Duke of Lancaster

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2018

Arms of the Duchy of Lancaster; Credit – By Jr JL – This file was derived from: Duchy of Lancaster-coa.png: CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=39911069

The Duchy of Lancaster is one of the two royal duchies in England and is held in trust for the Sovereign to provide income for the use of the British monarch. The other royal duchy is the Duchy of Cornwall which provides a similar purpose for the eldest son of the reigning British monarch. The monarch, regardless of gender, has the style of Duke of Lancaster. The duchy comprises 46,000 acres and includes urban developments, historic buildings, farmland in many parts of England and Wales, and large holdings in Lancashire. The Sovereign is not entitled to the capital of the Duchy’s portfolio or to capital profits. Revenue profits are distributed to the Sovereign and are subject to income tax.

John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, circa 1593, probably modeled after John of Gaunt’s tomb effigy; Credit – Wikipedia

The Duchy of Lancaster came into the British royal family via the marriage of one of King Edward III’s sons, John of Gaunt. John of Gaunt was the fourth son but the third surviving son of King Edward III of England and Philippa of Hainault. It is through John’s first marriage that the Duchy of Lancaster eventually became a possession of the British Crown. John is also quite important in royal genealogy. His daughter Catherine of Lancaster married King Enrique III of Castile, which made John the grandfather of King Juan II of Castile and the ancestor of all subsequent monarchs of Castile and a united Spain. His daughter Philippa of Lancaster married King João I of Portugal making all future Portuguese monarchs descendants of John. Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and her predecessors since King Henry IV are descended from John of Gaunt. In fact, most European monarchies are descended from John. The Houses of Lancaster, York, and Tudor were all descended from three of John of Gaunt’s children:

  • King Henry IV (Lancaster: father of King Henry V, grandfather of King Henry VI)
  • Joan Beaufort (York: grandmother of King Edward IV and King Richard III)
  • John Beaufort (Tudor: great-grandfather of King Henry VII)

Following his father’s plan for his sons to marry wealthy heiresses, John of Gaunt married Blanche of Lancaster on May 19, 1359, in the Queen’s Chapel at Reading Abbey. The bride was fourteen-years-old and the groom was nineteen-year-old. Blanche’s father was Henry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of Lancaster, a great-grandson of King Henry III. Blanche had only one sibling, an elder sister Maud. Blanche and John were third cousins, both being great-great-grandchildren of King Henry III. This was an excellent match for both Blanche and John. Blanche was marrying into the royal family and John’s wealth was greatly increased by marrying one of the richest heiresses in England.

The marriage of John of Gaunt and Blanche of Lancaster in Reading Abbey on 19 May 1359 by Horace Wright (1914); Credit – Wikipedia

Description of above painting from the Reading Museum where the painting is on display: In this painting John of Gaunt and his bride walk from beneath a gilded canopy towards the officiating Bishop of Salisbury. Four lords support the wedding canopy. The one nearest to Blanche is her father, Henry Duke of Lancaster. Close by is the poet Chaucer, clothed in black and bearing a scroll. On the throne is John’s father, King Edward III, beneath a crimson canopy decorated with the lions of England. Beside the King are two of the royal princes, Edward the Black Prince and Prince Lionel.

Blanche’s father died in 1361 and her sister died in 1362, making Blanche the sole heiress. At this time, it was common for extinct titles of heiresses’ fathers to pass to their husbands. John of Gaunt was created Duke of Lancaster on November 13, 1362. By that time, his wealth was immense. He owned thirty castles and estates in England and France. His household was comparable in size and organization to that of a monarch and his annual income was between £8,000 and £10,000 a year which would be several million pounds in today’s terms. This was the beginning of today’s Duchy of Lancaster which descended to John of Gaunt’s eldest son King Henry IV and has remained in the British Crown ever since.

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.

Sir Robert Peel, 2nd Baronet, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2018

by Henry William Pickersgill; Credit – Wikipedia

Born on February 5, 1788, in Bury, Lancashire, England, Sir Robert Peel, 2nd Baronet served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, once during the reign of King William IV (1834–35) and once during the reign of Queen Victoria (1841–46). He was the eldest son and the third of the eleven children of Sir Robert Peel, 1st Baronet, one of the early textile manufacturers of the Industrial Revolution and a Member of Parliament, and his first wife Ellen Yates.  Sir Robert Peel, 1st Baronet had high hopes for his children.  Peel accepted that he would not mingle with high society but intended to prepare his children to be able to do so.

Sir Robert Peel, 2nd Baronet had ten siblings:

  • Mary Peel (1784 – 1848), married George Robert Dawson, had five sons
  • Elizabeth Peel (1786 – 1828), married Sir William Cockburn of Langton, 11th Baronet, had three sons
  • William Yates Peel, Member of Parliament and politician (1789 – 1858), Lady Jane Elizabeth Moore, daughter of Stephen Moore, 2nd Earl Mount Cashell, had 16 children
  • Edmund Peel, Member of Parliament and politician (1791 – 1850), married Emily Swinfen, had three sons
  • Eleanor Peel (1794 – ?)
  • Anne Peel (1796 – ?), married Charles Wickstead Ethelston
  • Very Rev. John Peel  (1798 – 1875), married Augusta Swinfen
  • General Jonathan Peel, soldier, Member of Parliament and politician (1799 – 1879), married Lady Alice Kennedy, daughter of Archibald Kennedy, 1st Marquess of Ailsa, had eight children
  • Laurence Peel, Member of Parliament and politician (1801 – 1888), married Lady Jane Lennox, daughter of Charles Lennox, 4th Duke of Richmond
  • Harriet Eleonora Peel (1803 – 1869), married Robert Henry Henley, 2nd Baron Henley of Chardstock, had two sons

Peel was educated at Bury Grammar School, Hipperholme Grammar School, and Harrow School.  He attended Christ Church, Oxford where he studied classics and mathematics. After Oxford, Peek studied law at Lincoln’s Inn.

The Duke of Wellington, Prime Minister 1828–1830, with Peel; Credit – Wikipedia

Peel was first elected to Parliament in 1809 at the age of 21. His mentor in Parliament was Sir Arthur Wellesley, the future 1st Duke of Wellington and victor at the Battle of Waterloo where Napoleon was defeated. Peel named one of his sons after the Duke of Wellington as did Queen Victoria. Quickly rising in power, Peel served as Chief Secretary for Ireland (1812 – 1818), Home Secretary (1822 – 1827 and 1828 – 1830), Chancellor of the Exchequer (1834 – 1835), Leader of the Opposition when Lord Melbourne was Prime Minister (1835 – 1841) and Prime Minister (1834 – 1835 and 1841 – 1846).

Julia, Lady Peel by Thomas Lawrence, 1807; Credit – Wikipedia

Peel married Julia Floyd, daughter of General Sir John Floyd, 1st Baronet on June 8, 1820. The couple had seven children:

In 1829, when he was Home Secretary, Peel established the Metropolitan Police Force in London based at Scotland Yard. The constables were nicknamed “bobbies” or “peelers” after Robert Peel. Peel is known as the father of modern policing and devised the Peelian Principles which defined the ethical requirements police officers must follow. The Peelian Principles have been used not only in the United Kingdom but in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United States, and other countries.

In 1839, Lord Melbourne (Whig Party) announced his intention to resign as Prime Minister after a government bill passed by a very narrow margin of only five votes in the House of Commons. This led to the Bedchamber Crisis. The Conservative Peel, as Leader of the Opposition, was the prospective Prime Minister. He requested that Queen Victoria dismiss some of the wives and daughters of Whig Members of Parliament who made up her personal household, arguing that the monarch should avoid any hint of political favoritism to a party out of power. Queen Victoria refused to do so, saying her ladies were her friends. Peel refused to form a new government and Lord Melbourne was persuaded to stay on as Prime Minister. Eventually, Lord Melbourne’s support in Parliament declined and by 1840 it grew difficult to hold the Cabinet together. He resigned in August 1841 after a series of parliamentary defeats and Peel became Prime Minister for the second time.

Edward Drummond  (1792 – 1843) a British civil servant, was personal secretary to several British Prime Ministers including Sir Robert Peel. On January 20, 1843, Drummond was walking along Whitehall on his way back to Downing Street after visiting his brother at the Drummonds Bank in Charing Cross when Daniel McNaughton, a Scottish woodturner, approached him from behind and shot him at point-blank range in the back. McNaughton was under the impression that he had shot Prime Minister Robert Peel. Drummond, age 51, died five days later.

The House of Commons by Sir George Hayter oil on canvas, 1833-1843 NPG 54 © National Portrait Gallery, London

The most outstanding achievement of Peel’s second term as Prime Minister would eventually cause his downfall. The Great Irish Potato Famine had caused a disastrous fall in food supplies and so Peel decided to join with Whigs and Radicals to repeal the Corn Laws which imposed tariffs and other trade restrictions on imported food and grain. Peel’s Conservative Party failed to support the bill but it passed with Whig and Radical support and the Duke of Wellington persuaded the House of Lords to pass it. Following the repeal of the Corn Law, Peel resigned as Prime Minister on June 29, 1846.

Like Lord Melbourne, Peel also had been a mentor to Queen Victoria but as his term progressed, Victoria with the help of her husband Prince Albert became more self-sufficient.  Queen Victoria was still recovering from the difficult birth of her fifth child Princess Helena when she learned that Peel had resigned.  Her response was much calmer than her response when Lord Melbourne had resigned five years earlier.   Victoria wrote in her journal: “Really when one is so happy & blessed in one’s home life, as I am, Politics (provided that my country is safe) must take only a second place.”

After his resignation as Prime Minister, Peel remained an influential Member of Parliament and was the leader of the Peelites, a breakaway faction of the Conservative Party that eventually joined with the Whigs and Radicals to form the Liberal Party.

On June 29, 1850, Peel went out for his usual evening ride on a new horse that was not yet fully accustomed to its rider. He stopped at Buckingham Palace to write his name in the visitors’ book and then continued on Constitution Hill. During his ride, Peel met two girls he knew with a groom on a restless horse. Peel’s horse acted up, threw him off, and then fell on him. A woman offered to bring Peel home in her carriage. The doctors found that Peel had broken his left collarbone and probably several ribs. They also suspected severe internal bleeding. Peel’s condition worsened and he died at his London home Whitehall Gardens on July 2, 1850, at the age of 62. Sir Robert Peel, 2nd Baronet was buried at St. Peter Church in Drayton Bassett, Staffordshire, England near his now-demolished country home Drayton Manor.

The plaque inside St. Peter’s Church where Sir Robert Peel is buried; Credit – www.findagrave.com/memorial/10192/robert-peel#view-photo=157861196

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

  • Baird, Julia. Victoria The Queen. Random House, 2016.
  • De.wikipedia.org. (2018). Robert Peel. [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Peel [Accessed 20 Jul. 2018].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Robert Peel. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Peel [Accessed 20 Jul. 2018].
  • Erickson, Carolly. Her Little Majesty: The Life of Queen Victoria.Simon and Schuster, 1997.
  • Historytoday.com. (2018). Death of Sir Robert Peel | History Today. [online] Available at: https://www.historytoday.com/richard-cavendish/death-sir-robert-peel [Accessed 20 Jul. 2018].
  • Hubbard, Kate. Serving Victoria: Life In The Royal Household. Harper Collins Publishers, 2012

Four of a Kind: Queen Consort, Queen Dowager, Queen Mother, Queen Regnant

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2018

queen – noun – a female sovereign or monarch; the wife or consort of a king.

Origin of the word queen – first used before 900 in Middle English quene, quen; from Old English cwēn (woman, wife, consort, queen, empress, princess); *cognate with Old Saxon quān (wife), Old Norse kvān, Gothic qēns (wife), Scots wheen (pronounced queen), Middle Low German quene (elderly woman), Dutch kween (woman past child-bearing age), Swedish kvinna (woman), Icelandic kvon (wife), Norwegian kvån (wife)

*cognate – descended from the same language

from https://www.dictionary.com and https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/queen

Queen Consort

Queen Consort Crown used at the 1937 coronation of King George VI and his wife Queen Elizabeth; Credit – https://www.rct.uk/collection/31703/queen-elizabeth-the-queen-mothers-crown

A Queen Consort is the wife of a reigning king. She shares her husband’s rank and status and holds the feminine equivalent of the king’s titles but does not share the king’s political powers. In the United Kingdom, a Queen Consort is styled Her Majesty Queen <first name>.

In England, Great Britain, and the United Kingdom, there has only been one husband of a Queen Regnant, a reigning queen, who had anything near the title of King Consort. Under the terms of the Act for the Marriage of Queen Mary I to Philip of Spain, Philip of Spain, the future King Philip II of Spain, was to enjoy Queen Mary I of England’s titles and honors for as long as their marriage lasted and was styled King of England, King of France, King of Ireland and Defender of the Faith. The marriage was unsuccessful and childless and lasted until Mary I’s death four years later.

Queen Victoria wanted her husband Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha to be King Consort but the British government refused to introduce a bill allowing it. In 1857, Queen Victoria created her husband Prince Consort, the only spouse of a Queen Regnant to hold that title.

In the past, some European monarchies had laws and rules that only equal marriages are full marriages for dynastic purposes. The marriage of a prince or king to a woman of a lesser rank was considered either morganatic or not valid at all. The woman and any children from the marriage did not enjoy the titles, privileges, and inheritance rights due to a member of the dynasty. That meant that princes and kings either had to marry members of their own extended family or marry someone from another monarchy.

However, equal marriage laws did not exist in England. Members of the various royal houses could marry into ordinary noble families or even marry into families below the nobility. Predominantly, English and British kings married into foreign ruling houses for political reasons. Of the forty-three consorts (male and female) since the Norman Conquest in 1066, thirty-three have been foreign-born, ten were native-born and nine were not of royal birth.

Several sovereigns had no consorts: King William II, King Edward V, King Edward VI, and Queen Elizabeth I were unmarried, King George I divorced his wife before he became king, and King Edward VIII did not marry until after he abdicated. King Henry IV and King James II had first wives who died before they became king so their second wives were their Queen Consort. King William III and his wife and first cousin Queen Mary II reigned jointly. They were both grandchildren of King Charles I.

English and British Queen Consorts

Queen Dowager

Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen, Queen of the United Kingdom; Credit – Wikipedia

A Queen Dowager is the widow of a king. After her husband’s death, she continues to enjoy the title, style, and precedence of a queen. However, many former Queen Consorts do not formally use the word “dowager” as part of their titles.

English and British Queen Dowagers: *are also Queen Mothers (see below)

  • Adeliza of Louvain, widow of King Henry I
  • Eleanor of Aquitaine*, widow of King Henry II
  • Berengaria of Navarre, widow of King Richard I
  • Isabella of Angoulême*, widow of King John
  • Eleanor of Provence*, widow of King Edward II
  • Marguerite of France, widow of King Edward III
  • Isabella of France*, widow of King Edward II
  • Isabella of Valois, widow of King Richard II
  • Joan of Navarre, widow of King Henry IV
  • Catherine of Valois*, widow of King Henry V
  • Margaret of Anjou, widow of King Henry VI
  • Elizabeth Woodville*, widow of King Edward IV
  • Catherine Parr, widow of King Henry VIII
  • Henrietta Maria of France*, widow of King Charles I
  • Catherine of Braganza, widow of King Charles II
  • Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen, widow of King William IV
  • Alexandra of Denmark*, widow of King Edward VII
  • Mary of Teck*, widow of King George V
  • Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon*, widow of King George VI

Queen Mother

Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother; Credit – Wikipedia

A Queen Mother is the widow of a king, a Queen Dowager, who is also the mother of his successor. She continues to enjoy the title, style, and precedence of a queen after her husband’s death. Many think the title was created for the mother of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom who was styled Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. However, there is evidence that the term has been used in the English language since at least 1560. The State Prayers in the 1662 Book of Common Prayer refer to Henrietta Maria, the widow of King Charles I and the mother of King Charles II as “Mary the Queen Mother.” It is unclear how many Queens Mother formally used the title. Neither Queen Alexandra, widow of King Edward VII and mother of King George V, nor Queen Mary, widow of King George V and mother of King Edward VIII and King George VI, used the title.

English and British Queens Mothers:

  • Eleanor of Aquitaine, widow of King Henry II, mother of King Richard I and King John
  • Isabella of Angoulême, widow of King John, mother of King Henry III
  • Eleanor of Provence, widow of King Henry III, mother of King Edward I
  • Isabella of France, widow of King Edward II, mother of King Edward III
  • Catherine of Valois, widow of King Henry V, mother of King Henry VI
  • Elizabeth Woodville, widow of King Edward IV, mother of King Edward V
  • Henrietta Maria of France, widow of King Charles I, mother of King Charles II
  • Alexandra of Denmark, widow of King Edward VII, mother of King George V
  • Mary of Teck, widow of King George V, mother of King Edward VIII and King George VI
  • Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (styled Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother), widow of King George VI, mother of Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Regnant

Coronation of Elizabeth II, Photo Credit – http://i.telegraph.co.uk

A Queen Regnant is a female sovereign, equivalent in rank to a king, who reigns in her own right. Originally in England, there were no fixed rules governing succession to the throne. The sovereign could be determined by inheritance, statute, election, nomination by a reigning sovereign in his or her will, conquest or de facto possession. Over time, the default rule became male primogeniture and eventually, Parliament gained control of succession.

There were no laws in England saying a female could not succeed to the throne but kings wanted male heirs. In 1120, William Ætheling, King Henry I’s only legitimate son was returning to England from Normandy when his ship hit a submerged rock, capsized and sank. William Ætheling and many others drowned. See Unofficial Royalty: The Sinking of the White Ship and How It Affected the English Succession.  Although King Henry I had many illegitimate children, the tragedy of the White Ship left him with only one legitimate child, his daughter Matilda. Henry I’s nephews were his closest male heirs. His first wife had died in 1118 and, Henry I, hoping for a male heir, married again but the marriage was childless. On Christmas Day 1126, King Henry I of England gathered his nobles at Westminster where they swore to recognize Matilda and any future legitimate heir she might have as his successors.

Matilda, Lady of the English; Credit – Wikipedia

On December 1, 1135, King Henry I of England died. His nephew Stephen of Blois quickly crossed from France to England, seized power, and was crowned King of England. His cousin Matilda did not give up her claim to the throne, leading to the long civil war known as The Anarchy between 1135 and 1153. Matilda reigned for several months during 1141 but then her cousin Stephen regained power. Eventually, Stephen and Matilda’s son Henry agreed upon a negotiated peace, the Treaty of Winchester, in which Stephen recognized Henry as his heir. When Stephen died in 1154 and Henry ascended the throne as King Henry II, the first Angevin King of England.

Queen Elizabeth I; Credit – Wikipedia

King Henry VIII’s quest for a son to succeed him and his six marriages are well-known. Eventually, Henry did get a son to succeed him but he was sickly and reigned for only six years. Henry VIII’s younger daughter Queen Elizabeth I proved to be one of the greatest British monarchs.

Queen Victoria; Credit – Wikipedia

Queen Victoria came to the throne after another succession crisis, the death in childbirth of King George III’s only legitimate grandchild Princess Charlotte of Wales. Her death left no legitimate heir in the second generation and prompted the aging sons of King George III to begin a frantic search for brides to provide for the succession. See Death of Princess Charlotte of Wales in childbirth and its impact on the British succession. For 114 years, Queen Victoria held the record as the longest-reigning British monarch until another Queen, her great-great-granddaughter Queen Elizabeth II surpassed her on September 9, 2015.

The Succession to The Crown Act 2013 put in place absolute primogeniture, which means the eldest child born becomes the heir to his or her parent, regardless of gender. This is retroactive to those born after October 28, 2011. With the birth of her younger brother Prince Louis of Cambridge on April 23, 2018, Princess Charlotte of Cambridge became the first British princess not to be overtaken in the line of succession by her younger brother.

English and British Queen Regnants

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.

William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne (Lord Melbourne), Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2018

William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne; Credit – Wikipedia

William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom July 16, 1834 – November 14, 1834 and 1835 – 1841. He was Queen Victoria’s first Prime Minister 1837 – 1841.

William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne, known as Lord Melbourne, was born March 15, 1779, in London, England. Legally he was the second son and the second child of Peniston Lamb, 1st Viscount Melbourne and his wife Elizabeth Milbanke, daughter of Sir Ralph Milbanke, 5th Baronet. Lady Melbourne had many affairs and it is believed that George Wyndham, 3rd Earl of Egremont was the father of William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne, his sister Emily and possibly his brother Frederick. The Prince of Wales, later King George IV, is thought to be the father of the other brother George. The 1st Viscount Melbourne had affairs of his own and was not greatly troubled by his wife’s affairs.

William had five siblings but only his eldest brother can decidedly be named as the child of Peniston Lamb, 1st Viscount Melbourne:

  • The Honorable Peniston Lamb (1770 – 1805), unmarried, died from tuberculosis
  • Frederick Lamb, 3rd Viscount Melbourne (1782 – 1853), married Alexandrina, Gräfin von Maltzan, no children, the family titles became extinct upon his death
  • The Honorable George Lamb (1784 – 1834), married Caroline Rosalie Adelaide St. Jules, the illegitimate daughter of William Cavendish, 5th Duke of Devonshire and his mistress and eventual second wife Lady Elizabeth Foster, no children
  • The Honorable Emily Lamb (1787–1869), married (1) Peter Clavering-Cowper, 5th Earl Cowper, had five children although one may have been fathered by her lover and second husband (2) Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston, Prime Minister 1859 – 1865, no legitimate children, Lady Emily Cowper may be Palmerston’s child
  • The Honorable Harriet Lamb (1789-1803), died young from tuberculosis

Lord Melbourne’s “Eton Leaving Portrait” by John Hoppner, Lord Melbourne gave the portrait to Queen Victoria in 1841; Credit – www.royalcollection.org.uk

Melbourne was educated at Eton College and Trinity College, Cambridge. At Cambridge, Melbourne became acquainted with a group of romantic radicals including the poets Percy Bysshe Shelley and George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron. After his studies at Cambridge, Melbourne went to Lincoln’s Inn in London to study law. From 1803 – 1804, Melbourne served as captain and then commander in the Hertfordshire Volunteer Infantry. Melbourne’s elder brother died of tuberculosis in 1805 so Melbourne became his father’s heir.

Lady Caroline Lamb by Eliza H. Trotter, oil on canvas, exhibited 1811, NPG 3312 © National Portrait Gallery, London

In June 1805, Melbourne married 19-year-old Lady Caroline Ponsonby, the only daughter of Frederick Ponsonby, 3rd Earl of Bessborough and Lady Henrietta Frances Spencer, daughter of  John Spencer, 1st Earl Spencer. Caroline is known to history as Lady Caroline Lamb because her husband did not become Viscount Melbourne until after her death. Lady Caroline’s nephew Henry Ponsonby served as Queen Victoria’s Private Secretary 1870 – 1895.

Melbourne and Lady Caroline had two children:

  • George Augustus Frederick Lamb (1807 – 1836)
  • Premature daughter (born and died 1809)

Their son was called Augustus and was the godchild of The Prince of Wales, the future King George IV whose names were George Augustus Frederick. Unfortunately, Augustus was epileptic and probably autistic and needed constant care. Most aristocratic families sent their mentally disabled relatives to institutions but Augustus was cared for at home for his entire life. Caroline had suffered two miscarriages before giving birth to Augustus and had long periods of recovery after her two miscarriages and two births. That Caroline could not have any more children caused Melbourne great grief and contributed to a marriage that was becoming unstable.

In 1806, Melbourne was elected to the House of Commons. However, he did not first become a household name on his own accord. In 1812, Lady Caroline started a well-publicized affair with the poet George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron, known as Lord Byron, that shocked the British public and became one of the legendary affairs of the nineteenth century. For four months, Caroline and Byron flaunted their affair publicly and shamelessly until Byron suddenly broke it off.

Brocket Hall, the family country estate, 1829; Credit – Wikipedia

Caroline fell apart mentally. At a ball, she slashed her arms with a broken glass and was then banished to the family’s country estate Brocket Hall near Hatfield in Hertfordshire, England. There she smashed furniture and other household objects and was often drunk or high on opium. In 1816, Lady Caroline wrote a novel Glenarvon which portrayed both her marriage and her affair with Byron in a graphic manner. This caused Melbourne great embarrassment and yet the couple remained married.

Finally, Melbourne’s mother, who had introduced the couple, had enough. She asked her husband to arrange a formal separation between their son and Lady Caroline in 1825. By that time, both Melbourne and Lady Caroline had numerous affairs. Lady Caroline remained at Brocket Hall but her mental instability became worse and was complicated by her use of alcohol and laudanum. By 1827, she was under the care of a full-time physician. Her body began to shut down and she retained fluids, a condition then known as dropsy but now known as edema. When Lady Caroline died on January 25, 1828, at the age of 42, Melbourne was at her bedside.

Melbourne’s political career had floundered due to his wife’s notoriety. In 1827, he accepted the position of Chief Secretary of Ireland in a Conservative (Tory) government even though he was a member of the Whig Party. When his father died 1828, Melbourne became the 2nd Viscount Melbourne and he moved from the House of Commons to the House of Lords. He had spent twenty-two years in the House of Commons and was not well known politically.

In 1830, the Whig Party came to power and Melbourne became Home Secretary under Prime Minister Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey. In July 1834, Lord Grey resigned as Prime Minister and King William IV was forced to appoint another Whig to replace him because the Conservatives were not strong enough to support a government. Melbourne was the one most likely to be acceptable to King William IV and to hold the Whig party together. He was hesitant at first but did not want to let his party down and accepted the offer to become Prime Minister.

King William IV was opposed to the reforming policies of the Whig Party and dismissed Melbourne in November 1834. He then gave the Conservatives under Sir Robert Peel an opportunity to form a government. However, the Conservatives failed to win a majority in the January 1835 general elections and the Whigs Party returned to power in April 1835 with Melbourne as Prime Minister.

Embed from Getty Images 
Lord Melbourne instructing a young Queen Victoria

In 1836, Melbourne’s 29-year-old mentally disabled son Augustus died. Melbourne was greatly affected by his son’s death. It reminded him of the deceased wife he once loved, the family he really never had, and that he was alone. In June 1837, King William IV died and was succeeded by his 18-year-old niece Queen Victoria. Victoria never knew her father Prince Edward, Duke of Kent as he died when she was eight months old. Melbourne was her first Prime Minister. In Queen Victoria, Melbourne had the child, the companion, and the affection he craved. In Melbourne, Queen Victoria had the father figure she never had. Their close relationship was founded in Melbourne’s responsibility for tutoring the young queen in the world of politics and instructing her in her role but the relationship was much deeper. Queen Victoria came to regard Lord Melbourne as a mentor and personal friend and he was given a private apartment at Windsor Castle.

In 1839, Lord Melbourne announced his intention to resign as Prime Minister after a government bill passed by a very narrow margin of only five votes in the House of Commons. This led to the Bedchamber Crisis.   Sir Robert Peel, as Leader of the Opposition, was the prospective Prime Minister.  He requested that Queen Victoria dismiss some of the wives and daughters of Whig Members of Parliament who made up her personal household, arguing that the monarch should avoid any hint of political favoritism to a party out of power. Queen Victoria refused to comply. Peel refused to form a new government, and Lord Melbourne was persuaded to stay on as Prime Minister.

Eventually, Melbourne’s support in Parliament declined and by 1840 it grew difficult to hold the Cabinet together. He resigned in August 1841 after a series of parliamentary defeats. Melbourne and Queen Victoria said a private goodbye on the terrace at Windsor Castle. Victoria cried and Melbourne told her, “For four years I have seen you daily and liked it better each day.” Queen Victoria continued to write to Melbourne but eventually had to stop as it was considered inappropriate. With Melbourne gone from her life, Victoria increasingly relied on her husband Prince Albert.

William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne by John Partridge, 1844, NPG 941 © National Portrait Gallery, London

In October 1842, Melbourne suffered a stroke which considerably weakened him. He lived out his life at Brocket Hall, his country home near Hatfield in Hertfordshire, England. It was there that William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne died at the age of 69 on November 24, 1848. He was buried near his wife Lady Caroline Lamb at St. Etheldreda Church in Old Hatfield, Hertfordshire, England. His brother Frederick Lamb succeeded him as the 3rd Viscount Melbourne but Frederick had no children and upon his death, the title became extinct.

A plaque marking the burial of William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne at St Etheldreda, Old Hatfield, Hertfordshire, England; Photo 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.

Recommended Book – Serving Queen Victoria: Life in the Royal Household by Kate Hubbard

Works Cited

  • Baird, Julia. Victoria The Queen. Random House, 2016.
  • Erickson, Carolly. Her Little Majesty: The Life of Queen Victoria.Simon and Schuster, 1997.
  • “History Of William Lamb, 2Nd Viscount Melbourne – GOV.UK”. Gov.Uk, 2018, https://www.gov.uk/government/history/past-prime-ministers/william-lamb-2nd-viscount-melbourne. Accessed 12 June 2018.
  • Hubbard, Kate. Serving Victoria: Life In The Royal Household. Harper Collins Publishers, 2012
  • “William Lamb, 2Nd Viscount Melbourne”. En.Wikipedia.Org, 2018, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Lamb,_2nd_Viscount_Melbourne. Accessed 12 June 2018.
  • “William Lamb”. Es.Wikipedia.Org, 2018, https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Lamb. Accessed 12 June 2018.

Julia Abercromby, Baroness Abercromby, Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Victoria

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2018

Julia Abercromby, Baroness Abercromby; Credit – Royal Collection Trust

Julia Abercromby, Baroness Abercromby was a Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Victoria and a noted artist. Ladies of the Bedchamber were always wives of peers. Only one Lady of the Bedchamber was in waiting at a time. She was always ready to attend to the Queen. The Lady-in-Waiting attended all State occasions and presided over the Household table when the Mistress of the Robes was not in residence. A Lady of the Bedchamber had two to three waits a year from twelve to thirty days at a time.

Born The Honorable Julia Janet Georgiana Haldane-Duncan on January 24, 1840, in Naples, Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, now in Italy, she was the eldest child of Adam Haldane-Duncan, Viscount Duncan (later 2nd Earl of Camperdown) and Juliana Cavendish Philips. Julia had two younger brothers:

At Camperdown House in Dundee, Scotland, Julia married George Abercromby, 4th Baron Abercromby on October 6, 1858. He was the son of George Abercromby, 3rd Baron Abercromby and Louisa Forbes. The couple had no children.

Queen Victoria, painted by Lady Julia Abercromby, after Heinrich von Angeli. Watercolour, 1883, based on a work of 1875. source: National Portrait Gallery NPG 708

In April 1874, Julia was appointed a Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Victoria and served until March 1885. She was an accomplished painter and had taken lessons from Mrs. Clarendon Smith of the Institute of Watercolours. During her service, Julia was asked to paint the first official portrait of Queen Victoria for the National Portrait Gallery, fulfilling a request made by the gallery in 1867. She painted a watercolor portrait, based on an original painting by von Angeli. It was reported to be one of Queen Victoria’s favorite portraits of herself. In later years, Julia exhibited some of her work at the Royal Academy in 1898. Today, her paintings are included in the collections of the National Portrait Gallery, Balliol College, Oxford, and the Britannia Royal Naval College.

Camperdown House, photo: by Ydam – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=845325

Lady Abercromby died at Camperdown House on December 8, 1915.

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.

Recommended Book – Serving Queen Victoria: Life in the Royal Household by Kate Hubbard

Titles of English and British Sovereigns

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2018

Besides being the Sovereign King or Queen, the English and British sovereigns had other titles over the years. One of the titles, Duke of Lancaster, will be explored in a separate article.

Duke of Normandy

Map of France in 1154; Credit – By Reigen – Own work.Sources :Image:France 1154 Eng.jpg by Lotroo under copyleftfrance_1154_1184.jpg from the Historical Atlas by William R. Shepherd, 1911., CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=37306574

  • Duke of Normandy: William I, William II, Henry I, Stephen, Henry II, Richard I, John, Henry III

The Duke of Normandy was the ruler of the Duchy of Normandy in northwest France. The duchy originated when King Charles III of West Francia granted land to the Viking leader Rollo in 911. In 1035, a young boy succeeded his father as William II, Duke of Normandy. William was the first cousin once removed of Edward the Confessor, King of the English. Edward the Confessor’s mother Emma of Normandy was the sister of William’s grandfather Richard II, Duke of Normandy. William’s marriage to Matilda of Flanders may have been motivated by his growing desire to become King of England. Matilda was a direct descendant of Alfred the Great, King of Wessex. In 1051, William visited his first cousin once removed, Edward the Confessor, King of England, and apparently Edward named William as his successor.

In 1065, Edward the Confessor, King of the English died and Harold Godwinson was selected to succeed Edward as King Harold II. When William heard that Harold Godwinson had been crowned King of the English, he began preparations for an invasion of England. At the Battle of Hastings on October 14, 1066, the army of William II, Duke of Normandy won the battle and King Harold II was killed. On Christmas Day 1066, William, Duke of Normandy was crowned William I, King of the English at Westminster Abbey.

In 1202, during the reign of King John, King Philippe II of France confiscated the Duchy of Normandy and by 1204, the French army had conquered it. King Henry III continued to use the title until 1259 when he renounced it in the Treaty of Paris (1259).

Count of Anjou (see map above)

  • Count of Anjou: Henry II, Richard I

The Count of Anjou was the ruler of the County of Anjou in northwest France. The future King Henry II became Count of Anjou upon the death of his father Geoffrey V, Count of Anjou in 1151. Three years later, he became King of the English upon the death of his mother’s cousin King Stephen of England. When King Richard I of England died childless in 1199, the title was inherited by his nephew Arthur, Duke of Brittany, the son of his deceased brother Geoffrey II, Duke of Brittany. However, in 1204, Anjou was lost to King Philippe II of France.

Duke of Aquitaine (see map above)

  • Duke of Aquitaine: Henry II, Richard I, John, Henry III, Edward I, Edward II, Edward III

The Duke of Aquitaine was the ruler of the Duchy of Aquitaine in western, central, and southern areas of France. It was a duchy that women could inherit and manage independently from their husbands or male relations and that is how it came into the English royal family. Eleanor of Aquitaine, wife of King Henry II, was the Duchess of Aquitaine, Countess of Poitiers and Duchess of Gascony in her own right. When Henry II became King of the English in 1153, Eleanor’s possessions merged with the English crown.

In 1337, King Philippe VI of France claimed Aquitaine from King Edward III of England. Edward III then claimed the title of King of France, by right of his descent from his maternal grandfather King Philippe IV of France. This started the Hundred Years’ War, in which the House of Plantagenet and the House of Valois fought over the control of the territories in France.

Lord of Ireland

Arms of the Lordship of Ireland; Credit – Wikipedia

  • Lord of Ireland: John, Henry III, Edward I, Edward II, Edward III, Richard II, Henry IV, Henry V, Henry VI, Edward IV, Edward V, Richard III, Henry VII, Henry VIII

An invasion of Ireland starting in 1169 by King Henry II eventually brought about the end of the rule of the High Kings of Ireland and the direct involvement of the English/British in Irish politics until 1922. In 1177, King Henry II gave the part of Ireland he controlled at that time to his ten-year-old son John as the Lordship of Ireland and John became Lord of Ireland. When John succeeded to the English throne in 1199, he remained Lord of Ireland, bringing the Kingdom of England and the Lordship of Ireland into personal union. The title of Lord of Ireland was abolished by King Henry VIII of England who was made King of Ireland by the Parliament of Ireland by the Crown of Ireland Act 1542.

King/Queen of France

Edward III quartered the Royal Arms of England with the ancient arms of France, the fleurs-de-lis on a blue field, to signal his claim to the French throne; Credit – Wikipedia

  • King/Queen of France: Edward III, Richard II, Henry IV, Henry V, Henry VI, Henry VI, Edward IV, Edward V, Richard III, Henry VII, Henry VIII, Edward VI, Lady Jane Grey (disputed), Mary I, Elizabeth, James I, Charles I, Charles II, James II, William III and Mary II, Anne, George I, George II, George III

The Kings and Queens of England and Great Britain listed above were never really sovereigns of France. From 1337 to 1801, the Kings and Queens of England and Great Britain claimed the throne of France.

In 1337, King Edward III of England claimed the title of King of France, by right of his descent from his maternal grandfather King Philippe IV of France. This started the Hundred Years’ War fought from 1337 to 1453 by the English House of Plantagenet against the French House of Valois over the right to rule the Kingdom of France. By the time the war was over, France had achieved a victory and England permanently lost all of its French possessions except the Pale of Calais. The Pale of Calais remained under English control until it was lost to France in 1558 during the reign of Queen Mary I of England, who reportedly said: “When I am dead and opened, you shall find ‘Calais’ written on my heart.

Despite having no territory in France, the English and British monarchs continued to call themselves Kings/Queens of France and the French fleurs-de-lis was included in the royal arms. The French Revolution had abolished the monarchy in 1792 and replaced it with the French First Republic. The French government demanded that the King of Great Britain relinquish the title of King of France. In 1801, King George III decided to drop his claim to the French throne and the fleurs-de-lis was removed from the British royal arms.

King/Queen of Ireland

Ancient Royal Arms of the Kingdom of Ireland, as first used by the monarchs of the Kingdom of England; Credit – Wikipedia

  • King/Queen of Ireland: All sovereigns from King Henry VIII to King George V (1542 – 1927)

The Crown of Ireland Act 1542 was an act of the Irish Parliament replacing the Lordship of Ireland, which had existed since 1177, with the Kingdom of Ireland. The title changed from Lord of Ireland to King of Ireland. This was a personal union between t.he English and Irish crowns and whoever was King of England was to be King of Ireland as well. The first King of Ireland was King Henry VIII of England. In 1922, the Irish Free State, now the Republic of Ireland, became independent. Today’s Northern Ireland still remains part of the United Kingdom.

Defender of the Faith

  • Defender of the Faith: All sovereigns from King Henry VIII to the present sovereign

In 1521, a theological treatise called The Defense of the Seven Sacraments was published. It was written by King Henry VIII of England, supposedly with the assistance of Sir Thomas More, and it defended the Roman Catholic Church’s seven sacraments and the supremacy of the Pope. This treatise was an important opposition to the Protestant Reformation, especially Martin Luther, one of the Reformation’s chief proponents. In recognition of the treatise, Pope Leo X granted King Henry VIII the title Defender of the Faith (Fidei Defensor in Latin).

In 1530, King Henry VIII decided to break away from the Roman Catholic Church and establish himself as head of the Church of England. Since Henry VIII’s decision was considered an attack on “the Faith”, Pope Paul III revoked the title Defender of the Faith and excommunicated Henry VIII.

In 1544, the Parliament of England conferred the title “Defender of the Faith” on King Henry VIII and his successors. Now they were defenders of the Protestant Anglican faith (Church of England) except for Henry VIII’s daughter, Queen Mary I, who was Catholic.

Supreme Head/Supreme Governor of the Church of England

  • Supreme Head of the Church of England: Henry VIII, Edward VI, Lady Jane Grey, Mary I
  • Supreme Governor of the Church of England: Elizabeth I to the present sovereign

The Supreme Head of the Church of England was a title created in 1531 for King Henry VIII of England. The Act of Supremacy of 1534 confirmed Henry VIII’s status as Supreme Head of the Church of England and granted the same status to subsequent sovereigns. Henry VIII’s Roman Catholic daughter Queen Mary I of England attempted to restore the Roman Catholic Church and repealed the Act of Supremacy in 1555.

After Mary I’s death in 1558, Parliament passed the Act of Supremacy 1558 which restored the original act. The act also changed the sovereign’s title to Supreme Governor of the Church of England. This change avoided the charge that the sovereign was claiming to be divine and negating that the New Testament says that Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church. All sovereigns from Queen Elizabeth I to the present sovereign have been the Supreme Governor of the Church of England.

King/Queen of Scots

Royal Standard of the King of Scots; Credit – Wikipedia

  • King/Queen of Scots: James I as James VI, Charles I, Charles II, James II as James VII, William III as William II, Mary II, Anne

In 1603, when Queen Elizabeth I of England, the last Tudor monarch died, James VI, King of Scots became King of England as King James I of England. This was a personal union, the combination of two or more states that have the same monarch while their boundaries, laws, and interests remain separate. James VI, King of Scots was the only child of Mary, Queen of Scots and her second husband (and first cousin) Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, both grandchildren of James IV, King of Scots and Margaret Tudor who was the daughter of King Henry VII of England and the sister of King Henry VIII of England. In terms of primogeniture, James VI was the next in line to the English throne and on her deathbed, Queen Elizabeth I of England gave her assent that James should succeed her.

The English Stuart monarchs that followed James I were all sovereigns of the Kingdom of England and separately sovereigns of the Kingdom of Scotland. Some of them had two different regnal numbers reflecting the English sequence of sovereigns and the Scottish sequence of sovereigns – William III of England was the third William to reign in England but was the second William to reign in Scotland so he was William II, King of Scots. During the reign of Queen Anne, England and Scotland were formally united into Great Britain by the Acts of Union 1707. The sovereign then was King/Queen of Great Britain.

Prince of Orange, Count of Nassau, Stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Gelderland, and Overijssel

Coat of Arms of the Prince of Orange; Credit – Wikipedia

King William III of England, who came to the English throne as a joint ruler with his wife and first cousin Queen Mary II of England, was also Willem III, Sovereign Prince of Orange, Count of Nassau, and Stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Gelderland, and Overijssel in the Dutch Republic. William inherited the principality of Orange from his father, Willem II, Prince of Orange, who died a week before William’s birth. His mother Mary, Princess Royal was the daughter of King Charles I of England. William and Mary had no children and so William’s first cousin once removed, Johan Willem Friso, became Prince of Orange.

Prince-Elector of the Holy Roman Empire, Duke of Brunswick-Luneburg

Coat of arms of Brunswick-Lüneburg; Credit – Wikipedia

  • Prince-Elector of the Holy Roman Empire, Duke of Brunswick-Luneburg: George I, George II, George III

The Duchy of Brunswick-Luneburg and the Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg, located in northwestern Germany, was an Electorate of the Holy Roman Empire. It was commonly known as the Electorate of Hanover after its capital city of Hanover.

The Prince-Electors of the Holy Roman Empire (Electors for short) elected the Holy Roman Emperor. The Holy Roman Empire was a limited monarchy composed kingdoms, principalities, duchies, counties, prince-bishoprics, and Free Imperial Cities in Central Europe from 800 – 1806.

When the Stuart dynasty appeared to be dying out, Parliament passed the Act of Settlement 1701, giving the succession to the British throne to Sophia of the Palatinate, Electress of Hanover and her non-Catholic heirs. This act ensured the Protestant succession and bypassed many Catholics who had a better hereditary claim to the throne. Sophia’s mother was Elizabeth Stuart who was the second child and eldest daughter of James VI, King of Scots / James I, King of England and Ireland. Sophia narrowly missed becoming queen, having died two months before the last Stuart monarch Queen Anne. Sophia’s son George, Elector of Hanover, became King George I of Great Britain. George remained Prince-Elector of the Holy Roman Empire, Duke of Brunswick-Luneburg and his son George II and great-grandson George III inherited those titles.

King of Hanover, Duke of Brunswick-Luneburg

Coat of Arms of the Kingdom of Hanover; Credit – By Glasshouse – Own work, using elements by Sodacan, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=78034759

  • King of Hanover, Duke of Brunswick-Luneburg: George III, George IV, William IV

The Holy Roman Empire was dissolved in 1806, when the last Holy Roman Emperor Franz II (from 1804, Emperor Franz I of Austria) abdicated, following a military defeat by the French under Napoleon at the Battle of Austerlitz. After the final defeat of Napoleon in 1814, much of Europe was reorganized. The Hanover territories became the Kingdom of Hanover and became a personal union with the United Kingdom.

The personal union with the United Kingdom ended in 1837 upon the accession of Queen Victoria. The succession to the throne of Hanover followed Salic Law which did not allow female succession and so Victoria could not inherit the Hanover throne. Instead, Ernest Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, the eldest surviving son of King George III, became King of Hanover. His son George succeeded him as King George V of Hanover but he reigned for only fifteen years. He was exiled from Hanover in 1866 as a result of his support for Austria in the Austro-Prussian War and Hanover was annexed by Prussia.

Empress/Emperor of India

New Crowns for Old, the cartoon’s caption references a scene in Aladdin where lamps are exchanged. The Prime Minister, Benjamin Disraeli, is offering Queen Victoria an imperial crown in exchange for an earl’s coronet. She made him the Earl of Beaconsfield at this time; Credit – Wikipedia

  • Empress/Emperor of India: Victoria, Edward VII, George V, Edward VIII, George VI

One thing Queen Victoria wanted was an imperial title. She was disturbed because Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia held a higher rank than her and was appalled that her eldest daughter Victoria, Princess Royal who was married to the Crown Prince of Prussia and the future German Emperor, would outrank her when her husband came to the throne.

Queen Victoria pressured Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli to introduce a bill that would make her Empress of India. At the time, India was a colony of the United Kingdom. Disraeli did so but his handling of the bill was awkward. He did not notify either the Prince of Wales or the Liberal opposition. When they found out, the Prince of Wales was irritated and the Liberals went into motion with a full-scale attack. Disraeli was reluctant to bring the bill to a vote because he thought it would be defeated. However, it passed with a majority of 75.

On January 1, 1877, Queen Victoria was proclaimed Empress of India. For the rest of her life, Victoria signed her name “Victoria R & I” – Regina et Imperatrix in Latin, Queen and Empress in English. Four of Victoria’s successors, her son Edward VII, her grandson George V and her great-grandsons Edward VIII and George VI also were Emperors of India. George VI ceased to use the title when India became an independent country in 1947.

Head of the Commonwealth

Member states of the Commonwealth of Nations; Credit – By Rob984 – Derived from File:BlankMap-World-Microstates.svg, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=50344792

  • Head of the Commonwealth: George VI, Elizabeth II

The Commonwealth of Nations, established in 1949, is an intergovernmental organization of fifty-three member nations that are mostly former territories of the United Kingdom. The British sovereign is head of state of sixteen member states, known as the Commonwealth realms, while thirty-two other members are republics and five others have different monarchs.

The Head of the Commonwealth is the “symbol of their free association” and serves as a leader, alongside the Commonwealth Secretary-General and Commonwealth Chair-in-Office. The position of Head of the Commonwealth is technically not hereditary and does not necessarily have to be the sovereign or a member of the royal family. However, following the 2018 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, Commonwealth leaders officially declared that Charles, Prince of Wales would be the next Head of the Commonwealth, and upon the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, King Charles III became the Head of the Commonwealth.

Sovereign of Other Realms

Currently, the British sovereign is also the sovereign of fourteen other countries, besides the United Kingdom: Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, The Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize, Antigua and Barbuda and Saint Kitts and Nevis.

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.

Susanna Innes-Ker, Duchess of Roxburghe, Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Victoria

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2018

Susannah, Duchess of Roxburghe, painted by Henry Wyndham Phillips. source: Royal Collection Trust RCIN 403853. The painting was presented by The Duchess to Queen Victoria on her birthday, May 24, 1868. It hangs in the Queen’s Lift Corridor at Osborne House.

Susanna Innes-Ker, Duchess of Roxburghe was a Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Victoria from 1865 until her death thirty years later. Ladies of the Bedchamber were always wives of peers. Only one Lady of the Bedchamber was in waiting at a time.  She was always ready to attend to the Queen. The Lady-in-Waiting attended all State occasions and presided over the Household table when the Mistress of the Robes was not in residence.  A Lady of the Bedchamber had two to three waits a year from twelve to thirty days at a time.

Born Susanna Stephania Dalbiac in Heningford, Yorkshire on August 28, 1814, she was the only child of Sir James Dalbiac and Susanna Dalton.

The year after Susanna’s birth, her father purchased Moulton Hall, a manor house in Moulton, near Richmond, North Yorkshire. The previous owner was Sir Ralph Milbanke, 6th Baronet, who sold it to pay the dowry for the marriage of his daughter, Anne, to Lord Byron. The Dalbiac family lived at Moulton Hall for the next 21 years.

James Henry Robert Innes-Ker, 6th Duke of Roxburghe. by Thomas Richard Williams, albumen carte-de-visite, 1860s. source: National Portrait Gallery, NPG Ax77158

On December 29, 1836, at the age of 21, Susanna married James Innes-Ker, 6th Duke of Roxburghe. He was the son of James Innes-Ker, 5th Duke of Roxburghe and Harriet Charlewood. Just like his predecessor, Susanna’s father sold Moulton Hall to pay the dowry for his daughter’s marriage. Susanna and James had four children:

  • Lady Susan Innes-Ker (1837) – married Sir George Grant-Suttie of Balgone, 5th Baronet, had issue
  • James Innes-Ker, 7th Duke of Roxburghe (1839) – married Anne Spencer-Churchill, had issue
  • Lady Charlotte Innes-Ker (1841) – married George Russell, had issue
  • Lord Charles Innes-Ker (1842) – married Blanche Williams, had issue

Susanna Stephania Innes-Ker (née Dalbiac), Duchess of Roxburghe. by Camille Silvy, albumen print, 26 June 1861. source: National Portrait Gallery, NPG Ax54617

Susanna became a friend of Queen Victoria – who described her in her journals as “a dear and valued friend” – and in 1861 many believed that she would be appointed Mistress of the Robes. While this did not happen, four years later on January 13, 1865, she was appointed Lady of the Bedchamber to The Queen, replacing the Dowager Countess of Mount-Edgecumbe who had resigned. Susanna would serve until her own death in 1895. When William Gladstone became Prime Minister for the third time, no one would accept the position of Mistress of the Robes due to Gladstone’s policy of Home Rule in Ireland. So during his brief tenure – from February to July 1886, Susanna served as Acting Mistress of the Robes, taking on the duties without accepting the formal title.

Princess Louis of Hesse (Princess Alice) and the Duchess of Roxburge, Floors Castle, 1865. source: Royal Collection Trust RCIN 2901313

In August 1867, The Duchess and her husband hosted Queen Victoria and several of her children at Floors Castle in Roxburghshire, the seat of the Dukes of Roxburghe.  The Queen spent three days at Floors, on her way to Balmoral for her summer holiday.

Bowden Kirk

Having survived her husband by sixteen years, The Dowager Duchess of Roxburghe died on May 7, 1895 at her home in Hereford Gardens, London. She is buried in the Innes-Ker family crypt at the Bowden Kirk, in Bowden, Roxburghshire.

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.

Recommended Book – Serving Queen Victoria: Life in the Royal Household by Kate Hubbard

His Majesty The King

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2018

Æthelstan, regarded as the first true king of England, presenting a book to St. Cuthbert, the earliest surviving portrait of an English king, circa 930; Credit – Wikipedia

king – noun – a male sovereign or monarch; a man who holds by life tenure, and usually by hereditary right, the chief authority over a country and people.

Origin of the word king – first used before 900 in Middle English; from Old English cyng, cyning; *cognate of German König, Dutch koning, Old Norse konungr, Swedish konung, Danish konge

*cognate – descended from the same language

from https://www.dictionary.com

Map of today’s United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; Credit – Denver Public Library

From England to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

From the beginning of human civilization, there was someone who was in charge of groups of people – head of a family, tribal leader, a village chieftain – leading eventually to some kind of hereditary leader. In Old English, the word cyn (meaning kin, tribe, people) was changed into a different word by adding the suffix –ing. The new word cyning meant descendant of one of noble birth and eventually became the English word king.

Æthelstan (circa 894 – 939) became the first king to rule all of England when he conquered Northumbria in 927. He is generally regarded by historians as the first true king of England. The title Rex Anglorum in Latin (King of the English) was first used to describe Æthelstan in a 928 charter. King of the English remained in use until King John became king in 1199 when the title became King of England.

An invasion of Ireland starting in 1169 by King Henry II eventually brought about the end of rule High Kings of Ireland. In 1177, King Henry II gave the part of Ireland he controlled at that time to his ten-year-old son John as a Lordship and John became Lord of Ireland. When John succeeded as King of England in 1199, he remained Lord of Ireland, bringing the Kingdom of England and the Lordship of Ireland into personal union. In 1284, the territory of the King of England increased when the Principality of Wales was incorporated into the Kingdom of England under the Statute of Rhuddlan in 1284. The title of King of Ireland was re-created in 1542 during the reign of King Henry VIII.  All of Ireland remained under British rule until the Irish Free State, today’s Republic of Ireland, became independent in 1922.

While British sovereigns had other titles which will be dealt with in another article, the titles King of England, Great Britain, and the United Kingdom will be dealt with here. In 1603, Queen Elizabeth I died childless and James VI, King of Scots also became King James I of England, joining the crowns of England and Scotland in a personal union, the combination of two or more states that have the same monarch while their boundaries, laws, and interests remain separate. This practice continued through the Stuart dynasty until 1707, during the reign of Queen Anne, when England and Scotland were formally united into Great Britain by the Acts of Union 1707. The sovereign then was King/Queen of Great Britain.

In 1800, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was created by the Acts of Union 1800 and King George III went from being titled King of Great Britain to King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. In 1922, the Irish Free State, today’s Republic of Ireland, gained independence. Northern Ireland remained under British control and is still a part of today’s United Kingdom. The Royal and Parliamentary Titles Act 1927 recognized the change in the status of Ireland and also recognized the various British dominions and so the sovereign’s title became King/Queen of Great Britain, Ireland and the British Dominions beyond the Seas. In 1953, separate styles and titles were adopted for each of the realms over which the sovereign reigned, for instance, King/Queen of Canada. The sovereign then became King/Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of His/Her other Realms and Territories.

For more information, see

The King’s Styles

Over the years, sovereigns were occasionally and indiscriminately styled as My Lord/My Lady, His/Her Grace, His/Her Highness and His/Her Majesty. Around 1519, the Holy Roman Emperor and the King of France assumed the style Majesty and King Henry VIII copied them. Previous English sovereigns had sometimes used Majesty but it became more common during Henry VIII’s reign. However, it was not used exclusively. A legal judgment issued during King Henry VIII’s reign used three different styles: Article 15 begins with, “The Kinges Highness”, Article 16 with, “The Kinges Majestie”, and Article 17 with, “The Kinges Grace.” It was not until the reign of King James I that Majesty became the official style.

Regnal Numbers

Regnal numbers are used to distinguish sovereigns with the same name. If only one sovereign has used a particular name, no regnal number is used. For example, Queen Victoria is not known as Victoria I. During the reign of the House of Stuart, some sovereigns had two different regnal numbers because they were sovereigns of both England and Scotland. For instance, King James VI of Scotland was also King James I of England as he was the sixth King of Scots with the name James and the first King of England with the name James. When England and Scotland were united with the Acts of Union 1707, sovereigns followed the numbering consistent with the English sequence of sovereigns. This caused some controversy in Scotland. When Queen Elizabeth II came to the throne, the controversy arose again. She was the second Elizabeth to reign in England but the first Elizabeth to reign in Scotland. In 1953, Prime Minister Winston Churchill suggested that in the future, the higher of the two regnal numbers from the English and Scottish sequences should always be used.

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.

Jane Spencer, Baroness Churchill, Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Victoria

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2018

Jane Spencer, Baroness Churchill, photographed in Darmstadt, 1862. source: Royal Collection Trust RCIN 2906937

Jane Spencer, Baroness Churchill, a Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Victoria from 1854 until 1900, was the longest-serving member of Queen Victoria’s household. Ladies of the Bedchamber were always wives of peers. Only one Lady of the Bedchamber was in waiting at a time. She was always ready to attend to the Queen. The Lady-in-Waiting attended all State occasions and presided over the Household table when the Mistress of the Robes was not in residence. A Lady of the Bedchamber had two to three waits a year from twelve to thirty days at a time.

Born Lady Jane Conyngham on June 1, 1826, she was the eldest daughter of Francis Conyngham, Earl of Mount Charles (later 2nd Marquess Conyngham) and Lady Jane Paget, and had five siblings:

Lord Conyngham (left) paying homage to the new Queen Victoria, with the Archbishop of Canterbury. source: Wikipedia

Royal service was quite common in Jane’s family. Her father, Francis, had served as a Page of Honour to the future King George IV and later served as Groom of the Bedchamber and Master of the Robes to King George IV between 1820 and 1830. He later served as Lord Chamberlain of the Household to King William IV and Queen Victoria from 1835 until 1839. It was Francis, accompanied by the Archbishop of Canterbury, who arrived at Kensington Palace in the early morning of June 20, 1837 to inform Victoria that she was now Queen. He was the first person to address the young Victoria as “Your Majesty”.

Elizabeth, Countess Conyngham, 1801 portrait by Sir Thomas Lawrence. source: Wikipedia

Jane’s paternal grandmother, The Marchioness of Conyngham (born Elizabeth Denison), was the longtime mistress of King George IV and wielded a great amount of power in the royal court. Upon the King’s death in 1830, he bequeathed all of his plate and jewellery to Elizabeth, but she refused it. Elizabeth was banned from court during the reigns of King William IV and Queen Victoria. Her husband, the 1st Marquess of Conyngham was made a member of the Privy Council and served as Lord Steward of the Household from 1821 until 1830. He was also appointed Constable and Governor of Windsor Castle in 1829, serving until his death three years later.

Lord Alfred Henry Paget by Southwell Brothers, albumen carte-de-visite, 1860s. source: National Portrait Gallery NPG x46527

On her maternal side, her mother’s half-brother was Lord Alfred Paget, who served as Chief Equerry and Clerk Marshal to Queen Victoria from July 1846 to March 1852, December 1852 to March 1858, and June 1859 to August 1874. At that time he retired as Chief Equerry but remained Clerk Marshal until he died in 1888.

Alfred’s daughter, Evelyn Cecilia Paget (Jane’s cousin), served as a Maid of Honour to Queen Victoria from 1874 until 1894. Another of Jane’s cousins, The Hon. Ethel Cadogan, also served as an Extra Maid of Honour from 1876-1880, Maid of Honour from 1880-1897, and Woman of the Bedchamber from 1897 until 1901.

Henry Paget, 2nd Marquess of Anglesey by Camille Silvy, albumen carte-de-visite, 23 July 1861. source: National Portrait Gallery, NPG Ax7420

Another of her mother’s brothers was Henry Paget, Earl of Uxbridge (later 2nd Marquess of Anglesey), who served as a Lord in Waiting to The Queen from 1837 to 1839, and then as Lord Chamberlain of the Household from 1839 to 1841 (succeeding Jane’s father).

Lady Adelaide Cadogan (née Paget) by Camille Silvy. albumen print, 22 June 1863. source: National Portrait Gallery, NP Ax63220

Her mother’s half-sister, Lady Adelaide Paget, served as one of the train bearers at Queen Victoria’s Coronation in 1838. One of her mother’s first cousins, Lady Matilda Paget, was a Maid of Honour to The Queen from 1837 until 1855.

Henry William Paget, 1st Marquess of Anglesey, attributed to George Dawe, oil on canvas, c1817. source: National Portrait Gallery, NPG 1581

Her maternal grandfather, Henry Paget, 1st Marquess of Anglesey, served as Lord High Steward of England at the coronation of King George IV in 1821; Master-General of the Ordnance from 1827-1828 and 1846-1852; and twice served as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, from 18281-1829 and 1830-1833.

Francis George Spencer, 2nd Baron Churchill by Southwell Brothers albumen carte-de-visite, 1862-1863. source: National Portrait Gallery, NPG Ax7435

On May 19, 1849, Jane married Francis Spencer, 2nd Baron Churchill, at Bifrons Park in Patrixbourne, Kent. He was the son of Francis Spencer, 1st Baron Churchill and Lady Frances FitzRoy. The couple had one son:

Jane was appointed Lady of the Bedchamber in 1854. She quickly became one of Queen Victoria’s most trusted confidantes. She was so trusted that in 1858, Queen Victoria asked Jane to accompany The Princess Royal to Berlin following her marriage to Prince Friedrich of Prussia (later Emperor Friedrich III), to help the Princess acclimate to her new home and also to provide Queen Victoria with detailed observations about life in the Prussian court. Lady Jane spent several weeks there before returning to Britain.

Jane’s influence with Queen Victoria became stronger following the death of Prince Albert in 1861. Queen Victoria no longer wanting to deal directly with many in her household, often used Jane to pass notes and requests to her staff and courtiers. Her devotion to the Queen was without question, and she was deemed by many as being the most influential and powerful people in Queen Victoria’s inner circle. While this occasionally ruffled feathers with some members of the household, most found her to be a very kind and caring person who put the needs and wishes of The Queen above all others.

Osborne House. photo: by WyrdLight.com, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12766661

Widowed in 1886, Jane remained at The Queen’s side for the rest of her life. On Christmas Eve 1900, The Dowager Baroness Churchill died in her sleep in her room at Osborne House, after over 45 years of service, companionship, and friendship to Queen Victoria. She was buried several days later in Finstock, Oxfordshire. The Queen was not told of her death immediately, as her doctors felt the news would be devastating to her already weakened health. Once told, she was heartbroken, and sent a wreath for Jane’s funeral with a handwritten note – “A mark of most loving affection and grateful remembrance from her devoted friend, Victoria, R.I.” Less than a month later, The Queen also passed away at Osborne House.

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.

Recommended Book – Serving Queen Victoria: Life in the Royal Household by Kate Hubbard

Jane Loftus, Marchioness of Ely, Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Victoria

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2018

Jane Loftus, Marchioness of Ely; painting by Charles-Lucien-Louis Muller, 1856. source: Royal Collection Trust RCIN 404891

Jane Loftus, Marchioness of Ely was a Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Victoria from 1851 until 1889. She then served as an Extra Lady of the Bedchamber until she died in 1890. Ladies of the Bedchamber were always wives of peers. Only one Lady of the Bedchamber was in waiting at a time. She was always ready to attend to the Queen. The Lady-in-Waiting attended all State occasions and presided over the Household table when the Mistress of the Robes was not in residence. A Lady of the Bedchamber had two to three waits a year from twelve to thirty days at a time.

Born Jane Hope-Vere on December 3, 1821 to James Hope-Vere and Lady Elizabeth Hay, a daughter of the 7th Marquess of Tweeddale. Jane had seven siblings:

  • Hannah Hope-Vere – married Keith Stewart-Mackenzie, had issue
  • Sophia Hope-Vere – unmarried
  • Henrietta Hope-Vere – unmarried
  • Harriet Hope-Vere – married (1) Sir Edward Gooch, 6th Baronet, had issue; (2) Major John St. Leger, no issue
  • William Hope-Vere – married Lady Mary Boyle, had issue
  • Charles Hope-Vere – married Julia Craigie-Halkett, no issue
  • Georgina Hope-Vere – married (1855) Charles Wilson, had issue

Through her mother, Jane was a first cousin of Elizabeth (Hay) Wellesley, Duchess of Wellington, who served as a Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Victoria from 1843-1858, and as Mistress of the Robes from 1861-1868, and again from 1874-1880.

Her maternal grandparents, the Marquess and Marchioness of Tweeddale had traveled to Europe in 1802 when the Marquess’s health began to decline. In France in 1803, when war began again between France and Britain, the couple were taken into custody with other British subjects and were imprisoned in the Fortress of Verdun. Both the Marchioness and the Marquess died there in May and August 1804, respectively.

On October 29, 1844, Jane married John Loftus, 3rd Marquess of Ely. He was the son of John Loftus, 2nd Marquess of Ely and Anna Maria Dashwood. They had two children:

  • Lady Marion Loftus (c1847) – married (1) George Springfield; (2) Sir James Bourne; (3) James Buchanan; (4) Rev. James Weller
  • John Loftus, 4th Marquess of Ely (1849) – married Caroline Caithness, no issue

While neither of her children served in the royal household, her niece, Adeline Loftus (daughter of her husband’s sister), was a Maid of Honour to Queen Victoria from 1889 until 1892.

The Marchioness of Ely with her son, c1860. photo by John & Charles Watkins. source: National Portrait Gallery NPG x134191

After her marriage, the family spent much of their time at Loftus Hall in County Wexford, Ireland, and traveled extensively throughout Europe. It was on these travels that Jane developed friendships with Queen Sophie of the Netherlands and the Empress Eugenie of France. Some years later, in 1856, she represented Queen Victoria at the christening of Eugenie’s son, Napoleon, Prince Imperial.

The Marchioness of Ely (right) with Queen Victoria (center), Prince Arthur, and the Hon. Flora MacDonald, on the terrace at Osborne House, August 1854. source: Royal Collection Trust RCIN 2906148

In 1851, Jane was appointed Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Victoria and quickly became one of the Queen’s most trusted confidantes.  Despite her misgivings about her suitability for the role, Jane threw herself fully into her responsibilities, often at the expense of her health and well-being.  After being widowed in 1857, she became even more devoted to The Queen.  Following the death of Prince Albert in 1861, she found herself one of the “gatekeepers” for Victoria, often stepping in to handle issues within the household that The Queen had previously handled in person.  While she often alienated some members of the royal household, others found her useful in getting issues or requests through to The Queen.

After Princess Louise married John Campbell, Marquess of Lorne in 1871, Jane became a more permanent resident of the royal household, living primarily with The Queen in her various residences, and spending less time at her own homes, or with her family.

The Dowager Marchioness of Ely, photographed c1885. source: Royal Collection Trust RCIN 2912532

Following the death of her only son in April 1889, Jane resigned her position as Lady of the Bedchamber and was appointed an Extra Lady of the Bedchamber. The Dowager Marchioness of Ely died on June 1, 1890, at her home at 22 Wilton Place in Knightsbridge, London. She is buried beside her husband at Kensal Green Cemetery in London.

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.

Recommended Book – Serving Queen Victoria: Life in the Royal Household by Kate Hubbard