Category Archives: German Royals

Sophia of the Palatinate, Electress of Hanover

by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2013

Dowager Electress Sophia of Hanover, Credit – Wikipedia

If the Stuarts had been able to provide a Protestant heir to the British throne, Sophia of Hanover would not have become possibly the most famous footnote in British royal history.  Princess Sophia of the Palatine was born on October 14, 1630, at the Wassenaer Hof in The Hague, Dutch Republic, now in the Netherlands where her parents were in exile during the Thirty Years War.  Her father was Friedrich V, Elector Palatine, but Sophia’s more important dynastic line was through her mother.  Her mother was Elizabeth Stuart, the second child and eldest daughter of James VI and I, King of Scotland, England and Ireland, and his wife Anne of Denmark.

Sophie had twelve siblings:

Sophia married Ernst August, Elector of Brunswick-Lüneburg on September 30, 1658.  Ernst August became the first Elector of Hanover in 1692.  Sophia and Ernst August had seven children:

Sophia in 1650; Credit – Wikipedia

Sophia was intelligent and well-read. She was an admirer of the German philosopher and mathematician Gottfried Leibniz and the two regularly corresponded.  Sophia and her husband did much work improving the Hanover ancestral home at Herrenhausen, particularly the beautiful gardens.

Palace of Herrenhausen and the Great Garden, circa 1708; Credit – Wikipedia

The Stuarts came to the British throne after the death of Queen Elizabeth I.  King James VI of Scotland, the son of Mary, Queen of Scots, was the great-grandson of Margaret Tudor (the sister of King Henry VIII), and upon Elizabeth’s death became King James I of England.  James I was succeeded by his son King Charles I who was beheaded during the English Civil War. Oliver Cromwell ruled as Lord Protector for eleven years until the monarchy was restored in 1660 and Charles I’s son became King Charles II.  Despite having at least fourteen illegitimate children by his mistresses, Charles II and his wife Catherine of Braganza had no children.  Charles II was succeeded by his brother King James II in 1685.

King James II had eight children with his first wife Anne Hyde, who died before he became king.  Only two of the eight children survived childhood, the future Queen Mary II and the future Queen Anne.  James converted to Catholicism in 1668 or 1669 during his first marriage, kept his conversion secret, and continued to attend Church of England services until 1673 when his conversion became public.  Charles II refused to allow James’ daughters from his first marriage to become Catholic.  James married again to the Catholic Maria Beatrice of Modena and all of their children born between 1675 – 1682 died young.  The birth of James Francis Edward, a Catholic son of James and Maria Beatrice of Modena, in 1688 precipitated the Glorious Revolution which placed James’ elder daughter Mary and her husband and first cousin William III, Prince of Orange, jointly on the throne as the Protestant monarchs King William III and Queen Mary II.

William and Mary had married in 1677.  William was the only child of Mary, Princess Royal, the daughter of King Charles I, and therefore was Mary’s first cousin.  Mary suffered a miscarriage early in her marriage which may have left her unable to have children.  She had several periods of illness which may have also been miscarriages.  Mary’s inability to have children caused her great grief.  Queen Mary II died of smallpox in 1694 at the age of 32.  King William III reigned until he died in 1702, and was succeeded by Anne, the younger daughter of King James II.

Queen Anne married George of Denmark in 1683. 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 was with Anne’s only surviving child Prince William, Duke of Gloucester.  Prince William was a sickly child and probably had hydrocephalus. Less than a week after his 11th birthday, Prince William died and there was 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.

Sophia of Hanover’s family was the most junior of the Stuart lines but was the most Protestant.  In 1701, Parliament passed the Act of Settlement, giving the succession to the British throne to Sophia and her non-Catholic heirs. This act ensured the Protestant succession and bypassed many Catholics with a better hereditary claim to the throne.

On  June 5, 1714, 83-year-old Sophia fell ill after receiving an angry letter from Queen Anne. Two days later, while she was walking in the gardens of Schloss Herrenhausen, it began to rain quite heavily and Sophia ran to a shelter where she collapsed. Sophia of the Palatinate, Electress of Hanover, died on June 8, 1714, at Schloss Herrenhausen in Hanover, Electorate of Hanover, now in Lower Saxony, Germany. She was initially buried at the Chapel of Leineschloss in Hanover which was destroyed during World War II. In 1957, her remains were moved to the mausoleum of King Ernst August I of Hanover in the Berggarten of Herrenhausen Gardens.  She narrowly missed becoming queen, having died two months before Queen Anne. Sophia’s son George, Elector of Hanover, became King George I.

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

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Wilhelm II, German Emperor and King of Prussia

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2013

Kingdom of Prussia: The Protestant Franconian branch of the House of Hohenzollern ruled as Margraves of Brandenburg, Dukes of Prussia, Electors of Brandenburg, Kings of Prussia from 1415 until 1918. In November 1700, in exchange for supporting the Holy Roman Empire in the Spanish War of Succession, Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor agreed to allow Friedrich III, Duke of Prussia, Elector of Brandenburg to make Prussia a kingdom and become its first king. In the aftermath of World War I, Prussia had a revolution that resulted in the replacement of the monarchy with a republic. Wilhelm II, German Emperor, King of Prussia abdicated on November 9, 1918.

The Kingdom of Prussia had territory that today is part of Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, and Switzerland. All or parts of the following states of today’s Germany were part of the Kingdom of Prussia: Brandenburg, Hesse, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Saarland, Saxony-Anhalt, and Schleswig-Holstein.

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Wilhelm II, German Emperor and King of Prussia; Credit – Wikipedia

Friedrich Wilhelm Viktor Albrecht was born on January 27, 1859, at the Crown Prince’s Palace in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany.  He was the first child of Prince Friedrich Wilhelm of Prussia (the future Friedrich III, German Emperor and King of Prussia) and Victoria, Princess Royal of the United Kingdom, and the first grandchild of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, whose names he was given.  Wilhelm’s 18-year-old mother had a difficult breech delivery which left Wilhelm with a withered left arm, about six inches shorter than his right arm, which he always tried to conceal.

Wilhelm had seven siblings:

Wilhelm (on the right in the back) with his parents and his siblings; Credit – Wikipedia

Wilhelm was related to many European royals.  His sister Sophie was the Queen Consort of Greece.  Among his first cousins were King George V of the United Kingdom, Queen Maud of Norway, Grand Duke Ernst Ludwig of Hesse and by Rhine, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna of Russia, Queen Marie of Romania, Duke Albert of Schleswig-Holstein, Crown Princess Margaret of Sweden, Duke Charles Edward of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and Queen Victoria Eugenie of Spain.

In 1868 when he was nine years old, Wilhelm first met Princess Augusta Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein, known as Dona, who was a few months older.  Dona was the eldest daughter of Friedrich VIII, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein and Princess Adelheid of Hohenlohe-Langenburg. Her maternal grandparents were Ernst I, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg and Princess Feodora of Leiningen, half-sister of Queen Victoria. In the years that followed, Dona fell in love with her cousin Prince Ernst of Saxe-Meiningen and was sent to England to visit relatives to quash the romance.  Wilhelm had proposed to his first cousin Princess Elisabeth (Ella) of Hesse and by Rhine, daughter of his maternal aunt Alice.  Ella, however, turned him down, and later would marry into the Russian Imperial Family and be murdered by the Bolsheviks in 1918.

Wilhelm in 1877; Credit – Wikipedia

Dona and Wilhelm were reacquainted in the summer of 1878 in Potsdam, Prussia.  The Prussians did not look favorably upon Dona as a possible wife for Wilhelm.  There were questions about whether the marriage would be equal because Dona’s father was not a sovereign. Furthermore, there were political complications from the Prussian annexation of Schleswig-Holstein when Dona’s father claimed them.  However, Chancellor Otto von Bismarck was a strong proponent of the marriage because he believed it would end the dispute between the Prussian government and Dona’s father.  The engagement was announced officially on June 2, 1880, and the couple married on February 27, 1881, in Berlin.  Dona and Wilhelm had a very happy marriage.  Wilhelm was a man who needed to be pampered and since Dona adored him, she had no trouble pampering him.  She had more artistic interests than he did, but they shared very conservative political views and a deep religious faith. Dona had to endure a rough start to her married life because of her in-laws who did not think her rank was sufficient for the wife of a future emperor.

Dona and Wilhelm, Credit – Wikipedia

The couple had seven children, six sons and one daughter:

  • Crown Prince Wilhelm (1882–1951), married Duchess Cecilie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. They had six children. Their eldest son Prince Wilhelm of Prussia (1906–1940) was killed in World War II.
  • Prince Eitel Friedrich (1883–1942), married Duchess Sophia Charlotte of Oldenburg. They were divorced and had no children.
  • Prince Adalbert (1884–1948), married Princess Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen. They had three children.
  • Prince August Wilhelm (1887–1949), married Princess Alexandra Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg. They had one child.
  • Prince Oskar (1888–1958), married Countess Ina Marie von Bassewitz. They had four children. Their eldest son Prince Oskar Wilhelm Karl Hans Kuno of Prussia was killed in 1939 in World War II.
  • Prince Joachim (1890–1920), married Princess Marie-Auguste of Anhalt. They had one son. His great-grandson Grand Duke George Mikhailovich of Russia, Prince of Prussia (born 1981) is a pretender to the Russian throne. Prince Joachim died by suicide.
  • Princess Viktoria Luise (1892–1980),  married Ernst August of Hanover, Duke of Brunswick. They had five children. Among their descendants are Prince Ernst August of Hanover, husband of Princess Caroline of Monaco; former King Constantine II of Greece; and Queen Sofia of Spain.

Wilhelm and Dona’s family in 1896, Credit – Wikipedia from the German Federal Archives

1888 was called the Year of the Three Emperors.  On March 9, 1888, Wilhelm’s grandfather Wilhelm I, German Emperor died. Already ill with throat cancer, Wilhelm’s father became Friedrich III, German Emperor.  His reign lasted only 99 days as he died on June 15, 1888, and Wilhelm became German Emperor at the age of 29.

Wilhelm has been a controversial figure for historians, past and present.  From Wilhelm’s Wikipedia article: “Three trends have characterized the writing about Wilhelm. First, the court-inspired writers who considered him a martyr and a hero. Often they uncritically accepted the justifications provided in the Kaiser’s memoirs. Second, those who judged Wilhelm as completely unable to handle the great responsibilities of his office, a ruler who was too reckless to deal with power. Third, after 1950, scholars sought to transcend the passions of the 1910s and attempted an objective portrayal of Wilhelm II and his rule.”

Wilhelm was very militaristic and wanted to increase the strength of Germany’s armed forces, particularly the German Imperial Navy, which he wanted to be the equal of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy. Although Wilhelm appeared to have some doubts after the assassination of the heir to the Austrian throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand on June 28, 1914, in Sarajevo, Serbia, Wilhelm incited Austria-Hungary to take revenge against Serbia for the assassination. Events worsened throughout July 1914 resulting in the beginning of World War I in August 1914. Years before the start of World War I, Germany had developed the Schlieffen Plan, a one-front war-winning offensive against France which was the thinking behind the German invasion of France and Belgium on August 4, 1914.

Wilhelm in 1915; Credit – Wikipedia

In the aftermath of World War I, Germany had a revolution resulting in the replacement of the monarchy with a republic. Wilhelm abdicated on November 9, 1918.  On November 10, 1918, Wilhelm Hohenzollern crossed the border by train, and went into exile in the Netherlands, never to return to Germany.  He first settled in Amerongen, living in the castle there.

In 1919, Wilhelm purchased Huis Doorn, a small manor house outside of Doorn, a small town near Utrecht in the Netherlands, and moved there in 1920.  As a condition of his exile, Wilhelm was allowed to travel freely within a radius of 15 miles from his house.  Traveling further required that advance notice had to be given to local government officials.  As Wilhelm did not like to be under the thumb of minor officials, he rarely traveled further than the 15 miles.

Huis Doorn in 1925; Credit – Wikipedia

Wilhelm’s son Joachim was unable to accept his new status as a commoner and became severely depressed. He died by suicide using a gun on July 18, 1920, in Potsdam, Germany.  The shock of abdication and exile, combined with Joachim’s suicide, proved too much for Dona. She died in 1921, at Huis Doorn.  The Weimar Republic in Germany allowed her remains to be transported back to Germany to be buried at the Temple of Antiquities near the New Palace in Potsdam.  Wilhelm was not allowed to go to Germany and could accompany his wife’s body only as far as the border.

Dona in 1913; Credit – Wikipedia

In January 1922, Princess Hermine Reuss of Greiz‘s son sent birthday wishes to Wilhelm, who then invited the boy and his mother to Doorn. Wilhelm found Hermine very attractive and greatly enjoyed her company. Having both been recently widowed, the two had much in common.  Wilhelm was determined to marry Hermine despite objections from his children. 63-year-old Wilhelm and 34-year-old Hermine married on November 5, 1922, in Doorn.  Hermine returned to Germany after Wilhelm’s death.  After World War II, Hermine was held under house arrest at Frankfurt-an-der Oder in the Soviet Zone of Germany. She died at Paulinenhof, a Soviet internment camp near Brandenburg, Germany on August 7, 1947.  She was buried at the Temple of Antiquities in Potsdam with Wilhelm’s first wife.

Hermine and Wilhelm at Huis Doorn in 1933; Credit – Wikipedia

On June 4, 1941, Wilhelm II, formerly German Emperor and King of Prussia, died of a pulmonary embolism at Huis Doorn, his home in exile in Doorn, the Netherlands.  He was 82 years old and had lived at Huis Doorn since 1920.

After Wilhelm’s death, Adolf Hitler wanted to bring his remains back to Germany for a state funeral and burial.  Even though Hitler felt animosity toward the former Kaiser, he thought that as a symbol of Germany during World War I, honoring Wilhelm would show the German people the legitimate succession from the Kaiserreich to the Third Reich.  Wilhelm had stated in his will that he did not want to return to Germany unless the monarchy was restored, and his wishes were granted.  However, Wilhelm’s request that the swastika and other symbols of Nazism not be displayed at his funeral was not followed.

Wilhelm’s eldest son, Crown Prince Wilhelm, asked architect Martin Kieszling to design a mausoleum in the gardens of Huis Doorn near his father’s favorite rhododendrons.  On the mausoleum’s roof is a brass ball with a cross on top, made by a Doorn blacksmith out of pots from the Huis Doorn kitchen after all copper was ordered to be turned into the German occupation of the Netherlands to make weapons.  On the anniversary of Wilhelm’s death, German monarchists still gather at his mausoleum.

Mausoleum of Wilhelm II, Photo Credit – Wikipedia

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Prussia Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Maximilian I Joseph, King of Bavaria

by Emily McMahon and Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2013

Kingdom of Bavaria: The House of Wittelsbach ruled as Dukes, Electors, and Kings of Bavaria from 1180 until 1918. Today Bavaria is a landlocked federal state of Germany, occupying its southeastern corner.  Maximilian IV Joseph, Prince-Elector of Bavaria allied his electorate with Napoleon and adopted many of the French beliefs of the Enlightenment. It was this loyal service to Napoleon through which Maximilian’s electorate was created the Kingdom of Bavaria with Maximilian at its king. He officially became the Maximilian I Joseph, the first King of Bavaria on January 1, 1806. On November 13, 1918, King Ludwig III would be the first monarch in the German Empire to be deposed at the end of World War I, bringing an end to 738 years of rule by the Wittelsbach dynasty.

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Maximilian I Joseph, King of Bavaria – source: Wikipedia

King Maximilian I Joseph was the first King of Bavaria, reigning from 1806 until his death in 1825.  He was born on May 27, 1756, in Schwetzingen, Electorate of the Palatine, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, the son of Friedrich Michael, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld and Maria Franziska, Countess Palatine of Sulzbach.

He had four older siblings:

Maximilian was educated under the watchful eye of his uncle, Christian IV, Duke of Zweibrücken, and several years after his father’s death in 1767, he was set up with his own household at the Hôtel des Deux-Ponts in Strasbourg, France which was purchased by his uncle in 1770. Maximilian would remain at the Hôtel des Deux-Ponts until 1790.

Maximilian joined the French army stationed in Strasbourg, and quickly rose through the ranks, attaining the rank of Major General. Following the French Revolution and the occupation of Zweibrücken during the Napoleonic Wars, Maximilian joined the Austrian army. He succeeded his brother Charles as Duke of Zweibrücken in 1795 and became Elector of Bavaria, Duke of Berg, and Count Palatine of the Rhine on February 16, 1799.

King Maximilian I Joseph, c1806. source: Wikipedia

Despite his switch in service to the Austrian army, Maximilian allied his electorate to Napoleon and adopted many of the French beliefs of enlightenment. Because of this loyal service to Napoleon, Maximilian’s electorate was created a kingdom with Maximilian at its head. He officially became the first King of Bavaria on January 1, 1806. In March 1806, he ceded the Duchy of Berg to Joachim Murat, Napoleon’s brother-in-law.

Shortly before the decisive Battle of Leipzig, Maximilian parted with his ally Napoleon to fight with Prussian, Russian, Swedish, and Austrian forces. Maximilian allied with the forces against Napoleon on the condition that if Napoleon’s forces were defeated, Bavaria would remain a kingdom. Following Napoleon’s downfall, Maximilian had a territorial dispute with Austria that lasted several years. One of the most powerful rulers in what is now Germany, Maximilian strongly supported the sovereignty of the individual duchies, principalities, kingdoms, and city-states within a larger German Confederation.

As one of the more liberal rulers during the first half of the 19th century, Maximilian granted Bavaria a constitution in 1816. Maximilian also made Munich a center for the arts in Bavaria, founding the Academy of Fine Arts and commissioning the construction of the National Theatre.

Princess Auguste of Hesse-Darmstadt. source: Wikipedia

on September 30, 1785, in Darmstadt, Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt, now in the German state of Hesse, Maximilian married  Princess Auguste of Hesse-Darmstadt, the daughter of Prince Georg Wilhelm of Hesse-Darmstadt and Countess Maria Luise Albertine of Leiningen-Falkenburg-Dagsburg.

They had five children:

Princess Caroline of Baden. source: Wikipedia

Auguste died in March 1796, and the following year, on July 9, 1797, in Karlsruhe, Margraviate of Baden, now in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, Maximilian married for a second time, to Princess Caroline of Baden, daughter of Carl Ludwig, Hereditary Prince of Baden and Landgravine Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt. Maximilian and Amalie had seven children including two sets of twin daughters:

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

King Maximilian I died on October 13, 1825, at the Nymphenburg Palace, in Munich, Kingdom of Bavaria, now in the German state of Bavaria, and is buried in the crypt at the Theatinerkirche in Munich. His heart is interred at the Shrine of Our Lady of Altötting.

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Bavaria Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Sophie of Sweden, Grand Duchess of Baden

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

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

Sophie’s Wikipedia page

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

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

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

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

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

Amalia of Oldenburg, Queen of Greece

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2013

Amalia of Oldenburg, Queen of Greece, Credit – Wikipedia

Amalia Maria Frederica was born a Duchess of Oldenburg on December 21, 1818, in Oldenburg, Grand Duchy of Oldenburg, now in Lower Saxony, Germany.  Her parents were Duke Augustus of Oldenburg (later Grand Duke of Oldenburg) and his first wife, Princess Adelheid of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym. Amalia’s mother died two years after her birth at the age of 20.  Five years after his first wife’s death, Amalia’s father married Princess Ida of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym, a younger sister of his first wife.  Princess Ida died three years after her marriage and three years late Amalia’s father married Princess Cecilia of Sweden, daughter of the deposed King Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden.

Amalia had one sister:

  • Duchess Frederica of Oldenburg (1820 – 1891) married Jakob von Washington, a distant relative of the first President of the United States George Washington, had issue

Via her father’s second wife Princess Ida of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym, Amalia had one half-brother who succeeded his father as Grand Duke:

Amalia had three half-brothers from her father’s third marriage to Princess Cecilia of Sweden:

  • Duke Alexander (1834 – 1835), died young
  • Duke August (1836 – 1837), died young
  • Duke Elimar (1844 – 1895), married morganatically Baroness Natalie Vogel von Friesenhof, had issue

On December 22, 1836, Amalia married King Otto I of Greece in Oldenburg.  King Otto had been born Prince Otto Friedrich Ludwig of Bavaria of the Wittelsbach dynasty at Schloss Mirabell in Salzburg, Austria, the second son of King Ludwig I of Bavaria and Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen.  In 1833, Otto had been appointed king of the newly created Kingdom of Greece.

Upon her arrival in Greece, the 17-year-old Queen Amalia was heartily welcomed.  She worked on social issues and was involved in the creation of gardens in the capital city of Athens.  Amalia wisely realized that her style of dress should emulate the style of the Greek people.  She created a “romantic folksy court dress” which became the Greek national costume.

Queen Amalia in the Greek national costume, Credit – Wikipedia

Queen Amalia became unpopular because she interfered with the government and her marriage did not produce an heir. King Otto was unfaithful to his wife and had an affair with the scandalous Jane Digby, who previously had an affair with Otto’s father.  In 1861, there was an assassination attempt made on Queen Amalia.  The assassin had been sentenced to death, but Queen Amalia intervened and he was sentenced instead to life imprisonment.

In 1862, a coup occurred in Athens while Otto and Amalia were visiting the Peloponnese, a peninsula in southern Greece. Otto and Amalia left Greece for Bavaria aboard a British warship, with the Greek royal regalia, formerly crown jewels of the Wittelsbach dynasty that ruled in Bavaria, that Otto had brought with him to Greece.  In 1959, Albrecht, Duke of Bavaria returned the Greek royal regalia to King Paul of Greece.  Although the Greek monarchy has since been deposed, the jewels have remained in Greece.

Otto died in 1867 at the age of 52 in the Neue Residenz in Bamberg, Kingdom of Bavaria, now in the German state of Bavaria, and was buried at the Theatine Church in Munich, Kingdom of Bavaria, now in Bavaria, Germany.  Amalia survived him by eight years, dying on May 20, 1875, at the age of 56, also at the Neue Residenz in Bamberg, Kingdom of Bavaria, now in Bavaria, Germany.  Her tomb is next to her husband’s in the crypt at the Theatine Church in Munich.

Tomb of Queen Amalie; Photo Credit –  © Susan Flantzer

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Greece Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Maria Josepha Amalia of Saxony, Queen of Spain

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2013

Maria Josepha Amalia of Saxony; Credit – Wikipedia

Given a long string of names, Maria Josepha Amalia Beatrix Xaveria Vincentia Aloysia Franziska de Paula Franziska de Chantal Anna Apollonia Johanna Nepomucena Walburga Theresia Ambrosia, the third wife of King Ferdinand VII of Spain, Princess Maria Josepha Amalia of Saxony, was born in Dresden, Electorate of Saxony, now in Saxony, Germany on December 7, 1803.  She was the youngest child of the seven children of Prince Maximilian of Saxony and his first wife Princess Caroline of Parma, a granddaughter of Maria Theresa of Austria.   When  Maria Josepha Amalia was only three months old, her mother died and she was sent to a convent to be raised by nuns.  Her childhood in the convent was quite austere and as a result, she was a very ardent Roman Catholic.

Maria Josepha Amalia had six older siblings:

King Ferdinand VII of Spain’s first two wives (of four) had died and he had no surviving children.  His choice for a third wife was the nearly 16-year-old Maria Josepha Amalia.  The couple was married in Madrid on October 20, 1819.  The king fell in love with the beautiful, young princess, but her youth and inexperience made the adjustment to marriage difficult.  There was much pressure upon Ferdinand VII to produce an heir.  There were rumors that Maria Josepha Amalia’s devout Roman Catholicism caused her to believe that sexual relations between spouses were wrong and that Pope Pius VII had to convince her that sexual relations were permissible.  However, the marriage remained childless and Maria Josepha Amalia died of a fever at the age of 25 on May 18, 1829, at the Royal Palace of Aranjuez.  She was buried in the royal crypt at the Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo El Real.  King Ferdinand VII eventually got his heir through his fourth marriage to Maria Christina of the Two Sicilies who gave birth to Queen Isabella II of Spain.

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Kingdom of Spain Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Marie of Prussia, Queen of Bavaria

by Emily McMahon and Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2013

Marie of Prussia, Queen of Bavaria, Credit – Wikipedia

Princess Marie of Prussia (Marie Friederike Franziska Hedwig) was the wife of King Maximilian II of Bavaria who reigned from 1848 until he died in 1864. Born at the Berlin City Palace in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany, on October 15, 1825, she was the youngest child of Prince Wilhelm of Prussia, a son of King Friedrich Wilhelm II of Prussia and Friederike Luise of Hesse-Darmstadt, Queen of Prussia.

Marie had seven siblings but only three survived to adulthood:

Marie was raised primarily at Schloss Fischbach in Silesia, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Poland, one of the many properties of the Prussian Royal Family. At one point, she was named as a potential bride for the future Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, but his reputation caused her parents to look elsewhere for an appropriate spouse.

Marie with her husband and sons. source: Wikipedia

On January 23, 1842, Marie became engaged to the future King Maximilian II of Bavaria. He was the son of King Ludwig I of Bavaria and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. The couple married in Munich, Kingdom of Bavaria, now in the German state of Bavaria, on October 12, 1842, just three days before Marie turned seventeen. They had two sons:

Like her two predecessors, Caroline of Baden and Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen, Marie did not convert to Catholicism upon marriage, choosing to retain her Lutheran faith. The marriage was a peaceful one, although the two shared few interests. Maximilian’s interests were primarily academic, whereas Marie had a great love of charity work and being among the Bavarian people. Marie’s kind and open personality endeared her to the Bavarians, with whom she was quite popular. Marie led the resurgence of the Bavarian Women’s Association, which later evolved into the Red Cross.

Marie as Crown Princess, c1843. source: Wikipedia

In March 1864, King Maximilian II died and the couple’s elder son took the throne as King Ludwig II. Both of Marie’s sons were thought to have suffered from mental illness that severely hampered their abilities to rule Bavaria. Marie was said to have taken the reality of this situation remarkably well, believing it to be God’s will. A deeply religious woman, Marie later converted to Catholicism on October 12, 1874, on what would have been her 32nd wedding anniversary.

Marie lived in relative seclusion, splitting her time between her country home in Elbigenalp and Hohenschwangau Castle in Füssen, Kingdom of Bavaria, now in the German state of Bavaria. In 1883, her elder son, King Ludwig II, was deemed incompetent, and Marie’s brother-in-law, Prince Luitpold of Bavaria, was appointed Prince Regent. Days later, King Ludwig II was found dead, and Marie’s younger son became King Otto I, also under the Regency of Prince Luitpold.

Queen Marie died at Hohenschwangau Castle on May 17, 1889. She was buried with her husband in a side chapel at the Theatinerkirche in Munich, Kingdom of Bavaria, now in Bavaria, Germany. Her heart is entombed at the Shrine of Our Lady of Altötting.

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Bavaria Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Louise of Baden, Elizabeth Alexeievna, Empress of All Russia

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2013

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

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

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

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

Alexander I circa 1801; Credit – Wikipedia

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

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

Prince Adam Czartoryski; Credit – Wikipedia

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

Elizabeth Alexeievna in 1807; Credit – Wikipedia

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

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

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Romanov Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Benedikte of Denmark, Princess of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg

by Emily McMahon and Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2013

 

The second of three daughters of King Frederick IX of Denmark and Princess Ingrid of Sweden, daughter of King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden, and his first wife Crown Princess Margareta of Sweden, born Princess Margaret of Connaught, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria, Princess Benedikte of Denmark was born on April 29, 1944, at the Frederick VIII Palace in Amalienborg Palace complex in Copenhagen during the Nazi occupation of Denmark. As the Danish military was prohibited from performing the usual salute, a Danish resistance group set off 21 bombs in a Copenhagen park to mark the occasion of her birth.  At the time of her birth, her grandfather King Christian X sat upon the throne of Denmark.

The infant princess was christened with the names Benedikte Astrid Ingeborg Ingrid on May 24, 1944, in Holmens Church in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Her godparents were:

Princess Benedikte has two sisters:

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During her childhood, Benedikte attended local Danish schools. She also joined the Girl Guides, beginning her association with Danish scouting that has continued to this day. Benedikte also developed a lifelong love of horses, owning several while still in her teens. In her early 20s, Benedikte began performing royal duties. She visited the United States in 1965 and also began working for organizations dedicated to assisting the disabled.

Benedikte served as a bridesmaid for her cousin Princess Birgitta of Sweden at her wedding to Prince Johann Georg of Hohenzollern in 1961, and later for Princess Sophia of Greece when she married Prince Juan Carlos of Spain in 1962. At the 1966 wedding of Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands to Claus von Amsberg, Benedikte met German Richard, 6th Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg and they began dating. The couple announced their engagement in 1967 shortly before the marriage of her sister Margrethe to Henri de Laborde of Monpezat. Benedikte and Richard married on the evening of February 3, 1968, in the Chapel of Fredensborg Palace, followed by a banquet.

 

The couple took up residence at Berleburg Castle in Germany, the groom’s ancestral home.

The couple had three children:

Benedikte’s daughter Nathalie competed for Denmark in the Equestrian Team and Individual Dressage in the 2008/Bejing and 2012/London Summer Olympics. In the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Nathalie won a Bronze Medal in Team Dressage.

Princess Nathalie competing in the Olympics

Still in the line of succession to the Danish throne, Princess Benedikte remains a very active member of the Danish Royal House. She is the patron of several organizations in Denmark and appears at most State and official functions, and represents the Danish crown at various events. While she remains in the line of succession, her children are not. At the time of the wedding,  her father King Frederik IX had decreed that to be in the succession, any children must be raised in Denmark. As the children were raised in Germany, they hold no succession rights.  Princess Benedikte’s husband Prince Richard died at his home, Berleburg Castle, in Bad Berleburg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany on March 13, 2017, at the age of 82.

 

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Wedding of Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany and Princess Helena of Waldeck and Pyrmont

by Emily McMahon and Susan Flantzer, revised May 2020
© Unofficial Royalty 2013

Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany and Princess Helena of Waldeck and Pyrmont; Credit – Wikipedia

Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany, aged 29, and 21-year-old Princess Helena of Waldeck and Pyrmont were married on April 27, 1882, at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England. Sadly, Leopold and Helena’s marriage lasted only two years. The couple’s daughter Alice was born in 1883. Helena was pregnant with their second child when Leopold died on March 28, 1884,  following a fall, apparently of a cerebral hemorrhage, the injuries having been exacerbated by his hemophilia. Their son Charles Edward was born several months after Leopold died in 1884.  Charles Edward is the grandfather of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden.

Leopold’s Early Life

Prince Leopold at the University of Oxford in 1875; Credit – Wikipedia

Leopold was the eighth of the nine children and the fourth and youngest son of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. It became apparent that Leopold suffered from the genetic disease hemophilia and was the first of the nine hemophiliacs among Queen Victoria’s descendants. 

Naturally, Leopold’s childhood activities were curtailed due to his hemophilia. He was perhaps Queen Victoria’s most intellectual child and had the artistic tastes of his father Prince Albert. Leopold somehow managed to convince his mother to allow him to spend four years (1872-1876) at Christ Church College, University of Oxford and he received an honorary doctorate in civil law in 1876. After Oxford, Leopold was involved in the patronage of various charitable organizations and also served as a secretary and advisor to his mother.

Helena’s Early Life

Princess Helena, circa 1880; Credit – Wikipedia

Helena was the fifth of six daughters and the fifth of the seven children of Georg Victor, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont and Helena of Nassau. Through both of her parents, Helena was a descendant of Anne, Princess Royal, the eldest daughter of King George II of Great Britain. Helena’s sister Princess Marie married Prince Wilhelm of Württemberg, later King Wilhelm II of Württemberg, but died in childbirth. Another sister, Princess Emma, married King Willem III of the Netherlands and had one child Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands.

Helena’s family lived mostly at Arolsen Castle, a Baroque-style home built during 1713-1728, in Arolsen, Principality of Waldeck and Pyrmont, now in Hesse, Germany. The Scottish philosopher, historian, and writer Thomas Carlyle was a great friend of Helena’s mother and a frequent visitor to Arolsen Castle. Carlyle described life at Arolsen Castle as a “pumpernickel court.” Helena had a Lutheran education from a very liberal-minded pastor.

The Engagement

Prince Leopold and Princess Helena in 1882; Credit – Wikipedia

Leopold saw marriage as a way to become independent from Queen Victoria, his overbearing mother. Besides having hemophilia, Leopold also had mild epilepsy.  Although hemophilia had more serious consequences, it was a disease that was not completely understood at the time, and it was Leopold’s epilepsy that caused him problems while seeking a bride.  Epilepsy was considered a social stigma and many families hid away their epileptic relatives.

After Leopold was rejected by several potential royal brides, Queen Victoria and her eldest daughter Victoria, Crown Princess of Prussia stepped in and made arrangements for Leopold and Helena to meet in Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine in September 1881 where Leopold was staying with Ludwig IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine, the widower of Leopold’s sister Alice. The two liked one another immediately, and after being briefed on Leopold’s health, the Waldeck-Pyrmont family had no objections to the marriage.

During a visit to Arolsen Castle, Helena’s home, Leopold and Helena became engaged on November 17, 1881.  Leopold was ecstatic when he wrote of the news to his brother-in-law Ludwig, widower of his sister Alice: “…we became engaged this afternoon…Oh, my dear brother, I am so overjoyed, and you, who have known this happiness, you will be pleased for me, won’t you?… You only know Helena a little as yet – when you really know her, then you will understand why I’m mad with joy today.”

The Wedding Site

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The wedding was planned for April 27, 1882, at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England. St. George’s Chapel was begun in 1475 by King Edward IV and completed by King Henry VIII in 1528.  It is a separate building, located in the Lower Ward of Windsor Castle. The chapel seats about 800 people and has been the location of many royal ceremonies, weddings, funerals, and burials. Members of the Order of the Garter meet at Windsor Castle every June for the annual Garter Service which is held at St. George’s Chapel.

There had been no royal weddings at St. George’s Chapel until 1863 when Queen Victoria’s eldest son, the future King Edward VII, married Princess Alexandra of Denmark. Three other children of Victoria were also married at St. George’s Chapel: Princess Louise in 1871, Prince Arthur in 1879, and Prince Leopold in 1882.

Wedding Guests

CLICK TO ENLARGE The Marriage of the Duke of Albany, 27th April 1882 by Sir James Dromgole Linton; Credit – Royal Collection Trust https://www.rct.uk/collection/404481/the-marriage-of-the-duke-of-albany-27th-april-1882

About the above painting from Royal Collection Trust: The Marriage of the Duke of Albany, 27th April 1882: Leopold, Duke of Albany (1853-1884), was the eighth child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. He married Princess Helen of Waldeck and Pyrmont in St George’s Chapel, Windsor, in 1882. In the painting the bride and groom stand in front of the altar after their marriage. Queen Victoria stands on the right. She stated in her Journal that she wore for the first time ‘my own wedding lace over black satin, & my own wedding veil, which I had not worn since my wedding day in 1840, surmounted by my small diamond crown’. Sir Frederick Leighton was asked if he could suggest a rising young artist to paint a small picture of the wedding for Queen Victoria. She wanted ‘a simple representation of the group at the altar’. Leighton put forward Linton. Progress on the painting was slow, mainly because the artist had difficulty obtaining access to the dresses and uniforms worn by the participants. It was nearing completion in early 1884 when the Duke of Albany died of a brain haemorrhage and the painting that had begun as a celebration became a memorial. In December of that year the Queen described it as ‘not nearly finished, but promising to be good’, although she found the artist had been ‘very slow & tiresome’. The painting was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1885. Signed and dated: JD Linton. 1885.

Special trains for the guests left Paddington Station in London for Windsor at 10:35 AM and returned from Windsor at 3:10 PM and 4:30 PM, and after the State Banquet at 11:00 PM.  When the guests arrived at the Windsor train station, they proceeded in carriages to the South Entrance of St. George’s Chapel and were shown to the seats reserved for them by Her Majesty’s Gentlemen Ushers.

Royal Guests – The Groom’s Family

  • Queen Victoria, mother of the groom
  • The Prince of Wales, brother of the groom
  • The Princess of Wales (Alexandra of Denmark), sister-in-law of the groom
  • Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, brother of the groom
  • The Duchess of Edinburgh (Marie Alexandrovna of Russia), sister-in-law of the groom
  • Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught, brother of the groom
  • The Duchess of Connaught (Louise Margaret of Prussia) sister-in-law of the groom
  • Princess Christian of Schleswig-Holstein (Princess Helena), sister of the groom
  • Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein, brother-in-law of the groom
  • Princess Louise, Marchioness of Lome, sister of the groom
  • Princess Beatrice, sister of the groom
  • Princess Louise of Wales, niece of the groom
  • Princess Victoria of Wales, niece of the groom
  • Princess Maud of Wales, niece of the groom
  • Prince George, Duke of Cambridge, first cousin once removed of the groom
  • The Duchess of Teck (Mary Adelaide of Cambridge), first cousin once removed of the groom
  • The Duke of Teck, husband of Mary Adelaide of Cambridge
  • Ludwig IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine, brother-in-law of the groom
  • Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine, niece of the groom
  • Ernst Leopold, 4th Prince of Leiningen, half-first cousin of the groom
  • Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (Augusta of Cambridge), first cousin once removed of the groom
  • Friedrich Wilhelm, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, husband of Augusta of Cambridge

Royal Guests – The Bride’s Family

  • Georg Victor, Reigning Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont, father of the bride
  • Princess of Waldeck and Pyrmont (Helena of Nassau), mother of the bride
  • Princess Elisabeth of Waldeck and Pyrmont, sister of the bride
  • Friedrich,  Hereditary Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont, brother of the bride
  • King Willem III of the Netherlands, brother-in-law of the bride
  • Queen Emma of the Netherlands (Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont), sister of the bride

Other Royal Guests

  • Prince Edward of Saxe-Weimar
  • Maharajah Duleep Singh
  • Maharanee Bamba, wife of Maharajah Duleep Singh
  • Prince Philip of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
  • Princess Philip of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (Louise of Belgium), wife of Prince Philip
  • Alexis, Hereditary Prince of Bentheim

Other Guests

  • Charles Gordon-Lennox, 6th Duke of Richmond and Frances Gordon-Lennox, Duchess of Richmond
  • William Beauclerk, 10th Duke of St. Albans and Grace Beauclerk, Duchess of St. Albans
  • Francis Russell, 9th Duke of Bedford
  • George Campbell, 8th Duke of Argyll and Amelia Campbell, Duchess of Argyll
  • William Cavendish-Bentinck, 6th Duke of Portland
  • Arthur Wellesley, 2nd Duke of Wellington and Elizabeth Wellesley, Duchess of Wellington
  • Countess of Dornburg, morganatic wife of Prince Edward of Saxe-Weimar
  • Countess Laura Gleichen, widow of the groom’s half first-cousin Prince Victor of Hohenlohe-Langenburg and her children Countess Feodora Gleichen and Count Edward Gleichen
  • Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquis of Salisbury and Georgina Gascoyne-Cecil, Marchioness of Salisbury
  • Francis Seymour, 5th Marquis of Hertford and Emily Seymour, Marchioness of Hertford
  • John Crichton-Stuart, 3rd Marquis of Bute and Gwendolen Crichton-Stuart, Marchioness of Bute
  • Caroline Loftus, Dowager Marchioness of Ely
  • Charles Vane-Tempest-Stewart, 6th Marquis of Londonderry and TheresaVane-Tempest-Stewart, Marchioness of Londonderry
  • Henry Francis Conyngham, 4th Marquis Conyngham and Jane Conyngham, Marchioness Conyngham and Lady Jane Seymour Conyngham, sister of the 4th Marquis Conyngham
  • Frances Butler, Dowager Marchioness of Ormond
  • James Lindsay, 26th Earl of Crawford and Emily Lindsay, Countess of Crawford
  • Alma Campbell, Countess of Breadalbane
  • Katrine Cowper, Countess Cowper
  • Robert St Clair-Erskine, 4th Earl of Rosslyn and Blanche St Clair-Erskine, Countess of Rosslyn
  • Thomas Anson, 3rd Earl of Lichfield and Mildred Anson, Countess of Lichfield
  • Charlotte Spencer, Countess Spencer
  • Gertrude Browne, Countess of Kenmare
  • George Greville, 4th Earl of Warwick and Anns Greville, Countess of Warwick and their daughter Lady Eva Greville
  • Charles Yorke, 5th Earl of Hardwicke and Sophia Yorke, Countess of Hardwicke
  • Nina Leveson-Gower, Countess Granville
  • Florence Wodehouse, Countess of Kimberley
  • Emily Townshend, Countess Sydney
  • Edward Bootle-Wilbraham, 1st Earl of Lathom and Alice Bootle-Wilbraham, Countess of Lathom
  • Lord Charles Fitzroy
  • Lord Archibald Campbell
  • Lord Ronald Leveson Gower
  • Alexander Hood, 1st Viscount Bridport
  • Hugo Charteris, Lord Elcho and Mary Constance Charteris, Lady Elcho
  • Lady Marion Alford
  • William Elphinstone, 15th Lord Elphinstone
  • Lady Agneta Montagu, wife of Rear-Admiral The Honorable Victor Montagu
  •  Emily Cavendish, Lady Waterpark
  • Colonel George Harris, 4th Baron Harris
  • Paul Methuen, 3rd Baron Methuen
  • Charles Cochrane-Baillie, 2nd Baron Lamington and Mary Cochrane-Baillie, Lady Lamington
  • Montagu Corry, 1st Baron Rowton
  • Baron Franz von Roggenbach, Grand Duchy of Baden politician
  • The Honorable Sidney Herbert (later 14th Earl of Pembroke) and Lady Beatrix Herbert
  • Admiral of the Fleet The Honorable Sir Henry Keppel
  • The Honorable Mrs. Charles Grey and Miss Grey
  • Sir Stafford Northcote (later 1st Earl of Iddesleigh) and Lady Northcote.
  • Sir R. A. Cross (later 1st Viscount Cross)
  • General Sir William Knollys
  • The Honorable Mrs. Gerald Wellesley, wife of The Honourable and Very Reverend Gerald Wellesley, Dean of Windsor
  • Colonel The Honorable A. Liddell
  • The Honorable Lady Petty
  • The Honorable Lady Biddulph
  • The Honorable Lady Ponsonby and Miss Ponsonby, wife and daughter of Major-General Sir Henry Frederick Ponsonby, Private Secretary to Queen Victoria
  • Sir Rainald Knightley, 3rd Baronet and Lady Knightley
  • Sir Coutts Lindsay of Balcarres and Lady Lindsay of Balcarres
  • Sir William Jenner, Baronet, M.D., Physician-in-Ordinary to Queen Victoria
  • Sir James Paget, Baronet, Surgeon Extraordinary to Queen Victoria
  • Sir Archibald Campbell of Blythswood, 1st Baronet and The Honorable Lady Campbell of Blythswood
  • General Sir Patrick Grant
  • Sir Theodore Martin, K.C.B.
  • General Sir Edward Shelby Smyth
  • Lady Harcourt
  • Colonel George Ashley Maude, Crown Equerry of the Royal Mews
  • Mr. Frederick Gibbs, former tutor to The Prince of Wales and Prince Alfred
  • Colonel W. G. Stirling.
  • Mr. Francis Knollys, Private Secretary to The Prince of Wales
  • Captain Binkes, Royal Netherlands Navy.
  • Captain Thomson, Royal Navy
  • Captain Welch, Royal Navy
  • Staff Captain Alfred Balliston
  • Captain A. G. Perceval
  • Henry Liddell, Dean of Christchurch, Oxford, Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University and Mrs. Liddell
  • Richard Chenevix Trench, Dean of Westminster
  • Reverend Henry Mildred Birch, Chaplain to The Prince of Wales
  • Reverend Canon G. H. Connor, Chaplain in Ordinary to The Queen
  • Reverend A. Campbell, Vicar of Crathie Church near Balmoral in Scotland
  • Reverend Canon Robinson Duckworth, former tutor to Prince Leopold
  • Reverend Canon Richard Gee, Chaplain in Ordinary to The Queen
  • Reverend William Rowe Jolley, former tutor to Prince Alfred
  • Reverend Canon George Prothero, Rector of Whippingham and Chaplain in Ordinary to The Queen
  • Reverend John Tulloch, The Queen’s Chaplain for Scotland
  • Dr. Henry Wentworth Acland, Physician in Ordinary to The Queen
  • Mrs. Collins
  • Mrs. Childers
  • Mr. Walter Campbell of Blythswood
  • Madame de Arcos, friend of Empress Eugenie of France
  • Dr. Wilson Fox, Physician Extraordinary to The Queen
  • Mrs. Gladstone, wife of Prime Minister William Gladstone
  • Mr. R. R. Holmes, Librarian at Windsor Castle
  • Mr. Holzmann
  • Mr. and Mrs. Coleridge Kennard
  • Dr. Wickham Legg, Medical Attendant to Prince Leopold
  • Mr. Augustus Savile Lumley, The Queen’s Queen Assistant Master of Ceremonies
  • Miss Mackworth
  • Mr. Algernon Bertram Freeman-Mitford
  • Mr. F. Myers
  • Mr. Whyte-Melville
  • Mademoiselle Norelle, former French tutor to Queen Victoria’s children
  • Dr. George Poore, former physician to The Prince of Wales
  • Mrs. A. Royle
  • Mr. Hermann Sahl, Librarian and German Secretary to Queen Victoria
  • Mrs. Waller, British actress
  • Mr. Arnold White, British journalist
  • Sir Joseph Devereux, Mayor of Windsor

Guests in The Queen’s Gallery

  • Mr. Doyne C. Bell, author
  • Mr. Edward Henry Corbould, artist, instructor of historical painting to the royal family
  • Dr. Francis Laking, Surgeon-Apothecary in Ordinary  to The Queen
  • Dr. William Ellison, Surgeon-Apothecary to The Queen’s Household
  • Mr. S. Evans
  • Mr. Charles Hallé, pianist and conductor
  • Miss Jessie Ferrari, singer and music teacher
  • Dr. William Hoffmeister, Surgeon-Apothecary to The Queen at Osborne House
  • Dr. John Marshall, Private Physician in Attendance to The Queen
  • Dr. Alexander Profeit, Estate Manager at Balmoral Castle
  • Dr. James Reid, Physician in Ordinary to The Queen

The Queen’s Household – Guests and Participants in the Processions

  • Mistress of the Robes – Elizabeth Russell, Duchess of Bedford
  • Lady of the Bedchamber in Waiting – Susanna Innes-Ker, Dowager Duchess of Roxburghe
  • Maids of Honour in Waiting  – The Honorable Evelyn Paget, The Honorable  Frances Drummond
  • Bedchamber Woman in Waiting – The Honorable Lady Hamilton Gordon
  • Lord Steward – John Townshend, 1st Earl Sydney
  • Lord Chamberlain – Valentine Browne, 4th Earl of Kenmare
  • Master of the Horse – Hugh Grosvenor, 1st Duke of Westminster
  • Private Secretary and The Keeper of the Privy Purse – General Sir Henry Ponsonby
  • Treasurer of the Household – Gavin Campbell, 7th Earl of Breadalbane
  •  Comptroller of the Household – William Edwardes, 4th Baron Kensington
  • Vice-Chamberlain – Lord Charles Bruce
  • Gold Stick in Waiting – Field-Marshal Hugh Rose, 1st Baron Strathnairn
  • Captain of the Gentlemen at Arms – Charles Wynn-Carrington, 3rd Baron Carrington
  • Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard – William John Monson, 7th Baron Monson
  • Master of the Buckhounds – Richard Boyle, 9th Earl of Cork
  • Master of the Household – Major-General Sir John Cowell
  • Lord in Waiting – John Ramsay, 13th Earl of Dalhousie
  • Groom in Waiting – Colonel The Honorable. C. H. Lindsay
  • Master of the Ceremonies – General Sir Francis Seymour, Baronet
  • Clerk Marshal – General Lord Alfred Paget.
  • Equerries in Waiting – Colonel The Honorable H. W. J. Byng, Captain A. J. Bigge.
  • Groom of the Robes – Mr. Henry Erskine of Cardross.
  • Silver Stick in Waiting – Lieutenant-Colonel Burnaby
  •  Field Officer in Brigade Waiting – Colonel G. H. Moncrieff
  • Comptroller in the Lord Chamberlain’s Department -The Honorable Ponsonby Fane
  • Pages of Honour – Mr. G. Byng, Mr. A. Ponsonby
  • Gentlemen Ushers in Waiting –  Mr. Algernon West, Mr. E. H. Anson, Captain N. G.Philips, Mr. A. Montgomery, Mr. Wilbraham Taylor
  • Garter King of Arms – Sir Albert W. Woods
  • Lancaster Herald – Mr. George Cokayne
  • Chester Herald – Mr. H. Murray Lane
  • Comptroller of the Household of Prince Leopold – Mr. R.H. Collins
  • Equerries in Waiting to Prince Leopold – The Honorable Alexander Yorke, Captain Stanier Waller, Mr. A. Royle
  • Lady in Attendance on Princess Helena of Waldeck and Pyrmont – The Honorable Mrs. Moreton
  • Lord in Waiting to The Queen in Attendance on Princess Helena – George Byng, 7th Viscount Torrington

Guests – Ambassadors

  • His Excellency The Turkish Ambassador and Madameisolle Musurus
  • Count Georg Herbert Münster, His Excellency The German Ambassador and Countess Marie Munster
  • Count Luigi Federico Menabrea, His Excellency The Italian Ambassador and Countess Menabrea
  • Count Alajos Károlyi, His Excellency The Austro-Hungarian Ambassador and Countess Karolyi
  • Prince Aleksey Borisovich Lobanov-Rostovsky, His Excellency The Russian Ambassador
  • Paul-Armand Challemel-Lacour, His Excellency The French Ambassador
  • The Netherlands Minister and Countess de Bylandt
  • The Belgian Minister
  • Luís Pinto de Soveral, The Portuguese Minister
  • Count de Sponneck, Secretary to the Danish Legation
  • Count Piper, The Swedish Minister representing King Oscar II and Queen Sofia of Sweden
  • Count von Seckendorff, representing The Crown Prince and Crown Princess of the German Empire and Prussia, the groom’s brother-in-law and sister

Guests – Government Officials

  • Lord Chancellor – Roundell Palmer, 1st Baron Selborne
  • Lord President of the Council – John Spencer, 5th Earl Spencer
  • Lord Privy Seal – Chichester Parkinson-Fortescue, 1st Baron Carlingford
  • Prime Minister, First Lord of the Treasury, Chancellor of the Exchequer – William Gladstone
  • Secretary of State for the Home Department – Sir William Harcourt
  • Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs – Granville Leveson-Gower, 2nd Earl Granville
  • Secretary of State for the Colonies – John Wodehouse, 1st Earl of Kimberley
  • Secretary of State for War – Hugh C. E. Childers
  • Secretary of State for India – Spencer Cavendish, Marquis of Hartington
  • First Lord of the Admiralty – Thomas Baring, 1st Earl of Northbrook
  • President of the Board of Trade – Joseph Chamberlain
  • Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster –  John Bright
  • President of the Local Government Board –  John Dodson
  • Chief Secretary for Ireland – William Forster
  • Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland – Francis Cowper, 7th Earl Cowper
  • First Commissioner of Works – George Shaw-Lefevre
  • Postmaster-General – Henry Fawcett
  • Paymaster-General – George Glyn, 2nd Baron Wolverton
  • Judge Advocate-General – George Osborne Morgan
  • Vice-President of the Board of Education – A. J. Mundella
  • Adjutant-General – Field Marshal Garnet Joseph Wolseley, 1st Baron Wolseley
  • Quartermaster-General – Lieutenant-General Arthur Herbert
  • Military Secretary – Lieutenant-General Sir Edmund Whitmore,
  • Earl Marshal – Henry Fitzalan-Howard, 15th Duke of Norfolk
  • Deputy Lord Great Chamberlain – Gilbert Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, 2nd Baron Aveland
  • Speaker of the House of Commons – Henry Brand

Supporters and Bridesmaids

Leopold was supported by his eldest brother The Prince of Wales and his brother-in-law Ludwig IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine, the widower of his sister Alice.

Helena was supported by her father Georg Victor, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont and her brother-in-law Willem III, King of the Netherlands, the husband of Helena’s sister Emma.

Helena’s eight bridesmaids were unmarried daughters of Dukes, Marquises, and Earls:

  • Lady Florence Anson (1860–1946), daughter of Thomas George Anson, 2nd Earl of Lichfield
  • Lady Florence Bootle Wilbraham (died 1944), daughter of Edward Bootle-Wilbraham, 1st Earl of Lathom
  • Lady Blanche Butler (1854–1914), daughter of John Butler, 2nd Marquess of Ormonde
  • Lady Mary Campbell (1859 – 1947), daughter of George Campbell, 8th Duke of Argyll
  • Lady Anne Lindsay (1858 – 1936), daughter of Alexander Lindsay, 25th Earl of Crawford
  • Lady Ermyntrude Russell (1856–1927), daughter of Francis Russell, 9th Duke of Bedford
  • Lady Alexandrina Vane-Tempest (1863 – 1945), daughter of George Vane-Tempest, 5th Marquess of Londonderry
  • Lady Feodore Yorke (1864 -1934), daughter of Charles Yorke, 5th Earl of Hardwicke

The Wedding Attire

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Leopold wore a Colonel’s uniform and used a cane to assist him in walking. He walked with a slight limp as he had injured his knee a few weeks earlier and his hemophilia had exacerbated the injury.

Helena’s dress, a gift from her sister Queen Emma of the Netherlands, was made by Madame Corbay of Rue Ménar in Paris. The gown was made of white satin, decorated with traditional orange blossom and myrtle and trimmed with fleur-de-lis. The bodice ended in a sharp V–shape and was swathed in tulle and ruched lace with a small bouquet of flowers. The shoulders were bare and on the short drop-sleeves were pinned the Royal Family Order of the Royal Order of Victoria and Albert and the Companion of the Order of the Crown of India. The long tulle veil was held in place by a diamond headdress and a wreath of orange flowers and myrtle. The diamond necklace worn by Helena was a gift from Leopold.

The Wedding Ceremony

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Vintage engraving of the Royal Wedding of Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany and Princess Helena of Waldeck and Pyrmont. Queen Victoria kissing the bride on the cheek. The London Illustrated News, 1882

Officiating Clergy

  • Archibald Campbell Tait, Archbishop of Canterbury
  • John Jackson, Dean of the Chapels Royal, Bishop of London
  • Harold Browne, Prelate of the Order of the Garter, Bishop of Winchester
  •  John Mackarness, Chancellor of the Order of the Garter, Bishop of Oxford
  • Henry Philpott, Clerk of the Closet, Bishop of Worcester
  • The Honourable and Very Reverend Gerald Wellesley, Dean of Windsor, Lord High Almoner, Registrar of the Order of the Garter and Domestic Chaplain

Music

  • Sir George Elvey, composer and the organist of St. George’s Chapel, presided at the organ and directed the orchestra and choir.

The Members of Her Majesty’s Household in Waiting who did not take part in the carriage processions from Windsor Castle, assembled at St. George’s Chapel at 11:30 AM arriving at the South Entrance. The clergy officiating at the wedding service gathered at the Deanery and took their places within the rails of the altar at 11:45 AM while a march was played on the organ.

At 11:45 AM, The Princess of Wales, the Royal Family, and the Royal Guests along with their attendants left the Quadrangle of Windsor Castle in carriages for the West Entrance of St. George’s Chapel. On arrival at the West Entrance, The Princess of Wales, the Royal Family, and the Royal Guests were received by The Lord Steward, John Townshend, 1st Earl Sydney and The Vice-Chamberlain of the Household, Lord Charles Bruce. The processions of The Princess of Wales, the Royal Family, and the Royal Guests made their way down the aisle to march by Sir George Elvey. As each procession moved from the entrance into St. George’s Chapel a Flourish of Trumpets was played by Her Majesty’s State Trumpeters stationed at the West Entrance.

At 12 noon, Queen Victoria accompanied by her youngest daughter Princess Beatrice and her granddaughter Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine, along with their attendants, left The Queen’s Entrance of Windsor Castle in carriages for the West Entrance of St. George’s Chapel. On arrival, they were met by The Lord Steward, John Townshend,1st Earl Sydney with The Treasurer of the Household, Gavin Campbell, 7th Earl of Breadalbane, The Comptroller of the Household – William Edwardes, 4th Baron Kensington, and The Vice-Chamberlain of the Household, Lord Charles Bruce. Her Majesty’s procession was conducted down the aisle by The Lord Chamberlain, Valentine Browne, 4th Earl of Kenmare as “Occasional Overture” by George Frederick Handel was played.

At 12:15 PM, the bridegroom Prince Leopold accompanied by his supporters, his eldest brother The Prince of Wales and Ludwig IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine, his brother-in-law, the widower of Leopold’s sister Prince Alice, and their attendants, proceeded in carriages from The Queen’s Entrance of Windsor Castle to the West Entrance of St. George’s Chapel. On arrival, they were received by The Lord Chamberlain Valentine Browne, 4th Earl of Kenmare and The Lord Steward, John Townshend,1st Earl Sydney and their procession was conducted down the aisle as Felix Mendelssohn’s “March”, from Athalie was played. Prince Leopold was conducted to his seat on the right of the altar with his supporters standing next to him.

Immediately after the departure of the bridegroom, the bride Princess Helena accompanied by her supporters, her father Georg Victor, The Reigning Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont, and her brother-in-law King Willem III of the Netherlands, and their attendants proceeded in carriages from The Queen’s Entrance of Windsor Castle to the West Entrance of St. George’s Chapel.  On arrival, they were received by The Lord Chamberlain Valentine Browne, 4th Earl of Kenmare, and joined by the eight bridesmaids. The procession moved down the aisle to a “Special March” by French composer Charles Gounod, a friend of Prince Leopold who had asked Gounod to compose a piece of music for his bride’s procession down the aisle. The supporters of the bride stood near her and the bridesmaids stood behind her.

The wedding service was performed by Archibald Campbell Tait, Archbishop of Canterbury and the bride was given away by her father.  At the conclusion of the wedding service,  the “Hallelujah Chorus” from Ludwig Van Beethoven’s oratorio Christ on the Mount of Olives was sung by the choir and a salute was fired in the Long Walk by a battery of artillery. Felix Mendelssohn’s now-famous “Wedding March” from his suite of Incidental Music to A Midsummer Night’s Dream was played as the royalty and their attendants left St. George’s Chapel by the West Door.

The Wedding Luncheon and Celebrations

On their return to Windsor Castle, the bride and groom signed the marriage register in the Green Drawing Room. Queen Victoria then signed the marriage register along with royalty and distinguished persons who had been invited to also do so. Queen Victoria and the bride and groom, accompanied by King Willem III and Queen Emma of the Netherlands, The Prince and Princess of Waldeck and Pyrmont and other royalty then proceeded to the State Reception Room to greet the guests who had assembled there.

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Waterloo Gallery at Windsor Castle where the non-royal guests were served a buffet luncheon

Luncheon was privately served for Queen Victoria, the royal family, and the royal guests in the Dining Room. The other guests were served a buffet luncheon in the Waterloo Gallery. The bride and groom left for their honeymoon at 4:00 PM.

The wedding cake of the Duke and Duchess of Albany; Credit – Royal Collection Trust https://www.rct.uk/collection/2905679/the-wedding-cake-of-the-duke-and-duchess-of-albany

The wedding cake was made by Her Majesty’s household confectioner. The cake, created in several layers, each separated by a dense icing for support and stacked upon the other to achieve its six-foot height, was entirely edible. The stacking technique was innovative for its day. Modern wedding cakes still use this method but because of the size of today’s cakes, internal support is added to each layer in the form of dowels.

In the evening, there was a State Banquet in St. George’s Hall presided by The Lord Steward, John Townshend, 1st Earl Sydney.  The guests invited included the royal guests, ambassadors, members of the clergy, members of the government, members of The Queen’s Household, and other guests by special invitation.  After the State Banquet, Queen Victoria and the guests proceeded to the Grand Reception Room where Her Majesty’s Private Band played in the Waterloo Chamber adjoining the Grand Reception Room. Later in the evening, there was a torchlit procession through the grounds of Windsor Castle. The torches made a letter “A” for Albany as Leopold was the Duke of Albany.

Torchlight procession for the marriage of Prince Leopold, 27 April 1882 by Sir Richard Rivington Holmes; Credit – Royal Collection Trust https://www.rct.uk/collection/themes/trails/royal-weddings/torchlight-procession-for-the-marriage-of-prince-leopold-7

The Honeymoon

Claremont House; Credit – By Heathermitch – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28583411

At 4:00 PM, the newlyweds, Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Albany,
attended by The Honorable Mrs. Moreton and The Honorable Alexander Yorke, left Windsor Castle for their honeymoon at Claremont House in Esher in Surrey, England escorted by a traveling escort of the 2nd Life Guards.

In 1816, Claremont House was bought by the British Nation by an Act of Parliament as a wedding present for the future King George IV’s daughter Princess Charlotte of Wales and her husband Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert’s uncle and the future Leopold I, King of the Belgians. After Princess Charlotte’s death in childbirth, her widower lived there until he became King of the Belgians, when he loaned the house to Queen Victoria. Queen Victoria, in turn, lent Claremont House to the exiled King and Queen of the French, Louis-Philippe and Marie-Amelie, who were the in-laws of King Leopold I via his second wife. Queen Victoria bought Claremont House from her first cousin Leopold II, King of the Belgians as a wedding gift for her son and daughter-in-law Leopold and Helena.

Leopold and Helena arrived in Esher around 6:00 PM, passing through a series of floral arches to a pavilion decorated with flowers. There they were greeted by the Rector of the local church and a group of local people. Leopold told them: “We both feel the greatest satisfaction in the thought that our first days of married life will be spent in the parish of Esher for it is here that we shall hope for the future to centre our local cares and interests.”

Unfortunately, Leopold and Helena’s honeymoon was marked by tragedy. Helena’s sister had married Prince Wilhelm of Württemberg, later King Wilhelm II of Württemberg. Marie was unable to attend the wedding because she was nine months pregnant. On April 24, 1882, Marie gave birth to a stillborn daughter, her third child, and suffered serious complications from childbirth. She died six days later, on April 30, 1882, and Helena went into the required period of mourning which limited her social interactions.

Children

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Helena with her two children

Leopold and Helena had two children:

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Works Cited

  • Flantzer, Susan, 2013. Prince Leopold, Duke Of Albany. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/march-28-daily-featured-royal-date/> [Accessed 23 May 2020].
  • Flantzer, S., 2014. Princess Helena Of Waldeck-Pyrmont, Duchess Of Albany. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/february-17-1861-birth-of-princess-helena-of-waldeck-pyrmont-wife-of-prince-leopold-duke-of-albany/> [Accessed 23 May 2020].
  • Google Books. 1882. The Illustrated London News – Wedding Of Prince Leopold.
  • Rct.uk. 2020. Sir James Dromgole Linton (1840-1916) – The Marriage Of The Duke Of Albany, 27Th April 1882. [online] Available at: <https://www.rct.uk/collection/404481/the-marriage-of-the-duke-of-albany-27th-april-1882> [Accessed 23 May 2020].
  • The Gazette. 1882. Prince Leopold Wedding Page 1971 | Issue 25102, 2 May 1882 | London Gazett…. [online] Available at: <https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/25102/page/1971> [Accessed 23 May 2020].
  • Van der Kiste, John, 2011. Queen Victoria’s Children. Stroud: The History Press.
  • Zeepvat, Charlotte, 1999. Prince Leopold. Stroud: Sutton.