Category Archives: Former Monarchies

Prince Nicholas of Greece

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2019

Prince Nicholas of Greece; Credit – Wikipedia

Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark was born January 22, 1872, at the Royal Palace of Athens in Greece, the fourth child of King George I of the Hellenes and Grand Duchess Olga Konstantinovna of Russia. Nicholas had seven siblings:

Nicholas (front) with his siblings Constantine, Maria, George, and Alexandra, circa 1880. source: Wikipedia

Nicholas grew up with his family at the Royal Palace and Tatoi Palace, as well as spending summers in France and Denmark with his relatives. Known as “Greek Nicky” to avoid confusion with his cousin Nicky, the future Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia, he was raised in the Greek Orthodox religion as required by the Greek Constitution. Along with his siblings, Nicholas was first educated privately at home by a series of tutors. He developed a passion for drawing and painting, and became fluent in several languages. At the age of 13, he began his military training, attending the College of Evelpides in Piraeus, the Greek Military Academy, and in 1890 obtained the rank of Second Lieutenant in the Greek Infantry. He served in the military for much of his early life, including leading a battery of artillery during the Greek-Turkish War in 1897. He also later served during the First Balkan War in 1912.

As a younger son of the King, Nicholas often represented his father at foreign and extended family events, including the coronation of Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia in 1894 and the marriage of Princess Maud of Wales and Prince Carl of Denmark in 1896. In 1902, he also attended the coronation of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom. In 1896, along with his brothers Constantine and George, Nicholas helped to organize the Olympic Games in Athens – the first to be held in nearly 1600 years.

Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna of Russia. source: Wikipedia

On August 29, 1902, Nicholas married his second cousin Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna of Russia, at Tsarskoye Selo near St. Petersburg, Russia. Elena was the only daughter of Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich of Russia (a son of Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia) and Duchess Marie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. The two had first met eight years earlier, and again several times in the next few years. However, it was not until the summer of 1900 that a romance began. After her parents finally relented, they felt he was too poor and had no prospect for the throne, the couple was finally able to wed. Following their wedding and honeymoon, Nicholas and Elena lived in a wing of the Royal Palace before moving to their new home the Nicholas Palace, a wedding gift from Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia. The couple had three daughters:

Following the assassination of his father in 1913, Nicholas inherited the Greek Royal Theater, where he then wrote and directed several plays published under a pseudonym. He later transferred ownership of the theater to the Greek State in 1935. In 1917, when his brother Constantine was forced from the throne, Nicholas and his family joined the King in exile in Switzerland. When World War I wiped out his wife’s fortune, the family faced financial difficulties for the first time. During their time in exile, Nicholas exhibited and sold many of his paintings, all signed with the name ‘Nicolas Leprince’. The family returned to Greece in 1920 when King Constantine was restored to the throne but again went into exile two years later when he was forced to abdicate. After staying in Italy and Britain, Nicholas and his family settled in Paris, where they relied upon the generosity of his elder brother George, and George’s very wealthy wife, Princess Marie Bonaparte. During this time, Nicholas taught drawing and painting and sold more of his paintings. He also published two memoirs, in 1926 and 1928, and leased the Nicholas Palace in Athens to the Hotel Grand Bretagne, providing a more comfortable living for his family.

Tombs of Prince Nicholas and his wife. photo: Par HellenicSpirit — Travail personnel, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=53526810

The Greek monarchy was restored in 1935, and the following year, Nicholas and his wife returned to Greece. Having suffered from declining health for several years, Prince Nicholas died on February 8, 1938, of atherosclerosis at the Hotel Grande Bretagne in Athens. Following a large state funeral a few days later, he was interred at the Royal Cemetery at Tatoi Palace.

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Princess Marie Bonaparte, Princess George of Greece

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Princess Marie Bonaparte, Princess George of Greece; Credit – Wikipedia

Princess Marie Bonaparte was the wife of Prince George of Greece and Denmark, the second son of King George I of the Hellenes and Grand Duchess Olga Konstantinovna of Russia. She was born on July 2, 1882, in Saint-Cloud, France, the only child of Prince Roland Bonaparte and Marie-Félix Blanc. Her maternal grandfather was François Blanc, the principal developer of Monte Carlo and the Monte Carlo Casino in Monaco. On her paternal side, Marie was the great-granddaughter of Prince Lucien Bonaparte, a younger brother of Emperor Napoleon I.

Princess Marie was raised in a life of privilege. Her grandfather François Blanc had amassed a large fortune that passed to his children upon his death in 1877. From this money, Marie inherited a large amount following her mother’s death (just a month after Marie was born). As an only child, she was raised in Saint-Cloud and in Paris, and occasionally joined her father on his geographical and botanical expeditions around the world. Her education, provided by a series of nannies and tutors, was overseen by her domineering paternal grandmother Princess Pierre Bonaparte (née Éléonore-Justine Ruflin). A rather sheltered child, Marie often spent her time alone, in the company of her dolls, reading and writing in her journals. She became fluent in several languages and developed an early interest in the arts – particularly the theatre.

Marie and George at their religious wedding in Athens, December 1907. source: Wikipedia

In 1906, her father met with King George I of the Hellenes to discuss marriage to the King’s son, George. After their fathers had agreed, Marie and George first met in July 1907 in Paris. A brief courtship ensued, and their engagement was announced on August 29, 1907. By this time, Marie was quite wealthy in her own right, receiving an annual income of 800,000 francs from a trust, as well as being the sole heir to her mother’s fortune. Following her father’s death, she inherited over 60 million francs. As part of the agreement, Marie retained sole control over her fortune, with Prince George refusing any financial settlement or allowance. The couple married first in a civil ceremony at the Town Hall in Paris on November 21, 1907, followed by a Greek Orthodox ceremony in Athens on December 12, 1907.

The couple had two children:

Marie with her children, 1912. source: Wikipedia

From the beginning of her marriage, Marie had to contend with the unusually close relationship between her husband and his uncle Prince Valdemar of Denmark. Widely believed to have been lovers, George and Valdemar were happiest in each other’s company and had an intimacy that their wives could provide. It was an unusual situation that Marie and Valdemar’s wife accepted. Marie also found intimacy with others. During one visit to Denmark, she had a brief flirtation with Valdemar’s eldest son Prince Aage, and for several years, carried on a relationship with the French Prime Minister Aristide Briand. Over the years, Marie had other affairs often known to her husband who was never bothered by them.

Despite her affairs, Princess Marie suffered from what she called sexual dysfunction, finding herself unable to achieve sexual fulfillment. This led to the beginning of her research into women’s sexuality. She published the results of her research in 1924 under a pseudonym. During this time, she also began her interest in psychoanalysis. Suffering from depression after her father died in 1924, she became a patient of Sigmund Freud for the next 13 years. A close friendship and professional relationship developed, and she helped him to promote the study of psychoanalysis throughout France.

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Fiercely protective of Dr. Freud, Marie was instrumental in his escape from the Nazi regime in 1938. Not only did she pay the “ransom” to the Nazis, but she also arranged to delay the search of his apartments in Vienna and helped him smuggle some of his savings out of the country using a Greek diplomatic pouch. Marie convinced a Nazi officer to sign the papers that allowed Freud to leave Vienna and had many of his possession sent to London.

In the years that the Greek Royal Family was in exile, Marie used her significant wealth to support many of them. She provided the use of several of her homes in France and paid for education and living expenses. Those who benefited from Marie’s generosity included Prince Andrew and his family, including the young Prince Philip, the future husband of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom. Marie and George remained favorites of Prince Philip, and in 1953, they attended the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in London. Marie, somewhat bored at the ceremony, conversed with the gentleman seated next to her and offered a bit of psychoanalysis. That man was the future French President, François Mitterand.

The Princess continued to practice as a psychoanalyst for the rest of her life. She authored several books and translated many of Freud’s works into French. In addition to having founded the French Institute of Psychoanalysis in 1926, she funded several anthropological expeditions, wrote a biography of Edgar Allan Poe, and an interpretation of his work.

Princess Marie died of leukemia in Saint-Tropez, France on September 21, 1962. Her remains were cremated, and her ashes returned to Greece where they were interred in the Royal Cemetery at Tatoi Palace alongside her husband.

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Prince George of Greece

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Prince George of Greece; Credit: Wikipedia

Prince George of Greece was the second son and the second child of King George I of the Hellenes and Grand Duchess Olga Konstantinovna of Russia. He was born at Mon Repos, the Greek royal family’s summer residence on the island of Corfu, on June 24, 1869, and had seven siblings:

The King and Queen of Greece with their Children, c1885. Standing L-R: Prince Nicolas, Prince Constantine, Prince George; sitting L-R: Princess Marie, Queen Olga, Prince Andrew, Princess Alexandra, King George I. source: Royal Collection Trust RCIN 2907343

George spent his early years in Greece, living at the Royal Palace and Tatoi Palace, and was raised Greek Orthodox, as required by the Greek constitution. Along with his siblings, he underwent a strict regimen of education and physical activity. They learned several languages including Greek, English, French, Danish, and German. In 1883 George’s mother took him to Denmark to join the Danish Royal Navy. He was placed under the care of his grandfather, King Christian IX of Denmark, and his uncle, Prince Valdemar. The young Prince George, living with Valdemar at Bernsdorff Palace, felt abandoned by his parents and quickly developed a very close relationship with his uncle. Valdemar became the most important person in George’s life and George often professed his love for his uncle. It is widely accepted that they were lovers, and despite both of their marriages, the two maintained their bond and passion for each other until Valdemar died in 1939.

In 1888, a marriage was suggested between George and Princess Marguerite of Orleans (the sister of Prince Valdemar’s wife), however, the negotiations stalled and no engagement took place. Two years later, in 1890, George left Denmark to continue his naval training with the Russian Imperial Navy. The next year, George accompanied his cousin the Tsarevich (later Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia) on a trip through Asia. While in Japan, one of the guards protecting Nicholas attempted to kill him with his sword. George foiled the assassination attempt by striking the attacker with his cane and saving Nicholas’s life. Although quickly thanked by the Japanese Emperor, George found himself vilified in Russia, accused of placing Nicholas in harm’s way and blamed for the attack. Despite Nicholas’ public statements of appreciation, George was forced to leave Russia and return to Denmark.

Several years later, George and his brothers Constantine and Nicolas helped organize the first modern Olympic Games in Athens, Greece in 1896. Because of his naval background, George was appointed Chairman of the sub-committee for Nautical Sports for the Greek Olympic Committee. Two years later, he was appointed High Commissioner of Crete and served until 1906. At that time, he returned to Europe, living primarily in Denmark and France and making occasional visits back to Greece each year.

Prince George and Princess Marie following their Greek Orthodox ceremony, in December 1907. source: Wikipedia

George first met his wife, Princess Marie Bonaparte, on July 19, 1907 in Paris. The previous year, George’s father and Marie’s father, Prince Roland Bonaparte, a grandson of Lucien Bonaparte, Emperor Napoleon I’s brother, had met and discussed the idea of a marriage between the two families. Following a very short courtship, the couple’s engagement was announced on August 29, 1907. Marie was quite wealthy in her own right, having been left a vast fortune by her mother Marie-Félix Blanc, the daughter of François Blanc, the principal developer of Monte Carlo and the Monte Carlo Casino.

At the time of their marriage, Marie received 800,000 francs per year from a trust, and would later inherit over 60 million francs after her father’s death. As part of the marriage agreement, George agreed to a separation of the couple’s assets and refused any financial settlement from his wife and future father-in-law. Marie retained complete control over her fortune and often helped support other members of the Greek royal family. Once the marriage contract was settled, George and Marie married in a civil ceremony at the Town Hall in Paris on November 21, 1907. The couple’s Greek Orthodox ceremony was held in Athens on December 12, 1907. Despite the arranged marriage and George’s presumed homosexuality, the couple had two children:

In 1911, George represented the Greek Royal Family at the coronation of his first cousin King George V of the United Kingdom. The following year, George and his family returned to Greece where he joined the staff of the naval ministry, as Greece was preparing for war against Turkey. He later served as an aide-de-camp to his father, and following his father’s assassination in March 1913, George returned to Denmark to handle the late King’s financial affairs.

The following years saw Greece remaining neutral initially, but later joining the Central Powers, despite the Prime Minister’s support of the Allies. Under threat of an Allied landing, King Constantine I went into exile in Switzerland on June 12, 1917, without abdicating, and was replaced by his brother King Alexander. Following Alexander’s death in 1920, Constantine I was restored to the throne but was forced to abdicate again in 1922 in favor of another brother, King George II. The new king’s reign lasted 18 months before the family was again sent into exile. Through George and Marie’s wealth, several members of the Greek royal family received financial support, including George’s brothers Andrew and Nicholas who came to Paris with their families and settled for a time in homes owned by Princess Marie.

Group photograph taken on the occasion of the 80th Birthday of Prince Valdemar of Denmark, October 27, 1938. Prince George (center, 8th from the left in the center row) and Prince Valdemar (seated in center). source: Royal Collection Trust RCIN 2927432

After many years of upheaval, Greece once again restored the monarchy in 1935 with King George II returning to the throne. The following year, George and Marie returned to Greece for the first time in 16 years, to attend the reburial ceremonies at Tatoi for the remains of King Constantine I, Queen Sophie, and Queen Olga. Upon returning to France, George learned of his son’s relationship with Irina Ovchinnikova – a twice-divorced Russian commoner. Despite his renouncement of the relationship, Peter and Irina married in 1939 – a fact that George and Marie learned from the newspapers. George was furious and refused any further contact with his son. 1939 also saw the death of George’s beloved uncle, Prince Valdemar.

In 1941, with the advance of German forces, the family was once again forced into exile. After traveling to Crete and Egypt, they settled in South Africa in July 1941. By this time, George’s health was declining. Adrift after the death of Valdemar, George finally found solace in the companionship of his wife – for perhaps the first time in their marriage.

Following World War II, George returned to Paris and often represented his nephew, King Paul, on official visits and functions. In 1947, he attended the funeral of King Christian X of Denmark and the wedding of his nephew, Philip Mountbatten (formerly Prince Philippos of Greece) to the future Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom. In September 1948, he attended the enthronement ceremony of Queen Juliana of the Netherlands, and in December was named as one of the godparents of Prince Charles, his great-nephew. In 1949, he returned to Denmark, where he was much loved, for a lavish celebration of his 80th birthday. At that time, King Frederik IX of Denmark appointed him Admiral of the Danish Fleet, an honor that was very meaningful to George because his uncle Valdemar had held that position.

Over the next few years, George worked on his memoirs ‘The Cretan Drama: The Memoirs of HRH Prince George of Greece’, published after his death. In one of his last major royal appearances, Prince George and his wife represented the Greek Royal Family at the 1953 coronation of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, his niece by marriage. The photo above shows Prince George and Princess Marie (center of the photo in his robes of the Order of the Bath), in the procession led by his sister-in-law Princess Alice, her daughters, sons-in-law, and several grandchildren.

In his late 80’s, George’s health began to deteriorate. He underwent surgery for a strangulated hernia and later developed hematuria. Prince George died in Saint-Cloud, near Paris, on November 25, 1957, just four days after he and Marie celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. Nine days later, George was buried in the Royal Cemetery at Tatoi Palace in Greece. Per George’s wishes and because she respected the relationship between George and Valdemar, Princess Marie placed a photo of Valdemar and a lock of his hair in George’s coffin. Prince George was the last surviving child of King George I and Queen Olga.

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Prince Franz Joseph of Battenberg

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Prince Franz Joseph of Battenberg; Credit – Wikipedia

Prince Franz Joseph of Battenberg was the youngest child of Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine and Countess Julia Hauke, Princess of Battenberg. He was born in Padua, Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia, part of the Austrian Empire, now in Italy, on September 24, 1861, joining four older siblings:

Following his schooling, Franz Joseph received a military education in Potsdam, Kingdom of Prussia, now in the German state of Brandenburg. He then served in the Bulgarian Military, while his brother Alexander was the Reigning Prince of Bulgaria from 1879-1886.

Consuelo Vanderbilt. source: Wikipedia

While in London in 1894, Franz Joseph met the American heiress Consuelo Vanderbilt. He was one of several men who proposed, but Consuelo did not like him and refused his marriage offer. She later went on to marry Charles Spencer-Churchill,9th Duke of Marlborough.

Princess Anna of Montenegro. source: Wikipedia

Several years later, while visiting Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom while she was on holiday in Cimiez, France, Franz Joseph met Princess Anna of Montenegro. She was the daughter of King Nikola I of Montenegro and Milena Vukotić, and was in Cimiez visiting her sister and brother-in-law. The two quickly fell in love, and their engagement was announced. They married in Cetinje, Montenegro on May 18, 1897, in both Eastern Orthodox and Protestant ceremonies. The marriage was happy but the couple did not have any children.

In the years leading up to World War I, Franz Joseph and his wife spent much of their time living in Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in the German state of Hesse, but were advised to leave the country when the war broke out and settled in Switzerland. As the war progressed, they found their financial situation more and more precarious, and they sometimes struggled to make ends meet. After 1920, they began to receive some financial support from Edwina Mountbatten, the wife of Franz Joseph’s nephew Louis Mountbatten, the future 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma. Until she died in 1960, Edwina continued to send money to Princess Anna.

Prince Franz Joseph died in Territet, Switzerland on July 31, 1924, having outlived all of his siblings. He is buried in the Schaffhausen Forest Cemetery in Schaffhausen, Switzerland.

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Princess Marie of Battenberg, Princess of Erbach-Schönberg

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Princess Marie of Battenberg, Princess of Erbach-Schönberg; Credit – Wikipedia

Marie Karoline of Battenberg was born in Strasbourg, France on February 15, 1852, the eldest child and only daughter of Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine and Countess Julia Hauke. Because of her parents’ morganatic marriage, her mother did not become a Princess of Hesse and by Rhine, and was instead created Countess of Battenberg in her own right. Marie and her siblings, therefore, took their titles from their mother and were not in the line of succession for the grand-ducal throne of Hesse and by Rhine. For many years, Marie said that her birth date was July 15, 1852, to hide the fact that her mother was already six months pregnant with her at the time they married.

Marie had four younger brothers:

She became Princess Marie of Battenberg in December 1858 when her mother’s title was elevated by Marie’s uncle, Grand Duke Ludwig III of Hesse and by Rhine.

Gustav Ernst, Count of Erbach-Schönberg. source: Wikipedia

In 1868, while attending the inauguration of the Luther Monument in Worms, Marie met Gustaf Ernst, Count of Erbach-Schönberg. He was the son of Ludwig III, Count of Erbach-Schönberg and Countess Caroline von Gronsfeld-Diepenbrock. They became engaged in 1870 and were married in the Darmstadt City Church in Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in Hesse, Germany, on April 29, 1871.

Marie and Gustav had four children:

  • Alexander, Prince of Erbach-Schönberg (1872) – married Princess Elisabeth of Waldeck and Pyrmont, had issue
  • Count Maximilian of Erbach-Schönberg (1878) – died in childhood
  • Prince Victor of Erbach-Schönberg (1880) – married Countess Elisabeth Széchényi de Sarvar et Felsö-Vidék, no issue
  • Princess Marie Elisabeth of Erbach-Schönberg (1883) – married Prince Friedrich Wilhelm of Stolberg-Wernigerode, had issue

Princess Marie, Countess of Erbach-Schönberg with her parents Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine and Julia, Princess of Battenberg, at Osborne House, July 23, 1885, for the wedding of her brother Henry to Princess Beatrice of The United Kingdom. source: Royal Collection Trust RCIN 2905692

Marie’s title changed once again in August 1903, when her husband was elevated to the rank of Prince, and Marie became The Princess of Erbach-Schönberg. Five years later, in January 1908, Marie’s husband died, and their eldest son, Alexander, succeeded him as The Prince of Erbach-Schönberg.

An avid writer, Marie published translations of several prominent works and wrote My Trip to Bulgaria, a memoir of her visit to her brother, Alexander, who was Prince of Bulgaria from 1879 to 1886. In her later years, several more memoirs were published, one of which detailed the situation of her son, Maximilian, who was mentally unstable.

The Dowager Princess of Erbach-Schönberg died in Schönberg, Hesse, Germany on June 20, 1923. She is buried in the cemetery of St. Mary’s Church in Schönberg, Hesse, Germany.

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Countess Julia Hauke, Princess of Battenberg

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Julia Hauke, Princess of Battenberg; Credit – Wikipedia

Julia Hauke, Princess of Battenberg was the wife of Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine, and the founder of the Battenberg branch of the Grand Ducal family of Hesse and by Rhine. She was born Julia Therese Salomea Hauke on November 24, 1825, in Warsaw, Poland, the youngest daughter of Count Johann Moritz Hauke and Sophie Lafontaine. Among her ten siblings was a sister Catarina who later became the mistress of Paul Friedrich, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin.

Julia’s father was a distinguished soldier, serving with Napoleon’s Polish Legions, and then with the armies of Poland and the Duchy of Warsaw. He joined the army of Congress Poland in 1814, reaching the rank of General in 1828. In 1829, Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia appointed him Deputy Minister of War of Congress Poland. The following year, he was killed during the November Uprising of 1830. While riding beside the carriage carrying his wife and younger children, Hauke encountered a group of rebel cadets who wanted him to lead them in their revolt. He rebuked them and ordered them back to their quarters. Instead, they opened fire on him, killing him almost instantly. His wife, suffering from shock, died soon afterward, and their younger children – including Julia – were made wards of the Russian Emperor.

Empress Maria Alexandrovna of Russia. source: Wikipedia

Raised at the Russian Imperial Court, Julia later became a lady-in-waiting to Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna, the wife of the future Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia. The Grand Duchess was born Princess Marie of Hesse and by Rhine, and was the younger sister of Julia’s future husband Alexander. He had accompanied his sister to Russia for her wedding in 1841, became close to his new brother-in-law, and decided to stay in Russia. Alexander became a prominent member of the Imperial Court and served in the Russian military. The Emperor considered Alexander as a possible husband for one of his nieces, but Alexander had already fallen in love with Julia. The Emperor refused to allow a marriage between them, but the couple was determined to marry. Eloping from St. Petersburg, they made their way to Breslau in Silesia, where they married on October 28, 1851. At the time, Julia was already six months pregnant with their first child.

Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine. source: Wikipedia

As their marriage was morganatic, Julia did not become a Princess of Hesse and by Rhine. Instead, her brother-in-law, Grand Duke Ludwig III of Hesse and by Rhine, created her Countess of Battenberg, with the style Illustrious Highness. Her children took their titles from her, becoming Counts and Countesses of Battenberg. Seven years later, the Grand Duke elevated Julia and her children to the rank of Prince/Princess, with the style Serene Highness. However, they remained ineligible for the Grand Ducal throne.

Julia and Alexander had five children:

Julia (far left) with some of her family, c1864. source: Wikipedia.  (seated L-R: Princess Elisabeth of Prussia, wife of Prince Karl of Hesse and by Rhine; Princess Marie of Hesse and by Rhine, Empress Maria Alexandrovna of Russia; Princess Alice of the United Kingdom, later Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine) (standing L-R: Julia, Princess of Battenberg; Prince Karl of Hesse and by Rhine; Prince Heinrich of Hesse and by Rhine; the future Grand Duke Ludwig IV of Hesse and by Rhine; Gustav, Prince of Vasa; Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine)

Julia and her husband returned to the Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, where they lived at the Alexander Palace in Darmstadt, and later at Schloss Heiligenberg in nearby Jugenheim. However, Alexander received a commission from the Austrian Army, and they spent many years in Austria and Italy, depending on where he was stationed. For this reason, each of their children was born in a different place.

In the foreground, the graves of Alexander and Julia; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Julia’s husband died in 1888 and was buried in the Grand Ducal Mausoleum in the Rosenhöhe in Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in the German state of Hesse. However, as Julia was not of equal rank, she would not be permitted to be buried beside him. Therefore, she oversaw the construction of a new mausoleum, built in the grounds of Schloss Heiligenberg. Upon the completion of the new mausoleum, Alexander’s remains were moved there in 1894. The following year, On September 19, 1895, Julia died at Schloss Heiligenberg at the age of 69. She was buried beside her husband in the mausoleum on the grounds of their beloved Heiligenberg. In 1902, the mausoleum was converted to a memorial chapel, and the remains of Julia and Alexander were moved to graves just outside the building.

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Prince Ludwig of Hesse and by Rhine

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Prince Ludwig of Hesse and by Rhine; Credit – Wikipedia

Prince Ludwig Hermann Alexander Chlodwig of Hesse and by Rhine (known as Lu) was the younger son of Ernst Ludwig, the last Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine and his second wife Princess Eleonore of Solms-Hohensolms-Lich. He was born in Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in the German state of Hesse, on November 20, 1908. Ludwig was Head of the House of Hesse from 1937 – 1968.

Ludwig had one older brother:

Lu also had a half-sister, Princess Elisabeth of Hesse and by Rhine (1895-1903), from his father’s first marriage to Princess Victoria Melita of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Elisabeth had died from typhoid fever several years before Lu’s birth.

Lu was educated privately at home, along with his brother, before attending and graduating from the Realgymnasium in 1926. He then studied archeology and art history at universities in Darmstadt, Lausanne, and Munich. After graduating, Lu served as an attaché at the German Embassy in London. During this time, he met his future wife, The Honorable Margaret Geddes, daughter of British diplomat Auckland Campbell Geddes,1st Baron Geddes and Isabella Gamble Ross, while she was on holiday in Bavaria.

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Lu and Peg became engaged while attending the 1936 Winter Olympic Games in Bavaria. The wedding was planned for Saturday, November 20, 1937 – Lu’s 29th birthday. However, a great tragedy would strike the House of Hesse and by Rhine just days before.

On November 16, 1937, Lu’s family boarded a plane bound for London to attend his wedding. The passengers included Lu’s mother, his brother Hereditary Grand Duke Georg Donatus of Hesse and by Rhine and wife, born Princess Cecilie of Greece and Denmark, and their two sons, as well as the children’s nurse and Baron Joachin Riedesel zu Eisenbach, who was to be Lu’s best man. The plane was scheduled to stop in Brussels, but bad weather forced the pilot to continue on to Ostend instead. While attempting to land, the plane clipped a chimney on a factory near the airport, causing the plane to break apart and crash. All aboard the plane, including the pilot and three crew members, were killed.

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After being notified of the tragedy, Lu and Peg, along with their families, decided that the wedding should take place immediately. They married quietly the following morning, November 17, 1937, at St. Peter’s Church, Eaton Square, London. Both wore black, and were joined by a small group of family and close friends. Guests included The Duke and Duchess of Kent; The Countess of Toerring-Jettenbach; The Dowager Marchioness of Milford Haven (Lu’s paternal aunt); and the German Ambassador Joachim von Ribbentrop.

Lu, Peg and Johanna c1938; Credit – Wikipedia

Lu and his new wife traveled to Ostend to identify and accompany the bodies – by train – back to Darmstadt. Waiting for them was the only other surviving member of the Grand Ducal family, Don and Cecilie’s 14-month-old daughter Johanna who had not accompanied her parents on the trip to London. Lu and Peg adopted Johanna, but sadly she contracted meningitis and died shortly before reaching her third birthday.

At just 29 years old, Lu became the Head of the House of Hesse. He inherited Wolfsgarten, which would become his principal residence for the rest of his life. He was drafted for military service during World War II, but along with other members of former ruling houses, he was released due to the belief that they would be “politically unreliable”. He returned to Wolfsgarten where he was carefully watched due to his wife’s English background. Following the war, Lu and Peg devoted themselves to rebuilding Darmstadt. They worked to restore the museums, hospitals, and charitable institutions, and Lu co-founded the Institute for New Technical Form, the Council for Shaping, and the Bauhaus Archive. He also designed the German Pavilion for the 1958 World Expo in Brussels. An avid lover of classical music, he promoted the arts and music, including the Ansbach Festival and Aldeburgh Festival.

Because Lu and Peg never had children, in 1960 Lu adopted his distant cousin Moritz, Landgrave of Hesse. Moritz’s father became Head of the House of Hesse upon Lu’s death and was succeeded by Moritz in 1980, bringing the two branches of the Hesse line together again.

In 1964, he served as godfather for Prince Edward of the United Kingdom, the youngest son of Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh. The Duke’s sister had been married to Lu’s brother and Peg had become a close friend of The Queen.

Prince Ludwig of Hesse and by Rhine died in Frankfurt, Germany on May 30, 1968. Following his funeral on June 6, 1968, in the Darmstadt Stadtkirche in Darmstadt, Hesse, Germany, he was buried near his parents and family in the Park Rosenhöhe (link in German) in Darmstadt where many members of the Hesse family are buried. He was survived by his wife Peg, who passed away in 1997 and is buried beside him.

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Georg Donatus, Hereditary Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine

by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Georg Donatus, Hereditary Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine; Credit – Wikipedia

Georg Donatus, Hereditary Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine was the elder son of the last reigning Grand Duke, Ernst Ludwig, and his second wife, Princess Eleonore of Solms-Hohensolms-Lich. He was born in Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in the German state of Hesse, on November 8, 1906, and had one younger brother:

Georg Donatus also had a half-sister, Elisabeth, from his father’s first marriage to Princess Victoria Melita of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Princess Elisabeth was born in 1895 and died of typhoid fever in 1903, three years before Georg Donatus was born.

At his christening on December 4, 1906, he was given the names Wilhelm Nikolaus Eduard Heinrich Karl in honor of his godparents – Wilhelm II, German Emperor, Nicholas II, Emperor of All of Russia, King Edward VII of the United Kingdom, Prince Heinrich of Prussia and Prince Karl of Solms-Hohensolms-Lich. Within the family, he was known by the name ‘Don’.

Georg Donatus and his brother Ludwig, c1911. source: Wikipedia

Don and his brother – known as ‘Lu’ – were raised at the family’s various homes in Hesse – the Neue Palais in Darmstadt (link in German), Schloss Wolfsgarten and Schloss Romrod (link in German). They were raised by English nannies, until the outbreak of World War I. By that time, Don was receiving private lessons in German and literature from Anna Textor, who ran a private school for English girls in Darmstadt, and had been the teacher of the future Empress Alexandra of Russia. After the fall of the German Empire, Don’s father was deposed in 1918. The family continued to live at the Neues Palais in Darmstadt, where Don continued his studies privately, before attending the Realgymnasium, graduating in 1926. He then studied economics at the University of Giessen, the University of Lausanne, and the University of Munich, earning his Ph.D. from Giissen in 1933.

Cecilie and Georg Donatus on their wedding day; Credit – Wikipedia

On February 2, 1931, Don married Princess Cecilie of Greece and Denmark. She was the daughter of Prince Andreas of Greece and Denmark and Princess Alice of Battenberg. Through her mother, Cecilie and Don were first cousins once removed. They married in a Greek Orthodox ceremony at the Neues Palais Palace and in a Lutheran ceremony at the castle church. Following their honeymoon, they took up residence in a newly purchased home in Darmstadt, and had three children:

  • Prince Ludwig of Hesse and by Rhine (1931-1937) – died in a plane crash with his parents
  • Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine (1933-1937) – died in a plane crash with his parents
  • Princess Johanna of Hesse and by Rhine (1936-1939) – died from meningitis

Don became head of the family upon his father’s death on October 9, 1937. However, as the throne no longer existed, he did not assume the title of Grand Duke. Despite the formal mourning, it was decided that  Don’s brother Lu would marry The Honorable Margaret Geddes in England as scheduled for the following month. On November 16, 1937, Don, his wife Cecilie, their two sons Ludwig and Alexander, and his mother, Grand Duchess Eleonore, boarded a flight for London to attend Lu’s wedding. Tragically, the plane crashed in Belgium, and all aboard were killed.

Lu’s wedding took place immediately, and then he and his new wife flew to Belgium to accompany the remains of the family back to Darmstadt. Following their funeral which was held a few days later, Hereditary Grand Duke Georg Donatus and his family were buried in the Rosenhöhe in Darmstadt, Hesse Germany. Don’s daughter Johanna, who had not been on the plane, was adopted by his brother Lu. Sadly, she died in June 1939 after contracting meningitis.

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Resources: Robert the Bruce, King of Scots

Statue of Robert the Bruce at Stirling Castle; Photo Credit – Susan Flantzer

With the release of the film Outlaw King about Robert the Bruce (1274-1329), a Scottish national hero and King of Scots during the First War of Scottish Independence, we thought it would be a good idea to share some of our resources related to him.

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To learn more about the monarchs of Scotland, check out Unofficial Royalty: Scottish Index

Dorothea of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Duchess of Schleswig-Holstein

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2018

Duchy of Schleswig-Holstein: In November 1863, Prince Friedrich of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg claimed the twin duchies as Friedrich VIII, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein after the death without a male heir of King Frederick VII of Denmark, who was also the Duke of Schleswig and the Duke of Holstein.  In 1864, following the Second Schleswig War, the Duchy of Holstein and the Duchy of Schleswig became occupied territories of the German Confederation and two years later, following the Austro-Prussian War, part of the new Prussian Province of Schleswig-Holstein. However, Prussia recognized the head of the House of Oldenburg as the *mediatized duke of these two duchies, with the rank and all the titles. The Duchy of Schleswig and the Duchy of Holstein are now the German state of Schleswig-Holstein.

*mediatize – to annex (a principality) to another state, while allowing certain rights to its former sovereign

Dorothea of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Duchess of Schleswig-Holstein; Credit – WIkipedia

Princess Dorothea Maria Henriette Auguste Louise of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was born in Vienna, Austria on April 30, 1881, to Prince Philipp of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Princess Louise of Belgium. Through her mother, she was a granddaughter of King Leopold II of the Belgians. Dorothea had one older brother:

Ernst Günther, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein. source: Wikipedia

On August 2, 1898, in Coburg, Dorothea married Ernst Günther, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein. He was the son of Friedrich VIII, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein and Princess Adelheid of Hohenlohe-Langenburg. Upon his father’s death in January 1880, Ernst Günther had inherited his father’s title. However, just like his father before him, the title was merely in pretense, as the Duchies of Schleswig and Holstein had been annexed by Prussia following the Austro-Prussian War in 1866. Ernst Günther served as a General in the Cavalry and was a member of the Prussian House of Lords.

Dorothea and Ernst Günther had no children of their own, but in 1920, they adopted Princess Marie Luise and Prince Johann Georg of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, the children of Prince Albrecht of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg and his first wife, Countess Ortrud of Ysenburg and Büdingen.

Schloss Taxis. source: Wikipedia

Widowed in 1921, Dorothea survived her husband by nearly 46 years. The Dowager Duchess of Schleswig-Holstein, aged 86, died at Schloss Taxis in Dischingen, Germany on January 21, 1967. She is buried at St. Augustin Church in Coburg, Germany.

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Schleswig-Holstein Resources at Unofficial Royalty