Karl XII, King of Sweden

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Karl XII, King of Sweden; Credit – Wikipedia

Karl XII became King of Sweden at the age of fifteen and reigned for twenty-one years. After losing a decisive battle during the Great Nothern War in which he was wounded and lost one-third of his forces, Karl fled to the Ottoman Empire and remained there for five years. Upon his return to Sweden, he started an offensive military campaign and ultimately lost his life in battle. Karl XII, King of Sweden was the second of the seven children and the eldest and the only surviving son of the five sons of Karl XI, King of Sweden and Ulrika Eleonora of Denmark. He was born on June 17, 1682, at Tre Kronor Castle which was on the site of the current Royal Palace in Stockholm, Sweden. His paternal grandparents were Karl X Gustav, King of Sweden and Hedwig Eleonora of Holstein-Gottorp. Frederik III, King of Denmark and Norway and Sophie Amalie of Brunswick-Lüneburg were his maternal grandparents.

Karl, on the right, with his sister Hedwig Sophia; Credit – Wikipedia

Karl had six siblings but only his two sisters survived childhood:

Karl’s mother Ulrika Eleonora was a very visible parent and active in raising her children. His father Karl XI gave orders that Karl was to receive a comprehensive education that would prepare him to be King of Sweden. Karl received instruction in riding, hunting, and fencing from his father. At the age of four, Karl’s mother began his academic instruction. He later received lessons in military science, foreign languages, math, geography, history, literature, and legal matters from specially selected tutors.

The fifteen-year-old Karl XII, King of Sweden; Credit – Wikipedia

When Karl was only eleven years old his mother Ulrika Eleonora died. Four years later, on April 6, 1697, his father died and the fifteen-year-old succeeded to the throne as Karl XII, King of Sweden. His paternal grandmother Hedwig Eleonora, who had been the Regent of Sweden for her son Karl XI, who became King of Sweden at the age of four, was also the Regent of Sweden for her grandson Karl XII. However, seven months later, on December 14, 1697, Karl XII proclaimed himself king and refused to continue with a regency. The Swedish Riksdag declared him to be of legal age. Karl XII’s grandmother Hedwig Eleonora was quite formidable and was the Dowager Queen of Sweden for 55 years. She remained visible in Swedish politics and society until her death and her grandson Karl XII had great respect for her. After the regency, Hedwig Eleonora continued with the upbringing of her three surviving grandchildren. Because of this Karl had strong ties to his grandmother and his two sisters.

For almost all of his reign, Karl XII led Sweden in the Great Northern War (1700 – 1721). He acted as the general of the army and achieved significant success for several years. However, a failed campaign in Russia in 1708 – 1709, drastically changed the situation. At the Battle of Poltava in July 1709, Karl XII was wounded and unable to lead the Swedish forces. One-third of the Swedish army was killed and the Swedish supply train was destroyed. The Swedish army was inferior to the larger and more modern army of Peter I (the Great) of Russia.  After losing the battle, Karl XII fled south to the Ottoman Empire with a force of 1,000. The remainder of the Swedish army surrendered and most of them spent the rest of their lives in Russian captivity. The Swedish defeat at the Battle of Poltava marked the downfall of the Swedish Empire and the rise of the Russian Empire.

The injured Karl XII after the Battle of Poltava by Gustaf Cederström; Credit – Wikipedia

Karl XII remained in the Ottoman Empire for five years. The main reason for his long stay in the Ottoman Empire was that Karl hoped to persuade the Turks to open a second front against Russia in southern Europe, easing the military pressure on Sweden. The Turks initially welcomed Karl’s presence but after five years, they wanted him gone. During his five-year stay in the Ottoman Empire, Karl corresponded with his sister Ulrika Eleonora who was now his heir as his elder sister Hedwig Sophia died from smallpox in 1708. Over the years, Karl ruled his kingdom from the Ottoman Empire. Meanwhile, the Swedish Council of State and Riksdag tried to keep Sweden organized and independent. However, in the autumn of 1714, Karl received a letter warning him that unless he returned to Sweden, the Council of State and the Riksdag would independently conclude a peace treaty with Russia, Poland, and Denmark. Karl rushed back to Sweden on horseback making the journey in fifteen days.

When Karl returned home, he found Sweden at war with Russia, Saxony, Hanover, Great Britain, and Denmark. Karl planned to attack Norway which was ruled jointly with Denmark. He hoped that if he cut Denmark’s Norwegian supply lines the Danish forces would be withdrawn from Swedish territory. Karl invaded Norway in 1716, occupied the capital of Christiania (today’s Oslo), and laid siege to the Akershus Fortress but he was unsuccessful and was forced to withdraw.

Bringing Home the Body of King Karl XII of Sweden by Gustaf Cederström; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1718, Karl once again invaded Norway, laying siege to Fredriksten Fortress. On December 11, 1718, while in the trenches close to the perimeter of Fredriksten Fortress, 36-year-old Karl was hit in the head by a projectile that entered the left side of his skull and exited on the right side of his skull, instantly killing him. The invasion was abandoned and Karl’s body was returned to Sweden where he was buried at Riddarholmen Church in Stockholm.

Tomb of Karl XII, King of Sweden at Riddarholmen Church; Credit – Wikipedia

The exact circumstances of Karl’s death remain unclear. His body has been exhumed three times, in 1746, 1859, and 1917, in attempts to determine the exact cause of death. Despite multiple investigations of the battlefield, Karl’s skull, and his clothes, it is still uncertain how he was hit or whether the shot came from the enemy or his own forces.

Photo from the 1917 postmortem exam; Credit – Wikipedia

Karl XII never married. He had been encouraged to find a suitable wife to secure the succession but he avoided the subject of sex and marriage. After his death, his only surviving sibling Ulrika Eleonora claimed the throne. Her deceased older sister Hedwig Sophia had a son Karl Friedrich, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp, who had the better claim by primogeniture. However, Ulrika Eleonora asserted that she was the closest surviving relative of her brother and was recognized as his successor by the Riksdag. After a reign of two years, she abdicated in 1720 in favor of her husband Friedrich V, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel who reigned as Fredrik I, 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.

Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. 2021. Karl XII. (Schweden) – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_XII._(Schweden)> [Accessed 11 September 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Charles XII of Sweden – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_XII_of_Sweden> [Accessed 11 September 2021].
  • Flantzer, S., 2021. Karl XI, King of Sweden. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/karl-xi-king-of-sweden/> [Accessed 11 September 2021].
  • Sv.wikipedia.org. 2021. Karl XII – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_XII> [Accessed 11 September 2021].

Vaduz Cathedral (Cathedral of St. Florin) in Vaduz, Liechtenstein

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Vaduz Cathedral (Cathedral of St. Florin); Credit – By Dennis Jarvis – https://www.flickr.com/photos/archer10/19466233250, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=41624144

The neo-gothic Vaduz Cathedral, also known as the Cathedral of St. Florin, is a Roman Catholic church located in Vaduz, the capital of the Principality of Liechtenstein. The patron saint of the cathedral is St. Florin who was a priest in Remüs or Ramosch, now a small village in Switzerland. Miracles were attributed to him during his life, including the turning of water into wine. After his death in 856, numerous miracles were said to have taken place at his tomb in the parish church of Remüs. St. Florin is often depicted with a wine cup as can be seen below in a bust of him at the Vaduz Cathedral.

Bust of St. Florin at Vaduz Cathedral; Credit- By Dennis Jarvis – https://www.flickr.com/photos/archer10/19658735861, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=41623841

There had been a chapel in Vaduz dedicated to St. Florin since the Middle Ages that served the needs of the Counts of Vaduz. The Liechtenstein family purchased the County of Vaduz in 1712 from the Hohenems family. In 1719, Karl VI, Holy Roman Emperor elevated the territories of the Liechtenstein family to a Fürstentum (Principality) with the name the Principality of Liechtenstein.

The nave and the choir of Vaduz Cathedral; Credit – Von Cats’ photos – Eigenes Werk, Gemeinfrei, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=50950021

By 1868, St. Florin Chapel could no longer meet the demands of the Principality of Liechtenstein, and a decision was made to build a new church. The area south of St. Florin Chapel was chosen as the site of the new church. German architect Friedrich von Schmidt, who completed Cologne Cathedral and designed and built the Vienna City Hall designed the church and it was built under the direction of Liechtenstein architect Ignaz von Banko. The foundation stone was laid on August 17, 1869, and the church was consecrated in October 1873. The church was built during the reign of Prince Johann II who paid three-quarters of the construction cost. From 1965 – 1966, the church was renovated and a baptistery was added. In 1997, the church was raised to the status of a cathedral.

Christenings

The christening of Prince Nikolaus in 2000

There is limited information about the christenings of the Princely Family of Liechtenstein. However, the four children of Hereditary Prince Alois were christened at Vaduz Cathedral.

  • Prince Joseph Wenzel: born May 24, 1995, christened July 3, 1995
  • Princess Marie-Caroline: born October 17, 1996, christened December 16, 1996
  • Prince Georg: born April 21, 1999, christened May 13, 1999
  • Prince Nikolaus: born December 6, 2000, christened January 13, 200

Weddings

The wedding of Princess Tatjana and Baron Philipp von Lattorff in 1999

This may not be a complete list.

Royal Burials

The Princely Crypt, Vaduz Cathedral; Credit – Wikipedia

During the reign of Karl I, the first Prince of Liechtenstein, his brother Maximilian founded the Paulan monastery in Vranov, then in territory owned by the Liechtenstein family in Moravia, later in Czechoslovakia, now in the Czech Republic. Burial crypts were built there for members of the House of Liechtenstein. In 1945, the land owned by the House of Liechtenstein in Czechoslovakia was appropriated by the Czech Communist government. This necessitated the building of a new burial place at Vaduz Cathedral. The Princely Crypt, located next to the cathedral, was designed by the Liechtenstein architect Hans Rheinberger (link in German)  and completed in 1960.

The interior of the Princely Crypt; Credit – Wikipedia

Below are the members of the Princely Family of Liechtenstein buried in the Princely Crypt. Those who died before the completion of the Princely Crypt in 1960 were originally buried elsewhere.

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. Kathedrale St. Florin (Vaduz) – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathedrale_St._Florin_(Vaduz)> [Accessed 25 October 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Vaduz Cathedral – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaduz_Cathedral> [Accessed 25 October 2021].
  • Ics.li. 2021. Pfarrei Vaduz – Die Kirchen. [online] Available at: <https://www.ics.li/pfarreivaduz/CFDOCS/cms/cmsout/index.cfm?GroupID=110&MandID=1&meID=3&Lang=1> [Accessed 25 October 2021].
  • Luxarazzi.com. 2021. Luxarazzi 101: Kathedrale St. Florin. [online] Available at: <http://www.luxarazzi.com/2015/08/luxarazzi-101-kathedrale-st-florin.html> [Accessed 25 October 2021].

Ulrika Eleonora of Denmark, Queen of Sweden

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Ulrika Eleonora of Denmark, Queen of Sweden; Credit – Wikipedia

Ulrika Eleonora of Denmark, the wife of Karl XI, King of Sweden, was noted for her extraordinary charitable activities and an eerie legend associated with her death. Born in Copenhagen, Denmark on September 11, 1656, she was the sixth of the eight children and fourth of the five daughters of Frederik III, King of Denmark and Norway and Sophie Amalie of Brunswick-Lüneburg. Her paternal grandparents were Christian IV, King of Denmark and Norway and Anna Katharina of Brandenburg. Her maternal grandparents were Georg, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Anna Eleonora of Hesse-Darmstadt. Ulrika Eleonora was the sister of Christian V, King of Denmark and Prince Jørgen of Denmark, better known as Prince George, Duke of Cumberland, the husband of Queen Anne of Great Britain.

Ulrika Eleonora had seven siblings:

Ulrika Eleonora’s husband Karl XI, King of Sweden; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1675, Ulrika Eleonora became betrothed to Karl XI, King of Sweden. Ulrika Eleonora’s brother King Christian V was not in favor of the match but he left the final decision up to his mother who favored the match because her daughter would be a queen. However, the Scanian War between Denmark and Sweden from 1675 – 1679 postponed the wedding. King Christian V broke off the engagement but his sister still considered herself betrothed to Karl XI. In the peace negotiations between Sweden and Denmark in 1679, a marriage between Ulrika Eleonora and Karl XI, King of Sweden was on the agenda, and a marriage was agreed upon. Ulrika Eleonora and Karl XI were married on May 6, 1680, in Skottorp Castle in Skummeslöv, Halland, Sweden. The new Queen of Sweden was crowned on November 25, 1680, at Storkyrkan (Great Church) in Stockholm, Sweden.

Ulrika Eleonora with her four sons who died in infancy; Credit – Nationalmuseum

Ulrika Eleonora and Karl XI had seven children but only three survived childhood:

Ulrika Eleonora’s family left to right: her mother-in-law Hedwig Eleonora; her husband King Karl XI; her son the future Karl XII; Queen Ulrika Eleonora; her daughter Ulrika Eleonora; her son-in-law Friedrich IV, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp; the mother of Friedrich IV, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp Fredrika Amalia of Denmark, Dowager Duchess of Holstein-Gottorp; and her daughter Hedwig Sophia; Credit – Wikipedia

Ulrika Eleonora’s husband had become King of Sweden when he was only four years old. His mother Hedwig Eleonora of Holstein-Gottorp, who was Dowager Queen for 55 years and would survive both her son and her daughter-in-law, was the Regent of Sweden until Karl XI reached his majority. Ulrika Eleonora had no political influence as her husband preferred to discuss politics with his mother. Hedwig Eleonora remained the first lady of the court. Karl XI always referred to Ulrika Eleonora as “My Wife” and his mother as “The Queen”. Foreign ambassadors always paid their respects to Hedwig Eleonora first, and then to Ulrika Eleonora. The hostility between Hedwig Eleonora’s homeland Holstein-Gottorp and Ulrika Eleonora’s homeland Denmark made the relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law even more tense.

Ulrika Eleonora was very active in charity. She founded a large number of charitable institutions that were administered by her chamberlain Sophia Amalia Marschalk and her principal lady-in-waiting and mistress of the robes Maria Elisabeth Stenbock. It is estimated that 7/8 of Ulrika Eleonora’s income went to her charities and she even sold her possessions to finance her charitable projects. Her best-known projects were a tapestry school at Karlberg Palace where orphan girls were educated in tapestry manufacturing, the Queen’s House, a home for poor widows in Stockholm, and a poor house at Kungsholmen. Ulrika Eleonora arranged for food to be distributed to areas suffering from failed crops and starvation and paid the medical bills for a large number of people in Stockholm. She commissioned doctors and midwives to develop scientific-based obstetrics and an orderly birth system in Sweden. Ulrika Eleonora supported a large number of needy people with regular allowances from her income. In 1693, the year of her death, 17,000 people were supported by her.

After the birth of her seventh and last child in 1688, Ulrika Eleonora’s health continually weakened, so much so that she seldom participated in court events. A trip to see her family in Denmark in 1688 had to be canceled. In 1690, Ulrika Eleonora developed a fatal non-diagnosed illness. Her doctors recommended a trip to the hot springs and funds were set aside for the trip but Ulrika Eleonora refused to go and instead used the funds for charity.

Ulrika Eleonora’s funeral; Credit – British Museum

Ulrika Eleonora died at Karlberg Palace in Solna Municipality, Sweden, outside Stockholm, on July 26, 1693, aged 36, after having spent 1692 -1693 in bed. Her husband Karl XI mourned her greatly and remarked upon her death, “Here I leave half of my heart.” She had requested a simple funeral and that her husband give most of the funds set aside for her funeral to charity. Karl XI did not respect her wish for a simple funeral but he did contribute the cost of her funeral to the poor. Ulrika Eleonora was buried at Riddarholmen Church in Stockholm, Sweden. Karl XI survived his wife by less than four years, dying on April 5, 1697, at Tre Kronor Castle in Stockholm, Sweden, aged 41. He had suffered from abdominal pains for three years. An autopsy revealed that he had developed cancer that had spread throughout the abdominal cavity. Karl was buried with his wife at Riddarholmen Church.

Ulrika Eleonora’s coffin )on the left) in Riddarholmen Church; Credit – Wikipedia

There is an eerie legend associated with the death of Ulrika Eleonora. After the death of Ulrika Eleonora, she was laid out at Karlberg Palace before her funeral. One night, a carriage arrived from Stockholm carrying Maria Elisabeth Stenbock, Ulrika Eleonora’s principal lady-in-waiting and mistress of the robes. Maria Elisabeth, who was carrying her little dog Camillo, was escorted to Ulrika Eleonora’s room by the officer in charge Captain Stormcrantz. When he thought she was taking too long, he looked through the keyhole and saw Maria Elisabeth and Ulrika Eleonora standing by the window talking to each other. Captain Stormcrantz was so shocked by the sight that he started coughing up blood. Maria Elisabeth, as well as her carriage, were gone the next moment. When the matter was investigated, it was discovered that Maria Elisabeth had been in bed, gravely ill, and had not left her home. King Karl XI gave orders that the incident was not to be mentioned again. Whatever the explanation, Captain Stormcrantz died soon after, reportedly from shock after what he thought he had witnessed, and Maria Elisabeth Stenbock died of her illness on October 9, 1693.

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

  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Ulrika Eleonora, Queen of Sweden – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulrika_Eleonora,_Queen_of_Sweden> [Accessed 6 September 2021].
  • Flantzer, Susan. 2021. Frederik III, King of Denmark and Norway. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/frederik-iii-king-of-denmark-and-norway/> [Accessed 6 September 2021].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2021. Karl XI, King of Sweden. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/karl-xi-king-of-sweden/> [Accessed 6 September 2021].
  • Sv.wikipedia.org. 2021. Ulrika Eleonora – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulrika_Eleonora> [Accessed 6 September 2021].

Albert, Margrave of Meissen

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Albert, Margrave of Meissen was briefly one of the disputed Heads of the House of Saxony, and pretender to the former throne of the Kingdom of Saxony.

photo: By Adrian Nikiel – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7919702

Albert Joseph Maria Franz-Xaver, Prince of Saxony was born in Bamberg, Bavaria on November 30, 1934. He was the younger son of Prince Friedrich Christian of Saxony, Margrave of Meissen and Princess Elisabeth Helene of Thurn und Taxis, and had four siblings:

After finishing secondary school in Bregenz, Austria, the family moved to Munich, Germany where Albert studied history and ethnography at the Ludwig Maximilian University, receiving his Ph.D. in 1961. He worked as a historian, studying the history of the Duchy and then the Kingdom of Saxony and its relationship to Bavaria.

Albert and his wife, 2005. photo: Wikipedia

In a civil ceremony on April 10, 1980, and a religious ceremony two days later at the Theatinerkirche in Munich, Germany, Albert married Elmira Henke, his assistant for many years. They had no children.

Upon the death of his elder brother, Maria Emanuel, in July 2012, Albert assumed the Headship of the House of Saxony. This was disputed as Maria Emanuel had named and adopted his nephew Prince Alexander of Saxe-Gessaphe as his rightful heir. (More on the succession dispute below). However, Albert’s role in the dispute was short-lived, as he passed away in Munich three months later, on October 6, 2012. He is buried in the Old Catholic Cemetery in Dresden, Germany along with his wife.

SUCCESSION DISPUTE

Having no children, in May 1977 Maria Emanuel named his nephew Prince Alexander of Saxe-Gessaphe as his heir. Alexander was the son of the Margrave’s eldest sister Anna. A document was drafted, agreed to, and signed by all the other members of the former royal house. Two years later, in September 1999, Maria Emanuel legally adopted Alexander. However, in 2002, three of the family members retracted their agreement. One of them was Maria Emanuel’s younger brother Albert who stated that the headship of the family should eventually pass to Prince Rüdiger, the son of their late cousin Prince Timo of Saxony. Despite this disagreement, Maria Emanuel continued to assert that Prince Alexander was his rightful heir. Following Maria Emanuel’s death in July 2012, both Albert and Alexander claimed the headship of the family. When Albert died just three months later, the dispute intensified. Prince Rüdiger claimed that he was the rightful heir, and assumed the title Margrave of Meissen, just as Prince Alexander had done upon Maria Emanuel’s death.

In 2015, the heads of three Ernestine branches of the House of Wettin, Michael, Prince of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, Andreas, Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and Konrad, Prince of Saxe-Meiningen, issued a statement stating that they did not recognize Prince Alexander as Head of the House of Saxony or as Margrave of Meissen. Notably, their statement did not specifically recognize Prince Rüdiger either.

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Saxony 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.

How are current European monarchs related to each other?

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Embed from Getty Images 
A gathering of royal relations at the wedding of Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, June 2010

Note: This article will be updated soon to reflect the accession of King Frederik X of Denmark.

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

Six of the current European monarchs, the monarchs of Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg,  Norway, Spain, and the United Kingdom are descendants of King Christian IX of Denmark and Princess Louise of Hesse-Kassel.

Five of the current European monarchs, the monarchs of Denmark, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, are descendants of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

The relationships below are the closest relationships but probably not the only relationships. All photos are from Wikipedia unless otherwise noted.

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Philippe, King of the Belgians – reigned 2013 – present

Denmark: Queen Margrethe II and King Philippe are third cousins. They are descendants of King Oscar II of Sweden and Princess Sophia of Nassau.

Liechtenstein: Prince Hans-Adam II and King Philippe are third cousins once removed. They are descendants of King Miguel I of Portugal and Princess Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg.

Luxembourg: Grand Duke Henri and King Philippe are first cousins. Philippe’s father Albert II, King of the Belgians and Henri’s mother Princess Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium were siblings, the children of Leopold III, King of the Belgians and Princess Astrid of Sweden.

Monaco: Prince Albert II and King Philippe are fifth cousins. They are descendants of Karl Ludwig, Hereditary Prince of Baden and Landgravine Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt.

The Netherlands: King Willem-Alexander and King Philippe are fourth cousins, once removed. They are descendants of Wilhelm of Nassau-Weilburg, Duke of Nassau and Princess Pauline of Württemberg.

Norway: King Harald V and King Philippe are first cousins once removed. Philippe’s grandmother and Harald’s mother were daughters of Prince Carl of Sweden and Princess Ingeborg of Denmark.

Spain: King Felipe VI and King Philippe are fifth cousins. They are descendants of Louis Philippe I, King of the French and Princess Maria Amalia of Naples and Sicily.

Sweden: King Carl XVI Gustaf and King Philippe are third cousins. They are descendants of King Oscar II of Sweden and Princess Sophia of Nassau.

United Kingdom: King Charles III and King Philippe are third cousins once removed. They are descendants of King Christian IX of Denmark and Princess Louise of Hesse-Kassel.

Queen Margrethe II of Denmark – reigned 1972 – present

Belgium: King Philippe and Queen Margrethe II are third cousins. They are descendants of King Oscar II of Sweden and Princess Sophia of Nassau.

Liechtenstein: Prince Hans-Adam II and Queen Margrethe II are fourth cousins once removed They are descendants of King Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria and Princess Auguste of Hesse-Darmstadt.

Luxembourg: Grand Duke Henri and Queen Margrethe II are second cousins once removed. They are descendants of King Frederik VIII of Denmark and Princess Louise of Sweden.

Monaco: Prince Albert II and Queen Margrethe II are sixth cousins. They are descendants of Karl Ludwig, Hereditary Prince of Baden and Landgravine Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt.

Netherlands: King Willem-Alexander and Queen Margrethe II are third cousins. They are descendants of Grand Duke Friedrich Franz II of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Margrethe II is descended from Princess Augusta of Reuss-Köstritz, Friedrich Franz II’s first wife. Willem-Alexander is descended from Princess Marie of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, Friedrich Franz II’s third wife.

Norway: King Harald V and Queen Margrethe II are second cousins. They are descendants of King Frederik VIII of Denmark and Princess Louise of Sweden from two lines.

Spain: King Felipe VI and Queen Margrethe II are third cousins once removed. They are descendants of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

Sweden: King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Margrethe II are first cousins. Carl Gustaf’s father Gustaf Adolf and Margrethe’s mother Ingrid were siblings, the children of King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden and Princess Margaret of Connaught.

United Kingdom: King Charles III and Queen Margrethe II are third cousins through both King Christian IX of Denmark and Princess Louise of Hesse-Kassel.

Prince Hans-Adam II of Liechtenstein – reigned 1989 – present

Belgium: King Philippe and Prince Hans-Adam II are third cousins once removed. They are descendants of King Miguel I of Portugal and Princess Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg.

Denmark: Queen Margrethe II and Prince Hans-Adam II are third cousins They are descendants of King Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria and Princess Auguste of Hesse-Darmstadt.

Luxembourg: Grand Duke Henri and Prince Hans-Adam II are third cousins. They are descendants of King Miguel I of Portugal and Princess Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg.

Monaco: Prince Albert II and Prince Hans Adam II are fifth cousins once removed. They are descendants of Karl Ludwig, Hereditary Prince of Baden and Landgravine Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt.

Netherlands: King Willem-Alexander and Prince Hans-Adam II are fifth cousins once removed. They are descendants of Prince Karl Ludwig of Hohenlohe-Langenburg and Countess Amalie Henriette of Solms-Baruth.

Norway: King Harald V and Prince Hans-Adam II are fourth cousins once removed. They are descendants of King Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria and Princess Auguste of Hesse-Darmstadt.

Spain: King Felipe VI and Prince Hans-Adam II are fifth cousins once removed. They are descendants of King Carlos IV of Spain and Princess Maria Luisa of Parma.

Sweden: King Carl XVI Gustaf and Prince Hans Adam II are fifth cousins. They are descendants of Prince Karl Ludwig of Hohenlohe-Langenburg and Landgravine Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt.

United Kingdom: King Charles III and Prince Hans Adam II are fifth cousins. They are descendants of Karl Ludwig, Hereditary Prince of Baden and Landgravine Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt.

Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg – reigned 2000 – present

Belgium: King Philippe and  Grand Duke Henri are first cousins. Henri’s mother Princess Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium, and Philippe’s father Albert II, King of the Belgians were siblings, the children of Leopold III, King of the Belgians and Princess Astrid of Sweden.

Denmark: Queen Margrethe II and Grand Duke Henri are second cousins once removed. They are descendants of King Frederik VIII of Denmark and Princess Louise of Sweden.

Liechtenstein: Prince Hans-Adam II and Grand Duke Henri are third cousins. They are descendants of King Miguel I of Portugal and Princess Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg.

Monaco: Prince Albert II and Grand Duke Henri are fifth cousins. They are descendants of Karl Ludwig, Hereditary Prince of Baden and Landgravine Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt.

Netherlands: King Willem-Alexander and Grand Duke Henri are fourth cousins once removed. They are descendants of Wilhelm of Nassau-Weilburg, Duke of Nassau and Princess Pauline of Württemberg.

Norway: King Harald V and Grand Duke Henri are first cousins once removed. They are descendants of Prince Carl of Sweden and Princess Ingeborg of Denmark.

Spain: King Felipe VI and Grand Duke Henri are fifth cousins. They are descendants of Louis Philippe I, King of the French and Princess Maria Amalia of Naples and Sicily.

Sweden: King Carl XVI Gustaf and Grand Duke Henri are third cousins. They are descendants of King Oscar II of Sweden and Princess Sophia of Nassau.

United Kingdom: King Charles III and Grand Duke Henri are third cousins once removed. They are descendants of King Christian IX of Denmark and Princess Louise of Hesse-Kassel.

Prince Albert II of Monaco – reigned 2005 – present

Belgium: King Philippe and Prince Albert II are fifth cousins. They are descendants of Karl Ludwig, Hereditary Prince of Baden and Landgravine Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt.

Denmark: Queen Margrethe II and Prince Albert II are sixth cousins. They are descendants of Karl Ludwig, Hereditary Prince of Baden and Landgravine Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt.

Liechtenstein: Prince Hans Adam II and Prince Albert II are fifth cousins once removed. They are descendants of Karl Ludwig, Hereditary Prince of Baden and Landgravine Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt.

Luxembourg: Grand Duke Henri and Prince Albert II are fifth cousins. They are descendants of Karl Ludwig, Hereditary Prince of Baden and Landgravine Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt.

Netherlands: King Willem-Alexander and Prince Albert II are seventh cousins. They are descendants of Ludwig IX, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt and Countess Palatine Caroline of Zweibrücken.

Norway: King Harald V and Prince Albert II are fifth cousins. They are descendants of Ludwig IX, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt and Countess Palatine Caroline of Zweibrücken.

Spain: King Felipe VI and Prince Albert II are sixth cousins. They are descendants of Karl Ludwig, Hereditary Prince of Baden and Landgravine Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt.

Sweden: King Carl XVI Gustaf and Prince Albert II are sixth cousins. They are descendants of Karl Ludwig, Hereditary Prince of Baden and Landgravine Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt.

United Kingdom: King Charles III and Prince Albert II are fifth cousins. They are descendants of Karl Ludwig, Hereditary Prince of Baden and Landgravine Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt.

King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands – reigned 2013 – present

Belgium: King Philippe and King Willem-Alexander are fourth cousins, once removed. They are descendants of Wilhelm of Nassau-Weilburg, Duke of Nassau and Princess Pauline of Württemberg.

Denmark: Queen Margrethe II and King Willem-Alexander are third cousins. They are descendants of Grand Duke Friedrich Franz II of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Margrethe II is descended from Princess Augusta of Reuss-Köstritz, Friedrich Franz II’s first wife. Willem-Alexander is descended from Princess Marie of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, Friedrich Franz II’s third wife.

Liechtenstein: Prince Hans-Adam II and King Willem-Alexander are fifth cousins once removed. They are descendants of Prince Karl Ludwig of Hohenlohe-Langenburg and Countess Amalie Henriette of Solms-Baruth.

Luxembourg: Grand Duke Henri and King Willem-Alexander are fourth cousins once removed. They are descendants of Wilhelm of Nassau-Weilburg, Duke of Nassau and Princess Pauline of Württemberg.

Monaco: Prince Albert II and King Willem-Alexander are seventh cousins. They are descendants of Ludwig IX, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt and Countess Palatine Caroline of Zweibrücken.

Norway: King Harald V and King Willem-Alexander are third cousins twice removed. They are descendants of Wilhelm of Nassau-Weilburg, Duke of Nassau and Princess Pauline of Württemberg.

Spain: King Felipe VI and King Willem-Alexander are sixth cousins once removed. They are descendants of Friedrich II Eugen, Duke of Württemberg and Princess Frederica of Brandenburg-Schwedt.

Sweden: King Carl XVI Gustaf and King Willem-Alexander are third cousins, once removed. They are descendants of Georg Victor II, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont and Princess Helena of Nassau.

United Kingdom: King Charles III and King Willem-Alexander are fifth cousins. They are descendants of Paul I, Emperor of All Russia and Sophia Dorothea of Württemberg.

King Harald V of Norway – reigned 1991 – present

Belgium: King Philippe and King Harald V are first cousins once removed. Philippe’s grandmother and Harald’s mother were both daughters of Prince Carl of Sweden and Princess Ingeborg of Denmark.

Denmark: Queen Margrethe II and King Harald V are second cousins. They are descendants of King Frederik VIII of Denmark and Princess Louise of Sweden from two lines.

Liechtenstein: Prince Hans-Adam II and King Harald V are fourth cousins once removed. They are descendants of King Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria and Princess Auguste of Hesse-Darmstadt.

Luxembourg: Grand Duke Henri and King Harald V are first cousins once removed. They are descendants of Prince Carl of Sweden and Princess Ingeborg of Denmark.

Monaco: Prince Albert II and King Harald V are fifth cousins. They are descendants of Ludwig IX, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt and Countess Palatine Caroline of Zweibrücken.

Netherlands: King Willem-Alexander and King Harald V are third cousins twice removed. They are descendants of Wilhelm of Nassau-Weilburg, Duke of Nassau and Princess Pauline of Württemberg.

Spain: King Felipe VI and King Harald are third cousins twice removed. They are descendants of Wilhelm of Nassau-Weilburg, Duke of Nassau and Princess Pauline of Württemberg.

Sweden: King Carl XVI Gustaf and King Harald V are second cousins once removed. They are descendants of King Oscar II of Sweden and Princess Sophia of Nassau.

United Kingdom: King Charles III and King Harald V are second cousins once removed through  King Edward VII of the United Kingdom and Princess Alexandra of Denmark.

King Felipe VI of Spain – reigned 2014 – present

Belgium: King Philippe and King Felipe VI are fifth cousins. They are descendants of Louis Philippe I, King of the French and Princess Maria Amalia of Naples and Sicily.

Denmark: Queen Margrethe II and King Felipe VI are third cousins once removed. They are descendants of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

Liechtenstein: Prince Hans-Adam II and King Felipe VI are fifth cousins once removed. They are both descendants of King Carlos IV of Spain and Princess Maria Luisa of Parma.

Luxembourg: Grand Duke Henri and King Felipe VI are fifth cousins. They are descendants of Louis Philippe I, King of the French and Princess Maria Amalia of Naples and Sicily.

Monaco: Prince Albert II and King Felipe VI are sixth cousins. They are both descendants of Karl Ludwig, Hereditary Prince of Baden and Landgravine Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt.

Netherlands: King Willem-Alexander and King Felipe VI are sixth cousins once removed. They are both descendants of Friedrich II Eugene, Duke of Württemberg and Princess Frederica of Brandenburg-Schwedt.

Norway: King Harald V and King Felipe VI are third cousins twice removed. They are descendants of Wilhelm of Nassau-Weilburg, Duke of Nassau and Princess Pauline of Württemberg.

Sweden: King Carl XVI Gustaf and King Felipe VI are third cousins once removed. They are descendants of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

United Kingdom: King Charles III and King Felipe VI are second cousins once removed. They are descendants of King George I of Greece and Grand Duchess Olga Konstantinova of Russia.

King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden – reigned 1973 – present

Belgium: King Philippe and King Carl XVI Gustaf are third cousins. They are descendants of King Oscar II of Sweden and Princess Sophia of Nassau.

Denmark: Queen Margrethe II and King Carl XVI Gustaf are first cousins. Carl Gustaf’s father Gustaf Adolf and Margrethe’s mother Ingrid were siblings, the children of King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden and Princess Margaret of Connaught.

Liechtenstein: Prince Hans Adam II and King Carl XVI Gustaf are fifth cousins. They are descendants of Prince Karl Ludwig of Hohenlohe-Langenburg and Countess Amalie Henriette of Solms-Baruth

Luxembourg: Grand Duke Henri and King Carl XVI Gustaf and are third cousins. They are descendants of King Oscar II of Sweden and Princess Sophia of Nassau.

Monaco: Prince Albert II and King Carl XVI Gustaf are sixth cousins. They are descendants of Karl Ludwig, Hereditary Prince of Baden and Landgravine Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt.

The Netherlands: King Willem-Alexander and King Carl XVI Gustaf are third cousins once removed. They are descendants of Prince Georg Victor II of Waldeck and Pyrmont and Princess Helena of Nassau.

Norway: King Harald V and King Carl XVI Gustaf are second cousins once removed. They are descendants of King Oscar II of Sweden and Princess Sophia of Nassau.

Spain: King Felipe VI and King Carl XVI Gustaf are third cousins once removed. They are descendants of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

United Kingdom: King Charles III and King Carl XVI Gustaf are third cousins once removed. They are descendants of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

King Charles III of the United Kingdom – reigned 2022 – present

Belgium: King Philippe and King Charles III are third cousins once removed. They are descendants of King Christian IX of Denmark and Princess Louise of Hesse-Kassel.

Denmark: Queen Margrethe II and King Charles III are third cousins through both King Christian IX of Denmark and Princess Louise of Hesse-Kassel.

Liechtenstein: Prince Hans Adam II and King Charles III are fifth cousins. They are descendants of Karl Ludwig, Hereditary Prince of Baden and Landgravine Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt.

Luxembourg: Grand Duke Henri and King Charles III are third cousins once removed. They are descendants of King Christian IX of Denmark and Princess Louise of Hesse-Kassel.

Monaco: Prince Albert II and King Charles III are fifth cousins. They are descendants of Karl Ludwig, Hereditary Prince of Baden and Landgravine Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt.

Netherlands: King Willem-Alexander and King Charles III are fifth cousins. They are descendants of Paul I, Emperor of All Russia and Sophia Dorothea of Württemberg.

Norway: King Harald V and King Charles III are second cousins once removed through both King Edward VII of the United Kingdom and Princess Alexandra of Denmark.

Spain: King Felipe VI and King Charles III are second cousins once removed. They are descendants of King George I of Greece and Grand Duchess Olga Konstantinova of Russia.

Sweden: King Carl XVI Gustaf and King Charles III are third cousins once removed. They are descendants of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

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.

Maria Antonia of Portugal, Duchess of Parma

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

The Duchy of Parma was in today’s northwest Italy and came into existence in 1545 when Pope Paul III made his illegitimate son Pier Luigi Farnese the Duke of Parma and Piacenza, territories that previously were a part of the Papal States. The House of Farnese reigned until 1731 when the male line went extinct. The duchy passed to Felipe V, King of Spain from the Spanish House of Bourbon whose second wife Elizabeth Farnese was the Farnese heiress. Felipe V made Carlos, his only son with Elizabeth Farnese, the Duke of Parma. However, in 1738, Felipe V traded the Duchy of Parma to the House of Habsburg-Lorraine for the Kingdom of Naples and Sicily and Carlos became King of Naples and Sicily.

In 1748, the Duchy of Parma was ceded back to the Bourbons. Infante Felipe of Spain became Duke of Parma and was the founder of the House of Bourbon-Parma, a cadet branch of the Spanish House of Bourbon.  In 1796, the Duchy of Parma was occupied by French troops under Napoleon Bonaparte. It remained in French hands until the defeat of Napoleon in 1814 when the duchy was given to Napoleon’s second wife, Marie-Louise of Habsburg-Lorraine. She reigned until her death in 1847 when the Duchy of Parma was restored to the House of Bourbon-Parma. In 1859, the Duchy of Parma was abolished during the Italian unification movement. It was merged with the Kingdom of Sardinia as 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.

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Maria Antonia of Portugal, Duchess of Parma; Credit – Wikipedia

Infanta Maria Antonia of Portugal was the second wife of Roberto I, Duke of Parma from 1854 – 1859 and titular Duke of Parma from 1859 until he died in 1907. As a not-quite-six-year-old, Roberto succeeded his father who was assassinated and then lost his throne five years later due to the Italian unification movement. Maria Antónia Adelaide Camila Carolina Eulália Leopoldina Sofia Inês Francisca de Assis e de Paula Micaela Rafaela Gabriela Gonzaga Gregória Bernardina Benedita Andrea was born at Schloss Bronnbach (link in German) in Bronnbach, Grand Duchy of Baden, now Wertheim am Main in the state of Baden-Württemberg, on November 28, 1862. She was the youngest of the seven children and the sixth of the six daughters of the deposed Miguel I, King of Portugal and Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg. Maria Antonia’s paternal grandparents were King João VI of Portugal and Carlota Joaquina of Spain. Her maternal grandparents were Hereditary Prince Konstantin of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg and Princess Agnes of Hohenlohe-Langenburg.

Maria Antonia’s paternal grandfather King João VI became King of Portugal in 1816 upon the death of his mother Queen Maria I of Portugal and reigned until he died in 1826. At that time, João VI’s elder son succeeded to the throne as King Pedro IV. Pedro was king for only two months, abdicating in favor of his daughter Queen Maria II of Portugal. Maria Antonia’s father Miguel served as regent for his niece Maria II. As regent, Miguel claimed the Portuguese throne in his own right. This led to a difficult political situation, during which many people were killed, imprisoned, persecuted, or sent into exile, finally culminating in the Portuguese Liberal Wars. Ultimately, Miguel was deposed in 1834 and lived the last thirty-two years of his life in exile.

Maria Antonia’s parents with her two eldest siblings; Credit – Wikipedia

During his exile in the Grand Duchy of Baden, Miguel met Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg, who was twenty-nine years younger. They married in 1851, and made their home at Schloss Bronnbach in Bronnbach, in the Grand Duchy of Baden, now in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. When Maria Antonia was four years old, her father died while hunting on November 14, 1866. At the time of his death, all of Miguel’s children were under the age of fifteen. Maria Antonia’s mother Adelaide continued to raise her children and arranged some rather brilliant marriages for them despite their dubious status as children of a deposed monarch. Miguel and Adelaide are the ancestors of the current monarchs of Luxembourg, Belgium, and Liechtenstein, as well as pretenders to the thrones of Portugal, Austria, Bavaria, and Italy.

Maria Antonia (on the left) with her sisters Maria Ana and  Adelgundes: Credit – Wikipedia

Maria Antonia had six elder siblings:

Roberto I, titular Duke of Parma, circa 1900; Credit – Wikipedia

Maria Antonia and Roberto I, titular Duke of Parma, the son of Carlo III, Duke of Parma and Louise Marie Thérèse of France, were married on October 15, 1884, at Schloss Fischorn (link in German) in Zell am See, Austria. This was Roberto’s second marriage. His first wife Maria Pia of Bourbon-Two Sicilies had died due to puerperal fever (childbed fever) in 1882, a week after the birth of her twelfth child, a stillborn boy. Upon her marriage to Roberto, Maria Antonia became the stepmother of his nine surviving children from his first marriage who ranged in age from four to fourteen. Six of the children were mentally disabled.

Roberto’s surviving children from his first marriage, the stepchildren of Maria Antonia:

  • Princess Marie Louise of Bourbon-Parma (1870 – 1899), married Ferdinand I, Prince of Bulgaria (later Tsar), had four children including Tsar Boris I of Bulgaria,
  • Princess Luisa Maria of Bourbon-Parma (1872 – 1943), unmarried, mentally disabled
  • Enrico, Titular Duke of Parma (1873 – 1939), unmarried, mentally disabled, his brother Elias took up the role as regent and Head of the House of Bourbon-Parma
  • Princess Maria Immacolata of Bourbon-Parma (1874 – 1914), unmarried, mentally disabled
  • Giuseppe, Titular Duke of Parma (1875 – 1950), unmarried, mentally disabled, his brother Elias continued his role as regent and Head of the House of Bourbon-Parma
  • Princess Maria Teresa of Bourbon-Parma (1876 – 1959), unmarried, mentally disabled
  • Princess Maria Pia of Bourbon-Parma (1877 – 1915), unmarried, mentally disabled
  • Princess Beatrice of Bourbon-Parma (1879 – 1946), married Count Pietro Lucchesi-Palli, had four children
  • Elias, Titular Duke of Parma (1880 – 1959), married Archduchess Maria Anna of Austria, had eight children, from 1907 to 1950, he served as regent for the claims of his two older disabled brothers, Head of the House of Bourbon-Parma

Maria Antonia and Roberto with their family in 1906; From left to right, first row: Maria Immacolata, Maria Antonia, Isabella, Roberto, Enrichetta, Luigi, Gaetano, Roberto’s second wife Maria Antonia, René, Zita. From left to right, second row: Francesca, Maria Pia, Luisa Maria, Maria Adelaide, Maria Teresa, Giuseppe, Xavier, Enrico, Sixto, Felix; Credit – Wikipedia

Maria Antonia and Roberto had twelve children of their own:

Despite losing his throne and living in exile, Roberto had considerable wealth inherited from his maternal uncle Prince Henri, Duke of Bordeaux, Count of Chambord. He traveled in a private train of more than a dozen cars. He had several residences including  Schloss Schwarzau  (link in German) in Schwarzau am Steinfeld, Austria, Villa Borbone delle Pianore (link in Italian) in Capezzano Pianore, Italy, and Château de Chambord in Chambord, Centre-Val de Loire, France which he inherited from his maternal uncle Prince Henri, Duke of Bordeaux, Count of Chambord.

Roberto I, former Duke of Parma died, aged 59, at the Villa Borbone (link in Italian) in Viareggio, Kingdom of Italy, on November 16, 1907. He was buried in the chapel at the Villa Borbone in Viareggio, Italy. After World War I, when her son-in-law Karl I, Emperor of Austria lost his throne and had to go into exile, Maria Antonia accompanied her daughter Zita, Karl, and their large family, living first in Switzerland and then on the Portuguese island of Madeira where Karl died in 1922 at the age of 34. After the outbreak of World War II, Maria Antonia and Zita moved to Quebec, Canada where they lived in modest circumstances.

Schloss Puchheim, where Maria Antonia is buried; Von Peterhauser at the English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17239377

After World War II ended, Maria Antonia lived at Berg Castle in Colmar-Berg, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. Her niece, the daughter of her sister Maria Ana, was Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg, the wife of Maria Antonia’s son Prince Felix of Bourbon-Parma. In 1952, Maria Antonia celebrated her 90th birthday at Berg Castle. She survived her husband Roberto by 52 years, dying on May 14, 1959, aged 96, at Berg Castle in Colmar-Berg, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. She was buried in the chapel at Schloss Puchheim (link in German) in Attnang-Puchheim, Austria. In 1982, restrictions on the Habsburgs entering Austria were eased and after sixty-three years, 90-year-old Zita, former Empress of Austria, could return to Austria for visits. One of the first things she did was to visit his mother’s burial site.

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

  • Almanachdegotha.org. 2021. Duchy of Parma – House of Bourbon-Parma. [online] Available at: <http://www.almanachdegotha.org/id29.html> [Accessed 11 October 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Infanta Maria Antónia of Portugal – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infanta_Maria_Ant%C3%B3nia_of_Portugal> [Accessed 18 October 2021].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2015. King Miguel I of Portugal. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-miguel-i-of-portugal/> [Accessed 20 October 2021].
  • Flantzer, S., 2021. Roberto I, Duke of Parma. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/roberto-i-duke-of-parma/> [Accessed 20 October 2021].
  • It.wikipedia.org. 2021. Maria Antonia di Braganza – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Antonia_di_Braganza> [Accessed 20 October 2021].
  • Louda, Jiri and MacLagan, Michael, 2002. Lines of Succession. New York: Barnes and Noble.

Maria Pia of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duchess of Parma

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

The Duchy of Parma was in today’s northwest Italy and came into existence in 1545 when Pope Paul III made his illegitimate son Pier Luigi Farnese the Duke of Parma and Piacenza, territories that previously were a part of the Papal States. The House of Farnese reigned until 1731 when the male line went extinct. The duchy passed to Felipe V, King of Spain from the Spanish House of Bourbon whose second wife Elizabeth Farnese was the Farnese heiress. Felipe V made Carlos, his only son with Elizabeth Farnese, the Duke of Parma. However, in 1738, Felipe V traded the Duchy of Parma to the House of Habsburg-Lorraine for the Kingdom of Naples and Sicily and Carlos became King of Naples and Sicily.

In 1748, the Duchy of Parma was ceded back to the Bourbons. Infante Felipe of Spain became Duke of Parma and was the founder of the House of Bourbon-Parma, a cadet branch of the Spanish House of Bourbon.  In 1796, the Duchy of Parma was occupied by French troops under Napoleon Bonaparte. It remained in French hands until the defeat of Napoleon in 1814 when the duchy was given to Napoleon’s second wife, Marie-Louise of Habsburg-Lorraine. She reigned until her death in 1847 when the Duchy of Parma was restored to the House of Bourbon-Parma. In 1859, the Duchy of Parma was abolished during the Italian unification movement. It was merged with the Kingdom of Sardinia as 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.

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Maria Pia of Bourbon-Two Sicilies; Credit – Wikipedia

Maria Pia of Bourbon-Two Sicilies was the first wife of Roberto I, Duke of Parma from 1854 – 1859 and titular Duke of Parma from 1859 until his death in 1907. As a not quite six-year-old, Roberto succeeded his father who was assassinated and then lost his throne five years later due to the Italian unification movement. Maria Pia della Grazia was born in Gaeta, Italy on August 2, 1849. She was the eighth of the twelve children and the third of the four daughters of Ferdinando II, King of the Two Sicilies and his second wife Maria Theresa of Austria. Maria Pia’s paternal grandparents were Francesco I, King of the Two Sicilies and his second wife Maria Isabella of Spain. Her maternal grandparents were Archduke Karl of Austria, Duke of Teschen and Henrietta of Nassau-Weilburg.

Maria Pia’s family, circa 1860, Maria Pia is standing on the left in the first row; Credit – Wikipedia

Maria Pia had eleven siblings:

Maria Pia had one half-brother from her father’s first marriage to Maria Cristina of Savoy. Sadly, Maria Cristina died from childbirth complications five days after giving birth to her only child.

Maria Pia’s father Ferdinando II had hesitated for months to have surgery for a strangulated hernia. His hesitancy probably caused his death on May 22, 1859, at the age of 49. During Ferdinando II’s reign, the Italian unification movement led by Vittorio Emanuele II, King of Sardinia, later Vittorio Emanuele I, King of Italy, began.  The Second War of Italian Independence started shortly before Ferdinando II’s death, During the reign of Francesco II, Ferdinando II’s son from his first marriage, the 1860-1861 invasion called the Expedition of the Thousand led to the fall of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, which then was annexed to the new Kingdom of Italy in 1861. Maria Pia’s mother Maria Theresa and her children were among the first to leave Naples. They eventually made her way to Rome which was part of the Papal States and not the new Kingdom of Italy. Pope Pius IX placed the Quirinal Palace in Rome at their disposal.

Maria Pia and Roberto on their wedding day; Credit – Wikipedia

While in exile in Rome, negotiations began for the marriage of Maria Pia. After the failed attempts to marry her to an Austrian archduke like her elder sisters Maria Annunziata and Maria Immacolata, Maria Pia was betrothed to her half-first cousin once removed Roberto I, titular Duke of Parma, the son of the assassinated Carlo III, Duke of Parma and Louise Marie Thérèse of France (granddaughter of King Charles X of France). Despite losing his throne and living in exile, Roberto was quite a catch. He had considerable wealth and traveled in a private train of more than a dozen cars. Roberto had several residences including  Schloss Schwarzau  (link in German) in Schwarzau am Steinfeld, Austria, Villa Borbone delle Pianore (link in Italian) in Capezzano Pianore, Italy, and Château de Chambord in Chambord, Centre-Val de Loire, France which he inherited from his maternal uncle Prince Henri, Duke of Bordeaux, Count of Chambord. Maria Pia and Roberto were married in Rome, Italy on April 5, 1869.

Maria Pia and her son Elias in 1881; Credit – Wikipedia

Maria Pia and Roberto had twelve children. Six of the children were mentally disabled, two died in infancy, and one was stillborn.

  • Princess Marie Louise of Bourbon-Parma (1870 – 1899), married Ferdinand I, Prince of Bulgaria (later Tsar), had four children including Tsar Boris I of Bulgaria,
  • Ferdinando, Prince of Piacenza (born and died 1871 ), died in infancy
  • Princess Luisa Maria of Bourbon-Parma (1872 – 1943), unmarried, mentally disabled
  • Enrico, Titular Duke of Parma (1873 – 1939), unmarried, mentally disabled, his brother Elias took up the role as regent and Head of the House of Bourbon-Parma
  • Princess Maria Immacolata of Bourbon-Parma (1874 – 1914), unmarried, mentally disabled
  • Giuseppe, Titular Duke of Parma (1875 – 1950), unmarried, mentally disabled, his brother Elias continued his role as regent and Head of the House of Bourbon-Parma
  • Princess Maria Teresa of Bourbon-Parma (1876 – 1959), unmarried, mentally disabled
  • Princess Maria Pia of Bourbon-Parma (1877 – 1915), unmarried, mentally disabled
  • Princess Beatrice of Bourbon-Parma (1879 – 1946), married Count Pietro Lucchesi-Palli, had four children
  • Elias, Titular Duke of Parma (1880 – 1959), married Archduchess Maria Anna of Austria, had eight children, from 1907 to 1950, he served as regent for the claims of his two older disabled brothers, Head of the House of Bourbon-Parma
  • Princess Maria Anastasia of Bourbon-Parma (born and died 1881), died in infancy
  • Prince Augusto of Bourbon-Parma (stillborn 1882)

Chapel of the Villa Borbone in Viareggio, Italy, where Maria Pia is buried; Credit – Di I, Sailko, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=27517360

The dangerous practice of close pregnancies and births – twelve children in thirteen years of marriage – made Maria Pia weak and sickly. At the age of 33, Maria Pia died of puerperal fever (childbed fever) on September 29, 1882, in Biarritz, France, a week after giving birth to her last child, a stillborn son. She was buried in the chapel at the Villa Borbone (link in Italian) in Viareggio, Italy. Two years after Maria Pia’s death, Roberto married Infanta Maria Antonia of Portugal, the daughter of the deposed Miguel I, King of Portugal and Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg. Roberto and Maria Antonia also had twelve children but Maria Antonia lived a long life, dying at the age of 96.

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

  • Almanachdegotha.org. 2021. Duchy of Parma – House of Bourbon-Parma. [online] Available at: <http://www.almanachdegotha.org/id29.html> [Accessed 11 October 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Princess Maria Pia of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (1849–1882) – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Maria_Pia_of_Bourbon-Two_Sicilies_(1849%E2%80%931882)> [Accessed 18 October 2021].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2021. Ferdinando II, King of the Two Sicilies. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/ferdinando-ii-king-of-the-two-sicilies/> [Accessed 19 October 2021].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2021. Roberto I, Duke of Parma. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/roberto-i-duke-of-parma/> [Accessed 19 October 2021].
  • It.wikipedia.org. 2021. Maria Pia di Borbone-Due Sicilie – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Pia_di_Borbone-Due_Sicilie> [Accessed 19 October 2021].
  • Louda, Jiri and MacLagan, Michael, 2002. Lines of Succession. New York: Barnes and Noble.

Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde, Denmark

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Af CucombreLibre from New York, NY, USA – Roskilde Cathedral, Denmark, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=53832603

Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde, Denmark, which this writer has visited, located 19miles/30 km west of Copenhagen on the island of Zealand, is a church of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Denmark, sometimes called The Church of Denmark, the established, state-supported church in Denmark. It has been the main site for Danish royal burials since the 15th century and most monarchs and their consorts from the House of Oldenburg (1448 – 1863) and the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg (1863 – present) are buried there. The cathedral was also used for non-royal burials and the floor is covered with hundreds of grave markers with additional graves in the crypts.

Grave markers; Photo Credit © Susan Flantzer

King Harald Bluetooth named Roskilde the capital of Denmark in 960 and a small wooden church dedicated to the Holy Trinity was built on the location of the current cathedral. The first stone cathedral, in the Romanesque style, was completed in 1080 and a monastery was completed soon afterward.

Main Aisle of Roskilde Cathedral; Photo Credit © Susan Flantzer

In 1200, an expansion of the cathedral began and was completed in 1280, resulting in the Brick Gothic cathedral we see today The magnificent red brick building consists of about 2.5 million bricks and is twice as high as the old cathedral. A fire in 1443 damaged the cathedral, requiring renovations. During the Protestant Reformation, in 1538, Roskilde Cathedral ceased being a place of Catholic worship and became a house of Protestant worship.

Royal Burials

Roskilde Cathedral; Photo Credit © Susan Flantzer

To accommodate the many royal burials, chapels were added to the 13th century Brick Gothic cathedral, each built in the architectural style of its time. There are also burials of other members of the Danish royal family in the crypts. The years below are birth and death years.

Holy Trinity Church

Harald Bluetooth, who introduced Christianity to Denmark, was buried at the Holy Trinity Church, the wooden first church on the site. His son Sweyn Forkbeard was first buried in England and his remains were later moved to Denmark where they were interred near his father at the Holy Trinity Church. However, their tombs have never been found.

Pier in the Apse

Sweyn II Ertridsen was interred in the southeastern pier. A pier is similar to a column and is designed to support arches. In the photo below, a portrait of Sweyn II Ertridsen on the right marks the pier where he is buried.

Burial site of Sweyn II Estridsen; Credit By Richard Mortel from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – Funerary monuments, Roskilde Cathedral (2), CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=69758143

Close-up of the portrait of Sweyn II Estridsen that marks his place of burial; Credit – Wikipedia

Choir 

Queen Margrethe I was interred in a sarcophagus behind the high altar. Her beautiful sarcophagus was made by German sculptor Johannes Junge (link in German) in 1423. She had left property to the Roskilde Cathedral on the condition that Masses for her soul would be said regularly in the future. This was discontinued in 1536 during the Protestant Reformation although a special bell is still rung twice daily in memory of Queen Margrethe I.

Tomb of Margrethe I; Photo Credit © Susan Flantzer

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Tombs in the Apse

The apse is the end of a cathedral opposite the main entrance. It is often circular as it is at Roskilde Cathedral. The sarcophagi here are all grand white marble structures except for King Christopher III’s who lived more than two hundred years earlier and has a tomb with an effigy.

Tombs in the apse; Photo Credit © Susan Flantzer

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Trolle Chapel

Anna Sophie was hated by Frederik IV’s children from his first marriage to Louise of Mecklenburg-Güstrow. Upon Frederik IV’s death, his son and successor King Christian VI banished Anne Sophie from the court and kept her under house arrest at Clausholm Castle, her family home. When Anna Sophie died, King Christian VI allowed her to be buried at Roskilde Cathedral, but in the Trolle Chapel, originally built for members of the Trolle noble family, which is on the opposite side of the cathedral, far away from his parents’ tombs. The two smaller tombs are the tombs of two of six children (who all died in infancy) of Frederik IV and Anna Sophie.

Tomb of Anna Sophie Reventlow – Photo courtesy Findagrave.com

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Chapel of the Magi (Christian I’s Chapel)

King Christian I, the first monarch of the House of Oldenburg, built the Chapel of the Magi as a family burial chapel for the House of Oldenburg. While the elaborate tombs of King Christian III, King Frederik II, and their consorts are in the Chapel of the Magi, the graves of King Christian I and Queen Dorothea are marked with simple stones because the chapel itself was to be considered their memorial monument.

Graves of King Christian I and Queen Dorothea; Photo Credit © Susan Flantzer

Tomb of Christian III and Dorothea of Saxe-Lauenburg; Photo Credit © Susan Flantzer

Tomb of Frederik II and Sophie of Mecklenburg-Güstrow; Photo Credit © Susan Flantzer

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Christian IV’s Chapel

In 1613, a year after the death of his first wife Anna Katharina, Christian IV ordered the construction of a new burial chapel because the space inside Roskilde Cathedral for burials was very limited. Two older chapels were demolished to make space for the new burial chapel. The exterior of the new chapel was completed by 1641. However, when Christian IV died in 1648, the interior had not been completed and his coffin was placed in the crypt below. The interior of the chapel was not completed until 1866. Two large paintings illustrating important scenes from Christian IV’s life are on the walls and a statue of Christian IV watches over the chapel. King Christian IV’s silver-plated casket now stands in the middle of the chapel. His casket is surrounded by the caskets of his first wife Anna Katharina of Brandenburg, his eldest son and heir apparent Christian who predeceased him, his second son who succeeded him as King Frederik III, and Frederik III’s wife Sophie Amalie of Brunswick-Lüneberg.

Christian IV Chapel: Caskets front row left to right: Anna Katharina, Christian IV, Christian, Prince-Elect; back row left to right: Sophie Amalie of Brunswick-Lüneberg, Frederik III; Photo Credit © Susan Flantzer

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Frederik V’s Chapel

Frederik V’s Chapel consists of two chapels in the neoclassical style, constructed 1774–1825 and required the removal of a previous existing chapel. One chapel has two adjoining rooms and is referred to as Christian VI’s Chapel. The other, Frederik’s V Chapel, is a domed chapel in the shape of a cross. The interiors have the classic white-washed wall. The chapels show a gradual trend in moving from grand marble sarcophagi to more simple velvet-covered coffins, and in the case of Frederik VII, a wooden coffin. An example of a marble sarcophagus and examples of velvet-covered coffins can be seen in the photo below.

Frederik V’s Chapel; Photo Credit © Susan Flantzer

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Christian IX’s Chapel

The tombs of the first three kings and queen consorts of the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg are in the rather small Christian IX’s Chapel also known as the Glücksburg Chapel. When Christian IX died, a competition was held for a design of a double sarcophagus for him and his wife Queen Louise who had predeceased him. The winning design was later determined to be too controversial. Instead, the sarcophagus was designed by Edvard Eriksen, who created the famous Little Mermaid statue in the Copenhagen harbor, and architect Hack Kampmann. They created a large sarcophagus in white marble surrounded by three graceful sculptures depicting Remembrance, Love, and Sorrow.

Tombs of King Christian X and Queen Alexandrine; Photo Credit – © Susan Flantzer

Tombs of King Frederik VIII and Queen Louise; Photo Credit – © Susan Flantzer

Tombs of King Christian X and Queen Alexandrine; Photo Credit – © Susan Flantzer

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Maria Feodorovna’s Temporary Burial Site

Empress Maria Feodorovna of Russian, the wife of Alexander III, Emperor of All Russia and mother of Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia, was born Princess Dagmar of Denmark, the daughter of Christian IX, King of Denmark. After escaping from Russia after the Russian Revolution, she lived the rest of her life in Denmark. Upon her death in 1928, she was buried at Roskilde Cathedral. She had wished that at some point in time she could be buried with her husband. In 2005, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed, along with their governments, that her wish should be fulfilled. Her remains were transported to St. Petersburg and interred next to her husband in the Peter and Paul Cathedral on September 28, 2006.

First burial place of Empress Maria Feodorovna in Roskilde Cathedral; Credit – Wikipedia

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Frederik IX’s Burial Site

King Frederik IX had a career in the Royal Danish Navy where he had several senior commands and attained the rank of Rear Admiral. Unlike other Danish monarchs who had been buried inside Roskilde Cathedral, Frederik wanted to be buried outside the cathedral in sight of the sea. The two photos below of the burial site right outside of Roskilde Catherdral were taken by this author who can verify that the Roskilde Fjord can be seen from the site of the grave.

Site of King Frederik IX’s grave outside Roskilde Cathedral; Photo Credit © Susan Flantzer

Grave of King Frederik IX and his wife Queen Ingrid; Photo Credit © Susan Flantzer

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St. Brigid’s Chapel – Margrethe II’s Future Burial Site

In 2010, it was announced that Queen Margrethe II had chosen St. Brigid’s Chapel at Roskilde Cathedral as the burial site for herself and her husband Prince Henrik. St. Bridgid’s Chapel, built in 1485, is one of the two remaining old chapels. However, the Danish Royal Court announced on August 3, 2017, that Prince Henrik did not want to be buried in Roskilde Cathedral. Following his funeral in 2018, Prince Henrik’s remains were cremated with half of his ashes spread over Danish waters, and the other half interred in the private garden at Fredensborg Castle.

Danish artist Bjørn Nørgaard designed the sarcophagus. The photos below are from this author’s visit to Roskilde Cathedral in August 2011 where she was able to see a conservator restoring the 500-year-old murals on the chapel’s walls and a display about Queen Margrethe II’s tomb. Since this author’s visit, the sarcophagus has been finished and installed but is covered until the death of Queen Margrethe II.

Danish_TombSite_MargretheII_1

St. Brigid’s Chapel at Roskilde Cathedral; Photo Credit © Susan Flantzer

Danish_TombSite_Model_MargretheII 2

A poster describing the sarcophagus of Queen Margrethe II; Photo Credit © Susan Flantzer

Danish_TombSite_Model_MargretheII 3

Model of the sarcophagus of Queen Margrethe II; Photo Credit © Susan Flantzer

Danish_TombSite_MargretheII_PaintingWall 4

Conservator restoring the 500-year-old murals on the chapel’s walls; Photo Credit © Susan Flantzer

Danish_TombSite_MargretheII_WallDetail 5

Detail of the mural; Photo Credit © Susan Flantzer

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Other Royal Burials

One of the crypts at Roskilde Cathedral; Photo Credit © Susan Flantzer

The following are also buried in Roskilde Cathedral, mostly in the crypts.

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

  • Da.wikipedia.org. 2021. Roskilde Domkirke – Wikipedia, den frie encyklopædi. [online] Available at: <https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roskilde_Domkirke> [Accessed 4 September 2021].
  • De.wikipedia.org. 2021. Dom zu Roskilde – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dom_zu_Roskilde> [Accessed 4 September 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Roskilde Cathedral – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roskilde_Cathedral> [Accessed 4 September 2021].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2012. Danish Royal Burial Sites: House of Oldenburg, 1448 – 1863. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/royal-burial-sites/danish-royal-burial-sites/house-of-oldenburg-1448-1863/> [Accessed 4 September 2021].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2012. Danish Royal Burial Sites: House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, 1863 – present. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/royal-burial-sites/danish-royal-burial-sites/house-of-schleswig-holstein-sonderburg-glucksburg-1863-present/> [Accessed 4 September 2021].
  • Roskildedomkirke.dk. 2021. Visit Roskilde Cathedral | Roskilde Domkirke. [online] Available at: <https://roskildedomkirke.dk/english> [Accessed 4 September 2021].

Roberto I, Duke of Parma

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

The Duchy of Parma was in today’s northwest Italy and came into existence in 1545 when Pope Paul III made his illegitimate son Pier Luigi Farnese the Duke of Parma and Piacenza, territories that previously were a part of the Papal States. The House of Farnese reigned until 1731 when the male line went extinct. The duchy passed to Felipe V, King of Spain from the Spanish House of Bourbon whose second wife Elizabeth Farnese was the Farnese heiress. Felipe V made Carlos, his only son with Elizabeth Farnese, the Duke of Parma. However, in 1738, Felipe V traded the Duchy of Parma to the House of Habsburg-Lorraine for the Kingdom of Naples and Sicily and Carlos became King of Naples and Sicily.

In 1748, the Duchy of Parma was ceded back to the Bourbons. Infante Felipe of Spain became Duke of Parma and was the founder of the House of Bourbon-Parma, a cadet branch of the Spanish House of Bourbon.  In 1796, the Duchy of Parma was occupied by French troops under Napoleon Bonaparte. It remained in French hands until the defeat of Napoleon in 1814 when the duchy was given to Napoleon’s second wife, Marie-Louise of Habsburg-Lorraine. She reigned until her death in 1847 when the Duchy of Parma was restored to the House of Bourbon-Parma. In 1859, the Duchy of Parma was abolished during the Italian unification movement. It was merged with the Kingdom of Sardinia as 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.

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Roberto, Duke of Parma; Credit – Wikipedia

Roberto I was the last Duke of Parma. As a not-quite-six-year-old, he succeeded his father who was assassinated, and then lost his throne five years later due to the Italian unification movement. Roberto Carlo Luigi Maria was born in Florence, Grand Duchy of Tuscany, now in Italy, on July 9, 1848. He was the second of the four children and the elder of the two sons of Carlo III, Duke of Parma and Louise Marie Thérèse of France. Roberto’s paternal grandparents were Carlo II Ludovico, Duke of Parma and Maria Teresa of Savoy (daughter of King Vittorio Emanuele I of Sardinia) His maternal grandparents were Charles Ferdinand, Duke of Berry (son of King Charles X of France) and Marie Carolina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (daughter of King Francesco I of the Two Sicilies).

Roberto with his mother and siblings in 1860, left to right: Roberto, his mother Louise Marie Thérèse of France, his sister Margherita, his brother Enrico, and his sister Alice; Credit – Wikipedia

Roberto had three siblings:

On March 26, 1854, while taking his usual afternoon walk through the streets of Parma, Roberto’s father Carlo III, Duke of Parma was attacked by two men who stabbed him in the stomach. After much suffering, which he endured bravely, thirty-one-year-old Carlo III, Duke of Parma died the following evening, March 27, 1854. Ireneo Bochi and Antonio Carra, Carlo’s murderers, escaped prosecution. They were briefly arrested but since they looked similar, witnesses were confused and deemed unreliable. Bochi and Carra did not act for political reasons but were hired assassins. However, exactly who paid them remains unknown.

Roberto in 1860; Credit – Wikipedia

Six-year-old son Roberto became Duke of Parma with his mother Louise Marie Thérèse as regent but he had a short reign. In 1859, the Duchy of Parma was abolished during the Italian unification movement. It was merged with the Kingdom of Sardinia as 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. Roberto was the titular Duke of Parma and the pretender to the throne until he died in 1907.

Château de Chambord in France which Roberto inherited from his maternal uncle; Credit – By Benh LIEU SONG – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=22654063

Despite losing his throne, Roberto and his family had considerable wealth and traveled in a private train of more than a dozen cars. He had several residences including Schloss Schwarzau  (link in German) in Schwarzau am Steinfeld, Austria, Villa Borbone delle Pianore (link in Italian) in Capezzano Pianore, Italy, and Château de Chambord in Chambord, Centre-Val de Loire, France which he inherited from his maternal uncle Prince Henri, Duke of Bordeaux, Count of Chambord.

Roberto and Maria Pia on their wedding day; Credit – Wikipedia

Roberto’s fortune made him a desirable husband but his half-first cousin once removed Princess Maria Pia of Bourbon-Two Sicilies was chosen as his bride. Maria Pia was the daughter of Ferdinando II, King of the Two Sicilies and his second wife Maria Theresa of Austria. The couple was married in Rome, Italy on April 5, 1869.

Maria Pia and her son Elias in 1881; Credit – Wikipedia

Roberto and his first wife Maria Pia of Bourbon-Two Sicilies had twelve children. Six of the children were mentally disabled, two died in infancy, and one was stillborn. Maria Pia, aged 33, died of puerperal fever (childbed fever) on September 29, 1882, in Biarritz, France a week after giving birth to her last child, a stillborn son.

Roberto and Maria Pia’s children:

  • Princess Marie Louise of Bourbon-Parma (1870 – 1899), married Ferdinand I, Prince of Bulgaria (later Tsar), had four children including Tsar Boris I of Bulgaria,
  • Ferdinando, Prince of Piacenza (born and died 1871 ), died in infancy
  • Princess Luisa Maria of Bourbon-Parma (1872 – 1943), unmarried, mentally disabled
  • Enrico, Titular Duke of Parma (1873 – 1939), unmarried, mentally disabled, his brother Elias took up the role as regent and Head of the House of Bourbon-Parma
  • Princess Maria Immacolata of Bourbon-Parma (1874 – 1914), unmarried, mentally disabled
  • Giuseppe, Titular Duke of Parma (1875 – 1950), unmarried, mentally disabled, his brother Elias continued his role as regent and Head of the House of Bourbon-Parma
  • Princess Maria Teresa of Bourbon-Parma (1876 – 1959), unmarried, mentally disabled
  • Princess Maria Pia of Bourbon-Parma (1877 – 1915), unmarried, mentally disabled
  • Princess Beatrice of Bourbon-Parma (1879 – 1946), married Count Pietro Lucchesi-Palli, had four children
  • Elias, Titular Duke of Parma (1880 – 1959), married Archduchess Maria Anna of Austria, had eight children, from 1907 to 1950, he served as regent for the claims of his two older disabled brothers, Head of the House of Bourbon-Parma
  • Princess Maria Anastasia of Bourbon-Parma (born and died 1881), died in infancy
  • Prince Augusto of Bourbon-Parma (stillborn 1882)

Maria Antonia in the late 1890s; Credit – Wikipedia

On October 15, 1884, at Schloss Fischorn (link in German) in Zell am See, Austria, Roberto married Infanta Maria Antonia of Portugal, the daughter of the deposed Miguel I, King of Portugal and Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg.

Roberto and his second wife Maria Antonia of Portugal had twelve children:

Roberto with his family in 1906; From left to right, first row: Maria Immacolata, Maria Antonia, Isabella, Roberto, Enrichetta, Luigi, Gaetano, Roberto’s second wife Maria Antonia, René, Zita. From left to right, second row: Francesca, Maria Pia, Luisa Maria, Maria Adelaide, Maria Teresa, Giuseppe, Xavier, Enrico, Sixto, Felix; Credit – Wikipedia

Roberto I, former Duke of Parma died, aged 59, at the Villa Borbone (link in Italian) in Viareggio, Kingdom of Italy, on November 16, 1907. He was buried in the chapel at the Villa Borbone in Viareggio, Italy. His second wife Maria Antonia of Portugal survived him by 52 years, dying on May 14, 1959, aged 96, at Berg Castle in Colmar-Berg, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. She was buried in the chapel at Schloss Puchheim (link in German) in Attnang-Puchheim, Austria.

Tomb of Robert I, Duke of Parma; Credit – www.findagrave.com

Four months after Roberto’s death, the Grand Marshal of the Austrian court declared six of the children from his first marriage legally incompetent due to their severe mental disability at the request of his widow Maria Antonia. Elias, Roberto’s youngest son from his first marriage became the legal guardian of his six disabled elder siblings, served as regent for the claims of his two older disabled brothers and as Head of the House of Bourbon-Parma, and was Titular Duke of Parma from 1950 – 1959.

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

  • Almanachdegotha.org. 2021. Duchy of Parma – House of Bourbon-Parma. [online] Available at: <http://www.almanachdegotha.org/id29.html> [Accessed 11 October 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Infanta Maria Antónia of Portugal – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infanta_Maria_Ant%C3%B3nia_of_Portugal> [Accessed 18 October 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Princess Maria Pia of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (1849–1882) – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Maria_Pia_of_Bourbon-Two_Sicilies_(1849%E2%80%931882)> [Accessed 18 October 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Robert I, Duke of Parma – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_I,_Duke_of_Parma> [Accessed 18 October 2021].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2021. Carlo III, Duke of Parma. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/carlo-iii-duke-of-parma/> [Accessed 18 October 2021].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2021. Louise Marie Thérèse of France, Duchess of Parma, Regent of Parma. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/louise-marie-therese-of-france-duchess-of-parma-regent-of-parma/> [Accessed 18 October 2021].
  • It.wikipedia.org. 2021. Roberto I di Parma – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roberto_I_di_Parma> [Accessed 18 October 2021].
  • Louda, Jiri and MacLagan, Michael, 2002. Lines of Succession. New York: Barnes and Noble.

Louise Marie Thérèse of France, Duchess of Parma, Regent of Parma

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

The Duchy of Parma was in today’s northwest Italy and came into existence in 1545 when Pope Paul III made his illegitimate son Pier Luigi Farnese the Duke of Parma and Piacenza, territories that previously were a part of the Papal States. The House of Farnese reigned until 1731 when the male line went extinct. The duchy passed to Felipe V, King of Spain from the Spanish House of Bourbon whose second wife Elizabeth Farnese was the Farnese heiress. Felipe V made Carlos, his only son with Elizabeth Farnese, the Duke of Parma. However, in 1738, Felipe V traded the Duchy of Parma to the House of Habsburg-Lorraine for the Kingdom of Naples and Sicily and Carlos became King of Naples and Sicily.

In 1748, the Duchy of Parma was ceded back to the Bourbons. Infante Felipe of Spain became Duke of Parma and was the founder of the House of Bourbon-Parma, a cadet branch of the Spanish House of Bourbon.  In 1796, the Duchy of Parma was occupied by French troops under Napoleon Bonaparte. It remained in French hands until the defeat of Napoleon in 1814 when the duchy was given to Napoleon’s second wife, Marie-Louise of Habsburg-Lorraine. She reigned until her death in 1847 when the Duchy of Parma was restored to the House of Bourbon-Parma. In 1859, the Duchy of Parma was abolished during the Italian unification movement. It was merged with the Kingdom of Sardinia as 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.

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Louise Marie Thérèse of France, Duchess of Parma, Regent of Parma; Credit – Wikipedia

Louise Marie Thérèse of France was the wife of Carlos III, Duke of Parma and Regent for their son Roberto I, Duke of Parma until the Duchy of Parma was abolished during the Italian unification movement. Louise Marie Thérèse was born on September 21, 1819, at the Élysée Palace in Paris, France. She was the third of the four children and the second of the two daughters of Prince Charles Ferdinand of France, Duke of Berry and Princess Maria Carolina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. Louise Marie Thérèse’s paternal grandparents were King Charles X of France (grandson of King Louis XV and brother of King Louis XVI) and Princess Maria Theresa of Savoy. Her maternal grandparents were King Francesco I of the Two Sicilies and his first wife Maria Clementina of Austria.

Louise Marie Thérèse with her brother younger brother Henri and her mother Maria Carolina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies; Credit – Wikipedia

Louise Marie Thérèse had three siblings but her two eldest siblings died soon after birth:

The House of Bourbon was restored to the French throne in the aftermath of Napoléon I’s defeat and final exile and reigned from 1815 to 1830. The two kings who reigned during the Bourbon Restoration, Louis XVIII and Charles X, were younger brothers of the guillotined King Louis XVI.

Maria Carolina, Duchess of Berry in mourning for her husband with her two children, Louise Marie Thérèse’ and Henri; Credit – Wikipedia

Five months after her birth, on February 13, 1820, Louise Marie Thérèse’s father Charles Ferdinand, Duke of Berry was stabbed while leaving the opera house in Paris with his wife and died the next day. The assassin was a saddlemaker named Louis Pierre Louvel, a Bonapartist who wanted to end the House of Bourbon. At the time of his death, Charles Ferdinand’s childless uncle Louis XVIII was the King of France, and his father, the future King Charles X was the heir to the throne. Charles Ferdinand was third in the Bourbon line of succession to the French throne after his childless elder brother Louis Antoine, Duke of Angoulême. Louise Marie Therese’s mother was pregnant and gave birth to a son seven months later who became the third in the line of succession.

Louise Marie Thérèse in 1830; Credit – Wikipedia

As a child, Louise Marie Thérèse lived at her birthplace, the Elysée Palace in Paris. and Château de Rosny-sur-Seine, her mother’s main residence, just a short distance from Paris. Marie-Joséphine Louise de Montaut-Navailles, Marquise de Gontaut Saint-Blacard, a former lady-in-waiting to Louise Marie Thérèse’s mother was appointed the governess to Louise Marie Thérèse and her brother Henri and was responsible for their education.

The French Royal Family in 1823 – left to right: Marie-Thérèse, Duchess of Angoulême; Louis-Antoine, Duke of Angoulême; Prince Henri; Charles-Philippe, Count of Artois (future King Charles X); King Louis XVIII of France; Princess Louise Marie Thérèse; Marie-Caroline, Duchess of Berry; Credit – Wikipedia

Louise Marie Thérèse’s grandfather King Charles X of France succeeded to the throne upon the death of his brother King Louis XVIII of France in 1824. He would prove to be very unpopular with the French people, and would not remain on the throne for very long. When he issued very restrictive ordinances, in July 1830, there were quick calls for revolution, now called the July Revolution of 1830. When rioting began, Charles X’s government ministers pleaded with him to revoke the ordinances but he refused. By the end of the night, the members of the Chamber of Deputies had decided that Charles X must go and that Louis-Philippe III, Duke of Orléans, a descendant of Philippe I, Duke Orléans, the brother of King Louis XIV of France, would become Louis-Philippe, King of the French.

Maria Caroline, Duchess of Berry and her two children Louise Marie Thérèse and Henri joined the rest of the French Bourbons in exile in the United Kingdom. Initially, Maria Carolina and her children lived in Bath but then they moved to Edinburgh, Scotland to be closer to the former king, Charles X, who was living at Holyrood Palace. Maria Carolina did not like living in Edinburgh agreeable, nor did she like the exclusion of her son Henri from the French throne by Louis Philippe, King of the French. She declared her son Henri to be the legitimate king, and herself to be regent. In 1831, she left Edinburgh and returned to her family in Naples.

Louise Marie Thérèse’s guardian Marie-Thérèse-Charlotte, Duchess of Angoulême; Credit – Wikipedia

On December 14, 1831, Maria Carolina secretly married an Italian nobleman, Ettore Carlo Lucchesi-Palli, 8th Duca della Grazia. After the scandal of her secret morganatic marriage, the subsequent birth of a child in 1833, and an abortive insurrection to put her son on the French throne, Maria Carolina lost all her prestige. Marie-Thérèse-Charlotte, Duchess of Angoulême, the only surviving child of the guillotined King Louis XVI of France, who had married her first cousin and Louise Marie Thérèse’s paternal uncle, Louis Antoine of France, Duke of Angoulême became the guardian of Louise Marie Thérèse and her brother Henri:

Louise Marie Thérèse had six half-siblings from her mother’s second marriage to Ettore Carlo Lucchesi-Palli, 8th Duca della Grazia:

  • Anna Maria Rosalia Lucchesi-Palli (born and died 1833)
  • Maria Bianca Lucchesi Palli (born and died 1834)
  • Clementina Lucchesi-Palli (1835 – 1925), married Count Camillo Zileri dal Verme degli Obbizi;
  • Francesca di Paola Lucchesi-Palli (1836 – 1923) married Camillo Massimo, Prince of Arsoli
  • Maria Isabella Lucchesi-Palli (1838 – 1873), married (1) Massimiliano dei Marquis Cavriani (2) Count Giovanni Battista de Conti
  • Adinolfo Lucchesi-Palli, Duke of Grace (1840 – 1911), married Lucrezia Nicoletta Ruffo di Bagnara

Carlos III, Duke of Parma, Louise Marie Thérèse’s husband; Credit – Wikipedia

When it came time to arrange a marriage for Louise Marie Thérèse, her guardian and aunt Marie-Thérèse-Charlotte, Duchess of Angoulême rejected several marriage proposals and was adamant that Louise Marie Thérèse should marry a Bourbon. There were few Bourbon princes to choose from and by the time she reached the age of twenty-five Louise Marie Thérèse was still unmarried. Finally, in 1845, a marriage was arranged. The groom was the future Carlo III, Duke of Parma from the House of Bourbon-Parma, a cadet branch of the Spanish House of Bourbon, originally a branch of the French House of Bourbon. His father Carlo II Ludovico, Duke of Parma was in financial difficulty and decided to marry his son to a princess with a large dowry. Carlo was four years younger than Louise Marie Thérèse and they had first met as children. They were married on November 10, 1845, at Schloss Frohsdorf in Lanzenkirchen in Austria, the home in exile of the bride’s aunt by marriage and guardian Marie-Thérèse-Charlotte, Duchess of Angoulême.

Louise Marie Thérèse and her four children in 1860. Left to right: Roberto, Louise Marie Thérèse, Margherita, Enrico, and Alice: Credit – Wikipedia

Carlo and Louise Marie Thérèse had four children:

In December 1847, Napoleon’s second wife Marie-Louise of Austria, reigning Duchess of Parma died. As stipulated by the 1815 Congress of Vienna, the Duchy of Parma was restored to the House of Bourbon-Parma and Carlo’s father became Carlo II Ludovico, Duke of Parma. However, the reign of Carlo II Ludovico, Duke of Parma was short. He was very unpopular with the citizens of Parma, and within a few months, he was ousted by a revolution. Carlo II Ludovico regained control of Parma with the help of Austrian troops but finally abdicated in favor of his son Carlo III, Duke of Parma on March 14, 1849.

The authoritarian policies of Carlo III, Duke of Parma made him unpopular. He placed Parma under martial law, inflicted heavy penalties on the members of the former provisional government, closed the university, and instituted persecution policies. Plots to remove Carlo III from power began to circulate in 1853. His personal life was also in trouble. Carlo had separated from Louise Marie Thérèse who had become obese, and began an open affair with Countess Emma Guadagni. The marriage of Carlo and Louise Marie Thérèse became completely irreconcilable when Carlo took his mistress on a semi-official visit to Queen Isabella II of Spain in December 1853.

On March 26, 1854, while taking his usual afternoon walk through the streets of Parma, Carlo III was attacked by two men who stabbed him in the stomach. After much suffering, which he endured bravely, thirty-one-year-old Carlo III, Duke of Parma died the following evening, March 27, 1854. Ireneo Bochi and Antonio Carra, Carlo’s murderers, escaped prosecution. They were briefly arrested but since they looked similar, witnesses were confused and deemed unreliable. Bochi and Carra did not act for political reasons but were hired killers. However, who paid them remains unknown.

Louise Marie Therese, Regent of Parma with her son Roberto I, Duke of Parma; Credit – Wikipedia

Carlo III’s six-year-old son Roberto became Duke of Parma with Louise Marie Thérèse as regent but had a short reign. In 1859, the Duchy of Parma was abolished during the Italian unification movement. It was merged with the Kingdom of Sardinia as 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.

The crypt with the tombs of King Charles X of France and other members of the former French royal family; Credit – By Viator slovenicus – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7164631

Louise Marie Thérèse took her children to Venice, Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia, now in Italy where she spent the rest of her life in exile. She survived her husband by ten years, dying on February 1, 1864, at the age of 44, at the Palazzo Giustinian in Venice. She was buried in the crypt of her grandfather King Charles X of France at the Kostanjevica Monastery in what is now Pristava, Slovenia. Other members of the former French royal family buried there include her brother Henri, Count of Chambord, and her uncle and aunt Louis Antoine and Marie-Thérèse-Charlotte, Duke and Duchess of Angoulême.

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