January 28, 1919 – Execution of Four Russian Grand Dukes

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2019

On January 28, 1919, Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich (58 years old), Grand Duke Dmitri Konstantinovich (58 years old), and two brothers, Grand Duke Nicholas Mikhailovich (59 years old) and Grand Duke George Mikhailovich (55 years old) were taken to the courtyard of the Fortress of Peter and Paul in St. Petersburg and executed by a firing squad. The four Grand Dukes were all first cousins as their fathers were all sons of Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia.  They were the last of the eighteen Romanovs killed as a result of the Russian Revolution.

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Grand Duke Paul, Alexandrovich; Credit – Wikipedia

Born in 1860, Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich was the youngest of the six sons and the youngest of the eight children of Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia and Empress Maria Feodorovna (born Princess Marie of Hesse and by Rhine) and the paternal uncle of Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia. Paul was only eight years older than his nephew Nicholas and the two had a close relationship.

Paul was educated with his brother Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich who was assassinated in 1905 when a bomb was thrown into his carriage. In 1881, Paul’s father Alexander II had also been assassinated in the same way. Paul served in the Russian Army as a general in the Cavalry and an adjutant general to his brother Alexander III, Emperor of All Russia.

In 1889, Paul married Princess Alexandra of Greece, the daughter of King George I of Greece and Grand Duchess Olga Konstantinovna of Russia. Alexandra gave birth to a daughter, Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna, in 1890. When she was seven months pregnant with her second child in 1891, Alexandra slipped while entering a boat. This caused premature labor and a son, Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich, was born the next day. Sadly, Alexandra did not recover and died six days later. In 1916, Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich was one of the conspirators in the murder of Grigori Rasputin.

In 1895, Paul began an affair with a married woman Olga Valerianovna Karnovich. Olga gave birth in 1897 to a son, later titled Prince Vladimir Pavlovich Paley, who was killed on July 18, 1918, with Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna and four other Romanovs. Paul made a morganatic marriage to Olga in 1902 and they had two more children: Princess Irina Pavlovna Paley and Princess Natalia Pavlovna Paley. Because he married without Nicholas II’s permission, Paul was banished from Russia, dismissed from his military commissions, and his properties were seized. His brother Grand Duke Sergei was appointed the guardian of Maria and Dmitri. Eventually, Nicholas II relented and allowed Paul to return to Russia. Nicholas II recognized Paul’s second marriage and gave his second wife Olga the title Princess Paley.

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Grand Duke Dmitri Konstantinovich; Credit – Wikipedia

Born in 1860, Grand Duke Dmitri Konstantinovich was the third son and fifth child of Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich of Russia (a son of Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia) and Grand Duchess Alexandra Iosifovna (born Princess Alexandra of Saxe-Altenburg). Dmitri’s family life was not happy because of some family issues. His father had an affair with a ballerina and his eldest brother Nicholas Konstantinovich was disinherited and sent into internal Russian exile after stealing some of his mother’s diamonds.

Dmitri’s father was the Admiral General of the Russian Navy and hoped one of his sons would follow in his footsteps. Despite the fact that he had early naval training, Dmitri joined the Horse Guards Grenadiers Regiment in the Russian Army. Eventually, he was given command of the House Guards Grenadiers Regiment by Alexander III and was appointed Adjutant General to Nicholas II.

Dmitri was religious, a lifelong bachelor, was never involved in any scandals, and never played any role in Russian politics. When he retired from the army, he focused on his passion for horses. Dmitri created a model equestrian center, became president of the Imperial Society of Horse Racing, and was named the Honorary President of the Russian Society of Care and Protection of Animals. In the autumn of 1913, he started the Russian Imperial Horse Exposition and the Russian Sports Competition, a kind of Slavic Olympic Games.

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Grand Duke Nicholas Mikhailovich; Credit – Wikipedia

Grand Duke Nicholas Mikhailovich, known in the family as Bimbo, was born in 1859 and was the eldest of the six sons and the eldest of the seven children of Grand Duke Michael Nikolaevich of Russia (a son of Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia) and Grand Duchess Olga Feodorovna (born Princess Cecilie of Baden). The Bolsheviks killed three sons of Grand Duke Michael Nikolaevich and Grand Duchess Olga Feodorovna. Along with their sons Nicholas and George who were both killed on January 28, 1919, their son Grand Duke Sergei Mikhailovich was killed on July 18, 1918, with Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna and four other Romanovs.

Nicholas never married. He had fallen in love with his first cousin Princess Victoria of Baden but the Russian Orthodox Church prohibited marriage between first cousins. Nevertheless, Nicholas asked his uncle Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia for permission to marry, saying he would never marry if he could not marry Victoria. Permission was denied and Victoria eventually married King Gustav V of Sweden. Nicholas did try a second time, but the potential bride, Princess Amélie of Orléans, the eldest daughter of Prince Philippe, Count of Paris. was Catholic and unwilling to convert to Russian Orthodoxy. Amélie later married King Carlos I of Portugal.

Nicholas had a career in the Russian army but his passion, even in childhood, was Russian history. In 1905, Nicholas left the military and pursued his interest in history full-time. Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia granted him unlimited access to the Romanov Family Archives and Library. Grand Duke Nicholas wrote many historical books about Alexander I, Emperor of All Russia and the Napoleonic Wars. He was chairman of the Russian Historical Society and headed the Russian Geographical Society and the Society for the Protection and Preservation of Art and Antiquities. In 1915, Moscow University awarded Nicholas an honorary doctorate in Russian history.

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Grand Duke George Mikhailovich; Credit – Wikipedia

Born in 1863, Grand Duke George Mikhailovich was the third of the six sons and the fourth of the seven children of Grand Duke Michael Nikolaevich of Russia (a son of Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia) and Grand Duchess Olga Feodorovna (born Princess Cecilie of Baden).

In 1900, George married Princess Maria of Greece (Grand Duchess Maria Georgievna), daughter of King George I of Greece and Grand Duchess Olga Konstantinovna of Russia. The couple had two daughters: Princess Nina Georgievna and Princess Xenia Georgievna. Grand Duchess Maria and her two daughters were in England when World War I broke out and chose not to return to Russia. They never saw George again.

George’s daughter Princess Xenia married millionaire William Leeds and lived in an estate on Long Island in New York State for years. For a few months in 1927, Xenia took in a woman claiming to be Grand Duchess Anastasia, the youngest daughter of Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia, later found to be Anna Anderson, an impostor.

While George had a military career and served as a General in the Russian Army, he was a passionate coin collector. His collections of Russian coins and medals included practically every coin ever used in the Russian Empire and he wrote ten books on coins. One of them, Catalogue of Imperial Russian Coins 1725–1891, was reprinted in the United States in 1976 and is still an important reference on the subject. In 1895, George was appointed the curator of the Alexander III Museum, today the Russian Museum in St Petersburg. His knowledge of coins was invaluable in increasing the museum’s coin collection. In 1909, George donated his collection to the museum.

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In March 1918, all the male members of the Romanov family were ordered to register at Cheka headquarters, and then they were sent into exile in internal areas of Russia. Grand Duke Dmitri Konstantinovich, Grand Duke Nicholas Mikhailovich, and Grand Duke George Mikhailovich were sent to Vologda, a town north of Moscow. They could move freely around town and were able to visit each other frequently. Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich avoided the exile order because he was too ill to travel. He remained in a dacha near Tsarskoye Selo.

An incident on June 13, 1918, during the execution of Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich, the brother of Nicholas II, changed the way the remaining Romanovs were treated. It appeared to his executioners that Michael had been trying to escape after the gun that was intended for him misfired. The incident was used to justify the necessity of keeping all exiled Romanovs under a strict regime of imprisonment.

On July 1, 1918, Grand Duke Dmitri Konstantinovich, Grand Duke Nicholas Mikhailovich, and Grand Duke George Mikhailovich were arrested in Vologda where they had been exiled. They were sent back to St. Petersburg to the Shpalernaia Prison where they would remain for most of their incarceration. The Bolsheviks were determined to round up all the Grand Dukes still in Russia and so Grand Duke Paul was arrested on August 13, 1918. He joined the three other Grand Dukes at Shpalernaia Prison. Each Grand Duke was held in a cell, only seven feet by three feet. Each day, they were all allowed to gather in the courtyard for exercise, allowing the Grand Dukes the opportunity to exchange a few words.

Grand Duke George somehow managed to smuggle letters to his wife Grand Duchess Maria in England. The last letter was dated November 27, 1918. Grand Duchess Maria unsuccessfully tried to buy her husband’s freedom and the freedom of the other three Grand Dukes for fifty thousand pounds through the Danish ambassador in St. Petersburg. Queen Alexandrine of Denmark, a niece of Grand Dukes Nicholas and George, tried unsuccessfully to obtain the release of the four Grand Dukes, also through the intervention of the Danish ambassador. On December 6, 1918, Grand Duke Paul’s health, which was already bad, declined sharply, and he was transferred to a prison hospital.

The writer Maxim Gorky had been a supporter of Vladimir Lenin and the Bolsheviks but after seeing the terror of the new regime, he changed his mind. Princess Paley, Grand Duke Paul’s wife, asked Gorky to intercede on behalf of the four Grand Dukes. In January 1919, Gorky went to Lenin to plead the case of the four Grand Dukes. Gorky pleaded the merits of each Grand Duke. When Gorky came to Grand Duke Nicholas Mikhailovich, he said, “Grand Duke Nicholas Mikhailovich is a historian.” Lenin replied, “The Revolution does not need historians.” Gorky did not give up and eventually, Lenin promised to release the four Grand Dukes. Gorky, with the release document signed by Lenin, rushed to the station in Moscow to catch the train to St. Petersburg. When he reached St. Petersburg, Gorky saw the headline in the newspaper, “Four Grand Dukes Shot” and he nearly fainted.

Unlike the execution of Nicholas II and his family and the execution of Elizabeth Feodorovna and the five other Romanovs, there are no written eyewitness accounts of the execution of the four Grand Dukes. What is known is based on versions of second-hand information.

Peter and Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg; The Peter and Paul Cathedral with its golden spire can be seen in the middle; Photo Credit – By Andrew Shiva / Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=51488758

On January 27, 1919, Grand Duke Paul was transferred from the prison hospital to another prison. He was kept there until 10 PM when he was driven to the Peter and Paul Fortress, originally built by Peter the Great to protect his new city of St. Petersburg and the site of the Peter and Paul Cathedral, the burial place of the Romanovs. At 11:30 pm on January 27, 1919, Grand Dukes Dmitri, Nicholas, and George were awakened in their cells at Shpalernaya Prison and were driven to the Peter and Paul Fortress. When Dmitri, Nicholas, and George arrived at the Fortress, they were roughly pushed from the truck into the Trubetskoy Bastion where prisoners arrested by the Bolsheviks were held. Despite the frigid temperature, the Grand Dukes were told to remove their shirts and coats.

The Trubetskoy Bastion in the late 1920s; Photo Credit – Автор: Анонимный автор – http://encspb.ru/object/2804023013, Общественное достояние, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=26266039

Grand Duke Dmitri Konstantinovich, Grand Duke Nicholas Mikhailovich, and Grand Duke George Mikhailovich were escorted toward a ditch dug in the courtyard. As they passed the Peter and Paul Cathedral where their ancestors were buried, they each made the sign of the cross. Guards appeared carrying Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich on a stretcher. The three Grand Dukes were lined up before the ditch, in which there were already bodies. Nicholas Mikhailovich was carrying his cat, and handed it to a soldier, asking him to look after it. Grand Duke Paul was shot on his stretcher. Grand Dukes Nicholas, George, and Dmitri were all killed by the same blast, causing them to fall into the ditch.

Most likely, the ditch is the burial place of the four Grand Dukes. In 2004, in the Grand Ducal Burial Mausoleum adjoining the Peter and Paul Cathedral, a commemorative plaque was placed with the names of four Grand Dukes shot nearby in the Peter and Paul Fortress. In 2009, during the construction of a road to a parking lot at the Peter and Paul Fortress, nine unmarked mass graves were discovered and a total of 112 remains were unearthed.  Perhaps eventually the remains of the four Grand Dukes will be identified.

In 1981, Grand Duke Paul, Grand Duke Dmitri, and Grand Duke George were canonized as New-Martyrs of Russia by the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia. Grand Duke Nicholas was the only Romanov who had been executed by the Bolsheviks not to be canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia.

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

  • Angelfire.com. (2018). ROYAL RUSSIA NEWS. THE ROMANOV DYNASTY & THEIR LEGACY, MONARCHY, HISTORY OF IMPERIAL & HOLY RUSSIA. [online] Available at: http://www.angelfire.com/pa/ImperialRussian/blog/index.blog/1450058/excavations-for-grand-dukes-remains-to-resume-at-peter-and-paul-fortress/ [Accessed 19 Feb. 2018].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Grand Duke Dmitry Konstantinovich of Russia. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Duke_Dmitry_Konstantinovich_of_Russia [Accessed 19 Feb. 2018].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Grand Duke George Mikhailovich of Russia (1863–1919). [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Duke_George_Mikhailovich_of_Russia_(1863%E2%80%931919) [Accessed 19 Feb. 2018].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Grand Duke Nicholas Mikhailovich of Russia. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Duke_Nicholas_Mikhailovich_of_Russia [Accessed 19 Feb. 2018].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich of Russia. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Duke_Paul_Alexandrovich_of_Russia [Accessed 19 Feb. 2018].
  • Perry, J. and Pleshakov, K. (2008). The flight of the Romanovs. New York: Basic Books.
  • Ru.wikipedia.org. (2018). Расстрел великих князей в Петропавловской крепости. [online] Available at: https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A0%D0%B0%D1%81%D1%81%D1%82%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%BB_%D0%B2%D0%B5%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%B8%D1%85_%D0%BA%D0%BD%D1%8F%D0%B7%D0%B5%D0%B9_%D0%B2_%D0%9F%D0%B5%D1%82%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%BF%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%B2%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B9_%D0%BA%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%BF%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B8 [Accessed 19 Feb. 2018].

Prince Nicholas of Greece

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2019

Prince Nicholas of Greece; Credit – Wikipedia

Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark was born January 22, 1872, at the Royal Palace of Athens in Greece, the fourth child of King George I of the Hellenes and Grand Duchess Olga Konstantinovna of Russia. Nicholas had seven siblings:

Nicholas (front) with his siblings Constantine, Maria, George, and Alexandra, circa 1880. source: Wikipedia

Nicholas grew up with his family at the Royal Palace and Tatoi Palace, as well as spending summers in France and Denmark with his relatives. Known as “Greek Nicky” to avoid confusion with his cousin Nicky, the future Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia, he was raised in the Greek Orthodox religion as required by the Greek Constitution. Along with his siblings, Nicholas was first educated privately at home by a series of tutors. He developed a passion for drawing and painting, and became fluent in several languages. At the age of 13, he began his military training, attending the College of Evelpides in Piraeus, the Greek Military Academy, and in 1890 obtained the rank of Second Lieutenant in the Greek Infantry. He served in the military for much of his early life, including leading a battery of artillery during the Greek-Turkish War in 1897. He also later served during the First Balkan War in 1912.

As a younger son of the King, Nicholas often represented his father at foreign and extended family events, including the coronation of Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia in 1894 and the marriage of Princess Maud of Wales and Prince Carl of Denmark in 1896. In 1902, he also attended the coronation of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom. In 1896, along with his brothers Constantine and George, Nicholas helped to organize the Olympic Games in Athens – the first to be held in nearly 1600 years.

Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna of Russia. source: Wikipedia

On August 29, 1902, Nicholas married his second cousin Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna of Russia, at Tsarskoye Selo near St. Petersburg, Russia. Elena was the only daughter of Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich of Russia (a son of Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia) and Duchess Marie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. The two had first met eight years earlier, and again several times in the next few years. However, it was not until the summer of 1900 that a romance began. After her parents finally relented, they felt he was too poor and had no prospect for the throne, the couple was finally able to wed. Following their wedding and honeymoon, Nicholas and Elena lived in a wing of the Royal Palace before moving to their new home the Nicholas Palace, a wedding gift from Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia. The couple had three daughters:

Following the assassination of his father in 1913, Nicholas inherited the Greek Royal Theater, where he then wrote and directed several plays published under a pseudonym. He later transferred ownership of the theater to the Greek State in 1935. In 1917, when his brother Constantine was forced from the throne, Nicholas and his family joined the King in exile in Switzerland. When World War I wiped out his wife’s fortune, the family faced financial difficulties for the first time. During their time in exile, Nicholas exhibited and sold many of his paintings, all signed with the name ‘Nicolas Leprince’. The family returned to Greece in 1920 when King Constantine was restored to the throne but again went into exile two years later when he was forced to abdicate. After staying in Italy and Britain, Nicholas and his family settled in Paris, where they relied upon the generosity of his elder brother George, and George’s very wealthy wife, Princess Marie Bonaparte. During this time, Nicholas taught drawing and painting and sold more of his paintings. He also published two memoirs, in 1926 and 1928, and leased the Nicholas Palace in Athens to the Hotel Grand Bretagne, providing a more comfortable living for his family.

Tombs of Prince Nicholas and his wife. photo: Par HellenicSpirit — Travail personnel, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=53526810

The Greek monarchy was restored in 1935, and the following year, Nicholas and his wife returned to Greece. Having suffered from declining health for several years, Prince Nicholas died on February 8, 1938, of atherosclerosis at the Hotel Grande Bretagne in Athens. Following a large state funeral a few days later, he was interred at the Royal Cemetery at Tatoi 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.

Princess Marie Bonaparte, Princess George of Greece

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Princess Marie Bonaparte, Princess George of Greece; Credit – Wikipedia

Princess Marie Bonaparte was the wife of Prince George of Greece and Denmark, the second son of King George I of the Hellenes and Grand Duchess Olga Konstantinovna of Russia. She was born on July 2, 1882, in Saint-Cloud, France, the only child of Prince Roland Bonaparte and Marie-Félix Blanc. Her maternal grandfather was François Blanc, the principal developer of Monte Carlo and the Monte Carlo Casino in Monaco. On her paternal side, Marie was the great-granddaughter of Prince Lucien Bonaparte, a younger brother of Emperor Napoleon I.

Princess Marie was raised in a life of privilege. Her grandfather François Blanc had amassed a large fortune that passed to his children upon his death in 1877. From this money, Marie inherited a large amount following her mother’s death (just a month after Marie was born). As an only child, she was raised in Saint-Cloud and in Paris, and occasionally joined her father on his geographical and botanical expeditions around the world. Her education, provided by a series of nannies and tutors, was overseen by her domineering paternal grandmother Princess Pierre Bonaparte (née Éléonore-Justine Ruflin). A rather sheltered child, Marie often spent her time alone, in the company of her dolls, reading and writing in her journals. She became fluent in several languages and developed an early interest in the arts – particularly the theatre.

Marie and George at their religious wedding in Athens, December 1907. source: Wikipedia

In 1906, her father met with King George I of the Hellenes to discuss marriage to the King’s son, George. After their fathers had agreed, Marie and George first met in July 1907 in Paris. A brief courtship ensued, and their engagement was announced on August 29, 1907. By this time, Marie was quite wealthy in her own right, receiving an annual income of 800,000 francs from a trust, as well as being the sole heir to her mother’s fortune. Following her father’s death, she inherited over 60 million francs. As part of the agreement, Marie retained sole control over her fortune, with Prince George refusing any financial settlement or allowance. The couple married first in a civil ceremony at the Town Hall in Paris on November 21, 1907, followed by a Greek Orthodox ceremony in Athens on December 12, 1907.

The couple had two children:

Marie with her children, 1912. source: Wikipedia

From the beginning of her marriage, Marie had to contend with the unusually close relationship between her husband and his uncle Prince Valdemar of Denmark. Widely believed to have been lovers, George and Valdemar were happiest in each other’s company and had an intimacy that their wives could provide. It was an unusual situation that Marie and Valdemar’s wife accepted. Marie also found intimacy with others. During one visit to Denmark, she had a brief flirtation with Valdemar’s eldest son Prince Aage, and for several years, carried on a relationship with the French Prime Minister Aristide Briand. Over the years, Marie had other affairs often known to her husband who was never bothered by them.

Despite her affairs, Princess Marie suffered from what she called sexual dysfunction, finding herself unable to achieve sexual fulfillment. This led to the beginning of her research into women’s sexuality. She published the results of her research in 1924 under a pseudonym. During this time, she also began her interest in psychoanalysis. Suffering from depression after her father died in 1924, she became a patient of Sigmund Freud for the next 13 years. A close friendship and professional relationship developed, and she helped him to promote the study of psychoanalysis throughout France.

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Fiercely protective of Dr. Freud, Marie was instrumental in his escape from the Nazi regime in 1938. Not only did she pay the “ransom” to the Nazis, but she also arranged to delay the search of his apartments in Vienna and helped him smuggle some of his savings out of the country using a Greek diplomatic pouch. Marie convinced a Nazi officer to sign the papers that allowed Freud to leave Vienna and had many of his possession sent to London.

In the years that the Greek Royal Family was in exile, Marie used her significant wealth to support many of them. She provided the use of several of her homes in France and paid for education and living expenses. Those who benefited from Marie’s generosity included Prince Andrew and his family, including the young Prince Philip, the future husband of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom. Marie and George remained favorites of Prince Philip, and in 1953, they attended the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in London. Marie, somewhat bored at the ceremony, conversed with the gentleman seated next to her and offered a bit of psychoanalysis. That man was the future French President, François Mitterand.

The Princess continued to practice as a psychoanalyst for the rest of her life. She authored several books and translated many of Freud’s works into French. In addition to having founded the French Institute of Psychoanalysis in 1926, she funded several anthropological expeditions, wrote a biography of Edgar Allan Poe, and an interpretation of his work.

Princess Marie died of leukemia in Saint-Tropez, France on September 21, 1962. Her remains were cremated, and her ashes returned to Greece where they were interred in the Royal Cemetery at Tatoi Palace alongside 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.

Baron and Baroness, and Lord of Parliament

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2019

The Coronet of a Baron. photo: By SodacanThis W3C-unspecified vector image was created with Inkscape. – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10963965

Baron and Baroness
Baron is the 5th rank in the Peerage, following Duke, Marquess, Earl and Viscount. Despite being the lowest rank, it is perhaps the oldest title. The rank was introduced by William I to recognize those who had pledged their loyalty to him under the feudal system. With this came the obligation to provide troops and support for the army, and the right (and often obligation) to attend the King’s Council They were charged with advising and supporting the King, and in return received protection from outside forces. In the mid-1200s, Barons started to be created by writ – personally summoned by the King based on their accomplishments or character, and not merely because of their ownership of land. By 1388, this was done via Letters Patent, and the once feudal claims to the title had fully shifted from territorial to personal. Additional degrees of peerage were soon added and they all become collectively known as the Peerage. The female version of the title is Baroness.

In the Peerage of Ireland, the title of Baron was first created shortly after the Norman Invasion of Ireland in 1169. One of the earliest was Baron Athenry, believed to have been created in 1172 for a member of the de Birmingham family. The title became extinct in 1799.

The Premier Baron in England is the Baron de Ros. In 1264, Robert de Ros was summoned to Parliament, and it was considered that the barony was created by writ that year. It was later deemed to have been granted to his son, William de Ros, in 1288, but with precedence dating back to December 1264. Unlike many titles within the peerage, this barony passes down to heirs-general, meaning it can pass to daughters if there are no living sons. In that case, if there is more than one daughter, all of them hold an equal claim to the title and the title goes into abeyance until such time as there is only one heir (or the Sovereign declares a sole heir). The current holder is Peter Trevor Maxwell, 27th Baron de Ros.

John Granville Morrison, Baron Margadale. source: Wikipedia

The last non-royal hereditary barony created was Baron Margadale, created on January 1, 1965 for the politician John Granville Morrison. Today the title is held by his grandson, Alastair John Morrison, 3rd Baron Margadale. The first Baron was also the father of The Hon. Dame Mary Anne Morrison, who has served as Woman of the Bedchamber to Queen Elizabeth II since 1960, and is considered to be one of The Queen’s closest friends and confidantes.

Since that time, the only hereditary baronies created have been for members of the Royal Family:

  • Prince Andrew – created Duke of York, Earl of Inverness and Baron Killyleagh upon his marriage in 1986
  • Prince William – created Duke of Cambridge, Earl of Strathearn and Baron Carrickfergus upon his marriage in 2011
  • Prince Harry – created Duke of Sussex, Earl of Dumbarton and Baron Kilkeel upon his marriage in 2018

Ian Fraser, Baron Fraser of Lonsdale. photo: By Source (WP:NFCC#4), Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=47457518

The Life Peerages Act 1958 established the creation of non-hereditary peerages, granted for the holder’s lifetime only. These life peerages have all been baronies. Since that time, only 47 hereditary baronies have been created, while there have been over 1300 life baronies created (as of January 2019). The first of these was created on August 1, 1958, when William Jocelyn Ian Fraser was created Baron Fraser of Lonsdale.

Lord of Parliament
While the title of Baron is the 5th rank in the peerages of England, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, it does not exist in the Peerage of Scotland. Instead, the 5th rank is Lord of Parliament. Dating back to the 1100s, the basis for the title is very similar to the history of the Barons in England. Often landowners who provided support and troops, they became part of the Scottish parliament. Since the Act of Union 1707, which joined England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain (and consolidated the two parliaments into one), no new Lords of Parliament have been created. Instead, they are granted the title of Baron.  Today, there are still nearly 100 Lordships of Parliament still extant, although many of those are subsidiary titles to more-senior peerages.

There have not been any women specifically created with the title, but many women have inherited it. Perhaps the most well-known today would be Flora Fraser, 21st Lady Saltoun and Chief of the Name and Arms of Clan Fraser. She has held the titles since 1979 when she succeeded her father. Lady Saltoun was married to Alexander Ramsay of Mar, the only son of The Hon. Sir Alexander Ramsay and the former Princess Patricia of Connaught, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria. (This made him a second cousin once removed of Queen Elizabeth II.) Lady Saltoun and The Queen have a close relationship, and she is formally considered a member of the extended Royal Family by Her Majesty. As such, she is often in attendance at major royal family events.

In Scotland, the title of Baron still refers to a feudal, or prescriptive, baron – one who owns an estate or manor. A Scottish barony is the only title that can be sold.

The first Lordship of Parliament – Lord of Abernethy – was established in the 12th century, and was the hereditary holder of the church and lands of the Scottish monastery at Abernethy. The oldest Lordship still extant is Lord Strathnaver, created in 1230 for William de Moravia, who was also created Earl of Sutherland. The Sutherland Earldom is the Premier Earldom in the Peerage of Scotland. The titles are currently held by Elizabeth Sutherland, 24th Countess of Sutherland and Lady Strathnaver, who is also Chief of Clan Sutherland.

James Graham, 1st Duke of Montrose and Lord Aberruthven, Mugdock and Fintrie. source: Wikipedia

The last created Lordship of Parliament was Lord Aberruthven, Mugdock and Fintrie. It was created in 1707 when James Graham, 4th Marquess of Montrose was created 1st Duke of Montrose and Lord Aberruthven, Mugdock and Fintrie, and remains a subsidiary title of the Montrose dukedom. That year, the Act of Union 1707 joined England and Scotland together as the Kingdom of Great Britain. Since that time, any new creations for the 5th rank of the peerage have been Barons. The titles are held today by James Graham, 8th Duke of Montrose.

Titles and Styles

  • A Baron or Lord of Parliament is styled The Right Hon. The Lord XX, and is typically referred to as ‘Lord XX’.
  • A Baroness, in her own right, is styled The Right Hon. The Baroness XX, or The Right Hon. The Lady XX, and is typically referred to as ‘Baroness XX’ or ‘Lady XX’.
  • The wife of a Baron, or a Lady of Parliament (in her own or her husband’s right) is styled The Right Hon. The Lady XX, and is typically referred to as ‘Lady XX’.
  • Children of a Baron or Lord in Parliament are styled ‘The Hon. (firstname) (surname). Example: The Hon. Finbar Maxwell is the son of Peter Maxwell, 28th Baron de Ros.

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 George of Greece

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Prince George of Greece; Credit: Wikipedia

Prince George of Greece was the second son and the second child of King George I of the Hellenes and Grand Duchess Olga Konstantinovna of Russia. He was born at Mon Repos, the Greek royal family’s summer residence on the island of Corfu, on June 24, 1869, and had seven siblings:

The King and Queen of Greece with their Children, c1885. Standing L-R: Prince Nicolas, Prince Constantine, Prince George; sitting L-R: Princess Marie, Queen Olga, Prince Andrew, Princess Alexandra, King George I. source: Royal Collection Trust RCIN 2907343

George spent his early years in Greece, living at the Royal Palace and Tatoi Palace, and was raised Greek Orthodox, as required by the Greek constitution. Along with his siblings, he underwent a strict regimen of education and physical activity. They learned several languages including Greek, English, French, Danish, and German. In 1883 George’s mother took him to Denmark to join the Danish Royal Navy. He was placed under the care of his grandfather, King Christian IX of Denmark, and his uncle, Prince Valdemar. The young Prince George, living with Valdemar at Bernsdorff Palace, felt abandoned by his parents and quickly developed a very close relationship with his uncle. Valdemar became the most important person in George’s life and George often professed his love for his uncle. It is widely accepted that they were lovers, and despite both of their marriages, the two maintained their bond and passion for each other until Valdemar died in 1939.

In 1888, a marriage was suggested between George and Princess Marguerite of Orleans (the sister of Prince Valdemar’s wife), however, the negotiations stalled and no engagement took place. Two years later, in 1890, George left Denmark to continue his naval training with the Russian Imperial Navy. The next year, George accompanied his cousin the Tsarevich (later Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia) on a trip through Asia. While in Japan, one of the guards protecting Nicholas attempted to kill him with his sword. George foiled the assassination attempt by striking the attacker with his cane and saving Nicholas’s life. Although quickly thanked by the Japanese Emperor, George found himself vilified in Russia, accused of placing Nicholas in harm’s way and blamed for the attack. Despite Nicholas’ public statements of appreciation, George was forced to leave Russia and return to Denmark.

Several years later, George and his brothers Constantine and Nicolas helped organize the first modern Olympic Games in Athens, Greece in 1896. Because of his naval background, George was appointed Chairman of the sub-committee for Nautical Sports for the Greek Olympic Committee. Two years later, he was appointed High Commissioner of Crete and served until 1906. At that time, he returned to Europe, living primarily in Denmark and France and making occasional visits back to Greece each year.

Prince George and Princess Marie following their Greek Orthodox ceremony, in December 1907. source: Wikipedia

George first met his wife, Princess Marie Bonaparte, on July 19, 1907 in Paris. The previous year, George’s father and Marie’s father, Prince Roland Bonaparte, a grandson of Lucien Bonaparte, Emperor Napoleon I’s brother, had met and discussed the idea of a marriage between the two families. Following a very short courtship, the couple’s engagement was announced on August 29, 1907. Marie was quite wealthy in her own right, having been left a vast fortune by her mother Marie-Félix Blanc, the daughter of François Blanc, the principal developer of Monte Carlo and the Monte Carlo Casino.

At the time of their marriage, Marie received 800,000 francs per year from a trust, and would later inherit over 60 million francs after her father’s death. As part of the marriage agreement, George agreed to a separation of the couple’s assets and refused any financial settlement from his wife and future father-in-law. Marie retained complete control over her fortune and often helped support other members of the Greek royal family. Once the marriage contract was settled, George and Marie married in a civil ceremony at the Town Hall in Paris on November 21, 1907. The couple’s Greek Orthodox ceremony was held in Athens on December 12, 1907. Despite the arranged marriage and George’s presumed homosexuality, the couple had two children:

In 1911, George represented the Greek Royal Family at the coronation of his first cousin King George V of the United Kingdom. The following year, George and his family returned to Greece where he joined the staff of the naval ministry, as Greece was preparing for war against Turkey. He later served as an aide-de-camp to his father, and following his father’s assassination in March 1913, George returned to Denmark to handle the late King’s financial affairs.

The following years saw Greece remaining neutral initially, but later joining the Central Powers, despite the Prime Minister’s support of the Allies. Under threat of an Allied landing, King Constantine I went into exile in Switzerland on June 12, 1917, without abdicating, and was replaced by his brother King Alexander. Following Alexander’s death in 1920, Constantine I was restored to the throne but was forced to abdicate again in 1922 in favor of another brother, King George II. The new king’s reign lasted 18 months before the family was again sent into exile. Through George and Marie’s wealth, several members of the Greek royal family received financial support, including George’s brothers Andrew and Nicholas who came to Paris with their families and settled for a time in homes owned by Princess Marie.

Group photograph taken on the occasion of the 80th Birthday of Prince Valdemar of Denmark, October 27, 1938. Prince George (center, 8th from the left in the center row) and Prince Valdemar (seated in center). source: Royal Collection Trust RCIN 2927432

After many years of upheaval, Greece once again restored the monarchy in 1935 with King George II returning to the throne. The following year, George and Marie returned to Greece for the first time in 16 years, to attend the reburial ceremonies at Tatoi for the remains of King Constantine I, Queen Sophie, and Queen Olga. Upon returning to France, George learned of his son’s relationship with Irina Ovchinnikova – a twice-divorced Russian commoner. Despite his renouncement of the relationship, Peter and Irina married in 1939 – a fact that George and Marie learned from the newspapers. George was furious and refused any further contact with his son. 1939 also saw the death of George’s beloved uncle, Prince Valdemar.

In 1941, with the advance of German forces, the family was once again forced into exile. After traveling to Crete and Egypt, they settled in South Africa in July 1941. By this time, George’s health was declining. Adrift after the death of Valdemar, George finally found solace in the companionship of his wife – for perhaps the first time in their marriage.

Following World War II, George returned to Paris and often represented his nephew, King Paul, on official visits and functions. In 1947, he attended the funeral of King Christian X of Denmark and the wedding of his nephew, Philip Mountbatten (formerly Prince Philippos of Greece) to the future Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom. In September 1948, he attended the enthronement ceremony of Queen Juliana of the Netherlands, and in December was named as one of the godparents of Prince Charles, his great-nephew. In 1949, he returned to Denmark, where he was much loved, for a lavish celebration of his 80th birthday. At that time, King Frederik IX of Denmark appointed him Admiral of the Danish Fleet, an honor that was very meaningful to George because his uncle Valdemar had held that position.

Over the next few years, George worked on his memoirs ‘The Cretan Drama: The Memoirs of HRH Prince George of Greece’, published after his death. In one of his last major royal appearances, Prince George and his wife represented the Greek Royal Family at the 1953 coronation of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, his niece by marriage. The photo above shows Prince George and Princess Marie (center of the photo in his robes of the Order of the Bath), in the procession led by his sister-in-law Princess Alice, her daughters, sons-in-law, and several grandchildren.

In his late 80’s, George’s health began to deteriorate. He underwent surgery for a strangulated hernia and later developed hematuria. Prince George died in Saint-Cloud, near Paris, on November 25, 1957, just four days after he and Marie celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. Nine days later, George was buried in the Royal Cemetery at Tatoi Palace in Greece. Per George’s wishes and because she respected the relationship between George and Valdemar, Princess Marie placed a photo of Valdemar and a lock of his hair in George’s coffin. Prince George was the last surviving child of King George I and Queen Olga.

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Viscount and Viscountess

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2019

The Coronet of a Viscount. photo: By SodacanThis W3C-unspecified vector image was created with Inkscape. – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10963963

Viscount is the fourth rank within the Peerage, preceded by Dukes, Marquesses and Earls, in order of creation. There have been nearly 800 Viscountcies created in the various peerages, including 14 Viscountcies created for women in their own right. Over 330 Viscountcies are still extant, however the majority are held as subsidiary titles of Dukes, Marquesses and Earls.

The word Viscount comes from the Old French visconte, which itself comes from the Medieval Latin vicecomitem, and referred to a trusted appointee or courier, and later a count. In Anglo-Norman England, it was used as an honorific, typically referring to a county sheriff. Wives of Viscounts, and women holding a Viscountcy in their own right, use the title Viscountess.

Arms of the Walter Devereux, 1st Viscount Hereford. photo: By Rs-nourse – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=30843575

The first Viscountcy was granted in 1432 when John Beaumont, 6th Baron Beaumont was created Viscount Beaumont by King Henry VI. The most-senior Viscount – known as the Premier Viscount of England – is The Viscount of Hereford. The title was created in 1550 for Walter Devereux, 9th Baron Ferrers of Chartley. The current holder is Robin Devereux, 19th Viscount Hereford. This is also the most senior Viscountcy with no more-senior titles.

The last non-Royal Viscountcy was granted in 1984, when former Prime Minister Harold Macmillan was created Earl of Stockton and Viscount Macmillan of Ovenden. The last non-Royal Viscountcy, with no more-senior title, was granted in 1983 for Thomas George Thomas, a former Speaker of the House of Commons, who was created Viscount Tonypandy.

The Earl of Wessex. photo: By Northern Ireland Office – https://www.flickr.com/photos/niogovuk/16103288623/, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=38785243

The last Royal Viscountcy was created in 1999 as a subsidiary title when Prince Edward was created Earl of Wessex and Viscount Severn. This was the first time a royal prince was granted a viscountcy since 1726, when the title was given to two of King George II’s sons:

  • Prince Frederick (later Prince of Wales) created Duke of Edinburgh, Marquess of the Isle of Ely, Earl of Eltham, Viscount Launceston and Baron Snowdon. The titles were inherited by his son, the future King George III and merged with the Crown upon his accession in 1760.
  • Prince William was created Duke of Cumberland, Marquess of Berkhamsted, Earl of Kennington, Viscount Trematon and Baron Alderney. He died without issue in 1765 and the titles became extinct.

In 1917, four Viscountcies were granted to relatives of the Royal Family when they relinquished their German titles at the request of King George V:

The Earl Mountbatten of Burma. photo: By Allan warren – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12111584

And in 1946, Lord Louis Mountbatten, the younger son of the Marquess of Milford Haven, was created Viscount Mountbatten of Burma. The following year, he was also created Earl Mountbatten of Burma, which became his senior title. Both grants allowed for the titles to pass to his daughters (as he had no sons), and the Viscountcy became a subsidiary title of the Earldom. The titles are currently held by the 1st Earl’s grandson, Norton Knatchbull, 3rd Earl Mountbatten of Burma.

Mary Anne Disraeli, Viscountess of Beaconsfield

There have been 14 women created Viscountesses in their own right:

  • Elizabeth Heneage Finch, Countess of Winchilsea (1556-1634) – Elizabeth was created Viscountess Maidstone in 1623 by King James I. She was later created Countess of Winchilsea in 1628 by King Charles I. Both titles were hereditary, and remain extant.
  • Anne Bayning, Viscountess Bayning (1619-1678) – the daughter of the 1st Viscount Bayning, Anne was created Viscountess Bayning, for life only, in 1674.
  • Sarah Monson Corbet, Viscountess Corbet – Sarah was the wife of Sir Vincent Corbet, 1st Baronet, an English politician who fought on the Royalist side in the English Civil War. Long after his death, Sarah was created Viscountess Corbet in her own right – for life only – in 1679.
  • Grace Granville Carteret, Countess Granville (c1667-1744) – Grace was the daughter of the 1st Earl of Bath. Several years after the Bath Earldom became extinct, Grace was created Countess Granville and Viscountess Carteret in her own right in 1715. The titles became extinct following the death of her grandson in 1776.
  • Margaret Coningsby Newton, Countess Coningsby (1709-1761) – Margaret was the daughter of the 1st Earl Coningsby, and was created Viscountess Coningsby and Baroness Coningsby in her own right in 1716. She later inherited her father’s Earldom, becoming 2nd Countess Coningsby. As she died with no male heirs, her titles became extinct upon her death.
  • Elizabeth Villiers Mason, Countess Grandison (d. 1782) – the daughter of the 1st Earl Grandison, Elizabeth was created Viscountess Grandison in her own right in 1746. Later, in 1767 following her father’s death, she was created Countess Grandison and Viscount Villiers. The titles all became extinct upon the death of her son in 1800.
  • Elizabeth Upton Rowley, Viscountess Langford (1713-1791) – Elizabeth was created Viscountess Langford and Baroness of Summerhill in her own right in 1766. The titles became extinct upon the death of her son in 1796.
  • Margaretta Amelia Burgh Foster, Viscountess Ferrard (c1737-1824) – Margaretta was first created Baroness Oriel in her own right in 1790, as a way of honoring her husband, but still allowing him to continue as Speaker of the Irish House of Commons. She was later created Viscountess Ferrard in 1797. The title remains extant.
  • Charlotte Gleadowe-Newcomen, Viscountess Newcomen (d 1817) – Charlotte was first created Baroness Newcomen in 1800, and then Viscountess Newcomen in 1803. The titles became extinct upon the death of her son in 1825.
  • Joan Scott Canning, Viscountess Canning (1777-1837) – Joan was the widow of George Canning who served as Foreign Secretary, Chancellor of the Exchequer and Prime Minister before his death in 1827. Six months later, in January 1828, Joan was created Viscountess Canning in her own right. The title was inherited by her son Charles, who served as Viceroy of India, and was later created Earl Canning. All of the titles became extinct upon the Earl’s death in 1862.
  • Anne Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, Duchess of Sutherland, Countess of Cromartie (1828-1892) – Anne was Duchess of Sutherland by marriage. In 1861, she was created Countess of Cromartie and Viscountess Tarbat in her own right, reviving titles which had been held previously by her ancestors. The Cromartie and Tarbat titles were granted with special remainder to her younger sons, as her eldest would inherit his father’s Dukedom. The titles remain extant.
  • Mary Anne Evans Disraeli, Viscountess Beaconsfield (1792-1872) – Mary Anne was the wife of Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli. In 1868, at the end of his first time as Prime Minister, she was created Viscountess Beaconsfield in her own right. The title went extinct upon her death in 1872. Four years later, her husband was created Earl of Beaconsfield, and later refused the offer of a Dukedom from Queen Victoria.
  • Emily Danvers Smith, Viscountess Hambleden (1828-1913) – Emily was the widow of politician William Henry Smith. Following his death in 1891, Emily was created Viscountess Hambleden. The title remains extant.
  • Muriel Douglas-Pennant FitzRoy, Viscountess Daventry (1869-1962) – Muriel was the widow of Edward FitzRoy who served as Speaker of the House of Commons from 1928 until his death in 1943. Following his death, she was created Viscountess Daventry in her own right by King George VI. The title remains extant.

Styles and Titles
Viscountcies are titled either using a place name, a surname, or a combination of the two, and rarely contain the article ‘of’ when using place names. The exception would be Viscountcies in the Peerage of Scotland, which were typically titled as The Viscount of XX. However, in practice, very few maintain that style, preferring simply to be known as Viscount XX.

  • A Viscount is styled The Right Hon. The Viscount XX, and is referred to as ‘My Lord’, ‘Your Lordship’, or ‘Lord XX’.
  • A Viscountess is styled The Right Hon. The Viscountess XX, and is referred to as ‘My Lady’, ‘Your Ladyship’, or ‘Lady XX’.
  • Unlike eldest sons of Dukes, Marquesses and Earls, the eldest son of a Viscount does not use any subsidiary titles.  All children of a Viscount are styled ‘The Hon (first name) (surname)’. Example: The Hon. Henry Devereux is the eldest son and heir of the Viscount Hereford.

LIST OF EXTANT VISCOUNTCIES, in order of creation:

Wikipedia: List of Viscounts in the Peerages of Britain and Ireland

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Prince Franz Joseph of Battenberg

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Prince Franz Joseph of Battenberg; Credit – Wikipedia

Prince Franz Joseph of Battenberg was the youngest child of Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine and Countess Julia Hauke, Princess of Battenberg. He was born in Padua, Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia, part of the Austrian Empire, now in Italy, on September 24, 1861, joining four older siblings:

Following his schooling, Franz Joseph received a military education in Potsdam, Kingdom of Prussia, now in the German state of Brandenburg. He then served in the Bulgarian Military, while his brother Alexander was the Reigning Prince of Bulgaria from 1879-1886.

Consuelo Vanderbilt. source: Wikipedia

While in London in 1894, Franz Joseph met the American heiress Consuelo Vanderbilt. He was one of several men who proposed, but Consuelo did not like him and refused his marriage offer. She later went on to marry Charles Spencer-Churchill,9th Duke of Marlborough.

Princess Anna of Montenegro. source: Wikipedia

Several years later, while visiting Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom while she was on holiday in Cimiez, France, Franz Joseph met Princess Anna of Montenegro. She was the daughter of King Nikola I of Montenegro and Milena Vukotić, and was in Cimiez visiting her sister and brother-in-law. The two quickly fell in love, and their engagement was announced. They married in Cetinje, Montenegro on May 18, 1897, in both Eastern Orthodox and Protestant ceremonies. The marriage was happy but the couple did not have any children.

In the years leading up to World War I, Franz Joseph and his wife spent much of their time living in Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in the German state of Hesse, but were advised to leave the country when the war broke out and settled in Switzerland. As the war progressed, they found their financial situation more and more precarious, and they sometimes struggled to make ends meet. After 1920, they began to receive some financial support from Edwina Mountbatten, the wife of Franz Joseph’s nephew Louis Mountbatten, the future 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma. Until she died in 1960, Edwina continued to send money to Princess Anna.

Prince Franz Joseph died in Territet, Switzerland on July 31, 1924, having outlived all of his siblings. He is buried in the Schaffhausen Forest Cemetery in Schaffhausen, Switzerland.

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.

Swedish Royal Christenings

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2019

The members of the Swedish royal family belong to the Church of Sweden, an Evangelical Lutheran Church. The Act of Succession states: “The King shall always profess the pure evangelical faith, as adopted and explained in the unaltered Confession of Augsburg and in the Resolution of the Uppsala Meeting of the year 1593, princes and princesses of the Royal House shall be brought up in that same faith and within the Realm. Any member of the Royal Family not professing this faith shall be excluded from all rights of succession.” Therefore, the christening of a royal infant into the Church of Sweden is a state ceremony and is a necessity for those in the line of succession.

Royal Chapel at the Royal Palace in Stockholm; Credit – By Holger.Ellgaard – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=14663353

Most royal christenings have been held at the Royal Chapel at the Royal Palace in Stockholm, Sweden or at the Royal Chapel at Drottningholm Palace near Stockholm, Sweden. The Royal Palace in Stockholm houses the offices of the Royal Court, as well as several museums, and serves as the setting for many official functions. It has not been used as an actual residence since 1981, although private apartments still remain there. The Royal Chapel has been in use since the Royal Palace in Stockholm was built in 1754. The chapel is used as a parish church for members of the Royal Court and their families and is also open to the public. It has also been used for many weddings, christenings, and funerals.

Drottningholm Palace Chapel during Prince Alexander’s christening in 2016; Photo: Henrik Montgomery/TT https://www.kungligaslotten.se/english

Drottningholm Palace, on the island Lovön in Lake Mälaren near Stockholm, is the private residence of the Swedish royal family and a popular tourist site. Construction began in 1696 and was completed in 1728. The palace grounds include a beautiful baroque garden and other gardens featuring numerous sculptures and statues, along with several fountains and water features. The Palace Chapel is on the northern end of the palace. The Lovön Parish conducts services in the chapel on the last weekend of each month.

Swedish royal christening gown; Photo: Håkan Lind, Copyright Kungahuset.se

The white linen batiste christening gown of the Swedish royal family has been worn by every baby since 1906. The gown was first used at the christening of King Carl XVI Gustaf’s father Prince Gustaf Adolf. Underneath all the ruffles is a lining embroidered with the names and dates of the infants who have worn it.

Karl XI christening font; Credit – https://www.kungligaslotten.se

The magnificent silver christening font used by the Swedish royal family was commissioned by King Karl XI. When the font was completed in 1707, it took nearly forty years before any royal child was born in Sweden. In 1746, the future King Gustav III was born and he is probably the first child to be christened in this christening font.

Karl XI’s Cradle; Credit – Wikipedia

It is a Swedish royal family tradition to place the newly-christened infant in a cradle. In 1655, the future King Karl XI received a cradle made out of gold-plate and painted wood as a christening gift from his maternal grandparents. Another cradle was used for princesses since 1830 but when Princess Estelle was born in 2012 as the heir to the throne after her mother, Karl XI’s cradle was used.

Karl XV’s Cradle; Credit – https://www.kungahuset.se, Copyright Kungahuset.se

Karl XV’s Cradle was made before the birth of the future king in 1826. The cradle was used as an everyday cradle for Karl and his brothers Gustaf and Oscar II. For the christening of their sister Eugenie in 1830, the cradle created for Karl became the cradle used for princesses at their christenings. This cradle has been used for all King Carl XVI Gustaf’s grandchildren except Princess Estelle who will be Queen of Sweden.

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King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden

Four Generations: The infant Prince Carl Gustaf held by his great-grandfather King Gustaf V. Seated on the left is the prince’s grandfather, Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf (the future King Gustaf VI Adolf), and standing is the prince’s father, Prince Gustaf Adolf; Photo: Swedish Royal Court

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Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, Duchess of Västergötland

Victoria with her parents; Credit – Swedish Royal Court

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Princess Estelle of Sweden, Duchess of Östergötland

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Prince Oscar, Duke of Skåne

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Prince Carl Philip, Duke of Värmland

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Prince Alexander, Duke of Södermanland

Prince Alexander in the Charles XV Cradle; Photo: Jonas Ekströmer www.kungahuset.se, Copyright Kungahuset.se

  • Parents: Prince Carl Philip of Sweden and Princess Sofia, born Sofia Hellqvist
  • Born: April 19, 2016, at Danderyd Hospital in Danderyd, Sweden
  • Christened: September 9, 2016, in the Royal Chapel at Drottningholm Palace near Stockholm, Sweden
  • Names: Alexander Erik Hubertus Bertil
  • Godparents:
    • Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, his paternal aunt
    • Lina Frejd, his maternal aunt
    • Victor Magnuson, his father’s paternal first cousin
    • Jan-Åke Hansson, his father friend
    • Cajsa Larsson, his mother’s friend

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Prince Gabriel, Duke of Dalarna

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  • Parents: Prince Carl Philip of Sweden and Princess Sofia, born Sofia Hellqvist
  • Born: August 31, 2017, at Danderyd Hospital in Stockholm, Sweden
  • Christened: December 1, 2017 in the Royal Chapel at Drottningholm Palace near Stockholm, Sweden
  • Names: Gabriel Carl Walther
  • Godparents:
    • Princess Madeleine of Sweden, his paternal aunt
    • Sara Hellqvist, his maternal aunt
    • Thomas de Toledo Summerlath, his father’s maternal cousin
    • Oscar Kylberg, his parents’ friend
    • Carolina Pihl, his parents’ friend

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Prince Julian, Duke of Halland

Credit – Photo: Jonas Ekströmer/TT www.kungahuset.se, Copyright Kungahuset.se

  • Parents: Prince Carl Philip of Sweden and Princess Sofia, born Sofia Hellqvist
  • Born: March 26, 2021, at Danderyd Hospital in Stockholm, Sweden
  • Christened: August 14, 2021 in the Royal Chapel at Drottningholm Palace near Stockholm, Sweden
  • Names: Julian Herbert Folke
  • Godparents:
    • Johan Andersson, his parents’ friend
    • Stina Andersson, his parents’ friend
    • Jacob Högfeldt, his father’s school friend
    • Patrick Sommerlath, his father’s maternal cousin
    • Frida Vesterberg, his mother’s friend

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Princess Madeleine of Sweden, Duchess of Hälsingland and Gästrikland

Princess Madeleine in the Charles XV Cradle with family and godparents Photo: Jan Collsiöö Scanpix www.kungahuset.se, Copyright Kungahuset.se

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Princess Leonore, Duchess of Gotland

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Prince Nicolas, Duke of Ångermanland

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  • Parents: Princess Madeleine of Sweden and Christopher O’Neill
  • Born: June 15, 2015 at Danderyd Hospital in Danderyd, Sweden
  • Christened: October 11, 2015 in the Royal Chapel at Drottningholm Palace near Stockholm, Sweden
  • Names: Nicolas Paul Gustaf
  • Godparents:
    • Prince Carl Philip of Sweden, his maternal uncle
    • Natascha Abensperg und Traun, his paternal aunt
    • Henry d’Abo, his paternal uncle by marriage
    • Gustaf Magnuson, his mother’s paternal first cousin
    • Katarina von Horn, his parents’ friend
    • Marco Wajselfisz, his parents’ friend

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Princess Adrienne, Duchess of Blekinge

Princess Adrienne with her mother Princess Madeleine and her grandfather King Carl XVI Gustaf; Photo Credit – Swedish Royal Court, photo by Jonas Ekströmer

  • Parents: Princess Madeleine of Sweden and Christopher O’Neill
  • Born: March 9, 2018, at Danderyd Hospital in Danderyd, Sweden
  • Christened: June 8, 2018, in the Royal Chapel at Drottningholm Palace near Stockholm, Sweden
  • Names: Adrienne Josephine Alice
  • Godparents:
    • Miss Anouska d’Abo, her paternal first cousin
    • Mrs. Coralie Charriol Paul, her parents’ friend
    • Mr. Nader Panahpour, her parents’ friend
    • Baron Gustav Thott, her parents’ friend
    • Mrs. Charlotte Kreuger Cederlund, her parents’ friend
    • Mrs. Natalie Werner, her parents’ friend

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Spanish Royal Christenings

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2019

Members of the Spanish royal family are Roman Catholic. Having only two godparents, a man and a woman, is the usual practice in the Roman Catholic Church. The Spanish royal family’s christening gown was first used for King Juan Carlos’ christening in 1938. It has since been used by his children and grandchildren.  The same Romanesque baptismal font has been used in the christenings of members of the Spanish Royal Family since the seventeenth century.

King Alfonso XIII of Spain

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Queen Victoria Eugenie of Spain (Ena), born Princess Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg

Princess Victoria of Prussia holding her first cousin Princess Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg by Alexander Bassano, half-plate glass negative, 1888, NPG x95917 © National Portrait Gallery, London

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Infante Juan, Count of Barcelona

Juan, in the arms of his mother, with his sister Maria Cristina; Credit – Wikipedia

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King Juan Carlos I of Spain

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Christening of Juan Carlos: Queen Victoria Eugenie of Spain holds her grandson

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Queen Sofía of Spain, born Princess Sophia of Greece and Denmark

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Sofia with her mother

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Infanta Elena of Spain, Duchess of Lugo

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Elena with her parents at her christening

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Infanta Cristina of Spain

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King Felipe VI of Spain

Queen Victoria Eugenie holding Felipe at his baptism, his other godparent Infante Juan, Count of Barcelona is in the middle of the photo; Credit – www.casareal.es

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Queen Letizia of Spain, born Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano

  • Unofficial Royalty: Queen Letizia of Spain
  • Parents: Jesús José Ortiz Álvarez and his first wife María de la Paloma Rocasolano Rodríguez
  • Born: September 15, 1972, in Oviedo, Asturias, Spain
  • Christened: September 29, 1972, at the San Francisco de Asís Church in Oviedo, Asturias, Spain
  • Names: Letizia
  • Godparents:
    • Francisco Rocasolano Rodríguez, her maternal uncle
    • Cristina Ortiz Álvarez, her paternal aunt

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Infanta Leonor, Princess of Asturias

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Infanta Sofía of Spain

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Norwegian Royal Christenings

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2019

The Palace Chapel in the Royal Palace in Oslo, Norway; Photo – Kjetil Rolseth, The Royal Court

The Royal Chapel located in the Royal Palace in Oslo, Norway is the site of many events of the Norwegian royal family, especially christenings and confirmations.  After their deaths, King Haakon VII and King Olav V lay in state in the Royal Chapel

The members of the Norwegian royal family belong to the Church of Norway, an evangelical Lutheran denomination of Protestant Christianity. Until a constitutional amendment in 2012, the monarch was the supreme governor and protector of the Church of Norway. Since 2012, the Church of Norway has been self-governing but it remains the established state church.

The traditional Norwegian royal christening gown was handmade by Princess Ingeborg of Sweden (the mother of Crown Princess  Märtha of Norway) and has been worn by most descendants of King Olav V and Crown Princess Märtha, who died before her husband became king. The names of all the babies who wear the gown are embroidered on the gown.

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King Haakon VII of Norway, born Prince Carl of Denmark

Carl  (the future Haakon VII) with his mother, 1873 – Royal Court Photo Archive

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Queen Maud of Norway, Princess Maud of Wales

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Maud with her mother

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King Olav V of Norway, born Prince Alexander of Denmark

Olav,1905 Photo: Juncker Jensen, Royal Court Photo Archive

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Crown Princess Märtha of Norway, born Princess Märtha of Sweden

Märtha 1909 Photo: A. Blomberg, Royal Court Archive

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Princess Ragnhild, Mrs. Lorentzen

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Princess Ragnhild with her parents

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Princess Astrid, Mrs. Ferner

Astrid 1935 Photo: G.T. Sjøwall, Royal Court Photo Archive

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King Harald V of Norway

Harald with his mother; Credit – Wikipedia

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Princess Märtha Louise of Norway

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Märtha Louise with her parents

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Crown Prince Haakon of Norway

Haakon with his parents and sister; Credit – Royal House of Norway

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Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway

Credit – http://www.royalcourt.no

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Prince Sverre Magnus of Norway

Credit – http://www.royalcourt.no, photographer: Tor Richardsen / Scanpix

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