Category Archives: Current Monarchies

Margarete Gertrud von der Schulenburg, Illegitimate Daughter of King George I of Great Britain

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2024

Margarete Gertrud von der Schulenburg; Credit – kleio.org

The early kings from the British House of Hanover did not publicize their illegitimate children. King George I had three illegitimate daughters with his long-term mistress Melusine von der Schulenburg before he became King of Great Britain. At the time of Anna Luise Sophie’s birth her father, the future King George I of Great Britain, was the heir of his father Ernst August, Elector of Hanover, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, Prince of Calenberg. George succeeded to those titles when his father died in 1698.

Margrete Gertrud’s father King George I of Great Britain; Credit – Wikipedia

The British House of Stuart failed to provide a legitimate Protestant heir as required by the Act of Settlement of 1701. When Queen Anne of Great Britain died on August 1, 1714, George, Elector of Hanover, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, Prince of Calenberg was the closest Protestant heir to the British throne. George’s mother was Sophia of the Palatinate, commonly called Electress Sophia of Hanover. Sophia was the daughter of Elizabeth Stuart, the second child and eldest daughter of King James VI of Scotland/King James I of England. Therefore, the Protestant, German-born George, Elector of Hanover, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, Prince of Calenberg became King George I of Great Britain, the first monarch of the British House of Hanover, bypassing dozens of Catholics with a better hereditary claim to the British throne.

Margarete Gertrud von der Schulenburg was born on January 10, 1701, in the Electorate of Hanover, now in the German state of Lower Saxony, the daughter of the future King George I of Great Britain and his mistress Melusine von der Schulenburg. Her paternal grandparents were Ernst August, Elector of Hanover, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Sophia of the Palatinate. Her maternal grandparents were Gustavus Adolphus, Freiherr (Baron) von der Schulenburg (link in German) and his first wife Petronella Ottilie von Schwencken.

Margarete Gertrud’s mother Melusine von der Schulenburg; Credit – Wikipedia

Margarete Getrud’s mother Melusine von der Schulenburg came from an old Brandenburg noble family. Her father served as a member of the Brandenburg Privy Council. Melusine’s mother died in childbirth along with her last child. In 1690, Melusine became a maid of honor to Electress Sophia of Hanover, the mother of the future King George I. A year later, Melusine became George’s mistress. In 1694, George annulled his marriage to Sophia Dorothea of Celle after she fell in love with the Swedish Count Philip Christoph von Königsmarck, an officer in the Hanoverian army. Königsmarck disappeared and it was widely believed that George ordered Königsmarck’s death. Sophia Dorothea was banished to the Castle of Ahlden in her father’s territory of the Principality of Celle now in Lower Saxony, Germany. She was not allowed to remarry, would never again see her children, and was kept as a prisoner at the Castle of Ahlden until she died in 1727. George did not marry again and Melusine remained his mistress until he died, also in 1727.

Margarete Gertrud had two full sisters:

Margarete Gertrud had two half-siblings from her father’s marriage to Sophia Dorothea of Celle:

Margarete Gertrud and her sisters Petronilla Melusina and Anna Luise Sophie were never openly acknowledged as King George I’s children. Instead, two of their mother’s sisters and their husbands officially acknowledged them. Anna Luise and Melusina were raised by Melusine’s sister Margarete Gertrud and her husband and distant cousin Friedrich Achaz von der Schulenburg. Margarete was raised by Melusine’s sister Sophie Juliane and her husband Rabe Christoph, Count (Graf) von Oeynhausen. Sometimes Margarete Gertrud is referred to as Margarete Gertrud von Oeynhausen.

In 1714, King George I made his state entry into London accompanied by his mistress Melusine von der Schulenburg, nicknamed “the Maypole” by the British because of her tall thin appearance. Melusine and their daughters lived with King George I in the royal palaces and acted as his hostess. At Kensington Palace, Melusine had a three-story apartment overlooking the gardens. Melusine became a naturalized British citizen in 1716 and in the same year was created Duchess of Munster, Countess and Marchioness of Dungannon, and Baroness of Dundalk for life. In 1719, she was further created Duchess of Kendal, Countess of Feversham, and Baroness of Glastonbury and Somerset for life.

Margarete Gertrud’s husband Albrecht Wolfgang, Count of Schaumburg-Lippe; Credit – Wikipedia

Nicknamed Trundchen, Margarete Gertrud was the favorite of her father King George I. At her father’s court, she met the future Albrecht Wolfgang, Count of Schaumburg-Lippe. Albrecht Wolfgang and his brother were educated in England because of their parents’ estrangement and eventual divorce. In 1720, Albrecht Wolfgang entered King George I’s service at court. King George I thought Albrecht Wolfgang would be a good match for Margarete Gertrud.

Before the couple married in 1721, King George I asked Holy Roman Emperor Karl VI to grant Margarete Gertrud an imperial title so her marriage to Albrecht Wolfgang would be an equal marriage. Karl VI agreed and created Margarete Gertrud Countess of Oeynhausen. It was also a political marriage. The County of Schaumburg-Lippe bordered the Electorate of Hanover, and King George I was also the Elector of Hanover. The marriage allied the County of Schaumburg-Lippe with George I thereby neutralizing any territorial expansion of the Electorate of Hanover and providing the small County of Schaumburg-Lippe protection against claims of the Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel. There was a clause in the marriage contract that King George I would defend the County of Schaumburg-Lippe against its enemies.

Margarete Gertrud and Albrecht Wolfgang’s son Wilhelm, Count of Schaumburg-Lippe; Credit – Wikipedia

Margarete Gertrud and Albrecht Wolfgang had two sons:

The Princely Mausoleum at the St. Martini Church; Credit –  Von Beckstet – Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9678304

Twenty-five-year-old Margarete Gertrud died from tuberculosis in Mannheim, then in the Electorate of the Palatinate, now in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, on April 8, 1726, two years before her husband became the Sovereign Count of Schaumburg-Lipps. She was buried in the Princely Mausoleum at the St. Martini Church (links in German) in Stadthagen, then in the County of Schaumburg-Lippe, now in the German state of Lower Saxony.

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

  • Autoren der Wikimedia-Projekte. (2005). Graf von Schaumburg-Lippe-Bückeburg. Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albrecht_Wolfgang_(Schaumburg-Lippe)
  • Beauclerk-Dewar, Peter & Powell, Roger. (2006). Right Royal Bastards – The Fruits of Passion. Burke’s Peerage & Gentry LLC.
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2015). King George I of Great Britain. Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-george-i-of-great-britain/
  • ‌Flantzer, Susan. (2020). Melusine von der Schulenburg, Duchess of Kendal, Mistress of King George I of Great Britain. Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/melusine-von-der-schulenburg-duchess-of-kendal-mistress-of-king-george-i-of-great-britain/
  • Margaret Gertrude, Countess of Oeynhausen. Geni_family_tree. (2022). https://www.geni.com/people/Margaret-Gertrude-Countess-of-Oeynhausen/6000000000769944176
  • Margarete Gertrud von Oeynhausen (1701-1726) -… (2023). Findagrave.com. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/35295100/margarete_gertrud_von_oeynhausen
  • Melusine von der Schulenburg, Duchess of Kendal. (2024, July 16). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melusine_von_der_Schulenburg
  • Weir, Alison. (2008). Britain’s Royal Families – The Complete Genealogy. Vintage Books.

Opening of the Parliamentary Session – Sweden – 2nd Tuesday of September

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2024

Parliament House in Stockholm, Sweden; By Photo by CEphoto, Uwe Aranas or alternatively © CEphoto, Uwe Aranas, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=56836627

The Opening of the Parliamentary Session is held on the second Tuesday of September to mark the new parliamentary year. The current ceremony, first held in 1975, replaced an older ceremony known as the Solemn Opening of the Riksdag. During the ceremony, the monarch declares the new session open and the Prime Minister of Sweden makes a speech outlining the government’s plans for the upcoming year.

Storkyrkan (to the right is the Royal Palace of Stockholm); By Julian Herzog, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=62714436

In the morning, the members of the Riksdag, the Swedish Parliament, meet in Parliament House for a roll call. Then they walk the short distance to the Storkyrkan, in English, the Great Church, also known as Stockholm Cathedral and Saint Nicholas Church, for a special service conducted by the Archbishop of Uppsala or the Bishop of Stockholm.

King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and  Speaker of the Riksdag Andreas Norlen lead the Swedish royal family into the Storkyrkan; Credit – Swedish Royal Court, Photo: Pontus Lundahl/TT

The tradition of holding a church service before the Opening of the Parliamentary Session dates back hundreds of years. Members of the Swedish royal family attend and family of the Riksdag members also attend the service.

After the church service, Riksdag members walk from Storkyrkan to the Parliament building Credit – Swedish Royal Court, Photo – Sara Friberg

After the church service, the Riksdag members walk back to Parliament House, entering through its main entrance and walking up the grand staircase.

Speaker of the Riksdag Andreas Norlen, King Carl XVI Gustaf, Queen Silvia, Crown Princess Victoria, Prince Daniel, Princess Sofia, and Prince Carl Philp arrive at the opening of the Riksdag in 2022

The Swedish royal family travels from the Royal Palace of Stockholm to Parliament House in coaches escorted by the Life Guards on horses. The royal family wears black and white, harkening back to when they wore black and white court dress. A trumpet fanfare announces the royal family’s arrival and the Speaker of the Riksdag is waiting to greet them.

When the monarch enters the Riksdag chamber, the Kungssången (The King’s Song), the Swedish royal anthem, is sung. It is also sung on the monarch’s birthday and at the Nobel Prize ceremonies but is not considered the Swedish national anthem. While The King’s Song is sung, the royal family and the prime minister take their seats.

King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden addressing the Riksdag

The Speaker of the Riksdag invites the monarch to the rostrum where he/she delivers a short speech that includes topics the monarch thinks are important for the upcoming parliamentary year and words of encouragement to the Riksdag members. The monarch then declares the new session of the Riksdag open and is seated with the rest of the royal family. The Prime Minister then presents the Statement of Government Policy, outlining the policies the government intends to pursue during the coming year. During the ceremony, there are various musical performances. The Opening of the Parliamentary Session concludes with the singing of the Swedish national anthem “Du gamla, du fria” (“Thou old, Thou free”).

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

  • HM The King opens the Parliamentary Session. (2022). Kungahuset.se. https://www.kungahuset.se/english/archive/news/2022-09-27-hm-the-king-opens-the-parliamentary-session
  • The opening of the Riksdag Session. (2024). Riksdagen.se. https://www.riksdagen.se/en/news/the-opening-of-the-riksdag-session/
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2024). Opening of the Riksdag. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opening_of_the_Riksdag#:~:text=It%20is%20held%20every%20year

Petronilla Melusina von der Schulenburg, Illegitimate Daughter of King George I of Great Britain

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2024

Petronilla Melusina von der Schulenburg; Credit – Wikipedia

The early kings from the British House of Hanover did not publicize their illegitimate children. King George I had three illegitimate daughters with his long-term mistress Melusine von der Schulenburg before he became King of Great Britain. At the time of Anna Luise Sophie’s birth her father, the future King George I of Great Britain, was the heir of his father Ernst August, Elector of Hanover, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, Prince of Calenberg. George succeeded to those titles when his father died in 1698.

Melusina’s father King George I of Great Britain; Credit – Wikipedia

The British House of Stuart failed to provide a legitimate Protestant heir as required by the Act of Settlement of 1701. When Queen Anne of Great Britain died on August 1, 1714, George, Elector of Hanover, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, Prince of Calenberg was the closest Protestant heir to the British throne. George’s mother was Sophia of the Palatinate, commonly called Electress Sophia of Hanover. Sophia was the daughter of Elizabeth Stuart, the second child and eldest daughter of King James VI of Scotland/King James I of England. Therefore, the Protestant, German-born George, Elector of Hanover, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, Prince of Calenberg became King George I of Great Britain, the first monarch of the British House of Hanover, bypassing dozens of Catholics with a better hereditary claim to the British throne.

Petronilla Melusina von der Schulenburg was born on April 1, 1693, in the Electorate of Hanover, now in the German state of Lower Saxony, the daughter of the future King George I of Great Britain and his mistress Melusine von der Schulenburg. Called Melusina, her paternal grandparents were Ernst August, Elector of Hanover, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Sophia of the Palatinate. Her maternal grandparents were Gustavus Adolphus, Freiherr (Baron) von der Schulenburg (link in German) and his first wife Petronella Ottilie von Schwencken

Melusina’s mother Melusine von der Schulenburg; Credit – Wikipedia

Melusina’s mother Melusine von der Schulenburg came from an old Brandenburg noble family. Her father served as a member of the Brandenburg Privy Council. Melusine’s mother died in childbirth along with her last child. In 1690, Melusine became a maid of honor to Electress Sophia of Hanover, the mother of the future King George I. A year later, Melusine became George’s mistress. In 1694, George annulled his marriage to Sophia Dorothea of Celle after she fell in love with the Swedish Count Philip Christoph von Königsmarck, an officer in the Hanoverian army. Königsmarck disappeared and it was widely believed that George ordered Königsmarck’s death. Sophia Dorothea was banished to the Castle of Ahlden in her father’s territory of the Principality of Celle now in Lower Saxony, Germany. She was not allowed to remarry, would never again see her children, and was kept as a prisoner at the Castle of Ahlden until she died in 1727. George did not marry again and Melusine remained his mistress until he died, also in 1727.

Melusina had two full sisters:

Melusina had two half-siblings from her father’s marriage to Sophia Dorothea of Celle:

Melusina and her sisters Anna Luise Sophie and Margarethe Gertrud were never openly acknowledged as King George I’s children. Instead, two of their mother’s sisters and their husbands officially acknowledged them. Anna Luise and Melusina were raised by Melusine’s sister Margarete Gertrud and her husband and distant cousin Friedrich Achaz von der Schulenburg. Margarethe was raised by Melusine’s sister Sophie Juliane and her husband Rabe Christoph, Count (Graf) von Oeynhausen.

In 1714, King George I made his state entry into London accompanied by his mistress Melusine von der Schulenburg, nicknamed “the Maypole” by the British because of her tall thin appearance. Melusine and their daughters lived with King George I in the royal palaces and acted as his hostess. At Kensington Palace, Melusine had a three-story apartment overlooking the gardens.  Melusine became a naturalized British citizen in 1716 and in the same year was created Duchess of Munster, Countess and Marchioness of Dungannon, and Baroness of Dundalk for life. In 1719, she was further created Duchess of Kendal, Countess of Feversham, and Baroness of Glastonbury and Somerset for life.

In 1722, Melusina’s father King George I created her Baroness Aldborough and Countess of Walsingham for life. When King George I died in 1727, Melusina’s mother used the bequest from George to purchase a house near the River Thames in Isleworth in west London, which she named Kendal House, after one of her peerages. Melusina lived with her mother at Kendal House until her marriage.

September 5, 1733, forty-year-old Melusina married thirty-nine-year-old Philip Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield, a leading Whig politician. Melusina was then Countess of Chesterfield. The couple had no children. Philip held several positions including Lord of the Bedchamber to King George II, Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard, Ambassador to the Netherlands, Lord Steward of the Household, and Lord Lieutenant of Ireland.

Between 1747 and 1752, Philip built Chesterfield House, a London townhouse, where he and Melusina lived when in London. Because Melusina and Philip had no children, Philip protected his title and wealth by adopting his distant cousin and godson Philip Stanhope, a descendant of the 1st Earl of Chesterfield, as his heir and successor to the title of Earl of Chesterfield. Philip Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield died at Chesterfield House in London on March 24, 1773, aged 78. He was buried at Saints Peter and Paul Churchyard in Shelford, Rushcliffe Borough, Nottinghamshire, England, the traditional burial place of the Stanhope family.

Grosvenor Chapel where Melusina is buried with her sister Anna Luise Sophie and her mother; Credit – By GrindtXX – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=90320190

Melusina survived her husband by five years, dying on September 16, 1778, aged 85. She was buried with her mother and sister Anna Luise Sophie at Grosvenor Chapel in South Audley Street, London, England

Works Cited

  • Beauclerk-Dewar, Peter & Powell, Roger. (2006). Right Royal Bastards – The Fruits of Passion. Burke’s Peerage & Gentry LLC.
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2015). King George I of Great Britain. Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-george-i-of-great-britain/
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2020). Melusine von der Schulenburg, Duchess of Kendal, Mistress of King George I of Great Britain. Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/melusine-von-der-schulenburg-duchess-of-kendal-mistress-of-king-george-i-of-great-britain/
  • Melusina von der Schulenburg, Countess of Walsingham. geni_family_tree. (2023, January 6). https://www.geni.com/people/Melusina-von-der-Schulenburg-Countess-of-Walsingham/6000000003693108543
  • Melusine von der Schulenburg, Duchess of Kendal. (2024, July 16). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melusine_von_der_Schulenburg
  • Weir, Alison. (2008). Britain’s Royal Families – The Complete Genealogy. Vintage Books.
  • Wikimedia Foundation. (2024). Melusina von der Schulenburg, Countess of Walsingham. Wikipedia.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melusina_von_der_Schulenburg,_Countess_of_Walsingham

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.

Monaco – Accession to the Throne Ceremonies

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2024

Prince Albert II of Monaco prays at the November 19, 2005 Mass; Photo: Zimbio

When the Sovereign Prince or Princess of Monaco dies, royal powers are automatically conferred upon his/her heir. At the end of the official mourning period, the accession of the new Sovereign Prince or Princess is celebrated with three ceremonies. Prince Rainier III (reigned 1949 – 2005) had ceremonies similar to the ones of his son and successor Prince Albert II. This article is based on  Prince Albert II’s ceremonies and events.

Prince Albert II followed by his sisters and brother-in-law arrives at the Cathedral of Monaco on July 12, 2005

On July 12, 2005, at the end of the official mourning period following the death of his father Prince Rainier III on April 6, 2005, Prince Albert II was officially proclaimed Sovereign Prince of Monaco at a morning Mass presided over by Bernard Barsi, Archbishop of Monaco. at the Cathedral of Monaco (also called St. Nicholas’ Cathedral) in Monaco-Ville, Monaco.

Prince Albert II with the two keys of the city as a symbol of his investiture

In the afternoon, Prince Albert II hosted a garden party at the Prince’s Palace of Monaco for 7,000 citizens of Monaco. Prince Albert II was presented with two keys of the city as a symbol of his investiture. He then gave a speech setting out the priorities of his reign, making Monaco “a model society, a society model”. The evening ended with fireworks over the waterfront.

Prince Albert II sits on the throne during his investment ceremony on November 17, 2005, in the Throne Room at the Prince’s Palace

On November 18, 2005, Prince Albert was formally invested as the Sovereign Prince of Monaco during a ceremony in the Throne Room at the Prince’s Palace in Monte Carlo, Monaco. As the Sovereign Prince of Monaco, Prince Albert is the Grand Master of the Order of Saint Charles, Monaco’s highest honor. He was invested as a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Saint Charles in 1979. At the November 18 ceremony, Prince Albert received the Grand Master’s Grand Collar of The Order of Saint Charles by Chancellor of the Order, Jean-Joseph Pastor.

Prince Albert II receives the Grand Collar of The Order of Saint Charles

In the evening of November 18, 2005, Prince Albert hosted a dinner with some of the foreign royalty including Prince Joachim of Denmark, Prince Feisal of Jordan, Hereditary Prince Alois and Hereditary Princess Sophie of Liechtenstein, Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume of Luxembourg, Prince Moulay Rachid of Morocco, Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, and The Earl and Countess of Wessex (now The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh).

Prince Ernst-August of Hanover, Princess Caroline of Hanover, Prince Albert II of Monaco, Princess Stephanie of Monaco, and Princess Antoinette of Monaco at the November 19 Pontifical Mass

On November 19, 2005, coinciding with Monaco’s National Day, a Pontifical High Mass was celebrated at the Cathedral of Monaco, witnessed by 800 guests including royalty from Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. The day ended with an evening gala and a performance of Gioachino Rossini’s opera Il Viaggio a Reims (Voyage to Reims) at the Opéra de Monte-Carlo.

Andrea Casiraghi, Princess Caroline of Hanover, Prince Ernst August of Hanover and Charlotte Casiraghi surround Prince Albert II in the royal box at at the Opéra de Monte-Carlo

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

  • Albert II. (2020, August 5). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_II
  • Albert’s Accession. (2005, July 12). CBSnews.com; CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/alberts-accession/19/
  • BBC NEWS | World | Europe | Monaco’s Albert II assumes throne. (2024). Bbc.co.uk. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4674109.stm
  • Contributeurs aux projets Wikimedia. (2007, January 6). Ordre Honorifique Monégasque. Wikipedia.org; Fondation Wikimedia, Inc. https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ordre_de_Saint-Charles
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2014). Prince Albert II of Monaco. Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/prince-albert-ii-of-monaco/
  • NBC Universal. (2005, November 19). Monaco’s Albert II ascends to the throne. NBC News; NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna10108054
  • news24. (2024). Enthronment Mass for Prince. News24; News24. https://www.news24.com/news24/enthronment-mass-for-prince-20051119
  • Prince Albert’s Monaco enthronement complete – ABC News. (2005, November 19). ABC News. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2005-11-20/prince-alberts-monaco-enthronement-complete/744076
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2024, July 20). Order of Saint Charles. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_Saint_Charles

Anna Luise Sophie von der Schulenburg, Illegitimate daughter of King George I of Great Britain

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2024

Anna Luise Sophie von der Schulenburg; Credit – www.geni.com

The early kings from the British House of Hanover did not publicize their illegitimate children. King George I had three illegitimate daughters with his long-term mistress Melusine von der Schulenburg before he became King of Great Britain. At the time of Anna Luise Sophie’s birth her father, the future King George I of Great Britain, was the heir of his father Ernst August, Elector of Hanover, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, Prince of Calenberg. George succeeded to those titles when his father died in 1698.

Anna Luise Sophie’s father King George I of Great Britain; Credit – Wikipedia

The British House of Stuart failed to provide a legitimate Protestant heir as required by the Act of Settlement of 1701. When Queen Anne of Great Britain died on August 1, 1714, George, Elector of Hanover, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, Prince of Calenberg was the closest Protestant heir to the British throne. George’s mother was Sophia of the Palatinate, commonly called Electress Sophia of Hanover. Sophia was the daughter of Elizabeth Stuart, the second child and eldest daughter of King James VI of Scotland/King James I of England. Therefore, the Protestant, German-born George, Elector of Hanover, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, Prince of Calenberg became King George I of Great Britain, the first monarch of the British House of Hanover, bypassing dozens of Catholics with a better hereditary claim to the British throne.

Anna Luise Sophie von der Schulenburg was born in January 1692, in Hehlen, then in the Electorate of Hanover, now in the German state of Lower Saxony, the daughter of the future King George I of Great Britain and his mistress Melusine von der Schulenburg. The family of her mother Melusine von der Schulenburg owned Hehlen Castle, so Anna Luise Sophie was probably born there. Anna Sophia’s paternal grandparents were Ernst August, Elector of Hanover, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Sophia of the Palatinate. Her maternal grandparents were Gustavus Adolphus, Freiherr (Baron) von der Schulenburg (link in German) and his first wife Petronella Ottilie von Schwencken.

Anna Luise Sophie’s mother Melusine von der Schulenburg; Credit – Wikipedia

Anna Luise Sophie’s mother Melusine von der Schulenburg came from an old Brandenburg noble family. Her father served as a member of the Brandenburg Privy Council. Melusine’s mother died in childbirth along with her last child. In 1690, Melusine became a maid of honor to Electress Sophia of Hanover, the mother of the future King George I. A year later, Melusine became George’s mistress. In 1694, George annulled his marriage to Sophia Dorothea of Celle after she fell in love with the Swedish Count Philip Christoph von Königsmarck, an officer in the Hanoverian army. Königsmarck disappeared and it was widely believed that George ordered Königsmarck’s death. Sophia Dorothea was banished to the Castle of Ahlden in her father’s territory of the Principality of Celle now in Lower Saxony, Germany. She was not allowed to remarry, would never again see her children, and was kept as a prisoner at the Castle of Ahlden until she died in 1727. George did not marry again and Melusine remained his mistress until he died, also in 1727.

Anna Luise Sophie had two younger full sisters:

Anna Luise Sophie had two half-siblings from her father’s marriage to Sophia Dorothea of Celle:

Melusine’s daughters were never openly acknowledged as George’s children. Instead, two of Melusine’s sisters and their husbands officially acknowledged them. Anna Luise and Petronilla, known as Melusina, were raised by Melusine’s sister Margarete Gertrud and her husband and distant cousin Friedrich Achaz von der Schulenburg. Margarethe was raised by Melusine’s sister Sophie Juliane and her husband Rabe Christoph, Count (Graf) von Oeynhausen.

In 1714, King George I made his state entry into London accompanied by his mistress Melusine von der Schulenburg, nicknamed “the Maypole” by the British because of her tall thin appearance. Melusine became a naturalized British citizen in 1716 and in the same year was created Duchess of Munster, Countess and Marchioness of Dungannon, and Baroness of Dundalk for life. In 1719, she was further created Duchess of Kendal, Countess of Feversham, and Baroness of Glastonbury and Somerset for life.

Prince House (Fürstenhaus); Credit – By Recherche, Scans, Arbeitsleistung gestiftet von: Bernd Schwabe in Hannover – eigenes “Werk” mit Hilfe einer dankenswerterweise geliehenen Kamera, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=14876713

On December 31, 1707, Anna Luise Sophie married Ernst August Philipp von dem Bussche zu Ippenburg but the marriage was unhappy and childless. In 1716, Anna Luise Sophie’s husband caught her in bed with another man and divorced her. However, Anna Luise Sophie’s father remained fond of her. In 1720, King George I built the Prince House (Fürstenhaus), a small palace on the grounds of Herrenhausen Gardens in Hanover, now in Germany, for Anna Luise Sophie. King George II also arranged for Karl VI, Holy Roman Emperor to grant Anna Luise Sophie the title Grafin von Delitz (Countess of Delitz) in 1722. Eventually, Anna Luise Sophie sold the Prince House and bought a house in the Paddington section of London. However, the Prince House is still owned by the German Hanover family.

Grosvenor Chapel where Anna Luise Sophie is buried with her mother; Credit – By GrindtXX – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=90320190

On November 2, 1773, 81-year-old Anna Luise Sophie died at her home in London. She requested to be buried with her mother at Grosvenor Chapel in South Audley Street, London, England. Her sister Melusina was buried at Grosvenor Chapel when she died in 1778.

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

  • Beauclerk-Dewar, Peter & Powell, Roger. (2006). Right Royal Bastards – The Fruits of Passion. Burke’s Peerage & Gentry LLC.
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2015). King George I of Great Britain. Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-george-i-of-great-britain/
  • ‌Flantzer, Susan. (2020). Melusine von der Schulenburg, Duchess of Kendal, Mistress of King George I of Great Britain. Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/melusine-von-der-schulenburg-duchess-of-kendal-mistress-of-king-george-i-of-great-britain/
  • Melusine von der Schulenburg, Duchess of Kendal. (2024, July 16). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melusine_von_der_Schulenburg
  • Weir, Alison. (2008). Britain’s Royal Families – The Complete Genealogy. Vintage Books.

Luxembourg National Day – June 23 – Luxembourg

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2024

Grand Ducal Family on National Day 2024; Credit – ©House of the Grand Duke / Kary Barthelmey (L to R: Prince Félix, Prince Louis, Princess Alexandra and her husband Nicolas Bagory, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, Grand Duke Henri, Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie and Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume)

Luxembourg National Day is celebrated every year on June 23. The official birthday of the reigning Grand Duke or Grand Duchess is also celebrated on that day.

Background

Before 1961, the date of Luxembourg National Day changed with each reign and was celebrated on the birthday of the reigning Grand Duke or Grand Duchess. When Grand Duchess Charlotte came to the throne in 1919, Luxembourg National Day was celebrated on her birthday, January 23, in the middle of winter. Her son and eventual heir Grand Duke Jean was also born in January. On December 23, 1961, by Grand Ducal decree, Grand Duchess Charlotte declared Luxembourg National Day would be permanently celebrated on June 23 when the weather would be more favorable. Celebrations begin on June 22 and continue through June 23.

What happens on Luxembourg National Day?

June 22

Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume and Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie visit Esch-Uelzecht (2024); Credit – © SIP / Emmanuel Claude

The reigning Grand Duke or reigning Grand Duchess and his/her spouse make an official visit to a town in Luxembourg. The Hereditary Grand Duke or Duchess and his/her spouse make an official visit to Esch-Uelzecht, Luxembourg’s second-largest city.

At the Grand Ducal Palace in Luxembourg City, the capital and largest city in Luxembourg, there is a ceremonial changing of the guard at 4:00 PM.

Torchlight Procession (2024); Credit – © House of the Grand Duke / Claude Pisctelli

In the evening, national and local associations, brass bands, and folk groups parade through the streets of Luxembourg City in a torchlight procession.

Fireworks (2024); Credit – © House of the Grand Duke / Claude Piscitelli

At 11:00 PM, a large firework display set off from the Adolphe Bridge in Luxembourg City.

June 23

Civil Ceremony at the Philharmonie Luxembourg (2024); Credit – © House of the Grand Duke / Kary Barthelmey

The celebrations begin with a civil ceremony at the Philharmonie Luxembourg, known officially as the Grande-Duchesse Joséphine-Charlotte Concert Hall, in Luxembourg City. The reigning Grand Duke or the reigning Grand Duchess, the President of the Parliament, and the Prime Minister give speeches to an audience of government officials, foreign diplomats accredited to Luxembourg, and other dignitaries. The reigning Grand Duke or reigning Grand Duchess awards the Order of Civil and Military Merit of Adolphe of Nassau to individuals who have distinguished themselves by their loyalty and meritorious services to the Grand Duke, the Grand-Ducal House Maison, and the country.

After the ceremony at the Philharmonie Luxembourg, a 21-gun salute is fired in honor of the reigning Grand Duke or the reigning Grand Duchess.

Grand Duke Henri and Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume and the Chief of Staff review the troops (2024); Credit – © House of the Grand Duke / Kary Barthelmey

At noon there is a military parade on Liberty Avenue. The Grand Duke, the Hereditary Grand Duke, and the Chief of Staff review the troops, who salute them in return with a resounding triple “Vive! Vive! Vive!” (Long Live! Long Live! Long Live!). Besides the Luxembourg Armed Forces, the Grand Ducal Police, the Customs and Excise Administration, the Prison Administration, the Grand Ducal Fire and Rescue Corps, the Luxembourg Red Cross, and the Grand Duke Adolphe Union march participate in the parade.

The Grand Ducal Family attending the Te Deum (2024); Credit – Credit – © House of the Grand Duke / Kary Barthelmey

In the afternoon, the Te Deum, a religious service of blessing and thanks, is held at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg.

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

  • Autoren der Wikimedia-Projekte. (2005, September 6). Lëtzebuerger Nationalfeierdag. Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://lb.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%C3%ABtzebuerger_Nationalfeierdag
  • Luxemburgischer Nationalfeiertag. (2024). Wikipedia. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luxemburgischer_Nationalfeiertag
  • News | Cour grand-ducale. (n.d.). Monarchie.lu. Retrieved August 1, 2024, from https://monarchie.lu/en/news/categories/fete-nationale-37
  • The National Day: Celebrations of the Grand Duke’s birthday | Cour grand-ducale. (n.d.). Www.monarchie.lu. https://monarchie.lu/en/head-state/national-day
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2020). Grand Duke’s Official Birthday. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Duke%27s_Official_Birthday

Catherine Darnley, Illegitimate Daughter of King James II of England

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2024

Lady Catherine Darnley – by Robert Grave, after Christian Friedrich Zincke line engraving, early 19th century NPG D31025 © National Portrait Gallery, London

Catherine Darnely (Catherine Sheffield, Duchess of Buckingham and Normanby), born circa 1681 – 1682, was the illegitimate daughter of King James II of England (reigned 1685 – 1688) and his mistress Catherine Sedley, Countess of Dorchester (in her own right). Her surname Darnley is a reference to her father’s great-grandfather Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley, the second husband and first cousin of Mary, Queen of Scots. Catherine Darnley’s paternal grandparents were King Charles I of England and Henrietta Maria of France (the daughter of King Henri IV of France and Marie de’ Medici). Her maternal grandparents were Sir Charles Sedley, 5th Baronet and Lady Catherine Savage. By royal warrant, Lady Catherine Darnley was given the status of a duke’s daughter in the order of precedence.

Catherine’s mother Catherine Sedley; Credit – Wikipedia

Catherine Darnley’s maternal grandfather Sir Charles Sedley belonged to the intimate circle around King Charles II and was known for his wit and extravagant lifestyle. Because of his family’s wealth, his daughter Catherine Sedley was considered a marriage prospect for John Churchill, later 1st Duke of Marlborough. However, negotiations were broken off but not before Catherine Sedley had become a frequent visitor to the court of King Charles II at the Palace of Whitehall in London. Catherine Sedley was eventually appointed a maid of honor to Maria Beatrice of Modena, the second wife of King Charles II’s brother James, Duke of York, the future King James II. Because King Charles II and his wife Catherine of Braganza had no children, his brother James was the heir presumptive to the throne and did succeed his brother in 1685. Catherine Sedley caught the eye of James and became his mistress. In 1686, King James II created his mistress Catherine Sedley Countess of Dorchester in her own right.

Catherine Darnley had two full brothers from King James II’s relationship with her mother Catherine Sedley. Both brothers died in infancy:

  • James Darnley (1684 – 1685)
  • Charles Darnley, died young

Catherine’s father King James II of England; Credit – Wikipedia

Catherine had eight half-siblings from King James II’s first marriage (before he became king) to Lady Anne Hyde but only two survived childhood and both were reigning Queens of England:

Catherine had seven half-siblings from King James II’s second marriage to Maria Beatrice of Modena but only the youngest two survived childhood:

In 1688, the Glorious Revolution forced seven-year-old Catherine Darnley’s father King James II of England to vacate the throne in favor of his daughter (and Catherine’s half-sister) Queen Mary II and her husband and first cousin (also Catherine’s first cousin) King William III. The former King James II, his second wife Maria Beatrice of Modena, and their son James Edward Francis Stuart, the former Prince of Wales (Catherine’s half-brother) were exiled. They settled in France, where King James II’s first cousin King Louis XIV provided him with the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye in France. Later in her life, Catherine Darnley was a supporter of the rights of her half-brother James Edward Francis Stuart, The Old Pretender, and often visited him in Rome, where he had organized a Jacobite court.

Seven-year-old Catherine Darnley and her mother Catherine Sedley, Countess of Dorchester, remained in England where the Countess’ father boasted about his support for the new king and queen: “Well I am even with King James in point of civility, for as he made my daughter a Countess, so I have helped to make his daughter a Queen.” Catherine Sedley had no qualms about attending the court of her half-sister Queen Mary II. She brazenly told Queen Mary II, Remember, Ma’am, if I broke one Commandment with your father, you have broken another against him.”

In 1696, fifteen-year-old Catherine Darnley got a stepfather when her mother married Sir David Colyear, Lieutenant-General of the Scots Brigade, the three Scottish regiments that had fought in the service of William III, Prince of Orange, now King of England. King William III highly regarded Sir David and his military abilities and created him Earl of Portmore.

Catherine Darnley had two half-brothers from her mother’s marriage to David Colyear, 1st Earl of Portmore:

  • David Colyear, Viscount Milsington (1698 – 1728/29), married married Bridget Noel, no children
  • Charles Colyear, 2nd Earl of Portmore (1700 – 1785), married Juliana Hele, widow of Peregrine Osborne, 3rd Duke of Leeds, had two daughters and two sons

On October 28, 1699, at Westminster Abbey in London 18-year-old Catherine Darnley married James Annesley, 3rd Earl of Anglesey. The marriage was unsuccessful due to James’ cruelty to Catherine. Catherine and James were separated in 1701 by an Act of Parliament, with Catherine claiming that James had tried to murder her. James died on January 21, 1702, from tuberculosis.

Catherine and James had one daughter:

  • Lady Catherine Annesley (1700 – 1736), (1) married William Phipps, had two sons and one daughter

John Sheffield, 1st Duke of Buckingham and Normanby by Edward Francis Finden, after Jonathan Richardson stipple engraving, (1703-1705) NPG D32303 © National Portrait Gallery, London

On March 16, 1706, at St. Martin-in-the-Fields Church in London, Catherine became the third wife of John Sheffield, 1st Duke of Buckingham and Normanby, who was thirty-three years older than Catherine. John was an English poet and Tory politician and served as Lord Privy Seal and Lord President of the Council.

Buckingham House, circa 1710; Credit – Wikipedia

Buckingham House, a large townhouse in London was built by Catherine’s husband John Sheffield, 1st Duke of Buckingham. The core of today’s Buckingham Palace is Buckingham House. King George III bought Buckingham House in 1761 as a private residence for his wife Queen Charlotte and became known as The Queen’s House. During the 19th century, it was enlarged by architects John Nash and Edward Blore, who constructed three wings around a central courtyard. Buckingham Palace became the official residence of the British monarch during the reign of Queen Victoria.

Catherine and John were married until John died in 1721 and they had three sons but sadly, they all died young.

  • John Sheffield, Marquess of Normanby (born and died in 1710), died in infancy
  • Robert Sheffield, Marquess of Normanby (1711 – 1715), died at age four
  • Edmund Sheffield, 2nd Duke of Buckingham and Normanby (1716 – 1735), unmarried, died from tuberculosis at age nineteen

Memorial to JohnSheffield, 1st Duke of Buckingham and his family at Westminster Abbey; Credit – Wikipedia

Catherine died on March 14, 1743, aged about sixty-two, in London, England, and was buried in a vault with her second husband and their three children in the northeastern chapel of the Henry VII Chapel in Westminster Abbey. The memorial depicts the Duke of Buckingham in Roman armor lying on a sarcophagus beside a figure of his wife Catherine. A figure of Time above them holds portrait medallions of their children.

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

  • Beauclerk-Dewar, Peter & Powell, Roger. (2006). Right Royal Bastards – The Fruits of Passion. Burke’s Peerage & Gentry LLC.
  • Catherine Sheffield, Duchess of Buckingham and Normanby. (2024). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catherine_Sheffield,_Duchess_of_Buckingham_and_Normanby
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2020). Catherine Sedley, Countess of Dorchester, Mistress of King James II of England. Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/catherine-sedley-countess-of-dorchester-mistress-of-king-james-ii-of-england/
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2017). King James II of England. Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-james-ii-of-england/
  • James Annesley. (2023). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Annesley
  • John Sheffield. (2021). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Sheffield
  • John Sheffield, Duke of Buckingham & Family. Westminster Abbey. https://www.westminster-abbey.org/abbey-commemorations/commemorations/john-sheffield-duke-of-buckingham-family/
  • Weir, Alison. (2008). Britain’s Royal Families – The Complete Genealogy. Vintage Books.

New Year’s Events – Denmark

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2024

New Year’s Speech – December 31 – Denmark

Queen Margrethe II gave the traditional New Year’s Speech on December 31, 2023. During the speech, she announced she would be abdicating on January 14, 2024 after 52 years on the throne.

Background

Every year at 6:00 PM, on December 31, the Danish monarch delivers the New Year’s Speech from Amalienborg, a complex of four palaces in Copenhagen, Denmark. Queen Margrethe II (reigned 1972 – 2024), who abdicated in 2024, gave the speech from Christian IX’s Palace, her home since 1967. Her son and successor King Frederik X will probably give the speech from Frederik VIII’s Palace, his home at Amalienborg since he married Queen Mary (born Mary Donaldson in Australia) in 2004. The speech is broadcast live on television and radio.

The origins of the New Year’s speech go back to King Christian IX (reigned 1863 – 1906) who gave a “toast to the fatherland” at the New Year’s Banquet on January 1 beginning in the 1880s. During the reign of King Frederik VIII (reigned 1906 – 1912), the nationwide daily newspapers began to publish the New Year’s Speech. In 1909, King Frederik VIII closed his speech with Gud Bevare Danmark! (God preserve Denmark!) Every Danish monarch since has closed their New Year’s Speech in the same manner.

King Christian X riding through Copenhagen on his 70th birthday, September 26, 1940, during the German occupation of Denmark: Credit – Wikipedia

In 1940, during World War II, Germany occupied Denmark. Unlike King Haakon VII of Norway and Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, both of whom went into exile during the German occupation of their countries, King Christian X (reigned 1912 – 1947) remained in Denmark. He is remembered for his daily horse ride without a guard through the streets of Copenhagen during the German occupation of Denmark, a symbol of Danish sovereignty. His New Year’s Speeches during World War II rallied the Danish people and offered hope and encouragement to a country in the grip of a German occupation.

In 1941, King Christian X gave the first New Year’s speech to be broadcast live over the radio, and seventeen years later, his son King Frederik IX gave the first televised New Year’s Speech in 1958. King Frederik IX was skeptical about television and avoided eye contact with the camera.

However, when King Frederik IX’s daughter Queen Margrethe II came to the throne in 1972, she was well aware of television’s impact. Queen Margrethe II was not averse to reprimanding the Danish people, which she did in 1984, criticizing their behavior toward immigrants: “Then we come along with our Danish humor and little stupid, clever remarks. Then we respond to them with cold-heartedness, and then it’s not far to harassment and rougher methods – that’s not nice of us.” On December 31, 2023, in what would be her last New Year’s Speech, Queen Margrethe II unexpectedly announced that she would abdicate in favor of her son Crown Prince Frederik, just two weeks later, on January 14, 2024, the anniversary of her accession to the throne in 1972, upon the death of her father King Frederik IX.

The Text of the New Year’s Speech

In the early years, the Prime Minister’s office wrote the New Year’s speech which the Danish monarch read without making any changes. This changed during the reign of Queen Margrethe II who wanted to write the speech herself. The Prime Minister’s Office sent her a list of suggested topics in mid-October, and then she wrote the speech with the advisement of close colleagues. Shortly before New Year’s Eve, the Prime Minister’s office received the final draft for review.

King Frederik X will probably follow the guidelines of his mother Queen Margrethe II. Her New Year’s Speech began with a general discussion of the past year and then went on to a personal review, and the most important events of the past year. Upcoming events or anniversaries, especially of the royal family, were mentioned. The Danish monarch cannot interfere in politics and stays out of party political issues. However, Queen Margrethe II’s moral values influenced by her Christian faith were often evident. In her first New Year’s Speech in 1972, Queen Margrethe II expressed her hope for peace in the Vietnam War and addressed Denmark’s entry into the European Economic Community. Special greetings and thanks are given to selected groups at the end of the speech, and thanks are also given to Danes serving abroad or at sea or working in the police and military. The speech ends with the now traditional “Gud Bevare Danmark!” (God preserve Denmark!)

New Year’s Banquet and Levees – Early January – Denmark

Background

Copenhagen Castle circa 1698; Credit – Wikipedia

At least from the time of King Frederik III (reigned 1648 – 1670), the Danish public was allowed to come to Copenhagen Castle on New Year’s Eve, stand in rows along the wall, and watch the Danish royal family and the court eat. On New Year’s Day, anyone could go to the royal apartments to congratulate the King and Queen and deliver gifts and New Year’s poems. This custom ended during the reign of King Christian VI (reigned 1730 – 1746) when Copenhagen Castle was demolished and Christiansborg Palace was built on its site. The Danish royal family moved to Christiansborg Palace where the public did not have access.

Christiansborg Palace, now the home of the Danish Parliament; Credit – Af Julian Herzog (Website) – Eget arbejde, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=36694087

Instead, at midnight, trumpets sounded the New Year from in the Christiansborg Palace courtyard. The Danish royal family and the court wished each other a Happy New Year and exchanged New Year’s gifts. New Year’s music was played indoors at midnight, performed by the Royal Life Guards Music Band, which also performs at today’s New Year’s banquets and levees. In-person New Year’s Day greetings were limited to certain people and groups.

After King Christian V established the Order of Dannebrog in 1671 and the Order of the Elephant in 1693, the knights of the orders and the Danish royal family had a banquet on New Year’s Eve. The first knights of the orders were the king’s court knights and closest advisers who were the government officials of the time. When the Folketing, the People’s Assembly or the Danish Parliament, was established in 1849, the government ministers and leaders of Folketing took their places at the New Year’s banquet tables.

When the New Year’s banquet was no longer exclusively for knights, invitations were extended to the royal ladies, those who managed the royal court, the Royal Life Guards who protected the king, the military who protected the country, and the police who protected the citizens. Leaders of the Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Denmark, the Danish Supreme Court, and the University of Copenhagen also received invitations. Today, leaders of these institutions are also on the guest list for the modern New Year’s Banquet.

Today’s Banquet and Levees

Today, the banquet and levees are held over three days in early January. The banquet is a sit-down dinner and the levees are receptions.

Queen Margrethe II rides in the Golden Carriage from Christian VII’s Palace, Amalienborg to a New Year’s levee at Christiansborg Palace on January 4, 2019.

For levees at Christiansborg Palace, now the seat of the Danish Parliament, the Danish monarch is driven from Amalienborg to Christiansborg Palace, and then back from Christiansborg Palace to Amalienborg in a coach from the Royal Stables, escorted by the Guard Hussar Regiment Mounted Squadron.

Day 1 – January 1

On January 1, a New Year’s Levee and Banquet is held in the Hall of Knights at Christian VII’s Palace, Amalienborg, for the government, the Speaker of the Danish Parliament, other official Danish representatives, and officials of the Royal Court.

Insignia of the Order of the Elephant on the gold chain; Credit – By Sodacan – Own work; Based on: File: Royal Coat of Arms of Denmark. CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9711449

The Order of the Elephant is a Danish order of chivalry and Denmark’s highest-ranked honor. In earlier times, the order was granted primarily to foreign royalty and Danish noblemen.  Now it is granted primarily to members of the Danish royal family and foreign heads of state. On rare occasions, it has been granted to a commoner.

Crown Princess Mary and Crown Prince Frederik (now King and Queen of Denmark) arrive at the New Year’s Levee and Banquet in Christian VII’s Palace on January 1, 2012, wearing the Order of the Elephant on the gold chain

On January 1, at the banquet and levee, the Knights of the Order of the Elephant wear the insignia of the order on a gold chain (above illustration and photo) instead of the usual blue sash. In addition to January 1, the Order of the Elephant is also worn on a gold chain on May 26, the birthday of Frederik X, the current King of Denmark, and on June 28, the birthday of King Valdemar II of Denmark, reigned 1202 – 1241.

Ambassadors to Denmark lined up to be welcomed by Queen Margrethe II at the Traditional New Year’s Levee for the diplomatic corps at Christiansborg Palace on January 3, 2018

Day 2 (date fluctuates)

A New Year’s Levee is held at Christian VII’s Palace, Amalienborg, for Justices of the Supreme Court of Denmark and the Officer Corps of The Royal Life Guard and The Guard Hussar Regiment. Later in the day, a New Year’s Levee is held at Christiansborg Palace for the diplomatic corps.

Queen Margrethe II welcomes Eusebe Agbangla, Niger’s ambassador to Denmark during the New Year’s Levee for the diplomatic corps on January 3, 2019

Day 3 (date fluctuates)

A New Year’s Levee is held at Christiansborg Palace for officers from the Ministry of Defense and the Danish Emergency Management Agency, representatives of major national organizations, and, representatives of the royal patronages.

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

  • Autoren der Wikimedia-Projekte. (2012). Rede der dänischen Königin zum Jahreswechsel. Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neujahrsansprache_der_d%C3%A4nischen_K%C3%B6nigin
  • HISTORY OF THE NEW YEAR’S SPEECH. (n.d.). Www.kongehuset.dk. Retrieved July 20, 2024, from https://www.kongehuset.dk/en/menu/news/history-of-the-new-years-speech
  • New Year’s Banquet and Levees 2024. (n.d.). Www.kongehuset.dk. Retrieved July 20, 2024, from https://www.kongehuset.dk/en/news/new-years-banquet-and-levees-2024
  • Nytårstafler og -kure. (n.d.). Www.kongehuset.dk. Retrieved July 20, 2024, from https://www.kongehuset.dk/monarkiet-i-danmark/begivenheder-i-kongehuset/nytarstafler-og-kure#riddernes-ordensdag
  • Order of the Elephant. (2024). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_the_Elephant

Henry FitzJames, 1st Duke of Albemarle, Illegitimate son of King James II of England

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2024

Henry’s parents King James II of England and Arabella Churchill; Credit – Wikipedia

Henry FitzJames, 1st Duke of Albemarle was the illegitimate son of King James II of England (reigned 1685 – 1688) and his mistress Arabella Churchill. He was born on August 6, 1673, in a private house in St. James’s Square, Westminster, London, England. His surname FitzJames comes partially from Anglo-Norman Fitz, meaning “son” so FitzJames means “son of James”. Henry’s paternal grandparents were King Charles I of England and Henrietta Maria of France (the daughter of King Henri IV of France and Marie de’ Medici). His maternal grandparents were Sir Winston Churchill and Elizabeth Drake. John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, who gained fame as a military leader and courtier during the reign of Queen Anne, was James’ maternal uncle. King Charles II was his paternal uncle.

In 1663, during the reign of King Charles II of England, James’s fifteen-year-old future mother Arabella Churchill was sent to court to be a Maid of Honor to the Duchess of York. The Duchess of York, born Anne Hyde, was the first wife of King Charles II’s brother James, Duke of York, the future King James II. Because King Charles II and his wife Catherine of Braganza had no children, James, Duke of York was the heir presumptive to the throne and did succeed his brother in 1685. Arabella captured James’ eye and by 1665, she was his mistress. The Churchill family was firmly loyal to the royal household, and their only feeling about Arabella’s position as a royal mistress seems to have been “a joyful surprise that so plain a girl had attained such high preferment.”

Henry’s brother James FitzJames, 1st Duke of Berwick, 1st Duke of Liria and Jérica, 1st Duke of Fitz-James

Henry had three full siblings from her mother’s relationship with King James II:

Henry had eight half-siblings from King James II’s first marriage (before he became king) to Lady Anne Hyde but only two survived childhood and both were reigning Queens of England:

Henry had seven half-siblings from King James II’s second marriage to Maria Beatrice of Modena but only the youngest two survived childhood:

Henry had three half-siblings from her mother’s marriage to Charles Godfrey:

Like his full brother James FitzJames, Henry was raised in France and educated at the College of Juilly, a private Catholic school still in existence, the Collège du Plessis, a college of the University of Paris, and the Jesuit College of La Flèche which was in existence from 1604 – 1762. In 1687, thirteen-year-old Henry was sent to sea to gain military experience on the HMS Sedgemoor under the command of David Lloyd, a British Royal Navy captain and later a Jacobite agent who followed King James II to France (see next paragraph).

In 1688, the Glorious Revolution forced James’ father King James II of England to vacate the throne in favor of his daughter (and James’ half-sister) Queen Mary II and her husband and first cousin (also James’ first cousin) King William III. The former King James II, his second wife Maria Beatrice of Modena, and their son James Edward Francis Stuart, the former Prince of Wales (James’ half-brother) were exiled. They settled in France, where King James II’s first cousin King Louis XIV provided him with the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye in France. Henry accompanied his father to France. In 1690, Henry served in the Williamite War in Ireland in which the Jacobite supporters of the exiled King James II unsuccessfully fought to restore the House of Stuart to the English throne.

Unlike his full brother James, Henry was not created a duke while his father was still King of England. In 1696, Henry was created Duke of Albemarle, with the subsidiary titles of Earl of Rochford and Baron Romney but the title was only recognized by Jacobites. Shortly afterward, he was appointed commander of the French fleet stationed in Toulon, France, given over to the former King James II to invade England. However, the invasion never happened.

On July 20, 1700, Henry married Marie Gabrielle d’Audibert de Lussan, from a French noble family, the only child and heir of Jean d’Audibert, Comte de Lussan and Marie Françoise Raimond. The couple had one daughter who died five months after Henry’s death, Lady Christine Marie Jacqueline Henriette FitzJames, who became a nun. On December 16, 1702, in Bagnols-sur-Cèze, France, 29-year-old Henry suddenly died. His burial site is unknown.

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

  • Arabella Churchill (royal mistress). (2023). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabella_Churchill_(royal_mistress)
  • Beauclerk-Dewar, Peter & Powell, Roger. (2006). Right Royal Bastards – The Fruits of Passion. Burke’s Peerage & Gentry LLC.
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2017). King James II of England. Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-james-ii-of-england/
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Liechtenstein National Day – August 15 – Liechtenstein

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2024

Liechtenstein National Day – People on the lawn in front of Vaduz Castle; Credit – https://www.staatsfeiertag.li/en

Background

On August 5, 1940, the Liechtenstein government officially declared August 15 as Liechtenstein National Day and the first celebration was ten days later. August 15 was already a bank holiday and the Roman Catholic feast day of the Assumption of Mary, celebrating the belief that the Virgin Mary was assumed body and soul into heaven following her death. In addition, August 16 was the birthday of Franz Josef II, the reigning Prince of Liechtenstein in 1940. After Prince Franz Josef II died in 1989 it was decided to keep the national holiday on August 15. In 1990 a law was passed establishing August 15 as the official national holiday of the Principality of Liechtenstein.

What happens on Liechtenstein National Day?

Members of the Princely Family at National Day in 2016 – Second from the left: Hereditary Princess Sophie, Hereditary Prince Alois, the late Princess Marie, wife of Hans-Adam II, and Hans-Adam II, Prince of Liechtenstein

Many of the approximately 40,000 citizens of Liechtenstein attend the events held in Vaduz, the capital of Liechtenstein. At 11:30 AM a ceremony is held on the lawn in front of Vaduz Castle, during which Hereditary Prince Alois and the President of the Parliament make speeches.

A street in Vaduz on National Day in 2016. Note Vaduz Castle at the top of the hill; Credit – Hole in the Donut Cultural Travel

The speeches are followed by a reception in the rose garden at Vaduz Castle hosted by the Princely Family. It is open to the public free of charge but tickets must be obtained online. At 2:00 PM, a folk festival begins in the center of Vaduz. The streets are closed to traffic and booths, street vendors, and amusement rides are set up along the streets. At 9:15 PM, the bonfire is lit and there is a torchlight procession on the Fürstensteig, a mountain trail. At 10:00 PM, the celebrations end with spectacular fireworks over Vaduz Castle.

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Works Cited

  • Liechtenstein National Holiday. (n.d.). Tourismus.li. https://tourismus.li/en/activities/culture-and-art/customs-traditions/liechtenstein-national-holiday/
  • Celebrating Liechtenstein’s National Day on August 15! | Embassy of the Principality of Liechtenstein in Washington, D.C. (n.d.). Www.liechtensteinusa.org. Retrieved July 15, 2024, from https://www.liechtensteinusa.org/article/celebrating-liechtensteins-national-day-on-august-15
  • Staatsfeiertag. (n.d.). Www.staatsfeiertag.li. Retrieved July 15, 2024, from https://www.staatsfeiertag.li/en