Category Archives: Royalty and World War I

Prince Maurice of Battenberg

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Prince Maurice of Battenberg; By Royal Photographers Bassano National Portrait Gallery, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=74566003

Prince Maurice of Battenberg was born on October 3, 1891, at Balmoral Castle, his grandmother’s beloved home in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. He was the third son and the youngest of the four children of Princess Beatrice of the United Kingdom, Queen Victoria’s youngest child, and Prince Henry of Battenberg. The birth of a prince in Scotland was cause for great celebration. A royal salute was fired, a bonfire was built, and the locals who lived and worked on the Balmoral estate drank whiskey to the newborn prince’s health, paraded, and danced.

Maurice_baptism

The Baptism of Prince Maurice of Battenberg by George Ogilvy Reid; Credit – The National Galleries of Scotland

The infant prince was christened on October 31, 1891, in the drawing-room of Balmoral Castle. It was the first christening of a prince in Scotland for 300 years. Queen Victoria, the proud grandmother, commissioned a painting to commemorate the christening (above).  She can be seen in the painting by the Scottish artist Sir George Reid holding her grandson, dressed in the same christening gown used by so many princes and princesses before him, with the baby’s father Prince Henry, wearing the Royal Stuart tartan, standing next to her. The new prince was given the names Maurice (his father’s middle name), Victor (after his grandmother Queen Victoria), and Donald (a compliment to Scotland).

His godparents were:

Prince Maurice had three older siblings, two brothers and a sister:

Princess Beatrice and her children; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Prince Maurice’s mother was one of two daughters (Princess Alice was the other) of Queen Victoria who was a hemophilia carrier. His brother Leopold was a hemophiliac and died during a hip operation. His sister Victoria Eugénie, known as Ena, was a hemophilia carrier and had two hemophiliac sons. For more information on hemophilia in Queen Victoria’s family see Unofficial Royalty: Hemophilia in Queen Victoria’s Descendants.

Queen Victoria had allowed Maurice’s parents to marry under the condition that Beatrice and Henry live permanently in the United Kingdom with her. Henry was increasingly bored with court activity and longed to do something on his own. Ten years after his marriage, Henry pleaded with his mother-in-law to allow him to join the Ashanti expedition fighting in the Anglo-Ashanti Wars. Queen Victoria reluctantly agreed and Henry left for Africa on December 6, 1895. In Africa, Henry contracted malaria, was sent back home but died aboard the ship on January 20, 1896. Maurice was four years old, the same age his mother Beatrice was when her father Prince Albert died.

 

Maurice was the child that most resembled his father and he was his mother’s favorite. He attended Lockers Park School, a day and boarding preparatory school in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, England, and then attended Wellington College in Crowthorne, Berkshire, England.

Prince Maurice; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

In 1900, Prince Maurice’s much older first cousin Prince Christian Victor of Schleswig-Holstein, son of Queen Victoria’s daughter Princess Helena, was participating in the Boer War when he came down with malaria and then enteric fever and subsequently died. Maurice was upset with his cousin’s death especially since Christian Victor had served with his father in the Anglo-Ashanti Wars. Prince Christian Victor’s regiment was the 60th King’s Royal Rifles.  The news of Prince Christian Victor’s death arrived at Balmoral Castle where Maurice’s family and Christian Victor’s family were both staying. In his dressing gown, Maurice went to the room of Christian Victor’s sister Princess Helena Victoria (known as Thora), and said, “Cousin Thora, it may comfort you to know that I have decided to join the 60th when I am old enough.”

In 1910, Prince Maurice fulfilled this promise to his cousin Thora and joined the 60th King’s Royal Rifles. When World War I started, all three of Princess Beatrice’s sons were serving in the British Army and the princess received a letter asking her what effort she would play in the effort to win the war. Princess Beatrice replied that her husband had died on active duty and that all three of her sons had left for the front on August 12, 1914, just eight days after the United Kingdom had declared war.

On October 27, 1914, Prince Maurice was leading an attack on the German frontline at Zonnebeke near Ypres in the Belgian province of West Flanders when he was mortally wounded by shrapnel. The platoon sergeant tried to offer help to the wounded prince, but Maurice, aged 23, died before his men could bring him to a safer place. Upon hearing the news, King George V, Prince Maurice’s first cousin, and Queen Mary drove to Kensington Palace to console Princess Beatrice. Lord Kitchener, Secretary of State for War, offered to bring Prince Maurice’s body back to England, but Princess Beatrice replied, “No, let him lie with his comrades.” Prince Maurice was buried in the Ypres Town Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery in Ypres, Belgium.

Maurice_grave 1

Prince Maurice’s grave in 1915; Photo Credit – http://media.iwm.org.uk

On November 5, 1914, a memorial service for Prince Maurice was held at the Chapel Royal at St. James’ Palace in London. Those who attended included Princess Beatrice, King George V, Queen Mary, Queen Alexandra, Prime Minister Herbert Asquith, Field Marshal Kitchener, Field Marshal Grenfell, and the former Empress Eugénie of France whose only child was killed in 1879 while serving with the British in the Anglo-Zulu War.

Prince Maurice’s grave today; 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.

Sources
Dennison, Matthew. The Last Princess. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2007. Print.
Duff, David. The Shy Princess. London: William Clowes and Sons, Limited, 1958. Print.
“Prince Maurice of Battenberg.” Wikipedia. Web. 13 Oct. 2014.

October 1914: Royalty and World War I

by Susan Flantzer

Deaths of High Profile Royals
Timeline: October 1, 1914 – October 31, 1914
A Note About German Titles
October 1914 – Royals Who Died In Action


Deaths of High Profile Royals

In October 1914, four high-profile royals were killed in action: a grandson of Queen Victoria; a son of Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich of Russia; a nephew of Wilhelm II, German Emperor; and an uncle of Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands. Prince Maurice of Battenberg, the grandson of Queen Victoria, has a separate article, and the other three are profiled here.

Prince Oleg Konstantinovich of Russia; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Prince Oleg Konstantinovich of Russia was born in St. Petersburg, Russia on November 27, 1892. His father, Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich of Russia, was a grandson of Emperor Nicholas I of Russia. The Grand Duke was a poet, playwright, and translator and arranged for his nine children to have lessons from experts in a variety of fields in addition to their traditional education. Prince Oleg wrote poetry like his father and was thought to be the most intelligent of the nine children. He attended the prestigious Alexander Lyceum instead of receiving a military education. Just before the outbreak of World War I, Prince Oleg was engaged to his cousin Princess Nadejda Petrovna of Russia.

Shortly after the start of World War I, five of the six sons of Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich were sent to the front to serve with the Imperial Guards. On October 10, 1914, Prince Oleg was wounded in an attack against the Germans in East Prussia. Unfortunately, blood poisoning set in before it was realized that Prince Oleg was seriously wounded. He was transported to Vilna (now in Lithuania) for an unsuccessful emergency operation. Before he died, Prince Oleg was able to see his parents and receive the Order of St. George from his father. On his deathbed, Prince Oleg said, “I am so happy…It will encourage the troops to know that the Imperial House is not afraid to shed its blood.” He died on October 12, 1914, at the age of 21, and at his request was buried at his father’s estate Ostashevo on the banks of the Ruza River in the Moscow countryside.

Sadly, three of Prince Oleg’s brothers, Ioann, Gavriil, and Konstantin, were executed by the Bolsheviks on July 18, 1918, at the same time as Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna of Russia (the elder sister of Empress Alexandra Feodrovna) and two additional members of the Romanov family, Grand Duke Sergei Mikhailovich, and Prince Vladimir Paley. See Unofficial Royalty: July 18, 1918 – Murder of Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna of Russia.

Maximilian of Hesse

Prince Maximilian of Hesse-Kassel; Photo Credit – www.flickr.com

Prince Maximilian of Hesse-Kassel was born on October 20, 1894, at Schloss Rupenheim in Offenbach, Hesse (Germany). His parents were Princess Margaret of Prussia and Friedrich Karl, Prince and Landgrave of Hesse. Through his mother, Prince Maximilian was a great-grandson of Queen Victoria and a nephew of Wilhelm II, German Emperor.

Prince Maximilian was serving with the Grand Ducal Hessen Dragoons when he was severely wounded by British machine-gun fire at Saint-Jean-Chappelle, near Bailleul, France on October 13, 1914. He was taken to a Trappist monastery where the monks cared for him, but the British advanced and took control of the monastery. Prince Maximilian told a British army doctor that he was a great-grandson of Queen Victoria and asked him to send a locket to his mother which the doctor promised to do. The prince died three hours later at the age of 19 and the British army doctor died three days later. The locket was sent to the doctor’s widow who forwarded it to Queen Mary, the wife of King George V of the United Kingdom. Eventually, the locket did reach Prince Maximilian’s mother.

The mayor of the town where Prince Maximilian died ordered a local carpenter to construct a coffin for the prince and he was then buried in a local cemetery. However, local people who had suffered greatly in the fighting protested the burial when they found out the prince was the Kaiser’s nephew and the prince’s remains were moved to a secret location. In 1926, King George V assisted Prince Maximilian’s family in recovering his remains.

Prince Maximilian’s older brother Prince Friedrich Wilhelm was killed in action in 1916 and a younger brother, Prince Christoph, was killed in World War II.

Prince Wolrad Friedrich of Waldeck and Pyrmont ; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Prince Wolrad of Waldeck and Pyrmont was born on June 26, 1892, in Arolsen, Waldeck and Pyrmont (Germany). He was the only child of George Victor, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont and his second wife Princess Louise of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg.

Prince Wolrad was the half-brother of Queen Emma of the Netherlands, wife of King William III of the Netherlands; Princess Helena, Duchess of Albany who married Queen Victoria’s youngest son Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany; and Friedrich, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont, last reigning Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont. Therefore, the prince was the uncle of Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, the reigning monarch during World War I; and the uncle of the two children of Prince Leopold: Charles Edward, the reigning Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha during World War I and Princess Alice of Albany.

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

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Timeline: October 1, 1914 – October 31, 1914

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A Note About German Titles

Most of the royals who died in action during World War I were German. The German Empire consisted of 27 constituent states, most of them ruled by royal families. Scroll down to German Empire here to see what constituent states made up the German Empire.  The constituent states retained their own governments but had limited sovereignty. Some had their own armies, but the military forces of the smaller ones were put under Prussian control. In wartime, armies of all the constituent states would be controlled by the Prussian Army, and the combined forces were known as the Imperial German Army.  German titles may be used in Royals Who Died In Action below. Refer to our Glossary of German Noble and Royal Titles.

24 British peers were also killed in World War I and they will be included in the list of those who died in action. In addition, more than 100 sons of peers also lost their lives, and those that can be verified will also be included.

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October 1914 – Royals Who Died In Action

The list is in chronological order and does contain some who would be considered noble instead of royal. The links in the last bullet for each person is that person’s genealogical information from Leo’s Genealogics Website or from The Peerage.  If a person has a Wikipedia page, their name will be linked to that page.

Karl, Freiherr von Vequel-Westernach

Hermann, Freiherr von Landsberg-Velen

Karl, Prinz zu Solms-Braunfels

Klemen, Freiherr von Loë

Prince Oleg Constantinovitch of Russia

Prince Maximilian of Hesse-Kassel

Paul Maria Joseph, Graf von Hompesch-Bollheim

Wolrad Friedrich, Prinz zu Waldeck und Pyrmont

Heinrich XLVI, Prinz Reuss

Joseph Ferdinand, Prinz von Lobkowicz

  • son of Dr. Maria Ferdinand Georg August Melchior, Prinz von Lobkowicz and Ida Maria, Gräfin Podstatzky-Lichtenstein
  • born September 4, 1885 in Unterberkowic
  • 1913 married Gisela, Gräfin von Silva-Tarouca, had issue
  • killed in action at Jaroslau, Galicia (now in Poland) on October 25, 1914, age 29
  • http://www.genealogics.org/getperson.php?personID=I00126814&tree=LEO
Maurice of Battenberg

Prince Maurice of Battenberg; Photo Credit – www.firstworldwar.com

Prince Maurice of Battenberg

September 1914: Royalty and World War I

by Susan Flantzer

House of Ligne
Timeline: September 1, 1914 – September 30, 1914
A Note About German Titles
September 1914 – Royals Who Died In Action


House of Ligne

Ligne coat of arms

Coat of Arms of the House of Ligne; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

In both August 1914 and September 1914, a member of the House of Ligne was killed in action fighting with the Belgian army: Georges Alexandre Lamoral, Prince de Ligne who was a grandson of Eugène, 8th Prince of Ligne and Henri Baudouin Lamoral, Prince de Ligne who was the son of Ernest,10th Prince de Ligne. The House of Ligne is one of the oldest Belgian
noble families. It dates back to the 11th century and the name Ligne comes from a village that is now part of Ath, Belgium.  In 1601, Lamoral, Count of Ligne received the hereditary title of Prince de Ligne from Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor.  Since then there have been 14 Princes de Ligne.  The present Prince de Ligne, Prince Michel, is a first cousin of Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg.  Château de Belœil in Belœil, Hainaut, Belgium has been the residence of the Prince de Ligne since 1394.

Ligne home

Château de Belœil ; Photo Credit – Wikipedia


Timeline: September 1, 1914 – September 30, 1914

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A Note About German Titles

Most of the royals who died in action during World War I were German. The German Empire consisted of 27 constituent states, most of them ruled by royal families. Scroll down to German Empire here to see what constituent states made up the German Empire.  The constituent states retained their own governments, but had limited sovereignty. Some had their own armies, but the military forces of the smaller ones were put under Prussian control. In wartime, armies of all the constituent states would be controlled by the Prussian Army and the combined forces were known as the Imperial German Army. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_German_Army German titles may be used in Royals Who Died In Action below. Refer to our Glossary of German Noble and Royal Titles.

24 British peers were also killed in World War I and they will be included in the list of those who died in action. In addition, more than 100 sons of peers also lost their lives, and those that can be verified will also be included.

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September 1914 – Royals Who Died In Action

The list is in chronological order and does contain some who would be considered noble instead of royal. The links in the last bullet for each person is that person’s genealogical information from Leo’s Genealogics Website or from The Peerage.  If a person has a Wikipedia page, their name will be linked to that page.

Ligne prince_died wwi

Henri Baudouin Lamoral, Prince de Ligne; Photo Credit – www.noblesseetroyautes.com

Henri Baudouin Lamoral, Prince de Ligne

Werner, Freiherr von Reibnitz

  • son of Karl, Freiherr von Reibnitz and Anna von der Hagen
  • born August 6, 1892 in Dresden, Kingdom of Saxony (Germany)
  • 1914, married Theodora Quilling, had issue
  • killed in action at Klein-Beynuhnen, East Prussia (Germany) at the First Battle of the Masurian Lakes on September 11, 1914, age 22
  • http://www.genealogics.org/getperson.php?personID=I00181244&tree=LEO

Friedrich, Freiherr Senfft von Pilsach

Hermann, Graf von Bocholtz-Asseburg

  • son of Hermann Konstantin Hubert, Graf von Bocholtz-Asseburg and Antonie, Gräfin Droste zu Vischering von Nesselrode-Reichenstein
  • born March 1, 1880 in Wallhausen, Kingdom of Württemberg (Germany)
  • 1908, married Gräfin Maria Franziska Huberta Apollonia Wolff-Metternich zur Gracht, had issue
  • killed in action near Chivy, France of September 26, 1914, age 34
  • http://www.genealogics.org/getperson.php?personID=I00067415&tree=LEO

Pius Maria Alfred, Graf von Hompesch-Bollheim

August 4, 2014 World War I Commemorations

King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium and The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in Liege, Belgium where early action in World War I took place; Photo Credit – http://www.bbc.com / European Photo Press Agency

100 years ago today, on August 4, 1914, the United Kingdom entered World War I by declaring war on Germany. Many commemorations were held today, attended by many royals.
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Check out Unofficial Royalty’s area Royalty and World War I

August 1914: Royalty and World War I

WWI_NYTimes_08051914

New York Times, August 2, 1914; Photo Credit – http://collections.yadvashem.org

by Susan Flantzer

Introduction
Timeline: June 28, 1914 – August 31, 1914
A Note About German Titles
August 1914 – Royals Who Died In Action


Introduction

This is the first of what we hope will be a monthly feature during the duration of the centenary of World War I. The plan is to have an introduction related to a World War I event that occurred during that particular month, followed by a general timeline of events for that month, and concluding with the royals who died in action during that month. The links above can be used to jump to the different sections.

August 1914 marks the start of World War I, one of the deadliest conflicts in human history with 17 million deaths and 20 million wounded (numbers include military and civilian casualties). Statistic for August 2014: 27,000 French soldiers were killed in a single day on August 22, 1914.

The Pulitzer Prize winning classic book The Guns of August (also published as August 1914) by Barbara Tuchman, published in 1962, details the first month of World War I. The book’s first chapter opens with the funeral of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom in May 1910, which was attended by nine kings, and then the chapter goes on to discuss Europe’s alliances and the diplomacy of royalty. King Edward VII was related to many of the royals on European thrones as World War I started. Despite being royal, these people also were members of an extended family that was affected personally by the war in a variety of ways. Below is a list of Edward VII’s relatives who sat on thrones in 1914.

Edward VII’s son: King George V of the United Kingdom
Edward VII’s daughter: Queen Maud of Norway
Edward VII’s son-in-law: King Haakon VII of Norway

Edward VII’s nephews and nieces (also grandchildren of Queen Victoria and all first cousins)

Edward VII’s nephews and nieces by marriage (nephews and nieces of his wife born Princess Alexandra of Denmark, also grandchildren of King Christian IX of Denmark and all first cousins)

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Timeline: June 28, 1914 – August 31, 1914

  • June 28 – Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir to the Austrian-Hungarian throne, and his wife in Sarajevo by Bosnian Serb Gavrilo Princip
  • July 5 – Austria-Hungary seeks German support for a war against Serbia in case of Russian mobilization; Germany gives assurances of support
  • July 23 – Austria-Hungary sends an ultimatum to Serbia; Serbia’s response is unsatisfactory to Austria-Hungary
  • July 28 – Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia; Russia mobilizes its forces
  • July 31 -Germany warns Russia to stop mobilizing; Russia says mobilization is against Austria-Hungary only
  • August 1 – Germany declares war on Russia; Italy declares its neutrality; Germany and the Ottoman Empire sign a secret alliance treaty
  • August 2 – Germany invades Luxembourg; Skirmish at Joncherey (France) the first military action on the Western Front
  • August 2-26 – Germany sieges and captures Longwy, France near the Luxembourg border, opening France to German invasion
  • August 3 – Germany declares war on France; Belgium does not allow German arms through to the French border
  • August 4 – Germany invades Belgium to outflank the French army; United Kingdom protests the violation of Belgian neutrality guaranteed by a treaty; German Chancellor replies that the treaty is just a scrap of paper; United Kingdom declares war on Germany; United States declares its neutrality
  • August 4–August 16 – Germans besiege and capture the fortresses of Liège, Belgium: Battle of Liège
  • August 5 – Montenegro declares war on Austria-Hungary; Ottoman Empire closes the Dardanelles, straits that connects the Black Sea to the Mediterranean Sea
  • August 6 – Austria-Hungary declares war on Russia; Serbia declares war on Germany
  • August 7 – British Expeditionary Force arrives in France
  • August 7–September 13 – Battle of the Frontiers fought in eastern France and southern Belgium; Germans are victorious against the British Expeditionary Force and France’s Fifth Army
  • August 7-August 10 – Battle of Mulhouse (France), a phase of the Battle of the Frontiers
  • August 9 – Montenegro declares war on Germany; Togoland Campaign begins (Togoland was a German protectorate in West Africa, now it comprises Togo and part of Ghana)
  • August 11 – France declares war on Austria-Hungary
  • August 12 – United Kingdom declares war on Austria-Hungary; Battle of Haelen (Belgium), a phase of the Battle of the Frontiers
  • August 14-August 25 – Battle of Lorraine (France), a phase of the Battle of the Frontiers
  • August 16–August 19 – Serbs defeat the Austro-Hungarians at the Battle of Cer (Serbia)
  • August 17 – Russian army enters East Prussia; Battle of Stalluponen (East Prussia now Nesterov, Russia)
  • August 20 – Germans launch a failed attack against the Russians in East Prussia, the Battle of Gumbinnen (East Prussia now Gusev, Russia); Germans occupy Brussels, Belgium; Battle of Morhange (France), a phase of the Battle of Lorraine; Battle of Sarrebourg (France), a phase of the Battle of Lorraine.
  • August 21 – Battle of Charleroi (Belgium), a phase of the Battle of the Frontiers
  • August 21-August 23 – Battle of the Ardennes (a forest in Belgium, Luxembourg, and France), a phase of the Battle of the Frontiers
  • August 22 – Austria-Hungary declares war on Belgium
  • August 23 – Japan declares war on Germany; Battle of Mons (Belgium), a phase of the Battle of the Frontiers
  • August 23–August 30 – Battle of Tannenberg (Allenstein, East Prussia now Olsztyn, Poland) resulting in a heavy defeat for the Russians by the Germans
  • August 23–September 11 – Battle of Galicia (Lemberg, Galicia now Lviv, Ukraine)
  • August 23–August 25 – Battle of Kraśnik (Russia Poland, Russian Empire now in Poland), a phase of the Battle of Lemberg; Austro-Hungarian First Army defeats the Russian Fourth Army
  • August 24 – Action of Elouges (Belgium); Battle of the Mortagne (France), a phase of the Battle of Lorraine
  • August 24–September 7 – Germans besiege and capture the Maubeuge Fortress in France
  • August 24-September 28 – Allied Great Retreat to the River Marne (From Mons, Belgium to River Marne, France)
  • August 25 – Japan declares war on Austria-Hungary
  • August 26 – British and French forces conquer Togoland, a German protectorate in West Africa which now comprises Togo and part of Ghana; Battle of Le Grand Fayt (France)
  • August 26–August 27 – Battle of Le Cateau (Le Cateau-Cambrésis, France); Allied retreat
  • August 26-August 30 – Battle of Gnila Lipa (Russian Poland, now Poland), a phase of the Battle of Lemberg
  • August 26-September 2 – Battle of Komarow (Komarow and Zamość, Russian Poland now in Poland), a phase of the Battle of Lemberg
  • August 27 – Battle of Étreux (France)
  • August 27–November 7 – Battle of Tsingtao; British and Japanese forces capture the German-controlled port of Tsingtao in China
  • August 28 – British Royal Navy wins the First Battle of Heligoland Bight
  • August 29–August 30 – Battle of Saint Quentin (Guise, France), aka Battle of Guise; Orderly Allied retreat
  • August 30 – New Zealand occupies German Samoa in the South Pacific (later Western Samoa)

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A Note About German Titles

Most of the royals who died in action during World War I were German. The German Empire consisted of 27 constituent states, most of them ruled by royal families. Scroll down to German Empire here to see what constituent states made up the German Empire.  The constituent states retained their own governments, but had limited sovereignty. Some had their own armies, but the military forces of the smaller ones were put under Prussian control. In wartime, armies of all the constituent states would be controlled by the Prussian Army and the combined forces were known as the Imperial German Army.  German titles may be used in Royals Who Died In Action below. Refer to our Glossary of German Noble and Royal Titles.

24 British peers were also killed in World War I and they will be included in the list of those who died in action. In addition, more than 100 sons of peers also lost their lives, and those that can be verified will also be included.

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August 1914 – Royals Who Died In Action

Nine royals died in August 1914 and four of them are related.  The Lippe-Biesterfeld family and its Saxe-Meiningen relatives took a big hit. Adelheid of Lippe-Biesterfeld, whose husband Prinz Friedrich of Saxe-Meiningen died on August 23, 1814, lost not only her husband, but also her son, her brother and her nephew…all dead within 22 days!

The list is in chronological order according to the date of death and does contain some who would be considered noble instead of royal. The links in the last bullet for each person is that person’s genealogical information from Leo’s Genealogics Website or from The Peerage. If a person has a Wikipedia page, their name will be linked to that page.

Friedrich Wilhelm, Prinz of Lippe-Biesterfeld
friedrich_wilhelm_zur_lippe_medium

Ottokar, Graf of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg

Georges Alexandre Lamoral, Prince de Ligne

Friedrich, Prinz of Saxe-Meiningen
FriedrichSaxeMeiningen

Robert Cornwallis Maude, 6th Viscount Hawarden

Ernst, Prinz of Saxe-Meiningen

Friedrich Albert, Graf zu Rechteren-Limpurg-Speckfeld

Ernst, Prinz of Lippe-Biesterfeld

Helmut, Freiherr von Cornberg

Robert, Graf zu Stolberg-Wernigerode

World War I: Who Was On What Side?

European military alliances prior to World War I. Beige indicates countries with no alliance at that time; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

The Entente Powers (also known as the Allies of World War I or the Allies)

*monarchy

  • Andorra
  • Armenia
  • Belgium*
  • Brazil
  • Republic of China
  • Costa Rica
  • Cuba
  • Czechoslovak Legions (volunteer armed forces composed predominantly of Czechs and Slovaks)
  • France (and the French colonial empire)
  • Greece*
  • Guatemala
  • Haiti
  • Honduras
  • Italy* – Italy had been part of the Central Powers, but joined the Allies in 1915
  • Japan* (Korea, Taiwan)
  • Liberia
  • Montenegro*
  • Nepal*
  • New Hebrides (British-French co-Dominion, now Vanuatu)
  • Nicaragua
  • Panama
  • Portugal (and the Portuguese colonial empire)
  • Romania*
  • Russia*
  • Serbia*
  • Siam* (now Thailand)
  • United Kingdom* [and the British Empire including Canada, British India (now India, Bangladesh, Burma and Pakistan), Newfoundland, Australia, New Zealand, Malta, South Africa, Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe and Zambia), British Crown Colonies]
  • United States (including Alaska, Hawaii, Philippines, Puerto Rico)

The Central Powers

  • Austria-Hungary* (Today the land occupied by Austria-Hungary includes  parts of these current countries: Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Ukraine)
  • Azerbaijan Democratic Republic
  • Bulgaria*
  • Dervish State* (now parts of Ethiopia and Somalia)
  • Germany* (and German colonial empire)
  • Jabal Shammar* (now parts of Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Jordan)
  • Ottoman Empire* (Today the land occupied by the Ottoman Empire includes  parts of these current countries: Albania, Algeria, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, Eritrea, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Oman, State of Palestine, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Slovakia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Ukraine, and Yemen)

Neutral countries

  • Afghanistan* – Received a German diplomatic mission trying to convince it to act against the British in India
  • Albania* – In political chaos since the beginning of the war, the country was occupied by both Central and Allied powers but never declared war on either side
  • Argentina
  • Bolivia
  • Bhutan*
  • Chile
  • Colombia
  • Denmark*
  • El Salvador
  • Ethiopia* – Received a German diplomatic mission trying to convince it to act against Italy, United Kingdom and France in East Africa
  • Liechtenstein* – Had a customs and monetary union with Austria-Hungary
  • Luxembourg* – Never declared war on the Central Powers despite being invaded and occupied by Germany
  • Bogd Khaanate of Mongolia* (now part of China)
  • Mexico – Declined an alliance with Germany (see Zimmermann Telegram)
  • Monaco*
  • Netherlands* – Ally of the United Kingdom by treaty; Traded with both sides
  • Norway* – Gave naval assistance to the United Kingdom
  • Paraguay
  • Persia* (later Iran) – Civil dispute and Allied Campaign against Ottomans
  • Spain* – Ally of the United Kingdom by treaty
  • Spitsbergen – Danish-Norwegian co-Dominion (now part of Norway)
  • Sweden* – Non-belligerent
  • Switzerland – Declared a “state of siege”
  • Tibet – Unrecognized but independent of China from 1912
  • Venezuela – Supplied the Allies with oil

World War I Resources

Below is a list of general resources about World War I.

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European Monarchies at the Start of World War I in 1914

german empire map

Europe in 1914; Photo Credit – www.clas.ufl.edu

All photos of monarchs are from Wikipedia. Current monarchies are noted. For comparison, see Unofficial Royalty: European Monarchies at the End of World War I in 1918

· Principality of Albania

WilhelmPrinceAlbania
Wilhelm of Wied, Sovereign Prince of Albania (reigned 1914)
Wikipedia: Prince Wilhelm of Wied, Prince of Albania

·  Austrian-Hungarian Empire

Emperor_Franz_Josef_I_-_ca_1885
Franz Joseph, Emperor of Austria and King of Hungary (reigned 1848–1916)
Unofficial Royalty: Franz Joseph I, Emperor of Austria

·  Kingdom of Belgium (current monarchy)

Albert_I_Koning_der_Belgen
Albert I, King of the Belgians (reigned 1909–1934)
Unofficial Royalty: Albert I, King of Belgians

·  Kingdom of Bulgaria

Ferdinand_Bulgarien
Ferdinand I, Tsar of Bulgaria (reigned 1887–1918)
Unofficial Royalty: Ferdinand I, Tsar of Bulgaria

·  Kingdom of Denmark (current monarchy)

Christian_X_of_Denmark
Christian X, King of Denmark (reigned 1912–1947)
Unofficial Royalty: Christian X, King of Denmark

·  German Empire

Kaiser_Wilhelm_Ii_
Wilhelm II, German Emperor, King of Prussia (reigned 1888–1918)
Unofficial Royalty: Wilhelm II, German Emperor

The German Empire consisted of 27 constituent states, most of them ruled by royal families. The constituent states retained their own governments, but had limited sovereignty. For example, both postage stamps and currency were issued for the German Empire as a whole. While the constituent states issued their own medals and decorations, and some had their own armies, the military forces of the smaller ones were put under Prussian control. In wartime, armies of all the constituent states would be controlled by the Prussian Army and the combined forces were known as the Imperial German Army. Listed below are the constituent states of the German Empire ruled by royal families in 1914.

germany-1870

Photo Credit – http://www.atsnotes.com

German Kingdoms

Wilhelm_II_of_Germany
Prussia – Wilhelm II, German Emperor, King of Prussia (reigned 1888–1918)
Unofficial Royalty: Wilhelm II, German Emperor, King of Prussia

Kingludwig3bavaria
Bavaria – Ludwig III, King of Bavaria (reigned 1913–1918)
Unofficial Royalty: Ludwig III, King of Bavaria

FA3_of_Saxony
Saxony – Friedrich Augustus III, King of Saxony (reigned 1904–1918)
Unofficial Royalty: Friedrich Augustus III, King of Saxony

Wilhelm_II_of_Wurtt
Württemberg – Wilhelm II, King of Württemberg (reigned 1891–1918)
Unofficial Royalty: Wilhelm II, King of Württemberg

German Grand Duchies

GrandDukeFriedrichII
Baden – Friedrich II, Grand Duke of Baden (reigned 1907-1918)
Unofficial Royalty: Friedrich II, Grand Duke of Baden

Ernest_Ludwig_de_Hesse_1920
Hesse and by Rhine – Ernst Ludwig, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine (reigned 1892-1918)
Unofficial Royalty: Ernst Ludwig, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine

Frederick_Francis_IV,_Grand_Duke_of_Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Mecklenburg-Schwerin – Friedrich Franz IV, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (reigned 1897-1918)
Unofficial Royalty: Friedrich Franz IV, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

AdolfFriedrichVI
Mecklenburg-Strelitz – Adolf Friedrich VI, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (reigned 1914-1918)
Unofficial Royalty: Adolf Friedrich VI, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz

August_II_von_Oldenburg_1902
Oldenburg – Friedrich Augustus II, Grand Duke of Oldenburg (reigned 1900-1918)
Unofficial Royalty: Friedrich Augustus II, Grand Duke of Oldenburg

GrandDukeWILHELM
Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach – Wilhelm Ernst, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach (reigned 1901-1918)
Unofficial Royalty: Wilhelm Ernst, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach

German Duchies

FriedrichDukeAnhalt2
Anhalt – Friedrich II, Duke of Anhalt (reigned 1904-1918)
Unofficial Royalty: Friedrich II, Duke of Anhalt

Ernstaugusthannover
Brunswick – Ernst Augustus III, Duke of Brunswick (reigned 1913-1918)
Unofficial Royalty: Ernst Augustus III, Duke of Brunswick

Ernstii
Saxe-Altenburg – Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg (reigned 1908-1918)
Unofficial Royalty: Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg

Carl_Eduard_Sachsen_Coburg_und_Gotha
Saxe-Coburg and Gotha – Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (reigned 1900-1918)
Unofficial Royalty: Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

Bernhard_III_(Saxe-Meiningen)
Saxe-Meiningen – Bernhard III, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen (reigned 1914-1918)
Unofficial Royalty: Bernhard III, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen

German Principalities

Leopold_IV_Fürst_zur_Lippe
Lippe – Leopold IV, Prince of Lippe (reigned 1905 – 1918)
Unofficial Royalty: Leopold IV, Prince of Lippe

Heinrich_XXIV_RäL
Reuss-Greiz – Heinrich XXIV, Prince Reuss of Greiz (reigned 1902-1918)
Unofficial Royalty: Heinrich XXIV, Prince Reuss of Greiz

HeinrichXXVII
Reuss-Gera – Heinrich XXVII, Prince Reuss Younger Line (reigned 1913-1918)
Unofficial Royalty: Heinrich XXVII, Prince Reuss Younger Line

AdolfSchaumburgLippe
Schaumburg-Lippe – Adolf II, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe (reigned 1911-1918)
Unofficial Royalty: Adolf II, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe

Günther_Victor_von_Schwarzburg
Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Schwarzburg-Sondershausen – Günther Victor, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Schwarzburg-Sondershausen (reigned 1909-1918)
Unofficial Royalty: Günther Victor, Prince of Schwarzburg

220px-PrinceFRIEDRICHPyrmont
Waldeck-Pyrmont – Friedrich, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont (reigned 1893-1918)
Unofficial Royalty: Friedrich, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont

·  Kingdom of Greece

Constantineiofgreece
Constantine I, King of the Hellenes (reigned 1913–1917)
Unofficial Royalty: Constantine I, King of the Hellenes

·  Kingdom of Italy

Vitorioemanuel
Vittorio Emanuele III, King of Italy (reigned 1900–1946)
Unofficial Royalty: Vittorio Emanuele III, King of Italy

·  Principality of Liechtenstein (current monarchy)

Johann_II_v_Liechtenstein
Johann II, Prince of Liechtenstein (reigned 1858–1929)
Unofficial Royalty: Johann II, Prince of Liechtenstein

·  Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (current monarchy)

Marie-Adélaïde,_Grand_Duchess_of_Luxembourg_2
Marie Adélaïde, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg (reigned 1912–1919)
Unofficial Royalty: Marie Adélaïde, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg

·  Principality of Monaco (current monarchy)

Albert I monaco
Albert I, Prince of Monaco (reigned 1889–1922)
Unofficial Royalty: Albert I, Prince of Monaco

·  Kingdom of Montenegro

Nikola_of_Montenegro
Nikola I, King of Montenegro (reigned 1860–1918)
Wikipedia: Nikola I, King of Montenegro

· Kingdom of the Netherlands (current monarchy)

Wilhelmina_of_the_Netherlands,_1909
Wilhelmina, Queen of the Netherlands (reigned 1890–1948)
Unofficial Royalty: Wilhelmina, Queen of the Netherlands

· Kingdom of  Norway (current monarchy)

Haakon7
Haakon VII, King of Norway (reigned 1905–1957)
Unofficial Royalty: Haakon VII, King of Norway

·  Ottoman Empire

Sultan_Mehmed_V_of_the_Ottoman_Empire
Mehmed V, Ottoman Sultan (reigned 1909–1918)
Wikipedia: Mehmed V, Ottoman Sultan

·  Kingdom of Romania

Carol_I_King_of_Romania
Carol I, King of Romania (reigned 1866–1914)
Unofficial Royalty: Carol I, King of Romania

King_Ferdinand_of_Romania
Ferdinand I, King of Romania (reigned 1914–1927)
Unofficial Royalty: Ferdinand I, King of Romania

·  Russian Empire

Nicholas_II
Nicholas II, Emperor of Russia (reigned 1894–1917)
Unofficial Royalty: Nicholas II, Emperor of Russia

·  Kingdom of Serbia

PedroIDeSerbia--excitingpersonal00ever
Peter I, King of Serbia (reigned 1903–1921)
Unofficial Royalty: Peter I, King of Serbia

·  Kingdom of Spain (current monarchy)

Alfonso_XIII_de_España_by_Kaulak
Alfonso XIII, King of Spain (reigned 1886–1931)
Unofficial Royalty: Alfonso XIII, King of Spain

·  Kingdom of Sweden (current monarchy)

CrownPrinceGustav(V)Sweden
Gustaf V, King of Sweden (reigned 1907–1950)
Unofficial Royalty: Gustaf V, King of Sweden

·  United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (current monarchy)

Kinggeorgev1923
George V, King of the United Kingdom (reigned 1910–1936)
Unofficial Royalty: George V, King of the United Kingdom

Royalty and World War I

Photograph of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife emerging from the Sarajevo Town Hall to board their car, a few minutes before the assassination; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

2014 marks the 100th anniversary of the beginning of World War I. In 1914, the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife, the Duchess of Hohenberg, set off a chain of events which would quickly lead to what became known as The Great War.  By the time it ended four years later, the Russian, German, Austrian, and Ottoman Empires had crumbled, the royal landscape of Europe had changed forever, and about 10 million military personnel and about 7 million civilians had died. Over the next four years, we plan on adding articles to the Royalty and World War I area regarding the changes in European royalty caused by World War I.
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June 28, 2014 marks the 100th anniversary of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the Austrian-Hungarian throne and it is fitting that we re-post an article written in 2013 regarding the assassination below and add it as the first article in the Royalty and World War I area.
June 28, 1914 – Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary

Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2013

Archduke Franz Ferdinand with his wife Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg and their three children, Princess Sophie; Maximilian, Duke of Hohenburg; and Prince Ernst von Hohenberg, Credit – Wikipedia

For many people, the name Archduke Franz Ferdinand immediately evokes his assassination in 1914 which led to a diplomatic crisis when Austria-Hungary delivered an ultimatum to Serbia.  In turn, this caused several alliances formed over the previous decades to come into play, and within weeks, the major powers were at war and the conflict soon spread around the world becoming World War I.

Franz Ferdinand was born on December 18, 1863, in Graz, Austria, the eldest son of Archduke Karl Ludwig of Austria and his second wife Princess Maria Annunciata of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. Archduke Karl Ludwig’s elder brothers were Franz Joseph, Emperor of Austria and Maximilian, the executed Emperor of Mexico. As his father’s first marriage to Margaretha of Saxony did not produce children, Franz Ferdinand was his father’s eldest son.

Franz Ferdinand had three younger siblings:

Franz Ferdinand had two younger half-siblings via his father’s third marriage to Infanta Maria Theresa of Portugal:

Franz Ferdinand’s life changed when his cousin Crown Prince Rudolf died by suicide in 1889 at his hunting lodge Mayerling.  Crown Prince Rudolf, the only son of Emperor Franz Joseph, had no sons, so the succession would pass to Emperor Franz Joseph’s brother Archduke Karl Ludwig and his eldest son Archduke Franz Ferdinand. There have been suggestions that Karl Ludwig renounced his succession rights in favor of his son Franz Ferdinand. However, an act of renunciation was never formally signed and Karl Ludwig was never officially designated heir to the throne. He was only three years younger than Franz Joseph and not a realistic choice. When Karl Ludwig died in 1896, Franz Ferdinand became the heir to his uncle’s throne.

In 1894, Franz Ferdinand fell in love with Countess Sophie Chotek von Chotkow und Wognin, the daughter of Count Bohuslaw Chotek von Chotkow und Wognin and Countess Wilhelmine Kinsky von Wchinitz und Tettau.  Because Sophie was not a member of a reigning or formerly reigning family, she could not marry a member of the Imperial Family.  Franz Ferdinand refused to give Sophie up and he was helped in his efforts to marry her by Archduchess Maria Theresa (born Infanta Maria Theresa of Portugal), Emperor Franz Joseph’s sister-in-law and Franz Ferdinand’s stepmother.

The emperor finally agreed to the marriage, but there were some catches.  Franz Ferdinand would keep his place in the succession, but Sophie could never be empress and their children would never have succession rights.  Prior to the marriage, Franz Ferdinand had to sign an agreement in front of the whole court declaring that Sophie would be his morganatic wife, would never bear the titles of empress, queen, or archduchess, and acknowledged that their descendants would not be in the line of succession.

Sophie and Franz Ferdinand were married on July 1, 1900, at Reichstadt (now Zákupy in the Czech Republic).  The only members of the Imperial Family to attend the wedding were Franz Ferdinand’s stepmother Archduchess Maria Theresa and her two daughters Archduchess Maria Annunciata and Archduchess Elisabeth Amalie.  Upon marriage, Sophie was given the style and title Her Serene Highness Princess of Hohenberg and in 1909, she was given the higher style and title Her Highness Duchess of Hohenberg.  Sophie never had the precedence of her husband and at functions, she was forced to stand or sit far away from her husband.

Franz Ferdinand and Sophie had three children, two sons and a daughter.

There was one loophole in which Sophie could share her husband’s precedence and that was when he was acting in a military capacity.  Emperor Franz Joseph sent Franz Ferdinand to Sarajevo, Bosnia to observe military maneuvers and Sophie accompanied him out of fear for his safety.  After the military maneuvers, the couple was to open a state museum in Sarajevo. The Black Hand, a secret military society formed by members of the Serbian Army, conspired to assassinate Archduke Franz Ferdinand on his visit to Sarajevo.  Seven conspirators were in the crowds lining the streets of Sarajevo on June 28, 1914, each ready to assassinate the Archduke should there be an opportunity.  One attempt, a bomb thrown at the archduke’s car, failed.  Later, after a reception at the Town Hall, 19-year-old Gavrilo Princip saw his chance and fired two shots at the couple as they rode in their car.  The first shot hit Sophie in the abdomen and the second shot hit Franz Ferdinand in the neck.  Sophie died soon after being shot and Franz Ferdinand died about 10 minutes later.

Five minutes before the assassination, Photo Credit – Wikipedia

The bodies of the Archduke and his wife were transported to Trieste, Italy by the battleship SMS Viribus Unitis, the same ship that the couple used to travel to Sarajevo.  From Trieste, a special train took the bodies back to Vienna.  Because Sophie was not a member of the Imperial Family, she could not be interred at the Imperial Crypt in Vienna.  Instead, Archduke Franz Ferdinand and Sophie, Duchess of Hohenburg were buried at Artstetten Castle in Artstetten-Pöbring, Austria with only immediate family in attendance.

The death of Franz Ferdinand was probably particularly difficult for the 84-year-old Emperor Franz Joseph to deal with as he had suffered the tragedies of the execution of his brother Maximilian, Emperor of Mexico in 1867, the suicide of his son Crown Prince Rudolf in 1889, and the assassination of his wife Empress Elisabeth in 1898.  Emperor Franz Josef died in 1916 and was succeeded by his grandnephew Karl, the last ruler of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Tombs of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg at Artstetten Castle in Artstetten-Pöbring, Austria, Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Memorial Plaque of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg in the Imperial Crypt in Vienna; Photo Credit – Susan Flantzer

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