Category Archives: German Royals

Marie of Hesse and by Rhine, Maria Alexandrovna, Empress of All Russia

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

Marie of Hesse and by Rhine, Maria Alexandrovna, Empress of All Russia; Credit – Wikipedia

Maximiliane Wilhelmine Auguste Sophie Marie, Her Grand Ducal Highness Princess Marie of Hesse and by Rhine, was the first wife of Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia.  She was born on August 8, 1824, in Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in Hesse, Germany. Marie was the youngest child of Wilhelmine of Baden, wife of Ludwig II, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine. She was officially Ludwig’s daughter, but the last four of Wilhelmine’s children were probably the children of August von Senarclens de Grancy, her longtime lover, with whom Wilhelmine had lived since 1820. Wilhelmine and Ludwig had lived apart since 1809.

Marie’s siblings were:

Marie’s mother was responsible for her education, and her mother’s preference for French culture and literature was evident in her education which placed a special emphasis on literature and history. When Marie was 11 years old, her mother died and Marianne Gransi, a lady-in-waiting to Marie’s mother, took over the responsibility of Marie’s education.

In 1839, when Marie was 14, the heir to the Russian throne, Alexander Nikolaevich, the Tsarevich, visited Hesse while on a tour of Europe. Alexander fell in love with Marie despite the stigma of her birth. There was already a connection with the Russian Imperial Family. Marie’s maternal great-aunt Louise of Baden (Empress Elizabeth Alexeievna)  had married Alexander I, Emperor of All Russia. Alexander Nikolaevich’s mother Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, born Princess Charlotte of Prussia, was against the marriage. In a letter to his mother, Alexander wrote: “I love her, and I would rather give up the throne, than not marry her. I will marry only her, that’s my decision!” Finally, after being persuaded by her husband Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna went to Darmstadt to meet Marie. The Empress liked what she saw and gave her permission for the marriage.

A Russian Orthodox priest came to Darmstadt and instructed Marie in the Russian Orthodox religion. In September 1840, Marie arrived in Russia and shared her impressions of St. Petersburg in a letter to his family: “St. Petersburg is much more beautiful than I thought. The Neva River is wonderful. I think it is difficult to find a greater city. The view from the Winter Palace on the Neva is wonderful!” Marie was received into the Russian Orthodox Church on December 5, 1840, and became Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna. The next day, the official betrothal was held in the presence of the Imperial Family, the whole court, the Russian nobility, many notable foreign guests, and representatives of foreign states.

The wedding took place on April 16, 1841, in the Grand Church of the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg. Maria Alexandrovna wore a white dress richly embroidered with silver and diamonds. Over one shoulder lay a red ribbon and a crimson velvet robe with white satin and fine ermine was fastened on her shoulders. She was bedecked with a diamond tiara, diamond earrings, a diamond necklace, and diamond bracelets. Her future mother-in-law, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna could not resist the desire to decorate the bride’s hair with flowers, the symbols of purity and innocence. The Empress ordered orange blossoms to be brought to her and she stuck them between the diamonds in Maria Alexandrovna’s tiara and pinned a small branch on her chest.

Maria Alexandrovna and Alexander; Credit – Wikipedia

Alexander and Maria Alexandrovna had eight children:

Tsar Alexander II and his children; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Alexander always treated his wife with respect, but he had numerous mistresses and illegitimate children. His most prominent mistress was Catherine Dolgorukova with whom he had four children. During the last years of Maria Alexandrovna’s life, Catherine and her children lived in the Winter Palace. After his wife’s death, Alexander made a morganatic marriage with Catherine.

In 1855, Alexander became Emperor and Maria Alexandrovna became Empress. During their coronation on August 26, 1856, in the Assumption Cathedral, Moscow Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, the crown fell from Maria’s head, which was seen as a bad omen.

Coronation of Alexander II, Alexander crowns Maria Feodorovna; Credit – Wikipedia

In cooperation with Queen Victoria’s daughter Princess Alice of the United Kingdom, the wife of Ludwig IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine who was Maria’s nephew, Maria arranged the marriage of her only daughter Maria Alexandrovna to Queen Victoria’s second son Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, a marriage that Queen Victoria had resisted.

Maria Alexandrovna had a close relationship with her brother Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine, who had made a morganatic marriage with Countess Julia Hauke, one of his sister’s ladies-in-waiting. Their children were the start of the Battenberg (and later the Mountbatten) family. Maria’s frequent stays at her brother’s Hessian home Schloss Heiligenberg resulted in the subsequent marriage of Maria’s son Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich with Princess Elisabeth of Hesse and by Rhine, and also the ultimate marriage of Maria’s grandson Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia with Princess Alix of Hesse and by Rhine.  Both Hesse princesses were granddaughters of Queen Victoria.

Hessian family at Schloss Heiligenberg in 1864, Women: Countess Julia Hauke, Princess Elisabeth of Prussia (wife of Prince Karl), Empress Maria Feodorovna, Princess Alice of the United Kingdom (wife of Prince Ludwig); Men: Prince Karl of Hesse and by Rhine, Prince Wilhelm of Hesse and by Rhine, Prince Ludwig of Hesse and by Rhine (future Grand Duke), Prince Gustaf Wasa of Sweden, Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1863, Maria Alexandrovna contracted tuberculosis. Frequent childbirth, her husband’s infidelity, and the death of her eldest son Tsarevich Nicholas Alexandrovich in 1865 from meningitis at the age of 21, completely undermined Maria’s already weak health. Since the 1870s, Maria had spent the autumn and the fall in the warmer climates of Crimea and Italy. Her health worsened after two assassination attempts on her husband’s life in 1879 and another one in 1880. Empress Maria Alexandrovna died at the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg on June 3, 1880, at the age of 55. She was interred at the Peter and Paul Cathedral in the Peter and Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg. Her husband, who married his mistress Catherine Dolgorukova within a month of Maria’s death, died on March 13, 1881, the victim of an assassination by a bomb that blew off his legs.

Europe_August 5 to 18 514

Tomb of Alexander II (on left) and Maria Alexandrovna, his wife (on right); Photo Credit – Susan Flantzer

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Romanov Resources at Unofficial Royalty

King William IV of the United Kingdom

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

King William IV of the United Kingdom; Credit – Wikipedia

The third son and third child of the fifteen children of King George III of the United Kingdom and Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, His Royal Highness The Prince William Henry was born at Buckingham House (now Buckingham Palace) in London, England on August 21, 1765. At the time of his birth, it seemed highly unlikely that William would be anything more than a royal duke as he had two elder brothers. William was christened on September 18, 1765, at St James’s Palace In London, England by Thomas Secker, Archbishop of Canterbury and had three godparents:

William had 14 siblings:

George III children

Queen Charlotte painted by Benjamin West in 1779 with her 13 eldest children; Credit – http://www.royalcollection.org.uk

William was brought up with his brother Edward at Kew Palace where they were educated by Dr. John James Majendie, a classical scholar, and Major General Budé, a Swiss officer in the Hanover Army. King George III decided that William would have a career in the navy. In 1879, at the age of 13, William went to sea with his tutor Mr. Majendie, serving under Captain (later Admiral) Robert Digby on the HMS Prince George. On his father’s orders, William received no privileges and was treated the same as his fellow sailors.

William age 13 (left) and his younger brother Edward; Credit – Wikipedia

During his naval career, William, nicknamed Sailor Bill, served on several ships and in many places. In 1789, his ship saw action in the Battle of Cape St Vincent. He was then stationed in the West Indies and Nova Scotia. William was transferred to HMS Warwick and saw action in the Delaware Bay in the American Revolution. In 1785, William was made the third lieutenant of the frigate HMS Hebe. The following year, William was made captain of the HMS Pegasus.  The Pegasus was stationed in the West Indies under the command of Admiral Horatio Nelson, who became William’s close friend. When Admiral Nelson married in 1787, William gave away the bride. William returned to England in December of 1787 and was subsequently appointed to command the frigate HMS Andromeda in the West Indies. In 1789, William was appointed Rear Admiral and commanded the HMS Valiant in home waters, his last command afloat. Prince William received the Order of the Garter in 1782 and was created Duke of Clarence and St Andrews and Earl of Munster in 1789. He was appointed Vice-Admiral in 1799 and Admiral of the Fleet in 1811, both honorary positions.

by Sir Martin Archer Shee, oil on canvas, circa 1800

King William IV in naval dress uniform by Sir Martin Archer Shee, oil on canvas, circa 1800, NPG 2199 © National Portrait Gallery, London

In 1790, Dorothea Jordan, an actress, attracted William’s attention. Dorothea was born Dora or Dorothy Bland in 1761 in Ireland. Her father had been an actor, and she followed in her father’s footsteps, first acting in Dublin. In 1782, she came to England, adopted the name “Mrs. Jordan”, and had a daughter by Irish actor and theatrical manager Richard Daly.  Starting in 1786, Dorothea had another relationship with Sir Richard Ford, a police magistrate and a lawyer, and had three more children. She began her affair with William, once she realized Ford would not marry her. Dorothea and William had a happy relationship that lasted over 20 years and produced ten children. The couple resided at Clarence Lodge in Roehampton near London and at William’s apartments at St James’ Palace. When William became Ranger of Bushy Park, they lived at Bushy House near Hampton Court Palace.

by and published by John Jones, after John Hoppner, mezzotint, published 1 March 1791 (exhibited 1791)

Dorothy Jordan as Hypolita by and published by John Jones, after John Hoppner, mezzotint, published 1 March 1791, (exhibited 1791) NPG D3324 © National Portrait Gallery, London

King William IV and Dorothea Jordan had ten children. Nine of the ten children were named after nine of William’s fourteen siblings. The tenth child was given William’s middle name Henry.

The children of King William IV and Dorothea Jordan had an elder half-brother, William Henry Courtney, born around 1788 to an unknown mother, and named after his father whose given names were William Henry. Dorothea Jordan cared for William, and she was fond of him and he was fond of her. William served in the Royal Navy from 1803 until 1807 when his ship HMS Blenheim was lost in a gale off Madagascar. Despite an extensive search, no trace of the ship was ever found. 590 men were lost aboard HMS Blenheim, including King William IV’s eldest illegitimate son nineteen-year-old William Henry Courtney.

William and Dorothea’s children married into the British aristocracy and their many descendants include these notable people:

In 1811, William had an invalid father and saw that only three people stood between him and the throne: his brother George, George’s teenage daughter Charlotte, and his childless brother Frederick. William had always boasted that his healthier habits would cause him to outlive his elder brothers. Because of the possibility of ascending the throne and his mounting debts William decided to marry.

Dorothea was on tour with a play when she received a letter from William asking her to meet him so they could discuss the terms of a separation. She was so upset that on stage that night instead of laughing heartily as the script required, she burst into tears. In January 1812, a settlement was drawn up giving Dorothea an annual allowance of £1500 and £600 annually for a house and coach. In addition, she was to be given £800 per year for her two daughters from previous relationships and £1500 for the maintenance of her youngest daughters by William. However, if Dorothea returned to the stage, she would lose the £1500 and the custody of the youngest daughters. A few months later, Dorothea did return to the stage and the custody of the youngest daughters reverted to William.

In 1815, Dorothea made her last appearance on the stage. She retired to France in a terrible financial situation having settled the debts of the husband of her elder daughter by a previous relationship. Dorothea died in poverty on July 5, 1816, at the age of 54 and was buried in Cimetière de Saint-Cloud in Saint-Cloud, France.

On November 6, 1817, a great tragedy struck the British Royal Family.  Twenty-one-year-old Princess Charlotte of Wales died after delivering a stillborn son. Charlotte was mourned by the British people like the mourning of Diana, Princess of Wales. Charlotte’s pregnancy and delivery were grossly mismanaged and the doctor in charge later died by suicide. At the time of her death, Charlotte, who was second in line to the throne, was the only legitimate grandchild of King George III, even though eleven of his fifteen children were still living. Charlotte’s death left no legitimate heir in the second generation and prompted the aging sons of King George III to begin a frantic search for brides to provide for the succession. William, and his unmarried brothers Edward, Duke of Kent and Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge, all married.

Soon after Princess Charlotte of Wales died, negotiations began for the marriage of William to Princess Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen, and the engagement was announced on April 19, 1818. William was 52 and Adelaide was 25. William and Adelaide were married on July 14, 1818, at Kew Palace in the presence of an ailing Queen Charlotte who died in November of the same year.

by Sir William Beechey, oil on canvas, circa 1831

Queen Adelaide (Princess Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen) by Sir William Beechey, oil on canvas, circa 1831, NPG 1533 © National Portrait Gallery, London

Adelaide loved children but was destined not to have one of her own. Her first child was born prematurely on March 27, 1819, as a result of Adelaide being ill with pleurisy. The baby girl was christened Charlotte Augusta Louisa and died the same day. Adelaide suffered a miscarriage on September 5, 1819. On December 10, 1820, Adelaide gave birth to a girl, Elizabeth Georgiana Adelaide, six weeks prematurely. Princess Elizabeth, who had been healthy despite being premature, died 12 weeks later on March 4, 1821, of the then-inoperable condition of a strangulated hernia. Twin boys were stillborn on April 23, 1822. A child of William and Adelaide would have succeeded to the throne as William’s two elder brothers, George IV and Frederick, Duke of York, had no surviving children. Adelaide wrote to her widowed sister-in-law the Duchess of Kent, “My children are dead, but your child lives, and she is mine too.” That child was Queen Victoria.

Recumbent effigy of Princess Elizabeth of Clarence in the Grand Corridor of Windsor Castle; Credit – Wikipedia

William’s brother King George IV died on June 26, 1830, and William succeeded to the throne. His coronation on September 8, 1831, was rather low-key due to government economics and was nicknamed “the half-crownation”. The traditional procession from Westminster Hall to Westminster Abbey and the coronation banquet were eliminated and have never again occurred. Adelaide had to provide the jewels for her crown and other jewels had to be hired.

William IV in his coronation robes; Credit – Wikipedia

Queen Adelaide; Credit – Wikipedia

William’s heiress presumptive was his niece Princess Victoria of Kent, the only child of his brother Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and the Duchess of Kent, born Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. William and Adelaide were very fond of their niece and wanted to be closer to her.  However, the Duchess of Kent did not allow this. In addition, she was rude to Queen Adelaide by refusing to recognize the Queen’s precedence, ignoring her letters, and taking space in royal stables and apartments for her own use.

In August 1836 at a dinner in honor of his 71st birthday, William publically insulted the Duchess of Kent in a speech. After his health had been toasted, he replied with this:

“I trust in God that my life may be spared for nine months longer, after which period, in the event of my death, no regency would take place. I should then have the satisfaction of leaving the royal authority to the personal exercise of that young lady [pointing to the Princess Victoria], the Heiress Presumptive of the Crown, and not in the hands of a person now near me, who is surrounded by evil advisers and who is herself incompetent to act with the propriety in the station in which she would be placed. I have no hesitation in saying that I have been insulted – grossly and continually insulted – by that person, but I am now determined to endure no longer a course of behaviour so disrespectful to me. Among many other things I have particularly to complain of the manner in which that young lady has been kept away from my court: she has been repeatedly kept from my drawing room at which she ought always to have been present, but I am fully resolved that this shall not happen again. I would have her know that I am king, and that I am determined to make my authority respected, and for the future I shall insist and command that the Princess do upon all occasions appear at my court, as is her duty to do so.”

William IV drawn by his daughter Sophia de L’Isle and Dudley in early 1837; Credit – Wikipedia

William’s wish that his life would be spared for nine months was granted. Princess Victoria turned 18 on May 24, 1837, and a regency would no longer be required. William became ill with asthma or hay fever in May 1837, and pneumonia soon developed. King William IV died peacefully at 2:15 AM on June 20, 1837, at Windsor Castle and Princess Victoria ascended to the throne. An autopsy showed that heart disease and cirrhosis of the liver had contributed to his death. William was buried in the Royal Tomb House at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. His wife Adelaide survived William by twelve years, dying on December 2, 1849, at the age of 57.  She was buried after a simple funeral, following her wishes, in the Royal Tomb House beneath St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle where her husband had been buried.

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.

House of Hanover Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Caroline of Brunswick, Queen of the United Kingdom

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Caroline of Brunswick, Queen of the United Kingdom; Credit – Wikipedia

Her Highness Princess Caroline Amelia Elizabeth, Duchess of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, known as Caroline of Brunswick, was the third child of the seven children of Karl Wilhelm Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel and Augusta of Great Britain, the elder sister of King George III of the United Kingdom. Born in Brunswick, Duchy of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel now in the German state of Lower Saxony, on May 17, 1768.

Caroline had six siblings:

Caroline was rebellious and a tomboy who preferred playing with her brothers instead of with girls. She grew up not very educated in her mother’s uncultured court. Caroline’s mother, the elder sister of King George III, spent her time knitting and doing embroidery with her ladies at her palace outside of Brunswick, Caroline’s father lived in Brunswick with his mistress. Like many German princesses, she was brought up with no religious instructions to keep her options open for marriage to a prince of any religion.

Caroline in 1795, shortly before her marriage; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1794, over the British Channel in Great Britain, the eldest son of King George III, George, Prince of Wales was once again severely in debt. If he married, Parliament would settle his debts and his allowance would be increased by £ 100,000. In 1784, George had fallen in love with Maria Fitzherbert, a twice-widowed Catholic Irish woman. A marriage with a Catholic would mean that George would lose his place in the succession as stipulated by the Act of Settlement 1701. In addition, the Royal Marriages Act 1772 prohibited marriage without the consent of the King, which would never have been granted. Nevertheless, the couple went through with a legally void marriage at Maria Fitzherbert’s home on December 21, 1785. Maria Fitzherbert was convinced she was the lawful wife of the Prince of Wales as she viewed church law to be superior to the law of the state. For political reasons, the marriage remained secret, although there were rumors spreading all over London, and Maria Fitzherbert had promised not to let anything about it be announced in public.

On June 23, 1794, Maria Fitzherbert was informed by letter that her relationship with the Prince of Wales was over. Caroline, his first cousin, was selected George’s bride. Great Britain was at war with revolutionary France and eager to obtain allies on the European mainland. Caroline and George were married on April 8, 1795, at the Chapel Royal, St. James’ Palace, in London.

George and Caroline’s wedding; Credit – Wikipedia

This marriage is one of the worst ever royal marriages. Upon first seeing Caroline, George said to his valet, “Harris, I am not well; pray get me a glass of brandy.” Caroline said George was fat and not as handsome as his portrait. It is doubtful that the couple spent more than a few nights together as husband and wife. Their only child, Princess Charlotte of Wales, was born nine months later.  They found each other equally unattractive and never lived together nor appeared in public together. To make matters worse, George’s mistress, Frances Villiers, Countess of Jersey, was appointed Caroline’s Lady of the Bedchamber. Caroline was ignored at the court and lived basically under house arrest, and after two and a half years, she left the court and lived for ten years in a Montagu House in Blackheath, London. She was denied any part in the raising of her daughter Charlotte and was allowed to see her only occasionally.

Caroline, Princess of Wales, 1798 by Sir Thomas Lawrence; Credit – Wikipedia

At Montagu House, Caroline provided a home for nine orphan children. In 1802, she adopted one of the children, William Austin, and rumors circulated that he was Caroline’s child. Caroline retorted, “Prove it, and he shall be your King!” A secret commission was set up, known as the “Delicate Investigation”, to investigate the claim that William Austin was Caroline’s son, but the commissioners found there was no real evidence for the allegation.

King George III became so ill that it was necessary for Parliament to pass the Regency Act of 1811.  George acted as Regent until his father died in 1820 and was known as The Prince Regent. Caroline was increasingly unhappy with her situation and treatment and negotiated a deal with the Foreign Secretary to allow her to leave the country in exchange for an annual allowance of £35,000. On August 8, 1814, Caroline left Great Britain and spent several years traveling in Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Tunis, and Palestine. In Italy, she hired Bartolomeo Pergami as a courier and he soon became the head of her household, and rumors circulated that they were lovers. Caroline said that she had committed adultery only once – with Mrs. Fitzherbert’s husband.

A caricature mocking Caroline for her supposed affair with Pergami; Credit – Wikipedia

Caroline’s daughter Charlotte married Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (the uncle of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert and the future King of the Belgians), but she predeceased both her parents, dying in childbirth in 1817 at the age of 21, along with her son. Had Charlotte lived, she would have succeeded her father on the throne. Caroline, who had started receiving letters from her daughter once she was married, was devastated.

Caroline with her daughter Charlotte; Credit – Wikipedia

When King George III died in January of 1820, Caroline was determined to return to England and assert her rights as queen. On her way back to England, she received a proposal from George offering her £50,000 per year if she would continue to live outside of England. Caroline rejected the proposal and received a royal salute of 21 guns from Dover Castle when she set foot again in England. George was determined to be rid of Caroline and his government introduced a bill in Parliament, the Pains and Penalties Bill 1820, to strip Caroline of the title of queen consort and dissolve her marriage. The reading of the bill in Parliament was effectively a trial of Caroline. On November 10, 1820, a final reading of the bill took place, and the bill passed by 108–99. Prime Minister Robert Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool then declared that since the vote was so close, and public tensions so high, the government was withdrawing the bill.

The Trial of Queen Caroline, 1820 by Sir George Hayter; Credit – Wikipedia (Caroline is sitting in a chair in the lower middle of the painting)

King George IV’s coronation was set for July 19, 1821, but no plans had been made for Caroline to participate. On the day of the coronation, Caroline went to Westminster Abbey, was barred at every entrance, and finally left. Three weeks later on August 7, 1821, Caroline died at the age of 53, most likely from a bowel obstruction or cancer. Prior to her death, Caroline had requested that she be buried in her native Brunswick. The official route of Caroline’s cortege through London was to avoid major streets. However, members of the public blocked those streets and forced a new route through the major streets. Caroline was buried at Brunswick Cathedral in Brunswick, Duchy of Brunswick, now in the German state of Lower Saxony, alongside her father. Her casket bears the inscription, “Here lies Caroline, the Injured Queen of England.”

Tomb of Queen Caroline: Credit – www.findagrave.com

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.

Recommended book: The Unruly Queen: The Life of Queen Caroline by Flora Fraser (non-fiction)

House of Hanover Resources at Unofficial Royalty

King George IV of the United Kingdom

by Susan Flantzer    © Unofficial Royalty 2015

King George IV of the United Kingdom; Credit – Wikipedia

King George IV, the eldest child of the fifteen children of King George III of the United Kingdom and Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, was born at St James’ Palace in London, England on August 12, 1762. George’s birth marked the first time an heir had been born to a reigning monarch since the birth of King James II’s son in 1688. At birth, George was automatically Duke of Cornwall as the eldest son of the reigning monarch. Five days after his birth, George was created Prince of Wales. He was christened at St James’s Palace by Thomas Secker, Archbishop of Canterbury, and given the names George Augustus Frederick. His godparents were:

George (left) with his mother Queen Charlotte and younger brother Frederick, painted by Allan Ramsay in 1764; Credit – Wikipedia

George had fifteen siblings and he was 21 years older than his youngest sibling, Princess Amelia.

George III children

Queen Charlotte painted by Benjamin West in 1779 with her 13 eldest children; Credit – http://www.royalcollection.org.uk

George was created a Knight of the Garter at age three and was introduced to ceremonial functions at an early age. He was brought up and educated with his brother Prince Frederick at Kew Palace. Robert Darcy, 4th Earl of Holderness was their governor, and William Markham, Bishop of Chester was their chief tutor. After Markham became Archbishop of York, Richard Hurd, Bishop of Worcester became the princes’ chief tutor. The young princes spent eight hours a day with their tutors and learned to ride and fence.

Even as a young child, George irritated his father, starting another occurrence of Hanover heirs not getting along with their fathers. When he was a teenager, George increasingly rebelled against his parents. He became associated with prominent Whigs such as Charles James Fox, who were in opposition to the Conservative government of King George III. These Whig circles also promoted George’s gambling, his tendency to womanizing, and his extravagant lifestyle. Even before he came of age, George attracted the attention of London society by having an affair with Mary Robinson, actress, poet, dramatist, and novelist. Mary had gained fame portraying Perdita in Shakespeare’s The Winter Tale and was nicknamed Perdita. George was then nicknamed Florizel, Perdita’s love interest in the play. Caricatures and satires of the couple as Perdita and Florizel were popular at the time.

Caricature of the Prince of Wales as Florizel and Mary Robinson as Perdita, 1783; Credit – Wikipedia

Upon his 21st birthday in 1783, George became of age and received a grant from Parliament of £60,000 to pay his debts (£6,451,000 today) and an annual income of £50,000 (£5,376,000 today) from his father. To evade the strict lifestyle of his parents, George set up his own household at Carlton House, a residence on the Pall Mall in London. George’s lavish redecoration of Carlton House once again put him in debt and once again, Parliament and his father bailed him out.

Prince of Wales, Miniature by Richard Cosway, 1792; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1784, George fell in love with Maria Fitzherbert, a twice-widowed Catholic Irish woman. A marriage with a Catholic would mean that George would lose his place in the succession as stipulated by the Act of Settlement 1701. In addition, the Royal Marriages Act 1772, prohibited the marriage without the consent of the King, which would never have been granted. Nevertheless, the couple went through with a legally void marriage at Maria Fitzherbert’s home on December 21, 1785. Maria Fitzherbert was convinced she was the lawful wife of the Prince of Wales as she viewed church law to be superior to the law of the state. For political reasons, the marriage remained secret, although there were rumors spreading all over London, and Maria Fitzherbert had promised to not let anything about it be announced in public.

Maria Fitzherbert; Credit – Wikipedia

By 1794, George was again severely in debt. If he married, Parliament would settle his debts and his allowance would be increased by £ 100,000. On June 23, 1794, Maria Fitzherbert was informed by letter that her relationship with the Prince of Wales was over. Caroline of Brunswick, his first cousin, was selected as the bride. Her father Karl Wilhelm Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, was a favorite nephew of Frederick the Great, King of Prussia, and had distinguished himself as a commander in the Seven Years’ War. Britain was at war with revolutionary France and eager to obtain allies on the European mainland. Caroline’s mother Augusta was a sister of George III. Caroline and George were married on April 8, 1795, at the Chapel Royal, St. James’ Palace, in London.

George and Caroline’s wedding; Credit – Wikipedia

This marriage is one of the worst ever royal marriages.  Upon first seeing Caroline, George said to his valet, “Harris, I am not well. Pray get me a glass of brandy.”  Caroline said George was fat and not as handsome as his portrait.  It is doubtful that the couple spent more than a few nights together as husband and wife.  Their only child, Princess Charlotte of Wales, was born nine months later.  They found each other equally unattractive and never lived together nor appeared in public together.  Caroline was prevented from seeing her daughter. Their daughter Charlotte married Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (the uncle of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert and the future King of the Belgians), but she predeceased both her parents, dying in childbirth in 1817 at the age of 21, along with her son. Had Charlotte lived, she would have succeeded her father on the throne.

Caroline eventually went to live abroad where she ran up debts and had lovers. She returned to England when George became king and he promptly started divorce proceedings.  However, a parliamentary bill dissolving the marriage and stripping Caroline of her title of Queen failed.  Caroline was turned away from Westminster Abbey during her husband’s coronation in 1821.  She died a few weeks later and her remains were shipped back to her native Brunswick where she was buried at Brunswick Cathedral.  The inscription on her tomb reads, “Here lies Caroline, the Injured Queen of England.”

During the reign of King George III, he suffered attacks of illness and there has been speculation that he suffered from porphyria. The American Revolutionary War and the loss of the American colonies was a great blow to George III and in 1788, he suffered another attack. This attack was more serious and George III was terribly deranged for a period of six months. At this time, Parliament had introduced a Regency Bill which made the Prince of Wales the Regent, but before it could be passed King George III recovered.

By 1805, King George III was almost completely blind. On October 25, 1809, a golden jubilee for the 50th year of his reign was held. Princess Amelia, George III’s youngest child, died on November 10, 1810, and this hastened his final decline. George III became so ill that Parliament needed to pass the Regency Act of 1811.  The Prince of Wales acted as Regent until his father died in 1820 and was known as The Prince Regent. Queen Charlotte was her husband’s legal guardian, but could not bring herself to visit him due to his violent outbursts and erratic behavior.

Upon the death of King George III on January 29, 1820, The Prince Regent succeeded to the throne as King George IV. At the time of his succession, George IV was obese and probably addicted to laudanum. His coronation, on July 19, 1821, despite being expensive and lavish, was popular with the British people.

King George IV’s coronation; Credit – Wikipedia

King George IV in his coronation robes; Credit – Wikipedia

George IV was the first British monarch to visit Ireland (in August 1821) since the reign of King Richard II in the 14th century and the first British Hanover monarch (the British Hanover kings were also Kings of Hanover) to visit Hanover (in September 1821) in 66 years. His 21-day visit to Scotland in 1822, organized by author Sir Walter Scott, was the first by a British monarch since the reign of King Charles II. On his trip to Scotland, George IV frequently wore a kilt and this helped to make the traditional garb of Highland Scotland popular during the 19th century.

King George IV during his 1822 trip to Scotland; Credit – Wikipedia

The trip to Scotland was the last major trip that George IV took. After that, suffering from gout, arteriosclerosis, and edema, he spent more and more time in seclusion at Windsor Castle. Because of his excessive lifestyle, he had become so fat (his weight in 1830 was 130 kg/280 lbs) that he increasingly was an object of ridicule when he appeared in public. George IV’s final illness began in January 1830 with a severe cough. He improved slightly in March 1830 but continued to have respiratory problems, faintness, and urinary tract pain. King George IV died at the age of 67 on June 26, 1830, at Windsor Castle and the throne passed to the next surviving son of King George III, Prince William, Duke of Clarence who reigned as King William IV. George IV was buried in the Royal Tomb House at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle.

Lithograph of George IV in profile, by George Atkinson, printed by C. Hullmandel, 1821; Credit – Wikipedia

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Caroline of Ansbach, Queen of Great Britain

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Caroline of Ansbach, Queen of Great Britain; Credit – Wikipedia

Her Serene Highness Markgräfin (Margravine) Wilhelmina Charlotte Caroline of Brandenburg-Ansbach, known as Caroline of Ansbach, was the wife of King George II of Great Britain. Born on March 11, 1683, at the Residenz Ansbach in Ansbach, Margraviate of Brandenburg-Ansbach, now in Bavaria, Germany, Caroline was the eldest of the three children of Johann Friedrich, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach and his second wife Princess Eleonore Erdmuthe of Saxe-Eisenach,

Caroline had two younger siblings:

Caroline also had five older half-siblings from her father’s first marriage to Margravine Johanna Elisabeth of Baden-Durlach:

Ansbach in the 17th century; Credit -Wikipedia

When Caroline was three years old, her father died of smallpox, causing her mother and her siblings to live in poor circumstances in Crailsheim now in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. Her mother Eleonore Erdmuthe remarried in 1692 to Johann Georg IV, Elector of Saxony, and Caroline and her brother Wilhelm Friedrich accompanied their mother to Saxony. The marriage was not a happy one. Johann Georg had been forced to marry by his mother to produce heirs and to end the affair between Johann Georg and his mistress. However, Johann Georg refused to give up his mistress and attempted to murder Eleonore Erdmuthe so he would be able to marry his mistress. The murder was averted by Johann Georg’s younger brother (known as Augustus II the Strong, Elector of Saxony), who parried the murder weapon, a sword, away from Eleonore Erdmuthe. Two years after the marriage, Johann Georg died of smallpox, and Caroline moved with her mother and brother to Schloss Pretzsch,  the residence of the widow of the Elector of Saxony.

In 1696, Eleonore Erdmuthe died and the 13-year-old orphaned Caroline was placed in the care of Friedrich, Elector of Brandenburg and his wife Sophia Charlotte of Hanover (later King and Queen in Prussia), who had been a friend of Eleonore Erdmuthe. Sophia Charlotte was the only daughter of Electress Sophia of Hanover, the grandmother of Caroline’s future husband, so Caroline became acquainted with the Hanover family. Sophia Charlotte was intelligent and attracted many scholars to her court including the mathematician and philosopher Gottfried Leibniz. Caroline was exposed to this intellectual environment and developed into quite a scholar.

Caroline, considered beautiful and well-educated, had several suitors, and Electress Sophia put her on a list of suitable wives for her grandson, the future King George II of Great Britain. George, whose title at the time was Electoral Prince of Hanover, traveled incognito to inspect his potential bride because his father did not want his son to repeat the disaster of his marriage. George immediately liked Caroline and the couple married on August 22, 1705, at the palace chapel at Schloss Herrenhausen in Hanover. The marriage was a successful, happy one although George had mistresses which Caroline knew about. The couple had eight children and through their children’s marriages, George and Caroline are the ancestors of many European royal families including the British, Danish, Dutch, Greek, Norwegian, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, and Swedish Royal Families.

George II and his family; Credit – Wikipedia

George’s father had a change in fortune when the British House of Stuart failed to produce a legitimate Protestant heir. His mother Electress Sophia of Hanover was the closest Protestant heir and was named the heiress presumptive to the British throne. However, Sophia of Hanover died two months before Queen Anne of Great Britain died and George’s father succeeded to the British throne as King George I in 1714 upon the death of Queen Anne. George was automatically Duke of Cornwall, Duke of Rothesay, and Earl of Carrick. On September 27, 1714, King George I created his eldest son Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester. Caroline was styled with the feminine versions of her husband’s titles.

George and Caroline made a concerted effort to learn English and acquire knowledge about Britain’s people, politics, and customs. George had a very poor relationship with his father. The first big rift occurred because of a disagreement over the choice of godparents for the Prince and Princess of Wales’ short-lived son George William, born in 1717. The disagreement grew out of proportion, and George was placed under arrest. The result was that George and Caroline were exiled from St. James’ Palace. They moved into Leicester House in Leicester Square, London which became their chief residence for the rest of King George I’s reign. However, their children were kept at St. James’ Palace in the custody of their grandfather. Caroline acted as a mediator, and in cooperation with Prime Minister Robert Walpole, she finally reconciled King George I and his son.

On June 11, 1727, King George I died and was buried in Hanover, and his son succeeded him as King George II. George and Caroline were crowned at Westminster Abbey on October 22, 1727.

studio of Charles Jervas, oil on canvas, 1727

Caroline Wilhelmina of Brandenburg-Ansbach, studio of Charles Jervas, oil on canvas, 1727, 86 in. x 50 1/4 in. (2185 mm x 1276 mm), Purchased, 1873, Primary Collection, NPG 369 © National Portrait Gallery, London

Queen Caroline played a greater role in governmental affairs than any queen consort since the Middle Ages. King George II had initially dismissed Robert Walpole, his father’s Prime Minister, but Caroline persuaded her husband to recall Walpole. During the absences of her husband, Caroline led the affairs of state, together with Prime Minister Robert Walpole. She initiated a reform of English criminal law when an investigation uncovered widespread abuses. Many historians have concluded that King George II was largely led by his queen. Caroline’s influence is illustrated in a poem popular at the time:

You may strut, dapper George, but ’twill all be in vain,
We know ’tis Queen Caroline, not you, that reign.
You govern no more than Don Philip of Spain.
Then if you would have us fall down and adore you,
Lock up your fat spouse, as your dad did before you.

Caroline had many scientific and artistic interests. She corresponded with several intellectuals including mathematician Gottfried Leibniz, whom she had met when she was a child, and Christian Thomasius, German jurist and philosopher. Caroline supported French philosopher Voltaire during his exile in England from 1726-1729. Voltaire thanked her by dedicating his epic poem La Henriade to her. Caroline was also considered one of the greatest promoters of the composer George Frideric Handel, who had come to England with King George I. Handel dedicated his famous Water Music to her.

by Jacopo Amigoni, oil on canvas, 1735

Caroline Wilhelmina of Brandenburg-Ansbach by Jacopo Amigoni, oil on canvas, 1735, NPG 4332 © National Portrait Gallery, London

In 1724, during the birth of her youngest child, Caroline sustained an umbilical hernia. She ignored the condition until it became acute in November 1737. Then she was bled, purged, and operated on, without anesthetic, but there was no improvement in her condition. Gangrene set in and she died on November 20, 1737, at St. James’ Palace in London, England at the age of 54. As she lay dying, she begged her grief-stricken husband to marry again. George replied, “Never, never. I shall have only mistresses.” When George died, he left instructions that the sideboards of their coffins be removed so the two could be joined together in death.

Caroline was buried in Westminster Abbey in London, England, the last Queen Consort to be buried there. George Frideric Handel, who had been her friend for more than 30 years, composed, within a week, The Ways of Zion Do Mourn / Funeral Anthem for Queen Caroline, which was performed at her funeral on December 17, 1737.

Inscription on the floor of the Henry VII Chapel at Westminster Abbey marking the grave of Caroline of Ansbach; Credit – www.findagrave.com

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King George II of Great Britain

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

King George II of Great Britain; Credit – Wikipedia

The last British monarch born outside of Great Britain, King George II was born at Schloss Herrenhausen in Hanover, Duchy of Brunswick and Lüneburg, now in the German state of Lower Saxony, on November 10, 1683. He was the elder of the two children of Georg Ludwig, Hereditary Prince of Brunswick-Lüneburg (later King George I of Great Britain), and his wife and first cousin, Sophia Dorothea of Celle.  Georg Ludwig had a change in fortune when the British House of Stuart failed to produce a legitimate Protestant heir. His mother Sophia of Hanover was the closest Protestant heir and was named the heiress presumptive to the British throne. However, Sophia of Hanover died two months before Queen Anne of Great Britain died and Georg Ludwig succeeded to the British throne as King George I in 1714 upon the death of Queen Anne.

George had one sister:

George with his mother and sister, circa 1691; Credit – Wikipedia

George’s parents both committed adultery and their marriage was dissolved in 1694 when George was 11 years old. His mother was considered the guilty party and was confined in the Castle of Ahlden in Celle, Principality of Celle, now in Lower Saxony, Germany, for the rest of her life and George never saw her again. George and his sister Sophia were raised by their grandmother, the Dowager Electress of Hanover Sophia with the help of her Mistress of the Robes, Frau von Harling. The Dowager Electress provided English tutors for her grandchildren and great-grandchildren as soon as she was declared heiress presumptive to the British throne by the 1701 Act of Settlement. George also studied German and Italian, and particularly enjoyed studying genealogy, military history, and battle tactics. In 1705, George was naturalized as a British citizen via the Sophia Naturalization Act and was created a Knight of the Garter in 1706. On November 9, 1706, he was created Baron Tewkesbury, Viscount Northallerton, Earl of Milford Haven, and Duke and Marquess of Cambridge.

George’s father was keen on his marrying a woman he loved, so George traveled incognito to inspect a potential bride, Caroline of Ansbach, the daughter of Johann Friedrich, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach and his wife Princess Eleonore of Saxony-Eisenach. George immediately liked Caroline and the couple married on August 22, 1705, at the palace chapel at Schloss Herrenhausen. The marriage was a successful, happy one although George had mistresses which Caroline knew about. The couple had eight children and through their children’s marriages, George and Caroline are the ancestors of many European royal families including the British, Danish, Dutch, Greek, Norwegian, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, and Swedish Royal Families.

George II and his family; Credit – Wikipedia

Queen Anne died on August 1, 1714, shortly after the death of the Electress Sophia on June 8, 1714, and Sophia’s son succeeded to the British throne as King George I, the first monarch of the House of Hanover. His eldest son George was automatically Duke of Cornwall, Duke of Rothesay, and Earl of Carrick. On September 27, 1714, King George I created his eldest son Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester.

George as Prince of Wales; Credit – Wikipedia

George had a very poor relationship with his father. The first big rift occurred because of a disagreement over the choice of godparents for the Prince and Princess of Wales’ short-lived son George William, born in 1717. The disagreement grew out of proportion, and George was placed under arrest. The result was that George and Caroline were exiled from St. James’ Palace. They moved into Leicester House in Leicester Square, London which became their chief residence for the rest of King George I’s reign. However, their children were kept at St. James’ Palace in the custody of their grandfather.

On June 11, 1727, King George I died in Hanover and was buried there, and his son succeeded him as King George II. George II was crowned at Westminster Abbey on October 22, 1727. The composer George Frederick Handel was commissioned to write four new anthems for the coronation, including the rousing Zadok the Priest which has been played at every British coronation ever since. You can see it performed at the link below.

studio of Charles Jervas, oil on canvas, circa 1727

King George II, studio of Charles Jervas, oil on canvas, circa 1727 NPG 368 © National Portrait Gallery, London

Like his father, George had a negative relationship with his eldest son Frederick, Prince of Wales. Upon his father’s accession, George and his wife Caroline went to live in Great Britain as Prince and Princess of Wales. They left seven-year-old Frederick, now second in the line of succession to the British throne, in Hanover in the care of his great-uncle Ernest Augustus, Prince-Bishop of Osnabrück, and they did not see their son again for 14 years. Certainly, this long separation during childhood was a factor in the negative relationship Frederick had with his parents as an adult. In 1728, Frederick, who automatically became Duke of Cornwall and Duke of Rothesay at his father’s accession, was summoned to London.  There was more evidence of the feud between Frederick and his parents.  He was the heir to the throne but was not even met by any officials when he first arrived in London and had to take a hackney carriage to St. James’ Palace.

Frederick, Prince of Wales; Credit – Wikipedia

When Frederick’s wife Augusta went into labor with her first child at Hampton Court Palace where the King and Queen were in residence, Frederick insisted that Augusta endure a bumpy carriage ride back to St. James’ Palace in London just to prevent his hated parents from being present at the birth.  This event created an even larger rift between Frederick and his parents. Frederick predeceased his father, dying in 1751 at the age of 44. King George II was playing cards with his mistress when he was told of Frederick’s death.  He continued playing cards and later said, “I have lost my eldest son, but I am glad,” so the feud between father and son did not even end with death. Frederick’s eldest son George was now the heir apparent and was created Prince of Wales.

Queen Caroline played a greater role in governmental affairs than any queen consort since the Middle Ages. She gave her support to Prime Minister Robert Walpole and found a great mentor in John Hervey, 2nd Baron Hervey, a Whig Member of Parliament. Caroline’s influence is illustrated in a couplet popular at the time:

You may strut, dapper George, but ’twill all be in vain,
We know ’tis Queen Caroline, not you, that reign.

On November 20, 1737, Queen Caroline died of gangrene following an operation. As she lay dying, she begged her grief-stricken husband to marry again. George replied, “Never, never. I shall have only mistresses.” When George died, he left instructions that the sideboards of their coffins be removed so the two could be joined together in death.

Queen Caroline, circa 1735, by Joseph Highmore; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1743, King George II became the last British monarch to lead an army into battle at the Battle of Dettingen during the War of the Austrian Succession. The Jacobites once again attempted to put a Catholic Stuart on the British throne in 1745-1746 during the Jacobite Rising of 1745.  The Stuart in rebellion this time was Charles Edward Stuart, “Bonnie Prince Charlie” or “the Young Pretender.” Charles Edward was the son of the Old Pretender, James Francis Edward Stuart and the grandson of King James II. The rebellion failed and the Jacobites were defeated once and for all at the Battle of Culloden in 1746 by an army led by King George II’s son Prince William, Duke of Cumberland who gained the nickname “Butcher of Culloden.”

King George II at the Battle of Dettingen; Credit – Wikipedia

The British National Anthem has its origins during King George II’s reign. The earliest version, God Save Great George Our King, was first heard in 1745 when King George II attended a gala performance at Drury Lane Theater in London in celebration of the defeat of Charles Edward Stuart, “Bonnie Prince Charlie” or “the Young Pretender.” King George II is related to another famous musical work, Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus. No one knows why or when the custom of standing during the Hallelujah Chorus began. The most common theory is that King George II, attending the London premiere of “The Messiah’’ in March 1743, was so moved by the Hallelujah Chorus that he stood up. If the king stands, everybody stands. However, there is no contemporary evidence he was at the concert.

King George II, circa 1753 by Thomas Worlidge; Credit – Wikipedia

On October 25, 1760, King George II woke up early at Kensington Palace and had his usual cup of chocolate. He asked about the direction of the wind as he was anxious about receiving his overseas mail, and then he entered his water closet. A few minutes later, his valet heard a crash and found George lying on the floor. He was put into bed and asked for his favorite daughter Princess Amelia, but he died before the princess reached him. An autopsy showed that he died of a ruptured aortic aneurysm. King George II was buried in Westminster Abbey, the last monarch buried there. He was succeeded by his grandson, King George III.

Inscription on the floor of the Henry VII Chapel at Westminster Abbey marking the grave of George II, Credit: www.findagrave.com

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Sophia Dorothea of Celle, Electoral Princess of Hanover

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Sophia Dorothea of Celle, Electoral Princess of Hanover; Credit – Wikipedia

Sophia Dorothea of Celle was never Queen, but she was the wife of King George I of Great Britain before he became King, the mother of King George II of Great Britain, and the ancestor of the current British Royal Family. She was born on September 15, 1666, in Celle, Principality of Celle now in Lower Saxony, Germany, the only child of Georg Wilhelm, Prince of Celle and his mistress Éléonore d’Esmier d’Olbreuse.  Sophia’s mother was from a noble, but untitled French Huguenot family. Éléonore was a lady-in-waiting to Marie de la Tour d’Auvergne, Duchess of Thouars whose son had married into the Hesse-Kassel family. During a visit to Hesse-Kassel in 1664, Éléonore met Georg Wilhelm who immediately fell in love with her. Éléonore became Georg Wilhelm’s mistress and received the title Frau (Lady) von Harburg. In 1674, their daughter Sophia Dorothea was legitimized by Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I who granted Éléonore the titles Gräfin (Countess) von Harburg and Wilhelmsburg. Éléonore and Georg Wilhelm married morganatically in 1676. Because of her mother’s background, Sophia Dorothea was not considered as a marriage prospect by many of the German ruling houses.

Georg Ludwig, Hereditary Prince of Brunswick-Lüneburg; Credit – Wikipedia

At the age of 16, in a marriage arranged by the bride and groom’s fathers (who were brothers), Sophia Dorothea was married to her first cousin, 22-year-old Georg Ludwig, Hereditary Prince of Brunswick-Lüneburg, the eldest son of Ernst August, Elector of Hanover, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Sophia of the Palatinate (commonly referred to as Electress Sophia of Hanover), whose mother was Elizabeth Stuart, the second child and eldest daughter of King James VI of Scotland/King James I of England. The couple had two children:

Sophia Dorothea with her two children; Credit – Wikipedia

At first, the marriage was happy, but soon George and Sophia Dorothea found affection elsewhere. George fell in love with one of his mother’s ladies-in-waiting, Melusine von der Schulenburg.  Sophia Dorothea fell in love with a Swedish Count, Philip Christoph von Königsmarck, an officer in the Hanoverian army. Despite warnings, from her mother and friends, Sophia Dorothea and her lover wrote letters to each other, met secretly, and planned to escape Hanover together. On the morning of July 2, 1694, after a meeting with Sophia Dorothea, von Königsmarck disappeared from Leineschloss Castle in Hanover and was never seen again. It was widely believed that George ordered von Königsmarck’s death. There is some speculation that the letters were forgeries, and the question of Sophia Dorothea’s guilt is still debated. On December 28, 1694, a tribunal of judges and Lutheran Church officials declared the marriage of George and Sophia Dorothea dissolved on the grounds of Sophia Dorothea’s desertion.

Philip Christoph von Königsmarck; Credit – Wikipedia

Meanwhile, Sophia Dorothea had been moved to the Castle of Ahlden in her father’s territory of the Principality of Celle now in Lower Saxony, Germany. She hoped to be reunited with von Königsmarck, whose disappearance had not been made known to her. Finally, Sophia Dorothea was told about the terms of the marriage dissolution. Because she was considered the guilty party, she was not allowed to remarry, would never again see her children, and would be kept as a prisoner at the Castle of Ahlden for the remainder of her life. The Castle of Ahlden had a guard unit of 40 soldiers with five to ten soldiers guarding the castle around the clock. Sophia Dorothea had a household consisting of two maids of honor, several maids, and other staff for the household and kitchen, who were all chosen for their loyalty to Hanover.

Castle of Ahlden; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Sophia Dorothea’s former husband had a change in fortune when the British House of Stuart failed to provide a legitimate Protestant heir. His mother Sophia of Hanover was the closest Protestant heir and was named the heiress presumptive to the British throne. Sophia of Hanover died two months before Queen Anne of Great Britain died and Sophia Dorothea’s former husband succeeded to the British throne as King George I in 1714 upon the death of Queen Anne.

Although Sophia Dorothea spent 32 years in captivity, she received an income that allowed her to live in the style of a princess and she was able to go for drives in her coach with an escort. Her father refused to visit her, but her mother Éléonore did make visits. During the last years of Sophia Dorothea’s life, Éléonore cared for her daughter and unsuccessfully tried to obtain her release. Éléonore asked Queen Anne to assist in obtaining Sophia Dorothea’s release as her situation was not befitting the mother of a future king of Great Britain.

When her former father-in-law died in 1698, Sophia Dorothea expressed her condolences in a letter to her former husband, saying that she would pray for him every day, begging him to forgive her error, and asking, in vain, to be allowed to see her two children. As Sophia Dorothea’s father was on his deathbed in 1705, he wanted to see his daughter one last time to make peace with her, but Prime Minister Count Bernstorff refused and the dying man did not have the strength to stand up to him. In 1722, Sophia Dorothea’s mother died, and surrounded only by enemies, Sophia Dorothea hoped to see her daughter once again. Her daughter, now Queen of Prussia, came to Hanover to see her father, King George I, in 1725, when he was on one of his visits to Hanover. Sophia Dorothea, who heard the news that her daughter was in Hanover, dressed more carefully than usual and waited in vain at the window every day for a visit from her daughter.

Sophia Dorothea apparently drowned her sorrows in the pleasure of eating, and became quite corpulent, increasingly suffering from fevers and indigestion. She suffered a stroke in August 1726 and never again left her bed. Sophia Dorothea refused medical attention and food and died on November 13, 1726, at the age of 60. King George I would not allow mourning at the British court and was furious when he learned that his daughter had ordered court mourning in Prussia.

Because the guards at the Castle of Ahlden had no funeral or burial instructions, Sophia Dorothea’s remains were placed in a lead coffin and stored in the castle cellar. In January 1727, orders came from London to bury the remains without any ceremony in the cemetery of Ahlden. However, this was impossible because of weeks of heavy rains and the coffin remained in the castle cellar. Finally, in May 1727, Sophia Dorothea was buried in the middle of the night beside her parents at the Stadtkirche St. Marien in Celle, Principality of Celle now in Lower Saxony, Germany. Her former husband King George I died four weeks later after receiving a deathbed letter from Sophia Dorothea cursing him, and their son acceded to the British throne as King George II.

Stadtkirche St. Marien in Celle, Germany; Credit – Wikipedia

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King George I of Great Britain

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

King George I of Great Britain; Credit – Wikipedia

His Highness Duke Georg Ludwig of Brunswick-Lüneburg was born on May 28, 1660, at Leineschloss in Hanover, now in Lower Saxony, Germany. He was the eldest of the seven children of Ernst August, Elector of Hanover, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Sophia of the Palatinate (commonly referred to as Electress Sophia of Hanover).   Sophia’s mother was Elizabeth Stuart, the second child and eldest daughter of King James VI of Scotland/King James I of England. At the time of his birth, it was expected that Georg Ludwig would succeed to his father’s titles. However, his destiny changed when the British House of Stuart failed to provide a legitimate Protestant heir.

George had five brothers and one sister:

  • Friedrich August of Brunswick-Lüneburg (1661–90), Major General in the Imperial Army of the Holy Roman Empire, died in action during the Great Turkish War, unmarried
  • Maximilian Wilhelm of Brunswick-Lüneburg (1666–1726), Field Marshal in the Imperial Army of the Holy Roman Empire, unmarried
  • Sophia Charlotte (1668–1705), married Friedrich I, King in Prussia, had issue
  • Karl Philip of Brunswick-Lüneburg (1669–90), Colonel in the Imperial Army of the Holy Roman Empire, died in action during the Great Turkish War, unmarried
  • Christian Heinrich of Brunswick-Lüneburg (1671–1703) Lieutenant General in the Imperial Army of the Holy Roman Empire, drowned in the Danube River during the War of Spanish Succession
  • Ernst August of Brunswick-Lüneburg, Duke of York and Albany (1674–1728), became Prince-Bishop of Osnabrück as Ernst Augustus II

George in 1680; Credit – Wikipedia

George’s mother had an unhappy childhood and took much care in ensuring that her children had a happy home and a good education. George loved to ride, hunt, and participate in military exercises. In December 1680, George made a three-month visit to his future kingdom of Great Britain and rumors were flying that he would become the husband of his second cousin Princess Anne, the future Queen Anne, whom he later succeeded.

In 1675, George first saw military service. He was involved in the Dutch and Turkish wars and exhibited distinguished service at the Battle of Neerwinden. During the War of the Spanish Succession, George commanded the Imperial Army of the Holy Roman Empire on the Upper Rhine.

When George returned home after his three-month visit to Great Britain, his father chose Princess Sophia Dorothea of Celle as his son’s bride. The bride-to-be was the only child of Georg Wilhelm, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and his long-time mistress, Eleonore d’Esmier d’Olbreuse. Sophia Dorothea and George were first cousins as their fathers were brothers. The marriage ensured an income from Celle of 100,000 thalers a year and the eventual unification of Hanover and Celle. At first, George’s mother was against the marriage because of Sophia Dorothea’s non-royal mother. However, the financial and political advantages of the marriage eventually swayed her to agree to the match. On November 22, 1682, in Celle, 16-year-old Sophia Dorothea married 22-year-old George.

The couple had two children:

Sophia Dorothea with her two children; Credit – Wikipedia

The marriage was happy at first, but soon both George and Sophia Dorothea found affection elsewhere. George fell in love with one of his mother’s ladies-in-waiting, Melusine von der Schulenburg.  Sophia Dorothea fell in love with a Swedish Count, Philip Christoph von Königsmarck, an officer in the Hanoverian army. Despite warnings from her mother and friends, Sophia Dorothea and her lover wrote letters to each other, met secretly, and planned to escape Hanover together. On the morning of July 2, 1694, after a meeting with Sophia Dorothea, von Königsmarck disappeared from Leineschloss Castle and was never seen again. It was widely believed that George ordered von Königsmarck’s death. There is some speculation that the letters were forgeries, and the question of Sophia Dorothea’s guilt is still debated.

On December 28, 1694, a tribunal of judges and Lutheran Church officials declared the marriage of George and Sophia Dorothea dissolved on the grounds of Sophia Dorothea’s desertion. George was not satisfied with punishing his former wife with just a marriage dissolution.  He had his 27-year-old former wife imprisoned in the Castle of Ahlden until she died 32 years later. Sophia Dorothea was never allowed to see her children again. Because her son George resembled his mother, his father despised him, the beginning of the father-son problems that plagued the Hanovers for four generations.

George’s father died on January 23, 1698, and George succeeded him as the Elector of Hanover and the Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg.  George’s court encouraged culture and learning and among those who frequented his court were the mathematician and philosopher Gottfried Leibniz and the composer George Frederick Handel.  Handel later settled in England, and in 1727 wrote four coronation anthems for the coronation of King George II. One of the anthems, Zadok the Priest, has been played at every British coronation since then.

George as Elector of Hanover, 1707; Credit – Wikipedia

On July 30, 1700, a death occurred in the British Royal Family that would drastically affect George’s life. Less than a week after his 11th birthday, Prince William, Duke of Gloucester died. William’s mother, the future Queen Anne, had 17 pregnancies and tragically only three of the pregnancies resulted in children who lived longer than a few days. The promise of the Stuart succession had been with Anne’s only surviving child William. William’s death caused a succession crisis as his mother was the only person remaining in the Protestant line to the throne established by the Bill of Rights of 1689. This caused Parliament to enact the 1701 Act of Settlement which made George’s mother Sophia of Hanover, a granddaughter of King James I and the nearest Protestant in the line of succession, heiress presumptive to the British throne. The British throne would go to Sophia and her Protestant heirs if King William III or Princess Anne, the sister of William III’s deceased wife and co-ruler Queen Mary II, had no children. The Act of Settlement bypassed 56 Catholics who had a better hereditary claim to the throne than Sophia.

George was created a Knight of the Garter in August of 1701. On March 8, 1702, King William III died and the sister of his deceased wife and co-ruler Queen Mary II became Queen Anne. In 1705, George became a British citizen via the Sophia Naturalization Act. Sophia died on June 8, 1714, at the age of 83.  She narrowly missed becoming queen, having died two months before Queen Anne. Queen Anne died on August 1, 1714, and George became King George I of Great Britain, the first of the Hanover monarchs.

George made his state entry into London on September 20, 1714, accompanied by his mistress, Melusine von der Schulenburg, who was nicknamed “the Maypole” by the English because of her tall thin appearance. Melusine became a naturalized British citizen in 1716 and in the same year was created Baroness of Dundalk, Countess, Marchioness of Dungannon, and Duchess of Munster. In 1719, she was further created Baroness of Glastonbury and Somerset, Countess of Feversham, and Duchess of Kendal.

Melusine von der Schulenburg; Credit – Wikipedia

At George’s request, Holy Roman Emperor Karl VI created Melusine, Princess of Eberstein. This gives some credence to the belief that George and Melusine had secretly married. British Prime Minister Sir Robert Walpole said of Melusine, “She was as much Queen of England as ever any was.” Melusine and George had three children, two were officially recognized as the children of Melusine’s sister Gertrud and her husband Friedrich Achaz von der Schulenburg, and one was officially recognized as the child of her other sister Sophia Juliane von Oeynhausen.

Less than a year after George’s accession, the first uprising of the Jacobites, who supported the Catholic Stuart line, broke out. The rebels aimed to overthrow George and replace him with Queen Anne’s Catholic half-brother James Francis Edward Stuart (the Old Pretender) as King James III. The uprising culminated in the Battle of Preston on November 9-14, 1715.  The Jacobites won the first day of the battle, but government reinforcements arrived the next day and the Jacobites eventually surrendered. Many Jacobite prisoners were executed or sent to British colonies as slaves, and numerous Scottish noble families lost their lands.

Even though he was the King of Great Britain, George never lost sight that he was also the Elector of Hanover. He lived mainly in Great Britain but did make several visits to Hanover and spent about 20% of his reign there. George remained Lutheran but was the head of the Church of England (Anglican Church) and the Church of Scotland (Presbyterian Church). Although George spoke four languages fairly well (Latin, French, Italian, and English) in addition to his native German, the notion persists that he only spoke German and hardly understood a word of English.

George was happy to leave the affairs of Great Britain in the hands of his ministers. In choosing his ministers from the Whig Party, George laid the foundation for the 50-year dominance of the Whigs. Cabinet government began during King George I’s reign and Robert Walpole, the head of the majority party in the House of Commons, became the first British Prime Minister.

King George I; Credit – Wikipedia

On June 3, 1727, King George I set out for another visit to Hanover. During the journey, George became ill and lost consciousness. It was noticed that his face had become distorted and his right hand hung limply at his side, a sign that he had suffered a stroke. The courtiers decided to continue with the journey to Hanover, where George died in the Prince-Bishop’s Palace in the Prince-Bishopric of Osnabrück, now in Lower Saxony, Germany, on June 11, 1727, at the age of 67. Following the instructions of George’s son, now King George II, George was buried in the chapel at Leineschloss in the Electorate of Hanover, now in Lower Saxony, Germany. He was the first British monarch since King Richard I in 1199 to be buried outside Britain. The castle and the chapel were severely damaged during World War II, and in 1957, King George I’s remains were re-interred at the Berggarten Mausoleum at Schloss Herrenhausen in Hanover, Germany, near his mother’s burial site.

Berggarten Mausoleum at Schloss Herrenhausen in Hanover, Germany; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

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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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Sofia of Nassau, Queen of Sweden and Norway

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Sofia of Nassau, Queen of Sweden and Norway – source: Wikipedia

Queen Sofia of Sweden and Norway was the wife of King Oscar II of Sweden. She was born Princess Sophia Wilhelmine Marianne Henriette of Nassau on July 9, 1836, at the Biebrich Palace in Wiesbaden, Duchy of Nassau, now in Hesse, Germany, the youngest of three children of Wilhelm, Duke of Nassau and his second wife, Pauline of Württemberg.

Sophia’s full siblings were:

Sophia also had eight half-siblings from her father’s first marriage to Princess Louise of Saxe-Hildburghausen:

Sophia was a very smart child and was educated privately by tutors. She was most interested in languages, history, and religion, three subjects that would serve her well in life. She spent some time at the Russian court specifically to learn about life in a grand court. Having lost her father at the age of three, and her mother at the age of 20, Sophia then lived with her elder half-sister, Princess Marie of Wied.

It was in July 1856 that Sophia met her future husband, Prince Oscar of Sweden, Duke of Östergötland. He was the third son of King Oscar I of Sweden and Norway and Josephine of Leuchtenberg. The two fell in love and were engaged just two months later. Between their engagement and marriage, Sophia learned the Swedish and Norwegian languages and studied the history of both countries.

Sophia and Oscar married on June 6, 1857, at Biebrich Palace in the Duchy of Nassau, now in Hesse, Germany, and made their entrance into Stockholm several weeks later. Sofia, who had now taken the Swedish spelling of her name, was quickly embraced by the Swedish people who nicknamed her The Blue Duchess, because of the blue dress she wore when she arrived. They had four sons:

(Crown Princess Sofia, c. 1870)

In 1859, Sofia and Oscar became the Crown Prince and Crown Princess as Oscar was the heir of his elder brother King Carl XV had no living male heirs. They lived at the Hereditary Prince’s Palace (Arvfurstens palats) in Stockholm and would remain there until Oscar’s accession. They also purchased, in 1864, a farm in Helsingborg where they built a small palace called Sofiero. The palace was later enlarged after Oscar’s accession and would become a favorite summer residence of the family. In 1905, Sofiero was given to Oscar’s grandson, the future King Gustaf VI Adolf, as a wedding present.

Following the death of King Carl XV on September 18, 1872, Sofia and Oscar became King and Queen of Sweden and Norway. They were crowned in Stockholm on May 12, 1873, and in Trondheim (Norway) on June 18, 1873. Sofia embraced her role as Queen of both countries and was seen as an insightful advisor to her husband, who was not initially very popular. She often spent her summers in Norway, where she was well-loved by the Norwegian people and admired for her simple lifestyle.

In the late 1870s, Sofia became a follower of the teachings of Lord Radstock, a noted British missionary, and often spent much of her day in prayer. She withdrew significantly from court life, attending functions only when necessary. Her health was also a factor in her reduced activities. She spent several years abroad for various cures and spas, avoiding the harsh winters in Scandinavia.

Queen Sofia was instrumental in establishing organized nursing schools in Sweden. A follower of Florence Nightingale, she learned much from a visit to the United Kingdom in 1881 and began her project upon returning to Sweden. In 1882, she arranged formal classes for nurses at the Sabbatsberg hospital. Two years later, she opened the Sophiahemmet University College, and in 1889 it became the Sophiahemmet, a combined school for nurses and hospitals. Along with her efforts in this area, Queen Sofia also lent her name and her efforts, to nearly 50 other patronages both in Sweden and Norway.

In 1905, she ceased to be Queen of Norway following the dissolution of the union between the two countries. The situation had taken its toll on her husband, and his health soon began to decline.

Queen Dowager Sofia, painted by Anders Zorn, 1909. source: Wikipedia

Following her husband’s death in December 1907, Queen Sofia lived primarily at Ulriksdal Palace, and kept herself abreast of politics, despite no longer having the influence she had enjoyed during her husband’s reign. She continued to travel extensively and remained very involved with her charitable work, especially Sophiahemmet. It was at the exam celebrations for new nurses at Sophiahemmet, on December 3, 1913, that Queen Sofia made her last public appearance.

Just weeks later, Queen Sofia died on December 30, 1913, at Ulriksdal Palace. At the time, she was the longest-serving Queen of Sweden (until surpassed in 2011 by Queen Silvia, wife of King Carl XVI Gustaf), and is the last to hold the title of Dowager Queen. Following her funeral in the Stockholm Cathedral, she was buried with her husband in the Riddarholmen Church in Stockholm, Sweden. Queen Sofia is the ancestress of the current sovereigns of Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, and Sweden.

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 Sweden Resources at Unofficial Royalty