Category Archives: Baden Royals

Princess Theodora of Greece, Margravine of Baden

Princess Theodora of Greece, Margravine of Baden; Credit – Wikipedia

Princess Theodora of Greece and Denmark was born on May 30, 1906, at Tatoi Palace in Greece, the second daughter of Prince Andreas of Greece and Denmark and Princess Alice of Battenberg. She had four siblings:

Theodora with her sisters in 1922. (l-r) Margarita, Cecilie, Theodora, Sophie.

Raised primarily in Greece, Theodora and her family had to leave Greece several times due to the political unrest and repeated overthrow of the monarchy.  They spent several years living in Switzerland and later settled outside of Paris.  After her mother suffered a nervous breakdown in 1930, Theodora and her sisters were quickly married, all into former reigning German royal families.

On August 17, 1931, in Baden-Baden, Germany, Theodora married Berthold, Margrave of Baden, the son of Maximilian, Margrave of Baden and Princess Marie Luise of Hanover. The couple was second cousins through their mutual descent from King Christian IX of Denmark. They took up residence at Schloss Salem in Salem, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.

Theodora and Berthold  had three children:

Theodora with her husband and two elder children, c1936. source: private collection

In her later years, Princess Theodora spent time with her children and grandchildren and occasionally visited England to see her brother Philip and his family.  At just 63 years old, she died in Büdingen in Hesse, Germany on October 16, 1969, just five weeks before the death of her mother. She was buried alongside her husband in the family cemetery in Salem, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.

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Victoria of Baden, Queen of Sweden

by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Victoria of Baden, Queen of Sweden. source: Wikipedia

Queen Victoria of Sweden was the wife of King Gustaf V of Sweden. She was born Princess Sophie Marie Viktoria of Baden on August 7, 1862, in Karlsruhe, Grand Duchy of Baden now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, to Grand Duke Friedrich I of Baden and Princess Louise of Prussia (daughter of Wilhelm I, German Emperor and Princess Augusta of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach). Through her mother, she was a niece of Friedrich III, German Emperor and his wife, Victoria, Princess Royal of the United Kingdom, and a first cousin of Wilhelm II, German Emperor. She had two siblings:

Viktoria was educated privately at home in Karlsruhe and Mainau, learning to speak French and English, studying art and music, and taking a great interest in photography. With their close ties to the German Imperial Family, they often visited the Kaiser’s court. It would later be on one of these visits that Viktoria would meet her future husband.

Viktoria was deeply in love with her first cousin Grand Duke Nicholas Mikhailovich of Russia but Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia would not allow a marriage between cousins. Later, her mother tried to arrange for her to marry the future Wilhelm II, German Emperor, another first cousin. This was also refused because of their close familial tie. However, while in Prussia to attend Wilhelm’s wedding to Augusta Viktoria of Schleswig-Holstein in February 1881, Viktoria met Crown Prince Gustaf of Sweden, the eldest son of King Oscar II of Sweden and Sophia of Nassau. He was quickly taken with Viktoria, and within just a week of their first meeting, he proposed and she accepted. The engagement was announced on March 12, 1881. Over the next several months, Viktoria learned to read and write Swedish and studied Swedish politics and constitutional history.

Victoria and Gustaf, 1881. source: Wikipedia

The couple married in the palace chapel in Karlsruhe, Grand Duchy of Baden now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, on September 20, 1881. As a great-granddaughter of King Gustaf IV Adolf of Sweden, Victoria’s marriage united the former ruling house of Holstein-Gottorp with the new Bernadotte dynasty, and she was known in Sweden as the ‘Vasa Princess’. She and Gustaf soon settled into their apartments in the Royal Palace of Stockholm which Victoria would retain until her death. The couple had three children:

From her youth, Victoria had always suffered from ill health and found the winters in Sweden too harsh to handle. Beginning in 1882, she spent every winter away from her new land, which led to unpopularity with the Swedish people. Victoria and Gustaf’s marriage grew strained due to her frequent absences, and the couple took a trip to Egypt in 1890-1891 to try and fix their relationship. Instead, during their six months in Egypt, Victoria began a relationship with her husband’s aide Baron Gustaf von Blixen-Finecke. Victoria returned to Egypt the following winter without her husband or his aide. Another prominent relationship developed from that first trip to Egypt with Dr. Axel Munthe. Victoria met Munthe while visiting Capri on her way back to Sweden, and the two struck up a fast friendship. He would become her personal physician for the remainder of her life. From several letters between the two, which have been preserved, it appears this was much more than a doctor-patient relationship. What is certain is that Victoria came to depend greatly on Dr. Munthe for her physical and emotional well-being.

Victoria and her husband in Baden-Baden, 1890. source: Wikipedia

Victoria and her family typically spent their summers at Tullgarn Palace which they had taken on in 1881 after their marriage. However, because of the humidity, she found it less-than-pleasant, and her parents offered to finance the building of a new summer residence in an area better suited for Victoria’s health. In 1903, construction began on Solliden Palace on the island of Öland, and Victoria and her family first took up residence in 1906. Personally owned by Victoria, Solliden was later left to King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, who owns it today.

 

On December 8, 1907, King Oscar II died and Victoria became Queen of Sweden. Although still traveling south during the winters, Queen Victoria took part in all the court festivities and responsibilities of her new role. She traveled extensively with her husband and entertained visiting royalty from around Europe. She spent much time working with several charities, including taking the helm of Sophiahammet after Queen Sofia’s death in 1913. During World War I, Queen Victoria’s German roots often led to unpopularity amongst the Swedes. Despite Sweden’s neutrality, Victoria had a close relationship with Wilhelm II, German Emperor, often visiting the German court during the war. At the end of the war, following the defeat of the German empire, she found that her political ‘power’ in Sweden was gone.

Her remaining years were spent primarily in southern Europe. She lived in Capri for several years before moving to Rome where she purchased a home – Villa Svezia. She made one final trip to Sweden in 1928 for her husband’s 70th birthday celebrations.

Queen Victoria, painted by Victor Roikjer, 1928. source: Wikipedia

In declining health, Queen Victoria of Sweden died of a heart attack on April 4, 1930, at Villa Sveziain Rome, Italy. At her bedside were her husband King Gustaf V, her son Wilhelm, Dr. Munthe, and her devoted maid and companion Agnes Bergman. Her body was returned to Sweden on HMS Drottning Victoria, and a state funeral took place on April 12. She is buried at the Riddarholmen Church in Stockholm, Sweden.

Kingdom of Sweden Resources at Unofficial Royalty

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Alexandrine of Baden, Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2015

Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld/Saxe-Coburg and Gotha: In 1675, Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg died. Initially, his seven sons collectively governed the Duchy of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, as set out in their father’s will. In 1680, the seven brothers concluded a treaty of separation, with each brother getting a portion of the Duchy of Saxe-Gotha Altenburg and becoming a Duke. One of the seven new duchies was the Duchy of Saxe-Saalfeld and Johann Ernst, one of the seven sons of Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg became the first Duke of Saxe-Saalfeld.  When two of his brothers died without male heirs, Johann Ernst took possession of Coburg (in 1699) and Römhild (in 1714). In 1699, Johann Ernst’s title changed to Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld.

In 1825, 145 years after the initial split, another line became extinct and there was another split between three surviving duchies. Ernst III, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld became Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. For more information on the switch, see Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld/Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Index.

On November 9, 1918, after the German Empire lost World War I, the Workers’ and Soldiers Council of Gotha, deposed the last Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Charles Edward, a grandson of Queen Victoria.  Five days later, he signed a declaration relinquishing his rights to the throne. The territory that encompassed the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha is now in the German states of Bavaria and Thuringia.

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Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Alexandrine of Baden (Alexandrine Luise Amalie Friederike Elisabeth Sophie) was born Karlsruhe, Grand Duchy of Baden, Karlsruhe, Grand Duchy of Baden, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, on December 6, 1820. She was the eldest of the eight children of Leopold I, Grand Duke of Baden and Princess Sophie of Sweden.  Alexandrine had seven siblings:

Alexandrine, standing next to her mother, with four of her siblings; Credit – Wikipedia

Alexandrine was first courted by the future Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia. He visited her in Baden and preliminary marriage negotiations took place. However, on his way home to Russia, Alexander visited Hesse-Darmstadt and he met Princess Marie of Hesse and by Rhine who was eventually his bride. On May 13, 1842, in Karlsruhe, Baden (now in Germany) Alexandrine married the future Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Prior to the marriage, Ernst was suffering from a venereal disease as a result of his many affairs. He had been warned that continued promiscuity could leave him unable to father children. Ernst had at least three illegitimate children, but his marriage was childless, perhaps due to Ernst passing the venereal disease to Alexandrine causing her to become infertile. Alexandrine was loyal and devoted to her husband despite his infidelities, and believed that their lack of children was her fault.

Alexandrine, Painting by Franz Winterhalter, 1842; Credit – Wikipedia

After his marriage, Ernst continued to carry on with affairs that Alexandrine accepted. At one point in time, Ernst had two mistresses living with him and Alexandrine. Ernst’s sister-in-law Queen Victoria could not understand how Alexandrine could accept this, and wrote to one of her children, “Uncle E.’s conduct is perfectly monstrous and I must blame Aunt very much. They have not written to me yet – but when they do I shall have to write very strongly.”

On January 29, 1844, Ernst’s father died and he became Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Ernst was not well-loved by his people, but Alexandrine was. She supported many charities including the Ernst Foundation for needy students. During the Franco-German War, Alexandrine worked with the Red Cross dealing with the German wounded soldiers. For this work, she was awarded the Bavarian Order of Theresa and the Prussian Order of Louise. Alexandrine founded the Gymnasium Alexandrinum, an all-girls school that was funded by her school foundation. Upon her death, she left 620,000 marks from her personal assets for the good of the people of Coburg.

Alexandrine (in black) with the family of Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha died after a short illness at the age of 75 at Schloss Reinhardsbrunn in Coburg on August 22, 1893. Alexandrine survived him by eleven years, dying at Schloss Callenberg in Coburg, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, now in Bavaria, Germany on December 20, 1904, at the age of 84. She was buried in the Ducal Mausoleum in the Glockenberg Cemetery in Coburg.

Ducal Mausoleum in Glockenberg Cemetery; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

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Caroline of Baden, Queen of Bavaria

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2013

Caroline of Baden, Queen of Bavaria – source: Wikipedia

Princess Caroline of Baden was the second wife of King Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria. She was born Friederike Caroline Wilhelmine on July 13, 1776, in Karlsruhe, Margraviate of Baden, later the Grand Duchy of Baden, now in the German state of Baden-Württemberg,  the daughter of Carl Ludwig, Hereditary Prince of Baden and Landgravine Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt. Caroline had seven siblings, including a twin sister Amalie:

Caroline of Baden; source: Wikipedia

Caroline and her family had numerous additional ties to the Russian, German, and Swedish thrones. Caroline grew up with her family in Karlsruhe, with a deep love of and talent for painting. On March 9, 1797, in Karlsruhe, shortly before her 21st birthday, Caroline married Maximilian, Duke of Zweibrücken (the future King Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria). Maximilian was twenty years older than Caroline and had been widowed the previous year. In addition to the four surviving stepchildren from Maximilian’s first marriage, Caroline and her husband had seven children including two sets of twins:

Within two years of their marriage, Maximilian became Elector of Bavaria, and in 1806, following the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, Maximilian and Caroline became the first King and Queen of the newly established Kingdom of Bavaria. Caroline had remained a Protestant when she married the Catholic Maximilian and was not required to convert when her husband became King. A deeply religious woman, she remained Lutheran and had her own chaplain. Despite this, her children were raised Catholic.

Caroline as Queen of Bavaria – source: Wikipedia

As Queen of Bavaria, Caroline had a strong sense of duty and was considered a dignified Queen and hostess. She also played a prominent role in helping her husband develop the arts and culture in Munich.

Tombs of King Maximilian I and his second wife Queen Caroline, at the Theatinerkirche in Munich. Photo: © Susan Flantzer

Widowed in 1825, Queen Caroline survived her husband by just over sixteen years. She died on November 13, 1841, in Munich. Because she had remained Protestant, her funeral and burial in the Catholic Theatinerkirche were not without their problems. The Protestant clergy was not allowed to enter the church, so the funeral service was held outside. This also prevented any ceremony when Caroline’s coffin was placed in the tomb. Meanwhile, the attending Catholic clergy wore street clothes rather than religious vestments. The undignified treatment of his stepmother even angered Ludwig I, King of Bavaria whose own vehemently pro-Catholic views were forever changed.

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Bavaria Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Sophie of Sweden, Grand Duchess of Baden

Sophie of Sweden, Grand Duchess of Baden. Photo credit: Wikipedia

May 21, 1801 – Birth of Sophie of Sweden, Grand Duchess of Baden

Sophie’s Wikipedia page

Sophie was the daughter of Gustav IV Adolf, King of Sweden and Frederica of Baden. Sophie was well-educated and had a wide variety of interests throughout her life. Sophie left Sweden with her family in 1809 following her father’s overthrow as king. She was described as stubborn and self-important as a child and maintained negative feelings about her father’s deposition for the rest of her life.

At the age of fourteen, Sophie was engaged to her half grand uncle, the future Leopold, Grand Duke of Baden. By this time, there were only two heirs left in the direct male line in Baden, both of whom were childless. One of these men, Sophie’s uncle Karl I, arranged a marriage between Sophie and Leopold, the result of a morganatic marriage between Grand Duke Charles Frederick and Louise Caroline of Hochberg. Sophie’s Baden lineage would shore up Leopold’s more tenuous claim to the grand ducal throne.

Sophie married Leopold, only eleven years her senior, in 1819. The couple had seven surviving children, including two future Grand Dukes of Baden. Sophie and Leopold raised their children away from court per request by Sophie’s uncle Louis I. Leopold inherited the grand ducal throne in 1830.

In 1828, so-called “wild child” Kaspar Hauser appeared in Nuremberg. He was believed by some to have ties to the Baden grand ducal family, rumors that were probably manufactured by Leopold’s detractors. When Hauser was stabbed in 1833, Sophie was accused of ordering his murder leading to a rift between her and her husband. The family fled Baden during the 1848 revolutions, returning the following year.

Sophie died in 1865. In 1881, her granddaughter Victoria of Baden married the future Gustaf V of Sweden for much the same reason as Sophie had married Leopold: Victoria was a princess with old Swedish lineage which was meant to strengthen the claim to the throne held by the new Bernadotte dynasty.

Louise of Baden, Elizabeth Alexeievna, Empress of All Russia

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2013

Louise of Baden, Elizabeth Alexeievna, Empress of All Russia; Credit – Wikipedia

The Romanov Emperors of Russia often married princesses of German principalities and grand duchies and Alexander I, Emperor of All Russia was no different.  Princess Louise Maria Auguste of Baden was born in Karlsruhe, Grand Duchy of Baden, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, on January 24, 1779.  She was the third of the six daughters and the third of the eight children of Karl Ludwig, Hereditary Prince of Baden and Amelia Frederica of Hesse-Darmstadt.

Louise, herself an empress, had seven siblings including two queens, a grand duchess, a duchess, and a grand duke. Collectively, Louise’s siblings are ancestors of a number of royal families.

Catherine II (the Great, Empress of All Russia) was considering candidates for the bride of her eldest grandson Alexander and was favorably impressed by 12-year-old Louise.  Louise and her younger sister Frederica went to St. Petersburg, Russia in the fall of 1792.  Empress Catherine was enchanted with the young princess and Louise was attracted to the tall, handsome Alexander.   Louise stayed in Russia to learn the Russian language and convert to Russian Orthodoxy.  She exchanged her birth name for Elizabeth Alexeievna and became a Grand Duchess of Russia.  The couple was formally betrothed in May 1793 and the wedding occurred on September 28, 1793. Elizabeth Alexeievna looked resplendent with the diamond-studded Order of St. Andrei on her silver brocade gown. The bride was fourteen and the groom was fifteen.

Alexander I circa 1801; Credit – Wikipedia

Elizabeth Alexeievna and Alexander’s young age and lack of experience caused them to become overwhelmed with expectations that they could not fulfill.  Court intrigues confused and frightened Elizabeth Alexeievna and Empress Catherine’s own lover attempted to seduce the young Grand Duchess.  She felt alone in a strange world, especially after her sister Frederica returned to Baden and felt comfort only with her husband.  Less than six months after her marriage, Elizabeth Alexeievna wrote to her mother, “Without my husband, who alone makes me happy, I should have died a thousand deaths.”

Empress Catherine II  died in 1796, disappointed that her eldest grandson and his wife had not produced a son,  and Alexander’s father Paul became Emperor.  Elizabeth Alexeievna did not like her father-in-law or his policies and avoided his court as much as possible.  Alexander and Elizabeth Alexeievna’s marriage started to falter and she sought affection from her husband’s friend Polish Prince Adam Czartoryski, a Polish noble.  In 1799, Elizabeth Alexeievna gave birth to a daughter Maria Alexandrovna, who had dark eyes and dark hair like Prince Adam Czartoryski and unlike the blond-haired and blue-eyed Elizabeth Alexeievna and her husband.  Sadly, the child died when she was 13 months old.

Prince Adam Czartoryski; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1801, the behavior and policies of Emperor Paul led to a conspiracy to overthrow him.  Paul was assassinated and his eldest son became Emperor Alexander I.  Elizabeth Alexeievna fulfilled her duties as Empress, but by this time their marriage was really one in name only.  Alexander started a long-term affair in 1803 and Elizabeth Alexeievna resumed her affair with  Prince Adam Czartoryski.  This affair lasted until Elizabeth Alexeievna began a new affair with Captain Alexis Okhotnikov.  In 1806, Elizabeth Alexeievna gave birth to another daughter, Elizabeth Alexandrovna, who died of an infection when she was 17 months old.  Rumors circulated that Elizabeth Alexandrovna was really the daughter of Alexis Okhotnikov.  In 1807, Alexis Okhotnikov was killed and suspicions arose that either Emperor Alexander I or his brother Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich had ordered him killed.

Elizabeth Alexeievna in 1807; Credit – Wikipedia

Although the death of Elizabeth Alexandrovna brought Alexander and Elizabeth Alexeievna temporarily closer, they had no more children.  In 1819, Alexander became very involved in religious mysticism, ended his long-term affair, and somewhat reconciled with his wife.  By 1825, Elizabeth Alexeievna’s health was suffering due to lung problems and the doctors recommended getting away from the harsh climate of St. Petersburg.  Alexander and  Elizabeth Alexeievna relocated to the city of Taganrog, Russia by the Sea of Azov where they stayed in a modest house.  In November of 1825, Alexander returned to Taganrog after visiting Crimea.  He had a cold, which developed into typhus. On December 1, 1825, he died in Elizabeth Alexeievna’s arms in their home in Taganrog.  Elizabeth Alexeievna survived him by five months.  While traveling back to St. Petersburg for her husband’s funeral, she felt so sick that it was necessary to stop at Belev in Tula Province, Russia.  On the morning of May 16, 1826, Elizabeth Alexeievna’s maid went to check on her and found her dead in her bed of heart failure at the age of 47.  Elizabeth Alexeievna and her husband were buried at the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg.

Tombs of Emperor Alexander I and Empress Elizabeth Alexeievna, Photo: Wikipedia

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Romanov Resources at Unofficial Royalty