Royal Connections of the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2019

Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris; Photo Credit –  © Susan Flantzer

Tragically, on April 15, 2019, the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris (Our Lady of Paris) caught on fire and sustained significant damage, including the destruction of the spire and much of the roof. French President Emmanuel Macron announced that Notre-Dame will be rebuilt, stating “It’s part of the fate, the destiny of France, and our common project over the coming years. And I am committed to it.”

Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris on fire; Credit – By LeLaisserPasserA38 – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=78064310

The Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Part of Paris, Banks of the Seine. Construction of the cathedral began in 1163 with the laying of the cornerstone in the presence of King Louis VII of France and Pope Alexander III. The high altar was consecrated in 1189, the 223 foot-high towers were built between 1210 and 1250, and the church was officially completed in 1345.

The Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris does not have as many royal connections as Westminster Abbey in London, England. Coronations of Kings of France were traditionally held at Reims Cathedral in Reims, France. The Basilica of Saint-Denis in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis is the burial place of the Kings of France. The remains of all but three monarchs of France from the 10th century until 1789 are interred at Saint-Denis.

Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris; Photo Credit –  © Susan Flantzer

However, several significant royal events have occurred at the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris. The information has been compiled from articles at Unofficial Royalty.

December 16, 1431: Nine-year-old King Henry VI of England is crowned King of France

King Henry VI being crowned King of France in Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris; Credit – Wikipedia

King Charles VI of France suffered from some kind of mental illness (he thought he was made of glass) and his son was not a great prospect as king, and so the old dynastic claim to the throne of France, first pursued by King Edward III of England, was renewed. King Henry V of England, the father of King Henry VI of England, demanded the complete restoration of the Angevin Empire, including Normandy, to England, part of the Hundred Year’s War. When the English army reached the walls of Paris, negotiations for peace were started. This resulted in the Treaty of Troyes, an agreement that King Henry V of England and his heirs would inherit the throne of France upon the death of King Charles VI of France. The treaty also arranged for the marriage of Charles VI’s daughter Catherine of Valois to Henry V and the disinheritance of the Dauphin of France (the future King Charles VII of France) from the French succession.

On June 2, 1420, King Henry V married Catherine of Valois in Troyes, France. Two years later, King Henry V succumbed to dysentery, a disease that killed more soldiers than battle, leaving a nine-month-old son to inherit his throne. King Charles VI of France died a couple of months after Henry V, making the young Henry VI King of England and King of France. Henry VI was crowned King of England at Westminster Abbey on November 6, 1429. Two years later, he was crowned King of France at Notre Dame de Paris in a ritual similar to that established by his great-grandfather King Charles V of France. This was an attempt to counter the coronation of Henry VI’s uncle and rival, Charles VII of France, who had been crowned at Reims Cathedral in 1429. Before Henry VI came of age, English rule in France had begun a steady decline with Joan of Arc‘s campaign in support of Dauphin of France, later King Charles VII of France. By 1453, only Calais remained of Henry V’s French conquests.

********************

January 1, 1537: James V, King of Scots is married to Madeleine of Valois

Madeleine of Valois by Corneille de Lyon; Credit – Wikipedia

After the Battle of Flodden in 1514, where James IV, King of Scots led an invading army into England, was defeated and died in the battle, Scotland wanted to strengthen their alliance with France. The Treaty of Rouen was signed in 1517 and one of the provisions was for James V, King of Scots to marry a French princess.  James V was the son of James IV and Margaret Tudor, the daughter of King Henry VII of England and the sister of King Henry VIII of England. When  James V reached a marriageable age, talks began regarding marriage with Madeleine of Valois, the daughter of King François I of France and his first wife Claude, Duchess of Brittany. However, Madeleine’s ill health was an issue and another French bride, Mary of Bourbon, was offered as a substitute. When James V came to France to meet Mary of Bourbon, he met Madeleine and decided to marry her. Because of his daughter’s health issues, François I was reluctant to agree to the marriage, but eventually, he did so. Madeleine of Valois and James V, King of Scots were married on January 1, 1537, at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.

The couple arrived in Scotland on May 19, 1537, after months of celebrations in France, with Madeleine’s health having further deteriorated. Madeleine wrote a letter to her father on June 8, 1537, saying that she was feeling better and that her symptoms had subsided. Despite this, on July 7, 1537, Madeleine died in her husband’s arms, a month short of her seventeenth birthday.

********************

April 24, 1558: Mary, Queen of Scots is married to François, Dauphin of France

François and his wife Mary, Queen of Scots; circa 1558; Credit – Wikipedia

James V, King of Scots had died in 1542 leaving his six-day-old daughter Mary to succeed him as Queen of Scots. In 1548, because of English hostilities, and fearful for Mary’s safety, the Scots appealed to France for help. Henri II, King of France proposed to unite France and Scotland by marrying the young Queen of Scots to his three-year-old son and heir to the French throne François. In July 1548, the Scottish Parliament approved Mary’s marriage to François, Dauphin of France. On August 7, 1548, five-year-old Mary, Queen of Scots set sail for France where she would be raised with her future husband. She would not return to Scotland for thirteen years.

On April 24, 1558, 15-year-old Mary married 14-year-old François, Dauphin of France outside Notre-Dame de Paris. It was a marriage that could have given the future kings of France the throne of Scotland and also a claim to the throne of England through Mary’s great-grandfather, King Henry VII of England. A little more than a year after the wedding, a great tragedy occurred in France, when François’s father King Henri IV was killed in a tournament and his son succeeded him as King François II of France.

After only a 17-month reign, François II, King of France, aged 16, died in great pain on December 5, 1560, possibly from mastoiditis, meningitis, or otitis which turned into an abscess. Left a childless widow, Mary decided to return to Scotland, where she married two more times, lost her throne, and was eventually beheaded after being held captive in England for 18 years.

********************

August 18, 1572: King Henri III of Navarre is married to Marguerite of Valois

Henri of Navarre, later Henri IV of France, and Marguerite of Valois, Credit – Wikipedia

Henri, who was the first French king of the House of Bourbon, was the son of Queen Jeanne III of Navarre and Antoine de Bourbon, Duke de Vendôme. Although he was baptized in the Catholic Church, he was raised as a Protestant. Upon his mother’s death on June 9, 1572, Henri took the throne as King Henri III of Navarre. Just months later, on August 18, 1572, at Notre Dame de Paris, Henri married Marguerite of Valois, the daughter of King Henri II of France and Catherine de’ Medici. As Henri was a Protestant Huguenot, he was not permitted inside the cathedral so the ceremony was held just outside of the building.

Days later, the Saint Bartholomew’s Day Massacre took place, in which thousands of Protestant Huguenots were killed. Henri narrowly escaped death, mostly thanks to his new Catholic wife, and his promise to convert to Catholicism. In 1584, Henri became the heir-presumptive to the French throne, as the last heir to King Henri III of France had died. Henri, Marguerite’s husband, was the most senior agnatic descendant of King Louis IX, and therefore the rightful heir. In 1589, King Henri III of France, brother of Marguerite, was assassinated, and Henri succeeded as King Henri IV of France.

In a loveless and childless marriage, and knowing that he needed an heir, Henri IV had begun negotiations to end his first marriage to Marguerite of Valois. He hoped to marry his mistress but those plans were squelched by his ministers. Instead, he married Marie de’ Medici and the couple had six children. Marguerite, who never remarried, remained a favorite at court and maintained a remarkably close relationship with her former husband and his new wife. Henri IV was assassinated in 1610.

********************

December 2, 1804: Coronation of Napoléon I, Emperor of the French and his first wife Joséphine

Joséphine kneels before Napoléon to be crowned during their coronation at Notre-Dame de Paris. Pope Pius VII sits behind Napoleon, by Jacques-Louis David and Georges Rouget; Credit – Wikipedia

Napoléon I, Emperor of the French was born Napoleone di Buonaparte on the island of Corsica, then part of France and now part of Italy. When he was in his twenties, he adopted the more French-sounding Napoléon Bonaparte. Napoléon joined the French army and quickly advanced. During the latter part of the French Revolution, he rose to prominence and by the age of 30 was the First Consul of France. Napoléon was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815.

Napoléon married Joséphine de Beauharnais (born Marie Josèphe Rose Tascher de La Pagerie on the island of Martinique in the Caribbean) in 1796. Through her first marriage to Alexandre de Beauharnais (who was guillotined during the French Revolution), Joséphine is the ancestor of the royal families of Sweden, Denmark, Belgium, Norway, and Luxembourg.

Napoléon and Joséphine were crowned Emperor and Empress of the French in an extremely elaborate ceremony presided over by Pope Pius VII. Napoléon was anointed by Pope Pius VII who was then about to crown him. However, Napoléon went to the altar, took the crown and placed it upon his own head. He then replaced the crown with a laurel wreath of gold made in the ancient Roman style and crowned his wife, who knelt before him.

Joséphine and Napoléon’s marriage was childless and in 1809, Napoléon decided to divorce his wife so he could marry again and his new wife produce an heir. Desperately upset upon first hearing the news about the divorce, Joséphine ultimately agreed. After their divorce, Napoléon insisted that Joséphine retain the title of Empress. Joséphine received a pension of 5 million francs per year and several residences.

Napoléon married Archduchess Marie Louise of Austria, the eldest child of Emperor Franz I of Austria and his second wife, Maria Theresa of Naples and Sicily. Marie Louise gave birth to a son Napoléon François Charles Joseph Bonaparte in 1811. Young Napoléon died of tuberculosis at the age of 21. Regarding Marie Louise, Napoléon said that he had married a womb.

Napoléon’s various invasions throughout Europe resulted in the collapse of his empire and his defeat by a coalition of European nations. He was exiled to the island of Elba off the coast of Tuscany but escaped and took control of France once again. He was soon defeated at the Battle of Waterloo and exiled to the remote island of Saint Helena in the South Atlantic, where he died six years later. Napoléon’s last words were, “France, army, head of the army, Joséphine.”

********************

January 30, 1853 – Napoléon III, Emperor of the French is married to Eugénie de Montijo

Credit – Wikipedia

Napoléon III, Emperor of the French, was the last monarch of France, reigning from 1852 until 1870. He was born Charles-Louis Napoléon Bonaparte (but typically known as Louis-Napoléon). His parents were Louis Bonaparte, King of Holland (younger brother of Napoléon I, Emperor of the French) and Hortense de Beauharnais, the daughter of Emperor Napoléon’s first wife, Joséphine de Beauharnais).

The French Revolution of 1848 led to the abdication of King Louis-Philippe, and the declaration of the Second Republic. In September 1848, Louis-Napoléon was elected to the French National Assembly. He immediately threw his hat into the ring to become President of the French Republic and on December 20, 1848, was declared the winner of the election. Taking the title Prince-President, Louis-Napoléon took up residence at the Élysée Palace.

Not content being simply a Prince-President, he arranged for the Senate to schedule a referendum to decide if he should be declared Emperor. On December 2, 1852, following an overwhelming vote in his favor, the Second Republic ended and the Second French Empire was declared. Louis-Napoléon took the throne as Napoléon III, Emperor of the French. He quickly made the Tuileries Palace his official residence.

After being turned down by several European princesses, Napoléon III found his future bride, Spanish-born Doña María Eugenia Ignacia Agustina de Palafox y Kirkpatrick on May 5, 1826, in Granada, Spain. Known as Eugénie de Montijo, she was the daughter of Spanish nobleman Cipriano de Palafox y Portocarrero and María Manuela Enriqueta Kirkpatrick de Closbourn y de Grevigné.

Napoléon III and Eugénie were married in a civil ceremony on January 29, 1853, at the Tuileries Palace in Paris The following day, a much grander religious ceremony was held at Notre Dame de Paris. The couple had one son Napoléon, Prince Imperial who died fighting in the Zulu War in South Africa in 1879.

In July 1870, France entered the Franco-Prussian War. Without significant allied support, and with unprepared and limited forces, the French army was quickly defeated. Emperor Napoléon III was captured at the Battle of Sedan and quickly surrendered. As word reached Paris, the Third Republic was declared on September 4, 1870, ending – for the last time – the French monarchy.

********************

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.

New Japanese Articles

The Imperial Family on January 2, 2018; Credit – By TAKA@P.P.R.S – 新年一般参賀2018-13.jpg, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=65214737

On April 30, 2019, 85-year-old Emperor Akihito of Japan will abdicate. When the Emperor announced his desire to abdicate on August 7, 2016, he said, “When I consider that my fitness level is gradually declining, I am worried that it may become difficult for me to carry out my duties as the symbol of the State with my whole being as I have done until now.”

On May 1, 2019, Crown Prince Naruhito will officially become Emperor of Japan. There will be some ceremonies on both April 30 and May 1 but the main enthronement ceremony will be held on October 22, 2019.

In honor of the abdication of Emperor Akihito and the accession of Emperor Naruhito, we will be publishing biographical articles for the Emperors and Empresses preceding Emperor Akihito who are considered part of the modern Japan period (1867–present) and articles about the some of the extended Imperial Family. In addition, we will publish an article explaining the abdication, accession, and enthronement ceremonies.

  • Emperor Meiji (Mutsuhito) – 4/16/19
  • Empress Shōken (Lady Masako Ichijō) – 4/17/19
  • Emperor Taishō (Yoshihito) – 4/18/19
  • Empress Teimei (Lady Sadako Kujō) – 4/19/19
  • Princess Mikasa (Yuriko Takagi) – 4/20/19
  • Prince Tomohito – 4/21/19
  • Princess Tomohito (Nobuko Asō) – 4/22/19
  • Prince Takamado – 4/23/19
  • Princess Takamado (Hisako Tottori) – 4/24/19
  • Emperor Shōwa (Hirohito) – 4/25/19
  • Empress Kōjun (Princess Nagako Kuni) – 4/26/19
  • Prince Hitachi – 4/27/19
  • Princess Hitachi (Hanako Tsugaru) – 4/28/19
  • Abdication, Accession and Enthronement Ceremonies – 4/29/19

Female sex booster pills have established mechanism of action which makes it suitable for treating loss of libido in woman of all age groups. cipla tadalafil Today, the problem has come up as one of the most commonly used discount viagra no prescription term over the internet. The chemical after blending in the bloodstream relaxes the muscles especially the penile region generic viagra cheap which causes the brain to the penile nerve thus reducing and preventing stress, eliminating tension and discomfort of chronic conditions or injuries, thereby promoting the natural healing process of the body. Just make sure the drugstore you are purchasing from is approved. cialis wholesale prices
Our resource Japanese Naming Conventions explains Japanese names, honorific suffixes, imperial titles and imperial names.

Emperor Meiji of Japan (Mutsuhito)

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Emperor Meiji of Japan; Credit – Wikipedia

Emperor Meiji was born November 3, 1852, at the palace compound or Gosho in Kyoto, Japan. His mother Nakayama Yoshiko, was a concubine to his father Emperor Kōmei and was the daughter of a noble courtier, Lord Nakayama Tadayasu. Given the childhood name Sachi-no-miya, or Prince Sachi and the personal name Mutsuhito, he was the only child of his mother and one of the two children of his father to reach adulthood.

Nakayama Yoshiko, Meiji’s mother; Credit – Wikipedia

Emperor Meiji had five half-siblings:

Two daughters born to Principal Consort: Kujō Asako (1835 – 1897), given the title Empress Eisho by Emperor Meiji in 1867

  • First Daughter: Imperial Princess Junko (1850–1852)
  • Second Daughter: Fuki-no-Miya (1858–1859)
  • Adopted Son: Imperial Prince Mutsuhito (Emperor Meiji)

One son born to Lady-in-waiting: Bojo Nobuko (1830–1850)

  • First Son: Myōkōgein (born and died 1850)

One son born to Lady-in-waiting: Nakayama Yoshiko (1836 – 1907)

  • Second son: Imperial Prince Mutsuhito (Emperor Meiji)

Two daughters born to Lady-in-waiting: Horikawa Kiko (1837–1910)

  • Third Daughter: Suma-no-miya (1859–1901)
  • Fourth Daughter: Rie-no-miya (1861–1862)

On August 16, 1860, 7-year-old Sachi-no-miya was proclaimed an Imperial Prince and heir to the throne and was formally adopted by his father’s principal consort. In November 1860, he was given the adult name Mutsuhito and proclaimed Crown Prince. He spent most of his childhood with the Nakayama family, his mother’s family in Kyoto. It was customary to entrust the education of the imperial children to prominent families of the court. He was not a good student and later regretted that he had not applied himself more in his schoolwork.

Emperor Kōmei, Meiji’s father; Credit – Wikipedia

Emperor Kōmei had always been healthy but in January 1867 at the age of 36, he suddenly became seriously ill and he died on January 30, 1867. His 14-year-old son succeeded him as Emperor and formally ascended to the throne on February 3, 1867, in a brief ceremony in Kyoto. Since 1185, a shogun, a military dictator appointed by the Emperor, had been the de facto ruler of Japan. In 1868, the last shogun lost power, and in the name and with the support of the young emperor, a new, more Western-oriented upper class initiated the modernization of Japan known as the Meiji Restoration.

Empress Consort Haruko in 1872; Credit – Wikipedia

Soon after his accession, Ichijō Haruko was suggested to the Emperor as a possible bride. The future Empress was the daughter of a courtier and was three years older than the Emperor. The couple was married on January 11, 1869. Known posthumously as Empress Shōken, she was the first Empress Consort of Japan to play a public role but she had no children.

Emperor Meiji had fifteen children by five official ladies-in-waiting but only five children survived to adulthood:

Lady Yanagihara Naruko; Credit – Wikipedia

A prince born to Lady Yanagihara Naruko (1855–1943)

Lady Sono Sachiko; Credit – Wikipedia

Four princesses born to Lady Sono Sachiko (1867–1947)

In 1868, Emperor Meiji welcomed the first European ambassador to Japan, the Dutch diplomat Dirk de Graeff van Polsbroek.  de Graeff assisted the Emperor in his negotiations with representatives of the European powers. Under Emperor Meiji’s reign, Japan started to become an industrial and naval power. The old feudal system was abolished and public state schools were introduced along with the Gregorian calendar. In 1890, the Emperor made the greatest contribution to the modernization of Japan with the enactment of a constitution.

Emperor Meiji moved the capital of Japan from Kyoto and Edo (later Tokyo). Although he had little political power, he was an important symbol of the country’s unity. During Emperor Meiji’s reign, there were two successful military conflicts: the First Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895) and the Russo- Japanese War (1904-1905). During Emperor Meiji’s reign, the population of Japan doubled from about 25 million to about 50 million.

Emperor Meiji in 1912; Credit – Wikipedia

Emperor Meiji died on July 30, 1912, at the Meiji Palace in Tokyo at the age of 59. He had suffered from diabetes, nephritis, and gastroenteritis, and died of uremia. He was buried at the East Mound of the Fushimi Momoyama Ryo in Kyoto, Japan.

Burial Mound of Emperor Meiji and Empress Shōken; Credit – Wikipedia

The Japanese Diet (legislature) passed a resolution to commemorate the Emperor’s role in the Meiji Restoration. The Meiji Shrine, a Shinto shrine dedicated to the deified souls of Emperor Meiji and his wife Empress Shōken was built in an iris garden in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan.

The Meiji Shrine; Credit – By Rei at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17785029

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.

State of Japan Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. (2018). Meiji. [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meiji [Accessed 21 Oct. 2018].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Emperor Kōmei. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emperor_K%C5%8Dmei [Accessed 21 Oct. 2018].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Emperor Meiji. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emperor_Meiji [Accessed 21 Oct. 2018].
  • Ja.wikipedia.org. (2018). 明治天皇. [online] Available at: https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%98%8E%E6%B2%BB%E5%A4%A9%E7%9A%87 [Accessed 21 Oct. 2018].

Franz I, Prince of Liechtenstein

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Franz I, Prince of Liechtenstein; Credit – Wikipedia

The Sovereign Prince of Liechtenstein from 1929 – 1938, Franz de Paula Maria Karl August was born at Schloss Liechtenstein near Vienna, Austria on August 28, 1853. He was the second of the two sons and the youngest of the eleven children of Alois II, Prince of Liechtenstein and Countess Franziska Kinsky of Wchinitz and Tettau.

Franz had one older brother and nine older sisters. The eleven children in Johann’s family spanned 15 years.

Franz studied law at the University of Vienna and the University of Prague and then served in the military. He embarked on a diplomatic career, working as an attaché in the embassy of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire in Brussels, Belgium. From 1894 – 1898, Franz served as the ambassador of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire to the Russian Empire and maintained a close relationship with Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia. Franz did much to try to strengthen the relationship between Austria-Hungary and Russia including helping to establish the Department (later the Institute) of Eastern European History at the University of Vienna.

In 1914, Franz met Elisabeth von Gutmann, the widow of the Hungarian Baron Géza Erős of Bethlenfalva, at a gala for the Relief Fund for Soldiers. Known as Elsa, she was the daughter of Wilhelm Isaak Wolf, Ritter of Gutmann (Ritter means Knight) and his second wife Ida Wodianer. Elsa’s father was a Jewish businessman who founded the largest coal company in the Austrian-Hungarian Empire. In 1878, he was created a Knight (Ritter) of the Order of the Iron Crown, a hereditary knighthood. He also served as president of the Vienna Israelite Community.

Elsa was raised in the Jewish religion but in January 1899, she converted to Roman Catholicism in preparation for her marriage to Baron Géza Erős of Bethlenfalva. The couple wanted to marry in 1919 but Johann II refused to consent to the marriage because of Elsa’s Jewish background and her lower social status. Elsa and Franz secretly married Elsa in 1919, and that same year, Pope Benedict XV received the couple at the Vatican.

Johann II died on February 11, 1929, and as he was unmarried with no children, his only brother succeeded to the throne as Franz I, Prince of Liechtenstein. Now that Franz was the Sovereign Prince, he could officially marry Elsa. On July 22, 1929, Elsa officially became Princess of Liechtenstein when she married Franz at the parish church in the Lainz district of Vienna. Elsa and Franz had no children.

Princess Elsa; Credit – https://www.fuerstenhaus.li/en 

Even though they spent time in the princely residences in Austria, Franz and Elsa were the first princely couple to spend a substantial amount of time in Liechtenstein. The couple left to visit Liechtenstein shortly after they married but continued to make regular visits to Liechtenstein until 1935 when Franz’s health would no longer allow visits. Franz and Elsa would visit schools and help sick children and mothers in need. The couple created the Franz and Elsa Foundation for Liechtenstein Children in 1930, which helped poor Liechtenstein children receive an education. The foundation is still in existence today.

Franz I, Prince of Liechtenstein; Credit – Wikipedia

Franz I’s great-nephew Franz Josef took on various official roles on behalf of his elderly great-uncle. On March 30, 1938, Franz I named Franz Josef regent. Although he cited old age as his reason for the regency, it is widely believed that it was because he had no desire to be ruling if Nazi Germany invaded Liechtenstein.

Franz I, Prince of Liechtenstein died at the age of 84 on July 25, 1938, at Valtice, Czechoslovakia, now in the Czech Republic. He was buried in the New Crypt of the Princely Mausoleum on the grounds of the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, in Vranov, near Brno, in Czechoslovakia, now in the Czech Republic. Because Franz had no children, he was succeeded by his great-nephew, Franz Josef II, Prince of Liechtenstein.

Elsa survived her husband by nine years, dying in Vitznau, Switzerland on September 28, 1947, at the age of 72. As the Czechs had seized the property in Vranov where her husband had been buried, it was impossible for Elsa to be buried with Franz. She was originally buried in the Chapel of Our Lady at Dux in Schaan, Liechtenstein but her remains were moved to Vaduz Cathedral in Liechtenstein when the Princely Crypt there was completed.

Princely Mausoleum, Vranov, Czech Republic; 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.

Principality of Liechtenstein Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. (2018). Elsa von Gutmann. [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elsa_von_Gutmann [Accessed 25 Sep. 2018].
  • De.wikipedia.org. (2018). Franz I. (Liechtenstein). [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_I._(Liechtenstein) [Accessed 25 Sep. 2018].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Elisabeth von Gutmann. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elisabeth_von_Gutmann [Accessed 25 Sep. 2018].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Franz I, Prince of Liechtenstein. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_I,_Prince_of_Liechtenstein [Accessed 25 Sep. 2018].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Wilhelm Isak, Ritter von Gutmann. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilhelm_Isak,_Ritter_von_Gutmann [Accessed 25 Sep. 2018].
  • Fuerstenhaus.li. (2018). Biographies of the Princes and Princesses. [online] Available at: https://www.fuerstenhaus.li/en/history/biographies-of-the-princes-and-princesses [Accessed 25 Sep. 2018].
  • Horcicka, V. (2015). Elsa, the Princess von and zu Liechtenstein. [ebook] DVACÁTÉ STOLETÍ. Available at: http://Elsa, the Princess von and zu Liechtenstein [Accessed 25 Sep. 2018].

Elisabeth von Gutmann, Princess Elsa of Liechtenstein

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Credit – Wikipedia

Elisabeth von Gutmann, also known as Elsa, was born on January 6, 1875, in Vienna, Austria, the daughter of Wilhelm Isaak Wolf, Ritter of Gutmann (Ritter means Knight) and his second wife Ida Wodianer. Elsa’s father was a Jewish businessman who had founded the largest coal company in the Austrian-Hungarian Empire. In 1878, he was created a Knight (Ritter) of the Order of the Iron Crown, a hereditary knighthood. He also served as president of the Vienna Israelite Community.

Elsa had three half-siblings from her father’s first marriage to Leonore Latzko:

  • Berthold von Gutman (1856-1932)
  • Max von Gutmann (1857-1930)
  • Rosa von Gutman (1862-1930)

Elsa had three siblings from her father’s second marriage to Ida Wodianer, daughter of the printer and publisher Philipp Wodianer:

  • Marianne von Gutman (1871-?), married Sir Francis Abraham Montefiore, 1st Baronet of Worth Park
  • Moritz von Gutman (1872-1934)
  • Rudolf von Gutman (1880-1966), married Marianne Ferstel

Elsa was raised in the Jewish religion but in January 1899, she converted to Roman Catholicism in preparation for her marriage to the Hungarian Baron Géza Erős of Bethlenfalva on February 1, 1899. The couple had no children and the baron died on August 7, 1908.

Franz I, Prince of Liechtenstein; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1914, Elsa met Prince Franz of Liechtenstein, the only brother of the Sovereign Prince of Liechtenstein, Johann II, at a gala for the Relief Fund for Soldiers. The couple wanted to marry in 1919 but Johann II refused to give his consent to the marriage. Elsa and Franz secretly married Elsa in 1919, and that same year, Pope Benedict XV received the couple at the Vatican.

Johann II died on February 11, 1929, and as he was unmarried with no children, his brother succeeded to the throne as Franz I, Prince of Liechtenstein. Now that Franz was Sovereign Prince, he could officially marry Elsa. On July 22, 1929, Elsa became Princess of Liechtenstein when she married Franz at the parish church in the Lainz district of Vienna. Elsa and Franz had no children.

Princess Elsa; Credit – https://www.fuerstenhaus.li/en

Even though they spent time in the princely residences in Austria, Elsa and Franz were the first princely couple to spend a substantial amount of time in Liechtenstein. The couple left to visit Liechtenstein shortly after they married but continued to make regular visits to Liechtenstein until 1935 when Franz’s health would no longer allow visits. Elsa and Franz would visit schools and help sick children and mothers in need. When polio spread throughout Liechtenstein in the 1930s, Elsa quickly obtained the needed medication from the United States. The couple created the Franz and Elsa Foundation for Liechtenstein Children in 1930, which helped impoverished Liechtenstein children receive an education. The foundation is still in existence today.

Franz I’s great-nephew Franz Josef took on various official roles on behalf of his elderly great-uncle. On March 30, 1938, Franz I named Franz Josef regent. Although he cited old age as his reason for the regency, it is widely believed that it was because he had no desire to be ruling if Nazi Germany invaded Liechtenstein. Franz died on July 25, 1938, and was succeeded by his grandnephew, Franz Josef II.

Following Franz’s death, Elsa lived for a short time in Semmering Pass, Austria until Austria was annexed to Nazi Germany.  She then went into exile in Switzerland, where she lived in Vitznau on Lake Lucerne. During World War II, Elsa helped some of the Jewish applicants for residency in Liechtenstein. She also actively participated in fundraising for the Swiss Red Cross. She exchanged letters with Prince Franz Josef II until her death and was invited to his wedding to Countess Georgina Wilczek but declined the invitation. Elsa never visited Liechtenstein again.

Princess Elsa of Liechtenstein died in Vitznau, Switzerland on September 28, 1947, at the age of 72. As the Czechs had seized the property in Vranov where her husband had been buried, it was impossible for Elsa to be buried with Franz. She was originally buried in the Chapel of Our Lady at Dux in Schaan, Liechtenstein but her remains were moved to Vaduz Cathedral in Liechtenstein when the Princely Crypt there was completed.

Inside the Princely Crypt at Vaduz Cathedral; 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.

Principality of Liechtenstein Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. (2018). Elsa von Gutmann. [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elsa_von_Gutmann [Accessed 25 Sep. 2018].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Elisabeth von Gutmann. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elisabeth_von_Gutmann [Accessed 25 Sep. 2018].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Franz I, Prince of Liechtenstein. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_I,_Prince_of_Liechtenstein [Accessed 25 Sep. 2018].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Wilhelm Isak, Ritter von Gutmann. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilhelm_Isak,_Ritter_von_Gutmann [Accessed 25 Sep. 2018].
  • Fuerstenhaus.li. (2018). Biographies of the Princes and Princesses. [online] Available at: https://www.fuerstenhaus.li/en/history/biographies-of-the-princes-and-princesses [Accessed 25 Sep. 2018].
  • Horcicka, V. (2015). Elsa, the Princess von and zu Liechtenstein. [ebook] DVACÁTÉ STOLETÍ. Available at: http://Elsa, the Princess von and zu Liechtenstein [Accessed 25 Sep. 2018].

Johann II, Prince of Liechtenstein

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2019

Johann II, Prince of Liechtenstein; Credit – Wikipedia

Johann, Prince II of Liechtenstein is one of the world’s longest-reigning monarchs – he reigned for 70 years, 91 days. Johann Maria Franz Placidus was born on October 5, 1840, at Schloss Eisgrub, today called Schloss Lednice, in the Austrian Empire, now in the Czech Republic. He was the elder of the two sons and the sixth of the eleven children of Alois II, Prince of Liechtenstein and Countess Franziska Kinsky of Wchinitz and Tettau.

Johann’s birthplace, Schloss Lednice; By Holgereberle – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=22505155

Johann had ten siblings: nine sisters and one brother. The eleven children in Johann’s family spanned 15 years. Before Johann was born, the elder of the two sons, five girls were born. His brother Franz, the youngest in the family and who succeeded Johan, was thirteen years younger.

Johann in 1860; Credit – Wikipedia

Johann received a good education from tutors and could speak German, English, French, Italian, and Czech. He studied for a time at the University of Bonn and the University of Karlsruhe. In 1858, when Johann was eighteen-years-old, his father died and he became the Sovereign Prince of Liechtenstein. From 1859 – 1860, Johann’s mother served as regent while her son traveled through Europe, expanding the Liechtenstein art collection and learning about botany, archeology, and geography.

Johann led a solitary life. He was rather unsocial, did not participate in social events, and never married. Some considered him pathologically shy. However, he did enact a number of initiatives in Liechtenstein including compulsory education until the age of 14, the first constitution in 1862, and another constitution in 1921 which is still in effect. Johann was an art connoisseur and added works to the princely collections but also donated artwork to museums.  Johann ordered extensive renovations at Vaduz Castle, the home of the princely family, even though he never lived in the castle or even in Liechtenstein. He also was generous in his support of science, culture, and charities for the needy, and for this support, he was given the nickname Johann the Good.

Johann, circa 1870; Credit – Wikipedia

During Johann’s reign, relations cooled with Liechtenstein’s traditional ally Austria-Hungary. When Liechtenstein remained neutral during World War I, the alliance completely broke. Liechtenstein made an alliance with another neutral country, Switzerland, and in 1924 adopted the Swiss franc as its currency.

Johann II, Prince of Liechtenstein died at the age of 88, on February 11, 1929, at Valtice Castle in Czechoslovakia, now the Czech Republic. He was buried in the New Crypt of the Princely Mausoleum on the grounds of the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Vranov, near Brno, in the Czech Republic. As he had no children, Johann was succeeded by his brother Franz I, Prince of Liechtenstein.

Princely Mausoleum, Vranov, Czech Republic; 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.

Principality of Liechtenstein Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. (2018). Johann II. (Liechtenstein). [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_II._(Liechtenstein) [Accessed 21 Sep. 2018].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Johann II, Prince of Liechtenstein. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_II,_Prince_of_Liechtenstein [Accessed 21 Sep. 2018].
  • Web.archive.org. (2018). Prince Johann II.. [online] Available at: https://web.archive.org/web/20160107100157/http://www.fuerstenhaus.li/en/fuerstenhaus/fuersten/fuerst_johann_2.html [Accessed 21 Sep. 2018].

Louise Rasmussen, Countess Danner

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Louise Rasmussen, Countess Danner; Credit – Wikipedia

Louise Rasmussen, Countess Danner was the morganatic third wife of King Frederik VII of Denmark. Born in Copenhagen, Denmark on April 21, 1815, Louise Christine Rasmussen was born out of wedlock to a maid, Juliane Caroline Rasmussen, who raised her, and a merchant Gotthilf L. Køppen.

In 1826, Louise was admitted to the Royal Theater Ballet School which trained dancers for the Royal Danish Ballet. She received a contract with the Royal Danish Ballet in 1830 and became a member of the corps de ballet.

In 1841, Louise had a son, Carl Christian Berling, born out of wedlock, with Carl Berling, the heir of Berlingske Tidende, now known as just Berlingske, the oldest Danish newspaper still published and among the oldest newspapers in the world. Louise retired from the ballet and with Berling’s help, opened a women’s hat shop.

Louise Rasmussen; Credit – Wikipedia

Through Berling, Louise became acquainted with the son of King Christian VIII, Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark, who had already divorced two wives. Louise and Frederik had a relationship during the 1840s. In 1848, Frederik’s father died and he succeeded to the Danish throne as King Frederik VII. Upon becoming king, Frederik wished to marry Louise but the government was not in favor of the marriage. In 1849, King Frederik VII signed a new constitution, changing the monarchy from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional monarchy. The signing of the new constitution made Frederik so popular that the government permitted him to marry Louise Rasmussen.

On August 8, 1850, by royal decree, Louise Rasmussen was given the title Countess Danner and was married to King Frederik VII at the Frederiksborg Palace Chapel. However, the marriage was a morganatic one – neither Louise nor any children would have royal titles and the children would not be in the line of succession to the Danish throne. The marriage appears to have been happy but had much opposition and Louise was treated poorly in social circles. Frederik and Louise did not have any children.

Louise and Frederik, early 1860s; Credit – Wikipedia

On Louise’s birthday in 1854, Frederik bought a country manor, Jægerspris Palace, to spend their private life away from Copenhagen and the disdain of the aristocracy for their marriage. After Frederik died in 1863, Louise inherited Jægerspris Palace. In 1867, she had a wing of Jægerspris Palace converted into an orphanage.

Jægerspris Palace; Credit – Af Acrr – Eget arbejde, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5168738

In October 1873, six months before her death, Louise founded the King Frederik VII Foundation, still in existence. After her death, Louise intended for the foundation to convert Jægerspris Palace into a home for “destitute and abandoned girls, especially of the peasantry”.  Today the King Frederik VII Foundation works on behalf of poor, young working-class women and has offices at Jægerspris Palace. Visitors to Jægerspris Palace can see the rooms where Louise and Frederik lived and view many of their collections but part of Jægerspris Palace remains a children’s home.

Louise died in Genoa, Italy on March 6, 1874, at the age of 58. While King Frederik VII was buried at Roskilde Cathedral, the traditional burial place of the Danish Royal Family, Louise was not allowed a resting place near her husband. She was buried in a burial mound in the castle garden of Jægerspris Castle which is perhaps fitting as it is the place where she put her wealth to work for others.

Louise’s burial mound at Jægerspris Castle; Credit – Wikipedia

Louise’s tomb inside the burial mound; Credit – Wikipedia

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

Works Cited

  • Da.wikipedia.org. (2018). Grevinde Danner. [online] Available at: https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grevinde_Danner [Accessed 20 Sep. 2018].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Jægerspris Castle. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C3%A6gerspris_Castle [Accessed 20 Sep. 2018].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Louise Rasmussen. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louise_Rasmussen [Accessed 20 Sep. 2018].
  • Flantzer, S. (2018). King Frederik VII of Denmark. [online]. Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-frederik-vii-of-denmark/ [Accessed 19 Sep. 2018].

Caroline Mariane of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Crown Princess of Denmark

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Credit – Wikipedia

Caroline Mariane was the second wife of the future King Frederik VII of Denmark. Born in Neustrelitz in the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, now in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany, on January 10, 1821, she was the second of the two daughters and the third of the four children of Georg, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and Marie of Hesse-Kassel.

Caroline Mariane had three siblings:

In 1839, King Christian VIII of Denmark succeeded to the Danish throne. His son Frederik, who had divorced his first wife, was now Crown Prince and needed to marry again. He heard about Caroline Mariane who had been taught Danish by a Danish poet and thought she might make a good wife. 33-year-old Frederik and 20-year-old Caroline Mariane were married in Neustrelitz in the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz on June 10, 1841. On June 21, they arrived in Denmark and made a festive entrance in Copenhagen.

The marriage was childless and unhappy. Frederik’s bad temperament, excessive drinking, and shameless womanizing put a great strain on Caroline Mariane. She was young, inexperienced, shy, and nervous, and no match for Frederik’s boisterous personality. In 1844, Caroline Mariane went to visit her parents and refused to return to Denmark. The couple divorced on September 30, 1846. The divorce documents stated: “The divorce was due to the inherited morbidity and broken health of the Princess.” The truth was that Caroline Mariane had been completely run down by her husband’s wild and unbearable life and that Frederik was pleased to reconnect with his mistress Louise Rasmussen who became his morganatic third wife in 1850.

Carolinepalais in Neustrelitz; Credit – Von Concord – Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=31904684

Caroline Mariane lived quietly in Neustrelitz where her parents built the Carolinenpalais for her in 1850. She retained her Danish titles after her divorce and never remarried. Nor did Caroline Mariane ever speak about her former husband except when she described him to Danish visitors as “He was much too bizarre!” In 1860, Caroline Mariane donated funds for the construction of the Carolinenstift, a hospital in Neustrelitz.

Caroline Mariane died in Neustrelitz on June 1, 1876, at the age of 55. She was buried at the traditional burial site of the Grand Ducal Family of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the Johanniterkirche (Church of St. John) (in German) in Mirow, now in Germany.

The Johanniterkirche in Mirow; Credit – Thomas Kohler – originally posted to Flickr as Kirche Mirow, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12084832

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

  • Da.wikipedia.org. (2018). Mariane af Mecklenburg-Strelitz. [online] Available at: https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mariane_af_Mecklenburg-Strelitz [Accessed 20 Sep. 2018].
  • De.wikipedia.org. (2018). Caroline zu Mecklenburg. [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caroline_zu_Mecklenburg [Accessed 20 Sep. 2018].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Duchess Caroline Mariane of Mecklenburg. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duchess_Caroline_Mariane_of_Mecklenburg [Accessed 20 Sep. 2018].
  • Flantzer, S. (2018). King Frederik VII of Denmark. [online]. Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-frederik-vii-of-denmark/ [Accessed 19 Sep. 2018].

Vilhelmine Marie of Denmark, Princess Frederik of Denmark, Duchess of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Princess Vilhelmine Marie of Denmark; Credit – Wikipedia

Princess Vilhelmine Marie of Denmark was the first wife of the future King Frederik VII of Denmark, the wife of Karl, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, and the younger of the two surviving daughters of King Frederik VI of Denmark and his wife Marie of Hesse-Kassel. She was born on January 18, 1808, in Kiel Castle in Kiel, Duchy of Holstein, now in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.

Vilhelmine Marie had seven siblings but unfortunately, six of them died in infancy:

  • Christian (born and died September 1791), died in infancy
  • Marie Louise (1792 – 1793), died in infancy
  • Caroline (1793 – 1881), married her father’s first cousin Ferdinand, Hereditary Prince of Denmark, no children
  • Louise (August 1795 – December 1795), died in infancy
  • Christian (born and died September 1797), died in infancy
  • Juliana Louise (born and died February 1802), died in infancy
  • Frederikke Marie (June 1805 – July 1805), died in infancy

King Frederik VI and Queen Marie with their daughters Vilhelmine Maria and Caroline by Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg, 1821; Credit – Wikipedia

Vilhelmine Marie had several prospects for marriage including the future King Oscar I of Sweden of the new Bernadotte dynasty but an internal Danish marriage was arranged for her to Prince Frederik of Denmark (the future King Frederik VII), the only surviving child of King Christian VIII and his first wife Charlotte Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Vilhelmine Marie and Frederik were half-second cousins, both descended from King Frederik V of Denmark. Vilhelmine Marie was a great-grandchild of King Frederik V of Denmark and his first queen Louisa of Great Britain. Frederik was a great-grandchild of King Frederik V and his second queen Juliana Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel.

The future King Frederik VII, Vilhelmine Marie’s first husband; Credit – Wikipedia

This marriage arrangement was mainly due to the desirability of a union of the two branches of the Danish royal family whose relationship was strained. Frederik and Vilhelmine Marie’s wishes and needs were not considered at all. Vilhelmine Marie and Frederick were engaged on May 28, 1826. The wedding was postponed for two years while Frederik was sent on an educational trip to Switzerland, France, and Italy. Frederik and Vilhelmine Marie were married on November 1, 1828, at the Christiansborg Castle Church in Copenhagen, Denmark. The wedding was very popular with the Danish people who participated in the many wedding festivities.

However, the marriage was childless and unhappy. Not only was Frederik a heavy drinker, but he was also unfaithful. Vilhelmine Marie, who had a kind-hearted and mild personality, was unable to have any influence on her husband who frequently hurt her feelings. Even Vilhelmine Marie’s parents, the reigning King Frederik VI and his wife Queen Marie, felt sorry for their daughter. The couple separated in 1834 and divorced in 1837.

Vilhelmine Marie’s second husband, Karl, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg; Credit – Wikipedia

One year later, on May 19, 1838, at Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen, Vilhelmine Marie married her first cousin Karl, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, the eldest son of Friedrich Wilhelm, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg and Princess Louise Caroline of Hesse-Kassel. Karl was also the elder brother of Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, the future King Christian IX of Denmark who would succeed King Frederik VII, Vilhelmine Marie’s thrice-married but childless first husband. The marriage was a happy one but Vilhelmine and Karl had no children. It is believed that Vilhelmine Marie was unable to have children as there are no records of any miscarriages or stillbirths.

During the First Schleswig War (1848–1851), which Denmark won, Karl served as commander of a Schleswig-Holstein brigade fighting against Denmark. This caused Vilhelmine Marie’s relations with her Danish family to be cut off for a period of time. In 1852, Vilhelmine Marie reconciled with her Danish relatives. From then on, Vilhelmine Marie and her husband Karl lived mainly in Kiel Castle and Louisenlund Castle in Schleswig-Holstein

In 1864, after the Second Schleswig War, which Denmark lost, Karl’s duchy was annexed by Prussia and Karl lost his ducal title. Vilhelmine Marie and Karl were able to live at the family ancestral home, Schloss Glücksburg, which Wilhelm I, German Emperor allowed the former ducal family to keep. On October 24, 1878, Karl died at Schloss Glücksburg.

Vilhelmine Marie’s charitable work made her popular in Glücksburg. She was sad about Denmark’s loss of the Schleswig-Holstein duchies but the new Danish dynasty founded by her brother-in-law King Christian IX gave her much joy. Eventually, she became more and more isolated as her hearing loss made it difficult to communicate. Vilhelmine Marie survived her husband Karl for thirteen years, dying on May 30, 1891, at the age of 83 at Schloss Glücksburg in Schleswig-Holstein, Prussia, German Empire. She was buried next to her husband in the Ducal Mausoleum in the Neuer Friedhof Glücksburg (New Cemetery Glücksburg).

Entrance to the royal section at the Neuer Friedhof Glücksburg; Credit – www.findagrave.com

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

  • Da.wikipedia.org. (2018). Vilhelmine af Danmark. [online] Available at: https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vilhelmine_af_Danmark [Accessed 20 Sep. 2018].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Karl, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl,_Duke_of_Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Gl%C3%BCcksburg [Accessed 20 Sep. 2018].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Princess Vilhelmine Marie of Denmark. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Vilhelmine_Marie_of_Denmark [Accessed 20 Sep. 2018].
  • Flantzer, S. (2018). King Frederik VII of Denmark. [online]. Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-frederik-vii-of-denmark/ [Accessed 19 Sep. 2018].

King Frederik VII of Denmark

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Credit – Wikipedia

The last monarch of the House of Oldenburg and also the last absolute monarch of Denmark, Frederik Carl Christian was born on October 6, 1808, at Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen, Denmark. He was the only surviving child of King Christian VIII of Denmark and his first wife Charlotte Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. When Frederik was not even a year old, his mother was accused of adultery, divorced, and banished from the Danish court. Frederik never saw her again. His father married again to Caroline Amalie of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderborg-Augustenburg but the marriage was childless.

Frederik as a boy; Credit – By Øyvind Holmstad – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=34770222

Because his father, as Governor-General of Norway, was often away, Frederik’s upbringing was left to relatives and strangers. A team of seven renowned professors was appointed to teach him Danish, Latin, French, German, religion, history, geography, geometry, mathematics, gymnastics, music, and dance. The professors’ orthodox teaching methods did little to stimulate Frederik and his favorite subject was gymnastics.

Princess Vilhelmine Marie of Denmark; Credit – Wikipedia

When Frederik was nearly 18-years-old, he was betrothed to Princess Vilhelmine Marie of Denmark, the younger of the two daughters of the reigning King of Denmark, Frederik VI. This marriage arrangement was mainly due to the desirability of a union of the two branches of the Danish royal family whose relationship was strained. Frederik was a direct male-line descendant of King Frederik V by his second queen Juliana Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. Vilhelmine Marie was a daughter of King Frederik VI of Denmark and a granddaughter of King Christian VII, son of King Frederik V by his first queen Louisa of Great Britain. Frederik and Vilhelmine Marie’s wishes and needs were not considered at all. The wedding was postponed for two years while Frederik was sent on an educational trip to Switzerland, France, and Italy.

Frederik and Vilhelmine Marie were married on November 1, 1828, at the Christiansborg Castle Church in Copenhagen, Denmark. The wedding was very popular with the Danish people who participated in many festivities. However, the marriage was childless and unhappy, mostly due to Frederik’s affairs and drinking. The couple separated in April 1834 and divorced on September 4, 1837.

Caroline Mariane of Mecklenburg-Strelitz; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1839, when Frederik’s father succeeded to the Danish throne, Frederik became Crown Prince. Frederik needed to marry again and he heard about Caroline Mariane of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, a German princess who had been taught Danish by a Danish poet. Caroline Mariane was the daughter of Georg, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and Princess Marie of Hesse-Kassel. 33-year-old Frederik and 20-year-old Caroline Mariane were married in Neustrelitz in the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz on June 10, 1841. On June 21, they arrived in Denmark and made a festive entrance in Copenhagen. Once again, the marriage was childless and unhappy. Caroline Mariane was inexperienced, shy, and nervous and no match for Frederik’s boisterous temperament. In 1844, she went to visit her parents and refused to return to Denmark. The couple divorced on September 30, 1846.

Louise Rasmussen; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1848, Frederik’s father died and he succeeded to the Danish throne as King Frederik VII. During the 1830s, he had met Louise Rasmussen, a ballerina and stage actress. Frederik began a relationship with Louise during the 1840s and upon becoming king, he wished to marry Louise but the government was not in favor of the marriage.

In December 1847, a month before his death, Frederik’s father King Christian VIII commissioned the drafting of a new constitution in which the absolute monarchy would be abolished. He died before the draft was finished. Upon his deathbed, Christian VIII had urged his son to continue with the work of the new constitution. On June 5, 1849, King Frederik VII signed the new constitution which made him a constitutional monarch.

King Frederik VII and Countess Danner; Credit – Wikipedia

The signing of the new constitution made Frederik so popular that the government granted him permission to marry Louise Rasmussen. On August 8, 1850, by royal decree, Louise Rasmussen was given the title Countess Danner and was married to King Frederik VII at the Frederiksborg Castle Church in Denmark. However, the marriage was a morganatic one and any children of the marriage would not be in the line of succession to the Danish throne. The marriage appears to have been a happy one but had much opposition and Countess Danner was treated poorly in social circles. Frederik and Louise did not have any children.

King Frederik VII had to deal with the succession crisis as he had no children. Princess Charlotte of Denmark was the daughter of Frederik, Hereditary Prince of Denmark, the surviving son of King Frederick V of Denmark and his second wife, Juliana Maria of Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel. As the sister of Frederik’s father King Christian VIII, Charlotte was King Frederik VII’s aunt. She had married Wilhelm, Prince and later titular Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel and she was the only sibling of King Christian VIII to have children. This meant that it was likely that one of Princess Charlotte’s children would inherit the Danish throne. Princess Charlotte supported the solution that her branch of the family should succeed to the throne.

Princess Charlotte’s daughter Louise of Hesse-Kassel had married her second cousin Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg. Christian had spent much of his youth in Denmark and also had a claim on the Danish succession. Through his father, he was a direct male-line descendant of King Christian III of Denmark. Through his mother, Christian was a great-grandson of King Frederik V of Denmark. King Frederik VI of Denmark was the first cousin of Christian’s mother and had been married to Christian’s maternal aunt Marie of Hesse-Kassel. Women could inherit the Danish throne only if there were no male heirs (Semi-Salic Law). On July 15, 1851, Charlotte and her son Friedrich renounced their claims to the Danish throne in favor of Charlotte’s daughter Louise, who in turn renounced her claim in favor of her husband Christian. The Act of Succession of 1853 officially made Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg the heir of King Frederik VII.

King Frederik VII, 1861; Credit – Wikipedia

King Frederik VII of Denmark died from erysipelas on November 15, 1863, aged 55, in Glücksburg, Duchy of Schleswig-Holstein, now in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. He was buried at Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde, Denmark in the Frederik V Chapel.

Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg succeeded to the Danish throne as King Christian IX, the first monarch of the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg which still occupies the Danish throne today. Among King Christian IX’s children were King Frederik VIII of Denmark, King George I of Greece, Queen Alexandra of the United Kingdom (wife of King Edward VII) and Empress Maria Feodorovna of Russia (born Dagmar of Denmark, wife of Alexander III, Emperor of All Russia). King Christian IX is the ancestor of six of the ten current European royal families: Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, Spain, and the United Kingdom and also two former monarchies: Greece and Romania.

Tomb of King Frederik VII – Photo by Susan Flantzer

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.

Kingdom of Denmark Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • Da.wikipedia.org. (2018). Frederik 7.. [online] Available at: https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederik_7. [Accessed 19 Sep. 2018].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Frederick VII of Denmark. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_VII_of_Denmark [Accessed 19 Sep. 2018].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Duchess Charlotte Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duchess_Charlotte_Frederica_of_Mecklenburg-Schwerin [Accessed 17 Sep. 2018].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Louise Rasmussen. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louise_Rasmussen [Accessed 19 Sep. 2018].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Princess Vilhelmine Marie of Denmark. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vilhelmine_Marie_of_Denmark [Accessed 19 Sep. 2018].
  • Flantzer, S. (2015). King Christian IX of Denmark. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-christian-ix-of-denmark/ [Accessed 19 Sep. 2018].