Category Archives: Current Monarchies

Freda Dudley Ward, Mistress of the future King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2023

Freda Dudley Ward, 1919; Credit – Wikipedia

Mistress: a woman who has a continuing, extramarital sexual relationship with one man

Freda Dudley Ward was the mistress of the future King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom from 1918 – 1934 while he was Prince of Wales.

Born Winifred May Birkin on July 28, 1894, Freda Dudley Ward was the eldest of the four children of Colonel Charles Wilfred Birkin and his American wife Claire Lloyd Howe. Freda’s paternal grandparents were Sir Thomas Birkin, 1st Baronet and Harriet Tebbutt. Her paternal grandfather was a wealthy lace manufacturer, whose company had its headquarters in Nottingham, England with large factories in the Kingdom of Saxony (now in Germany) and Chester, Pennsylvania in the United States. Freda’s maternal grandparents were Alexander Howe, from a family of American politicians, and Ada Webb.

Freda had three younger siblings:

  • Violet Birkin (1899 – 1953), married Douglas Holden Blew-Jones, had one daughter
  • Vera Birkin (1903 – 1970), married Frank James Wriothesley Seely, had five children
  • Sir Charles Birkin, 5th Baronet (1907 – 1985), married Janet Johnson, had three children

On July 9, 1913, Freda married William Dudley Ward, the Liberal Member of Parliament for Southampton. William’s family surname was Ward but Dudley Ward became their official surname through common usage.

Freda with her two daughters in 1918; Credit – Wikipedia

Freda and William had two daughters:

The Prince of Wales in 1919; Credit – Wikipedia

In March 1918, during World War I, Freda and a male friend were walking through Belgrave Square in London. They noticed, through an open door, that a party was going on in one of the homes. They then noticed that maroons, fireworks used as a danger or warning signal, were going off indicating a German Zeppelin raid. They could see the guests running down the stairs to the safety of the cellar. The hostess called out to Freda and her friend to join her guests in the cellar. While in the darkness of the cellar, a young man started a conversation with Freda. He asked where she lived and then she asked him where he lived. He replied in London and sometimes in Windsor. When the air raid was over, the party hostess invited Freda and her friend to join the party, saying, “His Royal Highness is so anxious that you should do so.” Freda spent the evening dancing with the Prince of Wales, the future King Edward VIII. Her male friend disappeared during the evening, and in the early hours of the next morning, the Prince of Wales, called David by his family and friends, escorted Freda home.

The next day, David called upon Freda at her home and said he would like to see her again, beginning what would be a sixteen year relationship. While the relationship itself was discrete, it was never a secret and was well-known in British society. Throughout their relationship, David called Freda every morning – her household called it “the baker’s call” – and usually visited her sometime during the day. David adored Freda’s two daughters who called him “Little Prince.” Freda and her husband eventually separated and in 1931, they divorced.

The Prince of Wales with Freda Dudley Ward at the opening Union Station in Toronto, Canada, 1927; Credit – Wikipedia

After 1924, David had several short affairs and one longer affair from 1929 – 1932 with American Thelma Furness, Viscountess Furness. Thelma was born Thelma Morgan, the identical twin of Gloria Morgan Vanderbilt who was the mother of Gloria Vanderbilt, the fashion designer and the mother of CNN news anchor Anderson Cooper. During this period, David’s attachment to Freda remained more or less the same.

David with Thelma Furness, Viscountess Furness in 1932; Credit – Wikipedia

In May 1934, Freda’s daughter Penelope had an appendectomy and was seriously ill. Freda spent most of her time at the nursing home where Penelope was recovering. Only when Penelope was out of danger did Freda realize that weeks had gone by without David calling her or visiting her. Freda called St. James Palace in London where David had apartments. The switchboard operator and Freda had spoken nearly daily for years and she told Freda that she had something terrible to tell her. The Prince of Wales had given orders that her calls were not to be put through. Freda would never speak to David again. In January 1934, Wallis Warfield Simpson had become David’s mistress. On January 20, 1936, David’s father King George V died and David became King Edward VIII. Wallis divorced her second husband in October 1936. On December 10, 1936, David abdicated his throne so he could marry Wallis, because, as he said in his famous speech, he was unable to do his job “as I would have wished to do” without the support of “the woman I love”.

Freda’s second husband Peter de Casa Maury; Credit – The Peerage 

On October 20, 1937, Freda married Cuban-born Pedro Monés, the 1st Marquis de Casa Maury who was a naturalized British citizen but retained his Spanish title. He legally changed his name to Peter de Casa Maury. Peter was a former Wing Commander of the Royal Air Force and intelligence officer, a race car driver, and the founder of Curzon Cinemas. Freda then held the Spanish title Marquesa de Casa Maury. The couple had no children and divorced in 1954. Peter died on June 27, 1968.

Freda Dudley Ward (left) and Lady Birkenhead attending a christening in 1937

After Peter’s death in 1968, Freda retired to a small home in Chelsea, London where she continued her interest in home decorating, focusing on the country house look. She died at her Chelsea home on March 16, 1983, at the age of 88.

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

  • Donaldson, Frances. (1974). Edward VIII. Ballantine Biograpy.
  • Pedro Jose Isidro Manuel Ricardo Mones Maury, Marques de Casa Maury. The Peerage. (2007a). https://www.thepeerage.com/p14286.htm#i142853
  • Trethewey, Rachel. (2023, October 8). As never-before-seen photos are auctioned, meet the married lover who came before Wallis. Daily Mail Online. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12592745/Wallis-Simpson-prince-Edward-VIII-affair-Freda-Dudley-Ward.html
  • Wikimedia Foundation. (2023). Freda Dudley Ward. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freda_Dudley_Ward
  • Wikimedia Foundation. (2023). Sir Thomas Birkin, 1st Baronet. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Thomas_Birkin,_1st_Baronet
  • Wikimedia Foundation. (2023). William Dudley Ward. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Dudley_Ward
  • Winifred May Birkin. The Peerage. (2007). https://www.thepeerage.com/p992.htm#i9915

Dutch Royal Regalia

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2023

The Crown of the Netherlands. source: Wikipedia

The Dutch Royal Regalia consists of five items:

  • The Crown of the Netherlands
  • The Sceptre
  • The Orb
  • The Sword of State
  • The Gonfalon (Banner) of State

Unlike several of the other European monarchies, the Dutch monarchs are not – and never have been – crowned. Upon ascending the throne, the Monarch is inaugurated in a special session of the States General of the Netherlands, held at the Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam. The new King or Queen takes an oath of office in which he/she swears to uphold the Charter and the Constitution of the Netherlands. Although there is no actual crowning, the Regalia is all used in the ceremony. The Crown, Sceptre and Orb are displayed on a credence table situated in front of the new Monarch, along with the Charter and the Constitution. The Sword of State and Gonfalon of State are used in the procession into the Nieuwe Kerk, and are held on the dais on either side of the Monarch during the ceremony..

Embed from Getty Images

The current regalia was commissioned by King Willem II in 1840, replacing an earlier set, made of silver, that had been commissioned by King Willem I in 1815.

The Crown of the Netherlands
The Crown of the Netherlands symbolizes the sovereignty of the Netherlands, as well as the dignity of the Monarch as Head of State. It is made of gilded silver, with eight arches, supporting a monde and cross at the top. The crown is adorned with colored stones and pearls.

The Sceptre and The Orb
The Sceptre symbolizes the Sovereign’s authority, while the Orb symbolizes the Sovereign’s territories.

The Sword of State
The Sword of State symbolizes the Sovereign’s power.

The Gonfalon of State
The Gonfalon of State is a banner made of white moiré silk, hung from a gilded wooden spear. The banner is painted with the Coat of Arms of the Netherlands, as decreed in 1815. (The arms have changed since then, but the Gonfalon retains the original arms from 1815).

Embed from Getty Images
The Crown, Sceptre and Orb displayed at the Inauguration of King Willem-Alexander, April 2013. The Gonfalon of State can be seen to the left of the dais.

Margarita Teresa of Spain, Holy Roman Empress, first wife of Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2023

Margarita Teresa of Spain, Holy Roman Empress; Credit – Wikipedia

Margarita Teresa of Spain was the first of the three wives of her uncle and first cousin Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor, King of Hungary, King of Bohemia, Archduke of Austria, King of Croatia, Duke of Teschen, King of the Romans, Archduke of Further Austria, and Prince of Transylvania. Born on July 12, 1651, at the Royal Alcazar in Madrid, Spain, Margarita Teresa was the eldest of the five children and the elder of the two daughters of Felipe IV, King of Spain and his second wife Mariana of Austria, who were uncle and niece, an example of inbreeding. Margarita Teresa’s paternal grandparents were Felipe III, King of Spain and Margarete of Austria, who were both children of parents who were an uncle and his niece, and were first cousins once removed and second cousins. Her maternal grandparents were Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor and his first wife Maria Anna of Spain who were first cousins.

Margarita Teresa had four siblings but only one survived childhood:

Margarita Teresa had eight half-siblings from her father’s first marriage to Elisabeth of France who died in 1644, at the age of forty-one, after miscarrying a son. Only one half-sister survived to adulthood, Maria Theresa who married King Louis XIV of France.

  • Maria Margarita of Austria, Infanta of Spain (born and died 1621)
  • Margarita Maria Catalina of Austria, Infanta of Spain (born and died 1623)
  • Maria Eugenia of Austria, Infanta of Spain (1625 – 1627)
  • Isabella Maria of Austria, Infanta of Spain (born and died 1627)
  • Balthasar Carlos of Austria, Infante of Spain, Prince of Asturias (1629 – 1646), died at age 16 from smallpox
  • Francisco Fernando of Austria, Infante of Spain (born and died 1634)
  • Maria Ana Antonia of Austria, Infanta of Spain (born and died 1636)
  • Maria Theresa of Austria, Infanta of Spain (1638 – 1683), married King Louis XIV of France, had six children but only one son survived childhood

Las Meninas (Spanish for ‘The Ladies-in-Waiting), 1656 by Diego Velázquez – Five-year-old Margarita Teresa is surrounded by her entourage of maids of honor, a chaperone, a bodyguard, two dwarfs, and a dog in a room in the Royal Alcazar of Madrid; Credit – Wikipedia

Margarita Teresa was raised in the chambers of her mother Margarete of Austria at the Royal Alcazar in Madrid, surrounded by numerous ladies-in-waiting and servants. Brought up with the strict etiquette of the Spanish court, she received an excellent education.

The House of Habsburg, which then ruled in Spain, Holy Roman Empire, and the various hereditary Habsburg lands, was notorious for its inbreeding. The Habsburgs had built their empire by marriage and wanted to keep the land they amassed all in the family, so they began to intermarry more frequently among themselves. Seven of Margarita Teresa’s eight great-grandparents were descended from Juana I, Queen of Castile and León and Aragon and her husband Philip of Habsburg, Duke of Burgundy.  While a person in the fifth generation normally has thirty-two different ancestors, Margarita Teresa had only ten different ancestors in the fifth generation.

King Carlos II of Spain, Margarita Teresa’s brother who had serious health issues and disabilities due to inbreeding; Credit – Wikipedia

Although Margarita did not develop the serious health issues and disabilities that her younger brother King Carlos II of Spain had shown since his birth (she did have the Habsburg jaw as did her husband Leopold), the inbreeding could have been a cause of the early deaths of three of her four children and the three children of her only surviving child. Margarita’s brother Carlos was a weak, sick child from birth. He did not learn to talk until he was four years old and could not walk until he was eight years old. Like many of the Habsburg family, Carlos had the Habsburg jaw (mandibular prognathism), a disfiguring genetic disorder in which the lower jaw outgrows the upper jaw. However, Carlos’ very pronounced Habsburg jaw was so severe that he swallowed his food without thoroughly chewing. Carlos’ condition showed clear signs of the long-time inbreeding of the House of Habsburg.

Margarita Teresa’s husband Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor; Credit – Wikipedia

On April 6, 1663, twelve-year-old Margarita Teresa was betrothed to her 23-year-old uncle and first cousin Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor, the son of Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor and the first of his three wives who was also his first cousin Maria Anna of Austria. It was felt that Leopold and Margarita Teresa’s marriage between the Spanish and Austrian branches of the House of Habsburg was needed to strengthen the position of both countries, especially against the Kingdom of France. The marriage between Leopold and Margarita Teresa was delayed because of the bride’s age. The couple was married by proxy in Madrid, Spain on April 25, 1666, with the groom represented by Antonio de la Cerda, 7th Duke of Medinaceli.

Three days later, Margarita Teresa began her journey, via ship and then over land, from Madrid to Vienna. At each stop, where Margarita Teresa spent time resting, there were celebrations in her honor. On November 25, 1666, in Schottwien, twelve miles from Vienna, Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I came to receive his bride. Margarita Teresa formally entered Vienna on December 5, 1666, and 26-year-old Leopold and 15-year-old Margarita, first cousins, uncle and niece, were married seven days later. Despite the age difference, the couple had a happy marriage. Margarita Teresa always called her husband “Onkel”, German for uncle, and Leopold called her “Gretl”, a German diminutive of Margarita. Margarita Teresa and Leopold had many common interests, especially in art and music.

Margarita Teresa and her only surviving child Maria Antonia; Credit – Wikipedia

Margarita Teresa and Leopold had four children but only one survived to adulthood:

  • Archduke Ferdinand Wenzel of Austria (1667 – 1668), died in infancy
  • Archduchess Maria Antonia of Austria (1669 – 1692), married Maximilian II Emanuel, Elector of Bavaria, had three sons, none survived childhood
  • Archduke Johann Leopold of Austria (born and died 1670), died on the day of his birth
  • Archduchess Maria Anna Antonia of Austria (born and died 1672), died fourteen days after her birth

Margarita Teresa was very religious and was the driving force behind Leopold’s expulsion of the Jews from Vienna in 1670. She blamed the Jews for her two miscarriages, the early deaths of her two sons, and the fire in the newly built Leopoldine wing of the Hofburg Palace. During her marriage, Margarita Teresa kept her Spanish customs, was surrounded almost exclusively by her Spanish retinue, and hardly learned the German language. Due to the aloofness and arrogance of the Spanish retinue, an anti-Spanish mood spread at court, which also turned against Margarita Teresa. The courtiers unashamedly expressed their hope that Margarita Teresa, who was often ill, would soon die so that Leopold could marry someone more acceptable to them.

Tomb of Margarita Teresa; Credit – Von krischnig – selbst fotografiert, Bild-frei, https://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3431689

Weakened from six pregnancies in six years (four living childbirths and two miscarriages), and four months into her seventh pregnancy, Margarita Teresa died at the Hofburg Palace in Vienna, then in the Archduchy of Austria, on March 12, 1673, at the age of 21, and was buried in the Imperial Crypt at the Capuchin Church in Vienna. Despite his grief and because he had no male heir, several months later, Leopold married Archduchess Claudia Felicitas of Austria, from the Tyrol branch of the House of Habsburg. After giving birth to two daughters who did not survive infancy, Claudia Felicitas died from tuberculosis three years after her marriage. Leopold’s third wife Eleonore Magdalene of Neuberg finally provided him with male heirs, two sons who both became Holy Roman Emperors.

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

  • Flantzer, Susan. (2022) Felipe IV, King of Spain, Filipe III, King of Portugal, Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/felipe-iv-king-of-spain-filip-iii-king-of-portugal/ (Accessed: 10 July 2023).
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2023) Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor, Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/leopold-i-holy-roman-emperor-king-of-hungary-king-of-bohemia-archduke-of-austria-king-of-croatia-duke-of-teschen-king-of-the-romans-archduke-of-further-austria-and-prince-of-transylv/ (Accessed: 10 July 2023).
  • Margaret Theresa of Spain (2023) Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Theresa_of_Spain (Accessed: 10 July 2023).
  • Margarita Theresa von Spanien (2023) Wikipedia. Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margarita_Theresa_von_Spanien (Accessed: 10 July 2023).
  • Wheatcroft, Andrew. (1995) The Habsburgs. London: Viking.
  • Wilson, Peter H. (2016) Heart of Europe – A History of the Holy Roman Empire. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Ancestors of Infanta Leonor of Spain, Princess of Asturias

compiled by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2023

Infanta Leonor 2023

Infanta Leonor of Spain, Princess of Asturias is the elder of the two daughters of Felipe VI, King of Spain. Leonor is the heir presumptive to the Spanish throne, not the heir apparent. Currently, Spain’s succession law is male-preference cognatic primogeniture. This means that Leonor, as the elder of King Felipe’s two daughters, is first in line to inherit the throne, and she is the heir presumptive. However, if her parents had a son, which seems unlikely at this point, he would be the heir apparent and Leonor would forfeit the title of Princess of Asturias to her brother who would be Prince of Asturias. There have been discussions of changing the succession law to absolute primogeniture, where the eldest child, regardless of gender, inherits the throne, but no legislation has been forthcoming. If Leonor ascends to the throne, she will be Spain’s first queen regnant since Isabella II, who reigned from 1833 to 1868.

Through her father King Felipe VI, Leonor has a stellar royal pedigree. Her father is the only current European monarch to be descended from Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom via three of his grandparents. Leonor’s paternal grandfather King Juan Carlos I of Spain is descended from Queen Victoria’s youngest child Princess Beatrice whose daughter Princess Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg married King Alfonso XIII of Spain. Leonor’s paternal grandmother Queen Sofia, born Princess Sophia of Greece, is descended from Queen Victoria’s eldest child Victoria, Princess Royal via both her parents King Paul of Greece and Princess Frederica of Hanover. Among Infanta Leonor’s ancestors in the last six generations are the monarchs of Denmark, the German Empire, Greece, Prussia, Spain, and the United Kingdom. If we go back a couple more generations, there are monarchs of Austria, France, the Holy Roman Empire, and Russia.

Leonor’s mother Queen Letizia was born Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano in Oviedo, Asturias, Spain. She is of Spanish, Filipino, French, and Occitan descent. Occitan is an ethnic group that originated in the historical region of Occitania, located in southern France, northeastern Spain, northwestern Italy, and Monaco. Letizia’s paternal grandmother María del Carmen “Menchu” Álvarez del Valle was a famous radio broadcaster in Asturias, Spain for over forty years.

Parents, Grandparents, Great-Grandparents, Great-Great-Grandparents, and Great-Great-Great-Grandparents of Infanta Leonor of Spain, Princess of Asturias (born October 31, 2005)

The links below are from Unofficial Royalty,  Wikipedia, Leo’s Genealogics Website, The Peerage, or Geni.

Parents

King Felipe VI of Spain and Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano, parents; Credit – By Ministry of the Presidency, Government of Spain, Attribution, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=97985420

Grandparents

King Juan Carlos of Spain and Princess Sophia of Greece, paternal grandparents; Credit – Wikipedia

Great-Grandparents

King Paul of Greece and Princess Frederica of Hanover, great-grandparents; Credit – Wikipedia

Great-Great-Grandparents

King Alfonso XIII of Spain and Princess Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg, great-great-grandparents; Credit – Wikipedia

Great-Great-Great-Grandparents

Friedrich III, Emperor of Germany and Victoria, Princess Royal, great-great-great-grandparents by Hills & Saunders, albumen carte-de-visite, circa 1870, NPG Ax132839 © National Portrait Gallery, London

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.

Sources:

Ancestors of Princess Catharina-Amalia of the Netherlands, Princess of Orange

compiled by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2023

Princess Catharina-Amalia of the Netherlands, Princess of Orange; Credit – By Ian Jones – Buckingham Palace reception, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=132803882 (2023)

Princess Catharina-Amalia of the Netherlands, Princess of Orange, the eldest of the three daughters of King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, is the heir apparent to the Dutch throne. As the heir apparent, she is titled The Princess of Orange. The Netherlands changed its succession law in 1983 to absolute primogeniture where the succession passes to the eldest child of the sovereign regardless of gender. Males and females have equal succession rights.

Catharina-Amalia is a descendant of the monarchs of the Netherlands and before the establishment of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1815, the Princes of Orange. However, a good portion of her ancestors were members of the German untitled and titled nobility. Her paternal grandfather Claus von Amsberg was a member of the Amsberg noble family which belonged to the untitled nobility of the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin.

Through her great-great-grandfather, Duke Heinrich of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, son of Friedrich Franz II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Catharina-Amalia is a descendant of reigning Dukes and Grand Dukes of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Among the last six generations of Catharina-Amalia’s ancestry, there were no marriages with current monarchies. However, there are marriages with members of the former royal monarchies of the Kingdom of Prussia, the Russian Empire, the Principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, and the Principality of Waldeck and Pyrmont.

Catharina-Amalia’s mother Queen Máxima was born Máxima Zorreguieta Cerruti in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Máxima has Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian ancestry. Via her father, she also has Basque ancestry. Around 1790, her ancestor José Antonio Zorreguieta y Oyarzábal Gamboa y Sagastume, migrated to Argentina from Basque country, located in the western Pyrenees, straddling the border between France and Spain on the coast of the Bay of Biscay. Máxima’s maternal great-grandparents Oreste Stefanini and Tullia Borella migrated to Argentina from Italy in 1900.

Parents, Grandparents, Great-Grandparents, Great-Great-Grandparents, and Great-Great-Great-Grandparents of Catharina-Amalia of the Netherlands, Princess of Orange (born December 7, 2003 )

The links below are from Unofficial Royalty,  Wikipedia, Leo’s Genealogics Website, The Peerage, or Geni.

Parents

King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands and Máxima Zorreguieta Cerruti, parents; Credit – By Quirinale.it, Attribution, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=133267418

Grandparents

Claus von Amsberg and Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, paternal grandparents

Great-Great-Grandparents

Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld and Queen Juliana of the Netherlands, great-grandparents; Credit – Wikipedia

Great-Great-Grandparents

Duke Heinrich of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, great-great-grandparents; Credit – Wikipedia

Great-Great-Great-Grandparents

King Willem III of the Netherlands and Princess Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont, great-great-great-grandparents; Credit – Wikipedia

Sources:

Ancestors of Princess Elisabeth of Belgium, Duchess of Brabant

compiled by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2023

Princess Elisabeth of Belgium, Duchess of Brabant; Credit – By Ian Jones – Buckingham Palace reception, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=131631531

Princess Elisabeth of Belgium, Duchess of Brabant is the heir apparent to the Belgian throne. Belgium changed its succession law in 1991 to absolute primogeniture where the succession passes to the eldest child of the sovereign regardless of gender. Males and females have equal succession rights. This means that Elisabeth is the heir apparent and comes first in the line of succession as the eldest child. She is expected to become the first Belgian Queen Regnant. When her father Philippe became King of the Belgians, Elisabeth automatically became Duchess of Brabant, the title used by the female heirs to the Belgian throne and the wives of male heirs.

From her father Philippe, King of the Belgians, Elisabeth has the typical royal pedigree with Belgian, Danish, Portuguese, and Swedish monarchs among her ancestors, in addition to Dutch, Bavarian, and other German royalty. From Elisabeth’s paternal grandmother, there is a lot of Italian nobility with a smattering of Belgian and French ancestors. Adrienne Jenny Florimonde de Fay de La Tour-Maubourg, one of Philippe’s great-great-great-grandmothers, is the granddaughter of Gilbert Motier, Marquis de Lafayette. Better known as just Lafayette in the United States, Philippe’s great-great-great-great-great-grandfather was a French aristocrat and military officer who fought in the American Revolutionary War, commanding American troops in several battles. After returning to France, he was a key figure in the French Revolution of 1789 and the July Revolution of 1830. Lafayette is known as “The Hero of the Two Worlds” for his service to both France and the United States.

Elisabeth’s mother Queen Mathilde, born Mathilde d’Udekem d’Acoz, is the first native-born Belgian queen consort. Through her mother, Mathilde has Polish noble and Polish–Lithuanian princely ancestry. Mathilde’s father descends from Walloon (a French-speaking people who live in Belgium) nobles and was titled Jonkheer, the lowest title within the Belgian nobility system.  When Mathilde married Philippe in 1999, her father was created Count d’Udekem d’Acoz by Albert II, King of the Belgians, Philippe’s father.

Parents, Grandparents, Great-Grandparents, Great-Great-Grandparents, and Great-Great-Great-Grandparents of Princess Elisabeth of Belgium, Duchess of Brabant (born October 25, 2001)

The links below are from Unofficial Royalty,  Wikipedia, Leo’s Genealogics Website, The Peerage, or Geni.

Parents

Philippe, King of the Belgians and Mathilde d’Udekem d’Acoz, parents; Credit – By Liesbeth Driessen – UHasselt, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28712939

Grandparents

King Albert II of the Belgians and Paola Ruffo di Calabria, paternal grandparents

Great-Grandparents

Leopold III, King of the Belgians and Princess Astrid of Sweden, great-grandparents; Credit – Wikipedia

Great-Great-Grandparents

Prince Carl of Sweden, Duke of Västergötland and Princess Ingeborg of Denmark, great-great-grandparents; Credit – Wikipedia

Great-Great-Great-Grandparents

King Frederik VIII of Denmark and Princess Louise of Sweden, great-great-great-grandparents

Sources:

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.

Ancestors of Prince Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg

compiled by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2023

Prince Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg; Credit – Maison du Grand-Duc / Sophie Margue

On the side of his father, Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg, Prince Guillaume has an impressive set of royal ancestors. Among his ancestors are Kings of Belgium, Denmark, Portugal, and Sweden, and of course rulers of the Principality of Luxembourg.

King Miguel I of Portugal and Princess Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg are Guillaume’s great-great-great-grandparents two times and also his great-great-great-great-grandparents. When Miguel’s father King João VI of Portugal died in 1826, his elder brother Pedro became King of Portugal.  Pedro was king for only two months, abdicating in favor of his daughter Queen Maria II.  Miguel served as regent for his niece Maria and then claimed the Portuguese throne in his own right in 1828. This led to a difficult political situation, during which many people were killed, imprisoned, persecuted, or sent into exile, finally culminating in the Portuguese Liberal Wars. Ultimately, Miguel was deposed in 1834 and lived the last 32 years of his life in exile in the Duchy of Baden.

Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg was never Queen of Portugal because she and Miguel did not marry until 1851. When Miguel died in 1866, all his children were under the age of fifteen.  Adelaide continued to raise their children and arranged some rather brilliant marriages for them despite their dubious status. Through the marriages of their many children and grandchildren, Miguel and Adelaide are the ancestors of the current monarchs of Belgium, Liechtenstein, and Luxembourg, as well as pretenders to the thrones of Austria, Bavaria, Italy, and Portugal.

Guillaume’s mother Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, was born Maria Teresa Mestre y Batista-Falla in Havana, Cuba. Her parents José Antonio Mestre y Álvarez and María Teresa Batista y Falla de Mestre were both from Cuban bourgeois families of Spanish descent.

Parents, Grandparents, Great-Grandparents, Great-Great-Grandparents, and Great-Great-Great-Grandparents of Prince Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg (born November 11, 1981)

The links below are from Unofficial Royalty,  Wikipedia, Leo’s Genealogics Website, The Peerage, or Geni.

Parents

Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg and Maria Teresa Mestre y Batista-Falla, parents; Credit – Wikipedia

Grandparents

Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg and Princess Joséphine Charlotte of Belgium, paternal grandparents; Credit – Wikipedia

Great-Grandparents

Leopold III, King of the Belgians and Princess Astrid of Sweden, great-grandparents; Credit – Wikipedia

Great-Great-Grandparents

Prince Carl of Sweden and Princess Ingeborg of Denmark, great-great-grandparents; Credit – Wikipedia

Great-Great-Great-Grandparents

Miguel I, former King of Portugal and Princess Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg, two times great-great-great-grandparents; Credit – Wikipedia

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Ancestors of Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden

compiled by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2023

Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden; Credit – Wikipedia

Both of Crown Princess Victoria’s paternal grandparents were great-grandchildren of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. Her paternal grandfather Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden, Duke of Västerbotten was the son of Princess Margaret of Connaught, the daughter of Queen Victoria’s son Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught. Her paternal grandmother Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was the daughter of Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, the son of Queen Victoria’s son Prince Leopold of the United Kingdom, Duke of Albany.

On the side of Victoria’s father King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, all her ancestors from the last six generations are royal except for one great-great-great-great-grandmother Countess Louise Sophie of Danneskiold-Samsøe who was a member of a Danish noble family descended illegitimately from King Christian V of Denmark and his mistress Sophie Amalie Moth. Among Victoria’s ancestors from the last six generations are monarchs of the current monarchies of Sweden and the United Kingdom and the monarchs of the former German monarchies of Anhalt, Baden, German Empire, Nassau, Prussia, Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Schaumburg-Lippe, and Waldeck-Pyrmont.

On the side of her mother Queen Silvia, born Silvia Sommerlath in Heidelberg, Germany, Crown Princess Victoria has a German maternal grandfather, Walther Sommerlath, and a Brazilian maternal grandmother, Alice Soares de Toledo.

Parents, Grandparents, Great-Grandparents, Great-Great-Grandparents, and Great-Great-Great-Grandparents of Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden (born July 14, 1977)

The links below are from Unofficial Royalty,  Wikipedia, Leo’s Genealogics Website, The Peerage, or Geni.

Parents

King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and Silvia Sommerlath, parents; Credit – By Holger Motzkau 2010, Wikipedia/Wikimedia Commons (cc-by-sa-3.0), CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10943255

Grandparents

Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden and Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, paternal grandparents; Credit – Wikipedia

Great-Grandparents

Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Princess Victoria Adelaide of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, great-grandparents; Credit – Wikipedia

Great-Great-Grandparents

King Gustaf V of Sweden and Princess Victoria of Baden, great-great-grandparents; Credit – Wikipedia

Great-Great-Great-Grandparents

Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, twice great-great-great-grandparents; Credit – Wikipedia

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Ancestors of Hereditary Prince Alois of Liechtenstein

compiled by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2023

Hereditary Prince Alois of Liechtenstein; Credit – Wikipedia

The Sovereign Princes of Liechtenstein tended to marry into noble families. However, among  Hereditary Prince Alois’ ancestors are royals from Austria, Bavaria, Portugal, and Spain. Several members of the Liechtenstein princely family including two sovereign princes, Prince Aloys II and the current Prince Hans-Adam II, married into the Kinsky von Wchinitz und Tettau family. The Kinsky von Wchinitz und Tettau family originated in the Kingdom of Bohemia, now located in the Czech Republic, and rose from minor nobles to counts (1628) and to princely status (1747) under the rule of the Habsburgs.

Hereditary Prince Alois, the current heir, married Duchess Sophie in Bavaria, a member of the House of Wittelsbach, formerly the reigning house of the Kingdom of Bavaria. Sophie is also second in line to the Jacobite succession to the British throne. The Jacobites sought to restore the British crown to King James II of England after he was deposed in the Glorious Revolution of 1688 and subsequently, to his heirs. The current Jacobite heir is Sophie’s childless uncle Franz, Duke of Bavaria, who has never pursued the claim. Franz’s heir is Sophie’s father, Maximilian, Duke in Bavaria who only has five daughters. As the eldest of her father’s daughters, Sophie will be his heir to the Jacobite claim and her eldest son Prince Joseph Wenzel is her heir.

Parents, Grandparents, Great-Grandparents, Great-Great-Grandparents, and Great-Great-Great-Grandparents of Hereditary Prince Alois of Liechtenstein (born June 11, 1968) 

The links below are from Unofficial Royalty,  Wikipedia, Leo’s Genealogics Website, The Peerage, or Geni.

Parents

Prince Hans-Adam II of Liechtenstein and Countess Marie Aglaë Kinsky von Wchinitz und Tettau, Alois’ parents; Credit – Wikipedia

Grandparents

Franz Joseph II, Prince of Liechtenstein and Countess Georgina von Wilczek, paternal grandparents; Credit – Wikipedia

Great-Grandparents

Prince Aloys of Liechtenstein and Archduchess Elisabeth Amalie of Austria, great-grandparents; Credit – Wikipedia

Great-Great-Grandparents

Archduke Karl Ludwig of Austria and Infanta Maria Theresa of Portugal, great-great-grandparents; Credit – Wikipedia

Great-Great-Great-Grandparents

Archduke Franz Karl of Austria and Princess Sophie of Bavaria, great-great-great-grandparents; Credit – Wikipedia

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Ancestors of Crown Prince Haakon of Norway

compiled by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2023

Crown Prince Haakon of Norway; Credit – Wikipedia

In the early part of its existence (872-1319), the Kingdom of Norway was ruled, for the most part, by independent kings who were actual Norwegians. However, from 1319-1905, the Kingdom of Norway was either in a union with the Kingdom of Denmark, the Kingdom of Sweden, or the Kalmar Union which was a union of the Kingdoms of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. During this time period, Norway was ruled by either the monarch of Denmark or the monarch of Sweden.

In 1905, upon the dissolution of the union between Sweden and Norway, the Norwegian government began searching for candidates to become King of Norway. Because of his descent from the early independent Norwegian kings, as well as the British connections of his wife and first cousin Princess Maud, daughter of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom, Prince Carl of Denmark, the second son of King Frederik VIII of Denmark, was the overwhelming favorite to become the King of Norway. Carl took the Old Norse name Haakon which had been the name of six early independent Kings of Norway and reigned as King Haakon VII. His two-year-old son Prince Alexander of Denmark was renamed Olav, became Crown Prince of Norway, and later reigned as King Olav V of Norway.

Among the ancestors of the first three kings of modern Norway, King Haakon VII, King Olav V, and King Harald V, are monarchs of Denmark, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, along with many royals from the German monarchies but most likely these three kings had very little Norwegian DNA. This will change when Crown Prince Haakon becomes King of Norway because his commoner mother Queen Sonja, born Sonja Haraldsen in Norway, most likely has nearly 100% Norwegian DNA.

Parents, Grandparents, Great-Grandparents, Great-Great-Grandparents, and Great-Great-Great-Grandparents of Crown Prince Haakon of Norway (born July 20, 1973)

The links below are from Unofficial Royalty,  Wikipedia, Leo’s Genealogics Website, The Peerage, or Geni.

Parents

Haakon’s parents King Harald and Sonja Haraldsen; Photo: Royal House of Norway

Grandparents

King Olav V of Norway and Princess Märtha of Sweden, paternal grandparents; Credit – Wikipedia

Great-Grandparents

Prince Carl of Sweden and Princess Ingeborg of Denmark, great-grandparents; Credit – Wikipedia

Great-Great-Grandparents

King Edward VII of the United Kingdom and Princess Alexandra of Denmark, great-great-grandparents; Credit – Wikipedia

Great-Great-Great-Grandparents

King Christian IX of Denmark and Princess Louise of Hesse-Kassel,  great-great-great-grandparents three times; Credit – Wikipedia

Sources:

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