Category Archives: Current Monarchies

Breaking News: Princess of Wales in hospital following planned surgery

photo: By Ian Jones – Buckingham Palace reception, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=131607684

The Princess of Wales has undergone planned abdominal surgery at The London Clinic, a private hospital in central London.  A statement from Kensington Palace states that she was admitted yesterday, and that “the surgery was successful and it is expected that she will remain in hospital for ten to fourteen days, before returning home to continue her recovery.”  No further details were given about the Princess’s condition, but stressed that her condition did not involve cancer.

The Princess apologized for having to postpone her scheduled engagements, and the Prince will also be postponing some of his engagements while the Princess is in hospital. The Palace stated they will provide updates only if there is significant information to share.

Watch for more information posted in our Daily News Recap later this evening.

British Monarchy: A statement from Kensington Palace
BBC: Catherine, Princess of Wales, has planned abdominal surgery

Eleanor de Montfort, Princess of Wales and Lady of Snowdon

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2024

Wales was divided into a number of separate kingdoms. The largest of these was Gwynedd in northwest Wales and Powys in east Wales. Gwynedd was the most powerful of the Welsh kingdoms. For one man to rule all of Wales during this period was rare. This was because of the inheritance system practiced in Wales. All sons received an equal share of their father’s property, including illegitimate sons, resulting in the division of territories.

The Principality of Wales was created in 1216 at the Council of Aberdyfi when it was agreed by Llywelyn the Great and the other Welsh princes that he was the paramount Welsh ruler and the other Welsh princes would pay homage to him. Although he never used the title, Llywelyn was the de facto Prince of Wales. Llywelyn dominated Wales for 45 years and was one of only two Welsh rulers to be called “the Great”, the other being his ancestor Rhodri the Great. Llywelyn was succeeded by his son Dafydd ap Llywelyn and then by his two grandsons who were the sons of his illegitimate son Gruffydd ap Llywelyn.

The campaign of King Edward I of England in Wales (1276 – 1284) resulted in Wales being completely taken over by England. It ended with the deaths of the last two native Princes of Wales: Llywelyn ap Gruffudd who was ambushed and killed in 1282 and his brother Dafydd ap Gruffydd, who was the first prominent person in recorded history to have been hanged, drawn, and quartered, in 1283. To ensure there would be no further members of the House of Aberffraw, the English imprisoned Dafydd ap Gruffydd’s two young sons for the rest of their lives at Bristol Castle and sent his daughter and the daughter of his brother Llywelyn ap Gruffydd to convents. To further humiliate the Welsh, King Edward I invested his son and heir, the future King Edward II, with the title Prince of Wales. Since then, the title has been granted (with a few exceptions) to the heir apparent of the English or British monarch.

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Eleanor de Montfort, Princess of Wales and Lady of Snowdon; Credit – Wikipedia

Note: In Welsh, “ap” means “son of” and “ferch” means “daughter of”.

The wife of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, Prince of Wales, Eleanor de Montfort was born at Kenilworth Castle in Kenilworth, Warwickshire, England, around Michaelmas (September 29) in 1252. King Henry III of England had granted Kenilworth Castle to Eleanor’s father in 1244. Eleanor was the youngest of the seven children and the younger and the only surviving of the two daughters of Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester and Eleanor of England. Her paternal grandparents were Simon de Montfort, 5th Earl of Leicester and Alix de Montmorency, a French noblewoman. Her maternal grandparents were King John of England and Isabella of Angoulême. King Henry III of England was Eleanor’s maternal uncle and his four surviving children, King Edward I of England, Margaret of England, Queen of Scots, Beatrice of England, Countess of Richmond, and Edmund Crouchback, 1st Earl of Lancaster, were her first cousins.

Eleanor had six siblings:

The displeasure of the English nobility with King Henry III ultimately resulted in a civil war, the Second Barons’ War (1264–1267). The leader of the forces against King Henry III was Eleanor’s father Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester. Simon de Montfort wanted to reassert the Magna Carta and force King Henry III to surrender more power to the baron’s council. When Eleanor was thirteen years old, her father Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester and her eldest brother Henry de Montfort were killed at the Battle of Evesham. Today, Eleanor’s father is considered one of the fathers of representative government. Over the years, Simon de Montfort’s contributions have been remembered by the British Houses of Parliament. A bas-relief of Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester hangs on the wall of the chamber of the United States House of Representatives where he is recognized as one of the 23 historical lawgivers.

Simon de Montfort marble bas-relief, one of 23 reliefs of great historical lawgivers in the chamber of the U.S. House of Representatives in the United States Capitol, sculpted by Gaetano Cecere in 1950; Credit – Wikipedia

After her husband’s death, Eleanor of England, Eleanor’s mother, organized a defense of Dover Castle against royalist troops, but in October 1265, the castle was taken by her nephew Edward, Prince of Wales (the future King Edward I). Eleanor of England’s possessions were confiscated by the Crown and she was exiled to France with her 13-year-old daughter Eleanor de Montfort. She sought refuge at a de Montfort stronghold, Montargis Abbey, founded by her husband’s sister Amicia de Montfort. With the influence of King Louis IX of France, King Henry III paid his sister compensation for her confiscated lands and goods in 1367. Eleanor of England lived the rest of her life as a nun at Montargis Abbey where she died on April 13, 1375, at the age of 60 and was buried. Her daughter Eleanor de Monfort remained with her mother until her death.

Alexander III, King of Scots (on the left) with Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, Prince of Wales (on the right) as guests of King Edward I of England (in the middle) at the sitting of an English parliament; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1265, a marriage contract had been concluded for a marriage between Eleanor de Montfort and Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, Prince of Wales. In 1275, Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, Prince of Wales and Eleanor de Montfort were married by proxy. While making her way from France to Wales by ship, Eleanor de Monfort was captured by agents of her first cousin King Edward I of England. She was held prisoner at Windsor Castle for nearly three years. Eleanor was finally released in 1278 following the signing of the Treaty of Aberconwy between King Edward I of England and Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, Prince of Wales. On October 13, 1278, the feast day of Saint Edward the Confessor, King of England, Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, Prince of Wales and Eleanor de Monfort were married in person at Worcester Cathedral in England with King Edward I giving the bride away and paying for the wedding feast.

Eleanor and Llywelyn ap Gruffydd had one child, a daughter Gwenllian ferch Llywelyn, also known as Gwenllian of Wales, born at the  Palace of Aber Garth Celyn in Gwynedd, Wales. Sadly, Eleanor died due to childbirth complications on June 19, 1282, aged 29 – 30. She was buried at Llanfaes Friary which had been founded by Llywelyn the Great, the grandfather of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, in memory of his wife Joan, Lady of Wales, an illegitimate daughter of King John of England and Eleanor’s aunt, in the now vanished medieval town of Llanfaes, Anglesey, Wales.

On December 11, 1282, five months after the birth of his daughter Gwenllian and the death of his wife Eleanor, Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, Prince of Wales was one of 3,000 Welshmen killed at the Battle of Orewin Bridge near Builth Wells, Wales. He was ambushed, horribly murdered, and beheaded. His head was sent to London for public display, and it is thought that the rest of his body was interred at Cwmhir Abbey in Abbeycwmhir, Wales. On October 3, 1283, Llywelyn ap Gruffydd’s brother and successor Dafydd ap Gruffydd, Prince of Wales was brutally executed in Shrewsbury, England on the orders of King Edward I of England. Dafydd ap Gruffydd was the first prominent person in recorded history to have been hanged, drawn, and quartered. His head was placed on a pole in the Tower of London near the head of his brother Llywelyn. The days of an independent Wales were over. King Edward I of England had completed a conquest of Wales that resulted in his annexation of the Principality of Wales.

King Edward I of England wanted to make sure that there were no more claimants to the Welsh throne. Gwenllian ferch Llywelyn, the infant daughter of Eleanor de Monfrot and Llywelyn ap Gruffydd and Gwenllian’s first cousin Gwladys ferch Dafydd, Dafydd ap Gruffydd’s young daughter, were confined for life in remote convents in Lincolnshire, England, and never allowed freedom. Gwenllian died in 1337 and Gwladys died circa 1336. Dafydd ap Gruffydd’s two young sons 15-year-old Llywelyn ap Dafydd and 7-year-old Owain ap Dafydd, also Gwenllian’s first cousins, were imprisoned for the rest of their lives at Bristol Castle in England. Much of the time they were kept in cages. Llywelyn died in 1287 while Owain was last reported to be alive in 1325 when he would have been in his fifties.

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. (2017). Eleanor of England, Countess of Leicester. Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/eleanor-of-england-countess-of-leicester/
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2024). Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, Prince of Wales. Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/llywelyn-ap-gruffydd-prince-of-wales/
  • Weir, Alison. Britain’s Royal Families – The Complete Genealogy. Vintage Books, 2008.
  • Wikimedia Foundation. (2023). Eleanor de Montfort. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eleanor_de_Montfort
  • Wikimedia Foundation. (2023). Simon de Montfort, 6th arl of Leicester. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_de_Montfort,_6th_Earl_of_Leicester
  • Williamson, David. (1996). Brewer’s British Royalty: A Phrase and Fable Dictionary. Cassell.

The Abdication of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and The Accession of King Frederik X of Denmark

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2024

Queen Margrethe II of Denmark; Photo: Per Morten Abrahamsen ©

In her New Year’s Speech on December 31, 2023, 83-year-old Queen Margrethe II of Denmark announced that she would abdicate the throne on January 14, 2024, the 52nd anniversary of her accession and the death of her father King Frederik IX. Since the death of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom on September 8, 2022, Queen Margrethe II had been Europe’s longest-reigning monarch, the world’s only Queen Regnant, and the longest-serving incumbent female head of state. After her abdication, Margrethe held the style and title Her Majesty Queen Margrethe.

Queen Margrethe II had previously said she would never abdicate the throne. In 2012, as she celebrated forty years on the Danish throne, Queen Margrethe II said, “I will remain on the throne until I fall off.” It is thought that no one was aware of Queen Margrethe II’s plan to abdicate with the exception of a few unnamed people, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen (the second woman to be Prime Minister of Denmark and the youngest prime minister in Danish history), and Queen Margrethe’s first cousin King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden (Margrethe’s mother Princess Ingrid of Sweden and Carl Gustaf’s father Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden were siblings, the children of King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden and Princess Margaret of Connaught (who died before her husband became king).

Queen Mary and King Frederik X; Photo: Hasse Nielsen ©

Upon her abdication, Queen Margrethe II’s elder son fifty-five year old Crown Prince Frederik became His Majesty King Frederik X of Denmark and his Australian-born wife Crown Princess Mary became Her Majesty Queen Mary of Denmark.

Crown Prince Christian; Photo: Dennis Stenild ©

Already styled as His Royal Highness, Frederik and Mary’s elder son eighteen year old Prince Christian (born 2005) became His Royal Highness Crown Prince Christian of Denmark, the heir to the Danish throne.

Queen Margrethe II announces that she will abdicate during her New Year’s Speech

In her New Year’s Speech, Queen Margrethe II stated:

In two weeks time I have been Queen of Denmark for 52 years. Such an amount will leave its mark on anybody – also on me! The time takes its toll, and the number of “ailments” increases. One cannot undertake as much as one managed in the past.

In February this year I underwent extensive back surgery. Everything went well, thanks to the competent health personnel, who took care of me. Inevitably, the operation gave cause to thoughts about the future – whether now would be an appropriate time to pass on the responsibility to the next generation.

I have decided that now is the right time. On 14th January 2024 – 52 years after I succeeded my beloved father – I will step down as Queen of Denmark. I will hand over the throne to my son Crown Prince Frederik.

The last Danish monarch to abdicate was King Erik III in 1146. The reasons for Erik III’s abdication are unclear. His abdication has been explained as his realization of his inability to govern or an illness that ultimately killed him. After abdicating, Erik III entered St. Canute’s Abbey in Odense, Denmark, where he died on August 27, 1146, soon after his abdication, and was buried at St. Canute’s Abbey.

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Abdications in the 21st Century

King Juan Carlos of Spain signing his abdication law, witnessed by Prime Minister Mariano Rajo; Credit – By Ministry of the Presidency. Government of Spain, Attribution, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=33464373

Before the abdication of Queen Margrethe II, in the 21st century, there were nine voluntary abdications. Except for one abdication due to illness, the abdications occurred to pass the throne to the heir sooner. In Luxembourg and the Netherlands, there is a history of such abdications. In Luxembourg, although Grand Duchess Marie-Adélaïde abdicated in 1919 in favor of her sister Charlotte due to political reasons, Grand Duchess Charlotte abdicated in favor of her son Jean and Grand Duke Jean abdicated in favor of his son Henri. In the Netherlands, the last three monarchs, all Queens – Wilhelmina, Juliana, and Beatrix – abdicated in favor of their heirs. With people living longer, it may be likely that we will see more monarchs abdicating to pass their thrones to their heirs sooner.

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Events on Sunday, January 14, 2024

Christiansborg Palace; Credit – By Johannes Jansson/norden.org, CC BY 2.5 dk, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=24985586

The succession of King Frederik X took place during a meeting of the Council of State in the State Council Hall at Christiansborg Palace, the seat of the Danish Parliament, in Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, at the moment Queen Margrethe II signed the declaration of her abdication. Denmark does not have a coronation. Denmark formerly had a coronation but in 1660, the coronation was replaced with a ceremony of anointing. The new monarch would arrive at the coronation site already wearing the crown and was then anointed.

Queen Margrethe II and her husband Prince Henrik, Prince Consort of Denmark  wave from the balcony at Christiansborg Palace on January 15, 1972 after the proclamation of her succession to the Danish throne. The couple’s two young sons Frederik and Joachim can be seen.

The ceremony of anointing was abolished with the introduction of the Danish Constitution in 1849, and a simple proclamation has been used since then. Denmark does have regalia but it plays no role in the ceremonies for a new monarch. Now, a public announcement of a new monarch’s accession is made from the balcony of Christiansborg Palace. The new king or queen is presented and proclaimed by the Prime Minister, followed by a ninefold “hurrah” by the crowds below.

Amalienborg; Credit – By Rob Deutscher from Melbourne, Australia – Amalienbor Plads and Opera House_Copenhagen, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=25648566

Amalienborg in Copenhagen, Denmark is the official residence of the Danish royal family. It consists of four identical classical palaces around an octagonal square. Frederik VIII’s Palace is the northeastern palace and has been the home of King Frederik X and Queen Mary since their marriage in 2004. Christian IX’s Palace is the southeastern palace and has been the home of Queen Margrethe II since 1967. Both King Frederik X and his family and Queen Margrethe II will remain at their respective homes.

Below is the program for the abdication of Queen Margrethe II and the accession of King Frederik X. The times listed are Danish times.

Crown Prince Prince Frederik, Crown Princess Mary & Prince Christian traveled to Christiansborg Palace

13:35 – Crown Prince Frederik, Crown Princess Mary, and their elder son Prince Christian left their home Frederik VIII’s Palace, Amalienborg in Copenhagen, and traveled by car to Christiansborg Palace, the seat of the Danish Parliament in Copenhagen.

Queen Margrethe traveled to Christiansborg Palace to abdicate

13:37 – Queen Margrethe II left her home Christian IX’s Palace, Amalienborg in Copenhagen, and traveled by carriage to Christiansborg Palace escorted by the Guard Hussar Regiment.

Queen Margrethe II, Crown Prince Frederik, and Prince Christian meeting with the Council of State Photo: Keld Navntoft, Kongehuset © File type: jpg

14:00 – Queen Margrethe II, Crown Prince Frederik, and Prince Christian met with the Council of State in the State Council Hall at Christiansborg Palace. The succession of the Danish throne took place during the Council of State meeting at the moment when Queen Margrethe II signed a declaration of her abdication. Queen Margrethe then gave up her seat and offered it to the new King. At the same time, the new heir to the throne, Crown Prince Christian, took the seat to the right of the King. After this, the visibly-moved Queen Margrethe said “Gud bevare kongen” (God save the king) and left the State Council Hall.

Queen Margrethe, after her abdication, on her way to her home Christian IX’s Palace

14:15 – Queen Margrethe left Christiansborg Palace and traveled by car to her home Christian IX’s Palace, Amalienborg.

14:30 – King Frederik X and Queen Mary held a reception for invited people at Christiansborg Palace.

Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen proclaimed King Frederik X’s accession to the throne

15:00 – King Frederik X stepped out on the balcony of Christiansborg Palace and Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen proclaimed King Frederik X’s accession to the throne. According to Danish state custom, the Prime Minister proclaimed three times: “Her Majesty Queen Margrethe II has abdicated. Long live His Majesty King Frederik X!” This was followed by the traditional ninefold cheer from the crowd of tens of thousands who turned out to witness the proclamation.

King Frederik X spoke after his proclamation as Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen stood next to him

15:00 –  King Frederik X gave a short speech,”My mother, Her Majesty Queen Margrethe II, has ruled Denmark for 52 years. For half a century, she has followed the times with our common heritage as a starting point. She will always be remembered as a Monarch beyond the ordinary. Like few, my mother has managed to be at one with her kingdom. Today, the throne passes on. My hope is to become an unifying king of tomorrow. It’s a task I’ve been waiting for all my life. It is a responsibility I take on with respect, pride and great joy. It is a deed I will take pains to carry out and carry through the position I have been entrusted with. I need all the support I can get. From my beloved wife, from my family, from you and from that which is greater than us. I face the future knowing that I am not alone.”

King Frederik X announced his motto, “Bound, committed, for the Kingdom of Denmark.”

Left to right: Princess Isabella, Crown Prince Christian, King Frederik X, Queen Mary, Princess Josephine, and Prince Vincent

After his speech, King Frederik X was joined on the balcony by his family: Queen Mary, Crown Prince Christian, Princess Isabella, and twins Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine.

15:10 – After the proclamation, an honorary cannon salute was fired from the Sixtus Battery at Holmen Naval Base in Copenhagen.

The royal standard was raised over King Frederik X’s home Frederik VIII’s Palace, Amalienborg

15:10 – After the proclamation, the royal standard was lowered at Queen Margrethe’s home Christian IX’s Palace and then raised at King Frederik X’s home Frederik VIII’s Palace, Amalienborg.

King Frederik X and Queen Mary rode in a carriage to their home Frederik VIII’s Palace

15:30 – After the proclamation, King Frederik X and Queen Mary rode in a carriage, escorted by the Guard Hussar Regiment’s mounted squadron, from Christiansborg Palace to their home Frederik VIII’s Palace, Amalienborg.

17:00 – The royal colors were transferred from Queen Margrethe’s home Christian IX’s Palace to Frederik VIII’s Palace, King Frederik X’s home.

Read news articles from January 14, 2024 regarding the abdication and accession at the link below.

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Event on Monday, January 15, 2024

The Danish Parliament acknowledges the Danish Royal Family, seated above the clock

10:00 – King Frederik, Queen Mary, Crown Prince Christian, Queen Margrethe, Prince Joachim (Queen Margrethe’s younger son) and Princess Benedikte (Queen Margrethe’s sister) participated in the Danish Parliament’s celebration of the succession of the throne. During a meeting at Christiansborg Palace, the seat of the Danish Parliament, Speaker of the Parliament Søren Gade and Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen delivered speeches and the Prime Minister read an announcement from King Frederik X to the Danish Parliament. Afterward, the Royal Family and members of Parliament took part in a reception.

1st row: Crown Prince Christian, Queen Mary, King Frederik X. 2nd row: Princess Benedikte, Prince Joachim, Queen Margrethe

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Event on Sunday, January 21, 2024

Aarhus Cathedral; Credit – Wikipedia

14:00 – The Royal Family participated in a celebratory church service at Aarhus Cathedral in Aarhus, Denmark, an Evangelical Lutheran church, sometimes called the Church of Denmark, the established, state-supported church in Denmark. The service was led by Henrik Wigh-Poulsen, Royal Chaplain-in-Ordinary and Bishop of the Diocese of Aarhus  and attended by various Danish officials and representatives from the City of Aarhus.

Read more about the Danish monarchy at

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. (2023). Which monarchies have coronations? What succession ceremonies do other monarchies have?. Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/which-monarchies-have-coronations-what-succession-ceremonies-do-the-other-monarchies-have/
  • Mehl, Scott. (2014). Queen Margrethe II of Denmark. Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/queen-margrethe-ii-of-denmark/
  • Programme for the Succession of the Throne. Kongehuset (Danish Royal House). (2024). https://www.kongehuset.dk/en/news/programme-for-the-succession-of-the-throne
  • Read HM The Queen’s New Year Address 2023. Kongehuset (Danish Royal House). https://www.kongehuset.dk/en/news/read-hm-the-queens-new-year-address-2023
  • Wikimedia Foundation. (2024). Abdication of Margrethe II. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdication_of_Margrethe_II

A New Baby in Luxembourg!

Prince Felix with Princess Claire with their two eldest children Princess Amalia and Prince Liam, 2023; Credit – The Grand Ducal Court

Prince Felix of Luxembourg, the second child and the second of the four sons of Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg, and his wife Princess Claire have announced the birth of their third child, a son, Prince Balthasar Felix Karl of Nassau. Prince Balthasar was born on  January 7, 2024 at the Grand Duchess Charlotte Maternity Hospital in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg. He weighed 3,220 kg/7.1 lbs. and measured 50 cm/19 in. and is seventh in the line of succession to the throne of Luxembourg.

The press release read:

We are happy to announce the birth of our son, born on January 7, 2024 at the Grand-Duchesse Charlotte Maternity Hospital.
The newborn Prince will be named Balthasar Felix Karl.
It weighs 3,220 kg and measures 50 cm.

The baby and Princess Claire are in perfect health.

Félix and Claire
with Amalia and Liam

The couple already had two children:

  • Princess Amalia Gabriella Maria Teresa of Nassau (born June 15, 2014)
  • Prince Liam Henri Hartmut of Nassau (born on November 28, 2016)

Read more about the Grand Ducal Family of Luxembourg at Unofficial Royalty: Grand Duchy of Luxembourg Index.

BREAKING NEWS: Queen Margrethe II of Denmark to abdicate, January 14, 2024


Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, in her New Year’s Speech, has announced that she will abdicate the throne on January 14, 2024.  That day is the 52nd anniversary of her accession, following the death of her father.

The Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Denmark will become the new King and Queen.

Danish Royal House: Succession of the throne
Danish Royal House: Read HM The Queen’s New Year Address 2023

Breaking News: Princess Alexandra of Luxembourg and Nicolas Bagory are expecting their first child

Nicolas Bagory and Princess Alexandra Photo Credit – © Grand Duke’s House / Sophie Margue https://www.facebook.com/courgrandducale

On December 18, 2023, the Grand Ducal House of Luxembourg announced that Princess Alexandra of Luxembourg and Nicolas Bagory are expecting their first child in the spring of 2024.

The announcement said: “Their Royal Highnesses the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess are delighted to announce that Princess Alexandra and Mister Nicolas Bagory are expecting their first child. The birth is scheduled for spring. The Grand Duke, the Grand Duchess as well as the members of the two families join in this great happiness.”

Princess Alexandra, born February 16, 1991, is the fourth child of the five children and the only daughter of Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg,

On November 7, 2022, Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Theresa of Luxembourg announced the engagement of Princess Alexandra to Nicolas Bagory. Nicolas was born on November 11, 1988, and grew up in Brittany, France. Alexandra married Nicolas in a civil ceremony in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg on April 22, 2023, followed by a religious ceremony at Saint Trophy in Bormes-les-Mimosas, Var, France on April 29, 2023.

Breaking News: Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Sabah, Emir of Kuwait dies at age 86

© Unofficial Royalty 2023

Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Sabah, Emir of Kuwait; Credit – Wikipedia

Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Sabah, Emir of Kuwait died on December 16, 2023, aged 86. In 2021, it was reported that Nawaf had received treatment in the United States for an unspecified medical condition. On November 29, 2023, Nawaf was admitted to the hospital following an emergency health issue. Crown Prince Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah of Kuwait, the half-brother of Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Emir of Kuwait, succeeded as Emir of Kuwait.

The funeral for family only will be held on December 17, 2023, followed by the burial at Sulaibikhat Cemetery in Kuwait City, Kuwait.

Nawaf Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Emir of Kuwait was born on June 25, 1937, in Kuwait City, Kuwait. He was the son of Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the 10th Ruler of Kuwait from 1944 – 1950, and Al-Yamamah. Nawaf grew up at Dasman Palace in Kuwait City with the sons and grandsons of his father. He was educated at the Al Mubarakiyya School which was established in 1911 as one of Kuwait’s first modern educational institutions. Afterward, he attended university in the United Kingdom. Nawaf married Sharifah Suleiman Al-Jasem in the 1950s. They had four sons and one daughter.

Before he became Emir, Nawaf was one of the most senior serving members of the House of Al-Sabah and served Kuwait in various capacities since 1962. Nawaf has played an important role in establishing programs that support national unity in the Gulf Cooperation Council, a regional intergovernmental political and economic union consisting of all Arab states of the Persian Gulf.
Before he became Emir, Nawaf was one of the most senior serving members of the House of Al-Sabah and served Kuwait in various capacities since 1962. Nawaf has played an important role in establishing programs that support national unity in the Gulf Cooperation Council, a regional intergovernmental political and economic union consisting of all Arab states of the Persian Gulf

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.

The Mysterious Death of Ananda Mahidol, King of Thailand (1946)

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2023

On June 9, 1946, 20-year-old King Ananda Mahidol of Thailand was found shot to death in his bedroom in the Boromphiman Throne Hall, a residential palace located in the Grand Palace complex in Bangkok, Thailand. He died from a single gunshot wound to the forehead.

King Ananda Mahidol of Thailand

King Ananda Mahidol of Thailand in 1946; Credit – Wikipedia

King Ananda Mahidol of Thailand was born on September 20, 1925, in Heidelberg, Germany where his parents were studying at Heidelberg University. He was the second of the three children and the elder of the two sons of  Prince Mahidol Adulyadej and Princess Srinagarindra. His younger brother succeeded him as King Bhumibol Adulyadej and reigned until he died in 2016. Prince Mahidol Adulyadej was the son of King Chulalongkorn and Sri Savarindira, a consort and half-sister of King Chulalongkorn. King Chulalongkorn had 92 consorts during his lifetime and had 77 surviving children.

On September 24, 1929, King Ananda Mahidol’s father Prince Mahidol Adulyadej died of kidney failure at the age of 37. In 1935, King Prajadhipok of Thailand, one of Ananda Mahidol’s many uncles, abdicated due to political issues and health problems. He decided not to name a successor to the throne. Instead, the Cabinet, with the approval of the National Assembly, used the 1924 Palace Law of Succession and named nine-year-old Ananda Mahidol as King of Thailand. Because the new king was a child and attending school in Switzerland, three regents were appointed to take over the duties of the young king.

King Ananda Mahidol of Thailand in 1938; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1938, accompanied by his mother and his siblings, Ananda Mahidol returned to Thailand for the first time as its king. He spent two months in Thailand and returned to Switzerland to resume his studies.

In December 1941, during World War II, Japan occupied Thailand. King Ananda Mahidol was studying in Switzerland and remained there until the end of World War II. He returned to Thailand in December 1945 after receiving a law degree from the University of Lausanne in Switzerland. King Ananda Mahidol had plans to return to the University of Lausanne to obtain a Ph.D. in law four days after his death. After he obtained his Ph.D, he planned to return permanently to Thailand and have his coronation.

On June 9, 1946, 20-year-old King Ananda Mahidol of Thailand was found shot to death in his bedroom in the Boromphiman Throne Hall, a residential palace located in the Grand Palace complex in Bangkok, Thailand. King Ananda Mahidol was cremated at Sanam Luang, an open public square in Bangkok, Thailand on March 29, 1950, four years after his death.

King Ananda Mahidol’s ashes are enshrined in the base of the Buddha; Credit – www.findagave.com

What caused the death of King Ananda Mahidol?

King Ananda Mahidol and Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma on January 19, 1946, in Bangkok, Thailand; Credit – Wikipedia

Besides knowing the pathological cause of King Ananda Mahidol’s death, why he died has never been definitively answered. It was noted at the time of his death that Ananda Mahidol did not want to be king and felt his reign would not last long. In January 1946, Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, the British commander in Southeast Asia, visited King Ananda Mahidol in Bangkok, Thailand. Lord Mountbatten described the young king as “a frightened, short-sighted boy, his sloping shoulders and thin chest behung with gorgeous diamond-studded decorations, altogether a pathetic and lonely figure.” After attending a public function with King Ananda Mahidol, Lord Mountbatten observed, “His nervousness increased to such an alarming extent, that I came very close to support him in case he passed out”. Lord Mountbatten’s anecdote questions King Ananda Mahidol’s state of mind.

What happened on the morning of June 9, 1946?

Boromphiman Throne Hall in the Grand Palace complex. King King Ananda Mahidol’s bedroom was on the upper floor; Credit – Wikipedia

A sequence of events for the morning of June 9, 1946, was devised by Dr. Keith Simpson, pathologist to the British Home Office and founding chairman of the Department of Forensic Medicine at Guy’s Hospital in London, after a forensic analysis of King Ananda Mahidol’s death. Dr. Simpson included this information in Chapter 13 – The Violent Death of King Ananda of Siam, in his book Forty Years of Murder: An Autobiography.

  • 6:00: King Ananda Mahidol was awakened by his mother in his bedroom located on the second floor of the Boromphiman Throne Hall in the Grand Palace.
  • 7:30: The king’s page Butsat Patthamasarin, came on duty and began preparing a breakfast table on a balcony adjoining the king’s dressing room.
  • 8:30: Butsat Patthamasarin saw the king standing in his dressing room. He brought the king his customary glass of orange juice a few minutes later. However, by then the king had gone back to bed and refused the juice.
  • 8:45: The king’s other page Chit Singhaseni appeared, saying he had been called to measure the king’s medals and decorations on behalf of a jeweler who was making a case for them.
  • 9:00: Prince Bhumibol Adulyadej visited his brother King Ananda Mahidol. He said afterward that he had found the king dozing in his bed.
  • 9:20: A single shot rang out from the king’s bedroom. Chit Singhaseni ran in and then ran out along the corridor to the apartment of the king’s mother, crying “The king’s shot himself!” The king’s mother followed Chit Singhaseni into the king’s bedroom and found the king lying face up in bed, bloodied from a wound to the head.

Aftermath

The three men arrested, tried, found guilty, and executed for the supposed assassination of King Ananda Mahidol: left to right: Chit Singhaseni, Bustat Patmasarin, and Chaliao Pathumros; Credit – Wikipedia

An initial radio announcement on June 9, 1946, reported that King Ananda Mahidol was accidentally killed while holding his pistol. In October 1946, a Commission of Inquiry reported that King Ananda Mahidol’s death could not have been accidental but that neither suicide nor murder had been satisfactorily proven.

King Ananda Mahidol’s secretary Chaliao Pathumros and his pages Chit Singhaseni and Butsat Patmasarin were arrested and charged with conspiracy to murder the king. After a very long trial, the court ruled that King Ananda Mahidol had been assassinated but that there was no proof that any of the three had killed the king. However, Chit Singhaseni was found guilty of being a party to the murder.

Chit Singhaseni appealed his conviction and the prosecution appealed the acquittal of Chaliao Pathumros and Butsat Patmasarin. After fifteen months of deliberation, the Appeals Court dismissed Chit Singhaseni’s appeal and found Butsat Patmasarin guilty. Both appealed to the Supreme Court which deliberated for ten months before upholding both convictions and also finding Chaliao Pathumro guilty. King Bhumibol Adulyadej rejected their petitions for clemency. The three men were executed by firing squad on February 17, 1955. King Ananda Mahidol’s brother and successor, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, later said he did not believe the three men were guilty.

What Could Have Happened?

Various people have suggested what could have happened.

Dr. Keith Simpson, the forensic pathologist who investigated King Ananda Mahidol’s death, found it highly unlikely that the death was due to suicide. In Chapter 13 – The Violent Death of King Ananda of Siam, in his book Forty Years of Murder: An Autobiography, Dr. Simpson noted:

  • The gun was found next to the king’s left hand, but he was right-handed.
  • The direction of the bullet fired was not inward towards the center of the head.
  • The wound over the left eye was not a contact discharge, a gunshot wound incurred while the gun was in direct contact with the body at the moment of discharge
  • The king was killed while lying flat on his back. Simpson noted that in twenty years’ experience, he had never known of any suicide shooting while lying flat on the back.

King Bhumibol Adulyadej was certain that his brother’s death had been accidental. After the court ruled that the death was proven not an accident, He noted in English: “The investigation provided the fact that he died with a bullet wound in his forehead. It was proved that it was not an accident and not a suicide. One doesn’t know. … But what happened is very mysterious, because immediately much of the evidence was just shifted. And because it was political, so everyone was political, even the police were political, [it was] not very clear. I only know [that] when I arrived he was dead. Many people wanted to advance not theories but facts to clear up the affair. They were suppressed. And they were suppressed by influential people in this country and in international politics.”

Seni Pramoj and the Democrat Party spread rumors that former Prime Minister Pridi Banomyong was behind the death. A United States State Department memo said: “Within forty-eight hours after the death of the late King, two relatives of Seni Pramoj, first his nephew and later his wife, came to the Legation and stated categorically their conviction that the King had been assassinated at the instigation of the Prime Minister.” (Pridi Phanomyong)

Sulak Sivaraksa, a more recent prominent conservative and monarchist, wrote in 2015 that former Prime Minister Pridi Banomyong was protecting “a wrongdoing royal, and prevented an arrest of a person who destroyed the evidence…in truth, the murderer of the king is not Pridi Banomyong. That person is still alive.”

Prime Minister Pridi Banomyong met with American Chargé d’affaires Charles Yost who made the following report to the US State Department: “Pridi spoke very frankly about the whole situation and ascribed the King’s death to an accident, but it was obvious that the possibility of suicide was at the back of his mind. Pridi was violently angry at the accusations of foul play leveled against himself and most bitter in the manner in which he alleged that the Royal Family and the Opposition, particularly Seni Pramoj and Phra Sudhiat, had prejudiced the King and especially the Princess Mother against him.”

Field Marshal Plaek Pibulsonggram, after overthrowing Prime Minister Pridi Banomyong in a coup, told United States Ambassador Edwin Stanton that he “personally doubted whether Pridi was directly involved for two reasons: “firstly, … Pridi is a very clever politician and secondly, … he has a ‘kind heart’. Plaek Pibulsonggram “did not think that Pridi would cause anybody to be murdered. However, Plaek Pibulsonggram said that it was possible Pridi had covered up or destroyed some of the evidence to protect the successor King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

William Stevenson, author and journalist, gave an account of the death in his book The Revolutionary King, written with the cooperation of King Bhumibol Adulyadej. The account says those executed were innocent and suggests that King Ananda Mahidol was murdered by Tsuji Masanobu, a former Japanese intelligence officer who had been active in Thailand during the war and was hiding out in Thailand for fear of being prosecuted for his war crimes.

Rayne Kruger, journalist and author, who had access to members of the inner circle of the Thai royal family, says in his book The Devil’s Discus that King Ananda Mahidol died by suicide, perhaps an accidental suicide. Kruger writes about a Swiss girl Marylene Ferrari as a love interest of King Ananda Mahidol. Kruger suggests that King Ananda Mahidol might have died by suicide because he knew marrying Marylene would be impossible. He further surmised that the death of King Ananda Mahidol was exploited for a political vendetta, and King Ananda Mahidol’s secretary Chaliao Pathumros and his pages Chit Singhaseni and Butsat Patmasarin were charged, tried, and executed to maintain the façade.

Paul Handley, the author of an unauthorized biography of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, The King Never Smiles, wrote that either suicide or an accidental shooting by Prince Bhumibol was responsible for King Ananda Mahidol’s death. He says, “I have no idea whether Ananda shot himself or was killed by Bhumibol, the two possibilities most accepted among historians. If the latter, I clearly term it an accident that occurred in play”.

Marylene Ferrari; Credit – Desperately seeking Marylene

Pavin Chachavalpongpun, Associate Professor at Kyoto University‘s Center for Southeast Asian Studies, and the author of Love and Death of King Ananda Mahidol of Thailand, published in 2021, writes about the Swiss girl Marylene Ferrari who was mentioned as a love interest of King Ananda Mahidol in Rayne Kruger’s book The Devil’s Discus. Intrigued about Marylene Ferrari, Chachavalpongpun sought to find more information.

King Ananda Mahidol and Marylene Ferrari met in 1943 at the law school at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland. The two became romantically involved despite the Thai royal family discouraging the relationship. Their relationship shaped King Ananda Mahidol’s perception of marriage and his duties as king of a very traditional Thailand. Thinking back on what Lord Mountbatten said about King Ananda Mahidol – that he did not want to be king and felt his reign would not last long – his relationship with Marylene could have been a cause. As King of Thailand, Ananda Mahidol was supposedly free to make decisions about his marriage but in reality, this was not true. Marylene’s father was an influential figure in the religious circles of Lausanne, Switzerland, and he was not enthusiastic about the prospect of his daughter becoming the Queen of Thailand because of the inferior status of women in Thailand. The clash of the two diverse views of gender equality and the treatment of women in Thai society further deepened the difficulties in the relationship between Ananda and Marylene. Chachavalpongpun suggests that King Ananda Mahidol, having fallen deeply in love with Marylene, decided to die by suicide because of their star-crossed love.

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

  • Ananda Mahidol. (2021). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ananda_Mahidol
  • Chachavalpongpun, Pavin. (2012). Desperately Seeking Marylene. New Mandala. https://www.newmandala.org/desperately-seeking-marylene/
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2019). King Ananda Mahidol of Thailand. Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-ananda-mahidol-of-thailand/
  • Strangio, Sebastian. (2022). Pavin Chachavalpongpun on the Strange Death of King Ananda Mahidol. Thediplomat.com. https://thediplomat.com/2022/01/pavin-chachavalpongpun-on-the-strange-death-of-king-ananda-mahidol/

Breaking News: Prince Constantin of Liechtenstein, aged 51, has died

© Unofficial Royalty 2023

Photo Credit: Prince of Liechtenstein Foundation

Prince Constantin of Liechtenstein died on December 5, 2023, at the age of 51. He was the third of the four children and the youngest of the three sons of Hans-Adam II, Prince of Liechtenstein and his late wife Princess Marie of Liechtenstein, born Countess Marie Aglaë of Wchinitz and Tettau, who died in 2021.

A statment released by the Princely House of Liechtenstein on December 6, 2023 said: “The Princely House regrets to announce that H.S.H. Prince Constantin von und zu Liechtenstein passed away unexpectedly on 5 December 2023.”

Prince Constantin was born March 15, 1972. He received a law degree from the University of Salzburg in Austria and worked primarily in the financial field, holding positions at investment firms both in the United States and in Europe. He also served on the boards and management teams of several of the family’s companies. From 2012 until his death in 2023, Prince Constantin served as General Director and chairman of the board of directors of the Prince of Liechtenstein Foundation.

In 1999, Prince Constantin married Countess Marie Gabriele Franziska Kálnoky de Kőröspatak . and the couple had three children: Prince Moritz (born 2003), Princess Georgina (born 2005), and Prince Benedikt (born 2008).

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.

Thelma Furness, Viscountess Furness, Mistress of the future King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2023

Thelma, circa 1925

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

Thelma Furness, Viscountess Furness was the mistress of the future King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom from 1929 to 1932 while he was Prince of Wales.

Born Thelma Morgan on August 23, 1904, at the Grand Hotel National in Lucerne, Switzerland, Thelma and her identical twin sister Gloria were the second and third of the four children of Harry Hays Morgan Sr., an American diplomat who was U.S. consul in Buenos Aire, Argentina and in Brussels, Belgium, and his second wife Laura Delphine Kilpatrick. Thelma’s paternal grandparents were Philip Hicky Morgan and Beatrice Leslie Ford. Her maternal grandparents were Hugh Judson Kilpatrick, a Union Army General and an American ambassador to Chile, and his second wife Luisa Fernandez de Valdivieso, a member of a wealthy family of Spanish origin that emigrated to South America in the 17th century.

Thelma had three siblings:

  • Laura Consuelo Morgan (1901 – 1979), known as Consuelo, married (1) Count Jean de Maupas du Juglart, no children, divorced (2) Benjamin Thaw Jr., no children (3) Alfons B. Landa, no children
  • Gloria Morgan (1904 – 1965), Thelma’s identical twin, born Maria Mercedes Morgan, adopted the name Gloria as a teenager, married Reginald Claypoole Vanderbilt, from the wealthy Vanderbilt family, had one daughter, the fashion designer Gloria Vanderbilt who was the mother of CNN anchor Anderson Cooper
  • Harry Hays Morgan Jr. (1898 – 1983), a film actor and diplomat, married (1) Ivor Elizabeth O’Connor, divorced (2) Edith Churchill Gordon, had one daughter (3) Ruth Broadbent Castor, no children

Thelma had two half-sisters from her father’s first marriage to Mary Edgerton:

  • Constance Morgan (1887 – 1892), died in childhood
  • Gladys Morgan (1889 – 1958), married Lieutenant John W. Henderson

Thelma and her identical twin sister Gloria were first educated by governesses while their father was on diplomatic assignments in Europe and South America. When they returned to the United States, Thelma and her twin sister Gloria attended the Convent of the Sacred Heart, a Roman Catholic all-girls school in the Manhattan borough of New York City, the Skerton Finishing School, and Miss Nightingale’s School, also in Manhattan. In 1921, with their father’s permission, 17-year-old Thelma and Gloria ended their education and moved into an apartment at 40 Fifth Avenue, a private townhouse in Manhattan.

Thelma and Gloria were known as “The Magnificent Morgans” and were already popular with the New York high society as teenagers. The sisters had some minor roles in silent movies, using the names Gloria and Thelma Rochelle, debuting as extras in the 1922 Marion Davies film The Young Diana. In 1923, Thelma founded her own film company, Thelma Morgan Pictures. She produced and acted in four films, Aphrodite (1923), Enemies of Women (1923), a William Randolph Hearst production whose cast included Lionel Barrymore and Clara Bow, So This Is Marriage? (1924), and Any Woman (1925).

On February 16, 1922, in Washington, DC, seventeen-year-old Thelma married twenty-nine-year-old James Vail Converse, a grandson of Theodore Vail, former president of the American Telephone and Telegraph Company (AT&T). The marriage was childless and the couple divorced three years later. After her divorce and a brief relationship with actor Richard Bennet, Thelma went to Europe to visit her parents and her sister Consuelo.

Marmaduke Furness, 1st Viscount Furness

It was at a dinner in Paris, that Thelma met Marmaduke Furness, 1st Viscount Furness who was twenty-one years older than her. Marmaduke was the chairman of Furness Withy, a shipping company and one of the richest men in the world. His first wife had died in 1921. On June 27, 1926, Thelma and Marmaduke were married at St George’s Register Office in London. The couple divorced in 1933 due to Thelma’s affair with the Prince of Wales.

Thelma and Marmaduke had one son:

Thelma had a stepdaughter and a stepson from Marmaduke’s first marriage to the late Ada “Daisy” Hogg:

Thelma first met the Prince of Wales, the future King Edward VIII, called David by his family and friends, in 1926 at a ball at Londonderry House, the London home of Charles Vane-Tempest-Stewart, 7th Marquess of Londonderry. When they met again on June 14, 1929, at the Leicestershire Agricultural Show at Leicester, David asked her to dine with him. Thelma and David continued to meet regularly and she joined him on an African safari in 1930. During this period, David was having a long-time affair with Freda Dudley Ward along with several short affairs.

Thelma and the Prince of Wales in 1932; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1929, David’s father King George V gave him Fort Belvedere, a country house in Windsor Great Park, in Surrey, England where Thelma was a regular weekend companion and acted as David’s hostess. She also entertained Davis at her London home on Elsworthy Road in the Primrose Hill section of London and Burrough Court, the Furness country house in Burrough on the Hill, Leicestershire, England.

On a weekend in November 1930, Thelma invited two last-minute guests to a house party at Burrough Court, Ernest Simpson and Wallis Simpson. This was the first meeting of David and his future mistress and wife Wallis Simpson. Between 1931 and 1934, David met the Simpsons at various house parties and Wallis was presented at court. It appears that while Thelma was visiting her sister Gloria in the United States from January to March 1934, Wallis Simpson became David’s mistress. Upon her return to the United Kingdom, Thelma and David dined together once and she visited Fort Belvedere once. Although David was cordial, Thelma thought he was personally distant. Confused about the situation. Thelma called her friend Wallis Simpson who said, “Thelma, I think he likes me” and the rest is history.

Thelma (center) arriving in New York to assist her twin sister Gloria in her custody battle for her daughter. She arrived with her brother Harry Hays Morgan Jr and his wife.

On the rebound, Thelma had a short affair with Prince Aly Khan, a wealthy Pakistani diplomat, who had a long list of affairs. In 1934, Thelma’s sister Gloria Morgan Vanderbilt, the widow of Reginald Claypoole Vanderbilt, was at the center of a highly publicized court battle with Reginald’s sister Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney for the custody of her ten-year-old daughter Gloria Vanderbilt. Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney believed that her former sister-in-law Gloria was a bad influence and neglectful of her daughter and won custody of her niece at the end of a brutal custody battle.

The Morgan twins in 1955: Gloria (on the left) and Thelma (on the right); Credit – Wikipedia

After her divorce, Thelma divided her time between London and New York but from the 1940s until their deaths, Thelma and her sister Gloria Morgan Vanderbilt lived together in New York City and Los Angeles, California. They wrote a dual memoir called Double Exposure: A Twin Autobiography, published in 1958. Gloria Morgan Vanderbilt died on February 13, 1965, aged 60, in Los Angeles, California, and was buried at Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, Los Angeles, California.

Grave of Thelma and her identical twin sister Gloria; Credit – www.findagrave.com

Thelma, Viscountess Furness, aged 65, died of a heart attack on January 29, 1970, at the corner of Lexington Avenue and 73rd Street in Manhattan, New York City, on her way to the doctor. In her purse was one of the teddy bears she used to exchange with David. Thelma was buried with her sister Gloria at Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, Los Angeles, California.

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

  • Bloks, Moniek. (2021). Before Wallis – Thelma, Viscountess Furness . History of Royal Women. https://www.historyofroyalwomen.com/the-year-of-the-duchess-of-windsor-2021/the-year-of-the-duchess-of-windsor-thelma-viscountess-furness-part-one/
  • Donaldson, Frances. (1974). Edward VIII. Ballantine Biograpy.
  • Wikimedia Foundation. (2023). Gloria Morgan Vanderbilt. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gloria_Morgan_Vanderbilt
  • Wikimedia Foundation. (2023). Marmaduke Furness, 1st Viscount Furness. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marmaduke_Furness,_1st_Viscount_Furness
  • Wikimedia Foundation. (2023). Thelma Furness, Viscountess Furness. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thelma_Furness,_Viscountess_Furness