred by ambulance to St. Bartholomew’s Hospital in London on March 1, 2021, to continue treatment for the infection and for testing and observation related to a pre-existing heart condition. After a successful procedure for his heart condition, Prince Philip was transferred back to King Edward VII Hospital on March 5, 2021, and was discharged on March 16, 2021, when he was taken to Windsor Castle.

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh died at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England on April 9, 2021, at the age of 99, just two months short of his 100th birthday.  Buckingham Palace released the following announcement:

It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen announces the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle. Further announcements will made in due course. The Royal Family join with people around the world in mourning his loss.

• Unofficial Royalty: HRH The Duke of Edinburgh has died
• Unofficial Royalty: The Laird o’ Thistle – Special Edition – The Passing of Prince Philip

 

The funeral took place on April 17, 2021, at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle in Windsor England. It was a ceremonial royal funeral, the same as for Diana, Princess of Wales in 1997 and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother in 2002, rather than a state funeral usually reserved for monarchs. The funeral plans reflected Prince Philip’s wishes for a smaller, no-fuss funeral. The arrangements were planned over the years, with Prince Philip’s involvement and Queen Elizabeth II signed off on the funeral plans. Last-minute changes were necessary to ensure compliance with COVID-19 restrictions. After The Duke of Edinburgh’s death, his coffin, covered with his personal standard and a wreath of flowers rested in the Private Chapel at Windsor Castle.

• Unofficial Royalty: Funeral of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

On March 29, 2022, a Service of Thanksgiving for His Royal Highness Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh was held at Westminster Abbey in London, England. The Thanksgiving Service was organized because due to COVID-19 restrictions, there could be only 30 guests at the funeral.

• Unofficial Royalty: Service of Thanksgiving for Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

On the day of his funeral, Prince Philip’s coffin was placed in the Royal Vault at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.  On September 19, 2022, when his wife Queen Elizabeth II was buried, the coffin of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh was moved from the Royal Vault at St. George’s Chapel to the King George VI Memorial Chapel, located in St. George’s Chapel, where Elizabeth II’s parents King George VI and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, and the ashes of Princess Margaret, his wife’s sister had been interred. There Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth II were interred together.

Some interesting facts about Prince Philip:

• Philip is the longest-lived male member of the British royal family.
• Philip is the longest-serving, oldest-ever spouse of a reigning British monarch having surpassed Queen Charlotte, wife of King George III.
• Philip and his wife are third cousins through Queen Victoria and second cousins once removed through King Christian IX of Denmark.
• Philip was the oldest living great-great-grandchild of Queen Victoria as well as her oldest living descendant. Other great-great-grandchildren of Queen Victoria, and therefore third cousins, include Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, King Juan Carlos I of Spain and his wife Sofia, born a Princess of Greece and Denmark; King Harald V of Norway, King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, former King Constantine II of Greece and his wife Anne-Marie, born a Princess of Denmark, former King Michael I of Romania, and Queen Elizabeth II’s paternal first cousins: Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester; Prince Edward, Duke of Kent; Princess Alexandra of Kent and Prince Michael of Kent.
• In July 1993, through mitochondrial DNA that is transmitted from mother to child, a sample of Prince Philip’s blood was used to confirm the identity of the remains of several members of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna of Russia’s family. Empress Alexandra Feodorovna was a daughter of Princess Alice of the United Kingdom, Queen Victoria’s second daughter, as was Philip’s maternal grandmother Victoria. The female line continued through Philip’s mother Alice of Battenberg.
• The inhabitants of some villages on the island of Tanna in Vanuatu worshipped Prince Philip as a god. The villagers had portraits of the prince and held feasts on his birthday.
• Philip was famous for making remarks that were often interpreted as offensive or stereotypical. Read some of his quotes here.

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

House of Windsor Resources at Unofficial Royalty

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

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Eleanor of Provence was born circa 1223 in Aix-en-Provence, the capital of the County of Provence, now in France. Her parents were Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Provence and Beatrice of Savoy. The couple had two stillborn sons, but their four beautiful daughters made excellent marriages and were all queens via these marriages.

• Margaret of Provence (1221–1295), wife of King (Saint) Louis IX of France
• Eleanor of Provence (1223–1291), wife of King Henry III of England
• Sanchia of Provence (1228–1261), wife of Richard, Earl of Cornwall, King of the Romans, son of King John of England and brother of King Henry III of England
• Beatrice of Provence (1231–1267), wife of King Charles I of Sicily

King Henry III of England was in marriage talks for the hand of Joan, Countess of Ponthieu when his brother Richard, Earl of Cornwall told him of the beauty of the Provence sisters. Henry immediately canceled his talks for Joan and made an offer to marry Eleanor of Provence. Eleanor traveled from Provence in the south of France to the court of King Louis IX of France to visit her sister Margaret, and then continued her journey to England, landing in Dover. On January 14, 1236, 28-year-old King Henry III and Eleanor, who was about 12 years old, were married at Canterbury Cathedral by Edmund Rich, Archbishop of Canterbury.  Eleanor was crowned Queen of England at Westminster Abbey on January 20, 1236.

Despite the couple’s age difference, their marriage was a happy one. Henry had the Palace of Westminster refurbished for his bride, gave her a number of gifts, and paid personal attention to establishing and equipping Eleanor’s household. King Henry III was greatly devoted to Edward the Confessor and had adopted him as his patron saint. Eleanor became equally devoted to the saint and their first child was named for Edward the Confessor.

Henry and Eleanor had five children:

• King Edward I of England (1239–1307), married (1) Eleanor of Castile, had issue (2) Margaret of France, had issue
• Margaret, Queen of Scots (1240–1275), married King Alexander III of Scotland, had issue
• Beatrice, Countess of Richmond (1242–1275), married John II, Duke of Brittany, had issue
• Edmund Crouchback, 1st Earl of Lancaster (1245–1296), married (1) Aveline de Forz, no issue (2) Blanche of Artois, had issue
• Katherine of England (1253 – 1257), died at age 3

As a young queen, Eleanor was admired by the English. However, this admiration eventually turned to annoyance and then rebellion when it was realized how many uncles and cousins from her mother’s side of the family Eleanor had brought with her. Her uncle William of Savoy became a close advisor of her husband, displacing and displeasing English barons. Taxes were increased due to Eleanor’s extravagance and her financial support and gifts to her friends and family. Eventually, King Henry III’s demands for extra finances and dissatisfaction with Henry’s methods of government caused the Second Baron’s War (1264-1267), a civil war between the forces of the barons led by Simon de Montfort, against the royalist forces led by Prince Edward (later King Edward I of England), in the name of King Henry III. After a three-year war, the royalist forces were victorious. Simon de Monfort, who was married to Eleanor, King Henry III’s sister, was defeated and brutally killed at the Battle of Evesham.

King Henry III died in 1272 at the age of 65, after a 56-year reign, making him the fourth longest-reigning British monarch after Queen Elizabeth II, Queen Victoria, and King George III. Eleanor survived her husband for 19 years and helped raise several of her grandchildren. In 1280, Eleanor retired to Amesbury Priory, a Benedictine monastery at Amesbury, Wiltshire, England where she died on June 24/25, 1291. It appears that Eleanor requested that she be buried with her husband at Westminster Abbey, but was buried at the Amesbury Priory where she had died. Eleanor’s remains were lost when the Abbey was destroyed in 1539 during the Dissolution of the Monasteries.  Her heart was buried at London’s Greyfriars Monastery which was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666.

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

England: House of Plantagenet Resources at Unofficial Royalty

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

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

 

Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Gloucester is the wife of Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester. Birgitte Eva Henrisksen was born in Thomas Kingos Parish in Odense, Denmark on June 20, 1946.  She is the daughter of Asger Preben Knud Wissing Henriksen, a lawyer, and Vivian van Deurs. When her parents divorced, Birgitte started using her mother’s maiden name, van Deurs, as her surname.

Birgitte received her early education in her hometown of Odense, Denmark and her secondary education at Brillantmont International School in Lausanne, Switzerland. She also attended the Margrethe School in Copenhagen, Denmark also known as the Scandinavian Academy of International Fashion and Design. The school’s name refers to its first patron, Princess Margrethe of Denmark who married Prince René of Bourbon-Parma. Princess Benedikte, sister of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and Princess Elisabeth of Denmark, cousin of Queen Margrethe II also attended Margrethe School. Princess Benedikte became the patron of the school.

It was while attending the Bell School of Languages in Cambridge, England that Birgitte met her husband, Prince Richard of Gloucester. Prince Richard was studying architecture at Magdalene College, Cambridge University. As the second son of Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester (third son of King George V of the United Kingdom), Prince Richard expected to have to earn his own way and planned a career as an architect as his elder brother Prince William would become Duke of Gloucester upon their father’s death. Prince Richard received his Bachelor of Arts in June 1966 and subsequently received his Master of Arts in 1971. Upon completion of his training, Prince Richard went into practice as a partner in a London architectural firm. In 1971, Birgitte was also working in London as a secretary at the Danish Embassy.

Birgitte and Prince Richard became engaged in February 1972 and were married on July 8, 1972, at St. Andrew’s Church in Barnwell, Northamptonshire, England nearby the Gloucester family home Barnwell Manor.  Birgitte was then styled Her Royal Highness Princess Richard of Gloucester. Prince Richard’s father was unable to attend the wedding. Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester had suffered his first stroke in 1965 and subsequent strokes required him to use a wheelchair and rendered him unable to speak for his remaining years.

Shortly after the wedding, on August 28, 1972, Prince Richard’s elder brother Prince William crashed his plane in a flying competition and died. (See Unofficial Royalty: Tragedy in the British Royal Family at the end of August, scroll down) This terrible tragedy left Prince Richard first in line to his father’s dukedom and increased his family obligations and royal duties. Therefore, he resigned his partnership in the architectural firm and began to represent his cousin, Queen Elizabeth II, at royal engagements.

On June 10, 1974, Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester died and Prince Richard succeeded his father as Duke of Gloucester. Birgitte was then styled Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Gloucester. The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester’s official residence is at Kensington Palace in London. In 2019, they moved from the large Apartment 1 to the Old Stables, a smaller residence that is also located within the Kensington Palace grounds. They have leased out their private home Barnwell Manor in Northamptonshire, England since 1994.

Embed from Getty Images
Princess Alice with her son the Duke of Gloucester, daughter-in-law the Duchess of Gloucester and her grandchildren, Lady Davina Windsor, Lady Rose Windsor, and Alexander the Earl of Ulster celebrating her 100th birthday in 2001

The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester have three children:

• Alexander Patrick Gregers Richard Windsor, Earl of Ulster (born 1974) married Claire Booth. The couple had two children:
  • Xan Richard Anders Windsor, Lord Culloden (born 2007)
  • Lady Cosima Rose Alexandra Windsor (born 2010)
• The Lady Davina Elizabeth Alice Benedikte Lewis (born 1977), married Gary Lewis, divorced in 2018.  The couple had two children:
  • Senna Kowhai Lewis (born 2010)
  • Tāne Mahuta Lewis (born 2012)
• The Lady Rose Victoria Birgitte Louise Gilman (born 1980), married George Gilman. The couple had two children:
  • Lyla Beatrix Christabel Gilman (born 2010)
  • Rufus Gilman (born 2012)

Embed from Getty Images
The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester attending the wedding of Lady Gabriella Windsor at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle in 2019

The Duchess of Gloucester carried out many public engagements on behalf of her patronages and organizations and in support of her husband’s first cousin Queen Elizabeth II. She also supported The Queen at official engagements such as state banquets, religious services, garden parties, and receptions. The Duchess of Gloucester also made official overseas visits as a representative of The Queen with and without her husband. She continues to carry out engagements and represents her husband’s first cousin once removed King Charles III.

In 2024, The Duchess of Gloucester was made a Lady Companion of the Order of the Garter by King Charles III.  This appointment is very significant, as Royal spouses (other than the spouse of the Sovereign or the Heir) are not traditionally invested in the Order of the Garter.  This is in recognition of her many years of support to both Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles III.

The Duchess’ patronages include:

• Bliss, the special care baby charity
• St Paul’s Cathedral School
• St John’s School, Leatherhead
• Bridewell Royal Hospital (King Edward’s School, Witley)
• Royal Academy of Music

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

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Joan of Navarre was born around 1370 in Pamplona in the Kingdom of Navarre, now in present-day Spain. Originally named Jeanne after her mother and her paternal grandmother Jeanne II, Queen of Navarre, her name was anglicized as Joan or Joanna after she became Queen of England. Joan’s father was Charles II, King of Navarre who lived up to the nickname Charles the Bad. Joan’s mother was Jeanne of Valois, daughter of Jean II, King of France, called Jean the Good. Joan’s mother died when Joan was about three years old.

Joan had six siblings:

• Marie (1360 – after 1400), married Alfonso d’Aragona, Duke of Gandia, no issue
• Charles III, King of Navarre (1361–1425), married Eleanor of Castile, had issue
• Bonne (1364 – after 1389)
• Peter, Count of Mortain (circa 1366 – 1412), married Catherine of Alençon, no issue
• Philip (born and died 1368)
• Blanche (1372–1385)

When Joan was around 16 years old, she became the third wife of Jean IV, Duke of Brittany who was around thirty years older. Jean previously had married two English brides, Mary of Waltham, the daughter of King Edward III of England, and Joan Holland, the daughter of Thomas Holland, 1st Earl of Kent. Both marriages were childless.

Joan and Jean had nine children:

• Jeanne of Brittany (1387 – 1388)
• Daughter (1388)
• Jean V, Duke of Brittany (1389–1442) married Joan of France; had issue
• Marie of Brittany (1391 – 1446) married John I of Alençon; had issue
• Marguerite of Brittany (1392 – 1428) married Alain IX, Viscount of Rohan and Count of Porhoët
• Arthur III, Duke of Brittany (1393 – 1458) married 1) Margaret of Burgundy; 2) Joan of Albret; 3) Catherine of Luxembourg-Saint-Pol; no legitimate issue from his three marriages
• Gilles of Brittany (1394 – 1412)
• Richard of Brittany (1395 – 1438) married Margaret d’Orléans, Countess of Vertus; had issue
• Blanche of Brittany (1397 – aft. 1419), married John IV, Count of Armagnac; had issue

Jean IV, Duke of Brittany died in 1399 and Joan became regent for her eldest son Jean V, Duke of Brittany for two years until he came of age at the age of 12. Henry Bolingbroke, the future King Henry IV of England, visited the court of Brittany in 1399. He had been banished from England by his cousin King Richard II of England who Henry overthrew later that same year. Henry made a good impression on Joan and she was determined to marry him if the opportunity should arise. In 1402, after Joan’s son came of age, she sent an emissary to England to arrange a marriage with Henry. Henry’s first wife Mary de Bohun died in childbirth in 1394 giving birth to her seventh child. Henry was agreeable to the marriage and a proxy marriage was held on April 3, 1402, with Joan’s emissary standing in for the bride.

Joan left France for England in January of 1403 with her two youngest daughters and had an uncomfortable, stormy crossing. Her ship, due to land at Southampton, was blown off course by the terrible weather and finally landed in Falmouth in Cornwall. She traveled to Winchester where Henry met her and they were married at Winchester Cathedral on February 7, 1403. They traveled to London where Joan’s coronation was held at Westminster Abbey on February 26, 1403.

At the time of their marriage, Henry was about 37 and Joan was about 35, but they had no children together. Joan got along well with her stepchildren especially Henry of Monmouth, Prince of Wales, the future King Henry V of England. In his last years, King Henry IV suffered from a disfiguring disease (possibly leprosy, syphilis, or psoriasis) and had severe attacks (possibly from epilepsy or cardiovascular disease).  While in prayer at the shrine of Edward the Confessor at Westminster Abbey, Henry suffered a fatal attack, possibly a stroke.  He was carried to the Jerusalem Chamber, a room in the house of the Abbey’s abbot, where he died at age 45.  Henry was not buried at Westminster Abbey but instead requested that he be buried at Canterbury Cathedral, presumably because of an affinity towards St. Thomas Becket whose shrine was there.

King Henry V held his stepmother in the highest regard as shown by his appointing “his dearest mother” as regent in 1415 when he went to France and gained his great victory at the Battle of Agincourt.  After the battle, Joan walked in the procession from St. Paul’s Cathedral to Westminster Abbey for a service of thanksgiving, but she must have had ambivalent feelings. One of her sons-in-law died on the French side in the battle and her son Arthur, who was taken prisoner, spent five years as a prisoner at the Tower of London and Fotheringay Castle.

In 1418, while King Henry V was once again fighting in France and his brother John, Duke of Bedford was acting as regent, Joan was suddenly arrested and accused of using witchcraft to poison the king. She was sent to Pevensey Castle in Sussex, England where she was kept for four years until she was released in 1422. She lived quietly through the reign of King Henry V and into the reign of his son King Henry VI. Joan died on June 10, 1437, at her favorite residence, Havering Palace in the village of Havering-atte-Bower in what is now the London Borough of Havering, at the age of about 67. She was buried with King Henry IV at Canterbury Cathedral.

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 Lancaster Resources at Unofficial Royalty

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

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

One of the few surviving members of the Plantagenet dynasty after the Wars of the Roses, Margaret was born on August 14, 1473, at Farleigh Hungerford Castle in Somerset, England. Her father was George Plantagenet, Duke of Clarence, third son of Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York who was the York claimant during the Wars of Roses until his death at the Battle of Wakefield in 1460.  Margaret’s paternal uncles were the Yorkist monarchs King Edward IV and King Richard III.  Margaret’s mother was Lady Isabel Neville, daughter of Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick (the Kingmaker of the Wars of the Roses) who was also killed at the Battle of Wakefield. Margaret’s maternal aunt was Anne Neville who was married to King Henry VI‘s only child, Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales until his death at the Battle of Tewkesbury. Later, Anne married King Richard III.

Margaret had three siblings but only one sibling survived early childhood:

• Anne of Clarence (born and died 1470), born and died on a ship off Calais
• Edward Plantagenet, 17th Earl of Warwick (1475 – 1499), executed
• Richard of Clarence (1476 – 1477)

Margaret’s mother Isabel died when Margaret was three years old. Now it is thought that Isabel died of either tuberculosis or childbed fever, but George, Duke of Clarence thought his wife had been poisoned by a servant who was subsequently tried and hanged. When Margaret was four-years-old, her father was tried for treason against his brother King Edward IV and privately executed in the Tower of London. Margaret and her younger brother Edward were placed in the care of their maternal aunt Anne Neville. In 1485, the last Yorkist king, Richard III, was defeated and killed at the Battle of Bosworth and the Lancaster claimant Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond assumed the throne as King Henry VII. Henry VII then married Margaret’s first cousin Elizabeth of York, the eldest daughter of King Edward IV.

After the rise of the Tudors, the remaining members of the House of York were systematically dealt with through marriage, imprisonment, and eventually, execution. Margaret’s brother Edward Plantagenet, 17th Earl of Warwick, the next male Yorkist claimant to the throne, was held at the Tower of London until he was executed in 1499. It was thought at the time that Edward was executed in response to pressure from King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile to ensure there would be no potential heirs who could jeopardize the eventual accession to the throne of King Henry VII’s heir Arthur who was to marry Ferdinand and Isabella’s daughter Catherine of Aragon.

Sometime between 1491 and 1494, King Henry VII arranged for Margaret to marry Sir Richard Pole. It is thought that this marriage was arranged because Sir Richard’s mother was a half-sister of the king’s mother, Lady Margaret Beaufort and this would make it more difficult to use her in a plot to overthrow the Tudors. Margaret and Richard had five children:

• Henry Pole, 1st Baron Montagu (c. 1492 – 1539) married Jane Neville, daughter of George Neville, 4th Baron Bergavenny; had issue; was one of the peers in the trial of Anne Boleyn; beheaded for treason during the reign of King Henry VIII
• Reginald Pole (c. 1500 – 1558) Cardinal, Papal Legate, and last Roman Catholic Archbishop of Canterbury during the reign of Queen Mary I.
• Sir Geoffrey Pole of Lordington (c. 1501 – 1558) married Constance Pakenham, granddaughter and heiress of Sir John Pakenham; had issue; suspected of treason by King Henry VIII by conspiring with Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, lived in exile in Europe
• Sir Arthur Pole of Broadhurst (c. 1502 – 1535) married Jane Lewknor, daughter of Roger Lewknor; no issue
• Lady Ursula Pole (c. 1504 – 1570), married Henry Stafford, 1st Baron Stafford; had issue

After the accession of King Henry VIII in 1509, Margaret was initially in favor at court. She was created Countess of Salisbury in her own right in 1513, and was godmother and later governess of Mary Tudor (later Queen Mary I), daughter of King Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon. Some of the lands the family lost when George, Duke of Clarence was attainted were restored and Margaret became the fifth richest English peer.

Margaret had a strong and independent personality and eventually angered the king. In 1539, Margaret was accused of conducting treasonable correspondence with her son Cardinal Pole, and was imprisoned in the Tower of London. Parliament passed an Act of Attainder and Margaret lost all her land and her title. It is suspected that the charges and the evidence were fabricated by Thomas Cromwell who fell out of favor himself and was executed in 1540.

On May 27, 1541, Margaret was told that she would be executed that day. She argued that there was no proof that she had committed a crime. The 67-year-old Margaret was dragged to the block at Tower Green where she refused to place her head saying, “So should traitors do, and I am none.” The inexperienced executioner proceeded to “hack her head and shoulders to pieces” with ten blows of the ax. Margaret was buried in the Chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula at the Tower of London. Pope Leo XIII beatified her as a martyr of the Roman Catholic Church on December 29, 1886, and she is known as Blessed Margaret Pole. Her feast day should coincide with the day of her martyrdom, however, May 27 was already in use as the feast of Saint Augustine of Canterbury, so Margaret’s feast day is May 28.

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

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Born on May 11, 1366, in Prague, Bohemia (now in the Czech Republic), Anne of Bohemia was the eldest child of Karl IV, Holy Roman Emperor and King of Bohemia, and his fourth wife, Elizabeth of Pomerania.

Anne had five siblings:

• Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor, King of Hungary and Bohemia and Margrave of Brandenburg (1368–1437), married (1) Mary of Hungary, no surviving issue (2) Barbara of Celje, had issue
• John of Görlitz, Margrave of Moravia and Duke of Görlitz (1370–96), married Richardis Catherine of Sweden, had issue
• Charles (1372 – 1373)
• Margaret of Bohemia (1373–1410), married John III, Burgrave of Nuremberg, had issue
• Henry (1377–78)

Anne had three half-siblings from her father’s first marriage to Blanche of Valois:

• Son (b.1334), died young
• Margaret of Bohemia (1335 – 1349), married King Louis I of Hungary, no issue
• Catherine of Bohemia (1342–95), married (1) Rudolf IV, Duke of Austria, no issue (2) Otto V, Duke of Bavaria, Elector of Brandenburg, no issue

Anne had one half-sibling from her father’s second marriage to Anna of Bavaria:

• Wenceslaus (1350–51)

Anne had three half-siblings from her father’s third marriage to Anna von Schweidnitz:

• Elisabeth of Bohemia (1358 – 1373), married Albert III, Duke of Austria, no issue
• Wenceslaus, King of Germany (formally King of the Romans), King of Bohemia (as Wenceslaus IV) and Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire (1361–1419), married (1) Joanna of Bavaria, no issue (2) Sophia of Bavaria, no issue
• Son (born and died 1362)

In 1377, King Edward III of England died after a 50-year reign and because his eldest son Edward, Prince of Wales (the Black Prince) had died the previous year, he was succeeded by his grandson King Richard II who was ten years old.  When Richard was 15, a bride was sought for him, and Anne of Bohemia seemed a logical choice as Bohemia and the Holy Roman Empire were seen as potential allies against France in the ongoing Hundred Years’ War.  However, the potential marriage was unpopular with the nobility and members of Parliament because Anne brought no dowry.

Richard’s tutor and his father’s close friend Sir Simon de Burley went to negotiate the marriage contract and then escort the 15-year-old bride-to-be to England.  After Anne arrived in Dover, England, a huge wave wrecked her ship and this was seen as a bad omen.  The young couple was married at Westminster Abbey on January 20, 1382, the fifth royal wedding at the Abbey.  It was not until the wedding of Princess Patricia of Connaught, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria, and Alexander Ramsay in 1919, 537 years later, that another royal wedding was held at Westminster Abbey.

Anne is credited with introducing two fashion items in England.  Women had ridden horses astride, or pillion, seated sideways on a cushion behind the male rider’s saddle.  It is said that Anne introduced the earliest sidesaddle in England, which was chair-like with the woman sitting sideways on the horse with her feet on a small footrest. Anne also introduced the horned headdress, two feet tall and wide, shaped like a crescent moon, and draped with gauze or net.

Although Anne was initially unpopular, she became known as “Good Queen Anne” because of her kind-hearted ways.  She was known to intercede on behalf of numerous people to obtain pardons.  Shortly after her marriage, she obtained pardons for participants in the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381.  In 1388, she unsuccessfully pleaded for the life of Sir Simon de Burley, who had escorted her to England.  In 1392, she mediated a reconciliation between the city of London and her husband, resulting in a spectacular royal progress through the city with the King and Queen on horseback wearing their crowns. However, Anne of Bohemia failed to fulfill a queen’s most important duty.  During the twelve years of her marriage, she failed to produce an heir to the throne.

In June of 1394, Anne became ill with the plague while at Sheen Palace with her husband.  She died three days later on June 7, 1394, at the age of 28.  King Richard II was so devastated by Anne’s death that he ordered Sheen Palace to be destroyed. For almost 20 years it lay in ruins until King Henry V started a rebuilding project in 1414.  King Richard gave Anne a magnificent funeral.  The funeral procession made its way from Sheen Palace to Westminster Abbey lit by candles and torches made from wax specially imported from Flanders.  Those in the procession were dressed all in black and wore black hoods.  King Richard was angered when Richard FitzAlan, 11th Earl of Arundel arrived late for the funeral.  The king struck the earl in the face with his scepter.

Richard had a tomb built for his wife at Westminster Abbey.  Unusually, he had his effigy made to lie alongside Anne’s on the tomb with their hands clasped, although their hands eventually broke off.  King Richard II married a second time to six-year-old Isabella of Valois in 1396 and that marriage was also childless.  In 1399, King Richard II was deposed and imprisoned by his cousin Henry Bolingbroke (who became King Henry IV), son of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster.  He died in Pontefract Castle on or about February 14, 1400, probably from starvation, although it is possible he was murdered.  Richard was originally buried at Kings Langley Priory in Hertfordshire, England.  When King Henry V came to the throne in 1413, he ordered that the remains of King Richard II be transferred to Westminster Abbey to join Anne in the tomb Richard had built for them in the St. Edward the Confessor Chapel, next to the tomb of Richard’s grandfather King Edward III.

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

England: House of Plantagenet Resources at Unofficial Royalty

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

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

During the 12th century in a period called The Anarchy, two Matildas who were the daughters of two sisters, Matilda of Scotland and Mary of Scotland fought each other for control of England. Matilda of Scotland and her sister Mary of Scotland were the daughters of King Malcolm III of Scotland and Saint Margaret of Scotland. Through their mother, they were descendants of the Saxon kings in England.

Matilda of Scotland married King Henry I of England and their daughter was Matilda of England, known as Empress Matilda from her first marriage to Holy Roman Emperor Henry V.  Mary of Scotland married Eustace III, Count of Boulogne and their daughter Matilda of Boulogne married Stephen of Blois, the future King Stephen of England.  Stephen of Blois and Empress Matilda were first cousins, both grandchildren of King William I of England (the Conqueror).

A note about names: Matilda-Maud-Maude were interchangeable names. Matilda was the Latin or Norman form and Maud/Maude was the Saxon form.
About.com: Matilda or Maud?
Appellation Mountain: Name of the Day: Maud
Behind the Name: Matilda
Behind the Name: Maud

Matilda of Boulogne was born circa 1105 and was the only child of her parents Eustace III, Count of Boulogne and Mary of Scotland. Upon her father’s death in 1125, Matilda became Countess of Boulogne in her own right.  Boulogne was a county within the Kingdom of France from 896 – 1501, centered on the city of Boulogne-sur-Mer, a coastal city in Northern France. The same year, King Henry I of England arranged for his nephew Stephen of Blois to marry Matilda.

Stephen and Matilda had three sons and two daughters:

• Baldwin of Blois (c. 1126 – c. 2 Dec 1135)
• Eustace IV, Count of Boulogne (c. 1129 – 1153) married Constance of France, no issue
• Matilda of Blois (c. 1133 – c. 1137), married Waleran de Beaumont, 1st Earl of Worcester, no issue
• Marie of Blois, Countess of Boulogne (1136 – 1182) married Matthew of Alsace, had issue
• William of Blois, Count of Boulogne (c. 1137 – 11 October 1159) married Isabel de Warenne, no issue

Five years before Matilda and Stephen married, a terrible tragedy caused a succession crisis.  The White Ship carrying King Henry I of England’s only son William Ætheling sank as it left France to sail to England, and William Ætheling drowned.  Empress Matilda was King Henry’s only legitimate child, and on Christmas Day of 1226, Henry had his barons swear to recognize Matilda and any future legitimate heirs she might have as his successors.

Unofficial Royalty: The Sinking of the White Ship and How It Affected the English Succession

After the sinking of the White Ship, Stephen and Matilda stayed close to King Henry I and lived most of the time in England realizing that Stephen was very close to the throne.  Henry’s daughter Empress Matilda had left England as a child to marry Holy Roman Emperor Henry V.  The marriage was childless and Holy Roman Emperor Henry V died in 1125.  Empress Matilda went to the royal court in Normandy (Kings of England were also Dukes of Normandy). Eventually, King Henry I made arrangements for his daughter to marry Geoffrey of Anjou in 1128.  The marriage was not a happy one.  The couple often lived apart and failed to produce a child until 1133.

On December 1, 1135, King Henry I of England died.  Stephen of Blois, quickly crossed from Boulogne to England, accompanied by his military household.  With the help of his brother, Henry of Blois, Bishop of Winchester, Stephen seized power in England and was crowned king on December 22, 1135.  Matilda of Boulogne was unable to accompany her husband because she was pregnant, so she was crowned on Easter Day, March 22, 1136.  Empress Matilda did not give up her claim to England and Normandy, leading to the long civil war known as The Anarchy between 1135 and 1153.

During the civil war, Matilda of Boulogne proved to be her husband’s strongest supporter.  Matilda was as strong and resourceful as Stephen was weak and indecisive. When England was invaded in 1138, Matilda rallied troops from Boulogne and its ally Flanders, and successfully besieged Dover Castle.  She then went north to Durham, where she made a treaty with King David I of Scotland in 1139.  After Stephen was captured at the Battle of Lincoln in 1141, she rallied Stephen’s supporters and raised an army with the help of William of Ypres, Stephen’s chief lieutenant.  It was Matilda who recaptured London for Stephen and forced Empress Matilda to withdraw from the siege of Winchester, leading to Stephen’s release in 1141 in exchange for the Empress’ illegitimate brother and her chief supporter Robert FitzRoy, 1st Earl of Gloucester.

By the mid-1140s, the fighting had slowed down and there was a stalemate and the succession began to be the focus.  Empress Matilda returned to Normandy in 1147.  In the same year, the Empress’ husband and her eldest son Henry FitzEmpress, the future King Henry II,  mounted a small, unsuccessful mercenary invasion of England.  The Empress remained in Normandy where she focused on stabilizing the Duchy of Normandy and promoting her son’s rights to the English throne.

Matilda of Boulogne died of a fever on May 3, 1152, at Hedingham Castle in Essex, England.  She was buried at Faversham Abbey in Kent, England which she and her husband had established.  Perhaps if she had not died and her husband had not lost his strongest supporter, the result of the civil war would have turned out differently.

On August 17, 1153, Stephen and Matilda’s eldest surviving son Eustace died.  Ironically, this was the same day that the first child of Henry FitzEmpress, the future King Henry II, and Eleanor of Aquitaine was born.  The child, William IX, Count of Poitiers, survived for only two years, but he was followed by seven siblings, two of whom became Kings of England.

Shortly after Eustace’s death in 1153, Stephen and Henry FitzEmpress reached a formal agreement known as the Treaty of Wallingford (or Winchester or Westminster).  The treaty allowed Stephen to keep the throne until his death but forced him to recognize Empress Matilda’s son Henry FitzEmpress, as his heir.

Stephen survived his wife by a little more than two years.  He died apparently of appendicitis at Dover Castle on October 25, 1154, and a line of 14 Plantagenet kings who ruled until 1485 started.  Stephen was buried with his wife Matilda and his son Eustace at Faversham Abbey which Stephen and Matilda had founded. All three tombs were lost when Faversham Abbey was demolished during the Dissolution of the Monasteries during the reign of King Henry VIII. Their remains were reportedly thrown into the nearby Faversham Creek. Their empty tombs were unearthed in 1964 near what had been the center of the choir. At St. Mary of Charity Church, the parish church in Faversham, there is a tomb where it is said that the remains of King Stephen, his wife Matilda, and his son Eustace were reinterred after the destruction of Faversham Abbey.

Sharon Kay Penman’s excellent historical fiction novel When Christ and His Saints Slept deals with The Anarchy and most of the historical figures mentioned here are characters.

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 Normandy Resources at Unofficial Royalty

• United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Index
• House of Normandy Index
• Coronations after the Norman Conquest (1066 – present)
• History and Traditions: Norman and Plantagenet Weddings
• House of Normandy Burial Sites
• The Sinking of the White Ship and How It Affected the English Succession