Royal News Recap for Friday, October 4, 2024

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Royal News Recaps are published Mondays-Fridays and Sundays, except for Thanksgiving in the United States, Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. The Royal News Recap for Sundays will be a weekend recap. If there is any breaking or major news, we will add an update as necessary.

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Disclaimer: Please be advised that any media article titles or content that appear in the Royal News that identify members of royal families with their maiden names, nicknames, incorrect style or title, etc., come directly from the media source and not from Unofficial Royalty. We encourage you to contact the media sources to express your concern about their use of the incorrect name, style, title, etc. Contact information can usually be found at the bottom of each media source’s main page.

Sophia Sidney, Baroness De L’Isle and Dudley, born Sophia FitzClarence, Illegitimate Daughter of King William IV of the United Kingdom

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2024

Sophia FitzClarence; Credit – Wikipedia

Sophia Sidney, Baroness De L’Isle and Dudley was born Sophia FitzClarence on August 25, 1796, in London, England. She was the third of the ten children and the eldest of the five daughters of King William IV of the United Kingdom and his mistress Dorothea Jordan. Sophia’s paternal grandparents were King George III of the United Kingdom and Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. Francis Bland, a stagehand, and his mistress Grace Phillips, an actress were her maternal grandparents.

From 1790 until 1811, before he became king, King William IV of the United Kingdom had a long-term relationship with actress Dorothea Jordan. Their relationship resulted in ten children who were given the surname FitzClarence. The surname comes from the Anglo-Norman Fitz, meaning “son of” and Clarence, from King William IV’s title before he became king, Duke of Clarence.

Dorothea Jordan was born Dorothea Bland was born in County Waterford, Ireland, the daughter of Francis Bland, a stagehand, and his mistress Grace Phillips, an actress. Her mother encouraged Dorothea to enter the theater, and within a few years, she began to draw large crowds for her performances. She left Ireland in 1782 and moved to Leeds, England. It was at this point that she took the name Jordan. She performed for three years with the York Company, before being lured away in 1785 to move to the Royal Theatre, Drury Lane in London. By then, Dorothea was becoming a very popular performer and could be counted on to bring large crowds every night. It was at Drury Lane that her life would come to the attention of The Duke of Clarence several years later.


Sophia’s parents The Duke of Clarence (later King William IV) and Dorothea Jordan; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1790, Dorothea was first noticed by The Duke of Clarence (later King William IV) while performing at Drury Lane. They quickly began an affair that would last for the next 21 years. Dorothea moved in with the Duke at his home, Clarence Lodge in Roehampton, London, England and later they moved to Bushy House in Bushy Park in Richmond upon Thames, London, England.

In 1797, King George III of the United Kingdom appointed his third son William, then Duke of Clarence, the ranger of Bushy Park. The position came with the residence Bushy House in Bushy Park. William and Dorothea lived there with their ten children until their relationship ended in 1811. William continued living there with his children and later with his wife Adelaide Saxe-Meinigen after they married in 1818.

The children of King William IV and Dorothea Jordan had an elder half-brother, William Henry Courtney, born around 1788 to an unknown mother, and named after his father whose given names were William Henry. Dorothea Jordan cared for William, and she was fond of him and he was fond of her. William served in the Royal Navy from 1803 until 1807 when his ship HMS Blenheim was lost in a gale off Madagascar. Despite an extensive search, no trace of the ship was ever found. 590 men were lost aboard HMS Blenheim, including King William IV’s eldest illegitimate son nineteen-year-old William Henry Courtney.

Nine of the ten children of King William IV and Dorothea Jordan were named after nine of William’s fourteen siblings. The tenth child was given William’s middle name Henry.

William and Dorothea’s children married into the British aristocracy and their many descendants include a number of notable people including sisters Princess Alexandra, Duchess of Fife and Princess Maud, Countess of Southesk (granddaughters of King Edward VII and daughters of Princess Louise, Princess Royal and Alexander Duff, 1st Duke of Fife, a descendant of Dorothea Jordan and King William IV), Duff Cooper, 1st Viscount Norwich (British diplomat, Cabinet member, author), John Crichton-Stuart, 7th Marquess of Bute (also known as Johnny Dumfries, racing driver), and David Cameron, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

By 1811, William was pressured by his family to find a suitable wife. At the time he was fourth in line for the throne following his elder brother The Prince of Wales, the future King George IV, George’s only child Princess Charlotte of Wales, and George’s next oldest brother who was childless Prince Frederick, Duke of York. William gave in to the pressure and ended his relationship with Dorothea but ensured she was well provided for. William became closer to the throne when his niece Princess Charlotte died in 1817 giving birth to a stillborn son. When King George IV died in 1830, William succeeded to the throne. Although William had ten children with Dorothea Jordan, his marriage with Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen produced no surviving children. King William IV was succeeded by his niece Queen Victoria. Queen Victoria had relationships with her first cousins, King William IV’s illegitimate children. They are mentioned in Queen Victoria’s diaries when visiting Windsor Castle.

Sophia and her siblings had little contact with their mother Dorothea Jordan after 1811 when their father ended his relationship with her. After losing much of her savings when her daughter Augusta and her husband ran up large debts in her name, Dorothea’s health quickly began to decline. Virtually penniless, Dorothea Jordan died in Saint-Cloud, France on July 5, 1816, at the age of 54. She is buried in the local cemetery in Saint-Cloud.

On August 13, 1825, Sophia married Philip Charles Shelley Sidney, the only son of Sir John Shelley-Sidney, 1st Baronet, and Henrietta Hunloke, and the first cousin of poet Percy Bysshe Shelley. Sophia’s husband opted to drop “Shelley” from his surname.

Sophia and Philip had six children:

  • Adelaide Augusta Wilhelmina Sidney (1826 – 1904), married her first cousin Frederick FitzClarence, son of George FitzClarence, 1st Earl of Munster (an illegitimate son of King William IV and Dorothea Jordan), no children
  • Philip Sidney, 2nd Lord De L’Isle and Dudley (1828 – 1898), married (1) Mary Foulis, had five children (2) Emily Frances Ramsay, no children
  • Robert Dudley Sidney (1829 – 1830), died in infancy
  • Elizabeth Frederica Sidney (born and died 1831), died in infancy
  • Ernestine Wellington Sidney (1834 – 1910), married Philip Perceval, had four children
  • Sophia Philippa Sidney (1837 – 1907), married Alexander, Graf von Kielmannsegg, no children

Sophia’s husband Philip Sidney served in the House of Commons from 1829 – 1831, was an equerry to his father-in-law King William IV from 1830 – 1835, and served as Surveyor-General of the Duchy of Cornwall from 1833 – 1849. In 1835, Philip was created Baron De L’Isle and Dudley. When his father died In 1849, twelve years after Sophia’s death, Philip became 2nd Baronet of Penshurst Place. Philip Sidney, 1st Baron De L’Isle and Dudley died on March 4, 1851, aged 50, and was succeeded in his titles by his son Philip Sidney, 2nd Baron De L’Isle and Dudley.

Watercolor painting of King William IV, painted in 1837 by Sophia shortly before her death; Credit – Wikipedia

In January 1837, Sophia was appointed by her father King William IV as State Housekeeper at Kensington Palace in London. Three months later, on April 10, 1837, 40-year-old Sophia died after delivering a premature stillborn baby at Kensington Palace. She had recently completed a charming watercolor painting of her father. Sophia’s death had a severe impact on her father King William IV, who died two months later on June 20, 1837.

St. John the Baptist in Penshurst, Kent, England; Credit – By John Myers, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11767169

Sophia was interred in the Sidney Chapel at St. John the Baptist Church in Penshurst, Kent, England near Penshurst Place, the home of the Sidney family for over 450 years. There is a memorial to Sophia at St. John the Baptist Church, a life-size figure of her on a pedestal with Grecian drapery, holding a Bible, with her eyes looking upward.

Memorial to Sophia Sidney, Baroness De L’Isle and Dudley at St. John the Baptist Church; Credit – https://www.tumbarumba.co.uk

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

  • Beauclerk-Dewar, Peter & Powell, Roger. (2006). Right Royal Bastards – The Fruits of Passion. Burke’s Peerage & Gentry LLC.
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2015). King William IV of the United Kingdom. Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-william-iv-of-the-united-kingdom/
  • Mehl, Scott. (2020). Dorothea Jordan, Mistress of King William IV of the United Kingdom. Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/dorothea-jordan-mistress-of-king-william-iv-of-the-united-kingdom/
  • Weir, Alison. (2008). Britain’s Royal Families – The Complete Genealogy. Vintage Books.
  • Wikipedia. Sophia Sidney, Baroness De L’Isle and Dudley (2024). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophia_Sidney,_Baroness_De_L%27Isle_and_Dudley

October 5: Today in Royal History

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Prince Henry of Battenberg; Credit – Wikipedia

October 5, 1658 – Birth of Maria Beatrice of Modena, Queen of England, second wife of King James II of England, at Ducal Palace in Modena, Duchy of Modena, now in Italy
Full name: Maria Beatrice Eleanor Anna Margherita Isabella
Maria Beatrice had a strict religious upbringing and wanted to be a nun, but those plans changed when she was suggested as a second wife for England’s James, Duke of York, the younger brother of King Charles II. Her priest told her the marriage would be an offering to the Roman Catholic Church because she would play a role in converting England to Catholicism. Fifteen-year-old Maria Beatrice was married by proxy to the forty-year-old Duke of York on September 30, 1673, in Modena. Maria Beatrice arrived in England on November 21, 1673, and first saw her husband two days later at their in-person wedding ceremony. Maria Beatrice had twelve pregnancies and gave birth to seven live children, five of whom died young. The birth in 1688 of a Catholic heir to the British throne, James Francis Edward, was a contributing factor to the “Glorious Revolution”, the revolution which deposed King James II and replaced him with his daughter from his first marriage Mary II and her husband and first cousin William III. James and Maria Beatrice were forced to flee to France where King Louis XIV, James’ first cousin, gave them refuge and where they spent the rest of their lives.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Beatrice of Modena, Queen of England

October 5, 1640 – Birth of Françoise-Athénaïs de Rochechouart de Mortemart, Marquise de Montespan, better known as Madame de Montespan, mistress of King Louis XIV of France, at the Château of Lussac-les-Châteaux in France
A prominent figure in the French court, Madame de Montespan soon set out to become the primary mistress of King Louis XIV, replacing his current mistress, Louise de La Vallière. Before long, she developed an intimate relationship with the King and replaced Louise. By 1669, she had become his primary mistress and had given birth to her first child with the King. They would have seven children together.
Unofficial Royalty: Françoise-Athénaïs de Rochechouart de Mortemart, Marquise de Montespan

October 5, 1840 – Birth of Prince Johann II of Liechtenstein at Schloss Eisgrub, today called Schloss Lednice, in the Austrian Empire, now in the Czech Republic
Full name: Johann Maria Franz Placidus
Prince Johann II of Liechtenstein is one of the world’s longest-reigning monarchs, reigning for 70 years, 91 days. He led a solitary life. He was unsocial, did not participate in social events, and never married. Some considered him pathologically shy. However, Johann did enact many initiatives in Liechtenstein including compulsory education until the age of 14, the first constitution in 1862, and another constitution in 1921, still in effect. Johann was an art connoisseur and added works to the princely collections but also donated artwork to museums.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Johann II of Liechtenstein

October 5, 1858 – Birth of Prince Henry of Battenberg, husband of Princess Beatrice of the United Kingdom, in Milan, Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia, now in Italy
Full name: Heinrich Moritz
Henry was the fourth of the five children of Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine and Countess Julia Hauke. As his parents’ marriage was morganatic, Henry and his siblings took their titles from their mother, who had been created Countess of Battenberg and was later elevated to Princess of Battenberg in 1858. Henry and Beatrice met at the wedding of Henry’s brother Louis of Battenberg and Beatrice’s cousin Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine. Queen Victoria expected that Beatrice would never marry and remain her personal assistant and secretary. However, during the wedding celebrations, Henry and Beatrice fell in love. When Beatrice told her mother of her desire to marry Henry, Queen Victoria did not speak to Beatrice for seven months. Eventually, the Queen realized that Beatrice would not back down and decided to allow the marriage with several conditions: Henry must renounce his career, nationality, and home and agree to live with Beatrice and the Queen. Henry and Beatrice are ancestors of the Spanish royal family.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Henry of Battenberg

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Royal News Recap for Thursday, October 3, 2024

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Royal News Recaps are published Mondays-Fridays and Sundays, except for Thanksgiving in the United States, Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. The Royal News Recap for Sundays will be a weekend recap. If there is any breaking or major news, we will add an update as necessary.

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October 4: Today in Royal History

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King Karl IX of Sweden; Credit – Wikipedia

October 4, 1550 – Birth of King Karl IX of Sweden at Tre Kronor Castle in Stockholm, Sweden, on the site of the Royal Palace of Stockholm
Karl was the youngest of the ten children and the fifth of the five sons and was not expected to become King of Sweden. However, he came to the throne by championing the Protestant cause during the tense times when the Catholic and Protestant religions were pitted against each other. These religious conflicts caused the Swedish dynastic squabble that deposed Karl’s Catholic nephew Sigismund III and brought Karl to rule as king of Sweden.
Unofficial Royalty: King Karl IX of Sweden

October 4, 1585 – Birth of Anna of Tyrol, Holy Roman Empress, wife of Matthias, Holy Roman Emperor, King of Bohemia, Archduke of Austria, Archduke of Further Austria, King of Hungary and Croatia, in Innsbruck, County of Tyrol, now in Austria
On December 4, 1611, Anna and Matthias were married at the Augustinian Church in Vienna, Austria. Although Matthias was 54 years old, he hoped to have children with his 26-year-old wife but their marriage was childless. However, Anna and Matthias left the future Habsburgs a burial site. They founded the Capuchin Church in Vienna, Austria, where the Imperial Crypt, the traditional burial site of the Habsburgs, is located. Anna had come up with the idea of a Capuchin monastery and burial place for her and her husband and wanted to build it near Hofburg Palace in Vienna. In her will, Anna left funds to provide for the church’s construction. Construction began on November 10, 1618. Sadly, a month later, on December 15, 1618, Anna died and Matthias died three months later, on March 20, 1619. Because the Imperial Crypt at the Capuchin Church had not yet been completed, Matthias and Anna were temporarily buried at the Poor Clares Convent of St. Maria, Queen of the Angels in Vienna.
Unofficial Royalty: Anna of Tyrol, Holy Roman Empress

October 4, 1841 – Birth of Maria Sophie in Bavaria, Queen of the Two Sicilies, wife of Francesco II, the last King of the Two Sicilies, at Possenhofen Castle in Possenhofen, Kingdom of Bavaria, now in the German state of Bavaria
Full name: Marie Sophie Amalie
Maria Sophie was a younger sister of the more well-known Duchess Elisabeth in Bavaria (Sisi) who married Franz Joseph, Emperor of Austria, and was assassinated in 1898. Marie Sophie’s husband lost his throne during the unification of Italy. The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies was annexed to the new Kingdom of Italy in 1861, ending the reign of Francesco II, King of the Two Sicilies. After losing the throne of the Two Sicilies, Francesco and Maria Sophia lived in Rome as guests of Pope Pius IX. In 1870, the annexation of the Papal States to Italy, including Rome, forced Francesco and Maria Sophie to find refuge in Austria, France, and Bavaria.
Unofficial Royalty: Maria Sophie of Bavaria, Queen of the Two Sicilies

October 4, 2005 – Birth of Prince Emmanuel of Belgium, son of King Philippe of the Belgians, at Erasmus Hospital in Anderlecht, Belgium
Full name: Emmanuel Leopold Guillaume François Marie
Emmanuel is the third of the four children and the younger of the two sons of King Philippe of the Belgians and his wife Queen Mathilde (née Mathilde d’Udekem d’Acoz). He is the third in the line of succession to the Belgian throne after his sister Elisabeth and his brother Gabriel.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Emmanuel of Belgium

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Royal News Recap for Wednesday, October 2, 2024

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October 3: Today in Royal History

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Viktoria Adelheid of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg with her husband Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha; Credit – Wikipedia

October 3, 1283 – Execution of Dafydd ap Gruffydd, Prince of Wales
The campaign of King Edward I of England in Wales (1276 – 1284) resulted in England completely taking over Wales. The campaign ended with the deaths of the last two native Princes of Wales: Llywelyn ap Gruffudd who was ambushed and killed in 1282 and his brother Dafydd ap Gruffydd, the first prominent person in recorded history to have been hanged, drawn, and quartered, in 1283. On October 3, 1283, Dafydd ap Gruffydd, Prince of Wales was dragged through the streets of Shrewsbury, England attached to a horse, then hanged alive, revived, then disemboweled and his entrails burned before him. He was then beheaded and his body was cut into four quarters. Dafydd’s four quarters were sent to different parts of England: the right arm to York, the left arm to Bristol, the right leg to Northampton, and the left leg to Hereford. His head was placed on a pole in the Tower of London near the head of his brother Llywelyn.
Unofficial Royalty: Dafydd ap Gruffydd, Prince of Wales

October 3, 1390 – Birth of Humphrey, 1st Duke of Gloucester, son of King Henry IV of England
Humphrey received an excellent education and it is thought he was educated at Balliol College, Oxford. He had a great love of learning, was a collector of books and manuscripts, and commissioned translations of classical works from Greek into Latin. When Humphrey died, he donated his collection of 281 manuscripts to the University of Oxford. The university built Duke Humfrey’s Library as a second story to the Divinity School to house his collection in 1450-80. Duke Humfrey’s Library still exists and it is the oldest reading room in the Bodleian Library at the University of Oxford.
Unofficial Royalty: Humphrey, 1st Duke of Gloucester

October 3, 1568 – Death of Élisabeth de Valois, daughter of King Henri II of France, third wife of King Philip II of Spain, died at the Royal Palace of Aranjuez in Madrid, Spain; buried at the Monastery of San Lorenzo El Real in El Escorial, Spain
Elisabeth was supposed to marry 14-year-old Carlos, Prince of Asturias, the only child and the heir apparent of King Philip II of Spain but Carlos died. Instead, Elisabeth became the third of the four wives of Philip II. Despite the 18-year-age gap, Elisabeth was also quite pleased with her husband. She considered her main duty to give birth to sons but she was unable to do so. She had five pregnancies but had only two surviving daughters. In May 1568, Elisabeth’s health suffered. A new pregnancy caused severe vomiting and dizziness which the doctors tried to relieve by bleeding which would have further weakened her and not helped her as the doctors then believed. On October 3, 1568, Elisabeth went into premature labor which turned out to be very complicated and so all of the doctors of the royal court were called. Elisabeth begged Philip to look after their two daughters and to help her brother Henri III to reign in France. Elisabeth also told him that she had known that she would not live a long life and had prayed constantly for her soul. She asked Philip to pray for her soul and immediately he fell to his knees. After much suffering, Elisabeth gave birth to a daughter of five months of gestation. The daughter was baptized Juana but only lived for ninety minutes. An hour later, 23-year-old Elisabeth died. It was said that Philip II was only seen crying once in his life, during the funeral of his wife Elisabeth.
Unofficial Royalty: Élisabeth de Valois, Queen of Spain

October 3, 1611 – Death of Margaret of Austria, Queen of Spain, Queen of Portugal, wife of Felipe III, King of Spain, at the Royal Site of San Lorenzo de El Escorial in El Escorial, Spain; buried at the Pantheon of Kings at the Royal Basilica of San Lorenzo de El Escorial
The daughter of Karl II, Archduke of Austria-Styria and his niece Maria Anna of Bavaria, Margaret married Felipe III, King of Spain in 1599. Felipe and Margaret, both children of parents who were an uncle and niece, were first cousins once removed and also second cousins, adding to more inbreeding in the House of Habsburg.  Margaret and Felipe III had eight children, including King Felipe III’s successor King Felipe IV and Ana María Mauricia (better known as Queen Anne of France) who married King Louis XIII of France. They were the parents of King Louis XIV of France. In 1611, Margaret died at the age of twenty-six from childbirth complications eleven days after giving birth to her eighth child Alonso who lived for only one year.
Unofficial Royalty: Margaret of Austria, Queen of Spain, Queen of Portugal

October 3, 1784 – Birth of Baroness Louise Lehzen, governess, adviser, and companion to Queen Victoria, in Hanover, Kingdom of Hanover, now in the German state of Lower Saxony
Full name: Johanna Clara Louise Lehzen
From 1824 – 1842, Baroness Louise Lehzen was the governess, and then adviser and companion to Queen Victoria who called her Lehzen.
Unofficial Royalty: Baroness Louise Lehzen

October 3, 1797 – Birth of Leopoldo II, Grand Duke of Tuscany in Florence, Grand Duchy of Tuscany 
Upon his father’s death on June 18, 1824, Leopoldo became Grand Duke of Tuscany. In 1859, the Grand Ducal family was forced to flee Florence because of the wars caused by the Italian unification movement, and the family took refuge in Austria. On July 21, 1859, Leopoldo II abdicated in favor of his son Ferdinand IV who was Grand Duke of Tuscany in name but never really reigned. The Grand Duchy of Tuscany was annexed to the Kingdom of Sardinia in 1860, as a part of the unification of Italy. In 1861, Vittorio Emanuele II, King of Sardinia was proclaimed the first King of the new, united Kingdom of Italy.
Unofficial Royalty: Leopoldo II, Grand Duke of Tuscany

October 3, 1860 – Birth of Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich of Russia, son of Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia, at the Catherine Palace at Tsarskoye Selo near St. Petersburg, Russia
The paternal uncle of Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia, Paul was only eight years older than his nephew Nicholas and the two had a close relationship. Paul was one of the four Grand Dukes executed by a firing squad at the Peter and Paul Fortress on January 28, 1919. His son from his first marriage, Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich, was one of the conspirators involved in the murder of Grigori Rasputin. Paul’s son from his second morganatic marriage, Prince Vladimir Pavlovich Paley, was one of the five Romanovs executed on July 18, 1918, with Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna, the sister of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna.
Unofficial Royalty: Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich of Russia

October 3, 1891 – Birth of Prince Maurice of Battenberg, son of Princess Beatrice of the United Kingdom and grandson of Queen Victoria, at Balmoral Castle, Scotland
Full name: Maurice Victor Donald
In 1910, Maurice joined the 60th King’s Royal Rifles. Eight days after the United Kingdom entered World War I, on August 12, 1914, Maurice left for the front. On October 27, 1914,  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.
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Maurice of Battenberg

October 3, 1898 – Birth of Zizi Lambrino, mistress and morganatic 1st wife of King Carol II of Romania, born Ioana Maria Valentina Lambrino in Roman, Romania
Zizi Lambrino was the first wife of the future King Carol II of Romania. The couple married in 1918, but the Romanian government deemed the marriage unconstitutional and it was annulled. On August 8, 1920, in Bucharest, Zizi gave birth to the couple’s only child – a son named Mircea Gregor Carol Lambrino. As Zizi and Carol’s marriage had been legally annulled, the child was considered illegitimate and was given his mother’s surname. Soon after the birth, the future King ended his relationship with Zizi, choosing instead to remain in line for the Romanian throne. Zizi and her son were forced to leave the country and were financially supported by the Romanian government.
Unofficial Royalty: Zizi Lambrino, mistress and morganatic 1st wife of King Carol II of Romania

October 3, 1941 – Birth of Infante Alfonso of Spain, son of Infante Juan, Duke of Barcelona and brother of King Juan Carlos I of Spain, in Rome, Italy
Full name: Alfonso Cristino Teresa Ángelo Francisco de Asís y Todos los Santos de Borbón y Borbón Dos-Sicilias
Alfonso was the younger brother of King Juan Carlos I of Spain. Fourteen-year-old Infante Alfonso was killed by a gun on March 29, 1956, while in a bedroom with his elder brother, the future King Juan Carlos I of Spain. What happened in that bedroom, who pulled the trigger, and whether or not it was an accident are still unclear.
Unofficial Royalty; Infante Alfonso of Spain

October 3, 1970 – Death of Viktoria Adelheid of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, wife of Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, at Schloss Greinburg in Grein, Austria; buried in the family cemetery in the forest of Schloss Callenberg in Coburg, Germany
In 1905, Viktoria Adelheid married Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, the only son of Queen Victoria’s youngest son Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany and Princess Helena of Waldeck and Pyrmont. The couple had five children including Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, the mother of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden. After World War I, Charles Edward abdicated from the throne of the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. During the period between the two World Wars, Charles Edward became active in the Nazi Party. After World War II, in 1949, a denazification appeals court classified Charles Edward as a Nazi Follower, Category IV. He was heavily fined and almost bankrupted. After World War II, some of the Saxe-Coburg and Gotha properties in East Germany were seized. The family was left with Schloss Callenberg in Coburg, Bavaria, Germany and Schloss Greinburg an der Donau in Grein, Austria. After her husband died in 1954, Viktoria Adelheid spent time traveling, often with her sister-in-law, Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone.
Unofficial Royalty: Viktoria Adelheid of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

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Royal News Recap for Tuesday, October 1, 2024

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Royal News Recaps are published Mondays-Fridays and Sundays, except for Thanksgiving in the United States, Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. The Royal News Recap for Sundays will be a weekend recap. If there is any breaking or major news, we will add an update as necessary.

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October 2: Today in Royal History

© Unofficial Royalty 2024

King Richard III of England, Credit – Wikipedia

October 2, 1452 – Birth of King Richard III of England at Fotheringay Castle in Northamptonshire, England
Richard was the twelfth of the thirteen children of Richard of York, 3rd Duke of York and Cecily Neville, both great-grandchildren of King Edward III of England. Richard’s father was the Yorkist leader during the Wars of the Roses until he died in battle. Richard was King of England from 1483 until he died in 1485. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty. His defeat and death occurred at the Battle of Bosworth Field, the last decisive battle of the Wars of the Roses.
Unofficial Royalty: King Richard III of England

October 2, 1798 – Birth of Carlo Alberto I, King of Sardinia at the Palazzo Carignano in Turin, Kingdom of Sardinia, now in Italy
Carlo Alberto, the senior male member of the House of Savoy-Carignano, a cadet branch of the House of Savoy, became King of Sardinia upon the death of Carlo Felice, King of Sardinia when the male line of the House of Savoy became extinct. In 1848, Carlo Alberto attempted to rid the Italian peninsula of Austria-ruled and supported states resulting in the First Italian War of Independence, part of the Italian Unification. After the Austrian forces defeated his forces at the Battle of Novara, Carlo Alberto immediately abdicated in favor of his son Vittorio Emanuele.  He died the following year. His son Vittorio Emanuele II, King of Sardinia became a driving force behind the Italian unification and was proclaimed the first King of the new, united Kingdom of Italy in 1861.
Unofficial Royalty: Carlo Alberto I, King of Sardinia and Duke of Savoy

October 2, 1841 – Death of Honoré V, Prince of Monaco in Paris, France; buried at St. Nicholas Cathedral in Monaco
Honoré V was the elder of the two sons of Honoré IV, Prince of Monaco and Louise d’Aumont, Duchess of Mazarin, Duchess of Mayenne, Duchess of Meilleraye in her own right.  In 1819, he succeeded his father as Prince of Monaco. Honoré V never married. With his mistress Félicité de Gamaches, Honoré V had one son Louis Gabriel Oscar Grimaldi, called Oscar, born in 1814. After a reign of twenty-two years, Honoré V, Prince of Monaco died on October 2, 1841, in Paris, France, aged 63, and was succeeded by his brother Florestan.
Unofficial Royalty: Honoré V, Prince of Monaco

October 2, 1921- Death of King Wilhelm II of Württemberg at Schloss Bebenhausen  in Bebenhausen, Germany; buried at the Old Cemetery in Ludwigsburg, Germany
Wilhelm became King of Württemberg in 1891, upon the death of his childless uncle King Karl. Wilhelm’s two marriages were also childless. He was much loved by his people, and respected for his more down-to-earth nature. He was often seen unaccompanied walking his dogs in the streets of Stuttgart and greeting all those he met along the way. Wilhelm was the last King of Württemberg, abdicating on November 30, 1918, after the fall of the German Empire. Wilhelm negotiated with the new government to receive an annual income and retain Schloss Bebenhausen in Bebenhausen, Germany where he and his wife lived for the remainder of their lives. On October 2, 1921, 73-year-old Wilhelm died.
Unofficial Royalty: King Wilhelm II of Württemberg

October 2, 2007 – Death of The Lady Katherine Brandram in London, England; born Princess Katherine of Greece, daughter of King Constantine I of Greece, buried at the Royal Cemetery, Tatoi Palace, Greece
Because of the ups and downs of the Greek monarchy, Katherine spent much of her early life in exile. While in the United Kingdom, she met Major Richard Campbell Andrew Brandram, an officer in the British Royal Artillery. The couple married on April 21, 1947, in two ceremonies, Church of England and Greek Orthodox, in the ballroom of the Royal Palace in Athens, Greece. King George VI of the United Kingdom issued a decree on August 25, 1947, granting Katherine the “style, title, place and pre-eminence as the daughter of a Duke”, and she became styled as Lady Katherine Brandram. The couple settled in England and had one son. Katherine retained close ties to her Greek and British relatives and often joined them for family functions such as christenings and memorial services. One of her last public appearances was at a Service of Thanksgiving at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor, England for the Duke of Edinburgh’s 80th birthday in 2001. Katherine was 94 when she died.  She was buried with her husband in the Royal Cemetery at the Tatoi Palace in Greece. From 2002 until her death, she was the last surviving great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom.
Unofficial Royalty: Princess Katherine of Greece, The Lady Katherine Brandram

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State Opening of Parliament – Norway – Early October

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2024

King Haakon VII reading the Speech from the Throne speech in 1950. Crown Prince Olav, the future King Olav V, is on the right; Credit – Photo by an unknown photographer, from the collection of Oslo Museum via DigitaltMuseum.

The State Opening of the Storting, the Norwegian Parliament, is held in early October after the Storting has been constituted. On the first working day of October, the Storting meets to elect its vice presidents and secretaries. When that is completed, the President of the Storting declares the Storting to be legally constituted.

According to Article 74 of the 1814 Constitution, the Norwegian monarch or his/her acting regent formally opens the Storting with a speech outlining the Government’s plans for the coming year. The monarch also addresses issues which he/she particularly desires to call the attention of the Storting.

The State Opening of the Storting is one of the few occasions when members of the Storting,  known in Norwegian as stortingsrepresentants (Storting Representatives), the entire Government, and members of the Norwegian royal family are gathered in an official ceremony. All three branches of the state – the legislative, the executive, and the judicial – attend the State Opening. Civilian and military officials, members of the Royal Court, and invited guests also attend.

What happens?

The Stortinget, Norway’s Parliament in Oslo, taken from the author’s hotel room; Photo Credit – © Susan Flantzer 2024

The Norwegian royal family travels the short distance by car from the Royal Palace of Oslo to the Stortinget, the parliament building. Usually the monarch’s spouse and the heir to the throne, the Crown Prince or Crown Princess, also attends the opening of the Storting. Norway’s line of succession to the throne is based upon absolute primogeniture where males and females have equal succession rights.

Military forces and the King’s Guard line Karl Johans gate, Oslo’s main street, between the Royal Palace and the Storinget. The streets of Oslo are decorated with Norwegian flags and lined with thousands of spectators.

King Harald V arrives for the State Opening of the Storting in 2021; Photo: Torstein Bøe / NTB

When the Norwegian monarch, his/her spouse, and the Crown Prince or Crown Princess arrive at the Stortinget, they are welcomed by seven Storting Representatives at the main entrance at Løvebakken, the driveway in front of the Stortinget. The seven Storting Representatives accompany them for the duration of their stay at the Storinget.

Queen Sonja, King Harald V, and Crown Prince Haakon (on the right) attend the State Opening of the Storting on October 2, 2010

The Storting Chamber is rearranged for the State Opening of the Storting. The throne is positioned where the President of the Storting and the speaker’s rostrum normally stand. A table for the Storting’s President and Secretary is placed in the semicircle in front of the seats of the Storting Representatives.

Prime Minister Erna Solberg hands the Speech from the Throne to King Harald V during the State Opening of the Storting on October 2, 2018

The monarch is handed the Speech from the Throne by the Prime Minister. The speech, written by the Government, contains the plans for the Government’s policies in the coming year.

King Harald V reads the Speech from the Throne on October 2, 2010

All stand while the monarch reads the Speech from the Throne.

The State of the Realm Address is traditionally read by the youngest member of the Government, here the Minister of Culture Hadia Tajik. Photo: Erlend Aas / NTB scanpix

Next, one of the members of the Government, usually the youngest minister in the Government, reads the State of the Realm Address, a review of the government’s policy over the past year, mentioning what was achieved and important proposals that have been put forward.

The State Opening of the Storting ends with the National Anthem, “Ja, vi elsker dette landet” (“Yes, we love this country”).

The Constitution states that no deliberations or debate may take place in the presence of the monarch. This means the Storting session may not continue until the monarch has left the Stortinget. Only after the monarch leaves the Stortinget may the Storting decide to submit the Speech from the Throne and the State of the Realm Address for deliberation, and then adjourn.

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

  • Bidragsytere til Wikimedia-prosjektene. (2006). Trontalen (Norge). Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trontalen_(Norge)
  • Opening of the Storting. (2024). Royalcourt.no. https://www.royalcourt.no/artikkel.html?tid=30059&sek=30058
  • The 163rd Storting is open. (2018). Royalcourt.no. https://www.royalcourt.no/nyhet.html?tid=165516&sek=27262
  • The State Opening of the Storting. (2024). Stortinget; Stortinget. https://www.stortinget.no/en/In-English/About-the-Storting/Start-of-parliamentary-session/the-formal-state-opening-of-the-storting/