Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough, Favorite of Queen Anne of Great Britain

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Sarah Churchill, circa 1700; Credit – Wikipedia

Favorite: a person treated with special or undue favor by a king, queen, or another royal person

Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough, the wife of John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough was born Sarah Jennings on June 5, 1660, probably at Holywell House in St. Albans, Hertfordshire, England. Sarah was the youngest of the eight children of Richard Jennings (circa 1619 – 1668), a Member of Parliament, and Frances Thornhurst (1628 – 1693), daughter and heiress of Sir Gifford Thornhurst, 1st Baronet and Susanna Temple.

Sarah had seven siblings:

In 1663, during negotiations for the recovery of an estate in Kent that had been the property of his mother-in-law, Sarah’s father Richard Jennings came into contact with James, Duke of York, the future King James II of England, and the brother of King Charles II of England. Favorably impressed with Jennings, James appointed his eldest surviving daughter Frances a maid of honor to his first wife, Anne Hyde, Duchess of York. Although Frances had to give up her post as maid of honor when she married, James did not forget the Jennings family, and in 1673, 13-year-old Sarah was appointed a maid of honor to James’ second wife Maria Beatrice of Modena.

Mary and Anne with their parents  James, Duke of York (later King James II) and Duchess of York (born Anne Hyde) by Peter Lely, circa16681670; Credit – Wikipedia

Also at court were the two surviving children from James’ first marriage to Anne Hyde, Mary (the future Queen Mary II who was two years younger than Sarah) and Anne (the future Queen Anne who was five years younger than Sarah). Sarah first became acquainted with the royal sisters in 1671 but became closer friends with Anne after she was appointed maid of honor to Anne’s stepmother. Sarah later claimed that their five-year age difference did not discourage Anne and Sarah from playing together and that even then Anne expressed “a particular fondness” for her. Sarah would remain an intimate of Anne until 1711 when Sarah and her husband John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough were dismissed from court.

In late 1675, 15-year-old Sarah met 25-year-old John Churchill, an upcoming military leader who fell in love with her. In 1663, John Churchill’s fifteen-year-old sister Arabella Churchill had been sent to court to be a maid of honor to Anne Hyde, Duchess of York. Arabella captured the eye James, Duke of York (the future King James II) and by 1665, she was his mistress. The Churchill family was firmly loyal to the royal household, and their feeling about Arabella’s position as a royal mistress seems to have been “a joyful surprise that so plain a girl had attained such high preferment.”

John Churchill circa 1685–1690; Credit – Wikipedia

John Churchill, who had previously been a lover of King Charles II’s mistress, Barbara Palmer, Duchess of Cleveland, had little to offer financially as his family’s estates were deeply in debt. John’s father, Sir Winston Churchill was anxious to restore the family’s fortune. In 1677, Catherine Sedley, because of her family’s wealth, was considered a marriage prospect for John Churchill by his parents. John hoped to marry Catherine Sedley and then take Sarah as a mistress in place of Barbara Palmer, Duchess of Cleveland, who had recently departed for France. However, surviving letters from Sarah to John show her unwillingness to become his mistress. Catherine Sedley later became a mistress of the future King James II and bore him three children.

After the death of her surviving brother Ralph in 1677 and then the death of her sister Barbara in 1678, Sarah and her elder sister Frances became co-heirs of the Jennings estates in Hertfordshire and Kent and Sarah’s financial situation improved. John decided he would marry Sarah but both their families disapproved of the marriage. Sometime during the winter of 1677 – 1678, Sarah Jennings and John Churchill secretly married. Their marriage was announced only to Maria Beatrice of Modena, then Duchess of York, and a small circle of friends so that Sarah could keep her court position as Maria Beatrice’s maid of honor. When Sarah became pregnant, their marriage was announced publicly on October 1, 1678, and she retired from the court to give birth to her first child Harriet who died in infancy.

Sarah and her husband John had seven children. Their children and grandchildren married into the British aristocracy. Among their more famous descendants are British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill and Diana, Princess of Wales, and of course her son William, a future King of the United Kingdom.

Sarah and John’s family circa 1694: John, Elizabeth, Mary, Sarah, Henrietta, Anne, and their son John; Credit – Wikipedia

When Sarah’s third daughter was born in February 1683, Anne accepted an invitation to be her godmother, and the child was named after Anne. Later in 1683, when Anne married Prince George of Denmark, Sarah was appointed a Lady of the Bedchamber. It was during the 1680s that Anne and Sarah became quite close and Anne was quite upset during the periods Sarah was not at court. While they were apart, they wrote to each other, eventually using the pen names Mrs. Morley (Anne) and Mrs. Freeman (Sarah). The question of whether Anne was sexually attracted to Sarah is often raised. While there have been rumors of sexual relationships, as depicted in the 2018 film The Favourite, between both Queen Anne and Sarah, and Queen Anne and Abigail Masham, Sarah’s first cousin and her replacement as Anne’s favorite, most historians and biographers reject this idea.

Upon the death of King Charles II in 1685, his brother succeeded him as King James II. Between 1675 and 1684, Maria Beatrice, James II’s second wife, had ten pregnancies and gave birth to five live children, all of whom died young.  On June 10, 1688, Maria Beatrice gave birth to a Catholic heir to the throne, James Francis Edward, later known as the Old Pretender. Rumors soon swirled that Maria Beatrice had had a stillbirth and the dead baby was replaced with one smuggled into her bed via a warming-pan even though many had witnessed the birth including James II’s younger daughter Anne. Fearful of a return to Catholicism, some members of Parliament began what is called the Glorious Revolution and King James II was overthrown and succession rights for his son James Francis Edward were denied. Parliament invited James IIs’ elder daughter Mary and her husband and first cousin William III, Prince of Orange to reign jointly as King William III and Queen Mary II.

John Churchill had been created Lord Churchill of Eyemouth by King Charles II in 1682 and Sarah became Lady Churchill. King James II created John Baron Churchill of Sandridge, in 1685, and Sarah was raised to Baroness Churchill. When William III and Mary II created John the Earl of Marlborough in 1689, Sarah became the Countess of Marlborough.

In January 1692, suspecting that John Churchill was secretly conspiring with the Jacobites, the supporters of the deposed James II, William and Mary dismissed him from all his offices. In a public show of support for the Marlboroughs, Anne took Sarah to a social event at the palace and refused her sister Mary’s request to dismiss Sarah from her household. Instead, Sarah was dismissed from the household by the Lord Chamberlain. Anne angrily left her royal lodgings and took up residence at Syon House, the home of Charles Seymour, 6th Duke of Somerset. As a result, Anne was stripped of her guard of honor, courtiers were forbidden to visit her, and government officials were instructed to ignore her.

Anne’s obstetrical history is tragic. She had 17 pregnancies with only five children being born alive. Two died on the day of their birth, two died at less than two years old within six days of each from smallpox, and one died at age 11. On April 17, 1692, Anne gave birth to a son who died within minutes. Her sister visited her, but instead of offering comfort, Mary berated Anne once again for her friendship with Sarah. The sisters never saw each other again. On December 28, 1694, the childless Queen Mary II died of smallpox. Following, the death of his wife Mary II, William III restored Anne’s honors, as she was now next in line to the throne, and provided her with apartments at St. James’s Palace. He also restored John Churchill to all his offices and honors and exonerated him from any past accusations. However, fearing Sarah’s powerful influence, William kept Anne out of government affairs, and he did not make her regent in his absences although she was now his heir presumptive.

Queen Anne, 1702; Credit – Wikipedia

On March 8, 1702, King William III died after a fall from his horse, and his sister-in-law and first cousin succeeded to the throne as Queen Anne. Shortly after she acceded to the throne, Queen Anne created John Churchill the 1st Duke of Marlborough, and granted him the subsidiary title Marquess of Blandford. During Queen Anne’s reign, John Churchill served Anne as a general in the War of the Spanish Succession. Anne had the spectacular Blenheim Palace built for John Churchill in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England as a reward from a grateful nation for the duke’s military victories against the French and Bavarians during the War of the Spanish Succession, culminating in the 1704 Battle of Blenheim.

Blenheim Palace; Photo © Susan Flantzer

Queen Anne named Sarah Mistress of the Robes, the highest office in the royal court that could be held by a woman, Groom of the Stole, Keeper of the Privy Purse, and Ranger of Windsor Great Park. She was the first of only two women ever to be Keeper of the Privy Purse and the only woman ever to be Ranger of Windsor Great Park. Sarah exerted great influence on Queen Anne and had control over most of Anne’s existence, from her finances to the people admitted to the royal presence. However, the relationship between Sarah and Anne became increasingly strained.

Sarah wearing the gold key around her waist, the symbol of her office and authority as Mistress of the Robes, 1702; Credit – Wikipedia

Abigail Hill, a first cousin of Sarah, was forced to work as a servant because of her family’s poor financial situation. Sarah took Abigail into her household, where, according to Sarah, “she lived with me and my children, and I treated her with as great kindness as if she had been my sister.” In 1704, through Sarah’s influence, Abigail received an appointment in Queen Anne’s household as a Woman of the Bedchamber. While Sarah was assertive and outspoken, Abigail was understated and meek. During Sarah’s frequent absences from court, Abigail and Anne grew close. Abigail was not only happy to show Queen Anne the kindness and consideration that Anne needed and never pressured Anne about politics. In addition, Abigail’s opinions on church and political matters, unlike her cousin Sarah’s, were similar to Queen Anne’s. In 1707, Queen Anne was present at Abigail’s secret wedding to Samuel Masham, a Groom of the Bedchamber to Anne’s husband Prince George. Sarah had no idea about either Abigail’s marriage or the friendship that had developed between Queen Anne and Abigail. She became enraged and jealous and unsuccessfully attempted to force Queen Anne to dismiss Abigail.

Sarah’s first cousin Abagail Hill, later Abigail Masham, Baroness Masham; Credit – Wikipedia

Sarah was further angered when Abigail moved into rooms at Kensington Palace that Sarah considered her own although she rarely used them. The fondness Queen Anne showed for Abigail and the refusal to dismiss her so angered Sarah that she implied without evidence that a sexual affair was taking place between the two women. When Queen Anne’s husband Prince George died in 1708, Sarah was the only one who refused to wear suitable mourning clothes. In October 1709, Queen Anne wrote to Sarah’s husband asking that his wife “leave off teasing & tormenting me & behave herself with the decency she ought both to her friend and Queen”.

On April 6, 1710, Queen Anne and Sarah saw each other for the last time. Sarah asked Anne why their friendship was at an end. Anne kept repeating “I shall make no answer to anything you say” and “You may put it in writing”. After Sarah told her husband what had happened, John realized Anne intended to dismiss both of them. He begged Anne to let them keep their positions for nine months until his military campaign ended. Queen Anne told him that her honor required that Sarah resign immediately. In January 1711, Sarah lost her positions of Mistress of the Robes and Groom of the Stole and was replaced by Elizabeth Seymour, Duchess of Somerset. In December 1711, John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough was dismissed as Captain-General of the British Army. Along with her position of Lady of the Bedchamber, Abigail Masham was made Keeper of the Privy Purse and remained Queen Anne’s favorite until Anne’s death in 1714.

In disgrace, Sarah and John left England and traveled in Europe for several years. Because of his military campaigns on the European continent, John was welcomed at German courts. Queen Anne died on August 1, 1714, the same day Sarah and John returned to England. Anne was succeeded by George, Elector of Hanover, a great-grandson of King James I of England and the Protestant heir as stipulated by the Act of Settlement of 1701. The new King George I had a personal friendship with Sarah and John who had visited him frequently during their exile in Europe. George’s first words to John as King of Great Britain were, “My Lord Duke, I hope your troubles are now over.” John was restored to his old office of Captain-General of the Army.

John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, painted after his stroke circa 1719-1720; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1716, John suffered several strokes. His speech was impaired but he recovered enough to ride out to watch the builders at work on Blenheim Palace which had lost its funding from the Crown in 1712 and was then being completed. On June 16, 1722, 72-year-old John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough had another stroke and died at Cumberland Lodge in Windsor, England, and was initially buried at Westminster Abbey in London, England.

Sarcophagus of John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough and Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough; Photo © Susan Flantzer

In 1730, Sarah commissioned a sarcophagus for her husband, herself, and their sons John Churchill, Marquess of Blandford who died of smallpox at age 17, and Charles Churchill who died at age 2. The sarcophagus, which is in the chapel at Blenheim Palace, was a collaboration between Flemish sculptor Michael Rysbrack and English architect William Kent and was constructed between 1730 and 1733. John and Sarah are depicted in Roman dress with their son John standing near his father and their son Charles with his mother. “The large statues flanking the sarcophagus are of History with her quill and Fame with her trumpet and the sarcophagus itself crushes the last enemy of all, Envy.” (From a photo taken by this author of an informational display at the chapel at Blenheim Palace.)

Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough survived her husband by twenty-two years, dying on October 18, 1744, aged 84, at Marlborough House in London, England. Following Sarah’s instructions, John’s remains were transferred from Westminster Abbey to the chapel at Blenheim Palace in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England where he was interred with Sarah.

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. Abigail Masham, Baroness Masham. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abigail_Masham,_Baroness_Masham> [Accessed 25 January 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. John Churchill, 1St Duke Of Marlborough. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Churchill,_1st_Duke_of_Marlborough> [Accessed 25 January 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Richard Jennings (Politician). [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Jennings_(politician)> [Accessed 25 January 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Sarah Churchill, Duchess Of Marlborough. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Churchill,_Duchess_of_Marlborough> [Accessed 25 January 2021].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2016. Queen Anne Of Great Britain. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/queen-anne-of-great-britain/> [Accessed 25 January 2021].
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Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester, Favorite of Queen Elizabeth I of England

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Robert Dudley, circa 1654; Credit – Wikipedia

Favorite: a person treated with special or undue favor by a king, queen, or another royal person

Born on June 24, 1532, Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester was the sixth but the fifth surviving of the eight sons and the seventh of the thirteen children of John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland, and Jane Guildford. Robert and his siblings received an excellent humanistic education from Roger Ascham, John Dee, and Thomas Wilson.

Robert had twelve siblings but only seven survived childhood:

  • Henry Dudley (1525 – 1545), married Winifred Rich, no children; died at the Siege of Boulogne
  • Thomas Dudley (circa 1526 – 1528), died in early childhood
  • John Dudley, 2nd Earl of Warwick (circa 1527 – 1554), married Anne Seymour, daughter of Lord Protector Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset, no children
  • Ambrose Dudley, 3rd Earl of Warwick (circa 1528 – 1590), married (1) Anne Whorwood, had one son who died in infancy (2) Elizabeth Tailboys, 4th Baroness Tailboys, no children (3) Anne Russell, no children
  • Mary Dudley, Lady Sidney (1531 – 1586), married Sir Henry Sidney, had seven children including the poets Sir Philip Sidney and Mary Herbert, Countess of Pembroke; served as lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth I
  • Henry Dudley (circa 1531 – 1557), married Margaret Audley, no children, killed in the Battle of St. Quentin
  • Guildford Dudley (circa 1535 – 1554), married Lady Jane Grey, no issue, beheaded
  • Charles Dudley (1537 – 1542), died in childhood
  • Katherine Dudley, Countess of Huntingdon (1544 – 1620), married Henry Hastings, 3rd Earl of Huntingdon, no children
  • Temperance Dudley (died in 1552), died in childhood
  • Catherine Dudley, died in childhood
  • Margaret Dudley, died in childhood

Robert served at the court of King Henry VIII, and then at the court of King Edward VI as a companion to the young king. At the beginning of the reign of King Edward VI, Robert’s father was created Earl of Warwick. By 1550, he headed the Privy Council as Lord Protector and was the de facto ruler of England. John Dudley was created Duke of Northumberland in 1551. Robert’s mother Jane had served as a lady-in-waiting to Anne Boleyn and Anne of Cleves, King Henry VIII’s second and fourth wives.

Portrait miniature of an unknown lady, possibly Amy Robsart on the occasion of her wedding; Credit – Wikipedia

On June 4, 1550, Robert married, in the presence of young King Edward VI, Amy Robsart, daughter and heir of Sir John Robsart of Syderstone and Elizabeth Scott. Lord Robert, as he was styled as a duke’s son, became an important local gentleman in Amy’s home shire, Norfolk, and served as a Member of Parliament for Norfolk in 1551–52, and 1553 and 1559.

Robert’s father, John Dudley, 1st Earl of Northumberland; Credit – Wikipedia

John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland, Robert’s father, was the mastermind in the scheme to put Lady Jane Grey, the wife of his son Guildford, on the English throne after the death of fifteen-year-old King Edward VI on July 6, 1553, most likely from tuberculosis. Lady Jane was the eldest of the three daughters of Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Suffolk and Lady Frances Brandon. Her mother Lady Frances was the elder of the two surviving children of King Henry VIII’s younger sister Mary Tudor and Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk.  Jane’s reign lasted for nine days. In the Duke of Northumberland’s absence, the Privy Council switched their allegiance from Jane to Mary, the elder daughter of King Henry VIII, and proclaimed her Queen on July 19, 1553. The Duke of Northumberland was executed on August 22, 1553. Lady Jane Grey and Lord Guildford Dudley were executed on February 12, 1554.

Robert and his brothers John, Ambrose, and Henry were imprisoned at the Tower of London and condemned to death for signing the letters patent in which their sister-in-law Lady Jane Grey was declared Queen of England. The brothers were held in the Beauchamp Tower at the Tower of London where they made carvings in the walls. John carved their heraldic devices with his name “IOHN DVDLI” which can still be seen. Robert’s mother Jane Dudley and his brother-in-law Sir Henry Sidney were busy befriending the Spanish nobles around Queen Mary’s new husband, Prince Felipe of Spain, hoping they would use their influence to have the Dudley brothers released. In October 1554, John, Ambrose, Henry, and Robert Dudley were released due to their efforts. Robert’s brother John died shortly after his release from the Tower of London. The Dudley brothers were slowly welcomed back to court. The status of the surviving Dudley children was restored by Parliament in 1558.

Queen Elizabeth I in her coronation robes; Credit – Wikipedia

Queen Mary I died on November 17, 1558, and her younger half-sister came to the throne as Queen Elizabeth I. Because Robert had been a companion of Elizabeth’s half-brother King Edward VI, the two were well-acquainted and it was natural for the new queen to turn to him and choose him as one of her most trusted courtiers. The day after her accession to the throne, Elizabeth named Robert her Master of the Horse. Although it is a ceremonial role today, it was an important role in Tudor times. The Royal Household was divided into three departments. The Lord Chamberlain was responsible for the “chamber” or the household above stairs. The Lord Steward was responsible for the kitchens and domestic duties, or the household below stairs. The Master of the Horse was responsible for the household outside including royal transportation, horses, horse breeding, hounds, kennels, stables, coaches, and mews. These three men were considered the Great Officers of the sovereign’s court and were also members of the Privy Council. Robert was also responsible for organizing a large part of Elizabeth’s coronation festivities.

Elizabeth’s coronation procession: Robert Dudley on horseback on the far left, leading the palfrey of honor; Credit – Wikipedia

By 1559, rumors were swirling that Robert was always at Elizabeth’s side and that Elizabeth seemed to be in love with him. In England and throughout Europe, rumors circulated for the rest of Elizabeth’s life saying that Elizabeth and Robert had children. Several diplomats reported back to their counties that some courtiers speculated that Elizabeth would marry Robert “in case his wife should die”, as Amy was “very ill in one of her breasts,” probably meaning breast cancer. Robert’s wife Amy Robsart did not come to court. Robert visited her for four days at Easter 1559 and Amy came to London for a month during the summer of 1559. That was the last time they saw each other.

A year later, on the morning of September 8, 1560, at Cumnor Place in Cumnor near Oxford, England, Amy sent her servants away and later was found dead at the bottom of a flight of stairs with a broken neck and two wounds on her head. The coroner’s inquest found that she had died of a fall downstairs and died by “misfortune” or accidental death. Robert was at Windsor Castle with Elizabeth and was told of his wife’s death by a messenger on September 9. Amy Dudley’s death caused a scandal. Robert was suspected of arranging his wife’s death, a view that is not shared by most modern historians. For the rest of his life, Robert remained Elizabeth’s closest favorite but she could not risk a marriage with him because of the negative effect it would have on her reputation.

Robert’s apartments at court were next to Elizabeth’s. For many years, he was rarely allowed to leave court because his presence was essential for Elizabeth’s well-being. Robert was often Elizabeth’s unofficial consort on ceremonial occasions. He assumed control of court ceremonials and was responsible for organizing innumerable festivities. In 1564, Elizabeth created Robert Earl of Leicester.

Lettice Knollys, Countess of Leicester; Credit – Wikipedia

On September 21, 1578, at his country house Wanstead Hall in Essex, Robert married Lettice Knollys. Lettice was the widow of Walter Devereux, 1st Earl of Essex, and the mother of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, who would become Queen Elizabeth I’s favorite. Her parents were Sir Francis Knollys and Catherine Carey, daughter of Mary Boleyn, sister of Elizabeth’s mother Anne Boleyn. Therefore, Catherine was Elizabeth I’s first cousin, and Lettice Knollys her first cousin once removed. Robert Dudley feared Elizabeth’s reaction to his marriage and insisted it be kept secret. However, Elizabeth found out about the marriage two months later. She permanently banished Lettice from court, never forgave her cousin, and never accepted the marriage. Although Robert remained at court, he was alternately humiliated in public by Elizabeth and treated as fondly as always. Robert and Lettice had one child who died in childhood, Robert Dudley, Lord Denbigh (1581 – 1584).

Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester by Unknown English workshop, oil on panel, circa 1575 NPG 247 © National Portrait Gallery

Robert remained a powerful and important political figure for the rest of his life. From the beginning of Elizabeth’s reign in 1558 until he died in 1588, Robert was one of her most conscientious privy councilors. Robert and William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley (Lord Burghley) were considered the most powerful and important political figures of Elizabeth I’s reign and worked intimately with her.

In July 1588, as the Spanish Armada came closer to the coast of England, Elizabeth appointed Robert Lieutenant and Captain-General of the Queen’s Armies and Companies. On August 19, 1588, when Queen Elizabeth I gave her famous Speech to the Troops at Tilbury, a bareheaded Robert walked beside her horse. However, Robert had been in ill health for some time. Modern historians suspect the illness was malaria or stomach cancer.

On his way to take the healing baths in Buxton, Derbyshire, England, Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester, aged 56, died at Cornbury Park near Oxford, England, on September 4, 1588. Elizabeth was extremely upset and locked herself in her rooms for a few days until Lord Burghley ordered the door to be broken down. Six days before Robert’s death, Elizabeth had received a letter from him. She kept the letter, labeled “his last letter” in her bedside treasure box for the rest of her life. At his request, Robert was buried in the Beauchamp Chapel of the Collegiate Church of St. Mary in Warwick, England, where his son had been buried. Lettice survived her husband by 46 years, dying on December 25, 1634, aged 91. She was buried with her husband in a tomb she had erected opposite the tomb of their son.

The tomb of Robert and Lettice Dudley, Earl and Countess of Leicester; Credit – By Chris Nyborg – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1146293

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. 2020. Amy Robsart. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amy_Robsart> [Accessed 29 November 2020].
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  • Erickson, Carolly, 1983. The First Elizabeth. New York: St. Martin’s Griffin.
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Christian I, King of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Christian I, King of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden; Credit – Wikipedia

The first king of the House of Oldenburg, Christian I, King of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden was born in February 1426 in Oldenburg, County of Oldenburg, now in the German state of Lower Saxony. He was the eldest of the three sons and the second of the four children of Count Dietrich of Oldenburg (circa 1398 – 1440) and his second wife Helvig of Holstein (1398 – 1436).

Christian had three siblings:

  • Adelheid of Oldenburg (1425 – 1475), married (1) Ernst III, Count of Hohenstein, had one son (2) Gerhard VI, Count of Mansfeld, had one son and two daughters
  • Moritz III, Count of Oldenburg (1428 – 1464), married Katharina of Hoya, had one son and two daughters, when his elder brother Christian became King of Denmark, he was given the County of Oldenburg
  • Gerhard VI, Count of Delmenhorst and Count of Oldenburg (1430 – 1500), married Adelheid of Tecklenburg, had four sons and three daughters, when his elder brother Christian became King of Denmark, he was given the County of Delmenhorst and he later inherited the County of Oldenburg

At the death of their father in 1440, Christian and his brothers jointly succeeded as Count of Oldenburg and Delmenhorst. Christian was raised by his maternal uncle Adolphus VIII, Duke of Schleswig, Count of Holstein. Under his uncle’s tutelage, Christian gained experience in political matters, which would benefit him as King of Denmark.

In January 1448, 31-year-old Christopher III, King of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden suddenly died. His two-year marriage to 19-year-old Dorothea of Brandenburg was childless. This resulted in a succession crisis that broke up the Kalmar Union which had united the Kingdoms of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Dorothea was named the interim regent of Denmark until a new monarch could be elected. The Danish throne was first offered to Christian’s uncle Duke Adolphus of Schleswig, the most prominent feudal lord of the lands subject to Danish sovereignty. Adolphus declined and recommended his nephew Christian, Count of Oldenburg.

Dorothea of Brandenburg, Queen of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden; Credit – Wikipedia

In June 1448, Karl Knutsson, Lord High Constable of Sweden, was elected King of Sweden and reigned as King Karl VIII. In September 1448, Christian of Oldenburg was elected King of Denmark and reigned as King Christian I. The Danish Council of State made it a condition that Christian should marry Dorothea of Brandenburg, his predecessor’s widow. Christian and Dorothea were married on October 26, 1449, and two days later, their coronation was held.

Christian I and Dorothea had five children. Their two surviving sons were both Kings of Denmark and their daughter was the Queen Consort of Scotland.

Christian’s rival King Karl VIII; Credit – Wikipedia

Norway was now faced with a union with Denmark or Sweden or electing a separate king, an option quickly discarded. The Norwegian Council of the Realm was divided between Christian and Karl but eventually ruled in favor of Karl. After an armed conflict between Denmark and Norway, a joint Danish-Swedish meeting decided that Karl should renounce Norway in favor of Christian, and that the survivor of the two kings would be recognized as king in all three kingdoms. Karl reluctantly agreed with the decision. Christian was crowned King of Norway on August 2, 1450. Less than four weeks later, Christian’s wife Dorothea gave birth to their first child, named Oluf after Norway’s patron saint. However, little Oluf died less than a year later.

Being the king in both Denmark and Norway gave Christian a distinct advantage, however, the wars fought between Christian and Karl from 1452 were not decisive. In 1457, a rebellion against King Karl VIII took place, led by Archbishop Jöns Bengtsson and Erik Axelsson Tott, a Swedish nobleman. Karl went into exile and the two leaders of the rebellion organized the election of King Christian I of Denmark as King of Sweden. Karl was able to regain the Swedish throne two more times, from 1464–65 and 1467–1470). Sweden would not be reunited with Denmark and Norway until Christian’s son and successor King Hans conquered Sweden in 1497. After the death of his maternal uncle Adolphus VIII, Duke of Schleswig, Count of Holstein in 1459, the representatives of Schleswig confirmed Christian’s succession to the titles Duke of Schleswig and Count of Holstein.

Roskilde Cathedral; Photo Credit – Susan Flantzer

King Christian I of Denmark died, aged fifty-five, at Copenhagen Castle in Copenhagen, Denmark on May 21, 1481. He was buried in the Chapel of the Magi, which he had built as a family burial chapel for the House of Oldenburg, at Roskilde Cathedral, the traditional burial site for the Danish royal family in Roskilde, Denmark. His wife Dorothea survived him by fourteen years, dying on November 25, 1495, and was buried with her husband. While the tombs of King Christian III, King Frederik II, and their queen 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.

Grave of King Christian I and Queen Dorothea – Photo Credit  – Susan Flantzer

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Kingdom of Denmark Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • Da.wikipedia.org. 2020. Christian 1.. [online] Available at: <https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_1.> [Accessed 19 December 2020].
  • De.wikipedia.org. 2020. Christian I. (Dänemark, Norwegen Und Schweden). [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_I._(D%C3%A4nemark,_Norwegen_und_Schweden)> [Accessed 19 December 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Adolphus VIII, Count Of Holstein. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolphus_VIII,_Count_of_Holstein> [Accessed 19 December 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Christian I Of Denmark. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_I_of_Denmark> [Accessed 19 December 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Dietrich, Count Of Oldenburg. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dietrich_of_Oldenburg> [Accessed 19 December 2020].
  • Genealogics.org. 2020. Leo’s Genealogics. [online] Available at: <https://www.genealogics.org/index.php> [Accessed 19 December 2020].

Sidney Godolphin, 1st Earl of Godolphin, Favorite of Stuart Monarchs

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Sidney Godolphin, 1st Earl of Godolphin; Credit – Wikipedia

Favorite: a person treated with special or undue favor by a king, queen, or another royal person

Sidney Godolphin, 1st Earl of Godolphin, first a favorite of King Charles II of England, and also served in several positions during the reigns of Charles II, James II, William III and Mary II, and Anne. He was born on June 15, 1645, in Breage, Cornwall, England, the son of Sir Francis Godolphin (1605 – 1667) and Dorothy Berkeley, a daughter of Sir Henry Berkeley of Yarlington. The Godolphins were an old Cornish family and Sidney’s father was a landowner, politician, and Member of Parliament. Sidney’s paternal uncle, his namesake, was the poet Sidney Godolphin who died fighting in the Royalist army in the English Civil War.

Sidney had at least fourteen siblings. Some of his siblings have little or no information so it is probable that they died in infancy or childhood.

  • Elizabeth Godolphin (1635 – 1707), married Sir Arthur Northcote, 2nd Baronet, had eight children
  • Thomasina Godolphin (born and died 1636)
  • Dorothea Godolphin (1637 – ?)
  • Sir William Godolphin, 1st Baronet (circa 1640 – 1710), unmarried
  • Francis Godolphin (circa 1642 – 1675), unmarried
  • Jael Godolphin (1647 – 1730), married Edward Boscawen, had three children
  • Reverend Henry Godolphin (1648 – 1733), married Mary Godolphin, had two children, was Provost of Eton College and Dean of St. Paul’s Cathedral
  • Charles Godolphin (circa 1651 – 1720), married his cousin Elizabeth Godolphin, had two children
  • Catheryn Godolphin (1655 – ?)
  • Anne Godolphin (1657 – ?)
  • Frances Godolphin
  • Margaret Godolphin
  • Penelope Godolphin
  • Edward Godolphin

King Charles II of England; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1660, during the period known as the Restoration, the Stuart monarchy was restored and King Charles II returned from exile in Europe. The Godolphin family were staunch Royalists and in 1662, seventeen-year-old Sidney became a page of honor (1662 – 1668) to King Charles II. During his time as a page, Sidney made the acquaintance of John Churchill, the future 1st Duke of Marlborough, then a page to the Duke of York, Charles II’s brother and the future King James II. Sidney and John Churchill became friends and later, political allies.

From 1670 – 1678, Sidney served King Charles II as Groom of the Bedchamber and then served him as Master of the Robes from 1678 – 1679. Charles said Sidney was “never in the way and never out of the way”. Sidney must have made a favorable impression on King Charles II because he served on two important diplomatic missions: envoy-extraordinary to King Louis XIV of France in 1672 and then in 1678, to Willem III Prince of Orange (the future William III, King of England). Besides his positions at court, Sidney served as a Member of Parliament from 1665 – 1685.

Margaret Blagge, Sidney’s wife; Credit – Wikipedia

On May 16, 1676, Sidney married Margaret Blagge, daughter of Colonel Thomas Blagge, a Royalist supporter. Margaret had been a maid of honor to Anne Hyde, Duchess of York, the first wife of the future King James II and the mother of Queen Mary II and Queen Anne. When the Duchess of York died in 1671, Margaret became a maid of honor to Catherine of Braganza, the wife of King Charles II. Sidney and Margaret had one child but sadly, Margaret died from childbirth complications on September 9, 1678, six days after the birth of her son. Sidney never married again.

Sidney was appointed a member of the Privy Council in March 1679. In 1684, King Charles II raised Sidney to the peerage, creating him Baron Godolphin of Rialton. He was named First Lord of the Treasury on September 9, 1684, a position he would hold at times during the reigns of Charles II, James II, William III and Mary II, and Anne.

King James II; Credit – Wikipedia

Upon the death of King Charles II in 1685, his brother succeeded him as King James II. Sidney was named Chamberlain of the Household of King James II’s second wife, born Maria Beatrice of Modena. Between 1675 and 1684, Maria Beatrice had ten pregnancies and gave birth to five live children, all of whom died young.  On June 10, 1688, Maria Beatrice gave birth to a boy, James Francis Edward, later known as the Old Pretender. Rumors soon swirled that Maria Beatrice had had a stillbirth and the dead baby was replaced with one smuggled into her bed via a warming-pan even though many had witnessed the birth including James II’s younger daughter Anne. Sidney was present at the birth but diplomatically said that he was too far from the bed to see anything.

Queen Mary II and King William III; Credit – Wikipedia

Fearful of a return to Catholicism, some members of Parliament began what is called the Glorious Revolution and King James II was overthrown and succession rights for his son James Francis Edward were denied.  When James II’s nephew and son-in-law William III, Prince of Orange landed in England prepared for battle, Sidney was one of the council of five appointed by King James II to represent him in negotiations with the Prince of Orange. Parliament invited James IIs’ elder daughter Mary and her husband William III, Prince of Orange to jointly reign as King William III and Queen Mary II. When it became clear that James II would not be able to regain the throne, Sidney decided to retire from public life, but William III and Mary II soon called him back into service, in November 1690, again as First Lord of the Treasury. Despite being in the service of William and Mary, Sidney maintained a secret correspondence with James II and disclosed intelligence.

Queen Anne; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1702, James II’s younger daughter Anne succeeded to the throne. Once again, Sidney was appointed First Lord of the Treasury on the strong recommendation of his old friend John Churchill, now 1st Duke of Marlborough, and he remained in this office for eight years. Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough, Queen Anne’s close friend, later wrote that if Anne learned anything about politics and statecraft, it was entirely due to Sidney’s mentoring. Queen Anne made Sidney a Knight of the Garter in 1704, and in 1706, she created him and Earl of Godolphin and Viscount Rialton.

Both Sidney and the Marlboroughs gradually lost their favor with Queen Anne but their services were so valued by the nation that they continued to maintain their influence. However, in 1708, Queen Anne finally succeeded in ousting Marlborough and Sidney. Sidney Godolphin, 1st Earl of Godolphin died, aged 67, on September 15, 1712, in St. Albans, Hertfordshire, England. He was buried in the south aisle of the nave of Westminster Abbey in London, England. On a nearby wall is a bust of him by the sculptor Francis Bird.

Bust of Sidney Godolphin, 1st Earl of Godolphin in Westminster Abbey; Credit – https://www.westminster-abbey.org/abbey-commemorations/commemorations/godolphin-family

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. Sidney Godolphin, 1. Earl Of Godolphin. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidney_Godolphin,_1._Earl_of_Godolphin> [Accessed 23 January 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Sidney Godolphin, 1St Earl Of Godolphin. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidney_Godolphin,_1st_Earl_of_Godolphin> [Accessed 23 January 2021].
  • Fraser, Antonia, 1979. King Charles II. London: Phoenix.
  • Genealogics.org. 2021. Leo’s Genealogics Website. [online] Available at: <https://www.genealogics.org/index.php> [Accessed 23 January 2021].
  • Somerset, Anne, 2012. Queen Anne: The Politics of Passion. New York: Vintage Books.
  • Thepeerage.com. 2021. The Peerage: A Genealogical Survey Of The Peerage Of Britain As Well As The Royal Families Of Europe. [online] Available at: <http://www.thepeerage.com/> [Accessed 23 January 2021].
  • Van Der Kiste, J., 2003. William And Mary. Thrupp: Sutton Publishing.

Robert de Vere, Duke of Ireland, Marquess of Dublin, 9th Earl of Oxford, Favorite of Richard II, King of England

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Robert de Vere (in blue with the red hat), sitting on King Richard II’s left; Credit – http://www.luminarium.org/encyclopedia/richard2feast.jpg

Favorite: a person treated with special or undue favor by a king, queen, or another royal person

Born on January 16, 1362, during the reign of King Edward III of England, Robert de Vere, Duke of Ireland, Marquess of Dublin, and 9th Earl of Oxford was the only child of Thomas de Vere, 8th Earl of Oxford and Maud de Ufford. Robert’s mother was the only child of Sir Ralph de Ufford and Maud of Lancaster, the daughter of Henry, 3rd Duke of Lancaster, grandson of King Henry III of England. Robert’s father served in several military campaigns of Edward III and when he died in 1371, his nine-year-old son succeeded him. Young Robert also succeeded his father as Lord Great Chamberlain, a hereditary office. From 1133 – 1526, the Earls of Oxford held the office almost continuously, with a few exceptions due to the forfeiture of some Earls of Oxford for treason.

Robert and Philippa; Credit – Wikipedia

On October 5, 1376, Robert married Philippa de Coucy, daughter of Enguerrand VII, Lord of Coucy and Isabella of England, the eldest daughter of King Edward III of England. Their marriage was childless. On June 21, 1377, King Edward III died and he was succeeded by his ten-year-old grandson King Richard II. Richard II’s father Edward, Prince of Wales, also known as the Black Prince, had died in 1376. Robert was often at court in his role as Lord Great Chamberlain and as the husband of the king’s first cousin. He quickly became a favorite of the young king and a member of the Privy Council.

Hedingham Castle, the seat of the Earls of Oxford; Credit – By Simondaw, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4375023

In 1384, Richard II created Robert a Knight of the Order of the Garter. During the following two years, Robert received more honors from Richard II. He was created Marquess of Dublin and Duke of Ireland. The creation of both these peerages angered the nobility. Until then, the title of duke was reserved for close relatives of the king (usually sons) and it was the first time a marquess title was created in England.

Robert began an affair with Agnes de Launcekrona, a Lady of the Bedchamber of Richard II’s first wife Anne of Bohemia. In 1387, Robert repudiated and divorced his wife Philippa, and then promptly married Agnes. This was considered a major scandal because Philippa was the first cousin of the King of England. Philippa’s powerful royal uncles, the sons of Edward III, John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster; Edmund of Langley, Duke of York; and Thomas of Woodstock, Duke of Gloucester, were beyond furious. Even Robert’s mother Maud de Ufford took Philippa’s side over her son’s. She cursed Robert for his actions and took Philippa into her household. Agnes never held the titles of Countess of Oxford or Duchess of Ireland, as Philippa continued to use those titles after the divorce. In 1389, Pope Urban VI declared Robert’s divorce to Philippa invalid, making his second marriage invalid.

In 1386, Parliament blamed Richard II’s advisers, including Robert de Vere, for the military failures and accused them of misusing funds intended for the war. Parliament authorized a commission of nobles known as the Lords Appellant to take over the management of the kingdom and act as Richard II’s regents. There were originally three Lords Appellant: Thomas of Woodstock, Duke of Gloucester, son of Edward III and Richard’s uncle; Richard FitzAlan, 11th Earl of Arundel; and Thomas de Beauchamp, 12th Earl of Warwick. Later, Henry Bolingbroke, Earl of Derby (son of John of Gaunt, Richard’s first cousin and the future King Henry IV), and Thomas de Mowbray, 1st Duke of Norfolk also became Lords Appellant. Richard II did not recognize the authority of the Lords Appellant and started an unsuccessful military attempt to overthrow the Lords Appellant. In 1387, the Lords Appellant launched an armed rebellion against King Richard II and defeated an army under Robert de Vere, 9th Earl of Oxford at the Battle of Radcot Bridge on the River Thames, outside Oxford.

Embed from Getty Images 
Battle of Radcot Bridge (Miniature from the Grandes Chroniques de France by Jean Froissart)

After the battle, Robert sought a way to escape. He forced his horse into the River Thames and moved upstream. Staying close to the riverbank, Robert lightened his load by dropping his gauntlets, sword, and helmet. He found a company of enemy archers on Radcot Bridge and sought shelter in the woods. When it was dark, he took off his armor and swam across the River Thames. Hiding in the woods during the day, and traveling at night, Robert made his way to the English Channel, and then to France. After his horse, helmet, armor, and sword were found, it was thought that perhaps Robert had drowned. Robert was attainted, found guilty of treason, lost his titles and land, and sentenced to death in absentia by the Merciless Parliament of 1388.

On November 22, 1392, in Louvain, Duchy of Brabant, now in Belgium, 30-year-old Robert de Vere died in exile and poverty from the wounds received while hunting a wild boar. In 1395, King Richard II had Robert’s remains brought back to England for burial at Colne Priory, the burial site of the Earls of Oxford, in Earls Colne, Essex, England. The chronicler Thomas Walsingham recorded that many nobles did not attend the burial ceremony because they “had not yet digested their hatred” of Robert. Richard II had the coffin opened to view his friend’s remains one last time. In 1393, Sir Aubrey de Vere, Robert’s uncle, was restored to the family titles and land, becoming the 10th Earl of Oxford. However, the Duke of Ireland and Marquess of Dublin titles became extinct.

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

  • https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_de_Vere,_Duke_of_Ireland
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Agnes De Launcekrona. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agnes_de_Launcekrona> [Accessed 19 November 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Lord Great Chamberlain. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_Great_Chamberlain> [Accessed 19 November 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Maud De Ufford, Countess Of Oxford. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maud_de_Ufford,_Countess_of_Oxford> [Accessed 19 November 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Robert De Vere, Duke Of Ireland. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_de_Vere,_9th_Earl_of_Oxford> [Accessed 19 November 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Thomas De Vere, 8Th Earl Of Oxford. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_de_Vere,_8th_Earl_of_Oxford> [Accessed 19 November 2020].
  • Flantzer, Susan. 2016. King Richard II Of England. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-richard-ii-of-england/> [Accessed 19 November 2020].
  • Nash Ford, David, 2004. Berkshire History: The Battle Of Radcot Bridge (1387). [online] Berkshirehistory.com. Available at: <http://www.berkshirehistory.com/articles/radcot_bridge_bat.html> [Accessed 19 November 2020].
  • Nl.wikipedia.org. 2020. Robert De Vere. [online] Available at: <https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_de_Vere> [Accessed 19 November 2020].

Prince Wolrad of Waldeck-Pyrmont

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Credit- Wikipedia

Prince Wolrad of Waldeck and Pyrmont, who was killed in action two months after the start of World War I, was the only child of Georg Viktor, Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont and his second wife Princess Louise of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, daughter of Friedrich, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg and Adelheid of Schaumburg-Lippe. He was born on June 26, 1892, in Arolsen, Principality of Waldeck-Pyrmont, now in the German state of Hesse.

Wolrad had seven half-siblings from his father’s first marriage to Helena of Nassau. Through his half-sister Emma, he was the uncle of Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, the reigning monarch during World War I. He was also the uncle of Charles Edward, the reigning Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha during World War I, and Princess Alice of Albany through his half-sister Helena who had married Prince, Leopold, Duke of Albany, the youngest son of Queen Victoria.

Wolrad grew up without his father, who died one year after his birth. He was raised by his mother and his half-brother Friedrich, the last reigning Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont. In 1910, Wolrad accompanied his half-brother Friedrich to the funeral of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom. Wolrad studied at New College, Oxford, University of Grenoble, and Heidelberg University. Because he showed little interest in his studies, Wolrad was directed toward a military career. He became a Lieutenant in the Dragoon Regiment of the Grand Ducal Hessian Division of the Imperial German Army. During World War I, he fought during the early battles, the Battle of the Frontiers (August 7 – September 6, 1914) and the First Battle of the Marne (September 6 – September 12, 1914).

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

Prince Wolrad’s orderly wrote of him: “He took care of his people as if they were his own. He was very popular among us. You cannot imagine how sad the Dragoons were when His Highness fell. He was the best officer in the Regiment. He carried out more patrols than anyone else because he could orient himself so well. Everyone wanted to go on patrol with him.”

Princely Mausoleum and Cemetery; Credit – www.findagrave.com

Prince Wolrad was buried in the Princely Cemetery at Schloss Rhoden (link in German) in Rhoden, Principality of Waldeck-Pyrmont, now in the German state of Hesse, where his father had been buried in 1893 and where his mother would be buried in 1936.

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. 2020. Prince Wolrad of Waldeck And Pyrmont. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Wolrad_of_Waldeck_and_Pyrmont> [Accessed 5 December 2020].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2020. Georg Viktor, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/georg-viktor-prince-of-waldeck-and-pyrmont/> [Accessed 5 December 2020].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2014. October 1914: Royalty And World War I. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/october-1914-royalty-and-world-war-i/> [Accessed 5 December 2020].
  • New York Times, 1915. German Princes Who Have Fallen In The War. [online] Available at: <https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1915/10/31/101570495.pdf?pdf_redirect=true&ip=0> [Accessed 5 December 2020].

Friedrich, Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

The County of Waldeck was a county within the Holy Roman Empire since 1180.  In 1625, the much smaller County of Pyrmont became part of the much larger County of Waldeck through inheritance and the combined territory was known as the County of Waldeck-Pyrmont. In 1712,  Friedrich Anton Ulrich, Count of Waldeck-Pyrmont was elevated to Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont by Holy Emperor Karl VI.

Friedrich, the last Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont,  abdicated on November 13, 1918, and negotiated an agreement with the government that gave him and his descendants the ownership of the family home Arolsen Castle and Arolsen Forest. Today the territory that encompassed the Principality of Waldeck-Pyrmont is located in the German states of Hesse and Lower Saxony

Friedrich, Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont; Credit – Wikipedia

Friedrich, the last reigning Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont, was born on January 20, 1865, in Arolsen, Principality of Waldeck and Pyrmont, now in the German state of Hesse. He was the only son and the sixth of the seven children of Georg Viktor, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont and Helena of Nassau, daughter of Wilhelm, Duke of Nassau and his second wife Pauline of Württemberg. Friedrich studied law at the University of Göttingen and the University of Leipzig. After his time at university, he served in the Prussian Army in Guards Uhlan Regiment.

Friedrich’s parents with his five elder sisters, circa 1864; Credit – Wikipedia

Friedrich had six sisters. Through his sister Emma, he was the uncle of Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, and through his sister Helena, he was the uncle of Charles Edward, the last reigning Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

Friedrich’s mother Helena had been in ill health for the last decade of her life and she died on October 28, 1888, aged 57. In 1891, Friedrich’s father Georg Viktor married again to Princess Louise of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, who was twenty-seven years younger.

Friedrich had one, much younger half-brother from his father’s second marriage:

Upon the death of his father on May 12, 1893, Friedrich became the reigning Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont. Friedrich’s half-brother Wolrad grew up without his father, who died one year after his birth. Friedrich took on much responsibility for his half-brother’s upbringing.

Bathildis of Schaumburg-Lippe; Credit – Wikipedia

On August 9, 1895, in Náchod, Kingdom of Bohemia, now in the Czech Republic, Friedrich married Bathildis of Schaumburg-Lippe, daughter of Prince Wilhelm of Schaumburg-Lippe and Bathildis of Anhalt-Dessau.

Friedrich and Bathildis had four children:

During World War I, Friedrich served as a Cavalry General in the Imperial German Army. After the defeat of the German Empire in World War I and the end of all the German monarchies, Friedrich abdicated on November 13, 1918. However, he was the only German prince who refused to sign an abdication agreement. Philipp Scheidemann, the Social Democratic Mayor of Kassel, jokingly called him “Friedrich the Defiant” because of his resistance. Friedrich negotiated an agreement with the government that gave him and his descendants the ownership of the family home Arolsen Castle and the Arolsen Forest.

Friedrich’s eldest son Josias; Credit – Wikipedia

Both Friedrich and his wife Bathildis lived through World War II. While neither Friedrich nor Bathildis joined the Nazi Party, their eldest son Josias, his wife Altburg, and their eldest child Margarethe were members of the Nazi Party. Josias joined the Nazi Party in 1929 and by 1930, he was a member of the Schutzstaffel, better known as the SS. The SS was the primary agency of security, surveillance, and terror in Nazi Germany and German-occupied Europe. In September 1930, Josias became the Adjutant and Staff Chief of Heinrich Himmler, the head of the SS, one of the most powerful men in Nazi Germany, and the main architect of the Holocaust. Josias rose through the ranks of the SS, eventually attaining the rank of General of the Waffen-SS, the military branch of the SS. Members of the Waffen-SS were involved in numerous atrocities. At the Nuremberg Trials (1945 – 1946), the Waffen-SS was judged to be a criminal organization because of its direct involvement in numerous war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Josias (in black) as a defendant at the Buchenwald Trial in 1947; Credit – Wikipedia

On April 13, 1945, Josias was taken prisoner by American forces. For a period of time, Josias had supervisory authority over the Buchenwald concentration camp. He was sentenced to life imprisonment for crimes in connection to the Buchenwald concentration camp by an American court in Dachau, Germany during the Buchenwald Trial on August 14, 1947. In 1948, Josias’ sentence was reduced to twenty years. He was released early from the Landsberg War Crimes Prison for health reasons in 1950.

Princely Mausoleum and Cemetery; Credit – www.findagrave.com

Friedrich, the last Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont, died on May 26, 1946, at the age of 81 in Arolsen, Germany. His son Josias became Head of the House of Waldeck-Pyrmont while in custody. Bathildis of Schaumburg-Lippe, the last Princess of Waldeck-Pyrmont, survived her husband by sixteen years, dying on April 6, 1962, aged 88, in Arolsen, West Germany, now in Germany. She was buried with her husband in the Princely Cemetery at Schloss Rhoden (link in German) in Rhoden, now in the German state of Hesse.

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.

Waldeck-Pyrmont Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. 2020. Bathildis Zu Schaumburg-Lippe. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bathildis_zu_Schaumburg-Lippe> [Accessed 5 December 2020].
  • De.wikipedia.org. 2020. Friedrich (Waldeck-Pyrmont). [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedrich_(Waldeck-Pyrmont)> [Accessed 5 December 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Friedrich, Prince Of Waldeck And Pyrmont. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedrich,_Prince_of_Waldeck_and_Pyrmont> [Accessed 5 December 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Josias, Hereditary Prince Of Waldeck And Pyrmont. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josias,_Hereditary_Prince_of_Waldeck_and_Pyrmont> [Accessed 5 December 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Princess Bathildis Of Schaumburg-Lippe. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Bathildis_of_Schaumburg-Lippe> [Accessed 5 December 2020].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2020. Georg Viktor, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/georg-viktor-prince-of-waldeck-and-pyrmont/> [Accessed 4 December 2020].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2020. Royal Burial Sites Of The Principality Of Waldeck-Pyrmont. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/former-monarchies/german-royals/principality-of-waldeck-and-pyrmont/royal-burial-sites-of-the-principality-of-waldeck-pyrmont/> [Accessed 4 December 2020].
  • Petropoulos, Jonathan, 2009. Royals And The Reich. Oxford: Oxford University Press

Georg Viktor, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2021

The County of Waldeck was a county within the Holy Roman Empire since 1180.  In 1625, the much smaller County of Pyrmont became part of the much larger County of Waldeck through inheritance and the combined territory was known as the County of Waldeck-Pyrmont. In 1712,  Friedrich Anton Ulrich, Count of Waldeck-Pyrmont was elevated to Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont by Holy Emperor Karl VI.

Friedrich, the last Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont,  abdicated on November 13, 1918, and negotiated an agreement with the government that gave him and his descendants the ownership of the family home Arolsen Castle and Arolsen Forest. Today the territory that encompassed the Principality of Waldeck-Pyrmont is located in the German states of Hesse and Lower Saxony

Georg Viktor, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont; Credit – Wikipedia

Georg Viktor, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont was born in Arolsen, Principality of Waldeck-Pyrmont, now in the German state of Hesse, on January 14, 1831. He was the fourth of the five children and the second but the eldest surviving of the three sons of Georg II, Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont and Emma of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym, daughter of Viktor II, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym and Amelia of Nassau-Weilburg.

Georg Viktor had four siblings:

On May 15, 1845, Georg Viktor’s father died and his mother Emma served as Regent of the Principality of Waldeck-Pyrmont until he reached his majority in 1852. One of Emma’s first acts was to reform the Waldeck-Pyrmont forces of the German Federal Army, which collectively defended the German Confederation, of which Waldeck-Pyrmont was a member, from external enemies. This was implemented in 1845 by Prussian army officers. The Revolutions of 1848 took place during Emma’s regency leading to a new constitution and a new parliament being convened. When Georg Viktor was to assume his powers as reigning Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont on his 21st birthday, he refused to recognize the constitution that had been instituted as a result of the Revolutions of 1848. Georg Viktor took over the reigning only after a constitutional amendment that was acceptable to him passed on August 17, 1852.

Georg Viktor and Helena of Nassau; Credit – https://www.pinterest.com/pin/430445676888607858/

On September 26, 1853, in Wiesbaden, Duchy of Nassau, now in the German state of Hesse, Georg Victor married Helena of Nassau, daughter of Wilhelm, Duke of Nassau and his second wife Pauline of Württemberg. Helena proved to be very successful in finding suitable marriages for their children by making contacts with various European royal houses. Because of her efforts, the relatively poor House of Waldeck-Pyrmont was linked to the richer ruling dynasties of Würtemberg, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. Georg Viktor and Helena are the ancestors of the Dutch royal family through their daughter Emma and the Swedish royal family through their daughter Helena.

Georg Viktor and Helena with their five elder daughters circa 1864; Credit – Wikipedia

Georg Viktor and Helena had six daughters and one son:

In the Prussian-Austrian War (1866) Georg Viktor sided with the Kingdom of Prussia and then joined the North German Confederation, a group of German monarchies controlled and led by the largest and most powerful member, the Kingdom of Prussia. Due to a treaty, from 1868 onward, the Principality of Waldeck-Pyrmont was administered by Prussia but retained its legislative sovereignty. This reduced administrative costs for the small principality and was based on a ten-year contract that was repeatedly renewed for the duration of the principality’s existence. In 1871, the Principality of Waldeck-Pyrmont became a constituent state of the new German Empire.

Louise of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg; Credit – Wikipedia

Georg Viktor’s wife Helena had been in ill health during the last decade of her life. She died on October 28, 1888, aged 57, in Pyrmont, Principality of Waldeck and Pyrmont, now in the German state of Lower Saxony. On April 29, 1891, at Schloss Luisenlund in Güby, Duchy of Schleswig, now in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein, Georg Viktor married Louise of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, who was twenty-seven years younger. Louise was the daughter of Friedrich, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg and Adelheid of Schaumburg-Lippe.

Georg Viktor and Louise had one son:

Princely Mausoleum and Cemetery; Credit – www.findagrave.com

A year after the birth of his son Wolrad, Georg Viktor, aged 62, died from pneumonia on May 12, 1893, in the spa town Marienbad, Kingdom of Bohemia, now in the Czech Republic. He was buried with his first wife Helena in the Princely Cemetery at Schloss Rhoden (link in German) in Rhoden, Principality of Waldeck-Pyrmont, now in the German state of Hesse. Georg Viktor’s second wife Louise survived him by 43 years, dying on July 2, 1936, aged 78, in Marburg an der Lahn, Germany, and was buried in the Princely Cemetery at Schloss Rhoden with her husband and his first wife.

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.

Waldeck-Pyrmont Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. 2020. Georg Viktor (Waldeck-Pyrmont). [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georg_Viktor_(Waldeck-Pyrmont)> [Accessed 5 December 2020].
  • De.wikipedia.org. 2020. Helene Von Nassau. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helene_von_Nassau> [Accessed 5 December 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. George Victor, Prince Of Waldeck And Pyrmont. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Victor,_Prince_of_Waldeck_and_Pyrmont> [Accessed 5 December 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Princess Helena Of Nassau. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Helena_of_Nassau> [Accessed 5 December 2020].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2020. Georg II, Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/georg-ii-prince-of-waldeck-and-pyrmont/> [Accessed 3 December 2020].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2020. Royal Burial Sites Of The Principality Of Waldeck-Pyrmont. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/former-monarchies/german-royals/principality-of-waldeck-and-pyrmont/royal-burial-sites-of-the-principality-of-waldeck-pyrmont/> [Accessed 30 November 2020].

Hugh Despenser the Younger, Favorite of Edward II, King of England

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Favorite: a person treated with special or undue favor by a king, queen, or another royal person

Hugh Despenser the Younger from the Founders ‘and Benefactors’ Book of Tewkesbury Abbey, Bodleian Library Oxford; Credit – Wikipedia

Hugh Despenser the Younger was born in England circa 1287 – 1289. He was the elder of the two sons and the eldest of the four children of Hugh Despenser the Elder, 1st Earl of Winchester and Isabel de Beauchamp, daughter of William de Beauchamp, 9th Earl of Warwick and Maud FitzJohn.

Hugh had three younger siblings:

Hugh was knighted on May 22, 1306, at the Feast of the Swans, a celebration of the knighting of 267 men at Westminster Abbey.  King Edward I of England first knighted his son Edward of Caernarfon, the future King Edward II, who then knighted the 266 other men. Shortly afterward, Hugh married Eleanor de Clare, daughter of Gilbert de Clare, 6th Earl of Hertford and Joan of Acre, daughter of King Edward I and sister of King Edward II. Eleanor’s grandfather King Edward I granted her a substantial dowry of 2,000 pounds sterling.

Hugh and Eleanor had nine children:

King Edward II of England; Credit – Wikipedia

Hugh’s father Hugh Despenser the Elder served King Edward I of England both in battle and as a diplomat and was created Baron Despenser and summoned to Parliament in 1295. On July 8, 1307, King Edward I died and his son succeeded him as King Edward II. Hugh Despenser the Elder was one of the few barons who remained loyal to Edward II during the controversy regarding Edward II’s favorite Piers Gaveston.

After Piers Gaveston was executed in 1312, Hugh Despenser the Elder became Edward II’s chief administrator, marking the beginning of the Despensers’ increased prominence at court. Hugh Despenser the Younger became royal chamberlain in 1318. He then maneuvered himself into the affections of King Edward II and displaced his current favorite Roger d’Amory.  While there is no doubt that there was a close and trusting relationship between King Edward II and Hugh Despenser the Younger, there is little evidence to support the suspicion that they also had a sexual relationship. Edward II was willing to let the Despensers do as they pleased, and they grew rich from their corruption.

All this caused much dismay among the nobility. Their feelings were especially negative towards Hugh the Younger. They saw him taking their rightful places at court and even worse, being the new Piers Gaveston. By 1321, Hugh the Younger had earned many enemies throughout English society, from Edward II’s wife Queen Isabella, to the nobility, to the common people. A year later, Queen Isabella became even more enraged when Edward II created Hugh the Elder Earl of Winchester. By 1323, Queen Isabella had had enough of the Despensers and left Edward II, who made an unwise decision to send Isabella and their 12-year-old son, the future King Edward III, on a diplomatic mission to her native France.

In France, Isabella became reacquainted with Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March. Mortimer had been imprisoned in the Tower of London in 1322 for having led a revolt against King Edward II in what became known as the Despenser War. He later escaped to France with Isabella’s help. Isabella and Mortimer made plans to depose Edward II.  They gathered an army and set sail for England, landing at Harwich on September 25, 1326.  With their mercenary army, Isabella and Mortimer quickly seized power. Edward II was forced to abdicate. Isabella’s son was crowned King Edward III, and Isabella and Mortimer served as regents for the teenage king.

During the rebellion, both Hugh Despenser the Elder and Hugh Despenser the Younger were captured. Queen Isabella tried to intercede for Hugh the Elder but his enemies, notably Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March and Henry, 3rd Earl of Lancaster, insisted that both father and son should face trial and execution. Ultimately, Hugh the Elder was denied a trial and was immediately hanged in his armor on October 27, 1326.

The execution of Hugh Despenser the Younger, from a manuscript of Jean Froissart, Credit – Wikipedia

Hugh the Younger unsuccessfully attempted to starve himself to death before his trial. He was tried on November 24, 1326, with Queen Isabella and Mortimer in attendance, and was found guilty on many charges including high treason, and sentenced to death. Hugh Despenser the Younger was executed in Hereford, England, on the same day as his trial. He was dragged naked through the streets and then hanged, drawn, and quartered. His head was mounted on the gates of London. Four years later, in December 1330, Hugh the Younger’s widow was permitted to bury his remains at the family’s Gloucestershire estate but only the head, a thighbone, and a few vertebrae were returned to her.

During archaeological work in the 1970s, the remains of a decapitated male, missing several vertebrae and a thighbone, were found in the ruins of Hulton Abbey in Abbey Hulton in Staffordshire, England. The location of the remains in the chancel suggested that they belonged to an important person. In 2004, the remains were transferred to the University of Reading, where analysis suggested that the body had been hanged, drawn, and quartered. Radiocarbon analysis dated the body to between 1050 and 1385, and later tests suggested the remains belonged to a man over 34 years old. In 2008, Dr. Mary Lewis of the University of Reading identified the remains as belonging to Hugh Despenser the Younger. Hugh Despenser the Younger was about 40-years-old at the time of his death. Hulton Abbey is located on lands that belonged to Hugh Audley, 1st Earl of Gloucester who was the second husband of Margaret de Clare, the sister of Hugh the Younger’s widow Eleanor de Clare. Margaret’s first husband had been Piers Gaveston so she and her sister Eleanor had very unlucky first marriages.

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. 2020. Hugh Le Despenser. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_le_Despenser> [Accessed 17 November 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Eleanor De Clare. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eleanor_de_Clare> [Accessed 17 November 2020].
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hulton_Abbey
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Hugh Despenser The Elder. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Despenser_the_Elder> [Accessed 17 November 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Hugh Despenser The Younger. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Despenser_the_Younger> [Accessed 17 November 2020].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2016. King Edward II Of England. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-edward-ii-of-england/> [Accessed 17 November 2020].

Emma of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym, Princess of Waldeck-Pyrmont, Regent of Waldeck-Pyrmont

by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2021

Emma of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym; Credit – Wikipedia

The County of Waldeck was a county within the Holy Roman Empire since 1180.  In 1625, the much smaller County of Pyrmont became part of the much larger County of Waldeck through inheritance and the combined territory was known as the County of Waldeck-Pyrmont. In 1712,  Friedrich Anton Ulrich, Count of Waldeck-Pyrmont was elevated to Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont by Holy Emperor Karl VI.

Friedrich, the last Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont,  abdicated on November 13, 1918, and negotiated an agreement with the government that gave him and his descendants the ownership of the family home Arolsen Castle and Arolsen Forest. Today the territory that encompassed the Principality of Waldeck-Pyrmont is located in the German states of Hesse and Lower Saxony

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Princess Emma of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym was the wife of Georg II, Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont. She was born at Schaumberg Castle in Schaumburg, Principality of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym, now in the German state of Lower Saxony, on May 20, 1802. Emma was the third of the four children, all daughters, of Viktor II, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym (1767 – 1812) and Amelia of Nassau-Weilburg (1776 – 1841).

Through their mother, Emma and her sisters were descendants of King George II of Great Britain and Willem IV, Prince of Orange. Emma had two older sisters and one younger sister. All three of her sisters died in their early twenties.

Hoym Castle where Emma grew up; Credit – Von F.baumgarten – Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19217416

Emma’s father Viktor II, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym died in 1812, after a reign of six years, while his daughters were still children. As he had no sons, Viktor was succeeded by his half-uncle Friedrich, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym. Throughout Viktor’s reign, his half-uncle claimed he had a right to co-reign because the laws of primogeniture were never formally installed in Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym. Emma and her sisters grew up at Hoym Castle (link in German), in Hoym, now in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. After her father’s death, Emma’s mother Amelia of Nassau-Weilburg married Baron Friedrich von Stein-Liebenstein-Barchfeld in 1813.

Georg II, Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont; Credit – Wikipedia

On June 26, 1823, at Schaumburg Castle in Schaumburg, Principality of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym, now in the German state of Lower Saxony, Emma married Georg II, Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont. Emma and Georg had had five children. Through their son Georg Viktor, they are ancestors of the Dutch royal family.

On May 15, 1845, Georg II died at the age of 55 and Emma served as Regent of the Principality of Waldeck-Pyrmont until her son Georg Viktor, Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont reached his majority in 1852. One of Emma’s first acts was to reform the Waldeck-Pyrmont forces of the German Federal Army, which collectively defended the German Confederation from external enemies. This was implemented in 1845 by Prussian army officers. The Revolutions of 1848 took place during Emma’s regency and this led to a new parliament being convened. Emma’s regency was viewed as important because of the complete overhaul of the government’s organization.

From 1853 until her death, Emma lived at the Neues Schloss (New Castle – link in German), which was originally built for Christiane Henriette of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld, Princess of Waldeck-Pyrmont, her husband’s grandmother, as her widow’s seat, near the main Waldeck-Pyrmont main residence, the Residenzschloss Arolsen (link in German), in Arolsen, Principality of Waldeck-Pyrmont, now in the German state of Hesse. Emma had the Neues Schloss redesigned in the classic style.

Princely Mausoleum and Cemetery; Credit – www.findagrave.com

Emma survived her husband by thirteen years, dying on August 1, 1858, in Pyrmont, Principality of Waldeck-Pyrmont, now in the German state of Lower Saxony, aged 56. She was buried with her husband in the Princely Mausoleum at Schloss Rhoden (link in German) in Rhoden, Principality of Waldeck-Pyrmont, now in the German state of Hesse. Emma was the grandmother of Princess Emma of Waldeck-Pyrmont who became Queen of the Netherlands when she married King Willem III of the Netherlands. Emma of Waldeck-Pyrmont was born the day after her grandmother died and was named in her honor.

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.

Waldeck-Pyrmont Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. 2020. Emma Von Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emma_von_Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym> [Accessed 4 December 2020].
  • De.wikipedia.org. 2020. Georg II. (Waldeck-Pyrmont). [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georg_II._(Waldeck-Pyrmont)> [Accessed 3 December 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. George II, Prince Of Waldeck And Pyrmont. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_II,_Prince_of_Waldeck_and_Pyrmont> [Accessed 3 December 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Princess Emma Of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Emma_of_Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym> [Accessed 4 December 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Victor II, Prince Of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_II,_Prince_of_Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym> [Accessed 5 December 2020].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2020. Georg II, Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/georg-ii-prince-of-waldeck-and-pyrmont/> [Accessed 3 December 2020].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2020. Royal Burial Sites Of The Principality Of Waldeck-Pyrmont. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/former-monarchies/german-royals/principality-of-waldeck-and-pyrmont/royal-burial-sites-of-the-principality-of-waldeck-pyrmont/> [Accessed 30 November 2020].