Category Archives: Spanish Royals

Infante Alfonso of Spain

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2022

Infante Alfonso of Spain; Credit – Wikipedia

Fourteen-year-old Infante Alfonso was killed by a gun on March 29, 1956, while in a bedroom with his elder brother, the future King Juan Carlos I of Spain. What happened in that bedroom, who pulled the trigger, and whether or not it was an accident are still unclear.

Alfonso Cristino Teresa Ángelo Francisco de Asís y Todos los Santos de Borbón y Borbón Dos-Sicilias was born on October 3, 1941, in Rome, Italy, where his family had settled after the Spanish monarchy was overthrown in 1931 and Spain became a Republic. He was the youngest of the four children and the second of the two sons of Infante Juan of Spain, Count of Barcelona and Princess María de las Mercedes of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. Alfonso’s paternal grandparents were King Alfonso XIII of Spain and Princess Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. His maternal grandparents were Prince Carlos of Bourbon-Two Sicilies and his second wife Princess Louise of Orléans.

Alfonso had three elder siblings:

Juan Carlos, Juan, Count of Barcelona, and Alfonso in 1950; Credit – Von Paco Marí – This image belongs to the Marín Collection and was provided to GureGipuzkoa by Hauxe Quelle: Kutxa Fototeka (Kutxa Photograph Library). The image has been delivered under a CC-BY-SA 3.0 license and can be found here. CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=56196709

In the summer of 1942, the family moved to Lausanne, Switzerland, where Alfonso’s paternal grandmother Queen Victoria Eugenie lived in exile. Four years later, the family moved to Estoril, Portugal, where a permanent family home was established. In 1950, Alfonso and his brother Juan Carlos were sent to study in San Sebastián, Spain where a private school had been established at the Miramar Palace. By 1956, Alfonso was continuing with his high school studies, while his brother Juan Carlos had begun military training at the General Military Academy in Zaragoza, Spain.

In March 1956, 14-year-old Alfonso and 18-year-old Juan Carlos traveled to Portugal to spend the Easter holidays in Estoril with their parents and two sisters. On March 29, 1956, Holy Thursday, the entire family attended Mass in the morning. In the afternoon, Alfonso participated in a local junior golf tournament. The whole family attended evening Mass at 6:00 PM. After returning home, Alfonso and Juan Carlos went upstairs to their bedroom. Around 8:30 PM, Alfonso was shot with a .22 caliber revolver. When the boys’ father went upstairs, he found his youngest son had been shot in the head and was lying in a pool of blood. Despite his father’s efforts to revive him, Alfonso died in his father’s arms.

The Spanish Embassy in Portugal issued an official press release:

While His Highness the Infante Alfonso was cleaning a revolver last evening with his brother, a shot was fired hitting his forehead and killing him in a few minutes. The accident took place at 20.30 hours, after the Infante’s return from the Maundy Thursday religious service, during which he had received Holy Communion.

Which of the two brothers pulled the trigger may never be publically known but at that time Juan Carlos was said to have admitted to family and friends that he felt responsible. As a military cadet, he would have been aware of the danger of loaded guns. Alfonso also would have been aware of the danger because he participated in hunting. It seems certain that both boys would have been repeatedly told not to clean loaded guns. Even the origin of the gun is in doubt. According to one story, the gun was given to Alfonso by Francisco Franco, the dictator of Spain. According to another story, Juan Carlos received the gun as a gift from Francisco Moreno y Zuleta, Count de los Andes while he was studying at the military academy. The boys’ mother said that Juan Carlos and Alfonso brought a small pistol back from Spain but they never told her who gave it to them. Afterward, the boys’ father, Infante Juan of Spain, Count of Barcelona, threw the gun into the ocean.

Tomb of Infante Alfonso of Spain; Credit – www.findagrave.com

Alfonso’s funeral, conducted by Monsignor Fernando Cento, the Apostolic Nuncio to Portugal, was held on March 31, 1956, Holy Saturday. He was buried at the municipal cemetery in Cascais, Portugal. Alfonso remained buried in Portugal for thirty-six years until, at the request of his father, his remains were transferred to Spain, during the reign of his brother King Juan Carlos I. On October 15, 1992, six months before the death of his father Infante Juan, Count of Barcelona, Alfonso was interred in the Pantheon of Infantes at the Royal Basilica of San Lorenzo de El Escorial in San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Spain, in a strictly private ceremony attended by Alfonso’s brother King Juan Carlos, Queen Sofia, Alfonso’s father and mother, his two sisters, and a small group of close relatives.

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

  • En.wikipedia.org. 2022. Infante Alfonso of Spain – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infante_Alfonso_of_Spain> [Accessed 24 June 2022].
  • Es.wikipedia.org. 2022. Alfonso de Borbón (1941-1956) – Wikipedia, la enciclopedia libre. [online] Available at: <https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfonso_de_Borb%C3%B3n_(1941-1956)> [Accessed 24 June 2022].
  • Independent. 1992. Juan Carlos lays to rest a haunting Spanish tragedy. [online] Available at: <https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/juan-carlos-lays-to-rest-a-haunting-spanish-tragedy-1557621.html?fbclid=IwAR3AEUoXNkeovi2ZpBIYqEgFaQjmrR6il56JZj_9zyEvokMarAEhU6HgR1o> [Accessed 24 June 2022].
  • Timesmachine.nytimes.com. 1956. Don Juan’s Son Is Killed In Spanish Gun Accident. [online] Available at: <https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1956/03/30/94288384.html?pageNumber=3> [Accessed 24 June 2022].

Royal Basilica of San Lorenzo de El Escorial in San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Spain

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Royal Site of San Lorenzo de El Escorial; Credit – By Turismo Madrid Consorcio Turístico from Madrid, España – Monasterio EscorialUploaded by Ecemaml, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6581920

The Royal Site of San Lorenzo de El Escorial is located in the town of San Lorenzo de El Escorial about 28 miles/45 kilometers from Madrid, Spain. It is dedicated to Saint Lawrence (San Lorenzo in Spanish) who was one of the seven deacons of the city of Rome during the papacy of Pope Sixtus II who were martyred during the persecution of the Christians ordered the Roman Emperor Valerian in 258. It was built from 1563 – 1584 by King Felipe II of Spain for several purposes, one being the burial site of the Kings of Spain. The complex includes a palace, basilica, monastery, and library. In 1559, Felipe II appointed Spanish architect Juan Bautista de Toledo architect-royal. Together they designed the Royal Site of San Lorenzo de El Escorial as a monument to Spain’s role as a center of the Christian world.

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The Royal Basilica of San Lorenzo de El Escorial

 

The Royal Basilica of San Lorenzo de El Escorial is a Roman Catholic church. It has been the burial place of Spanish monarchs since King Carlos I of Spain (1500 – 1558), better known as Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, and many members of the Spanish royal family. Often funerals are held at the basilica.

 

The Royal Crypt is located beneath the basilica and the convent. There are two Pantheons containing the remains. The Pantheon of Kings contains the remains of Kings and Queen Consorts who were also mothers of Kings of Spain. The Pantheon of Infantes is the resting place of other members of the Spanish Royal Family. There are four exceptions to the burials in the Pantheon of Kings. Elisabeth of France, the first wife of King Felipe IV, gave birth to an heir to the throne before she died. Her son Balthasar Carlos, Prince of Asturias died from smallpox two years after his mother’s death, at the age of sixteen. King Felipe IV decided that Elisabeth should be interred in the Pantheon of Kings. Francisco, Duke of Cádiz and King Consort of Spain, the husband of Queen Isabella II and the father of King Alfonso XII, is also buried in the Pantheon of Kings.

King Juan Carlos I also made exceptions for the final resting place of his parents Infante Juan, Count of Barcelona and María de las Mercedes of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Countess of Barcelona. Although his father did not reign, Juan, Count of Barcelona was the heir apparent of his father King Alfonso XIII because both of his elder brothers renounced their rights of succession. When Alfonso XIII, who had lost his throne when the Second Spanish Republic was declared in 1931, knew that his life was coming to an end, he formally abdicated in favor of his son Juan, who became the pretender to the Spanish throne. The dictator Francisco Franco had declared that the monarchy would be restored upon his own death. However, Franco felt that Juan would be too liberal, so he passed over him and chose Juan’s son, Juan Carlos, as heir to the Spanish throne. Although Juan, Count of Barcelona never reigned, he is considered a de jure king and he and his wife are parents of a king.

However, the royal remains are not initially interred in one of the Pantheons. Instead, the remains are taken to one of two decaying chambers (pudridero), where they remain for 30 to 40 years. The purpose of the pudridero is to reduce the size of the remains so that they will fit in lead chests, 3.2 feet/1 meter long and 16 inches/40 centimeters wide. The remains are then interred in the marble sepulchers or tombs in either the Pantheon of Kings or the Pantheon of Infantes.

Sepulchers of Carlos II, Luis I, Carlos III, and Carlos IV; Credit – By Bocachete – Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6493684

The remains of King Juan Carlos’ parents Juan, Count of Barcelona and María de las Mercedes of Bourbon-Two Sicilies currently lie in the pudridero, awaiting interment in the Pantheon of the Kings. When these remains are interred, all the sepulchers in the Pantheon of Kings will be filled. No decision has been announced as to the final resting place of former King Juan Carlos I and his wife Queen Sofia or for their son King Felipe VI and his wife Queen Letizia, the current king and queen.

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The Pantheon of Kings

The layout of the Pantheon of Kings: The two empty sepulchers 25 and 26 will be used by Don Juan, Count of Barcelona and Maria Mercedes of Two-Sicilies, parents of King Juan Carlos; Credit: By Basilio – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17239121

The Pantheon of Kings is located beneath the Basilica and houses 26 marble sepulchers containing the remains of the Kings and Queens of Spain. As seen in the layout above, it is octagonally shaped, with the sepulchers stacked in six columns around the room. An additional two sepulchers are located above the entrance. The Kings’ tombs are all on one side, while the Queens’ tombs are on the other.

The altar with two sets of niches on either side; Credit – By Bocachete – Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6493547

The Pantheon of Kings is an eight-sided dome made of black marble, which is located directly below the monastery church. The doorway to the Pantheon of Kings is in the southwest wall of this octagon. On the opposite side, the northeast wall, the altar is located. The walls of the other six sides contain (as Groups I-VI) four coffin niches are arranged one above the other. Two more coffin niches are located (as group VII) in the southwest wall above the entrance. In each of these coffin niches, there is a magnificent sarcophagus made of black marble with gold decorations with gold tablets naming the names of the persons buried within.

The following members of the Spanish royal family are buried in the Pantheon of Kings:

Group I

  • Carlos I, King of Spain, also Holy Roman Emperor Charles V (1500 – 1558)
  • Felipe II, King of Spain (1527 – 1598)
  • Felipe III, King of Spain (1578 – 1621)
  • Felipe IV, King of Spain (1605 – 1665)

Group II

  • Carlos II, King of Spain (1661- 1700)
  • Luis I, King of Spain (1707 – 1724)
  • Carlos III, King of Spain (1716 – 1788)
  • Carlos IV, King of Spain (1748 – 1819)

Group III

Group IV

  • Isabella of Portugal, Queen of Spain, wife of Carlos I, also Holy Roman Emperor Charles V (1503 – 1539)
  • Anna of Austria, Queen of Spain, 4th wife of Felipe II (1549 – 1580)
  • Margaret of Austria, Queen of Spain, wife of Felipe III (1584 – 1611)
  • Elisabeth of France, Queen of Spain, 1st wife of Felipe IV (1602 – 1644)

Group V

  • Mariana of Austria, Queen of Spain, 2nd wife of Felipe IV (1635 – 1696)
  • Maria Luisa of Savoy, Queen of Spain, 1st wife of Felipe V (1688 – 1714)
  • Maria Amalia of Saxony, Queen of Spain, wife of Carlos III (1724 – 1760)
  • Maria Luisa of Parma, Queen of Spain, wife of Carlos IV (1751- 1819)

Group VI

Group VII – The future burial place of The Count and Countess of Barcelona

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The Pantheon of Infantes

Pantheon of the Infantes looking from Chapel IX towards Chapel VI: Credit – By Holo^-^ – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=51849928

The Pantheon of Infantes is located on the same level as the Pantheon of Kings but under the monastery. In 1862, Queen Isabella II approved its construction which was carried out by José Segundo de Lema (link in Spanish), the senior architect of the Royal Palace. The Pantheon of Infantes was completed in 1888 and it was intended to be the burial place for Infantes and Infantas of Spain and for Queen Consorts of Spain who were not mothers of Kings of Spain. Infante and Infanta are Spanish royal titles that basically correspond to Prince and Princess.

The Pantheon of Infantes consists of nine chapels, each with its own altar. In contrast to the Pantheon of Kings, which is dominated by the colors black and gold, white marble was predominantly used for the walls and the sarcophagi in the Pantheon of the Infantes. In Chapel VI, a free-standing round monument serves as a collective burial site for children of the Spanish royal family who had not yet had their First Communion before they died. Among those buried In Chapel IX are sixteen members of the House of Habsburg.

The Pantheon of Infantes has its own pudridero (decaying chamber) where the remains of the deceased stay for 30 to 40 years before they are interred. Currently in the pudridero of the Pantheon of Infantes are:

Chapel I

Tombs of Infante Alfonso of Spain, Prince of the Two Sicilies, Duke of Calabria and his mother Infanta María de las Mercedes, Princess of Asturias; Credit – By Alexjab – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=65821441

Chapel II

Chapel III

Chapel IV

Tombs of Luis Alfonso of Bavaria, Infante of Spain and Maria de las Mercedes of Bavaria, Infanta of Spain; Credit – By Alexjab – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=65821301

Chapel V

Tomb of Don Juan of Austria; Credit – Wikipedia

  • Don Juan of Austria, illegitimate son of Carlos I, also Holy Roman Emperor Charles V (1547 – 1578)
  • Don Francisco Fernando of Austria, illegitimate son of Felipe V (1627 – 1634)
  • Don Juan José of Austria, illegitimate son of Felipe IV (1629 – 1679)

Chapel VI: Children’s Collective Grave

The free-standing round monument serves as a collective burial site for children of the Spanish royal family who had not yet had their First Communion before they died; Credit – Wikipedia

  • Infante Fernando, son of Carlos I, also Holy Roman Emperor Charles V (born and died 1529)
  • Infante Juan, son of Carlos I, also Holy Roman Emperor Charles V (1537 – 1538)
  • Infante Lorenzo, son of Felipe II (1573 – 1575)
  • Infanta Maria, daughter of Felipe II (1580 – 1583)
  • Infanta Maria, daughter of Felipe III (born and died 1603)
  • Infante Alfonso, son of Felipe III (1611 – 1612)
  • Infanta Margarita, daughter of Felipe IV (born and died 1621)
  • Infanta Catalina, daughter of Felipe IV (born and died 1623)
  • Infanta Maria, daughter of Felipe IV (1625 – 1627)
  • Infanta Isabel Teresa, daughter of Felipe IV (born and died 1627)
  • Infanta Ana Antonia, daughter of Felipe IV (born and died 1636)
  • Prince Ferdinand of Savoy-Carignano, son of Tommaso Francesco of Savoy, Prince of Carignano (1634 -1637)
  • Infanta Ambrosia, daughter of Felipe IV (born and died 1655)
  • Infante Fernando Tomás Carlos, son of Felipe IV (1658 – 1659)
  • Infante Felipe Próspero, son of Felipe IV (1657 – 1661)
  • Infante Felipe, son of Felipe V (born and died 1709)
  • Infante Francisco, son of Felipe V (born and died 1717)
  • Infant Carlos Clemens, son of Carlos IV (1771 – 1774)
  • Infanta Maria Luisa, daughter of Carlos IV (1777 – 1782)
  • Infante Carlos Eusebio, son of Carlos IV (1780 – 1783)
  • Infant Felipe, son of Carlos IV (1783 – 1784)
  • Infant Fernando Carlos Francisco, son of Carlos IV (1783 – 1784)
  • Infanta Maria Carlota, daughter of Infante Gabriel, granddaughter of Carlos III (born and died 1787)
  • Infante Carlos, son of Infante Gabriel, grandson of Carlos III (born and died 1788)
  • Infante Felipe, son of Carlos IV (1792 – 1794)
  • Infanta Maria Teresa, daughter of Carlos IV (1791 – 1794)
  • Infanta Isabel, daughter of Ferdinand VII (1817 – 1818)
  • Infante Francisco, son of Infante Francisco de Paula, grandson of Carlos IV (1820 – 1821)
  • Infanta Maria Teresa, daughter of Infante Francisco de Paula, granddaughter of Carlos IV (1828 – 1829)
  • Infante Eduardo, son of Infante Francisco de Paula, grandson of Carlos IV (1826 – 1830)
  • Infante Luis Fernando, son of Isabella II (born and died 1850)
  • Infanta Maria Cristina, daughter of Isabella II (born and died 1854)
  • Unnamed Infanta, daughter of Prince Antoine of Orléans, Duke of Montpensier and Infanta Luisa Fernanda – (1857)
  • Infanta María de Regla, daughter of Prince Antoine of Orléans, Duke of Montpensier and
  • Infanta Luisa Fernanda (1856 – 1861)
  • Infanta María de la Concepción, daughter of Isabella II (1859 – 1861)
  • Infante Felipe, son of of Prince Antoine of Orléans, Duke of Montpensier and Infanta Luisa Fernanda (1862 – 1864)
  • Infante Francisco Leopoldo, son of Isabella II (born and died 1866)
  • Infante Fernando, son of Alfonso XIII (stillborn 1910)

Chapel VII

Credit – By José Luis Filpo Cabana – Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=25388301

Chapel VIII

Credit – By José Luis Filpo Cabana – Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=25427185

Chapel IX

Credit – By José Luis Filpo Cabana – Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=26540368

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

  • De.wikipedia.org. 2021. Real Sitio de San Lorenzo de El Escorial – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Real_Sitio_de_San_Lorenzo_de_El_Escorial> [Accessed 20 December 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. El Escorial – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Escorial> [Accessed 20 December 2021].
  • Es.wikipedia.org. 2021. Cripta Real del Monasterio de El Escorial – Wikipedia, la enciclopedia libre. [online] Available at: <https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cripta_Real_del_Monasterio_de_El_Escorial> [Accessed 20 December 2021].
  • Es.wikipedia.org. 2021. Panteón de Infantes – Wikipedia, la enciclopedia libre. [online] Available at: <https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pante%C3%B3n_de_Infantes> [Accessed 20 December 2021].
  • Es.wikipedia.org. 2021. Real Basílica de San Lorenzo de El Escorial – Wikipedia, la enciclopedia libre. [online] Available at: <https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Real_Bas%C3%ADlica_de_San_Lorenzo_de_El_Escorial> [Accessed 20 December 2021].
  • Es.wikipedia.org. 2021. Real Monasterio de San Lorenzo de El Escorial – Wikipedia, la enciclopedia libre. [online] Available at: <https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Real_Monasterio_de_San_Lorenzo_de_El_Escorial> [Accessed 20 December 2021].
  • Monasteriodelescorial.com. 2021. Comunidad Agustiniana – Real Monasterio de S.L. de El Escorial. [online] Available at: <http://monasteriodelescorial.com/> [Accessed 20 December 2021].

Maria Luisa of Spain, Holy Roman Empress, Grand Duchess of Tuscany

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Maria Luisa of Spain; Credit – Wikipedia

The Grand Duchy of Tuscany was located in present-day northwest Italy. It existed, with a few interruptions, from 1569 – 1859. Tuscany was ruled by the de Medici family from 1434–1494 and from 1512 until the extinction of its senior branch in 1737. In 1569, Pope Pius V elevated Tuscany to a Grand Duchy and Cosimo I de’ Medici became its first Grand Duke.

In 1737, the House of Habsburg-Lorraine obtained control of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany.  François Étienne, Duke of Lorraine exchanged the Duchy of Lorraine for the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. Stanisław I, the father-in-law of King Louis XV of France, had abdicated the throne of Poland in 1736 and now became the Duke of Lorraine.

Except for a period of thirteen years from 1801 – 1814 during the French Revolutionary Wars and Napoleonic Wars, the House of Habsburg-Lorraine retained the Grand Duchy of Tuscany until Tuscany was annexed to the Kingdom of Sardinia in 1860, as a part of the unification of Italy. In 1861, Vittorio Emanuele II, King of Sardinia was proclaimed the first King of the new, united Kingdom of Italy.

Two Grand Dukes of Tuscany were also Holy Roman Emperors: Francesco II Stefano, Grand Duke of Tuscany (reigned 1737 – 1765) also Franz I, Holy Roman Emperor (reigned 1745 – 1765) and Pietro Leopoldo I, Grand Duke of Tuscany (reigned 1765 – 1790) also Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor (reigned 1790 – 1792).

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The Holy Roman Empire was a limited elective monarchy composed of hundreds of kingdoms, principalities, duchies, counties, prince-bishoprics, and Free Imperial Cities in central Europe. The Holy Roman Empire was not really holy since, after Holy Roman Emperor Charles V in 1530, no emperors were crowned by the pope or a bishop. It was not Roman but rather German because it was mainly in the regions of present-day Germany and Austria. It was an empire in name only – the territories it covered were mostly independent each with its own rulers. The Holy Roman Emperor directly ruled over only his family territories, and could not issue decrees and rule autonomously over the Holy Roman Empire. A Holy Roman Emperor was only as strong as his army and alliances, including marriage alliances, made him, and his power was severely restricted by the many sovereigns of the constituent monarchies of the Holy Roman Empire. From the 13th century, prince-electors, or electors for short, elected the Holy Roman Emperor from among the sovereigns of the constituent states.

Frequently but not always, it was common practice to elect the deceased Holy Roman Emperor’s heir. The Holy Roman Empire was an elective monarchy. No person had a legal right to the succession simply because he was related to the current Holy Roman Emperor. However, the Holy Roman Emperor could and often did, while still alive, have a relative (usually a son) elected to succeed him after his death. This elected heir apparent used the title King of the Romans.

Learn more at Unofficial Royalty: What was the Holy Roman Empire?

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Infanta Maria Luisa of Spain was Holy Roman Empress, Queen of Hungary and Bohemia, and Grand Duchess of Tuscany as the wife of Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor/Pietro Leopoldo I, Grand Duke of Tuscany. Born on November 24, 1745, at the Palace of Portici in Naples, Kingdom of Naples, Maria Luisa was the fifth of the thirteen children and the fifth of the seven children of Carlo VII, King of Naples/Carlo IV, King of Sicily (later Carlos III, King of Spain) and Maria Amalia of Saxony. Maria Luisa’s paternal grandparents were Felipe V, King of Spain and his second wife Elisabeth Farnese of Parma. Her maternal grandparents were Augustus III, King of Poland, Grand Duke of Lithuania, and Elector of Saxony and Maria Josepha of Austria.

In 1759, upon the death of his childless half-brother King Ferdinand VI of Spain, Maria Luisa’s father Carlo VII of Naples/Carlo IV of Sicily succeeded him as King Carlos III of Spain. Because of treaties, Carlos could not be the sovereign of all three kingdoms. His eldest son Felipe was excluded from the succession because of mental disability and his second son Carlos was the heir apparent to the Spanish throne. That left the third son Ferdinando to become King of Naples and King of Sicily. Ferdinando was only eight years old when he became King of Naples and Sicily and a regency council ruled until his sixteenth birthday. Fourteen-year-old Maria Luisa and her family, minus her brother Ferdinando, moved to Spain. Maria Luisa and her surviving siblings received the Spanish royal titles Infante or Infanta.

Maria Luisa with her brother Francisco Javier on the left and Carlos on the right; Credit – Wikipedia

Maria Luisa had twelve siblings but six did not survive childhood:

Maria Luisa was supposed to marry the future Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor, the eldest son of Empress Maria Theresa, who was in her own right Archduchess of Austria, Queen of Hungary, Queen of Croatia, and Queen of Bohemia and Francis Stephen, Holy Roman Emperor, Grand Duke of Tuscany, and Duke of Lorraine. However, King Louis XV of France disapproved of the match and instead wanted Joseph to marry his granddaughter Isabella of Parma. Not about to give an alliance with Spain, the formidable and powerful Maria Theresa substituted her second surviving son Leopold who was heir to his father’s Grand Duchy of Tuscany.

Maria Luisa’s husband Leopold; Credit – Wikipedia

Maria Luisa and Leopold were married by proxy on February 16, 1764, in Madrid, Spain. 18-year-old Leopold and 20-year-old Maria Luisa were married in person on August 5, 1765, in Innsbruck, Austria. Sadly, just thirteen days later, Leopold’s father Francis Stephen died suddenly in Innsbruck of a stroke or heart attack, at the age of 56, in his carriage while returning from the opera. The eldest son was elected Holy Roman Emperor and reigned as Joseph II. The second (surviving) son and Maria Luisa’s husband Leopold succeeded his father as Pietro Leopoldo I, Grand Duke of Tuscany. The newlyweds settled at the Palazzo Pitti in Florence, the capital of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, where they would live for the next twenty-five years.

Maria Luisa and Leopold with their children; Credit – Wikipedia

Maria Luisa and Leopold had sixteen children. Because his elder brother Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor had no children, Leopold became the founder of the main line of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine.

Maria Luisa remained largely unknown to the Tuscan aristocracy and maintained contact with a small group of friends in her private life. She mostly spent her time on the upbringing of her children. As parents, Maria Luisa and Leopold allowed their children a great deal of freedom without being tied to formal court life, and occasionally took them on excursions to rural areas and the coast.

Maria Luisa’s coronation as Queen of Hungary; Credit – Wikipedia

Leopold was elected Holy Roman Emperor in 1790 after the death of his childless brother Joseph. Maria Luisa became Holy Roman Empress, Queen of Hungary, and Queen of Bohemia.  At that time, he abdicated the throne of Tuscany in favor of his second son Ferdinand. Leopold, Maria Luisa, and their family moved to Vienna, Austria. After only seventeen months as Holy Roman Emperor, Leopold II died suddenly and unexpectedly on March 1, 1792, aged 44, in Vienna, Austria. He was buried at the Capuchin Church in the Tuscan Crypt of the Imperial Crypt in Vienna, Austria. Leopold’s eldest son Franz was elected (the last) Holy Roman Emperor and later was the first Emperor of Austria.

Maria Luisa’s tomb in the Imperial Crypt; Credit – Wikipedia

Less than three months after the sudden death of her husband, Maria Luisa also died suddenly, aged 46, on May 15, 1792, at Hofburg Palace in Vienna, Austria. She was buried next to her husband at the Capuchin Church in the Tuscan Crypt at the Imperial Crypt in Vienna, Austria. Their early deaths left their nine youngest children, all under the age of 18, orphans.

Grand Duchy of Tuscany Resources at Unofficial Royalty

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

  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Maria Luisa of Spain – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Luisa_of_Spain> [Accessed 23 September 2021].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2021. Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor, Pietro Leopoldo I, Grand Duke of Tuscany. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/leopold-ii-holy-roman-emperor-pietro-leopoldo-i-grand-duke-of-tuscany/> [Accessed 23 September 2021].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2013. Maria Theresa, Archduchess of Austria, and Queen of Hungary, Croatia, and Bohemia. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/maria-theresa-archduchess-of-austria-queen-of-hungary-croatia-and-bohemia/> [Accessed 19 September 2021].
  • It.wikipedia.org. 2021. Maria Luisa di Borbone-Spagna (1745-1792) – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Luisa_di_Borbone-Spagna_(1745-1792)> [Accessed 23 September 2021].
  • Wilson, Peter, 2016. Heart of Europe – A History of the Holy Roman Empire. Cambridge: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press.

​Maria Isabella of Spain, Queen of the Two Sicilies

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies was located in today’s southern Italy. It included the island of Sicily and all of the Italian peninsula south of the Papal States. Ferdinando I, the first King of the Two Sicilies, had previously reigned over two kingdoms, as Ferdinando IV of the Kingdom of Naples and Ferdinando III of the Kingdom of Sicily. He had been deposed twice from the throne of Naples: once by the revolutionary Parthenopean Republic for six months in 1799 and again by Napoleon in 1805, before being restored in 1816 after the defeat of Napoleon. After the 1816 restoration, the two kingdoms were united into the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.

Vittorio Emanuele II, King of Sardinia became a driving force behind the Italian unification movement along with Giuseppe Garibaldi, a general and nationalist, and Giuseppe Mazzini, a politician and journalist. Garibaldi conquered Naples and Sicily, the territories of the Kingdom of Two Sicilies. Francesco II, King of the Two Sicilies was deposed, the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies ceased to exist, and its territory was incorporated into the Kingdom of Sardinia. Eventually, the Sardinian troops occupied the central territories of the Italian peninsula, except Rome and part of Papal States. With all the newly acquired land, Vittorio Emanuele II was proclaimed the first King of the new, united Kingdom of Italy in 1861.

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Maria Isabella of Spain, Queen of the Two Sicilies; Credit – Wikipedia

Maria Isabella of Spain was the second wife of Francesco I, King of the Two Sicilies. María Isabel Antonia Josefa Ana Teresa Filipina was born at the Royal Palace in Madrid, Spain on July 6, 1789. She was the eleventh of the fourteen children and the fifth of the six daughters of  Carlos IV, King of Spain and Maria Luisa of Parma. Her paternal grandparents were King Carlos III of Spain and Maria Amalia of Saxony. Felipe of Spain, Duke of Parma, who founded the House of Bourbon-Parma, and Louise Élisabeth of France, daughter of Louis XV, King of France, were her maternal grandparents.

The Family of Carlos IV by Francisco Goya, 1800. The man in the shadows in the background on the left is the artist Francisco Goya. From left to right: Carlos Maria Isidro, the future Fernando VII, Maria Josefa the sister of Carlos IV, an unknown woman, Maria Isabella, Queen Maria Luisa, Francisco de Paula, King Carlos IV, Antonio Pascual the brother of Carlos IV, Carlota Joaquina (only part of her head is visible), Luis of Parma and his wife Maria Luisa holding baby Carlos Luis the future Duke of Parma; Credit – Wikipedia

Maria Isabella had thirteen siblings:

Raised at the Royal Palace in Madrid, Maria Isabella received only a cursory education. Several possible husbands were considered for her including Napoleon Bonaparte, then the First Consul of France. Through Lucien Bonaparte, Napoleon’s brother and the French ambassador to Spain, a marriage between Maria Isabella and Napoleon was proposed in April 1801. Napoleon was married to Joséphine de Beauharnais but it had been suggested that he should divorce her and marry a princess of royal blood. However, Napoleon had a low opinion of the Spanish House of Bourbon.

Maria Isabella of Spain, circa 1801; Credit – Wikipedia

Even though Maria Isabella was only twelve years old, her mother Maria Luisa was anxious to arrange her marriage. Maria Clementina of Austria, the wife of Maria Isabella’s first cousin Francesco, Duke of Calabria, the heir to the thrones of Naples and Sicily, had died in 1801 from tuberculosis. A marriage between Spain and Naples and Sicily would be politically advantageous while Europe was dealing with the expansionist policy of Napoleon. A double marriage was arranged between Spain and Naples and Sicily. Carlos IV, King of Spain was the brother of King Ferdinando IV of Naples and III of Sicily, and so these marriages were between first cousins. Maria Isabella would marry Franceso and her brother Ferdinand of Spain, Prince of Asturias, later King Ferdinand VII of Spain would marry Franceso’s sister Maria Antonia. On July 6, 1802, in Madrid Spain, 13-year-old Maria Isabella married her 25-year-old cousin Francesco by proxy with her brother Ferdinand standing in for the groom. The two couples were married in person in Barcelona, Spain on October 4, 1802. However, Maria Antonia died in 1806 from tuberculosis before her husband became King of Spain.

Although Maria Isabella did not make a good impression on her mother-in-law, born Maria Carolina of Austria, the Spanish ambassador to Naples informed the Spanish court that Maria Isabella was happy in Naples and that she attended theater performances and celebrations. Maria Isabella had a four-year-old stepdaughter from her husband’s first marriage:

Maria Isabella and Francesco’s family: Left to right: Maria Isabella  holding Maria Carolina, Ferdinanda Luisa, Maria Antonia, Luisa Carlotta, Maria Cristina, Ferdinando, Francesco holding Maria Amalia, Carlo, Prince of Capua and Leopoldo, Count of Syracuse; Credit – Wikipedia

As a 15-year-old, Maria Isabella gave birth to her first child, followed by eleven more children over the next twenty-three years. Unusual for the time, all twelve survived childhood.

Francesco’s father Ferdinando was deposed twice from his thrones: once by the revolutionary Parthenopean Republic for six months in 1799 and again by Napoleon in 1805. In February 1806, Ferdinando, Maria Carolina, and their family, including Maria Isabella and Francesco, were forced to flee to the island of Sicily, which was still in their control, where they lived in the Royal Palace of Palermo under British protection. However, the government of Sicily was a feudal type and the British insisted on a government more similar to the British one. In 1813, Ferdinando essentially but not officially abdicated and Francesco was appointed regent. At the insistence of the British, who were becoming more and more adverse to Maria Carolina, she was forced to leave Sicily. She returned to her home in Austria where she died from a stroke in 1814.

Francesco I, King of the Two Sicilies; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1816, after Ferdinando abolished the constitution of the Kingdom of Sicily, the two kingdoms, Naples and Sicily, were united into the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. For the next four years, Ferdinando I, King of the Two Sicilies reigned as an absolute monarch and there were no constitutional reforms. In 1820, a revolt broke out in Sicily and riots occurred in Naples. Ferdinando was forced to sign a constitution and appoint his son Francesco as regent of Sicily. This only lasted until March 1821, when Austrian troops friendly to Ferdinando occupied Naples. Ferdinando was re-established as an absolute monarch and the constitution was withdrawn. Ferdinando died from a stroke on January 4, 1825, at the age of 73 and his son Francesco became King of the Two Sicilies and Maria Isabella became Queen Consort.

Maria Isabella, Queen of the Two Sicilies; Credit – Wikipedia

As Queen Consort, Maria Isabella had no interest in politics or government. After her many births, she was overweight and preferred to attend the theater, balls, and parties. She was kind and generous and was more popular than her husband. In 1829, she took over the patronage of the girls’ boarding school located in the monastery complex of Santa Maria dei Miracoli in Naples and established a girls’ boarding school at the former monastery Santi Marcellino e Festo also in Naples called Queen Isabella Secondary School.

Maria Isabella and her husband Francesco decided to travel to Spain for the wedding of their daughter Maria Christina and Maria Isabella’s brother Ferdinand VII, King of Spain. Ferdinand VII was three times a widower and had no surviving children. Although Francesco had gout and his health was declining, Maria Isabella had not been to Spain since her marriage twenty-seven years earlier and persuaded her husband to take the long trip. Leaving Naples in September 1829 on a ten-month trip, they visited Pope Pius VIII in Rome, and then in France, they visited Francesco’s daughter from his first marriage Maria Carolina. Finally, the bride Maria Christina and the groom Ferdinand VII met in Aranjuez, Spain on December 10, 1829, made their solemn entry into Madrid the next day, and were married. Maria Isabella and Francesco had an extended stay in Spain. On the return trip, Maria Isabella and Francesco met again with his daughter Maria Carolina and then traveled to Paris, France for a stay with King Charles X of France. Maria Isabella and Francesco arrived back in Naples on July 30, 1830.

Francesco I, King of the Two Sicilies, 1829; Credit – Wikipedia

It had been a wonderful trip but it was exhausting for the ailing Francesco. Francesco I, King of the Two Sicilies died on November 8, 1830, aged 53, in Naples, Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, now in Italy. He was buried at the Basilica of Santa Chiara in Naples, the traditional burial site of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies.

After the death of Francesco, his 20-year-old son succeeded him as Ferdinando II, King of the Two Sicilies. Prince Vincenzo Ruffo della Scarletta and Pietro Ugo, Marchese delle Favare (link in Italian) plotted to remove the conservative Ferdinando II from the throne only for a period of several years and to install Maria Isabella as regent in his place. This conspiracy, arranged without Maria Isabella’s knowledge and intended to bring about more liberal conditions, was quickly exposed and stopped. However, Maria Isabella and her son Ferdinando had a very cool relationship until Ferdinando’s first wife Maria Christina of Savoy reconciled them.

Maria Isabella was only 41 years old when her husband died and despite being overweight, she was still attractive and had relationships with younger handsome servants. In 1835, Maria Isabella began a love affair with Baron Peter von Schmucker, a married Austrian officer. After the death of Schmucker’s wife in 1837, Maria Isabella wanted to marry him. However, Schmucker was too greedy. He wanted to be guaranteed that he would have the title and privileges of a Royal Highness if he married Maria Isabella. She refused and had her son Ferdinando II expel Schmucker from the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.

The Royal Palace of Capodimonte, home of Maria Isabella and her second husband Count Francesco del Balzo; Credit – By Mentnafunangann – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=37000184

Maria Isabella wanted to marry again and her son Ferdinando II provided her with a list of acceptable young nobles as potential husbands. On January 15, 1839, 50-year-old Maria Isabella married 34-year-old Count Francesco del Balzo. Her second husband was an attractive, high-ranking army officer but was not allowed to be at court with Maria Isabella. The couple withdrew from court and moved to the Royal Palace of Capodimonte in Naples, Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, now in Italy.

Coat of arms of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies on the entrance to the royal crypt; Credit – Di Giuseppe Guida – Flickr: Basilica di Santa Chiara., CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=20267754

Maria Isabella died on September 13, 1848, aged 59, at the Palace of Portici in Portici, Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. She was buried in the Basilica of Santa Chiara in Naples.

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.

Kingdom of the Two Sicilies Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. 2021. Maria Isabel von Spanien – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Isabel_von_Spanien> [Accessed 7 August 2021].
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  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. María Isabella of Spain – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mar%C3%ADa_Isabella_of_Spain> [Accessed 7 August 2021].
  • Flantzer, S., 2021. Francesco I, King of the Two Sicilies. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/francesco-i-king-of-the-two-sicilies/> [Accessed 7 August 2021].
  • It.wikipedia.org. 2021. Maria Isabella di Borbone-Spagna – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Isabella_di_Borbone-Spagna> [Accessed 7 August 2021].

Maria Antonia Ferdinanda of Spain, Queen of Sardinia

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

The Kingdom of Sardinia: The House of Savoy had been Counts and then Dukes of Savoy, since the 11th century and ruled from the city of Turin in the Duchy of Savoy, now in northern Italy. Vittorio Amedeo II, Duke of Savoy became King of Sicily in 1713 as a result of his participation in the War of the Spanish Succession. However, in 1720, Vittoria Amedeo II was forced to exchange the Kingdom of Sicily for the less important Kingdom of Sardinia after objections from the Quadruple Alliance (Great Britain, France, Habsburg Austria, and the Dutch Republic).

Sardinia, now in Italy, is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea after Sicily, also now in Italy, but the Kings of Sardinia of the House of Savoy ruled from Turin, the capital of the Duchy of Savoy. They styled themselves as Kings of Sardinia because the title was superior to their original lesser title as Dukes of Savoy. However, they retained the regnal numerical order of the Dukes of Savoy.

Vittorio Emanuele II became the last King of Sardinia upon the abdication of his father in 1849. He then became a driving force behind the Italian unification movement along with Giuseppe Garibaldi, a general and nationalist, and Giuseppe Mazzini, a politician and journalist. Garibaldi conquered Naples and Sicily, the territories of the Kingdom of Two Sicilies, while the Sardinian troops occupied the central territories of the Italian peninsula, except Rome and part of Papal States. With all the newly acquired land, Vittorio Emanuele II was proclaimed the first King of the new, united Kingdom of Italy in 1861.

Note: Children of Kings of Sardinia were often styled “of Savoy” as their fathers were also Dukes of Savoy from the House of Savoy.

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Maria Antonia Ferdinanda of Spain, Queen of Sardinia; Credit – Wikipedia

The wife of Vittorio Amedeo III, King of Sardinia, Infanta Maria Antonia Ferdinanda of Spain was born on November 17, 1729, at the Royal Alcázar in Seville, Spain. She was the youngest of the three daughters and the youngest of the six children of Felipe V, King of Spain and his second wife Elisabeth Farnese of Parma.

Maria Antonia’s father was born Philippe of France, Duke of Anjou at the Palace of Versailles in France. He was the second of the three sons of Louis, Le Grand Dauphin, the heir apparent to the throne of France, and Maria Anna Victoria of Bavaria. At the time of Philippe’s birth, his grandfather Louis XIV was King of France. In 1700, Carlos II, King of Spain died childless with no immediate Habsburg heir. Philippe’s father Louis, Le Grand Dauphin had the strongest genealogical claim to the throne of Spain because his mother Maria Teresa, Infanta of Spain had been the half-sister of Carlos II. However, neither Philippe’s father nor his elder brother Louis, Duke of Burgundy, Le Petite Dauphin could be displaced from their place in the succession to the French throne. Therefore, Carlos II, King of Spain, in his will, named 16-year-old Philippe of Anjou, Duke of Anjou as his successor. He took the Spanish version of his name Felipe V, King of Spain, the first Spanish King of the House of Bourbon that still reigns in Spain.

Maria Antonia’s mother Elisabeth Farnese of Parma was the only surviving child of Odoardo Farnese, Hereditary Prince of Parma and Dorothea Sophie of Neuburg. Because of the lack of male heirs to succeed to the Duchy of Parma, changes were legally made for the succession of the Duchy of Parma in the female line through Elisabeth Farnese. Her second son Felipe became the Duke of Parma and founded the House of Bourbon-Parma.

“The Family of Felipe V”; (L-R) Mariana Victoria, Barbara, Princess of Asturias; Fernando, Prince of Asturias; King Felipe V; Luis, Count of Chinchón; Elisabeth Farnese; Infante Felipe; Louise Élisabeth of France; Infanta Maria Teresa; Infanta Maria Antonia (Queen of Sardinia); Maria Amalia, Queen of Naples and Sicily; Carlo, King of Naples and Sicily. The two children in the foreground are Princess Maria Isabella Anne of Naples and Sicily and Infanta Isabella of Spain (daughter of the future Duke of Parma); Credit – Wikipedia

Maria Antonia had five siblings:

Maria Antonia had four half-brothers from her father’s first marriage to Maria Luisa of Savoy, daughter of Vittorio Amedeo II, King of Sardinia and Anne Marie d’Orléans. Maria Luisa died from tuberculosis at the age of 25. Only two of Maria Antonia’s half-brothers survived childhood and both became Kings of Spain.

Vittorio Amedeo III, King of Sardinia; Credit – Wikipedia

Maria Antonia Ferdinanda married the future Vittorio Amedeo III, King of Sardinia. The marriage was arranged by Maria Antonia’s half-brother Fernando VI, King of Spain to strengthen relations between Spain and Sardinia/Savoy as they had fought on opposing sides during the War of the Austrian Succession. As a wedding gift from her father-in-law, Maria Antonia’s apartments at the Royal Palace of Turin were remodeled by the architect Benedetto Alfieri. Her half-brother Ferdinand VI, King of Spain provided a dowry of 3,500,000 Piedmontese Lires and Spanish possessions in Milan. Vittorio Amedeo and Maria Antonia Ferdinanda were married by proxy in Madrid, Spain on April 12, 1750, and were married in person on May 31, 1750, at Oulx, near Turin in the Duchy of Savoy, now in Italy.

Maria Antonia Ferdinanda and Vittorio Amedeo with their family in 1760; Credit – Wikipedia

Maria Antonia Ferdinanda and Vittorio Amedeo had twelve children:

Upon the death of her father-in-law Carlo Emanuele III, King of Sardinia in 1773, Maria Antonia’s husband succeeded him as Vittorio Amedeo III. She was the first Queen Consort of Sardinia since the death of Elisabeth Therese of Lorraine in 1741. In 1773 her son Carlo Emanuele married Maria Clotilde of France, the sister of King Louis XVI of France. Maria Clotilde and Maria Antonia Ferdinanda had a very close relationship.

Basilica of Superga in Turin; Credit – By Incola – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=32157893

Maria Antonia Ferdinanda died on September 19, 1785, aged 55, at the Castle of Moncalieri in Turin, Duchy of Savoy, now in Italy. Vittorio Amedeo III survived her by eleven years, dying from a stroke, aged 70, on October 16, 1796, also at the Castle of Moncalieri in Turin. They were both buried at the Basilica of Superga in Turin.

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

  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Elisabeth Farnese – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elisabeth_Farnese> [Accessed 21 June 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Maria Antonia Ferdinanda of Spain – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Antonia_Ferdinanda_of_Spain> [Accessed 21 June 2021].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2019. Felipe V, King of Spain. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/felipe-v-first-bourbon-king-of-spain/> [Accessed 21 June 2021].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2021. Vittorio Amadeo III, King of Sardinia, Duke of Savoy. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/vittorio-amadeo-iii-king-of-sardinia-duke-of-savoy/> [Accessed 21 June 2021].
  • It.wikipedia.org. 2021. Maria Antonia di Borbone-Spagna – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Antonia_di_Borbone-Spagna> [Accessed 21 June 2021].
  • Ru.wikipedia.org. 2021. Мария Антония Испанская — Википедия. [online] Available at: <https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9C%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%8F_%D0%90%D0%BD%D1%82%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%8F_%D0%98%D1%81%D0%BF%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B0%D1%8F> [Accessed 21 June 2021].

Catherine of Lancaster, Queen of Castile

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Catherine of Lancaster, Queen of Castile; Credit – www.findagrave.com

Born March 31, 1373, at Hertford Castle in Hertfordshire, England, Catherine of Lancaster was the elder but the only surviving child of the two children of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster and his second wife Constance of Castile. Catherine’s paternal grandparents were King Edward III of England and Philippa of Hainault. Her maternal grandparents were King Pedro I of Castile and his first wife Maria de Padilla. Catherine was a half-sister of King Henry IV of England.

Catherine had one younger brother who died in infancy:

  • John of Lancaster (1374 – 1375)

Catherine had seven half-siblings from her father’s first marriage to Blanche of Lancaster:

Catherine had four half-siblings from her father’s relationship with his mistress and subsequently his third wife Katherine Swynford:

Catherine’s parents had married in 1371, as part of a calculated plan for the English to gain control of the Kingdom of Castile, now part of Spain. In 1369, King Pedro I of Castile had been killed by his half-brother who then assumed the throne of Castile as King Enrique II of Castile. Catherine’s mother Constance was the elder surviving daughter, the co-heiress of her father with her younger sister Isabella, and a claimant to the throne of Castile. After his marriage to Constance, John of Gaunt assumed the style of King of Castile in the right of his wife. Constance’s younger sister Isabella of Castile accompanied her sister to England. In 1372, Isabella married John of Gaunt’s younger brother, Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York as part of a dynastic alliance to further the English claim to the crown of Castile.

The English were never able to gain control of the Kingdom of Castile. In 1388, under the Treaty of Bayonne, Constance, Duchess of Lancaster renounced all claims to the Castilian throne and accepted the proposal of her first cousin King Juan I of Castile, to marry her daughter Catherine to his son, the future King Enrique III of Castile. The marriage would end the conflict between the descendants of Pedro I of Castile and Enrique II of Castile and give legitimacy to the House of Trastámara which would become the first ruling house of a united Kingdom of Spain.

Enrique III, King of Castile; Credit – Wikipedia

On September 17, 1388, at the Cathedral of Saint Antoninus of Pamiers in Palencia, Kingdom of Castile, now in Spain, fifteen-year-old Catherine of Lancaster was married to her nine-year-old second cousin Enrique, who received the title Prince of Asturias at that time. He was the first person to hold this title, and it designated him as the heir apparent. Today Prince or Princess of Asturias is the title used by the heir apparent or heir presumptive to the throne of Spain.

It is probable that the marriage was not consummated for some time due to Enrique’s young age. Eventually, Catherine (Catalina in Spanish) and Enrique had three children:

Through their son Juan II of Castile, Catherine and Enrique III are the grandparents of Isabella I, Queen of Castile and great-grandparents of Catherine of Aragon (daughter of Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon), the first wife of King Henry VIII of England. Catherine of Aragon was named for her great-grandmother Catherine of Lancaster, Queen of Castile. Catherine and Enrique are the ancestors of all subsequent monarchs of the Kingdom of Castile and a united Kingdom of Spain.

On October 9, 1390, Catherine’s father-in-law King Juan I of Castile, aged thirty-two, died after a fall from his horse and her eleven-year-old husband became Enrique III, King of Castile. After a three-year regency, King Enrique III assumed full power. However, due to ill health in the latter part of his reign, Enrique delegated some of his power to his brother Ferdinand. Enrique died, aged 27, on December 25, 1406, in Toledo, Kingdom of Castile, now in Spain. King Enrique III’s son and successor was not quite two years old when he became King Juan II of Castile. His mother Catherine and his paternal uncle Ferdinand, who became King Ferdinand I of Aragon in 1412, were co-regents during his minority. When Ferdinand died in 1416, Catherine served as sole regent until her death in 1418. Her son King Juan II immediately took power, without continuing the regency.

Chapel of the New Monarchs at Toledo Cathedral where Catherine I buried with her husband along with other members of the the House of Trastámara; Credit – De Jose Luis Filpo Cabana – Trabajo propio, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=30738992

On June 2, 1418, Catherine of Lancaster, Queen of Castile died from a stroke at age 45 in Valladolid, Kingdom of Castile, now in Spain. She is buried with her husband King Enrique III of Castile in the Capilla de los Reyes Nuevos (Chapel of the New Monarchs) in the Primate Cathedral of Saint Mary of Toledo, also known as Toledo Cathedral in Toldeo, Kingdom of Castile, now in Spain.

Tomb of Catherine of Lancaster, Queen of Castile; Credit – De Borjaanimal – Trabajo propio, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=44532496

Works Cited

  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Catherine of Lancaster – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catherine_of_Lancaster> [Accessed 2 April 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Henry III of Castile – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_III_of_Castile> [Accessed 2 April 2021].
  • Es.wikipedia.org. 2021. Catalina de Lancaster – Wikipedia, la enciclopedia libre. [online] Available at: <https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catalina_de_Lancaster> [Accessed 2 April 2021].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2021. Constance of Castile, Duchess of Lancaster. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/constance-of-castile-duchess-of-lancaster/> [Accessed 2 April 2021].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2017. John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/john-of-gaunt-1st-duke-of-lancaster/> [Accessed 2 April 2021].

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.

Constance of Castile, Duchess of Lancaster

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Constance of Castile, Duchess of Lancaster; Credit – Wikipedia

Constance of Castile was the second wife of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, the fourth but the third surviving son of King Edward III of England and Philippa of Hainault. Through their daughter Catherine, Constance and John are the great-grandparents of Queen Isabella I of Castile and León and the great-great-grandparents of Isabella I’s daughter Catherine of Aragon, the first wife of King Henry VIII of England. Constance and John are the ancestors of all subsequent monarchs of the Kingdom of Castile and León and a united Kingdom of Spain.

Constance’s mother Maria de Padilla; Credit – Wikipedia

Born in 1354 at the Castle of Castrojeriz in Castrojeriz, Kingdom of Castile, now in Spain, Constance of Castile was the second of the three daughters and the second of the four children of Pedro I, King of Castile and the first of his three wives Maria de Padilla, a Castilian noblewoman who had been his mistress. They married in secret in 1353. Although Pedro was forced to repudiate his marriage with Maria de Padilla to marry Blanche of Bourbon (no children), their relationship continued until she died in 1361.

Constance had three siblings:

Constance had had one brother from her father’s third marriage with Juana de Castro:

  • Juan of Castile (1355 – 1405), married Elvira de Eril and Falces, had two children

Battle of Nájera during the Castilian Civil War; Credit – Wikipedia

Throughout the reign of Pedro I, King of Castile, the Castilian Civil War (1351 – 1369), a war of succession over the Kingdom of Castile, was fought between Pedro I and his half-brother Enrique, one of ten children of Pedro’s father King Alfonso XI of Castile and his long-time mistress Eleanor of Guzmán. In 1369, Pedro lost the civil war, his crown, and his life when he was stabbed to death by his half-brother who then succeeded to the throne as Enrique II, King of Castile. Constance was now a pretender to the throne of Castile and remained besieged in the Alcázar del Rey Don Pedro in Carmona for two more years until it was agreed that she could depart for territories of King Edward III of England now in present-day France.

John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster; Credit – Wikipedia

On September 21, 1371, in English territory, at Roquefort near Bordeaux, Guienne (now in France), 31-year-old John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster, King Edward III’s fourth but third surviving son, married 17-year-old Constance. This was John of Gaunt’s second marriage. His 23-year-old first wife Blanche of Lancaster, the wealthy heiress whose Duchy of Lancaster, to this day, is held in trust for the Sovereign to provide income for the use of the British monarch, died in 1368. Of John and Blanche’s seven children, three survived to adulthood including King Henry IV of England and Philippa of Lancaster who married King João I of Portugal.

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The Savoy Palace, the London home of John of Gaunt

The marriage of Constance and John was a calculated plan for England to gain control of the Kingdom of Castile. After his marriage to Constance, John assumed the style of King of Castile in the right of his wife. On February 9, 1372, Constance made a ceremonial entry into London as the Queen of Castile, accompanied by John’s eldest brother, Edward (the Black Prince), Prince of Wales, along with an impressive escort of English and Castilian retainers and London dignitaries. Crowds lined the streets to see Constance as she made her way to the Savoy Palace, the London residence of John of Gaunt, where she was ceremonially received by her husband.

Constance’s younger sister Isabella of Castile accompanied her to England. On July 11, 1372, Isabella married John of Gaunt’s younger brother, Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York as part of a dynastic alliance to further the English claim to the crown of Castile.

Constance and John of Gaunt had two children but only one survived infancy:

The English were never able to gain control of the Kingdom of Castile. In 1388, under the Treaty of Bayonne, John of Gaunt and his wife Constance of Castile renounced any claim to the throne of Castile in favor of King Enrique III of Castile, the grandson of Constance’s half-uncle King Enrique II of Castile who had taken the throne from Constance’s father King Pedro I of Castile. The treaty further stipulated that King Enrique III of Castile should marry his second cousin Catherine of Lancaster, John and Constance’s daughter and the granddaughter King Pedro I, thereby uniting the two opposing factions of the family. Also included in the treaty was the creation of the title Prince of Asturias as the title of the heir to the throne of Castile. Today Prince or Princess of Asturias is the title used by the heir apparent or heir presumptive to the throne of Spain.

Soon after King Edward III of England founded the Order of the Garter in 1348, women were appointed Ladies of the Garter but were not made companions. In 1378, Constance received the honor of being appointed the fourth Lady of the Garter.

Constance of Castile, Duchess of Lancaster died on March 24, 1394, aged 39–40, at Leicester Castle in Leicestershire, of England. She was buried at the Church of the Annunciation of Our Lady of the Newarke, in Leicester, England, which was destroyed in the mid-16th century under the Dissolution of the Chantries Act during the reign of King Edward VI of England. In 1396, Constance’s widower John of Gaunt married his long-time mistress Katherine Swynford, with whom he already had four children. John survived Constance by five years, dying on February 3, 1399, aged 58, at Leicester Castle in Leicestershire, England. He was buried with his first wife Blanche of Lancaster in a magnificent tomb at Old St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, England which was destroyed in the Great Fire of London of 1666.

Works Cited

  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Constance of Castile, Duchess of Lancaster – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constance_of_Castile,_Duchess_of_Lancaster> [Accessed 1 April 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Peter of Castile – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_of_Castile> [Accessed 1 April 2021].
  • Es.wikipedia.org. 2021. Constanza de Castilla (1354-1394) – Wikipedia, la enciclopedia libre. [online] Available at: <https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constanza_de_Castilla_(1354-1394)> [Accessed 1 April 2021].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2021. John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/john-of-gaunt-1st-duke-of-lancaster/> [Accessed 1 April 2021].
  • Ru.wikipedia.org. 2021. Констанция Кастильская, герцогиня Ланкастер — Википедия. [online] Available at: <https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9A%D0%BE%D0%BD%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%86%D0%B8%D1%8F_%D0%9A%D0%B0%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%BB%D1%8C%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B0%D1%8F,_%D0%B3%D0%B5%D1%80%D1%86%D0%BE%D0%B3%D0%B8%D0%BD%D1%8F_%D0%9B%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%BA%D0%B0%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B5%D1%80> [Accessed 1 April 2021].

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Isabella, Archduchess of Austria, Infanta of Castile and Aragon, Queen of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Isabella of Austria, Queen of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden; Credit – Wikipedia

Isabella of Austria was the wife of Christian II, King of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. She was born an Archduchess of Austria and an Infanta of Castile and Aragon, on July 18, 1501, in Brussels, Spanish Netherlands, now in Belgium. Isabella was the second of the four daughters and the third of the six children of Philip, Duke of Burgundy and Juana I, Queen of Castile and Aragon. Isabella’s maternal grandparents were King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile. Her paternal grandparents were Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor and Mary, Duchess of Burgundy in her own right. Isabella’s brother was the powerful Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor who was also King of Spain. Catherine of Aragon, the first wife of King Henry VIII of England, was her maternal aunt, and Catherine and Henry VIII’s only surviving child, Queen Mary I of England was her first cousin.

Isabella on the right with her sister Eleanor and her brother Charles; Credit – Wikipedia

Isabella had five siblings:

Isabella’s father died in 1506 when she was five years old. In 1507, her paternal aunt Margaret of Austria became the guardian of Isabella and her siblings Eleanor, Charles, and Mary. Isabella’s mother Queen Juana I of Castile and Aragon was nicknamed “La Loca” due to a mental disability alleged by her father King Ferdinand II of Aragon and then her son Charles. In 1509, her father confined her in the Royal Palace in Tordesillas, Castile, now in Spain, until she died in 1555. Whether Juana suffered from a mental disability or whether she was the victim of a conspiracy plotted by her father and then by her son is still debated by historians.

Isabella, circa 1515; Credit – Wikipedia

On July 11, 1514, one week short of her 13th birthday, Isabella was married by proxy to 23-year-old Christian II, King of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden with Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I, Isabella’s grandfather, standing in for Christian. Isabella remained in the Spanish Netherlands until the summer of 1515 when Erik Axelsson Valkendorf, Archbishop of Nidaros (in Norway) was sent to escort her to Copenhagen where Christian and Isabella were married in person on August 12, 1515. Around 1508, while on a visit to Norway, Christian II fell in love with Dyveke Sigbritsdatter and she became his mistress. Christian’s brother-in-law, the future Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, demanded that Dyveke Sigbritsdatter be sent away, but only to get a refusal from Christian. This created tension between Christian and Charles. Dyveke Sigbritsdatter remained Christian’s mistress until she died in 1517.

Christian II, King of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden; Credit- Wikipedia

Christian II and Isabella had five children but only three survived infancy and only their two daughters reached adulthood:

Three children of Christian II and Isabella: Dorothea, Hans, and Christina; Credit – Wikipedia

When Christian II’s mistress Dyveke Sigbritsdatter died in 1517, Christian believed she had been poisoned by Danish nobleman Torben Oxe. Torben Oxe was tried and acquitted by the Danish State Council. However, Christian did not accept the verdict and had Oxe indicted by a lower justice-of-the-peace court. The verdict, as directed by King Christian II, was guilty and Torben Oxe was executed. Members of the Danish State Council strongly disapproved of what Christian had done. This act precipitated the division between the king and aristocracy that ultimately led to Christian being deposed.

In Sweden, with Christian’s permission, 82 people were either hanged or beheaded for heresy from November 9 – 10, 1520, in an incident called the Stockholm Bloodbath. Instead of cementing Christian’s control of the Swedish throne, the Stockholm Bloodbath led to him losing the Swedish throne. The remaining Swedish nobility, disgusted by the bloodbath, rose against Christian. On August 23, 1521, Christian was deposed as King of Sweden with the election of Gustav Vasa as Regent of Sweden. On June 6, 1523, Gustav Vasa was elected King of Sweden, the first monarch of the Swedish House of Vasa.

By 1523, the Danes also had enough of Christian II and a rebellion started. Christian was forced to abdicate by the Danish nobles and his paternal uncle Frederik, Duke of Schleswig and Holstein became King Frederik I of Denmark and Norway. Christian would have to go into exile but King Frederik I offered Isabella a dowager queen’s pension and an offer to stay in Denmark under his protection. Isabella wrote back to Frederik in Latin, saying “ubi rex meus, ibi regnum meum” – “where my king is, there is my kingdom”. On April 13, 1523, Christian, his wife Isabella, and their children left Denmark for the Spanish Netherlands, the territory of Isabella’s brother Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor.

Christian, Isabella, and their children leaving Denmark; Credit – Wikipedia

In the following years, Isabella and Christian tried, without success, to gain the support of their royal relatives to help recover their lost kingdom. Isabella and Christian stayed for a long time in Wittenberg with Christian’s maternal uncle Friedrich III, Elector of Saxony. Friedrich was an early defender of Martin Luther. He successfully protected Luther from the Holy Roman Emperor, the Pope, and other hostile figures. Friedrich did this not because of religious conviction but because he believed in a fair trial for any of his subjects and the rule of law. Both Christian and Isabella were interested in the teachings of Martin Luther. Isabella never converted but it appears Christian did convert for a while before reverting to Catholicism.

At the end of 1524, Isabella, Christian, and their children settled in Lier, Spanish Netherlands, now in Belgium. Isabella’s aunt Margaret of Austria provided them with a home and financial support. Even with the support, they had a difficult time, with many worries, and a lack of money. In the spring of 1525, Isabella became seriously ill. Isabella traveled with her husband to Zwijnaarde Castle outside Ghent, Spanish Netherlands, now in Belgium, in late 1525. Isabella died there on January 19, 1526, at the age of 24.

Isabella was originally buried in St. Peter’s Abbey in Ghent. In 1883, thanks to the efforts of the Danish government, Isabella’s remains and those of her son Hans, who died when he was fourteen-years-old, were transferred to St. Canute’s Cathedral in Odense, Denmark where they were reburied next to the remains of King Christian II.

Grave of Isabella of Austria; Credit – Wikipedia

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.

Kingdom of Denmark Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • Da.wikipedia.org. 2020. Elisabeth Af Habsburg. [online] Available at: <https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elisabeth_af_Habsburg> [Accessed 24 December 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Isabella Of Austria. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isabella_of_Austria> [Accessed 24 December 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Joanna Of Castile. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joanna_of_Castile> [Accessed 24 December 2020].
  • Flantzer, Susan. 2020. Christian II, King of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. [online] Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/christian-ii-king-of-denmark-norway-and-sweden/> [Accessed 24 December 2020].

Ancestors of King Felipe VI of Spain

compiled by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

King Felipe VI of Spain; Credit – Wikipedia

King Felipe VI of Spain has a stellar and varied royal pedigree. He is the only current European monarch to be descended from Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom via three of his grandparents. His father King Juan Carlos I of Spain is descended from Queen Victoria’s youngest child Princess Beatrice whose daughter Princess Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg married King Alfonso XIII of Spain. (Queen Victoria → Princess Beatrice → Princess Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg → Infante Juan of Spain, Count of Barcelona → King Juan Carlos I of Spain → King Felipe VI of Spain)

Both parents of Felipe VI’s mother, born Princess Sophia of Greece, are descended from Queen Victoria’s eldest child Victoria, Princess Royal. Her father King Paul of Greece is descended through Victoria, Princess Royal’s daughter Princess Sophie of Prussia who married King Constantine I of Greece. (Queen Victoria → Victoria, Princess Royal → Princess Sophie of Prussia → King Paul of Greece → Princess Sophia of Greece → King Felipe VI of Spain).

Princess Sophia of Greece’s mother Princess Frederica of Hanover is descended through Victoria, Princess Royal’s son Wilhelm II, German Emperor, King of Prussia whose granddaughter Princess Frederica of Hanover married King Paul of Greece. (Queen Victoria→ Victoria, Princess Royal → Wilhelm II, German Emperor, King of Prussia → Princess Victoria Louise of Prussia → Princess Frederica of Hanover → Princess Sophia of Spain → King Felipe VI of Spain)

Among King Felipe VI’s ancestors in the last five generations are monarchs of Denmark, the German Empire, Greece, Prussia, Spain, and the United Kingdom. If we go back a couple more generations, there are monarchs of Austria, France, the Holy Roman Empire, and Russia.

Parents, Grandparents, Great-Grandparents, Great-Great-Grandparents, and Great-Great-Great-Grandparents of King Felipe VI of Spain (born January 30, 1968)

The links below are from Unofficial Royalty or Wikipedia.

Parents

King Felipe VI’s parents; Credit – Wikipedia

Grandparents

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

Great-Grandparents

Ernst August  III of Hanover, Duke of Brunswick and Princess Victoria Louise of Prussia, great-grandparents; Credit – Wikipedia

Great-Great-Grandparents

NPG Ax132839; Frederick III, Emperor of Germany and King of Prussia; Victoria, Empress of Germany and Queen of Prussia by Hills & Saunders

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

Great-Great-Great-Grandparents

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

Sources:

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Why did former King Juan Carlos leave Spain?

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2020

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In March 2020, Swiss authorities began investigating former King Juan Carlos of Spain, who abdicated in favor of his son King Felipe VI in 2014,  concerning a $100 million donation given to the former king’s alleged mistress Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn in 2012. This donation was linked to alleged kick-back fees from Saudi Arabia for Juan Carlos’ role as a facilitator in the construction of a high-speed rail connecting Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia.

On March 15, 2020, King Felipe VI announced that he would renounce any future inheritance from his father that was connected with his foreign bank accounts. He also stripped Juan Carlos of his annual stipend.

In June 2020, Spain’s prosecutor general decided that prosecutors from the Supreme Court of Spain should investigate Juan Carlos’ role in the Saudi Arabia case to determine whether there is sufficient evidence that Juan Carlos committed a crime after his abdication. As King of Spain, Juan Carlos was immune from prosecution via crown immunity from 1975 to 2014.

On August 3, 2020, Juan Carlos I informed his son, King Felipe VI, via a letter, of his decision to leave Spain because of increased media press concerning his business dealings in Saudi Arabia. By the time the letter had been made public, Juan Carlos had already left Spain. Juan Carlos’ location is unclear but the Dominican Republic, Portugal, France, and Italy have been suggested. Juan Carlos said he would be available if prosecutors needed to interview him.

Queen Sofia will remain in Spain, staying at her home, Zarzuela Palace in Madrid, and continuing with her activities.

On August 3, 2020, the following letter was sent to King Felipe VI from his father, Juan Carlos, the former King of Spain:

Your Majesty, Dear Felipe, with the same zeal to serve Spain that inspired my reign and faced with the public impact that certain past actions of my private life are causing, I wish to show you my absolute willingness to contribute to helping the exercise of your functions with the peace and tranquility required of your high level of responsibility. My legacy, and my own dignity as a person, demands it.

A year ago, I told you of my willingness and desire to stand down from my institutional activities. Now, guided by the conviction to provide the best service to Spaniards, its institutions, and to you as King, I am informing you of my well-considered decision to move away from Spain.

It is a decision I take, with deep feeling but great calm. I was king of Spain for 40 years and during all those years I have always wanted the best for Spain and the Crown.

With my loyalty always.

With great affection, your father.

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