by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2013

Prince John of the United Kingdom, 1918; Credit – Wikipedia

Prince John Charles Francis was the fifth son and the sixth and youngest child of King George V of the United Kingdom and Queen Mary.  He was born on July 12, 1905, at York Cottage on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, England.  At the time of his birth, his parents were the Prince and Princess of Wales, so he was styled His Royal Highness Prince John of Wales until his father became king in 1910 and then he was styled His Royal Highness The Prince John. He was called Johnnie in the family.

John had four brothers and one sister:

• King Edward VIII (Duke of Windsor after his abdication) (1894-1972), married Wallis Simpson, no children
• King George VI (1895-1952), married Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, had two daughters
• Mary, Princess Royal (1897-1965), married Henry Lascelles, 6th Earl of Harewood, had two sons
• Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester (1900-1974), married Lady Alice Montagu-Douglas-Scott, had two sons
• Prince George, Duke of Kent, (1902-1942), married Princess Marina of Greece, had two sons and one daughter

John was christened on August 3, 1905, at St. Mary Magdalene Church on the Sandringham Estate. His godparents were:

• King Carlos I of Portugal
• The Duke and Duchess of Sparta (both his father’s first cousins, the future King Constantine I and Queen Sophie of Greece, born Princess Sophie of Prussia)
• Prince Carl of Denmark (his father’s first cousin, later King Haakon VII of Norway)
• Princess Alice of Albany (his father’s first cousin)
• Prince Johann of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg (his great-great-uncle)
• Alexander Duff, Duke of Fife (his uncle by marriage)

John and his siblings in 1912, Credit – Wikipedia

For the first four years of his life, John appeared healthy, but at the age of four he suffered his first epileptic seizure, and his condition gradually worsened.  John grew up with his four brothers and one sister, moving with the family from one royal residence to another until 1917 when doctors advised that he be separated from his siblings because his seizures upset them.  Most likely it was because John’s condition had deteriorated. Besides epilepsy, it is quite possible that John also had a mild form of autism.

A household was set up for John at Wood Farm on the Sandringham Estate and John lived there under the care of his nanny Charlotte Bill who was called Lala.  Other staff at Wood Farm included John’s tutor Henry Peter Hansell, Thomas Haverly, a coachman who took John on outings in the country or to the sea, and to the ‘big house’ at Sandringham, a cook named Kate Bennett, whose niece Hilda Simpson was the live-in maid.  Photos show John riding a bicycle and a horse without assistance.  He had his own garden plot, “Prince John’s Garden.”

A young girl named Winifred Thomas, who suffered from asthma and had been sent to the country to live with her aunt and uncle, was John’s companion.  Winifred visited John nearly every day and the two went on walks and cared for the garden.  Later in life, Winifred recounted John’s excitement at watching zeppelins passing over Sandringham in 1916 and his pleasure in meeting ‘a real, live soldier’, her father Sergeant Frederick Thomas who visited that same year. She also remembered his mother, Queen Mary, as a loving and interested parent who spent much with her son.  John’s grandmother Queen Alexandra also visited him often.

Lalla Bill and Prince John; Credit – Wikipedia

Until the early 20th century, epilepsy was often considered a psychological or behavioral dysfunction, and people with epilepsy were routinely confined to asylums.  It appears that John was well looked after at Wood Farm and while it may have seemed cruel to separate him from his family’s everyday life, had he been born to an ordinary family, his fate would probably have been worse. The evidence suggests that he remained a happy child while at Wood Farm.

After John turned 13, his seizures became more frequent and severe.  On the morning of January 18, 1919, John had a very severe seizure and died peacefully in his sleep at 5:30 that afternoon, most likely from Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy or SUDEP at Wood Farm in Wolferton in Norfolk, England.  Queen Mary wrote in her diary, “The news gave me a great shock, tho’ for the poor little boy’s restless soul, death came as a great release.”  John was buried at St. Mary Magdalene Church on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, England next to his uncle of the same name who lived only one day.  His grandmother Queen Alexandra wrote to Queen Mary, “Now our two Johnnies rest side by side.”

Grave of Prince John, Photo Credit – findagrave.com

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 2013

There was confusion in the media about the title of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s, (now The Prince and Princess of Wales) first child in the weeks before the birth. The royal use of Cambridge is not recent, but rather started in 1362 and there have been a total of 14 royals whose peerage was “of Cambridge.” However, the usage of the royal father’s peerage in the title of his children is a fairly recent occurrence.

Before 1714 (when the House of Hanover inherited the British throne after the death of Queen Anne), the style of His/Her Royal Highness and the title of prince/princess was not customary. Sons and daughters of the monarch were not automatically or traditionally called a prince or princess. It was a common practice to style children of monarchs after the place they were born. For instance, John of Gaunt, son of King Edward III, was born in Gaunt, today known as Ghent, Belgium. Joan of the Tower, daughter of King Edward II, was born at the Tower of London. Most sons received peerage titles. Sometimes “Lady” was used for daughters.

An exception was the Prince of Wales, a title conferred on the heir apparent, usually but not always the eldest son of the monarch, since 1301. The wife of the Prince of Wales was styled Princess of Wales.

Another exception was the use of Princess Royal. Henrietta Maria, the youngest daughter of King Henri IV of France and the wife of King Charles I of England, Scotland, and Ireland wanted to institute a title similar to Madame Royale, the title given to the eldest daughter of the King of France. Her eldest daughter Mary (born in 1631) was the first Princess Royal.

Therefore, the first children of a father having “of Cambridge” in his peerage to be styled using “Prince/Princess <name> of Cambridge” were the three children of Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge, a son of King George III.

The very first time Cambridge was used for a peerage was in 1340 when William V, Duke of Jülich was created Earl of Cambridge.   William of Jülich was not a British royal but was married to a sister of Queen Philippa, the wife of King Edward III.  The fourth creation of the Earl of Cambridge was for a Scots noble.  James Hamilton, 2nd Marquess of Hamilton and 4th Earl of Arran was created Earl of Cambridge in 1619.  His son and grandson inherited the title which then became extinct in 1651.

In 1917, when King George V had his relatives relinquish their German titles, a grandson of Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge, born Prince Adolphus of Teck, relinquished the title he inherited from his father, Duke of Teck, for the title of Marquess of Cambridge.  In addition, his family name changed to Cambridge.  The son of the Marquess of Cambridge, George Cambridge, inherited the title when his father died.  However, George Cambridge, Marquess of Cambridge only had one daughter and so the title of Marquess of Cambridge became extinct in 1981.

Royal Holders of Earl of Cambridge or Duke of Cambridge

Edmund of Langley, Duke of York, Earl of Cambridge, Credit – Wikipedia

Edmund of Langley, Duke of York, Earl of Cambridge (1341–1402): Fifth son of Edward III, created Earl of Cambridge on November 13, 1362, created Duke of York on August 6, 1385

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Edward of Norwich, Duke of York, Earl of Cambridge, Credit – Wikipedia

Edward of Norwich, Duke of York, Earl of Cambridge (c.1373-1415): First son of Edmund of Langley, inherited the title from father, died at the Battle of Agincourt

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Richard of Conisburgh, Earl of Cambridge, Credit – Wikipedia

Richard of Conisburgh, Earl of Cambridge (1373–1415): Second son of Edmund of Langley, created Earl of Cambridge in 1414, beheaded in 1415 after plotting to depose King Henry V,  his title was forfeited, but not attainted (loss of title, property, and the right to pass on titles due to guilt of a capital crime such as treason)

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Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York, Earl of March, Earl of Cambridge, and Earl of Ulster, Credit – Wikipedia

Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York, Earl of March, Earl of Cambridge, and Earl of Ulster (1412–1460): Son of Richard of Conisburgh, Earl of Cambridge, title Earl of Cambridge restored in 1426, father of King Edward IV and King Richard III, killed at the Battle of Wakefield

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Edward Plantagenet, Duke of York, Earl of Cambridge (King Edward IV), Credit – Wikipedia

Edward Plantagenet, Duke of York, Earl of Cambridge (1442–1483): Eldest son of Richard Plantagenet, succeeded to his father’s titles, reigned as King Edward IV, titles merged with the crown in 1461

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Henry Stuart, Duke of Gloucester and Earl of Cambridge, Credit – Wikipedia

Henry Stuart, Duke of Gloucester and Earl of Cambridge (1640-1660): Youngest son of King Charles I, created Duke of Gloucester and Earl of Cambridge on May 13, 1659, died of smallpox.

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Charles Stuart, Duke of Cambridge (1660-1661): Eldest son of James, Duke of York (later King James II), styled Duke of Cambridge but died before the Letters Patent creating him Duke of Cambridge were passed.

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James Stuart, Duke and Earl of Cambridge, Credit – Wikipedia

James Stuart, Duke and Earl of Cambridge (1663-1667): Second son of James, Duke of York (later King James II), created Duke and Earl of Cambridge in 1664, probably died of smallpox.

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Edgar Stuart, Duke of Cambridge (1667–1671): Fourth son of James, Duke of York (later King James II), created Duke and Earl of Cambridge on October 7, 1667.

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Charles Stuart, Duke of Cambridge (born and died 1677): First son of James, Duke of York (later King James II) by his second wife Mary of Modena, styled Duke of Cambridge but never created.

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George Augustus, Electoral Prince of Brunswick and Lüneberg (King George II), Credit – Wikipedia

George Augustus, Electoral Prince of Brunswick and Lüneberg (1683-1760): Only son of King George I, created Duke and Marquess of Cambridge, Earl of Milford Haven, Viscount Northallerton and Baron of Tewkesbury on November 9, 1706 by Queen Anne before his father succeeded to the throne, reigned as King George II

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Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge, Credit – Wikipedia

Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge (1774-1850): Seventh son of King George III, created Duke of Cambridge, Earl of Tipperary, and Baron Culloden on November 17, 1801

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Prince George, Duke of Cambridge; Credit – Wikipedia

Prince George, Duke of Cambridge (1819-1904): Only son of Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge, inherited titles from his father

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Prince William, Prince of Wales, Duke of Cambridge, Credit – Wikipedia

Prince William, Prince of Wales, Duke of Cambridge (born 1982): Created Duke of Cambridge, Earl of Strathearn, and Baron Carrickfergus on April 29, 2011, created Prince of Wales on September 9, 2022.

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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
“British Prince .” Wikipedia. Web. 11 July 2013. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_British_princes>.
“British Princess.” Wikipedia. Web. 11 July 2013. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_princess>.
“Duke of Cambridge.” Wikipedia. Web. 11 July 2013. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_of_Cambridge>.
“Earl of Cambridge.” Wikipedia. Web. 11 July 2013.  <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earl_of_Cambridge>.
Velde, François. “Styles of the members of the British royal family: Documents .” Heraldica. Web. 11 July 2013. <http://www.heraldica.org/topics/britain/prince_highness_docs.htm>.
Williamson, David. Brewer’s British Royalty. London: Cassell, 1996. Print.

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2013

The Streatham Portrait of Lady Jane Grey; Credit – Wikipedia

In the early summer of 1553, fifteen-year-old Protestant King Edward VI, King Henry VIII‘s son, lay dying.  His eldest half-sister Mary, the Catholic daughter of King Henry VIII’s first wife Catherine of Aragon, was the heiress presumptive.  The Third Succession Act of 1543 had restored Mary and Edward’s other half-sister Elizabeth, daughter of King Henry VIII’s second wife Anne Boleyn, to the succession.  In addition, the Third Succession Act stipulated that if the children of King Henry VIII did not have heirs, the heirs of his younger sister Mary Tudor should inherit the throne.  The heirs of Henry’s elder sister Margaret Tudor who married King James IV of Scotland were excluded presumably to ensure the English throne was not inherited by a Scot.

Henry VIII’s will named 16 executors who were to act as King Edward VI’s Council until he reached the age of 18.  The king’s uncle Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset became Lord Protector of the Realm and Governor of the King’s Person.   In 1550, John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland became Lord President of the Council, the council being the Privy Council. In 1552, after the execution of Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset, Northumberland decided to take power and rule as primus inter pares, a Latin phrase describing the most senior person of a group sharing the same rank or office.

Jane Grey was born in 1536 or 1537, the daughter of Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Suffolk and Lady Frances Brandon. Lady Frances was the daughter of King Henry VIII’s younger sister Mary Tudor and Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk.  Frances was the elder of her parents’ two surviving children.  Two sons died in childhood, so the only surviving children were Frances and her younger sister Eleanor who had died in 1547.  Frances and her husband had three surviving daughters.  Jane was the eldest, followed by two sisters:

• Lady Catherine Grey (1540 – 1568), married (1) Henry Herbert, 2nd Earl of Pembroke, marriage annulled; (2) Edward Seymour, 1st Earl of Hertford, had issue
• Lady Mary Grey (1545 – 1578), married Thomas Keys, no issue

Lady Catherine Grey with her elder son; Credit – Wikipedia

Lady Mary Grey; Credit – Wikipedia

Jane was very well educated. She studied Greek and Hebrew with John Aylmer, later Bishop of England, and Italian and Latin with Michelangelo Florio, a former Franciscan friar who converted to Protestantism.  In 1547, Jane was sent to live in the household of King Edward VI’s uncle, Thomas Seymour, who married King Henry VIII’s widow, Catherine Parr.  Jane lived with the couple until the death of Catherine in childbirth in September 1548 and acted as chief mourner at Catherine’s funeral.

The powerful Duke of Northumberland thought marrying one of his sons to Lady Jane Grey would be a good idea.  On May 25, 1553, three weddings were celebrated at Durham Place, the Duke of Northumberland’s London home. Lord Guildford Dudley, the fifth surviving son of the Duke of Northumberland married Lady Jane Grey, Guildford’s sister Lady Katherine Dudley married Henry Hastings, the Earl of Huntingdon’s heir, and Jane’s sister Lady Catherine Grey married Henry Herbert, the heir of the Earl of Pembroke.

Therefore, as King Edward VI lay dying in the early summer of 1553, the succession to the throne according to the Third Succession Act looked like this, and note that number four in the succession was the Duke of Northumberland’s daughter-in-law.

1) Mary, daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon
2) Elizabeth, daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn
3) Duchess of Suffolk (Lady Frances Brandon), daughter of Mary Tudor
4) Lady Jane Grey, daughter of Frances Brandon
5) Lady Catherine Grey, daughter of Frances Brandon
6) Lady Mary Grey, daughter of Frances Brandon
7) Lady Margaret Clifford, daughter of Countess of Cumberland (born Lady Eleanor Brandon, daughter of Mary Tudor)

King Edward VI’s death and the succession of his Catholic half-sister Mary would spell trouble for the English Reformation.  Many members of Edward’s Council feared this, including the Duke of Northumberland.  What exact role the Duke of Northumberland had in what followed is still debated, but surely he played a big part in the unfolding of what happened.  The king opposed Mary’s succession not only for religious reasons but also because of her illegitimacy and his belief in male succession.  He also opposed the succession of his half-sister for reasons of illegitimacy and belief in male succession.  Both Mary and Elizabeth were still considered to be legally illegitimate.

“My devise for the Succession” by King Edward VI; Credit – Wikipedia

King Edward composed a document “My devise for the succession” in which he passed over his half-sisters and the Duchess of Suffolk (Frances Brandon).  Edward meant for the throne to go to the Duchess’ daughters and their male heirs.  The Duke and Duchess of Suffolk were outraged at the Duchess’ removal from the succession, but after a meeting with the ailing king, the Duchess renounced her rights in favor of her daughter Jane.  Many contemporary legal experts believed the king could not contravene an Act of Parliament without passing a new one that would have established the altered succession.  Therefore, many thought that Jane’s claim to the throne was weak.  Apparently, Jane did not have any idea of what was occurring.

After great suffering, fifteen-year-old King Edward VI died on July 6, 1553, most likely from tuberculosis.  On July 9, Jane was told that she was Queen, and reluctantly accepted the fact. She was publicly proclaimed Queen with much pomp after Edward’s death was announced on July 10.  Queen Jane made a state entry into the Tower of London.  Her mother carried her train and the rather short Queen wore raised shoes to give her height.  Jane showed some spirit when she refused to allow her husband to be proclaimed king.

The Duke of Northumberland had to find Mary and hopefully capture her before she could gather support.  However, as soon as Mary knew her half-brother was dead, she wrote a letter to the Privy Council with orders for her proclamation as Edward’s successor and started to gather support.  By July 12, Mary and her supporters had assembled a military force at Framlingham Castle in Suffolk.  The Duke of Northumberland set out from London with troops on July 14.  The nobility was incensed with Northumberland and the people,  for the most part, wanted Mary as their Queen, not Jane.  In Northumberland’s absence, the Privy Council switched their allegiance from Jane to Mary and proclaimed her Queen on July 19, 1553.  Mary arrived triumphantly in London on August 3, 1553, accompanied by her half-sister Elizabeth and a procession of over 800 nobles and gentlemen.

The Execution of Lady Jane Grey by Paul Delaroche, 1833; Credit -Wikipedia

Aftermath:  The Duke of Northumberland was executed on August 22, 1553. Lady Jane Grey and Lord Guildford Dudley were both charged with high treason as was Jane’s father Henry Grey, Duke of Suffolk.  They were all found guilty.  Queen Mary appeared as if she was going to be lenient but the Protestant rebellion of Thomas Wyatt the Younger in January 1554 sealed Jane’s fate, although she had nothing to do with the rebellion.   Wyatt’s Rebellion was a reaction to Queen Mary’s planned marriage to the future King Philip II of Spain.  Lady Jane Grey and Lord Guildford Dudley were executed on February 12, 1554, and were buried at the Chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula within Tower of London in London, England.

• Unofficial Royalty: Execution of Lady Jane Grey, Queen of England

The Duke of Suffolk was executed on February 23, 1554.  Lady Jane’s mother, the Duchess of Suffolk, married her Master of the Horse Adrian Stokes in March of 1555.  She was fully pardoned by Queen Mary and allowed to live at court with her two surviving daughters.  She died in 1559.

Memorial in the Chapel of St Peter ad Vincula at the Tower of London, Credit: www.findagrave.com

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England: House of Tudor Resources at Unofficial Royalty

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

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2013

Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge, Credit – Wikipedia

Adolphus Frederick was the youngest surviving and seventh of the nine sons and tenth of the fifteen children of King George III of the United Kingdom and Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. Known in his family as Dolly, he was born on February 24, 1774, at the Queen’s House (formerly Buckingham House, now Buckingham Palace) in London.  Through his granddaughter Queen Mary, Prince Adolphus is an ancestor of the British Royal Family.

The infant prince was christened Adolphus Frederick on March 24, 1774, in the Great Council Chamber at St James’s Palace by Frederick Cornwallis, Archbishop of Canterbury.  His godparents were:

• Prince Johann Adolf of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg (his great-uncle)
• Prince Karl of Hesse-Kassel (his first cousin once removed)
• Wilhelmina, Princess of Orange (born Wilhelmina of Prussia, wife of his first cousin-once-removed)

Prince Adolphus in 1782 by Thomas Gainsborough; Credit – Wikipedia

Adolphus had fourteen siblings:

• King George IV (1762 – 1830), married Caroline of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, had issue: Princess Charlotte of Wales who died in childbirth as did her child
• Prince Frederick, Duke of York (1763 – 1827), married Frederica of Prussia, no issue
• King William IV (1765 – 1837), married Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen, no surviving legitimate issue, has illegitimate descendants
• Charlotte, Princess Royal (1766 – 1828), married King Friedrich I of Württemberg, no surviving issue
• Prince Edward, Duke of Kent (1767 – 1820), married Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, had issue: Queen Victoria, present British Royal Family are his descendants
• Princess Augusta Sophia (1768 – 1840), never married, no issue
• Princess Elizabeth (1770 – 1840), married Friedrich, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg, no issue
• King Ernest Augustus I of Hanover, Duke of Cumberland (1771 – 1851), married Friederike of Mecklenburg-Strelitz; had issue
• Prince Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex (1773 – 1843), married twice, both in contravention of the Royal Marriages Act of 1772 (1) Lady Augusta Murray, had issue, marriage annulled (2) Lady Cecilia Buggin (later 1st Duchess of Inverness), no issue
• Princess Mary (1776 – 1857), married Prince William Frederick, Duke of Gloucester, no issue
• Princess Sophia (1777 – 1848), never married, possible illegitimate issue
• Prince Octavius (1779 – 1783), died in childhood
• Prince Alfred (1780 – 1782), died in childhood
• Princess Amelia (1783 – 1810), never married, no issue

Queen Charlotte painted by Benjamin West in 1779 with her thirteen eldest children; Credit – http://www.royalcollection.org.uk

Until Adolphus was twelve years old, he was educated at home by tutors. He was then sent with his brothers Prince Ernest and Prince Augustus to the University of Göttingen in Germany, founded by his great-grandfather King George II.  Adolphus became a Knight of the Garter in 1786 and was created Duke of Cambridge, Earl of Tipperary, and Baron Culloden in 1801.  His son George succeeded him as Duke of Cambridge, but the title became extinct upon George’s death in 1904.  In 2011, Adolphus’ great-great-great-great-grandson Prince William was created Duke of Cambridge upon his marriage.

Adolphus had a military career and his training started in 1791 when he was sent to Hanover with his brother Prince Ernest to study with the Hanoverian commander Field Marshal von Freytag.  He participated in the Flanders Campaign in which he was wounded and captured but eventually rescued.  Adolphus was promoted to Lieutenant-General in the Hanoverian Army and he commanded several brigades in action.  He participated in the War of the Second Coalition against France.  In 1803, he was appointed commander-in-chief of the newly formed King’s German Legion, a British Army unit of expatriate German personnel.  Adolphus also served as colonel-in-chief of the Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards (Coldstream Guards) and the 60th Regiment of Foot (The Duke of York’s Own Rifle Corps).  In 1813, he was made a Field Marshal.

Adolphus, 1806; Credit – Wikipedia

Since the British Kings of the House of Hanover were also Kings of Hanover, someone was needed to represent them in Hanover. In 1816, Adolphus was appointed Governor-General of the Kingdom of Hanover.  In 1831, his title changed to Viceroy.  He was a capable and efficient ruler in Hanover and remained in that position until his niece Queen Victoria came to the British throne in 1837.  Because Hanover followed the Salic Law that allowed only male succession through the male line, Queen Victoria could not become Hanover’s monarch.  Instead, her eldest surviving paternal uncle, Prince Ernest, became King of Hanover.

After the tragic death in childbirth of Princess Charlotte of Wales, the only legitimate grandchild of King George III despite the king having twelve surviving children, the king’s aging bachelor sons needed to seek brides to provide for the succession.  Adolphus was given the task of finding a bride for his elder brother Prince William, Duke of Clarence, the future King William IV. Princess Augusta of Hesse-Kassel was one of the princesses on his list. He wrote that Augusta “would make an ideal Queen of England”. Upon hearing this, William said it seemed Adolphus was in love with Augusta and wrote to his brother to take her for himself. By Christmas 1817, Adolphus and Augusta were engaged.

Prince Adolphus married Princess Augusta of Hesse-Kassel, a great-granddaughter of King George II, in Kassel, Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel, now in Hesse, Germany, on May 7, 1818, and again at the Queen’s House (now Buckingham Palace) in the presence of Queen Charlotte on June 1, 1818.  The groom was 44 and the bride was 20.  Despite the age difference, the marriage was happy and Adolphus was very much in love with Augusta.  The couple lived in Hanover from 1818 – 1837 while Adolphus served his father and then his two brothers, King George IV and King William IV, as Viceroy of Hanover. Upon their return to England, Adolphus and Augusta lived at Cambridge House and later at St. James’s Palace, both in London.

Augusta, Duchess of Cambridge, 1818 by William Beechey; Credit – Wikipedia

The couple had three children:

• Prince George, Duke of Cambridge (1819 – 1904); married Sarah Louisa Fairbrother, had issue (the marriage was in contravention of the Royal Marriages Act so it was not legal and the children of the marriage were illegitimate)
• Princess Augusta of Cambridge (1822 – 1916); married Friedrich Wilhelm, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, had issue
• Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge (1833 – 1897); married Francis, Duke of Teck, had issue, including Mary of Teck, the wife of King George V of the United Kingdom

Prince Adolphus died “of cramps in the stomach” at Cambridge House in Piccadilly, London on July 8, 1850, at the age of 76.  His niece Queen Victoria reported his death to her Uncle Leopold, King of the Belgians: “My poor good Uncle Cambridge breathed his last, without a struggle, at a few minutes before ten, last night.”  He was buried in the Cambridge Mausoleum built following his death at St. Anne’s Church in Kew, London.  Augusta survived her husband by 39 years, dying at age 91 in 1889.  In 1930, their remains were removed from the mausoleum at St. Anne’s Church and interred in the Royal Vault in St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle at the request of their granddaughter Queen Mary.

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George, Duke of York (later George V) and Mary of Teck, Photo Credit – Wikipedia

July 6, 1893 – Wedding of George, Duke of York (later King George V of the United Kingdom) and Princess Mary of Teck, at the Chapel Royal, St. James Palace in London, England
The paternal grandparents of Queen Elizabeth II married on July 6, 1893 at the Chapel Royal of St. James Palace.  At that time, royal weddings were not the big public affairs that they are now, and this wedding was no different.  Members of the public lined the very short route from Buckingham Palace to St. James Palace to try to catch a glimpse of the wedding party and guests as their carriages proceeded along the route.

The groom was HRH Prince George Frederick Ernest Albert who was born on June 3, 1865 at Marlborough House, London. His parents were Albert Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII), known as Bertie, and Princess Alexandra of Denmark, known as Alix. George was related to many other royals. Through his father, he was first cousin to Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna of Russia, Queen Marie of Romania, Queen Sophie of Greece, Queen Ena of Spain, Crown Princess Margaret of Sweden and was brother to Queen Maud of Norway. Through his mother, he was first cousin to King Christian X of Denmark, Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, King Constantine I of Greece and King Haakon VII of Norway.

The bride, Her Serene Highness Princess Victoria Mary Augusta Louise Olga Pauline Claudine Agnes of Teck, was born at Kensington Palace, London on May 26, 1867. Mary’s mother was HRH Princess Mary Adelaide, the youngest child of HRH Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge (the seventh son and tenth child of King George III and Queen Charlotte) and HRH Princess Augusta of Hesse-Cassel. The new princess was known as Mary or May.  The bride’s father was His Serene Highness Prince Francis of Teck, the product of a morganatic marriage. Prince Francis’ father, Duke Alexander of Württemberg, was once heir to the throne of Württemberg. However, Duke Alexander contracted a morganatic marriage (marriage to a person of a lower rank) to a Hungarian countess, Claudine Rhedey. Alexander lost his rights to the throne and his children lost the right to use the Württemberg name. Francis’ cousin King Karl of Württemberg eventually elevated him to the more important Germanic title of Duke of Teck.

Mary had been previously engaged to George’s elder brother Prince Albert Victor, known as Prince Eddy.  Eddy was the oldest son and eldest child of Albert Edward, Prince of Wales (later Edward VII) and Alexandra of Denmark, and was second in line for the throne held by his grandmother Queen Victoria.  Eddy proposed to Mary during a ball on December 3, 1891. The engagement was announced three days later and the wedding set for February 27, 1892.  In the midst of the wedding preparations, Eddy developed a high fever on January 7, 1892 at Sandringham. His sister Victoria and other household members already had been ill with influenza, which Eddy also developed. Two days later, his lungs became inflamed and pneumonia was diagnosed.  In the early morning hours of January 14, 1892, Eddy died.  Eddy’s funeral was held at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor and he is buried in the Albert Memorial Chapel in St. George’s Chapel.  Mary’s wedding bouquet of orange blossoms lay on his coffin.

After the death of Prince Eddy, Mary and George spent much time together. As time passed and their common grief eased, there was hope that a marriage might take place between them. George proposed to Mary beside a pond in the garden of his sister Louise’s home, East Sheen Lodge, on April 29, 1893. The engagement was announced on May 3, 1893 with the blessing of Queen Victoria.

The wedding was set for July 6, 1893 at the Chapel Royal, St. James’ Palace. St, George’s Chapel, Windsor, had been the choice for Mary’s planned marriage to Eddy, but it was considered inappropriate because it had been the site of Eddy’s funeral.  There was much excitement about the upcoming wedding. Women’s magazines produced special editions detailing Mary’s trousseau. Crowds visited London’s Imperial Institute where royal wedding gifts were displayed for the first time.

Ten bridesmaids had been selected: Princesses Victoria and Maud of Wales (the groom’s sisters), Princesses Victoria Melita, Alexandra and Beatrice of Edinburgh, Princesses Margaret and Patricia of Connaught, Princess Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg, Princess Helena Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein (all first cousins of the groom), and Princess Alice of Battenberg (daughter of the groom’s first cousin Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine). At least three of the bridesmaids wished they were in Mary’s shoes.

George, Duke of York (later George V) and Mary of Teck and their bridesmaids, Photo Credit – womenshistory.about.com

Back row: Princess Alexandra of Edinburgh, Princess Helena of Schleswig-Holstein, Princess Victoria-Melita of Edinburgh, Prince George-Duke of York, Princess Victoria of Wales, Princess Maud of Wales
In the middle: Princess Alice of Battenberg, Princess Margaret of Connaught, Princess Mary of Teck-Duchess of York
Front row: Princess Beatrice of Edinburgh, Princess Victoria-Eugenie of Battenberg, Princess Patricia of Connaught

The summer of 1893 had been hot and July 6, the wedding day, was no different. Crowds gathered in the morning along the bridal procession route on Constitution Hill, Piccadilly and St. James Street.  At 11:30 a.m., the first of the carriage processions left Buckingham Palace. Royalty from Britain and abroad rode in twelve open state landaus driven by cream-colored horses. The bridegroom and his father left the Palace at 11:45 a.m. followed by Queen Victoria in the Glass Coach. Accompanying the Queen was her cousin, the beaming Princess Mary Adelaide, the mother of the bride. The bride’s procession came last. Mary was accompanied by her father and her brother Adolphus.

As Mary walked down the aisle of the Chapel Royal towards George, she leaned stiffly on her father’s arm and smiled at those guests she recognized. While exchanging vows, George gave his answers distinctly while Mary spoke quietly. After the wedding service, the royals returned in state to Buckingham Palace where they feasted at round tables covered with food in a room separate from the other guests. The other guests enjoyed themselves in the ballroom where large buffet tables were set up. After the meal, there was a royal wedding “first.” Queen Victoria led George and Mary out onto the balcony at Buckingham Palace and presented them to the cheering crowds.

George and Mary had six children:

• Edward VIII (Duke of Windsor after his abdication): (1894-1972) married Wallis Simpson, no issue
• George VI (1895-1952) married Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, had issue: Queen Elizabeth II; Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon
• Mary, Princess Royal (1897-1965) married Henry Lascelles, 6th Earl of Harewood, had issue: George Lascelles, 7th Earl of Harewood; The Honourable Gerald Lascelles
• Henry, Duke of Gloucester (1900-1974) married Lady Alice Montagu-Douglas-Scott, had issue: Prince William of Gloucester; Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester
• George, Duke of Kent (1902-1942) married Princess Marina of Greece, had issue: Prince Edward, Duke of Kent; Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy; Prince Michael of Kent
• John (1905-1919), suffered from epilepsy, died in childhood

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Much of this article is taken from a more detailed article I previously wrote.  For more details, that article can be seen at: Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of George V and Princess May of Teck

Wikipedia: George V of the United Kingdom
Wikipedia: Mary of Teck

Check out other royal dates posted daily on our forum.

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2013

At Prince Michael of Kent’s christening: Princess Alexandra of Kent, The Duke of Kent, The Duchess of Kent holding Prince Michael, Prince Edward of Kent (the current Duke of Kent), Credit – regalmajesty.tumblr.com

Prince Michael of Kent, a first cousin of Queen Elizabeth II, was born on July 4, 1942.  Prince Michael is the youngest child of Prince George, Duke of Kent and Princess Marina of Greece.  Because Prince Michael was born on American Independence Day, the Duke of Kent asked President Franklin Roosevelt to be one of his son’s godparents.  President Roosevelt accepted and the baby prince was named Michael George Charles Franklin.

Telegram regarding Prince Michael’s christening:

• Telegram dispatched from Duke of Kent to FDR.7/6/42.

Prince Michael was christened on August 4, 1942, at the Private Chapel in Windsor Castle.  His godparents were:

• King George VI (his paternal uncle)
• Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands (for whom her son-in-law Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands stood proxy)
• King Haakon VII of Norway (his granduncle)
• President Franklin Roosevelt of the United States of America (for whom the Duke of Kent stood proxy)
• Crown Princess of Greece (born Princess Frederica of Hanover, who was not present)
• Duke of Gloucester (his paternal uncle, who was not present)
• Dowager Marchioness of Milford Haven (born Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine, his grandfather King George V’s cousin)
• Lady Patricia Ramsay (born Princess Patricia of Connaught, his grandfather King George V’s cousin)

Sadly, six weeks after his son’s birth, on August 25, 1942, the Duke of Kent died in a Royal Air Force plane crash in the service of his country. See Unofficial Royalty: Tragedy in the British Royal Family at the End of August (scroll down).

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 2013

Philippa of Hainault, Queen of England; Credit: Wikipedia

I’ve felt a closeness to Philippa of Hainault since 2005 when I made my second visit to Westminster Abbey.  My first visit was in 1990 with my sister and two children.  In 2005, I was with my husband and kept telling him I was sure I saw Edward the Confessor’s tomb in 1990, but couldn’t see it in 2005.  There was a verger nearby whose duty it was to answer questions, so I asked him.  He said that the route tourists go through the Abbey had changed since 1990 and he would show me how to see Edward the Confessor’s tomb.  He brought me to the tomb of Philippa of Hainault, located on a side aisle next to the main altar.  He told me to stand on the tomb’s edge and then I would be able to see into the Chapel of Edward the Confessor.  So there I was looking into the face of Philippa on her effigy while being able to see Edward the Confessor’s tomb.

Born June 24, 1314, Philippa was fourth of the nine children and the second of the five daughters of William I, Count of Hainault (also Count of Holland, Count of Avesnes and Count of Zeeland) and Joan of Valois.

Philippa’s siblings:

• William II, Count of Hainault (1307–1345), married Joanna, Duchess of Brabant, no issue
• John (died 1316)
• Margaret II, Countess of Hainault (1311–1356), married Louis IV, Holy Roman Emperor, had issue
• Agnes (died 1327)
• Joanna of Hainault (1315–1374), married William V, Duke of Jülich, had issue
• Isabelle of Hainault (1323–1361), married Robert of Namur, no issue
• Louis (1325–1328)
• Jan Aelman (1320–1389)

When Philippa was only eight years old, she was already being considered as a bride for the future King Edward III of England who was only seven. Walter de Stapledon, Bishop of Exeter was sent to inspect Philippa.  The bishop gave a very detailed report to King Edward II of England.  Seven years later in 1326, Prince Edward and his mother Queen Isabella were able to check out Philippa themselves when they visited the court of Hainault.  The young prince liked what he saw and he and Philippa were betrothed in the summer of 1326.

In January 1327, King Edward II abdicated after he had been politically opposed and his 14-year-old son became King Edward III.  A year later on  January 24, 1328, Edward and Philippa married at York Minster in York, England.  The couple’s main home was Woodstock Palace in Oxfordshire, England.  It was Philippa’s favorite residence and the birthplace of four of her thirteen children including her eldest child, Edward the Black Prince, who was born days before her sixteenth birthday.  The sons of Edward and Philippa married into the English nobility and their descendants who later battled for the throne in the Wars of the Roses.

The children of Edward III and Philippa:

• Edward, Prince of Wales (the Black Prince) (1330 – 1376), married  Joan, Countess of Kent, had issue (King Richard II of England)
• Isabella of England (1332 – 1379) married Enguerrand VII de Coucy, 1st Earl of Bedford, had issue
• Joan of England (1333/1334/1335 – 1348), died of the plague on the way to marry Pedro of Castile
• William of Hatfield (born and died 1337)
• Lionel of Antwerp, 1st Duke of Clarence (1338 – 1368), married (1) Elizabeth de Burgh, 4th Countess of Ulster, had issue (2) Violante Visconti, no issue
• John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster (1340 – 1399), married (1) Blanche of Lancaster, had issue including King Henry IV of England (2) Infanta Constance of Castile, had issue (3) Katherine Swynford (formerly his mistress), had issue (the Tudors descend from this line)
• Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York (1341 – 1402), married (1) Infanta Isabella of Castile, had issue (2) Joan Holland, no issue
• Blanche of the Tower (born and died March 1342)
• Mary of Waltham (1344 – 1362), married John V, Duke of Brittany, no issue
• Margaret of Windsor, Countess of Pembroke(1346 – 1361), married John Hastings, 2nd Earl of Pembroke, no issue
• Thomas of Windsor (1347 – 1348), died of the plague
• William of Windsor (born and died 1348), died of the plague
• Thomas of Woodstock, 1st Duke of Gloucester (1355 – 1397), married Eleanor de Bohun, had issue

Like other medieval consorts, Philippa often accompanied her husband on military campaigns.  She was known for her kind nature and successfully pleaded for the lives of six burghers who had surrendered their city of Calais to King Edward III.  Philippa acted as regent for her husband several times while he was away from England. She was a patron of the chronicler Jean Froissart who said of her “The most gentle Queen, most liberal, and most courteous that ever was Queen in her days.”

Philippa died on August 15, 1369, of a “dropsical malady” (edema) that had bothered her for about two years.  She was 55 years old and had outlived seven of her children.  According to the chronicler Jean Froissart, Philippa died holding the hands of her husband and her youngest child Thomas who was fourteen years old.  She was buried in a tomb with an alabaster effigy in Westminster Abbey in London, England. Her husband King Edward III survived her by eight years.  He died in 1377 and was succeeded by his ten-year-old grandson Richard, the only child of his eldest son Edward the Black Prince who had died in 1376.

Effigy of Philippa of Hainault; Credit – www.westminster-abbey.org

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