Prince Michael of Greece

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2019

Prince Michael of Greece – photo: Yorgos Papadakis. source: Prince Michael’s Chronicles

Prince Michael of Greece and Denmark was the son of Prince Christopher of Greece and Princess Françoise of Orléans. Born in Rome on January 7, 1939, Michael was an only child. His godparents included two of his first cousins – Princess Helen of Greece, Queen Mother of Romania, and King George II of the Hellenes. Some of his other first cousins include The Duke of Edinburgh, Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent, King Alexander of Greece and King Paul of Greece.

Michael’s father died when he was just a year old, and with the onset of World War II, he and his mother left Italy and moved to Morocco to live with his maternal grandmother. In 1948, they moved to Paris where Michael began his education. In 1953, Michael’s mother died, and he was then raised by his uncle, Henri, Comte de Paris. Michael graduated from the Institut d’Etudes Politiques in Paris in 1960, with a degree in Political Science. He returned to Greece in 1959 and served four years in the Greek Army.

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On February 7, 1965, in the ballroom at the Royal Palace in Athens, Prince Michael married Greek artist Marina Karella, the daughter of Theodore Karella and Elly Chalikiopoulos. Although he was third in line for the Greek throne at the time, Michael’s marriage was considered unequal and he was forced to relinquish his succession rights to receive the consent of King Constantine II. Marina did not receive the title Princess of Greece and Denmark nor the style of Royal Highness. She was instead styled as Marina, Consort of Prince Michael of Greece and Denmark. Their wedding was attended by many members of the Greek royal family, as well as members of several foreign royal and noble families, and King Constantine II served as Michael’s best man.

Michael and Marina has two daughters, neither of whom have dynastic rights but are styled as Princesses of Greece:

After the overthrow of the Greek monarchy in 1967, Michael and his wife were the only members of the royal family permitted to remain in the country. However, they decided to leave in 1972 and settled in Paris. By then an established author, Michael continued his writing. The family later moved to New York in 1980 where they lived for 13 years before returning to Paris, and eventually to Greece.

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Prince Michael wrote over 30 books, biographies, and historical novels as well as fine arts and photography books, and was a contributing writer to Architectural Digest. He maintained his own website filled with stories and recollections from his life, and many of the people, and events, in it. A listing of his works can be found here.

In 2008, Michael and his wife founded the ELIZA Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, in Greece. The society’s purpose is to protect children suffering from abuse and neglect. For Michael and Marina, the motivation to get involved went back to their time in New York in the early 1990s. Prince Michael met a young girl, named Elisa Izquierdo, at a preschool. The two quickly developed a bond, and the Prince offered to pay her school tuition through high school. In 1995, at just 6 years old, Elisa was murdered by her mother. Her death led to public outrage and demands for better treatment and advocacy for children. Elisa’s Law was passed in New York State the following year, redefining the responsibilities of the state and social services, and increasing the accountability of all involved in child protection. Prince Michael and his wife were devastated by what happened to Elisa and decided to use their resources and recognition to help bring awareness.

Prince Michael of Greece died on July 28, 2024, at the age of 85, in a hospital in Athens, Greece.

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Princess Françoise of Orléans, Princess of Greece and Denmark

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2019

Princess Françoise of Orléans; Credit – Wikipedia

Princess Françoise Isabelle Louise Marie d’Orléans was the second wife of Prince Christopher of Greece and Denmark. She was born in Paris, France on December 25, 1902, the second child of Prince Jean of Orléans, Duke of Guise, an Orléanist pretender to the throne of France, and Princess Isabelle of Orléans. Françoise had three siblings:

Françoise was a great-great-granddaughter of Louis Philippe I, King of the French, four times over. All four of her grandparents were grandchildren of Louis Philippe. She was also the great-granddaughter of   Emperor Pedro I of Brazil and King Ferdinand VII of Spain.

Françoise spent her early years at the family home in Le Nouvion-en-Thiérache in northern France before the family moved to Morocco in 1909. Settling in the small town of Larache, they lived in relatively spartan conditions for several years, before finally moving to a more comfortable villa in 1918. During this time, Morocco was split between France and Spain. The family found themselves on both sides – their home was in the Spanish zone while their farm was in the French zone. Françoise and her siblings were given a strict education by their mother, learning several languages, and she also became a proficient horsewoman. She was so skilled that she was later the only woman permitted to train at the Roman Military Cavalry School at Tor di Quinto in Rome.

On holiday in France when World War I began, the family returned to Morocco but quickly returned to France. Her father joined the Red Cross and her mother Françoise and her siblings took care of wounded soldiers at a military hospital set up at the Chateau de Randan – the home of her grandmother, The Countess of Paris. Several months later, Françoise, her mother, and her siblings returned to Morocco, this time settling in the French zone. Following the war, they returned to Larache and resumed their regular visits to France.

In 1921, Françoise was proposed as a potential bride for King Alexander I of Yugoslavia. Despite the agreement of the French government, nothing came of the idea, and Alexander went on to marry Princess Maria of Romania. A few years later, however, Françoise would meet the man who would become her husband.

Prince Christopher of Greece. source: Wikipedia

In 1925, at the wedding of Princess Mafalda of Italy and Prince Philipp of Hesse-Kassel, Françoise met her future husband, Prince Christopher of Greece. He was the youngest son of King George I of the Hellenes and Grand Duchess Olga Konstantinovna of Russia. Several years later, at the encouragement of her aunt, the Duchess of Aosta, the two meet again and soon a romance begins. Although Christopher was 13 years older and widowed, Françoise was attracted to his sense of humor and artistic abilities. A few weeks later, the couple decided to become engaged but first, they had to address the issue of religion. Christopher was Greek Orthodox, and Françoise was Catholic, which meant they would need a dispensation from the Pope, who was greatly opposed to the idea. Finally, after lengthy negotiations, they received permission and were able to marry.

A civil ceremony was held on February 10, 1929, followed by a religious ceremony the following day in the Palatine Chapel at the Royal Palace of Palermo. Their witnesses were King Manuel II of Portugal, The Duke of Aosta, King George II of the Hellenes, and The Prince of Piedmont (later King Umberto II of Italy). The couple settled at Villa Anastasia in Rome, and several years later, had their only child:

Following their marriage, the couple soon found themselves in dire financial circumstances. The administrator of her husband’s finances absconded with the money, and Françoise was forced to borrow money from her father. She also posed for several advertising photos, which was considered very scandalous at the time. Their financial situation improved somewhat after the Greek monarchy was restored in 1935. Françoise and her husband returned to Greece occasionally for important ceremonies and events, including the burials of King Constantine I, Queen Sophie, and Queen Olga at Tatoi Palace (all of whom had died while in exile). They also returned in 1838 for the marriage of the future King Paul of the Hellenes and Princess Friederike of Hanover. The following year, they welcomed their only child, Prince Michael.

Just a year after the birth of their son, tragedy struck. Prince Christopher traveled to Athens to meet with his nephew, King George II, about the events happening in Europe and the onset of World War II. While there, he developed an abscess in his lungs, which quickly took his life. Françoise rushed to get to Greece but could not get there before Christopher’s death on January 21, 1940.

Now very much in financial straits, Françoise traveled to Paris where she sold some of the jewels she’d received from her mother-in-law on her wedding day. She also decided to leave Italy and the fascist regime. After being advised against settling in Athens because of the war, she and her son ended up at her parents’ home in Larache, Morocco, along with her sister and her children. She later moved to Tangiers after her father’s death, but soon returned to Larache. By the fall of 1944, Françoise’s mother could no longer afford to support all of the family at Larache, so Françoise took her son and moved to Malaga, Spain, where they lived at the Miramar Hotel. In 1948, they left Spain and returned to Paris, where they lived with her sister, Isabelle, and her second husband, Prince Pierre Murat.

Grave of Prince Christopher and Princess Françoise. photo: By Catlemur – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=65380068

Over the next few years, Françoise became very introverted and greatly limited her social interactions. Riddled with depression, her health quickly declined. She died in Paris, France on February 25, 1953, two months after her 50th birthday. Her funeral was held at the Saint-Louis Chapel in Dreux and was attended by many European royals. Several weeks later, her remains were buried alongside her husband in the Royal Cemetery at Tatoi Palace in Greece.

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Nancy Stewart Worthington Leeds, Princess Christopher of Greece

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Nancy Stewart Worthington Leeds, Princess Christopher of Greece; Credit – Wikipedia

Nancy Stewart Worthington Leeds was the first wife of Prince Christopher of Greece and Denmark. She was born Nonie May Stewart on January 20, 1878, in Zanesville, Ohio, the daughter of William Charles Stewart and Mary Holden. She was educated privately at home, and then attended Miss Porter’s School in Farmington, Connecticut. Nonie was married three times.

Her first marriage, to George Ely Worthington, took place in Cleveland, Ohio on October 1, 1894. Nonie was just 16 at the time but listed her age as 18 on her marriage certificate. Her husband was the grandson of a wealthy industrialist and the couple lived very comfortably in Cleveland. They had no children, and the couple separated in 1899.

William Bateman Leeds. source: Wikipedia

The following year, on August 3, 1900 – three days after her divorce from George Worthington was final – May (as she was now known) married William Bateman Leeds. Leeds, known as the “Tin King” had amassed a vast fortune in the tin industry. A former florist, William later joined with several partners to open the American Tin Plate Company. They sold that company to the United States Steel Corporation in 1898 for about 40 million dollars and then invested much of their profits in the railroad industry. Upon their marriage, William gave May jewelry valued well over a million dollars and a mansion on Fifth Avenue in New York City valued at over 2 million dollars. Two years later, the couple welcomed their only child:

After just eight years of marriage, May’s husband died in Paris, France in June 1908, leaving a fortune of nearly 40 million dollars. Now a very wealthy woman, Nancy May Leeds (as she was now known) became a prominent member of European high society.

Prince Christopher and Princess Anastasia with Dowager Queen Olga, on their wedding day. source: Wikipedia

It was while visiting Biarritz, France in 1914 that Nancy met Prince Christopher, the youngest child of King George I of the Hellenes and Grand Duchess Olga Konstantinovna of Russia. According to Christopher’s memoirs, the two quickly fell in love and decided to marry. Their engagement was first announced in 1914, but it would be six years before they married. There was much reservation within the Greek royal family over the bride being an American and already married twice. In addition, the monarchy was facing considerable upheaval with the onset of World War I. Finally, the couple was married in an Orthodox ceremony on February 1, 1920, in Vevey, Switzerland. Several days after the marriage, Nancy converted to Orthodoxy and took the name Anastasia.

A year after their marriage, Anastasia’s son married Christopher’s niece Princess Xenia Georgievna of Russia. Xenia is perhaps best known for being a major supporter of Anna Anderson – the woman who claimed to be the Grand Duchess Anastasia of Russia. Xenia took Anna Anderson into her home and believed she was actually Anastasia.

Christopher and Anastasia, c1923. source: Wikipedia

Not long after her marriage to Christopher, Anastasia was diagnosed with cancer. She died on August 29, 1923, at Spencer House in London, England. Per her wishes, her remains were interred alongside her parents in the Stewart family mausoleum in Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx, New York City.

Stewart family mausoleum; Photo – www.findagrave.com

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Princess Maria of Greece, Grand Duchess Maria Georgievna of Russia

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2019

Princess Maria of Greece, Grand Duchess Maria Georgievna of Russia; Credit: Wikipedia

Princess Maria of Greece was the second daughter and fifth child of King George I of the Hellenes and Grand Duchess Olga Konstantinovna of Russia. She was born at the Royal Palace in Athens on March 3, 1876, and had seven siblings:

Maria, known within the family as Minnie, was raised primarily at the Royal Palace in Athens, where she was educated privately. In addition to history and geography, she learned several languages, becoming fluent in German, English, and French at a young age in addition to Danish, Russian, and Greek. The family often holidayed in Denmark, and she was very close to her first cousin Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna of Russia. Later, she and Xenia would also become sisters-in-law by marrying two brothers.

Princess Maria of Greece and Grand Duke George Mikhailovich of Russia, c1900. source: Royal Collection Trust RCIN 2927293

Fiercely patriotic, Maria declared that she would not marry if it would mean leaving Greece. But soon a marriage was arranged, one which she was against from the beginning. After much coercing from her parents and her conceding to her demand that she would retain her place in the line of succession to the Greek throne and her position within the Royal Family, Maria married Grand Duke George Mikhailovich of Russia, in Corfu on April 30, 1900. He was the son of Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolaevich of Russia and Princess Cecilie of Baden. The couple lived in apartments at the Mikhailovsky Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia, and later built a palace in the Crimea.

Maria, now Grand Duchess Maria Georgievna, and her husband had two daughters:

The marriage was never particularly happy. Maria was not in love with her husband, despite his apparent devotion to her. She soon found excuses to leave Russia, and her husband, and spent more time in Greece and elsewhere in Europe, often using her daughters’ health as the reason for her travels. When World War I began, Maria was living in Harrogate, England with her two daughters and chose to remain there and not return to Russia. While in England, she was the patron of several military hospitals which she funded herself. Her husband, like many in the Russian Imperial Family, was murdered by the Bolsheviks with three other Grand Dukes of Russia in January 1919, leaving Maria a widow.

Maria with her daughters, c1918. source: Wikipedia

In 1920, Maria was able to return to Greece when her eldest brother King Constantine I was brought back to power. She traveled aboard a Greek destroyer commanded by Admiral Pericles Ioannidis, and a romance developed. The couple married two years later, on December 16, 1922,  in Wiesbaden, Germany. They had no children.

The couple settled in Athens but In 1924, the Second Hellenic Republic was declared and the monarchy was abolished. They lived many years in exile, first in the United Kingdom until 1925, and then in Italy until 1935. In 1935, Perikles and Maria were able to return to Greece when the monarchy was restored with Maria’s nephew King George II on the throne. Perikles and Maria’s marriage did have its issues. Perikles had mistresses and often gave his mistresses jewelry stolen from his wife. Maria lost money playing backgammon and Perikles was forced to carefully monitor their expenses.

Tomb of Princess Maria and Pericles Ioannidis. photo: by Kostisl – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=25382837

Maria died of a heart attack in Athens on December 14, 1940, amid the Greco-Italian War. She is buried at the Royal Cemetery at Tatoi Palace near Athens, Greece. Admiral Perikles Ioannidis survived his wife by twenty-five years, dying in Athens, Greece on February 7, 1965, at the age of 83. He was buried with his wife in the Royal Cemetery at Tatoi Palace.

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Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna of Russia, Princess Nicholas of Greece

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2019

Elena Vladimirovna of Russia, Princess Nicholas of Greece; Credit – Wikipedia

Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna of Russia was the wife of Prince Nicholas of Greece. She was born January 17, 1882, the only daughter of Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich of Russia and Duchess Marie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Through her father, she was the granddaughter of Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia, niece of Alexander III, Emperor of All Russia, and first cousin of Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia. Elena had four older brothers:

Elena was raised at several palaces in Russia, as the family moved around frequently throughout the year. In St. Petersburg, they lived in the grand Vladimir Palace and spent their summers at Tsarskoye Selo. There were also frequent visits to her mother’s family in Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Raised in a world of inordinate wealth, and the only girl in a family of boys, Elena was very spoiled and doted upon by her brothers. She developed a fiery temper and, much like her mother, she was very aware of her social status and rank, and was quick to remind anyone who treated her too informally. In the late 1890s, she became engaged to Prince Max of Baden, but he soon called off the engagement.

Nicholas and Elena at their wedding, August 1902. source: Wikipedia

On August 29, 1902, at Tsarskoye Selo, Elena married her second cousin Prince Nicholas of Greece, the son of King George I of the Hellenes and Grand Duchess Olga Konstantinovna of Russia. The two had first met at a party in Livadia, Russia in 1894, and then again at the coronation of their first cousin Nicholas II, Emperor of All of Russia in 1896. Several years later, in the summer of 1900, a romance began and Nicholas soon proposed. Elena’s mother was against the marriage, feeling that Nicholas was too poor and had no prospect for the Greek throne. Eventually, she relented, and the couple became engaged in June 1902. The marriage was a happy from most accounts, and they had three daughters:

The former Nicholas Palace, now the Italian Embassy, in Athens. photo: by C messier — Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=47199266

Following their honeymoon at Ropsha Palace, the couple arrived in Greece and took up residence in a wing of the Royal Palace. They later moved to their new home, the Nicholas Palace in Athens, a wedding gift from Nicholas II of Russia.

Elena was visiting her mother in Russia when World War I broke out, and she quickly returned home to Athens. The Russian Revolution and the overthrow of the Russian Imperial Family saw her fortune diminish overnight. Already having been deprived of her assets in Russia, she lost them completely when the Provisional Government confiscated all the estates and assets of the Romanovs.

In Greece, things were not good either. King Constantine I, Elena’s brother-in-law, was removed from the throne and went into exile. Elena and her family joined him in Switzerland. There, they spent winters in St. Moritz and the rest of the year in Zurich and Lucerne. With her fortune gone, the family suffered the first financial difficulties for the first time in Elena’s life. 1920 saw Constantine return to the Greek throne, and the family made their way back to Greece. However, their return would be short-lived. In 1922, King Constantine abdicated and the family all returned to Switzerland. The next few years were spent moving around Europe. The family lived in San Remo, Florence, and London before settling in Paris, where they were helped financially by her brother-in-law, Prince George of Greece, and his very wealthy wife Princess Marie Bonaparte. They also leased their Nicholas Palace in Athens to the Hotel Grande Bretagne, which provided the family with a comfortable income.

1914 portrait by de László. source: Wikipedia

While in exile, Elena helped to support the many Russians who had fled to France after the Bolshevik Revolution. She helped establish an Orthodox Cemetery in Sainte-Geneviève-Des-Bois and supported a home for elderly refugees. In 1924, Elena established and helped fund an orphanage near Saint-Germain-en-Laye, providing housing and education for orphans. She sold some of her priceless jewels to help fund many of her ventures.

In addition to her charitable efforts, Elena focused much of her attention on the upbringing and education of her daughters. This included trying to arrange prominent marriages for each of them. The eldest daughter Olga was sent to London, hoping to catch the eye of the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII), with no success. In 1923, Olga married Prince Paul of Yugoslavia. The second daughter Elena was presented as a possible bride for the future King Umberto II of Italy and Prince Nicholas of Romania before marrying Count Carl Theodor of Toerring-Jettenbach. The Prince of Wales was also considered for the youngest daughter Marina, again without success. Instead, Marina married his younger brother George, The Duke of Kent, in 1934.

The family returned to Greece again in 1935, after the monarchy was restored, and King George II returned to the throne. In 1938, Elena lost two of the people most close to her. In February 1938, her husband died in Athens, and later that year, her brother Cyril died in Paris. As she had never accepted her other brothers’ morganatic marriages, Cyril was the only one of her siblings left with whom she maintained a relationship.

When Germany invaded Greece in 1941, Elena chose to remain in Athens and not join the rest of the Greek royal family in exile. Elena and her sister-in-law Princess Alice, born Princess Alice of Battenberg, both stayed and worked together, organizing soup kitchens and helping those in need throughout Athens. Despite their previous frosty relationship, the two develop a friendship and provide much-needed moral support to each other in the years ahead. When Athens was liberated, Elena faced accusations of conspiring with the Germans, who had treated her very kindly during their occupation. When fighting broke out in December 1944, Elena was forced from her home and took up residence with Princess Alice at the home of their brother-in-law, Prince George. In 1946 the monarchy was restored, and King George II returned to the throne. Having been nearly totally cut off from her family during the war, Elena was able to meet up with her daughter Olga in 1947. Two years later, she reunited with daughters Elisabeth and Marina, neither of whom she had seen in eight years.

Tombs of Elena and Nicholas. photo: by HellenicSpirit — Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=53526810

Elena lived the rest of her life in Greece, enjoying a close relationship with King Paul and Queen Friederike, and a particularly close bond with the future King Constantine II. She died at her home in Athens on March 13, 1957. Following her funeral, her remains were interred alongside her husband at the Royal Cemetery at Tatoi Palace.

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Baronet and Baronetess

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2019

Sir Denis Thatcher, 1st Baronet, of Scotney in the County of Kent. source: WIkipedia

While not considered a rank within the peerage, a baronetcy is another hereditary title granted by the British sovereign. The title first appeared in the 1300s, but it was not until 1611 that the title became commonly used. In 1611, King James I issued Letters Patent granting Baronetcies to 200 men. In return, they were required to pay for the upkeep of 30 soldiers for three years. Eight years later, he created the Baronetage of Ireland. In 1625, King Charles I created the Baronetage of Nova Scotia, to raise funds and support for the colonization of the now Canadian province. After failing to reach his desired 150 Scottish grantees, he allowed English and Irish men to be created Baronets in Nova Scotia as well. Upon the Act of Union 1707, new baronets were created in the Baronetage of Great Britain (and since 1801, the Baronetage of the United Kingdom).

Baronets (and Baronetesses in their own right) hold precedence following all members of the peerage, but above all knighthoods other than the Order of the Garter and the Order of the Thistle. The title traditionally descends to male heirs, but sometimes special remainder allows them to pass to daughters and their male heirs; sons-in-law; and sometimes to whoever holds ownership of the property or estate.

Baronetesses in their own right
There have been only four women who were Baronetesses in their own right. Of them, three were inherited titles, while only one was created a Baronetess in her own right.

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As of September 1, 2017, there were approximately 1204 extant baronetcies, although an exact count is uncertain as there could be many which are technically extant but have not been claimed or proven by current holders. Approximately 242 of these baronetcies are held by members of the Peerage.

The creation of Baronetcies basically ended on December 31, 1964. Since then, only one Baronetcy has been created. In February 1991, Denis Thatcher, husband of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, was granted a hereditary Baronetage. (This is also the last hereditary peerage granted to anyone other than members of the British Royal Family.)

Titles and Styles
Baronetcies are created with a territorial designation (ex. John Smith, Baronet Smith of London), and usually include the surname. These territorial designations are not usually used in casual reference, unless to differentiate several baronets with the same surname (example: Baronet Smith of London, Baronet Smith of Manchester, etc). Holders are entitled to Sir or Dame before their name, and the post-honorific of ‘Bt’ or ‘Btss’ following their name.

  • A Baronet is styled Sir (first name) (surname), Bt, and is addressed as Sir (first name).
  • A Baronetess, in her own right, is styled Dame (first name) (surname), Btss, and is addressed as Dame (first name).
  • A wife of a Baronet is not styled or addressed as a Baronetess. Instead, they are styled and addressed as Lady (surname).
  • Children of a Baronet are not accorded any courtesy titles or styles.

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January 28, 1919 – Execution of Four Russian Grand Dukes

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2019

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

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Grand Duke Paul, Alexandrovich; Credit – Wikipedia

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

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

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

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

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Grand Duke Dmitri Konstantinovich; Credit – Wikipedia

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

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

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

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Grand Duke Nicholas Mikhailovich; Credit – Wikipedia

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

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

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

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Grand Duke George Mikhailovich; Credit – Wikipedia

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Works Cited

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

Prince Nicholas of Greece

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2019

Prince Nicholas of Greece; Credit – Wikipedia

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

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

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

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

Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna of Russia. source: Wikipedia

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

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

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

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

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Princess Marie Bonaparte, Princess George of Greece

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

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

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

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

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

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

The couple had two children:

Marie with her children, 1912. source: Wikipedia

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Baron and Baroness, and Lord of Parliament

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2019

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

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

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

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

John Granville Morrison, Baron Margadale. source: Wikipedia

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Titles and Styles

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

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