by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2013

The Dining Room, Clarence House

How about a nice meal with some of your favorite royals? No need to bring out the good china… just a good cookbook! Through the years, many foods and dishes have been named for royalty, and some have become rather well-known and can be found on menus and grocery store shelves around the world. How many of us have nibbled on a Marie biscuit – many without even knowing that they were named for Grand Duchess Marie Alexandrovna of Russia, later the Duchess of Edinburgh, and Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha? Or perhaps you enjoyed a snifter of Napoleon Brandy, not realizing it was a nod to the vertically-challenged Emperor himself?

There are hundreds, perhaps thousands, of foods named after royalty, ranging from soups and sauces to entreés and desserts. Whether you’re planning a formal, multi-course dinner or just a snack, it’s easy enough to bring some royalty to your meal. Below are just a few examples…

photo: Cardinal Bakery

If you want to start simple, it could just be a matter of changing out your bread for a roll. A Kaiser roll, that is! As with many of the foods and dishes named for royals, there is some disagreement as to the exact source of the name. In doing some research, I’ve found some sources attributing them to Emperor (Kaiser) Franz Joseph I of Austria (1848-1916); others to Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II (1765-1790); and even some as far back as Holy Roman Emperor Frederik III (1452-1493)!

Veal Oscar.  photo: AxSoris.com

One of my favorite dishes is Veal Oscar. Sauteed veal with crabmeat and asparagus, topped with béarnaise sauce. Little did I realize, it was named for King Oscar II of Sweden. Turns out, it was made specifically for the King, combining several of his favorites into one meal. And to add possibly a second royal connection, many believe that Béarnaise sauce was named as a nod to King Henri IV of France, a native of the Béarn region of France.

Pizza Margherita.  photo: MyRecipes.com

Another favorite food of mine is pizza… any kind of pizza is good as far as I’m concerned. But I’m partial to Pizza Margherita. According to legend, in 1889 Queen Margherita of Italy was presented with three different kinds of pizza by a local pizza maker. She chose as her favorite the pie with tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil – representing the colors of the Italian flag. It was quickly named Pizza Margherita in her honor. There has been research in the last few years which seems to debunk this legend, but who doesn’t love a good story? (and pizza!)

Battenberg Cake.  photo: BBC

Moving on to a few desserts, let’s start with Battenberg Cake. It’s made by slicing long strips of cake (usually dyed yellow and pink) and stacking them in a checkerboard design, with a thin layer of jam between them. This is then all covered in marzipan. There are several stories as to the name of this tasty dessert. The cake was served at the wedding in 1884 of Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine to Prince Louis of Battenberg (later the Marquess and Marchioness of Milford-Haven, and grandparents of the Duke of Edinburgh). Many believe this is where the name originates. Others suggest the four squares of the cake were meant to represent the four Battenberg princes – Louis, Alexander, Henry, and Francis. There are many variations – I’ve seen them made with 25 squares, and often in colors or designs other than the traditional yellow and pink.

Charlotte Russe.  photo: C’est Doux

Do you prefer a custard? Charlotte Russe is just one of the hundreds of variations of Charlottes. The original would have been made with bread or cake, lined in a mold and then filled with a mix of fruit and custard. I grew up knowing it as Icebox Cake. Supposedly Charlotte Russe was created by a French chef, who had previously worked for King George IV of the United Kingdom, and currently worked for Tsar Alexander I. He named it for George IV’s daughter – Princess Charlotte of Wales – and also in reference to his current employer (‘russe’ being the French translation of ‘Russian’). It is made with Bavarian cream set in a mold lined with ladyfingers and often garnished with fresh fruit. A tasty alternative uses swiss rolls instead of ladyfingers and is referred to as a Charlotte Royale.

Queen Mother’s Cake.  photo: Tastebook.com

Perhaps some chocolate is more to your liking? Then, Queen Mother’s Cake should be on your menu. In the 1950s, the famed pianist Jan Smeterlin, a close friend of The Queen Mother, had come across this recipe in Austria and made it for Her Majesty. She insisted on having the recipe and was known to serve this to guests at most of her homes. Made with just chocolate, sugar, eggs, almonds and salt, it’s a deliciously rich dessert, sure to satisfy even the sweetest of sweet-tooths!

Wilhelmina Peppermints

And here is one of my favorites. In 1842, Willem Hendrik Fortuin started the Fortuin confectionery company in Dokkum, Netherlands. It quickly gained recognition when it developed what would become the DF peppermint – ‘the original English peppermint’. In 1892, to celebrate the company’s 50th anniversary, they developed a new peppermint candy. Imprinted with a portrait of Queen Wilhelmina, they named it the Wilhelmina Peppermint.

The first box of these new candies was presented to the Queen, who loved them. She later granted a royal warrant to the company, as Purveyor to the Queen. Fortuin retains that warrant to this day. Over the years, Fortuin has put out dozens of tins featuring photos of the royal family, usually in recognition of major events in the Dutch Royal Family. The most recent line of tins featured photos of the new King and Queen.

Growing up, my grandmother always had a tin of these which she would bring out when I would visit, and she would tell me stories about the Queen whose image was on the mints. I’d forgotten all about them until I began to write this article. Two days later, I received a package from a friend (and long-time member of Unofficial Royalty), who’d recently visited the Netherlands. In it was a Wilhelmina Pepermunts tin, much like the ones I remember from my childhood. Total coincidence, and an amazing surprise!

Who Knew?!

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.

by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2013

photo credit: Zimbio

Upon the abdication of King Albert II of the Belgians on July 21, 2013, the Belgian royal family experienced something that I don’t recall ever happening before; certainly not in recent history. Belgium had three living Queens – Fabiola, Paola, and Mathilde – and two living Kings – Albert II and Philippe. A real Full House!  This lasted until the death of Queen Fabiola on December 5, 2014.

There have been other times when a country has had three Queens, or two Kings, but as far as I’m aware, this is the first time that both have occurred within any European monarchy at the same time.

Other times there have been three Queens (or Empresses):

Greece – between the accession of King George II in 1922 and the death of Queen Olga in 1926:

• Queen Olga (née Olga Constantinovna of Russia, consort of King George I)
• Queen Sophie (née Sophie of Prussia, consort of King Constantine I)
• Queen Elisabeth (née Elisabeth of Romania, consort of King George II)

(It could have been 4 Queens for that timeframe, however, Aspasia Manos, consort of King Alexander, was never titled Queen.)

Russia – between the accession of Tsar Nicholas I in December 1825 and the death of Empress Elizabeth Alexeievna in May 1826:

• Empress Alexandra Feodorovna (née Charlotte of Prussia, consort of Tsar Nicholas I)
• Empress Elizabeth Alexeievna (née Louise of Baden, consort of Tsar Alexander I)
• Empress Maria Feodorovna (née Sophie Dorothea of Württemberg, consort of Tsar Paul I)

Spain – during the brief reign of King Amadeo from November 1870 to February 1873:

• Queen Maria Vittoria (née Maria Vittoria dal Pozzo, consort of King Amadeo)
• Queen Isabella II (abdicated in 1870)
• Queen Maria Christina (née Maria Christina of the Two Sicilies, consort of King Ferdinand VII)

Spain – from the marriage in January 1878 to her death in June 1878 of Queen Maria de las Mercedes:

• Queen Mercedes (née Maria de las Mercedes of Orléans, consort of King Alfonso XII)
• Queen Maria Christina (née Maria Christina of the Two Sicilies, consort of King Ferdinand VII)
• Queen Isabella II (abdicated in 1870)

Sweden and Norway – between the accession of King Carl XIV Johan in July 1859 and the death of Queen Desideria in December 1860:

• Queen Louise (née Louise of the Netherlands, consort of King Carl XIV Johan)
• Queen Josephine (née Josephine of Leuchtenberg, consort of King Oscar I)
• Queen Desideria (née Désirée Clary, consort of King Carl XV)

Sweden and Norway – between the accession of King Carl XIV Johan in February 1818 and the death of Queen Charlotte in June 1818:

• Queen Desideria (née Désirée Clary, consort of King Carl XIV Johan)
• Queen Charlotte (née Hedwig Elizabeth Charlotte of Holstein-Gottorp, consort of King Carl XIII)
• Queen Frederica (née Frederica of Baden, consort of King Gustav IV Adolf)

Sweden – between the accession of King Carl XIII in June 1809 and the death of Queen Sophia Magdalena in August 1813:

• Queen Charlotte (née Hedwig Elizabeth Charlotte of Holstein-Gottorp, consort of King Carl XIII)
• Queen Frederica (née Frederica of Baden, consort of King Gustav IV Adolf)
• Queen Sophia Magdalena (née Sophie Magdalena of Denmark, consort of King Gustav III)

United Kingdom – between the accession of Queen Elizabeth II in 1952 and the death of Queen Mary in 1953:

• Queen Mary (née Victoria Mary of Teck, consort of King George V)
• Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother (née Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, consort of King George VI)
• Queen Elizabeth II

In addition, and although not actually Queens, in Liechtenstein from March 1805 to June 1809 there were three Princess Consorts:

• Josepha of Fürstenberg-Weitra, consort of Prince Johann I Joseph
• Karoline von Manderscheid-Blankenheim, consort of Prince Aloys I
• Leopoldine von Sternberg, consort of Prince Franz Joseph I

Other times there have been two Kings:

Spain: – there are currently two Spanish Kings, since the abdication of Juan Carlos in 2014:

• King Juan Carlos I
• King Felipe VI

Belgium – from the abdication of King Leopold III in 1951 until his death in 1983:

• King Leopold III
• King Baudouin

Greece – Because of the continual upheaval of the Greek monarchy, there were several periods of time with two living Kings:

• March 1863 – July 1867 – King Otto and King George I
• June 1917-October 1920 – King Constantine I and King Alexander
• September 1922 – January 1923 – King Constantine I and King George II

Italy – from the abdication of King Vittorio Emanuele III in 1946 until his death in 1947:

• King Vittorio Emanuele III
• King Umberto II

Jordan – from the abdication of King Talal in 1952 until his death in 1972:

• King Talal
• King Hussein

Romania – from the abdication of King Carol II in 1940 until his death in 1953:

• King Carol II
• King Mihai

In addition, Luxembourg currently has two Grand Dukes living – the current reigning Henri and his father Jean, who abdicated in 2000.

Who Knew?!

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.

by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2013

In 2013, HRH The Duchess of Cambridge (now The Princess of Wales) launched Royal Princess, an ocean liner for Princess Cruises.  It was rather special in that the previous Royal Princess was launched by her late mother-in-law, Diana, Princess of Wales.  The naming or christening of ships has long been a royal tradition in most European monarchies, especially in the United Kingdom. Traditionally these were Navy ships, however, with the advent of the ocean liner, we now see a lot more private vessels being sponsored by Queens and Princesses.

The United Kingdom likely has the most vessels launched by royalty, going back hundreds of years.  There are records of The Prince of Wales launching HMS Prince Royal for the English Navy in 1610.  Queen Victoria launched several British Royal Navy ships, including two launched together in 1891 – HMS Royal Arthur and HMS Royal Sovereign.  Prince Albert launched one of the first non-Navy ships – The Great Western Steamship Company’s SS Great Britain in 1843.

And the tradition continues to the present.  As of this date, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has launched 21 ships and a few lifeboats – including 5 Cunard ocean liners, several oil tankers, a Royal Yacht, and a vast array of British Royal Navy crafts.  Her first was in November 1944 – British Royal Navy’s HMS Vanguard.  Her most recent was in October 2010 – Cunard Line’s RMS Queen Elizabeth.

Amongst many shipping lines, two have maintained very close ties with Royalty – Cunard Line and Holland America Line.

Cunard Line
The Cunard Line has had 8 ships launched by British royals.  The first was RMS Queen Mary, launched in 1934 by Queen Mary herself.  This was the first merchant ship launched by a member of the British royal family.  According to many sources, thanks to radio and Newsreels, this was the first opportunity that many Britons had to hear The Queen speak.  This video includes a speech by King George V and then the naming of the ship by Queen Mary.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8BLqFAR3dw

A few years later – in 1938 – Queen Elizabeth (later The Queen Mother) launched RMS Queen Elizabeth, named in her honor.  After a brief speech, she was presented with a gift by the Cunard Line and then named the ship.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sE1PHonSW68

In 1947, just a few weeks before her marriage, the then-Princess Elizabeth, accompanied by Lt. Philip Mountbatten, launched RMS Caronia.
http://www.britishpathe.com/video/princess-elizabeth-launches-the-coronia-1/query/Clydebank

Princess Margaret launched RMS Carinthia in 1955.
http://www.britishpathe.com/video/carinthia-launched/query/Countess

Queen Elizabeth II launched the new Queen Elizabeth 2 in 1967.  Traditionally, ships didn’t take on a number.  The ship was intended to be called Queen Elizabeth.  However, during the naming ceremony, Her Majesty called her “Queen Elizabeth the second”, thus giving the ship her famous nickname – QE2.  Despite the name, it isn’t actually named for her.  It is named after the previous RMS Queen Elizabeth.

HM The Queen at the launch of RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 (photo credit: The Guardian)

The Queen launched the RMS Queen Mary 2 in 2004.  It was decided to keep with the new tradition of adding the 2 to the ship’s name.

HM The Queen at the launch of RMS Queen Mary 2 (photo credit BBC)

In somewhat of a break from tradition, RMS Queen Victoria was christened by The Duchess of Cornwall, now Queen Camilla, in 2007.  Up until this point, all of Cunard’s ‘Queen’ ships had been launched by the actual Queen at the time.  This was seen as a nod toward The Duchess’ future role as Queen Consort.

HRH The Duchess of Cornwall at the launch of RMS Queen Victoria  credit: Hello)

The last of the Cunard ships – the RMS Queen Elizabeth – was launched by The Queen in 2010. Again, the ship is named after the original RMS Queen Elizabeth, this time without the addition of a 2 or 3.  Incidentally, Her Majesty was in attendance for the launches of all three of the Queen Elizabeth ships, having accompanied her mother when the first was launched in 1938, and herself launching the other two.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIeUAQmKZek

Holland America Line
Holland America Line has the largest number of royal sponsors.  Eleven of their ocean liners have been named by Dutch royals, beginning with the SS Statendam(III) in 1929 by Prince Hendrik and the latest being MS Nieuw Amsterdam(IV) in 2010 by Princess Máxima.

SS Statendam(III) – christened 1929 by HRH Prince Henrik, The Prince Consort
SS Nieuw Amsterdam(II) – christened 1937 by HM Queen Wilhelmina
SS Statendam(IV) – christened 1957 by HRH Princess Beatrix
SS Princes Margriet – christened 1964 by HRH Princess Beatrix
SS Rotterdam(V) – christened 1958 by HM Queen Juliana
MS Prinsendam(II) – christened 1973 by HRH Princess Margriet
MS Nieuw Amsterdam(III) – christened 1983 by HRH Princess Margriet
MS Rotterdam(VI) – christened 1997 by HRH Princess Margriet
MS Oosterdam – christened 2003 by HRH Princess Margriet
MS Eurodam – christened 2008 by HM Queen Beatrix
MS Nieuw Amsterdam(IV) – christened 2010 by HRH Princess Máxima

As mentioned at the top of this article, Princess Cruises has had two royal sponsors – The Duchess of Cambridge and Diana, Princess of Wales – both of whom christened ships named Royal Princess.

Princess Grace of Monaco is the only non-British royal involved with a Cunard Line christening.  In 1977, The Princess christened MS Cunard Princess.  The ship had previously been named MS Conquest.  She also participated in another re-christening ceremony in 1982.  Back in 1956, the then-Grace Kelly sailed to Monaco on the SS Constitution, for her wedding to Prince Rainier.  Years later, after a complete overhaul for its new owner, The Princess was asked to re-christen this ship, which she did in Taiwan, accompanied by Prince Rainier.

And one last tidbit which I find rather ironic.  Despite its name, the Royal Caribbean Line has only one Royal sponsor.  In 1992, MS Majesty of the Seas was launched by Queen Sonja of Norway.

Who Knew?!

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.

by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2013

We all know of buildings, streets, or parks named after various royalty.  Even here in the United States, several cities and a few states take their names from royals of the past.  But last year was the first time that I remember an area of land being renamed.  In honor of Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee, It was decided that a large area within the British Antarctic Territory would be renamed Queen Elizabeth Land.  What I didn’t realize was that this wasn’t the first time she’d received such an honor.  In fact, she already has another ‘Land’… and a mountain range.  She’s also in good company!  Quite a few of her family are represented, including some of her European cousins.

Since the Antarctic Treaty of 1959, the continent is divided into several territories and dependencies:

• British Antarctic Territory (United Kingdom)
• Ross Dependency (New Zealand)
• Adélie Land (France)
• Peter I Island (Norway)
• Australian Antarctic Territory (Australia)
• Queen Maud Land (Norway)
• Antártica (Chile)
• Argentine Antarctica (Argentina)
• Marie Byrd Land (unclaimed territory)

British Royals
Queen Elizabeth II was first honored in 1931 when Princess Elizabeth Land was discovered and named for her in the Australian Antarctic Territory.  After becoming Queen in 1953, she was Patron of the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition (1956-1958).  A mountain range was discovered in the Ross Dependency (NZ) and named The Queen Elizabeth Range in her honor.  A few years later, one of these peaks was named ‘Prince Andrew Plateau’, in honor of her son, Prince Andrew, now The Duke of York.

Going back, the first British Royal to be honored was Queen Victoria.  In 1841, an area bordering what is now the Ross Dependency was discovered and named Victoria Land.  A mountain range within the area was also named the Prince Albert Mountains, in honor of Victoria’s beloved husband.

Future generations were also recognized.  King Edward VII Land is a peninsula in the unclaimed territory known as Marie Byrd Land (named for the famed explorer’s wife) and was discovered in 1902.  Within the area are the Alexandra Mountains, named for his wife.  Queen Alexandra is also recognized with another mountain range, known as the Queen Alexandra Range, named for her around 1908.  Most of this area is overseen by the Ross Dependency.

King George V and Queen Mary are represented by George V Land and Queen Mary Land, both discovered and named in 1912, within the Australian Antarctic Territory.

King George VI is represented by George VI Sound and the George VI Ice Shelf.

German Royals
There is also Kaiser Wilhelm II Land, which was discovered in 1902, and named for the Kaiser who had funded the German expedition.  This is part of the Australian Antarctic Territory.

Russian Royals
Peter I Island was first sighted in 1821 on the initial Russian expedition to Antarctica and was named for Tsar Peter I of Russia (Peter the Great).  However, it wasn’t until 1929 that the island was first explored, by a Norwegian expedition.  They claimed the island and shortly after it officially became a Norwegian Dependency.

Alexander Island was also sighted on the first Russian expedition, and named for Tsar Alexander I of Russia.  It was initially named Alexander I Land, as it was believed to be part of the mainland.  In 1940, it was discovered that it was actually an island and renamed.  Alexander Island is the second-largest uninhabited island in the world.  It is claimed by the United Kingdom, as well as Argentina and Chile.

Norwegian Royals
But it’s the Queen’s Norwegian cousins who make up most of her neighbors.  Queen Maud Land is a dependency of Norway, initially named for Queen Maud in 1930.  The area was disputed for some years, as Germany had laid claim to an area called New Swabia, which included some of the same land.  Later, in 1961, the land became part of the Antarctic Treaty System and was formally claimed as a dependency of Norway.

Queen Maud Land is divided into 5 sections, all named for Norwegian Royals:

• Princess Märtha Coast (1930) – named for Crown Princess Märtha of Norway
• Prince Olav Coast (1930) – named for Crown Prince Olav (later King Olav V)
• Princess Astrid Coast (1931) – named for Princess Astrid
• Princess Ragnhild Coast (1931) – named for Princess Ragnhild
• Prince Harald Coast (1937) – named for Prince Harald (now King Harald V)

In addition, the waters off the coast of Queen Maud Land are known as the King Haakon VII Sea.

Queen Maud Land contains the Queen Maud Mountains, a major range that includes the Prince Olav Mountains, named for the future King Olav V.

Belgian Royals
And in a nod to the more distant relatives in Belgium, Queen Maud Land is the home of Princess Elisabeth Antarctica – a polar research station opened in 2009 and named for Princess Elisabeth of Belgium, daughter of Philippe, King of the Belgians.

*****UPDATE*****

In addition to the Antarctic regions, there’s also a few on the other end of the globe – the Arctic. Thanks to our own donald1941 for the additional info!

Franz Josef Land is an archipelago of 191 uninhabited islands in the Arctic Ocean. It was probably first discovered in 1865 by some Norwegian sealers, however, it wasn’t officially recognized until 1873. Two Austro-Hungarian explorers on the Tegetthof Expedition, Julius von Payer and Karl Weyprecht, officially explored the islands and named them the Franz Josef Land, after the Austrian Emperor. Since the expedition was not official, the islands never became Austrian colonies. In the 1920s, the islands were claimed by both the Soviet Union and Norway, with Norway naming them ‘Fridtjof Nansen Land’, after a Norwegian explorer who had visited the islands in the mid-1890s. In 1929, the Soviet flag was raised, and Franz Josef Land was declared part of the Soviet Union and is now part of the Russian Arctic National Park. Most of the islands were named during the initial expedition in 1874, honoring members of the Austrian Imperial Family and other aristocratic and noble families.

The Queen Elizabeth Islands are a group of over 2,100 islands within the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. They are primarily part of the Nunavut territory, with the rest being part of the Northwest Territories. Initially known as the Parry Archipelago, they were renamed in honor of Queen Elizabeth II upon her coronation in 1953.

Who Knew?!

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.

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2013

The Royal Box on Centre Court at The All England Club

It’s a very familiar sight for any tennis fan – the Royal Box on Centre Court at The All England Club, Wimbledon. On almost any given day during the two-week Wimbledon Championships, there are usually a few royals in attendance. The Duke of Kent is the most prominent, as he serves as President of the All England Club, and typically presents the winners’ trophies. On occasion, some of the more senior royals have attended and presented the trophies, including The Queen and The Princess Royal. Diana, Princess of Wales, was also a regular visitor. In this photo, taken just before her marriage to the Prince of Wales, Lady Diana is seated in the second row, with Prince Albert and Princess Stephanie of Monaco next to her. In front are Prince Rainier and Princess Grace of Monaco next to the Duke of Kent.

But in 1926, along with some royals in the Royal Box, there was also one on court! The Duke of York (future King George VI) was a participant in the Men’s Doubles Tournament, partnering with Sir Louis Greig, a close friend and equerry.

Sir Louis had gained a place in the tournament after winning the Royal Air Force Championships and asked the Duke to be his partner. With The Duchess of York watching and dressed in his Wimbledon whites, the future King took to the court with Sir Louis, only to be beaten quite easily (6-1,6-3,6-2) by another pair of Brits across the net. It would be the first, and so far last time we’ve seen a royal participant in the Wimbledon Championships.

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.

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2013

Credit – Wikipedia

HSH Prince Paul Romanovsky-Ilyinsky was born in 1928 at the American Embassy in London, the only son of Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich of Russia and his wife, Audrey Emery, later created HSH Princess Romanovskaya-Ilyinskaya.

His father, Grand Duke Dmitri was the son of Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich (a son of Tsar Alexander II) and Princess Alexandra of Greece (a daughter of King George I). His mother, Audrey Emery, was an American heiress, the daughter of John Emery and his wife Lela Alexander.

After his parents’ divorce in 1937, Prince Paul grew up primarily with his mother, attending The Woodberry Forest School in Virginia, and then The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in England. He joined the US Marine Corps in 1946, eventually retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel. While in the Marines, he served as a combat photographer during the Korean War. After leaving the military, he worked as an author and photographer, as well as serving on the board of his grandfather’s company, Emery Industries. He moved to Palm Beach, Florida in 1980 where he went on to serve on the City Council, including three terms as Mayor of Palm Beach before retiring in 1999 due to ill health. To date, this makes him the only Romanov family member to serve in public office.

According to many historians, Prince Paul became the titular Duke of Holstein-Gottorp upon the death of his cousin, Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich in 1992, although this is disputed by other claimants to the title. Prince Paul never used any of his titles, preferring to be known simply as Paul Ilyinsky.

Despite shying away from his royal background, he was reportedly approached by a group from Russia in the early 1990s, wanting him to come to Russia and claim the throne. He politely declined.

Mayor Paul Ilyinsky died at his home in Palm Beach, Florida in 2004, survived by his wife and children.

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.

Wikipedia: Paul Ilyinsky

by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2013

This article will be updated shortly. Louis IX, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt and his wife Countess Palatine Caroline of Zweibrücken became the most recent common ancestors of all current hereditary European monarchs on September 8, 2022 after Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, who was not a descendant, died and her son, Charles III, a descendant through his father, became king.

Until September 8, 2022, Johan Willem Friso of Orange-Nassau, Prince of Orange was the most recent common ancestor of all current hereditary European monarchs.

While some of the current European monarchs are related to each other within just a couple of generations, we have to go back a few hundred years to find the ancestor that all of them have in common – Johan Willem Friso of Orange-Nassau, Prince of Orange (1687-1711). He and his wife, Landgravine Marie Louise of Hesse-Kassel (1688-1765), had two children, Princess Amalia and Willem IV, Prince of Orange. It is through these two children that all of the current reigning monarchs of Europe descend.

• Unofficial Royalty: Johan Willem Friso, Prince of Orange
• Unofficial Royalty: Marie Luise of Hesse-Kassel, Princess of Orange

Princess Amalia married the Hereditary Prince of Baden-Durlach and had two sons. Her elder son became the first Grand Duke of Baden.

Willem IV married Anne, Princess Royal (daughter of King George II of Great Britain), and had two children who lived to adulthood.

• Unofficial Royalty: Willem IV, Prince of Orange
• Unofficial Royalty: Anne, Princess Royal, Princess of Orange

Through Princess Amalia, Hereditary Princess of Baden-Durlach:

• King Philippe of Belgium
• Prince Hans-Adam II of Liechtenstein
• Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg
• Prince Albert II of Monaco
• (the late former) King Michael of Romania

Through Willem IV, Prince of Orange:

• King Philippe of Belgium
• (former) Tsar Simeon II of Bulgaria
• Queen Margrethe II of Denmark
• (the late former) King Constantine II of Greece
• Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg
• King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands
• King Harald V of Norway
• (the late former) King Michael of Romania
• King Felipe VI of Spain
• King Charles III of the United Kingdom

(King Philippe of Belgium, Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg and former King Michael of Romania are descended from both Amalia and Willem IV.)

Who Knew?!

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.