Maria Vladimirovna Dolgorukova, Tsaritsa of All Russia

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2018

Credit – https://alchetron.com/Maria-Dolgorukova

Born about 1598, Princess Maria Vladimirovna Dolgorukova, the first wife of Michael I, Tsar of All Russia, was the only child of Prince Vladimir Timofeevich Dolgorukov and his first wife Princess Maria Eletskaya. Vladimir Timofeevich served as a military commander for three tsars and was appointed Viceroy of Kazan by Michael I.

Maria Vladimirovna had three half-siblings from her father’s third marriage to Princess Marfa Vasilievna Barbashina:

  • Marfa Vladimirovna Dolgorukova (circa 1600 – 1634 ), married Prince Ivan Ivanovich Pugovka Shuisky, brother of the late Tsar Vasily Shuisky
  • Elena Vladimirovna Dolgorukova (circa 1602 – 1632 )
  • Fetinya Vladimirovna Dolgorukova (circa 1672 ), married Prince Yuri Andreevich Sitsky

In 1616, Michael selected a bride, Maria Ivanovna Khlopova. Michael was naive and inexperienced in court politics and had chosen a bride who had no allies at court. When Maria Ivanovna and her family arrived at court for the betrothal, the court intrigue began. The Saltykovs, relatives of Michael’s mother, arranged to have a strong emetic placed in Maria Ivanovna’s food, resulting in violent spasms. Then the Saltykovs bribed several doctors to tell Michael that Maria Ivanovna suffered from an incurable disease and her family was deceiving him about her health. The wedding never took place and Michael was persuaded to send the Khlopova family to Siberia as punishment.

Michael’s mother, born Xenia Ivanovna Shestova, but now a nun known as Marfa, chose her son’s second wife, Maria Vladimirovna. One of Maria Vladimirovna’s sisters had married a brother of the late Tsar Vasily Shuisky and another sister had married a cousin of Michael’s father. It appears that the betrothal ceremony on July 12, 1623, was held in some secrecy. Records show that the bride’s name was not mentioned and her father’s name was not listed among the names of the nobles in attendance. Perhaps, in order to avoid the intrigues that plagued Maria Ivanovna Khlopova, the identity of the bride was kept secret until three days before the wedding.

Michael and Maria Vladimirovna were married on September 19, 1624, witnessed by many nobles and their wives. Celebrations continued the next day, but the new Tsaritsa became ill and was not present. It is unclear exactly what happened but five months later, on January 17, 1625, Maria Vladimirovna died. There were rumors at the time that she had been poisoned by the enemies of the Dolgorukov family. Chronicles of the time called her death a divine punishment for the fate of Maria Ivanovna Khlopova and her family.  Other contemporary writers said Maria Vladimirovna died giving birth to a stillborn baby.

On January 18, 1625, Maria Vladimirovna, Tsaritsa of All Russia was buried at the Ascension Convent, a Russian Orthodox comvent and cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin where royal and noble women were buried. In 1929, the Ascension Convent was dismantled by the Soviets in order to make room for the Red Commanders School. At that time, the remains of those buried there were moved to the crypt of the Archangel Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin.

Ascension Convent, Maria Vladimirovna’s original burial place; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Archangel Cathedral, Maria Vladimirovna’s current burial place; 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.

Romanov Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • En.wikipedia.org. (2017). Maria Dolgorukova. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Dolgorukova [Accessed 11 Nov. 2017].
  • Lincoln, W. Bruce. (1981). The Romanovs: Autocrats of  All the Russias. New York, NY.: Doubleday.
  • Ru.wikipedia.org. (2017). Долгорукова, Мария Владимировна. [online] Available at: https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%94%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%B3%D0%BE%D1%80%D1%83%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B0,_%D0%9C%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%8F_%D0%92%D0%BB%D0%B0%D0%B4%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%B8%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%BD%D0%B0 [Accessed 11 Nov. 2017].

Michael I, Tsar of All Russia

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2018

Michael I, Tsar of All Russia; Credit – Wikipedia

Michael I (Mikhail Feodorovich) was the first ruler of the House of Romanov. He was born July 22, 1596, in Moscow, the fifth of the six children of Feodor Nikitich Romanov and Xenia Ivanovna Shestova. His father was a boyar (noble) and was the first cousin of Tsar Feodor I, son of Tsar Ivan IV (the Terrible) by his first wife Anastasia Romanovna. Later Feodor Nikitich became Patriarch of Moscow, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Michael had four brothers who all died young and one sister:

  • Boris (born and died 1592)
  • Nikita (born and died 1593)
  • Lev (born and died 1597)
  • Tatiana (died 1611), married Prince Ivan Mikhailovich Katyrev-Rostovski, had one daughter
  • Ivan (born and died 1599)

Michael’s grandfather Nikita Romanovich Zakharyin-Yuriev was the elder brother of Tsaritsa Anastasia Romanova, wife of Tsar Ivan IV the Terrible). During the reign of his brother-in-law, Nikita Romanovich served as a general, statesman, and courtier. He refused to serve with the Oprichniki, an organization that suppressed people or groups opposed to the Tsar, often using violence. The honesty and decency of Tsaritsa Anastasia and her brother Nikita Romanovich during the turbulent and violent reign of Ivan the Terrible were remembered by the Russian people for decades. Nikita’s children were the first in Russia to use the surname Romanov, taken from Nikita’s patronymic Romanovich (son of Roman), which eventually became the name of the ruling dynasty of Russia.

In 1598, following the death of Feodor I, the son of Ivan the Terrible and the last of the Rurik dynasty, Russia fell into a succession crisis. Feodor I had no male heirs so the Russian Zemsky Sobor (feudal parliament) elected his brother-in-law Boris Godunov Tsar. Boris Godunov’s reign was marked by famine and anarchy.

In 1601, when Michael was five years old, his father Feodor Nikitich was accused of treason by Tsar Boris Godunov because he considered the Romanov family too powerful. Feodor and his wife were forced to take monastic vows under the names Filaret and Marfa. Filaret was exiled to a monastery and Marfa was separated from her surviving children Tatiana and Michael and exiled to a small village on the shore of Lake Onega 640 miles/1024 kilometers north of Moscow. Michael and his sister were secretly taken to an area that was an old Romanov stronghold by their paternal aunt.

After the death of Boris Godunov in 1605, Michael’s parents could resume a more normal life in Rostov where Filaret was raised to the position of Metropolitan (Archbishop) of Rostov. The couple still had to live apart because they were still under their monastic vows but they were able to spend time with their son and daughter. During the next eight years, a series of four tsars rules Russia. Together with the reign of Boris Godunov, this time period is known in Russian history as the Time of Troubles.

Michael in his coronation robes; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1613, 16-year-old Michael became the first ruler of the House of Romanov when he was elected Tsar of All Russia by the Russian nobility. The nobles rejected several other candidates, and Michael then became the consensus candidate. His ties to his great-aunt Tsaritsa Anastasia and his grandfather Nikita Romanovich made him popular with the Russian people. Michael had no ties to the noble families whose feuds had caused many problems. On July 22, 1613, in the Assumption Cathedral at the Moscow Kremlin, Michael’s coronation was held and the new ruling Romanov dynasty was founded.

In 1616, Michael selected a bride, Maria Ivanovna Khlopova. Michael was naive and inexperienced in court politics and had chosen a bride with no allies at court. When Maria Ivanovna and her family arrived at court for the betrothal, the court intrigue began. The Saltykovs, relatives of Michael’s mother, arranged to have a strong emetic placed in Maria Ivanovna’s food, resulting in violent spasms. Then the Saltykovs bribed several doctors to tell Michael that Maria Ivanovna suffered from an incurable disease and her family was deceiving him about her health. Michael was then persuaded to send the Khlopova family to Siberia as punishment. Several years later, Michael learned the truth and banished the Saltykovs from the court and took away some of their estates.

Filaret, Michael’s father, attempted to find a bride from Europe’s lesser royal families but Europe’s royalty was not yet willing to ally themselves with the new dynasty. On September 19, 1624, Michael married Maria Vladimirovna Dolgorukova, his mother’s choice, but she died four months after the wedding.

Mikhail Fyodorovich Choosing His Bride, by Ilya Repin; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1625, Michael ordered a bride-show, a custom of Byzantine emperors and Russian tsars to choose a wife from among the most beautiful maidens of the country. Sixty young Russian women were assembled and Eudoxia Lukyanovna Streshneva was Michael’s choice. On February 5, 1626, Michael and Eudoxia were married at the Annunciation Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin.

Eudoxia Lukyanovna Streshneva; Credit – Wikipedia

Michael and Eudoxia had ten children, but only four reached adulthood:

Although Michael was inexperienced at the beginning of his reign, his reign had many accomplishments including:

  • Making peace with Sweden (Treaty of Stolbovo) and Poland (Truce of Deulino) who were occupying parts of Russia
  • Restoring the economy and trade after the Times of Troubles
  • Reorganizing the army
  • Establishing strong centralized power throughout the country
  • Making an inventory of all land for tax purposes
  • Founding the first iron-making plant so weapons could be made in Russia
  • Founding a German settlement in Moscow for German engineers and military specialists – this would prove important for the reforms during the reign of Michael’s grandson Peter I (the Great)

Michael had a horse accident when he was younger and the results of that injury plagued him for the rest of his life. By the time he was 30-years-old, he was often carried around in an armchair. Michael I, Tsar of All Russia died in Moscow on July 23, 1645, at the age of 49 and was buried in the Archangel Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin where many of the earlier rulers of Russia were buried. His wife Eudoxia survived him by only a few weeks, dying on August 18, 1645.

Tomb of Michael I, Tsar of All Russia (third from the left). 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.

Romanov Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • En.wikipedia.org. (2017). Michael I of Russia. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_I_of_Russia [Accessed 11 Nov. 2017].
  • Lincoln, W. Bruce. (1981). The Romanovs: Autocrats of  All the Russias. New York, NY.: Doubleday.
  • Ru.wikipedia.org. (2017). Михаил Фёдорович. [online] Available at: https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9C%D0%B8%D1%85%D0%B0%D0%B8%D0%BB_%D0%A4%D1%91%D0%B4%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%87 [Accessed 11 Nov. 2017].

A Month Plus of Romanovs

Russian Imperial Coat of Arms; Credit – Wikipedia

Beginning with yesterday’s article about the execution of Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich on the 100th anniversary of his death, we will be having a month plus of articles about the Romanovs leading up to the 100th anniversary of the execution of Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia and his family on July 17. Starting on June 17, an article about a Romanov Tsar, Emperor, Empress, Grand Duke or Grand Duchess will be published daily. On July 17 and for a couple more days, articles about the Romanovs who were killed will be published.  After that, we will play a little catch-up with articles about the children of Alexander II, Emperor of All and Alexander III, Emperor of All Russia.
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Michael I, Tsar of All Russia, the first Romanov ruler of Russia, began his reign as a 16-year-old in 1613. In 1913, the Romanov Tercentenary, a country-wide celebration marking 300 years of Romanov rule, was observed but the ruling dynasty lasted only a few more years. Check out the Unofficial Royalty: Russian Index where we already have articles on some Romanovs and be sure to check back each day for another Romanov article.

June 13, 1918 – Execution of Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2018

Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich; Credit – Wikipedia

Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich was the first of the eighteen Romanovs who were killed during the Russian Revolution.  Born on December 4, 1878, he was the third of the three surviving sons and the fourth of the five surviving children of Alexander III, Emperor of All Russia and Princess Dagmar of Denmark (Empress Marie Feodorovna). After his brother George died in 1899, Michael was the heir to the Russian throne until the birth of his hemophiliac nephew Alexei, the only son of Michael’s eldest brother Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia, in 1904.

In 1910, Michael’s mistress Natalia Sergeyevna Wulfert gave birth to a son named George after Michael’s deceased brother. Michael and Natalia married morganatically in 1912 in Vienna, Austria, and were exiled from Russia until 1914 when Michael’s brother Nicholas allowed the couple and their son to return to Russia.

Natalia and Michael; Credit – Wikipedia

On March 15, 1917, when Nicholas II signed his abdication manifesto, he decided to abdicate in favor of his son Alexei but changed his mind after conferring with doctors who said the hemophiliac Alexei would not survive without his parents, who would surely be exiled. Nicholas then decided to abdicate in favor of his brother Michael. However, Michael declined to accept the throne unless the people were allowed to vote for the continuation of the monarchy or for a republic. Of course, that vote never happened.

After going through several periods of house arrests, Michael was arrested on March 7, 1918, along with his British secretary Nicholas Johnson, and imprisoned at the Bolshevik headquarters in St. Petersburg. Four days later, Michael and Johnson were sent to Perm, a thousand miles to the east. In Perm, the Bolshevik orders were that “Michael Romanov and Johnson are entitled to live in freedom under the surveillance of the local Soviet authorities.” Meanwhile, Natalia obtained a travel permit so she could join Michael in Perm. However, Michael and Natalia’s reunion did not last long. Because the Bolsheviks and the White Army were fighting in the area, Michael and Natalia feared that she could become trapped in Perm in a dangerous situation and so Natalia left on May 18, 1918, for Moscow. On May 21, 1918, Michael made the first of a number of “required” visits to the Perm office of the Cheka, the Soviet secret police.

Grand Duke Michael and Nicholas Johnson in Perm, April 1918; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Fears that the White Army might move into Perm and an unsuccessful White Army raid in Ekaterinburg, where Michael’s brother Nicholas and his family were being held, made the Cheka leaders in Perm develop a plan to abduct and kill Michael. Gavril Ilyich Myasnikov, the leader of the Perm Cheka who had spent seven years in a Siberian labor camp after the Russian Revolution of 1905, gathered a team of four men who, like him, were all former prisoners of the Tsarist regime. The five men met on the evening of June 12, 1918. The plan was simple – Michael was to be abducted from his room, taken into the woods, and shot. To avoid complications, the official story would be that Michael attempted to escape and was therefore shot. The conspirators’ meeting ended at 9:30 PM and Michael’s abduction was set for midnight.

Gavril Ilyich Myasnikov, in the middle, with his four conspirators; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

With forged orders to evacuate Michael, the group made their way to Michael’s room. The guards there said they needed to telephone the Cheka to confirm the evacuation orders which the armed men would not allow them to do. Michael also refused to cooperate. Eventually, the armed men had enough. One of them grabbed Michael, ordered him to go outside and motioned Johnson to follow. The armed men, Michael and Johnson drove three miles in horse-drawn carriages to the execution site.

Michael had been told they were going to a railroad crossing where he would board a train. The carriages stopped and Michael was told they would walk to the railroad crossing. After Michael and Johnson took only a few steps, two of the armed men simultaneously shot them. Johnson was wounded and the gun that was intended for Michael misfired. Michael, with his arms outstretched, ran to Johnson begging to say goodbye to him. Michael was shot and as he fell, he pulled Johnson down with him. Guns were then put to their temples and fired. It was approximately 2:00 AM on June 13, 1918. Michael was 39 and Johnson was 40.  Before the bodies were buried, they were stripped of all their clothes and possessions to prove that the executions had taken place. The remains of Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich and Nicholas Johnson have never been found.  In 1981, Grand Duke Michael and Nicholas Johnson were canonized as New-Martyrs of Russia by the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia.

Michael’s wife and son, Natalia and George, escaped from Russia. In 1931, George died in a car accident in Sens, France shortly before his 21st birthday. In 1952, Natalia died penniless in a charity hospital in Paris, France. Natalia and George were buried next to each in Passy Cemetery in Paris, France

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

  • Crawford, R. and Crawford, D. (2000). Michael and Natasha. New York: Post Road Press.
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2017). Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich of Russia. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Duke_Michael_Alexandrovich_of_Russia [Accessed 4 Nov. 2017].
  • Perry, J. and Pleshakov, K. (2008). The Flight of the Romanovs. New York: Basic Books.

Adelheid of Schaumburg-Lippe, Duchess of Saxe-Altenburg

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2018

Adelheid of Schaumburg-Lippe, Duchess of Saxe-Altenburg; Credit – Wikipedia

Princess Adelheid of Schaumburg-Lippe was the wife of Ernst II, the last reigning Duke of Saxe-Altenburg. She was born Princess Friederike Adelheid Marie Luise Hilda Eugenie on September 22, 1875, at Ratibořice Castle in Bohemia, the daughter of Prince Wilhelm of Schaumburg-Lippe and Princess Bathildis of Anhalt-Dessau. Adelheid had seven siblings:

Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg; Credit – Wikipedia

On February 17, 1898, at Bückeburg, Adelheid married Prince Ernst of Saxe-Altenburg. He was the son of Prince Moritz of Saxe-Altenburg and Princess Auguste of Saxe-Meiningen. Together they had four children:

Adelheid, the last Duchess of Saxe-Altenburg; Credit – Wikipedia

In February 1908, Adelheid became the last Duchess of Saxe-Altenburg when her husband succeeded his father as Duke. Their reign, however, would be relatively short-lived. Her husband was forced to abdicate on November 13, 1918, when the German Empire was abolished. Following the abdication, Adelheid felt that she no longer had to endure her husband’s affairs and the shame it brought to her marriage. The couple separated and was divorced on January 17, 1920.

Mausoleum in the park of Schloss Bückeburg. photo: Von Corradox – Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7328133

After remaining mostly out of the public eye for the rest of her life, Adelheid died in Ballenstedt, East Germany, on January 27, 1971, at the age of 95. She is buried in the Mausoleum Garden at Schloss Bückeburg, the traditional burial site of the Princely Family of Schaumburg-Lippe, in Bückeburg, Lower Saxony, Germany.

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.

Saxe-Altenburg Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Princess Adrienne of Sweden christened

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

Princess Adrienne of Sweden (Adrienne Josephine Alice), born March 9, 2018, and the youngest of the three children of Princess Madeleine of Sweden and Christopher O’Neill, was christened today, June 8, 2018, at the Drottningholm Palace Church. Today is also the fifth wedding anniversary of Princess Adrienne’s parents.  King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, Princess Adrienne’s grandfather,  hosted a reception and a luncheon for the invited guests at Drottningholm Castle.

The godparents are:

  • Miss Anouska d’Abo: niece of Christopher O’Neill
  • Mrs. Coralie Charriol Paul: a friend of the parents
  • Mr. Nader Panahpour: a friend of the parents
  • Freiherr Gustav Thott: a friend of the parents
  • Mrs. Charlotte Kreuger Cederlund: a friend of the parents
  • Mrs. Natalie Werner: a friend of the parents

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More information about the christening can be found at Swedish Royal Court: Princess Adrienne’s Christening with more information and photos from the Swedish Royal Court’s pages about the christening in Swedish.

Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg

by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2018

Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg: The Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg was created in 1826 when Friedrich, Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen became Duke of Saxe-Altenburg. After Friedrich IV, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg died in 1825 without heirs, the Ernestine duchies were reorganized. Gotha passed to the Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld becoming the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Altenburg passed to Friedrich. In exchange, the two Dukes ceded Saalfeld and Hildburghausen, respectively, to the Duke of Saxe-Meiningen.

As World War I ended, the last Duke of Saxe-Altenburg, Ernst II, was one of the first German sovereigns to realize that major changes were coming and quickly arrived at an amicable settlement with his subjects. He abdicated on November 13, 1918. Today the territory that encompassed the Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg is located in the German state of Thuringia.

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Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg; source  Wikipedia

Ernst II was the last reigning Duke of Saxe-Altenburg, succeeding his uncle, Ernst I, in 1908. Prince Ernst Bernhard Georg Johann Karl Friedrich Peter Albert was born in Altenburg, Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg, now in Thuringia, Germany, on August 31, 1871, the only son of Prince Moritz of Saxe-Altenburg and Princess Auguste of Saxe-Meiningen. Ernst had four sisters:

Raised at the Prince’s Palace in Altenburg, Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg, now in Thuringia, Germany, Ernst was very close to his sisters. After receiving his initial education at home, he attended the Vitzthumsche Gymnasium in Dresden, Kingdom of Saxony, now in the German state of Saxony,  from 1884-1886, and then the Christians-Gymnasium in Eisenberg, Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg, now in the German state of Thuringia,  from 1886-1889. Over the next three years, he studied at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland, the University of Jena, in the Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, now in Thuringia, Germany, and the University of Heidelberg, in the Grand Duchy of Baden, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Ernst then attended the War School in Kassel, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Hesse, Germany, and received his officer’s commission in 1894. That year, he joined the 1st Foot Guards Regiment of the Prussian Army as a Lieutenant.

Adelheid of Schaumburg-Lippe. source: Wikipedia

Ernst married Princess Adelheid of Schaumburg-Lippe on February 27, 1898, in Bückeburg, Principality of Schaumburg-Lippe, now in Lower Saxony, Germany. She was the daughter of Prince Wilhelm of Schaumburg-Lippe and Princess Bathildis of Anhalt-Dessau. Ernst and Adelheid had four children:

Ernst II with his wife and children, c1906. source: Wikipedia

Ernst became Duke following his uncle’s death on February 7, 1908. He was a popular ruler who made efforts to be close to his subjects. He would hold audiences for anyone who wanted to meet with him. He also pursued his interests in science and technology, opening an airfield in 1911, and owning one of the first cars in the duchy. During most of his reign, he continued with his military career. At the outbreak of World War I, he commanded a regiment that was part of the IV Army Corps on the Western Front. He was appointed General of the Infantry in 1914 and Commander of the 8th Division in 1915. He retired fully from military service in August 1916.

Ernst II abdicated on November 13, 1918, as the German Empire ended. Taking an apartment in Berlin, he studied at the University of Berlin, hearing lectures in physics, oceanography, and philosophy. Ernst and his wife separated, and their marriage formally ended in divorce on January 17, 1920. Later that year, he announced his engagement to an opera singer, Helena Thomas, but the marriage never took place.

Schloss Fröhliche Wiederkunft. photo: By Fovea112 – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=14542089

Although Ernst retained ownership of Altenburg Castle, he left the castle in 1922 and moved to Schloss Fröhliche Wiederkunft in Wolfersdorf, Germany one of the family’s privately owned estates. Literally translated as ‘The Castle of Happy Return’, the Schloss dated back to the 1500s and had been thoroughly restored and expanded in the 1850s and 1860s by Ernst’s great-uncle Joseph, the former Duke of Saxe-Altenburg.

Ernst had a modern observatory constructed at the Schloss to enjoy his love of astronomy.  Ernst began using the title Baron of Rieseneck, as he was forbidden from using his ducal title. It was not until 1934 that he was again permitted to use ‘Duke of Saxe-Altenburg’, but only as a surname. In the 1930s, he studied at the Astrophysical Institute at the University of Jena, further expanding his scientific knowledge. In 1934, he married his longtime companion, Maria Triebel (b. October 1893). As the marriage was morganatic, his new wife took the title Countess of Rieseneck. They had no children.

Ernst became a member of the Nazi Party in May 1937, and the following year received honorary citizenship from the City of Altenburg. He gifted Altenburg Castle to the city, in 1943. After World War II, he refused an offer to relocate to the British occupation zone, preferring to gain citizenship in the German Democratic Republic also known as East Germany. The East German government expropriated his beloved Schloss Fröhliche Wiederkunft in 1946, but Ernst was given the use of the residence for the remainder of his life.

At the age of 83, Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg died at Schloss Fröhliche Wiederkunft on March 22, 1955. He is buried in the Ducal Cemetery in Trockenborn-Wolfersdorf alongside his second wife. He was the only former German ruler who was a citizen of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany), and the last surviving sovereign from the German Empire. The Saxe-Altenburg line ended in 1991, following the death of Ernst’s son, Hereditary Prince Georg Moritz.

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.

Saxe-Altenburg Resources at Unofficial Royalty

The Queen’s Official Birthday

by Scott Mehl

source: British Monarchy; photo by David Bailey

This weekend, Queen Elizabeth II will celebrate her official birthday (although her actual date of birth is April 21st). The day is marked with the Trooping the Colour – also known as the Sovereign’s Birthday Parade. This tradition began in 1748, and has occurred nearly every year since 1820. The Queen herself will take the salute, continuing the tradition begun by her great-grandfather, King Edward VII. It was also Edward VII who moved his official birthday from November to June, to capitalize on the better weather. Since 1959, Her Majesty’s official birthday has been held on the second Saturday in June. Read more about Trooping the Colour here!

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The Sovereign also issues what is known as the Birthday Honours – a listing of those people being appointed to the various orders, or being awarded with various decorations and medals. Birthday Honours have been given annually since at least 1860, during the reign of Queen Victoria. This is one of two lists per year, the other being the New Year Honours.

This year, as we celebrate Her Majesty’s 92th birthday, our friends at Country & Stable have put together a fun page of facts and trivia about The Queen. Check it out and find out what The Queen was doing when she was your age!

What was the Queen doing at your age?

Agnes of Anhalt-Dessau, Duchess of Saxe-Altenburg

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2018

Agnes of Anhalt-Dessau, Duchess of Saxe-Altenburg; Credit – Wikipedia

Princess Agnes of Anhalt-Dessau was the wife of Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg. She was born Friederike Amalie Agnes on June 24, 1824, in Dessau, Duchy of Anhalt, now in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt, the daughter of Leopold IV Friedrich, Duke of Anhalt and Princess Friederike of Prussia. She had three siblings:

Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg. source: Wikipedia

On April 28, 1853, Agnes married Prince Ernst of Saxe-Altenburg, the son of Georg, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg and Duchess Marie Luise of Mecklenburg-Schwerin.

They had two children:

A few months after their marriage, Ernst and Agnes became Duke and Duchess of Anhalt following the death of Ernst’s father, Georg. Agnes became very involved in charity work, particularly in the area of nursing and education.

Agnes and Ernst, c1870. source: Wikipedia

From all accounts, the marriage was very happy and the two were very devoted to each other. For their 25th anniversary in 1878, Ernst gave Agnes the Princess Cross – a newly created miniature of the Knight’s Cross First Class of the Saxe-Ernestine House Order. They also established the Ernst-Agnes Foundation. In 1893, Agnes wrote a book entitled ‘A Word to Israel’, which discussed anti-semitism and Christianity in Germany. The book was later translated and published in Italian.

The Duchess Agnes Memorial Church. photo: by User:WikiABG – self-photographed, CC BY-SA 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=875509

Agnes died at the family’s summer residence, Schloss Hummelshain in Hummelshain, Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg, now in the German state of Thuringia, on October 23, 1897, and was initially buried in the Ducal Mausoleum in Altenburg Cemetery in Altenburg, Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg, now in the German state of Thuringia. Several years later, her husband had the Duchess Agnes Memorial Church (link in German) built in Altenburg in her honor. Once completed, her remains were moved to the crypt there, along with those of their son Georg who had died in infancy.

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Saxe-Altenburg Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2018

Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg: The Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg was created in 1826 when Friedrich, Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen became Duke of Saxe-Altenburg. After Friedrich IV, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg died in 1825 without heirs, the Ernestine duchies were reorganized. Gotha passed to the Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld becoming the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Altenburg passed to Friedrich. In exchange, the two Dukes ceded Saalfeld and Hildburghausen, respectively, to the Duke of Saxe-Meiningen.

As World War I ended, the last Duke of Saxe-Altenburg, Ernst II, was one of the first German sovereigns to realize that major changes were coming and quickly arrived at an amicable settlement with his subjects. He abdicated on November 13, 1918. Today the territory that encompassed the Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg is located in the German state of Thuringia.

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Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg; Credit – Wikipedia

Ernst I was the longest-reigning Duke of Saxe-Altenburg, reigning from 1853 until 1908. He was born Prince Ernst Friedrich Paul Georg Nikolaus of Saxe-Hildburghausen on September 16, 1826, to the future Georg, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg and Duchess Marie Luise of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Just two months after his birth, his title changed to Prince of Saxe-Altenburg, when his grandfather Friedrich ceased to be Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen and became Duke of Saxe-Altenburg. Ernst had two younger brothers:

Ernst attended the University of Jena from 1840 until 1843 along with his brother, Moritz. He then continued his education in Lausanne. In 1845, he began his military training, serving with the Saxe-Altenburg forces and then with the Prussian Army. After completing his education at the University of Leipzig, he became a First Lieutenant in the 1st Foot Guards Regiment in Potsdam.

Agnes of Anhalt-Dessau. source: Wikipedia

Ernst married Princess Agnes of Anhalt-Dessau on April 28, 1853, in Dessau, Duchy of Anhalt, now in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. She was the daughter of Leopold IV Friedrich, Duke of Anhalt and Princess Friederike of Prussia. They had two children:

Ernst I succeeded his father as Duke of Saxe-Altenburg on August 3, 1853. Unlike his predecessors, he left much of the running of the duchy to his ministers, preferring to focus his attention on social issues, and his personal pursuits. However, he remained very active in cultivating the duchy’s relationship with Prussia and the other German states. He joined Prussia in the Austro-Prussian War of 1866, although his forces were never involved in actual battles. For his efforts, he was given a guarantee of independence for Saxe-Altenburg, at a time when Prussia was annexing other territories, including the Kingdom of Hanover. Again joining the Prussians for the Franco-Prussian War in 1870, Ernst joined the military staff of Friedrich Franz II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. He later joined the staff of the 4th Army Corps, participating in the siege of Paris and the battles on the Loire.

Jagdschloss Hummelshain. photo: by Michael Sander – Own Work (self photographed), CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10112948

Meanwhile, at home, Ernst reorganized the government and helped to develop Altenburg into one of the major industrial cities in Germany. He oversaw the construction of a court theater in 1871 and was instrumental in establishing the Lindenau Museum several years later. An avid huntsman, he spent a lot of his time at the Jagdschloss Hummelshain, the family’s hunting lodge. After the lodge was destroyed by fire in 1872, Ernst oversaw the construction of a new, much more opulent lodge that was completed in 1885. In 1903, Ernst commissioned the construction of a memorial church in honor of his wife who had died six years earlier. The Duchess Agnes Memorial Church was completed in 1906, and Ernst had his wife’s tomb moved to the crypt there, along with that of their son Georg who had died in infancy.

The Duchess Agnes Memorial Church. photo: by User:WikiABG – Self photographed, CC BY-SA 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=875509

After a reign of nearly 55 years, Ernst I died in Altenburg, Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg, now in Thuringia, Germany, on February 7, 1908. He was buried in the crypt at the Duchess Agnes Memorial Church in Altenburg, alongside his wife and son. As he had no living male heir, he was succeeded by his nephew Ernst II, the son of his brother Moritz.

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.

Saxe-Altenburg Resources at Unofficial Royalty