King Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV of Tonga

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Kingdom of Tonga: Tonga consists of 169 islands, of which 36 are inhabited, in the south Pacific Ocean, about 1,100 miles/1,800 kilometers northeast of New Zealand’s North Island.

Tonga has long been a monarchy and by the 12th century, Tonga and its Paramount Chiefs had a strong reputation throughout the central Pacific Ocean. Tonga became a kingdom in 1845 and has been ruled by the House of Tupou. From 1900 to 1970, Tonga had a protected state status with the United Kingdom which looked after its foreign affairs under a Treaty of Friendship.

The order of succession to the throne of Tonga was established in the 1875 constitution. The crown descends according to male-preference cognatic primogeniture – a female can succeed if she has no living brothers and no deceased brothers who left surviving legitimate descendants.

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King Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV of Tonga; Credit – Wikipedia

King Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV of Tonga was born on July 4, 1918, at the Royal Palace in Nukuʻalofa, Tonga, the eldest of the three sons of Queen Sālote Tupou III of Tonga and her husband Prince Viliami Tungī Mailefihi.

Tonga royal family, circa 1930, Front (L to R): Prince Uiliami Tukuʻaho, Prince Sione Ngū Manumataong;  Seated (L to R): Prince Viliami Tungī Mailefihi, Queen Sālote Tupou III; Back (L to R): Prince Siaosi Tāufaʻāhau Tupoulahi (later King Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV), Princess Fusipala, half-sister of Queen Salote; Credit – By Unknown author – Wood-Ellem, Elizabeth (1999) Queen Sālote of Tonga: The Story of an Era 1900–1965, Auckland, N.Z: Auckland University Press, pp. 144–145 ISBN: 978-0-8248-2529-4. OCLC: 262293605., CC BY-SA 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1211166

Tāufaʻāhau Tupou had two younger brothers:

  • Prince Uiliami Tuku‘aho (1920 – 1936), died as a teenager
  • Prince Sione Ngū Manumataongo (1922 – 1999), married Melenaite Tupoumoheofo Veikune, had four daughters and two sons

Tāufaʻāhau Tupou in 1928; Credit – Wikipedia

Tāufaʻāhau Tupou began his education at a school run by the Free Wesleyan Church in Tonga and continued at Tupou College, a Methodist boys’ secondary boarding school in Toloa, Tonga. While at Tupou College, Tāufaʻāhau Tupou began competing in the pole vault, and by the age of fourteen, he held the Tonga pole vault record, a record that stood for many years.

Tāufaʻāhau Tupou pole vaulting, circa 1935; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1932, at the age of 14, Tāufaʻāhau Tupou was sent to Newington College, an exclusive boys’ secondary school located in Stanmore, near Sydney, Australia. While at Newington College, Tāufaʻāhau Tupou was a member of the athletic (track) team and competed in the pole vault. After finishing his secondary education at Newington College, Tāufaʻāhau Tupou attended the University of Sydney in Australia from 1938-1942, receiving both a bachelor’s degree and a law degree.

Tāufaʻāhau Tupou is seated on the far right with his fellow athletic team members; Credit – Wikipedia

Upon graduating from university, Tāufaʻāhau Tupou returned to Tonga and began a career in government. His mother Queen Sālote appointed him Minister of Education in 1943, Minister of Health in 1944, and in 1949, he was appointed Prime Minister of Tonga, a position he held until he became King of Tonga in 1965. Tāufaʻāhau Tupou was a lay preacher of the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga until his death.

On June 10, 1946, Tāufaʻāhau Tupou married Halaevalu Mataʻaho ʻAhomeʻe (1926 – 2017) and the couple had four children:

  • King George Tupou V (1948 – 2012), unmarried
  • Princess Royal Salote Mafileʻo Pilolevu Tuita (born 1951), married Siosaʻia Maʻulupekotofa, Lord Tuita of ʻUtungake, had four daughters
  • Prince Fatafehi ʻAlaivahamamaʻo Tukuʻaho (1953 – 2004), married (1) Heimataura Seiloni, a commoner so he was stripped of his royal titles, his wife died in 1985 (2) Alaile’ula Poutasi Jungblut, had four children
  • King Tupou VI (born 1959), married Nanasipauʻu Tukuʻaho, daughter of Baron Vaea, a former Prime Minister of Tonga, had one daughter and two sons
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Coronation of Tongan King Taufa’auhau Tupou IV

Upon the death of his mother Queen Sālote Tupou III in 1965, Tāufaʻāhau Tupou became King of Tonga. Taufa’ahau Tupou IV was crowned King of Tonga in a Methodist ceremony on July 4, 1967, his 49th birthday, at the Royal Chapel on the grounds of the Royal Palace in Nukuʻalofa, Tonga. Tongans from the outer islands had been arriving in the capital Nuku’alofa for a month. Dignitaries who attended included the Duke and Duchess of Kent representing Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and New Zealand’s Prime Minister Keith Holyoake.

In 1970, King Tāufaʻāhau Tupou proclaimed Tonga’s full independence from the United Kingdom, which had held Tonga as a protectorate since 1900. For most of his reign, King Tāufaʻāhau Tupou had the respect and loyalty of his subjects and other leaders in the South Pacific but toward the end of his reign, he faced increasing dissent. In 2005, thousands of people took to the streets to demand democracy and public ownership of key assets. Like his mother Queen Sālote, King Tāufaʻāhau Tupou‘s stature was notable. He was 6 feet 5 inches tall and weighed 440 pounds. In the 1990s, he took part in a national fitness campaign, and by his 80th birthday, in 1998, he had lost 286 pounds.

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King Taufa’ahau Tupou IV, age 84, relaxing in the Royal Palace, 2002

On September 10, 2006, 88-year-old King Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV of Tonga died at Mercy Hospital in Auckland, New Zealand. His funeral, which blended Christian and ancient Polynesian burial rites, was held on September 19, 2006, in the Tongan capital, Nukuʻalofa. Thousands of Tongans attended the funeral along with many foreign dignitaries, including Japanese Crown Prince Naruhito, New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark, Fijian Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase, Vanuatu President Kalkot Mataskelekele, American Samoan Governor Togiola Tulafono, Niue Premier Vivian Young, and the Duke of Gloucester representing his cousin of Queen Elizabeth of the United Kingdom. King Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV of Tonga was buried his mother Queen Sālote at Malaʻekula, the royal burial grounds in Nukuʻalofa, the capital of the Kingdom of Tonga.

Tongan Royal Tombs, King Tāufaʻāhau Tupou’s tomb is the first statue on the right; Credit – Around the Globe with the Rosens

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

  • Baker, Simon, 2006. King’s Funeral Mixes Tongan, Western Traditions. [online] The Age. Available at: <https://www.theage.com.au/world/kings-funeral-mixes-tongan-western-traditions-20060920-ge364c.html> [Accessed 8 September 2020].
  • BBC News. 2006. Tongan King Tupou IV Dies At 88. [online] Available at: <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/5333318.stm> [Accessed 8 September 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%C4%81ufa%CA%BB%C4%81hau_Tupou_IV> [Accessed 8 September 2020].
  • NYtimes.com. 2006. King Taufa’Ahau Tupou IV, Ruler Of Tonga, Dies At 88. [online] Available at: <https://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/11/world/asia/11tonga.html?ref=oembed> [Accessed 8 September 2020].
  • NZ Herald. 2006. King’s Funeral Brings Capital To Halt. [online] Available at: <https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10401988> [Accessed 8 September 2020].
  • The Guardian. 2006. Obituary: King Taufa’ahau Tupou IV Of Tonga. [online] Available at: <https://www.theguardian.com/news/2006/sep/20/guardianobituaries.rogercowe> [Accessed 8 September 2020].

Anna Petrovna Lopukhina, Mistress of Paul I, Emperor of All Russia

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Anna Petrovna Lopukhina; Credit – Wikipedia

Patronymics: In Russian, a patronymic is the second name derived from the father’s first name: the suffix -vich means “son of” and the suffixes -eva, -evna, -ova, and -ovna mean “daughter of”.

Anna Petrovna Lopukhina was born on November 8, 1777. She was the eldest of the three daughters and the eldest of the four children of Peter Vasilievich Lopukhin and his first wife Praskovya Ivanovna Levshina. The Lopukhins were an old Russian noble family. Eudoxia Feodorovna Lopukhina, the first wife of Peter I (the Great), Emperor of All Russia was from the family. Peter Vasilievich Lopukhin served in the Russian Army with the Preobrazhensky Guards. He served as Chief of Police of St. Petersburg, Moscow Civil Governor, and Governor-General of Yaroslav and Vologda. When Paul I succeeded to the throne, Peter Vasilievich was appointed to the Privy Council. He served as President of the Council of Ministers, basically the Prime Minister, from 1816 to 1827 during the reigns of Paul’s sons Alexander I and Nicholas I.

Anna’s father Peter Vasilievich Lopukhin; Credit – Wikipedia

Anna’s mother, Praskovya Ivanovna Levshina; Credit – Wikipedia

Anna had three younger siblings:

Anna’s stepmother Ekaterina Nikolaevna Shetneva; Credit – Wikipedia

When Anna was eight-years-old, her mother died. A year later her father married Ekaterina Nikolaevna Shetneva. Anna and her siblings were raised by their stepmother in Moscow, Russia, along with their half-siblings.

Anna had four half-siblings from her father’s second marriage:

  • Alexandra Petrovna Lopukhina (1788 – 1852), married Alexander Alexandrovich Zherebtsov, had one daughter
  • Pavel Petrovich Lopukhin (1790 – 1873), married Anna Ivanovna von Wenkstern
  • Elizaveta Petrovna Lopukhina (1792 -1805), died in childhood
  • Sofia Petrovna Lopukhina (1798 – 1825 ), married Alexei Jakovlevich Lobanov-Rostovsky, had four children

Paul I, Emperor of All Russia’ Credit – Wikipedia

In 1798, Paul I, Emperor of All Russia visited Moscow. At a court ball, he noticed 21-year-old Anna Petrovna Lopukhina and became infatuated. A court faction headed by Count Ivan Pavlovich Kutaisov, formerly Paul’s valet and now one of his important advisors, decided to use Paul’s infatuation with Anna against the influence of Paul’s wife Empress Maria Feodorovna, born Sophie Dorothea of Württemberg, and Paul’s official mistress Ekaterina Ivanovna Nelidova, one of his wife’s ladies-in-waiting. The Empress had originally been quite upset about her husband’s infidelities, but eventually, she made her peace with Ekaterina Ivanovna Nelidova and the two women used their combined influence on Paul.

Emperor Paul instructed Kutaisov to negotiate the Lopukhina family’s move to St. Petersburg. After being offered an important position in St. Petersburg, a house, money, and the title His Serene Highness Prince, Peter Vasilievich Lopukhin agreed to move his family to St. Petersburg. Upon hearing of this, Empress Maria Feodorovna sent a letter to Anna strongly advising her to remain in Moscow. The letter was intercepted and came to the attention of Paul I who was angered by his wife’s actions. In the fall of 1798, the Lopukhin family moved to St. Petersburg where they lived at 10 Palace Embankment, a street along the Neva River where the Winter Palace was located.

The brown building in the middle, 10 Palace Embankment, was the Loupkhin family home in St. Petersburg; Credit – Wikipedia

Anna’s stepmother was made a lady-in-waiting at court and Anna was made a maid of honor. She quickly replaced Ekaterina Ivanovna Nelidova as Paul’s official mistress. Praskovya Petrovna Lopukhina, Anna’s sister, married Count Pavel Ivanovich Kutaisov, the son of Count Ivan Pavlovich Kutaisov, the mastermind behind the scheme to move the Lopukhin family to St. Petersburg and make Anna the mistress of Emperor Paul.

Anna had a diplomatic and humble nature and stayed away from court intrigues. She used her influence with Paul only for those who fell out of favor or for those who deserved rewards. However, instead of using persuasion, Anna cried or pouted until she got what she wanted. Anna had a passion for dancing and so Paul often gave balls. She loved the waltz, which had been forbidden at court but it was brought into vogue thanks to Anna. The usual court costume restricted some dance moves and so Paul ordered it abandoned which greatly upset his wife Empress Maria Feodorovna.

Anna’s husband Prince Pavel Gavrilovich Gagarin; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1799, Anna asked Paul’s permission to marry a childhood friend, Prince Pavel Gavrilovich Gagarin, who was then in Italy with the Russian Army. Paul recalled him to St. Petersburg, gave him the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, promoted him to Adjutant General, and transferred him to the St. Petersburg-based Preobrazhensky Guards. Anna and Pavel Gavrilovich were married on February 8, 1799. Upon her marriage, Anna was appointed a lady-in-waiting. Paul’s feelings for Anna did not change after her marriage and she continued to be his official mistress.

Because Emperor Paul overly taxed the nobility and limited their rights, the Russian nobles, by increasing numbers, were against him. Paul’s reign was becoming increasingly despotic. Eventually, the nobility reached their breaking point and rumors began swirling of a coup d’état being prepared by the nobility. On the night of March 23, 1801, a group of conspirators charged into Paul’s bedroom, forced him to abdicate, and then strangled and trampled him to death. Paul’s eldest son, who probably knew about the coup but not the murder plot, succeeded as Alexander I, Emperor of All Russia.

Alexander I appointed Pavel Gavrilovich Gagarin ambassador to Sardinia, now in Italy, and Anna and her husband moved to the city of Turin. Because the benefits that Pavel would reap from being married to Paul’s official mistress were now gone, Pavel and Anna’s marriage deteriorated. Both Pavel and Anna had affairs. Anna’s affair was with Prince Boris Antonovich Chetvertinsky. On February 5, 1805, Anna gave birth to Boris Antonovich’s daughter Alexandra. Anna, aged 27, died on April 25, 1805, in Turin from tuberculosis. Her infant daughter died a few weeks later.

Anna was buried in the St. Lazarus Church at the Alexander Nevsky Lavra in St. Petersburg, Russia. Her husband Prince Pavel Gavrilovich Gagarin ordered the inscription on her tomb to read, “In memory of my wife and benefactress,” a nod to the benefits he had received for being married to a mistress of the Emperor of All Russia.

St. Lazarus Church at the Alexander Nevsky Lavra in St. Petersburg; Credit – By Екатерина Борисова – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=51910633

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. Anna Lopukhina. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_Lopukhina> [Accessed 1 July 2020].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2018. Paul I, Emperor of All Russia. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/emperor-paul-i-of-russia/> [Accessed 1 July 2020].
  • Lincoln, W. Bruce. (1981). The Romanovs: Autocrats of  All the Russias. New York, NY.: Doubleday
  • Ru.wikipedia.org. 2020. Лопухина, Анна Петровна. [online] Available at: <https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9B%D0%BE%D0%BF%D1%83%D1%85%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B0,_%D0%90%D0%BD%D0%BD%D0%B0_%D0%9F%D0%B5%D1%82%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%BD%D0%B0> [Accessed 1 July 2020].
  • Ru.wikipedia.org. 2020. Гагарин, Павел Гаврилович. [online] Available at: <https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%93%D0%B0%D0%B3%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%BD,_%D0%9F%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%B5%D0%BB_%D0%93%D0%B0%D0%B2%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%87> [Accessed 1 July 2020].
  • Ru.wikipedia.org. 2020. Лопухин, Пётр Васильевич. [online] Available at: <https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9B%D0%BE%D0%BF%D1%83%D1%85%D0%B8%D0%BD,_%D0%9F%D1%91%D1%82%D1%80_%D0%92%D0%B0%D1%81%D0%B8%D0%BB%D1%8C%D0%B5%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%87> [Accessed 1 July 2020].

Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah, 14th Ruler and 4th Emir of Kuwait

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah, 14th Ruler and 4th Emir of Kuwait; Credit – Wikipedia

Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah, 14th Ruler and 4th Emir of Kuwait reigned for only nine days in January 2006 before abdicating due to illness. Originally a sheikhdom ruled by local sheikhs, Kuwait became a British Protectorate in 1899. The sheikhs still had power during the British Protectorate. Kuwait was granted independence in 1961 and Saad’s father Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah, 11th Ruler of Kuwait became the first Emir of Kuwait. The rulers of Kuwait belong to the House of Al-Sabah.

The Emir of Kuwait is nominated by a family council headed by prominent members of the family. The Crown Prince of Kuwait is also nominated by the family council and must be a senior member of the House of Al-Sabah. Both the Emir and the Crown Prince must be approved by the Kuwaiti parliament.

Born in 1930 in Kuwait City, Kuwait, Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah was the son of Abdullah III Al-Salim Al-Sabah (1895 – 1965), the 11th Ruler and 1st Emir of Kuwait and Jamila, “an African lady.” His father married four times and Saad had two half-brothers and three half-sisters.

Saad was educated at the Al-Mubarakiya School in Kuwait City, established in 1911 as one of Kuwait’s first modern educational institutions. He then attended the Hendon Police College in Hendon, England, the principal training center for London’s Metropolitan Police Service.

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Crown Prince Saad al-Abdullah al-Sabah (left) and Emir Jaber al-Ahmad al-Sabah (right) on November 05, 1991

On February 16, 1978, the family council named Saad the Crown Prince of Kuwait. He also held the following positions:

  • Deputy Chief of Kuwait City Police (1954-1959)
  • Member of the Supreme Council (1955-1961)
  • Deputy Director of the Police and Public Security Department (1959-1961)
  • President of the Police and Public Security Department (1961-1962)
  • Minister of the Interior (1962-1978)
  • Minister of Defence (1965-1978)
  • Prime Minister and President Council of Ministers (1978-1991, 1992-2003)
  • President of the Supreme Defence Council, the Supreme Petroleum Council, the Civil Service Commission, and the Higher Council of Housing

President Ronald Reagan during a working visit at the White House of Prime Minister and Crown Prince Sabah of Kuwait on July 12, 1988; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1948, Saad married Latifa bint Fahad Al-Sabah, daughter of his uncle Fahad bin Salim Al-Sabah. Saad and Latifah had five daughters and one son:

  • Mariam bint Sa’ad Al-‘Abdu’llah Al-Salim Al-Sabah (1949 – 1994), unmarried, died in a car accident
  • Hussa bint Sa’ad Al-‘Abdu’llah Al-Salim Al-Sabah (born 1950), married and divorced Badr bin Nasir Al-Sabah, had one son
  • Jamayal bint Sa’ad Al-‘Abdu’llah Al-Salim Al-Sabah (born 1952), married (1) ‘Abdu’l-Halim Chamma, had one daughter, divorced (2) Shahzada Masud Mirza, no children
  • Shekha bint Sa’ad Al-‘Abdu’llah Al-Salim Al-Sabah (1954 – 2003), unmarried, died from cancer
  • Fadia bint Sa’ad Al-‘Abdu’llah Al-Salim Al-Sabah (born 1959), married (1) Fahad bin Salim Al-Sabah, no children, divorced (2) Salman bin Sabah Al-Salim Al-Hamud Al-Sabah, has one son and three daughters
  • Fahad bin Sa’ad Al-‘Abdu’llah Al-Salim Al-Sabah (born 1960), married Mana’al bint Muhammad Al-Wazzan, had five sons and one daughter

In April 1997, Saad suffered from internal hemorrhaging which required surgery. He then went to the United Kingdom for tests and treatment, returning to Kuwait in October 1997. However, his health continued to be a problem and he needed to use a wheelchair for the rest of his life. He eventually developed colon issues and was diagnosed with colon cancer.

Saad’s health issues led to speculation that he might abdicate his position as Crown Prince, however, a statement issued in November 2005 contradicted these speculations. Upon the death of Jaber III Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, 13th Ruler and 3rd Emir of Kuwait on January 15, 2006, Saad became the 14th Ruler and 4th Emir of Kuwait. When Saad was seen in a wheelchair at Jaber’s funeral, his fitness to be Emir of Kuwait was questioned by members of the Kuwaiti parliament. An internal discussion within the Kuwaiti royal family made Saad decide to abdicate. On January 24, 2006, the Kuwaiti parliament voted Saad out of office, moments before an official letter of abdication was received. The Kuwait Cabinet nominated Prime Minister Sabah bin Ahmad Al-Sabah to take over as Emir as expected.

Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah, 14th Ruler and 4th Emir of Kuwait died on May 13, 2008, at the age of 78, at Shaab Palace in Kuwait City, Kuwait. He was buried at the Al Sulaibikhat Cemetery, the largest cemetery in Kuwait.

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Al Sulaibikhat 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.

Works Cited

  • Ar.wikipedia.org. 2020. سعد العبد الله السالم الصباح. [online] Available at: <https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%B3%D8%B9%D8%AF_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%A8%D8%AF_%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%84%D9%87_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B5%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%AD> [Accessed 24 August 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Saad Al-Salim Al-Sabah. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saad_Al-Salim_Al-Sabah> [Accessed 24 August 2020].
  • Nl.wikipedia.org. 2020. Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah. [online] Available at: <https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saad_Al-Abdullah_Al-Salim_Al-Sabah> [Accessed 24 August 2020].
  • Royalark.net. 2020. Royal Ark: Kuwait Royal Genealogy. [online] Available at: <https://www.royalark.net/Kuwait/kuwait16.htm> [Accessed 24 August 2020].

Jaber III Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, 13th Ruler and 3rd Emir of Kuwait

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Jaber III Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, 13th Ruler and 3rd Emir of Kuwait; Credit – www.findagrave.com

Jaber III Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah reigned as the 13th Ruler and 3rd Emir of Kuwait from 1977 – 2006. He was Emir of Kuwait during the 1990 invasion of Kuwait by Iraq and the subsequent Persian Gulf War. Originally a sheikhdom ruled by local sheikhs, Kuwait became a British Protectorate in 1899. The sheikhs still had power during the British Protectorate. Kuwait was granted independence in 1961 and Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah, 11th Ruler of Kuwait became the first Emir of Kuwait. The rulers of Kuwait belong to the House of Al-Sabah.

The Emir of Kuwait is nominated by a family council headed by prominent members of the House of Al-Sabah. The Crown Prince of Kuwait is also nominated by the family council and must be a senior member of the House of Al-Sabah. Both the Emir and the Crown Prince must be approved by the Kuwaiti parliament.

Born on June 29, 1926, in Kuwait City, Kuwait, Jaber III was the son of Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, 10th ruler of Kuwait and Sheikha Bibi Al-Salem Al-Sabah, daughter of the 9th ruler of Kuwait, Salem Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah. Jaber’s father had ten wives and 24 children.

Jaber had one full-sibling, a sister Sheikha Badriya Al-Ahmad. His prominent half-siblings include:

Jaber’s father Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah had a prominent role in his upbringing. Ahmad was open-minded and was interested in culture and education. Jaber was educated at the Al-Mubarakiya School, established in 1911 as one of Kuwait’s first modern educational institutions, and the Ahmadiyya School, established in 1921, another of Kuwait’s first modern educational institutions. He also received private instruction in religion, Arabic language and literature, the English language, and the sciences. After he completed his education, Jaber’s father allowed him to travel to learn about the culture and conditions of other people. The first of Jaber’s 51 children (he had 22 sons and 29 daughters) was born in 1945. He married the first of his 20 wives sometime in the early 1940s. For information on his family, see Royal Ark: Kuwait – Al-Sabah Genealogy.

After the death of Jaber’s father Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah in 1950, two sons of Salim Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah, 9th Ruler of Kuwait were chosen by the family council to be Ruler of Kuwait: Abdullah III Al-Salim Al-Sabah (reigned 1950 – 1965) and Sabah III Al-Salim Al-Sabah (reigned 1965 – 1977). During this period, a new constitution was enacted and Kuwait gained independence from the United Kingdom. Jaber served as Minister of Finance from 1959 – 1965 and as Prime Minister of Kuwait from 1965 – 1978. On May 31, 1966, the family council appointed Jaber Heir Apparent with the title of Crown Prince.

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Jaber III, Emir of Kuwait (second from the left) and Queen Elizabeth II  watch a display of folk dancing during the Queen’s state visit to Kuwait on February 13,  1979

Upon the death of Sabah III Al-Salim Al-Sabah on December 31, 1977, Jaber became the 13th Ruler and 3rd Emir of Kuwait. Unlike many other rulers in the Middle East, Emir Jaber stood out for his modest style. He declined to put his image on the nation’s currency and lived in what Kuwaitis considered a relatively simple home. The Kuwaiti people often referred to him as Baba Jaber or Father Jaber. On February 16, 1978, the family council named Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah, eldest son of Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, 11th Ruler and First Emir of Kuwait (reigned 1950 – 1965) as the Crown Prince of Kuwait.

From 1980 – 1988, Kuwait found itself geographically in the middle of the Iran- Iraq War. Among the many security threats during that period was an assassination attempt. On May 25, 1985, a car bomb was detonated by remote control as Jaber’s motorcade was traveling to his office at Seif Palace in Kuwait City. Three people were killed but Jaber was only showered with broken glass and suffered minor cuts and bruises.

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Jaber III Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Emir of Kuwait speaks to the press on the South Lawn of the White House on September 28, 1990, after the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq

On August 2, 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait, resulting in the seven-month-long Iraqi occupation. Within hours of the invasion, Jaber and his government went to Saudi Arabia where they ran the Kuwaiti government from a hotel in Ta’if, Saudi Arabia. When the Gulf War ended in February 1991, Jaber remained in Saudi Arabia while declaring three months of martial law to ensure the safety of the people and to ensure that there were no Iraqis still in Kuwait who may attempt once again to overthrow the government. Jaber and his government returned to Kuwait on March 15, 1991. The Kuwaiti people remember Emir Jaber as the man who rebuilt their country after American-led forces drove Saddam Hussein’s Iraqi occupation troops from Kuwait in 1991.

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Jaber III, Emir of Kuwait, prays as he disembarks his plane on March 15, 1991, upon his arrival in Kuwait after his in exile in Saudi Arabia during the Iraqi occupation of his country

Jaber suffered from some health problems in his last years, and he traveled outside Kuwait to receive treatment several times, including in September 2001, when he suffered a stroke and went to the United Kingdom for treatment. On January 15, 2006, Jaber III Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, 3rd Emir of Kuwait, aged 79, died from a cerebral hemorrhage at Dasman Palace in Kuwait City, Kuwait. His funeral and burial were attended by thousands of Kuwaitis and many Arab heads of state including King Abdullah II of Jordan. Wrapped in a Kuwaiti flag, Jaber’s body was buried in a simple sand grave bordered with white stones at the Al Sulaibikhat Cemetery, the largest cemetery in Kuwait.

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Al Sulaibikhat Cemetery

Crown Prince Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah succeeded Jaber as the 14th Ruler and the 4th Emir of Kuwait. However, after a nine-day reign, Saad, who suffered from colon cancer, abdicated. On January 24, 2006, the Kuwaiti parliament voted Saad out of office, moments before an official letter of abdication was received. The Kuwait Cabinet nominated Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah bin Ahmad Al-Sabah to take over as Emir as expected.

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

  • Ar.wikipedia.org. 2020. جابر الأحمد الصباح. [online] Available at: <https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%AC%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%B1_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D8%AD%D9%85%D8%AF_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B5%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%AD> [Accessed 21 August 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaber_Al-Ahmad_Al-Sabah> [Accessed 21 August 2020].
  • euronews. 2006. Crowds Mourn At Funeral Of Kuwait Ruler. [online] Available at: <https://www.euronews.com/2006/01/15/crowds-mourn-at-funeral-of-kuwait-ruler> [Accessed 21 August 2020].
  • Kentucky New Era. 1985. Emir Of Kuwait’s Motorcade Bombed On Highway, 3 Killed. [online] Available at: <https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=266&dat=19850524&id=l3o1AAAAIBAJ&sjid=9uAFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1282,3749546> [Accessed 21 August 2020].
  • Nytimes.com. 2006. Sheik Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, The Leader Of Kuwait For 28 Years, Is Dead At 79. [online] Available at: <https://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/16/world/middleeast/sheik-jaber-alahmad-alsabah-the-leader-of-kuwait-for-28.html> [Accessed 21 August 2020].
  • Reuters Archive Licensing. 2006. Thousands Of Kuwaitis Attend The Funeral Of Their Emir, Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. [online] Available at: <https://reuters.screenocean.com/record/351092> [Accessed 21 August 2020].
  • Royalark.net. 2020. Royal Ark: Kuwait – Al-Sabah Genealogy. [online] Available at: <https://www.royalark.net/Kuwait/kuwait16.htm> [Accessed 21 August 2020].

Sybille de Selys Longchamps, Mistress of King Albert II of the Belgians

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Baroness Sybille de Selys Longchamps was the mistress of the future King Albert II of the Belgians from the mid-1960s until the early 1980s. Their child, Delphine Boël, now Her Royal Highness Princess Delphine of Belgium, is well-known to many for having pursued legal acknowledgment of her parentage. This was finally received in early 2020.

Baroness Sybille de Selys Longchamps in a television interview in 2013. source: VRT News

Sybille was born on August 28, 1941, in Uccle, Belgium, the second child of Count Michel François de Selys Longchamps and Countess Pauline Cornet de Ways-Ruart. Her father had valiantly served in the Belgian military and was active in the resistance during World War II. He later served as Belgian Ambassador to numerous countries, including the Netherlands, Italy, Luxembourg, and the United States. She had five siblings:

  • Michel (1938) – married Florence van den Perre
  • Anne-Michèle (1942) – married Barn Henry van der Straeten Waillet
  • Jean-Patrick (1944) – married Margaret de Brouwer
  • Daniel (1946) – unmarried
  • Nathalie (1951) – married Guy Verhaeghe de Naeyer

In 1962, Sybille married Jonkheer Jacques Boël, a wealthy industrialist. About four years later, Sybille first met the future King Albert (then Prince of Liège) in Athens, Greece, where her father was serving as Ambassador, and Albert and his wife were on holiday. Several months later, she was invited to a dinner and seated right next to him. Soon, the two began an affair that reportedly lasted until around 1982. In 1968, Sybille gave birth to a daughter – Delphine – who was registered as the daughter of Jacques Boël.

Albert of Belgium, c1964. source: Wikipedia

Despite their marriages, Sybille and Albert maintained their relationship for many years, and according to Delphine years later, Albert even considered divorcing his wife but Sybille talked him out of it. For reasons unknown, Albert ended their affair somewhat abruptly in 1982, ending all contact with Sybille and their daughter. By then, Sybille had divorced her first husband (in 1978), and in 1982 she remarried to the Honourable Michael-Anthony Rathbone Cayzer, a younger son of Herbert Cayzer, 1st Baron Rocherwick. Sybille and her daughter then lived in England until Cayzer’s death in 1990. Since then, she has split her time between Belgium and Provence.

In 1999, in a biography of Queen Paola, the first public allegation was made of Sybille’s affair with Albert and the subsequent birth of their daughter. The Belgian royal court quickly dismissed the report as “gossip”, but later that year, the King seemed to make reference to the situation. In his Christmas message, he spoke of a “crisis” in his marriage some 30 years earlier that they had overcome, but of which they had been recently reminded. That would be the last public statement on the matter for many years.

Having spoken publicly about the matter for several years, in June 2013, Delphine filed a lawsuit asking King Albert and two of his legitimate children to provide DNA samples to prove her lineage. In September of that year, Sybille appeared on a television program entitled “Our Daughter is Called Delphine”, in which she detailed her relationship with the King and the birth of their child together.

Delphine Boël. photo: By Luc Van Braekel – https://www.flickr.com/photos/lucvanbraekel/2407637011/, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=26839140

By March 2017, the courts had dismissed Delphine’s lawsuit. But she continued to pursue the matter, and after Jacques Boël was proven to not be her father, a Belgian court instructed the now-former King Albert to provide a DNA sample. Albert appealed the ruling, unsuccessfully, and was assessed with a fine of €5,000 per day until he cooperated. Soon, he did provide a sample, and in January 2020, it was made public that the test had proven that he was, in fact, Delphine’s biological father.  In October 2020, the Belgian Court of Appeal ruled that Delphine is entitled to the title of Princess of Belgium and the style of Royal Highness.  This also applies to her children.  She is also entitled to inherit one-quarter of the former King’s estate, a share equal to those of his legitimate children.

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.

Prince Platon Alexandrovich Zubov, Lover of Catherine II (the Great) of Russia

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Prince Platon Alexandrovich Zubov; Credit – Wikipedia

  • Patronymics: In Russian, a patronymic is the second name derived from the father’s first name: the suffix -vich means “son of” and the suffixes -eva, -evna, -ova, and -ovna mean “daughter of”.

Prince Platon Alexandrovich Zubov was the last lover of Catherine II (the Great), Empress of All Russia. There was a thirty-eight-year age difference between Platon and Catherine. He was also one of the conspirators in the assassination of Catherine II’s son and successor Paul I, Emperor of All Russia, and was one of the fourteen people present at Paul’s murder. Born on November 26, 1767, Platon was the fifth of the six children and the third of the four sons of Alexander Nikolaievich Zubov (1727 – 1795) and Elizabeth Vasilievna Voronova (1742 – 1813).

Platon Alexandrovich had four older siblings and one younger sibling:

  • Anna Alexandrovna Zubova (1760 – after 1787), married Osip Ivanovich Horvath, had two children
  • Nicholai Alexandrovich Zubov (1763 – 1805), married Natalia Alexandrovna Suvorov, had seven children
  • Dmitri Alexandrovich Zubov (1764 – 1836), married Praskovye Alexandrovna Vyazemskaya, had six children
  • Olga Alexandrovna Zubova (1765 – 1849), married Alexander Alexeivich Zherebtsov, had four children
  • Valerian Alexandrovich Zubov (1771 – 1804), unmarried

Prince Grigory Alexandrovich Potemkin; Credit – Wikipedia

The great love of Empress Catherine’s life was Prince Grigory Alexandrovich Potemkin who had a relationship with Catherine from 1774 until he died in 1791. After a period of exclusivity, Potemkin and Catherine worked out a new relationship that preserved their affection toward each other and their political collaborations but allowed each of them to choose other sexual partners. Besides being Catherine’s lover, Potemkin was Grand Admiral of the Black Sea Fleet, Field Marshal of the Russian Army, and Governor-General of New Russia. Potemkin served as a diplomat, was a member of the Imperial Council and was president of the War College. He built the Black Sea Fleet and founded the cities of Sevastopol and Kherson in Crimea. Potemkin’s achievements include the peaceful annexation of Crimea and the successful Russo-Turkish War.

In June 1789, Platon Alexandrovich Zubov was a 22-year-old officer in the Lifeguards Horse Regiment when Count Nikolai Ivanovich Saltykov introduced him to Empress Catherine in an effort to supplant his enemy Prince Grigory Potemkin from his various positions. Potemkin had approved of all Catherine’s other lovers from 1777 – 1789 but he vehemently disapproved of Platon. He saw Platon for what he was – poorly educated, vain, and greedy for wealth, estates, honors and titles for himself, his father and his three brothers. Although Potemkin died in 1791, he was proven correct. Platon would become the last of Catherine’s lovers, become a Count and a Prince of the Holy Roman Empire, and along with his father and three brothers who all became Counts, would accumulate enormous fortunes and would become widely reviled for corruption and cruelty.

Platon wearing his honors and a miniature of Catherine; Credit – Wikipedia

Upon Potemkin’s death, Platon succeeded him as the Governor-General of New Russia. In 1795, Count Fyodor Vasilyevich Rostopchin wrote to Count Semyon Romanovich Vorontsov: “Count Zubov is everything here. There is no other will but his. His power is greater than that of Potemkin. He is as reckless and incapable as before, although the Empress keeps repeating that he is the greatest genius the history of Russia has known”.

Catherine II (the Great), Empress of All Russia, 1794; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1796, Catherine II (the Great), Empress of All Russia died at the age of 67 and the 29-year-old Platon went mad with grief. For ten days, he isolated himself in his sister Olga’s home. On the eleventh day, he was visited by Catherine’s son and successor Paul I, Emperor of All Russia who drank to his health. Nevertheless, within a few days, Paul confiscated Platon’s estates, relieved him of all his posts, and strongly advised him to go abroad. Platon traveled for a few years in Poland and various regions of Germany. In 1800, he obtained permission to return to Russia and his confiscated estates were returned to him.

Back in Russia, Platon found dissatisfaction among the nobles with Emperor Paul’s reign. Paul agreed with the practices of autocracy and tried to prevent liberal ideas in the Russian Empire. He did not tolerate freedom of thought or resistance against autocracy. Because he overly taxed the nobility and limited their rights, the Russian nobles, by increasing numbers, were against him. Paul’s reign was becoming increasingly despotic. Eventually, the nobility reached their breaking point.

A conspiracy to assassinate Emperor Paul was organized, some months before it was executed, by Count Peter Ludwig von der Pahlen, Count Nikita Petrovich Panin, and Admiral José de Ribas, with the alleged support of the British ambassador in Saint Petersburg, Charles Whitworth, 1st Earl Whitworth who was the lover of Platon’s sister Olga. Platon was one of the conspirators along with his siblings Nikolai, Olga, and Valerian. The conspirators met and discussed their plans at Olga’s house. The total number of people involved in the conspiracy, according to various estimates, ranges from 180 to 300 people.

The assassination of Emperor Paul I, French engraving, 1880s; Credit – Wikipedia

Platon and his brother Nikolai were among the fourteen people present at Emperor Paul’s assassination. At 1:30 AM on March 23, 1801, a group of twelve men led by Platon’s brother Count Nikolai Alexandrovich Zubov and Levin August von Bennigsen, a German general in the service of the Russian Empire, broke into Paul’s bedroom at the Mikhailovsky Castle in St. Petersburg and found Paul hiding behind some drapes in a corner. The conspirators pulled him out and forced him to a table so he could sign an abdication document. When Paul resisted, Platon’s brother Nikolai struck him with a sword and Platon said to Paul, “You are no longer Emperor. It is Alexander (Paul’s eldest son) who is our master.” Paul finally signed the abdication document after which the assassins strangled and trampled him to death.

Paul’s 23-year-old eldest son Alexander, who probably knew about the coup but not the murder plot, succeeded as Alexander I, Emperor of All Russia. Platon initially played a prominent role and enjoyed influence in Alexander’s early reign. However, Alexander I soon realized that he could not surround himself with those involved in the death of his father without compromising himself and Platon’s days of influence came to an end for good.

Tekla Ignatyevna Valentinović; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1814, Platon moved to his estates in Lithuania. In 1821, 54-year-old Platon fell madly in love with 19-year-old Tekla Ignatyevna Valentinović (1801-1873), the daughter of a Lithuanian nobleman of modest means. He had seen Tekla with her mother at a horse fair in Vilnius, Lithuania. Through an intermediary, Platon offered Tekla’s family a notable sum of money but his marriage proposal was rejected. Several months later Tekla and her mother arrived at Platon’s estate in Yanishki, Lithuania. Platon made an offer of one million rubles to marry Telka and her mother agreed.

The couple married in 1821 and had a daughter:

  • Alexandra Platonovna Zubova (1822 – 1824), died in early childhood

Rundāle Palace; Credit – By Jeroen Komen from Utrecht, Netherlands CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=37637993

After the marriage of Platon and Tekla, they made their home at Rundāle Palace, originally built for the Dukes of Courland in what is now Latvia. After the Duchy of Courland was absorbed by the Russian Empire in 1795, Empress Catherine II presented the palace to Platon’s youngest brother Valerian Zubov. Platon inherited Rundāle Palace after the death in 1804 of his unmarried brother.

Platon’s burial site, photographed in the 1860w; Credit – Wikipedia

Prince Platon Alexandrovich Zubov, aged 55, died on April 19, 1822, at Rundāle Palace, three weeks after the birth of his only child. He was buried in the Zubov family crypt at the Coastal Monastery of Saint Sergius in the coastal settlement of Strelna near St. Petersburg, Russia. Platon’s brothers Nikolai and Valerian were also buried in the same crypt. Their burial site was destroyed during the Soviet era.

Platon’s widow Tekla inherited a huge fortune upon his death. However, Platon’s relatives sued due to the lack of a will. The subsequent trial ended in favor of Tekla who made a second marriage in 1826 to Count Andrei Petrovich Shuvalov, who became a prominent figure at the courts of Emperor Nicholas I and Emperor Alexander II. Tekla and her husband had four children and her second marriage brought the vast Zubov estates and fortune into the Shuvalov family.

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

Works Cited

  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Platon Zubov. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platon_Zubov> [Accessed 19 July 2020].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2020. Assassination Of Paul I, Emperor Of All Russia (1801). [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/assassination-of-paul-i-emperor-of-all-russia-1801/> [Accessed 19 July 2020].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2018. Catherine II (The Great), Empress Of All Russia. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/empress-catherine-ii-the-great-of-russia/> [Accessed 9 July 2020].
  • Lincoln, W. Bruce. (1981). The Romanovs: Autocrats of  All the Russias. New York, NY.: Doubleday
  • Massie, Robert, (2016). Catherine the Great. London: Head of Zeus.
  • Ru.wikipedia.org. 2020. Валентинович, Текла Игнатьевна. [online] Available at: <https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%92%D0%B0%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%87,_%D0%A2%D0%B5%D0%BA%D0%BB%D0%B0_%D0%98%D0%B3%D0%BD%D0%B0%D1%82%D1%8C%D0%B5%D0%B2%D0%BD%D0%B0> [Accessed 19 July 2020].
  • Ru.wikipedia.org. 2020. Зубов, Александр Николаевич (1727). [online] Available at: <https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%97%D1%83%D0%B1%D0%BE%D0%B2,_%D0%90%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BA%D1%81%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B4%D1%80_%D0%9D%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%B0%D0%B5%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%87_(1727)> [Accessed 19 July 2020].
  • Ru.wikipedia.org. 2020. Зубов, Платон Александрович. [online] Available at: <https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%97%D1%83%D0%B1%D0%BE%D0%B2,_%D0%9F%D0%BB%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%BE%D0%BD_%D0%90%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BA%D1%81%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B4%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%87> [Accessed 19 July 2020].

Ntfombi Tfwala, Queen Mother and Joint Head of State of Eswatini, formerly Swaziland

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Credit – Wikipedia

Born on December 27, 1949, in Swaziland, now Eswatini, Queen Mother Ntfombi Tfwala of Eswatini was one of the 70 wives of King Sobhuza II of Swaziland and has been the joint head of state of Swaziland, called Eswatini since 2018, along with her son King Mswati III of Swaziland, from 1986 – present. Ntfombi Tfwala had one child with King Sobhuza II of Swaziland, a son Prince Makhosetive Dlamini, now King Mswati III of Swaziland.

A Swazi king cannot appoint his successor, nor is there a line of succession. A traditional council called the Liqoqo decides which of the wives shall be “Great Wife” and “Indlovukati” (She-Elephant / Queen Mother) after the death of a king. The “Great Wife” must be of good character and cannot be one of the first two wives (known as ritual wives) chosen for the king by the council. The son of this “Great Wife” will automatically become the next king.

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King Sobhuza II of Swaziland in 1976

However, King Sobhuza II did something a bit different. He designated another of his wives, Dzeliwe Shongwe, as the Indlovukati. Instead of recognizing one of Dzeliwe Shongwe’s sons as his heir apparent, he indicated to his council that he wanted Prince Makhosetive Dlamini, Ntfombi Tfwala’s 14-year-old son, to succeed him on the throne.

On August 21, 1982, King Sobhuza II died at the age of 83, having reigned for 82 years. Dzeliwe Shongwe was named by the council as the Queen Regent until Prince Makhosetive Dlamini, designated by King Sobhuza II as his successor, reached the age of eighteen. However, soon there were disagreements between members of the council and Queen Regent Dzeliwe Shongwe which ultimately led to her being replaced by Ntfombi Tfwala, the mother of Prince Makhosetive Dlamini. Ntfombi Tfwala served as Queen Regent until her son reached the age of eighteen.

Reigning Queens by Andy Warhol; Credit – Artnet

Queen Regent Ntfombi Tfwala immediately showed that she had the temperament to deal with the problems of the people and the modernization of Swaziland. In 1985, artist Andy Warhol made a series of silkscreen portraits of living Reigning Queens. Ntfombi Tfwala was included along with Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, and Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom.

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Coronation of King Mswati III

On April 25, 1986, 18-year-old Prince Makhosetive Dlamini was crowned King of Swaziland under the name Mswati III and Mswati named his mother Ntfombi Tfwala the Indlovukati (She-Elephant/Queen Mother). By tradition, the King of Swaziland reigns along with his mother, the Indlovukati and decisions are made jointly. The King is viewed as the administrative head of government and the Indlovukati is viewed as the spiritual and national head of state. Since 2006, the new constitution provides for the absolute power of the King and the Indlovukati. The parliament is a consultative body and there are no longer any political parties. Ntfombi Tfwala has her own residence, Ludzindzini Palace, in Lobamba, the traditional, spiritual, and legislative capital city of Eswatini, and the seat of the Parliament. Mswati III lives about 6 miles/10 kilometers away at the Lozitha Palace.

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. Eswatini. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eswatini> [Accessed 17 August 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Ntfombi Of Eswatini. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ntfombi_of_Eswatini> [Accessed 17 August 2020].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2014. King Mswati III Of Eswatini (Formerly Swaziland). [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-mwsati-iii-of-swaziland/> [Accessed 17 August 2020].
  • It.wikipedia.org. 2020. Ntfombi Dello Swaziland. [online] Available at: <https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ntfombi_dello_Swaziland> [Accessed 17 August 2020].

King Sobhuza II of Swaziland

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

King Sobhuza II of Swaziland; Credit – By The National Archives UK, OGL v1.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=68438657

King Sobhuza II of Swaziland was the Paramount Chief and King of Swaziland, from 1899 – 1982, for 82 years and 254 days. Because Swaziland was a British protectorate from 1906 to 1968 and not a sovereign state, Sobhuza is not on the list of internationally recognized monarchs of a sovereign state. He was an internationally recognized monarch of a sovereign state for fourteen years, from when Swaziland was granted independence in 1968 until he died in 1982. However, he is number one on the list of longest reigning monarchs of dependent or constituent states.

Sobhuza (also known as Nkhotfotjeni) was born on July 22, 1899, at Zombodze Royal Residence in Zombodze, Swaziland, the son of King Ngwane V of Swaziland and Labotsibeni Mdluli, also known as Gwamile. On December 10, 1899, King Ngwane V died, aged 23, during the sacred incwala ceremony. His death, speculated to be caused by poisoning, was not announced until the ceremony was over. In Swaziland, called Eswatini since 2018, there is no heir to the throne. A special traditional council called the Liqoqo decides which of the king’s wives shall be “Great Wife” and “Indlovukazi” (She-Elephant / Queen Mother). The son of this “Great Wife” will automatically become the next king. The council then chose Ngwane’s wife Labotsibeni Mdluli and their four-month-old son Sobhuza to be Queen Mother and King. Labotsibeni Mdluli also served as regent until her son came of age.

Sobhuza was educated at the Swazi National School in Zombodze, Swaziland and the Lovedale Institution in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. In 1903, after the British victory in the Second Boer War, Swaziland became a British protectorate. Sobhuza’s title changed from King of Swaziland to Paramount Chief of the Swaziland Protectorate and would remain so until Swaziland received its independence from the United Kingdom. Sobhuza had a mostly ceremonial role during the period Swaziland was a British Protectorate, but he still had major influence as a traditional head of the Swazi nation.

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Sobhuza, on the right, arrives in London in 1953 to attend the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II

Sobhuza was quite influential in the events leading to Swaziland’s independence. He rejected the constitution proposed by the British government, in which he would become a constitutional monarch. Instead, Sobhuza formed the Imbokodvo National Movement, a political party, which contested and won all seats in the 1967 pre-independence elections. In 1967, when Swaziland was given direct rule, Sobhuza was once again recognized as King of Swaziland. Swaziland received complete independence from the United Kingdom on September 6, 1968. Following the elections of 1973, the constitution of Swaziland was suspended by King Sobhuza II who ruled the country by decree until he died in 1982.

Despite being an absolute monarch, Sobhuza was able to blend traditional tribal customs with strategies to manage economic and social change in Swaziland. In 1978, a new constitution was adopted providing for a tribal mode of rule involving an electoral college of eighty members chosen by forty local tribal councils. Much of Swaziland’s and natural resources were originally owned by non-Swazi interests were brought under Swazi control during Sobhuza’s reign.

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King Sobhuza in 1976

Despite converting to Christianity, King Sobhuza continued to observe traditional customs, including taking a new wife every year. This event took place at a ceremony called the Reed Dance where local young women dance in traditional costume, bare-breasted, for the king’s pleasure. As a result, King Sobhuza II married 70 wives, who gave him 210 children between 1920 and 1970. About 180 children survived infancy. At his death, he had more than 1,000 grandchildren. Sobhuza died on August 21, 1982, aged 83, in Mbabane, Swaziland.

The king’s body lay in state at the Royal Kraal, a traditional African village of huts, in Lobamba, Swaziland. The funeral was held near the Royal Kraal, in the Somhlolo Stadium. More than 20,000 people attended the funeral, including dignitaries from twenty-four countries. After the funeral, Sobhuza was entombed in the mountain cave burial grounds, the Royal Burial Ground in Nhlangano, Shiselweni, Eswatini, in a private ceremony attended only by court officials. Following Swazi custom, only three people knew the actual burial spot.

A Swazi king cannot appoint his successor, nor is there a line of succession. A traditional council called the Liqoqo decides which of the wives shall be “Great Wife” and “Indlovukati” (She-Elephant / Queen Mother) after the death of a king. The “Great Wife” must be of good character and cannot be one of the first two wives (known as ritual wives) chosen for the king by the national councilors. The son of this “Great Wife” will automatically become the next king. One of Sobhuza’s many sons, 14-year-old Mswati, was selected to be the next king reigning as King Mswati III.  From 1982-1986, two wives of the late King Sobhuza II, Queen Dzeliwe Shongwe, and Mswati’s mother, Queen Ntfombi Tfwala, served as regents.

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. Eswatini. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eswatini> [Accessed 17 August 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Sobhuza II. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sobhuza_II> [Accessed 17 August 2020].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2014. King Mswati III Of Eswatini (Formerly Swaziland). [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-mwsati-iii-of-swaziland/> [Accessed 17 August 2020].
  • profile, V., 2015. The Funeral Of King Sobhuza. [online] Rosehiptrue.blogspot.com. Available at: <http://rosehiptrue.blogspot.com/2015/02/the-funeral-of-king-sobhuza.html> [Accessed 17 August 2020].
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Caroline Lacroix, Mistress of King Leopold II of the Belgians

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Caroline Lacroix was the royal mistress of King Leopold II of the Belgians from 1900 until his death in 1909. She was just sixteen years old when their relationship began, while the King was nearly fifty years her senior.

Caroline Lacroix – source: Wikipedia

Blanche Zélia Joséphine Delacroix – later known as Caroline Lacroix – was born in Bucharest, Romania on May 13, 1883, the 13th child of Jules Delacroix and Catherine Josephine Sebille. By the time she was in her mid-teens, she was the mistress of a former French army officer, Antoine-Emmanuel Durrieux, who often arranged for Caroline to provide ‘company’ to other wealthy men to support themselves. Through these encounters, Caroline caught the attention of King Leopold II of the Belgians.

King Leopold II. source: Wikipedia

King Leopold II sent a messenger to arrange a meeting with Caroline which went well enough that the King asked Caroline to accompany him on a trip to Austria. Just sixteen years old at the time, Caroline was far from discreet about her new relationship with the King. It quickly became public knowledge and was discussed widely in the Belgian media. She frequently accompanied Leopold on his travels, including accompanying him to London in 1901 for the funeral of Queen Victoria. Following the death of his wife, Queen Marie Henriette in 1902, Leopold arranged for Caroline to move into Villa Van der Borght, just outside the grounds of the Royal Palace of Laeken. He even had a footbridge built so he could easily visit her regularly.

The couple had two sons together:

  • Lucien Philippe Marie Antoine ( 1906 –1984), Duke of Tervuren
  • Philippe Henri Marie François (1907 – 1914), Count of Ravenstein

At the time of Lucien’s birth, Leopold granted Caroline the title Baroness de Vaughan, and both sons were given courtesy titles. However, the titles were never formally granted by royal decree, making them strictly honorary titles. Both sons’ births were registered in France with only Caroline’s name.

Caroline with her two sons, c1908. source: Wikipedia

During their relationship, King Leopold II lavished Caroline with gifts – including several residences. In addition to Villa Van der Borght in Laeken, he also purchased the Villa Les Cédres in Cap Ferrat 1904 for Caroline to use, and in 1908 he bought and gifted her the Château de Balincourt in northern France. In addition to these, she also had use of Villa Leopolda, a sprawling villa that Leopold had built on the French Riviera in 1902.

In addition to these various homes, Caroline received gifts of clothes and jewels and amassed a significant fortune. Caroline was known to boast about her newfound wealth, often claiming that her sons would be more wealthy than the richest men in England.

Sensing his impending death, on December 12, 1909, King Leopold II and Caroline were married in a religious ceremony at the Palace of Laeken. However, no civil ceremony was held – a requirement under Belgian law – and the marriage was not deemed legal. Five days later, King Leopold died, with Caroline and their two sons by his side.

Château de Balincourt. photo: by Chatsam – personal work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=38501219

Knowing she would no longer be welcome within the Belgian royal family, Caroline quickly moved on with her life. Just seven months after Leopold’s death, she married her former lover, Antoine-Emmanuel Durrieux, who helped her negotiate through the financial arrangements left for her by King Leopold II. Durrieux adopted her two sons, but the marriage soon ended.

She then lived a quieter life, often in the company of her elder son, and spending time at her various homes around Europe. In 1937, she published her memoirs, and on February 12, 1948, she died in Cambo-les-Bains, France. She is buried in the Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, France.

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.

Prince Grigory Alexandrovich Potemkin, Lover of Catherine II (the Great) of Russia

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Credit – Wikipedia

Patronymics

  • In Russian, a patronymic is the second name derived from the father’s first name: the suffix -vich means “son of” and the suffixes -eva, -evna, -ova, and -ovna mean “daughter of”.

The term “Potemkin Village” derives from Grigory Potemkin. It has come to mean, especially in a political context, any hollow or false construct, physical or figurative, meant to hide an undesirable or potentially damaging situation. The term comes from stories of a fake portable village built solely to impress Catherine II (the Great), Empress of All Russia, by her former lover Grigory Potemkin, during her journey to the Crimea in 1787.

Grigory Alexandrovich Potemkin was born in the village of Chizhovo near Smolensk, Russia on October 11, 1739. He was the youngest of the six children and the only son of Alexander Vasilyevich Potemkin and Daria Vasilyevna Kondyreva.

Grigory had five older sisters:

  • Elena Alexandrovna Potemkina (1724–1775), married Vasily Andreyevich Engelhardt, had two sons and six daughters, the famous Potemkin Nieces, who were court favorites during the reigns of Catherine II and her son Paul I
  • Marya Alexandrovna Potemkina, married Nikolai Borisovich Samoilov, had two children
  • Piełagieja Alexandrovna Potemkina, married Peter Egorovich Vysotsky, had four children
  • Daria Alexandrovna Potemkina, married Alexander Alexandrovich Likhachev, no children
  • Nadzieżda Alexandrovna Potemkina (1738–1757), unmarried

Grigory’s father, a decorated war veteran who served as a non-commissioned officer in the Russian Army, came from a family of middle-income noble landowners. After his father died in 1746, Grigory’s mother moved the family to Moscow to aid her only son in establishing a career. Seven-year-old Grigory attended the Johann Philipp Litke School, the first private boarding school in Moscow where he was taught in German. He then attended the University Gymnasium, a secondary school that was part of the Imperial Moscow University. Grigory entered Imperial Moscow University in 1755. In 1756, he was awarded a gold medal for his achievements in science, and in 1757, he was one of the top twelve students sent to St. Petersburg to be introduced to Elizabeth I, Empress of All Russia. Despite his achievements, Grigory was expelled from Imperial Moscow University in 1760 for laziness and non-attendance at classes.

Grigory had enlisted in the army in 1750 at age eleven, which was customary for noble children, with active service postponed until his education was completed. After being expelled from the university, Grigory began his service with the Imperial Guards Horse Regiment as a non-commissioned officer. In 1761, Grigory was promoted to vahmistra, the highest rank for non-commissioned officers. This rank was essentially a commander who assisted the squadron commander with drill training and organization. In March 1762, became an aide-de-camp to the Colonel of the Imperial Guards Horse Regiment, Field Marshal Prince George Ludwig of Holstein-Gottorp, the second cousin once removed of Peter III, Emperor of All Russia and uncle of Peter’s wife and Grigory’s future lover, the future Catherine II (the Great), Empress of All Russia.

In 1762, Grigory’s regiment took part in the coup d’etat that overthrew Peter III and placed his wife on the Russian throne. Allegedly, as Catherine reviewed her troops in front of the Winter Palace before the coup d’etat, she lacked a sword knot, a tassel attached to the hilt of a sword, and Grigory quickly supplied her with one. Potemkin’s horse then refused to leave her side for several minutes before returning to the ranks. After the coup d’etat, Empress Catherine singled out Potemkin for reward and promoted him to second lieutenant. Catherine then gave him a position in her household as a gentleman of the bedchamber, with Grigory retaining his post in the Imperial Guards Horse Regiment.

Two of the five Orlov Brothers: Alexei and Catherine’s lover Grigory; Credit – Wikipedia

Catherine’s lover Grigory Orlov and his four brothers, who had organized the coup d’etat, dominated court life. However, Catherine encouraged Potemkin’s flirtatious behavior, including kissing her hand and declaring his love for her. For eleven years, from 1761 – 1772, Catherine had been faithful to Grigory Orlov. In 1772, Orlov’s enemies, led by Nikita Ivanovich Panin, a statesman and political mentor to Catherine, were attempting to break up the relationship between Orlov and Catherine. They informed Catherine that Grigory had been unfaithful to her.  A handsome young officer, Alexander Semyonovich Vasilchikov, was installed as Catherine’s new lover and Orlov was made to leave the court. However, Vasilchikov did not last long as he was replaced by Grigory Potemkin.

Catherine II (the Great), Empress of All Russia, 1772; Credit – Wikipedia

Grigory and Catherine had known each other since 1762 but their sexual relationship began in the spring of 1774 when Grigory was 34 and Catherine was 44. There is some evidence that a secret wedding took place in the summer or fall of 1774, or in early January 1775, and that Grigory and Catherine had a daughter Elizaveta Grigorievna Temkina, born July 24, 1775. However, there is no documentation of a marriage or the birth of a daughter. By late 1775, their relationship was changing and in early 1776, Catherine took her official secretary Count Peter Vasilievich Zavadovsky as her lover as a buffer for her stormy relationship with Grigory.

In public, courtiers saw no change except now it was Zavadovsky who escorted Catherine to her private apartments each night instead of Grigory. Grigory remained at the Winter Palace, was always present when Catherine appeared, and they seem no less affectionate in public. However, Zavadovsky was jealous and demanded that Catherine give him exclusive intimacy. Grigory, who had initially approved of Zavadovsky, asked for his removal. To make his point, he stayed away from Catherine’s birthday celebrations. Eventually, Grigory got his way. In the summer of 1777, Zavadovsky was asked to leave the palace.

Grigory Potemkin in 1790; Credit – Wikipedia

Grigory and Catherine worked out a new relationship that preserved their affection toward each other and their political collaborations but allowed each of them to choose other sexual partners. That relationship lasted until Grigoryi died. He is considered Catherine’s great love. Catherine obtained for him the title of Prince of the Holy Roman Empire and gave him the title of Prince of the Russian Empire. He was Grand Admiral of the Black Sea Fleet, Field Marshal of the Russian Army, and Governor-General of New Russia. Grigory served as a diplomat, was a member of the Imperial Council and president of the War College. He built the Black Sea Fleet and founded the cities of Sevastopol and Kherson in the Crimea. Grigoryi’s achievements include the peaceful annexation of the Crimea and the successful Russo-Turkish War.

While traveling from Russia to Jassy in Moldavia, now in Romania, to negotiate the Treaty of Jassy ending the Russo-Turkish War, Grigoryi became ill with a fever. He had contracted malaria in the Crimea in 1783 and his symptoms showed a reoccurrence of malaria. Grigory refused to take quinine or other medicines the doctor accompanying him prescribed. Like Catherine, Grigoryi believed his body would heal itself. When his entourage reached Jassy, his aides sent for his niece Countess Alexandra Branitskaya in Poland, hoping she could convince her uncle to follow the doctor’s advice. Catherine eagerly waited for messages about Grigoryi’s condition and ordered his niece to write to her every day.

Death of Potemkin, 1793 engraving; Credit – Wikipedia

Grigory was bothered by the humid air in Jassy and requested to be moved to Nikolaev in the southern part of Ukraine where he thought the cooler air would do him good. On the day he left Jassy, he dictated his last letter to Catherine: “Your most gracious Majesty. I have no more strength to endure my torments. My only remaining salvation is to leave this town and I have ordered myself to be taken to Nikolaev. I do not know what is to become of me.” Grigory was then carried to a carriage to begin the trip to Nikolaev. After traveling only a few miles, Grigory could not breathe. He was carried into a nearby house where he spent the night. In the morning, he requested that the journey continue. However, after only seven miles, Grigory ordered the carriage to stop. He said, “This will be enough. There is no point in going on. Take me out of the carriage. I want to die on the field! ” Grigory was taken from the carriage, laid on a Persian carpet, and died in the arms of his niece on October 16, 1791, at the age of 52.

Catherine received the news via courier a week later and collapsed saying, “Now I have no one left on whom I can rely. How can anyone replace Potemkin?” Days passed and the same report came from Catherine’s secretary, “Tears and despair, tears and more tears.”

Prince Grigory Alexandrovich Potemkin was buried at the Cathedral of St. Catherine in Kherson, now in Ukraine, the city he had founded in the Crimea on the Black Sea in 1778. In October 2022, during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russian forces removed the remains of Prince Grigory Alexandrovich Potemkin from the Cathedral of St. Catherine. It is thought that the remains were transported to Russia.

Tomb of Prince Grigory Alexandrovich Potemkin at the Cathedral of St. Catherine in Kherson, now in Ukraine; Credit – By Alexey M. – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=78690594

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.

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