Category Archives: Peerages: United Kingdom

Henry Lascelles, 6th Earl of Harewood

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Henry Lascelles, 6th Earl of Harewood; Credit – Wikipedia

Henry George Charles Lascelles was born on September 9, 1882, in London, England. He was the elder son and the eldest of the three children of Henry Ulrick Lascelles, 5th Earl of Harewood and Lady Florence Bridgeman, daughter of Orlando Bridgeman, 3rd Earl of Bradford. At the time of his birth, Henry was styled The Honourable Henry Lascelles. When his grandfather died in 1892 and his father became the 5th Earl of Harewood, Henry was able to use one of his father’s subsidiary titles and be styled Viscount Lascelles. He became 6th Earl of Harewood upon the death of his father in 1929.

The Earl of Harewood is a Peerage of the United Kingdom and was created in 1812 for Edward Lascelles, 1st Baron Harewood (2nd creation), a wealthy sugar plantation owner and former Member of Parliament. The family seat is Harewood House, near Leeds in Yorkshire, England, which was built 1759 – 1771 for wealthy trader Edwin Lascelles, 1st Baron Harewood (first creation). The Earl of Harewood also holds the subsidiary titles Viscount Lascelles and Baron Harewood.

Henry had a sister and a brother:

  • Lady Margaret Selina Lascelles (1883–1978), married Gustavus Hamilton-Russell, 9th Viscount Boyne, had issue
  • Major Hon. Edward Cecil Lascelles (1887–1935), married Joan Balfour, a granddaughter of George Campbell, 8th Duke of Argyll

Henry attended the Royal Military College Sandhurst and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant into the Grenadier Guards on February 12, 1902. He gained the rank of Captain in the service of the Grenadier Guards and fought in World War I where he commanded the 3rd Battalion Grenadier Guards. He was mentioned in dispatches and wounded twice. He also served with the Yorkshire Hussars Yeomanry and attained the rank of Major.

Henry married Princess Mary, the only daughter of King George V of the United Kingdom at Westminster Abbey in London, England on February 28, 1922. Despite their fifteen-year age difference and rumors that the marriage was not happy, their elder son George Lascelles, 7th Earl of Harewood said the marriage was a happy one. He wrote in his memoirs that they “got on well together and had a lot of friends and interests in common.”

Photo Credit – Wikipedia, US Library of Congress Prints and Photos

Mary and Henry had two sons:

 

Henry and his wife enjoyed country pursuits. They both regularly rode with the Bramham Moor Hunt where Henry was Master of the Hunt. Henry was a Freemason and served as Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of England from 1942-47. Henry Lascelles, 6th Earl of Harewood died on May 23, 1947, at Harewood House at the age of 67, and was buried at All Saints Church in Harewood, West Yorkshire, England. Princess Mary survived him for 18 years and was buried with her husband.

Grave of Mary, Princess Royal, Countess of Harewood and her husband, George Lascelles, 6th Earl of Harewood. photo: www.findagrave.com

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Princess Alexandra, 2nd Duchess of Fife, Princess Arthur of Connaught

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Princess Alexandra, 2nd Duchess of Fife; Credit – Wikipedia

Alexandra Victoria Alberta Edwina Louise was born on May 17, 1891, at East Sheen Lodge in Richmond, London, England. She was the eldest surviving child of Princess Louise, Princess Royal and Alexander Duff, 1st Duke of Fife and a grandchild of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom.  As a female-line great-granddaughter of the British sovereign, (Queen Victoria) at birth, Alexandra was not entitled to the title of Princess or the style Royal Highness. Instead, she was styled Lady Alexandra Duff, the style of daughters of a Duke.  Through their father, Alexandra and her sister Maud were descendants of King William IV of the United Kingdom, who had no legitimate children but had ten illegitimate children with actress Dorothea Jordan.

Alexandra had one sister:

Alexandra on the right with her mother and sister; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

In 1900, when it became apparent that the Duke and Duchess of Fife were unlikely to have a son to inherit the title, Queen Victoria issued the Duke of Fife a new Letters Patent as Duke of Fife and Earl of Macduff in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. This Letters Patent gave the second dukedom of Fife a special remainder that allowed the dukedom to pass to the daughters of the 1st Duke of Fife, if he had no son, and then to the male heirs of his daughters. Therefore, Alexandra became heir to her father’s dukedom.

Alexandra’s mother was the eldest daughter of King Edward VII and was created Princess Royal during her father’s reign, in 1905.  At the same time, Alexandra and Maud were granted the title of Princess with the style of “Highness” and received precedence immediately after all members of the royal family bearing the style of “Royal Highness.” This act was unprecedented and when the College of Arms told King Edward VII it could not be done, the King simply said, “Do it!” Alexandra and Maud’s maternal uncle, the future King George V, was greatly disturbed by this act.

Prince Arthur of Connaught and Princess Alexandra on their wedding day; Credit – Wikipedia

On October 15, 1913, at the Chapel Royal of St. James’ Palace in London, England, Alexandra married her first cousin once removed, Prince Arthur of Connaught, the only son of Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught who was a son of Queen Victoria. Because Alexandra’s father had died the year before, King George V, her uncle, gave her away. After her marriage, Alexandra was styled Her Royal Highness Princess Arthur of Connaught, Duchess of Fife.

Alexandra and Arthur with their son Alastair in 1920; Credit – Wikipedia

Alexandra and Arthur had one son Alastair Arthur, born on August 9, 1914, at his parents’ home at 54 Mount Street, in Mayfair, London, England. As a great-grandchild of Queen Victoria through the male line, Alastair was styled His Highness Prince Alastair of Connaught until he was three years old.  At that time King George V restricted the titles of Prince/Princess and the style of Royal Highness to the children of the sovereign, the children of the sovereign’s sons, and the eldest living son of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales. Alastair was then styled Alastair Windsor with the courtesy title Earl of Macduff, his mother’s secondary title.

Alexandra at a women’s exhibition in 1915; Credit – Wikipedia

Alexandra and her husband carried out engagements on behalf of King George V and King George VI. Alexandra served as a nurse at St. Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, London, England during World War I. From 1920-1924, Prince Arthur served as Governor-General of South Africa and Alexandra accompanied him there. When the couple returned to the United Kingdom, they continued their royal duties.

Alastair Windsor, 2nd Duke of Connaught; Credit – Wikipedia

On September 12, 1938, Prince Arthur died of stomach cancer at the age of 55. He was buried at the Royal Burial Ground in Frogmore, Windsor, England. As Prince Arthur predeceased his father The Duke of Connaught, Arthur’s son Alastair became heir to the dukedom. In 1942, upon the death of his paternal grandfather Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught, Alastair succeeded him as the 2nd Duke of Connaught. On April 26, 1943, while on active duty with the British Army in Ottawa, Canada, the 28-year-old Alastair fell asleep or passed out in front of an open window while inebriated, fell out the window, and died of hypothermia during the night. On his death, his titles became extinct.

Alexandra died at her home in London on February 26, 1959, at the age of 67. She is buried in the private chapel in the mausoleum of Mar Lodge in Braemar, Aberdeenshire, Scotland where her parents are buried. Alexandra’s nephew, James Carnegie, the only child of her sister Maud, succeeded her as the 3rd Duke of Fife.

Alexandra’s grave; Credit – Wikipedia

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Alexander Duff, 1st Duke of Fife

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Alexander Duff, 1st Duke of Fife, was the husband of Princess Louise, Princess Royal who was the eldest daughter of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom. Alexander William George Duff was born in Edinburgh, Scotland on November 10, 1849. He was the only son of James Duff, 5th Earl Fife and Lady Agnes Hay, daughter of William Hay, 18th Earl of Erroll and Lady Elizabeth FitzClarence who was one of the ten children of King William IV and his mistress Dorothea Jordan. When Duff’s father became 5th Earl Fife in 1857, he was able to use the courtesy title Viscount Macduff, and Macduff became his nickname. Duff was educated at Eton College.

Duff had five sisters:

  • Lady Anne Duff (1847 – 1925), married John Townshend, 5th Marquess Townshend, had issue
  • Lady Ida Duff (died 1918), married (1) Adrian Hope, had issue (2)  William Wilson, no issue
  • Lady Alexina Duff (1851 – 1882), married Henry Coventry, no issue
  • Lady Agnes Duff (1852 – 1925), married (1) George Hay-Drummond, no issue  (2) Herbert Flower, no issue (3)  Alfred Cooper, had issue; David Cameron, the former British prime minister, is a descendant of this third marriage
  • Lady Mary Duff (born and died 1854)

In 1874, Duff was elected to Parliament as a Liberal Party member for the Scottish constituency Elginshire and Nairnshire. He remained in Parliament until his father’s death in 1879 when he became the 6th Earl Fife and then had a seat in the House of Lords. In the House of Lords, Duff served as the Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms.  He was
Lord-Lieutenant of Elginshire from 1872 – 1902 and one of the founders of the Chartered Company of South Africa.

On July 27, 1889, in the Private Chapel of Buckingham Palace, Duff married Princess Louise, eldest daughter of the then Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII). Louise and Alexander were third cousins via their mutual descent from King George III. Alexander’s descent was via the future King William IV’s long-time relationship with actress Dorothea Jordan by whom he had ten children who married into the British aristocracy. As with the marriage of Princess Louise’s aunt, another Princess Louise who married the 9th Duke of Argyll, there were grumblings about a member of the royal family marrying into the British aristocracy. However, Queen Victoria approved of the marriage. Two days after the wedding, Queen Victoria created the groom Duke of Fife and Marquess of Macduff in the Peerage of the United Kingdom.  Despite the seventeen-year age difference, the couple was well-matched and settled down to a life of country pursuits with the Duke managing his Scottish estates and Louise becoming an expert at salmon fishing.

Photo Credit – Alexander William George Duff, 1st Duke of Fife; Princess Louise Victoria Alexandra Dagmar, Duchess of Fife by William Downey, for W. & D. Downey. albumen cabinet card, 27 July 1889, NPG x3805. © National Portrait Gallery, London

The couple had three children:

Duke and Duchess of Fife with their daughters; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

In 1900, when it became apparent that the Duke and Duchess of Fife were unlikely to have a son to inherit the title, Queen Victoria issued the Duke of Fife a new Letters Patent as Duke of Fife and Earl of Macduff in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. This Letters Patent gave the second dukedom of Fife a special remainder that allowed the dukedom to pass to the daughters of the 1st Duke of Fife if he had no son, and then to the male heirs of his daughters.

In December 1911, the Duke and Duchess of Fife and their two daughters set off to spend the winter in Egypt and Sudan where the climate was more beneficial to Louise’s health. Their ship went aground near Morocco and then their lifeboat sank. The family was rescued, but the Duke of Fife later developed pneumonia and died in Aswan, Egypt on January 29, 1912. The Duke of Fife was buried at the Private Chapel, Mar Lodge Mausoleum in Braemar, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.

Duff grave

Grave of the Duke of Fife; Photo Credit – www.findagrave.com

The Duke’s elder daughter Alexandra succeeded to the 1900 Dukedom, becoming the 2nd Duchess of Fife and Countess of Macduff in her own right. Her father’s other titles, including the 1889 Dukedom, became extinct. Alexandra’s only son predeceased her, so upon her death, Maud’s son James Carnegie became the 3rd Duke of Fife.

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David Armstrong-Jones, 2nd Earl of Snowdon

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

David Armstrong-Jones, 2nd Earl of Snowdon; Credit – Wikipedia

David Albert Charles Armstrong-Jones, 2nd Earl of Snowdon was born on November 3, 1961, at Clarence House in London, England. He was the first child and only son of Princess Margaret of the United Kingdom and Antony Armstrong-Jones, and one of the six grandchildren of King George VI of the United Kingdom.

 

The month before David was born, his father was created Earl of Snowdon and Viscount Linley due to concerns that a British princess would give birth to a child without a title. The heir of a British peer is allowed to use the second title of the noble parent as a courtesy title, so David was styled Viscount Linley and became the 2nd Earl of Snowdon upon his father’s death on January 13, 2017. Professionally, he is known as David Linley. On December 19, 1961, David was christened in the Music Room of Buckingham Palace by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Michael Ramsey. His godparents were Lady Bruce Dundas, Nigel Harvey, Nick Powell, Orlando Rock, Lucinda Cecil, and Rita Konig.

 

David has one sibling:

When he was five years old, David began his education in the schoolroom at Buckingham Palace with his first cousin Prince Andrew.  David then attended the Gibbs School in Kensington, London, England, and the Ashdown House School in East Sussex, England. Next, he attended the now-closed Millbrook House School, near Abingdon, Oxfordshire, England. David finished his secondary education at Bedales School in Steep, Hampshire, England where he developed an interest in arts and crafts.

From 1980-1982, David studied the craft of woodworking at Parnham College in Beaminster, Dorset, England. In 1976, furniture maker John Makepeace bought Parnham House and founded the Parnham Trust and the School for Craftsmen in Wood. It later became Parnham College with the goal “to provide integrated courses in design, making and management for aspiring furniture makers, alongside but separately from his own furniture workshops.” In 2000, the school moved to a new campus in Hooke Park, England, and is now known as the Architectural Association School of Architecture.

LINLEY store on Pimlico Road in London

David Linley has had a career as a furniture designer and maker and set up his own company LINLEY in 1985. From his company’s website: “I was lucky enough to grow up surrounded by beautiful things. Instead of taking these for granted, I wanted to find out more about the making process, whether a vase, a car, a sculpture or indeed a piece of furniture. When I was a small boy, my grandmother challenged me to find a secret drawer in a bureau that she treasured. I still remember the exhilaration when I eventually found it. I couldn’t understand how it was possible to conceal something so cleverly, so resolved to find out how. This was really when my interest in woodworking began.”

David does not have an official role, but he does take part in Royal Family events, such as Trooping the Color. In 2002, while his grandmother Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother was lying in state at Westminster Hall, David, along with his first cousins The Prince of Wales, The Duke of York, and The Earl of Wessex, stood guard around their grandmother’s coffin.

 

David married The Honorable Serena Stanhope, a daughter of Viscount Petersham (now the 12th Earl of Harrington) at St. Margaret’s Church in Westminster, London, England on October 8, 1993. On February 17, 2020, David and Serena announced that they intend to divorce. A spokesperson for the couple said: “The Earl and Countess of Snowdon have amicably agreed that their marriage has come to an end and that they shall be divorced. They ask that the press respect their privacy and that of their family.”

The couple has two children:

In 2012, David’s son Charles was appointed to be the First Page of Honor of his great-aunt, Queen Elizabeth II. This is a ceremonial position granted to teenage sons of the nobility and requires attendance on state occasions when the pages usually carry the long train of the Sovereign’s attire.

Charles Armstrong Jones_Page

The Honorable Charles Patrick Armstrong-Jones (back right) at the State Opening of Parliament in 2013; Photo Credit – www.dailymail.co.uk. (PA)

David’s daughter Lady Margarita Elizabeth Rose Alleyne Armstrong-Jones was born shortly after the deaths of her grandmother Princess Margaret (whose middle name was Rose) and her great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and was named after them. She was also a bridesmaid at the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton.

Lady Margarita Armstrong-Jones on the right

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George Lascelles, 7th Earl of Harewood

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2013

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The first grandchild of King George V and Queen Mary of the United Kingdom and the first cousin of Queen Elizabeth II, The Honorable George Henry Hubert Lascelles was born on February 7, 1923, at Chesterfield House in London, England. At the time of his birth, he was sixth in the line of succession, after the four surviving sons of King George V and his mother.  His mother was Mary, Princess Royal, the only daughter of King George V and Princess Victoria Mary of Teck. His father was Henry Lascelles, son and heir of the 5th Earl of Harewood, and used the courtesy title Viscount Lascelles at the time of his son’s birth.  In 1929, at the time of his father’s death, Henry Lascelles succeeded his father as the 6th Earl of Harewood and George was able to use the courtesy title Viscount Lascelles.

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George had one younger sibling, a brother Gerald, who was born 18 months after George.  George and Gerald spent their first years in London, but after their father became 6th Earl of Harewood in 1929, the family moved to the family seat Harewood House.  Growing up in the period between the two World Wars, George and Gerald enjoyed living in the country.  They learned to play cricket and spent time with their royal grandparents at Windsor Castle.  Similar to other boys in his social class, George was sent away to school when he was nine and it was then that he developed a love of football (soccer) and a love of music.   He was educated at Ludgrove School, Eton College, and King’s College at Cambridge University.  Both George and Gerald took part in royal family activities including their grandfather’s funeral procession in 1936 and the proclamation of King George VI after the abdication of his elder brother, King Edward VIII.  In 1937, George was a page for the coronation of his uncle, King George VI.

In 1942 during World War II, George joined the Grenadier Guards, reaching the rank of captain.  He saw action in Algeria and Italy and on June 18, 1944, he was wounded and captured by the Germans.  George was held as a prisoner of war at Oflag IV-C, often referred to as Colditz Castle, an infamous German prisoner-of-war camp for officers in World War II.  Adolf Hitler signed a death warrant in March 1945, but the camp commander realized the war was ending and did not carry out the sentence, and instead released George to the Swiss.

After the war, from 1945 -1946, George served as aide-de-camp to his great-uncle Major-General Alexander Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone, the Governor-General of Canada.  Lord Athlone was born Prince Alexander of Teck, the brother of Queen Mary, and he was married to Princess Alice of Albany, the daughter of Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany who was the youngest son of Queen Victoria.  In 1947, George’s father died and he succeeded him as the 7th Earl of Harewood.   Lord Harewood served as a Counsellor of State in 1947, 1953–54, and 1956.  Counsellors of State are senior members of the British royal family to whom the monarch delegates certain state functions and powers when out of the country or unavailable for other reasons.  Since 1937, the only person to have been a Counsellor of State while not a queen consort, prince or princess has been Lord Harewood.

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On September 29, 1949, Lord Harewood married Marion Stein at St. Mark’s Church in London.  900 guests attended the wedding including the groom’s uncle King George VI, Queen Elizabeth, and Princess Elizabeth who all signed the registry as witnesses.  The new Countess of Harewood was born in Vienna, Austria, the daughter of Jewish musician Erwin Stein, and came to the United Kingdom just before World War II.  She was a concert pianist and had a distinguished musical career.   The couple had three children:

  • David Lascelles, 8th Earl of Harewood (born 1950), married (1) Margaret Rosalind Messenger, had one daughter and three sons, divorced  (2) Diane Jane Howse, no children
  • The Honorable James Lascelles (born 1953), married (1) Frederica Ann Duhrssen, had one daughter and one son, divorced  (2) Lori “Shadow” Susan Lee, had one daughter and one son, divorced  (3) Joy Elias-Rilwan, no children
  • The Honorable Jeremy Lascelles (born 1955), married (1) Julie Baylis, had one son and two daughters, divorced  (2) Catherine Isobel Bell, had one daughter

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The happiness of the marriage did not last and by 1959, there were serious problems.  Lord Harewood began a relationship with violinist Patricia Tuckwell.  Marion refused to divorce until 1967,  by which time Lord Harewood had a son by Patricia Tuckwell.   Lord Harewood married Patricia Tuckwell on July 31, 1967, in New Canaan, Connecticut.  Lord Harewood’s adultery and remarriage made him a social outcast for several years.  It was ten years before he was invited to any events by the Royal Family.  Lord Harewood had one son with his second wife who was born before their marriage and therefore was not in the line of succession to the throne nor was eligible to succeed to the Earldom of Harewood.

  • The Honorable Mark Lascelles (born 1964), married (1) Andrea Kershaw, had three daughters, divorced  (2) Judith Ann Kilburn, no children

It is not surprising that both Lord Harewood’s wives were musicians because music, in particular, opera, was his greatest love.  His achievements in promoting opera were significant in broadening the reach of opera in the United Kingdom. In 1950, he began a new magazine Opera, and was its first editor. The magazine is still in existence.  Lord Harewood was the editor for three editions of The Complete Opera Book originally written by Gustav Kobbé.  He was the director of the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden from 1951 to 1953 and from 1969 to 1972, chairman of the board of the English National Opera from 1986 to 1995, and Managing Director of the  English National Opera from 1972 to 1985.  Lord Harewood also served as artistic director of the Edinburgh, Adelaide, and Leeds Festivals and as Managing Director of the English National Opera North from 1978 to 1981.

Outside of music, Lord Harewood served as a governor of the BBC from 1985 to 1987 and as the president of the British Board of Film Classification from 1985 to 1996.  A second love was football (soccer) and Lord Harewood was president of Leeds United Football Club from 1961 until his death and was president of the Football Association from 1963 to 1972.  His autobiography, The Tongs And Bones: The Memoirs of Lord Harewood, was published in 1981.

George Lascelles, 7th Earl of Harewood, died on July 11, 2011, at the age of 88. At the time of his death, he was 46th in the line of succession to the British throne.  He had been sixth in the line of succession at his birth. Lord Lascelles is notable not because of who he was, but because of what he did, particularly in the field of music.

On Friday, July 15, 2011, as the black and gold Harewood coat of arms flag flew at half-mast over Harewood House, Lord Harewood’s funeral cortege made its way to nearby All Saints Church, on the grounds of the estate. Approximately 100 staff members lined the drive to Harewood House, to pay their respects as Lord Harewood’s casket drove by. The funeral was attended by family and friends. Prince Michael of Kent, who was also a first cousin of Lord Harewood, represented Queen Elizabeth II. Because of Lord Harewood’s great love for opera, it was fitting that opera singer Lesley Garrett performed during the service. Shakespeare’s Sonnet 71 (“No longer mourn for me when I am dead’) was read and the hymn “Jerusalem” was sung.  Lord Harewood was buried at All Saint’s Church in Harewood, West Yorkshire, England where his parents are also buried.

All Saint’s Church in Harewood, West Yorkshire, England; Credit – By Bill Henderson, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7986477

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Lady Mary Victoria Hamilton, Hereditary Princess of Monaco

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2013

Lady Mary Victoria Hamilton, Hereditary Princess of Monaco; Credit – Wikipedia

Besides having an American mother, Prince Albert II of Monaco has a Scottish great-grandmother on his father’s side.  Lady Mary Victoria Hamilton was born on December 11, 1850, at Hamilton Palace in South Lanarkshire, Scotland.  Her father was William Alexander Anthony Archibald Hamilton, 11th Duke of Hamilton.  The Duke of Hamilton is the Premier Peer of Scotland and head of both the House of Hamilton and the House of Douglas.  Her mother was Princess Marie Amelie of Baden.  Through her mother, Lady Mary Victoria was a third cousin of Emperor Napoléon III of France and first cousin of Queen Carola of Saxony, Queen Stephanie of Portugal, King Carol I of Romania, and Countess Marie of Flanders (mother of King Albert I of the Belgians).

Lady Mary Victoria had two elder brothers:

Mary Victoria and Albert shortly after their wedding; Credit – Wikipedia

Lady Mary Victoria and the future Prince Albert I of Monaco first met in August 1869 at a ball in Paris given by Emperor Napoléon III and Empress Eugénie.   Emperor Napoléon III suggested a match between Prince Albert and Lady Mary Victoria to Albert’s grandmother Caroline, the wife of Prince Florestan I of Monaco.  Lady Mary Victoria’s family was old, noble, and wealthy, and connected to several European royal families through Lady Mary Victoria’s mother.  Although Monaco was no larger in area than the lands held by the Duke of Hamilton, the Hamiltons were impressed by Monaco’s status as an independent country.  The couple was married on September 21, 1869, a month after their first meeting, at the Château de Marchais in Champagne, France, still owned by the Princely Family of Monaco.

Having been more or less forced into marriage, Mary Victoria and Albert were less than compatible.   Albert thought that his new wife was empty-headed and although Mary Victoria thought her husband handsome, she did not particularly like him.  Additionally, Mary Victoria did not like Monaco and the Mediterranean, so unlike her native Scotland.  19-year-old, pregnant Mary Victoria left Monaco with her mother and headed to her mother’s family home in the Grand Duchy of Baden, now in Germany.   It was in Baden that Mary Victoria gave birth to the future Prince Louis II of Monaco on July 12, 1870.

Mary Victoria and Albert never reconciled.  Their marriage was annulled by the Roman Catholic Church in 1880 and civilly dissolved the same year by Prince Charles III of Monaco.  Their son Prince Louis was raised in Baden by his maternal grandmother and did not see his father until he was 11 years old, when he returned to Monaco to be trained for his future royal duties.  He succeeded his father as Prince Louis II in 1922 and is the grandfather of Prince Rainier III of Monaco and the great-grandfather of Prince Albert II of Monaco.

Mary Victoria’s second husband Count Tassilo Festetics de Tolna; Credit – Wikipedia

Mary Victoria married a second time in 1880 to Count Tassilo Festetics de Tolna, a Hungarian noble. The couple had four children.  Through this marriage, Mary Victoria is the great-grandmother of fashion designer Prince Egon von Fürstenberg, socialite and actress Princess Ira von Fürstenberg, and the Czech Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Karel Schwarzenberg.

  • Countess Mária Matild Georgina Festetics de Tolna (1881 – 1953, married Prince Karl Emil von Fürstenberg
  • Prince György Tasziló József Festetics de Tolna (1882 – 1941), married Countess Marie Franziska von Haugwitz.
  • Countess Alexandra Olga Eugénia Festetics de Tolna (1884 – 1963), married  (1) Prince Karl von Windisch-Grätz  (2) Prince Erwin zu Hohenlohe-Waldenburg-Schillingsfürst
  • Countess Karola Friderika Mária Festetics de Tolna (1888 – 1951), married Baron Oskar Gautsch von Frankenthurn

Mary Victoria’s second marriage was a happy one and lasted over 40 years.  During that time, she busied herself with the enlargement and improvement of her husband’s ancestral home, Festetics Palace and its gardens, in Keszthely, Hungary.  In 1911, Count Tasziló Festetics de Tolna was made a Prince with the style Serene Highness by Franz Joseph, Emperor of Austria and King of Hungary. Mary Victoria died on May 14, 1922, at the age of 71 in Budapest, Hungary, and was buried with her second husband in the family mausoleum on the grounds of the Festetics Palace.

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.