Francesco I, King of the Two Sicilies

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies was located in today’s southern Italy. It included the island of Sicily and all of the Italian peninsula south of the Papal States. Ferdinando I, the first King of the Two Sicilies, had previously reigned over two kingdoms, as Ferdinando IV of the Kingdom of Naples and Ferdinando III of the Kingdom of Sicily. He had been deposed twice from the throne of Naples: once by the revolutionary Parthenopean Republic for six months in 1799 and again by Napoleon in 1805, before being restored in 1816 after the defeat of Napoleon. After the 1816 restoration, the two kingdoms were united into the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.

Vittorio Emanuele II, King of Sardinia became a driving force behind the Italian unification movement along with Giuseppe Garibaldi, a general and nationalist, and Giuseppe Mazzini, a politician and journalist. Garibaldi conquered Naples and Sicily, the territories of the Kingdom of Two Sicilies. Francesco II, King of the Two Sicilies was deposed, the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies ceased to exist, and its territory was incorporated into the Kingdom of Sardinia. Eventually, the Sardinian troops occupied the central territories of the Italian peninsula, except Rome and part of Papal States. With all the newly acquired land, Vittorio Emanuele II was proclaimed the first King of the new, united Kingdom of Italy in 1861.

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Francesco I, King of the Two Sicilies; Credit – Wikipedia

King of the Two Sicilies for only five years, Francesco Gennaro Giuseppe Saverio Giovanni Battista was born in the Royal Palace of Naples in the Kingdom of Naples, now in Italy, on August 19, 1777. He was the fifth of the seventeen children and the second but the eldest surviving of the seven sons of Ferdinando, who reigned as King of Naples and King of Sicily from 1759 – 1816, and then as King Ferdinando I of the Two Sicilies from 1816 – 1825, and his first wife Archduchess Maria Carolina of Austria. Francesco’s paternal grandparents were Carlos III, King of Spain and Maria Amalia of Saxony. His maternal grandparents were the formidable and powerful Holy Roman Empress Maria Theresa, who was in her own right Archduchess of Austria, Queen of Hungary, Queen of Croatia, and Queen of Bohemia, and Franz, Holy Roman Emperor, Grand Duke of Tuscany, and Duke of Lorraine. Even though her husband was the nominal Holy Roman Emperor, Maria Theresa wielded the real power.

Included in the portrait are Ferdinando, Maria Carolina, and their children Maria Theresa, Maria Luisa, Maria Amelia, Francesco, Maria Cristina, and Gennaro, 1783; Credit – Wikipedia

Upon the death of his three-year-old elder brother Carlo, Duke of Calabria from smallpox, Francesco became the heir-apparent to the thrones of Naples and Sicily and Duke of Calabria, the traditional title of the heir apparent to the throne of Naples. Six more of Francesco’s sixteen siblings would also die from smallpox.

Francesco at the age of thirteen; Credit – Wikipedia

Unlike his father who received no comprehensive education, Francesco was well educated by highly qualified tutors such as physicist and biologist Giuseppe Saverio Poli and Cardinal Domenico Orsini d’Aragona. He showed great interest in history and the natural sciences, particularly botany. When Francesco was eighteen years old, he began to attend meetings of the state council so that he could learn about the government.

Francesco’s mother Maria Carolina of Austria; Credit – Wikipedia

Francesco’s mother Maria Carolina of Austria had been extremely well educated and prepared for her role as Queen Consort. As part of her marriage contract, Maria Carolina was to have a place on the council of state after the birth of her first son. In 1775, after her first son was born, Maria Carolina took her place on the council of state. Bernardo Tanucci, the former president of her husband’s regency council, was still on the council of state and attempted to thwart her political influence, and found himself dismissed in 1777. From then on, Maria Carolina was the de facto ruler of the Kingdoms of Naples and Sicily.

Maria Clementina of Austria, Francesco’s first wife; Credit – Wikipedia

Francesco accepted his mother’s plan that he marry his double first cousin Archduchess Maria Clementina of Austria, the daughter of Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor and Maria Luisa of Spain. Leopold II was the brother of Francesco’s mother and Maria Luisa was the sister of Francesco’s father. The marriage was planned to strengthen the alliance between Naples and Sicily and Austria. A proxy marriage took place in 1790. However, because the bride and the groom were both only thirteen years old and the French Revolution caused unrest in Europe, the actual wedding did not occur for seven years. On June 25, 1797, Francesco and Maria Clementina were married in person in Foggia, Kingdom of Naples, now in Italy.

Francesco and Maria Clementina had two children:

Maria Isabella of Spain, Francesco’s second wife; Credit – Wikipedia

Maria Clementina died from tuberculosis in Naples, Kingdom of Naples on November 15, 1801, aged 24, and was buried at the Basilica of Santa Chiara, Naples. After her death, a double marriage was arranged with Spain. Carlos IV, King of Spain was the brother of Ferdinando I, King of Naples and Sicily, and so these marriages were between first cousins. Francesco was to marry Maria Isabella of Spain and his sister Maria Antonia was to marry Ferdinand of Spain, Prince of Asturias, later King Ferdinand VII of Spain. Maria Antonia died in 1806 from tuberculosis before her husband became King of Spain. On July 6, 1802, in Madrid Spain, 13-year-old Maria Isabella married her 25-year-old cousin Francesco by proxy with her brother Ferdinand standing in for the groom. The two couples were married in person in Barcelona, Spain on October 4, 1802.

Francesco’s family: Left to right: Maria Isabella, second wife of Francesco holding Maria Carolina, Ferdinanda Luisa, Maria Antonia, Luisa Carlotta, Maria Cristina, Ferdinando, Francesco holding Maria Amalia, Carlo, Prince of Capua and Leopoldo, Count of Syracuse; Credit – Wikipedia

Francesco and Maria Isabella had twelve children over twenty-three years. Unusual for the time, all twelve survived childhood.

Francesco’s father Ferdinando I, King of the Two Sicilies; Credit – Wikipedia

Francesco’s father Ferdinando was deposed twice from his thrones: once by the revolutionary Parthenopean Republic for six months in 1799 and again by Napoleon in 1805. In February 1806, Ferdinando, Maria Carolina, and their family were forced to flee to the island of Sicily, which was still in their control, where they lived in the Royal Palace of Palermo under British protection. However, the government of Sicily was a feudal type, and the British insisted on a government more similar to the British one. In 1813, Ferdinando essentially but not officially abdicated and Francesco was appointed regent. At the insistence of the British, who were becoming more and more adverse to Maria Carolina, she was forced to leave Sicily. She returned to her home in Austria where she died from a stroke, aged 62, on September 8, 1814.

Less than three months after the death of his mother Maria Carolina, Francesco’s father Ferdinand married again to Lucia Migliaccio, Duchess of Floridia. The marriage caused a considerable scandal. Francesco had tried to dissuade his father from marrying Lucia, and always intensely disliked her. In 1816, after Ferdinando abolished the constitution of the Kingdom of Sicily, the two kingdoms, Naples and Sicily, were united into the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. For the next four years, Ferdinand reigned as an absolute monarch, and there were no constitutional reforms. In 1820, a revolt broke out in Sicily and riots occurred in Naples. Ferdinando was forced to sign a constitution and appoint his son Francesco as regent of Sicily. This only lasted until March 1821, when Austrian troops friendly to Ferdinando occupied Naples. Ferdinando was re-established as an absolute monarch and the constitution was withdrawn. Ferdinando died from a stroke on January 4, 1825, at the age of 73 and his son Francesco became King of the Two Sicilies.

Francesco I, King of the Two Sicilies, 1829; Credit – Wikipedia

After his father’s death, Francesco expelled his stepmother Lucia Migliaccio, Duchess of Floridia from the royal court. When Lucia died in 1826, noticeably missing from her funeral were Francesco and members of the royal family of the Two Sicilies. Francesco wanted to demonstrate once and for all the true feelings he had for Lucia. As king, Francesco followed conservative policies. He was content to leave the government in the hands of his favorites and advisers. During Francesco’s reign, the Carbonari, an informal network of secret revolutionary societies, grew stronger especially in eastern Sicily and in the Italian mainland part of the kingdom. In Sicily, smuggling and corruption flourished. Numerous crimes were committed by private armed gangs in the service of nobles and large landowners, from which the Cosa Nostra, also known as the Sicilian Mafia, later developed. Francesco’s major success was having the Austrian occupation force withdrawn, relieving a large financial burden on the treasury.

Coat of arms of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies on the entrance to the royal crypt; Credit – Di Giuseppe Guida – Flickr: Basilica di Santa Chiara., CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=20267754

Francesco I, King of the Two Sicilies died on November 8, 1830, aged 53, in Naples, Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, now in Italy. He was buried at the Basilica of Santa Chiara in Naples, the traditional burial site of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. His second wife Maria Isabella survived him by eighteen years, dying on September 13, 1848, at the age of 59, at the Palace of Portici in Portici, Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, now in Italy. She was buried with her husband at the Basilica di Santa Chiara.

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.

Kingdom of the Two Sicilies Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited:

  • De.wikipedia.org. 2021. Franz I. (Sizilien) – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_I._(Sizilien)> [Accessed 6 August 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Francis I of the Two Sicilies – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_I_of_the_Two_Sicilies> [Accessed 6 August 2021].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2021. Ferdinando I, King of the Two Sicilies. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/ferdinando-i-king-of-the-two-sicilies/> [Accessed 6 August 2021].
  • It.wikipedia.org. 2021. Francesco I delle Due Sicilie – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francesco_I_delle_Due_Sicilie> [Accessed 6 August 2021].

Crown Prince Rupprecht of Bavaria

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Rupprecht was Crown Prince of Bavaria from 1913 until the end of the Bavarian monarchy in 1918. From his father’s death in 1921, he became pretender to the former Bavarian throne, and Head of the House of Wittelsbach. Through his direct descent from King Charles I of England, he also became heir to the thrones of England, Scotland, and Ireland in the Jacobite Succession.

Crown Prince Rupprecht of Bavaria – photo: Wikipedia

Rupprecht Maria Luitpold Ferdinand, Crown Prince of Bavaria, was born in Munich, then in the Kingdom of Bavaria, now in the German state of Bavaria, on May 18, 1869, the eldest child of the future King Ludwig III of Bavaria and Archduchess Maria Theresia of Austria-Este. He had 12 younger siblings:

Rupprecht grew up at Schloss Leutstetten in Starnberg, and the family’s villa near Lindau, at Lake Constance. Initially educated at home, he became the first member of the Bavarian royal family to study at a public school, attending the Maximilian-Gymnasium in Munich. He began his military career serving in the Lifeguards Regiment of the Bavarian Army, quickly rising to the rank of Colonel, and was given command of the 2nd Crown Prince’s Regiment. During this time, he also studied at the Universities of Berlin and Munich.

When Rupprecht was just 17, his future changed when his father was named Regent of Bavaria for both King Ludwig II and King Otto who had been declared insane and unable to reign. From that point, it was likely that he would someday succeed to the throne himself. When his grandfather died in 1912, Rupprecht’s father assumed the regency and the following year was formally named King of Bavaria as Ludwig III. Rupprecht formally became Crown Prince at that time.

Duchess Marie Gabriele in Bavaria. photo: Wikipedia

On July 10, 1900, Rupprecht married Duchess Marie Gabriele in Bavaria, at the Residenz (the Royal Palace in Munich). Marie Gabriele was the daughter of Karl-Theodor, Duke in Bavaria, and his second wife Infanta Maria José of Portugal, and was the younger sister of the future Queen Elisabeth of Belgium, the wife of King Albert I of the Belgians. Rupprecht and his wife had four children:

  • Luitpold, Hereditary Prince of Bavaria (1901) – died in his youth
  • Princess Irmingard (1902) – died in infancy
  • Albrecht, Duke of Bavaria (1905) – married (1) Countess Maria Draskovich de Trakostjan, had issue; (2) Countess Marie-Jenke Keglevich de Buzin, no issue
  • Prince Rudolf (1909) – died in childhood

After the outbreak of World War I, Rupprecht was given command of the German Sixth Army, serving on the Western front, and rose to the rank of Field Marshal by 1916. He then took command of Army Group Rupprecht, which consisted of the 1st, 2nd, 6th, and 7th armies. Despite the losses at the end of the war, Rupprecht had proven himself to be a skilled military leader. He resigned from his military positions on November 11, 1918 – Armistice Day. The following day, the Bavarian monarchy was abolished.

The next several years saw many changes in Rupprecht’s life. Upon his mother’s death in 1919, he became heir to the Jacobite succession, although he never made any claims based upon this, and discouraged anyone from making any claims on his behalf.

Princess Antonia of Luxembourg. photo: Wikipedia

In April 1921, having been widowed for nine years, Rupprecht remarried. Rupprecht became engaged in August 1918 to Princess Antonia of Luxembourg, the fourth of six daughters of the late Guillaume IV, Grand Duke of Luxembourg and Infanta Maria Ana of Portugal. At the time they were engaged, Luxembourg was occupied by German forces, and Antonia’s eldest sister, Grand Duchess Marie-Adélaïde was facing intense criticism for her perceived close ties with Germany. These concerns forced Marie-Adélaïde to abdicate in early 1919 in favor of her sister Charlotte, who would reign much more successfully than her elder sister as Grand Duchess for over 45 years. Finally, on April 7, 1921, Rupprecht and Antonia were married at Schloss Hohenburg in Lenggries, Bavaria.

They had six children:

  • Prince Heinrich (1922) – married Anne Marie de Lustrac, no issue
  • Princess Irmingard (1923) – married Prince Ludwig of Bavaria, had issue
  • Princess Editha (1924) – married (1) Tito Tmmaso Brunetti, had issue; (2) Gustav Schimert, had issue
  • Princess Hilda (1926) – married Juan Lockett de Loayza, had issue
  • Princess Gabriele (1927) – married Karl, Duke of Croy, had issue
  • Princess Sophie (1935) – married Jean-Engelbert, Duke of Arenberg, had issue

Five months after Rupprecht’s marriage, in October 1921, King Ludwig III died and Rupprecht became Head of the House of Wittelsbach and pretender to the former Bavarian throne. Rupprecht soon began pursuing the restitution of properties and estates the Bavarian state had seized at the end of World War I. After extensive negotiations, an agreement was reached in 1923, and the state established the Wittelsbach Compensation Fund. Properties and assets were placed into this foundation instead of being returned to any specific person. In addition, the family agreed to place numerous assets – including a large art collection – into the fund, with the provision that they be made accessible to the public. With this agreement in place, Rupprecht waived any future claims for properties or assets. Today, the fund is self-supporting, with all income used to maintain the collections and to provide financial resources for the Wittelsbach family.

For many years, Rupprecht promoted the idea of a constitutional monarchy in Bavaria, but soon Hitler came to power. Despite attempts to lure him into the Nazi party, Rupprecht refused. In 1939, he and his family were forced into exile, moving to Italy as guests of King Vittorio Emanuele III. Following the 1944 assassination attempt on Hitler, Rupprecht and his family were targeted by the Gestapo for possibly being involved. Rupprecht managed to remain in hiding and avoid capture. However, his wife and children, who had earlier moved to Hungary, were taken into custody. They spent the remainder of the war in several concentration camps, before being freed in April 1945. Such was the treatment they received that his wife refused to ever return to German soil. Following the war, he established the Crown Prince Rupprecht of Bavaria Foundation for the Reconstruction of Würzburg that focused on rebuilding the damaged city and providing affordable housing for its residents. In addition, he continued his efforts to restore the monarchy, with no success.

Leutstetten Castle. photo: Von Gras-Ober, Wikipedia/Wikimedia Commons (cc-by-sa-3.0), CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=14520511

Widowed in 1954, Rupprecht’s health soon began to fail. On August 8, 1955, surrounded by his family, Crown Prince Rupprecht died at Leutstetten Castle at the age of 86. He was given a state funeral with full royal honors and his coffin interred in the crypt of the Theatinerkirche in Munich.

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Bavarian Resources at Unofficial Royalty

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St. Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, England

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

St. Mary Magdalene Church; Credit – By Elliott Brown – Flickr: The Church of St Mary Magdalene, Sandringham, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28380611

In 1862, the Prince of Wales, the future King Edward VII, purchased the 8,000-acre Sandringham Estate from William Cowper-Temple, 1st Baron Mount Temple, as a country home for him and his future wife Princess Alexandra of Denmark. Like Balmoral in Scotland, the Sandringham Estate is the private property of the British Sovereign.

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Prince Philip, Prince Edward, Prince Charles, Princess of Wales (red coat with a black hat), Peter Phillips, Prince William (holding flowers), Zara Phillips, Princess Anne, Queen Elizabeth II (purple coat), Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother (blue coat), Prince Harry, Princess Margaret after the Christmas Day service at St Mary Magdalene Church on December 25, 1993

St. Mary Magdalene Church, located in Sandringham, Norfolk, England, is just southwest of Sandringham House. Sandringham Estate staff regularly use the church and when in residence at Sandringham, members of the British royal family attend services at St. Mary Magdalene Church which usually includes Christmas services.

Chancel of St. Mary Magdalene Church; Credit – By Andrewrabbott – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=80579847

The church dates to the 16th century and was restored by architects Samuel Sanders Teulon in 1855 and Arthur Blomfield in 1890. King Edward VII commissioned Charles Eamer Kempe, a designer and a manufacturer of stained glass, to create some of the church decorations and the stained glass in the east window.

The altar presented to Queen Alexandra by the American department store owner Rodman Wanamaker; Credit – By Andrewrabbott – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=80579848

The church’s silver altar and altarpiece were created by the silversmiths Barkentin & Krall and were presented to Queen Alexandra as a memorial to King Edward VII by the American department store owner Rodman Wanamaker, a patron of many important commissions in the field of liturgical arts. Wanamaker also presented Queen Alexandra with the silver pulpit and a silver 17th-century Spanish processional cross.

The pulpit presented to Queen Alexandra by the American department store owner, Rodman Wanamaker; Credit – By Andrewrabbott – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=80579846

On the walls of the church are memorials to several members of the British royal family.

Memorial to Prince Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Duke of Edinburgh; Credit – By Andrewrabbott – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=80579763

Memorial to King George V; Credit – By Basher Eyre, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=70591702

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Christenings

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Christening of Princess Eugenie of York
  • Prince Albert (later King George VI), son of Prince George, Duke of York, later Prince of Wales and King George V – christened February 10, 1896
  • Princess Mary (later Princess Royal), daughter of Prince George, Duke of York, later Prince of Wales and King George V – christened June 7, 1897
  • Prince Alexander of Denmark (later King Olav V of Norway), son of Prince Carl of Denmark and Princess Maud of Wales, later King Haakon VII and Queen Maud of Norway – christened August 11, 1903
  • Prince John, son of Prince George, Prince of Wales, later King George V – christened August 3, 1905
  • The Honorable Diana Spencer (later The Princess of Wales), daughter of John Spencer, 8th Earl Spencer, first wife of King Charles III – christened August 30, 1961
  • Princess Eugenie of York, daughter of Prince Andrew, Duke of York – christened December 23, 1990
  • Princess Charlotte of Wales, daughter of Prince William, The Prince of Wales – christened July 5, 2015

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Burials

Graves of Prince John and Prince Alexander John; Credit – www.findagrave.com

  • Prince Alexander John (April 6, 1871 – April 7, 1871), son of The Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII
  • Prince John (1905 – 1919), son of King George V

Relatives of Diana, Princess of Wales

St. Mary Magdalene Churchyard; Credit – By Immanuel Giel – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=70288455

The family of Diana, Princess of Wales has a connection to Sandringham Estate. Park House, located on the Sandringham Estate, just to the west of Sandringham House, was the birthplace of Diana. However, the family history goes back a little further. In the 1930s, King George V leased Park House to his friend Maurice Roche, 4th Baron Fermoy. Baron Fermoy and his wife Ruth, later a Woman of the Bedchamber and close confidante to The Queen Mother, had three children, all born at Park House, including Diana’s mother The Honorable Frances Ruth Roche. When Frances married John Spencer, Viscount Althorp, the couple took over the lease on Park House from her parents. Diana was born there seven years later, and her father retained the lease on Park House until 1975 when he became the 8th Earl Spencer and the family moved to the Spencer family home Althorp.

Because of this family connection, several members of Diana’s family are buried in the churchyard at St. Mary Magdalene Church.

  • Maurice Roche, 4th Baron Fermoy (1885 – 1955), Diana’s maternal grandfather
  • The Honorable John Spencer (born and died January 12, 1960), Diana’s brother
  • The Honorable Elizabeth Burke Roche (March 27, 1966 – April 2, 1966), Diana’s first cousin, daughter of Edmund Roche, 5th Baron Fermoy
  • Edmund Roche, 5th Baron Fermoy (1939 – 1984), died by suicide, Diana’s maternal uncle
  • Ruth Roche, Baroness Fermoy (1908 – 1993), Diana’s maternal grandmother

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Resting of King George V’s Coffin

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In his final years, King George V had several medical issues exacerbated by his habit of smoking including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and pleurisy. On January 15, 1936, King George V went to bed at Sandringham House complaining of a cold, gradually became weaker, and drifted in and out of consciousness. On January 20, when the king was close to death, his doctors issued a bulletin with words that became famous: “The King’s life is moving peacefully towards its close.” As the king lay dying of bronchitis, Bertrand Dawson, 1st Viscount Dawson of Penn, Physician-in-Ordinary to King George V, gave him a lethal injection of cocaine and morphine, thereby hastening his death to ensure that the announcement of the death would appear first in the morning edition of The Times and not in some lesser publication in the afternoon. Before King George V’s coffin was taken to London to lie in state at Westminster Hall, it rested at St. Mary Magdalene Church. His funeral was held at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle in Windsor.

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Resting of King George VI’s Coffin

Embed from Getty Images

Suffering from lung cancer, King George VI died in his sleep on February 6, 1952, at Sandringham House. His coffin rested at St. Mary Magdalene Church until it was taken to London on February 11, 1952, to lie-in-state at Westminster Hall. His funeral was held at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle in Windsor.

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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

  • Britain Express, 2021. Sandringham, St Mary Magdalene Church | History & Photos. [online] Britain Express. Available at: <https://www.britainexpress.com/counties/norfolk/churches/sandringham.htm> [Accessed 23 May 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. St Mary Magdalene Church, Sandringham – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Mary_Magdalene_Church,_Sandringham> [Accessed 23 May 2021].
  • Mehl, Scott, 2013. Park House, Sandringham Estate. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/park-house-sandringham-estate/> [Accessed 23 May 2021].
  • Mehl, Scott, 2015. Sandringham House. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/sandringham-house/> [Accessed 23 May 2021].
  • Sandringhamestate.co.uk. 2021. Sandringham. [online] Available at: <https://sandringhamestate.co.uk/attractions/sandringham-church> [Accessed 23 May 2021].

​Lucia Migliaccio, Duchess of Floridia, morganatic 2nd wife of Ferdinando I, King of the Two Sicilies

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

​Lucia Migliaccio, Duchess of Floridia; Credit – Wikipedia

Lucia Migliaccio, Duchess of Floridia was born on July 19, 1770, in Syracuse, Kingdom of Sicily, now in Italy. She was the daughter of Vincenzo Migliaccio, 8th Duke of Floridia, a Sicilian nobleman, and Dorotea Borgia dei Marchesi del Casale who was from a Spanish noble family. When Lucia was five years old, her father and elder brother Ignazio died, making her the sole heir to her father’s title.

On April 4, 1791, Lucia married Benedetto Grifeo, Prince of Partanna. The couple had seven children:

  • Girolamo Grifeo (circa 1790 – ?), died young
  • Vincenzo I Grifeo, Prince of Partanna (1791 – 1846), married Agata Gravina, Princess of Palagonia, had eight children
  • Giuseppe Grifeo (circa 1794 – circa 1857), married Agata Moncada, had four children
  • Dorotea Grifeo (circa 1795 – 1850), unmarried?
  • Leopoldo Grifeo, Prince of Pantelleria (1796 – 1871), married Antonia Reggio Requesens, had three children
  • Luigi Grifeo (circa 1800 – 1860), unmarried?
  • Marianna Grifeo (1809 – 1831), unmarried

Lucia became lady-in-waiting at the court of King Ferdinando IV of Naples and III of Sicily (later King of the Two Sicilies) and his wife, born Archduchess Maria Carolina of Austria. While at court, Lucia received the Order of the Noble Ladies of Queen Maria Luisa of Spain and the Austrian Order of the Star Cross. Lucia’s husband Benedetto Grifeo, Prince of Partanna died on March 28, 1812, aged 56, in Palermo, Kingdom of Sicily, now in Italy.

King Ferdinando IV of Naples and III of Sicily, after 1815 King of the Two Sicilies; Credit – Wikipedia

On September 8, 1814, Maria Carolina, the wife of King Ferdinando IV of Naples and III of Sicily died. Wanting to remarry, the 63-year-old Ferdinando turned his attention to the 44-year-old Lucia, whom he had met frequently at court. The rules of protocol rules required at least one year of mourning before remarriage. However, on November 27, 1814, less than three months after the death of his first wife, Ferdinando married Lucia. Ferdinando received a special dispensation from an archbishop to marry Lucia. The couple was married very privately by Ferdinando’s confessor in the presence of only two witnesses at the Palatine Chapel in the Royal Palace of Palermo, Kingdom of Sicily, now in Italy.

Lucia’s stepson Francesco I, King of the Two Sicilies; Credit – Wikipedia

The marriage caused a considerable scandal. Ferdinando and Maria Carolina’s eldest surviving son, the future Francesco I, King of the Two Sicilies had tried to dissuade his father from marrying Lucia, and always intensely disliked her. To protect Lucia, Ferdinando forced his son Francesco to sign a document stating that he would ensure Lucia’s high standard of living until her death. Because Lucia was not of royal blood, the marriage was morganatic and Lucia did not receive the title of queen and any children from the marriage would not be in the line of succession. However, the marriage remained childless. Ferdinando’s first wife Maria Carolina had been very politically involved and had been considered the de facto ruler of Naples and Sicily, but Lucia had limited influence and little interest in politics.

Villa Floridiana: ; Credit – Di Armando Mancini – Flickr: Napoli – Villa Floridiana, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16730432

In 1817, Ferdinando purchased an unfinished villa on a hill in the Vomero district of Naples which he named the Villa Floridiana in honor of Lucia’s title Duchess of Floridia. The villa was completed in a neoclassical style and the gardens were landscaped in the English style. Ferdinando also acquired another nearby villa which he renamed Villa Lucia. The entire complex was given to Lucia as her own personal property.

In 1816, after Ferdinando abolished the constitution of the Kingdom of Sicily, the two kingdoms, Naples and Sicily, were united into the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. For the next four years, Ferdinand reigned as an absolute monarch and there were no constitutional reforms. In 1820, a revolt broke out in Sicily and riots occurred in Naples. Ferdinando was forced to sign a constitution and appoint his son Francesco as regent of Sicily. This only lasted until March 1821, when Austrian troops friendly to Ferdinando occupied Naples. Ferdinando was re-established as an absolute monarch and the constitution was withdrawn. Ferdinando died from a stroke in Naples on January 4, 1825, at the age of 73. He was buried at the Basilica of Santa Chiara in Naples, the traditional burial site of the Kings of Naples from the House of Anjou (1282 – 1501) and the Kings of the Two Sicilies from the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (1816 – 1861).

Detail from Lucia’s tomb showing her deathbed surrounded by her children from her first marriage; Credit – By © José Luiz Bernardes Ribeiro, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=39133853

Lucia’s great emotional pain over Ferdinando’s death combined with the many quarrels due to the substantial personal bequests made by Ferdinando to Lucia, and the insult for having been expelled from the royal court by the new king Francesco I of the Two Sicilies undermined Lucia’s health. She survived her husband by a little more than a year, dying on April 26, 1826, aged 55, in Naples. Lucia’s funeral was held at the Church of San Ferdinando in Naples and she was buried there by the order of her late husband who had forbidden any other burials at that church. Lucia’s funeral was attended by the nobility of Naples, government ministers, foreign ambassadors, and Lucia’s close relatives. Noticeably missing was Lucia’s stepson Francesco I, King of the Two Sicilies and members of the royal family of the Two Sicilies. Francesco I wanted to demonstrate once and for all the true feelings he had for Lucia.

Church of San Ferdinando in Naples; Credit – By Lalupa – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3551990

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

  • De.wikipedia.org. 2021. Lucia Migliaccio – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucia_Migliaccio> [Accessed 2 August 2021].
  • Di Rubbio, Lucia, 2017. LUCIA MIGLIACCIO GRIFEO: LA SPOSA DEL RE. [online] Altaterradilavoro.com. Available at: <https://www.altaterradilavoro.com/lucia-migliaccio-grifeo-la-sposa-del-re/?doing_wp_cron=1627851744.0155940055847167968750> [Accessed 2 August 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Lucia Migliaccio – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucia_Migliaccio> [Accessed 2 August 2021].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2021. Ferdinando I, King of the Two Sicilies. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/ferdinando-i-king-of-the-two-sicilies/> [Accessed 2 August 2021].
  • geni_family_tree. 2021. Lucia Migliaccio, duchessa di Floridia. [online] Available at: <https://www.geni.com/people/Lucia-Migliaccio-duchessa-di-Floridia/6000000004254760366> [Accessed 2 August 2021].
  • It.wikipedia.org. 2021. Lucia Migliaccio – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucia_Migliaccio> [Accessed 2 August 2021].

Maria Carolina of Austria, Queen of Naples and Sicily

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies was located in today’s southern Italy. It included the island of Sicily and all of the Italian peninsula south of the Papal States. Ferdinando I, the first King of the Two Sicilies, had previously reigned over two kingdoms, as Ferdinando IV of the Kingdom of Naples and Ferdinando III of the Kingdom of Sicily. He had been deposed twice from the throne of Naples: once by the revolutionary Parthenopean Republic for six months in 1799 and again by Napoleon in 1805, before being restored in 1816 after the defeat of Napoleon. After the 1816 restoration, the two kingdoms were united into the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.

Vittorio Emanuele II, King of Sardinia became a driving force behind the Italian unification movement along with Giuseppe Garibaldi, a general and nationalist, and Giuseppe Mazzini, a politician and journalist. Garibaldi conquered Naples and Sicily, the territories of the Kingdom of Two Sicilies. Francesco II, King of the Two Sicilies was deposed, the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies ceased to exist, and its territory was incorporated into the Kingdom of Sardinia. Eventually, the Sardinian troops occupied the central territories of the Italian peninsula, except Rome and part of Papal States. With all the newly acquired land, Vittorio Emanuele II was proclaimed the first King of the new, united Kingdom of Italy in 1861.

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Maria Carolina of Austria, Queen of Naples and Sicily; Credit – Wikipedia

Archduchess Maria Carolina of Austria was the first wife of King Ferdinando IV of Naples and III Sicily, after her death, Ferdinando I, King of the Two Sicilies. Maria Carolina Louise Josepha Johanna Antonia was born on August 13, 1752, at Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna, Austria. She was the thirteenth of the sixteen children and the tenth of the eleven daughters of Empress Maria Theresa, who was in her own right Archduchess of Austria, Queen of Hungary, Queen of Croatia, and Queen of Bohemia, and Francis Stephen, Holy Roman Emperor, Grand Duke of Tuscany, and Duke of Lorraine. Although Maria Theresa’s husband was Holy Roman Emperor, she wielded the real power.

Empress Maria Theresa with her family in 1754; Credit – Wikipedia

Eight of Maria Carolina’s fifteen siblings died in childhood.

Maria Carolina in the blue dress with her favorite sister Maria Antonia in the pink dress, the future Queen Marie Antoinette of France, circa 1764; Credit – Wikipedia

During childhood, Maria Carolina was very close to her younger sister Maria Antonia, better known as the ill-fated Marie Antoinette, Queen of France. All the children of Empress Maria Theresa were educated following a strict program developed by their mother. Their lesson schedule included history, political science, math, science, Latin, Italian, dance lessons, theater performances, and painting. The girls were also instructed in handicrafts and conversation. Empress Maria Theresa wrote specific rules of conduct for each of her children. One rule written for Maria Carolina was: “I cannot forget your naughtiness and I will never forgive you. Your voice and language are uncomfortable. You must never raise your voice. You have to keep your mind occupied because that will keep you from making inappropriate comments.”

Maria Carolina holding a portrait of her father, circa 1765, the year of his death; Credit – Wikipedia

Empress Maria Theresa and her foreign minister Wenzel Anton, Prince of Kaunitz-Rietberg planned to improve Austria’s relations with other countries and Austria’s position in Europe through family ties. Part of that plan was for Maria Theresa to develop marriage plans for her surviving children at an early age. In October 1767, a marriage was arranged as part of an alliance between Austria and Spain. Empress Maria Theresa’s sixteen-year-old daughter Maria Josepha was engaged to marry sixteen-year-old Ferdinando I, King of the Two Sicilies, the son of King Carlos III of Spain. However, Maria Josepha died during a smallpox epidemic. Ferdinando’s father Carlos III of Spain was anxious to save the Austro-Spanish alliance, and he requested one of Maria Josepha’s sisters as a replacement bride. Empress Maria Theresa offered a choice of two of her daughters, Maria Amalia or Maria Carolina. Because Maria Amalia was five years older than his son, Carlos III of Spain chose fifteen-year-old Maria Carolina.

Maria Carolina’s husband Ferdinando; Credit – Wikipedia

To say Maria Carolina was unhappy about her future marriage would be an understatement. Despite her objections, Maria Carolina was carefully prepared for her role as Queen of Naples and Sicily. Her mother’s instructions were “Do not make comparisons between our habits and theirs. Be a German in your heart and in the righteousness of your mind. In everything that does not matter, however, but not in what is bad, you must seem Neapolitan.” Nine months after the start of her preparations to become Queen of Naples and Sicily, on April 7, 1768, at the Augustinian Church in Vienna, Austria, Maria Carolina married Ferdinando by proxy, with her brother Ferdinand representing the groom. On that afternoon, Maria Carolina left for Naples. On May 12, 1768, Maria Carolina and Ferdinando were married in person at the Royal Palace of Caserta in Caserta, near Naples. As part of the marriage contract, Maria Carolina was to have a place on the council of state after the birth of her first son.

Maria Carolina circa 1768; Credit – Wikipedia

During the early months of their marriage, serious differences arose between the newlyweds which would worsen over the years. In contrast to Maria Carolina, who had been well educated and carefully prepared for her role as a future queen, Ferdinando had never received a comprehensive education and spent his time hunting, playing pranks, and eating excessively. Following her mother’s instructions, Maria Carolina earned Ferdinando’s trust by pretending to be interested in hunting, his favorite activity.

Included in the portrait are Ferdinando, Maria Carolina, and their children Maria Theresa, Maria Luisa, Maria Amelia, Francesco, Maria Cristina, and Gennaro, 1783; Credit – Wikipedia

Despite her dislike for her husband, Maria Carolina fulfilled her most important duty – to continue the dynasty. Maria Carolina and Ferdinando had seventeen children but only seven survived childhood. Seven of their children died from smallpox. However, four of their five surviving daughters married sovereigns.

In 1775, after her first son was born, Maria Carolina took her place on the council of state. Bernardo Tanucci, the former president of her husband’s regency council, was still on the council of state, and attempted to thwart her political influence and found himself dismissed in 1777. From then on, Maria Carolina was the de facto ruler of the Kingdoms of Naples and Sicily.

Ferdinando I was deposed twice from his thrones: once by the revolutionary Parthenopean Republic for six months in 1799 and again by Napoleon, Emperor of the French in 1805. In February 1806, Ferdinando, Maria Carolina, and their family were forced to flee to the island of Sicily, still in their control, where they lived in the Royal Palace of Palermo under British protection. However, the government of Sicily was a feudal type, and the British insisted on a government more similar to the British one. In 1813, Ferdinando essentially but not officially abdicated, and his eldest surviving son Francesco was appointed regent. At the insistence of the British, who were becoming more and more adverse to Maria Carolina, she was forced to leave Sicily and return to Austria.

Maria Carolina in 1714; Credit – Wikipedia

Maria Carolina arrived in Vienna, Austria in January 1814, where she began negotiations with Prince Klemens von Metternich, then the Foreign Minister of the Austrian Empire, and her nephew Franz I, Emperor of Austria for the restoration of her husband and herself to the thrones of Naples and Sicily. However, this never happened in her lifetime. On September 8, 1814, Maria Carolina, aged 62, died from a stroke at Hetzendorf Palace in Vienna, Austria without seeing Napoleon’s final defeat and the Congress of Vienna’s restoration of her husband’s rights to the thrones of Naples and Sicily. Maria Carolina was buried at the Imperial Crypt in the Capuchin Church in Vienna, Austria, the traditional burial site of her birth family, the House of Habsburg.

Tomb of Maria Carolina of Austria, Queen of Naples and Sicily at the Imperial Crypt in Vienna, Austria; Credit – https://everythingieverloved.tumblr.com/post/177880600179/tiny-librarian-maria-carolina-of-austria-queen/amp

Less than three months after the death of Maria Carolina, Ferdinando married Lucia Migliaccio, Duchess of Floridia. Because Ferdinando and Lucia’s marriage was morganatic, Lucia was not Queen. In 1816, after Ferdinando abolished the constitution of the Kingdom of Sicily, the two kingdoms, Naples and Sicily, were united into the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. Ferdinando survived his first wife Maria Carolina by eleven years, dying from a stroke in Naples on January 4, 1825, at the age of 73. He was buried at the Basilica of Santa Chiara in Naples, then in the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, now in Italy.

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.

Kingdom of the Two Sicilies Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. 2021. Maria Karolina von Österreich – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Karolina_von_%C3%96sterreich> [Accessed 1 August 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Maria Carolina of Austria – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Carolina_of_Austria> [Accessed 1 August 2021].
  • Flantzer, S., 2021. Ferdinando I, King of the Two Sicilies. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/ferdinando-i-king-of-the-two-sicilies/> [Accessed 1 August 2021].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2013. Maria Theresa, Archduchess of Austria, and Queen of Hungary, Croatia, and Bohemia. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/maria-theresa-archduchess-of-austria-queen-of-hungary-croatia-and-bohemia/> [Accessed 1 August 2021].
  • It.wikipedia.org. 2021. Maria Carolina d’Asburgo-Lorena – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Carolina_d%27Asburgo-Lorena> [Accessed 1 August 2021].

Gunilla Johansdotter Bielke, Queen of Sweden

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Gunilla Johansdotter Bielke, Queen of Sweden; Credit – Wikipedia

Gunilla Johansdotter Bielke was the second wife of Johan III, King of Sweden. Born on June 25, 1568, in Liljesta, Östergötland, Sweden, she was the eldest of the three daughters and the third of the eight children of Johan Axelsson Bielke (? – 1576) and Margareta Axelsdotter Posse (1548 – 1575). The Bielke family was an aristocratic Swedish family. Gunilla’s father was a member of the royal council and Lieutenant of Östergötland.

Gunilla had seven siblings:

  • Gunder Johansson Bielke (1562 – ?)
  • Axel Johansson Bielke (? – 1597), married Ebba Bielke
  • Elsa Johansdotter Bielke (1569 – 1622), married Count Claes Bielke, had three children
  • Brita Johansdotter Bielke (1570 – 1599), married Count Sten Gustafsson, had one son
  • Erik Johansson Bielke, died young
  • Nils Johansson Bielke, died young
  • Ebba Johansdotter Bielke (born 1575 – ?), died young

When Gunilla was seven years old, her mother died, possibly in childbirth giving birth to her last child. Her father died the following year. Gunilla was then raised at court as a playmate of King Johan III’s daughter Princess Anna Vasa of Sweden. In 1582, Gunilla became a maid of honor to King Johan III’s first wife Queen Katarina Jagellonica. Queen Katarina fell sick in the spring of 1583 and died on September 16, 1583.

After the death of his wife, Johan III began the search for a new wife. He wanted to marry someone he knew and his choice was Gunilla, his deceased wife’s maid of honor and the daughter of one of his cousins. There was a 32-year age difference – Johan was 48 and Gunilla was 16. Several of Johan III’s siblings protested against the marriage and said he should marry a foreign princess. Johan’s brother Karl (the future Karl IX, King of Sweden) had married a foreign princess, Anna Marie of Palatinate-Simmern.

Gunilla had promised herself to a young nobleman named Per Jonsson Liljesparre. When King Johan III informed Gunilla of his intentions to marry her, she refused to agree. Johan III was so angry that he hit her in the face with his glove and left. Gunilla’s relatives saw a connection with the royal family as an opportunity that they could not allow slipping away, and so they pleaded, cajoled, and threatened until Gunilla finally gave in.

Gunilla’s husband Johan III, King of Sweden; Credit – Wikipedia

On February 21, 1585, Johan III, King of Sweden married Gunilla Bielke at Västerås Cathedral in Västerås, Sweden. Gunilla was crowned Queen of Sweden the following day. Johan’s brother Karl was still disturbed by his brother’s choice of a wife. He refused to attend the wedding festivities which further worsened the brothers’ already strained relationship.

Johan III and Gunilla had one son:

Gunilla and Johan III’s son Johan of Sweden, Duke of Finland, Duke of Östergötland; Credit – Wikipedia

Gunilla had two step-children, both close in age to her, from Johan III’s marriage to his first wife Katarina Jagellonica:

  • Sigismund III Vasa, King of Poland, King of Sweden, Grand Duke of Finland and Lithuania (1566 – 1632), married (1) Anne of Austria, had five children (2) Constance of Austria, had seven children
  • Anna Vasa of Sweden (1568 – 1625), unmarried

Gunilla had a significant influence on Johan. She had received a strict Lutheran education and is credited with influencing Johan’s policy regarding religion in favor of Protestantism, similar to the way his first wife had influenced him in favor of Catholicism. In 1590, Johan III named Gunilla to serve as regent, should their son Johan succeed to the throne as a minor. Gunilla and Johan III’s son never succeeded to the Swedish throne. First, he was put aside by his elder half-brother Sigismund III Vasa, and then by his uncle Karl IX.

After a reign of twenty-three years, Johan III, King of Sweden died on November 17, 1592, aged 54. He was succeeded by Sigismund III Vasa, his son by his first wife, the Roman Catholic Polish Princess Katarina Jagellonica. Sigismund, who had been raised Roman Catholic, had been elected King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania in 1587. However, the Catholic Sigismund was deposed in 1599 as King of Sweden by his Protestant uncle who then reigned as King Karl IX of Sweden. Sigismund lived the remainder of his life in Poland and reigned for a total of 45 years in Poland and Lithuania, dying in 1632.

Gunilla’s home Bråborg Castle; Credit – Wikipedia

After the death of her husband, Gunilla received a generous allowance and land willed to her by her husband, as well as custody of her three-year-old son and control of his Duchy of Östergötland. She retired to Bråborg Castle in the Duchy of Östergötland, where she resided until her death. Gunilla survived her husband by only five years, dying at the age of 29 of a fever on July 19, 1597. She was buried near her husband at Uppsala Cathedral in Uppsala, Sweden. After Gunilla’s death, her son Johan was raised by his uncle Karl IX, King of Sweden, who treated him like his own son. Johan was tutored with his first cousin, the future Gustavus Adolphus, King of Sweden.

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.

Kingdom of Sweden Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • Adelsvapen.com. 2021. Bielke af Åkerö nr 8 – Adelsvapen-Wiki. [online] Available at: <https://www.adelsvapen.com/genealogi/Bielke_af_%C3%85ker%C3%B6_nr_8> [Accessed 22 May 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Gunilla Bielke – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunilla_Bielke> [Accessed 22 May 2021].
  • Fr.wikipedia.org. 2021. Gunilla Bielke — Wikipédia. [online] Available at: <https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunilla_Bielke> [Accessed 22 May 2021].
  • Gunilla Bielke, Q., 2021. Gunilla Bielke, Queen of Sweden. [online] geni_family_tree. Available at: <https://www.geni.com/people/Gunilla-Bielke-Queen-of-Sweden/6000000000699070330> [Accessed 22 May 2021].
  • Historiesajten.se. 2021. Gunilla Bielke – Historiesajten. [online] Available at: <https://historiesajten.se/visainfo.asp?id=259> [Accessed 22 May 2021].
  • Sv.wikipedia.org. 2021. Gunilla Bielke – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunilla_Bielke> [Accessed 22 May 2021].
  • Tegenborg Falkdalen, K., 2018. Gunilla, drottning. [online] Skbl.se. Available at: <https://www.skbl.se/sv/artikel/GunillaBielke> [Accessed 22 May 2021].

Georg Moritz, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Altenburg

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Georg Moritz was the Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Altenburg, and the last Head of the House of Saxe-Altenburg. Upon his death with no heir, the House of Saxe-Altenburg merged into the House of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach.

photo: By Schlegel, Dresden – Original publication: Published as a postcard in Europe.Immediate source: Private Collection – Wartenberg Trust, PD-US, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=36003998

Wilhelm Georg Moritz Ernst Albrecht Friedrich Karl Constantine Eduard Maximilian was born on May 13, 1900, in Potsdam, where his father – then 3rd in line to the ducal throne of Saxe-Altenburg – was serving with the 1st Regiment of Foot Guards of the Prussian army. His father was the future Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg, and his mother was Princess Adelheid of Schaumburg-Lippe. Georg Moritz had three siblings:

  • Princess Charlotte (1899) – married Prince Sigismund of Prussia, had issue
  • Princess Elisabeth Karola (1903) – unmarried
  • Prince Friedrich Ernst (1905) – unmarried

Georg Moritz became the Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Altenburg in February 1908 when his father became the reigning Duke. The family left Potsdam and returned to Altenburg, taking up residence at Altenburg Castle. The young prince was educated privately at home for several years before being sent to the King Georg High School in Dresden in 1913. He also received military training with the 8th Thuringian Infantry Regiment.

In November 1918, his father was forced to abdicate when the German monarchy was dissolved. From an early age, Georg Moritz was interested in anthroposophy – “a philosophy based on the teachings of Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925) which maintains that, by virtue of a prescribed method of self-discipline, cognitional experience of the spiritual world can be achieved.” (source: dictionary.com).  From the early 1930s, he devoted much of his life to his interest, teaching and promoting anthroposophy at Hamborn Castle. He later rented a nearby farm where he lived for many years.

Although anthroposophy was banned by the Nazi regime, thanks to the intervention of Georg Moritz, research with disabled children was allowed to continue at Hamborn until 1941. At that time, the Gestapo put an end to the research, and Georg Moritz was placed in custody for nine months. He returned to Hamborn in 1946 after the war, living in a small apartment in the castle and promoting his research and studies. In addition, he served on the board of the local social charity for many years.

Upon his father’s death in 1955, Georg Moritz became Head of the House of Saxe-Altenburg and pretender to the former ducal throne.

Georg Moritz, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Altenburg died from pneumonia on February 13, 1991, in Rendsburg, Germany. As he had never married, and his younger brother had died several years earlier with no heirs, this brought an end to the House of Saxe-Altenburg. It was merged into the House of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, led by a distant cousin, Michael, the pretender to the former grand ducal throne of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach.

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Saxe-Altenburg Resources at Unofficial Royalty

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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.

St. Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh, Scotland

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

St. Giles’ Cathedral; Credit – By Carlos Delgado – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=35465527

Originally a Roman Catholic church, today St. Giles Cathedral, which this writer has visited, located on the Royal Mile in the Old Town of Edinburgh, Scotland, is a Presbyterian church (Church of Scotland). The founding of St. Giles is usually dated to 1124 and attributed to David I, King of Scots. Construction of the current church began in the 14th century and continued until the early 16th century. During the 19th and 20th centuries, there were major alterations including the addition of the Thistle Chapel, the chapel of the Order of the Thistle. St. Giles Cathedral is associated with many events and persons in Scottish history, notably John Knox (circa 1514 – 1572), a leader of the Scottish Reformation and the founder of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland who as the minister of St. Giles after the Scottish Reformation, delivered fiery sermons from the pulpit.

Below are some royal connections to St. Giles Cathedral.

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1437 – A Requiem Mass for James I, King of Scots

James I, King of Scots; Credit – Wikipedia

On February 20, 1437, plotters supporting the claim to the throne of Walter Stewart, Earl of Atholl, a son of Robert II, King of Scot’s second marriage, broke into the Blackfriars Priory in Perth, Scotland where James I, King of Scots and his wife Joan Beaufort were staying. The conspirators reached the couple’s bedroom where Joan tried to protect James but was wounded. James then tried to escape via an underground passage but was cornered and hacked to death by Sir Robert Graham. There was no strong support for the conspiracy and James’ assassins were soon captured and brutally executed. Although James I was buried in the Carthusian Charterhouse of Perth, which he had founded, a Requiem Mass was said for him at St. Giles Cathedral.

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The Royal Pew

The Royal Pew; Credit – By CPClegg – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=90158521

Marie of Guise was the second wife of James V, King of Scots, and the mother of Mary, Queen of Scots. In 1548, five-year-old Mary, Queen of Scots set sail for France where she would be raised with her future husband. She would not return to Scotland for thirteen years, after a short-lived marriage due to the early death of her first husband François II, King of France. Mary’s mother Marie remained in Scotland as a member of the Council of Regency and then in 1554, she became Regent of Scotland. There has been a royal loft or royal pew in St. Giles Cathedral since the regency of Marie of Guise. The current royal pew has a tall back and with the royal arms of Scotland standing atop a canopy. It was created for the 1953 visit of Queen Elizabeth II.

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1570 – Funeral and Burial of James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray

James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray, half-brother of Mary, Queen of Scots; Credit – Wikipedia

James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray (circa 1531 – 1570) was the elder half-brother of Mary, Queen of Scots, the son of James V, King of Scots and his mistress Lady Margaret Erskine. James Stewart became a Protestant as had most of his mother’s family. Left a childless widow by the death of her husband, James’ Roman Catholic half-sister 18-year-old Mary, Queen of Scots returned to Scotland from France in 1561. During Mary’s thirteen-year absence, the Protestant Reformation had swept through Scotland. Despite their religious differences, James Stewart became the chief advisor to his sister and Mary created her half-brother Earl of Moray. Eventually, Mary’s behavior angered even her half-brother and he joined other Protestant lords in a rebellion. In 1567, Mary, Queen of Scots was deposed and succeeded by her infant son James VI, King of Scots. James Stewart, Earl of Moray served as Regent for his infant nephew.

John Knox preaching the funeral sermon of the Earl of Moray, depicted in a stained-glass window at St. Gile’s Cathedral; Credit – By CPClegg – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=82436877

On January 23, 1570, in Linlithgow, Scotland, while still serving as Regent for his nephew James VI, King of Scots, the 39-year-old Moray was assassinated by James Hamilton of Bothwellhaugh, a supporter of his half-sister Mary, Queen of Scots. It was the first assassination by a firearm in recorded history. James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray was buried at St. Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh, Scotland. Seven earls and lords carried his body into the church, and John Knox, the Scottish minister who was a leader of Scotland’s Reformation and the founder of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland, preached at the funeral.

Monument to James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray at St. Giles Cathedral; Credit – By CPClegg – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=82436880

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1590 – Service of Thanksgiving for Anne of Denmark, Queen of Scots

Anne of Denmark, Queen of Scots, Queen of England; Credit – Wikipedia

James VI, King of Scots, the son of Mary, Queen Scots, was ready to marry to provide an heir to the throne of Scotland. In Denmark, Princess Anne, daughter of King Frederik II of Denmark, found that candidates for her hand in marriage were numerous as the Danish court was considered wealthy and a high dowry was expected. Anne’s mother Sophie of Mecklenburg-Güstrow, who conducted the marriage negotiations after the death of her husband in 1588, opted for King James VI. On August 20, 1589, Anne was married by proxy to James VI, King of Scots at Kronborg Castle in Helsingør, Denmark.

Ten days after the proxy wedding, Anne set sail for Scotland, but severe storms forced her to land in Norway. Upon hearing this, James set sail to personally bring Anne to Scotland. On November 23, 1589, the couple was formally married at the Bishop’s Palace in Oslo, Norway. After a prolonged visit to Denmark, James and Anne landed in Scotland on May 1, 1590. On May 15, 1590, Anne made her state entry into Edinburgh.

After such a long and sometimes dangerous ordeal, a service of thanksgiving was held at St. Giles Cathedral. Anne entered St. Giles under a red velvet canopy while the choir sang Psalm 19 “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows his handiwork.”  Robert Bruce of Kinnaird, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, preached a sermon on Psalm 107, a reflection of thanksgiving for the safe return of those on the sea: “Those who go down to the sea in ships, who do business on great waters.”

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1633 – Visit of Charles I, King of England, King of Scots

Charles I, King of England, King of Scots; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1603, James VI, King of Scots succeeded Queen Elizabeth I of England and was then also King James I of England. His son and successor Charles I, King of England, King of Scots had been born at Dunfermline Palace in Fife, Scotland. Although Charles was crowned at Westminster Abbey on February 2, 1626, the Scots insisted that he should also be crowned in his northern kingdom. The coronation took place at the Palace of Holyrood in Edinburgh on June 18, 1633, during an elaborate and extravagant royal tour of Scotland. The crown, sword, and scepter used in the coronation date from the late 15th and early 16th centuries, and were first brought together for the coronation service of the nine-month-old Mary, Queen of Scots. On June 23, 1633, Charles I made an unannounced visit to St. Giles Cathedral and displaced the Church of Scotland clergy with his own clergy who conducted the service according to the rites of the Church of England.

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1822 – King George IV visits Scotland

King George IV during his 1822 trip to Scotland; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1822, King George IV of the United Kingdom’s 21-day visit to Scotland, organized by author Sir Walter Scott, was the first by a British monarch since the reign of King Charles II. On his trip to Scotland, George IV frequently wore a kilt and this helped to make the traditional garb of Highland Scotland popular during the 19th century. During his visit, King George IV attended services at St. Giles Cathedral. The publicity of his visit created the motivation for the city council to fund much-needed renovations on St. Giles Cathedral.

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1953 – Queen Elizabeth II receives the Honours of Scotland

Queen Elizabeth II returning the crown of the Honours of Scotland to the care of the Duke of Hamilton, in St. Giles’ Cathedral, Edinburgh, during the Scottish National Service of Thanksgiving and Dedication.

The Honours of Scotland, also known as the Scottish Crown Jewels, date from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries and are the oldest surviving set of crown jewels of the United Kingdom. They were first used together as coronation regalia at the coronation of the nine-month-old Mary, Queen of Scots in 1543, and subsequently at the coronations of her infant son James VI in 1567 at Stirling Castle, her grandson Charles I in 1633 at Holyrood Palace, and her great-grandson Charles II in 1651 at Scone.

Embed from Getty Images 

The crown (1540), the scepter (circa 1494), and the sword of state (1507) are the three main Honours of Scotland. During her first visit to Scotland after her coronation, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom received the Honours of Scotland at a National Service of Thanksgiving and Dedication at St. Giles Cathedral on June 24, 1953. During the service, the Honours of Scotland were formally presented to Queen Elizabeth II by Douglas Douglas-Hamilton, 14th Duke of Hamilton. The Queen then returned them to the Duke of Hamilton. The Duke of Hamilton is the senior dukedom in the Peerage of Scotland and the Hereditary Bearer of the Crown of Scotland. The Honours of Scotland are on display in the Crown Room at Edinburgh Castle.

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2022 – The Coffin of Queen Elizabeth II lies in rest

The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II lies at rest at St. Giles Cathedral as her four children stand in vigil

Because Queen Elizabeth II died at her Scottish home Balmoral Castle, her funeral plans incorporated Operation Unicorn, the contingency plans for the death of The Queen in Scotland.  Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin rested in the ballroom at Balmoral Castle in Scotland where she died on September 8, 2022. On September 11, 2022, her coffin traveled by hearse from Balmoral Castle to the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, the official residence of the British monarch in Scotland. Upon arrival at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the coffin rested in the palace’s Throne Room. On the afternoon of September 12, 2022, Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin traveled by a procession from the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, Scotland, the short distance up the Royal Mile to St. Giles Cathedral, accompanied by King Charles III and members of the Royal Family. Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin rested in St. Giles Cathedral where members of the public were able to view the coffin. On the evening of September 12, 2022, King Charles III and members of the Royal Family held an evening vigil at St Giles Cathedral.  The coffin departed St. Giles Cathedral on September 13, 2022, and traveled by plane to London.

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Order of the Thistle

Insignia of a Knight of the Order of the Thistle; Credit – Wikipedia

The Order of the Thistle is Scotland’s senior order and the second-highest order within the United Kingdom. Membership is limited to the Sovereign and sixteen members. In addition, members of the Royal Family and foreign sovereigns can be appointed as Extra Knights and Ladies. Queen Elizabeth II altered the statutes of the order in 1987 allowing women to be admitted as Ladies of the Thistle. Members are appointed in recognition of their public service, contributions to national life, or personal service to the Sovereign. Like the Order of the Garter, the Order of the Thistle is awarded at the sole discretion of the Sovereign. New members are traditionally announced on St. Andrew’s Day, November 30. During the Sovereign’s visit in June or July each year, a service for the Order is held at the Thistle Chapel at St Giles’ Church in Edinburgh, at which point any new members are installed.

Holyrood Abbey after its designation as the Chapel of the Order of the Thistle in 1687 and before the interior’s destruction in 1688; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1687, James VII, King of Scots (also James II, King of England) founded the Order of the Thistle and designated the Abbey Church at Holyrood Palace, where a Presbyterian congregation worshipped, to be the chapel of the new order. The Abbey Church was converted into a Catholic chapel, as James had converted to Roman Catholicism. A new church, the nearby Canongate Kirk, replaced the Abbey Church as the local Presbyterian parish church. In 1688, the Abbey Church was ransacked by a mob, furious with King James’ Roman Catholic allegiance. The Order of the Thistle was left without a chapel until the Thistle Chapel was added to the nearby St. Giles’ Cathedral in 1911.

Thistle Chapel; Credit – Wikipedia

Over the years, unsuccessful multiple proposals were made either to refurbish Holyrood Abbey for the Order of the Thistle or to create a new chapel at St Giles’ Cathedral. In 1906, the sons of Ronald Leslie-Melville, 11th Earl of Leven donated £24,000 from their father’s estate towards the endowment and the construction of a Thistle Chapel on the south side of St. Giles Cathedral. The Thistle Chapel was formally opened by King George V on July 19, 1911.

Swords, helms and crests of Knights of the Thistle above their stalls in the Thistle Chapel; Credit – By Philip Allfrey – Taken by the author, CC BY-SA 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=935442

This author has visited the Thistle Chapel and can verify that it is relatively small – 7.6 meters (25 feet) long and 4.3 meters (14 feet) wide. Each member, including the Sovereign, has a stall in the Thistle Chapel, above which his or her heraldic devices are displayed.

Stall plates of Knights of the Thistle; Credit – By Philip Allfrey – Taken by the author, CC BY-SA 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=935427

Enameled plates with the name, arms, and date of admission of members, living and deceased, who have sat in each stall are attached to the back of the stall. Unlike the Order of the Garter, the banners of Knights and Ladies of the Thistle are not hung in the chapel but instead in an adjacent part of St Giles Cathedral.

Banners of Knights of the Thistle, hanging in St Giles Cathedral; Credit – Wikipedia

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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

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Ferdinando I, King of the Two Sicilies

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies was located in today’s southern Italy. It included the island of Sicily and all of the Italian peninsula south of the Papal States. Ferdinando I, the first King of the Two Sicilies, had previously reigned over two kingdoms, as Ferdinando IV of the Kingdom of Naples and Ferdinando III of the Kingdom of Sicily. He had been deposed twice from the throne of Naples: once by the revolutionary Parthenopean Republic for six months in 1799 and again by Napoleon in 1805, before being restored in 1816 after the defeat of Napoleon. After the 1816 restoration, the two kingdoms were united into the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.

Vittorio Emanuele II, King of Sardinia became a driving force behind the Italian unification movement along with Giuseppe Garibaldi, a general and nationalist, and Giuseppe Mazzini, a politician and journalist. Garibaldi conquered Naples and Sicily, the territories of the Kingdom of Two Sicilies. Francesco II, King of the Two Sicilies was deposed, the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies ceased to exist, and its territory was incorporated into the Kingdom of Sardinia. Eventually, the Sardinian troops occupied the central territories of the Italian peninsula, except Rome and part of Papal States. With all the newly acquired land, Vittorio Emanuele II was proclaimed the first King of the new, united Kingdom of Italy in 1861.

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Ferdinando I, King of the Two Sicilies

Ferdinando I reigned as King of Naples and Sicily from 1759 – 1816, and then as King of the Two Sicilies from 1816 – 1825. Born at the Royal Palace in Naples, now Italy, on January 12, 1751, Ferdinando was the third of the six sons and the ninth of thirteen children of Carlos IV, King of Naples and Sicily, later Carlos III, King of Spain, and Maria Amalia of Saxony. Ferdinando’s paternal grandparents were Felipe V, King of Spain and his second wife Elisabeth Farnese of Parma. Ferdinando’s paternal grandfather Felipe V was born Philippe of France, Duke of Anjou, the son of Louis, Le Grand Dauphin, the heir apparent to the throne of France, and the grandson of Louis XIV, King of France. Ferdinando’s maternal grandparents were Odoardo Farnese, Hereditary Prince of Parma and Dorothea Sophie of Neuburg.

Ferdinando I had twelve siblings:

In 1759, upon the death of his childless half-brother King Ferdinand VI of Spain, King Carlos IV of Naples and Sicily succeeded him as King Carlos III of Spain. Because of treaties, Carlos could not be the sovereign of all three kingdoms. His eldest son Felipe was excluded from the succession because of intellectual disability and his second son Carlos was the heir apparent to the Spanish throne. That left the third son Ferdinando to become King of Naples and King of Sicily. Ferdinando was only eight years old when he became King of Naples and Sicily and a regency council ruled until his sixteenth birthday. Ferdinando resisted his studies and his court commitments and this was encouraged by Bernardo Tanucci, the president of the regency council, who wanted to control the government.

Maria Carolina of Austria, Ferdinando’s first wife; Credit – Wikipedia

On October 1767, a marriage was arranged as part of an alliance between Austria and Spain between Ferdinando and Maria Josepha of Austria, the daughter of Holy Empress Maria Theresa, who was in her own right Archduchess of Austria, Queen of Hungary, Queen of Croatia, and Queen of Bohemia, and Francis, Holy Roman Emperor, Grand Duke of Tuscany, and Duke of Lorraine. However, Maria Josepha died during a smallpox epidemic. Ferdinando’s father Carlos III of Spain was anxious to save the Austro-Spanish alliance, and so he requested one of Maria Josepha’s sisters as a replacement bride. Empress Maria Theresa, who wielded the real power, offered a choice of two of her daughters. Fifteen-year-old Archduchess Maria Carolina of Austria was chosen as Ferdinando’s bride. The couple was married by proxy in Vienna, Austria on April 7, 1768. On May 12, 1768, Ferdinando and Maria Carolina married in person at the Palace of Caserta in Caserta, near Naples. As part of the marriage contract, Maria Carolina was to have a place on the council of state after the birth of her first son.

During the early months of their marriage, serious differences arose between the newlyweds which would worsen over the years. In contrast to Maria Carolina, who had been carefully prepared for her role as a future queen, Ferdinando had never received a comprehensive education and spent his time hunting, playing pranks, and eating excessively.

Ferdinando, Maria Carolina, and their children  Maria Theresa, Maria Luisa, Maria Amelia, Francesco, Maria Cristina, and Gennaro, 1783; Credit – Wikipedia

Despite her dislike for her husband, Maria Carolina fulfilled her most important duty – to continue the dynasty. Ferdinando and Maria Carolina of Austria had seventeen children but only seven survived childhood. Seven of their children died from smallpox. However, four of their five surviving daughters married sovereigns.

In 1775, after her first son was born, Maria Carolina took her place on the council of state. Bernardo Tanucci, the former president of the regency council, was still on the council of state and attempted to thwart her political influence and found himself dismissed in 1777. From then on, Maria Carolina was the de facto ruler of the Kingdoms of Naples and Sicily.

Ferdinando I was deposed twice from his thrones: once by the revolutionary Parthenopean Republic for six months in 1799 and again by Napoleon in 1805. In February 1806, Ferdinando, Maria Carolina, and their family was forced to flee to the island of Sicily, which was still in their control, where they lived in the Royal Palace of Palermo under British protection. However, the government of Sicily was a feudal type and the British insisted on a government more similar to the British one. In 1813, Ferdinando essentially but not officially abdicated and his eldest surviving son Francesco was appointed regent. At the insistence of the British, who were becoming more and more adverse to Maria Carolina, she was forced to leave Sicily. She returned to her home in Austria where she died from a stroke, aged 62, on September 8, 1814.

Ferdinando’s morganatic second wife Lucia Migliaccio, Duchess of Florida; Credit – Wikipedia

On November 27, 1814, in Palermo, Sicily, less than three months after the death of his first wife, Ferdinando I, King of the Two Sicilies married Lucia Migliaccio, Duchess of Floridia. She was the daughter of Vincenzo Migliaccio, 8th Duke of Floridia and Dorotea Borgia dei Marchesi del Casale, and had inherited her father’s dukedom. She had previously been married to Benedetto Grifeo, 8th Prince of Partanna, who predeceased her, and they had five children. Because Ferdinando and Lucia’s marriage was morganatic, Lucia was not Queen.

In 1815, the Congress of Vienna restored Ferdinando’s rights to the thrones of Naples and Sicily and he returned to Naples on June 17, 1815. In 1816, after Ferdinando abolished the constitution of the Kingdom of Sicily, the two kingdoms, Naples and Sicily, were united into the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. For the next four years, Ferdinand reigned as an absolute monarch and there were no constitutional reforms.

Entrance to the burial vault at the Basilica of Santa Chiara in Naples; Credit – Credit – Di Giuseppe Guida – Flickr: Basilica di Santa Chiara., CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=20267754

In 1820, a revolt broke out in Sicily and riots occurred in Naples. Ferdinando was forced to sign a constitution and appoint his son Francesco as regent of Sicily. This only lasted until March 1821, when Austrian troops friendly to Ferdinando occupied Naples. Ferdinando was re-established as an absolute monarch and the constitution was withdrawn. Ferdinando I died from a stroke in Naples on January 4, 1825, at the age of 73. He was buried at the Basilica of Santa Chiara in Naples.

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.

Kingdom of the Two Sicilies Resources at Unofficial Royalty

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Royalty on the International Olympic Committee

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2018
Revised 2021

Anne, Princess Royal, a member of the International Committee and a former Olympian, and her husband Timothy Laurence at the 2012 London Summer Olympics

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is the international, non-governmental, non-profit organization and the supreme authority of the worldwide Olympic movement. Members of royal families have served on the International Olympic Committee throughout the years and continue to serve.

*Current Member of the International Olympic Committee as of January 2024

#Honorary Members of the International Olympic Committee as of January 2024 (Most honorary members are former members who, after finishing their terms of office, are made honorary members.)

@Past Members or Past Honorary Members of the International Olympic Committee

Years in parentheses indicate the years served as a Member of the International Olympic Committee.

Belgium

@King Albert II of Belgium (1958-1964) as Prince Albert, Prince of Liège

Bhutan

*Prince Jigyel Ugyen Wangchuck of Bhutan (elected 2018)

Denmark

@Prince Axel of Denmark (1932-1958), honorary member 1958-1964
#King Frederik X of Denmark (2009-2021), honorary member 2021

Germany

@Duke Adolf Friedrich of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1926-1956)
@Prince Georg Wilhelm of Hanover (1966-1971)

Greece

#King Constantine II of Greece (1963-1974), honorary member 1974, Gold Medal in sailing in the 1960 Summer Olympics

Jordan

*Prince Feisal Al Hussein of Jordan (elected 2010)

Kuwait

*Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al Sabah of Kuwait (elected 1992, suspended)

Liechtenstein

@Franz Joseph II, Prince of Liechtenstein (1936-1980)
*Princess Nora of Liechtenstein (elected 1980)

Luxembourg

#Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg (1946-1998), honorary member 1998-2019
*Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg (elected 1998)

Malaysia

#Prince Tunku Imran of Negeri Sembilan, one of the thirteen states of Malaysia (2006-2019,  honorary member 2019

Monaco

@Prince Rainier III of Monaco (1949-1950)
@Prince Pierre of Monaco, Duke of Valentinois (1950-1964)
*Prince Albert II of Monaco (elected 1985), Winter Olympics participant in bobsled 1988, 1992, 1994, 1998, 2002

Netherlands

#King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands (1998-2013), honorary member 2013

Oman

@Sheikh Khalid Muhammad Alzubair of Oman (2017-2018)

Qatar

*Amir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani of Qatar (elected 2002)

Saudi Arabia

@Prince Faisal bin Fahd of Saudi Arabia (1984-1999)
#Prince Nawaf Bin Faisal of Saudi Arabia (2002-2014), honorary member 2014
*Princess Reema bint Bandar Al Saud of Saudi Arabia (elected 2020)

Spain

@Infanta Pilar of Spain (1996-2006), honorary member 2006-2020

United Arab Emirates

@Princess Haya bint Hussein of Jordan/United Arab Emirates (2007-2014), Summer Olympic participant in equestrian events 2000

United Kingdom

*Anne, Princess Royal (elected 1988), Summer Olympic participant in equestrian events 1976

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.