Category Archives: German Royals

Karl I, King of Württemberg

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Kingdom of Württemberg: Württemberg was a County, a Duchy, and an Electorate before becoming a Kingdom in 1806. At the end of 1805, in exchange for contributing forces to France’s armies, Napoleon, Emperor of the French recognized Württemberg as a kingdom, with Elector Friedrich formally becoming King Friedrich I  on January 1, 1806. The reign of Wilhelm II, the last King of Württemberg, came to an end in November 1918, after the fall of the German Empire led to the abdications of all the ruling families. Today the land that encompassed the Kingdom of Württemberg is located in the German state Baden-Württemberg.

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Karl I, King of Württemberg – source: Wikipedia

King Karl of Württemberg reigned from 1864 until he died in 1891. He was born Karl Friedrich Alexander on March 6, 1823, in Stuttgart, Kingdom of Württemberg, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, the son of King Wilhelm I of Württemberg and Duchess Pauline of Württemberg. He had two siblings:

He also had two half-siblings from his father’s first marriage to Grand Duchess Ekaterina Pavlovna of Russia:

Karl underwent the traditional military training expected of someone in his position. He also studied in Berlin and at the University of Tübingen. Karl often traveled throughout Europe and in January 1846, he met his future bride in Palermo, then in the Kingdom of Sicily, now in Italy.

Karl’s wife Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna of Russia; Credit – Wikipedia

Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna of Russia was the daughter of Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia and Princess Charlotte of Prussia. Her parents hoped to find a significant dynastic marriage for Olga, and the future King of Württemberg was, or so they thought, a perfect choice. Karl and Olga met just a few times before he proposed to her on January 18, 1846. Six months later, on July 13, 1846, they married at the Peterhof Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia. Upon their return, they took up residence at Villa Berg, Karl’s summer palace in Stuttgart. They had no children of their own, but later adopted Olga’s niece Grand Duchess Vera Konstantinovna.

Karl, Olga and Vera, c1870. source: Wikipedia

The marriage appeared to be happy but possibly it was never consummated. By most accounts, Karl was homosexual and enjoyed very close relationships with several men through the years. One of these was an American, Charles Woodcock, who served as a reader to Queen Olga. The King and 27-year-old Woodcock became very close, even appearing together in public wearing matching clothes. Soon, Karl appointed Woodcock as his chamberlain, and in 1888, created him Baron Woodcock-Savage. However, a public scandal quickly erupted, and Karl was forced to end the relationship and send Woodcock back to the United States. Following Woodcock’s departure, the King allegedly developed a relationship with the technical director of the royal theater, which would last for the remainder of his life.

Karl I, King of Württemberg source: Wikipedia

Karl took the throne as King Karl I upon his father’s death in June 1864. He was far more liberal than his father, and this was reflected in his actions. He restored the freedom of the press and universal suffrage. Although he sided with Austria during the Austro-Prussian War of 1866, he soon entered into a treaty with Prussia, and would later fight alongside them in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870. He was the last of the kingdoms to join the North German Confederation, and when the German Empire was proclaimed in 1871, coincidentally on his 25th wedding anniversary, he chose not to attend but instead was represented by his cousin Prince August of Württemberg.  Several years later, he arranged the marriage of his adopted daughter Vera to Duke Eugen of Württemberg. The couple married in May 1874 and had three children.

Tombs of King Karl and Queen Olga. photo: By Wuselig – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=49313906

King Karl died in Stuttgart, Kingdom of Württemberg, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, on October 6, 1891. He is buried in the crypt beneath the Schlosskirche at the Old Castle (Altes Schloss) in Stuttgart next to his wife.

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Pauline of Württemberg, Queen of Württemberg

by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Pauline of Württemberg, Queen of Württemberg – source: Wikipedia

Queen Pauline of Württemberg was the third wife of King Wilhelm I of Württemberg. She was born Duchess Pauline Therese Luise of Württemberg on September 4, 1800, in Riga, Russian Empire, now in Latvia, the daughter of Duke Ludwig of Württemberg and Princess Henriette of Nassau-Weilburg. She had four siblings:

Pauline one half-sibling from her father’s first marriage to  Princess Maria Czartoryska:

King Wilhelm I, c1822. source: Wikipedia

In Stuttgart, Kingdom of Württemberg, now in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, on April 15, 1820, she married her first cousin, King Wilhelm I of Württemberg, as his third wife. He was the son of King Friedrich I of Württemberg and Augusta of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. They had three children:

Queen Pauline with her son, the future King Karl I, c1825. source: Wikipedia

The couple seemed happy at first, but within a few years, the King had returned to his mistresses and the marriage became very strained. While not getting the respect she deserved from her husband, Pauline did receive much respect from the people of Württemberg – both for her devotion to helping the poor and because she had provided an heir to the throne.

After King Wilhelm died in 1864, Pauline lived much of her remaining years in Switzerland. She died in Stuttgart, Kingdom of Württemberg, now in the German state of Baden-Württemberg on March 10, 1873, and is buried in the Royal Crypt in the Schlosskirche at Ludwigsburg Palace. in Ludwigsburg, Kingdom of Württemberg, now in the German state of Baden-Württemberg.

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Württemberg Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Ekaterina Pavlovna of Russia, Queen of Württemberg

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Ekaterina Pavlovna of Russia, Queen of Württemberg – source: Wikipedia

Grand Duchess Ekaterina Pavlovna of Russia was the second wife of King Wilhelm I of Württemberg. She was born at the Catherine Palace, Tsarskoye Selo near St. Petersburg, Russia, on May 10, 1788, the sixth child of Paul I, Emperor of All Russia and his second wife Sophie Dorothea of Württemberg. Ekaterina had nine siblings:

Ekaterina was particularly close with her eldest brother, the future Emperor Alexander I. They maintained an extensive correspondence their entire lives, and he viewed her as one of his closest confidantes.

Prince Georg of Oldenburg, c1811. source: Wikipedia

By 1809, the French Emperor Napoléon had made it known to Emperor Alexander I that he was interested in marrying Ekaterina. He was in the midst of divorcing his wife, Joséphine, in order to find a wife who could provide him with an heir. He was also desperately hoping to gain an alliance with Russia. But Ekaterina’s family – particularly her mother – would have no part of such an idea, and the Dowager Empress quickly arranged a marriage for her daughter.

On August 3, 1809, Ekaterina married her first cousin, Duke Georg of Oldenburg, the son of Peter I, Grand Duke of Oldenburg and Duchess Friederike of Württemberg. The couple had two sons:

On the day of their marriage, Georg was given the style of Imperial Highness and appointed Governor-General of the province of Tver. Despite being arranged, the marriage was a happy one. Sadly, however, it was short-lived. Georg contracted typhoid and died on December 27, 1812.

Wilhelm of Württemberg. source: Wikipedia

Ekaterina took refuge with her family and often traveled with her brother,  Emperor Alexnader I of Russia. On a visit to Great Britain in 1814, she first met another first cousin, Crown Prince Wilhelm of Württemberg. He was the son of King Friedrich I of Württemberg and Augusta of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. It was love at first sight, even though Wilhelm was married at the time to his first wife Karoline Augusta of Bavaria. Soon after that first meeting, in August 1814 Wilhelm received a divorce from his wife because the marriage had not been consummated. It had been an arranged marriage and the two had little in common and little interest in each other, and an annulment was granted by the Pope on January 12, 1816. Twelve days later, on January 24, 1816, Ekaterina and Wilhelm were married in St. Petersburg. They had two daughters:

On October 30, 1816 – the day she gave birth to her first daughter – Katharina (having taken the German version of her name) also became Queen of Württemberg when her husband succeeded to the throne following his father’s death. She became very active in charity work in her new country, which was in a period of great need due to crop failures and widespread famine. In 1817, Katharina established the Central Charitable Society which worked to help people in need. She also established the Queen-Katharina-Stift, a school for girls.

The Württemberg Mausoleum, Stuttgart. photo: By Julian Herzog, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=43006254

Despite their happy marriage, Wilhelm continued his relationships with numerous mistresses, including the Italian Blanche de la Flèche. When Katharina was made aware of this, she drove to Scharnhausen on January 3, 1819, where she found Wilhelm and his mistress together. She quickly returned to Stuttgart, the Kingdom of Württemberg, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, and just six days later, on January 9, 1819, 30-year-old Queen Katharina died of complications from pneumonia which she had apparently contracted from not being dressed warmly enough on her travels to confront her husband. King Wilhelm had the Württemberg Mausoleum built in Rotenberg, Stuttgart, and her remains were interred there in 1824.

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Württemberg Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Wilhelm I, King of Württemberg

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Kingdom of Württemberg: Württemberg was a County, a Duchy, and an Electorate before becoming a Kingdom in 1806. At the end of 1805, in exchange for contributing forces to France’s armies, Napoleon, Emperor of the French recognized Württemberg as a kingdom, with Elector Friedrich formally becoming King Friedrich I  on January 1, 1806. The reign of Wilhelm II, the last King of Württemberg, came to an end in November 1918, after the fall of the German Empire led to the abdications of all the ruling families. Today the land that encompassed the Kingdom of Württemberg is located in the German state of Baden-Württemberg.

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King Wilhelm I of Württemberg; Credit – Wikipedia

King Wilhelm I of Württemberg reigned from 1816 until he died in 1864. He was born Friedrich Wilhelm Karl (known as Fritz) on September 27, 1781, in Lüben, Kingdom of Prussia, now Lubin, Poland, to the future King Friedrich I of Württemberg and his wife Augusta of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. He had three siblings:

Fritz’s early years were spent in Russia, where his father served as Governor-General of Eastern Finland. They left Russia in 1786 and eventually took up residence at the Ludwigsburg Palace, where Fritz and his brother received a strict education. In 1797, his father became reigning Duke of Württemberg, and Fritz was the Hereditary Prince. By this time, Fritz’s relationship with his father had grown strained, as Fritz rebelled against his strict upbringing and his father’s domineering manner. He attended the University of Tübingen and served as a volunteer in the Austrian Army. Despite returning to Württemberg in 1801, his relationship with his father continued to deteriorate, compounded by Fritz’s relationship with Therese von Abel, the daughter of a politician. Fritz once again left Württemberg in 1803, settling in Saarburg, where Therese gave birth to twins who died shortly after birth.

Fritz returned to Württemberg in 1805, and although his father did not include him in the affairs of state, he set up his own court. The following year, Württemberg became a Kingdom but was soon defeated after joining the coalition against Napoléon. The French Emperor, wanting to establish close dynastic ties to Württemberg, arranged for the marriage of his brother Jérôme, to Fritz’s sister Catherina.

Princess Karoline Auguste of Bavaria. source: Wikipedia

To avoid being forced into a marriage by Napoleon, Fritz quickly negotiated to marry Princess Karoline Auguste of Bavaria., the daughter of King Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria and Augusta Wilhelmina of Hesse-Darmstadt. The couple was married in Munich, Kingdom of Bavaria, now in the German state of Bavaria, on June 8, 1808. Fritz had no interest in his wife, they had no children, and his marriage would be relatively short-lived. Soon after his marriage, Fritz met his brother-in-law Jérôme’s former mistress Blanche La Flèche, and began an affair that would continue for much of his life. However, Fritz also fell in love with someone else.

Grand Duchess Ekaterina Pavlovna. source: Wikipedia

While in London in 1814, Fritz met and fell in love with his first cousin Grand Duchess Ekaterina Pavlovna of Russia. Ekaterina was the daughter of Paul I, Emperor of All Russia and his second wife Princess Sophie Dorothea of Württemberg, and was the widow of Duke Georg of Oldenburg. With Napoleon no longer in power, Fritz quickly sought a divorce from Karoline Auguste. After she quickly agreed, and with the consent of both of their fathers, a divorce was granted in August 1814. However, the Pope did not issue an annulment until January 1816. Later that year, Fritz’s first wife Karoline Auguste married Emperor Franz I of Austria, as his fourth wife.

Twelve days after the annulment was granted, Fritz married Ekaterina in St. Petersburg on January 24, 1816. During their short marriage, the couple had two daughters:

Fritz became King of Württemberg upon his father’s death on October 30, 1816. As a way of distancing himself from his father’s reign, he dropped his first name and chose to reign as King Wilhelm I. He came to the throne during a difficult time in Württemberg, with 1816 being known as the Year Without A Summer. However, Wilhelm and his wife are credited with making great strides to alleviate the suffering and establishing policies and reforms that helped the people of Württemberg, regardless of social class. The king arranged for food and livestock to be imported, and established an Agricultural Academy to help promote the growth of crops and better general nutrition amongst his people. The Queen established numerous charities to help the poor and was behind the establishment of the Württemberg State Savings Bank in 1818.

Duchess Pauline of Württemberg. source: Wikipedia

Sadly, the Queen died on January 9, 1819, leaving Wilhelm a widower with two young daughters. To find a stepmother for his children, and hopefully, to provide a male heir, Wilhelm again set out to find a bride. On April 15, 1820, in Stuttgart, Wilhelm married another first cousin, Duchess Pauline of Württemberg. She was the daughter of Duke Ludwig of Württemberg and Princess Henriette of Nassau-Weilburg.

The couple had three children:

King Wilhelm with Queen Pauline and his children – Karl; Sophie and Marie (center); Katherina and Augusta (bottom). source: Wikipedia

Despite the public perception that the marriage was happy, it was far from it. The King had maintained his affair with Blanche La Flèche, and in 1828, began a relationship with a German actress Amalie von Stubenrauch, which would last until his death.

Wilhelm’s reign saw the economic boom of the 1830s, the expansion of roads and shipping routes, and a healthy and prosperous economy. But by the mid-1840s, several years of poor harvests had led to a rise in famine and calls for a more democratic government. Protests in 1848, and another revolution in France, led to Wilhelm conceding many of the demands being made – reinstating freedom of the press, and agreeing to form a liberal government.

King Wilhelm I, c1860. source: Wikipedia

In his later years, King Wilhelm’s health deteriorated, and he had little contact with his family, instead, spending all of his time in the company of his mistress Amalie von Stubenrauch. Knowing his death was approaching, he had all of his letters and journals destroyed. King Wilhelm I died on June 25, 1864, at Schloss Rosenstein in Stuttgart, Kingdom of Württemberg, now in Baden-of Württemberg, Germany. He was buried in the Württemberg Mausoleum in Stuttgart, next to his second wife. In his will, he left bequests to two of his mistresses and excluded his last wife Queen Pauline.

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Württemberg Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Augusta of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, Princess Friedrich of Württemberg

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Augusta of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, Princess Friedrich of Württemberg; Credit – Wikipedia

Augusta of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel was the first wife of the future King Friedrich I of Württemberg. She was born August Caroline Friederike Luise (known in the family as Zelmira) on December 3, 1764, in Brunswick, Duchy of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, now in Lower Saxony, Germany. Her parents were Karl Wilhelm Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel and Princess Augusta of Great Britain, a sister of King George III. Augusta had six siblings:

Friedrich of Württemberg. source: Wikipedia

On October 15, 1780, in Brunswick, Augusta married Prince Friedrich of Württemberg (later King Friedrich I). He was the son of Friedrich Eugen, Duke of Württemberg and Margravine Friederike of Brandenburg-Schwedt. Despite an unhappy marriage, Augusta and Friedrich had four children:

Koluvere Castle. photo: By MinuHiiumaa – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0 ee, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=35791062

The marriage was a disaster from the start, with Augusta wanting to leave her husband as early as her first pregnancy. However, they remained married for several years. In 1782, Friedrich had impressed Catherine II (the Great), Empress of All Russia while visiting Russia, and she made him Governor-General of Eastern Finland. Four years later, while they were visiting the Empress in St. Petersburg, Augusta asked Catherine for protection from her husband. She claimed that Friedrich was abusive to her, and was having affairs with several men. The Empress took Augusta in and told Friedrich to leave the country. Augusta hoped to obtain a divorce, but her father would not permit it. So the Empress provided Augusta with a home at Koluvere Castle in Estonia, along with a custodian, Wilhelm von Pohlmann. Soon, Augusta and von Pohlmann began an affair and she became pregnant.

Augusta’s tomb in the Kullamaa Church. photo: By Avjoska – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16334954

On September 27, 1788, Augusta went into premature labor. Fearing that their affair would become known, von Pohlmann refused to call for a doctor and Augusta died of blood loss. She was quickly buried in an unmarked grave in the nearby Kullamaa Church. To avoid a scandal, both Empress Catherine II and Augusta’s father were told that she had died suddenly, with a broken blood vessel as the cause of death. The truth did not come out until many years later when her son had her body exhumed and the details of her death investigated.

Württemberg Resources at Unofficial Royalty

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Friedrich I, King of Württemberg

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Kingdom of Württemberg: Württemberg was a County, a Duchy, and an Electorate before becoming a Kingdom in 1806. At the end of 1805, in exchange for contributing forces to France’s armies, Napoleon, Emperor of the French recognized Württemberg as a kingdom, with Elector Friedrich formally becoming King Friedrich I  on January 1, 1806. The reign of Wilhelm II, the last King of Württemberg, came to an end in November 1918, after the fall of the German Empire led to the abdications of all the ruling families. Today the land that encompassed the Kingdom of Württemberg is located in the German state Baden-Württemberg.

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Friedrich I, King of Württemberg – source: Wikipedia

King Friedrich I was the first King of Württemberg, reigning from 1805 to 1816. He was born Friedrich Wilhelm Karl, on November 6, 1754, at the Treptow Palace in Treptow an der Rega, Pomerania (now Trzebiatów, Poland), the eldest child of Friedrich II Eugen, Duke of Württemberg and Margravine Friederike of Brandenburg-Schwedt. Friedrich had eleven siblings:

At the time of his birth, Friedrich was fourth in line to become Duke of Württemberg, behind his grandfather (the reigning Duke), his two childless uncles, and his father. However, his grandfather did not include any of his family in the government of the dukedom, so Freidrich set out on a military career in the Prussian court of King Friedrich II (the Great) of Prussia. He entered the Prussian Army in June 1774 and fought in the War of the Bavarian Succession.

Augusta of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. source: Wikipedia

On October 15, 1780, in Brunswick, Friedrich married Augusta of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. She was the daughter of Carl Wilhelm Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, and Princess Augusta of Great Britain. Her younger sister Caroline later married the future King George IV of the United Kingdom. Friedrich and Augusta had four children:

Catherine the Great. source: Wikipedia

In 1781, Friedrich resigned from the Prussian Army and joined his sister Sophie and her husband in Russia. The Russian Empress Catherine the Great was intrigued with Friedrich and named him Governor-General of Eastern Finland.

Despite a quickly expanding family, Friedrich’s marriage to Augusta was not happy. While visiting St. Petersburg in 1786, Augusta sought refuge from Catherine the Great, claiming that Friedrich was violent to her and was having physical relationships with several men. The Empress took Augusta in and strongly suggested to Friedrich that he leave the country. After Augusta’s father refused to permit a divorce, Empress Catherine gave her refuge at Koluvere Castle in Estonia. The Empress also provided a caretaker, with whom Augusta soon began an affair and became pregnant. Just after giving birth prematurely in September 1788, Augusta died as a result of complications from the birth.

Charlotte, Princess Royal. source: Wikipedia

The following year, on May 18, 1797, at St. James’s Palace in London, England, Friedrich married again to Charlotte, Princess Royal. She was the eldest daughter of King George III of the United Kingdom and Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. They had one stillborn daughter born in 1798.

Upon his father’s death in December 1797, Friedrich became Duke of Württemberg. Two years later, Friedrich and his family fled to Vienna when the French forces occupied Württemberg. When the empire was reorganized following France’s annexation of the west bank of the Rhine, Württemberg was raised to an Electorate and Friedrich became Elector on February 25, 1803.

In exchange for providing France with a large armed force, Napoleon allowed Friedrich to raise Württemberg to a kingdom in 1805. He formally became King of Württemberg on January 1, 1806, and was crowned that day in Stuttgart. Friedrich quickly left the Holy Roman Empire and joined the Confederation of the Rhine. To recognize the new alliance between Friedrich and Napoleon, a marriage was arranged between Friedrich’s daughter Catharina and Napoleon’s younger brother Jérôme Bonaparte. Despite being on opposite sides from his father-in-law, King George III of the United Kingdom, Friedrich used his family connections to serve as a mediator between Britain and other foreign powers.

Friedrich changed his alliance during the 1813 War of Liberation and sided with the Allies, capitalizing on his close relationship with the British and Russian rulers. His position as King of Württemberg was confirmed at the Congress of Vienna, after which he joined the newly formed German Confederation.

In the fall of 1816, King Friedrich developed pneumonia and died in Stuttgart on October 30, 1816. He is buried in the Royal Crypt in the Schlosskirche at Ludwigsburg Palace in Stuttgart, Kingdom of Württemberg, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany.

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.

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Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma; Credit – By Allan warren – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12111584

Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, was a member of the extended British Royal Family and a distinguished Naval officer. A great-grandson of Queen Victoria (and the last great-grandson to be born during her lifetime), he was born a Prince of Battenberg but grew up fiercely British. In addition to his naval career, he also served as the last Viceroy and first Governor-General of India. Mountbatten also played a very prominent role in the lives of his nephew Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and grand-nephew King Charles III.

Prince Louis Francis Albert Victor Nicholas of Battenberg was born on June 25, 1900, at Frogmore House in Windsor, England the youngest child of Prince Louis (Ludwig) of Battenberg and Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine.

Louis, known almost from birth as “Dickie”,  had three elder siblings:

Dickie was christened in the large drawing room of Frogmore House on July  17, 1900, by the Dean of Windsor, Philip Eliot. His godparents were:

Through both of his parents, he was closely related to numerous other royal families of Europe. His mother’s younger sister was Empress Alexandra Feodorovna of Russia, and in his childhood, Dickie was close to her children. At a very young age, he began a “lifelong platonic love affair” with one of them, Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna, and kept a framed photo of her by his bed for his entire life.

At the age of 10, Dickie was enrolled at the Lockers Park School in Hertfordshire, and then at 13 entered the Royal Naval College, Osborne. Destined for a naval career, he received his first posting in July 1916, as a midshipman on HMS Lion. After studying for two terms at Christ’s College, Cambridge, Louis was posted to HMS Renown, accompanying The Prince of Wales on a tour of Australia. The following year, on HMS Repulse, he again accompanied his cousin on a tour of India and Japan. It was during this trip that he became engaged to his future wife.

Dickie first met Edwina Ashley in October 1920, when both attended a ball at Claridge’s in London, hosted by Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt III. Edwina was the daughter of Wilfrid Ashley, 1st Baron Mount Temple (a grandson of Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 7th Earl of Shaftesbury), and Amalia Cassel (daughter of Sir Ernest Cassel). The two were invited to the same house parties and shooting weekends, and a romance began. Both were guests of George Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 5th Duke of Sutherland at Dunrobin Castle in Scotland in September 1921, when Louis received word that his father had died. When Edwina’s grandfather died just ten days later, the two grew very close in their shared grief. Several months later, Edwina went to visit Dickie while he was in India with the Prince of Wales. It was there, at a Valentine’s Day Ball held at the Viceregal Lodge in Delhi, that Dickie proposed.

Louis and Edwina were married on July 18, 1922, at St. Margaret’s Church, Westminster in London, England. The wedding was a lavish affair, attended by King George V and Queen Mary and other members of the British Royal Family and other royal houses of Europe. The bridal party included The Prince of Wales, who served as Best Man, and Dickie’s four nieces – Princesses Margarita, Theodora, Cecilie, and Sophie of Greece. Following a honeymoon that took them to Canada and the United States, Dickie and Edwina settled at Brook House in London – one of the several properties Edwina had inherited from her grandfather.

They had two daughters:

Admiral Lord Mountbatten receiving the Japanese surrender at Singapore, September 1945. source: Wikipedia.

Dickie was posted to several other boats before being given his first command – HMS Daring – in 1934. This was followed by the commands of HMS Wishart (1934-1936), HMS Kelly (1939-1941), and HMS Illustrious (1941). From 1941 – 1943, he served as Chief of Combined Operations, and then from 1943 – 1946 as Supreme Allied Commander, South East Asia Command. In that role, in September 1945 Mountbatten received the Japanese surrender in Singapore.

On August 27, 1946, he was created Viscount Mountbatten of Burma by King George VI. The following February, Prime Minister Clement Atlee appointed him Viceroy of India and tasked him with overseeing India’s independence from Britain. Following independence in August 1947, Mountbatten served for the next ten months as the country’s first Governor-General. On October 28, 1947, he was created Earl Mountbatten of Burma and Baron Romsey. As Mountbatten had no sons, the Letters Patent creating both the Viscountcy and the Earldom were written to allow the titles to pass to his daughters and their male heirs. Had this not been done, the titles would have ended upon Mountbatten’s death. Instead, they passed to his elder daughter, Patricia, 2nd Countess Mountbatten of Burma.

Following his time in India, Mountbatten returned to military service in 1949, serving as Commander of the 1st Squadron of the Mediterranean Fleet. From 1950-1952, he served as Fourth Sea Lord, and then from 1952-1954 as Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Fleet. Finally, in April 1955, nearly forty-one years after his father had been forced to relinquish the role due to anti-German sentiment, Mountbatten was made First Sea Lord – the head of the British Royal Navy. The following year, he reached the rank of Admiral of the Fleet. Dickie served as First Sea Lord until October 1959, when he became Chief of the Defence Staff, serving until his retirement in July 1965. During this time, he also served as Chairman of the NATO Military Committee from 1960-1961.

Earl Mountbatten of Burma, in uniform as Colonel of the Life Guards, with Gold Stick in Hand (1973). Source: Wikipedia, photo: by Allan Warren – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28983433

Upon retiring, he was granted several honorary appointments. He was made Colonel of the Life Guards, Gold Stick in Waiting, and Life Colonel Commandant of the Royal Marines. The Queen also appointed him Governor of the Isle of Wight. In 1974, he became the first Lord Lieutenant of the Isle of Wight.

Lord Mountbatten was killed on August 27, 1979, when his boat was blown up by the Provisional Irish Republican Army on Donegal Bay, in County Sligo, Ireland. He had been staying at his summer home, Classiebawn Castle, in County Sligo, Ireland, with much of his family. Mountbatten, his grandson Nicholas, his son-in-law’s mother, The Dowager Baroness Brabourne, and a young crew member, Paul Maxwell, all died as a result of the blast. Mountbatten’s daughter Patricia, her husband John, and their son Timothy were all critically injured but they survived. See Unofficial Royalty: Tragedy in the British Royal Family at the End of August (scroll down).

A ceremonial funeral was held at Westminster Abbey on September 5, 1979, attended by most of the British Royal Family and many other European royals. He is buried at Romsey Abbey.

Earl Mountbatten’s tomb at Romsey Abbey. Source: Wikipedia, photo by JohnArmagh

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George Mountbatten, 2nd Marquess of Milford Haven

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

George Mountbatten, 2nd Marquess of Milford Haven. source: Wikipedia

George Mountbatten, 2nd Marquess of Milford Haven was born on December 6, 1892, at the Neues Palais in Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in Hesse, Germany. At the time of his birth, he was HSH Prince George Louis Victor Henry Serge of Battenberg, the third child and elder son of Prince Ludwig (Louis) of Battenberg and Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine. George had three younger siblings:

George with his mother, Victoria. Credit – Wikipedia

A remarkably intelligent and clever child, George had his own workshop at his father’s Heiligenberg Castle by the age of ten and was soon designing and building precise working models of steam engines. He enjoyed complex math problems “for relaxation” and was recognized by his superiors at Dartmouth Naval College for being perhaps the most clever cadet the college had ever seen. During his time in the Royal Navy, he devised a system to provide air conditioning in his cabin and invented a device that would brew his morning tea, triggered by an alarm clock.

Wedding portrait of George and Nadejda.

On November 15, 1916, at the Russian Embassy in London, George married Countess Nadejda Mikhailovna de Torby. Nadjeda was born in Cannes on March 28, 1896, the younger daughter of Grand Duke Mikhail Mikhailovich of Russia and Countess Sophie von Merenberg. Following their wedding, George and Nadejda settled at Lynden Manor, in Bray, Berkshire, and had two children:

  • Lady Tatiana Mountbatten (1917-1988) – unmarried, was mentally disabled, was placed in St. Andrew’s Hospital, a psychiatric hospital in Northampton, England, where she spent the rest of her life.
  • David Mountbatten, 3rd Marquess of Milford Haven (1919-1970) – married (1) Romaine Pierce, no issue; (2) Janet Bryce, had issue

The following year, in 1917, King George V of the United Kingdom asked his relatives to relinquish their German royal titles. On July 14, 1917, the Battenbergs gave up their titles and styles and took on the surname Mountbatten. George, having previously been created a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order, became Sir George Mountbatten. Four months later, on November 7, 1917, his father was created Marquess of Milford Haven, and George assumed the courtesy title Earl of Medina. Four years later, in 1921, George succeeded his father as 2nd Marquess of Milford Haven.

In the late 1920s, having lost most of his inheritance to German inflation – and having a wife with very expensive tastes – George left the Royal Navy for a career in business. He worked for a brokerage house before moving to the British Sperry Gyroscope Company where he became chairman. He also served as director for several large companies, including Electrolux and Marks & Spencer.

In 1930, George became instrumental in the upbringing of his nephew, Prince Philip of Greece. Philip’s mother suffered a breakdown that year, and his father was more or less separated from the family, living with a mistress on the French Riviera. George became Philip’s primary guardian, serving as a surrogate father and arranging for, and financing, Philip’s education.

In 1934, George and Nadejda were brought into the international spotlight during the custody battle for the young Gloria Vanderbilt in New York City. Allegations had been raised that Nadejda and Gloria’s mother – Gloria Morgan Vanderbilt – had been lovers. Nadejda traveled to New York to testify in the case, decrying the allegations as “malicious, terrible lies.”

In December 1937, George suffered a fall and broke his femur. A month later, when it didn’t appear to be healing, a further examination found that he was suffering from bone marrow cancer. Fearing that the diagnosis would cause him to decline quite quickly, the doctors chose to withhold it from him, in agreement with the family. He lingered for several months, finally losing his battle on April 8, 1938, in London, England. He is buried at the Bray Cemetery in Bray, Berkshire, England. By the time of his death, George had accumulated a large collection of erotic art, which he left – on permanent loan – to the British Library. The library’s index describes the collection as “prospectuses and catalogs of erotic and obscene books, pictures and instruments, dating from 1889 to 1929. 81 parts. Collected by George Mountbatten.”

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Princess Sophie of Greece and Denmark, Princess of Hesse, Princess of Hanover

by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Sophie of Greece and Denmark in 1955, with her daughter Friederike. Photo source: Daily Mail

Princess Sophie of Greece and Denmark was the third daughter of Prince Andreas of Greece and Denmark and Princess Alice of Battenberg. Known in the family as “Tiny”, she was born on June 26, 1914, at Mon Repos on the isle of Corfu, Greece. She had four siblings:

Because of the unstable political situation in Greece, Sophie’s family spent several years living in Switzerland and later settled in France in the early 1920s. However, the family was soon pulled apart. Her mother suffered a nervous breakdown and was institutionalized in 1930, and her father had given up on his marriage and spent most of his time with a mistress on the French Riviera. So it was no surprise when Sophie, at just 16 years old, became engaged to be married. She would be the first of the sisters to marry, but the others followed within the following year. On December 15, 1930, at Schloss Friedrichshof in Kronberg, Germany, Sophie married Prince Christoph of Hesse, in both Greek Orthodox and Lutheran ceremonies. He was the son of Prince Friedrich Karl of Hesse and Princess Margarete of Prussia, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria. Sophie and Christoph were second cousins once removed through their mutual descent from Queen Victoria.

They had five children:

  • Princess Christina of Hesse (1933-2011) – married (1) Prince Andrej of Yugoslavia, had issue; (2) Robert van Eyck, had issue
  • Princess Dorothea of Hesse (born 1934) – married Prince Friedrich Karl of Windisch-Grätz, had issue
  • Prince Karl of Hesse (1937-2022) – married Countess Yvonne Szapáry von Muraszombath, Széchysziget and Szapár, had issue
  • Prince Rainer of Hesse (born 1939) – unmarried
  • Princess Clarissa of Hesse (born 1944) – married Jean-Claude Derrin (div), had issue

Sophie and Christoph lived in Berlin, Germany where he worked in an insurance company, as well as serving as a reserve officer in the Luftwaffe, the German air force. At the outbreak of World War II, Christoph entered active service, serving as a navigator in a bomb squadron, and later transferred to a fighter squadron in Tunisia and Sicily. In October 1943, Hitler recalled all the German princes from active service. Christoph was en route back to Germany when his plane crashed on October 7, 1943, and he was killed.

Meanwhile, Sophie and her five children had been living with her mother-in-law at Schloss Friedrichshof. She was also raising the four children of her brother-in-law Prince Philip of Hesse, who had been imprisoned in 1943. Forced to leave Friedrichshof when the American troops arrived, Sophie and her family moved to Schloss Wolfsgarten, home of the family of the former Grand Dukes of Hesse and by Rhine.

Sophie married a second time on April 23, 1946, in Salem, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Her husband was Prince Georg Wilhelm of Hanover, the son of Ernst August III, Duke of Brunswick, a descendant of King George III through his son Ernest Augustus, King of Hanover and Duke of Cumberland, and Princess Viktoria Luise of Prussia, the only daughter of Wilhelm II, German Emperor. Sophie and Georg Wilhelm were second cousins. This marriage is the only known case where the British sovereign withheld permission to marry, under the Royal Marriages Act of 1772. Although Germany and Britain were at war, the groom’s father still requested consent from King George VI. King George VI wished to let them know that it would be inappropriate to give his consent due to the war but the British government would not allow it. Therefore, the request went unanswered, meaning that the marriage was not recognized under British law. Sophie and Georg had three children:

Throughout her life, Sophie was very close to her brother Prince Philip The Duke of Edinburgh. Although not invited to Philip’s wedding because of her German ties, Sophie and her husband paid a private visit shortly after the wedding, spending time with Philip and Queen Elizabeth II at Birkhall in Scotland. Six years later, Sophie, her surviving sisters, and their families were all in attendance for Elizabeth’s coronation. The families visited often, and Sophie was a regular guest at the Windsor Royal Horse Show each year, as well as most private family events. In 1964, she was named as one of the godparents of Philip’s youngest son Prince Edward. In 1994, Sophie and Philip traveled to Jerusalem, where their mother was posthumously honored as Righteous Among the Nations for her efforts to help Jewish families during the war.

Sophie and Philip in Jerusalem, 1994.

In her later years, Sophie lived in Schliersee, near Munich, Germany with her husband. She also regularly visited Princess Margaret of Hesse and by Rhine (the wife of Prince Ludwig) who was among her closest friends. In the summer of 2001, with her health failing, Sophie moved to a nursing home in Munich, where she later died on November 24, 2001. She was buried in the cemetery in Schliersee, and a memorial service was held two months later at Schloss Wolfsgarten, attended by The Duke of Edinburgh.

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Princess Cecilie of Greece, Hereditary Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Cecilie of Greece, Hereditary Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine – source: Wikipedia

Princess Cecilie of Greece and Denmark was born at Tatoi Palace in Greece on June 22, 1911. She was the third daughter of Prince Andreas of Greece and Denmark and Princess Alice of Battenberg.

Cecilie had four siblings:

Cecilie with her husband and two sons, c1933. photo: personal collection

On February 2, 1931, in Darmstadt, Hesse, Germany, Cecilie married her first cousin once removed, Georg Donatus, Hereditary Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine. He was the son of Ernst Ludwig, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine and his second wife Princess Eleonore of Solms-Hohensolms-Lich.

Cecilie and Georg Donatus (known as Don) had three children:

  • Prince Ludwig of Hesse and by Rhine (1931-1937)
  • Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine (1933 -1937)
  • Princess Johanna of Hesse and by Rhine (1936 -1939)

Cecilie’s life came to a tragic end on November 16, 1937. A very pregnant Cecilie, her husband, their two sons, and her mother-in-law, were traveling by plane to London to attend the wedding of her husband’s brother Prince Ludwig and Margaret Geddes four days later. Facing bad weather, the plane was unable to land in Brussels, Belgium as scheduled and instead was diverted to Ostend, Belgium. While attempting to land, the plane clipped a chimney on a factory near the airport and then crashed leaving no survivors.

Having received the news, a private wedding ceremony was hastily arranged for Ludwig and Margaret the following day. They then traveled to Belgium to accompany the bodies back to Darmstadt. A funeral was held a few days later, attended by all of Cecilie’s family. Cecilie and her family were all buried in the burial ground adjacent to the Neues Mausoleum at Rosenhöhe Park in Darmstadt, in Hesse, Germany

Ludwig and Margaret adopted Cecilie’s only surviving child Princess Johanna. Sadly, less than two years later, Johanna contracted meningitis and died. She was buried alongside the rest of her family.

Grave of Cecilie and her husband; Photo – www.findagrave.com

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