Elisabeth of France, Queen of Spain, Queen of Portugal

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Elisabeth of France, Queen of Spain, Queen of Portugal; Credit – Wikipedia

The first wife of King Felipe IV of Spain (also King Filipe III of Portugal), Elisabeth of France, was born at the Château de Fontainebleau in France on November 22, 1602. She was the eldest of the three daughters and the second of the six children of King Henri IV of France and his second wife Marie de’ Medici. Elisabeth was known as Madame Royale, the traditional title of the eldest living unmarried daughter of a reigning French monarch.

Elisabeth had five siblings:

King Henri IV with his second wife Marie de’ Medici and their children; Credit – Wikipedia

Soon after her birth, Elisabeth was betrothed to Filippo Emanuele, Prince of Piedmont, the son and heir of Carlo Emanuele I, Duke of Savoy but Filippo Emanuele died in 1604. Elisabeth was raised with her siblings by the royal governess Françoise de Montglat at the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye outside of Paris.

On May 14, 1610, when Elisabeth was eight-year-old, her father King Henri IV of France was assassinated. While traveling through Paris, Henri’s carriage was stopped on the Rue de Ferronnerie. A Catholic zealot, François Ravaillac, took the opportunity to rush up to the carriage and stab the king twice in the chest. Quickly subdued, Ravaillac was taken into custody and later executed. The king was taken to the Louvre Palace where he died. Elisabeth’s nine-year-old brother ascended the French throne as King Louis XIII. The widowed Queen, Marie de’ Medici was appointed Regent for her son.

During this time, there were struggles in France between the Catholics and the Protestants (French Huguenots). The new Regent, Marie de’ Medici promoted a strong alliance with the Spanish monarchy and favored Catholicism over Protestantism. To strengthen this bond, she arranged the marriages of her son King Louis XIII to Infanta Anna of Spain (known primarily as Anne of Austria), and her eldest daughter Elisabeth to Felipe, Prince of Asturias (the future King Felipe IV of Spain and King Felipe III of Portugal). Anna and Felipe were both the children of King Felipe III of Spain and his wife Margaret of Austria.

Infanta Anna of Spain, wife of King Louis XIII of France, and Felipe, Prince of Asturias, the future King Felipe IV of Spain, husband of Elisabeth of France in 1612; Credit – Wikipedia

On August 13, 1615, at the Louvre Palace in Paris, France, both young couples were married by proxy and soon, Elisabeth and her brother Louis XIII left Paris to meet their respective spouses. On Pheasant Island in the Bidassoa River that divides France and Spain, the two couples first met. This would be the last time Elisabeth would see her brother Louis. On November 25, 1615, at the Cathedral of St. Mary in Burgos, Spain, 13-year-old Elisabeth married 10-year-old Felipe, Prince of Asturias in a religious ceremony. Elisabeth adopted the Spanish version of her name Isabel and became the Princess of Asturias.

The exchange of the two princesses of France and Spain on the Bidassoa River by Peter Paul Rubens; Credit – Wikipedia

Because of the couple’s young age, the marriage was not consummated. The situation changed when Elisabeth’s father-in-law King Felipe III became ill. The marriage was consummated, and Elisabeth quickly became pregnant. King Felipe III died on March 31, 1621, and was succeeded by his 16-year-old son as King Felipe IV with Elisabeth becoming Queen Consort of Spain.

Elisabeth and Felipe had eight children but only their youngest child survived childhood. Besides having so many children die young, Elisabeth had three miscarriages. Her husband probably transmitted to her a venereal disease he contracted from one of his mistresses. This would explain the miscarriages and the many dead infants.

  • Maria Margarita of Austria, Infanta of Spain (born and died 1621)
  • Margarita Maria Catalina of Austria, Infanta of Spain (born and died 1623)
  • Maria Eugenia of Austria, Infanta of Spain (1625 – 1627)
  • Isabella Maria of Austria, Infanta of Spain (born and died 1627)
  • Balthasar Carlos of Austria, Infante of Spain, Prince of Asturias (1629 – 1646), died at age 16 from smallpox
  • Francisco Fernando of Austria, Infante of Spain (born and died 1634)
  • Maria Ana Antonia of Austria, Infanta of Spain (born and died 1636)
  • Maria Theresa of Austria, Infanta of Spain (1638 – 1683), married King Louis XIV of France, had six children but only one son survived childhood

King Felipe IV of Spain, circa 1631-1632; Credit – Wikipedia

Elisabeth was aware of her husband’s mistresses. There were rumors about her relationship with the diplomat Juan de Tassis, 2nd Count of Villamediana who was her gentleman-in-waiting. Between 1640 and 1642, Elisabeth served as regent for her husband in his absence during the Catalan Revolt.

Throughout her marriage, Elisabeth suffered in silence over the deaths of her children and her miscarriages. The fact that her husband’s mistresses gave him children made her feel even worse. Her feelings are evident in the letters sent to her brother Louis XIII and sister-in-law Anne of Austria. Weakened by her multiple pregnancies and miscarriages, Elisabeth died at the Royal Alcazar in Madrid, Spain on October 6, 1644, at the age of forty-one, after miscarrying a son. She was buried in the Pantheon of the Kings in the Royal Crypt of the Monastery of El Escorial at the Royal Site of San Lorenzo de El Escorial in San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Spain.

The Pantheon of the Kings in the Royal Crypt of the Monastery of El Escorial; Credit – Wikipedia

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

Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. (2018). Élisabeth de Bourbon. [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89lisabeth_de_Bourbon [Accessed 27 Oct. 2018].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Elisabeth of France (1602–1644). [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elisabeth_of_France_(1602%E2%80%931644) [Accessed 27 Oct. 2018].
  • Fr.wikipedia.org. (2018). Élisabeth de France (1602-1644). [online] Available at: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89lisabeth_de_France_(1602-1644) [Accessed 27 Oct. 2018].

Amélie of Leuchtenberg, Empress of Brazil

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Amélie of Leuchtenberg, Empress of Brazil; Credit – Wikipedia

Amélie Auguste Eugénie Napoléonne was the third of the five daughters and the fourth of the seven children of Eugène de Beauharnais and Princess Augusta of Bavaria. Her paternal grandparents were Joséphine Tascher de la Pagerie, Empress Jospéhine, the first wife of Napoleon I, Emperor of the French, and Joséphine’s first husband Alexandre de Beauharnais, Vicomte de Beauharnais who was guillotined during the French Revolution. Amélie’s maternal grandparents were King Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria and his first wife Princess Augusta Wilhelmine of Hesse-Darmstadt. Amélie was born on July 31, 1812, in Milan in the Kingdom of Italy while her father was serving as Viceroy of Italy.

Amélie had six siblings:

After Napoleon lost power in 1814, Amélie’s family settled at the Palais Leuchtenberg in Munich, the capital of the Kingdom of Bavaria, where her maternal grandfather reigned. In 1817, King Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria created Amélie’s father Duke of Leuchtenberg and Prince of Eichstätt. Amélie’s parents downplayed their connection to the defeated Napoleon. They knew that the connection might hurt their children’s marriage prospects. Their plan worked. In 1823, their eldest child Joséphine married the future King Oscar I of Sweden and Norway, and in 1835 their son Auguste, who had become the 2nd Duke of Leuchtenberg when his father died in 1824, married Queen Maria II of Portugal. However, Auguste died two months after the marriage.

Emperor Pedro I of Brazil in 1830; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1826, Maria Leopoldina of Austria, wife of Emperor Pedro I of Brazil, died from puerperal fever (childbed fever) after the miscarriage of her eighth child. Pedro had flaunted his affair with his mistress. He was increasingly rude and disrespectful to Leopoldina, left her short of money, prohibited her from leaving the palace, and forced her to endure his mistress as her lady-in-waiting. After Leopoldina’s death, Pedro had remorse for how he had treated her, decided to become a better person, and remarry. However, eight European princesses refused his marriage proposals because of his bad reputation. Amélie’s mother knew that if she played her cards right, Amélie could be Empress of Brazil.

However, Leopoldina’s father Emperor Franz I of Austria tried to stop the search for a new bride for Pedro. Franz wanted to prevent possible sons from the second marriage of his former son-in-law from inheriting the Brazilian throne. After lengthy negotiations, the marriage contract was finally signed on May 30, 1829, in Canterbury, England, and Amélie’s guardian King Ludwig I of Bavaria ratified the marriage contract on July 25, 1829, in Munich.

A proxy wedding was held in the chapel of the Palais Leuchtenberg on August 2, 1829. The groom was represented by Amélie’s favorite uncle Prince Karl Theodor of Bavaria. Two days after the proxy wedding, Amélie left Bavaria to travel to her husband in South America. She was accompanied by her brother Auguste. During the journey, Amélie was prepared for life in Brazil by the scientist Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius, an expert on Brazil. von Martius taught Amélie interesting facts about Brazil, its customs, and traditions. Ana Romana de Aragão Calmon, Countess of Itapagipe familiarized Amélie with her husband’s personality and the customs of the Brazilian court and began to teach her Portuguese. 17-year-old Amélie arrived in Rio de Janeiro on October 15, 1829. Pedro and Amélie were married in person two days later at the Old Cathedral of Rio de Janeiro. They had a happy marriage and Amélie’s relationship with her stepchildren was very positive.

The Emperor’s Second Marriage, painted by Jean-Baptiste Debret; Credit – Wikipedia

Amélie and Pedro had one daughter:

Amélie and her daughter Maria Amélie in 1840; Credit – Wikipedia 

On April 7, 1831, after a political crisis that ended with the resignation of his ministers and in the middle of an economic crisis, Pedro abdicated the throne of Brazil in favor of his six-year-old son who reigned as Emperor Pedro II of Brazil. Pedro and his pregnant wife Amélie left for Europe. In Portugal, Pedro’s brother Miguel had been serving as Regent for Pedro’s daughter Queen Maria II. Maria had been sent to Vienna to continue her education. It was on this journey that Maria learned her uncle Miguel had deposed her and then declared himself King of Portugal on June 23, 1828. Emperor Pedro insisted that his daughter was the rightful Queen of Portugal and demanded that she be treated as such. Maria traveled to the United Kingdom, hoping to garner the support of the British government, but they instead supported Miguel. She met up with her father in France, where they stayed with King Louis Philippe I, where Maria received her education. For several years, forces loyal to Maria and her father would try to force Miguel from the throne. Finally, on May 26, 1834, Miguel was forced to abdicate, and Maria was returned to the Portuguese throne.

On September 24, 1834, at the age of 35, Pedro died from tuberculosis at his birthplace, the Royal Palace of Queluz in Lisbon, Portugal. Amélie was left a widow at the age of twenty-two with a three-year-old daughter. Amélie never remarried. She then retreated to the Palace of Janelas Verde in Lisbon, Portugal, and devoted herself exclusively to the care and education of her daughter Maria Amélie. In the mid-1840s, with the purpose of refining her education, Maria Amélie moved with her mother to Munich in the Kingdom of Bavaria, where many of her relatives lived. In 1850, Maria Amélie and her mother returned to Portugal and again lived in the Palace of Janelas Verdes.

Princess Maria Amélia, circa 1849; Credit – Wikipedia

Amélie made arrangements to betroth her twenty-year-old daughter to Archduke Maximilian of Austria, the brother of Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria. However, the official betrothal never took place. Maria Amélie was ill with tuberculosis, the same disease that had killed her father. In August 1852, Amélie and her daughter moved to the island of Madeira in Portugal because of the mild climate. Maria Amélie died on February 4, 1853, at the age of twenty-one. She was first buried in the Braganza Pantheon, located in the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon, Portugal. In 1982, Maria Amélie’s remains were transferred to Brazil and buried in the Convento de Santo Antônio (Convent of Saint Anthony) in Rio de Janeiro, where other Brazilian royals are also interred.

Maria Amélie’s last moments with her mother at the bedside; Credit – Wikipedia

Amélie visited her daughter’s tomb on every anniversary of her death until her death. She financed the construction of a hospital to treat patients with lung diseases in Funchal on the island of Madeira called the Hospício da Princesa Dona Maria Amélie which is still in existence. When Amélie died, the Hospício da Princesa Dona Maria Amélia was handed over to her sister Queen Joséphine of Sweden, and according to the terms of Amélie’s will, it is owned and administered by the Swedish Royal Family. King Carl XVI Gustaf, Queen Silvia, and Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden have visited the hospital.

Amélie in her later years; Credit – Wikipedia

After her daughter’s death, Amélie returned to the Palace of Janelas Verdes in Lisbon, Portugal. Toward the end of her life, she was confined to the palace because of heart disease. One of the few distractions in the last years of her life was the 1871 reunion with her stepson Emperor Pedro II of Brazil who was on a European tour with his wife Teresa Maria Cristina of Naples-Sicily.

On January 26, 1873, Amélie died at the age of 60 in Lisbon, Portugal. Under the terms of her will, her sister Queen Joséphine of Sweden was her primary heir. She received, among other things, the Braganza Tiara which is still in the possession of the Swedish royal family and is often worn by Queen Silvia, wife of King Carl XVI Gustaf. Amélie arranged for documents pertaining to her husband Emperor Pedro I of Brazil to be willed to Brazil, where they are kept in the archives of the Imperial Museum of Brazil.

Amélie was first buried in the Braganza Pantheon, located in the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon, Portugal. In 1982, her remains were transferred to Brazil and placed in the Brazilian Imperial Crypt and Chapel under the Monument of the Ipiranga (Monument to the Independence of Brazil) in São Paulo, Brazil next to her husband Emperor Pedro I and his first wife Maria Leopoldina of Austria.

Tombs of Pedro I and Amélia in the Imperial Chapel in São Paulo, Brazil: Credit – Wikipedia

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

Portugal Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. (2018). Amélie von Leuchtenberg. [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Am%C3%A9lie_von_Leuchtenberg [Accessed 20 Oct. 2018].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Amélie of Leuchtenberg. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Am%C3%A9lie_of_Leuchtenberg [Accessed 20 Oct. 2018].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Princess Maria Amélia of Brazil. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Maria_Am%C3%A9lia_of_Brazil [Accessed 20 Oct. 2018].
  • Flantzer, S. (2018). Pedro I, Emperor of Brazil/Pedro IV, King of Portugal. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/pedro-iv-king-of-portugal-pedro-i-emperor-of-brazil/ [Accessed 20 Oct. 2018].
  • Pt.wikipedia.org. (2018). Amélia de Leuchtenberg. [online] Available at: https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Am%C3%A9lia_de_Leuchtenberg [Accessed 20 Oct. 2018].

Pedro I, Emperor of Brazil/Pedro IV, King of Portugal

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Pedro I, Emperor of Brazil/Pedro IV, King of Portugal: Credit – Wikipedia

Pedro I, Emperor of Brazil/Pedro IV, King of Portugal was born on October 12, 1798, at the Royal Palace of Queluz in Lisbon, Portugal. Named in honor of St. Peter of Alcantara, his full name was Pedro de Alcantara Francisco António João Carlos Paula Xavier Miguel Rafael Joaquim José Gonzaga Pascoal Cipriano Serafim. Pedro was the fourth of the nine children and the second but the eldest surviving son of King João VI of Portugal and Infanta Carlota Joaquina of Spain. He became the heir apparent to the throne upon the death of his six-year-old elder brother Francisco António in 1801.

Pedro had eight siblings:

Pedro around age 11; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1807, when Pedro was nine years old, the Portuguese royal family moved to Brazil to escape the Napoleonic invasion and then remained in Brazil where Rio de Janeiro became the de facto capital of the Portuguese Empire. At that time, Brazil was ruled as a kingdom united with Portugal. Pedro was instructed in mathematics, political economy, logic, history, and geography. He was fluent in Portuguese, Latin, and French, could translate from English, and understood German. As an adult, Pedro would devote at least two hours each day to studying and reading.

Archduchess Maria Leopoldina of Austria; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1816, negotiations began for a marriage between 18-year-old Pedro, Crown Prince of Portugal and Prince of Brazil, and 19-year-old Archduchess Maria Leopoldina of Austria. Known as Leopoldina, she was fifth of the twelve children and the fourth of the eight daughters of Emperor Franz I of Austria and the second of his four wives, Maria Theresa of Naples and Sicily. Leopoldina and Pedro were married by proxy at the Augustinian Church in Vienna, Austria on May 13, 1817, with Leopoldina’s uncle, Archduke Karl, Duke of Teschen standing in for the groom. The bride left Vienna on June 3, 1817, and arrived in Livorno, Tuscany (now in Italy) on July 24, 1817, where she was to embark on a three-month voyage to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. On November 6, 1817, Leopoldina and Pedro were married in person in the chapel of the Paço de São Cristóvão (Saint Christopher’s Palace) in Rio de Janeiro where the couple lived after their marriage. Leopoldina had to adjust to Brazil’s heat and humidity, tropical rainfall, and the ever-present insects.

Pedro and Leopoldina had seven children:

Leopoldina with some of her children;  Credit – Wikipedia

In 1821, after a series of revolutions and army mutinies, Pedro’s father King João VI, under pressure from the Portuguese parliament, departed Brazil for Portugal, leaving behind Pedro as Regent. Pedro discussed all government affairs with his wife Leopoldina and usually followed her advice. In January 1822, Pedro initiated an autonomous government for Brazil, a decisive step in the history of Brazil, which was definitely due to the influence of Leopoldina. This was done because it was known that Portugal intended to recall Pedro and relegate Brazil to the status of a colony.

In August 1822, Pedro appointed Leopoldina Regent while he went on a political trip to the Province of São Paulo. While Pedro was away, Leopoldina received news that Portugal was about to take action, and without waiting for Pedro’s return, met with the Council of State on September 2, 1822, and signed the Decree of Independence, declaring Brazil independent from Portugal. Pedro I was declared Emperor of Brazil on October 12, 1822, his 24th birthday, and Leopoldina became Empress of Brazil. Pedro’s coronation was held on December 1, 1822, in what is today known as the Old Cathedral of Rio de Janeiro.

The coronation ceremony of Emperor Pedro I; Credit – Wikipedia

When Pedro’s father King João VI of Portugal died in March 1826, it caused a succession crisis. Pedro was his eldest living son and heir but he had declared Brazil’s independence and was ruling as Emperor Pedro I of Brazil. King João VI had appointed his daughter Isabel Maria to serve as regent until the “legitimate heir returned to the Kingdom” but he never specified who that should be. Pedro was ruling as Emperor of Brazil and King João VI’s younger son Miguel (the future King Miguel I of Portugal) had been exiled to Austria after leading several revolutions against his father and his liberal regime. While Pedro was the legitimate heir, the Brazilian people did not want the two thrones to be reunited. Pedro reigned as King of Portugal for only two months and then abdicated the Portuguese throne on May 2, 1826, in favor of his seven-year-old daughter Queen Maria II.

Domitila de Castro, Marchioness of Santos; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1822, Pedro began an affair with Brazilian noblewoman Domitila de Castro, Marchioness of Santos. He had mistresses during his marriage to Leopoldina but was always careful to conceal his affairs. This time, Pedro flaunted the affair. He was increasingly rude and disrespectful to Leopoldina, left her short of money, prohibited her from leaving the palace, and forced her to endure his mistress Domitila as her lady-in-waiting. In November 1826, while Leopoldina was pregnant with her eighth child (she had given birth to seven children in six years), Pedro arranged a farewell reception before he left for a military trip. He demanded that his wife and his mistress attend the reception along with government, diplomatic, and church officials. Leopoldina refused to attend, causing a bitter argument with Pedro which remained unresolved when he left on his trip. Shortly thereafter, 29-year-old Leopoldina died at the Palacio de São Cristovão on December 11, 1826, from puerperal fever (childbed fever) after a miscarriage.

After Leopoldina’s death, Pedro had remorse for how he had treated her and decided to become a better person. In 1828, Pedro insisted that his mistress Domitila de Castro, Marchioness of Santos leave Rio de Janeiro. However, after several European princesses refused his marriage proposals because of his bad reputation, Pedro allowed his mistress Domitila to return to court. It was not until after negotiations for a second marriage were successfully concluded that Domitila permanently left the court.

Amélie of Leuchtenberg; Credit – Wikipedia

Pedro’s second wife was 17-year-old Princess Amélie of Leuchtenberg, daughter of Eugène de Beauharnais Duke of Leuchtenberg, the only son of Napoleon’s first wife Empress Josephine and her first husband Alexandre, Vicomte de Beauharnais, and Princess Augusta of Bavaria, daughter of King Maximilian I of Bavaria. A proxy marriage was held in the chapel of the Palais Leuchtenberg in Munich, Bavaria on August 2, 1829. Amélie arrived in Rio de Janeiro on October 15, 1829. Two days later, Pedro and Amélie were married in person at the Old Cathedral of Rio de Janeiro. They had a happy marriage and Amélie’s relationship with her stepchildren was very positive.

The wedding of Pedro and Amélie, next to Pedro are his children from his first marriage: Pedro, Januária, Paula and Francisca; Credit – Wikipedia

Amélie and Pedro had one daughter:

Amélie and her daughter Maria Amélia in 1840; Credit – Wikipedia

On April 7, 1831, after a political crisis that ended with the resignation of his ministers and in the middle of an economic crisis, Pedro abdicated the throne of Brazil in favor of his six-year-old son who reigned as Emperor Pedro II of Brazil. Pedro and his pregnant wife Amélie left for Europe. In Portugal, Pedro’s brother Miguel served as Regent for Pedro’s daughter Queen Maria II. Maria had been sent to Vienna to continue her education. It was on this journey that Maria learned that her uncle Miguel had deposed her and declared himself King on June 23, 1828. At that time Emperor Pedro insisted that his daughter was the rightful Queen, and demanded that she be treated as such. She traveled to the United Kingdom, hoping to garner the British government’s support, but they instead supported Miguel. Maria met up with her father in France, where they stayed with King Louis Philippe I, and Maria received her education. For several years, forces loyal to Maria and her father would try to force Miguel from the throne. Finally, on May 26, 1834, Miguel was forced to abdicate, and Maria was returned to the Portuguese throne.

Pedro on his deathbed; Credit – Wikipedia

On September 24, 1834, at the age of 35, Pedro died from tuberculosis at his birthplace, the Royal Palace of Queluz in Lisbon, Portugal. He was first buried at the Pantheon of the House of Braganza at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon, Portugal. In 1972, Pedro’s remains were transferred to the Brazilian Imperial Crypt and Chapel under the Monument of the Ipiranga (Monument to the Independence of Brazil) in São Paulo, Brazil.

Pedro’s tomb in Braqzil; Credit – Wikipedia

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

Portugal Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Pedro I of Brazil. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedro_I_of_Brazil [Accessed 19 Oct. 2018].
  • Es.wikipedia.org. (2018). Pedro I de Brasil y IV de Portugal. [online] Available at: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedro_I_de_Brasil_y_IV_de_Portugal [Accessed 19 Oct. 2018].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Pedro I of Brazil. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedro_I_of_Brazil [Accessed 19 Oct. 2018].

Funeral of Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg

by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Photo – Grand-Ducal Court / Claude Piscitelli

The funeral of Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg took place on May 4, 2019, at the Cathedral Notre-Dame of Luxembourg in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg. A military vehicle transported Grand Duke Jean’s coffin from the Grand Ducal Palace to the cathedral. The coffin was carried into the cathedral while soldiers and Boy Scouts formed an honor guard.

Photo – Guy Wolff / Luxemburger Wort

A Pontifical Mass of Thanksgiving was celebrated by Jean-Claude Hollerich, Archbishop of Luxembourg. Princess Marie-Astrid, Grand Duke Jean’s eldest daughter, gave the first reading in French. A second reading was given by Prince Guillaume of Luxembourg, Grand Duke Jean’s youngest son, in Luxembourgish. Grand Duke Jean’s grandchildren Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume, Princess Marie-Gabrielle of Nassau, Princess Marie-Anunciata of Liechtenstein, Prince Paul-Louis of Nassau, and Archduchess Marie-Christine of Austria all participated in the reading of the universal prayer, speaking in French, Luxembourgish, or English. Jean-Claude Hollerich, Archbishop of Luxembourg used three languages delivering his sermon, praising Grand Duke Jean for his lifelong devotion, compassion, and love for his country, his family, and nature. The funeral ended with the playing of the Luxembourg national anthem “Ons Heemecht” (“Our Homeland”).

Five grandchildren of Grand Duke Jean delivered the universal prayer; Photo – Grand Ducal Court / Sophie Margue

During World War II, Grand Duke Jean joined the British Army as a volunteer in the Irish Guards. He completed his military education at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in England, was commissioned as a second lieutenant and later was promoted to lieutenant. Jean landed near Bayeux, Normandy on June 11, 1944, five days after D-Day. He took part in the Battle for Caen and the liberation of Brussels. On September 10, 1944, he took part in the liberation of Luxembourg before participating in the invasion of Germany. In a very moving part of the funeral, members of the Irish Guards played the bagpipes as Grand Duke Jean’s coffin left the cathedral which moved his son Grand Duke Henri to tears.

Irish Guards playing the bagpipes; Photo – https://today.rtl.lu

The Irish Guards continued playing as Grand Duke Jean’s coffin was slowly carried to the forecourt in front of the cathedral. The coffin was then taken to the Ducal Crypt beneath the cathedral where Grand Duke Jean was laid to rest in the presence of close family members.

Grand Duke Jean’s coffin resting in the Ducal Crypt. Memorial plaques for family members are on the wall; Photo – www.cathol.lu

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Members of Grand Duke Jean’s family walk behind his coffin in the procession from the Grand Ducal Palace to the Cathedral Notre-Dame

Members of Grand Duke Jean’s family who attended his funeral:

Many members of current monarchies and former monarchies attended the funeral including representatives from all the other nine reigning European monarchies.  There was a large contingent from Belgium. King Albert II of Belgium was the brother-in-law of Grand Duke Jean as Jean had married his sister Joséphine Charlotte of Belgium. Philippe, King of the Belgians and his siblings Princess Astrid and Prince Laurent are first cousins of Grand Duke Jean’s son Grand Duke Henri and his other children.

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Members of the Belgian Royal Family arriving for the funeral

Grand Duke Jean’s sisters married into the Hohenberg, Henckel von Donnersmarck, Ligne, and Holstein-Ledreborg noble families and many representatives from those families attended the funeral. Grand Duke Jean had 51 first cousins from among several royal families such as the Bourbon-Parma, Habsburg (Austrian), Bavarian, and Bulgarian royal families and members of those families also attended his funeral. Besides members of royal families and other dignitaries, members of the public attended the funeral. Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa expressed their wish that the public should be able to attend the funeral. The number of available places was limited and were allocated in the order of registration of the interested persons.

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Queen Sofia and King Juan Carlos of Spain
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The Princess Royal and The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester
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Princess Sarvath and Prince Hassan of Jordan, brother of the late King Hussein

Please note that the list below contains all the royal guests from reigning houses but it does not contain all the royal guests from non-reigning houses and other former monarchies.

REIGNING HOUSES

Belgium

Denmark

Jordan

Liechtenstein

Monaco

Morocco

Netherlands

Norway

Spain

Sweden

United Kingdom

NON-REIGNING HOUSES

Albania

Bulgaria

Greece

Portugal

Romania

Yugoslavia

OTHER FORMER MONARCHIES

Austria

Bavaria

Bourbon-Parma

Bourbon and Two Sicilies

France – Bourbon

France – Orléans

Prussia

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.

First Cousins of Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2019

Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg (1921 – 2019)

(All photos credits – Wikipedia unless otherwise noted)

Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg was born on January 5, 1921, at Berg Castle in Colmar-Berg, Luxembourg. He was the eldest of the six children of Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg and Prince Félix of Bourbon-Parma. His maternal grandparents were Grand Duke Guillaume IV of Luxembourg and Infanta Maria Ana of Portugal, daughter of the deposed King Miguel I of Portugal. His paternal grandparents were Robert I, Duke of Parma and his second wife, Infanta Maria Antonia of Portugal, also a daughter of the deposed King Miguel I of Portugal. Of the 24 children born from his paternal grandfather’s two marriages, Jean’s aunts and uncles include Empress Zita of Austria, Princess Marie Louise of Bulgaria, and Prince René of Bourbon-Parma, father of Queen Anne of Romania. Jean married Princess Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium and had three sons and two daughters. In 2000, Grand Duke Jean abdicated in favor of his son Henri. Grand Duke Jean died on April 23, 2019, at the age of 98.

Jean has 11 maternal first cousins, 24 paternal first cousins, and 16 paternal half-first cousins, for a total of 51 first cousins.  He shares his first cousins with his siblings Princess Elizabeth of Luxembourg, Duchess of Hohenberg; Princess Marie-Adélaide of Luxembourg, Countess Henckel von Donnersmarck; Princess Marie Gabrielle of Luxembourg, Countess of Holstein-Ledreborg; Prince Charles of Luxembourg, and Princess Alix of Luxembourg, Princess de Ligne. Because Grand Duke Jean has so many cousins, this article is in the form of a list of his cousins with links.

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Grand Duke Jean’s Maternal Aunts (no maternal uncles): Children of Grand Duke Guillaume IV of Luxembourg and Infanta Maria Ana of Portugal

Grand Duke Jean’s grandmother Maria Ana of Portugal, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg with her six daughters – Jean’s five aunts and his mother

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Grand Duke Jean’s Half Paternal Aunts and Uncles: Children of Robert I, Duke of Parma and his first wife Princess Maria Pia of Bourbon-Two Sicilies

Jean’s paternal grandparents, aunts, and uncles: the family of Robert I, Duke of Parma in 1906, From left to right, first row: Immaculata, Antonia, Isabella, Duke Robert, Henrietta, Luigi, Gaetano, Duchess Maria Antonia, Renato, Zita (sitting on the far right). From left to right, second row: Francesca, Pia, Luisa, Adelaide, Teresa, Joseph, Xavier, Henry, Sixtus, Felix

Grand Duke Jean’s Full Paternal Aunts and Uncles: Children of  Duke of Parma, Robert I, Duke of Parma and his second wife Infanta Maria Antonia of Portugal

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MATERNAL FIRST COUSINS

Maternal First Cousins: Children of Princess Antonia of Luxembourg and Crown Prince Rupprecht of Bavaria

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Maternal First Cousins: Children of Princess Elisabeth of Luxembourg and Prince Ludwig Philipp of Thurn and Taxis

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Maternal First Cousins: Children of Princess Sophie of Luxembourg and Prince Ernst Heinrich of Saxony

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PATERNAL FIRST COUSINS

Paternal First Cousins: Children of Prince Sixtus of Bourbon-Parma and Princess Hedwige de La Rochefoucauld

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Paternal First Cousins: Children of Prince Xavier of Bourbon-Parma, Duke of Parma and Countess Magdalene of Bourbon-Busset

Prince Carlos Hugo of Bourbon-Parma, Duke of Parma, one of Jean’s paternal cousins

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Paternal First Cousins: Children of Princess Zita of Bourbon-Parma and Karl I, Emperor of Austria

Jean’s paternal first cousins: children of Zita of Bourbon-Parma and Emperor Karl of Austria: left to right – Elisabeth, Charlotte, Rudolf, Karl Ludwig, Felix, Robert, Adelheid, Otto

  • Crown Prince Otto (1912 – 2011), married Regina of Saxe-Meiningen, had five daughters and two sons
  • Archduchess Adelheid (1914 – 1971), unmarried
  • Archduke Robert (1915 – 1996), married Margherita of Savoy-Aosta, had three sons and two daughters including Archduke Lorenz who married Princess Astrid of Belgium, only daughter of King Albert II of the Belgians
  • Archduke Felix (1916 – 2011), married Anna-Eugénie of Arenberg, had four daughters and three sons
  • Archduke Karl Ludwig (1918 – 2007), married, Yolanda of Ligne, had two sons and two daughters including Archduke Carl Christian who married Princess Marie Astrid of Luxembourg, daughter of Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg
  • Archduke Rudolf (1919 – 2010), married (1) Countess Xenia Tschernyschev-Besobrasoff, had three sons and one daughter; (2) Anna Gabriele of Wrede, had one daughter
  • Archduchess Charlotte (1921 – 1989), married George, Duke of Mecklenburg, no children
  • Archduchess Elisabeth (1922 – 1993), married Prince Heinrich Karl Vincenz of Liechtenstein, had four sons and one daughter

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Paternal First Cousins: Children of Prince René of Bourbon-Parma and Princess Margaret of Denmark

Anne of Bourbon-Parma, one of Jean’s paternal cousins; photo source: Romanian Royal Family Website

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Paternal First Cousins: Children of Prince Luigi of Bourbon-Parma and Princess Maria Francesca of Savoy

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Paternal First Cousins: Children of Prince Gaetano of Bourbon-Parma and Princess Margherita of Thurn and Taxis)

  • Princess Diane of Bourbon-Parma (born 1932) married (1) Prince Franz Joseph of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, no children, divorced; (2) Hans Joachim Oehmichen, had two sons and one daughter

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Paternal Half First Cousins: Children of Princess Marie Louise of Bourbon-Parma and Ferdinand I, Prince of Bulgaria (later Tsar)

Jean’s paternal half-cousins: Eudoxia, Kyril, Boris, and Nadejda of Bulgaria

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Paternal Half First Cousins: Children of Princess Beatrice of Bourbon-Parma and Count Pietro Lucchesi-Palli

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Paternal Half First Cousins: Children of Prince Elia of Bourbon-Parma, Duke of Parma and Archduchess Maria Anna of Austria

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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

  • Lundy, D. (2019). Main Page. [online] Thepeerage.com. Available at: http://www.thepeerage.com/. (for genealogy information)
  • Unofficial Royalty. (2019). Unofficial Royalty. [online] Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com. (for biographical and genealogy information)
  • Wikipedia. (2019). Main Page. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/.  (for biographical and genealogy information)

The Japanese Succession Crisis

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Emperor Naruhito of Japan; Credit – Wikipedia

On May 1, 2019, the day 59-year-old Emperor Naruhito of Japan succeeded to the Chrysanthemum Throne after the abdication of his 85-year-old father Emperor Akihito, there were three people in the line of succession: the new Emperor’s 53-year-old brother Crown Prince Akishino, his 12-year-old nephew Prince Hisahito, and his 83-year-old uncle Prince Hitachi. There is male-line, male-only succession in Japan and probably there will not be another person in the line of succession until Prince Hisahito, born in 2006, marries and has a son. This situation screams succession crisis.

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Imperial Sons

The succession to the throne of Japan depends upon Prince Hisahito; Credit – Imperial Household Agency

Since 1901, there have been only 12 males born into the Imperial Family. Four of those males had no children and an additional three of them had no sons.

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Imperial Daughters

If Japan allowed female succession, Princess Aiko, the only child of Emperor Naruhito could be the heir to the throne; Credit – Imperial Household Agency

On May 1, 2019, the day Emperor Naruhito succeeded to the throne, there were six living princesses and seven living former princesses who, upon their marriage, gave up their imperial title and left the Imperial Family as required by the 1947 Imperial House Law. Compare that to only three princes living on that same date: Crown Prince Akishino, Prince Hisahito, and Prince Hitachi.

Living Princesses of the Blood Imperial, all unmarried

Living former Princesses of the Blood Imperial who lost their Imperial status and title upon marriage

  • Sayako Kuroda, formerly Sayako, Princess Nori, born 1969, daughter of Emperor Akihito, no children
  • Atsuko Ikeda, formerly Atsuko, Princess Yori, born 1931, daughter of Emperor Shōwa (Hirohito), no children
  • Takako Shimazu, formerly Takako, Princess Suga, born 1939, daughter of Emperor Shōwa (Hirohito), had one son
  • Yasuko Konoe, formerly Princess Yasuko of Mikasa born 1944, daughter of Prince Mikasa, had one son
  • Masako Sen, formerly Princess Masako of Mikasa, born 1951, daughter of Prince Mikasa, had two sons and one daughter
  • Noriko Senge, formerly Princess Noriko of Takamado, born 1988, daughter of Prince Takamado, granddaughter of Prince Mikasa, no children yet
  • Ayako Moriya, formerly Princess Ayako of Takamado, born 1990, daughter of Prince Takamado, granddaughter of Prince Mikasa, has two sons
  • Mako Kaouro, formerly Princess Mako of Akishino, born 1991, daughter of Crown Prince Akishino, no children yet

Deceased Princess of the Blood Imperial with descendants who lost her Imperial status and title upon marriage

  • Shigeko Higashikuni, formerly Shigeko, Princess Teru (1925 – 1961), daughter of Emperor Shōwa (Hirohito), had four sons and one daughter

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Jimmu, the traditional 1st Emperor of Japan, reigned 660 BC – 585 BC; Credit – Wikipedia

How did the succession work in the past?
Before the modernization of Japan by the Meiji Restoration in 1868, the succession was more or less based upon agnatic seniority, which meant the order of succession to the throne preferred the monarch’s younger brother over the monarch’s own sons. In theory, any male or female in a male line from the early Japanese monarchs who descended in direct male line from the first emperor Jimmu could succeed to the throne. This resulted in brothers, sons, and other males of the immediate male-line family, other male-line relatives, and occasionally distant male cousins becoming Emperor. Adoption was possible and was often used to increase the number of heirs. However, the adopted child had to be a child of another member of the imperial house.

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Empress Go-Sakuramachi, the last reigning Empress of Japan; Credit – Wikipedia

Were there Empresses who reigned in Japan?
Before the Meiji Restoration, eight women reigned as Empress of Japan. Two of those empresses, after abdicating, became Empress again reigning under different names. All the empresses were male-line imperial daughters or granddaughters. Usually, an Empress reigned if a suitable male was not available or some branches of the Imperial Family were in dispute and a compromise was needed.

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Emperor Meiji; Credit – Wikipedia

How did the succession change during the reign of Emperor Meiji (reigned 1867 – 1912)?
In the Constitution of the Empire of Japan enacted in 1890 during the reign of Emperor Meiji, Article 2 stated: “The Imperial Throne shall be succeeded to by Imperial male descendants, according to the provisions of the Imperial House Law.” This meant there was no possibility of an Empress reigning.
Full Text of the Constitution of the Empire of Japan

Article 2 of the Constitution worked along with Chapter 1 of the 1889 Imperial Household Law (listed below) which stated succession was only by male descendants in the male line and that male descendants in the male line of the nearest collateral branch of the Imperial Family could succeed if the main-line had no males.

Chapter 1, Article IV below actually deals with sons of concubines of Emperors. If the Empress did not give birth to a son, the Emperor could take a concubine, and the son he had by that concubine would be recognized as heir to the throne. Both Emperor Meiji and Emperor Taishō were sons of concubines.  Emperor Meiji was the last Emperor to take concubines.

In addition, the 1889 Imperial Household Law in Chapter VII Article XLII, The Imperial Family stated: “No member of the Imperial Family can adopt anyone as his son.” This ended a long-standing tradition.

Text of the 1889 Imperial Household Law Chapter I – Succession to the Imperial Throne
Full text of the 1889 Imperial Household Law

  • Article I. The Imperial Throne of Japan shall be succeeded to by male descendants in the male line of Imperial Ancestors.
  • Article II. The Imperial Throne shall be succeeded to by the Imperial eldest son.
  • Article III. When there is no Imperial eldest son, the Imperial Throne shall be succeeded to by the Imperial eldest grandson. When there is neither Imperial eldest son nor any male descendant of his, it shall be succeeded to by the Imperial son next in age, and so on in every successive case.
  • Article IV. For succession to the Imperial Throne by an Imperial descendant, the one of full blood shall have precedence over descendants of half-blood. The succession to the Imperial Throne by the latter shall be limited to those cases only in which there is no Imperial descendent of full blood.
  • Article V. If there is no Imperial descendant, the Imperial Throne shall be succeeded to by an Imperial brother and by his descendants.
  • Article VI. If there is no such Imperial brother or descendant of his; the Imperial Throne shall be succeeded to by an Imperial uncle and his descendants.
  • Article VII. If there is neither such Imperial uncle nor descendant of his, the Imperial Throne shall be succeeded to by the next nearest member among the rest of the Imperial Family.
  • Article VIII. Among the Imperial brothers and the remote descendants, precedence shall be given, in the same degree, to the descendants of full blood, and to the elder over the younger.
  • Article IX. If the Imperial heir is suffering from an incurable disease of mind or body, or when any weighty cause exists, the order of succession may be changed in accordance with foregoing provisions, with the advice of the Imperial Family Council with that of the Privy Council.

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Emperor Shōwa (Hirohito), reigned 1926 – 1989; Credit – Wikipedia

How did the succession change after World War II?
The Constitution of Japan, written under the influence of the Allied Occupation of Japan led by American General Douglas MacArthur and enacted on May 3, 1947, was the new constitution for a post-war Japan. Article 2 of the new constitution stated: “The Imperial Throne shall be dynastic and succeeded to in accordance with the Imperial House Law passed by the Diet.” (The Diet is the legislature of Japan.)
Full text Constitution of Japan

The Imperial House Law of 1947 was passed by the Diet on January 16, 1947, and superseded the Imperial Household Law of 1889.
Full text Imperial House Law of 1947

The new Imperial House Law retained some laws from the 1889 Imperial Household Law: only males in the male line can succeed and members of the Imperial Family may not adopt children.  There was a specific line of succession:

The Imperial Throne shall be passed to the members of the Imperial Family according to the following order:

  1. The eldest son of the Emperor
  2. The eldest son of the Emperor’s eldest son
  3. Other descendants of the eldest son of the Emperor
  4. The second son of the Emperor and his descendants
  5. Other descendants of the Emperor
  6. Brothers of the Emperor and their descendants
  7. Uncles of the Emperor and their descendants

In case there is no member of the Imperial Family listed above, the throne shall be passed to the member of the Imperial family next nearest in lineage. Precedence shall be given to the senior line and to the senior member.

A major change was caused by an effort to control the size of the Imperial Family. Members of collateral branches, other than the main branch descending from Emperor Taishō, would no longer have any titles or status. The males from the collateral branches could no longer succeed if the main line had no males. This measure caused eleven collateral branches of the Imperial Family to be eliminated and 51 people reduced to being commoners. In hindsight, perhaps this change went too far because it appears the Japanese Imperial Family is being gradually reduced to a nuclear family. In practicality, with the current succession laws, the Imperial Family now has only one person who can provide any heirs, a boy born in 2006 who will not marry for years.

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Credit – https://www.amazonswatchmagazine.com

Besides being barred from the succession, what other issues affect Princesses of the Imperial Blood?
Under the 1889 Imperial Household Law, a female member of the Imperial Family, who married a commoner was excluded from membership in the Imperial Family. However, she could have been allowed, by special grace of the Emperor to retain her Imperial title.

Under the 1947 Imperial House Law, Imperial princesses similarly would lose their status as Imperial Family members and their Imperial title if they married outside the Imperial Family. However, there is no provision to retain the Imperial title with the Emperor’s permission as in the 1889 Imperial House Law. Losing imperial status, in particular, seems quite unfair. Before the 1947 Imperial House Law, princesses could marry princes from collateral branches and retain their position in the Imperial Family. With the elimination of collateral branches, princesses would have to marry their cousins to retain their status.

In addition, it seems ironic that a princess who cannot succeed to the throne, whose children will not be princes and princess, and whose children cannot succeed to the throne, loses her Imperial status if she marries a commoner when a prince who is in the line of succession, whose children will be princes and princesses and whose sons will be in the line of succession, can marry a commoner and retain his Imperial status.

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Embed from Getty Images
Prince and Princess Akishino leave the hospital after the birth of Prince Hisahito

What has happened to relieve the succession crisis?
In reality, not much.  On December 1, 2001, a daughter, Princess Aiko, was born to Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako (Emperor and Empress of Japan since May 1, 2019).  There had not been a male born in the Imperial Family since the birth of Emperor Naruhito’s brother Crown Prince Akishino in 1965.

In 2002, shortly after the birth of Princess Aiko, 90-year-old Princess Takamatsu, the widow of Emperor Shōwa’s brother Prince Takamatsu, argued that Japan should change its male-only succession law. Writing in the monthly magazine Fujin-Koron, Princess Takamatsu said: “Like the Elizabethan and Victorian eras in Britain, there were many examples in foreign countries where a nation thrived under the rule of a queen.”

In 2004, then-Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Prince Masako had been married for eleven years and still only had one child, a daughter. A ten-member advisory council was formed in late 2004 to advise the prime minister on revising the 1947 Imperial House Law dealing with the succession. On January 20, 2006, Prime Minister Junichirō Koizumi pledged to submit a bill to the Japanese Diet (legislature) allowing women to succeed to the throne so that the succession to the throne could be continued into the future in a stable manner. No timing or particular content of the bill was provided.

However, Prince Tomohito, the cousin of Emperor Akihito, had another view. Prince Tomohito suggested that to preserve male succession, distant cousins of the emperor should be brought back into the line of succession either by adoption or by the creation of new royal houses. More controversially, Prince Tomohito suggested that male members of the Imperial Family could once again take concubines to ensure a supply of sons.

On September 6, 2006, Prince and Princess Akishino, Emperor Akihito’s second son and his wife, had a son, Prince Hisahito. Princess Akishino was 40 years old at the time of Prince Hisahito’s birth and had two daughters, ages 15 and 12, so it would seem her childbearing days were over. Was the birth of Prince Hisahito merely a fortuitous occurrence or a very well-planned pregnancy with procedures done to ensure a male heir would be born? On January 3, 2007, Prime Minister Shinzō Abe announced that he would drop the proposal to allow women to succeed to the throne.

According to the article linked below from The Mainichi on April 25, 2019, “Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said in an interview with the Mainichi Shimbun here on April 24 that the government will consider measures to secure the stability of Imperial succession after November, following a series of rituals related to the enthronement of the new emperor.” However, in November 2020, it was recommended that the discussion regarding the succession be shelved until Prince Hisahito becomes an adult and has children.

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Embed from Getty Images
The Imperial Family of Japan at Emperor Akihito’s last New Year’s appearance on January 2, 2019

What could happen to relieve the succession crisis?
Japan has high levels of gender inequality. This is apparent in various aspects of social life from the family to employment to political representation. It is not surprising that gender inequality is also manifested in the Imperial Family.  Japan, as a nation, has much work to do in the area of gender equality.

Japan is not the only monarchy with agnatic primogeniture, male-line, male-only succession. The Arab monarchies, which also have high levels of gender inequality, all follow some form of male-only succession. Liechtenstein also has male-line, male-only succession. A United Nations committee has questioned the compatibility of Liechtenstein’s succession law with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

All other European monarchies except for Monaco and Spain have absolute cognatic primogeniture in which the succession passes to the eldest child of the sovereign regardless of gender. (Note: In the United Kingdom, this applies only to those born after October 28, 2011. Those born before that date follow male-preference cognatic primogeniture.) Monaco and Spain have male-preference cognatic primogeniture in which a female can succeed if she has no living brothers and no deceased brothers who left surviving legitimate descendants.

At the very least, Japan could change its succession law to allow male-preference cognatic primogeniture. They could also do away with the law that stipulates Imperial princesses lose their status as Imperial Family members and their Imperial titles if they marry outside the Imperial Family. These measures would certainly relieve the succession crisis and bring Japan in line with the other highly developed monarchies.

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

  • Curtin, S. (2006). Japan’s Imperial Succession Debate and Women s Rights | The Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus. [online] Apjjf.org. Available at: https://apjjf.org/-J.-Sean-Curtin/1651/article.html [Accessed 3 Feb. 2019].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2019). Gender inequality in Japan. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gender_inequality_in_Japan [Accessed 3 Feb. 2019].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2019). Japanese absolute primogeniture debate. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_absolute_primogeniture_debate [Accessed 3 Feb. 2019].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2019). Line of succession to the Japanese throne. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Line_of_succession_to_the_Japanese_throne [Accessed 3 Feb. 2019].
  • En.wikisource.org. (2019). Constitution of Japan – Wikisource, the free online library. [online] Available at: https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Constitution_of_Japan [Accessed 3 Feb. 2019].
  • En.wikisource.org. (2019). Imperial House Law – Wikisource, the free online library. [online] Available at: https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Imperial_House_Law [Accessed 3 Feb. 2019].
  • En.wikisource.org. (2019). Imperial Household Law (1889) – Wikisource, the free online library. [online] Available at: https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Imperial_Household_Law_(1889) [Accessed 3 Feb. 2019].
  • Joyce, C. (2005). Forget empress, let’s have concubines, says prince. [online] Telegraph.co.uk. Available at: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/japan/1502249/Forget-empress-lets-have-concubines-says-prince.html [Accessed 3 Feb. 2019].
  • Ndl.go.jp. The Constitution of the Empire of Japan | Birth of the Constitution of Japan. [online] Available at: http://www.ndl.go.jp/constitution/e/etc/c02.html [Accessed 3 Feb. 2019].
  • News.bbc.co.uk. (2002). BBC News | ASIA-PACIFIC | Princess backs Japan succession change. [online] Available at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/1746886.stm [Accessed 3 Feb. 2019].

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Ceremonies: Abdication of Emperor Akihito and Accession and Enthronement of Emperor Naruhito

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Emperor Naruhito is the 126th Emperor of Japan; Credit – Wikipedia

Japan is the world’s oldest continuous hereditary monarchy. According to legend, Emperor Jimmu, the first Emperor of Japan, reigned 660–585 BC. Emperor Naruhito is the 126th Emperor of Japan.

This is the first time an Emperor of Japan has abdicated since Japan adopted a constitutional monarchy in 1947. The last abdication occurred 200 years ago when Emperor Kōkaku abdicated in 1817. The era of Emperor Akihito’s reign is called Heisei and he will be renamed Emperor Heisei after his death. When Emperor Akihito abdicated, he received the title of Jōkō, an abbreviation of Daijō Tennō (Retired Emperor) and a new era was established for Emperor Naruhito.  On April 1, 2019, it was announced that Naruhito will reign over the Reiwa era. The term for the new era is made up of the two characters Rei and Wa. Rei means “commands” or “order” and also “auspicious” or “good”. Wa means “harmony” and is also used in the Japanese word for “peace” – hei-wa.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga announces the new Imperial era “Reiwa”; Credit – By 内閣官房内閣広報室 – 首相官邸ホームページ, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=77709469

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Schedule of Events

  • April 30, 2019: Emperor Akihito abdicates, Abdication Ceremony
  • May 1, 2019: Crown Prince Naruhito ascends the Chrysanthemum Throne, a new era begins, Presentation of the Three Sacred Treasures
  • October 22, 2019: Enthronement Ceremony (Sokui-Rei)
  • November 14-15, 2019: Great Thanksgiving Festival (Daijo-sai)

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April 30, 2019: Emperor Akihito abdicates, Abdication Ceremony

The Imperial Palace’s Seiden-Matsu-no-Ma where the Abdication Ceremony will take place; Credit – http://www.kunaicho.go.jp

The Abdication Ceremony was held in the Seiden-Matsu-no-Ma, a room reserved for extremely important events. Prime Minister Shinzō Abe gave a speech outlining the reason for the abdication and expressing his gratitude to Emperor Akihito. This was followed by Emperor Akihito’s final speech from the throne.

Embed from Getty Images 
Emperor Akihito reading his final speech

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May 1, 2019: Crown Prince Naruhito ascends the Chrysanthemum Throne, a new era begins, Presentation of the Three Sacred Treasures

As only the Emperor and certain priests are allowed to see the Three Sacred Treasures, this image shows what they may look like; Credit – Wikipedia

This ceremony usually takes place immediately after the death of the preceding Emperor when a priest presents boxes containing two of the Three Sacred Treasures to the new Emperor. Unlike other monarchies, Japan has no crown, and the Three Sacred Treasures are considered the regalia of the Empire of Japan.  By tradition, the Three Sacred Treasures are seen only by the Emperor and certain priests. The Emperor also received the Privy Seal of Japan and the Great Seal of Japan.

The Three Sacred Treasures are:

  • The Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi (Grasscutter Sword), a sword representing valor, usually enshrined at the Atsuta Shrine in Nagoya, Japan
  • The Yasakani-no-Magatama, a jewel in the shape of a comma representing benevolence, usually enshrined at the Three Palace Sanctuaries on the grounds of the Imperial Palace in Tokyo
  • The Yata-no-Kagami, a mirror representing wisdom. This is the most important of the treasures. It is permanently enshrined in the Ise Grand Shrine, located in Ise, Japan, as the go-shintai or the embodiment of the Sun Goddess Amaterasu and is not presented during the ceremony.
Embed from Getty Images
Emperor Naruhito receiving the boxes containing the Sacred Treasures

Imperial messengers and priests were sent to the Ise Grand Shrine and the tomb-shrines of the four Emperors whose reigns immediately preceded the new Emperor to inform them of his accession to the Chrysanthemum Throne.

Embed from Getty Images
Emperor Naruhito giving his first address

Later, Emperor Naruhito gave his first address before the Prime Minister, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the President of the House of Councilors, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and other government officials. The new emperor pledged to protect the constitution and perform his duties as stated in the constitution. He also wished for Japan’s prosperity, world peace, and the welfare of all people.

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October 22, 2019: Enthronement Ceremony (Sokui-Rei)

Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako; Credit – Imperial Household Agency

The Enthronement Ceremony was similar to Emperor Akihito’s Enthronement Ceremony in 1990 which was televised. Heads of state from seventy countries and royalty from twenty countries attended the 1990 Enthronement Ceremony. Emperor Naruhito’s Enthronement Ceremony was attended by about 2,000 official guests, including foreign heads of state, royalty, and other dignitaries from 183 countries.

Emperor Naruhito stands in the enclosure while Prime Minister Shinzō Abe reads his speech; Credit – Wikipedia

Earlier in the morning in a separate ceremony, Emperor Naruhito informed his ancestors that he had ascended the Chrysanthemum Throne.  Next, came the actual enthronement in the Tokyo Imperial Palace’s Seiden-Matsu-no-Ma (Room of Pine). In the room were two enclosures called the Takamikura, containing a simple chair. With the curtains to the enclosure closed, Emperor Naruhito entered from the rear and was seated on the chair. Two of the Three Sacred Treasures (the sword and the jewel) and the Privy Seal of Japan and the Great Seal of Japan were placed on stands next to him. A simple wooden scepter was then presented to the Emperor. At the same time, Empress Masako moved to a separate enclosure beside her husband’s which also contained a simple chair.

Emperor Naruhito; Credit – By 首相官邸 – http://www.kantei.go.jp/jp/98_abe/actions/201910/22sokuirei.html, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=83287923

At the sound of a gong, two chamberlains and two ladies-in-waiting, opened the curtains of the enclosures, revealing the Emperor and the Empress. Emperor Naruhito faced Prime Minister Shinzō Abe who represented the people of Japan. The Emperor announced his accession to the throne and called upon the Japanese people to assist him in attaining his aspirations.

The Emperor’s address:

Having previously succeeded to the Imperial Throne in accordance with the Constitution of Japan and the Special Measures Law on the Imperial House Law, I now perform the Ceremony of Enthronement at the Seiden State Hall and proclaim my enthronement to those at home and abroad.

I deeply reflect anew that for more than 30 years on the Throne, His Majesty the Emperor Emeritus constantly prayed for the happiness of the people and world peace, always sharing in the joys and sorrows of the people, and showing compassion through his own bearing. I pledge hereby that I shall act according to the Constitution and fulfill my responsibility as the symbol of the State and of the unity of the people of Japan, while always wishing for the happiness of the people and the peace of the world, turning my thoughts to the people and standing by them.

I sincerely hope that our country, through our people’s wisdom and unceasing efforts, achieves further development and contributes to the friendship and peace of the international community and the welfare and prosperity of humankind.

Next, Prime Minister Shinzō Abe gave a congratulatory address promising fidelity and devotion. This was followed by three cheers of “Banzai!” (“ten thousand years”) from all present.

Prime Minister Shinzō Abe (in the middle on the right) leads the “Banzai” cheer; Credit – nytimes.com/2019/10/21/world/asia/japan-emperor-naruhito-royal-family.html – Credit…Pool photo by Kazuhiro Nogi

The only people in the room were members of the Imperial Family, court chamberlains, ladies-in-waiting, Prime Minister Shinzō Abe, the leaders of the two houses of the Japanese parliament, and the chief justice of the Japanese Supreme Court. All other guests were seated in other rooms watching on video monitors.

The members of the Japanese Imperial Family wore traditional ceremonial dress except for Emperor Naruhito’s 83-year-old uncle who was seated in a wheelchair.  Crown Prince Akishino, his wife, and his two daughters stood on one side of the enclosures and the other members of the Imperial Family stood on the other side. The Prime Minister and the other government representatives stood behind Crown Prince Akishino and his family.

The Emperor Emeritus Akihito and the Empress Emerita Michiko only attended a tea party held on October 23, 2019. 96-year-old Princess Mikasa (Yuriko), who was married to the late Prince Mikasa, the great-uncle of Emperor Naruhito, did not attend any events because of old age. Princess Aiko, daughter of Emperor Naruhito, and Prince Hisahito, son of Crown Prince Akishino, also did not attend any events as they were not yet adults.

Members of the Japanese Imperial Family

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  • Crown Prince Akishino, brother of Emperor Naruhito
  • Crown Princess Akishino (Kiko), sister-in-law of Emperor Naruhito
  • Princess Mako of Akishino, niece of Emperor Naruhito, daughter of Crown Prince Akishino
  • Princess Kako of Akishino, niece of Emperor Naruhito, daughter of Crown Prince Akishino
  • Prince Hitachi, uncle of Emperor Naruhito
  • Princess Hitachi (Hanako), aunt of Emperor Naruhito
  • Princess Tomohito (Nobuko), widow of Prince Tomohito who was a first cousin once removed of Emperor Naruhito
  • Princess Akiko of Mikasa, second cousin of Emperor Naruhito, daughter of the late Prince Tomohito
  • Princess Yoko of Mikasa, second cousin of Emperor Naruhito, daughter of the late Prince Tomohito
  • Princess Takamado (Hisako), widow of Prince Takamado who was a first cousin once removed of Emperor Naruhito
  • Princess Tsuguko of Takamado, second cousin of Emperor Naruhito, daughter of the late Prince Takamado

Other Family Members

  • Yoshiki Kuroda, husband of Sayako Kuroda
  • Sayako Kuroda, former Princess of Japan, sister of Emperor Naruhito, daughter of Emperor Emeritus Akihito
  • Noriko Senge, former Princess of Japan, second cousin of Emperor Naruhito, daughter of the late Prince Takamado
  • Kei Moriya, husband of Ayako Moriya
  • Ayako Moriya, former Princess of Japan, second cousin of Emperor Naruhito, daughter of the late Prince Takamado
  • Hisanaga Shimazu, husband of Takako Shimazu
  • Takako Shimazu, former Princess of Japan, aunt of Emperor Naruhito, daughter of the late Emperor Shōwa
  • Tadateru Konoe, husband of Yasuko Konoe
  • Yasuko Konoe, former Princess of Mikasa, first cousin once removed of Emperor Naruhito, daughter of the late Prince Mikasa
  • Sen Soshitsu XVI, husband of Masako Sen
  • Masako Sen, former Princess of Mikasa, first cousin once removed of Emperor Naruhito, daughter of the late Prince Mikasa
  • Hisashi Owada, father of Empress Masako
  • Yumiko Owada, mother of Empress Masako

Foreign Royal Guests

The Prince of Wales, Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark, and Crown Prince Haakon of Norway; Credit – https://www3.nhk.or.jp/

  • Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa of Bahrain
  • King Philippe of the Belgians
  • Queen Mathilde of the Belgians
  • King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck of Bhutan
  • Queen Jetsun Pema of Bhutan
  • Hassanal Bolkiah, Sultan and Yang di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam
  • Prince ‘Abdul Mateen of Brunei Darussalam
  • King Norodom Sihamoni of Cambodia
  • Princess Norodom Arunrasmy of Cambodia
  • Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark
  • Crown Princess Mary of Denmark
  • King Mswati III of Eswatini
  • Queen LaMashwama of Eswatini
  • Crown Prince Hussein of Jordan
  • Sheikh Nasser Muhammad Al Ahmad Al Sabah of Kuwait
  • King Letsie III of Lesotho
  • Queen Masenate of Lesotho
  • Hereditary Prince Alois of Liechtenstein
  • Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg
  • Sultan Abdullah of Pahang, Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia
  • Tunku Hajah Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah, Raja Permaisuri Agong of Malaysia
  • Prince Albert II of Monaco
  • Prince Moulay Rachid of Morocco
  • King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands
  • Queen Máxima of the Netherlands
  • Crown Prince Haakon of Norway
  • Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Emir of Qatar
  • Tuimaleali’ifano Sualauvi II of Samoa
  • Prince Turki Bin Mohammed Bin Fahd Al Saud of Saudi Arabia
  • King Felipe VI of Spain
  • Queen Letizia of Spain
  • King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden
  • Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden
  • King Tupou VI of Tonga
  • Queen Nanasipauʻu of Tonga
  • The Prince of Wales

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November 14-15, 2019: Great Thanksgiving Festival (Daijo-sai)

This is the most controversial of the accession ceremonies because it is the one in which the Emperor is united to his traditional ancestor the sun goddess Amaterasu to share in her divinity. There is no mention of this ceremony in the Constitution imposed by the American occupation forces after World War II. Its legality was questioned after the accession of Emperor Akihito.

Miniatures of the two huts; Credit – http://www2.kokugakuin.ac.jp

The ceremony requires two thatched-roof huts, each with two rooms, be built within a special enclosure. One room contains a large couch at the center and the second room is used by musicians. These two structures represent the houses of the previous Emperor and the new Emperor.

Emperor Akihito dressed for the Great Thanksgiving Festival in 1990

After a ritual bath, the Emperor was dressed entirely in the white silk dress of a Shinto priest but with a special long train. Surrounded by courtiers, the Emperor solemnly entered the enclosure and then each of the huts in turn and performed the same ritual twice, from 6:30 to 9:30 PM in the first hut and from 12:30 to 3:30 AM in the second hut. A mat was unrolled before the Emperor and then rolled up again as he walked so that his feet never touched the ground. A special umbrella was held over the Emperor’s head that prevented any defilement of his sacred person coming from the air above him.

During the ritual, the Emperor knelt on a mat facing towards the direction of the Ise Grand Shrine dedicated to the sun goddess Amaterasu and made an offering of sacred rice, sake, millet, fish, and a variety of other foods from both the land and the sea to the sun goddess Amaterasu. Then he ate some of the sacred rice, as an act of divine communion which consummates his unity with Amaterasu, making him the intermediary between Amaterasu and the Japanese people.

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Works Cited

  • En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Enthronement of the Japanese Emperor. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enthronement_of_the_Japanese_Emperor [Accessed 27 Oct. 2018].
  • Nettyroyalblog.nl. (2019). The guest list for the enthronement of Emperor Naruhito. [online] Available at: https://www.nettyroyalblog.nl/various-events/the-guestlist-for-the-inthronisation-of-emperor-naruhito/ [Accessed 2 Nov. 2019].
  • Nikkei Asian Review. (2018). Japanese emperor’s abdication: 6 things to know. [online] Available at: https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/Japanese-emperor-s-abdication-6-things-to-know [Accessed 27 Oct. 2018].
  • Rice, Motoko. (2019). Naruhito’s Enthronement: Didn’t Japan Do This Already?. New York Times.
  • Weisman, S. (1990). AKIHITO PERFORMS HIS SOLITARY RITE. [online] Nytimes.com. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/1990/11/23/world/akihito-performs-his-solitary-rite.html [Accessed 27 Oct. 2018].

Live stream of Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg’s funeral will be available online

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The Duchess of Cambridge created Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order

source: Daily Mail/Getty Images

HRH The Duchess of Cambridge has been appointed a Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, it was announced today from Buckingham Palace.

The Royal Victorian Order was established by Queen Victoria in 1896, to recognize people for distinguished service to the Sovereign.  It is one of just a few of the British Honours that are solely granted at the pleasure of the Sovereign.  In addition to British and Commonwealth citizens, it is often given to foreign royals and heads of state.

Aside from the Queen’s family order, this is the first British Honour that the Duchess has received.

Other Dames Grand Cross within the Royal Family:

  • The Princess Royal (also Grand Master of the Order since 2007)
  • The Duchess of Cornwall
  • The Countess of Wessex
  • The Duchess of Gloucester
  • The Duchess of Kent
  • Princess Alexandra, The Hon. Lady Ogilvy

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Knights Grand Cross within the Royal Family:

  • The Duke of Edinburgh
  • The Duke of York
  • The Earl of Wessex
  • The Duke of Gloucester
  • The Duke of Kent
  • Prince Michael of Kent

In addition, The Duke of Sussex holds a lower rank of the order, Knight Commander.

Official statement from Buckingham Palace

Read more about the Royal Victorian Order here.