Georg II, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2021

Georg II, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont; 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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Georg II, Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont was born on September 20, 1789, in Weil am Rhein, Margraviate of Baden, now in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. He was the second but the eldest surviving of the eight sons and the third of the thirteen children of Georg I, Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont and Augusta of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen.

Georg had twelve siblings but seven of them died either in childhood or in their early twenties:

  • Christiane of Waldeck-Pyrmont (1787 – 1806), Abbess of Schaaken, died at age 19
  • Karl of Waldeck-Pyrmont (1788 – 1795), died in childhood
  • Friedrich of Waldeck-Pyrmont (1790 – 1828), morganatically married Ursula Polle who was created Countess of Waldeck, had four children
  • Christian of Waldeck-Pyrmont (1792 – 1795), died in early childhood
  • Augusta of Waldeck-Pyrmont (1793 – 1794), died in infancy
  • Johann of Waldeck- Pyrmont (1794 – 1814), died at age 20
  • Ida of Waldeck-Pyrmont (1796 – 1869), married Georg Wilhelm Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe, had nine children
  • Wolrad of Waldeck-Pyrmont (1798 – 1821), died at age 23
  • Mathilde of Waldeck-Pyrmont (1801 – 1825), married Eugen of Württemberg, had three children, died during her fourth pregnancy
  • Karl Christian of Waldeck-Pyrmont (1803 – 1846), married Amalie of Lippe-Biesterfeld, had one child
  • Karoline Christiane of Waldeck-Pyrmont (1804 – 1806), died in early childhood
  • Hermann of Waldeck-Pyrmont (1809 – 1876), married Agnes Teleki de Szék, had no children

In 1807, Georg’s father joined the Confederation of the Rhine, a group of German client states of Napoleon’s First French Empire. Because of Waldeck-Pyrmont’s close relationship with the First French Empire, Georg spent two years in training at Napoleon’s court in Paris and Versailles. He then studied law at the University of Leipzig.

On September 24, 1812, after the death of his unmarried and childless elder brother Friedrich Karl August, Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont, Georg’s father succeeded him as Georg I, Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont. However, Georg I’s reign lasted a little less than one year, and upon his death on September 9, 1813, his twenty-three-year-old son succeeded as Georg II, Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont.

Emma of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym; 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, Georg married Emma of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym, daughter of Viktor II, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym and Amalie of Nassau-Weilburg.

Georg and Emma had five children. Through their son Georg Viktor, they are ancestors of the Dutch royal family.

Since 1645, Waldeck and Pyrmont had been ruled jointly in a personal union. Georg attempted to unite Waldeck and Pyrmont under constitutional law. However, there was much political resistance, and this was not accomplished until 1849, four years after Georg’s death. In 1815, after the fall of Napoleon, Waldeck-Pyrmont joined the German Confederation, an association of 39 predominantly German-speaking sovereign states created by the Congress of Vienna as a replacement for the former Holy Roman Empire, which had been dissolved in 1806.

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

On May 15, 1845, Georg II died at the age of 55, in Arolsen, Principality of Waldeck-Pyrmont, now in the German state of Hesse. He was buried in the Princely Mausoleum at Schloss Rhoden (link in German) in Rhoden, Principality of Waldeck-Pyrmont, now in the German state of Hesse. His wife Emma, served as Regent for their fourteen-year-old son Georg Viktor, Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont until 1852. She 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, and was buried with her husband in the Princely Mausoleum at Schloss Rhoden.

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 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].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2020. Christiane Henriette of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld, Princess of Waldeck-Pyrmont, Regent of Waldeck-Pyrmont. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/christiane-henriette-of-zweibrucken-birkenfeld-princess-of-waldeck-pyrmont-regent-of-waldeck-pyrmont/> [Accessed 1 December 2020].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2020. Georg I, Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/georg-i-prince-of-waldeck-and-pyrmont/> [Accessed 2 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].
  • Lagis-hessen.de. 2020. Waldeck And Pyrmont, Georg Friedrich Heinrich Fürst Von – Biografie : Erweiterte Suche : LAGIS Hessen. [online] Available at: <https://www.lagis-hessen.de/pnd/104311886> [Accessed 3 December 2020].
  • Waldecker-muenzen.de. 2020. Georg II, Fürst Von Waldeck-Pyrmont. [online] Available at: <http://www.waldecker-muenzen.de/regent_detail.php?rnr=32&menu=1.2> [Accessed 3 December 2020].

Piers Gaveston, 1st Earl of Cornwall, 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

Coat of arms of Piers Gaveston; Credit – By Own workiThe source code of this SVG is valid.This vector image was created with Inkscape by User:Jaspe., CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3849182

Piers Gaveston was born Pierre de Gabaston circa 1283, in the Duchy of Gascony, now a province in southwestern France, the son of Arnaud de Gabaston (link in French) and Claramonde de Marsan, daughter of Viscount Arnaud-Guillaume de Marsan.

Piers had six siblings:

  • Arnaud-Guillaume de Gabaston (circa 1272 – after 1325)
  • Unknown sister
  • Unknown sister
  • Gérard de Gabaston
  • Raimond-Arnaud de Gabaston
  • Amie de Gabaston (? – after 1312)

Through his marriage, Arnaud de Gabaston, Piers’ father, acquired land and castles that were under the jurisdiction of King Edward I of England in his capacity as Duke of Aquitaine, and so Arnaud became a vassal of King Edward I. After the death of his wife in 1287, Arnaud had to fight legal claims over his wife’s inheritance. This made him financially dependent on King Edward I who he served for the rest of his life. Arnaud fought with King Edward I in the First War of Scottish Independence and the Conquest of Wales. When Arnaud died in 1302, he was given the great honor of burial in Winchester Cathedral in England.

King Edward I and his son Edward, Prince of Wales; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1300, Piers sailed to England with his father and older brother Arnaud-Guillaume. Probably because of his father’s influence, Piers became a member of the household of King Edward I’s son and heir Edward of Caernarfon, the future King Edward II. King Edward I was impressed with Piers’ conduct and skill in tournaments, and he wanted him to serve as a role model for his son. Piers and Edward of Caernarfon soon became inseparable companions. Piers 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 first knighted his son Edward of Caernarfon who then knighted the 266 other young men. However, Piers soon became involved in conflicts between King Edward I and his son. The situation got so bad that King Edward I banished Piers in 1307.

King Edward II; Credit – Wikipedia

On July 8, 1307, King Edward I died and his son became king. One of King Edward II’s first acts as king was to recall his favorite Piers Gaveston back to court.  In 1308, Edward II married Isabella of France. ​ From the start of her marriage, Isabella was confronted with the close relationship between her husband and Piers, described as “an arrogant, ostentatious soldier, with a reckless and headstrong personality.”  The true nature of the relationship between Edward II and Piers is unknown and there is no contemporary evidence that comments directly on Edward’s sexual orientation. It is probable that may have simply been friends with a close working relationship. In 1307, Piers was created Earl of Cornwall, a title usually given to the sons of the king, and in 1308, Edward II arranged for Piers to marry his niece Margaret de Clare, daughter of Gilbert de Clare, 6th Earl of Hertford and Joan of Acre, Edward II’s sister. Both these acts and several other incidents greatly displeased the English nobility.

The April 1308 parliament demanded the exile of Gaveston but Edward II resisted. Eventually, with the influence of Isabella’s father King Philippe IV of France, Edward I’s second wife and widow Dowager Queen Margaret who was also Isabella’s aunt, and Robert Winchelsey, Archbishop of Canterbury, Edward II agreed to exile Gaveston to Ireland.  However, in a move that angered the nobility, Edward II made Gaveston Regent of Ireland.

After much back and forth negotiations that even involved Pope Clement V, Piers was allowed to return to England. The nobles who agreed to the compromise hoped Piers had learned his lesson. However, upon his return, he was more arrogant than ever, giving insulting nicknames to some of the most important nobles. This led to Parliament passing the Ordinances of 1311 that restricted the power of the king. In addition, the Ordinances of 1311 dealt with Piers specifically. He was to be exiled again and would face the punishment of an outlaw if he dared return to England.

Edward II responded by revoking the Ordinances of 1311 and recalling Piers to England. Piers and Edward II were reunited at York in January 1312. The nobles were furious and met in London where Piers was excommunicated by Robert Winchelsey, Archbishop of Canterbury. Plans were made to capture Piers to prevent him from escaping to Scotland. When Edward II, his wife Isabella, and Piers left York for Newcastle, they were pursued by a group of nobles led by Edward’s first cousin Thomas, 2nd Earl of Lancaster. The royal party including Piers fled by ship and landed at Scarborough, where Piers stayed while Edward and Isabella returned to York.

After a short siege, Piers surrendered to Aymer de Valence, 2nd Earl of Pembroke and John de Warenne, 7th Earl of Surrey who promised he would not be harmed. However, while under the protection of the Earls of Pembroke and Surrey, Edward’s first cousin Thomas, 2nd Earl of Lancaster, Guy de Beauchamp, 10th Earl of Warwick, Humphrey de Bohun, 4th Earl of Hereford, and Edmund Fitzalan, 2nd Earl of Arundel seized Piers and took him to Warwick Castle where, on June 18, 1312, before an assembly of nobles, he was condemned to death for violating the terms of the Ordinances of 1311.

Guy de Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick standing over the decapitated body of Piers Gaveston, from the Rous Rolls, fifteenth‐century parchment scrolls that present a heraldic and genealogical history of the Earls of Warwick; Credit – Wikipedia

On June 19, 1312, the Earls of Lancaster, Hereford, and Arundel led Piers Gaveston on the road towards Kenilworth as far as Blacklow Hill, which was on the Earl of Lancaster’s land. Here, they left Piers to the mercy of two Welshmen who ran him through with swords and then, because he was a noble, gave him the coup de grace of beheading. Pier’s body was left at his execution site. Eventually, it was brought to the Dominican Monastery in Oxford where the monks sewed the severed head back on the body and then embalmed the remains. However, Piers’ remains could not be buried because he had been excommunicated. The remains were kept at the monastery in Oxford for over two years. Eventually, King Edward II secured a papal absolution for Piers. On January 2, 1315, the remains of Piers Gaveston were buried in an elaborate ceremony officiated by Walter Reynolds, Archbishop of Canterbury, four bishops, and many other members of the clergy at the Dominican Monastery in Kings Langley but the tomb has since been lost. A cross with an inscription was erected at Blacklow Hill in 1823 by the local squire Bertie Greathead on the site believed to be the location of Gaveston’s execution.

The 1823 Gaveston monument at Blacklow Hill, circa 1899; Credit – Wikipedia

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. Piers Gaveston, 1. Earl Of Cornwall. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piers_Gaveston,_1._Earl_of_Cornwall> [Accessed 16 November 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Edward II Of England. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_II_of_England> [Accessed 16 November 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Piers Gaveston, 1St Earl Of Cornwall. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piers_Gaveston,_1st_Earl_of_Cornwall> [Accessed 16 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 16 November 2020].
  • Fr.wikipedia.org. 2020. Arnaud De Gabaston. [online] Available at: <https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnaud_de_Gabaston> [Accessed 16 November 2020].
  • Fr.wikipedia.org. 2020. Pierre Gaveston. [online] Available at: <https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Gaveston> [Accessed 16 November 2020].

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

Georg I, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont had a short reign, from September 24, 1812  to September 9, 1813. Born on May 6, 1747, in Arolsen, Principality of Waldeck-Pyrmont, now in the German state of Hesse, he was the fourth of the five sons and the fourth of the seven children of Karl August, Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont and Christiane Henriette of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld, daughter of Christian III, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld and Caroline of Nassau-Saarbrücken.

Georg’s parents and siblings in 1756; Credit – Wikipedia

Through their mother, Georg and his six siblings were the first cousins of Grand Duke Ludwig II of Hesse and by Rhine, King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia, Grand Duke Karl Friedrich of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, and King Ludwig I of Bavaria.

Georg’s wife Auguste of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen; Credit – Wikipedia

On September 12, 1784, at Otterwisch Castle in Otterwisch, Electorate of Saxony, now in the German state of Saxony, Georg married Princess Auguste of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen, daughter of Prince August of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen, the grandson of Christian Wilhelm I, a reigning Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen, and Princess Christine of Anhalt-Bernburg.

Georg and Auguste had thirteen children. Seven of their children died either in childhood or in their early twenties:

  • Christiane of Waldeck-Pyrmont (1787 – 1806), Abbess of Schaaken, died at age 19
  • Karl of Waldeck-Pyrmont (1788 – 1795), died in childhood
  • Georg II, Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont (1789 – 1845), married Emma of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym, had five children
  • Friedrich of Waldeck-Pyrmont (1790 – 1828), morganatically married Ursula Polle who was created Countess of Waldeck, had four children
  • Christian of Waldeck-Pyrmont (1792 – 1795), died in early childhood
  • Augusta of Waldeck-Pyrmont (1793 – 1794), died in infancy
  • Johann of Waldeck- Pyrmont (1794 – 1814), died at age 20
  • Ida of Waldeck-Pyrmont (1796 – 1869), married Georg Wilhelm Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe, had nine children
  • Wolrad of Waldeck-Pyrmont (1798 – 1821), died at age 23
  • Mathilde of Waldeck-Pyrmont (1801 – 1825), married Eugen of Württemberg, had three children, died during her fourth pregnancy
  • Karl Christian of Waldeck-Pyrmont (1803 – 1846), married Amalie of Lippe-Biesterfeld, had one child
  • Karoline Christiane of Waldeck-Pyrmont (1804 – 1806), died in early childhood
  • Hermann of Waldeck-Pyrmont (1809 – 1876), married Agnes Teleki de Szék, had no children

The Principality of Waldeck-Pyrmont was heavily in debt during the reign of Friedrich Karl August, Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont, Georg’s unmarried elder brother. In 1805, Friedrich Karl August unsuccessfully attempted to sell the Pyrmont as a cost-cutting measure. Instead, he decided to divide the Principality of Waldeck-Pyrmont, giving his brother Georg Pyrmont, while he kept Waldeck.

Princely Mausoleum (on the right) and Cemetery; Credit – www.findagrave.com

On September 24, 1812, after the death of his childless elder brother, 65-year-old Georg succeeded him, and Waldeck and Pyrmont were reunited. Because of his age and perhaps illness, Georg knew he would not be able to reign for long and he decided to stay in Pyrmont where he died on September 9, 1813. He was buried in the Princely Mausoleum at Schloss Rhoden (link in German) in Rhoden, Principality of Waldeck-Pyrmont, now in the German state of Hesse. Georg’s wife Auguste survived him by thirty-six years, dying on December 26, 1849, aged 81, in Arolsen, Principality of Waldeck-Pyrmont, now in the German state of Hesse. She was buried with her husband in the Princely Mausoleum at Schloss Rhoden.

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 I. (Waldeck-Pyrmont). [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georg_I._(Waldeck-Pyrmont)> [Accessed 2 December 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. George I, Prince Of Waldeck And Pyrmont. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_I,_Prince_of_Waldeck_and_Pyrmont> [Accessed 2 December 2020].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2020. Christiane Henriette of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld, Princess of Waldeck-Pyrmont, Regent of Waldeck-Pyrmont. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/christiane-henriette-of-zweibrucken-birkenfeld-princess-of-waldeck-pyrmont-regent-of-waldeck-pyrmont/> [Accessed 1 December 2020].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2020. Karl August, Prince of Waldek-Pyrmont. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/karl-august-prince-of-waldeck-and-pyrmont/> [Accessed 1 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].

Prince Charles of Luxembourg

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2021

Prince Charles of Luxembourg with his parents in 2023

Born May 10, 2020, at Grand Duchess Charlotte Maternity Hospital in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg, Prince Charles is the elder of the two sons of Prince Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg and Countess Stéphanie de Lannoy. He is second in the line of succession to the throne of Luxembourg after his father. Charles’ paternal grandparents are Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg born Maria Teresa Mestre y Batista Falla. His maternal grandparents are Count Philippe de Lannoy and Alix della Faille de Leverghem.

Charles has one younger brother:

Grand Duke Henri, Grand Duchess Maria Theresa holding Prince François, Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie, Prince Charles, and Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume; Credit – House of the Grand Duke / Sophie Margue

Charles was born during the COVID-19 pandemic. The hospital allowed partners to be present during birth and in recovery, with COVID-19 safety measures in place, so Prince Guillaume was present during his son’s birth. However, family members were not allowed to visit and so Prince Charles’ paternal grandparents Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa met their new grandson for the first time via a video call.

Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa meet their grandson via a video call; Credit – Cour grand-ducale/Sophie Mague

Embed from Getty Images

On September 19, 2020, at the Abbey of St. Maurice and St. Maurus of Clervaux in Luxembourg, Prince Charles was baptized in a Roman Catholic ceremony.

Prince Charles’ godparents were:

He was given the names Charles Jean Philippe Joseph Marie Guillaume.

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. Prince Charles Of Luxembourg (Born 2020). [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Charles_of_Luxembourg_(born_2020)> [Accessed 9 January 2021].
  • Luxtimes.lu. 2020. Luxembourg Royal Baby Boy Born On Sunday. [online] Available at: <https://luxtimes.lu/luxembourg/40646-luxembourg-royal-baby-boy-born-on-Sunday> [Accessed 9 January 2021].
  • Luxtimes.lu. 2020. Royal Baby Baptised In Clervaux Abbey. [online] Available at: <https://luxtimes.lu/luxembourg/41789-royal-baby-baptised-in-clervaux-abbey> [Accessed 9 January 2021].

Friedrich Karl August, 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

Credit – Wikipedia

Friedrich Karl August, Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont was born on October 25, 1743, in Zweibrücken, Palatinate of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld, his mother’s homeland, now in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate. He was the second but the eldest surviving of the five sons and the second of the seven children of Karl August, the reigning Prince of Waldek-Pyrmont and Christiane Henriette of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld, daughter of Christian III, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld and Caroline of Nassau-Saarbrücken.

Through their mother, Friedrich Karl August and his six siblings were the first cousins of Grand Duke Ludwig II of Hesse and by Rhine, King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia, Grand Duke Karl Friedrich of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, and King Ludwig I of Bavaria.

Friedrich Karl August’s family in 1756; Credit – Wikipedia

In his teens, Friedrich Karl August studied in Lausanne, Switzerland for a year, and then embarked on a grand tour of Italy and France. On August 29, 1763, his father died and Friedrich Karl August succeeded him as reigning Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont. However, his mother Christiane Henriette served as Regent of the Principality of Waldeck-Pyrmont until 1766.

Friedrich Karl August had an affair with Charlotte Hermann, the daughter of one of the Waldeck-Pyrmont government councilors, and he wanted to marry her. Charlotte was neither royal nor noble and so Friedrich Karl August’s mother unsuccessfully attempted to have the Holy Roman Emperor ennoble her. The resistance of both Friedrich Karl August’s relatives and Charlotte Hermann’s father prevented even a morganatic marriage and Friedrich Karl August never married.

Like his father and two of his brothers, Friedrich Karl August had a military career. Beginning in 1757, when he was fourteen-years-old, Friedrich Karl August served in the Imperial Army of the Holy Roman Empire with the rank of Imperial Lieutenant Colonel and was promoted to Imperial Lieutenant General in 1766. In 1772, Friedrich Karl August moved to the Dutch Army, where he was awarded the rank of Major General. His father had agreed for three Waldeck-Pyrmont battalions to serve with the Dutch Army so Friedrich Karl August’s switch was not surprising. In 1767, he ordered a fourth Waldeck-Pyrmont battalion to serve with the Dutch Army. After serving in 1793 – 1794 in the Dutch Army with a fifth Waldeck-Pyrmont battalion in support of the Dutch over French revolutionaries, Friedrich Karl August retired from active military service.

After a visit to England in 1775 to learn about ways to modernize Waldeck-Pyrmont, Friedrich Karl August instituted plans for road construction, improvements to agriculture, production of wool and linen, and the mining of iron. The education system was improved and a gymnasium, the term for a German secondary school was constructed in Korbach.

These investments led to an increase in the principality’s debt. In an attempt to increase funds, Friedrich Karl August sent Waldeck-Pyrmont troops as mercenaries to support the British in the American War of Independence. However, the debt continued to increase which necessitated Friedrich Karl August going to the court of the Holy Roman Emperor in Vienna to declare bankruptcy. In 1805, Friedrich Karl August unsuccessfully attempted to sell the Pyrmont as a cost-cutting measure. Instead, he decided to divide the Principality of Waldeck-Pyrmont, giving his brother Georg Pyrmont, while he kept Waldeck. In 1807, at the suggestion of his brother Georg, he joined the Confederation of the Rhine and was given a seat in the College of Princes of the Federal Assembly.

Church of St. Mary; Credit – Wikipedia

Friedrich Karl August died at age 68 on September 24, 1812, in Arolsen, Principality of Waldeck-Pyrmont, now in the German state of Hesse. He was first buried at the Stadt-Kirche Bad Wildungen (link in German) in Bad Wildungen now in the German state of Hesse. In 1962, his remains were transferred to the Princely Burial Chapel of St. Nicholas at the Church of St. Mary (link in German) in Netze, a district of Waldeck, now in the German state of Hesse. Because Friedrich Karl August was unmarried, his brother Georg succeeded him and Waldeck and Pyrmont were reunited.

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. Friedrich Karl August (Waldeck-Pyrmont). [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedrich_Karl_August_(Waldeck-Pyrmont)> [Accessed 2 December 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Friedrich Karl August, Prince Of Waldeck And Pyrmont. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedrich_Karl_August,_Prince_of_Waldeck_and_Pyrmont> [Accessed 2 December 2020].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2020. Christiane Henriette of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld, Princess of Waldeck-Pyrmont, Regent of Waldeck-Pyrmont. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/christiane-henriette-of-zweibrucken-birkenfeld-princess-of-waldeck-pyrmont-regent-of-waldeck-pyrmont/> [Accessed 1 December 2020].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2020. Karl August, Prince of Waldek-Pyrmont. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/karl-august-prince-of-waldeck-and-pyrmont/> [Accessed 1 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].
  • GbR, S., 2020. Friedrich Karl August, Fürst Von Waldeck-Pyrmont. [online] Waldecker-muenzen.de. Available at: <http://www.waldecker-muenzen.de/Regent_Beschreibung_Friedrich%2BKarl%2BAugust%2Bals%2Bselbst%E4ndiger%2BRegent_29_1.2.html> [Accessed 2 December 2020].
  • It.wikipedia.org. 2020. Federico Carlo Augusto Di Waldeck E Pyrmont. [online] Available at: <https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federico_Carlo_Augusto_di_Waldeck_e_Pyrmont> [Accessed 2 December 2020].

Count Adam Gottlob Moltke, Favorite of Frederik V, King of Denmark

by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2021

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

Count Adam Gottlob Moltke; Credit – Wikipedia

The Moltke family is an old German noble family from Mecklenburg, now in Germany. It has a Danish branch, whose members have played major roles in Danish history (link in German).  It was considered more important and more promising for young northern German noblemen to seek positions at the Danish court rather than at the courts of the German counties, duchies, and principalities.

King Frederik V as a child; Credit – Wikipedia

Adam Gottlob Moltke was born on November 10, 1710, in Walkendorf, Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, now in the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, to Joachim Moltke, who had been a Lieutenant Colonel in the Danish Army, and Magdalene Sophia von Cothmann. One of Adam’s uncles was the stablemaster for Prince Carl of Denmark, younger brother of Frederik IV, King of Denmark. Caspar Gottlob Moltke, another uncle, was a county official for Møn, an island in south-eastern Denmark. Through the influence of his uncle Caspar, twelve-year-old Adam was employed as a page for Crown Prince Christian of Denmark in 1722. When Christian came to the throne in 1730 as Christian VI, King of Denmark, Adam was appointed chamberlain to Christian VI’s 7-year-old son Crown Prince Frederik (later Frederik V). The close relationship between Adam and Frederik was established and lasted until Frederik’s death.

Sophie Hedvig von Raben, Moltke’s second wife; Credit – Wikipedia

Moltke married twice, first to Christiane Frederikke von Brüggemann (1712 – 1760), and after her death, he married Sophie Hedvig von Raben (1732 – 1802). From his two marriages, Moltke had 22 children, including 15 sons: five who became cabinet ministers, four who became ambassadors, two who became generals, and all of whom went into public service.

Moltke’s most important children:

  • Count Christian Frederik Moltke (1736 – 1771) – Deputy for Finance, Court Marshal, Privy Councilor
  • Catharine Sophie Wilhelmine Caroline Moltke (born 1737) – Lady-in-waiting to Louise of Great Britain, first wife of King Frederik V of Denmark
  • Count Caspar Herman Gottlob Moltke (1738 – 1800) – General of the Cavalry, Chamberlain
  • Ulrikke Augusta Vilhelmine Moltke (1740 – 1763) – Lady-in-waiting to Juliana Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, second wife of King Frederik V of Denmark
  • Count Christian Magnus Frederik Moltke (1741 – 1813) – Lieutenant General of the Cavalry, Chamberlain
  • Count Frederik Ludvig Moltke (1745 – 1824) – Ambassador to Oldenburg, Privy Councilor
  • Count Joachim Godske Moltke (1746 – 1818) – Prime Minister, Privy Councilor
  • Count Adam Gottlob Ferdinand Moltke (1748 – 1820) – Vice Admiral, Chamberlain
  • Juliane Maria Frederica Moltke (1751 – 1773) – Lady-in-waiting to Louise of Great Britain, first wife of King Frederik V of Denmark
  • Count Gebhard Moltke https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gebhard_Moltke (1764 – 1851) – Diocesan Governor in Trondheim, Kristiania, and Funen, Privy Councilor
  • Count Otto Joachim Moltke (1770 – 1853) – Prime Minister of Denmark
  • Count Carl Emil Moltke (1773-1858) – Ambassador to Stockholm, The Hague, and London, Privy Councilor

Bregentved House and Park; Credit – By Flemming – DSC_3077, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17112569

In 1746, when King Frederik V became King of Denmark, Moltke was appointed Court Marshal of Denmark and was made a Privy Councilor. In addition, Moltke was given the Bregentved estate in Haslev on the Danish island of Zealand and it is still owned by Moltke’s descendants. In 1750, Frederik V created Moltke a Count. Although Frederik V took part in the government by attending council meetings, he suffered from alcoholism, and therefore, most of his reign was dominated by his very able ministers led by Moltke and including Count Johann Hartwig Ernst von Bernstorff and Heinrich Carl von Schimmelmann.

Christian VII’s Palace, formerly Moltke’s Palace; Credit – By archer10 (Dennis) – https://www.flickr.com/photos/archer10/3990370387/sizes/o/in/photostream/, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15057703

Within a few years of the start of his reign, Frederik V started a project that would result in the Amalienborg, the home of today’s Danish royal family. The Amalienborg would be the centerpiece of Frederiksstaden, a district in Copenhagen built by Frederik V to commemorate the tercentenary of the House of Oldenburg’s ascent to the Danish throne in 1748 and the tercentenary of the coronation of Christian I, King of Denmark in 1749. Heading the project was Adam Gottlob Moltke. Four identical palaces were built on an octagonal square as homes for four distinguished noble families, including Moltke’s family. After Christiansborg Palace, the Danish royal family’s residence in Copenhagen, was destroyed in a fire in 1794, the noblemen who owned the four palaces of the Amalienborg were willing to part with them for promotion and money. Today’s Christian VII Palace was originally known as Moltke’s Palace.

Frederik V, King of Denmark; Credit – Wikipedia

While pregnant with her sixth child, Frederik V’s 27-year-old wife, Louisa of Great Britain, daughter of King George II of Great Britain and Caroline of Ansbach, died on December 19, 1751, at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen, Denmark due to complications from a miscarriage. Moltke thought it would be a good idea if Frederik V married again, as soon as possible, in hopes of stabilizing his behavior. Frederik V preferred another British wife, but there was no British princess at an appropriate age. Moltke drew Frederik V’s attention to 22-year-old Princess Juliana Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, daughters of Ferdinand Albert II, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel and Antoinette of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, and the couple married in 1752.

In 1760, Frederik V broke his leg in a drunken accident, which affected his health for the rest of his life. Frederik V died in the arms of Moltke on January 14, 1766, at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen, Denmark at the age of 42. After the death of Frederik V, his mentally unstable son succeeded to the throne as Christian VII, King of Denmark. Christian VII did not like Moltke, and in July 1766, Moltke was dismissed from all his positions and he retired to his estate Bregentved.

Count Adam Gottlob Moltke, aged, 81, died at his estate Bregentved on September 25, 1792. He was buried at the Karise Kirke (link in Danish) in the Moltke family burial chapel in Fax, Denmark, nearby his estate Bregentved.

Karise Kirke, the burial site of Moltke; Credit – Af Claus B. Storgaard – Eget arbejde, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8304299

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. 2020. Adam Gottlob Moltke. [online] Available at: <https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Gottlob_Moltke> [Accessed 15 November 2020].
  • De.wikipedia.org. 2020. Adam Gottlob Von Moltke. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Gottlob_von_Moltke> [Accessed 15 November 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Adam Gottlob Moltke. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Gottlob_Moltke> [Accessed 15 November 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Amalienborg. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amalienborg> [Accessed 15 November 2020].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2017. King Frederik V Of Denmark And Norway. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-frederik-v-of-denmark/> [Accessed 15 November 2020].

Christiane Henriette of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld, Princess of Waldeck-Pyrmont, Regent of Waldeck-Pyrmont

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

by Susan Flantzer

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

Credit – Wikipedia

The wife of Karl August, Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont, Christiane Henriette of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld, was born on November 16, 1725, in Ribeauvillé in the Alsace region of France which was heavily contested over the centuries between France and various German states. At the time of Christiane Henriette’s birth, Ribeauvillé was in the hands of the Counts Palatine of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld. Christiane Henriette was the younger of the two daughters and the youngest of the four children of Christian III, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld and Caroline of Nassau-Saarbrücken.

Christiane Henriette had three elder siblings:

Karl August, Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont; Credit – Wikipedia

On August 19, 1741, in Zweibrücken, Palatinate of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld, now in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, Christiane Henriette married her first cousin, Karl August, the reigning Prince of Waldek-Pyrmont, son of Friedrich Anton Ulrich, Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont and Luise of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld.

Christiane Henriette and her family in 1756; Credit – Wikipedia

The couple had seven children including two reigning Princes of Waldeck-Pyrmont. Through Christiane Henriette, her children were the first cousins of Grand Duke Ludwig II of Hesse and by Rhine, King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia, Grand Duke Karl Friedrich of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, and King Ludwig I of Bavaria.

Christiane Henriette was well-educated and had a great interest in the arts and sciences. She was a close friend of Johann Friedrich Blumenbach, a German physician, naturalist, physiologist, and anthropologist. When Karl August died on August 29, 1763, he was succeeded by his son Friedrich Karl August. Christiane Henriette served as Regent of the Principality of Waldeck-Pyrmont until Friedrich Karl August reached his majority.

Neues Schloss; Credit – Von GLSystem – Selbst fotografiert, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11973441

Between 1763 – 1778, the Neues Schloss (New Castle – link in German), was built for Christiane Henriette as her widow’s seat, near the Residenzschloss Arolsen in Arolsen, Principality of Waldeck-Pyrmont, now in the German state of Hesse. Her art and natural history collections as well as her 6,000 book library found places at the Neues Schloss. A large English-style palace park was created. Exotic conifers from Christiane Henriette’s natural history collection were planted along with a large, terraced fruit and vegetable garden. A travel guide from 1785 described the “Princess Garden” as a special beauty. Christiane Henriette survived her husband by fifty-three years, dying on February 11, 1816, aged 90, at her home, the Neues Schloss. She was buried in the park of Neues Schloss which she dearly loved. Christiane Henriette left behind a considerable debt, requiring parts of her library and art collection had to be auctioned in 1820.

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. Christiane Henriette Von Pfalz-Zweibrücken. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christiane_Henriette_von_Pfalz-Zweibr%C3%BCcken> [Accessed 30 November 2020].
  • De.wikipedia.org. 2020. Karl August Friedrich (Waldeck-Pyrmont). [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_August_Friedrich_(Waldeck-Pyrmont)> [Accessed 30 November 2020].
  • De.wikipedia.org. 2020. Neues Schloss (Bad Arolsen). [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neues_Schloss_(Bad_Arolsen)> [Accessed 30 November 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Countess Palatine Christiane Henriette Of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Countess_Palatine_Christiane_Henriette_of_Zweibr%C3%BCcken-Birkenfeld> [Accessed 30 November 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Karl August, Prince Of Waldeck And Pyrmont. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_August,_Prince_of_Waldeck_and_Pyrmont> [Accessed 30 November 2020].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2020. Karl August, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/karl-august-prince-of-waldeck-and-pyrmont/> [Accessed 30 November 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].

Karl August, 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

Karl August, Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont, circa 1740; Credit – Wikipedia

Karl August, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont was born on September 24, 1704, in Hanau, County of Hanau, now in the German state of Hesse. He was the second but the eldest surviving of the five sons and the fourth of the eleven children of Friedrich Anton Ulrich, Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont and Luise of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld.

Karl August had ten siblings:

  • Christian Philipp (1701 – 1728), unmarried
  • Friederike Magdalene (1702 – 1713), died in childhood
  • Henriette (1703 – 1785), Abbess at Schaaken Abbey
  • Ernestine Luise (1705 – 1782), married Friedrich Bernhard, Count Palatine of Birkenfeld-Gelnhausen, had two daughters
  • Ludwig Franz Anton (1707 – 1739), unmarried
  • Johann Wilhelm (1708 – 1713), died in childhood
  • Sofie Wilhelmine Elisabeth (1711 – 1775), unmarried
  • Franziska Christiane Ernestine (1712 – 1782), unmarried
  • Luise Albertine Friederike (1714 – 1794), Abbess of Schaaken Abbey
  • Josef (1715 – 1719), died in childhood

As the second son, Karl August was destined for a military career. He served briefly in a French regiment and then entered Prussian service in 1725. In 1728, Karl August temporarily left military service to travel through Italy. The Waldeck-Pyrmont family was very interested in the ancient world and collected old art treasures. Upon his father’s death on January 1, 1728, his elder brother Christian Philipp briefly was Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont until his death on May 17, 1728. Karl August then became the reigning Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont.

Christiane Henriette of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld; Credit – Wikipedia

On August 19, 1741, in Zweibrücken, County of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld, now in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, Karl August married his first cousin Christiane Henriette of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld, daughter of Christian III, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken and Caroline of Nassau-Saarbrücken.

The couple had seven children including two reigning Princes of Waldeck-Pyrmont:

Karl August and his family in 1756; Credit – Wikipedia

Despite being the reigning Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont, Karl August continued his military career. In the War of the Polish Succession (1733 – 1735), he served as Imperial Sergeant General in the Imperial Army of the Holy Roman Empire and was wounded twice in battle. During the War of Austrian Succession (1740 – 1748), Karl August served for a period as Commander of the Dutch Army. In 1746 he was appointed Imperial General Field Marshal in the Imperial Army of the Holy Roman Empire. During the minority of Johann Ludwig, Count of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Hohenstein (link in German), Karl August served as Regent of the County of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Hohenstein.

Karl August, 1748; Credit – Wikipedia

Karl August had been left a great deal of debt due to his father’s ambitious building projects and he tried to limit the debt burden in his small country. However, he and his wife had the Residenzschloss Arolsen redesigned and expanded in the Rococo style. Karl August issued letters of protection to Jewish families provided they could prove that they had assets of at least 1,000 thalers, thereby allowing the immigration of Jewish residents into the Principality of Waldeck-Pyrmont.

Tomb of Karl August, Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont; Credit – Von Friedhelm Dröge – Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=73542168

Karl August died on August 29, 1763, aged 58, at the Residenzschloss Arolsen in Arolsen, Principality of Waldeck-Pyrmont, now in the German state of Hesse. He was buried in a Baroque-style tomb at the Stadt-Kirche Bad Wildungen (link in German) in Bad Wildungen, Principality of Waldeck-Pyrmont, now in the German state of Hesse. Karl August’s wife Christiane Henriette survived him by fifty-three years, dying on February 11, 1816, aged 90, at Neues Schloss (New Castle – link in German), built for Christiane Henriette as her widow’s seat, in Arolsen, Principality of Waldeck-Pyrmont, now in the German state of Hesse, and was buried in the park of Neues Schloss.

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. Christiane Henriette Von Pfalz-Zweibrücken. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christiane_Henriette_von_Pfalz-Zweibr%C3%BCcken> [Accessed 30 November 2020].
  • De.wikipedia.org. 2020. Friedrich Anton Ulrich (Waldeck-Pyrmont). [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedrich_Anton_Ulrich_(Waldeck-Pyrmont)> [Accessed 30 November 2020].
  • De.wikipedia.org. 2020. Karl August Friedrich (Waldeck-Pyrmont). [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_August_Friedrich_(Waldeck-Pyrmont)> [Accessed 30 November 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Countess Palatine Christiane Henriette Of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Countess_Palatine_Christiane_Henriette_of_Zweibr%C3%BCcken-Birkenfeld> [Accessed 30 November 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Karl August, Prince Of Waldeck And Pyrmont. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_August,_Prince_of_Waldeck_and_Pyrmont> [Accessed 30 November 2020].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2020. Friedrich Anton Ulrich, Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/friedrich-anton-ulrich-prince-of-waldeck-pyrmont/> [Accessed 30 November 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].

Friedrich Anton Ulrich, Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2020

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 Anton Ulrich, Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont; Credit – Wikipedia

Friedrich Anton Ulrich was the Count of Waldeck-Pyrmont from 1706 – 1712 and then the first Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont from 1712 – 1728. Born on November 27, 1676, in Landau, County of Waldeck-Pyrmont, now part of Arolsen in the German state of Hesse, he was fourteenth of the fifteen children and the youngest of the seven sons of Christian Ludwig, Count of Waldeck-Pyrmont (1635 – 1706) and his first wife Anna Elisabeth of Rappoltstein (1644 – 1676).

One of Friedrich Anton Ulrich’s sisters, three of his half-sisters, and two of his daughters were Abbesses at Schaaken Monastery (link German), originally a Roman Catholic Benedictine monastery. After the Reformation, it was a Protestant women’s monastery for members of the nobility with daughters and sisters of the Counts and Princes of Waldeck-Pyrmont serving as the Abbesses.

Friedrich Anton Ulrich had fourteen siblings:

  • Charlotte Elisabeth (1659 – 1660), died in infancy
  • Dorothea Elisabeth (1661 – 1702), married Rudolf of Lippe-Brake, had two sons
  • Georg Friedrich (1663 – 1686), unmarried
  • Heinrich Wolrad (1665 – 1688), unmarried, killed in action at the Siege of Negroponte
  • Charlotte Sofie (1667 – 1723), married Johann Junker, had one daughter
  • Alexandrine Henriette (born and died 1668)
  • Christiane Magdalene (1669 – 1699), Abbess at Schaaken Monastery
  • Elenore Katharine (1670 – 1717), unmarried
  • Eberhardine Luise (1671 – 1725), unmarried
  • Friedrich Ludwig Karl (1672 – 1694), unmarried
  • Philipp Ernst (1673 – 1695), unmarried
  • Karl (born and died 1674), died in infancy
  • Wilhelm August (1675 – 1676), died in infancy
  • Marie Henriette (1676 – 1678), died in early childhood

On December 6, 1676, Friedrich Anton Ulrich’s mother Anna Elisabeth died due to childbirth complications after giving birth to her fifteenth child. His father Christian Ludwig married for a second time to Johannette von Nassau-Idstein (1657 – 1733) on June 6, 1680.

From his father’s second marriage, Friedrich Anton Ulrich had eleven half-siblings:

  • Ernst August (1681 – 1703), unmarried, killed at the Battle of Speyerbach
  • Heinrich Georg (1683 – 1736), married Ulrike Eleonore of Dohna-Carimmern
  • Christine Eleonore Luise (1685 – 1737), Abbess at Schaaken Monastery
  • Sofie Wilhelmine (1686 – 1749), Abbess at Schaaken Monastery
  • Karl Christian Ludwig (1687 – 1734), unmarried, killed in action at the Battle of Guastalla
  • Josias (1689 – 1693), died in childhood
  • Johann Wolrad (born and died in 1691), died in infancy
  • Henriette Albertine (1695 – 1699), died in childhood
  • Josias (1696 – 1763), married Dorothea Sophie of Solms-Rödelheim and Assenheim, had one son
  • Charlotte Florentine (1697 – 1777), Abbess at Schaaken Monastery
  • Friedrich Wilhelm (1699 – 1718), unmarried

Luise of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld; Credit – Wikipedia

On October 22, 1700, in Hanau, County of Hanau, now in the German state of Hesse, Friedrich Anton Ulrich married Luise of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld (1678 – 1753), daughter of Christian II, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld and Catharine Agathe of Rappoltstein.

Friedrich Anton Ulrich and Luise had eleven children:

On December 12, 1706, Christian Ludwig, Count of Waldeck-Pyrmont died and Friedrich Anton Ulrich succeeded his father as Count of Waldeck-Pyrmont. On January 6, 1712, the County of Waldeck-Pyrmont was raised to the Principality of Waldeck-Pyrmont by Karl VI, Holy Roman Emperor, and Friedrich Anton Ulrich became Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont.

Residenzschloss Arolsen; Credit – Von Bert Kaufmann from Roermond, Netherlands – Bad Arolsen (Germany)Uploaded by Magnus Manske, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16245312

Friedrich Anton Ulrich’s most notable accomplishment was his building program which resulted in considerable indebtedness for the small principality. He built the Friedrichsthal Hunting Lodge in Selbach (1701 – link in German), Schloss Pyrmont (1706), Schloss Friedrichstein in Wildungen (1707 – 1714, link in German), and the Residenzschloss Arolsen (1713 – 1729). With the building of the Residenzschloss Arolsen, the town of Arolsen became the main town of the Principality of Waldeck-Pyrmont.

Church of St. Mary; Credit – Wikipedia

Friedrich Anton Ulrich died on January 1, 1728, aged 51, in Arolsen, Principality of Waldeck-Pyrmont, now in the German state of Hesse. He was first buried at the Stadt-Kirche Bad Wildungen (link in German) in Bad Wildungen now in the German state of Hesse. In 1962, his remains were transferred to the Princely Burial Chapel at the Church of St. Mary (link in German) in Netze, a district of Waldeck, now in the German state of Hesse. Friedrich Anton Ulrich’s wife Luise of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld, Princess of Waldeck-Pyrmont survived her husband by twenty-five years, dying on May 3, 1753, at the of 74. She was buried with her husband at the Stadt-Kirche Bad Wildungen and then reburied at the Princely Burial Chapel at the Church of St. Mary with her husband.

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. Christian Ludwig (Waldeck). [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_Ludwig_(Waldeck)> [Accessed 30 November 2020].
  • De.wikipedia.org. 2020. Friedrich Anton Ulrich (Waldeck-Pyrmont). [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedrich_Anton_Ulrich_(Waldeck-Pyrmont)> [Accessed 30 November 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Friedrich Anton Ulrich, Prince Of Waldeck And Pyrmont. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedrich_Anton_Ulrich,_Prince_of_Waldeck_and_Pyrmont> [Accessed 30 November 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].

Magda Lupescu, third wife of King Carol II of Romania

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Magda Lupescu was the mistress, and then third wife of King Carol II of Romania. The couple was married several years after Carol abdicated the Romanian throne.

King Carol II of Romania and Magda Lupescu; Credit – Wikipedia

Elena “Magda” Lupescu was born in Iaşi, Romania on September 15, 1899, to Nicolae Lupsecu and Elise Falk. Her father was born Jewish but he converted to Orthodoxy and changed his surname to Lupescu. Her mother was also born Jewish but converted to Roman Catholicism before her marriage. Magda had one younger brother Constantin. Raised Catholic, Magda attended a Catholic boarding school in Bucharest.

On February 17, 1919, Magda married Ion Tâmpeanu, an officer in the Romanian Royal Army. They had no children and were divorced by 1923. Sometime in 1923, Magda met Crown Prince Carol, and by early 1925 a relationship had developed. By this time, Carol had already been married twice, first to Zizi Lambrino, a marriage that had been annulled, and was currently married to Princes Helen of Greece with whom he had one son, the future King Mihai of Romania. Once again, his romantic involvement caused a great scandal in Romania. Unhappy in his marriage to Helen, Carol wanted to divorce her and marry Magda. However, the Romanian constitution forbade him from marrying a Romanian citizen. Unable to overcome that restriction, Carol formally renounced his rights to the Romanian throne in December 1925, and was removed from the Royal House by his father King Ferdinand. Carol and Magda were forced to leave Romania, settling in Paris, France.

In June 1930, Carol returned to Romania. Following a coup, his previous renunciation to succession rights was invalidated and he was proclaimed King of Romania on June 8, 1930. Soon after, Magda also returned, taking up residence in a villa, Aleea Vulpache in Bucharest, where she hosted the highest of Romanian society. Despite the public acknowledgment of their relationship, Magda had no official titles or styles, nor did she accompany King Carol at official functions.

After ten years on the throne, Carol was forced to abdicate in September 1940, with his young son Mihai returning to the throne. Once again forced to leave the country, Carol and Magda traveled to Spain and Portugal before settling in Mexico for several years.

After moving to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1944, Magda and Carol were finally married in a Brazilian hotel room during the summer of 1947. Magda became known as Princess Elena of Romania, however, this was simply by courtesy, as there was never a formal grant of such a title or style.

Magda” Lupescu source: The Times

Magda and Carol soon moved again, settling in Estoril, Portugal, where they would live the rest of their lives. The former King Carol died suddenly of a heart attack in 1953, and his coffin was placed in the Pantheon of the House of Brangza at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon, Portugal.

Magda survived her husband by 24 years, dying in Estoril, Portugal on June 29, 1977. Her coffin was placed beside her husband’s. In 2003, the coffins of both Magda and Carol were returned to Romania and interred at the Curtea de Argeş Monastery, the traditional burial site of the Romanian royal family in Curtea de Argeș, Romania. While Carol’s coffin was placed in the Royal Chapel, Magda’s was interred in the surrounding cemetery.

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.