Category Archives: Former Monarchies

Charlotte Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Hereditary Princess of Denmark

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Charlotte Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Hereditary Princess of Denmark; Credit – Wikipedia

The first wife of the future King Christian VIII of Denmark, Charlotte Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, was born December 4, 1784, in Ludwigslust Palace in Ludwigslust, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, now in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. She was fifth of the six children and the youngest of the two daughters of Friedrich Franz I, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, and Princess Louise of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg.

Charlotte Frederica in 1791; Credit – Wikipedia

Charlotte Frederica had five siblings:

During a visit to the court of his maternal uncle Friedrich Franz I, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Prince Christian of Denmark (the future King Christian VIII), the eldest son of Hereditary Prince Frederik of Denmark and Sophia Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin fell in love with his first cousin Charlotte Frederica, who was two years younger. Christian and Charlotte Frederica were married at Ludwigslust Palace in Ludwigslust, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, now in the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, on June 21, 1806.

Charlotte Frederica’s husband Christian in 1813; Credit – Wikipedia

Christian and Charlotte Frederica had two sons:

Christian and Charlotte Frederica’s marriage soon became unhappy. Charlotte Frederica had an affair with her singing teacher Édouard Du Puy. In 1809, when Christian found out, Charlotte Frederica was sent into exile in Horsens, Denmark while Du Puy was banished from Denmark. The marriage officially ended with a divorce in 1810 and Charlotte Frederica never saw her son again.

While in Horsens and later in Aarhus, both in Denmark, Charlotte Frederica cultivated friendships with the local gentry and allegedly had affairs with army officers. In 1829, she was allowed to travel out of Denmark and moved to Carlsbad, a spa town, then in Bohemia, now in the Czech Republic. She made one last move in 1830 to Rome, Italy where she lived in the Palazzo Bernini on Rome’s main street and converted to Roman Catholicism.

Charlotte Frederica had been exiled when her son, now King Frederik VI of Denmark, was only one year old. She hoped to see her son again but she soon became ill. Charlotte Frederica died in Rome on July 13, 1840, at the age of 55. She was buried in a tomb paid for by her son and created by the Danish sculptor Jens Adolf Jerichau at the Teutonic Cemetery, a burial site adjacent to St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City that had been dedicated to the German-speaking residents of Rome.

On July 11, 2019, the tomb of Charlotte Frederica and the adjacent tomb of Princess Sophia of Hohenlohe-Waldenburg-Bartenstein were opened to search for the remains of Emanuela Orlandi, a 15-year-old who disappeared in 1983. Not only was there no sign of Emanuela’s remains, but the remains of Princess Sophia and Duchess Charlotte Frederica were missing. It is possible that their remains were moved due to renovations at the end of the 1800s and again in the 1960s and 1970s. For more information see Unofficial Royalty: The Strange Case of the Tombs of Two 19th Century Princesses and a 20th Century 15-Year-Old Missing Girl.

Tomb of Charlotte Frederica; Credit – By Altera levatur – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=59545772

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

  • Da.wikipedia.org. (2018). Charlotte Frederikke af Mecklenburg-Schwerin. [online] Available at: https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlotte_Frederikke_af_Mecklenburg-Schwerin [Accessed 17 Sep. 2018].
  • Da.wikipedia.org. (2018). Christian 8.. [online] Available at: https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_8. [Accessed 17 Sep. 2018].
  • De.wikipedia.org. (2018). Charlotte Friederike zu Mecklenburg. [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlotte_Friederike_zu_Mecklenburg [Accessed 17 Sep. 2018].
  • De.wikipedia.org. (2018). Christian VIII.. [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_VIII. [Accessed 17 Sep. 2018].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Duchess Charlotte Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duchess_Charlotte_Frederica_of_Mecklenburg-Schwerin [Accessed 17 Sep. 2018].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Christian VIII of Denmark. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_VIII_of_Denmark [Accessed 17 Sep. 2018].

Marie of Hesse-Kassel, Queen of Denmark

by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Marie of Hesse-Kassel, Queen of Denmark; Credit – Wikipedia

Princess Marie of Hesse-Kassel was the wife of King Frederik VI of Denmark and Norway. Born on October 28, 1767, in Hanau in the Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel (now in Hesse, Germany), Marie Sophie Frederikke was the eldest child of Prince Carl of Hesse-Kassel and Princess Louise of Denmark and Norway. Her father was the second son of Friedrich II, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel and Princess Mary of Great Britain, daughter of King George II of Great Britain. Her mother was the youngest child of King Frederik V of Denmark and Norway and his first wife Princess Louisa of Great Britain, daughter of King George II of Great Britain. King Christian VII of Denmark and Norway and Sophia Magdalena, wife of King Gustav III of Sweden were Marie’s maternal aunt and uncle.

Marie had five younger siblings:

Being the second son, Marie’s father Carl had to find his own way in life and so he did what many other younger royal sons did, took positions from foreign royal relatives. Carl’s opportunities in Denmark were far greater than what Hesse-Kassel could offer him. He became a Field Marshal in the Danish Army and was royal governor of the Danish duchies of Schleswig-Holstein from 1769 to 1836. Marie and her siblings were raised at Gottorp Castle in Slesvig, then part of Denmark now Schleswig in Germany, and at her mother’s country estate Louisenlund.

Louiselund; Credit – By PodracerHH – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6889446

In 1772, due to the mental illness of King Christian VII, his half-brother Hereditary Prince Frederik became Regent but it was Hereditary Prince Frederik’s mother Dowager Queen Juliana Maria who really held the power. In 1784, Crown Prince Frederik, the only son of King Christian VII of Denmark and Norway, reached the age of legal majority. He had no intention of allowing Hereditary Prince Frederik and his mother Juliana to continue their rule. Crown Prince Frederik somehow managed to get his insane father to sign an order dismissing Hereditary Prince Frederik’s supporters from the council and declaring that no royal order was legal unless co-signed by the Crown Prince, thereby deposing his stepmother and half-brother. Crown Prince Frederik then ruled permanently as Crown Prince Regent until the death of his father.

Marie holding a portrait of her fiancé by Cornelius Høyer; Credit – Wikipedia

Princess Marie of Hesse-Kassel was on the list of possible brides for Crown Prince Frederik. She had some advantages: her mother was the daughter of a King of Denmark and she had been raised in Denmark. However, factions of the Danish court did not support the marriage because a more dynastic marriage was preferred but Crown Prince Frederik wanted to show his independence and insisted upon the marriage.

Crown Prince Frederik, the future King Frederik VI; Credit – Wikipedia

On July 31, 1790, in the Gottorp Castle chapel, Frederik and Marie were married. The couple made a triumphant official entrance into Copenhagen on September 14, 1790. The Danish people were enthusiastic about the marriage because Marie was considered completely Danish and not a foreign princess although she had received a German education and German was her first language.

Crown Princess Marie was under immense pressure to produce a male heir to the throne because the main line of the Danish royal family was in danger of becoming extinct. Frederik and Marie had eight children but unfortunately, six of them, including two boys, died in infancy. Only two daughters survived and both daughters had childless marriages. For the rest of her life, Marie would lament her lack of sons and grandchildren. Injuries from her last childbirth prevented Marie from having any further marital relations and she was forced to accept her husband’s adultery.

King Frederik VI and Queen Marie with their daughters Caroline and Vilhelmine by Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg, 1821; Credit – Wikipedia

When King Christian VII died on March 13, 1808, his son succeeded him as King Frederik VI of Denmark and Marie became Queen of Denmark. She became more acquainted with Danes, finally learned the Danish language more fluently, took an interest in Danish literature and history, and became interested in politics. When Frederick VI was participating in the Congress of Vienna after the Napoleonic Wars from September 5, 1814 – June 1, 1815, Marie served as Regent.

Queen Marie of Denmark; Credit – Wikipedia

King Frederick VI died on December 3, 1839, at the age of 71 at Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen. He had reigned Denmark for a total of 55 years: 24 years as Crown Prince Regent and 31 years as King. As he had no sons, he was succeeded by King Christian VIII, the son of King Frederik’ VI’s half-uncle Frederik, Hereditary Prince of Denmark.

After her husband’s death, Marie retired from public life but remained a respected figure, living at Frederiksborg Castle and Amalienborg Palace. The conflicts between the branches of the Danish royal family during the succession crisis caused by a lack of male dynasts and the First Schleswig War (1848–51) caused her much distress.

Marie of Hesse-Kassel, Queen of Denmark died on March 21, 1852, at Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen at the age of 84. She was buried at Roskilde Cathedral in the Frederik V Chapel near her husband.

Tomb of Marie Sophie of Hesse-Kassel, Queen of Denmark; Photo by 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.

Kingdom of Denmark Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • Da.wikipedia.org. (2018). Frederik 6.. [online] Available at: https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederik_6. [Accessed 15 Sep. 2018].
  • De.wikipedia.org. (2018). Marie von Hessen-Kassel (1767–1852). [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie_von_Hessen-Kassel_(1767%E2%80%931852) [Accessed 15 Sep. 2018].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Landgrave Charles of Hesse-Kassel. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landgrave_Charles_of_Hesse-Kassel [Accessed 15 Sep. 2018].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Frederick VI of Denmark. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_VI_of_Denmark [Accessed 15 Sep. 2018].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Marie of Hesse-Kassel. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie_of_Hesse-Kassel [Accessed 15 Sep. 2018].
  • Flantzer, S. (2016). King Christian VII of Denmark. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-christian-vii-of-denmark/ [Accessed 15 Sep. 2018].
  • Flantzer, S. (2018). King Frederik VI of Denmark. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-frederik-vi-of-denmark/

Ernst August II, Crown Prince of Hanover

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2019

Ernst August II, Crown Prince of Hanover; Credit – Wikipedia

Ernst August was the last Crown Prince of Hanover, and the last to hold the Dukedoms of Cumberland and Teviotdale in the United Kingdom. He was born Prince Ernst August Wilhelm Adolf Georg Friedrich on September 21, 1845, in Hanover, Kingdom of Hanover, now in Lower Saxony, Germany. He was the only son of King Georg V of Hanover and Princess Marie of Saxe-Altenburg. He had two younger sisters:

Queen’s Villa in Gmunden. photo: Von Lars Staffanski – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=32046268

Ernst August became Crown Prince upon his father’s accession in November 1851. However, in 1866, Hanover was annexed by the Kingdom of Prussia after siding against Prussia in the Austro-Prussian War. Two years later, Ernst August’s parents moved their family to Gmunden, Austria. They took up residence at Villa Redtenbacher, which they later purchased. It would be his parents’ home until his father died in 1878, and later became known as the Queen’s Villa, as Queen Marie remained there until she died in 1907.

Princess Thyra of Denmark, c1871. source: Wikipedia

On December 21, 1878, Ernst August married Princess Thyra of Denmark at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen. She was the daughter of King Christian IX of Denmark and Princess Luise of Hesse-Kassel. The couple first met while Ernst August was visiting his second cousin, The Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII of the United Kingdom) at Sandringham in Norfolk, England in 1875. Princess Thyra was the sister of Edward’s wife Alexandra. Ernst August and Thyra had six children:

Ernst August with his wife and children, 1888. source: Wikipedia

Upon his father’s death in June 1878, Ernst August inherited his titles, becoming the 3rd Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale and Earl of Armagh in the United Kingdom, and head of the House of Hanover. He was also made a Knight of the Order of the Garter by Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, his father’s first cousin. Like his father, he continued to claim his right to the Hanoverian throne, which caused friction with Prussia. This was such a big issue that when he became the rightful successor to the Duchy of Brunswick upon the death of his cousin Wilhelm, Duke of Brunswick, the Kingdom of Prussia refused to allow him to ascend the ducal throne. Instead, they appointed Prince Albrecht of Prussia to serve as Regent for the duchy.

After succeeding his father, Ernst August purchased a large amount of land near the Villa, and in 1882, began construction on a new castle in Gmunden, Austria. Completed four years later, he named it Schloss Cumberland (link in German), in honor of his British title. Schloss Cumberland would become Ernst August’s primary residence for the rest of his life.

Reconciliation with Prussia finally came in 1913. Ernst August’s son, also named Ernst August, became engaged to Princess Viktoria Luise of Prussia, the only daughter of the German Emperor. In the days leading up to the wedding, Ernst August renounced his rights to the Duchy of Brunswick in favor of his son, who took his place as Duke of Brunswick.

World War I saw the end of what had always been a close relationship with his British relatives. He was removed from the roll of the Order of the Garter in 1915, and in 1917 was stripped of his title of Prince of the United Kingdom. Lastly, as a result of the Titles Deprivation Act, in 1919 he was stripped of his British peerages for “bearing arms against Great Britain.” The titles – Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale – remain in abeyance, and his direct descendants could petition to have them restored. To date, no such petition has been made.

Schloss Cumberland. photo: Stague49 – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=67974426

The former Crown Prince spent his remaining years at Schloss Cumberland in Gmunden, Austria where he died on November 14, 1923, after suffering a stroke. He is buried in the mausoleum at the Schloss, alongside his wife and mother.

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.

Prince Ernst August V of Hanover

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Prince Ernst August V of Hanover – Credit – www.tatler.com

Duchy of Brunswick: The Principality of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel was a subdivision of the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg. After the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, the Congress of Vienna turned Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel into an independent country called the Duchy of Brunswick in 1815. Ernst August III, the last Duke of Brunswick was forced to abdicate on November 8, 1918, as the German Empire came to an end. Today the land that encompassed the Duchy of Brunswick is in the German state of  Lower Saxony. Since 1866, the senior heir of the House of Hanover has been the pretender to the throne of the Kingdom of Hanover.

********************

Prince Ernst August (V) of Hanover is the current pretender to the thrones of the Kingdom of Hanover and the Duchy of Brunswick. Born on February 26, 1954, in Hanover, Lower Saxony, then in West Germany, now in Germany, he is the second of the six children and the eldest of the three sons of Ernst August (IV), Hereditary Prince of Brunswick, Prince of Hanover, the son of Ernst August (III), Duke of Brunswick and Princess Viktoria Luise of Prussia, the only daughter of Wilhelm II, German Emperor, and his first wife Princess Ortrud of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg. At his christening, he was given a long string of names: Ernst August Albert Paul Otto Rupprecht Oskar Berthold Friedrich Ferdinand Christian Ludwig.

Ernst August has five siblings:

Ernst August (V), the tallest boy, with his parents and siblings; Credit – https://www.welfenbund.de/

Ernst August is among the senior male-line descendants of King George III of the United Kingdom. This line is directly descended from George III’s son, Ernest Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, who became King of Hanover due to the Salic Law which forbade female succession following the death of his brother King William IV and the accession of Queen Victoria. (George III → Ernest Augustus (I), Duke of Cumberland, King of Hanover → George V, King of Hanover → Ernst August (II), Duke of Cumberland (married Princess Thyra of Denmark, daughter of King Christian IX) → Ernst August (III), Duke of Brunswick (married Viktoria Luise, only daughter of Wilhelm II, German Emperor) → Ernst August (IV), Hereditary Prince of Brunswick → Ernst August (V), Prince of Hanover)

He is also a great-great-great-grandson of Queen Victoria via his father (Queen Victoria → Victoria, Princess Royal → Wilhelm II, German Emperor → Viktoria Luise of Prussia → Ernst August (IV), Hereditary Prince of Brunswick→ Ernst August (V), Prince of Hanover) and a great-great-grandson of King Christian IX of Denmark via his father (King Christian IX → Thyra of Denmark → Ernst August (III), Duke of Brunswick → Ernst August (IV), Hereditary Prince of Brunswick → Ernst August (V), Prince of Hanover).

Ernst August (V)’s father was the brother of Frederica of Hanover who married King Paul I of Greece. Therefore, Ernst August (V) is the first cousin of Frederica and Paul’s children: the late King Constantine II of Greece, Queen Sofia of Spain, and Princess Irene of Greece. Ernst August (V)’s paternal uncle Prince Georg Wilhelm of Hanover married Princess Sophie of Greece, a sister of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

On June 17, 1914, King George V of the United Kingdom, who was the first cousin of Ernst August (V’s) grandfather Ernst August (III), Duke of Brunswick via their mothers and third cousins via their fathers, issued a Letters Patent granting the children of the Duke of Brunswick the style Highness and declaring that they would be Prince or Princess of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. The Letters Patent clearly state the style and title were only for the children of Ernst August (III), Duke of Brunswick.

On November 8, 1918, at the end of World War I, Ernst August (V)’s grandfather was forced to abdicate his throne as reigning Duke of Brunswick. In 1919, German royalty and nobility lost their privileges in Germany. Thereafter, hereditary titles could only be used legally as part of surnames. In 1931, Ernst August (III), Duke of Brunswick declared that his descendants, as descendants of King George III, would continue to use British HRH Prince/Princess. However, legally they are not British HRH Prince/Princess. All titles used by the family are used in pretense.

As the senior male descendant of George III’s son, Ernest Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, Ernst’s August (V)’s grandfather, the former Duke of Brunswick, also held the British peerage titles Duke of Cumberland, Duke of Teviotdale, and Earl of Armagh. In 1917, the British Parliament passed the Titles Deprivation Act 1917 which allowed the Privy Council to investigate “any persons enjoying any dignity or title as a peer or British prince who have, during the present war, borne arms against His Majesty or His Allies, or who have adhered to His Majesty’s enemies.” Under the terms of that act, an Order in Council on March 28, 1919, formally removed the former Duke of Brunswick’s British peerages, Duke of Cumberland, Duke of Teviotdale, and Earl of Armagh. The former Duke of Brunswick and his children also lost their titles of Prince and Princess of the United Kingdom and the styles Royal Highness and Highness. According to the Titles Deprivation Act, the male heirs of Ernst August, former Duke of Brunswick have the right to ask the British Crown to reinstate their British peerage titles but no descendant has ever done so. Currently, Ernst August (V) is the male heir of these British peerages.

Ernst August (V) attended schools in West Germany until the age of fifteen when his motorcycle driving license was revoked due to an accident. Shortly afterward, he was sent to England where he attended the Box Hill School in Surrey. Ernst August (V) discovered that he was interested in agriculture which he studied in Canada and then at the Royal Agricultural University in Cirencester, England. Afterward, he worked as a businessman and producer of animal documentary films.

Ernst August and Chantal on their wedding day; Credit – https://www.pinterest.com/pin/314970567684403672/?lp=true 

In 1980, Ernst August (V) became engaged to Chantal Hochuli, the daughter of Johann Gustav Hochuli, a Swiss architect and millionaire from his family’s chocolate company, and Rosemarie Lembeck. Ernst August’s father was initially opposed to the marriage because of Chantal’s less-than-royal ancestry. However, he eventually changed his mind and modified the House of Hanover’s dynastic laws so that the marriage could take place. The couple was married on August 28, 1981, in a civil ceremony in Pattensen, Germany. A religious ceremony was held on August 30, 1981, at Marienburg Castle, also in Pattensen, Germany.

Ernst August and Chantal had two sons:

Prince Ernst August (VI) of Hanover and his wife; By Foto: Axel Hindemith, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=60789603

Embed from Getty Images 
Prince Christian of Hanover and his wife

In 1987, Ernst August (V)’s father died and he became Head of the House of Hanover and pretender to the thrones of the Kingdom of Hanover and the Duchy of Brunswick.

Caroline and Ernst on their wedding day; Credit – https://www.pinterest.com/pin/30399366205165248/?lp=true

In 1996, rumors emerged that romantically linked Ernst August (V) to Princess Caroline of Monaco, a long-time friend. Ernst August and Caroline had been seen together in the Far East, New York, and London. On October 23, 1997, Ernst August and his wife Chantal were divorced. On January 23, 1999, in a civil ceremony in Monaco, Ernst August married Caroline who was pregnant with their child. It was the third marriage for Caroline.

The couple had one daughter:

While initially very happy, the couple, still legally married, now leads separate lives. Caroline and her daughter Alexandra live primarily in Monaco, while her husband remains at his homes in Germany.

Embed from Getty Images
Princess Alexandra of Hanover

Over the years, Ernst August (V) has had several controversial incidents. In 2000, he was photographed urinating on the Turkish Pavilion at Expo 2000 in Hanover, Germany causing a diplomatic incident when the Turkish embassy accused him of insulting the Turkish people. In 2004, he was convicted of aggravated assault and causing grievous bodily harm after beating a German man in a nightclub in Kenya.

In 2004, Ernst August (V) signed over to his elder son Ernst August (VI ) his German property, including Marienburg Castle, Calenberg Castle, the Princely House at Herrenhausen Gardens and some forests near Blankenburg Castle. Since then, the younger Ernst August has taken over many representative tasks on behalf of his father. Ernst August (V) initially remained in charge of the family assets in Austria. In 2013, due to negligence, Ernst August (V) was removed as chairman of the family foundation that controls the family assets. His elder son Ernst August (VI) was made the chairman of the family foundation. Due to disputes over the family assets, Ernst August (V) declared his intention to withhold consent for his elder son’s marriage which he did not attend.

Ernst August (V) at the wedding of his son Christian, 2018; Credit – www.zimbio.com

Ernst August (V) also has had several health issues. On April 3, 2005, he was admitted to the hospital with acute pancreatitis. The next day, he fell into a coma, two days before the death of his father-in-law Rainier III, Prince of Monaco. A few days later, he was no longer in a coma but remained in intensive care. Ernst August (V) was hospitalized again in 2011, 2017, and 2018 for problems related to alcohol. The incident in 2018 occurred during the wedding celebrations of his son Christian in Lima, Peru. During the celebrations, Ernst August (V) lost consciousness because he drank too much and had to be admitted to a hospital where he was placed in a medically induced coma. After two weeks in the hospital, he was transferred to a clinic in Austria. In February 2019, he had another serious health issue. He was taken to the hospital by helicopter and needed emergency surgery for a ruptured duodenal ulcer. A week later, doctors discovered that Ernst August (V) had throat cancer. Because of the poor state of his health, doctors treated the tumor with cryotherapy.

In July 2020, it was reported that Ernst August (V) was temporarily taken to a psychiatric facility. He reportedly called police saying he needed immediate help. When the police arrived, Ernst August (V) was extremely aggressive and attacked them physically.

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

  • bild.de. (2019). Krebs-Schock: Tumor im Hals bei Ernst August von Hannover. [online] Available at: https://www.bild.de/unterhaltung/leute/leute/krebs-schock-tumor-im-hals-bei-ernst-august-von-hannover-60112354.bild.html [Accessed 22 Mar. 2019].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2019). Prince Ernst August of Hanover (born 1954). [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Ernst_August_of_Hanover_(born_1954) [Accessed 22 Mar. 2019].
  • Es.wikipedia.org. (2019). Ernesto Augusto de Hannover (1954). [online] Available at: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernesto_Augusto_de_Hannover_(1954) [Accessed 22 Mar. 2019].
  • Flantzer, S. (2019). Ernst August (IV), Hereditary Prince of Brunswick, Prince of Hanover. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/ernst-august-iv-hereditary-prince-of-brunswick-prince-of-hanover/ [Accessed 22 Mar. 2019].
  • It.wikipedia.org. (2019). Ernesto Augusto di Hannover (1954). [online] Available at: https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernesto_Augusto_di_Hannover_(1954) [Accessed 22 Mar. 2019].
  • Madame Figaro. (2017). Le mari de Caroline de Monaco s’oppose au mariage de son fils. [online] Available at: http://madame.lefigaro.fr/celebrites/ernst-august-de-hanovre-le-mari-de-caroline-de-monaco-soppose-au-mariage-de-son-fils-avec-la-russe-ekaterina-malysheva-030717-133081 [Accessed 22 Mar. 2019].
  • País, E. (2019). Ernesto de Hannover, operado de urgencia por un problema de páncreas. [online] EL PAÍS. Available at: https://elpais.com/elpais/2019/02/06/gente/1549451643_943505.html [Accessed 22 Mar. 2019].

Ernst August IV, Hereditary Prince of Brunswick, Prince of Hanover

by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Ernst August in the 1930s; Credit – Wikipedia

Duchy of Brunswick: The Principality of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel was a subdivision of the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg. After the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, the Congress of Vienna turned Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel into an independent country called the Duchy of Brunswick in 1815. Ernst August III, the last Duke of Brunswick was forced to abdicate on November 8, 1918, as the German Empire came to an end. Today the land that encompassed the Duchy of Brunswick is in the German state of  Lower Saxony. Since 1866, the senior heir of the House of Hanover has been the pretender to the throne of the Kingdom of Hanover.

********************

The second of the five children and the eldest of the three sons of Ernst August (III), Duke of Brunswick and Princess Viktoria Luise of Prussia, the only daughter of Wilhelm II, German Emperor and King of Prussia, Ernst August was born on March 18, 1914, in Brunswick in the Duchy of Brunswick now in Lower Saxony, Germany. As his father was the reigning Duke of Brunswick, Ernst August (IV) was styled His Royal Highness The Hereditary Prince of Brunswick at birth.

Embed from Getty Images 
Ernst August (IV)’s parents

Ernst August (IV) was among the senior male-line descendants of King George III of the United Kingdom. This line is descended from George III’s son, Ernest Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, who became King of Hanover (due to the Salic Law which forbade female succession) following the death of his brother King William IV and the accession of Queen Victoria. (George III → Ernest Augustus (I), Duke of Cumberland, King of Hanover → George V, King of Hanover → Ernst August (II), Duke of Cumberland (married Princess Thyra of Denmark, sister of Queen Alexandra of UK, Empress Marie Feodorovna of Russia and King George I of Greece) → Ernst August (III), Duke of Brunswick (married Viktoria Luise, only daughter of Kaiser Wilhelm II) → Ernst August (IV), Hereditary Prince of Brunswick).

He was also a great-great-grandson of Queen Victoria via his mother (Queen Victoria → Victoria, Princess Royal → Wilhelm, German Emperor →  Viktoria Luise of Prussia → Ernst August (IV), Hereditary Prince of Brunswick) and a great-grandson of King Christian IX of Denmark via his father (King Christian IX → Thyra of Denmark → Ernst August, Duke of Brunswick → Ernst August (IV), Hereditary Prince of Brunswick).

On June 17, 1914, King George V of the United Kingdom, the first cousin of Ernst August (III), Duke of Brunswick via their mothers and third cousins via their fathers, issued a Letters Patent granting the children of the Duke of Brunswick the style Highness and declaring that they would be Prince or Princess of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.

Ernst August’s christening at Brunswick Cathedral in May 1914 was perhaps the last great gathering of European royalty before the start of World War I in August 1914. Christened with the names Ernst August Georg Wilhelm Christian Ludwig Franz Joseph Nikolaus Oskar, the infant prince had a long list of illustrious royal godparents, some of whom would be on opposite sides in the upcoming war:

Ernst August (IV) with his mother in 1914; Credit – Wikipedia

Ernst August (IV) had three brothers and one sister:

Ernst August on the right with his parents and his brother Georg Wilhelm in 1916; Credit – Wikipedia

On November 8, 1918, at the end of World War I, Ernst August’s father was forced to abdicate his throne as reigning Duke of Brunswick. The Duke of Brunswick had been appointed a Knight of the Order of the Garter by Queen Victoria in 1878, but he had been struck off the roll of the Order of the Garter in 1915 by his first cousin King George V of the United Kingdom along with six other Austrian or German royals. Further action was taken against him after the British Parliament passed the Titles Deprivation Act 1917 which allowed the Privy Council to investigate “any persons enjoying any dignity or title as a peer or British prince who have, during the present war, borne arms against His Majesty or His Allies, or who have adhered to His Majesty’s enemies.” Under the terms of that act, an Order in Council on March 28, 1919, formally removed the former Duke of Brunswick’s British peerages, Duke of Cumberland, Duke of Teviotdale, and Earl of Armagh. The former Duke of Brunswick and his children also lost their titles of Prince and Princess of the United Kingdom and the styles Royal Highness and Highness. According to the Titles Deprivation Act, the male heirs of Ernst August, former Duke of Brunswick have the right to ask the British Crown to reinstate their British peerage titles but no descendant has ever done so.

In 1919, German royalty and nobility lost their privileges in Germany. Thereafter, hereditary titles could legally be used as part of surnames. In 1931, Ernst August (III), Duke of Brunswick declared that his descendants, as descendants of King George III, would continue to use British HRH Prince/Princess. However, legally they are not British HRH Prince/Princess. All titles used by the family are used in pretense.

Cumberland Castle; Credit – By Pepito Tey – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0 at, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=22858180

After World War I, the Hanover family first took refuge at Cumberland Castle, their home in Gmunden, Austria. Once the situation in Germany calmed down, they returned to Germany, claim the bulk of their fortune, and retain ownership of Blankenburg Castle and Marienburg Castle.

First educated with his family in Austria and Germany, Ernst August attended the Gymnasium (secondary school) in Hamelin in Lower Saxony, Germany along with his brother Georg Wilhelm. The brothers lived with one of their teachers, Dr. Oppermann. Ernst August then attended the Schule Schloss Salem established by the educator Kurt Hahn with the support of Prince Maximilian of Baden (one of Ernst August’s godparents). Later, under the Nazi regime, Hahn, who was Jewish, left Germany for Scotland where he founded the Gordonstoun School, later attended by Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (who previously also attended Schule Schloss Salem) and his three sons.  After his secondary education was completed, Ernst August went to England where he studied at Oxford University. Returning to Germany, he attended the University of Göttingen and received a Doctorate of Jurisprudence (law) in 1937.

During World War II, Ernst August (IV) served as an officer in the 4th Panzers Group under the command of General Erich Hoepner.  In 1944, Ernst August (IV) and most other former German princes were expelled from the army by Adolf Hitler. Ernst August’s former commander General Hoepner was a participant in the unsuccessful July 20, 1944 plot to assassinate Hitler and was hanged on August 8, 1944. Ernst August (IV) was arrested by the Gestapo who suspected him, wrongly, of being involved in the plot. He was imprisoned for a few weeks and then released.

Embed from Getty Images
Wedding of Ernst August (IV) and Ortrud

On August 31, 1951, at Marienburg Castle in Hanover, Germany, Ernst August (IV) married Princess Ortrud of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, daughter of Prince Albrecht of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg and his second wife Princess Hertha of Ysenburg and Büdingen. Ortrud’s parents had been close friends of Ernst August’s grandfather Wilhelm II, German Emperor. A religious ceremony was held on September 5, 1951, in the Marktkirche in Hanover, followed by a reception in the Gallery Building at Herrenhausen Gardens, the only part of the House of Hanover’s former summer palace still intact, as the palace itself had been destroyed during World War II. The marriage was considered an equal marriage, in accordance with the laws of the House of Hanover, allowing Ernst August (IV) to inherit the property and titles of his family.

Ernst August (IV), Ortrud, & their children; Credit; https://www.welfenbund.de/

Ernst August and Ortrud had six children:

In 1953, Ernst August (IV)’s father died and he became Head of the House of Hanover and pretender to the thrones of Hanover and Brunswick.

The Sophia Naturalization Act 1705 provided that all the children and descendants of Electress Sophia of Hanover, with the exception of Roman Catholics, shall be naturalized as British citizens. The Act was repealed by the British Nationality Act 1948 but it was stipulated that any non-Catholic descendant of Electress Sophia of Hanover who had already been born when the repealing statute was enacted in 1949 could claim British citizenship. In 1957, Ernest August (IV), a descendant of Electress Sophia, successfully sought a declaration that he was a British citizen under the 1705 and 1948 Acts. No other family members became British citizens at that time and the citizenship did not extend to any descendants of Ernst August (IV), Hereditary Prince of Brunswick, who were all born after 1949.

In 1961, Ernst August (IV) sold his remaining properties at Herrenhausen Gardens except for the Princely House, a small palace built in 1720 by King George I of Great Britain. Marienburg Castle was turned into a museum in 1954 and Ernst August (IV) moved to the nearby Calenberg Castle. This move caused a serious disagreement with his mother who had to move out of the castle. Ernst August (IV) also sold Cumberland Castle at Gmunden, Austria to the state of Upper Austria in 1979. However, the family foundation based in Liechtenstein kept forests, a game park, a hunting lodge, and other properties at Gmunden. The family property is now managed by Ernst August (IV)’s grandson Ernst August (VI) after his father Ernst August (V) transferred the property to him in November 2018.

Countess Monika zu Solms-Laubach, Ernst August’s second wife; Credit – By Source (WP:NFCC#4), Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=60077233

On February 6, 1980, Ernst August (IV)’s first wife Ortrud died at the age of 54. She was buried at Marienburg Castle. Ernst August (IV) married for a second time to Countess Monika zu Solms-Laubach. The couple was married in a civil ceremony on July 16, 1981, and then in a religious ceremony the next day.

Ernst August (IV); Credit – https://www.geni.com/

On December 9, 1987, Ernst August (IV), the former Hereditary Prince of Brunswick and Prince of Hanover, died at Calenberg Castle in Schulenburg in Lower Saxony, Germany at the age of 73. He was buried next to his first wife at Marienburg Castle. His second wife Monika survived him by nearly 28 years, dying on June 4, 2015, at the age of 85, and was buried in her birthplace, Laubach in Hesse, Germany.

Marienburg Castle where Ernst August is buried; Credit – By Ralf Claus – Ralf Claus, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=43012866

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. (2019). Prince Ernest Augustus of Hanover (1914–1987). [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Ernest_Augustus_of_Hanover_(1914%E2%80%931987) [Accessed 21 Mar. 2019].
  • Fr.wikipedia.org. (2019). Ernest-Auguste de Hanovre (1914-1987). [online] Available at: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest-Auguste_de_Hanovre_(1914-1987) [Accessed 21 Mar. 2019].
  • HRH Viktoria Luise, Princess of Prussia. (1977). The Kaiser’s Daughter. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, Inc.
  • Mehl, S. (2018). Ernst August III of Hanover, Duke of Brunswick. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/ernst-august-iii-of-hanover-duke-of-brunswick/ [Accessed 21 Mar. 2019].
  • Mehl, S. (2018). Viktoria Luise of Prussia, Princess of Hanover, Duchess of Brunswick. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/viktoria-luise-of-prussia-princess-of-hanover-duchess-of-brunswick/ [Accessed 21 Mar. 2019].
  • Petropoulos, J. (2009). Royals and the Reich. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Augusta of Hesse-Kassel, Duchess of Cambridge

by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Augusta, Duchess of Cambridge, 1818 by William Beechey; Credit – Wikipedia

Princess Augusta of Hesse-Kassel was the wife of Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge, son of King George III of the United Kingdom and Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. Through her granddaughter Queen Mary, Princess Augusta is an ancestor of the British Royal Family.

Auguste Wilhelmine Luise was born on July 25, 1797, at Rumpenheim Castle (in German) in Offenbach am Main, Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel, now in Hesse, Germany. She was the youngest child of the eight children Prince Friedrich of Hesse-Kassel and Princess Caroline of Nassau-Usingen.  Her father was the youngest son of Landgrave Friedrich II of Hesse-Kassel and Princess Mary of Great Britain, daughter of King George II of Great Britain.

Princess Augusta Wilhelmina Louisa, Duchess of Cambridge by Johann Giere, after Georg Friedrich Reichmann, lithograph, early 19th-century NPG D7448 © National Portrait Gallery, London

Augusta had seven older siblings:

Augusta’s paternal grandparents had an unhappy marriage and when her grandfather Landgrave Friedrich II of Hesse-Kassel converted to Roman Catholicism, her grandmother Princess Mary of Great Britain took her children to the Danish court where her sister Louise was married to King Frederik V of Denmark. Princess Mary’s younger sons remained in Denmark and had important positions in the Danish military and government. Augusta’s father was a general in the Danish army, and so she grew up mostly in Denmark but spent some time in Hesse-Kassel.

Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1817, in the United Kingdom, after the tragic death in childbirth of Princess Charlotte of Wales, the only legitimate grandchild of King George III despite the king having twelve surviving children, the king’s aging bachelor sons needed to seek brides to provide for the succession.  Of all the bachelor sons, Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge was the most eligible. He had neither mistresses nor illegitimate children and he had not married in contravention to the Royal Marriages Act. Adolphus had a military career and attained the rank of Field Marshal. Since the British Kings of the House of Hanover were also Kings of Hanover, someone was needed to represent them in Hanover. In 1816, Adolphus was appointed Governor-General of the Kingdom of Hanover and then Viceroy of Hanover.

Princess Augusta Wilhelmina Louisa, Duchess of Cambridge by James Thomson, published by Dean & Munday, after John Partridge, stipple engraving printed in colours, published 1 July 1818, NPG D8036 © National Portrait Gallery, London

Adolphus had been given the task of helping to find a bride for his elder brother Prince William, Duke of Clarence, the future King William IV. Princess Augusta of Hesse-Kassel was one of the princesses on his list. Adolphus wrote that Augusta “would make an ideal Queen of England”. Upon hearing this, William said that it appeared Adolphus was in love with Augusta himself and wrote to his brother to take her for himself. By Christmas 1817, Adolphus and Augusta were engaged. Adolphus married Augusta of Hesse-Kassel in the Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel, now in Hesse, Germany, on May 7, 1818, and then again at the Queen’s House (now Buckingham Palace) in the presence of Queen Charlotte on June 1, 1818.  The groom was 44 and the bride was 20.  Despite the age difference, the marriage was a happy one and Adolphus was very much in love with Augusta.  The couple lived in Hanover from 1818 – 1837 while Adolphus served his father and then his two brothers, King George IV and King William IV, as Viceroy of Hanover. Upon their return to England, Adolphus and Augusta lived at Cambridge House and later at St. James’s Palace, both in London.

The couple had three children:

Princess Augusta Wilhelmina Louisa, Duchess of Cambridge; Princess Mary Adelaide, Duchess of Teck by Camille Silvy, albumen carte-de-visite, 9 October 1860 NPG Ax46799 © National Portrait Gallery, London

Prince Adolphus died “of cramps in the stomach” at Cambridge House in London on July 8, 1850, at the age of 76.  He was buried in the Cambridge Mausoleum, built following his death at St. Anne’s Church in Kew, London.  Augusta survived her husband by 39 years, dying at age 91 on April 6, 1889, at St. James’ Palace in London. She was the last surviving daughter-in-law of King George III.  Queen Victoria wrote of her death: “Very sad, though not for her. But she is the last of her generation, & I have no longer anyone above me.” In 1930, the remains of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were removed from the mausoleum at St. Anne’s Church and interred in the Royal Vault in St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle at the instigation of their granddaughter Queen Mary.

Princess Augusta Wilhelmina Louisa, Duchess of Cambridge by Walery, published by Sampson Low & Co, carbon print, published April 1889 NPG x9115 © National Portrait Gallery, London

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

  • De.wikipedia.org. (2018). Auguste von Hessen. [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auguste_von_Hessen [Accessed 12 Sep. 2018].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Prince Frederick of Hesse-Kassel. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landgrave_Frederick_of_Hesse-Kassel [Accessed 12 Sep. 2018].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Princess Augusta of Hesse-Kassel. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Augusta_of_Hesse-Kassel [Accessed 12 Sep. 2018].
  • Flantzer, S. (2013). Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/july-8-daily-featured-royal-date/ [Accessed 12 Sep. 2018].
  • Fraser, Flora. Princesses: The Six Daughters of George III. (2004). New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
  • Van Der Kiste, John (2013). George III’s Children. New York: The History Press.
  • Van Der Kiste, John. (2000). The Georgian Princesses. Phoenix Mill: Sutton Publishing.

Friedrich VI, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg

by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Friedrich VI, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg; Credit – Wikipedia

Friedrich VI was a reigning Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg and the husband of Princess Elizabeth of the United Kingdom, daughter of King George III of the United Kingdom. Friedrich Joseph Ludwig Carl August was born on July 30, 1769, in Bad Homburg vor der Höhe in the Landgraviate of Hesse-Homburg, now in Hesse, Germany. He was the eldest child of Friedrich V, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg and Caroline of Hesse-Darmstadt.

Friedrich had fifteen siblings, but only eleven survived childhood:

Friedrich was educated with his brother Ludwig Wilhelm. They studied together in Geneva, and in 1788, they joined the Prussian army together. Friedrich then served in the Austrian army during the Napoleonic Wars, reaching the rank of Field Marshal. He was injured several times and was created a Commander of the Austrian Military Order of Maria Theresa.

While Friedrich was in the military, he showed no inclination to marry. In 1814, 45-year-old Friedrich had met 44-year-old Princess Elizabeth, the third daughter and seventh of the fifteen children of King George III of the United Kingdom and Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, at a ball held at the British court. None of George III’s six daughters had been allowed to marry at the age when most princesses would marry. The daughters were very sheltered and spent most of their time with their parents and sisters. The living conditions of King George’s daughters came to be known as “the Nunnery.”

Perhaps this over-protection of King George III’s daughters was due to what happened to his sister Caroline Matilda when she married King Christian VII of Denmark. Christian’s mental illness led to Caroline Matilda having an affair, being caught, the execution of her lover, and her exile. Two of King George III’s daughters managed to get married: In 1797, Charlotte, Princess Royal married the future King Friedrich I of Württemberg at the age of 31 and had one stillborn daughter. In 1816, 40-year-old Princess Mary married her cousin Prince William Frederick, Duke of Gloucester, and had no children. Princess Elizabeth was the last of the daughters to finally escape from “the Nunnery.”  Augusta, Sophia, and Amelia never married.

Princess Elizabeth of the United Kingdom, Landgravine of Hesse-Homburg; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1818, Elizabeth read a letter from 48-year-old Friedrich, then Hereditary Prince of Hesse-Homburg to her mother asking to marry Elizabeth, and she finally saw the way to exit “the Nunnery.” Elizabeth was nearly 48 years old and was hardly likely to provide heirs for Hesse-Homburg. Her dowry would go a long way in helping tiny Hesse-Homburg out of its debts and would provide funds for needed building renovations. Elizabeth would have her own household to administer, a husband, and freedom from her mother. Queen Charlotte was not easily persuaded to agree to the marriage, and after heated discussions and interventions from several of Elizabeth’s siblings, the Queen agreed to the marriage.

On April 7, 1818, in the Private Chapel at the Queen’s House (now Buckingham Palace), Princess Elizabeth married her prince and gained her freedom. The bride wore a dress of silver tissue and Brussels lace with ostrich feathers on her head. Friedrich was not handsome, but he was very kindhearted and a war hero, wounded at the Battle of Leipzig. The couple spent their honeymoon at the Royal Lodge at Windsor. The marriage was not a love match, but through mutual understanding and respect, it was a happy marriage that met the needs of both Elizabeth and Friedrich.

Elizabeth of the United Kingdom and Frederick VI, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg; Credit – royalcollection.org.uk

On January 20, 1820, Friedrich’s father died, and he succeeded him as Landgrave of the 85 square mile/ 221 km2 Landgraviate of Hesse-Homburg. Using Elizabeth’s dowry and annual allowance, the couple built new roads, restored the castles in Bad Homburg and Meisenheim, and became involved in caring for the poor. They created an English garden at Bad Homburg Castle using seeds and seedlings from England.

Bad Homburg Castle; Credit – By ziegelbrenner – Private photo, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1324918

Friedrich VI, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg died in Bad Homburg in the Landgraviate of Hesse-Homburg, now in Hesse, Germany, at the age of 59 on April 2, 1829, due to influenza and complications from an old leg wound. He was buried in the Ducal Crypt in the castle church at Bad Homburg Castle.  Elizabeth wrote, “No woman was ever more happy than I was for eleven years and they will often be lived over again in the memory of the heart.”  She survived Friedrich by nearly eleven years, dying on January 10, 1840, at the age of 69, and was buried next to Friedrich.

As Friedrich had no children, his brother Ludwig Wilhelm succeeded him. Three other brothers succeeded as the reigning Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg. Only one of Friedrich’s five brothers had children. Gustav had one son and two daughters, but his son died at the age of eighteen.

  • Ludwig Wilhelm: reigned 1829-1839, no children
  • Philip V: reigned 1839-1846, no children
  • Gustav: reigned 1846-1848, no surviving male children
  • Ferdinand: reigned 1848-1866, unmarried

After the death of Ferdinand in 1866, the Landgraviate of Hesse-Homburg was briefly added to the territory of Ludwig III, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine, before being annexed by the Kingdom of Prussia later in 1866.

Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. (2018). Friedrich VI. (Hessen-Homburg). [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedrich_VI._(Hessen-Homburg) [Accessed 11 Sep. 2018].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Frederick VI, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_VI,_Landgrave_of_Hesse-Homburg [Accessed 11 Sep. 2018].
  • Flantzer, S. (2014). Princess Elizabeth, Landgravine of Hesse-Homburg. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/january-10-1840-death-of-princess-elizabeth-of-the-united-kingdom-daughter-of-king-george-iii-of-the-united-kingdom/ [Accessed 11 Sep. 2018].
  • Fraser, Flora. Princesses: The Six Daughters of George III. (2004). New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
  • Van Der Kiste, John (2013). George III’s Children. New York: The History Press.
  • Van Der Kiste, John. (2000). The Georgian Princesses. Phoenix Mill: Sutton Publishing.

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.

Frederica Charlotte of Prussia, Duchess of York

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Frederica Charlotte of Prussia, Duchess of York; Credit – Wikipedia

Princess Frederica Charlotte of Prussia was the wife of Prince Frederick, Duke of York, the second son of King George III of the United Kingdom. Given the German names Friederike Charlotte Ulrike Katharina, she was born on May 7, 1767, at Charlottenburg Palace in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany, the only child of the future King Friedrich Wilhelm II of Prussia, eldest son of Prince August Wilhelm of Prussia (the second son of King Friedrich Wilhelm I of Prussia),  and his first wife and first cousin, Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Lüneburg.

Frederica had no siblings but had seven half-siblings from her father’s second marriage to Friederike Luise of Hesse-Darmstadt:

The family of King Friedrich Wilhelm II of Prussia, circa 1777 – seated: the future King Friedrich Wilhelm II of Prussia and his second wife Frederika Louisa of Hesse-Darmstadt holding Princess Wilhelmina; standing, left to right: Prince Friedrich Wilhelm, Prince Ludwig Karl, and Princess Frederica Charlotte; Credit – Wikipedia

At the time of her birth, Frederica’s great uncle (the uncle of both her parents) Friedrich II, better known as Frederick the Great, was King of Prussia. Friedrich II had no children, so the heir presumptive to the Prussian throne was Frederica’s father as the eldest son of Friedrich II’s next brother Prince August Wilhelm who was deceased.

Frederica’s mother Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Lüneburg, Crown Princess of Prussia; Credit – Wikipedia

Frederica’s mother Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel was the daughter of Karl I, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Philippine Charlotte of Prussia, sister of King Friedrich II of Prussia. Friedrich II had arranged the marriage of his niece Elisabeth Christine and nephew Friedrich Wilhelm hoping they would produce heirs for the Prussian throne. However, the marriage was unsuccessful. Friedrich Wilhelm neglected his wife and had constant affairs with dancers and actresses. When Frederica was born, a girl instead of a male heir, the marriage further deteriorated. Hurt by her husband’s behavior, Elisabeth Christine began to have affairs with army officers and musicians.

In January 1769, Elisabeth Christine discovered she was pregnant with the child of her lover, a musician named Pietro, and the couple planned to escape to Italy. However, at a masked ball, Friedrich Wilhelm was informed by a masked, anonymous person that his wife was pregnant. Angered by his wife’s pregnancy, Friedrich Wilhelm asked his uncle for a divorce. King Friedrich II initially refused to allow the couple to divorce but then relented. The musician Pietro was arrested and beheaded. Elisabeth Christine was placed under house arrest as a prisoner of the state in the Ducal Castle of Stettin. She never saw her daughter Frederica again. Elisabeth Christine died on February 18, 1840, at the age of 93, after spending 71 years under house arrest.

Frederica was less than two years old when her mother was banished. During her childhood, Frederica was raised with her half-siblings and she was cared for by her paternal grandmother Luise Amalie of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel and her stepmother Friederike of Hesse-Darmstadt, her father’s second wife. She also maintained a close relationship with Friedrich II’s childless wife Queen Elisabeth Christine, Frederica’s paternal great-aunt, the sister of her paternal grandmother.

Frederica’s father, King Friedrich Wilhelm II of Prussia; Credit – Wikipedia

Upon the death of Friedrich II (Frederik the Great) in 1786, Frederica’s father succeeded to the Prussian throne as King Friedrich Wilhelm II. Frederica was nineteen years old, a marriageable age, but had no offers. Five years earlier, Prince Frederick, Duke of York, the second son of King George III of the United Kingdom, had visited the Prussian count and met Frederica. In 1791, Frederick returned to the Prussian court hoping to enlist in the Prussian army in a war against Austria which ultimately never happened. He stayed at the Prussian court for a while and developed feelings for Frederica. Frederick proposed and Frederica accepted, and her father was glad that his 24-year-old daughter would finally be married.

Wedding of Princess Frederica Charlotte of Prussia and Prince Frederick, Duke of York; Credit – Wikipedia

On September 29, 1791, at Charlottenburg Palace in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, Frederica married Prince Frederick, Duke of York. When the new Duchess of York arrived in London, England, she received an enthusiastic welcome. A second marriage was held on November 23, 1791, at the Queen’s House (now Buckingham Palace) because the Archbishop of Canterbury was not authorized to grant a license for a ceremony held in Prussia.

The marriage was unsuccessful. Frederick was unfaithful and the couple was unable to have children. In 1794, the couple separated and Frederica lived out her life at Oatlands Park in Weybridge, Surrey, England. Frederick and Frederica remained on good terms and the couple never caused any scandal. Frederica did not like London and did not get involved in politics or any royal family issues, instead, she spent her time in Weybridge doing charity work to help the needy and working on musical projects. Frederick visited her regularly but there was never any attempt at reconciliation.

Frederica had been suffering from tuberculosis for some time and died on 6 August 6, 1820, at the age of 53 at Oatlands Park. Frederick was present at her death and shortly before she died,  Frederica begged him to allow her to be buried in Weybridge instead of  St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. On August 13, 1820, Frederica, Duchess of York was buried in the chancel of St. Nicholas at Weybridge, also known as Weybridge Old Church, in a simple vault at her request. Today the vault stands close to the tower of St. James’ Church which replaced the old church in 1848.

Grave of Frederica, Duchess of York; Credit – www.findagrave.com

The people of Weybridge so admired Frederica’s charitable works that funds were raised through a voluntary contribution for the York Column, a monument to be erected in Weybridge in her memory. The inscription on the monument reads:

“This column was erected by the inhabitants of Weybridge and its vicinity on the 6th day of August 1822 by voluntary contribution. In token of their sincere esteem and regard for her late Royal Highness the most excellent and illustrious Frederica Charlotte Ulrica Catherina, Duchess of York who resided for upwards of thirty years at Oatlands in this parish, exercising every Christian virtue and died, universally regretted, on the 6th day of August 1820.”

York Column erected in memory of Frederica, Duchess of York; Credit – https://www.allaboutweybridge.co.uk/shops-services/york-column-monument-green-history-weybridge

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). Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, Crown Princess of Prussia. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elisabeth_Christine_of_Brunswick-Wolfenb%C3%BCttel,_Crown_Princess_of_Prussia [Accessed 10 Sep. 2018].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Princess Frederica Charlotte of Prussia. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Frederica_Charlotte_of_Prussia [Accessed 10 Sep. 2018].
  • Flantzer, S. (2016). Prince Frederick, Duke of York. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/prince-frederick-duke-of-york/ [Accessed 10 Sep. 2018].
  • Fraser, Flora. Princesses: The Six Daughters of George III. (2004). New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
  • Van Der Kiste, John (2013). George III’s Children. New York: The History Press.
  • Van Der Kiste, John. (2000). The Georgian Princesses. Phoenix Mill: Sutton Publishing.

Otto von Habsburg, the last Crown Prince of Austria, Hungary, Bohemia, and Croatia

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2019

Otto von Habsburg; Credit – Wikipedia

The last Crown Prince of Austria, Hungary, Bohemia, and Croatia and later in his long life, a member of the European Parliament, Otto von Habsburg was the eldest and the longest surviving of the eight children of Karl I, the last Emperor of Austria and his wife Zita of Bourbon-Parma. Born on November 20, 1912, at Villa Wartholz in Reichenau an der Rax, Austria, he was given a long string of names, Franz Joseph Otto Robert Maria Anton Karl Max Heinrich Sixtus Xavier Felix Renatus Ludwig Gaetan Pius Ignatius. He was called Otto but was given the first names Franz Joseph with the hopes that he would reign as Franz Joseph II, Emperor of Austria in the future.

At the time of Otto’s birth, his great-great-uncle, Franz Joseph was Emperor of Austria and his father Archduke Karl was the heir to the throne. On January 30, 1889, at Mayerling, a hunting lodge in the Vienna Woods, Emperor Franz Joseph’s only son and heir Crown Prince Rudolf shot his 17-year-old mistress Baroness Mary Vetsera and then shot himself in an apparent suicide plot. Rudolf had no sons, so the succession would pass to Emperor Franz Joseph’s brother, Archduke Karl Ludwig, and then to his eldest son, Archduke Franz Ferdinand. In a matter of days, Archduke Karl Ludwig renounced his succession rights in favor of his son Archduke Franz Ferdinand, whose assassination in 1914 sparked World War I. Upon Franz Ferdinand’s death, Archduke Karl, Otto’s father, became the heir to the throne. Karl’s father was Archduke Otto Franz, the second son of Archduke Karl Ludwig of Austria, brother of Emperor Franz Joseph.

Franz Joseph, Emperor of Austria with his great-great-nephew Otto in 1910; Credit – Wikipedia

Otto had seven younger siblings:

Embed from Getty Images 
Otto and his siblings

When Emperor Franz Joseph died on November 21, 1916, in the middle of World War I, Otto’s father succeeded him as Emperor Karl I of Austria, and Otto became Crown Prince of Austria, Hungary, Bohemia, and Croatia. Four-year-old Otto accompanied his parents in Franz Joseph’s funeral procession, and later that same year he attended his parents’ coronation in Budapest as they were crowned King and Queen of Hungary.

Funeral Procession for Emperor Franz Joseph, in front: Zita and Karl with their oldest son Otto; Credit – Wikipedia

Crown Prince Otto with his parents posing for official photographs on the occasion of the coronation in Budapest, Hungary, 1916; Credit – Wikipedia.

Karl only reigned for two years as the monarchy was abolished at the end of World War I. The World War I armistice required that the Austrian-Hungarian Empire allow for autonomy and self-determination of the government of its various ethnic populations. The various areas had proclaimed independence and by October 1918 there was not much left of the empire. On November 11, 1918, the same day as the armistice ending World War I, Karl issued a proclamation in which he recognized the rights of the Austrian people to determine their form of government and released his government officials from their loyalty to him. On November 13, 1918, Karl issued a similar proclamation for Hungary. Karl did not use the term “abdicate” in his proclamations and would never admit that he abdicated.

On March 23, 1919, Karl and his family left for Switzerland. On April 3, 1919, the Austrian Parliament passed the Habsburg Law, forbidding Karl or his wife Zita from returning to Austria. The law also prevented other Habsburgs from returning to Austria unless they renounced all intentions of claiming the throne and accepted the condition of living as ordinary citizens. On the same day, all royal and noble titles were abolished. In 1921, Karl returned to Hungary twice,  attempting to regain the throne of Hungary. After the second attempt, the Council of Allied Powers exiled Karl and his family to the Portuguese island of Madeira.

Karl and his family in exile in Madeira; Credit – Wikipedia

In March 1922, Karl caught a cold that developed into bronchitis, and further developed into pneumonia. After suffering two heart attacks and respiratory failure, Karl died on April 1, 1922, at the age of 34. Due to the Habsburg Law, Karl could not be buried in the Imperial Crypt in Vienna. He was buried at the Church of Our Lady of Monte on the island of Madeira in Portugal.

The years following Karl’s death were difficult financially and Zita and her family moved often. They lived in Spain, Belgium, the United States, and Canada. Two of Zita’s sons served in the US Army during World War II. In 1952, Zita moved back to Europe, living in Luxembourg and Switzerland. One of her daughters died in Austria in 1971 and Zita could not attend the funeral. The restrictions on the Habsburgs entering Austria had been rescinded, but only for those Habsburgs born after April 10, 1919. In 1982, the restrictions were eased and after 63 years Zita could return to Austria for visits. When Zita died in 1989, the government of Austria allowed the funeral to take place in Austria provided that the Habsburg family pay the cost. She was buried in the Imperial Crypt below the Capuchin Church in Vienna, the traditional burial place of the Habsburgs but her husband Karl remains buried on the island of Madeira in Portugal.

Otto’s mother made him learn the main languages of the Austro-Hungarian Empire – German, Hungarian and Croatian – in case the empire was ever restored. In addition, Otto also spoke English, Spanish, French, and Latin fluently. While living in Belgium, Otto attended the Catholic University of Leuven and in 1935, he received a doctorate in social and political sciences.

Embed from Getty Images
Archduke Otto, center, with New York City Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia at City Hall, with Otto’s younger brother Archduke Felix, on the left, in 1940

Before and during World War II, Otto von Habsburg was a strong opponent of Adolf Hitler and Nazism and was greatly concerned about the spread of Communism after the war. When Germany annexed Austria in 1938, the Nazi regime sentenced Otto to death. For his safety, Otto left Europe for the United States where he lived from 1940 to 1944 in Washington, D.C. In 1941, Hitler personally revoked the citizenship of Otto, his mother, and his siblings, and the family found themselves stateless. At the end of the war, Otto returned to Europe and lived for some years in France and Spain.

After World War II, Otto was effectively stateless but was given a passport from the Principality of Monaco. As a Knight of Malta, he was issued a diplomatic passport, and later he was also issued a Spanish diplomatic passport. Although he was recognized as an Austrian citizen in 1956, he did not receive an Austrian passport until 1966. On October 31, 1966, Otto Habsburg-Lothringen, the name on his Austrian passport, visited his birth country for the first time in 48 years. Additionally, in 1978, Otto received German citizenship and a German passport bearing the name of Otto von Habsburg.

In 1949, Otto met Princess Regina of Saxe-Meiningen in a home for Hungarian refugees in Munich, where she worked for Caritas, a Roman Catholic charity. Regina was the daughter of Prince Georg of Saxe-Meiningen and Countess Klara Maria von Korff and also a second cousin of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands and a great-great-granddaughter of Princess Feodora of Leiningen, half-sister of Queen Victoria. Although the House of Saxe-Meiningen was Protestant, Regina was raised in her mother’s Roman Catholic religion. Her father, a judge in Meiningen and Hildburghausen in Germany, died in the Soviet concentration camp at Tschernpowetz, Soviet Union in 1946. Regina and her mother fled to West Germany after World War II.

Embed from Getty Images
Wedding of Otto and Regina

Otto and Regina were married on May 10, 1951, at the Church of Saint-François-des-Cordeliers in Nancy, France, with the blessing of Pope Pius XII. For their entire married life, the couple lived at Villa Austria in Pöcking on Lake Starnberg in Bavaria, Germany.

Otto and Regina had seven children:

  • Andrea von Habsburg (born 1953), married Hereditary Count Karl Eugen von Neipperg, had five children
  • Monika von Habsburg (born 1954, twin of Michaela), married Luis María Gonzaga de Casanova-Cárdenas y Barón, 5th Duke of Santangelo, had four children
  • Michaela von Habsburg (born 1954, twin of Monika), married (1) Eric Alba Teran d’Antin, had three children, divorced (2) Count Hubertus von Kageneck, divorced
  • Gabriela von Habsburg (born 1956), married Christian Meister, had three children, divorced
  • Walburga von Habsburg (born 1958), married Count Archibald Douglas, had one child
  • Karl von Habsburg (born 1961), married Baroness Francesca Thyssen-Bornemisza, had three children
  • Georg von Habsburg (born 1964), married Duchess Eilika of Oldenburg, had three children
Embed from Getty Images
Christening of Otto and Regina’s twin daughters

Otto was an early supporter of a unified Europe and was president of the International Pan-European Union from 1973 to 2004. He served from 1979 until 1999 as a Member of the European Parliament for the conservative party, Christian Social Union in Bavaria and eventually became the senior member of the European Parliament. Otto strongly supported the rights of European refugees, especially the ethnic Germans displaced from Bohemia which was once part of his family’s Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Embed from Getty Images
Otto and Regina at their home Villa Austria

Otto’s wife Regina died at their home in Pöcking, Germany on February 3, 2010, at the age of 85. He survived her for only seventeen months, dying at his home on July 4, 2011, aged 98. Otto was given what was called “the last Emperor’s funeral.”Following a 13-day period of mourning in many countries that were once part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, a requiem mass was held at St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna, Austria. Otto was buried in Vienna at the Capuchin Church in the Crypt Chapel of the Imperial Crypt where his mother was also buried. At the time of his burial, Otto’s wife Regina was reburied nearby. 1,000 invited guests attended the funeral and over 100,000 people lined the streets of Vienna. The ceremonies caused large parts of central Vienna to be closed to traffic. The funeral was televised on Austrian television. Otto’s heart was buried at Pannonhalma Archabbey in Hungary on the day after his funeral.

Embed from Getty Images
Funeral Procession through the streets of Vienna, Austria

Otto von Habsburg was buried in the Crypt Chapel of the Imperial Crypt in Vienna, Austria. His tomb is on the right side of the altar and his wife Regina’s tomb is on the left side of the altar; Photo Credit – Susan Flantzer

Tomb of Otto von Habsburg (on the right of the altar), died in 2011; 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

Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. (2018). Otto von Habsburg. [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_von_Habsburg [Accessed 7 Sep. 2018].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Otto von Habsburg. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_von_Habsburg [Accessed 7 Sep. 2018].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Princess Regina of Saxe-Meiningen. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Regina_of_Saxe-Meiningen [Accessed 7 Sep. 2018].
  • Flantzer, S. (2014). Karl I, Emperor of Austria. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/april-1-1922-death-of-karl-i-emperor-of-austria/ [Accessed 7 Sep. 2018].
  • Flantzer, S. (2016). Zita of Bourbon-Parma, Empress of Austria. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/zita-of-bourbon-parma-empress-of-austria/ [Accessed 7 Sep. 2018].
  • Van Der Kiste, J. (2005). Emperor Francis Joseph: Life, Death and the Fall of the Habsburg Empire. Stroud: Sutton Publishing.
  • Wheatcroft, A. (1995). The Habsburgs. London: Viking.

Archduchess Marie Valerie of Austria, Princess of Tuscany

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Archduchess Marie Valerie of Austria, Princess of Tuscany; Credit – Wikipedia

The youngest of the four children of Franz Joseph, Emperor of Austria and his wife Elisabeth of Bavaria (Sisi), Marie Valerie Mathilde Amalie (called Valerie) was born in Ofen (Buda) in the Kingdom of Hungary, then part of her father’s Austro-Hungarian Empire, on April 22, 1868. Empress Elisabeth had a special affinity towards Hungary and wanted this child to be born in Hungary. She had hoped it would be a boy who could be named Stephen after the patron saint of Hungary.

Valerie in 1871; Credit -Wikipedia

Valerie had three siblings:

Engraving depicting Valerie’s family at Gödöllő Palace in Hungary, circa 1870; Credit – Wikipedia

Empress Elisabeth’s first three children had been raised by her mother-in-law Archduchess Sophie, born a Princess of Bavaria, who was also Elisabeth’s maternal aunt. Elisabeth was never close to her two elder surviving children. An older and wiser Empress Elisabeth decided that Valerie would be hers and hers alone. Her obvious preference for Valerie can be seen by the nickname her mother gave her – die Einzige – the only one.

Valerie and Marie Louise von Larisch-Wallersee in the 1870s; Credit – Wikipedia

Valerie was often in the company of her cousin, Marie Louise von Larisch-Wallersee, the illegitimate daughter of her maternal uncle Ludwig Wilhelm, Duke in Bavaria, who was ten years older and a confidante of her aunt, Empress Elisabeth. Valerie and her cousin Marie Louise spent a lot of time in Hungary which earned Valerie another nickname, this time one from the Austrian people – the Hungarian child. This affected Valerie and despite her mother’s intentions, she began rejecting everything Hungarian and spoke only German with her father. She also spoke French, English, and Italian and loved music and the arts.

During Valerie’s late teenage years, a series of balls were held at Hofburg Palace to which her closest friends and young men attached to the court were invited. At one of the balls, she became acquainted with Archduke Franz Salvator of Austria-Tuscany who was two years older. Franz Salvator was the son of Archduke Karl Salvator, Prince of Tuscany and Princess Maria Immaculata of Bourbon-Two-Sicilies. Valerie and Franz Salvator were third cousins via their descent from Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor, King of Hungary and Bohemia, Archduke of Austria and Grand Duke of Tuscany. A possible marriage between Valerie and Franz Salvator began to be discussed.

Empress Elisabeth was in favor of the marriage as it would keep her favorite child in Austria. Emperor Franz Joseph thought it would be better to make a marriage that would give Austria a foreign alliance. Crown Prince Rudolf agreed with his father and thought Franz Salvator was not good enough for his sister. Empress Elisabeth would burst into tears whenever a foreign alliance was discussed. Eventually, Valerie and Empress Elisabeth got their way and at Christmas 1888, Valerie and Franz Salvator were engaged.

Valerie and Franz Salvator around 1890; Credit – Wikipedia

In the midst of Valerie’s wedding preparations, a great tragedy occurred. On January 30, 1889, at Mayerling, a hunting lodge in the Vienna Woods which Rudolf had purchased, in an apparent suicide plot, Rudolf shot his 17-year-old mistress Baroness Mary von Vetsera, and then shot himself. After Rudolf’s death, even the mention of Valerie’s marriage caused her mother to burst into tears but the marriage could not be postponed forever. Valerie and Franz Salvator were married on July 30, 1890, at the parish church in Bad Ischl, Austria. Although the wedding was not a grand Vienna affair, it was still a festive occasion attended by over one hundred members of the Habsburg and Wittelsbach (Bavaria) families and the Bourbon and Salvators from the Tuscan branch of the Habsburg family.

Valerie and Franz Salvator had ten children:

  • Archduchess Elisabeth Franziska (1892 – 1930), married Count Georg of Waldburg-Zeil-Trauchburg who had been the tutor of her brothers, had five children, Elisabeth died from pneumonia
  • Archduke Franz Karl Salvator (1893 – 1918), unmarried, died during the Spanish Flu epidemic
  • Archduke Hubert Salvator (1894 – 1971), married Princess Rosemary of Salm-Salm, had thirteen children
  • Archduchess Hedwig (1896 – 1970), married Count Bernard of Stolberg-Stolberg, had nine children
  • Archduke Theodor Salvator (1899 – 1978), married Countess Maria Theresa of Waldburg-Zeil-Trauchburg, had four children
  • Archduchess Gertrud (1900 – 1962), married Count Georg of Waldburg-Zeil-Trauchburg, widower of her sister Elisabeth, had two children
  • Archduchess Maria Elisabeth (1901 – 1936), unmarried
  • Archduke Clemens Salvator (1904 – 1974), married Countess Elisabeth Rességuier de Miremont, had nine children
  • Archduchess Mathilde (1906 – 1991), married Ernst Hefel, an Austrian politician, no issue
  • Archduchess Agnes (born and died 1911) died shortly after birth

Valerie and Franz Salvator with their children; Credit – Wikipedia

Initially, Valerie and Franz leased Schloss Lichtenegg (in German) in Wels in Upper Austria. In 1895, Valerie and Franz Salvator purchased the Schloss Wallsee (in German) on the Danube River in Wallsee-Sindelburg in Lower Austria from Queen Victoria’s son Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. In 1897, after the castle was completely renovated, a gala festival for all the people of Wallsee-Sindelburg was held. The castle is still owned by the family but is not open to the public. Valerie was a devout Catholic and devoted herself to charitable works in Wallsee-Sindelburg where she was known as “The Angel of Wallsee”.

Schloss Wallsee; Credit – Wikipedia

Valerie and Franz Salvator’s marriage was happy at first but after a while, Franz Salvator had affairs including one with Stephany Julienne Richter who became pregnant and persuaded Prince Friedrich Franz von Hohenlohe-Waldenburg-Schillingsfürst that the baby was his. Friedrich Franz married her and so she was styled Princess Stéphanie von Hohenlohe-Waldenburg-Schillingsfürst. Her child, born in 1914, was eventually recognized by Franz Salvator as his son.

On September 10, 1898, Valerie’s mother Empress Elisabeth was assassinated when she was stabbed in the heart by the Italian anarchist Luigi Lucheni in Geneva, Switzerland. After her mother’s death, Valerie received 40% of her mother’s monetary assets and Hermesvilla, a palace in the Lainzer Tiergarten in Vienna which Emperor Franz Joseph had given to his wife.

Hermesvilla; Credit – By Bwag – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=57455101

Valerie’s father Emperor Franz Joseph died on November 21, 1916, in the middle of World War I, at the age of 86. As he had no son to succeed him, his great-nephew succeeded him as Emperor Karl I of Austria but only reigned for two years as the monarchy was abolished at the end of World War I. Valerie officially recognized the end of the Habsburg monarchy and signed documents renouncing all rights for herself and her descendants. This allowed her to remain in Austria and keep her home and possessions.

In 1924, Valerie was diagnosed with lymphoma. Shortly before her death, her sister Gisela wrote in a letter, “I must add that I have seen Valerie – fully conscious, completely aware of her condition, and so devoutly accepting, even joyfully anticipating her impending departure, that I believe an unexpected recovery would actually disappoint her.” Surrounded by her family, Archduchess Valerie of Austria died at her home Schloss Wallsee on September 6, 1924, at the age of 56. She was buried in a crypt behind the high altar at the parish church in Wallsee-Sindelburg, Austria. Several thousand people followed her coffin to its resting place.

Grave of Valerie and Franz Salvator; Credit – https://sternenkaiserin.com/2018/02/28/el-palacio-de-wallsee-o-de-visita-a-maria-valeria/

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

  • De.wikipedia.org. (2018). Marie Valerie von Österreich. [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie_Valerie_von_%C3%96sterreich [Accessed 6 Sep. 2018].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Archduchess Marie Valerie of Austria. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archduchess_Marie_Valerie_of_Austria [Accessed 6 Sep. 2018].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Archduke Franz Salvator of Austria. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archduke_Franz_Salvator_of_Austria [Accessed 6 Sep. 2018].
  • Van Der Kiste, J. (2005). Emperor Francis Joseph: Life, Death and the Fall of the Habsburg Empire. Stroud: Sutton Publishing.
  • Wheatcroft, A. (1995). The Habsburgs. London: Viking.