Category Archives: Former Monarchies

Heinrich XIX, 3rd Prince Reuss of Greiz

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Note about the Reuss numbering system: All males of the House of Reuss were named Heinrich plus a number. In the Reuss-Greiz, Elder Line, the numbering covered all male children and the numbers increased until 100 was reached and then started again at 1. In the Reuss-Gera, Younger Line, the system was similar but the numbers increased until the end of the century before starting again at 1. This tradition was seen as a way of honoring Holy Roman Emperor Heinrich VI (reigned 1191 – 1197) who had benefitted the family. Therefore, the Roman numerals seen after names are NOT regnal numbers.

Principality of Reuss-Greiz: The House of Reuss began their rule circa 1010. Heinrich XI, Count Reuss of Greiz, Lower-Greiz (Untergreiz) and Upper-Greiz (Obergreiz) was elevated to princely status in 1778 and then used the title of Prince Reuss, Older Line, or Prince Reuss of Greiz.

Heinrich XXIV, the last Prince Reuss of Greiz, succeeded his father in 1902 but was unable to rule because of his physical and mental disabilities as a result of an accident in his childhood. Instead, a Regent ruled the Principality of Reuss-Greiz: Heinrich XIV, 4th Prince Reuss of Gera from 1901 – 1913 and then his son Heinrich XXVII, 5th and last Prince Reuss of Gera from 1913 – 1918.

On November 11, 1918, the Regent, Heinrich XXVII, Prince Reuss of Gera (Younger Line) abdicated in the name of the disabled Heinrich XXIV, 6th Prince Reuss of Greiz. After the abdication, Heinrich XXIV retained the right of residence of the Lower Castle in Greiz and lived there until his death. The territory that encompassed the Principality of Reuss-Greiz is now in the German state of Thuringia.

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Heinrich XIX, 3rd Prince Reuss of Greiz; Credit – Wikipedia

Born on March 1, 1790 in Offenbach, Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt, now in Hesse, Germany, Heinrich XIX, 3rd Prince Reuss of Greiz was the second but the eldest surviving of the three sons of Heinrich XIII, 2nd Prince Reuss of Greiz and Princess Wilhelmine Louise of Nassau-Weilburg.

Heinrich XIX had two brothers:

Upon the death of his father on January 29, 1817, Heinrich XIX succeeded as the 3rd Prince Reuss of Greiz. He married Princess Gasparine of Rohan-Rochefort (1798 – 1871) in Prague, Kingdom of Bohemia, now in the Czech Republic, on January 7, 1822. Princess Gasparine was the daughter of Charles Louis Gaspard of Rohan-Rochefort, Viscount of Rohan, Prince of Rochefort, Duke of Bouillon and Princess Marie Louise Joséphine of Rohan-Guéméné. The House of Rohan is a family of viscounts, later dukes and princes in the French nobility, originally from Rohan in Brittany, now in France. Gasparine’s paternal grandparents had left France during the French Revolution.

Heinrich XIX and Gasparine had two daughters:

Rotunda in the Greiz Princely Park; Credit – Von Michael Sander – Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2533995

The Reuss family had been Lutheran since the Reformation. However, Heinrich XIX’s wife Gasparine was Roman Catholic. Located within the grounds of the Summer Palace was a rotunda that Heinrich XI, 1st Prince Reuss of Greiz had built for his second wife Alexandrine for her extensive Japanese porcelain collection. In 1822, Heinrich XIX converted the rotunda into a Catholic chapel for his wife Gasparine. After World War I, the rotunda was converted into a war memorial and it remains a war memorial today.

Heinrich XIX died on October 31, 1836, aged 46, in Greiz, Principality of Reuss-Greiz. Because Heinrich XIX and his wife only had two daughters, his brother Heinrich XX became the 4th  Prince of Reuss of Greiz. Heinrich XIX was buried at the Stadtkirche St. Marien (link in German), now in Greiz, Thuringia, Germany, along with his wife Gasparine who survived him by 35 years.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Reuss-Greiz Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. (2020). Heinrich XIX. (Reuß-Greiz). [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_XIX._(Reu%C3%9F-Greiz) [Accessed 2 Mar. 2020].
  • De.wikipedia.org. (2020). Rotunde (Greiz). [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porzellanrotunde [Accessed 2 Mar. 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2020). Heinrich XIX, Prince Reuss of Greiz. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_XIX,_Prince_Reuss_of_Greiz [Accessed 2 Mar. 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2020). House of Rohan. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Rohan [Accessed 2 Mar. 2020].

Execution of Maximilian I, Emperor of Mexico (1867)

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

On June 19, 1867, Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico was executed by firing squad on the Cerro de las Campanas (Hill of the Bells) in Querétaro City, Mexico.

Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico. source: Wikipedia

Archduke Maximilian of Austria was born in Vienna on July 6, 1832, the second son of Archduke Franz Karl of Austria and Princess Sophie of Bavaria. His elder brother was Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria. Following a strict education in the Austrian court, Maximilian began his military training and quickly distinguished himself in the Austrian Navy serving as Commander.

In July 1857, Maximilian married Princess Charlotte of Belgium, his second cousin. The couple had no children. Two years later, Maximilian was first approached by a group of monarchists who wanted him to take the Mexican throne. Several offers were made over the next four years which Maximilian declined. However, after the French intervention in Mexico in 1863, he received a similar offer from Napoleon III, Emperor of the French. This time, he accepted. In doing so, he lost all his Austrian titles and dignities – something he was aware of until just before he departed for Mexico.

After accepting the Mexican crown, Maximilian and Charlotte arrived in their new country in May 1864, receiving little support from the Mexican people. They established their primary residence in Chapultepec Castle in Mexico City, a former military academy that Maximilian had remodeled and turned into an appropriate home for an Emperor.

For more information, see Unofficial Royalty: Archduke Maximilian of Austria, Emperor of Mexico

What led to Maximilian’s execution?

Benito Juarez, President of Mexico. source: Wikipedia

Maximilian arrived in Veracruz, Mexico, to a frosty reception. He was supported by Napoleon III and the Mexican conservatives but the liberal forces led by Benito Juárez, the former president deposed by the French, refused to recognize his rule. Despite this, Maximilian and Carlotta (as she was now known) set out to improve conditions in Mexico. He soon angered his conservative supporters when he chose to continue several of the liberal policies set in place by the Juarez government, including religious freedom and land reforms.

Following the American Civil War, the United States recognized Juarez as the rightful leader of Mexico and pressured France to end its support for Maximilian. Eventually, in 1866, Emperor Napoleon III withdrew his troops from Mexico under pressure from the United States, and to build up his troops at home in the ongoing battle with Prussia. Napoleon III even urged Maximilian to leave Mexico but he refused. He continued to fight the conservative forces led by Juarez before being forced to retreat to Santiago de Queretaro in February 1867. In May 1867, Maximilian tried to escape but the plan was sabotaged by a military officer who was bribed to leave a gate open and allow the forces through. The city fell to the conservative forces and Maximilian was taken into custody, court-martialed, and sentenced to death. Despite pleas from many of the reigning crowns of Europe, President Juarez refused to pardon the former Emperor and save his life.

The Execution

The execution of Maximilian (on right) and his generals. source: Wikipedia

On the morning of June 19, 1867, Emperor Maximilian of Mexico and two of his generals were executed by firing squad in the Cerro de las Campanas. His last words, in Spanish, were reportedly “I forgive everyone, and I ask everyone to forgive me. May my blood, which is about to be shed, be for the good of the country. Long live Mexico, long live independence.”

What happened to Maximilian?

Maximilian’s embalmed body on display. source: Wikipedia

Following the execution, Maximilian’s body was embalmed and put on display in Mexico. In January 1868, an Austrian admiral was sent to bring the body back to Austria. The Emperor’s coffin was taken on board the SMS Novara which sailed for Trieste, Italy. It was then taken to Vienna, where on January 18, 1868, it was placed in The Imperial Crypt.

Tomb of Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico; Photo Credit – © Susan Flantzer

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Heinrich XIII, 2nd Prince Reuss of Greiz

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2020

Note about the Reuss numbering system: All males of the House of Reuss were named Heinrich plus a number. In the Reuss-Greiz, Elder Line, the numbering covered all male children and the numbers increased until 100 was reached and then started again at 1. In the Reuss-Gera, Younger Line, the system was similar but the numbers increased until the end of the century before starting again at 1. This tradition was seen as a way of honoring Holy Roman Emperor Heinrich VI (reigned 1191 – 1197) who had benefitted the family. Therefore, the Roman numerals seen after names are NOT regnal numbers.

Principality of Reuss-Greiz: The House of Reuss began their rule circa 1010. Heinrich XI, Count Reuss of Greiz, Lower-Greiz (Untergreiz) and Upper-Greiz (Obergreiz) was elevated to princely status in 1778 and then used the title of Prince Reuss, Older Line, or Prince Reuss of Greiz.

Heinrich XXIV, the last Prince Reuss of Greiz, succeeded his father in 1902 but was unable to rule because of his physical and mental disabilities as a result of an accident in his childhood. Instead, a Regent ruled the Principality of Reuss-Greiz: Heinrich XIV, 4th Prince Reuss of Gera from 1901 – 1913 and then his son Heinrich XXVII, 5th and last Prince Reuss of Gera from 1913 – 1918.

On November 11, 1918, the Regent, Heinrich XXVII, Prince Reuss of Gera (Younger Line) abdicated in the name of the disabled Heinrich XXIV, 6th Prince Reuss of Greiz. After the abdication, Heinrich XXIV retained the right of residence of the Lower Castle in Greiz and lived there until his death. The territory that encompassed the Principality of Reuss-Greiz is now in the German state of Thuringia.

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Heinrich XIII, Prince Reuss of Greiz; Credit – Wikipedia

Heinrich XIII, 2nd Prince Reuss of Greiz was born on February 16, 1747, in Greiz in the County of Reuss-Untergreiz, later the County of Reuss-Greiz, and in 1778, the Principality of Reuss-Greiz. He was the second of the six sons and the third of the eleven children of Heinrich XI, 1st Prince Reuss of Greiz and his first wife Countess Conradine Reuss of Köstritz. Heinrich XIII’s eldest brother had died in 1745 so upon his birth, Heinrich XIII was his father’s heir.

Heinrich XIII had ten siblings. Any siblings listed as Count or Countess died before their father became Prince of Reuss-Greiz.

  • Count Heinrich XII Reuss-Greiz (1744 – 1745), died in infancy
  • Countess Amalie Reuss-Greiz (1745 – 1748), died in childhood
  • Princess Friederike Reuss of Greiz (1748 – 1816), married (1) Friedrich Ludwig, Count of Castell-Rüdenhausen, no children, divorced (2) Friedrich Wilhelm, Prince of Hohenlohe-Kirchberg, no children
  • Prince Heinrich XIV Reuss of Greiz (in German) (1749 – 1799), married Marie Anne Meyer, no children
  • Prince Heinrich XV Reuss of Greiz (in German) (1751 – 1825), unmarried
  • Princess Isabelle Auguste Reuss of Greiz (1752 – 1824), married Burgrave Wilhelm Georg of Kirchberg-Hachenburg, had children
  • Countess Marie Reuss of Greiz (1754 – 1759), died in childhood
  • Princess Viktoria Reus of Greiz (1756 – 1819), married Wolfgang Ernst II, Prince of Isenburg and Büdingen, no children
  • Count Heinrich XVI Reuss of Greiz (1759 – 1763), died in childhood
  • Prince Heinrich XVII Reuss of Greiz (1761 – 1807), married Babette von Wenz, no children

On February 2, 1770, Heinrich XIII’s mother died and eight months later his father married for a second time to Countess Alexandrina von Leningen-Dagsburg-Falkenburg but the marriage was childless.

Heinrich XIII married Princess Wilhelmine Luise of Nassau-Weilburg on January 9, 1786, in Kirchheim, Principality of Nassau-Weilburg, now in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Wilhelmine Luise’s parents were Karl Christian, Prince of Nassau-Weilburg, and Princess Carolina of Orange-Nassau. Princess Carolina was the daughter of William IV, Prince of Orange, Stadtholder of the Netherlands, and Anne, Princess Royal, eldest daughter of King George II of Great Britain.

Heinrich XIII and Wilhelmine Luise three sons:

Heinrich XIII and his brothers Heinrich XIV and Heinrich XV served in the Austrian Army. He attained the rank of General Feldzeugmeister, commander-in-chief of the artillery, one of the highest officers in the army. Heinrich XIII was a close personal friend of Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II. In 1789, Heinrich XIII represented the Holy Roman Empire at the court of the Kingdom of Prussia.

When his father died in 1800, Heinrich XIII succeeded as Prince Reuss of Greiz. On April 6, 1802, a large fire destroyed much of Greiz, the capital of the Principality of Reuss-Greiz. Approximately 430 buildings were destroyed. Many other buildings were demolished to prevent the fire from spreading. Heinrich XIII oversaw the rebuilding of Greiz in the neoclassical style and moved his residence from the Obere Schloss (link in German) (Upper Castle) to the Untere Schloss (link in German) (Lower Castle) so he could be closer to the people and social life of Greiz.

The Lower Castle in Greiz, with the Upper Castle in the background; Credit – Von Wolfgang Pehlemann Wiesbaden Germany – Selbst fotografiert, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=32945991

Upon the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, Heinrich XIII, representing the Principality of Reuss-Greiz, joined the Confederation of the Rhine in 1807. After the defeat of Napoleon, Heinrich XIII and the Principality of Reuss-Greiz joined the German Confederation at the Congress of Vienna in 1815.

Heinrich XIII, 2nd Prince Reuss of Greiz died on January 29, 1817, aged 69, in Greiz, Principality of Reuss-Greiz. He was buried at the Stadtkirche St. Marien (link in German) now in Greiz, Thuringia, Germany. His wife Wilhelmine Luise survived him by twenty years, dying on October 10, 1837, aged 72. She was buried with her husband.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Reuss-Greiz Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. (2020). Heinrich XIII. (Reuß-Greiz). [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_XIII._(Reu%C3%9F-Greiz) [Accessed 1 Mar. 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2020). Heinrich XIII, Prince Reuss of Greiz. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_XIII,_Prince_Reuss_of_Greiz [Accessed 1 Mar. 2020].
  • It.wikipedia.org. (2020). Enrico XIII di Reuss-Greiz. [online] Available at: https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enrico_XIII_di_Reuss-Greiz [Accessed 1 Mar. 2020].
  • Pl.wikipedia.org. (2020). Henryk XIII (Reuß-Greiz). [online] Available at: https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henryk_XIII_(Reu%C3%9F-Greiz) [Accessed 1 Mar. 2020].

Heinrich XI, 1st Prince Reuss of Greiz

by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Note about the Reuss numbering system: All males of the House of Reuss were named Heinrich plus a number. In the Reuss-Greiz, Elder Line, the numbering covered all male children and the numbers increased until 100 was reached and then started again at 1. In the Reuss-Gera, Younger Line, the system was similar but the numbers increased until the end of the century before starting again at 1. This tradition was seen as a way of honoring Holy Roman Emperor Heinrich VI (reigned 1191 – 1197) who had benefitted the family. Therefore, the Roman numerals seen after names are NOT regnal numbers.

Principality of Reuss-Greiz: The House of Reuss began their rule circa 1010. Heinrich XI, Count Reuss of Greiz, Lower-Greiz (Untergreiz) and Upper-Greiz (Obergreiz) was elevated to princely status in 1778 and then used the title of Prince Reuss, Older Line, or Prince Reuss of Greiz.

Heinrich XXIV, the last Prince Reuss of Greiz, succeeded his father in 1902 but was unable to rule because of his physical and mental disabilities as a result of an accident in his childhood. Instead, a Regent ruled the Principality of Reuss-Greiz: Heinrich XIV, 4th Prince Reuss of Gera from 1901 – 1913 and then his son Heinrich XXVII, 5th and last Prince Reuss of Gera from 1913 – 1918.

On November 11, 1918, the Regent, Heinrich XXVII, Prince Reuss of Gera (Younger Line) abdicated in the name of the disabled Heinrich XXIV, 6th Prince Reuss of Greiz. After the abdication, Heinrich XXIV retained the right of residence of the Lower Castle in Greiz and lived there until his death. The territory that encompassed the Principality of Reuss-Greiz is now in the German state of Thuringia.

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Heinrich XI, 1st Prince Reuss of Greiz; Credit – Wikipedia

Heinrich XI, 1st Prince Reuss of Greiz was born on March 18, 1722 in Greiz, County of Reuss-Obergreiz, now in Thuringia, Germany. He was the youngest of the five children of Heinrich II, Count Reuss of Obergreiz and Countess Sofia Charlotte von Botmer.

Heinrich XI had four older siblings who all died in childhood:

  • Henrietta Erdmouth Sofia of Reuss-Obergreiz (1716 – 1719)
  • Heinrich VIII of Reuss-Obergreiz (1718 – 1719)
  • Heinrich IX, Count Reuss of Obergreiz (1718 – 1723)
  • Heinrich X of Reuss-Obergreiz (born and died in 1720)

Heinrich XI was only eight months old when his father died on November 17, 1722. His four-year-old brother Heinrich IX succeeded their father as Count Reuss of Obergreiz but he reigned for only four months, dying on March 17, 1723. Heinrich XI became Count Reuss of Obergreiz the day before his first birthday. Heinrich XI was a reigning Count and then a reigning Prince from 1723 until he died in 1800, a total of 77 years.

Heinrich XI’s half-sister Sophie von Erbach-Erbach; Credit – Wikipedia

After the death of his father, Heinrich XI’s mother married for a second time in 1723 to Count George Wilhelm von Erbach-Erbach. Heinrich XI had one half-sister from this marriage:

On April 4, 1746, Heinrich XI married Countess Conradine Reuss of Köstritz (1719–1770), the youngest daughter of Heinrich XXIV, Count Reuss of Köstritz (in German) and Baroness Marie Eleonore Emma von Promnitz-Dittersbach. Heinrich and Conradine had eleven children. The children listed as Count and Countess died before Heinrich XI became Prince Reuss-Greiz in 1778. Heinrich XI’s first wife also died before he became Prince Reuss-Greiz.

  • Count Heinrich XII Reuss-Greiz (1744 – 1745), died in infancy
  • Countess Amalie Reuss-Greiz (1745 – 1748), died in childhood
  • Heinrich XIII, 2nd Prince Reuss-Greiz (1747 – 1817), Heinrich XI’s successor, married Princess Wilhelmine of Nassau-Weilburg, had three sons
  • Princess Friederike Reuss of Greiz (1748 – 1816), married (1) Friedrich Ludwig, Count of Castell-Rüdenhausen, no children, divorced (2) Friedrich Wilhelm, Prince of Hohenlohe-Kirchberg, no children
  • Prince Heinrich XIV Reuss of Greiz (in German) (1749 – 1799), married Marie Anne Meyer, no children
  • Prince Heinrich XV Reuss of Greiz (in German) (1751 – 1825), unmarried
  • Princess Isabelle Auguste Reuss of Greiz (1752 – 1824), married Burgrave Wilhelm Georg of Kirchberg-Hachenburg, had children
  • Countess Marie Reuss of Greiz (1754 – 1759), died in childhood
  • Princess Viktoria Reus of Greiz (1756 – 1819), married Wolfgang Ernst II, Prince of Isenburg and Büdingen, no children
  • Count Heinrich XVI Reuss of Greiz (1759 – 1763), died in childhood
  • Prince Heinrich XVII Reuss of Greiz (1761 – 1807), married Babette von Wenz, no children

When Heinrich III, Count of Reuss-Untergreiz died unmarried and childless in 1768, Heinrich XI, Count of Reuss-Obergreiz, inherited the County of Reuss-Untergreiz. Obergreiz and Untergreiz were united into the County of Reuss-Greiz. The following year Heinrich, now Count Reuss of Greiz, started constructing the the family residence in Greiz, the Summer Palace.

Summer Palace in Greiz; Credit – By Steffen Löwe – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=43638573

On February 2, 1770, Heinrich XI’s first wife Conradine died, aged 51, and was buried at the Bergkirche St. Marien now in Schleiz, Thuringia, Germany which had served as the burial place for the Counts Reuss of Schleiz. Heinrich XI married again on October 25, 1770, in the Free City of Frankfurt to Countess Alexandrina von Leningen-Dagsburg-Falkenburg (1732 – 1809), daughter of Count Christian Carl Reinhard Leiningen-Dagsburg-Falkenburg (in German) and Countess Katarina Poliksen von Solms-Rödelheim. The marriage of Heinrich XI and Alexandrina was childless.

On 12 May 1778, Heinrich XI was elevated to Prince by Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II and the County of Reuss-Greiz became the Principality of Reuss-Greiz. The German language has two words for Prince: Fürst and Prinz. Fürst was used for a reigning sovereign ruler or monarch. The present-day rulers of the Principality of Liechtenstein bear the title of Fürst, and the title is also used in German when referring to the ruling princes of the Principality of Monaco. Non-reigning descendants of a Fürst are referred to in German as Prinz (prince) or Prinzessin (princess).

Heinrich XI, 1st Prince Reuss of Greiz died on June 28, 1800, aged 78, in Greiz, Principality of Reuss-Greiz and was buried at the Stadtkirche St. Marien in Greiz, the burial site for the Princes of Reuss-Greiz, Elder Line, now in the German federal state of Thuringia. His second wife Alexandrina died on October 4, 1809, aged 76, and was buried with her husband.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Reuss-Greiz Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • Bg.wikipedia.org. (2020). Хайнрих XI (Ройс-Грайц). [online] Available at: https://bg.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A5%D0%B0%D0%B9%D0%BD%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%85_XI_(%D0%A0%D0%BE%D0%B9%D1%81-%D0%93%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B9%D1%86) [Accessed 1 Mar. 2020].
  • De.wikipedia.org. (2020). Heinrich XI. (Reuß-Greiz). [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_XI._(Reu%C3%9F-Greiz) [Accessed 1 Mar. 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2020). Heinrich XI, Prince Reuss of Greiz. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_XI,_Prince_Reuss_of_Greiz [Accessed 1 Mar. 2020].

Assassination of King Henri IV of France (1610)

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

On May 14, 1610, while his carriage was stopped on a Paris street, 56-year-old King Henri IV of France was stabbed to death by Catholic zealot François Ravaillac.

King Henri IV of France

King Henri IV of France; Credit – Wikipedia

King Henri IV of France was the first French king of the House of Bourbon. Born in 1553, in Pau, Kingdom of Navarre, now in France, Henri was the son of Queen Jeanne III of Navarre and Antoine de Bourbon, Duke de Vendôme. Although he was baptized in the Catholic Church, Henri was raised as a Protestant. His mother Queen Jeanne III of Navarre became a Calvinist Protestant, also known in France as French Huguenots, while Henri was a boy. She then became a spiritual and political leader of the French Huguenot movement.

Upon his mother’s death in 1572, Henri took the throne as King Henri III of Navarre. Two months later, he married Marguerite of Valois, the daughter of King Henri II of France. As Henri was a Protestant French Huguenot, he was not permitted inside Notre Dame Cathedral so the ceremony was held just outside the building. Days later, the Saint Bartholomew’s Day Massacre took place, in which thousands of Protestant French Huguenots were killed. Henri narrowly escaped death, mostly thanks to his new Catholic wife, and his promise to convert to Catholicism.

In 1584, Henri became the heir-presumptive to the French throne, as the last heir to King Henri III of France had died. Henri was the senior agnatic descendant of King Louis IX, and therefore the rightful heir. King Henri III of France was assassinated on August 2, 1589, and King Henri III of Navarre, as the heir-presumptive, became King Henri IV of France. After several years of issues with French Catholic nobles who refused to recognize him as their new king and with the encouragement of his mistress Gabrielle d’Estrées, Henri once again renounced his religion and converted to Catholicism. This gained him the support of the French people and he was finally able to rule his kingdom.

In a loveless and childless marriage, and knowing that he needed an heir, Henri began negotiations to end his first marriage to Marguerite of Valois. In 1600, Henri married Marie de’ Medici, from the wealthy House of Medici that came to prominence in the 15th century, as founders of the Medici Bank in Florence, Tuscany, now in Italy. Henri and Marie had six children including King Louis XIII of France, Elisabeth who married King Felipe IV of Spain, Christine Marie who married Vittorio Amedeo I, Duke of Savoy (ancestors of the Kings of Italy), and Henrietta Maria who married King Charles I of England.

For more information, see Unofficial Royalty: King Henri IV of France.

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Roots of the Assassination

Despite Henri’s conversion to Roman Catholicism, along with his quote, “Paris is well worth a Mass,” hard-core Catholic zealots were not convinced of his sincerity. There were eighteen documented cases of attempted assassination or conspiracy to commit an assassination against Henri. In 1598, Henri issued the Edict of Nantes, which granted toleration to the French Huguenots. While Roman Catholicism remained the state religion, Huguenots were granted the reinstatement of their civil rights, including the right to work in any field or for the state and to bring grievances directly to the king. The Edict of Nantes restored peace and internal unity to France but pleased neither Catholics nor Protestants. Catholics rejected the recognition of Protestantism as a permanent element in French society. They still hoped to return to religious uniformity when Roman Catholicism was the only religion. Protestants wanted parity with Catholics in all matters.

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The Assassin

François Ravaillac; Credit – Wikipedia

François Ravaillac was born circa 1577-1589 in Angoulême, France. He was the youngest son of Jean Ravaillac, secretary-clerk of the mayor of Angoulême, and Françoise Dubreuil. His maternal uncles, Julien and Nicolas Dubreuil, were priests at Saint-Pierre Cathedral of Angoulême and taught François reading and writing and instilled in him hatred of the Huguenots.

François worked eleven years as a valet and clerk of the Maître du Port des Rosiers, a lawyer of the court of justice for Angoulême. He then became a courier for the Angoulême prosecutor. Because Angoulême fell under the jurisdiction of the Parliament of Paris, François was frequently in the city. Around 1602, he moved to Paris where he served as the correspondent for the Angoulême prosecutor for four years.

François became obsessed with religion. In 1606, he entered the strict Order of the Feuillants as a lay brother but was dismissed after a short period because of his unusual mystical visions. He then applied to the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) but his application was rejected. To make ends meet, François became a school teacher, teaching catechism (religious instruction).

In 1609, François claimed to have had a vision instructing him to convince King Henri IV to convert the Huguenots to Catholicism. Between the spring of 1609 and the spring of 1610, François made three unsuccessful three trips to Paris to tell King Henri IV of his vision.

François then interpreted Henri IV’s decision to intervene militarily in the War of the Jülich Succession on the side of the Protestant forces against the Catholic Habsburg forces as the beginning of a war against the Pope. To François, this was an act against God and so he decided to kill King Henri IV of France.

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The Assassination

The assassination of Henri IV and arrest of Ravaillac on May 14, 1610, oil on canvas by Charles-Gustave Housez (1860); Credit – Wikipedia

The coronation of Henri’s second wife Marie de’ Medici was planned after their marriage in 1600 but it was postponed for financial reasons. Because of his imminent departure to fight in the War of the Jülich Succession, Henri decided to have a coronation for his wife to give her greater legitimacy in case it became necessary for her to be regent in his absence. The coronation of Queen Marie took place on May 13, 1610, at the Basilica of Saint-Denis near Paris. After the coronation, Henri returned to the Louvre Palace in Paris to find the doctor and astrologer of his cousin Charles de Bourbon, Count of Soissons waiting to warn him about the next day. Henri refused to see him. He had a busy next few days. On May 14, Henri planned to work on the last details of his military expedition. He planned to relax and go hunting on May 15. Queen Marie’s solemn entry into Paris after her coronation was planned for May 16 and on May 17, Henri planned to join his army as they began to fight in the War of the Jülich Succession.

In the late afternoon of May 14, 1610, Henri IV left the Louvre Palace to meet with Maximilien de Béthune, Duke of Sully, one of his closest advisers, who was ill at his home. Since Sully’s home was nearby, Henri decided it was unnecessary to be escorted by the Horse Guard. Instead, the king was accompanied by an escort of a few soldiers. Riding in the carriage with Henri were  Jean-Louis de Nogaret, Duke of Épernon and Hercule de Rohan, Duke of Montbazon.

François Ravaillac had stolen a knife from an inn and followed Henri’s carriage as it left the Louvre Palace. François caught up with Henri’s carriage in the Rue de la Ferronnerie, a narrow street in today’s Les Halles district, not far from the Louvre. A hay cart and a cart loaded with barrels of wine had difficulty moving and caused congestion. Henri lifted up the leather curtain of his carriage to see what was causing the delay. The footmen standing on Henri’s carriage’s step moved away to disperse the crowd that had recognized the king.

François took advantage of the situation and rushed at the carriage, stabbing three times. The first blow hit Henri’s armpit and did not cause much damage. However, the second blow was fatal, cutting Henri’s vena cava and aorta, the main blood vessels in and out of the heart. The last blow cut the Duke of Montbazon’s sleeve. Henri’s carriage raced back to the Louvre Palace where he soon died. Henri’s death left his wife Queen Marie with six children, aged one to eight. Henri was succeeded by his eldest son, the eight-year-old King Louis XII, with Queen Marie serving as Regent.

The commemorative plaque embedded in the pavement of the Rue de la Ferronnerie in Paris, marking the site of the assassination of Henri IV; Credit – Wikipedia

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What happened to François Ravaillac?

The execution of François Ravaillac; Credit – Wikipedia

Having done what he set out to do, François Ravaillac did not flee. The Duke of Épernon intervened to prevent François from being lynched by the crowd. François was brought to the Hôtel de Retz where he stayed for two days. The next day he was taken to the Hotel du Duc d’Épernon before being taken into custody at the Conciergerie prison.

François was tortured to make him identify accomplices but he denied that he had any and insisted that he acted alone. He said to his interrogators, “I know very well he is dead; I saw the blood on my knife and the place where I hit him. But I have no regrets at all about dying because I’ve done what I came to do.” At the end of a ten-day trial by the Parliament of Paris, it was determined that the assassination of King Henri IV was the isolated act of a Catholic fanatic and François Ravaillac was sentenced to death.

On May 27, 1610, François Ravaillac was brought from the Conciergerie the short distance to the square in front of the Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral where he did his penance with bare feet, in his shirt, holding a candle in his hand. François then climbed into a garbage cart which took him to the Place de Grève (the current Place de l’Hotel-de-Ville) where on a small scaffold the tortures of the executioner Jean Guillaume and his assistants lasted for hours.

François Ravaillac’s right hand, which held the knife that had killed King Henri IV, was burned off with sulfur fire. Molten lead, boiling oil, pitch, hot resin, wax, and sulfur were melted and poured over his body. A horse was attached to each of his arms and legs. When the horses pulled, his body was dismembered. The remains of his body were thrown into the fire, reduced to ashes, and thrown to the wind.

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The Funeral and Burial of King Henri IV of France

King Henri IV laying in state in the State Bedchamber in the Louvre Palace, engraving after François Quesnel; Credit – Wikipedia

King Henri IV’s remains were autopsied on May 15, 1610. His heart was placed in a silver urn, and in keeping with a promise made some years earlier, it was entombed at the Church of Saint Louis of La Flèche in the province of Maine, France. The funeral ceremonies were elaborate and lasted until the burial on July 1, 1510. Henri’s body was embalmed and then placed on a bier in the Chambre de Parade du Roi (State Bedchamber) in the Louvre Palace. One hundred low masses and six high masses were said there each day.

On June 10, 1610, Henri’s casket was taken to the Salle des Caryatides (Cariatides Room) in the Louvre Palace. An effigy was constructed out of wicker with a wax face molded from the face of the king, wearing coronation dress and the royal crown. Twice a day, servants pretended to serve him a meal, a traditional ritual symbolizing the continuity of the royal dignity beyond the death of the King.

The effigy was removed on June 21, 1510. Funeral orations were heard in all the parishes of the kingdom, followed by a week of tributes to King Henri IV by the various government officials including a blessing from eight-year-old King Louis XIII. On June 29, 1510, Henri’s casket was taken to Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral where several ceremonies were held, including the funeral mass on June 30, 1510.

After the funeral, Henri’s casket was brought to the traditional burial site of the French royal family, the Basilica of Saint-Denis in Saint-Denis, now a northern suburb of Paris. The casket was placed in a chapel with the effigy awaiting burial the next day. Henri’s tomb was destroyed during the French Revolution but there is a memorial to him at the Basilica of Saint-Denis.

Memorial to Henri IV at the Basilica of Saint-Denis; Credit – Wikipedia

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

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Works Cited

  • En.wikipedia.org. (2020). François Ravaillac. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fran%C3%A7ois_Ravaillac [Accessed 25 Feb. 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2020). Henry IV of France. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_IV_of_France [Accessed 25 Feb. 2020].
  • Fr.wikipedia.org. (2020). Assassinat d’Henri IV. [online] Available at: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassinat_d%27Henri_IV [Accessed 25 Feb. 2020].
  • Fr.wikipedia.org. (2020). François Ravaillac. [online] Available at: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fran%C3%A7ois_Ravaillac [Accessed 25 Feb. 2020].
  • Fr.wikipedia.org. (2020). Henri IV (roi de France). [online] Available at: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henri_IV_(roi_de_France) [Accessed 25 Feb. 2020].
  • Mehl, Scott. (2016). King Henri IV of France. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-henri-iv-of-france/ [Accessed 25 Feb. 2020].

Assassination of George I, King of the Hellenes (1913)

by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2020

On March 18, 1913, King George I of the Hellenes was shot and killed while out walking in Thessaloniki, Greece. His assassin, Alexandros Schinas, died six weeks later under somewhat mysterious circumstances.

King George I of the Hellenes. source: Wikipedia

King George I of the Hellenes

King George I was born Prince Christian Vilhelm Ferdinand Adolf Georg, a younger son of the future King Christian IX of Denmark. His siblings included King Frederik VIII of Denmark, Queen Alexandra of the United Kingdom, and Empress Maria Feodorovna of Russia.

In 1863, at just 17 years old, he was elected unanimously by the Greek National Assembly as King of the Hellenes, replacing King Otto who had been deposed to the previous year. Taking the name George I of the Hellenes, he was enthroned in Denmark on June 6, 1863, and arrived in Greece in October of that year. He married Grand Duchess Olga Konstantinovna of Russia and the couple had eight children. King George I went on to reign for nearly 50 years and was much loved by the Greek people.

For more information, see Unofficial Royalty: King George I of the Hellenes

The Assassin – Alexandros Schinas

Not much is known about Alexandros Schinas’s life before the King’s assassination. Born in Greece, it was reported that he had left the country and moved to New York City for several years. Shinas stated that he had been deported from Thessaloniki because he was “a good Greek patriot” in 1910. However, in a later interview, he stated that he had sought financial assistance from the palace in 1911 and been turned away, suggesting that he had remained in Greece. What is known is that by 1913 he was back in Greece, and told authorities that he had contracted tuberculosis and had suffered from fits of delirium.

For more information, see Wikipedia: Alexandros Schinas

The Assassination

A depiction of the King’s assassination. source: Wikipedia

Thessaloniki – Greece’s second-largest city – had been under the Ottoman Empire until the Greeks successfully took the city on November 9, 1912, during the First Balkan War. Several days later, King George I, accompanied by his son Crown Prince Constantine, rode through the streets in triumph.

By March 1913, King George I was approaching his 50th year on the Greek throne and was planning to step down in favor of his son, Crown Prince Constantine, in October of that year. On March 18, the King went for an afternoon walk through the streets of Thessaloniki. As he was known to do, he went out with just an aide-de-camp and very little security protection. That day, it would prove to be a fatal choice. Various reports exist of exactly what happened – some state that Schinas was lying in wait and leaped out from hiding to shoot the King. Others, including Schinas’s interviews with authorities, state that he wandered from a nearby cafe, happened to see King George I and in a fit of delirium, pulled his gun and fired. Either way, the result was the same. The bullet entered the king’s back, piercing his heart and lungs, and exited through his abdomen. The king collapsed and was quickly put into a carriage and taken to the hospital but died before arriving.

What happened to King George?

Tomb of King George I. photo by Kostisl – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=25375493

The King collapsed following the attack and died in the carriage before arriving at the nearby hospital. His family traveled to Salonika, where the king’s body lay for a week. On March 25, a grand procession took place with the King’s coffin being borne on a gun carriage and accompanied by the rest of the Greek royal family, making its way to the Royal Yacht Amphitrite and sailing for Athens.

In Athens, the King lay in state for three days in the Metropolitan Cathedral followed by a lavish state funeral. The coffin was then interred in the Royal Cemetery at Tatoi Palace, the summer home of the Greek Royal Family.

What happened to the assassin?

Alexandros Schinas in custody. source: Wikipedia

Alexandros Schinas made no attempt to flee after shooting King George I and was quickly subdued and taken into custody. In an interrogation, he claimed that he had no prior plans to kill the King, but stated that he was delirious due to his tuberculosis. He stated that he simply saw the King walking just behind him, and pulled his gun, and fired. However, it was also widely reported that he held some animosity toward the King, having been turned away when seeking financial assistance at the palace.

Six weeks later, on May 6, 1913, Schinas died after falling from a window in the Magistrate’s office. The guards claimed that he jumped, while others claimed that he was thrown from the window.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Assassination of Henri III, King of France (1589)

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

On August 1, 1589, King Henri III of France was stabbed by Jacques Clément, a Dominican friar. He died the following morning from his injuries. Henri was the last French king from the House of Valois, and as he had no children, was succeeded by King Henri III of Navarre who became King Henri IV of France, establishing the House of Bourbon on the French throne.

King Henri III of France. source: Wikipedia

Henri III, King of France

Henri was born September 19, 1551, at the Château de Fontainebleau, the fourth son of King Henri II of France and Catherine de’ Medici. Two of his elder brothers reigned as French kings – François II and Charles IX. Henri was created Duke of Angoulême and Duke of Orléans in 1560, and Duke of Anjou in 1566.

Henri was elected King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania in May 1573. However, after becoming King of France in 1574, Henri never returned to Poland, and the Polish parliament declared the throne vacant in May 1575. Following his coronation, Henri married Louise of Lorraine, but the couple had no children. This led to the French throne passing to his distant cousin, Henri of Navarre, who took the throne as King Henri IV, the first French king from the House of Bourbon.

For more information, see Unofficial Royalty: King Henri III of France

The Assassination

The assassination of Henri III, King of France; Credit – Wikipedia

While staying with his forces in Saint-Cloud, intending to attack Paris the following day, the King received a visit from a Dominican friar, Jacques Clément. During the French Wars of Religion, Clément had become a supporter of the Catholic League and fanatically religious. He developed a plan to kill the King and was encouraged by some of the leaders of the Catholic League, including Catherine de Guise, the Duchess of Montpensier. With forged papers alleged to be for the King, Clément made his way to Saint-Cloud. Arriving on August 1, 1589, Clément was permitted to meet with the King. After handing the papers to the King, Clément told him he also had a private message to deliver. The King ordered his guards to step away and Clément approached him and began to whisper in his ear. At the same time, he drew a dagger from beneath his cloak and stabbed the King in the abdomen. The attendants quickly stepped in and Clément was immediately killed.

What happened to King Henri III?

Basilica of Saint-Denis. photo: By Thomas Clouet – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=42109690

At first, it appeared that the King was not fatally injured. However, sensing his impending death, the King insisted that his officers pledge their loyalty to Henri of Navarre as their new king, should he not survive. The following morning, King Henri III of France died from his injuries. He was interred in the Basilica of Saint-Denis in Paris, the traditional burial site of the French kings and royal family.

What happened to Jacques Clément?

The King’s guards immediately killed Clément. Later his body was quartered and burned. For his act, he was seen by many as a martyr, particularly by those who supported the Catholic League. He was praised by Pope Sixtus V, and it was even discussed that he should be canonized as a saint.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Assassination of Mohammed Nadir Shah, King of Afghanistan (1933)

by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2020

On November 8, 1933, Mohammad Nadir Shah, King of Afghanistan was shot and killed by an assassin while taking part in a high school awards ceremony at the royal palace in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Mohammed Nadir Shah, King of Afghanistan. source: Wikipedia

Mohammed Nadir Shah, King of Afghanistan

Mohammed Nadir Shah (born Mohammad Nadir Khan) reigned as King of Afghanistan from October 15, 1929, until his assassination on November 8, 1933. He was born in Dehradun, British India on April 9, 1883 to Mohammad Yusuf Khan and Sharaf Sultana Hukumat Begum.

Raised in British India (where his family had been exiled by the British government), he later came to Afghanistan and served as a General under King Amanullah Khan, leading the Afghan National Army in the Third Anglo-Afghan War. Following the war, he served as Minister of War, and later as Ambassador to France. Following a rebellion against the monarchy, led by Habibullah Kalakani, Mohammed was exiled once again. After Kalakani overthrew the monarchy, Mohammad returned to Afghanistan with his forces and retook most of the country. Declaring himself King upon his arrival in Kabul on October 15, 1929, he captured Kalakani and executed him. His reign, just four years, saw numerous uprisings and rebellions, all of which he managed to overcome. He established the country’s first university, worked to strengthen both diplomatic and commercial relations with the surrounding countries and put into place the country’s first banking system. After just four years on the throne, Mohammad Nadir Shah was killed by an assassin on November 8, 1933.

For more information, see: Wikipedia: Mohammed Nadir Shah

The Assassination

The assassin, Abdul Khaliq. source: Wikipedia

The assassin was Abdul Khaliq, a 16-year-old student at Nejat High School. After Khaliq’s father, uncle, and brothers were arrested in 1933 by King Mohammed Nadir Shah’s regime (after the execution of an Amanullah supporter), Khaliq began plotting to kill the King. His opportunity came when he and other student-athletes were invited to the palace in Kabul to receive medals for their achievements. Seeing no security at the gates, Khaliq quickly went home and borrowed a gun from a friend before returning to the palace.

With the gun wrapped in a handkerchief in his pocket, Khaliq waited until King Mohammed Nadir Shah entered the garden where the ceremony was taking place. As the King approached the students, Khaliq drew the gun and fired several shots. The first hit the King in the mouth, the second in his heart, and the third through his lung. A fourth shot was also fired, striking a guard who was rushing to subdue the assassin.

For more information see: Wikipedia: Abdul Khaliq

What happened to Mohammed Nadir Shah?

Tomb of Mohammed Nadir Shah

King Mohammed Nadir Shah died instantly from the gunshots. He was succeeded by his son, Mohammed Zahir Shah, who would become the last King of Afghanistan, reigning from 1933 until the overthrow of the Afghani monarchy in 1973.

King Mohammed Nadir Shah was buried in a large mausoleum at Teppe Maranjan overlooking east Kabul. Now in near ruins, the mausoleum was constructed of marble and topped with a large metal dome. The crypt beneath the structure holds King Mohammed Nadir Shah’s tomb and the tombs of several family members. Nearby is the tomb of Sultan Mohammed Telai, the king’s great-great-grandfather.

What happened to Abdul Khaliq?

Following the assassination, Khaliq was quickly apprehended and imprisoned. Tortured by the guards, he named several of his family members as accomplices, although this claim has been questioned by surviving members of his family. Along with sixteen family members, Khaliq was sentenced to death by hanging at the Deh Mazang prison. However, only sixteen nooses were prepared. On December 18, 1933, Khaliq and his family members were led to the prison yard to be hanged. Instead, however, Khaliq was tortured to death in front of the others, before they were then hanged.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Assassination of Paul I, Emperor of All Russia (1801)

by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2020

On the night of March 23, 1801, at the Mikhailovsky Castle in St. Petersburg, Russia, a group of conspirators charged into the bedroom of 46-year-old Paul I, Emperor of All Russia, forced him to abdicate, and then strangled and trampled him to death.

Paul I, Emperor of All Russia

Paul I, Emperor of All Russia; Credit – Wikipedia

Paul I, Emperor of All Russia was born on October 1, 1754, at the Summer Palace of Empress Elizabeth in St. Petersburg, Russia. As the son of Grand Duchess Catherine Alexeievna (born Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst, later Catherine II (the Great), Empress of All Russia), Paul was recognized by Catherine’s husband Grand Duke Peter Feodorovich (born Karl Peter Ulrich of Holstein-Gottorp, later Peter III, Emperor of All Russia) as his son. Peter and Catherine’s marriage was not a happy one. Peter took a mistress and Catherine had many lovers. It is possible that Paul’s father was Sergei Vasilievich Saltykov. If this is true, then all subsequent Romanovs were not genetically Romanovs. Catherine later claimed that her son and successor Paul had not been fathered by Peter and that they had never consummated their marriage.

Paul was taken from his mother immediately after birth and spent the first eight years of his life at the court of his great-aunt, Elizabeth I, Empress of All Russia, the daughter of Peter I (the Great), Emperor of All Russia and the younger sister of Grand Duchess Anna Petrovna, Peter III’s mother who died shortly after his birth. The unmarried and childless Empress Elizabeth had named her nephew Peter as her heir when he was ten-years-old.

In 1762, when Paul was eight-years-old, Empress Elizabeth died and she was succeeded by her nephew as Peter III, Emperor of All Russia. However, the reign of Peter III lasted only six months. Paul’s mother engineered a coup that not only deposed her husband but also got him killed by her supporters. In the summer of 1762, Paul’s mother began her 34-year-reign as Catherine II, Empress of All Russia, known in history as Catherine the Great. When Catherine was finally able to retrieve her eight-year-old son after the death of Empress Elizabeth, it was too late to repair their relationship. Paul’s early isolation from his mother created a distance between them which would only be reinforced by later events.

Family of Paul I of Russia, by Gerhard von Kügelgen, 1800; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1773, Paul married Wilhelmine Louise of Hesse-Darmstadt who became Grand Duchess Natalia Alexeievna after her marriage. Three years later, Natalia Alexeievna and her first child, a boy, died after six days of agonizing labor. Less than six months after his first wife’s death, Paul married Sophia Dorothea of Württemberg who took the name Maria Feodorovna after her marriage. Paul and Maria Feodorovna had ten children with nine surviving to adulthood including two Emperors of All Russia, a Queen of the Netherlands, a Queen of Württemberg, and a Grand Duchess of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach.

The Road to Assassination

Portrait of Paul I in Coronation Robes by Vladimir Lukich Borovikovsky; Credit – Wikipedia

Upon the death of his mother Catherine II (the Great), Empress of All Russia in 1796, Paul succeeded her as Emperor of All Russia. Ironically, Paul I, Emperor of All Russia suffered a fate similar to Peter III. Paul’s reign lasted five years, ending with his assassination by conspirators. As Emperor, Paul agreed with the practices of autocracy and tried to prevent liberal ideas in the Russian Empire. He did not tolerate freedom of thought or resistance against autocracy. Because he overly taxed the nobility and limited their rights, the Russian nobles, by increasing numbers, were against him. Paul’s reign was becoming increasingly despotic. Eventually, the nobility reached their breaking point. As early as the end of 1797, rumors began swirling of a coup d’état being prepared by the nobility.

A conspiracy was organized, some months before it was executed, by Count Peter Ludwig von der Pahlen, Count Nikita Petrovich Panin, and Admiral José de Ribas, with the alleged support of British ambassador in Saint Petersburg, Charles Whitworth, 1st Earl Whitworth. The total number of people involved in the conspiracy, according to various estimates, ranges from 180 to 300 people. It is probable that Paul’s son and heir Alexander knew of the coup d’état plans and that Paul’s wife Maria Feodorovna knew about the existence of plans.

Afraid of intrigues and assassination plots, Paul disliked the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg where he never felt safe. He ordered his birthplace, the dilapidated Summer Palace of Empress Elizabeth in St. Petersburg to be demolished and replaced with a new fortified residence, the Mikhailovsky Castle. In February 1801, Paul and his family moved into the Mikhailovsky Castle.

The Assassination

The assassination of Emperor Paul I, French engraving, 1880s; Credit – Wikipedia

At 1:30 AM on March 23, 1801, a group of twelve officers led by Count Nikolai Alexandrovich Zubov and Levin August von Bennigsen, a German general in the service of the Russian Empire,  broke into Paul’s bedroom at the Mikhailovsky Castle in St. Petersburg. Also present at the murder were two of the original conspirators Count Nikita Petrovich Panin and Count Peter Ludwig von der Pahlen. The group charged into the bedroom and found Paul hiding behind some drapes in a corner. The conspirators pulled him out and forced him to a table so he could sign an abdication document. When Paul offered some resistance, Count Nikolai Alexandrovich Zubov struck him with a sword, after which the assassins strangled and trampled him to death.

Aftermath

Tomb of Paul I, Emperor of All Russia; Credit – By El Pantera – Own work, CC BY-SA 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=36434001

The official cause of Paul’s death was “an apoplexy stroke.” The truth about his assassination was suppressed by censorship. Paul’s body was worked on by a team of doctors all night so it could be displayed in evidence of a natural death. Despite the doctors’ efforts, blue and black spots were visible on Paul’s face. Court painter Jacob Mettenleyter, the curator of the Gatchina Palace art gallery, was summoned with his brushes and paints to make Paul’s face presentable.

One of the doctors described Paul’s body: “There were many traces of violence on the body. A wide strip around the neck, a strong mark on the temple (from a blow … caused by a pistol), a red spot on the side, but not a single wound with a sharp weapon, two red scars on both thighs; significant damage to the knees which prove that he was forced to kneel down to make it easier to strangle. In addition, the whole body was generally covered with small marks; they probably came from blows delivered after death.”

A triangular hat was pulled over Paul’s forehead to hide the injuries to his left eye and his temple. Paul was placed in his coffin in a way that viewers passing by would not be able to see his body clearly. The teenaged Nikolay Ivanovich Gretsch, a future journalist, wrote: “As soon as you enter the door, they pointed to another with an exhortation: if you please go through. I went to Mikhailovsky Castle about ten times and could only see the soles of the emperor’s overboots and a wide hat pulled over his forehead.”

Paul’s eldest son Alexander, who probably knew about the coup but not the murder plot, succeeded as Alexander I, Emperor of All Russia at the age of 23. When Alexander was informed about the murder of his father, he sobbed. Count Nikolai Alexandrovich Zubov told Alexander, “Time to grow up! Go and rule!” Alexander went out on the palace balcony to show himself to the troops and said: “My father died of apoplexy. I will be like my grandmother.” On the first day of his reign, Alexander freed 12,000 prisoners who had been sentenced by his father to prison or exile without a trial. Within a month, Alexander began restoring freedoms that his father revoked. None of the conspirators of the coup d’état that resulted in the murder of Emperor Paul were punished. However, over time Alexander I gradually removed the conspirators from their positions, not because he considered them dangerous, but because of the disgust that he felt at their very sight.

Paul I, Emperor of All Russia was buried at the Peter and Paul Cathedral in the Peter and Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg, Russia.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Paul I of Russia. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_I_of_Russia [Accessed 25 Jan. 2018].
  • Lincoln, W. Bruce. (1981). The Romanovs: Autocrats of  All the Russias. New York, NY.: Doubleday
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2018). Paul I, Emperor of All Russia. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/emperor-paul-i-of-russia/ [Accessed 5 Jan. 2020].
  • Massie, Robert. (2016). Catherine the Great. London: Head of Zeus.
  • Ru.wikipedia.org. (2018). Павел I. [online] Available at: https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9F%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%B5%D0%BB_I [Accessed 25 Jan. 2018]. (Paul I in Russian)
  • Ru.wikipedia.org. (2020). Убийство Павла I. [online] Available at: https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A3%D0%B1%D0%B8%D0%B9%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B2%D0%BE_%D0%9F%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%BB%D0%B0_I [Accessed 5 Jan. 2020]. (The assassination of Paul I in Russian)

Assassination of Ivan VI, Emperor of All Russia (1764)

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

The story of Ivan VI and his family is one of the most tragic stories in royal history. Ivan VI, Emperor of All Russia (Ivan Antonovich) succeeded to the throne in 1740 at the age of two months. A little more than a year later, Ivan was deposed by Elizabeth Petrovna, the only surviving child of Peter I the Great, Emperor of All Russia, and spent the next 23 years imprisoned before being murdered in 1764 during the reign of Catherine II (the Great), Empress of All Russia. Ivan’s parents spent the rest of their lives imprisoned and with the exception of his sister Catherine, all his other siblings were born while their parents were imprisoned. His siblings remained imprisoned until 1780.

Ivan VI, Emperor of All Russia

Ivan VI, Emperor of All Russia; Credit – Wikipedia

Ivan Antonovich, the future Ivan VI, Emperor of All Russia, was born on August 23, 1740, in St. Petersburg, Russia, the oldest of the five children of Elisabeth of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Anton Ulrich of Brunswick-Lüneburg. Ivan’s mother was the only niece of the childless Anna, Empress of All Russia (daughter of Ivan V, Tsar of All Russia), and the only grandchild of Ivan V, Tsar of All Russia. She had been born in the Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, now in Germany, but moved to Russia with her mother after her parents’ marriage failed. Ivan’s mother converted to Russian Orthodoxy and was given the name Anna Leopoldovna and the title Grand Duchess. When Anna Leopoldovna married, she and her husband made their home in Russia, expecting that Anna Leopoldovna or her children would inherit the throne upon the death of Empress Anna.

Empress Anna adopted the infant Ivan Antonovich on October 5, 1740, and proclaimed him heir to the Russian throne. Twenty-three days after proclaiming the infant Ivan Antonovich her heir, Anna I, Empress of All Russia was dead at the age of 48 and two-month-old Ivan Antonovich was Ivan VI, Emperor of All Russia. Before Empress Anna died, she had agreed that her longtime lover and advisor Ernst Johann von Biron would serve as regent until Ivan came of age. The Russian nobility had enough of Biron during Empress Anna’s reign. Biron was regent for three weeks and on November 19, 1740, he was seized and banished to Siberia. Ivan’s mother Grand Duchess Anna Leopoldovna was named regent.

A Coup to Overthrow the Infant Emperor

The Preobrazhensky Regiment soldiers proclaim Elizabeth Petrovna Empress of All Russia; Credit – Wikipedia

22-year-old Anna Leopoldovna was not qualified to be regent. She did as little as possible concerning state affairs and argued with her advisers. A conspiracy soon arose intending to obtain the Russian throne for Elizabeth Petrovna, the only surviving child of Peter I (the Great), Emperor of All Russia. A coup took place during the night of December 5-6, 1741 with financial support from France and military support from the Preobrazhensky Regiment. Elizabeth Petrovna arrived at the regiment’s headquarters wearing armor over her dress asking, “Who do you want to serve, me, your natural sovereign, or those who have stolen my inheritance?” The Preobrazhensky Regiment marched to the Winter Palace and arrested the infant Emperor Ivan and his parents. It was a daring coup and succeeded without bloodshed. The new 32-year-old Empress of All Russia, Elizabeth Petrovna, vowed that she would not sign a single death sentence, a promise she kept throughout her 20-year reign.

What happened to Ivan?

Now that she had the throne, Elizabeth had a problem. A living Emperor, the great-grandson of her father’s elder half-brother Ivan V, and his mother, the granddaughter of Ivan V, remained in St. Petersburg. They were both threats to her throne. Even though 15-month-old Ivan did not know he had been Emperor, his image was on coins used throughout Russia and prayers had been said for him in all Russian churches. Elizabeth originally planned to send Ivan, his mother Anna Leopoldovna, his father Anton Ulrich, and his sister Catherine Antonovna somewhere in Europe so she sent them to Riga (now in Latvia) as the first stage of their journey. However, once the family arrived in Riga, Elizabeth had second thoughts – perhaps it would be a better idea to keep her young, dangerous prisoner under guard in Russia. Ivan was separated forever from his parents and his sister and classified as a secret state prisoner.

Fortress of Shlisselburg; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Ivan was first sent to Kholmogory, where, seeing no one other than his jailer, he remained for the next twelve years. Eventually, news of Ivan’s whereabouts began to be known. He was then secretly transferred to the Fortress of Shlisselburg where he was under heavy guard and not even the commandant of the fortress knew his true identity. Although instructions had been given not to educate him, Ivan had been taught his letters and could read his Bible. He also seemed aware of his former imperial status and always called himself Gosudar (Sovereign).

Peter III visits Ivan at the Fortress of Shlisselburg; Credit – Wikipedia

Empress Elizabeth died in 1762 and her nephew succeeded her as Peter III, Emperor of All Russia. Ivan’s situation then improved a bit and Peter III even visited him. However, Peter III’s reign lasted only six months. He was deposed by his wife, born Princess Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst, who reigned as Catherine II (the Great), Empress of All Russia, and he died soon afterward, most likely murdered by Catherine’s supporters.

Vasily Mirovich Standing over the Corpse of Ivan VI by Ivan Tvorozhnikov (1884); Credit – Wikipedia

Catherine II ordered Ivan to be placed in manacles and further ordered that if any attempt were made to free the prisoner, he was to be put to death immediately. Ivan’s presence at the Fortress of Shlisselburg could not remain concealed forever. In 1764, Vasily Mirovich, one of the men guarding Ivan, learned his identity and formulated a plan for freeing and proclaiming him Emperor. At midnight on July 15, 1764, Mirovich and his supporters attempted to free Ivan. However, another guard immediately murdered Ivan, following Catherine II’s orders. Mirovich and his supporters were executed. Ivan VI’s burial place is unknown but it is commonly believed that he was buried in the Fortress of Shlisselburg.

What happened to Ivan’s parents and siblings?

Ivan’s parents were imprisoned for the rest of their lives. Anna Leopoldovna and Anton Ulrich had three additional children while imprisoned, born between 1743-1746. On March 18, 1746, Anna Leopoldovna died during childbirth at the age of 27. In 1762, Catherine II offered Anton Ulrich permission to leave Russia with the condition he would leave his children behind but he declined. At the age of 59, Anton Ulrich died in prison on March 19, 1776, after spending 36 years in captivity.

Silhouettes of Ivan’s siblings, done after their release from imprisonment; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1780, Ivan’s four siblings, ranging in age from 34-39, were released into the custody of their maternal aunt, born Juliana Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, but then the Queen Dowager of Denmark. The four siblings had spent their entire lives imprisoned. They lived under house arrest in Horsens in Jutland, Denmark under the guardianship of Juliana Maria and at the expense of Catherine II. Although they were really prisoners, they lived in relative comfort and had a small court of between 40 and 50 people, all Danish except for their Russian Orthodox priest. The siblings were unhappy in Denmark because they were not used to their new degree of freedom in a new environment and were surrounded by people whose language they could not understand.

Ivan’s four younger siblings:

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Works Cited

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