Category Archives: Former Monarchies

Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte, Emperor Napoleon III of the French

by Scott Mehl    © Unofficial Royalty 2016

source: Wikipedia

Emperor Napoleon III of the French. source: Wikipedia

Napoleon III, Emperor of the French, was the last monarch of France, reigning from 1852 until 1870. He was born Charles-Louis Napoléon Bonaparte (but typically known as Louis-Napoléon) in Paris, France on April 20, 1808. His parents were Louis Bonaparte, King of Holland (younger brother of Emperor Napoleon I) and Hortense de Beauharnais, the daughter of Emperor Napoleon’s first wife, Joséphine de Beauharnais and her first husband Alexandre de Beauharnais. He had two elder siblings:

Louis-Napoléon’s christening took place at the Palace of Fontainebleau in France on November 4, 1810 – over two years after his birth – with Emperor Napoleon I and Empress Marie Louise serving as his godparents.

Following Emperor Napoleon’s defeat at the  Battle of Waterloo and the subsequent Bourbon Restoration, all members of the Bonaparte family were forced to leave France. Louis-Napoleon and his mother settled in Switzerland, where Hortense purchased Schloss Arenberg. Louis-Napoleon studied for some time in Augsburg, Bavaria, and developed a slight German accent that would remain for the rest of his life.

In 1823, the family moved to Rome, and Louis-Napoleon became involved with the Carbonari, fighting against Austria’s presence in northern Italy. Forced to flee in 1831, he soon made his way back to France, traveling incognito with his mother – using the name Hamilton – and arrived in Paris on April 31, 1831. In a secret meeting, the French King Louis-Philippe permitted them to remain in Paris, provided they remained incognito, and their stay was brief. However, their identities were soon discovered, and they were forced to leave the city just a week later, and made their way back to Switzerland.

Louis-Napoléon joined the Swiss Army and began writing about his political views. After an unsuccessful coup attempt in October 1836, King Louis Philippe demanded that he be turned over to France, but the Swiss government refused as he was a Swiss citizen. He later traveled to London, Brazil, and New York, and returned to Switzerland in the fall of 1837 to be at his mother’s deathbed. After the death of his mother Hortense on October 5, 1837, Louis-Napoleon spent some time at Schloss Arenberg before returning to London the following year. He soon began plans for another attempt to take the French throne. Sailing to Boulogne in 1840, he was quickly arrested. A quick trial took place and he was sentenced to life in prison in the fortress of Ham. While imprisoned, he spent much time writing – publishing essays and articles in numerous newspapers and magazines throughout France. Still hoping to fulfill his quest to claim the French throne, he managed to escape from Ham in May 1846.  While renovations were being made to his cell, he disguised himself as one of the workers and walked right out through the main gates. Following his escape, he quickly made his way back to England. The next month, his father died, leaving Louis-Napoleon as the sole heir to the Bonaparte dynasty.

The French Revolution of 1848 led to the abdication of King Louis-Philippe, and the declaration of the Second Republic. Louis-Napoleon quickly left for France, while the deposed King went into exile in England. Ignoring his advisers who urged him to seize power, Louis-Napoleon instead declared his loyalty to the Republic and returned to London where he closely watched events unfold in his homeland. In September of that year, he was elected to the French National Assembly and returned to Paris as the country prepared to elect the first President of the French Republic. He immediately threw his hat into the ring, and on December 20, 1848, was declared the winner of the election. Taking the title Prince-President, Louis-Napoleon took up residence at the Élysée Palace.

After a failed attempt to change the law which would have required him to step down at the end of his 4-year term, Louis-Napoleon soon saw a chance to take power by force. In December 1851, with the support of several military generals, Louis-Napoleon’s forces took control of the national printing office and newspaper offices. Posters were quickly put up announcing the dissolution of the National Assembly, the return of universal suffrage, and new elections. Quickly overpowering his opponents, Louis-Napoleon established himself as the sole source of rule within France – supported by a referendum held in December 1851, in which the overwhelming majority of voters agreed to his claim of power.

Not content with being simply a Prince-President, he arranged for the Senate to schedule another referendum to decide if he should be declared Emperor. On December 2, 1852, following an overwhelming vote in his favor, the Second Republic ended and the Second French Empire was declared. Louis-Napoleon took the throne as Napoleon III, Emperor of the French. He quickly made the Tuileries Palace in Paris his official residence.

Napoleon with his wife and son, c1862. source: Wikipedia

Napoleon with his wife and son, c1862. source: Wikipedia

After being turned down by Princess Carola of Vasa (daughter of the deposed Swedish King Gustaf IV Adolf), and Princess Adelheid of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (a niece of Queen Victoria), Napoleon III found his future bride – Eugénie de Montijo, Countess of Teba and Marquise of Ardales. The two had first met in 1849 at a reception at the Eylsée Palace. Just weeks after becoming Emperor, Napoleon announced the couple’s engagement, and they were married a week later. A civil ceremony was held on January 29, 1853, at the Tuileries Palace, followed by a religious ceremony on January 30, 1853, at the Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris. They had one son:

The early years of Napoleon’s reign saw a very heavily censored press, and a Legislature that was almost unanimous in their support.  By the early 1860s, censorship had been eased and a more liberal regime emerged.  The Emperor improved conditions for the poor and made sure that education was mandatory and free for all French citizens.  He promoted industry and banking, developed the rail system throughout France, and worked to build strong political and economic relationships with the United Kingdom and other allies throughout Europe.

In July 1870, France entered the Franco-Prussian War. Without significant allied support, and with unprepared and limited forces, the French army was quickly defeated. Emperor Napoleon was captured at the Battle of Sedan and quickly surrendered on September 1, 1870. As word reached Paris, the Third Republic was declared on September 4, 1870, ending – for the last time – the French monarchy. Emperor Napoleon was held by the Prussians in a castle in Wilhelmshöhe, near Kassel. It wasn’t until peace was established between France and Germany that he was released in March 1871, and quickly went into exile. Arriving in England on March 20, 1871, Napoleon and his family settled at Camden Place, a large country house in Chislehurst, England.

the last known photo of Emperor Napoleon III, 1872. source: Wikipedia

The last known photo of Emperor Napoleon III, 1872. source: Wikipedia

After falling ill in the summer of 1872, and undergoing two operations, Emperor Napoleon III died at his home Camden Place on January 9, 1873. He was initially buried at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Chislehurst, but in 1888, his remains were moved to the Imperial Crypt at St. Michael’s Abbey in Farnborough, Hampshire, England.

Sarcophagus of Napoleon III of France at St. Michael’s Abbey; Credit – Wikipedia

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Maria Amalia of Naples and Sicily, Queen of the French

by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2016

painting by Louis Hersent. source: Wikipedia

Maria Amalia of Naples and Sicily, Queen of the French. Credit – WIkipedia

Princess Maria Amalia Teresa of Naples and Sicily was the wife of Louis Philippe I, King of the French. She was born on April 26, 1782, at the Caserta Palace in Caserta, Kingdom of Naples, now in Italy, to King Ferdinand IV of Naples (also King Ferdinand III of Sicily) and Maria Carolina of Austria. At the time, Naples and Sicily were two independent kingdoms. Years later, Ferdinand joined them together as the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, becoming Ferdinando I, King of the Two Sicilies. This made him the founder of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, a cadet branch of the House of Bourbon. Maria Amalia had 17 siblings:

Maria Amalia had 17 siblings:

While still very young, Maria Amalia was engaged to her first cousin, the Dauphin of France. His mother, Queen Marie Antoinette was Maria Amalia’s maternal aunt. However, this ended upon his death in 1789. Her youth was spent in upheaval – the events in France – particularly the execution of her aunt – and subsequent conflict during the First Coalition soon found the family fleeing Sicily for the safety of Naples. After spending two years in Austria, she returned to Naples in 1802 but four years later, when Napoleon invaded, the family again fled, this time settling in Palermo where British forces protected them.

It was in Palermo, in 1806, that she met her future husband, who had also been forced from his home in France. The relationship was not without controversy, primarily because of Louis Philippe’s father’s role in the downfall and eventual execution of Maria Amalia’s aunt, Marie Antoinette. Finally winning over Maria Amalia’s mother, the couple were married in Palermo on November 25, 1809. The bride took the French version of her name – Marie Amélie. They had ten children:

Marie Amélie with her eldest son, c1818. source: Wikipedia

Marie Amélie with her eldest son, c1818. source: Wikipedia

For the first several years of their marriage, they lived in Palermo at the Palazzo Orléans, a palace given to them by her father, where they raised their growing family. Following the Bourbon Restoration, the family was permitted to return to France, taking up residence at the Palais-Royal in Paris. Despite their limited financial resources, they spent millions of francs restoring the palace and turning it into one of the centers of Parisian high society.

In 1830, King Charles X was overthrown during the July Revolution and forced to abdicate. The King named Louis Philippe as Lieutenant-General of the Kingdom, entrusting him to name the King’s grandson as his successor and to serve as regent. Instead, the Chamber of Deputies named Louis Philippe as King, swearing him as King of the French on August 9, 1830. Marie Amélie found herself, very reluctantly, as Queen of the French. She was strongly against her husband accepting the throne and tried to refuse it on his behalf. She saw the throne as nothing but a means of destroying her peaceful family life and putting all of their lives in constant jeopardy.

She avoided politics at all costs and did everything in her power to remain quietly in the background. Her time was spent primarily raising her large family and taking part in the charity work that had been a part of her life for many years. During her husband’s reign, she became known for her simple life, shying away from formal functions, and giving most of her large allowance to the poor.

However strongly she had been against her husband accepting the throne, she was just as strongly in support of his retaining it. When he was forced to abdicate on February 24, 1848, the Queen was heartbroken that he had not taken her advice to take control of the troops and defend his crown. Two days later, the National Assembly declared the Second Republic, once again ending the French monarchy. The family left Paris and were eventually welcomed in England by Queen Victoria, who gave them the use of Claremont House in Surrey, England.

Queen Marie Amélie, c1865. source: Wikipedia

Queen Marie Amélie, c1865. source: Wikipedia

After her husband’s death two years later, Queen Marie Amélie lived a very private life, spending time with much of her family and enjoying a close relationship with the British Royal Family.

At the age of 83, Queen Marie Amélie died at Claremont House on March 24, 1866. She was buried at the St. Charles Borromeo Chapel in Weybridge, England, and per her request, her gravestone identified her as Duchess of Orléans instead of Queen of the French. Ten years later, her remains, along with those of her husband, were moved to the Chapelle royale de Dreux in Dreux, France.

Memorial to Louis Philippe and Maria Amalia at the Royal Chapel of Dreux; Credit – By Real politik – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6656193

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Louis Philippe I, King of the French

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

Louis Philippe I, King of the French – Source – Wikipedia

Louis Philippe I, King of the French, reigned over France from 1830 until he was forced to abdicate in 1848. He was born at the Palais Royal in Paris, France on October 6, 1773, the eldest child of Louis Philippe II, Duke of Orléans and Louise Marie Adélaïde of Bourbon.

He had four siblings:

At the onset of the French Revolution, Louis Philippe fled France to avoid likely execution, the fate of his father and other members of the French royal family including King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette.  He traveled extensively around Europe and spent several years in the United States.

Maria Amalia, with her eldest son, c1818. source: Wikipedia

Maria Amalia, with her eldest son, c1818. source: Wikipedia

On November 25, 1809, in Palermo, Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, now in Italy, Louis Philippe married Princess Maria Amalia of Naples and Sicily. She was the daughter of King Ferdinando I of the Two Sicilies and Archduchess Maria Carolina of Austria. They had ten children:

In 1814, Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor of the French was overthrown, and the Bourbons returned to the French throne. Louis Philippe returned to France and was welcomed into the French court during the reign of his cousin, King Louis XVIII. Louis XVIII died in 1824 and was succeeded by his brother, King Charles X. Louis Philippe had a close relationship with Charles but his liberal views were quite in contrast to the staunchly conservative Charles, and he was often viewed as a threat to the stability of the King’s reign.

King Louis Philippe, photographed c1842. source: Wikipedia

King Louis Philippe, photographed c1842. source: Wikipedia

In August 1830, King Charles X abdicated, naming his grandson Henri, Duke of Bordeaux his successor. King Charles X also made Louis Philippe the Lieutenant General of the Realm and charged him with announcing the King’s successor to the Chamber of Deputies and to serve as regent for the young Henri. However, Louis Philippe did not make any such announcement, and within days, the Chamber of Deputies instead proclaimed Louis Philippe as the new monarch of France. He took the throne on August 9, 1830, taking the title King of the French, attributing his role as King of the people instead of a territorial area. It was also an attempt to cut off any attempts of the descendants of King Charles to lay claim to the throne.

Outwardly, Louis Philippe avoided much of the pomp and ceremony – and spending – which had dominated the reigns of his predecessors. Initially much loved by the French people, he soon became unpopular when it was clear that his government became increasingly conservative and many felt that it no longer truly represented the average citizen of France. Working conditions worsened, and the divide between the rich and the poor continued to widen. This, combined with the economic crisis of 1847, led to the French Revolution of 1848 and, once again, the end of the French monarchy.

On February 24, 1848, Louis Philippe abdicated in favor of his grandson Philippe, Count of Paris. Afraid that he may be imprisoned and executed, he quickly left Paris, and using a disguise, made his way to England. Two days later, the Second Republic was declared, once again ending the monarchy in France.

Claremont, c1860. source: Wikipedia

Claremont, c1860. source: Wikipedia

In England, Louis Philippe and his wife took up residence at Claremont, a country house in Surrey, England. Claremont had a significant royal history. It had originally been purchased as a home for Princess Charlotte of Wales and her husband, Leopold of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (later King Leopold I of the Belgians). After Charlotte’s death, Leopold retained ownership of the house until he died in 1865. However, after becoming King of the Belgians in 1831, he gave use of the estate to his niece Queen Victoria. Victoria, in turn, loaned the house to Louis Philippe and Marie-Amelie, who were the parents-in-law of King Leopold I from his second marriage to their daughter Louise Marie. It would later become the home of Queen Victoria’s son, Leopold, Duke of Albany, following his marriage in 1882.

King Louis Philippe died at Claremont on August 26, 1850. He was buried at St. Charles Borromeo Chapel in Weybridge, England. In 1876, ten years after his wife’s death, both of their remains were reinterred at the Chapelle royale de Dreux in France.

Memorial to Louis Philippe and Maria Amalia at the Royal Chapel of Dreux; Credit – By Real politik – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6656193

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Maria Teresa of Savoy, Countess of Artois

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

Credit – Wikipedia

Maria Teresa of Savoy, Countess of Artois

Maria Teresa of Savoy was the wife of the future King Charles X of France, although she died before he took the throne. She was born on January 31, 1756, at the Royal Palace of Turin in Turin, Kingdom of Sardinia, now in Italy. She was the daughter of the future King Vittorio Amadeo III of Sardinia and Infanta Maria Antonia Ferdinanda of Spain. She had eleven siblings:

The marriage of Maria Teresa of Savoy and the Count of Artois, 1773. source: Wikipedia

The marriage of Maria Teresa of Savoy and the Count of Artois, 1773. source: Wikipedia

On November 16, 1773, at the Chapel Royal at the Palace of Versailles, Maria Teresa married Charles Philippe, Count of Artois (the future King Charles X of France). He was the son of Louis, Dauphin of France, a son of King Louis XV of France and Marie Leszczyńska of Poland. Having taken the French version of her name – Marie Thérèse – she retained her style of Royal Highness because her husband was a grandson of the French sovereign. She was styled, however, simply the Countess of Artois. The couple had four children:

The marriage was just one of three marriages between the two families. Two years earlier, her elder sister had married Louis Stanislas, Count of Provence (the future Louis XVIII), and later her younger brother (the future King Carlo Emanuele IV of Sardinia) married Clotilde of France.

Marie Thérèse with her three surviving children, painted by Charles Leclercq, c1783. source: Wikipedia

Marie Thérèse with her three surviving children, painted by Charles Leclercq, c1783. source: Wikipedia

Regarded as very plain and unattractive, Marie Thérèse was overshadowed at the French court by her sister-in-law, Marie Antoinette, and was very unpopular. Her reputation improved a bit, however, when she began quickly to provide children and heirs – something her sister-in-law had so far been unable to do.

In July 1789, just days after the storming of the Bastille, Marie Thérèse and her family fled the country, settling for some time in her native Savoy. They eventually moved to Graz, Austria, where Marie Thérèse died on June 2, 1805. She is buried in the Imperial Mausoleum next to the Graz Cathedral.

Grave of Maria Teresa at the Imperial Mausoleum next to the Graz Cathedral; Credit – www. findagrave.com

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King Charles X of France

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

source: Wikipedia

King Charles X of France – source: Wikipedia

King Charles X was the last King of France from the House of Bourbon. He was born at the Palace of Versailles in France on October 9, 1757. His grandfather King Louis XV of France created him Count of Artois at birth.  Charles was the sixth child and third son of Louis, Dauphin of France, and Princess Maria Josepha of Saxony. He had seven siblings:

He was given the names Charles Philippe at his christening in the Chapel Royal at the Palace of Versailles. His godparents were King Carlos III of Spain and his aunt Sophie-Philippine of France.

Engraving of the marriage of Charles and Maria Teresa of Savoy, 1773. source: Wikipedia

Engraving of the marriage of Charles and Maria Teresa of Savoy, 1773. source: Wikipedia

On November 16, 1773, at the age of 16, Charles married Princess Maria Teresa of Savoy at the Chapel Royal at the Palace of Versailles. She was the daughter of King Vittorio Amadeo III of Sardinia and Infanta Maria Antonia of Spain. Maria Teresa’s elder sister was the wife of Charles’ elder brother Louis Stanislas (later King Louis XVIII). The couple had four children:

Following the Storming of the Bastille in 1789, Charles and his family took refuge in Savoy and then traveled through Europe. After the French monarchy was abolished in September 1792, Charles’s brother King Louis XVI and his family were imprisoned and executed the following year. Charles escaped to the United Kingdom, where he was warmly welcomed by King George III who gave him a large allowance and provided him with apartments at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, Scotland. Charles also had a residence in Mayfair, London, where he spent much of his time with his longtime mistress, Louise d’Esparbès de Lussan. His elder brother, now the titular King Louis XVIII, eventually came to the United Kingdom in 1807.

Charles, Comte d’Artois, c1798, painted by Henri-Pierre Danloux. source: Wikipedia

Charles, Comte d’Artois, c1798, painted by Henri-Pierre Danloux. source: Wikipedia

When Napoleon was overthrown in 1814 and Louis XVIII formally made King of France, Charles served as Lieutenant-General of the Kingdom until the new King could return to France. While supporting his brother, Charles was also very vocal in his disagreement with many of the King’s liberal policies. On September 16, 1824, King Louis XVIII died, and Charles succeeded to the French throne as King Charles X. He would be very unpopular with the French people, and would not remain on the throne for long. While his brother had been much more liberal, and accepting of the changes needed to retain the monarchy in an evolving France, Charles longed for a return to absolute rule. He often instructed his prime minister to change or remove laws that he felt were too liberal.

King Charles X’s actions led to the July Revolution of 1830 and his abdication. After ordering General Elections to be held, Charles was not happy with the results, and on July 6, 1830, he suspended the constitution. Several weeks later, he issued four ordinances, censoring the press, dissolving the newly elected chamber, changing the electoral system, and calling for new elections in September. When these ordinances were published, there were quick calls for revolution. When rioting began, a team of ministers pleaded with the King to revoke the mandates but the King refused any compromise. By the end of the night, the members of the Chamber of Deputies had decided that the King must go and that they should pass the throne to the Duke of Orléans who would become Louis-Philippe, King of the French.

On July 31, 1830, King Charles X left the Château de Saint-Cloud, intending to take refuge at Versailles. However, he was met by revolutionary troops and instead went to the Grand Trianon and the Château de Rambouillet the following day. Louis-Philippe, the Duke of Orléans declared himself Lieutenant-General.

On August 2, 1830, King Charles X abdicated the French throne, skipping over his son and naming his grandson Henri, Duke of Bordeaux as his successor. Louis-Philippe refused to accept the terms of the abdication and instead had himself proclaimed King of the French. With an approaching mob, Charles and his family left Rambouillet and sailed to the United Kingdom. They lived briefly at Lulworth Castle in Dorset before returning to the Palace of Holyroodhouse. In the winter of 1832, the family moved to Prague at the invitation of Emperor Franz I of Austria, taking up residence at the Prague Castle. They remained there until the Emperor’s death in 1835 when they purchased Kirchberg Castle.

In the fall of 1835, Charles traveled to Austria’s Mediterranean coast to enjoy the warmer weather. While in Görz, Austria (now Gorizia, Italy), he contracted cholera. The former King Charles X of France died at the Strassoldo Palace in Görz on November 6, 1836. He was buried in the crypt of the Kostanjevica Monastery in what is now Pristava, Slovenia

Tombs of Charles X and his son Louis at the Kostanjevica Monastery; Credit – Wikipedia

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Mary Tudor, Queen of France, Duchess of Suffolk

by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2016

Mary Tudor, Queen of France, Duchess of Suffolk; Credit – Wikipedia

Mary Tudor was born on March 18, 1496, at Richmond Palace, then in Surrey, England. She was the third daughter and the fifth of the seven children of King Henry VII of England and Elizabeth of York, the eldest child of King Edward IV of England.

Mary had seven siblings, but only three survived early childhood:

Henry VII’s family: At left, Henry VII, with Arthur, Prince of Wales behind him, then Henry (later Henry VIII), and Edmund, who did not survive early childhood. To the right is Elizabeth of York, with Margaret, then Elizabeth who didn’t survive childhood, Mary, and Katherine, who died shortly after her birth; Credit – Wikipedia

Mary was raised with her older siblings Margaret and Henry at Eltham Palace in Greenwich, London, England, and was taught French, Latin, music, dancing, and embroidery. In 1501, Mary’s elder brother Arthur, Prince of Wales married Catherine of Aragon, the youngest daughter of Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon. Five months later, on April 2, 1502, 15-year-old Arthur was dead, probably of sweating sickness, and his family was devastated. Shortly after Arthur’s death, Mary’s mother Elizabeth became pregnant again and hoped for a son. On February 2, 1503, she gave birth to a daughter, Katherine. Shortly after giving birth, Elizabeth became ill with puerperal fever (childbed fever) and died on February 11, 1503, her 37th birthday. Little Katherine died on February 18, 1503. In June of 1503, just a few months after her mother’s death, Mary’s sister Margaret left England to begin her married life in Scotland with her husband James IV, King of Scots. By the age of eight, Mary had already dealt with much loss.

In December of 1507, 11-year-old Mary was betrothed to four-year Charles, the future Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, the eldest son of Philip the Handsome and Queen Joanna I of Castile. A month after her 13th birthday, Mary’s father King Henry VII died and her brother became King Henry VIII. Henry VIII was interested in a more permanent alliance with France. He initially considered marrying his now-widowed sister Margaret to the widowed King Louis XII of France. To his chagrin, Margaret secretly married Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus. Henry VIII broke off Mary’s engagement to Charles. Then he negotiated a peace treaty with France that included the marriage of 18-year-old Mary and the 52-year-old twice-married Louis XII who was eager to have a son to succeed him. Mary was not thrilled at the prospect of marrying a sick old man, especially since she was already in love with Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk who had been brought up with Henry VIII in the court of King Henry VII. Mary made her brother promise that if she should survive Louis XII, she could choose her second husband.

King Louis XII of France by Jehan Perréal, circa 1514; Credit – Wikipedia

There was a proxy marriage on August 19, 1514, at Greenwich Palace with Claude d’Orléans, Duke of Longueville standing in for Louis XII. Mary left for France on October 2, 1514. Louis XII met Mary on a rainy day at Abbeville, France near the mouth of the River Somme. They married in person at Abbeville on October 9, 1514. However, the marriage did not last long. Louis XII died on January 1, 1515, just three months after the wedding. As he had no son, he was succeeded by his son-in-law François d’Angoulême from the House of Valois -Angoulême as King François I of France.

Mary was aware that the new King of France would like her to marry a Frenchman to keep her dowry in France. However, she confided in King François I that she wished to marry Charles Brandon and he agreed to help her. First, Mary had to follow the French royal custom of a widowed queen observing a 40-day mourning period. She spent the mourning period at the Hôtel de Cluny in Paris with darkened windows and candlelight. She was also observed to see if she was pregnant with the future heir to the throne.

On March 3, 1515, Mary secretly married Charles Brandon at the Hôtel de Cluny in the presence of ten people including King François I. Mary and Brandon returned to England to face the wrath of her brother. Cardinal Thomas Wolsey managed to calm Henry VIII although some members of the Privy Council wanted Brandon imprisoned or executed. Mary and Brandon had to pay a £24,000 fine, approximately £7,200,000 today. Henry VIII later reduced the fine. The couple was married again in the presence of Henry VIII at the Grey Friar’s Church in Greenwich on May 13, 1515.

Mary Tudor and Charles Brandon by Jan Gossaert, circa 1515; Credit – Wikipedia

Mary and Brandon had four children:

Mary and Brandon spent most of their time at Westhorpe Hall in Suffolk, England. Brandon’s daughters from his marriage to Anne Browne, Lady Anne Brandon, and Lady Mary Brandon, also lived there at Mary’s insistence. Mary got along well with her brother Henry VIII. However, in the late 1520s, their relationship became strained because Mary opposed Henry’s attempt to obtain an annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon so he could marry Anne Boleyn. Mary had known Catherine for many years and had a great fondness for her, but had developed a strong dislike for Anne Boleyn when she served as one of her maids of honor in France.

Mary’s health began to suffer around the time Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn married. There were rumors that the coronation of Anne Boleyn on June 1, 1533, broke Mary’s heart. Mary died at Westhorpe Hall on June 25, 1533, at the age of 37, and was originally buried in the Abbey at Bury St. Edmunds.  In 1538, when the Abbey at Bury St. Edmunds was dissolved during the Dissolution of the Monasteries, Mary’s coffin was brought to St. Mary’s Church in Bury St. Edmunds where it still rests in the crypt. The original grave slab survives and is in the sanctuary near the altar. There is also a later inscription and insignia on the wall and a marble curb given by King Edward VII which can be seen in the photo below.  In the Lady Chapel, there is a stained glass window given by Queen Victoria that depicts Mary’s life.

Original grave slab of Mary Tudor; Credit – www.britainexpress.com

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Works Cited
Abrufstatistik. “Mary Tudor (Frankreich).” Wikipedia. N.p.: Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 30 Oct. 2016.
De Lisle, Leanda. Tudor. Philadelphia: Perseus Books Group, 2013. Print.
“Mary Tudor, Queen of France.” Wikipedia. N.p.: Wikimedia Foundation, 19 Oct. 2016. Web. 30 Oct. 2016.
Susan. “Margaret Tudor. Queen of Scots.” English Royals. Unofficial Royalty, 29 Nov. 2016. Web.
Williamson, David. Brewer’s British Royalty. London: Cassell, 1996. Print.

Mary, Queen of Scots

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

by François Clouet, circa 1559

Mary, Queen of Scots was born on December 8, 1542, at Linlithgow Palace in Scotland. She was the third and the only surviving child of James V, King of Scots and his second wife Marie of Guise, a French princess. James V was the son of James IV, King of Scots and Margaret Tudor, the daughter of King Henry VII of England and the sister of King Henry VIII of England.

Mary’s parents, King James V of Scotland and Marie of Guise; Credit – Wikipedia

Mary had two brothers who died in infancy:

  • James, Duke of Rothesay (1540 – 1541)
  • Arthur, Duke of Albany (born and died April 1541)

Mary had nine half-siblings via her father’s mistresses:

Mary also had two half-brothers from her mother’s first marriage to Louis II d’Orléans, Duke of Longueville:

The year before Mary’s birth, her grandmother Margaret Tudor died and her father James V saw no reason to keep the peace with England. When war broke out between England and France in 1542, it was inevitable that Scotland would go to war against England because of their treaty with France. When Henry VIII of England broke from the Roman Catholic Church, he asked James V of Scotland, his nephew, to do the same. James ignored his uncle’s request and further insulted him by refusing to meet with Henry VIII at York.

Furious, Henry VIII sent troops against Scotland. In retaliation for the English raid into Scotland, James raised an army and attacked England. On November 24, 1542, the Battle of Solway Moss in Cumberland, England resulted in a decisive English victory. After the Battle of Solway Moss, James V fled to Falkland Palace in Scotland where he became ill and took to his bed. Overcome with grief and shame about the Battle of Solway Moss, James V lost the will to live. The news that Marie of Guise had given birth to a daughter on December 8, 1542, did nothing to raise his spirits. James V, King of Scots died at Falkland Palace in Fife, Scotland on December 14, 1542, at the age of 30, and was succeeded by his only surviving, legitimate child, six-day-old Mary.

James Hamilton, 2nd Earl of Arran, a great-grandson of James II, King of Scots and the heir to the Scots throne, became Regent. On September 9, 1543, Mary was crowned at Stirling Castle. Mary’s great uncle King Henry VIII of England tried to force an agreement of marriage between Mary and his six-year-old son the future King Edward VI of England to create a new alliance between England and Scotland. Scotland had an alliance with France called the Auld Alliance. When Scotland resisted, Henry VIII declared war resulting in an eight-year war known as the Rough Wooing (1543 – 1551).  Because of the English hostilities, Scotland abandoned the possibility of an English marriage. In July 1548, the Scottish Parliament approved Mary’s marriage to François, Dauphin of France, the son and heir of King Henri II of France and Catherine de’ Medici.

On August 7, 1548, five-year-old Mary, Queen of Scots set sail for France where she would be raised with her future husband. She would not return to Scotland for thirteen years. Mary’s mother stayed in Scotland, but Mary was accompanied by her own court including John Erskine, 5th Lord Erskine, two of her illegitimate half-brothers, and the “The Four Marys”, four girls her own age, all named Mary, who were the daughters of Scottish nobles: Mary Beaton, Mary Fleming, Mary Livingston, and Mary Seaton.  Also accompanying Mary was Janet Stewart, Lady Fleming, the mother of Mary Fleming and an illegitimate daughter of King James IV of Scotland, who was Mary’s governess.

Mary, Queen of Scots, at the age of 12 or 13 by François Clouet, circa 1555–1559; Credit – Wikipedia

Mary’s education was completed in France where she studied French, Greek, Italian, Latin, and Spanish along with music, dancing, singing, drawing, and needlework. Antoinette de Bourbon, Duchess of Guise, Mary’s maternal grandmother, had a great influence on her granddaughter and was one of her principal advisors. On April 24, 1558, Mary married François, Dauphin of France outside Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. In November of 1558, Catholic Queen Mary I of England died and was succeeded by her Protestant half-sister Queen Elizabeth I. King Henry VIII’s will excluded the descendants of his sister Margaret from the succession. However, many Catholics considered Mary to be the rightful heir to the English throne.

On June 30, 1559, King Henri II of France was mortally wounded in a jousting match.  He died on July 10, 1559, and Mary’s husband succeeded his father as King François II of France. François was crowned at Rheims Cathedral in September 1559. However, Mary did not participate in the coronation as she was already an anointed and crowned queen.

King François II of France and his wife Mary, Queen of France and Queen of Scots; circa 1558

After only a 17-month reign, François, aged 16, died in great pain on December 5, 1560, possibly from mastoiditis, meningitis, or otitis which turned into an abscess. Left a childless widow, Mary decided to return to Scotland. Her mother, who became Regent of Scotland in 1554, had died in June of 1560. During Mary’s thirteen-year absence, the Protestant Reformation had swept through Scotland, led by John Knox who is considered the founder of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland. Therefore, Catholic Mary returned to a Scotland very different from the one she had left as a child. Mary continued to have Mass celebrated in her private chapel and did not interfere with the new reformed religion that the Scottish Parliament had established four years earlier. John Knox preached against Mary, condemning her for hearing Mass, dancing, and dressing too elaborately. Mary’s Protestant illegitimate half-brother James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray became the chief advisor to his sister.

Mary, Queen of Scots in white mourning for her first husband, circa 1559–1560; Credit – Wikipedia

Mary needed an heir, so a second marriage became necessary. After considering Carlos, Prince of Asturias, known as Don Carlos, eldest son and heir of King Philip II of Spain and Queen Elizabeth I’s candidate Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester, Mary became infatuated with her first cousin Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley. Both Mary and Darnley were grandchildren of Margaret Tudor. Darnley was the son of Lady Margaret Douglas, Margaret Tudor’s only child from her second marriage to Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus. Mary and Darnley married at Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh, Scotland on July 29, 1565.

Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley and Mary, Queen of Scots; Credit – Wikipedia

The marriage angered Queen Elizabeth I who felt that Darnley, as her cousin and an English subject, needed her permission to marry. James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray was also angered by his sister’s marriage to a prominent Catholic and joined other Protestant lords in a rebellion. Mary soon became disillusioned by Darnley’s uncouth behavior and his insistence upon receiving the Crown Matrimonial which would have made him co-sovereign of Scotland. Mary refused and their relationship became strained.

At the end of 1565, Mary became pregnant. Darnley, who was jealous of Mary’s friendship with her private secretary David Riccio, rumored to be the father of her child. Darnley formed a conspiracy to do away with Riccio. On March 9, 1566, Riccio was at supper with Mary and her ladies at Holyrood Palace. The conspirators, led by Darnley, burst into the room, dragged Riccio away, and killed him in an adjoining room. Mary was roughly pushed and shoved and although the conspirators hoped she would miscarry, she did not. All the conspirators were banished except for Darnley who was forgiven. On June 19, 1566, at Edinburgh Castle, Mary gave birth to a son, later King James VI of Scotland/King James I of England. He was christened Charles James after his godfather King Charles IX of France,

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

Mary’s marriage was all but over and she began to be drawn to James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell. Bothwell entered into a conspiracy with Archibald Campbell, 5th Earl of Argyll and George Gordon, 5th Earl of Huntly to rid Mary of her husband. On February 10, 1567, Darnley was killed when the house he was staying at was blown up.

James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell, 1566; Credit – Wikipedia

In April of 1567, Mary visited her son at Stirling Castle. It was to be the last time Mary would ever see her son. On her way back to Edinburgh, Mary was abducted by Bothwell and taken to Dunbar Castle. Bothwell, who was married, divorced his wife on May 3, 1567, and then Mary and Bothwell were married on May 15, 1567. The marriage angered many Scottish nobles who raised an army against Mary and Bothwell. After negotiations at the Battle of Carberry Hill, Bothwell was given safe passage and the lords took Mary to Edinburgh. The following night, Mary was imprisoned in Loch Leven Castle, on an island in the middle of Loch Leven. Between July 20 – 23, 1567, Mary miscarried twins, and on July 24, 1567, she was forced to abdicate in favor of her one-year-old son James. The Earl of Moray was made Regent for his nephew and Bothwell was driven into exile. He was imprisoned in Denmark, became insane, and died in 1578.

In 1568, Mary escaped from her imprisonment at Loch Leven Castle. After being defeated at the Battle of Langside by the forces of her half-brother, the Earl of Moray, Mary was forced to flee to England, where she was subsequently imprisoned by Queen Elizabeth I of England. She was first taken to Carlisle Castle and then moved to Bolton Castle because it was further from the Scottish border. Mary was moved from castle to castle, all of which were in the interior of England and away from the sea for security reasons.

Mary in captivity, 1578; Credit – Wikipedia

In August of 1586, Mary was implicated in the Babington Plot, a plot to assassinate Queen Elizabeth I. Shortly afterward, Mary was moved to her final place of imprisonment, Fotheringhay Castle in Northamptonshire where King Richard III of England had been born. In October 1586, Mary was tried for treason. She protested that as a foreign anointed queen she had never been an English subject and therefore could not be convicted of treason. On October 25, 1586, Mary was convicted of treason and condemned to death.

Drawing of the trial of Mary, Queen of Scots in the Great Hall at Fotheringay Castle, 1586; Credit – Wikipedia

Elizabeth I was reluctant to sign the death warrant of an anointed queen as she felt it would set a bad precedent and feared that Mary’s son James VI, King of Scots, now 20 years old, would form an alliance and invade England. However, on February 1, 1587, Elizabeth signed the death warrant. Having just found out she was to be executed the next day, Mary spent her final night praying in Fotheringhay Castle’s small chapel. She was beheaded on a scaffold in the Great Hall of Fotheringhay Castle on February 8, 1587. Mary was 44 years old and had spent the last nineteen years of her life imprisoned in English castles.

Execution of Mary Stuart, Queen of Scotland, from Robert Beale’s The Order and Manner of the Execution of Mary Queen of Scots, Feb. 8, 1587; Credit – Wikipedia

Mary had requested to be buried in France, but Elizabeth I denied the request. Her remains were embalmed, put in a lead coffin, and left in Fotheringhay Castle until August 1, 1587, when they were buried at Peterborough Cathedral where Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIII’s first wife had been buried.

Copy of Mary’s death mask at Falkland Palace in Scotland; By Kim Traynor – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=21201424

In 1603, as Queen Elizabeth I, the last of the Tudors lay dying, she gave her assent that Mary, Queen of Scots’ son James VI, King of Scots, should succeed her. By primogeniture, James was the next in line to the English throne. Elizabeth died on March 24, 1603. Now James I, King of England and James VI, King of Scots, James entered London on May 7, 1603, and his coronation was held on July 25, 1603. In 1612, Mary’s remains were exhumed upon the orders of her son and were reburied in a marble tomb with a beautiful effigy in Westminster Abbey in a chapel directly across the aisle from the chapel containing the tomb of Queen Elizabeth I. Mary, Queen of Scots is the ancestor of the current British royal family and many other European royal families.

Tomb of Mary, Queen of Scots in Westminster Abbey; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

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

Works Cited

  • Flantzer, Susan. “King James VI of Scotland/King James I of England.” British Royals. Unofficial Royalty, 29 Aug. 2015. Web. 30 Oct. 2016.
  • “Fotheringhay Castle.” Wikipedia. N.p.: Wikimedia Foundation, 21 Sept. 2016. Web. 30 Oct. 2016.
  • “Mary, Queen of Scots.” Wikipedia. N.p.: Wikimedia Foundation, 29 Oct. 2016. Web. 30 Oct. 2016.
  • Williamson, David. Brewer’s British Royalty. London: Cassell, 1996. Print.

Maria Giuseppina of Savoy, Countess of Provence

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

source: Wikipedia

Maria Giuseppina of Savoy, Countess of Provence; Credit – Wikipedia

Maria Giuseppina Luigia of Savoy was the wife of King Louis XVIII of France, although he did not become King until after her death. She was born on September 2, 1753, at the Royal Palace of Turin, in Turin, Duchy of Savoy, now in Italy, daughter of King Vittorio Amadeo III of Sardinia and Infanta Maria Antonia Ferdinanda of Spain. She had eleven siblings:

On May 14, 1771, at the Palace of Versailles in Versailles, France, Maria Giuseppina married Louis Stanislas of France, Count of Provence. He was the son of Louis, Dauphin of France and Maria Josepha of Saxony. She took on the French version of her name Maria Joséphine and was styled Countess of Provence. The couple had no children, although she did have several miscarriages.

From all accounts, there was little love in the marriage. It was the first of three marriages arranged between the royal families of Sardinia and France. Considered ugly and ill-mannered, Marie Joséphine never quite fit in at the Court of Versailles. She and her husband had a strained relationship with his brother and sister-in-law, the future King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, and saw themselves as better suited to be next-in-line for the French throne.

After being forced to return to Paris in October 1789, Marie Joséphine and her husband took up residence at the Luxembourg Palace, still distancing themselves from the rest of the royal family who were living at the Tuileries Palace. They successfully escaped to the Austrian Netherlands in June 1791. By then, she and her husband fought constantly, and she found comfort in the company of her lady-in-waiting, Marguerite de Gourbillon. Many have speculated that the two were lovers, although there is no conclusive evidence of this.

In June 1795, Marie Joséphine’s husband became the titular King of France following the death of the only surviving son of King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. However, as the French monarchy had been abolished years earlier, the two remained in exile as Count and Countess of Provence. They continued living in different parts of Europe before moving to England in 1808, taking up residence at Hartwell House in Buckinghamshire, England.

Hartwell House in Buckinghamshire, England. source: Wikipedia

Hartwell House in Buckinghamshire, England. source: Wikipedia

On November 13, 1810, Marie Joséphine died at Hartwell House. Following a grand funeral, attended by the British Royal Family, she was interred in the Henry VII Lady Chapel at Westminster Abbey in London, England. The following year, her husband had her remains moved to the Cagliari Cathedral in Sardinia, now in Italy. Here, her brother, King Carlo Felice of Sardinia, had a large monument built in her honor.

Tomb of Marie Therese. photo by Giova81 - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3880082

Tomb of  Marie Joséphine. photo by Giova81 – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3880082

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France Resources at Unofficial Royalty

King Louis XVIII of France

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

King Louis XVIII of France; Credit – Wikipedia

King Louis XVIII of France was born at the Palace of Versailles in France on November 17, 1755, during the reign of his grandfather King Louis XV. He was the fifth of eight children of Louis, Dauphin of France and Princess Maria Josepha of Saxony. At the time of his birth, he was fourth in line to the French throne, following his father and two living elder brothers. At his christening, he was given the names Louis Stanislas Xavier and was styled Count of Provence from birth.

He had seven siblings:

Following the death of his eldest brother in 1761, Louis Stanislas and his brother Louis Auguste were educated by a series of tutors. Following his father’s death in 1765, he became second in line for the French throne. In 1771, his formal education came to an end, and he was granted his own household. He was also created Duke of Anjou, Count of Maine, Count of Perche, and Count of Senoches, but remained styled as Count of Provence.

Princess Maria Giuseppina of Savoy, Countess of Provence, c1780. source: Wikipedia

Princess Maria Giuseppina of Savoy, Countess of Provence, source: Wikipedia

On May 14, 1771, at the Palace of Versailles, Louis married Princess Maria Giuseppina of Savoy, the daughter of the future King Vittorio Amadeo III of Sardinia and Infanta Maria Antonia Ferdinanda of Spain. From all accounts, the marriage was far from loving, with Louis finding his bride ugly and repulsive of character. Other than several miscarriages, the couple had no children.

King Louis XV died in April 1774 and was succeeded by Louis Stanislas’s elder brother Louis Auguste, who became King Louis XVI. Louis Stanislas was the heir-presumptive to the French throne until the birth of King Louis XVI’s son in 1781. During his brother’s reign, Louis Auguste lived a relatively private and quiet life. He installed his mistress in a small pavilion at Versailles and spent much of his time there, developing his massive collection of books.

Louis Stanislas, Count of Provence; Credit – Wikipedia

Following the Storming of the Bastille, on July 14, 1789, Louis chose to remain at Versailles, while his younger brother, the future King Charles X, left the country and settled in Sardinia. For some time, they lived normal lives at Versailles, but in October of that year, the entire French royal family was forced to return to Paris. Louis Stanislas and his wife took up residence at the Luxembourg Palace in Paris. Finally, in June 1791, Louis Stanislas and Marie Joséphine fled to the Austrian Netherlands.

The monarchy was formally abolished in September 1792, and King Louis XVI was executed the following January. After the king’s son died in 1795, Louis Stanislas became the titular King of France. In 1798, he was given the use of Jelgava Palace in Courland (now Latvia) by Paul I, Emperor of All Russia, in addition to a large pension. At Jelgava, Louis Stanislas attempted to recreate the court of Versailles and all the pomp and ceremony that entailed. He arranged for the marriage of his niece and daughter of King Louis XVI Marie-Thérèse and his nephew Louis-Antoine, Duke of Angoulême at Jelgava in 1799, and soon made efforts to begin a correspondence with Napoleon Bonaparte, in hopes of restoring the Bourbons to the French throne.

After being forced to leave Jelgava in 1801, Louis Stanislas took up residence in Warsaw (then part of southern Prussia). Two years later, Napoleon tried to force Louis to give up his rights to the French throne, which he refused. After Napoleon declared himself Emperor of the French in 1804, the Prussian King forced Louis to leave Prussian territory, and he returned to Jelgava Palace in Courland, at the invitation of Alexander I, Emperor of All Russia. However, by 1807, the Russian Emperor could no longer guarantee his safety. After briefly traveling to Sweden, Louis Stanislas moved to England where he leased Gosfield Hall in Essex. In 1808, he brought his wife to England, and the couple moved to Hartwell House in Buckinghamshire. With their rent paid by the King, the couple also enjoyed a close relationship with the Prince Regent (the future King George IV) who provided them with a very generous allowance and granted them permanent asylum in Great Britain.

In April 1814, following Napoleon’s overthrow, the French Senate restored the Bourbons to the French throne. Louis Stanislas officially became King Louis XVIII. In ill health, Louis XVIII sent his younger brother Charles to serve as Lieutenant-General of the Kingdom until he could arrive. King Louis XVIII arrived in Paris at the beginning of May and immediately took up residence at the Tuileries Palace. The monarchy was much different than it had been before the Revolution. Soon after assuming the throne, and under pressure to establish a new constitution, King Louis issued the Charter of 1814, establishing a bicameral legislature and maintaining the King as Head of State. He also signed the Treaty of Paris on May 30, 1814.

King Louis XVIII, c1815. source: Wikipedia

King Louis XVIII, c1815. source: Wikipedia

In February 1815, Napoleon escaped from his imprisonment in Elba and returned to France. Louis XVIII assumed that he would easily overcome any attempts by the former Emperor to regain the throne. However, he did not anticipate the large number of troops who would side with Napoleon. When Paris fell, Louis XVIII fled the city, taking up residence in the Netherlands. His exile would be short-lived. Napoleon was once again defeated at the Battle of Waterloo on June 18, 1815, and King Louis XVIII was restored to the throne.

Following his restoration, King Louis XVIII voluntarily relinquished much of his political role, leaving many of his responsibilities to his ministers. Having been in ill health for much of his adult life, Louis XVIII again fell ill in early 1824, suffering from gout, gangrene, and extreme obesity. He died at the Louvre Palace in Paris, France on September 16, 1824, and is buried in the Basilica of St. Denis near Paris.

Grave of Louis XVIII at the Basilica of Saint-Denis; Credit – Wikipedia

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France Resources at Unofficial Royalty

James V, King of Scots

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

James V, King of Scots, circa 1536; Credit – Wikipedia

James V, King of Scots was born at Linlithgow Palace in Linlithgowshire, Scotland on April 10, 1512. He was the third of the four sons of James IV, King of Scots and Margaret Tudor, eldest daughter of King Henry VII of England and Elizabeth of York, daughter of King Edward IV of England. At his birth, James became Duke of Rothesay and Steward of Scotland, traditional titles of the eldest son of the King of Scots as his two elder brothers James and Arthur had died in infancy. James had one younger brother who also died in infancy and two stillborn sisters.

James IV, King of Scots and Margaret Tudor; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1509, James’ maternal grandfather King Henry VII of England died and was succeeded by James’ uncle King Henry VIII. Despite the great hopes of peace between England and Scotland as symbolized by the marriage of Margaret Tudor and James IV, King of Scots, Henry VIII did not have his father’s diplomatic patience and was heading toward a war with France. James IV was committed to his alliance with France and invaded England. Henry VIII was away on campaign in France and Flanders in 1513 and he had made his wife Catherine of Aragon regent in his absence. It was up to Catherine to supervise England’s defense when Scotland invaded. Ultimately, the Scots were defeated at the Battle of Flodden near Branxton, Northumberland, England on September 9, 1513, and 30-year-old James IV was killed in the battle and 17-month-old James succeeded his father as James V, King of Scots.

James V was crowned on September 21, 1513, at Stirling Castle. Under the terms of James IV’s will, Margaret was the regent for her son as long as she did not remarry. While the Scottish Parliament had confirmed Margaret as regent, many were unhappy with an English female regent and sought to replace Margaret with John Stewart, 2nd Duke of Albany, grandson of King James II of Scotland, the closest male relative to the infant king, and the heir presumptive to the throne. Margaret sought an ally with the pro-English House of Douglas. On August 6, 1514, Margaret secretly married Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus. The marriage stirred up the jealousy of the nobles and the opposition of the faction supporting French influence in Scotland. Civil war broke out, and Margaret lost the regency to John Stewart, 2nd Duke of Albany. Margaret fled to England where she lived until 1517 when she returned to Scotland.

James V was educated by leading scholars and ranked among the best-educated rulers at that time.  His tutors included Gavin Dunbar, Dean of Moray, later Archbishop of Glasgow; the poet John Bellenden; the poet Sir David Lyndsay, Lyon King of Arms; and James Inglis, Abbot of Culross.

In the autumn of 1524, James V dismissed his regents and was proclaimed an adult ruler by his mother. However, James V remained under the control of his stepfather Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus, Margaret Tudor’s second husband. In 1528, James finally escaped from Angus’ control and assumed control of the government. James V then spent some time limiting the role of Scottish nobles.

Madeleine of Valois by Corneille de Lyon; Credit – Wikipedia

The 1517 Treaty of Rouen, signed after the Battle of Flodden, stated that King James V of Scotland was to marry a French princess. When King James V reached a marriageable age, talks began regarding marriage with Madeleine of Valois, daughter of King François I of France and Claude, Duchess of Brittany. However, Madeleine’s ill health was an issue, and another French bride, Mary of Bourbon, was offered as a substitute. When James V came to France to meet Mary of Bourbon, he also met Madeleine and decided to marry her. Because of his daughter’s health issues, François I was reluctant to agree to the marriage, but eventually, he did so. Madeleine and King James V of Scotland were married on January 1, 1537, at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. The couple arrived in Scotland on May 19, 1537, after months of celebrations in France, but Madeleine’s health had further deteriorated. Madeleine wrote a letter to her father on June 8, 1537, saying that she was feeling better and that her symptoms had subsided. Despite this, on July 7, 1537, Madeleine died in her husband’s arms, a month short of her seventeenth birthday.

James V and Marie of Guise; Credit – Wikipedia

On May 18, 1538, at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, less than a year after the death of his first wife, James V married again. The marriage was a proxy marriage with Robert Maxwell, 4th Lord Maxwell standing in for the groom. James V’s second bride was Marie of Guise, the eldest daughter of Claude of Lorraine, Duke of Guise, head of the House of Guise, and his wife Antoinette de Bourbon. Marie had previously been married to Louis II d’Orléans, Duke of Longueville for three years before he died. Marie had one surviving son, three-year-old François, whom she was forced to leave in France as he had succeeded his father as Duke of Longueville. James V and Marie married in person at St. Andrews, Scotland on June 12, 1538.

James V and Marie had two sons and one daughter, but their sons died in infancy:

James V had at least nine illegitimate children:

When his mother Margaret Tudor died in 1541, James V saw no reason to keep the peace with England. When war broke out between England and France in 1542, it was inevitable that Scotland would go to war against England because of their treaty with France. When Henry VIII of England broke from the Roman Catholic Church, he asked James V of Scotland, his nephew, to do the same. James ignored his uncle’s request and further insulted him by refusing to meet with Henry VIII at York. Furious, Henry VIII sent troops against Scotland. In retaliation for the English raid into Scotland, James responded by assigning Robert, Lord Maxwell, the Scottish Warden of West March, the task of raising an army. On November 24, 1542, the Battle of Solway Moss in Cumberland, England resulted in a decisive English victory.

After the Battle of Solway Moss, James V fled to Falkland Palace where he became ill and took to his bed. Overcome with grief and shame about the Battle of Solway Moss, James V lost the will to live. The news that Marie of Guise had given birth to a daughter on December 8, 1542, did nothing to raise his spirits. James V, King of Scots died at Falkland Palace in Fife, Scotland on December 14, 1542, at the age of 30. He was buried at Holyrood Abbey in Edinburgh, Scotland alongside his first wife Madeleine and his two sons by Marie of Guise.  James’ tomb was desecrated in 1544 during the War of the Rough Wooing and his remains were reburied in the Royal Vault at Holyrood Abbey during the reign of Queen Victoria. James V was succeeded by his only surviving, legitimate child, six-day-old Mary, Queen of Scots.

james-v_tomb_1

James V’s vault at Holyrood Abbey; Photo Credit – www.findagrave.com

james-v_tomb_2

Sign on James V’s vault at Holyrood Abbey; Photo Credit – www.findagrave.com

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
“Battle of Solway Moss.” Wikipedia. N.p.: Wikimedia Foundation, 28 July 2016. Web. 23 Oct. 2016.
“James V of Scotland.” Wikipedia. N.p.: Wikimedia Foundation, 8 Oct. 2016. Web. 23 Oct. 2016.
Susan Flantzer. “Margaret Tudor. Queen of Scots.” English Royals. Unofficial Royalty, 29 Nov. 2016. Web.
“Mary of Guise.” Wikipedia. N.p.: Wikimedia Foundation, 3 Oct. 2016. Web. 23 Oct. 2016.
Susan Flantzer. “Madeleine of Valois, Queen of Scots.” Scottish Royals. Unofficial Royalty, 6 July 2013. Web. 23 Oct. 2016.
Williamson, David. Brewer’s British Royalty. London: Cassell, 1996. Print.