Heinrich XXII, 5th Prince Reuss of Greiz

by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Note about the Reuss numbering system: All males of the House of Reuss were named Heinrich plus a number. In the Reuss-Greiz, Elder Line, the numbering covered all male children and the numbers increased until 100 was reached and then started again at 1. In the Reuss-Gera, Younger Line, the system was similar but the numbers increased until the end of the century before starting again at 1. This tradition was seen as a way of honoring Holy Roman Emperor Heinrich VI (reigned 1191 – 1197) who had benefitted the family. Therefore, the Roman numerals seen after names are NOT regnal numbers.

Principality of Reuss-Greiz: The House of Reuss began their rule circa 1010. Heinrich XI, Count Reuss of Greiz, Lower-Greiz (Untergreiz) and Upper-Greiz (Obergreiz) was elevated to princely status in 1778 and then used the title of Prince Reuss, Older Line, or Prince Reuss of Greiz.

Heinrich XXIV, the last Prince Reuss of Greiz, succeeded his father in 1902 but was unable to rule because of his physical and mental disabilities as a result of an accident in his childhood. Instead, a Regent ruled the Principality of Reuss-Greiz: Heinrich XIV, 4th Prince Reuss of Gera from 1901 – 1913 and then his son Heinrich XXVII, 5th and last Prince Reuss of Gera from 1913 – 1918.

On November 11, 1918, the Regent, Heinrich XXVII, Prince Reuss of Gera (Younger Line) abdicated in the name of the disabled Heinrich XXIV, 6th Prince Reuss of Greiz. After the abdication, Heinrich XXIV retained the right of residence of the Lower Castle in Greiz and lived there until his death. The territory that encompassed the Principality of Reuss-Greiz is now in the German state of Thuringia.

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Heinrich XXII, 5th Prince Reuss of Greiz; Credit – Wikipedia

Heinrich XXII, 5th Prince Reuss of Greiz was born on March 28, 1846, in Greiz, Principality of Reuss-Greiz now in Thuringia, Germany. He was the second but the eldest surviving of the three sons and the third of the five children of Heinrich XX, 4th Prince Reuss of Greiz and his second wife Princess Caroline Amalie of Hesse-Homburg.

Heinrich XXII had four siblings:

  • Princess Hermine Reuss of Greiz (1840 – 1890), married Prince Hugo of Schönburg-Waldenburg (link in German), one son and three daughters
  • Prince Heinrich XXI Reuss of Greiz (born and died 1844)
  • Prince Heinrich XXIII Reuss of Greiz (1848 – 1861), died of influenza at age 13
  • Princess Marie Reuss of Greiz (1855 – 1909), married Count Friedrich of Ysenburg and Büdingen (link in German), no children

When Heinrich XXII was thirteen-years-old, his father Heinrich XX, 4th Prince of Reuss of Greiz died. He then succeeded his father as the 5th Prince Reuss of Greiz. Heinrich XXII’s mother Caroline Amalie was Regent of the Principality of Reuss-Greiz from 1859 until 1867.

As the daughter of an Austrian general, Caroline Amalie had an anti-Prussian attitude. During the Austro-Prussian War, she was on the side of Austria and as a consequence, Reuss-Greiz was occupied by Prussian troops. The Principality of Reuss-Greiz avoided the fate of the Kingdom of Hanover, which was annexed by Prussia, because Karl Alexander, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach intervened with his brother-in-law King Wilhelm I of Prussia on behalf of the House of Reuss-Greiz. However, Caroline Amalie had to pay a price. She had to abandon her position as Regent and pay half of the war indemnities with her personal wealth.

On March 28, 1867, Heinrich XXII took over the reins of the government of the Principality of Reuss-Greiz. One of his first accomplishments was giving his principality its first constitution with limited parliamentary representation. Being extremely conservative, Heinrich XXII tried to rule with as much absolute power as possible and made Reuss-Greiz a stronghold of orthodox Lutheranism. Throughout his reign, Heinrich XXII remained faithful to the memory of his parents and remained anti-Prussian. The Principality of Reuss-Greiz did join the German Empire in 1871 but Heinrich XXII refused to take part in the proclamation of the German Empire in the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles in France on January 18, 1871.

Ida of Schaumburg-Lippe; Credit – Wikipedia

On October 8, 1872, Heinrich XXII married Princess Ida of Schaumburg-Lippe, daughter of Adolf I, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe and Princess Hermine of Waldeck and Pyrmont. Heinrich XXII and Ida had one son and five daughters:

The five Reuss-Greiz sisters, left to right – Hermine, Ida, Marie, Caroline, and Emma; Credit – Wikipedia

Throughout his reign, Heinrich XXII refused to accept that the Hohenzollern German Emperors had precedence over other German royal houses. He believed Prussia and Reuss-Greiz “were allies for the common defense of the German Federation.” Heinrich XXII refused to allow any official or private mourning when the deaths of the emperors Wilhelm I and Friedrich III occurred. Also forbidden in Reuss-Greiz were any celebrations of the anniversaries of the German victories of 1870. Despite all his reservations about Prussia, Heinrich was a General in the Prussian Army and the head of the 2nd battalion of the 96th Infantry Regiment.

Jagdschloss Ida-Waldhaus; Credit – Wikipedia

From 1871 to 1873, Heinrich XXII built Jagdschloss Ida-Waldhaus, a hunting lodge in the forest near Greiz. He loved the tranquility of that forest so much that he decided to be buried there. In 1878, Heinrich XXII commissioned Eduard Oberländer, the master builder of Greiz, to build a Gothic-style chapel with a crypt, that was completed in 1883. The Waldhaus Mausoleum (link in German) would first be used for Ida eight years later.

Waldhaus Mausoleum near Greiz; Credit – Wikipedia

Sadly, on September 28, 1891, Heinrich XXII’s wife Ida died, aged 39, from complications that occurred during the birth of her sixth child, a daughter, named Ida after her. Heinrich XXII wrote to his former mentor Baron Albert von der Trenk, “The sun of my earthly happiness set on September 28.” Henry took Ida’s death as a divine sentence and refused to marry again although he knew that this decision would mean the end of the House of Reuss-Greiz. Heinrich XXII’s only son would be unable to marry and be unable to rule because of his physical and mental disabilities as a result of an accident in his childhood. Because of Heinrich XXII’s conservatism, there was no question of changing the family law in favor of the rule of one of his daughters.

Heinrich XXII, 5th Prince of Reuss of Greiz died from heart disease on April 19, 1902, aged 56, in Greiz, Principality of Reuss-Greiz. He was first buried with his wife Ida in the Waldhaus Mausoleum in Greiz, Principality of Reuss-Greiz. By 1969, the Waldhaus Mausoleum had fallen into disrepair and the remains of Heinrich XXII and Ida were taken to Werdau Crematorium, cremated, and placed in urns. The urns were reburied at the Neue Friedhof (New Cemetery) in Greiz, Thuringia, Germany. Since 1997, the resting place of the urns has been at the Stadtkirche St. Marien (link in German) in Greiz.

Heinrich XIV, 6th Prince Reuss of Greiz; Credit – Wikipedia

Heinrich XXII’s disabled son Heinrich XXIV succeeded him nominally as the 6th Prince Reuss of Greiz. However, two regents from the House of Reuss-Gera (also called the Younger Line) successively ruled the Principality of Reuss-Greiz: Heinrich XIV, 4th Prince Reuss of Gera from 1901 – 1913, and then his son Heinrich XXVII, 5th and last Prince Reuss of Gera from 1913 – 1918,  when the monarchy was abolished in 1918 at the end of World War I.

Reuss-Greiz Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • Czauderna, H. (2020). Mausoleum Heinrich XXII Greiz – Thüringen: Mausoleum. [online] Thueringen.info. Available at: https://www.thueringen.info/greiz-mausoleum.html [Accessed 3 Mar. 2020].
  • De.wikipedia.org. (2020). Heinrich XXII. (Reuß-Greiz). [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_XXII._(Reu%C3%9F-Greiz) [Accessed 3 Mar. 2020].
  • De.wikipedia.org. (2020). Waldhaus (Mohlsdorf-Teichwolframsdorf). [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waldhaus_(Mohlsdorf-Teichwolframsdorf) [Accessed 3 Mar. 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2020). Heinrich XXII, Prince Reuss of Greiz. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_XXII,_Prince_Reuss_of_Greiz [Accessed 3 Mar. 2020].
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2020). Princess Caroline Amalie of Hesse-Homburg, Princess of Reuss of Greiz. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/princess-caroline-amalie-of-hesse-homburg-princess-of-reuss-of-greiz/ [Accessed 3 Mar. 2020].
  • Ru.wikipedia.org. (2020). Генрих XXII Рейсс. [online] Available at: https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%93%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%85_XXII_%D0%A0%D0%B5%D0%B9%D1%81%D1%81 [Accessed 3 Mar. 2020].

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.

Princess Caroline Amalie of Hesse-Homburg, Princess of Reuss-Greiz, Regent of Reuss-Greiz

by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Caroline Amalie of Hesse-Homburg, Princess of Reuss of Greiz; Credit – Wikipedia

Princess Caroline Amalie of Hesse-Homburg, the second wife of Heinrich XX, 4th Prince Reuss of Greiz, was born on March 19, 1819 in Homburg vor der Höhe, Landgraviate of Hesse-Homburg, now in Hesse, Germany. She was given a long string of names: Caroline Amalie Elisabeth Auguste Friederike Ludowike Christiane Josephine Leopoldine George Bernhardine Wilhelmine Woldemare Charlotte.

Caroline Amalie was the eldest of the three children and the elder of the two daughters of Gustav, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg and Princess Louise of Anhalt-Dessau. Caroline’s father joined the Swedish Army in the service of his godfather and namesake King Gustav III and then joined the Austrian Army where he saw action in early 19th-century battles.

Homburg Castle; Credit – Wikipedia

Caroline Amalie was brought up at Homburg Castle with her siblings. Their mother had been born deaf and perhaps this was one of the reasons that the family lived in self-chosen isolation.

Caroline Amalie had two younger siblings:

  • Princess Elisabeth (1823 – 1864)
  • Friedrich, Hereditary Prince of Hesse-Homburg (1830 – 1848), unmarried, predeceased his father

Caroline Amalie’s husband, Heinrich XX, 4th Prince Reuss of Greiz; Credit – Wikipedia

45-year-old Heinrich XX, 4th Prince Reuss of Greiz needed an heir. His first wife Sophie of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg had died childless in 1838. On October 1, 1839, Heinrich XX married 20-year-old Caroline Amalie in Homburg vor der Höhe, Landgraviate of Hesse-Homburg. The couple had five children:

Heinrich XX died on November 8, 1859, at the age of 65. Heinrich XXIII, his thirteen-year-old son succeeded him as the 5th Prince Reuss of Greiz. Caroline Amalie was Regent of the Principality of Reuss-Greiz from 1859 until 1867, during the minority of their son, Heinrich XXII, 5th Prince Reuss of Greiz.

As the daughter of an Austrian general, Caroline Amalie had an anti-Prussian attitude. During the Austro-Prussian War, she was on the side of Austria and as a consequence, Reuss-Greiz was occupied by Prussian troops. The Principality of Reuss-Greiz avoided the fate of the Kingdom of Hanover, which was annexed by Prussia, because Karl Alexander, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach intervened with his brother-in-law King Wilhelm I of Prussia on behalf of the House of Reuss-Greiz. However, Caroline Amalie had to pay a price. She had to abandon her position as Regent and pay half of the war indemnities with her personal wealth.

Carolina Amalie survived her husband by thirteen years, dying on January 18, 1872, aged 52, in Greiz, Principality of Reuss-Greiz. She was buried with her husband at the Stadtkirche St. Marien (link in German), now in Greiz, Thuringia, Germany.

Reuss-Greiz Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited:

  • De.wikipedia.org. (2020). Caroline von Hessen-Homburg. [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caroline_von_Hessen-Homburg [Accessed 3 Mar. 2020].
  • De.wikipedia.org. (2020). Gustav (Hessen-Homburg). [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustav_(Hessen-Homburg) [Accessed 3 Mar. 2020].
  • Es.wikipedia.org. (2020). Carolina de Hesse-Homburg (1819-1872). [online] Available at: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carolina_de_Hesse-Homburg_(1819-1872) [Accessed 3 Mar. 2020].
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2020). Heinrich XX, 4th Prince Reuss of Greiz. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/heinrich-xx-4th-prince-reuss-of-greiz/ [Accessed 3 Mar. 2020].

Sophie of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg, Princess Reuss of Greiz

by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Sophie of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg, Princess Reuss of Greiz; Credit – German Documentation Center for Art History – Photo Archive Photo Marburg

Princess Sophie Maria Theresia of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg, the first wife of Heinrich XX, 4th Prince Reuss of Greiz, was born on September 18, 1809, in Prague, Kingdom of Bohemia, now in the Czech Republic. She was the fourth of the six children and the third of the five daughters of Karl Thomas, Prince of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg and Countess Sophie of Windisch-Grätz.

Sophie had five siblings:

The noble family of Löwenstein originated with Friedrich I, Count Palatine of the Rhine, Elector Palatine (1425 – 1476) from the House of Wittelsbach. The children from his morganatic marriage were not entitled to be part of the House of Wittelsbach, and they formed a separate, noble family. In 1611, the family split into the Protestant Löwenstein-Wertheim-Freudenberg line and the Catholic Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rochefort line. Sophie’s family was from the Catholic line.

In 1812, the Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rochefort family lost territory on the left bank of the Rhine, including Rochefort and so the family name was changed to Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg. By 1814, Sophie’s family had lost all its territory and were members of the landless high nobility. Regardless, Sophie’s father still held a seat in the First Chambers in Baden, Bavaria, Hesse, and Württemberg and always felt a strong bond with the Austrian Empire and its ruling Habsburg dynasty.

Löwenstein Castle; Credit – Von Fritz Geller-Grimm supported by Rüdiger Wandke – Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12631060

Sophie was brought up with her siblings at Löwenstein Castle (link in German) in Kleinheubach, Kingdom of Bavaria, now in Bavaria, Germany. The castle was built in the Baroque style between 1721 and 1732. It was at Löwenstein Castle, probably at the beautiful altar below, that Sophie married the future Heinrich XX, 4th Prince Reuss of Greiz on November 25, 1834.

Altar of the chapel at Löwenstein Castle; Credit – Von Altera levatur – Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=35625169

Sophie was Catholic and her husband was Lutheran. There is no information on whether Sophie remained Catholic or converted to Lutheranism. On October 31, 1836, Heinrich XX’s elder brother Heinrich XIX, 3rd Prince Reuss of Greiz died. Because his brother had no son to succeed him, Sophie’s husband became the 4th Prince Reuss of Greiz.

Sophie’s husband Heinrich XX, 4th Prince Reuss of Greiz; Credit – Wikipedia

Sophie was in ill health for most of her marriage and never had any children. She died on July 21, 1838, at the age of 29. Heinrich XX had the Sophienkreuz (Sophie Cross), also known as the White Cross, built in her memory on a hill overlooking Greiz. The cross has been knocked down several times due to bad weather but has always been rebuilt.

Sophienkreuz; Credit – Vogtlandspiegel, Bilder vom und um das Weiße Kreuz in Greiz

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.

Reuss-Greiz Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. (2020). Karl Thomas zu Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg. [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Thomas_zu_L%C3%B6wenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg [Accessed 3 Mar. 2020].
  • De.wikipedia.org. (2020). Schloss Löwenstein. [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schloss_L%C3%B6wenstein [Accessed 3 Mar. 2020].
  • De.wikipedia.org. (2020). Sophie zu Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg. [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophie_zu_L%C3%B6wenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg [Accessed 3 Mar. 2020].
  • De.wikipedia.org. (2020). Sophienkreuz. [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophienkreuz [Accessed 3 Mar. 2020].
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2020). Heinrich XX, 4th Prince Reuss of Greiz. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/heinrich-xx-4th-prince-reuss-of-greiz/ [Accessed 3 Mar. 2020].

Heinrich XX, 4th Prince Reuss of Greiz

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Note about the Reuss numbering system: All males of the House of Reuss were named Heinrich plus a number. In the Reuss-Greiz, Elder Line, the numbering covered all male children and the numbers increased until 100 was reached and then started again at 1. In the Reuss-Gera, Younger Line, the system was similar but the numbers increased until the end of the century before starting again at 1. This tradition was seen as a way of honoring Holy Roman Emperor Heinrich VI (reigned 1191 – 1197) who had benefitted the family. Therefore, the Roman numerals seen after names are NOT regnal numbers.

Principality of Reuss-Greiz: The House of Reuss began their rule circa 1010. Heinrich XI, Count Reuss of Greiz, Lower-Greiz (Untergreiz) and Upper-Greiz (Obergreiz) was elevated to princely status in 1778 and then used the title of Prince Reuss, Older Line, or Prince Reuss of Greiz.

Heinrich XXIV, the last Prince Reuss of Greiz, succeeded his father in 1902 but was unable to rule because of his physical and mental disabilities as a result of an accident in his childhood. Instead, a Regent ruled the Principality of Reuss-Greiz: Heinrich XIV, 4th Prince Reuss of Gera from 1901 – 1913 and then his son Heinrich XXVII, 5th and last Prince Reuss of Gera from 1913 – 1918.

On November 11, 1918, the Regent, Heinrich XXVII, Prince Reuss of Gera (Younger Line) abdicated in the name of the disabled Heinrich XXIV, 6th Prince Reuss of Greiz. After the abdication, Heinrich XXIV retained the right of residence of the Lower Castle in Greiz and lived there until his death. The territory that encompassed the Principality of Reuss-Greiz is now in the German state of Thuringia.

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Heinrich XX, 4th Prince Reuss of Greiz; Credit – Wikipedia

Born on June 29, 1794 in Offenbach, Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt (now in Hesse, Germany), Heinrich XX, 4th Prince Reuss of Greiz was the third but the second surviving of the three sons of Heinrich XIII, 2nd Prince Reuss of Greiz and Princess Wilhelmine Louise of Nassau-Weilburg.

Heinrich XX had two brothers:

  • Prince Heinrich XVIII Reuss of Greiz (born and died 1787)
  • Heinrich XIX, 3rd Prince Reuss of Greiz (1790 – 1836), his father’s successor, married Princess Gasparine of Rohan-Rochefort, had two daughters

Before his marriage Heinrich XX had two illegitimate children:

An illegitimate son with Isabella, Baroness von Dachenhausen, born Isabella Acton

  • Heinrich (1822 – 1892), who was given noble status upon his marriage in 1857 to Bertha Thury de Tamásfalva as Baron von Rothenthal

An illegitimate daughter with Emilie Fritsch

  • Isabella Waldhaus (1824 – 1898), married Wilhelm Henning

Sophie of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg, Princess Reuss of Greiz; Credit – German Documentation Center for Art History – Photo Archive Photo Marburg

Heinrich XX married Princess Sophie of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg (1809 – 1838) on November 25, 1834, at Löwenstein Castle in Kleinheubach, now in Bavaria, Germany. Sophie was the daughter of Karl, Prince of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg, and Countess Sophie Luise of Windisch-Graetz. Their childless marriage lasted a little less than four years due to Sophie’s early death on July 21, 1838. During his marriage to Sophie, on October 31, 1836, Heinrich XX’s elder brother Heinrich XIX, 3rd Prince Reuss of Greiz died. Because his brother had no son to succeed him, Heinrich XX became the 4th Prince Reuss of Greiz.

Princess Caroline Amalie of Hesse-Homburg; Credit – Wikipedia

On October 1, 1839, 45-year-old Heinrich XX married 20-year-old Princess Caroline Amalie of Hesse-Homburg in Homburg vor der Höhe, Landgraviate of Hesse-Homburg, now in Hesse, Germany. Princess Caroline Amalie was the daughter of Gustav, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg and Princess Louise of Anhalt-Dessau.

Heinrich XX and Caroline Amalie had five children:

Heinrich XX ruled the Principality of Reuss-Greiz as an absolute monarch until the German Revolutions of 1848 – 1849 which aimed to remove the old monarchy structures and create independent nation-states. The people of Reuss-Greiz were not really in a revolutionary mood.  This caused procrastination by Heinrich XX and his government, leading to only minor changes. Heinrich XX was forced to issue a new constitution for the Principality of Reuss-Greiz but it never went into effect.

Heinrich XX died on November 8, 1859, aged 65, in Greiz, Principality of Reuss-Greiz and was buried at the Stadtkirche St. Marien (link in German), now in Greiz, Thuringia, Germany. Heinrich XXIII, his thirteen-year-old son succeeded him as the 5th Prince Reuss of Greiz. Heinrich XX’s widow Caroline Amalie was Regent of the Principality of Reuss-Greiz from 1859 until 1867, during the minority of their son, Heinrich XXII, Prince Reuss of Greiz.

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.

Reuss-Greiz Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. (2020). Heinrich XX. (Reuß-Greiz). [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_XX._(Reu%C3%9F-Greiz) [Accessed 2 Mar. 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2020). Heinrich XX, Prince Reuss of Greiz. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_XX,_Prince_Reuss_of_Greiz [Accessed 2 Mar. 2020].
  • Wikimedia Foundation. (n.d.). Revolution von 1848/1849 in Reuß älterer Linie. Wikipedia. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revolution_von_1848/1849_in_Reu%C3%9F_%C3%A4lterer_Linie

Heinrich XIX, 3rd Prince Reuss of Greiz

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Note about the Reuss numbering system: All males of the House of Reuss were named Heinrich plus a number. In the Reuss-Greiz, Elder Line, the numbering covered all male children and the numbers increased until 100 was reached and then started again at 1. In the Reuss-Gera, Younger Line, the system was similar but the numbers increased until the end of the century before starting again at 1. This tradition was seen as a way of honoring Holy Roman Emperor Heinrich VI (reigned 1191 – 1197) who had benefitted the family. Therefore, the Roman numerals seen after names are NOT regnal numbers.

Principality of Reuss-Greiz: The House of Reuss began their rule circa 1010. Heinrich XI, Count Reuss of Greiz, Lower-Greiz (Untergreiz) and Upper-Greiz (Obergreiz) was elevated to princely status in 1778 and then used the title of Prince Reuss, Older Line, or Prince Reuss of Greiz.

Heinrich XXIV, the last Prince Reuss of Greiz, succeeded his father in 1902 but was unable to rule because of his physical and mental disabilities as a result of an accident in his childhood. Instead, a Regent ruled the Principality of Reuss-Greiz: Heinrich XIV, 4th Prince Reuss of Gera from 1901 – 1913 and then his son Heinrich XXVII, 5th and last Prince Reuss of Gera from 1913 – 1918.

On November 11, 1918, the Regent, Heinrich XXVII, Prince Reuss of Gera (Younger Line) abdicated in the name of the disabled Heinrich XXIV, 6th Prince Reuss of Greiz. After the abdication, Heinrich XXIV retained the right of residence of the Lower Castle in Greiz and lived there until his death. The territory that encompassed the Principality of Reuss-Greiz is now in the German state of Thuringia.

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Heinrich XIX, 3rd Prince Reuss of Greiz; Credit – Wikipedia

Born on March 1, 1790 in Offenbach, Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt, now in Hesse, Germany, Heinrich XIX, 3rd Prince Reuss of Greiz was the second but the eldest surviving of the three sons of Heinrich XIII, 2nd Prince Reuss of Greiz and Princess Wilhelmine Louise of Nassau-Weilburg.

Heinrich XIX had two brothers:

Upon the death of his father on January 29, 1817, Heinrich XIX succeeded as the 3rd Prince Reuss of Greiz. He married Princess Gasparine of Rohan-Rochefort (1798 – 1871) in Prague, Kingdom of Bohemia, now in the Czech Republic, on January 7, 1822. Princess Gasparine was the daughter of Charles Louis Gaspard of Rohan-Rochefort, Viscount of Rohan, Prince of Rochefort, Duke of Bouillon and Princess Marie Louise Joséphine of Rohan-Guéméné. The House of Rohan is a family of viscounts, later dukes and princes in the French nobility, originally from Rohan in Brittany, now in France. Gasparine’s paternal grandparents had left France during the French Revolution.

Heinrich XIX and Gasparine had two daughters:

Rotunda in the Greiz Princely Park; Credit – Von Michael Sander – Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2533995

The Reuss family had been Lutheran since the Reformation. However, Heinrich XIX’s wife Gasparine was Roman Catholic. Located within the grounds of the Summer Palace was a rotunda that Heinrich XI, 1st Prince Reuss of Greiz had built for his second wife Alexandrine for her extensive Japanese porcelain collection. In 1822, Heinrich XIX converted the rotunda into a Catholic chapel for his wife Gasparine. After World War I, the rotunda was converted into a war memorial and it remains a war memorial today.

Heinrich XIX died on October 31, 1836, aged 46, in Greiz, Principality of Reuss-Greiz. Because Heinrich XIX and his wife only had two daughters, his brother Heinrich XX became the 4th  Prince of Reuss of Greiz. Heinrich XIX was buried at the Stadtkirche St. Marien (link in German), now in Greiz, Thuringia, Germany, along with his wife Gasparine who survived him by 35 years.

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.

Reuss-Greiz Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. (2020). Heinrich XIX. (Reuß-Greiz). [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_XIX._(Reu%C3%9F-Greiz) [Accessed 2 Mar. 2020].
  • De.wikipedia.org. (2020). Rotunde (Greiz). [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porzellanrotunde [Accessed 2 Mar. 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2020). Heinrich XIX, Prince Reuss of Greiz. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_XIX,_Prince_Reuss_of_Greiz [Accessed 2 Mar. 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2020). House of Rohan. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Rohan [Accessed 2 Mar. 2020].

Execution of Maximilian I, Emperor of Mexico (1867)

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

On June 19, 1867, Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico was executed by firing squad on the Cerro de las Campanas (Hill of the Bells) in Querétaro City, Mexico.

Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico. source: Wikipedia

Archduke Maximilian of Austria was born in Vienna on July 6, 1832, the second son of Archduke Franz Karl of Austria and Princess Sophie of Bavaria. His elder brother was Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria. Following a strict education in the Austrian court, Maximilian began his military training and quickly distinguished himself in the Austrian Navy serving as Commander.

In July 1857, Maximilian married Princess Charlotte of Belgium, his second cousin. The couple had no children. Two years later, Maximilian was first approached by a group of monarchists who wanted him to take the Mexican throne. Several offers were made over the next four years which Maximilian declined. However, after the French intervention in Mexico in 1863, he received a similar offer from Napoleon III, Emperor of the French. This time, he accepted. In doing so, he lost all his Austrian titles and dignities – something he was aware of until just before he departed for Mexico.

After accepting the Mexican crown, Maximilian and Charlotte arrived in their new country in May 1864, receiving little support from the Mexican people. They established their primary residence in Chapultepec Castle in Mexico City, a former military academy that Maximilian had remodeled and turned into an appropriate home for an Emperor.

For more information, see Unofficial Royalty: Archduke Maximilian of Austria, Emperor of Mexico

What led to Maximilian’s execution?

Benito Juarez, President of Mexico. source: Wikipedia

Maximilian arrived in Veracruz, Mexico, to a frosty reception. He was supported by Napoleon III and the Mexican conservatives but the liberal forces led by Benito Juárez, the former president deposed by the French, refused to recognize his rule. Despite this, Maximilian and Carlotta (as she was now known) set out to improve conditions in Mexico. He soon angered his conservative supporters when he chose to continue several of the liberal policies set in place by the Juarez government, including religious freedom and land reforms.

Following the American Civil War, the United States recognized Juarez as the rightful leader of Mexico and pressured France to end its support for Maximilian. Eventually, in 1866, Emperor Napoleon III withdrew his troops from Mexico under pressure from the United States, and to build up his troops at home in the ongoing battle with Prussia. Napoleon III even urged Maximilian to leave Mexico but he refused. He continued to fight the conservative forces led by Juarez before being forced to retreat to Santiago de Queretaro in February 1867. In May 1867, Maximilian tried to escape but the plan was sabotaged by a military officer who was bribed to leave a gate open and allow the forces through. The city fell to the conservative forces and Maximilian was taken into custody, court-martialed, and sentenced to death. Despite pleas from many of the reigning crowns of Europe, President Juarez refused to pardon the former Emperor and save his life.

The Execution

The execution of Maximilian (on right) and his generals. source: Wikipedia

On the morning of June 19, 1867, Emperor Maximilian of Mexico and two of his generals were executed by firing squad in the Cerro de las Campanas. His last words, in Spanish, were reportedly “I forgive everyone, and I ask everyone to forgive me. May my blood, which is about to be shed, be for the good of the country. Long live Mexico, long live independence.”

What happened to Maximilian?

Maximilian’s embalmed body on display. source: Wikipedia

Following the execution, Maximilian’s body was embalmed and put on display in Mexico. In January 1868, an Austrian admiral was sent to bring the body back to Austria. The Emperor’s coffin was taken on board the SMS Novara which sailed for Trieste, Italy. It was then taken to Vienna, where on January 18, 1868, it was placed in The Imperial Crypt.

Tomb of Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico; Photo Credit – © Susan Flantzer

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

Heinrich XIII, 2nd Prince Reuss of Greiz

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2020

Note about the Reuss numbering system: All males of the House of Reuss were named Heinrich plus a number. In the Reuss-Greiz, Elder Line, the numbering covered all male children and the numbers increased until 100 was reached and then started again at 1. In the Reuss-Gera, Younger Line, the system was similar but the numbers increased until the end of the century before starting again at 1. This tradition was seen as a way of honoring Holy Roman Emperor Heinrich VI (reigned 1191 – 1197) who had benefitted the family. Therefore, the Roman numerals seen after names are NOT regnal numbers.

Principality of Reuss-Greiz: The House of Reuss began their rule circa 1010. Heinrich XI, Count Reuss of Greiz, Lower-Greiz (Untergreiz) and Upper-Greiz (Obergreiz) was elevated to princely status in 1778 and then used the title of Prince Reuss, Older Line, or Prince Reuss of Greiz.

Heinrich XXIV, the last Prince Reuss of Greiz, succeeded his father in 1902 but was unable to rule because of his physical and mental disabilities as a result of an accident in his childhood. Instead, a Regent ruled the Principality of Reuss-Greiz: Heinrich XIV, 4th Prince Reuss of Gera from 1901 – 1913 and then his son Heinrich XXVII, 5th and last Prince Reuss of Gera from 1913 – 1918.

On November 11, 1918, the Regent, Heinrich XXVII, Prince Reuss of Gera (Younger Line) abdicated in the name of the disabled Heinrich XXIV, 6th Prince Reuss of Greiz. After the abdication, Heinrich XXIV retained the right of residence of the Lower Castle in Greiz and lived there until his death. The territory that encompassed the Principality of Reuss-Greiz is now in the German state of Thuringia.

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Heinrich XIII, Prince Reuss of Greiz; Credit – Wikipedia

Heinrich XIII, 2nd Prince Reuss of Greiz was born on February 16, 1747, in Greiz in the County of Reuss-Untergreiz, later the County of Reuss-Greiz, and in 1778, the Principality of Reuss-Greiz. He was the second of the six sons and the third of the eleven children of Heinrich XI, 1st Prince Reuss of Greiz and his first wife Countess Conradine Reuss of Köstritz. Heinrich XIII’s eldest brother had died in 1745 so upon his birth, Heinrich XIII was his father’s heir.

Heinrich XIII had ten siblings. Any siblings listed as Count or Countess died before their father became Prince of Reuss-Greiz.

  • Count Heinrich XII Reuss-Greiz (1744 – 1745), died in infancy
  • Countess Amalie Reuss-Greiz (1745 – 1748), died in childhood
  • Princess Friederike Reuss of Greiz (1748 – 1816), married (1) Friedrich Ludwig, Count of Castell-Rüdenhausen, no children, divorced (2) Friedrich Wilhelm, Prince of Hohenlohe-Kirchberg, no children
  • Prince Heinrich XIV Reuss of Greiz (in German) (1749 – 1799), married Marie Anne Meyer, no children
  • Prince Heinrich XV Reuss of Greiz (in German) (1751 – 1825), unmarried
  • Princess Isabelle Auguste Reuss of Greiz (1752 – 1824), married Burgrave Wilhelm Georg of Kirchberg-Hachenburg, had children
  • Countess Marie Reuss of Greiz (1754 – 1759), died in childhood
  • Princess Viktoria Reus of Greiz (1756 – 1819), married Wolfgang Ernst II, Prince of Isenburg and Büdingen, no children
  • Count Heinrich XVI Reuss of Greiz (1759 – 1763), died in childhood
  • Prince Heinrich XVII Reuss of Greiz (1761 – 1807), married Babette von Wenz, no children

On February 2, 1770, Heinrich XIII’s mother died and eight months later his father married for a second time to Countess Alexandrina von Leningen-Dagsburg-Falkenburg but the marriage was childless.

Heinrich XIII married Princess Wilhelmine Luise of Nassau-Weilburg on January 9, 1786, in Kirchheim, Principality of Nassau-Weilburg, now in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Wilhelmine Luise’s parents were Karl Christian, Prince of Nassau-Weilburg, and Princess Carolina of Orange-Nassau. Princess Carolina was the daughter of William IV, Prince of Orange, Stadtholder of the Netherlands, and Anne, Princess Royal, eldest daughter of King George II of Great Britain.

Heinrich XIII and Wilhelmine Luise three sons:

Heinrich XIII, along with his brothers Heinrich XIV and Heinrich XV, served in the Austrian Army. He attained the rank of General Feldzeugmeister, commander-in-chief of the artillery, one of the highest officers in the army. Heinrich XIII was a close personal friend of Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II. In 1789, Heinrich XIII represented the Holy Roman Empire at the court of the Kingdom of Prussia.

Upon the death of his father in 1800, Heinrich XIII succeeded as Prince Reuss of Greiz. On April 6, 1802, a large fire destroyed much of Greiz, the capital of the Principality of Reuss-Greiz. Approximately 430 buildings were destroyed. Many other buildings were demolished to prevent the fire from spreading. Heinrich XIII oversaw the rebuilding of Greiz in the neoclassical style and moved his residence from the Obere Schloss (link in German) (Upper Castle) to the Untere Schloss (link in German) (Lower Castle) so he could be closer to the people and social life of Greiz.

The Lower Castle in Greiz, with the Upper Castle in the background; Credit – Von Wolfgang Pehlemann Wiesbaden Germany – Selbst fotografiert, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=32945991

Upon the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, Heinrich XIII, representing the Principality of Reuss-Greiz, joined the Confederation of the Rhine in 1807. After the defeat of Napoleon, Heinrich XIII and the Principality of Reuss-Greiz joined the German Confederation at the Congress of Vienna in 1815.

Heinrich XIII, 2nd Prince Reuss of Greiz died on January 29, 1817, aged 69, in Greiz, Principality of Reuss-Greiz. He was buried at the Stadtkirche St. Marien (link in German) now in Greiz, Thuringia, Germany. His wife Wilhelmine Luise survived him by twenty years, dying on October 10, 1837, aged 72. She was buried with her husband.

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

Reuss-Greiz Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. (2020). Heinrich XIII. (Reuß-Greiz). [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_XIII._(Reu%C3%9F-Greiz) [Accessed 1 Mar. 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2020). Heinrich XIII, Prince Reuss of Greiz. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_XIII,_Prince_Reuss_of_Greiz [Accessed 1 Mar. 2020].
  • It.wikipedia.org. (2020). Enrico XIII di Reuss-Greiz. [online] Available at: https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enrico_XIII_di_Reuss-Greiz [Accessed 1 Mar. 2020].
  • Pl.wikipedia.org. (2020). Henryk XIII (Reuß-Greiz). [online] Available at: https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henryk_XIII_(Reu%C3%9F-Greiz) [Accessed 1 Mar. 2020].

Heinrich XI, 1st Prince Reuss of Greiz

by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Note about the Reuss numbering system: All males of the House of Reuss were named Heinrich plus a number. In the Reuss-Greiz, Elder Line, the numbering covered all male children and the numbers increased until 100 was reached and then started again at 1. In the Reuss-Gera, Younger Line, the system was similar but the numbers increased until the end of the century before starting again at 1. This tradition was seen as a way of honoring Holy Roman Emperor Heinrich VI (reigned 1191 – 1197) who had benefitted the family. Therefore, the Roman numerals seen after names are NOT regnal numbers.

Principality of Reuss-Greiz: The House of Reuss began their rule circa 1010. Heinrich XI, Count Reuss of Greiz, Lower-Greiz (Untergreiz) and Upper-Greiz (Obergreiz) was elevated to princely status in 1778 and then used the title of Prince Reuss, Older Line, or Prince Reuss of Greiz.

Heinrich XXIV, the last Prince Reuss of Greiz, succeeded his father in 1902 but was unable to rule because of his physical and mental disabilities as a result of an accident in his childhood. Instead, a Regent ruled the Principality of Reuss-Greiz: Heinrich XIV, 4th Prince Reuss of Gera from 1901 – 1913 and then his son Heinrich XXVII, 5th and last Prince Reuss of Gera from 1913 – 1918.

On November 11, 1918, the Regent, Heinrich XXVII, Prince Reuss of Gera (Younger Line) abdicated in the name of the disabled Heinrich XXIV, 6th Prince Reuss of Greiz. After the abdication, Heinrich XXIV retained the right of residence of the Lower Castle in Greiz and lived there until his death. The territory that encompassed the Principality of Reuss-Greiz is now in the German state of Thuringia.

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Heinrich XI, 1st Prince Reuss of Greiz; Credit – Wikipedia

Heinrich XI, 1st Prince Reuss of Greiz was born on March 18, 1722 in Greiz, County of Reuss-Obergreiz, now in Thuringia, Germany. He was the youngest of the five children of Heinrich II, Count Reuss of Obergreiz and Countess Sofia Charlotte von Botmer.

Heinrich XI had four older siblings who all died in childhood:

  • Henrietta Erdmouth Sofia of Reuss-Obergreiz (1716 – 1719)
  • Heinrich VIII of Reuss-Obergreiz (1718 – 1719)
  • Heinrich IX, Count Reuss of Obergreiz (1718 – 1723)
  • Heinrich X of Reuss-Obergreiz (born and died in 1720)

Heinrich XI was only eight months old when his father died on November 17, 1722. His four-year-old brother Heinrich IX succeeded their father as Count Reuss of Obergreiz but he reigned for only four months, dying on March 17, 1723. Heinrich XI became Count Reuss of Obergreiz the day before his first birthday. Heinrich XI was a reigning Count and then a reigning Prince from 1723 until he died in 1800, a total of 77 years.

Heinrich XI’s half-sister Sophie von Erbach-Erbach; Credit – Wikipedia

After the death of his father, Heinrich XI’s mother married for a second time in 1723 to Count George Wilhelm von Erbach-Erbach. Heinrich XI had one half-sister from this marriage:

On April 4, 1746, Heinrich XI married Countess Conradine Reuss of Köstritz (1719–1770), the youngest daughter of Heinrich XXIV, Count Reuss of Köstritz (in German) and Baroness Marie Eleonore Emma von Promnitz-Dittersbach. Heinrich and Conradine had eleven children. The children listed as Count and Countess died before Heinrich XI became Prince Reuss-Greiz in 1778. Heinrich XI’s first wife also died before he became Prince Reuss-Greiz.

  • Count Heinrich XII Reuss-Greiz (1744 – 1745), died in infancy
  • Countess Amalie Reuss-Greiz (1745 – 1748), died in childhood
  • Heinrich XIII, 2nd Prince Reuss-Greiz (1747 – 1817), Heinrich XI’s successor, married Princess Wilhelmine of Nassau-Weilburg, had three sons
  • Princess Friederike Reuss of Greiz (1748 – 1816), married (1) Friedrich Ludwig, Count of Castell-Rüdenhausen, no children, divorced (2) Friedrich Wilhelm, Prince of Hohenlohe-Kirchberg, no children
  • Prince Heinrich XIV Reuss of Greiz (in German) (1749 – 1799), married Marie Anne Meyer, no children
  • Prince Heinrich XV Reuss of Greiz (in German) (1751 – 1825), unmarried
  • Princess Isabelle Auguste Reuss of Greiz (1752 – 1824), married Burgrave Wilhelm Georg of Kirchberg-Hachenburg, had children
  • Countess Marie Reuss of Greiz (1754 – 1759), died in childhood
  • Princess Viktoria Reus of Greiz (1756 – 1819), married Wolfgang Ernst II, Prince of Isenburg and Büdingen, no children
  • Count Heinrich XVI Reuss of Greiz (1759 – 1763), died in childhood
  • Prince Heinrich XVII Reuss of Greiz (1761 – 1807), married Babette von Wenz, no children

When Heinrich III, Count of Reuss-Untergreiz died unmarried and childless in 1768, Heinrich XI, Count of Reuss-Obergreiz, inherited the County of Reuss-Untergreiz. Obergreiz and Untergreiz were united into the County of Reuss-Greiz. The following year Heinrich, now Count Reuss of Greiz, started constructing the the family residence in Greiz, the Summer Palace.

Summer Palace in Greiz; Credit – By Steffen Löwe – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=43638573

On February 2, 1770, Heinrich XI’s first wife Conradine died, aged 51, and was buried at the Bergkirche St. Marien now in Schleiz, Thuringia, Germany which had served as the burial place for the Counts Reuss of Schleiz. Heinrich XI married again on October 25, 1770, in the Free City of Frankfurt to Countess Alexandrina von Leningen-Dagsburg-Falkenburg (1732 – 1809), daughter of Count Christian Carl Reinhard Leiningen-Dagsburg-Falkenburg (in German) and Countess Katarina Poliksen von Solms-Rödelheim. The marriage of Heinrich XI and Alexandrina was childless.

On 12 May 1778, Heinrich XI was elevated to Prince by Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II and the County of Reuss-Greiz became the Principality of Reuss-Greiz. The German language has two words for Prince: Fürst and Prinz. Fürst was used for a reigning sovereign ruler or monarch. The present-day rulers of the Principality of Liechtenstein bear the title of Fürst, and the title is also used in German when referring to the ruling princes of the Principality of Monaco. Non-reigning descendants of a Fürst are referred to in German as Prinz (prince) or Prinzessin (princess).

Heinrich XI, 1st Prince Reuss of Greiz died on June 28, 1800, aged 78, in Greiz, Principality of Reuss-Greiz and was buried at the Stadtkirche St. Marien in Greiz, the burial site for the Princes of Reuss-Greiz, Elder Line, now in the German federal state of Thuringia. His second wife Alexandrina died on October 4, 1809, aged 76, and was buried with her husband.

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

Reuss-Greiz Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • Bg.wikipedia.org. (2020). Хайнрих XI (Ройс-Грайц). [online] Available at: https://bg.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A5%D0%B0%D0%B9%D0%BD%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%85_XI_(%D0%A0%D0%BE%D0%B9%D1%81-%D0%93%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B9%D1%86) [Accessed 1 Mar. 2020].
  • De.wikipedia.org. (2020). Heinrich XI. (Reuß-Greiz). [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_XI._(Reu%C3%9F-Greiz) [Accessed 1 Mar. 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2020). Heinrich XI, Prince Reuss of Greiz. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_XI,_Prince_Reuss_of_Greiz [Accessed 1 Mar. 2020].

Assassination of Abdullah I, King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (1951)

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

On July 20, 1951, King Abdullah I was shot and killed while attending prayers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, Jordan. He was succeeded by his eldest son, King Talal.

King Abdullah I of Jordan. source: Wikipedia

King Abdullah I

King Abdullah was the first King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. He was born in February 1882 to the Emir of Mecca and his first wife. Following the Great Arab Revolt in 1916, Abdullah was named King of Iraq but refused the throne. The Iraqi throne went instead to his brother Faisal. In 1921, Abdullah was recognized by the United Kingdom as Emir of Transjordan, a British protectorate. In 1946, Transjordan ceased to be a British protectorate and became the Hashemite Kingdom of Transjordan (later renamed Jordan in 1949), with Abdullah as its first King. He had three wives and five children, including his successor, King Talal. The only Arab ruler to accept the UN’s plan for Palestine, Abdullah later took part in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, annexing the territories of the West Bank captured by Jordanian troops in Palestine. He later entered into secret peace negotiations with Israel, which likely led to his assassination.

The Assassin – Mustafa Shukri Ashu

Mustafa Shukri Ashu was a 21-year-old tailor’s apprentice, who was described as a “former terrorist” and had been recruited to kill the King. While he was the one who pulled the trigger, ten men were tried for the part in the assassination, including Colonel Abdullah at-Tell who had been the Governor of Jerusalem, and Musa Ahmad al-Ayubbi, a vegetable merchant. At-Tell and al-Ayubbi were found guilty and sentenced to death, despite having fled the country.

The Assassination

Al-Aqsa Mosque in the Old City of Jerusalem. photo: By Andrew Shiva / Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=29652325

On July 16, 1951, the former Prime Minister of Lebanon, Riad Bey Al Solh, was assassinated in Amman, Jordan. Four days later, on July 20, King Abdullah, accompanied by his grandson, the future King Hussein I of Jordan, traveled to Jerusalem to attend Al Solh’s funeral at the Al-Aqsa Mosque. While waiting for Friday prayers to begin, the king was approached by a Palestinian activist Mustafa Shukri Ashu who fired three shots, hitting the king in the chest and head and killing him instantly. The young Hussein was also caught in the gunfire, miraculously escaping harm when a bullet ricocheted off a medal he was wearing at his grandfather’s insistence.

What happened to King Abdullah?

The mausoleum of King Abdullah I (center)

King Abdullah I died instantly from his wounds. His body was returned quickly to Amman, where his funeral and burial took place. As his son and successor King Talal was in a hospital in Switzerland being treated for mental illness, Abdullah’s second son, Naif, was appointed as Regent until Talal could return to Jordan. Naif, along with the Regent of Iraq, presided over the funeral services, after which Abdullah’s body was interred in a mausoleum at the Royal cemetery near Raghadan Palace.

Abdullah’s grandson, King Hussein, circa 1953. source: Wikipedia

Just a year later, King Talal was forced to abdicate due to his mental illness and was succeeded by his eldest son King Hussein, who was just 16 years old at the time.

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.

Assassination of King Henri IV of France (1610)

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

On May 14, 1610, while his carriage was stopped on a Paris street, 56-year-old King Henri IV of France was stabbed to death by Catholic zealot François Ravaillac.

King Henri IV of France

King Henri IV of France; Credit – Wikipedia

King Henri IV of France was the first French king of the House of Bourbon. Born in 1553, in Pau, Kingdom of Navarre, now in France, Henri was the son of Queen Jeanne III of Navarre and Antoine de Bourbon, Duke de Vendôme. Although he was baptized in the Catholic Church, Henri was raised as a Protestant. His mother Queen Jeanne III of Navarre became a Calvinist Protestant, also known in France as French Huguenots, while Henri was a boy. She then became a spiritual and political leader of the French Huguenot movement.

Upon his mother’s death in 1572, Henri took the throne as King Henri III of Navarre. Two months later, he married Marguerite of Valois, the daughter of King Henri II of France. As Henri was a Protestant French Huguenot, he was not permitted inside Notre Dame Cathedral so the ceremony was held just outside the building. Days later, the Saint Bartholomew’s Day Massacre took place, in which thousands of Protestant French Huguenots were killed. Henri narrowly escaped death, mostly thanks to his new Catholic wife, and his promise to convert to Catholicism.

In 1584, Henri became the heir-presumptive to the French throne, as the last heir to King Henri III of France had died. Henri was the senior agnatic descendant of King Louis IX, and therefore the rightful heir. King Henri III of France was assassinated on August 2, 1589, and King Henri III of Navarre, as the heir-presumptive, became King Henri IV of France. After several years of issues with French Catholic nobles who refused to recognize him as their new king and with the encouragement of his mistress Gabrielle d’Estrées, Henri once again renounced his religion and converted to Catholicism. This gained him the support of the French people and he was finally able to rule his kingdom.

In a loveless and childless marriage, and knowing that he needed an heir, Henri began negotiations to end his first marriage to Marguerite of Valois. In 1600, Henri married Marie de’ Medici, from the wealthy House of Medici that came to prominence in the 15th century, as founders of the Medici Bank in Florence, Tuscany, now in Italy. Henri and Marie had six children including King Louis XIII of France, Elisabeth who married King Felipe IV of Spain, Christine Marie who married Vittorio Amedeo I, Duke of Savoy (ancestors of the Kings of Italy), and Henrietta Maria who married King Charles I of England.

For more information, see Unofficial Royalty: King Henri IV of France.

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Roots of the Assassination

Despite Henri’s conversion to Roman Catholicism, along with his quote, “Paris is well worth a Mass,” hard-core Catholic zealots were not convinced of his sincerity. There were eighteen documented cases of attempted assassination or conspiracy to commit an assassination against Henri. In 1598, Henri issued the Edict of Nantes, which granted toleration to the French Huguenots. While Roman Catholicism remained the state religion, Huguenots were granted the reinstatement of their civil rights, including the right to work in any field or for the state and to bring grievances directly to the king. The Edict of Nantes restored peace and internal unity to France but pleased neither Catholics nor Protestants. Catholics rejected the recognition of Protestantism as a permanent element in French society. They still hoped to return to religious uniformity when Roman Catholicism was the only religion. Protestants wanted parity with Catholics in all matters.

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The Assassin

François Ravaillac; Credit – Wikipedia

François Ravaillac was born circa 1577-1589 in Angoulême, France. He was the youngest son of Jean Ravaillac, secretary-clerk of the mayor of Angoulême, and Françoise Dubreuil. His maternal uncles, Julien and Nicolas Dubreuil, were priests at Saint-Pierre Cathedral of Angoulême and taught François reading and writing and instilled in him hatred of the Huguenots.

François worked eleven years as a valet and clerk of the Maître du Port des Rosiers, a lawyer of the court of justice for Angoulême. He then became a courier for the Angoulême prosecutor. Because Angoulême fell under the jurisdiction of the Parliament of Paris, François was frequently in the city. Around 1602, he moved to Paris where he served as the correspondent for the Angoulême prosecutor for four years.

François became obsessed with religion. In 1606, he entered the strict Order of the Feuillants as a lay brother but was dismissed after a short period because of his unusual mystical visions. He then applied to the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) but his application was rejected. To make ends meet, François became a school teacher, teaching catechism (religious instruction).

In 1609, François claimed to have had a vision instructing him to convince King Henri IV to convert the Huguenots to Catholicism. Between the spring of 1609 and the spring of 1610, François made three unsuccessful three trips to Paris to tell King Henri IV of his vision.

François then interpreted Henri IV’s decision to intervene militarily in the War of the Jülich Succession on the side of the Protestant forces against the Catholic Habsburg forces as the beginning of a war against the Pope. To François, this was an act against God and so he decided to kill King Henri IV of France.

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The Assassination

The assassination of Henri IV and arrest of Ravaillac on May 14, 1610, oil on canvas by Charles-Gustave Housez (1860); Credit – Wikipedia

The coronation of Henri’s second wife Marie de’ Medici was planned after their marriage in 1600 but it was postponed for financial reasons. Because of his imminent departure to fight in the War of the Jülich Succession, Henri decided to have a coronation for his wife to give her greater legitimacy in case it became necessary for her to be regent in his absence. The coronation of Queen Marie took place on May 13, 1610, at the Basilica of Saint-Denis near Paris. After the coronation, Henri returned to the Louvre Palace in Paris to find the doctor and astrologer of his cousin Charles de Bourbon, Count of Soissons waiting to warn him about the next day. Henri refused to see him. He had a busy next few days. On May 14, Henri planned to work on the last details of his military expedition. He planned to relax and go hunting on May 15. Queen Marie’s solemn entry into Paris after her coronation was planned for May 16 and on May 17, Henri planned to join his army as they began to fight in the War of the Jülich Succession.

In the late afternoon of May 14, 1610, Henri IV left the Louvre Palace to meet with Maximilien de Béthune, Duke of Sully, one of his closest advisers, who was ill at his home. Since Sully’s home was nearby, Henri decided it was unnecessary to be escorted by the Horse Guard. Instead, the king was accompanied by an escort of a few soldiers. Riding in the carriage with Henri were  Jean-Louis de Nogaret, Duke of Épernon and Hercule de Rohan, Duke of Montbazon.

François Ravaillac had stolen a knife from an inn and followed Henri’s carriage as it left the Louvre Palace. François caught up with Henri’s carriage in the Rue de la Ferronnerie, a narrow street in today’s Les Halles district, not far from the Louvre. A hay cart and a cart loaded with barrels of wine had difficulty moving and caused congestion. Henri lifted up the leather curtain of his carriage to see what was causing the delay. The footmen standing on Henri’s carriage’s step moved away to disperse the crowd that had recognized the king.

François took advantage of the situation and rushed at the carriage, stabbing three times. The first blow hit Henri’s armpit and did not cause much damage. However, the second blow was fatal, cutting Henri’s vena cava and aorta, the main blood vessels in and out of the heart. The last blow cut the Duke of Montbazon’s sleeve. Henri’s carriage raced back to the Louvre Palace where he soon died. Henri’s death left his wife Queen Marie with six children, aged one to eight. Henri was succeeded by his eldest son, the eight-year-old King Louis XII, with Queen Marie serving as Regent.

The commemorative plaque embedded in the pavement of the Rue de la Ferronnerie in Paris, marking the site of the assassination of Henri IV; Credit – Wikipedia

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What happened to François Ravaillac?

The execution of François Ravaillac; Credit – Wikipedia

Having done what he set out to do, François Ravaillac did not flee. The Duke of Épernon intervened to prevent François from being lynched by the crowd. François was brought to the Hôtel de Retz where he stayed for two days. The next day he was taken to the Hotel du Duc d’Épernon before being taken into custody at the Conciergerie prison.

François was tortured to make him identify accomplices but he denied that he had any and insisted that he acted alone. He said to his interrogators, “I know very well he is dead; I saw the blood on my knife and the place where I hit him. But I have no regrets at all about dying because I’ve done what I came to do.” At the end of a ten-day trial by the Parliament of Paris, it was determined that the assassination of King Henri IV was the isolated act of a Catholic fanatic and François Ravaillac was sentenced to death.

On May 27, 1610, François Ravaillac was brought from the Conciergerie the short distance to the square in front of the Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral where he did his penance with bare feet, in his shirt, holding a candle in his hand. François then climbed into a garbage cart which took him to the Place de Grève (the current Place de l’Hotel-de-Ville) where on a small scaffold the tortures of the executioner Jean Guillaume and his assistants lasted for hours.

François Ravaillac’s right hand, which held the knife that had killed King Henri IV, was burned off with sulfur fire. Molten lead, boiling oil, pitch, hot resin, wax, and sulfur were melted and poured over his body. A horse was attached to each of his arms and legs. When the horses pulled, his body was dismembered. The remains of his body were thrown into the fire, reduced to ashes, and thrown to the wind.

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The Funeral and Burial of King Henri IV of France

King Henri IV laying in state in the State Bedchamber in the Louvre Palace, engraving after François Quesnel; Credit – Wikipedia

King Henri IV’s remains were autopsied on May 15, 1610. His heart was placed in a silver urn, and in keeping with a promise made some years earlier, it was entombed at the Church of Saint Louis of La Flèche in the province of Maine, France. The funeral ceremonies were elaborate and lasted until the burial on July 1, 1510. Henri’s body was embalmed and then placed on a bier in the Chambre de Parade du Roi (State Bedchamber) in the Louvre Palace. One hundred low masses and six high masses were said there each day.

On June 10, 1610, Henri’s casket was taken to the Salle des Caryatides (Cariatides Room) in the Louvre Palace. An effigy was constructed out of wicker with a wax face molded from the face of the king, wearing coronation dress and the royal crown. Twice a day, servants pretended to serve him a meal, a traditional ritual symbolizing the continuity of the royal dignity beyond the death of the King.

The effigy was removed on June 21, 1510. Funeral orations were heard in all the parishes of the kingdom, followed by a week of tributes to King Henri IV by the various government officials including a blessing from eight-year-old King Louis XIII. On June 29, 1510, Henri’s casket was taken to Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral where several ceremonies were held, including the funeral mass on June 30, 1510.

After the funeral, Henri’s casket was brought to the traditional burial site of the French royal family, the Basilica of Saint-Denis in Saint-Denis, now a northern suburb of Paris. The casket was placed in a chapel with the effigy awaiting burial the next day. Henri’s tomb was destroyed during the French Revolution but there is a memorial to him at the Basilica of Saint-Denis.

Memorial to Henri IV at the Basilica of Saint-Denis; Credit – Wikipedia

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Works Cited

  • En.wikipedia.org. (2020). François Ravaillac. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fran%C3%A7ois_Ravaillac [Accessed 25 Feb. 2020].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2020). Henry IV of France. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_IV_of_France [Accessed 25 Feb. 2020].
  • Fr.wikipedia.org. (2020). Assassinat d’Henri IV. [online] Available at: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassinat_d%27Henri_IV [Accessed 25 Feb. 2020].
  • Fr.wikipedia.org. (2020). François Ravaillac. [online] Available at: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fran%C3%A7ois_Ravaillac [Accessed 25 Feb. 2020].
  • Fr.wikipedia.org. (2020). Henri IV (roi de France). [online] Available at: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henri_IV_(roi_de_France) [Accessed 25 Feb. 2020].
  • Mehl, Scott. (2016). King Henri IV of France. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-henri-iv-of-france/ [Accessed 25 Feb. 2020].