Melusine von der Schulenburg, Duchess of Kendal, Mistress of King George I of Great Britain

by Susan Flantzer    © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Melusine von der Schulenburg, Duchess of Kendal; Credit – Wikipedia

Melusine von der Schulenburg was born on December 25, 1667, in Emden, Electorate of Brandenburg, now part of Altenhausen in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. She was the second of the five daughters and the fourth of the nine children of Gustavus Adolphus, Freiherr (Baron) von der Schulenburg (1632 – 1691) and his first wife Petronella Ottilie von Schwencken (1637 – 1674). Melusine came from an old Brandenburg noble family. Her father served as a member of the Brandenburg Privy Council. Melusine’s mother died in childbirth along with her last child.

Melusine had eight siblings:

  • Margarete Gertrud von der Schulenburg (1659 – 1697), married Friedrich Achaz von der Schulenburg
  • Matthias Johann von der Schulenburg (1661 – 1747), Count (Graf) von der Schulenburg, Field Marshal in the service of the Republic of Venice
  • Daniel Bodo von der Schulenburg (1662 – 1732), Count (Graf) von der Schulenburg, Lieutenant-General in the service of the Electorate of Saxony
  • Sophie Juliane von der Schulenburg (1668 – 1753), married Rabe Christoph, Count (Graf) von Oeynhausen
  • Charlotte Katharine von der Schulenburg
  • August von der Schulenburg
  • Anna Elisabeth von der Schulenburg (1673 – 1725), married Georg Friedrich von Spörcken
  • Charlotte von der Schulenburg (born and died 1674)

Melusine had four half-siblings from her father’s second marriage to Anna Elisabeth von Stammer (1657 – 1722):

  • Johanne Auguste von der Schulenburg (1687 – 1748), married Werner Ludwig Spiegel von Peckelsheim
  • Friedrich Wilhelm von der Schulenburg (1680 – 1720), chamberlain to George, Elector of Hanover before he was King of Great Britain and remained in that position when George I became King, married Sophia Anna de Melville, had three children
  • Dorothea Elisabeth von der Schulenburg
  • Dorothea Christiane von der Schulenburg

In 1690, Melusine became a maid of honor to Sophia, Electress of Hanover. Sophia was born Sophia of the Palatinate, daughter of Friedrich V, Elector Palatine. However, Sophia’s more important dynastic lineage was through her mother Elizabeth Stuart, the second child and eldest daughter of James VI and I, King of Scotland, England and Ireland, and his wife Anne of Denmark. A year later, Melusine had become the mistress of Sophia’s eldest son George, Electoral Prince of Hanover, the future Elector of Hanover and King George I of Great Britain.

George’s marriage to his first cousin Princess Sophia Dorothea of Celle had produced two children, the future King George II of Great Britain and Sophia Dorothea, the future wife of Friedrich Wilhelm I, King in Prussia. The marriage was happy at first, but soon both George and Sophia Dorothea found affection elsewhere. George fell in love with his mother’s maid of honor Melusine von der Schulenburg and Sophia Dorothea fell in love with a Swedish Count, Philip Christoph von Königsmarck, an officer in the Hanoverian army.

Despite warnings from her mother and friends, Sophia Dorothea and her lover von Königsmarck wrote letters to each other, met secretly, and planned to escape Hanover together. On the morning of July 2, 1694, after a meeting with Sophia Dorothea, von Königsmarck disappeared from Leineschloss Castle in Hanover and was never seen again. It was widely believed that George ordered von Königsmarck’s death.  On December 28, 1694, a tribunal of judges and Lutheran Church officials declared the marriage of George and Sophia Dorothea dissolved on the grounds of Sophia Dorothea’s desertion. George was not satisfied with punishing his former wife with just a marriage dissolution. He had his 27-year old former wife imprisoned in the Castle of Ahlden until she died 32 years later. Sophia Dorothea was never allowed to see her children again. George did not marry again and Melusine remained his mistress until he died in 1727.

George as Elector of Hanover; Credit – Wikipedia

Melusine and George had three illegitimate daughters who were never openly acknowledged as George’s children. Instead, two of Melusine’s sisters and their husbands officially acknowledged them. Anna Luise and Petronilla, known as Melusina, were raised by Melusine’s sister Margarete Gertrud and her husband and distant cousin Friedrich Achaz von der Schulenburg. Margarethe was raised by Melusine’s sister Sophie Juliane and her husband Rabe Christoph, Count (Graf) von Oeynhausen.

On July 30, 1700, a death occurred in the British Royal Family that would drastically affect George’s life. Eleven-year-old Prince William, Duke of Gloucester, the only surviving child of the future Queen Anne despite her seventeen pregnancies, died. William’s death caused a succession crisis as his mother was the only person remaining in the Protestant line to the throne established by the Bill of Rights of 1689. This caused Parliament to enact the 1701 Act of Settlement which made George’s mother Sophia of Hanover, a granddaughter of King James I and the nearest Protestant in the line of succession, heiress presumptive to the British throne. The British throne would go to Sophia and her Protestant heirs if King William III or Princess Anne, the sister of William III’s deceased wife and co-ruler Queen Mary II, had no children. The Act of Settlement bypassed 56 Catholics who had a better hereditary claim to the throne than Sophia of Hanover.

On March 8, 1702, King William III died and the sister of his deceased wife and co-ruler Queen Mary II became Queen Anne. In 1705, George became a British citizen via the 1705 Sophia Naturalization Act. Sophia died on June 8, 1714, at the age of 83. She narrowly missed becoming queen, having died two months before Queen Anne. Queen Anne died on August 1, 1714, and George became King George I of Great Britain, the first of the Hanover monarchs.

King George I in 1716; Credit – Wikipedia

George made his state entry into London on September 20, 1714, accompanied by his mistress, Melusine von der Schulenburg, nicknamed “the Maypole” by the British because of her tall thin appearance. Melusine became a naturalized British citizen in 1716 and in the same year was created Duchess of Munster, Countess and Marchioness of Dungannon, and Baroness of Dundalk for life. In 1719, she was further created Duchess of Kendal, Countess of Feversham, and Baroness of Glastonbury and Somerset for life. At King George I’s request, Holy Roman Emperor Karl VI created Melusine Princess of Eberstein and she received her own coat of arms. This gives some credence to the belief that George and Melusine had secretly married. She lived with King George I in the royal palaces and acted as his hostess. At Kensington Palace, Melusine had a three-story apartment overlooking the gardens. British Prime Minister Sir Robert Walpole said of Melusine, “She was as much Queen of England as ever any was.”

On June 3, 1727, King George I, who was still Elector of Hanover, accompanied by Melusine and their daughter Melusina, set out on one of his visits to Hanover. During the journey, George became ill and lost consciousness. It was noticed that his face had become distorted and his right hand hung limply at his side, a sign that he had suffered a stroke. The courtiers decided to continue with the journey to Hanover, where George died in the Prince-Bishop’s Palace in the Prince-Bishopric of Osnabrück, now in Lower Saxony, Germany, on June 11, 1727, aged of 67. Following the instructions of George’s son, now King George II, George was buried in the chapel at Leineschloss in the Electorate of Hanover, now in Lower Saxony, Germany.

Melusine’s long-term role as King George I’s unofficial consort had won her admiration and respect, even from the new King George II and his wife Queen Caroline. Melusine was allowed to mourn as a wife. Queen Caroline wrote to her: “My first thought, my dear Duchess, has been of you…I know well your devotion and love for the late King…I hope you realise that I am your friend.”

The grief-stricken Melusine returned to England where King George I had provided for her financially. In 1728, Melusine used the bequest from George to purchase a house near the River Thames in Isleworth in west London, which she named Kendal House, after one of her peerages. There Melusine lived out the remainder of her life in the companionship of a large bird, probably a raven, in which she believed that George’s soul had been reincarnated. Melusine died on May 10, 1743, aged 75, at her home Kendal House. She was buried at Grosvenor Chapel in South Audley Street, London, England.

Grosvenor Chapel where Melusine is buried; Credit – By GrindtXX – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=90320190

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

Works Cited

  • Beauclerk-Dewar, P. and Powell, R., 2006. Right Royal Bastards. Wilmington, DE: Burke’s Peerage & Gentry.
  • De.wikipedia.org. 2020. Gustav Adolf Von Der Schulenburg. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustav_Adolf_von_der_Schulenburg> [Accessed 28 September 2020].
  • De.wikipedia.org. 2020. Melusine Von Der Schulenburg. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melusine_von_der_Schulenburg> [Accessed 28 September 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Melusine Von Der Schulenburg, Duchess Of Kendal. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melusine_von_der_Schulenburg,_Duchess_of_Kendal> [Accessed 28 September 2020].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2015. King George I Of Great Britain. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-george-i-of-great-britain/> [Accessed 28 September 2020].
  • Williamson, D., 1996. Brewer’s British Royalty. London: Cassell.
  • Worsley, Lucy, 2011. Courtiers. London: Faber.

Marie Gasparine of Saxe-Altenburg, Princess of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen

by Susan Flantzer

Principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen: The County of Schwarzburg was a state of the Holy Roman Empire from 1195 to 1595, when it was partitioned into Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Schwarzburg-Sondershausen. The new counties remained in the Holy Roman Empire until its dissolution. In 1697, the County of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen was elevated to the Principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen. The County of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt was elevated to the Principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt in 1710.

The death of Karl Günther, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen without an heir in 1909 caused the Principalities of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Schwarzburg-Sondershausen to be united under Günther Victor, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt in a personal union. Following his succession in Sondershausen, Prince Günther Victor dropped the name Rudolstadt from his title and assumed the title Prince of Schwarzburg.

At the end of World War I, Prince Günther Victor was the last German prince to renounce his throne, abdicating on November 22, 1918. He made an agreement with the government that awarded him an annual pension and the right to use several of the family residences. The territory that encompassed the Principalities of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Schwarzburg-Sondershausen is now located in the German state of Thuringia.

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Credit – Wikipedia

The wife of Karl Günther, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen, Princess Marie Gasparine of Saxe-Altenburg was born on June 28, 1845, at her father’s palace on Karlsstrasse in Munich, Kingdom of Bavaria, now in the German state of Bavaria. She was the only daughter and the younger of the two children of Prince Eduard of Saxe-Altenburg and his second wife Princess Luise Karoline Reuss of Greiz. Her paternal grandparents were Friedrich, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg (formerly Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen) and Charlotte Georgine of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. Marie Gasparine’s maternal grandparents were Heinrich XIX, 3rd Prince of Reuss-Greiz and Princess Gasparine of Rohan-Rochefort. Her father’s sister, born Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen, was the wife of King Ludwig I of Bavaria, which is why Bavaria focused so much in her family’s life.

Marie Gasparine had one older sibling:

Marie Gasparine had four half-siblings from her father’s first marriage to Amalie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen who died in 1841 due to childbirth complications:

Marie Gasparine spent the early years of her life in Munich, Kingdom of Bavaria where her father, Lieutenant General and Commander of the Cavalry Division of the 1st Army Corps in Munich, was stationed near his favorite sister Queen Therese of Bavaria. In 1852, Marie Gasparine’s father died when she was just seven-years-old. After her father’s death Marie Gasparine, her mother, her brother, and her two surviving half-siblings were moved to Nymphenburg Palace in Munich.

In 1854, Luise Karoline Reuss of Greiz, Marie Gasparine’s mother, married for a second time to Prince Heinrich IV Reuss of Köstritz, a nobleman from the Princely House of Reuss. Marie Gasparine’s family moved to the Paragiat, a settlement for younger sons of ruling or noble houses and their families, in the Principality of Reuss-Köstritz.

Marie Gasparine had four half-siblings from her mother’s second marriage:

Marie Gasparine in her teenage years; Credit – Wikipedia

After her confirmation in April 1860, fifteen-year-old Marie Gasparine was sent to the court of Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg, her older first cousin, in Altenburg, Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg. During her nine-year stay, Fraulein von Liederskron, her lady-in-waiting, was responsible for her upbringing and education.

Karl Günther of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen, circa 1870; Credit – Wikipedia

In March 1868 at the royal court in Dessau, Duchy of Anhalt, Marie Gasparine met her future husband, then Hereditary Prince Karl Günther of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen, and soon they became engaged. The wedding, scheduled for August 1868, had to be postponed because Marie Gasparine was seriously ill with diphtheria.

On June 12, 1869, at Altenburg Castle in Altenburg, Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg, now in the German state of Thuringia, Maria Gasparine and Karl Günther were finally married. Their impressive guest list included the Crown Prince of Prussia (the future German Emperor Friedrich III), Heinrich XXII, the reigning Prince of Reuss-Greiz, Marie Gasparine’s first cousin Grand Duchess Alexandra Iosifovna of Russia (born Princess Alexandra of Saxe-Altenburg and the wife of Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich of Russia), Hereditary Prince Friedrich and Hereditary Princess Antoinette of Anhalt, (the future Duke and Duchess of Anhalt, Antoinette was Marie Gasparine’s sister) and Karl Günther’s brothers Prince Leopold and Prince Hugo of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen.

Marie Gasparine as Hereditary Princess of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen; Credit – Wikipedia

During the 1870 – 1871 Franco-Prussian War, Hereditary Princess Marie Gasparine showed great commitment to the wounded and the soldiers’ families. She founded an organization that collected funds for soldiers’ wives and children and mobilized women who produced bandages and who obtained other necessary items. However, the marriage of Marie Gasparine and Karl Günther remained childless and this would cause a succession crisis.

On July 17, 1880, 79-year-old Günther Friedrich Karl II, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen abdicated in favor of his son Karl Günther due to old age and illness. He survived nine more years, dying on September 15, 1889.

In addition to her duties as Princess of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen, Marie Gasparine was interested in culture and history. She was particularly interested in Mon plaisir, the miniature doll town of Auguste Dorothea of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, Princess of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen (1666–1751), wife of Anton Günther II, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen. Mon plaisir is a replica of a baroque town in miniature format, with 400 dolls, 2,670 individual items, in 82 miniature scenes. The scenes give an impression of everyday life in the 18th century. The doll collection had long been forgotten. Marie Gasparine restored the collection and made it important once again. The doll collection is still on display at the Schloss Museum in Arnstadt.

Karl Günther in 1898; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1906, Karl Günther suffered a debilitating hunting accident, never recovered, and spent the rest of his life bedridden. He died on March 28, 1909, aged 78, in a sanatorium in Dresden, Kingdom of Saxony, now in the German state of Saxony, and was buried in the princely burial chapel at Trinitatiskirche (Trinity Church – link in German) in Sondershausen, Principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen, now in the German state of Thuringia. Because Karl Günther was childless and his unmarried brothers had died, the two Schwarzburg principalities were united under Günther Victor, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt in a personal union and he was then styled Prince of Schwarzburg.

Marie Gasparine in her later years; Credit – Wikipedia

After the death of her husband, a separate court was established for Marie Gasparine as Dowager Princess. She lived mostly at Schloss Sondershausen (link in German) and Schloss Gehren (link in German). After the defeat of the German Empire in World War I, the November Revolution of 1918 led to the end of all the German monarchies. On November 23, 1918, Günther Victor abdicated the throne of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and on November 25, 1918, he abdicated in Schwarzburg-Sondershausen. Günther Victor made an agreement with the new government that awarded him an annual pension and the right to use several of the family residences. At the same time, Marie Gasparine received the right to live in a wing of Schloss Sondershausen which she shared with the abdicated Günther Victor and his wife Anna Luise.

Trinitatiskirche (Trinity Church) with the princely burial chapel on the right; Credit – Von ErwinMeier – Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=53603995

Marie Gasparine survived her husband by 21 years. She died on July 5, 1930, aged 85, at Schloss Sondershausen, in Sondershausen, Thuringia, Germany, and was buried with her husband in the princely burial chapel at Trinitatiskirche (Trinity Church) in Sondershausen.

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.

Schwarzburg-Sondershausen Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. 2020. Karl Günther (Schwarzburg-Sondershausen). [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_G%C3%BCnther_(Schwarzburg-Sondershausen)> [Accessed 13 November 2020].
  • De.wikipedia.org. 2020. Marie Von Sachsen-Altenburg (1845–1930). [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie_von_Sachsen-Altenburg_(1845%E2%80%931930)> [Accessed 13 November 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Charles Gonthier, Prince Of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Gonthier,_Prince_of_Schwarzburg-Sondershausen> [Accessed 13 November 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Princess Marie Gasparine Of Saxe-Altenburg. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Marie_Gasparine_of_Saxe-Altenburg> [Accessed 13 November 2020].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2020. Royal Burial Sites Of The Principality Of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/royal-burial-sites/german-royal-burial-sites/royal-burial-sites-of-the-principality-of-schwarzburg-sondershausen/> [Accessed 13 November 2020].

Karl Günther, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2020

Principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen: The County of Schwarzburg was a state of the Holy Roman Empire from 1195 to 1595, when it was partitioned into Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Schwarzburg-Sondershausen. The new counties remained in the Holy Roman Empire until its dissolution. In 1697, the County of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen was elevated to the Principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen. The County of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt was elevated to the Principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt in 1710.

The death of Karl Günther, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen without an heir in 1909 caused the Principalities of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Schwarzburg-Sondershausen to be united under Günther Victor, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt in a personal union. Following his succession in Sondershausen, Prince Günther Victor dropped the name Rudolstadt from his title and assumed the title Prince of Schwarzburg.

At the end of World War I, Prince Günther Victor was the last German prince to renounce his throne, abdicating on November 22, 1918. He made an agreement with the government that awarded him an annual pension and the right to use several of the family residences. The territory that encompassed the Principalities of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Schwarzburg-Sondershausen is now located in the German state of Thuringia.

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Credit – Wikipedia

Born in Arnstadt, Principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen, now in the German state of Thuringia, on August 7, 1830, Karl Günther, was the last Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen from the House of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen. After his death, the final Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen would come from the House of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. Karl Günther was the second but the eldest surviving of the three sons and the third of the four children of Günther Friedrich Karl II, Prince of Schwarzburg–Sondershausen and his first wife Marie of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1809 – 1833), daughter of Prince Carl of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Luise Ulrike of Hesse-Homburg, and the granddaughter of Friedrich Karl, reigning Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt.

Karl Günther had three siblings:

  • Günther Friedrich Carl Alexander (1828 – 1833), died in childhood
  • Elisabeth Caroline Luise (1829 – 1893), unmarried
  • Leopold (1832 – 1906), unmarried, served in the Prussian Army

Karl Günther’s mother died when he was three-years-old. His father married for a second time on May 29, 1835, to Mathilde of Hohenlohe-Öhringen (1814 – 1888), daughter of Prince August of Hohenlohe-Öhringen and Luise of Württemberg. Karl had two half-siblings from this marriage which ended in divorce in 1852:

  • Marie (1837 – 1921), unmarried
  • Hugo (1839 – 1871), unmarried

Karl Günther, circa 1870; Credit – Wikipedia

Karl Günther studied law and literature at the University of Bonn. After his studies, he joined the Prussian Army as an Oberleutnant (Senior Lieutenant) and served in the 1866 Austro-Prussian War. He progressed through the ranks of the Prussian Army, ultimately achieving the rank of General of the Infantry in 1886.

Marie Gasparine of Saxe-Altenburg; Credit – Wikipedia

On June 12, 1869, in Altenburg, Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg, now in the German state of Thuringia, Karl Günther married Princess Marie Gasparine of Saxe-Altenburg, daughter of Prince Eduard of Saxe-Altenburg and his second wife Princess Luise Caroline Reuss of Greiz. The marriage was childless and this would cause a succession crisis.

On July 17, 1880, 79-year-old Günther Friedrich Karl II abdicated in favor of his son Karl Günther due to old age and illness. He survived nine more years, dying on September 15, 1889. Karl Günther was more interested in hunting than in government affairs and he mostly left those matters to his ministers. However, Karl Günther oversaw advancements to the education system of the principality by opening a state school and a teacher-training facility.

Because Karl Günther was childless, his heir presumptive was his unmarried younger brother Prince Leopold. In 1890, the two brothers caused a scandal, published in newspapers worldwide, when they had a fistfight after 58-year-old Leopold was offended when 60-year-old Karl Günther suggested that he marry a commoner if no royal woman would agree to marry him.

The princely house of Schwarzburg consisted of two branches: Schwarzburg-Sondershausen was the senior line and Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt was the junior line. According to a 1713 family pact, upon the extinction of one of the lines, the principality would pass to the surviving line. However, because the Rudolstadt line was also threatened with extinction, an agreement was made in 1896 between the three remaining Schwarzburg dynasts, Karl Günther and his brother Leopold, and their childless cousin Günther Victor, reigning Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt.

To ensure the continued existence of the House of Schwarzburg, Prince Sizzo of Leutenberg was recognized as a member of the House of Schwarzburg with full succession rights. Prince Sizzo was the only son of Friedrich Günther, reigning Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt from a morganatic marriage. Sizzo and his twin sister were created Prince and Princess of Leutenberg shortly after their birth but Sizzo did not have succession rights due to his parents’ morganatic marriage. When Prince Leopold of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen died in 1906, Günther Victor, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, became heir presumptive to the Principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen.

Trinitatiskirche (Trinity Church) with the princely burial chapel on the right; Credit – Von ErwinMeier – Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=53603995

In 1906, Karl Günther suffered a debilitating hunting accident, never recovered, and spent the rest of his life bedridden. He died on March 28, 1909, aged 78, in a sanatorium in Dresden, Kingdom of Saxony, now in the German state of Saxony, and was buried in the princely burial chapel at Trinitatiskirche (Trinity Church – link in German) in Sondershausen, Principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen, now in the German state of Thuringia. The two Schwarzburg principalities were united under Günther Victor of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt in a personal union and he was then styled Prince of Schwarzburg.

Marie Gasparine survived her husband by 21 years. She died on July 5, 1930, aged 85, in Sondershausen, Thuringia, Germany, and was buried with her husband in the princely burial chapel at Trinitatiskirche (Trinity Church) in Sondershausen.

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.

Schwarzburg-Sondershausen Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. 2020. Günther Friedrich Carl II. (Schwarzburg-Sondershausen). [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%BCnther_Friedrich_Carl_II._(Schwarzburg-Sondershausen)> [Accessed 13 November 2020].
  • De.wikipedia.org. 2020. Karl Günther (Schwarzburg-Sondershausen). [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_G%C3%BCnther_(Schwarzburg-Sondershausen)> [Accessed 13 November 2020].
  • De.wikipedia.org. 2020. Marie Von Sachsen-Altenburg (1845–1930). [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie_von_Sachsen-Altenburg_(1845%E2%80%931930)> [Accessed 13 November 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Charles Gonthier, Prince Of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Gonthier,_Prince_of_Schwarzburg-Sondershausen> [Accessed 13 November 2020].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2020. Günther Victor, Prince of Schwarzburg. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/gunther-victor-prince-of-schwarzburg/> [Accessed 13 November 2020].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2020. Royal Burial Sites Of The Principality Of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/royal-burial-sites/german-royal-burial-sites/royal-burial-sites-of-the-principality-of-schwarzburg-sondershausen/> [Accessed 13 November 2020].

Günther Friedrich Karl II, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen

by Susan Flantzer

Principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen: The County of Schwarzburg was a state of the Holy Roman Empire from 1195 to 1595, when it was partitioned into Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Schwarzburg-Sondershausen. The new counties remained in the Holy Roman Empire until its dissolution. In 1697, the County of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen was elevated to the Principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen. The County of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt was elevated to the Principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt in 1710.

The death of Karl Günther, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen without an heir in 1909 caused the Principalities of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Schwarzburg-Sondershausen to be united under Günther Victor, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt in a personal union. Following his succession in Sondershausen, Prince Günther Victor dropped the name Rudolstadt from his title and assumed the title Prince of Schwarzburg.

At the end of World War I, Prince Günther Victor was the last German prince to renounce his throne, abdicating on November 22, 1918. He made an agreement with the government that awarded him an annual pension and the right to use several of the family residences. The territory that encompassed the Principalities of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Schwarzburg-Sondershausen is now located in the German state of Thuringia.

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Credit – geni.com

Born September 24, 1801, in Sondershausen, Principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen, now in the German state of Thuringia, Günther Friedrich Karl II, Prince of Schwarzburg–Sondershausen was the only son and the eldest of the two children of Günther Friedrich Karl I, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen and Caroline of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, the daughter of Friedrich Karl, reigning Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. His mother was an influential figure in his upbringing. She took him on several trips throughout Europe and raised him to be enlightened and progressive.

Günther Friedrich Karl II had one sibling:

Günther Friedrich Karl II married twice. On March 12, 1827, he married his first cousin Marie of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1809 – 1833), daughter of Prince Carl of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, son of Friedrich Karl, reigning Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, and Luise Ulrike of Hesse-Homburg.

Günther Friedrich Karl II and Marie had four children:

Günther Friedrich Karl’s first wife Marie died March 29, 1833, aged 23. She was buried with her five-year-old son Günther Friedrich Carl Alexander, who also died in 1833, at the Fürstengruft auf dem Alten Friedhof (Princely Crypt at the Old Cemetery) in Arnstadt, Principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen, now in the German state of Thuringia.

Mathilde of Hohenlohe-Öhringen; Credit – Wikipedia

Günther Friedrich Karl II married for a second time on May 29, 1835, to Mathilde of Hohenlohe-Öhringen (1814 – 1888), daughter of Prince August of Hohenlohe-Öhringen and Luise of Württemberg. Günther Friedrich Karl II and Mathilde divorced in 1852. Mathilde, aged 74, died in 1888 at the Mirabell Palace in Salzburg, Austria. Despite the divorce, Mathilde was buried Fürstengruft auf dem Alten Friedhof (Princely Crypt at the Old Cemetery) in Arnstadt.

Günther Friedrich Karl and Mathilde had two children:

  • Marie (1837 – 1921), unmarried
  • Hugo (1839 – 1871), unmarried

Günther Friedrich Karl II’s father, Günther Friedrich Karl I, ruled as an absolute monarch despite his subjects wanting a say in the principality’s government. His refusal to grant any concessions made him very unpopular and he was forced to abdicate on August 19, 1835, by his son Günther Friedrich Karl II in a palace revolt called the Ebeleben Revolution.

Soon after Günther Friedrich Karl II became the reigning prince, Schwarzburg-Sondershausen joined the Zollverein or German Customs Union, a coalition of German states formed to manage tariffs and economic policies within their territories. On Günther Friedrich Karl II’s 40th birthday, Schwarzburg-Sondershausen received a new constitution instituting the first state parliament. During the Revolutions of 1848, there were uprisings in Schwarzburg-Sondershausen ultimately resulting in a new, liberal constitution that curtailed the reigning prince’s rights. However, in 1857, the constitution was reformed conservatively, and the previously curtailed rights of the reigning prince were mostly restored.

In 1867, Schwarzburg-Sondershausen joined the North German Confederation, the German federal state that was controlled and led by the Kingdom of Prussia, the largest and most powerful member. Günther Friedrich Karl II then became a Major General in the Prussian Army and received subsequent promotions until in 1879, he became General of the Infantry. In 1871, when the German Empire was formed, the Principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen became a constituent member but Günther Friedrich Karl II was not present when Wilhelm I, King of Prussia was declared German Emperor (Kaiser) in the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles in France, on January 18, 1871.

Trinitatiskirche (Trinity Church) with the princely burial chapel on the right; Credit – Von ErwinMeier – Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=53603995

On July 17, 1880, Günther Friedrich Karl abdicated in favor of his son Karl Günther due to old age and illness. Günther Friedrich Karl II, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen died on September 15, 1889, in Sondershausen at the age of 88. His remains were interred in an unknown location until the completion of the princely burial chapel at Trinitatiskirche (Trinity Church – link in German) in Sondershausen, Principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen, now in the German state of Thuringia. In 1891, the remains of Günther Friedrich Karl II were transferred to the new princely burial chapel.

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.

Schwarzburg-Sondershausen Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. 2020. Günther Friedrich Carl I. (Schwarzburg-Sondershausen). [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%BCnther_Friedrich_Carl_I._(Schwarzburg-Sondershausen)> [Accessed 12 November 2020].
  • De.wikipedia.org. 2020. Günther Friedrich Carl II. (Schwarzburg-Sondershausen). [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%BCnther_Friedrich_Carl_II._(Schwarzburg-Sondershausen)> [Accessed 12 November 2020].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2020. Royal Burial Sites Of The Principality Of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/royal-burial-sites/german-royal-burial-sites/royal-burial-sites-of-the-principality-of-schwarzburg-sondershausen/> [Accessed 9 November 2020].

Zizi Lambrino, First Wife of King Carol II of Romania

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Zizi with then-Prince Carol, c1918. source: Wikipedia

Zizi Lambrino was the first wife of the future King Carol II of Romania. The couple married in 1918, but by the following year, the Romanian government had deemed the marriage unconstitutional and it was annulled. Joanna Marie Valentina “Zizi” Lambrino was born October 3, 1898, in Romania, the daughter of Colonel Constantin Lambrino and Euphrosine Alcaz. She was educated in a Catholic school in France before returning to her native Romania.

Zizi met the then-Crown Prince Carol in 1918, and the two quickly began a romance. Despite the opposition of the Royal Family, Carol insisted on pursuing Zizi and made clear his intentions to marry her. On August 18, 1918, Carol and Zizi crossed the border into Ukraine and were married in the Orthodox Cathedral of Odesa. When his father, King Ferdinand, found out he ordered that Carol be confined in the Bistrita Monastery for 75 days. Carol threatened to renounce his right to the throne if his marriage was not allowed to remain intact. In August 1919, when the Supreme Court ruled that it was unconstitutional and had the marriage annulled, Carol formally renounced his rights to the throne.

On August 8, 1920, in Bucharest, Zizi gave birth to the couple’s only child – a son named Mircea Gregor Carol Lambrino. As Zizi and Carol’s marriage had been legally annulled, the child was considered illegitimate and was given his mother’s surname.

Soon after the birth, Carol ended his relationship with Zizi, choosing instead to remain in line for the Romanian throne. Zizi and her son were forced to leave the country and were financially supported by the Romanian government. A villa was purchased for her in Neuilly-sur-Seine, just outside of Paris, and Zizi was granted an annual pension of 110,000 Francs.

Zizi with her son. photo: De la Sursa, Utilizare cinstită, https://ro.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=792858

Carol Lambrino later claimed he was entitled to some of his father’s estate, and pursued legal action for this purpose. In 1955, a Portuguese court decreed that he was King Carol II’s legitimate son, and he was permitted to take Hohenzollern as his surname. A similar ruling in France two years later allowed young Carol to claim his inheritance rights to his father’s French properties. King Mihai I – his half-brother – unsuccessfully appealed the ruling. Finally, in 1995 – a Romanian court also ruled that Carol was the former king’s legitimate son. King Mihai once again appealed several times, each time unsuccessfully.

Carol Lambrino. photo: By Prince Paul of Romania – Flickr: HRH Prince Carol Mircea/ ASR Printul Carol Mircea al Romaniei, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18516938

Young Carol was married three times and had two sons. His elder son, Paul-Philippe Hohenzollern (born 1948), claims that he is the rightful head of the Royal House.

Having lived a relatively quiet life in France for over 30 years, Zizi Lambrino died in near poverty on March 11, 1953, in Neuilly-sur-Seine, just three weeks before the death of her former husband, Carol II.

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.

Elizabeth Hamilton, Countess of Orkney, Mistress of King William III of England

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Elizabeth Hamilton, Countess of Orkney; Credit – Wikipedia

Born Elizabeth Villiers, she was the first cousin of another royal mistress, Barbara Palmer, 1st Duchess of Cleveland, born Barbara Villiers, a mistress of King Charles II of England. Their fathers were brothers. Elizabeth was born in 1657, one of the eight children of Colonel Sir Edward Villiers, an English politician and military officer from the powerful Villiers family, and Frances Howard, daughter of Theophilus Howard, 2nd Earl of Suffolk.

Elizabeth had seven siblings:

In 1660, King Charles II’s brother James, Duke of York, the future King James II, married Anne Hyde. Elizabeth’s mother Frances Villiers was appointed governess to James and Anne’s children. Although they would have eight children, all but two, the future Queen Mary II and the future Queen Anne, died in infancy or early childhood. In 1677, 15-year-old Mary married William III, Prince of Orange, her first cousin, the son of her paternal aunt Mary, Princess Royal. Frances Villiers used her position to secure positions in the future Queen Mary II’s household for her daughters. Elizabeth along with her sisters Anne and Katherine were among the maids of honor who accompanied Mary to The Hague in the Dutch Republic, now in the Netherlands, to serve the new Princess of Orange.

The future Queen Mary II, 1677; Credit – Wikipedia

Elizabeth Villiers was not considered to be a beauty. She moved awkwardly, had a bad complexion, and a squint, perhaps from nearsightedness, but she was witty, intelligent, and an excellent conversationalist. In 1679, when William III, Prince of Orange made his first advances to Elizabeth, she tried to discourage him. However, by 1680, Elizabeth was his mistress, rumors of the affair reached Paris, and Mary was probably aware of her husband’s relationship with Elizabeth.

The future King William III of England, 1680s; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1685, Mary’s father, now King James II of England, hoping to break up his daughter’s marriage with the Prince of Orange, had encouraged others to relay gossip from Mary and William’s household to him. Through the meddling of King James II, Elizabeth and William’s affair became public knowledge and Elizabeth was sent back to England. To stop rumors continuing in England, Elizabeth’s father then begged the Prince and Princess of Orange to allow Elizabeth to return to The Hague. Elizabeth was permitted to return but Mary refused to receive her. Elizabeth then went to live with her sister Katherine who had married and settled in The Hague. William Bentinck, 1st Earl of Portland, a favorite of the Prince of Orange as well as the husband of Elizabeth’s sister Anne, had forbidden his wife to socialize with her sister Elizabeth. Meanwhile, the affair between Elizabeth and William III, Prince of Orange continued and was to last until 1695, a total of fifteen years.

William and Mary became King William III and Queen Mary II, joint rulers, in 1688, after King James II was deposed in the Glorious Revolution. Elizabeth returned to London and lived for a while with her sister Katherine. Eventually, Elizabeth moved into lodgings close to Kensington Palace where William and Mary had settled and resumed seeing William. As before, the affair was conducted discreetly.

On December 28, 1694, 32-year-old Queen Mary II died from smallpox. The same disease had killed both of William’s parents. William was devastated by Mary’s death and said “from being the happiest” he was “now going to be the miserablest creature on earth.” William continued to reign alone until his death in 1702 when he was succeeded by Mary’s sister and his first cousin Anne.

George Hamilton, !st Earl of Orkney; Credit – Wikipedia

Within a year of Mary’s death, William ended his relationship with Elizabeth Villiers, motivated by the wishes of his wife expressed before her death. He arranged for Elizabeth to marry one of his regimental commanders and thereafter ignored her. On November 25, 1695, Elizabeth married her second cousin George Hamilton, Brigadier General of the Royal Scots, the son of William Douglas-Hamilton, 1st Earl of Selkirk and Anne Hamilton, 3rd Duchess of Hamilton. George Hamilton was quickly created Earl of Orkney, Viscount Kirkwall, and Lord Dechmont. He was also appointed Governor of Virginia, a lucrative appointment, however, he installed a deputy to attend to business in Virginia and he never needed to go there.

Elizabeth and George had three daughters:

Both Elizabeth and her husband George went from serving the Stuart monarchs to serving the Hanoverian monarchs. George was a Lord of the Bedchamber to King George I and Governor of Edinburgh Castle in Scotland. He also sat in the House of Lords as a Scottish representative peer and was the first British Army officer to be promoted to the rank of Field Marshal.

Cliveden; Credit – By WyrdLight.com, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4404784

Elizabeth continued to remain at the center of royal activities and kept up her friendship with politicians who continually valued her opinions. George and Elizabeth entertained both King George I and King George II at their country seat of Cliveden in Buckinghamshire, England which had been acquired by Elizabeth’s kinsman George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham in 1666 and was purchased by George Hamilton in 1696.

Taplow Court; Credit – Wikipedia

Elizabeth Hamilton, Countess of Orkney died on April 19, 1733, aged 76, at her London home in Albemarle Street. She was buried at Taplow Court, an Elizabethan manor house owned by her husband, in Taplow, Buckinghamshire, England. Her husband George Hamilton, 1st Earl of Orkney survived her by four years, dying on January 29, 1737, at the age of 70. He was buried with his wife Elizabeth.

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. Edward Villiers (1620–1689). [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Villiers_(1620%E2%80%931689)> [Accessed 26 September 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Elizabeth Hamilton, Countess Of Orkney. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Hamilton,_Countess_of_Orkney> [Accessed 26 September 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. George Hamilton, 1St Earl Of Orkney. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Hamilton,_1st_Earl_of_Orkney> [Accessed 26 September 2020].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2016. King William III Of England. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-william-iii-of-england/> [Accessed 26 September 2020].
  • Genealogics.org. 2020. Elizabeth Villiers. [online] Available at: <https://www.genealogics.org/getperson.php?personID=I00059439&tree=LEO> [Accessed 26 September 2020].
  • Van Der Kiste, J., 2003. William And Mary. Thrupp: Sutton Publishing.

Günther Friedrich Karl I, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen

by Susan Flantzer

Principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen: The County of Schwarzburg was a state of the Holy Roman Empire from 1195 to 1595, when it was partitioned into Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Schwarzburg-Sondershausen. The new counties remained in the Holy Roman Empire until its dissolution. In 1697, the County of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen was elevated to the Principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen. The County of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt was elevated to the Principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt in 1710.

The death of Karl Günther, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen without an heir in 1909 caused the Principalities of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Schwarzburg-Sondershausen to be united under Günther Victor, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt in a personal union. Following his succession in Sondershausen, Prince Günther Victor dropped the name Rudolstadt from his title and assumed the title Prince of Schwarzburg.

At the end of World War I, Prince Günther Victor was the last German prince to renounce his throne, abdicating on November 22, 1918. He made an agreement with the government that awarded him an annual pension and the right to use several of the family residences. The territory that encompassed the Principalities of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Schwarzburg-Sondershausen is now located in the German state of Thuringia.

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Credit – Wikipedia

Günther Friedrich Karl I, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen was born on December 5, 1760, in Sondershausen, Principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen, now in the German state of Thuringia. He was the eldest of the four sons and the six children of Christian Günther III, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen and Charlotte Wilhelmine of Anhalt-Bernburg.

Günther Friedrich Karl I had five younger siblings:

  • Catharina (1761 – 1801), married Prince Friedrich of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen, had one child Guntherina of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen who married her uncle (see below)
  • Günther Albrecht (1767 – 1833), unmarried
  • Caroline Auguste (1769 – 1819), Deaness of the Protestant Herford Abbey
  • Albertine (1771 – 1829), married Duke Ferdinand of Württemberg, divorced, no children
  • Johann (1772 – 1842), married his niece Guntherina of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen, had four children

On June 23, 1799, Günther Friedrich Karl I married Caroline of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1774–1854). She was the daughter of Friedrich Karl, reigning Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Friederike of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt.

Günther Friedrich Karl I and Caroline had two children:

Upon the death of his father Christian Günther III on October 14, 1794, Günther Friedrich Karl became the reigning Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen. During his reign, the Holy Roman Empire, the institution that held the German monarchies together, collapsed. His reign also saw the rise and fall of Napoleon Bonaparte. In 1807, Schwarzburg-Sondershausen joined the Confederation of the Rhine, a confederation of the client states of Napoleon’s First French Empire, and was under the protection of Napoleon until 1813. In 1815, the Principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen joined the German Confederation, an association of 39 predominantly German-speaking sovereign states in Central Europe, created by the Congress of Vienna in 1815 as a replacement of the former Holy Roman Empire, which had been dissolved in 1806.

Günther Friedrich Karl I promoted the arts in his principality. He built a theater in Sondershausen and continued the princely patronage of the Loh Orchestra Sondershausen (link in German), first established circa 1600, and still in existence.

Günther Friedrich Karl I ruled as an absolute monarch despite his subjects wanting a say in the principality’s government. His refusal to grant any concessions made him very unpopular and he was forced to abdicate on August 19, 1835, by his son Günther Friedrich Karl II in a palace revolt called the Ebeleben Revolution.

Jagdschloss zum Possen; Credit – Von Krajo – Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1754158

Günther Friedrich Karl I lived out the rest of his life at his hunting lodge Jagdschloss zum Possen (Hunting Castle of Antics – link in German) near Sondershausen. He died there on April 22, 1837, aged 77, and was buried in Ebeleben, Principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen, now in the German state of Thuringia. His exact burial site is unknown but it could have been Schloss Ebeleben (link in German). However, during World War II, the castle buildings were destroyed and the ruins were later removed.

His wife Caroline survived him by seventeen years, dying in 1854. She was buried at Fürstengruft auf dem Alten Friedhof (Princely Crypt at the Old Cemetery) in Arnstadt, Principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen, now in the German state of Thuringia.

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.

Schwarzburg-Sondershausen Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. 2020. Günther Friedrich Carl I. (Schwarzburg-Sondershausen). [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%BCnther_Friedrich_Carl_I._(Schwarzburg-Sondershausen)> [Accessed 12 November 2020].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2020. Royal Burial Sites Of The Principality Of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/royal-burial-sites/german-royal-burial-sites/royal-burial-sites-of-the-principality-of-schwarzburg-sondershausen/> [Accessed 9 November 2020].

Christian Günther III, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen

by Susan Flantzer

Principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen: The County of Schwarzburg was a state of the Holy Roman Empire from 1195 to 1595, when it was partitioned into Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Schwarzburg-Sondershausen. The new counties remained in the Holy Roman Empire until its dissolution. In 1697, the County of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen was elevated to the Principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen. The County of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt was elevated to the Principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt in 1710.

The death of Karl Günther, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen without an heir in 1909 caused the Principalities of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Schwarzburg-Sondershausen to be united under Günther Victor, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt in a personal union. Following his succession in Sondershausen, Prince Günther Victor dropped the name Rudolstadt from his title and assumed the title Prince of Schwarzburg.

At the end of World War I, Prince Günther Victor was the last German prince to renounce his throne, abdicating on November 22, 1918. He made an agreement with the government that awarded him an annual pension and the right to use several of the family residences. The territory that encompassed the Principalities of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Schwarzburg-Sondershausen is now located in the German state of Thuringia.

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Credit – www.geni.com

The grandson of Christian Wilhelm, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen, Christian Günther III, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen was born on June 24, 1736. He was the second but the eldest surviving of the four sons and the fourth of the sixth children of Prince August of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen (link in German) and Charlotte Sophie of Anhalt-Bernburg. His father had been given the Schloss Ebeleben (link in German) as his residence and Christian Günther spent a happy childhood there.

Christian Günther had five siblings but only two siblings survived childhood:

  • Friederike Auguste (1723 – 1725), died in childhood
  • Charlotte (1732 – 1774), married Heinrich II, Count of Reichenbach-Goschütz, had sixteen children
  • Christian Wilhelm (1734 – 1737), died in childhood
  • Johann Günther (1737 – 1738), died in infancy
  • August (1738 – 1806), married Christine Elisabeth Albertine of Anhalt-Bernburg, had four children

Christian Günther and his wife Charlotte Wilhelmine; Credit – Europena Collections (de) Christian Günther III., Fürst von Schwarzburg-Sondershausen – https://www.europeana.eu/item/92062/BibliographicResource_1000126071681. Österreichische Nationalbibliothek – Austrian National Library – http://www.bildarchivaustria.at/TELRequest.aspx?p_ImageID=5229709. Public Domain Mark – http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

On February 4, 1760, Christian Günther III married Charlotte Wilhelmine of Anhalt-Bernburg (1737-1777), daughter of Victor Friedrich II, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg and his second wife Albertine of Brandenburg-Schwedt.

The couple had six children:

  • Günther Friedrich Karl I, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen (1760 – 1837), married Caroline of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, had two children including Günther Friedrich Karl II, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen
  • Catharina Charlotte Friederike Albertine (1761 – 1801), married Prince Friedrich Christian Carl Albert of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen, had one child Guntherina of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen who married her uncle (see below)
  • Günther Albrecht August (1767 – 1833), unmarried
  • Caroline Auguste Albertine (1769 – 1819), Deaness of the Protestant Herford Abbey
  • Albertine Wilhelmine Amalie (1771 – 1829), married Duke Ferdinand of Württemberg, divorced, no children
  • Johann Carl Günther (1772 – 1842), married his niece Guntherina of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen, had four children

On November 6, 1758, 22-year-old Christian Günther succeeded his uncle Heinrich XXXV, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen because his uncle was unmarried and had no children, and Christian Günther III’s father had died in 1750. Christian Günther was immediately faced with problems from his uncle’s reign. Heinrich XXXV is considered the most controversial Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen. He was emotionally distant from his subjects and reveled in ostentatious displays of wealth. The Seven Years’ War (1756 – 1763), a global conflict for supremacy between Great Britain and France, began during Heinrich’s reign and saw disputes between Prussia and Austria which affected the other Germanic monarchies. Heinrich had given no financial support to any forces in the war or any of his affected subjects. He had preferred to spend his money on luxuries. Christian Günther aptly dealt with corruption in the government and the effects of the Seven Years’ War. Unlike his uncle, he was considered frugal in both government and family affairs.

The Blue Hall at Schloss Sondershausen; Credit – Wikipedia

During the reign of Christian Günther, there were extensive building and renovation projects. At the Schloss Sondershausen (link in German), he had the north wing extended and added the west wing with the famous Blue Hall in the Rococo style. The blue and white color scheme was used in honor of the state colors of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen. Christian Günther particularly loved the Schloss Ebeleben (link in German) where he had spent his childhood. He had the Schloss expanded and completely redesigned the park which became famous for its statues, fountains, and flowers.

The Deer Fountain at Schloss Ebeleben; Credit – Von CTHOE – Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=62575314

Charlotte Wilhelmine predeceased her husband Christian Günther, dying in 1777, aged 41, but her burial site is unknown. Christian Günther III, aged 58, died on October 14, 1794, and his burial site is also unknown. He was succeeded by his eldest son Günther Friedrich Karl I.

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.

Schwarzburg-Sondershausen Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. 2020. Christian Günther III. (Schwarzburg-Sondershausen). [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_G%C3%BCnther_III._(Schwarzburg-Sondershausen)> [Accessed 11 November 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Christian Günther III, Prince Of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_G%C3%BCnther_III,_Prince_of_Schwarzburg-Sondershausen> [Accessed 11 November 2020].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2020. Royal Burial Sites Of The Principality Of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/royal-burial-sites/german-royal-burial-sites/royal-burial-sites-of-the-principality-of-schwarzburg-sondershausen/> [Accessed 9 November 2020].

Heinrich XXXV, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen

by Susan Flantzer

Principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen: The County of Schwarzburg was a state of the Holy Roman Empire from 1195 to 1595, when it was partitioned into Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Schwarzburg-Sondershausen. The new counties remained in the Holy Roman Empire until its dissolution. In 1697, the County of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen was elevated to the Principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen. The County of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt was elevated to the Principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt in 1710.

The death of Karl Günther, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen without an heir in 1909 caused the Principalities of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Schwarzburg-Sondershausen to be united under Günther Victor, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt in a personal union. Following his succession in Sondershausen, Prince Günther Victor dropped the name Rudolstadt from his title and assumed the title Prince of Schwarzburg.

At the end of World War I, Prince Günther Victor was the last German prince to renounce his throne, abdicating on November 22, 1918. He made an agreement with the government that awarded him an annual pension and the right to use several of the family residences. The territory that encompassed the Principalities of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Schwarzburg-Sondershausen is now located in the German state of Thuringia.

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Credit – Wikipedia

Heinrich XXXV, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen is considered the most controversial Princes of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen. Born on November 8, 1689, he was the eldest of the five sons and the third of the eight children of Christian Wilhelm, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen and his second wife Wilhelmine Christiane of Saxe-Weimar (1658 – 1712).

Heinrich had seven siblings:

  • Johanna Auguste (1686 – 1703), died in childhood
  • Christiane Wilhelmine (1688 – 1749), unmarried
  • August (1691 – 1750), married Charlotte Sophie of Anhalt-Bernburg, had six children including Christian Günther III, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen
  • Henriette Ernestine (1692 – 1759), unmarried
  • Rudolf (1695 – 1749), unmarried
  • Wilhelm (1699 – 1762), unmarried
  • Christian (1700 – 1749), married Sophie Christine Eberhardine of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym, had five children

Heinrich had seven half-siblings from his father’s first marriage to Antonie Sybille of Barby-Mühlingen (1641 – 1684):

  • Anton Albrecht(1674 – 1680), died in childhood
  • August Wilhelm (1676 – 1690), died in childhood
  • Günther XLIII, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen (1678 – 1740), married Elisabeth Albertine of Anhalt-Bernburg, no children
  • Magdalene Sophie (1680 – 1751), married Count Georg Albert von Schönburg-Hartenstein, had seven children
  • Christiane Emilie (1681- 1751), married Adolf Friedrich II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (third wife), had two children
  • Luise Albertine (1682 – 1765), unmarried
  • Antonie Sibylle (born and died 1684), died in infancy

In 1713, a decree had been issued instituting primogeniture. The reigning Prince’s oldest son would be his sole successor, rather than having to share reigning with his younger brother(s) as Heinrich’s father did. This change meant that Heinrich would not be entitled to a share of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen. Greatly upset with this change and his entire family, Heinrich left the Principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen. He settled at a country estate in Bürgel, now in the German state of Thuringia, but then in the Duchy of Saxe-Weimar where Heinrich’s maternal uncle Wilhelm Ernst was the reigning Duke of Saxe-Weimar.

However, Heinrich eventually succeeded to the throne of the Principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen. The marriage of Heinrich’s half-brother Günther XLIII, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen produced no children. Upon his half-brother’s death on November 28, 1740, Heinrich became the reigning Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen. Heinrich returned to Schwarzburg-Sondershausen where he lived at Schloss Sondershausen.

Heinrich’s Golden Coach; Credit – Wikipedia

Heinrich was emotionally distant from his subjects and often traveled outside his principality. He reveled in ostentatious displays of wealth. For example, he owned a hugely expensive collection of diamonds that gave him the nickname “Prince of Diamonds.” He owned 37 state coaches, including his Golden Coach (link in German), built in Paris, France in 1710, that is now on display in Schloss Sondershausen. Because of his strained relationship with his siblings, Heinrich left his personal possessions to Franz Josias, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld.

The Seven Years’ War (1756 – 1763), a global conflict for supremacy between Great Britain and France, began during the end of Heinrich’s reign and saw disputes between Prussia and Austria which affected the other Germanic monarchies. Heinrich gave no financial support to any forces in the war or any of his affected subjects. He preferred to spend his money on luxuries.

Heinrich never married. He died on November 6, 1758, aged 68, and his burial site is unknown. Because he had no children, he was succeeded by Christian Günther III, the eldest son of his younger brother August.

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.

Schwarzburg-Sondershausen Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. 2020. Heinrich XXXV. (Schwarzburg-Sondershausen). [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_XXXV._(Schwarzburg-Sondershausen)> [Accessed 11 November 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Henry XXXV, Prince Of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_XXXV,_Prince_of_Schwarzburg-Sondershausen> [Accessed 11 November 2020].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2020. Royal Burial Sites Of The Principality Of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/royal-burial-sites/german-royal-burial-sites/royal-burial-sites-of-the-principality-of-schwarzburg-sondershausen/> [Accessed 9 November 2020].

Alexandre-Athenase Noghès, 1st Husband of Princess Antoinette of Monaco

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Alexandre-Athenase Noghès was the lover and first husband of Princess Antoinette of Monaco, with whom he had three children. The couple married three months after their last child was born, but divorced three years later.

Alexandre-Athenase Noghès was born in Monaco on June 15, 1916, the son of Antony Noghès and Marie Markellos-Petsalis. His father, Antony, served in the Monegasque government, responsible for the procurement, manufacturing, and sale of tobacco in the principality. An avid racing fan, he served as Commissioner-General of the Monte Carlo Automobile Club (his own father was the club’s first president), and organized the first Monaco Grand Prix which took place in 1929. He later succeeded his father as President of the club in 1940. Alexandre had one sister and one half-brother from his father’s second marriage:

  • Bathilde Noghès (1913-2002) – married Grégoire Livieratos, had issue
  • Gilles Noghès (born 1947) – married (1); Martine Peyret, no issue, divorced; (2) Florence Leroux, had issue, divorced; (3) Ellen Van Faasen, no issue. Gilles has worked in the Monegasque government since 1979, and in 2006, he became the Principality’s first Ambassador to the United States and served as Ambassador to the United Nations.

Aleco (as he was known) became a tennis player, playing in tournaments around Europe and representing Monaco in the Davis Cup. He later became a lawyer. He was married three times. His first wife was Marie Angèle Bastel, who he married in Monaco.

The couple had one son before divorcing:

  • Lionel Noghès (born 1941) – race car driver for several years until suffering serious injuries in a crash at Le Mans. He has since had several businesses including a home furnishings company and published an autobiography in 2016.

Princess Antoinette of Monaco, Baroness de Massy. photo: AP

In the mid-1940s, he began a relationship with Princess Antoinette of Monaco, the elder sister of Prince Rainier III of Monaco.

The couple had three children together:

  • Elizabeth-Ann de Massy, born January 13, 1947 – married Baron Bernard Alexandre Taubert-Natta, had issue, divorced; (2) Nicolai Vladimir Costello, had issue, divorced. Elizabeth-Ann died on June 10, 2020
  • Christian Louis de Massy, born January 17, 1949 – married (1) María Marta Quintana y del Carril, had issue, divorced; (2) Anne Michelle Lütken, no issue, divorced; (3) Julia Lakschin, no issue, divorced; (4) Cécile Irène Gelabale, had issue, divorced.
  • Christine Alix de Massy, born July 8, 1951 – married (1) Charles Wayne Knecht, had issue; (2) Leon Leroy, no issue. Christine Alix died on February 15, 1989.

As they were illegitimate, the children all had the surname Grimaldi, until October 1951, when Antoinette was created Baroness de Massy, and they began using de Massy as their surnames. On December 4, 1951, Aleco and Antoinette were married in a civil ceremony held at the Monegasque Consulate in Genoa. The marriage legitimated their children and them places in the line of succession at the time. The marriage only lasted three years, and the couple divorced in 1954. Antoinette retained full custody of the children, and limited their contact with their father.

Aleco spent several years living on his yacht in Monaco before moving to the United States. There, he met his third wife Margaret “Margot” James. The couple married in Las Vegas on June 13, 1970, and eventually settled in California. Alexandre Athenase Noghès died in Los Angeles on February 16, 1999, just three months before his 83rd birthday.

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.