Category Archives: Former Monarchies

Gabrielle de Polastron, Duchesse de Polignac, Favorite of Queen Marie Antoinette of France

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Gabrielle de Polastron, Duchesse de Polignac was a favorite of Queen Marie Antoinette of France. She is also the ancestress of Albert II, Sovereign Prince of Monaco.

Gabrielle de Polastron, Duchesse de Polignac – source: Wikipedia

Born in Paris on September 8, 1749, Yolande Martine Gabrielle de Polastron was the second daughter of Jean François Gabriel, Count of Polastron, Seigneur de Noueilles, Venerque and Grépiac and his first wife, Jeanne Charlotte Hérault de Vaucresson. Gabrielle (as she was known) had an elder sister Jeanne. Through her father’s second marriage to Anne-Charlotte de Noé, she also had three younger half-siblings, Denis, Adélaïde and Henriette-Nathalie.

Although her family was part of the aristocracy, they were debt-laden and lived a relatively modest lifestyle. Gabrielle was initially raised at the family’s Château de Noueilles in southern France, but following her mother’s death when Gabrielle was just three years old, her upbringing was left to an aunt who sent her to a convent to receive her education.

Gabrielle was married on July 7, 1767, to Jules François Armand de Polignac, Marquis de Mancini (later created Duke of Polignac). At the time, Polignac was serving in the French military. The couple had four children:

Aglaé de Polignac (1768) – married Antoine-Louis-Marie de Gramont, Duke de Guiche, had issue
Jules de Polignac, 2nd Duke de Polignac (1771) – married Ida van Neukirchen, no issue
Auguste de Polignac, 3rd Duke de Polignac (1780) – married (1) Barbara Campbell, had issue; (2) Mary Parykns, had issue
Melchior de Polignac, Count de Polignac (1781) – married Marie Charlotte Le Vassor de la Touche, had issue.

Queen Marie Antoinette of France. source: Wikipedia

In 1775, Gabrielle and her husband were invited to visit Versailles by her sister-in-law Diane de Polignac, a lady-in-waiting to Princess Elizabeth of France, the younger sister of King Louis XVI. Gabrielle was formally presented to Queen Marie Antoinette who instantly took a liking to her and soon asked her to move permanently to Versailles. Heavily in debt, this was not a move that Gabrielle and her husband could afford. Despite their aristocratic background, there was little money for extravagance. They lived on Jules’s military salary of just 4,000 livres and were heavily in debt. Becoming aware of this, The Queen quickly arranged to settle their debts and find a better position for Jules within the royal household.

From all accounts, Gabrielle was greatly welcomed by the French royal family, however, the feeling was not the same from many other members of the court who questioned her motives and were wary of her very quick accession to the highest level of the Queen’s entourage. Many also resented Marie Antoinette’s immense generosity shown to Gabrielle and her family. Not only were their debts resolved but they began to live a very lavish lifestyle, primarily funded by Marie Antoinette. Further adding to the resentment came in 1780 when Gabrielle’s husband was created Duke of Polignac, making Gabrielle a Duchess.

In 1782, Gabrielle was appointed Governess to Ling Louis XVI’s children, which further alienated other members of the Court who felt Gabrielle was not of a sufficient social status for such a prominent position. She took up new apartments within the Palace of Versailles, significantly larger than any of her predecessors, and was given a small cottage at the Hameau de la Reine – the Queen’s private retreat on the grounds of the Petit Trianon.

Joseph Hyacinthe François de Paule de Rigaud, Count of Vaudreuil. source: Wikipedia

Gabrielle briefly fell out of favor with Marie Antoinette in 1785, primarily due to her friendship with Joseph Hyacinthe de Rigaud, Count of Vaudreuil whom the Queen did not trust. Rumors spread that Gabrielle and the Count were having an affair, and that he was the father of her youngest son, but this is disrupted by most historians. Sensing the Queen’s displeasure, Gabrielle left Versailles for an extended vacation in England. The two soon mended their relationship and became close again in the months leading up to the French Revolution. However, the world would quickly change for everyone at Court, following the storming of the Bastille in July 1789. Gabrielle and her family fled France, traveling throughout Europe before eventually settling in Vienna. During this time, she remained in close contact with Marie Antoinette for the next several years.

Having developed what is believed to be cancer, her health quickly began to decline. Just two months after Marie Antoinette’s execution, Gabrielle died in Vienna on December 3, 1793, at the age of 44.

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

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

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

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

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

Isabella had five siblings:

Eleanor of Austria, Queen of Portugal, Queen of France (1498 – 1558), married (1) King Manuel I of Portugal, had two children (2) King François I of France, no children
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor/Charles I, King of Spain (1500 – 1558), married Isabella of Portugal, had seven children including King Philip II of Spain
Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor (1503 – 1564), married Anna of Bohemia and Hungary, had fifteen children
Mary of Austria, Queen of Bohemia and Hungary (1505 – 1558), married King Louis II of Hungary and Bohemia, no children
Catherine of Austria, Queen of Portugal (1507 – 1578), married King João III of Portugal, had nine children who all predeceased their parents

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

Isabella, circa 1515; Credit – Wikipedia

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

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

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

- Hans of Denmark (1518 – 1532), died at age fourteen
- Philip Ferdinand of Denmark (born and died 1519), twin of Maximilian, died shortly after birth
- Maximilian of Denmark (1519 – 1520), twin of Philip Ferdinand, died in infancy
- Dorothea of Denmark, Electress Palatine (1520 – 1580), married Friedrich II, Elector Palatine, no children
- Christina of Denmark, Duchess of Milan, Duchess of Lorraine (1521 – 1590), married (1) Francesco II Sforza, Duke of Milan, no children (2) François I, Duke of Lorraine, had one son and two daughters

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Grave of Isabella of Austria; Credit – Wikipedia

Kingdom of Denmark Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

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

Christina of Saxony, Queen of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Credit – Wikipedia

The wife of Hans, King of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, Christina of Saxony was born in Torgau, Electorate of Saxony, now in the German state of Saxony on December 25, 1461. She was the eldest of the seven children and the eldest of the two daughters of Ernst, Elector of Saxony and Elisabeth of Bavaria.

Christina had six younger siblings:

Friedrich III the Wise, Elector of Saxony (1463 – 1525), unmarried
Ernst of Saxony, Archbishop of Magdeburg, Bishop of Halberstadt (1464- 1513)
Adalbert of Saxony, Administrator of the Archdiocese of Mainz (1467 – 1484)
Johann the Steadfast, Elector of Saxony (1468 – 1532), married (1) Sophie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, had one son (2) Margarete of Anhalt-Köthen, had four children
Margarete of Saxony, Duchess of Brunswick-Lüneburg (1469 – 1528), married Heinrich, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, had seven children
Wolfgang (1473 – 1478), died in childhood

King Hans of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden; Credit – Wikipedia

When she was sixteen-years-old, Christina was betrothed to Hans, the future King of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. In 1478, Christina left her home in Torgau and traveled to the port of Rostock on the Baltic Sea. There she was met by a large Danish entourage and traveled by ship to Copenhagen, Denmark. On September 6, 1478, at Copenhagen Castle, Christina and Hans were married. The wedding was a sumptuous occasion with Christina wearing a gold dress with red embroidery and traveling in a golden carriage.

Christina and Hans had six children:

Hans of Denmark (1479 – 1480), died in infancy
Ernst of Denmark (1480 – 1500), unmarried
Christian II, King of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden (1481 – 1559), married Isabella of Austria, had five children
Jacob of Denmark (1484 – 1566), probably Jacob the Dacian, a Danish-born Franciscan monk who worked as a missionary with the Purépecha, an indigenous people in Mexico
Elisabeth of Denmark, Electress of Brandenburg (1485 – 1555), married Joachim I Nestor, Elector of Brandenburg, had five children
Frans of Denmark (1497 – 1511), died as a teenager from the plague

Wall sculpture at St. Canute’s Cathedral depicting King Hans, Queen Christina, and their son Prince Frans who died from the plague; Credit – Wikipedia

Hans’ father King Christian I died in 1481. At that time, the monarchies of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden elected their kings. Only Hans’ succession to the Danish throne went smoothly. In Norway, after some negotiations, Hans was recognized as King of Norway in 1483. In Sweden, a power-play game occurred with Hans for six years. Eventually, Hans saw an opportunity to strike, and after his forces defeated Swedish forces in 1497, he was finally crowned King of Sweden. However, in 1501, an uprising in Sweden caused Hans to lose the Swedish crown.

Hans and Christina were visiting Sweden in 1501 before the uprising. During that visit, Hans began a long-term affair with Edel Jernskjæg, one of Christina’s ladies-in-waiting. The affair caused a scandal and a de facto termination of their marriage. From that time on, the marriage of Hans and Christina was one in name only.

During the Swedish uprising, Hans fled Stockholm, Sweden, and left Christina at Stockholm Palace. She bravely defended the palace for eight months but was forced to surrender in May 1502 after her 1,000-man army defending the palace was reduced by deaths to only 70. Christina spent more than a year under guard as a prisoner in the Vadstena Monastery, finally being released in 1503.

After her return to Denmark, Christina lived with her youngest son Frans, separately from King Hans, on her dower lands at Næsbyhoved Castle (link in Danish) and in Odense. Christina was a devout Catholic (the Reformation had not yet occurred in Denmark) and shortly after her return to Denmark, she founded convents for the nuns of the Poor Clares in Copenhagen and Odense. Christina made various pilgrimages in Denmark and made visits to her daughter Elisabeth and her sister Margarete. Sadly, her youngest son thirteen-year-old Frans died of the plague in 1511.

In January 1513, King Hans was on his way to Aalborghus Castle (link in Danish) when he was thrown by his horse. He became increasingly weaker and on February 20, 1513, at his birthplace Aalborghus Castle, King Hans died from his injuries at the age of 58. He was buried in the Gråbrødre Church of the Franciscan monastery in Odense, Denmark which Queen Christina had chosen as the burial site for her husband and herself. Queen Christina commissioned the famous German sculptor Claus Berg to create a burial chapel in the church of the Franciscan monastery for her and her husband. Berg’s intricately carved and gilded altarpiece is a Danish national treasure. The altarpiece depicts the passion and the crucifixion of Jesus, and the crowning of the Virgin Mary. The base shows members of the royal family including King Hans, Queen Christina, and their son King Christian II.

Claus Berg’s altarpiece; Credit – Wikipedia

Queen Christina survived her husband by eight years, dying on December 8, 1521, aged 59, in Odense, Denmark. She was buried wearing the habit of a Poor Clares nun with her husband. Their son King Christian II was also interred in the burial chapel in the church of the Franciscan monastery. In 1807, the former Franciscan church was demolished, and Berg’s magnificent altarpiece and the remains of King Hans, his wife Christina, and their son King Christian II were transferred to St. Canute’s Cathedral, also in Odense, Denmark. Christian’s wife Isabella was originally buried in St. Peter’s Abbey in Ghent, Spanish Netherlands, now in Belgium. In 1883, thanks to the efforts of the Danish government, Isabella’s remains and those of her son Hans were transferred to St. Canute’s Cathedral.

Queen Christina’s grave in St. Canute’s Cathedral; Credit – Wikipedia

Kingdom of Denmark Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

Da.wikipedia.org. 2020. Christine Af Sachsen. [online] Available at: <https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christine_af_Sachsen> [Accessed 21 December 2020].
De.wikipedia.org. 2020. Christina Von Sachsen (1461–1521). [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christina_von_Sachsen_(1461%E2%80%931521)> [Accessed 21 December 2020].
En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Christina Of Saxony. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christina_of_Saxony> [Accessed 21 December 2020].
Flantzer, Susan. 2020. Hans, King of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/hans-king-of-denmark-norway-and-sweden/> [Accessed 21 December 2020].

Esmé Stewart, 1st Duke of Lennox, Favorite of King James VI of Scotland/King James I of England

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Esmé Stewart, 1st Duke of Lennox; Credit – Wikipedia

Favorite: a person treated with special or undue favor by a king, queen, or another royal person

Esmé Stewart, 1st Duke of Lennox, born circa 1542 in France, was the only child of John Stewart, 5th Lord of Aubigny (died 1567) and Anne de la Queuille, a French noblewoman. Esmé’s paternal grandfather was John Stewart, 3rd Earl of Lennox, a prominent Scottish lord. In 1526, John Stewart, 3rd Earl of Lennox led an army to Linlithgow Palace intending to free the young James V, King of Scots from the pro-English Douglases. The 3rd Earl of Lennox was taken captive and murdered. He was succeeded by his eldest son Matthew Stewart, 4th Earl of Lennox who married Lady Margaret Douglas, the daughter of Margaret Tudor, eldest daughter of King Henry VII of England. Their son was Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, second husband and first cousin of Mary, Queen of Scots and the father of her only child James VI, King of Scots, later also King James I of England. Esmé and Lord Darnley were first cousins and so Esmé and James VI, King of Scots were first cousins once removed.

Château d’Aubigny; Credit- By Gerd Eichmann – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=79618765

In 1531, Esmé’s father John Stewart became an officer of the King of France’s Body Guard of Scots Archers and from 1536 – 1560, he served as the Captain of the Scots Archers. In 1544, John Stewart succeeded his great-uncle Sir Robert Stewart, 4th Lord of Aubigny, and inherited all his great-uncle’s estate including the Château d’Aubigny. Esmé spent part of his childhood at the French court. Upon his father’s death on May 31, 1567, Esmé succeeded him as 6th Lord of Aubigny. In 1572, Esmé married, Catherine de Balsac (died circa 1631), a distant cousin of his mother, and they had five children:

Lady Gabrielle Stewart, a nun in Glatigny, France
Lady Henrietta Stewart (1573 – 1642), who George Gordon, 1st Marquess of Huntly, had six children
Ludovic Stewart, 2nd Duke of Lennox (1574 – 1624), married (1) Sophia Ruthven, no children (2) Jean Campbell, no children (3) Frances Howard, no children
Esmé Stewart, 3rd Duke of Lennox (1579 – 1624), married Katherine Clifton, 2nd Baroness Clifton, had eleven children
Lady Marie Stewart (circa 1582 – 1644), married John Erskine, 2nd Earl of Mar, 7th Lord Erskine, had ten children

The death in 1576 of his first cousin Charles Stewart, 5th Earl of Lennox (brother of Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley who was the father of King James VI) without male heirs, opened up the possibility for Esmé to acquire the Earldom of Lennox since the new Earl, Robert Stewart, Esmé’s uncle, was in his 50s and childless. In September 1579, Esmé first came to Scotland, the homeland of his family, and was introduced to his first cousin once removed, thirteen-year-old James VI, King of Scots. Twenty-four years later, upon the death of Queen Elizabeth I of England, James succeeded her as King James I of England because of his descent from King Henry VII of England through his eldest daughter Margaret Tudor. Both his parents were grandchildren of Margaret Tudor. Esmé, having been raised in France and being a member of the Stewart family, fascinated James, and Esmé quickly became a favorite.

James VI, King of Scots, circa 1574; Credit – Wikipedia

Whether the personal relationship between James VI and his male favorites was a sexual one is still debated by historians. Some historians think that James’ need for a close male favorite came from a lack of family while growing up in Scotland where he became King of Scots when he was only one year old. James did not know his parents Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley and Mary, Queen of Scots and he had no siblings. His maternal grandparents James V, King of Scots and Marie of Guise died before he was born. His paternal grandfather Matthew Lennox, 4th Earl of Lennox died while James was still a young boy and his paternal grandmother Lady Margaret Douglas lived in England until she died in 1578.

Favors soon came Esmé’s way. In 1580, James VI forced Esmé’s uncle Robert Stewart to resign his Earldom of Lennox and Lordship of Darnley. Instead, Robert Stewart was given the titles Earl of March and Lord of Dunbar, and Esmé was created Earl of Lennox and Lord of Dunbar. In 1581, Esmé was appointed to the Privy Council of Scotland and created Duke of Lennox, Earl of Darnley, and Lord Aubigny, Dalkeith, Torboltoun, and Aberdour. James VI gave Esmé jewels that from the collection of his mother Mary, Queen of Scots.

Esmé was a Roman Catholic and while Scotland once was Roman Catholic, the Church of Scotland was Presbyterian, a form of Calvinistic Protestantism. The Church of Scotland did not trust the Catholic Esmé and he had to convert to the Presbyterian religion so that he would not lose his power. However, the Church of Scotland remained suspicious of Esmé’s conversion. There was further alarmed when James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton, the last of the four Regents of Scotland during the minority of King James VI, was arrested and beheaded on charges of treason.

Ruthven Castle now called Huntingtower Castle; Credit – By Astrid Horn, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=14282500

In response to the execution of the Earl of Morton, a group of Scottish nobles plotted to oust Esmé. In August 1582, in what became known as the Ruthven Raid, William Ruthven, 1st Earl of Gowrie and Archibald Douglas, 8th Earl of Angus lured James VI, King of Scots to Ruthven Castle and held him there. James VI was forced to banish Esmé and an official denunciation was issued in September 1582 citing Esmé’s religion, his control over the royal household and international intrigue, and his association with the murderers of Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley (James VI’s father), James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray (illegitimate son of James V, King of Scots, Regent of Scotland for James VI, from 1567 until his assassination in 1570) and Matthew Stewart, 4th Earl of Lennox (James VI’ paternal grandfather, Regent of Scotland for James VI, from 1570 until his murder in 1571).

Esmé returned to France and corresponded secretly with James VI. The Scottish nobles were convinced that once in France Esmé would return to Catholicism but Esmé remained a Presbyterian, although he is buried in a Catholic church. Shortly before his death, Esmé wrote to James Stewart, 1st Lord Doune, asking him to take care of his son and heir Ludovic and help him recover his former possessions in Scotland. Esmé Stewart, 1st Duke of Lennox died in Paris, France on May 26, 1583, aged 40 – 41. He was buried at the Church of Saint-Martin in Aubigny-sur-Nere, France. William Schaw, Master of Works to James VI, King of Scots was in Paris at the time of Esmé’s death and he took Esmé’s heart back to Scotland.

Church of Saint-Martin in Aubigny-sur-Nere, France; Credit – By Ji-Elle – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=27055521

King James VI memorialized Esmé in a poem called Ane Tragedie of the Phoenix that compares Esmé to an exotic bird of unique beauty killed by envy. For the rest of his life, James kept Esmé’s family in high regard and told his son and heir King Charles I of England to do the same. King Charles I faithfully fulfilled this obligation and the Lennox family had considerable influence at the Scottish and English courts for three generations. All Esmé’s surviving children except Gabrielle who was a nun, came to Scotland and/or England, married there, and lived out their lives there. Esmé’s elder son Ludovic Stewart succeeded him as 2nd Duke of Lennox. Esmé’s great-grandson Charles Stewart, 3rd Duke of Richmond, 6th Duke of Lennox died without male heirs in 1672, and the Duke of Lennox title became extinct. In 1675, the titles Duke of Richmond, Duke of Lennox and Earl of March, were revived for Charles Lennox, 1st Duke of Richmond and Lennox, the illegitimate son of King Charles II of England by his mistress Louise de Kérouaille, and his descendants still hold the titles.

Works Cited

En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Esmé Stewart, 1St Duke Of Lennox. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esm%C3%A9_Stewart,_1st_Duke_of_Lennox> [Accessed 15 December 2020].
En.wikipedia.org. 2020. John Stewart, 3Rd Earl Of Lennox. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Stewart,_3rd_Earl_of_Lennox> [Accessed 15 December 2020].
En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Personal Relationships Of James VI And I. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_relationships_of_James_VI_and_I#George_Villiers.2C_1st_Duke_of_Buckingham> [Accessed 10 December 2020].
Ru.wikipedia.org. 2020. Стюарт, Эсме, 1-Й Герцог Леннокс. [online] Available at: <https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A1%D1%82%D1%8E%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%82,_%D0%AD%D1%81%D0%BC%D0%B5,_1-%D0%B9_%D0%B3%D0%B5%D1%80%D1%86%D0%BE%D0%B3_%D0%9B%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%BA%D1%81> [Accessed 15 December 2020].

Ancestors of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

compiled by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Credit – Wikipedia

Although the initial articles in the ancestors series dealt with current European monarchs (ancestor articles for European heirs have since been added, all the articles can be seen at Unofficial Royalty: Royal Relationships), Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, was included. The initial articles were published in 2021, the year of Prince Philip’s 100th birthday. Sady, Prince Philip died on April 9, 2021, just two months short of his 100th birthday. At that time, he was the only consort of a currently reigning European monarch to have been born royal – and it is quite likely that he may be the last.

Born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark via his patrilineal descent from his grandfather King George I of Greece (formerly Prince Vilhelm of Denmark) and his great-grandfather King Christian IX of Denmark, Philip has an impressive royal pedigree that includes British, Danish, Greek, Prussian, and Russian monarchs, in addition to rulers from German principalities, duchies, and grand duchies. Through his mother Princess Alice of Battenberg, Philip is a descendant of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. Indeed, his royal pedigree is more royal than the royal pedigree of his wife Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom. (See Unofficial Royalty: Ancestors of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom.) The only major blip in his pedigree is the morganatic or unequal marriage of his great-grandfather Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine to Countess Julia von Hauke.

The marriage of Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine to Countess Julia von Hauke deprived their children of their paternal royal titles, status, and inheritance. Julia was created Countess of Battenberg, with the style Illustrious Highness by her brother-in-law Grand Duke Ludwig III of Hesse and by Rhine. Her children took their titles from her, becoming Count/Countess of Battenberg. In 1858, the Grand Duke elevated Julia and her children to the rank of Prince/Princess, with the style Serene Highness. However, they remained ineligible for the Grand Ducal throne of Hesse and by Rhine.

The status of the Battenberg family was raised considerably by two marriages. In 1884, Alexander and Julia’s son Prince Louis of Battenberg married Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine, the daughter of Ludwig IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine and Princess Alice of the United Kingdom and therefore, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. Louis of Battenberg and Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine are Prince Philip’s maternal grandparents. The following year Queen Victoria’s youngest child Princess Beatrice married Prince Louis of Battenberg’s brother Prince Henry of Battenberg, and they are the ancestors of the Spanish royal family.

In 1917, due to anti-German sentiments during World War I, King George V of the United Kingdom decreed that all his relatives who had Germanic names and titles and were British subjects should exchange their old names and titles for new English-sounding ones. The Battenberg surname was anglicized to Mountbatten – berg being the German word for mountain – and Philip’s grandfather Prince Louis of Battenberg, who had become a British subject, became the Marquess of Milford Haven in the Peerage of the United Kingdom.

Prince Philip is:

A descendant of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom through his mother
Queen Victoria → Princess Alice of the United Kingdom → Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine → Princess Alice of Battenberg → Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark

A descendant of King Christian IX of Denmark through his father
King Christian IX of Denmark → King George I of Greece (born Prince Vilhelm of Denmark) → Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark → Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark

A descendant of Peter the Great of Russia and Catherine the Great of Russia through his father
Emperor Peter I (the Great) → Grand Duchess Anna Petrovna → Emperor Peter III of Russia married Empress Catherine II (the Great) (born Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst) → Emperor Paul → Emperor Nicholas I → Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich of Russia → Grand Duchess Olga Konstantinovna of Russia → Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark → Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark

Parents, Grandparents, Great-Grandparents, Great-Great-Grandparents, and Great-Great-Great-Grandparents of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (1921 – 2021)

The links below are from Unofficial Royalty, Wikipedia, Leo’s Genealogics Website, or The Peerage.

Parents

Prince Philip’s parents; Credit – Wikipedia

Prince Andrew of Greece (1882-1944)
Princess Alice of Battenberg (1885-1969)

Grandparents

Prince Louis of Battenberg and Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine, maternal grandparents Credit – Wikipedia

King George I of Greece (1845-1913) (formerly Prince Vilhelm of Denmark)
Grand Duchess Olga Konstantinovna of Russia (1851-1926)
Prince Louis of Battenberg (1854-1921)
Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine (1863-1950)

Great-Grandparents

Ludwig IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine and Princess Alice of the United Kingdom, great-grandparents; Credit – Wikipedia

King Christian IX of Denmark (1818-1906) (born Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg)
Princess Louise of Hesse-Kassel (1817-1898)
Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich of Russia (1827-1892)
Princess Alexandra of Saxe-Altenburg (1830-1911)
Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine (1823-1888)
Countess Julia von Hauke (1825-1895)
Ludwig IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine (1837-1892)
Princess Alice of the United Kingdom (1843-1878)

Great-Great-Grandparents

Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia and Charlotte of Prussia, great-great-grandparents; Credit – Wikipedia

Friedrich Wilhelm, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg (1785 -1831)
Princess Louise Caroline of Hesse-Kassel (1789-1867)
Prince Wilhelm of Hesse-Kassel (1787-1867)
Princess Louise Charlotte of Denmark (1789–1864)
Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia (1796-1855)
Princess Charlotte of Prussia (1798-1860)
Joseph, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg (1789-1868)
Duchess Amelia of Württemberg (1799-1848)
Ludwig II, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine (1777-1848)
Princess Wilhelmine of Baden (1788-1836)
Count Johann Moritz Hauke (1775-1830)
Sophie Lafontaine (circa 1790-1831)
Prince Karl of Hesse and by Rhine (1809-1877)
Princess Elisabeth of Prussia (1815-1885)
Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom (1819-1901)
Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1819-1861)

Great-Great-Great-Grandparents

Friedrich Wilhelm III, King of Prussia and Duchess Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, great-great-great-grandparents; Credit – Wikipedia

Friedrich Karl Ludwig, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Beck (1757-1816)
Countess Friederike of Schlieben (1757-1827)
Prince Karl of Hesse-Kassel (1744-1836)
Princess Louise of Denmark (1750-1831)
Prince Friedrich of Hesse-Kassel (1747-1837)
Princess Caroline of Nassau-Usingen (1762-1823)
Frederik, Hereditary Prince of Denmark and Norway (1753-1805)
Princess Sophia Friederike of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1758–1794)
Paul I, Emperor of All Russia (1754-1801)
Princess Sophie Dorothea of Württemberg (1759-1828)
Friedrich Wilhelm III, King of Prussia (1770-1840)
Duchess Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1776-1810)
Friedrich, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg (1763-1834)
Duchess Charlotte Georgine of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1769-1818)
Duke Ludwig of Württemberg (1756-1817)
Princess Henrietta of Nassau-Weilburg (1780-1857)
Ludwig I, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine (1753-1830) x
Princess Louise of Hesse-Darmstadt (1761-1829)
Karl Ludwig, Hereditary Prince of Baden (1755-1801)
Princess Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt (1754-1832)
Friedrich Karl Emanuel Hauke (1737-1810)
Maria Salomé Schweppenhäuser (1751–1833)
Franz Anton Leopold Lafontaine (1756-1812)
Maria Theresia Kornély (1765-1827)
Ludwig II, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine (1777-1848)
Princess Wilhelmine of Baden (1788-1836)
Prince Wilhelm of Prussia (1783-1851)
Princess Maria Anna of Hesse-Homburg (1785-1846)
Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn (1767-1820)
Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (1786-1861)
Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1784-1844)
Princess Louise of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg (1800-1831)

Sources:

Dorothea of Brandenburg, Queen of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Dorothea of Brandenburg, Queen of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden; Credit – Wikipedia

Dorothea of Brandenburg has the distinction of being married to two kings: Christopher III, King of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden and his successor Christian I, King of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, the first monarch of the House of Oldenburg that reigned in Denmark until 1863. Dorothea was born in 1430 or 1431 in the Margraviate of Brandenburg-Kulmbach, now in the German state of Bavaria. She was the youngest of the three daughters and the youngest of the four children of Johann IV, Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmburg (1406 – 1464) and Barbara of Saxe-Wittenberg (1405–1465).

Dorothea had three elder siblings:

Barbara of Brandenburg (1423 – 1481), married Ludovico III Gonzaga, Marquis of Mantua, had fourteen children
Rudolf of Brandenburg (born and died in 1424), died in infancy
Elisabeth of Brandenburg (1425 – 1465), married (1) Joachim, Duke of Pomerania-Stettin, had one son (2) Wartislaw X, Duke of Pomerania-Rügen, had two sons

Dorothea’s first husband Christopher III, King of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden; Credit – Wikipedia

On September 12, 1445, 15-year-old Dorothea married 29-year-old Christopher III, King of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Two days later, Dorothea was crowned Queen of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. The marriage lasted less than three years. In January 1448, 31-year-old King Christopher suddenly died without an heir. Dorothea was proclaimed the regent of Denmark until a new monarch could be elected.

Dorothea’s second husband Christian I, King of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden; Credit – Wikipedia

In June 1448, Karl Knutsson, Lord High Constable of Sweden, was elected King of Sweden and reigned as Karl VIII. He was elected King of Norway the following year. In September 1448, Christian of Oldenburg was elected King of Denmark and reigned as King Christian I. The Danish Council of State made it a condition that Christian should marry Dorothea of Brandenburg, his predecessor’s widow. Christian and Dorothea were married on October 26, 1449, and two days later, their coronation was held. Eventually, Christian I also became King of Norway and King of Sweden. In 1460, upon the death of his maternal uncle, Christian I inherited the Duchy of Holstein and Duchy of Schleswig.

Christian I and Dorothea had five children. Their two surviving sons and both became kings and their only daughter became a queen consort.

Oluf of Denmark (1450 – 1451), died in infancy
Knud of Denmark (1451 – 1455), died in childhood
Hans, King of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden (1455 – 1513), married Christina of Saxony, had six children, including King Christian II
Margaret of Denmark, Queen of Scots (1456 – 1486), married James III, King of Scots, had three children including James IV, King of Scots
Frederik I, King of Denmark and Norway (1471 – 1533), married (1) Anna of Brandenburg, had two children including King Christian III (2) Sophie of Pomerania, had six children

Dorothea had a great influence on her husband and was the regent of his kingdoms when he was away. Her careful frugality helped to pay the debts that Christian had accrued. In gratitude, Christian handed over the Duchy of Holstein and Duchy of Schleswig to her fiefdom.

At this time, before the Reformation, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden were still Roman Catholic and Dorothea was a great patron of the church. She supported the Franciscan Observants and built a monastery for them in Køge, Denmark. Dorothea oversaw the construction of the Chapel of the Magi, also known as Christian I’s Chapel, at Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde, Denmark where Christian I and Dorothea were interred. In 1474 – 1475, Christian I and Dorothea made a pilgrimage to Rome where they were received by Pope Sixtus IV. As a widow, Dorothea made another pilgrimage to Rome in 1488.

King Christian I of Denmark died, aged 55, at Copenhagen Castle in Copenhagen, Denmark on May 21, 1481. He was buried in the Chapel of the Magi at Roskilde Cathedral. After Christian’s death, Dorothea preferred to live at Kalundborg Castle (link in Danish) which is now in ruins.

Christian I was succeeded by his elder son Hans. Until her death, Dorothea remained politically active during Hans’ reign. She granted the Duchies of Schleswig and Holstein to her younger son Frederik but it caused a conflict with her elder son, culminating in the two sons jointly reigning the duchies.

Roskilde Cathedral; Photo Credit – Susan Flantzer

On November 10, 1495, Queen Dorothea died at Kalundborg Castle in Kalundborg, Denmark, aged 65. She was buried with her husband King Christian I in the Chapel of the Magi at Roskilde Cathedral, the traditional burial site of the Danish royal family, in Roskilde, Denmark. While the tombs of King Christian III, King Frederik II, and their queen consorts are in the Chapel of the Magi, the graves of King Christian I and Queen Dorothea are marked with simple stones because the chapel itself was to be considered their memorial monument.

Grave of King Christian I and Queen Dorothea – Photo Credit – Susan Flantzer

Kingdom of Denmark Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

Da.wikipedia.org. 2020. Dorothea Af Brandenburg. [online] Available at: <https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothea_af_Brandenburg> [Accessed 20 December 2020].
En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Dorothea Of Brandenburg. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothea_of_Brandenburg> [Accessed 20 December 2020].
Flantzer, Susan. 2020. Christian I, King of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. [online] Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/christian-i-king-of-denmark-norway-and-sweden/> [Accessed 20 December 2020]
Ru.wikipedia.org. 2020. Доротея Бранденбургская. [online] Available at: <https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%94%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%B5%D1%8F_%D0%91%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B1%D1%83%D1%80%D0%B3%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B0%D1%8F> [Accessed 20 December 2020].

Prince Wolrad of Waldeck-Pyrmont

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Credit- Wikipedia

Prince Wolrad of Waldeck and Pyrmont, who was killed in action two months after the start of World War I, was the only child of Georg Viktor, Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont and his second wife Princess Louise of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, daughter of Friedrich, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg and Adelheid of Schaumburg-Lippe. He was born on June 26, 1892, in Arolsen, Principality of Waldeck-Pyrmont, now in the German state of Hesse.

Wolrad had seven half-siblings from his father’s first marriage to Helena of Nassau. Through his half-sister Emma, he was the uncle of Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, the reigning monarch during World War I. He was also the uncle of Charles Edward, the reigning Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha during World War I, and Princess Alice of Albany through his half-sister Helena who had married Prince, Leopold, Duke of Albany, the youngest son of Queen Victoria.

Sophie of Waldeck-Pyrmont (1854 – 1869), died of tuberculosis at age fifteen
Pauline of Waldeck-Pyrmont (1855 – 1925), married Alexis, Prince of Bentheim and Steinfurt, had eight children
Marie of Waldeck-Pyrmont (1857 – 1882), married the future King Wilhelm II of Württemberg, had two children, died in childbirth as did her third child
Emma of Waldeck-Pyrmont (1858 – 1934), married King Willem III of the Netherlands, had one child Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands
Helena of Waldeck-Pyrmont (1861 – 1922), married the youngest son of Queen Victoria, Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany, had two children including Charles Edward, last reigning Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha whose daughter Sibylla married Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden, Duke of Västerbotten, their son is King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden
Friedrich, Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont (1865 – 1946), married Princess Bathildis of Schaumburg-Lippe, had four children
Elisabeth of Waldeck-Pyrmont (1873 – 1961) married Alexander, Prince of Erbach-Schönberg, had four children

Wolrad grew up without his father, who died one year after his birth. He was raised by his mother and his half-brother Friedrich, the last reigning Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont. In 1910, Wolrad accompanied his half-brother Friedrich to the funeral of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom. Wolrad studied at New College, Oxford, University of Grenoble, and Heidelberg University. Because he showed little interest in his studies, Wolrad was directed toward a military career. He became a Lieutenant in the Dragoon Regiment of the Grand Ducal Hessian Division of the Imperial German Army. During World War I, he fought during the early battles, the Battle of the Frontiers (August 7 – September 6, 1914) and the First Battle of the Marne (September 6 – September 12, 1914).

On the evening of October 17, 1914, Prince Wolrad led a cavalry patrol near Moorslede, Belgium. The patrol came under fire from the advancing British troops. Several of the dragoons were hit and fell off their horses and Prince Wolrad’s horse was also hit. The prince and his aide reached a nearby trench, but then Prince Wolrad saw one of his men lying injured a short distance from the trench. The prince crawled to the wounded man and tried to pull him to safety, but was fatally hit by gunfire and died from his wounds at the age of 22.

Prince Wolrad’s orderly wrote of him: “He took care of his people as if they were his own. He was very popular among us. You cannot imagine how sad the Dragoons were when His Highness fell. He was the best officer in the Regiment. He carried out more patrols than anyone else because he could orient himself so well. Everyone wanted to go on patrol with him.”

Princely Mausoleum and Cemetery; Credit – www.findagrave.com

Prince Wolrad was buried in the Princely Cemetery at Schloss Rhoden (link in German) in Rhoden, Principality of Waldeck-Pyrmont, now in the German state of Hesse, where his father had been buried in 1893 and where his mother would be buried in 1936.

Works Cited

En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Prince Wolrad of Waldeck And Pyrmont. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Wolrad_of_Waldeck_and_Pyrmont> [Accessed 5 December 2020].
Flantzer, Susan, 2020. Georg Viktor, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/georg-viktor-prince-of-waldeck-and-pyrmont/> [Accessed 5 December 2020].
Flantzer, Susan, 2014. October 1914: Royalty And World War I. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/october-1914-royalty-and-world-war-i/> [Accessed 5 December 2020].
New York Times, 1915. German Princes Who Have Fallen In The War. [online] Available at: <https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1915/10/31/101570495.pdf?pdf_redirect=true&ip=0> [Accessed 5 December 2020].

Friedrich, Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

The County of Waldeck was a county within the Holy Roman Empire since 1180. In 1625, the much smaller County of Pyrmont became part of the much larger County of Waldeck through inheritance and the combined territory was known as the County of Waldeck-Pyrmont. In 1712, Friedrich Anton Ulrich, Count of Waldeck-Pyrmont was elevated to Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont by Holy Emperor Karl VI.

Friedrich, the last Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont, abdicated on November 13, 1918, and negotiated an agreement with the government that gave him and his descendants the ownership of the family home Arolsen Castle and Arolsen Forest. Today the territory that encompassed the Principality of Waldeck-Pyrmont is located in the German states of Hesse and Lower Saxony

Friedrich, Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont; Credit – Wikipedia

Friedrich, the last reigning Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont, was born on January 20, 1865, in Arolsen, Principality of Waldeck and Pyrmont, now in the German state of Hesse. He was the only son and the sixth of the seven children of Georg Viktor, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont and Helena of Nassau, daughter of Wilhelm, Duke of Nassau and his second wife Pauline of Württemberg. Friedrich studied law at the University of Göttingen and the University of Leipzig. After his time at university, he served in the Prussian Army in Guards Uhlan Regiment.

Friedrich’s parents with his five elder sisters, circa 1864; Credit – Wikipedia

Friedrich had six sisters. Through his sister Emma, he was the uncle of Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, and through his sister Helena, he was the uncle of Charles Edward, the last reigning Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

Sophie of Waldeck-Pyrmont (1854 – 1869), died of tuberculosis at age fifteen
Pauline of Waldeck-Pyrmont (1855 – 1925), married Alexis, Prince of Bentheim and Steinfurt, had eight children
Marie of Waldeck-Pyrmont (1857 – 1882), married the future King Wilhelm II of Württemberg, had two children, died in childbirth as did her third child
Emma of Waldeck-Pyrmont (1858 – 1934), married King Willem III of the Netherlands, had one child Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands
Helena of Waldeck-Pyrmont (1861 – 1922), married the youngest son of Queen Victoria, Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany, had two children including Charles Edward, last reigning Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha whose daughter Sibylla married Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden, Duke of Västerbotten, their son is King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden
Elisabeth of Waldeck-Pyrmont (1873 – 1961) married Alexander, Prince of Erbach-Schönberg, had four children

Friedrich’s mother Helena had been in ill health for the last decade of her life and she died on October 28, 1888, aged 57. In 1891, Friedrich’s father Georg Viktor married again to Princess Louise of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, who was twenty-seven years younger.

Friedrich had one, much younger half-brother from his father’s second marriage:

Prince Wolrad of Waldeck and Pyrmont (1892–1914), killed in action in World War I

Upon the death of his father on May 12, 1893, Friedrich became the reigning Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont. Friedrich’s half-brother Wolrad grew up without his father, who died one year after his birth. Friedrich took on much responsibility for his half-brother’s upbringing.

Bathildis of Schaumburg-Lippe; Credit – Wikipedia

On August 9, 1895, in Náchod, Kingdom of Bohemia, now in the Czech Republic, Friedrich married Bathildis of Schaumburg-Lippe, daughter of Prince Wilhelm of Schaumburg-Lippe and Bathildis of Anhalt-Dessau.

Friedrich and Bathildis had four children:

Josias, Hereditary Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont (1896 – 1967), married Altburg of Oldenburg, had five children; Josias was a convicted Nazi war criminal
Maximilian of Waldeck-Pyrmont (1898 – 1981), married Countess Gustava von Platen Hallermund, had three children
Helena of Waldeck-Pyrmont (1899 – 1948), married Nikolaus, Hereditary Grand Duke of Oldenburg, had nine children
Georg Wilhelm of Waldeck-Pyrmont (1902 – 1971), married Countess Ingeborg von Platen Hallermund, had five children.

During World War I, Friedrich served as a Cavalry General in the Imperial German Army. After the defeat of the German Empire in World War I and the end of all the German monarchies, Friedrich abdicated on November 13, 1918. However, he was the only German prince who refused to sign an abdication agreement. Philipp Scheidemann, the Social Democratic Mayor of Kassel, jokingly called him “Friedrich the Defiant” because of his resistance. Friedrich negotiated an agreement with the government that gave him and his descendants the ownership of the family home Arolsen Castle and the Arolsen Forest.

Friedrich’s eldest son Josias; Credit – Wikipedia

Both Friedrich and his wife Bathildis lived through World War II. While neither Friedrich nor Bathildis joined the Nazi Party, their eldest son Josias, his wife Altburg, and their eldest child Margarethe were members of the Nazi Party. Josias joined the Nazi Party in 1929 and by 1930, he was a member of the Schutzstaffel, better known as the SS. The SS was the primary agency of security, surveillance, and terror in Nazi Germany and German-occupied Europe. In September 1930, Josias became the Adjutant and Staff Chief of Heinrich Himmler, the head of the SS, one of the most powerful men in Nazi Germany, and the main architect of the Holocaust. Josias rose through the ranks of the SS, eventually attaining the rank of General of the Waffen-SS, the military branch of the SS. Members of the Waffen-SS were involved in numerous atrocities. At the Nuremberg Trials (1945 – 1946), the Waffen-SS was judged to be a criminal organization because of its direct involvement in numerous war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Josias (in black) as a defendant at the Buchenwald Trial in 1947; Credit – Wikipedia

On April 13, 1945, Josias was taken prisoner by American forces. For a period of time, Josias had supervisory authority over the Buchenwald concentration camp. He was sentenced to life imprisonment for crimes in connection to the Buchenwald concentration camp by an American court in Dachau, Germany during the Buchenwald Trial on August 14, 1947. In 1948, Josias’ sentence was reduced to twenty years. He was released early from the Landsberg War Crimes Prison for health reasons in 1950.

Princely Mausoleum and Cemetery; Credit – www.findagrave.com

Friedrich, the last Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont, died on May 26, 1946, at the age of 81 in Arolsen, Germany. His son Josias became Head of the House of Waldeck-Pyrmont while in custody. Bathildis of Schaumburg-Lippe, the last Princess of Waldeck-Pyrmont, survived her husband by sixteen years, dying on April 6, 1962, aged 88, in Arolsen, West Germany, now in Germany. She was buried with her husband in the Princely Cemetery at Schloss Rhoden (link in German) in Rhoden, now in the German state of Hesse.

Waldeck-Pyrmont Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

De.wikipedia.org. 2020. Bathildis Zu Schaumburg-Lippe. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bathildis_zu_Schaumburg-Lippe> [Accessed 5 December 2020].
De.wikipedia.org. 2020. Friedrich (Waldeck-Pyrmont). [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedrich_(Waldeck-Pyrmont)> [Accessed 5 December 2020].
En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Friedrich, Prince Of Waldeck And Pyrmont. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedrich,_Prince_of_Waldeck_and_Pyrmont> [Accessed 5 December 2020].
En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Josias, Hereditary Prince Of Waldeck And Pyrmont. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josias,_Hereditary_Prince_of_Waldeck_and_Pyrmont> [Accessed 5 December 2020].
En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Princess Bathildis Of Schaumburg-Lippe. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Bathildis_of_Schaumburg-Lippe> [Accessed 5 December 2020].
Flantzer, Susan, 2020. Georg Viktor, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/georg-viktor-prince-of-waldeck-and-pyrmont/> [Accessed 4 December 2020].
Flantzer, Susan, 2020. Royal Burial Sites Of The Principality Of Waldeck-Pyrmont. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/former-monarchies/german-royals/principality-of-waldeck-and-pyrmont/royal-burial-sites-of-the-principality-of-waldeck-pyrmont/> [Accessed 4 December 2020].
Petropoulos, Jonathan, 2009. Royals And The Reich. Oxford: Oxford University Press

Georg Viktor, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont

Georg Viktor, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont; Credit – Wikipedia

Georg Viktor, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont was born in Arolsen, Principality of Waldeck-Pyrmont, now in the German state of Hesse, on January 14, 1831. He was the fourth of the five children and the second but the eldest surviving of the three sons of Georg II, Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont and Emma of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym, daughter of Viktor II, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym and Amelia of Nassau-Weilburg.

Georg Viktor had four siblings:

Augusta of Waldeck-Pyrmont (1824 – 1893), married Alfred, Prince of Stolberg-Stolberg, had seven children
Josef of Waldeck-Pyrmont (1825 – 1829), died in childhood
Hermine of Waldeck-Pyrmont (1827 – 1910), married Adolf I, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe, had eight children
Wolrad of Waldeck-Pyrmont (1833 – 1867)

On May 15, 1845, Georg Viktor’s father died and his mother Emma served as Regent of the Principality of Waldeck-Pyrmont until he reached his majority in 1852. One of Emma’s first acts was to reform the Waldeck-Pyrmont forces of the German Federal Army, which collectively defended the German Confederation, of which Waldeck-Pyrmont was a member, from external enemies. This was implemented in 1845 by Prussian army officers. The Revolutions of 1848 took place during Emma’s regency leading to a new constitution and a new parliament being convened. When Georg Viktor was to assume his powers as reigning Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont on his 21st birthday, he refused to recognize the constitution that had been instituted as a result of the Revolutions of 1848. Georg Viktor took over the reigning only after a constitutional amendment that was acceptable to him passed on August 17, 1852.

Georg Viktor and Helena of Nassau; Credit – https://www.pinterest.com/pin/430445676888607858/

On September 26, 1853, in Wiesbaden, Duchy of Nassau, now in the German state of Hesse, Georg Victor married Helena of Nassau, daughter of Wilhelm, Duke of Nassau and his second wife Pauline of Württemberg. Helena proved to be very successful in finding suitable marriages for their children by making contacts with various European royal houses. Because of her efforts, the relatively poor House of Waldeck-Pyrmont was linked to the richer ruling dynasties of Würtemberg, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. Georg Viktor and Helena are the ancestors of the Dutch royal family through their daughter Emma and the Swedish royal family through their daughter Helena.

Georg Viktor and Helena with their five elder daughters circa 1864; Credit – Wikipedia

Georg Viktor and Helena had six daughters and one son:

Sophie of Waldeck-Pyrmont (1854 – 1869), died of tuberculosis at age fifteen
Pauline of Waldeck-Pyrmont (1855 – 1925), married Alexis, Prince of Bentheim and Steinfurt, had eight children
Marie of Waldeck-Pyrmont (1857 – 1882), married the future King Wilhelm II of Württemberg, had two children, died in childbirth as did her third child
Emma of Waldeck-Pyrmont (1858 – 1934), married King Willem III of the Netherlands, had one child Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands
Helena of Waldeck-Pyrmont (1861 – 1922), married the youngest son of Queen Victoria, Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany, had two children including Charles Edward, last reigning Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha whose daughter Sibylla married Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden, Duke of Västerbotten, their son is King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden
Friedrich, Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont (1865 – 1946), married Princess Bathildis of Schaumburg-Lippe, had four children
Elisabeth of Waldeck-Pyrmont (1873 – 1961) married Alexander, Prince of Erbach-Schönberg, had four children

In the Prussian-Austrian War (1866) Georg Viktor sided with the Kingdom of Prussia and then joined the North German Confederation, a group of German monarchies controlled and led by the largest and most powerful member, the Kingdom of Prussia. Due to a treaty, from 1868 onward, the Principality of Waldeck-Pyrmont was administered by Prussia but retained its legislative sovereignty. This reduced administrative costs for the small principality and was based on a ten-year contract that was repeatedly renewed for the duration of the principality’s existence. In 1871, the Principality of Waldeck-Pyrmont became a constituent state of the new German Empire.

Louise of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg; Credit – Wikipedia

Georg Viktor’s wife Helena had been in ill health during the last decade of her life. She died on October 28, 1888, aged 57, in Pyrmont, Principality of Waldeck and Pyrmont, now in the German state of Lower Saxony. On April 29, 1891, at Schloss Luisenlund in Güby, Duchy of Schleswig, now in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein, Georg Viktor married Louise of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, who was twenty-seven years younger. Louise was the daughter of Friedrich, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg and Adelheid of Schaumburg-Lippe.

Georg Viktor and Louise had one son:

Wolrad of Waldeck-Pyrmont (1892 – 1914), unmarried, killed in action two months after the start of World War I

Princely Mausoleum and Cemetery; Credit – www.findagrave.com

A year after the birth of his son Wolrad, Georg Viktor, aged 62, died from pneumonia on May 12, 1893, in the spa town Marienbad, Kingdom of Bohemia, now in the Czech Republic. He was buried with his first wife Helena in the Princely Cemetery at Schloss Rhoden (link in German) in Rhoden, Principality of Waldeck-Pyrmont, now in the German state of Hesse. Georg Viktor’s second wife Louise survived him by 43 years, dying on July 2, 1936, aged 78, in Marburg an der Lahn, Germany, and was buried in the Princely Cemetery at Schloss Rhoden with her husband and his first wife.

Waldeck-Pyrmont Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

De.wikipedia.org. 2020. Georg Viktor (Waldeck-Pyrmont). [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georg_Viktor_(Waldeck-Pyrmont)> [Accessed 5 December 2020].
De.wikipedia.org. 2020. Helene Von Nassau. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helene_von_Nassau> [Accessed 5 December 2020].
En.wikipedia.org. 2020. George Victor, Prince Of Waldeck And Pyrmont. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Victor,_Prince_of_Waldeck_and_Pyrmont> [Accessed 5 December 2020].
En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Princess Helena Of Nassau. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Helena_of_Nassau> [Accessed 5 December 2020].
Flantzer, Susan, 2020. Georg II, Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/georg-ii-prince-of-waldeck-and-pyrmont/> [Accessed 3 December 2020].
Flantzer, Susan, 2020. Royal Burial Sites Of The Principality Of Waldeck-Pyrmont. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/former-monarchies/german-royals/principality-of-waldeck-and-pyrmont/royal-burial-sites-of-the-principality-of-waldeck-pyrmont/> [Accessed 30 November 2020].

Emma of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym, Princess of Waldeck-Pyrmont, Regent of Waldeck-Pyrmont

Emma of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym; Credit – Wikipedia

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Princess Emma of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym was the wife of Georg II, Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont. She was born at Schaumberg Castle in Schaumburg, Principality of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym, now in the German state of Lower Saxony, on May 20, 1802. Emma was the third of the four children, all daughters, of Viktor II, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym (1767 – 1812) and Amelia of Nassau-Weilburg (1776 – 1841).

Through their mother, Emma and her sisters were descendants of King George II of Great Britain and Willem IV, Prince of Orange. Emma had two older sisters and one younger sister. All three of her sisters died in their early twenties.

Hermine (1797 – 1817), married Archduke Joseph of Austria, Palatine of Hungary, had fraternal twins, died giving birth to them
Adelheid (1800 – 1820), married the future August I, Grand Duke of Oldenburg, had two daughters including Amalia who married Otto of Bavaria, the elected King of Greece
Ida (1804 – 1828), married the future August I, Grand Duke of Oldenburg, widower of her sister, had one son Peter II, Grand Duke of Oldenburg

Hoym Castle where Emma grew up; Credit – Von F.baumgarten – Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19217416

Emma’s father Viktor II, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym died in 1812, after a reign of six years, while his daughters were still children. As he had no sons, Viktor was succeeded by his half-uncle Friedrich, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym. Throughout Viktor’s reign, his half-uncle claimed he had a right to co-reign because the laws of primogeniture were never formally installed in Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym. Emma and her sisters grew up at Hoym Castle (link in German), in Hoym, now in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. After her father’s death, Emma’s mother Amelia of Nassau-Weilburg married Baron Friedrich von Stein-Liebenstein-Barchfeld in 1813.

Georg II, Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont; Credit – Wikipedia

On June 26, 1823, at Schaumburg Castle in Schaumburg, Principality of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym, now in the German state of Lower Saxony, Emma married Georg II, Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont. Emma and Georg had had five children. Through their son Georg Viktor, they are ancestors of the Dutch royal family.

Augusta of Waldeck-Pyrmont (1824 – 1893), married Alfred, Prince of Stolberg-Stolberg, had seven children
Josef of Waldeck-Pyrmont (1825 – 1829), died in childhood
Hermine of Waldeck-Pyrmont (1827 – 1910), married Adolf I, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe, had eight children
Georg Viktor, Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont (1831 – 1893), married (1) Helena of Nassau, had seven children including Emma who married King Willem III of the Netherlands and Helena who married Prince Leopold, Queen Victoria’s hemophiliac, youngest son (2) Louise of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, had one son who was killed in World War I
Wolrad of Waldeck-Pyrmont (1833 – 1867)

On May 15, 1845, Georg II died at the age of 55 and Emma served as Regent of the Principality of Waldeck-Pyrmont until her son Georg Viktor, Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont reached his majority in 1852. One of Emma’s first acts was to reform the Waldeck-Pyrmont forces of the German Federal Army, which collectively defended the German Confederation from external enemies. This was implemented in 1845 by Prussian army officers. The Revolutions of 1848 took place during Emma’s regency and this led to a new parliament being convened. Emma’s regency was viewed as important because of the complete overhaul of the government’s organization.

From 1853 until her death, Emma lived at the Neues Schloss (New Castle – link in German), which was originally built for Christiane Henriette of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld, Princess of Waldeck-Pyrmont, her husband’s grandmother, as her widow’s seat, near the main Waldeck-Pyrmont main residence, the Residenzschloss Arolsen (link in German), in Arolsen, Principality of Waldeck-Pyrmont, now in the German state of Hesse. Emma had the Neues Schloss redesigned in the classic style.

Princely Mausoleum and Cemetery; Credit – www.findagrave.com

Emma survived her husband by thirteen years, dying on August 1, 1858, in Pyrmont, Principality of Waldeck-Pyrmont, now in the German state of Lower Saxony, aged 56. She was buried with her husband in the Princely Mausoleum at Schloss Rhoden (link in German) in Rhoden, Principality of Waldeck-Pyrmont, now in the German state of Hesse. Emma was the grandmother of Princess Emma of Waldeck-Pyrmont who became Queen of the Netherlands when she married King Willem III of the Netherlands. Emma of Waldeck-Pyrmont was born the day after her grandmother died and was named in her honor.

Waldeck-Pyrmont Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

De.wikipedia.org. 2020. Emma Von Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emma_von_Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym> [Accessed 4 December 2020].
De.wikipedia.org. 2020. Georg II. (Waldeck-Pyrmont). [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georg_II._(Waldeck-Pyrmont)> [Accessed 3 December 2020].
En.wikipedia.org. 2020. George II, Prince Of Waldeck And Pyrmont. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_II,_Prince_of_Waldeck_and_Pyrmont> [Accessed 3 December 2020].
En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Princess Emma Of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Emma_of_Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym> [Accessed 4 December 2020].
En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Victor II, Prince Of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_II,_Prince_of_Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym> [Accessed 5 December 2020].
Flantzer, Susan, 2020. Georg II, Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/georg-ii-prince-of-waldeck-and-pyrmont/> [Accessed 3 December 2020].
Flantzer, Susan, 2020. Royal Burial Sites Of The Principality Of Waldeck-Pyrmont. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/former-monarchies/german-royals/principality-of-waldeck-and-pyrmont/royal-burial-sites-of-the-principality-of-waldeck-pyrmont/> [Accessed 30 November 2020].

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