Charlotte Georgine of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Duchess of Saxe-Hildburghausen

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2018

Charlotte Georgine of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Duchess of Saxe-Hildburghausensource: Wikipedia

Charlotte Georgine of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was the wife of Friedrich, Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen – later the Duke of Saxe-Altenburg. She was born in Hanover, Electorate of Hanover, now in Lower Saxony, Germany on November 17, 1769, the eldest child of Carl II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and Princess Friederike of Hesse-Darmstadt. Charlotte had nine siblings:

She also had a half-brother, from her father’s second marriage to her mother’s sister, Charlotte:

Charlotte was raised in Hanover, where her father served as Governor for his brother-in-law, King George III of the United Kingdom, who was the Elector of Hanover She was very close with her sisters, particularly Friederike, and they were considered to be the most beautiful and eligible princesses of their time.

Friedrich, Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen; Credit – Wikipedia

On September 3, 1785, Charlotte married Friedrich, then the Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen, and took up residence at Schloss Hildburghausen. The marriage was unhappy from the beginning, and Friedrich mostly ignored his wife who was far more intelligent than he was. Despite this, the couple had 12 children:

Charlotte, c1815, painting by Heinrich Vogel. source: Wikipedia

Despite her husband’s disinterest, Charlotte became much loved by the people of Saxe-Hildburghausen. She gave very generously to causes and charities that helped the poor and funded numerous programs that provided education and training to the less fortunate. Charlotte also supported the arts and brought many musicians and artists to court. She also became known as one of the best singers of her time. Having taken lessons as a girl in Hanover, the Duchess often sang in both court and church events.

Charlotte’s tomb in the City Cemetery in Hildburghausen. photo: by XHBNx – Own Work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4876170

Eight years before her husband became Duke of Saxe-Altenburg, Charlotte died after a long illness in Hildburghausen, Duchy of Saxe-Hildburghausen, now in Thuringia, Germany on May 14, 1818. Per her wishes, she was to be buried in the new city cemetery (Stadtfriedhof) in Hildburghausen. She was initially buried in the Hildburghausen Castle Church in the Duchy of Saxe-Hildburghausen, now in Thuringia, Germany. Her remains were moved to the Hildburghausen Stadtfriedhof in 1819, the first burial in the new cemetery. Her tomb, a large bronzed pillar atop what is known as the Ducal Mound, was completed in 1824. The mound is now also the burial site of several of the previous Dukes of Saxe-Hildburghausen and their wives. Other members of the Saxe-Altenburg family are buried elsewhere in the cemetery.

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

Friedrich, 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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Friedrich, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg; Credit – Wikipedia

Friedrich, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg was born in Hildburghausen, Duchy of  Saxe-Hildburghausen, now in Thuringia, Germany, as The Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Hildburghausen on April 29, 1763, the only son of Ernst Friedrich III, Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen and his third wife, Princess Ernestine of Saxe-Weimar. He had two sisters:

Friedrich also had two half-sisters from his father’s first two marriages, both of whom had died in infancy.

Friedrich was educated privately at home and later spent some time at the court in Gotha learning about the workings of government. He was presented to the Austrian court in 1779 and served in the Austrian military. At just 17 years old, he became Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen upon his father’s death in 1780. Because of his youth, a Regency was established, led by his great-grand-uncle Prince Joseph of Saxe-Hildburghausen. The Regency continued even after he reached his majority, ending only with Joseph’s death in 1787.

Charlotte Georgine of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. source: Wikipedia

On September 3, 1785, Friedrich married Duchess Charlotte Georgine of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the daughter of Carl II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and Princess Friederike of Hesse-Darmstadt. The marriage was happy at first, but soon Friedrich realized that his wife was far more intelligent than he was, and began to ignore her. Despite this, the couple had 12 children:

Upon taking control of his government in 1787, he quickly established a trade agreement with Saxe-Meiningen and Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. He improved the education system and established several schools in Hildburghausen. He also worked to improve the duchy’s financial situation. Due to his father’s poor fiscal policies, the Duchy was under the official administration of the Imperial Debit Commission and horribly in debt. Joining the Confederation of the Rhine in 1806 saw a marked positive change in the duchy’s financial state. This was further enhanced by joining the German Confederation in 1815. By the time he issued a new constitution in 1818, both the Duchy and the Duke himself were in a greatly improved financial position.

Along with his wife, the much-loved Charlotte Georgine, Friedrich worked to bring art and culture to Saxe-Hildburghausen, turning it into one of the cultural centers in Germany. He made sure to remain close to his subjects, often inviting people of all classes to his palaces, visiting inns and workshops around the duchy, and bringing about initiatives that helped the poor. Charlotte Georgine, Duchess of Saxe-Hildburghausen died eight years before her husband became Duke of Saxe-Altenburg, in Hildburghausen, Duchy of Saxe-Hildburghausen, now in Thuringia, Germany on May 14, 1818, after a long illness.

Friedrich IV, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg. source: Wikipedia

Friedrich became Duke of Saxe-Altenburg in 1826. After Friedrich IV, the last Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg died in 1825 without heirs, the Ernestine duchies were reorganized. Gotha passed to Ernst I, 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 Bernard II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen.

Leaving Hildburghausen after living there for 63 years was very difficult for Friedrich, but he moved to Altenburg in November 1826. He took up residence at the Hummelshain Hunting Lodge (Jagdschloss Hummelshain) while a massive restoration was undertaken at Altenburg Castle. Keeping to his promise to the people of his new duchy, Friedrich enacted a constitution in April 1831, improved the infrastructure, streamlined the government, and reinforced trade with the other German states.

Jagdschloss Hummelshain. photo: By Michael Sander – Own work (selbst fotografiert), CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10112948

Eight years after becoming Duke of Saxe-Altenburg, Friedrich died on September 29, 1834, at the Hummelshain Hunting Lodge in Hummerlshain, now in Thuringia, Germany. He was buried in the Ducal Mausoleum in the Altenburg Cemetery in Altenburg, Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg, now in Thuringia, Germany. In 1974, all the remains were removed from the mausoleum and were buried in an unmarked grave elsewhere in the cemetery

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

History and Traditions: Windsor Weddings Part 2 – Later Windsor Weddings

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2018

Bringing Royal Weddings into Our Homes

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In 1947, when the future Queen Elizabeth II married Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten (born Prince Philippos of Greece and Denmark), an estimated 200 million people listened to the Westminster Abbey ceremony on the radio. Thirteen years later, 300 million television viewers around the world witnessed the wedding of Queen Elizabeth II’s sister Princess Margaret as she married Antony Armstrong-Jones in Westminster Abbey. It was the first televised British royal wedding.

Since Princess Margaret’s wedding, a total of eight British royal weddings have been televised:

  • Princess Anne and Mark Phillips at Westminster Abbey on November 14, 1973
  • Prince Charles (King Charles III) and Lady Diana Spencer at St. Paul’s Cathedral on July 29, 1981
  • Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson at Westminster Abbey on July 23, 1986
  • Prince Edward and Sophie Rhys-Jones at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle on June 19, 1990
  • Prince Charles (King Charles III) and Camilla Parker Bowles at Windsor Guildhall followed by a Service of Prayer and Dedication at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle on April 9, 2005
  • Prince William (The Prince of Wales) and Catherine Middleton at Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011
  • Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle on May 19, 2018
  • Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle on October 12, 2018

Today, viewers can watch royal weddings not only on television but also by live-streaming on their computers and other devices. In 2011, when Prince William married Catherine Middleton, around 23 million Americans and 27 million British watched on their televisions and an additional 72 million people live-streamed the wedding. I have even live-streamed the weddings of the three children of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden. Of course, the ceremonies were in Swedish but nevertheless, I enjoyed watching.

In keeping with the times, the British Royal Family is active with social media.

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Overview of the Later Windsor Weddings

Because here at Unofficial Royalty, we have wedding articles with extensive information on all the later Windsor weddings, only several trivia items about each wedding will be noted. If available, a YouTube video of the wedding (or part of the wedding will be added). Please check the Unofficial wedding articles for detailed information about each wedding. At the end of the overviews is a list of weddings of other grandchildren of King George V, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II.

Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom (then Princess Elizabeth) married (November 20, 1947) Lt Philip Mountbatten (Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark) at Westminster Abbey in London, England

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Princess Elizabeth’s wedding was the first major royal event after World War II. The princess had to use the still required ration coupons to buy the material for her wedding gown. The princess’ mother Queen Elizabeth loaned her the Queen Mary Fringe Tiara.  Originally made in 1919 for Queen Mary, it was given to Queen Elizabeth in 1936. While Princess Elizabeth was dressing, the tiara suddenly broke. Luckily, the court jeweler, who was standing by in case of emergency, was rushed to his work room by a police escort.

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Prince William of Gloucester and Prince Michael of Kent staying warm as they wait to leave Westminster Abbey after the wedding

Two of Princess Elizabeth’s first cousins served as pages. Five-year-old Prince Michael, son of the late Duke of Kent, and six-year-old Prince William, the elder son of the Duke of Gloucester, wore Royal Stuart tartan kilts. It was their duty to carry their cousin Elizabeth’s train. As Princess Elizabeth walked down the aisle, she felt a tug on her gown. Six-year-old page Prince William of Gloucester was so nervous that he stepped on her train, but luckily had not torn it. The other page, five-year-old Prince Michael of Kent clutched the train so tightly that he committed the sin of walking right over the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior in the Abbey aisle. As Elizabeth and Philip moved to the high altar, King George VI bent down and helped Prince Michael with the train which had become too heavy for him. During the recessional, Prince Michael once again delayed the bride’s progress and Philip glanced back at him several times to make sure poor little Michael kept in step.

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Princess Margaret of the United Kingdom married (May 6, 1960) Antony Armstrong-Jones (later 1st Earl of Snowdon) at Westminster Abbey in London, England, divorced 1978

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The public was enthusiastic about Princess Margaret’s wedding, especially after she was not allowed to marry Group Captain Peter Townsend in 1955 because he was divorced. Prime Minister Winston Churchill had advised Queen Elizabeth II that Parliament would not approve a marriage to Group Captain Townsend unless Margaret were to relinquish her rights to the throne and her royal position. Margaret then issued a statement in which she announced that she would not be marrying Group Captain Townsend. She chose to put her royal role and duties ahead of her personal happiness.

Despite the public’s enthusiasm, some members of European royal families disapproved of a king’s daughter marrying a photographer and declined their wedding invitations. Among the royalty who did attend were Princess Margaret’s godmother Queen Ingrid of Denmark, King Gustaf VI Adolf and Queen Louise of Sweden (maternal aunt of the Duke of Edinburgh), Prince Karl of Hesse, Prince Ludwig of Baden and Prince Maximillian of Baden (all nephews of the Duke of Edinburgh).

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Princess Anne (later Princess Royal) married (November 14, 1973) Mark Phillips at Westminster Abbey in London, England, divorced 1992

Mark Phillips and Princess Anne; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

It was through their mutual love of horses that Mark Phillips met Princess Anne. The couple first met at the equestrian events during the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City where Mark was a reserve member of the British equestrian team. At the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Mark won an Olympic Gold Medal in the Team Three-Day Event. He also won a Silver Medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul. Princess Anne competed as a member of the British Equestrian Team in the 1976 Olympics. Their love of horses was inherited by their daughter Zara who won a Silver Medal in the Three-Day Event with the British equestrian team in 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

Anne chose to have only two attendants because of her personal experience as a bridesmaid trying to keep younger attendants in line. Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones, the bride’s nine-year-old first cousin and the daughter of Princess Margaret, was her bridesmaid and Prince Edward, her nine-year-old brother was her page boy.

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Charles, Prince of Wales (later King Charles III) married (July 29, 1981) Lady Diana Spencer at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, England, divorced 1996

Diana and Charles on their wedding day; Photo Credit – By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=44115689

Charles and Diana selected St Paul’s Cathedral in London over Westminster Abbey, the traditional site of Windsor royal weddings, because St. Paul’s offered more seating and permitted a longer procession through London. There were 3,500 guests at St. Paul’s and two million people lined the procession route. There had only been one other royal wedding at St. Paul’s Cathedral. In 1501, Arthur, Prince of Wales, the eldest son of King Henry VII, married Catherine of Aragon, the daughter of Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon, at the Old St. Paul’s Cathedral which was destroyed during the Great Fire of London in 1666. The present St. Paul’s Cathedral was built to replace the burned cathedral.

Diana wore the Spencer family tiara. According to her brother, Charles Spencer, now the 9th Earl Spencer, the tiara gave Diana a headache because she was not used to wearing it. The twenty-five-foot train of Diana’s gown posed problems. The gown’s designers realized too late that they had forgotten to allow for the train’s length in relation to the size of the glass coach Diana and her father rode in to the ceremony. The train did not fit easily into the glass coach and as a result, it was badly crushed. This accounted for the visible wrinkles in the wedding gown when Diana arrived at the cathedral.

Diana accidentally changed the order of Charles’s names during her vows, saying “Philip Charles Arthur George” instead of the correct “Charles Philip Arthur George”. Charles also made an error. He said he would offer her “thy goods” instead of “my worldly goods”. Diana did not promise to “obey” Charles as part of the traditional vows. That word was eliminated at the couple’s request, which caused a sensation at the time.

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Prince Andrew, Duke of York married (July 23, 1986) Sarah Ferguson at Westminster Abbey in London, England, divorced 1996

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Sarah Ferguson boasts a royal descent although it is from the wrong side of the sheets. Like the Duchess of Cornwall, the late Diana, Princess of Wales, and the late Princess Alice of Gloucester, Sarah is descended from King Charles II via his illegitimate children. Charles Lennox, 1st Duke of Richmond, son of Charles II and his mistress Louise de Kérouaille, Duchess of Portsmouth and James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth, son of Charles II and his mistress Lucy Walter are Sarah’s ancestors.

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Four-year-old Prince William was one of the page boys. William looked adorable in the sailor’s uniform of the Royal Navy from 1782, complete with sailor hat, but his ability to pay attention was non-existent. He made several silly faces, got squirmy and even yawned in boredom at one point. As Andrew and Sarah were leaving for their honeymoon in a horse-drawn carriage, William started running after them. His grandmother, The Queen, had to run and catch him.

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Anne, Princess Royal married (December 12, 1992) Timothy Laurence at Crathie Kirk in Ballater, Scotland

Photo Credit – www.dailymail.co.uk

Anne and Timothy were married at a small, private ceremony on December 12, 1992, at the tiny Crathie Church in Crathie, Scotland where the British Royal Family worships when they are staying at Balmoral Castle. The couple chose to marry in Scotland as the Church of England did not at that time allow divorced persons whose former spouses were still living to remarry in its churches. The Church of Scotland does not consider marriage to be a sacrament and has no objection to the remarriage of divorced persons. Princess Anne arrived at Crathie Church accompanied by her father Prince Philip and her 11-year-old daughter Zara who acted as her bridesmaid.

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Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex (later Duke of Edinburgh) married (June 19, 1999) Sophie Rhys-Jones at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England

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Sophie and Edward opted for a low-key (for royalty) wedding at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. They did not want the wedding to be turned into a state occasion so there was no ceremonial, state or military involvement. Prime Minister Tony Blair and other politicians were not invited. The couple requested that guests wear formal evening gowns, and not to wear hats to reflect their wish for a more informal royal wedding. Nevertheless, Edward’s grandmother, The Queen Mother, who was rarely seen in public without a hat, wore one. Edward’s two brothers, The Prince of Wales and The Duke of York, both served as his supporters.

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Charles, Prince of Wales (later King Charles III) married (April 9, 2005) Camilla Shand Parker-Bowles, civil service at the Guild Hall in Windsor, England followed by a Service of Prayer and Dedication at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England

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The Privy Council met on March 2, 2005 to give their approval to the Queen’s consent to the marriage, in accordance with the provisions of the Royal Marriages Act 1772. The government indicated that the marriage was not morganatic.

A civil ceremony was chosen to avoid potential controversy caused by the future Supreme Governor of the Church of England (Charles) marrying a divorcée (Camilla) in a religious ceremony. However, the marriage of a divorced person whose spouse is still living has been possible in the Church of England, with the approval of the minister conducting the ceremony, since 2002.

Originally, it was announced that a civil marriage would take place on April 8, 2005, followed by a Service of Prayer and Dedication at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor. This was later postponed until April 9, 2005, allowing The Prince of Wales to attend the funeral of Pope John Paul II in Rome.

Upon marriage, Camilla took on all of Prince Charles’ titles, including Princess of Wales. However, out of respect for the late Diana, Princess of Wales, it was decided that she would be styled HRH The Duchess of Cornwall.

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Prince William, Duke of Cambridge (later The Prince of Wales) married (April 29, 2011) Catherine Middleton at Westminster Abbey in London, England

Photo Credit – Wikipedia

As Prince William was not the heir apparent to the throne, the wedding was not a full state occasion and many details were left to the couple to decide, such as much of the guest list of about 1,900. Guests included the bride’s and groom’s families, members of foreign royal dynasties, diplomats, and the couple’s personal guests. The cost of the wedding itself was paid for by the Royal Family and the Middletons, however, the costs of security and transport were covered by Her Majesty’s Treasury.

In a break with royal tradition, the groom had a best man, his brother Prince Harry, rather than a supporter, while the bride chose her sister Pippa Middleton as maid of honor. In addition to the usual lunchtime wedding reception at Buckingham Palace, there was also an evening reception for three hundred of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s closest friends and family hosted by Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace.

Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton
YouTube: The Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton

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Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex married Meghan Markle (May 19, 2018) at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England

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Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
YouTube: Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle

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Windsor Weddings of Other Grandchildren of King George V, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II

Grandchildren of King George V

Grandchildren of King George VI

Grandchildren of Queen Elizabeth II

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

  • Ashdown, D. (1981). Royal Weddings. London: Robert Hale Limited.
  • Unofficial Royalty. (2018). Unofficial Royalty. [online] Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com [Accessed 2 Apr. 2018]. (wedding and biography articles)
  • Wikipedia. (2018). Main Page. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/ [Accessed 2 Apr. 2018].  (biography articles)

Viktoria Luise of Prussia, Princess of Hanover, Duchess of Brunswick

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2018

Viktoria Luise of Prussia, Princess of Hanover, Duchess of Brunswick; Credit – Wikipedia

Princess Viktoria Luise Adelheid Mathilde Charlotte of Prussia was the last Duchess of Brunswick through her marriage to Prince Ernst August of Hanover, Duke of Brunswick. She was born on September 13, 1892, at the Marble Palace in Potsdam, Kingdom of Prussia, now in the German state of Brandenburg, the youngest child and only daughter of Wilhelm II, German Emperor, King of Prussia and Princess Augusta Viktoria of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg. Viktoria Luise had six older brothers:

Viktoria Luise with her parents and siblings, c1896. source: Wikipedia

The young princess was christened on October 22, 1892, and named for her great-grandmother Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and her great-great-grandmother Queen Luise of Prussia. As the youngest child and only daughter, she was her father’s favorite and could do no wrong in his eyes. She was educated privately at home, studying religion and music and developing a love of athletic pursuits. From a young age, she became an accomplished hunter and rider. In 1900, the Hamburg-American Line named a ship in her honor. The Prinzessin Viktoria Luise would be the world’s first cruise ship.

Prince Ernst August of Hanover, Duke of Brunswick; Credit – Wikipedia

Viktoria Luise met her future husband in 1912 when he came to Berlin to personally thank the Emperor for sending two of his sons to the funeral of Ernst August’s brother. While there, the couple met and quickly fell in love. However, there was political tension between Prussia and Hanover, as Ernst August’s father, also named Ernst August, Duke of Cumberland, refused to relinquish his claims to the Hanoverian throne. For this reason, the Emperor had not allowed him to succeed to the Duchy of Brunswick, to which he was also the rightful heir. Finally, after months of negotiations, a compromise was reached that would allow Viktoria Luise and Ernst August to marry. The Duke of Cumberland renounced his rights to the throne of Hanover for himself and his heirs. He also ceded his rights to the Duchy of Brunswick, which allowed the younger Ernst August to become reigning Duke. After all these negotiations, Viktoria Luise and Ernst August were engaged on February 11, 1913.

Their wedding, held in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, now in the German state of Brandenburg, on May 24, 1913, was one of the largest gatherings of royalty in Germany since the establishment of the German Empire in 1871. It would also be one of the last large social events before World War I, attended by 1,200 guests, including the British King and Queen and the Russian Emperor and Empress. Six months later, Ernst August was formally created Duke of Brunswick. He and Viktoria Luise took up residence in Brunswick, where they had five children:

Viktoria Luise and Ernst August, c1918. source: Wikipedia

After World War I, Viktoria Luise’s husband was forced to abdicate on November 8, 1918, when the monarchies in Germany were abolished. The following year, he also lost his British title as a Prince of the United Kingdom under the Titles Deprivation Act. 1918 also saw the abdication of Viktoria Luise’s father, who lived the rest of his life in exile at Huis Doorn in Doorn, Netherlands. The couple lived at several of their estates, including Blankenburg Castle, in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt, where Viktoria Luise continued her support of philanthropic causes, promoted restoration projects for several of the old palaces, and indulged in her love of horses and hunting. When Blankenburg was taken by the Soviets in 1945, Viktoria Luise and her family were forced to flee. Under orders of her second cousin King George VI of the United Kingdom, British army troops were sent to Blankenburg to transport all of their belongings to Marienburg Castle in Hanover, Lower Saxony, Germany, the couple’s privately owned property, where they lived for the next eight years.

Viktoria Luise was widowed in 1953, and the following year her son turned Marienburg Castle into a museum, uprooting Viktoria Luise and causing a rift between mother and son. The relationship became further strained over their disagreement over her public role. Her son wanted her to retire quietly but Viktoria Luise had no intention of that. Her son offered her several residences, but instead, she moved to the Riddagshausen district of Brunswick, moving into a home provided to her by a group called the Brunswick Circle of Friends. With the support of this group, she continued to be involved in her charitable works and maintained her position in society. After living many years in Brunswick, her health began to fail in the fall of 1980, and she moved to the Friederikestift, a hospital in Hanover.

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The Dowager Duchess of Brunswick died in Hanover, Germany on December 11, 1980, at the age of 88. She was the last surviving child of Wilhelm II, having outlived her siblings by over 22 years. Viktoria Luise is buried beside her husband, in front of the Royal Mausoleum in the Berggarten at Herrenhausen Gardens in Hanover, 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.

Brunswick Resources at Unofficial Royalty

History and Traditions: Windsor Weddings Part 1 – Children of King George V

by Susan Flantzer – compiled, revised, and edited from articles at Unofficial Royalty
© Unofficial Royalty 2018

Family of King George V – Seated: Princess Mary, Queen Mary  Standing: The Prince of Wales (future King Edward VIII and Duke of Windsor), Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, King George V; Prince Albert, Duke of York (future King George VI) and Prince George, Duke of Kent; Photo Credit – Royal Family Group by Bassano Ltd, 12 x 10 inch glass plate negative, 26 April 1923, NPG x95760 © National Portrait Gallery, London

George V, King of the United Kingdom (son of Edward VII) married (1893) Mary of Teck at the Chapel Royal at St. James’ Palace in London, England

In 1917, during World War I, due to anti-German sentiment, King George V decided that to show the British people that the British Royal Family was indeed British and so a change of name was necessary. The British Royal Family’s dynastic name had gone from one German name to another, the House of Hanover to the decidedly more Germanic-sounding, House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. On July 18, 1917, the day after the Privy Council had given its final approval, the following proclamation from King George V appeared in newspapers: “WHEREAS We, having taken into consideration the Name and Title of Our Royal House and Family, have determined that henceforth Our House and Family shall be styled and known as the House and Family of Windsor.”  See Unofficial Royalty: July 17, 1917: The Birth of the House of Windsor.

Mary and George on their wedding day; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

King George V, then Prince George, Duke of York, had married Princess Victoria Mary of Teck (also known as Princess May and later Queen Mary) in 1893 during the reign of his grandmother Queen Victoria. He had a typical royal wedding of the time at the Chapel Royal at St. James’ Palace in London. There was an opportunity for the public to see the royals as they left Buckingham Palace and proceeded the short distance to St. James’ Palace. Crowds gathered in the morning along the bridal procession route on Constitution Hill, Piccadilly, and St. James Street.

At 11:30 a.m., the first of the carriage processions left Buckingham Palace. Royalty from Britain and abroad rode in twelve open state landaus driven by cream-colored horses. The bridegroom and his father left the Palace at 11:45 a.m. followed by Queen Victoria in the Glass Coach. Accompanying the Queen was her first cousin, the beaming Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge, the mother of the bride. The bride’s procession came last. Mary was accompanied by her brother Adolphus.

After the wedding service, the guests returned in state to Buckingham Palace. The royal guests feasted at round tables covered with food in a room separate from the other guests. The other guests enjoyed themselves in the Ballroom where large buffet tables were set up. Queen Victoria led George and Mary out onto the balcony at Buckingham Palace and presented them to the cheering crowds. The balcony appearance would later become a tradition of Windsor weddings.

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Westminster Abbey Choir leading to the Altar

Another tradition of Windsor weddings would be the use of Westminster Abbey in London as a wedding venue. Westminster Abbey was completed around 1060 and was consecrated in 1065.  It was the wedding venue for six royal weddings during the reigns of the Plantagenet kings including that of King Richard II to Anne of Bohemia in 1382. That would be the last royal wedding at Westminster Abbey until the reign of King George V. Queen Victoria’s granddaughter and King George V’s first cousin Princess Patricia of Connaught married The Honorable Alexander Ramsay at Westminster Abbey in 1919. This was the first major royal event after World War I.

Five of the six children of King George V married and three of the five were married at Westminster Abbey. (George V’s youngest child Prince John died at the age of 14 following a severe epileptic seizure.) The large size of Westminster Abbey allowed more guests to be present at the wedding ceremony and the long drive from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey brought out immense crowds along the route. With each royal wedding, the anticipation and excitement grew.

It was George V’s children who really started the trend to marry non-royals. Only his son Prince George, Duke of Kent married a royal. Since that time, there has been only one member of the House of Windsor who married another royal – Queen Elizabeth II whose husband was born Prince Philippos of Greece and Denmark.

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Weddings of King George V’s Children

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Wedding of Princess Mary and Henry, Viscount Lascelles

Princess Mary, the only daughter, was the first of her siblings to marry. On November 20, 1921, she became engaged to Henry, Viscount Lascelles, the eldest son of Henry Lascelles, 5th Earl of Harewood. Lord Lascelles was staying at York Cottage, the country home of Mary’s family, and it was there that the proposal took place. Queen Mary wrote in her diary for that day, “At 6.30 Mary came to my room to announce to me her engagement to Lord Lascelles! We then told G. (King George V) & then gave Harry L. our blessing. We had to keep it quiet owing to G. having to pass an order in council to give his consent. Of course, everybody guessed what had happened & we were very cheerful & almost uproarious at dinner. We are delighted.”

Princess Mary and Lord Lascelles (Henry) were married at Westminster Abbey on February 28, 1922. The wedding was the first time a child of a monarch had married at Westminster Abbey since 1290 when Margaret of England, daughter of King Edward I, married John II, Duke of Brabant. It also was the first royal occasion for Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (later wife of Mary’s brother King George VI), a friend of Mary’s and one of her bridesmaids.

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On the Buckingham Palace balcony: King George V, Princess Mary, Viscount Lascelles, Queen Alexandra, and Queen Mary

Despite their fifteen-year age difference and despite rumors that the marriage was not happy, their elder son George Lascelles, 7th Earl of Harewood said the marriage was a happy one. He wrote in his memoirs that they “got on well together and had a lot of friends and interests in common.” In 1929, Henry’s father died, he became the 6th Earl of Harewood, and the family moved to Harewood House near Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. On January 1, 1932, Mary was given the style Princess Royal by her father, a style for the eldest daughter of the sovereign. The previous Princess Royal, Mary’s aunt Louise, had died the previous year.

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Wedding of Prince Albert, Duke of York (the future King George VI) and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

In 1916, the second son of King George V, Prince Albert, known as Bertie, had been introduced to Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, the youngest daughter and the ninth child of the ten children of Claude Bowes-Lyon, 14th and 1st Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne at a tea party. The two had actually first met in 1905 at a children’s party but neither recalled that meeting. Bertie, who was created Duke of York in June 1920, and Elizabeth had their first significant meeting on July 8, 1920 at the Royal Air Force Ball at the Ritz in London. Bertie had come to the ball with his equerry The Honorable James Stuart (the future 1st Viscount Stuart of Findhorn), the youngest son of the 17th Earl of Moray. Elizabeth and James were old friends from Scotland and shared a dance. Bertie questioned James about his dance partner and asked to be introduced. Although the meeting did not make much of an impression upon Elizabeth, Bertie fell in love that evening and started courting Elizabeth.

Bertie first proposed to Elizabeth in 1921 but was rejected because Elizabeth feared the changes in her life being a member of the Royal Family would require. Elizabeth served as a bridesmaid in the wedding of Bertie’s sister Mary, Princess Royal in February 1922. The following month, Bertie again proposed to her and was turned down once more. On January 2, 1923, after taking Elizabeth to dinner at Claridge’s and the theater, Bertie proposed a third time. After talking to friends and relatives and expressing her feelings in her diary, Elizabeth decided on January 14, 1923 to accept Bertie’s proposal although she still has misgivings.

The wedding of HRH The Duke of York and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon was held on April 26, 1923 at Westminster Abbey in London. As Elizabeth was proceeding down the aisle, she passed the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior, a casualty of World War I whose remains had been brought from France and buried in the Abbey floor three years earlier. Elizabeth laid her bouquet of white roses on it. No doubt she was thinking of her brother Fergus and all the other British soldiers who died in World War I. Placing bouquets on the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior has become a Windsor royal wedding tradition.

Tomb of the Unknown Warrior: Photo Credit – By Mike from England – Tomb of the Unknown Warrior, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18443245

In 1936, after the abdication of his brother King Edward VIII, Bertie acceded to the throne as King George VI and his wife became Queen Elizabeth, known as The Queen Mother during the reign of her daughter Queen Elizabeth II.

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Wedding of Prince George, Duke of Kent and Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark

In August 1934, Buckingham Palace announced the engagement of Prince George, Duke of Kent to Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark. The two were second-cousins, through their mutual descent from King Christian IX of Denmark. They married on November 29, 1934 at Westminster Abbey followed by a Greek Orthodox ceremony in the Private Chapel at Buckingham Palace. George’s eldest brother The Prince of Wales served as best man and his other two brothers were groomsmen. George and Marina’s wedding was the first royal wedding to be broadcast on the radio.

Princess Marina in her wedding dress; Credit – Wikipedia

Princess Marina was considered to be the most glamorous of the early Windsor brides.  Her gown, designed by British designer Edward Molyneux, was made from silver and white brocade with a flower design and was lined with silver lamé. The court train was fifteen feet long and the sleeves were long and in a medieval style. The veil, made of handmade lace and white tulle, had been worn by Marina’s mother, born Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna of Russia, and by Marina’s sister Olga at their weddings. It was secured by the Kent City of London Fringe Tiara, a wedding gift to Marina from the City of London.  Princess Marina was the first British royal bride to wear the now de rigueur tiara.

The Kent City of London Fringe Tiara; Photo Credit – http://orderofsplendor.blogspot.com

Contrast Marina’s wedding outfit with that of Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon who had married eleven years earlier and was a victim of the fashions of the early 1920s. (See photo of Elizabeth, The Duke of York and the bridesmaids above.) Elizabeth had worn a sack-like dress with her lace veil firmly set over her forehead. Her bridesmaids wore floral headgear resembling headphones.

George and Marina’s wedding would be the last marriage of a foreign princess into the British Royal Family. Sadly, just six weeks after the birth of their third and youngest child, Prince George was killed when his military plane crashed in Scotland on August 25, 1942.

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The wedding of Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester and Lady Alice Montagu Douglas Scott

In August 1935, Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, the third son of King George V became engaged to Lady Alice Montagu Douglas Scott, daughter of John Montagu Douglas Scott, 7th Duke of Buccleuch and 9th Duke of Queensberry. Sadly, Alice’s father died from cancer on October 19, 1935, less than a month before the wedding date, November 6, 1935. The wedding was originally set to be held at Westminster Abbey but the wedding venue was changed. It was deemed more appropriate to have the wedding at the Private Chapel at Buckingham Palace. Among the bridesmaids were the groom’s nieces Princess Elizabeth (the future Queen Elizabeth II) and Princess Margaret Rose. Despite the wedding being held at Buckingham Palace, the public was still able to see the bride as she rode from her Mayfair home to Buckingham Palace in the Glass Coach and then made the traditional appearance on the Buckingham Palace balcony with her new husband.

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The Private Chapel at Buckingham Palace

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Wedding of The Duke of Windsor and Wallis Simpson

“After I am dead, the boy will ruin himself in twelve months.” King George V’s prophecy about his eldest son The Prince of Wales, christened with a long string of names, Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David, but known as David in the family, came true. King George V died on January 20, 1936 and on December 11, 1936, David, who reigned as King Edward VIII, abdicated due to the widespread unwillingness to accept the twice-divorced Wallis Simpson as his wife and David’s refusal to give her up.

On December 12, 1936, at the accession meeting of the Privy Council, the new King George VI announced he was going to give his brother the title Duke of Windsor with the style of Royal Highness. Letters Patent dated May 27, 1937 re-conferred the “title, style, or attribute of Royal Highness” upon the Duke of Windsor, but specifically stated that “his wife and descendants, if any, shall not hold said title or attribute”.

Château de Candé, near Tours, France, the wedding venue for the Duke and Duchess of Windsor; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

On June 3, 1937, David married Wallis Simpson at the Château de Candé, near Tours, France surrounded by a small group of faithful friends. David had wanted his brothers Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester and Prince George, Duke of Kent along with his close friend and second cousin Lord Louis Mountbatten (the future 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma) to attend the ceremony but his brother King George VI forbade members of the royal family from attending.

When the Church of England refused to sanction the wedding, Reverend Robert Anderson Jardine, the Vicar of St Paul’s Church in Darlington, County Durham, England, offered to perform the ceremony. When Reverend Jardine returned home to Darlington, he soon became aware that he had performed an act which the Church of England could not accept. He was forced to resign his position and under pressure, he left England and settled in California.

The legality of King George VI’s Letters Patent stating that David’s style Royal Highness could not be extended to his wife or any children is doubtful. As the son of a British monarch, David was entitled to that style which should have automatically reverted to him upon his abdication and automatically extended to his legal wife and any legitimate children. David considered the holding back of the style Her Royal Highness from his wife unjust but out of respect for his brother, he never made a public issue. In their household, the Duchess of Windsor was always addressed as Royal Highness.

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Works Cited

  • Ashdown, D. (1981). Royal Weddings. London: Robert Hale Limited.
  • Unofficial Royalty. (2018). Unofficial Royalty. [online] Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com [Accessed 2 Apr. 2018]. (wedding and biography articles)
  • Wikipedia. (2018). Main Page. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/ [Accessed 2 Apr. 2018].  (biography articles)

Bridesmaids and Page Boys at the Wedding of Prince Harry and Ms. Meghan Markle

Prince George and Princess Charlotte were in the wedding party at the wedding of their aunt Pippa Middleton in 2017; Photo Credit – Today Show

Prince Harry and Ms. Meghan Markle have chosen the following Bridesmaids and Page Boys for their wedding on Saturday, May 19, 2018.

Bridesmaids:

  • Her Royal Highness Princess Charlotte of Cambridge: age 3, niece of Prince Harry, daughter of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge
  • Miss Florence van Cutsem: age 3, goddaughter of Prince Harry, daughter of Mrs. Alice van Cutsem and Major Nicholas van Cutsem, a close friend of Prince Harry
  • Miss Remi Litt: age, 6, goddaughter of Meghan Markle, daughter of Mrs. Benita Litt, a close friend of Meghan Markle, and Mr. Darren Litt
  • Miss Rylan Litt: age, 7, goddaughter of Meghan Markle, daughter of Mrs. Benita Litt, a close friend of Meghan Markle, and Mr. Darren Litt
  • Miss Ivy Mulroney: age 4, daughter of Mrs. Jessica Mulroney, fashion stylist and a close friend of Meghan Markle, and Mr. Benedict Mulroney, a Canadian television host and son of former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney
  • Miss Zalie Warren: age 2, goddaughter of Prince Harry, daughter of Mrs. Zoe Warren and Mr. Jake Warren, a close friend of Prince Harry

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Page Boys:

  • His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge: age 4, nephew of Prince Harry, son of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge
  • Master Jasper Dyer: age 6, godson of Prince Harry, son of Mrs. Amanda Dyer and Mr. Mark Dyer, a former equerry to The Prince of Wales who has been an influence on Prince Harry since his childhood
  • Master Brian Mulroney: age, 7, twin of John below, son of Mrs. Jessica Mulroney, fashion stylist and a close friend of Meghan Markle, and Mr. Benedict Mulroney, a Canadian television host and son of former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney
  • Master John Mulroney: age, 7, twin of Brian above, son of Mrs. Jessica Mulroney, fashion stylist and a close friend of Meghan Markle, and Mr. Benedict Mulroney, a Canadian television host and son of former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney

History and Traditions: Weddings of Queen Victoria and Her Children

by Susan Flantzer – compiled, revised, and edited from articles at Unofficial Royalty 
© Unofficial Royalty 2018

Engraved illustration from Harper’s Weekly newspaper of the wedding of the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) and Alexandra of Denmark at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor; Credit – Wikipedia

During the reign of Queen Victoria (1837 – 1901), royal weddings started to move more toward the customs of today’s royal weddings. They were not in any sense as public as today’s royal weddings but sometimes there were opportunities for the public to see the wedding processions if the wedding was held at the Chapel Royal at St. James’ Palace in London. Even the weddings of Queen Victoria and the weddings of two future kings (Edward VII and George V), all of which occurred during Victoria’s reign, were nowhere near the occasions of the weddings of the future Queen Elizabeth II, her heir Prince Charles or the next heir Prince William.

Westminster Abbey was not a royal wedding venue during Queen Victoria’s reign. There would not be a royal wedding at Westminster Abbey until Queen Victoria’s granddaughter Princess Patricia of Connaught married The Honorable Alexander Ramsay there in 1919, eighteen years after Queen Victoria’s death. This was the first major royal event after World War I and the first royal wedding at Westminster Abbey since the 1382 wedding of King Richard II and Anne of Bohemia. With Queen Victoria herself and several of her children, we see a continuation of weddings at the Chapel Royal at St. James’ Palace in London that had become somewhat of the norm with the earlier Hanovers. However, we also see the start of royal weddings at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. In 1863, the wedding of Queen Victoria’s eldest son and heir, the future King Edward VII of the United Kingdom, and Princess Alexandra of Denmark would be the first royal wedding held at St. George’s Chapel, a tradition which has continued to this day for many members of the British Royal Family.

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First Cousins’ Marriage

Wedding of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha at the Chapel Royal at St. James’ Palace, London; Credit – Wikipedia

Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha were first cousins. Victoria’s mother, born Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, and Albert’s father Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha were siblings. The Coburg family had strong ties to the British Royal Family. Victoria and Albert’s uncle Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld had married Princess Charlotte of Wales, the only child of King George IV who had died tragically in childbirth. Leopold’s sister Victoria had married King George III’s son, Edward, Duke of Kent, and was the mother of Queen Victoria. The Dowager Duchess of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, the grandmother of Victoria and Albert, suggested the possibility of marriage between them in a letter to her daughter Victoria, Duchess of Kent, in 1821, when the children were but two years old. Later, the idea was taken up by their uncle Leopold, who became the first King of the Belgians in 1831.

First cousins Victoria and Albert met for the first time in 1836 when Albert and his elder brother Ernst visited England. Seventeen-year-old Victoria seemed instantly infatuated with Albert. She wrote to her uncle Leopold, “How delighted I am with him, and how much I like him in every way. He possesses every quality that could be desired to make me perfectly happy.”

In October of 1839, Albert and Ernst again visited England, staying at Windsor Castle with Victoria, who was now Queen. On October 15, 1839, the 20-year-old monarch summoned her cousin Albert and proposed to him. Albert accepted, but wrote to his stepmother, “My future position will have its dark sides, and the sky will not always be blue and unclouded.”

The couple was married in the Chapel Royal at St. James’ Palace in London on February 10, 1840, at 1 PM. Traditionally, royal weddings took place at night, but this wedding was held during the day so Queen Victoria’s subjects could see the couple as they traveled down The Mall from Buckingham Palace.

Queen Victoria’s wedding dress

Albert wore the uniform of a British field marshal, over which hung the collar of the Order of the Garter, an honor that had recently been bestowed on him by Victoria. Her wedding dress was of rich white satin, trimmed with orange flower blossoms. On her head, she wore a wreath of the same flowers, over which was a veil of Honiton lace. She wore her Turkish diamond necklace and earrings and Albert’s wedding present of a sapphire brooch.

Most of the wedding guests were members of the British royal family and the Coburg ducal family. The simple ceremony took place at the altar and was performed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Archbishop of York, and the Bishop of London. There had been no rehearsal and the chapel was really too small for the large wedding party. The bridesmaids stepped on each other’s dresses and kicked each other’s heels. At times it appeared Albert was not quite sure what he should be doing, and he seemed rather awkward and embarrassed.

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The Dynastic Marriage

The Marriage of Victoria, Princess Royal, 25 January 1858 by John Phillip; Credit – Royal Collection Trust/ © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Victoria and Albert’s first child was born on November 21, 1840, at Buckingham Palace, nine months after her parents’ marriage. Named Victoria after her mother and called Vicky in the family, she was created Princess Royal in 1841.

In 1851, Prince Wilhelm of Prussia (the future King of Prussia and German Emperor) and his wife Augusta were invited to London by Queen Victoria to visit the Great Exhibition in Hyde Park, which her husband Prince Albert was instrumental in organizing. Wilhelm and Augusta brought their two children, 20-year-old Friedrich and 13-year-old Louise. On a visit to the Great Exhibition, ten-year-old Vicky was allowed to accompany the group as a companion to Louise. Despite being only ten years old, Vicky made an impression on Friedrich (Fritz), who was ten years older.

Four years later, in 1855, Fritz was invited back to England by Victoria and Albert for a visit to their Scottish home Balmoral. Both the British and Prussian royal families expected that Fritz and Vicky should come to a decision about their future together. Fritz was second in line to the Prussian throne after his father, who was expected to succeed his childless brother. Despite the fact that the marriage would not be universally popular in either country, Vicky and Fritz agreed to marry each other. Their marriage would be one of the most romantic of royal marriages. Because Vicky was so young, her parents decreed that the wedding would have to wait until Vicky was 17 years old.

Because Vicky was marrying a future monarch, the wedding was expected to be in Berlin. However, Queen Victoria had other ideas: “The assumption of it being too much for a Prince Royal of Prussia to come over to marry the Princess Royal of Great Britain in England is too absurd, to say the least…Whatever may be the usual practice of Prussian Princes, it is not every day that one marries the eldest daughter of the Queen of England. The question must, therefore, be considered as settled and closed…” Queen Victoria got her way and the wedding was scheduled for Monday, January 25, 1858, in the Chapel Royal of St. James’ Palace in London, England, where the bride’s parents had been married.

Queen Victoria, Prince Albert and Victoria, Princess Royal; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Eighteen carriages and 300 soldiers were in the procession for the short ride from Buckingham Palace to St. James’ Palace. Queen Victoria and Vicky were in the very last carriage. Vicky’s four brothers were in Highland dress and the elder two (Bertie and Alfred) preceded the Queen down the aisle. Vicky’s two younger brothers (Arthur and Leopold) accompanied their mother down the aisle followed by three of Vicky’s four sisters (Alice, Helena, and Louise) who were dressed in white lace over pink satin. Beatrice, Vicky’s youngest sibling, was left back at Buckingham Palace as she was not even a year old. Next came Fritz, wearing a dark blue tunic and white trousers, the uniform of the Prussian First Infantry Regiment of the Guard, accompanied by his father and his uncle Prince Albrecht of Prussia. Finally, Vicky came down the aisle escorted by her father Prince Albert and her great-uncle King Leopold I of the Belgians.

John Sumner, Archbishop of Canterbury, conducted the service and he was so nervous that he left out several parts of the service. However, Queen Victoria was pleased that both “Vicky and Fritz spoke plainly,” as she wrote in her journal. The service was concluded with George Friedrich Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus and then Vicky and Fritz led the recessional to The Wedding March by Felix Mendelssohn, the first time it was used for a wedding. Thereafter it became a popular wedding recessional. The music is from a suite of incidental music to Shakespeare’s play A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Queen Victoria loved Mendelssohn’s music and the composer often played for her when he visited Great Britain. After the wedding, Vicky and Fritz led the carriage procession back to Buckingham Palace where they appeared on the balcony with and without their parents.

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“More of a Funeral than a Wedding”

Princess Alice and Ludwig of Hesse and by Rhine on their wedding day; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

With Vicky married to the Prussian heir, Victoria and Albert had hoped to make an equally impressive marriage for their second eldest daughter Alice. A visit from Willem, Prince of Orange, the eldest son of King Willem III of the Netherlands who would predecease his father, had failed to make a positive impression on Alice and her parents. Vicky had met the future Ludwig IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine in the early months of her marriage and suggested that he may be suitable for Alice. Ludwig visited England with his brother Heinrich in 1860 to watch the Ascot Races – and to meet Alice. The visit was a success, and during the second visit in December of the same year, the couple became engaged. The engagement was announced in April 1861, with a wedding tentatively planned for the following spring.

Unfortunately for Alice and Ludwig, the British royal family suffered two deaths in 1861. Queen Victoria’s mother, the Duchess of Kent, died in March 1861. While still grieving her loss, Prince Albert died on December 14, 1861, after a short illness. As the eldest daughter still at home, it fell to Alice to console her grieving mother through the following months. Alice ran herself so ragged during this time that during a visit with her fiancé in the spring of 1862, Ludwig was genuinely worried for her health.

Vicky’s wedding in 1858 had been a grand affair but Alice’s was a sad ceremony meant for close family only. A muted celebration was scheduled for July 1, 1862, at Osborne House in the Isle of Wight. The wedding ceremony was planned for the dining room at Osborne House, preventing the guest list from growing too large. Alice’s sisters Helena, Louise, and Beatrice served as bridesmaids, along with Ludwig’s sister Anna. Prince Albert’s brother Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was recruited to give the bride away.

Although Alice and her mother apparently took some joy in arranging her trousseau, all of the outfits were black due to the required mourning. Alice wore a white dress trimmed with Honiton lace, orange blossoms, and myrtle. Her bridesmaids wore similar white dresses, but all of the women changed back into black mourning attire immediately following the service.

The Marriage of Princess Alice, 1st July 1862 by George Housman Thomas; Credit – Royal Collection Trust © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2017

Queen Victoria would later describe the service to Vicky who was unable to attend due to a pregnancy as “more of a funeral than a wedding.” Other guests similarly described the wedding as being a very sad occasion. Alice’s brothers cried throughout the service, as did the Archbishop of Canterbury, who officiated. The death of Ludwig’s aunt Mathilde a few weeks before the wedding did nothing to raise the spirits of the wedding guests. During the ceremony, Queen Victoria continually stared at a portrait of Albert with his family hanging above the bride and groom.

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“Sea King’s daughter from over the sea”

Alexandra of Denmark and The Prince of Wales; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Before he died, Prince Albert, along with his wife, had been searching for a bride for the Prince of Wales, called Bertie in the family. Bertie’s elder sister Vicky was enlisted to help with the search. Princess Alexandra of Denmark, the daughter of the future King Christian IX of Denmark, had originally been fifth on the list of potential brides, but Vicky thought Alix, as she was called in her family, would be the perfect match for Bertie and she sent back glowing reports of her to Victoria and Albert. Prince Albert came to the conclusion that Alix was “the only one to be chosen.” Vicky then arranged the first meeting between Alix and Bertie in Speyer Cathedral in Germany on September 24, 1861. On September 9, 1862,  Bertie proposed to Alix at the Royal Palace of Laeken, the home of his great-uncle, King Leopold I of the Belgians.

Princess Alexandra arrived in England on March 7, 1863, having sailed from Denmark aboard the British royal yacht Victoria and Albert II. Alfred, Lord Tennyson, the Poet Laureate, wrote the following ode in her honor:

A Welcome to Alexandra

Sea King’s daughter from over the sea,
Alexandra!
Saxon and Norman and Dane are we,
But all of us Danes in our welcome of thee,
Alexandra!

Despite her perpetual mourning for Prince Albert, Queen Victoria decreed that the Prince of Wales should be married with “the utmost magnificence”, and chose St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle as the site of the ceremony. This would be the first of many royal weddings at St. George’s Chapel. The wedding date was set for March 10, 1863.

Alix’s dress was a gift from King Leopold I of the Belgians. It was made of white silk trimmed with orange blossoms and myrtle and was overlaid with flounces of tulle and Honiton lace. The train, 21-feet in length, was of silver moiré also trimmed in orange blossoms. Her veil, trimmed with the same lace as her gown, featured English roses, Irish shamrocks, and Scottish thistles, and was held in place by a wreath of orange blossoms and myrtle atop her head. She was supported by her father, Prince Christian of Denmark and Prince George, Duke of Cambridge, Queen Victoria’s first cousin. Bertie wore a full dress uniform of a British General beneath his Garter Robes and was supported by his brother-in-law, Crown Prince Friedrich of Prussia, and his uncle, Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

Painting by William Frith, circa 1865; Credit – Wikipedia

During the wedding ceremony, Queen Victoria, in perpetual mourning for Prince Albert, sat in the Catherine of Aragon Closet, a room with an oriel window overlooking the left side of the altar. Dressed in a black silk dress with white collar and cuffs, along with her widow’s cap, she took her seat largely out of view of the guests in the chapel. She can be seen in the above painting on the top right.

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The Russian Marriage

Wedding of Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna and Prince Alfred at the Winter Palace; Credit – Wikipedia

All of Queen Victoria’s children with the exception of Prince Alfred were married in the United Kingdom. Alfred married Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia, the only daughter of Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia and Marie of Hesse and by Rhine (Empress Maria Alexandrovna). During several visits to relatives, Alfred and Maria had met each other and wanted to marry. Despite the misgivings of Queen Victoria and Maria’s parents, the couple was married at the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia on January 23, 1874. First, there was a Russian Orthodox ceremony in the Grand Church of the Winter Palace and then a Church of England ceremony was conducted by Arthur Stanley, the Dean of Westminster in Alexander Hall at the Winter Palace. Three of Alfred’s siblings attended the wedding. The Prince and Princess of Wales (Edward, known in the family as Bertie, and his wife, the former Alexandra of Denmark, known as Alix) officially represented Queen Victoria. Also attending were Prince Arthur and Queen Victoria’s eldest child Victoria and her husband Friedrich, German Crown Prince. The members of Queen Victoria’s court who had traveled to St Petersburg to attend the wedding were overwhelmed by the scale of the celebrations, receptions, and entertainments marking the marriage.

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The Happy but Short Marriage

Prince Leopold and Princess Helena of Waldeck-Pyrmont; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Prince Leopold was the youngest son of Queen Victoria and Prince and was described as delicate from a very early age. It became apparent that he suffered from the genetic disease hemophilia and was the first of the nine hemophiliacs among Queen Victoria’s descendants.

Leopold saw marriage as a way to become independent from Queen Victoria, his overbearing mother. Besides having hemophilia, Leopold also had mild epilepsy. Although hemophilia had more serious consequences, it was a disease that was not completely understood at the time, and it was Leopold’s epilepsy that caused him problems while seeking a bride. Epilepsy was considered a social stigma and many families hid away their epileptic relatives. After Leopold was rejected by several potential royal brides, Queen Victoria and her eldest daughter Victoria stepped in and made arrangements for Leopold and Princess Helena of Waldeck-Pyrmont to meet in Darmstadt where Leopold was staying with Ludwig IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine, who was the widower of Leopold’s sister Alice.

Leopold and Helena liked one another immediately, and after being briefed on Leopold’s health, the Waldeck-Pyrmont family had no objections to the marriage. During a visit to Helena’s family home, Leopold proposed and Helena accepted. The couple became engaged on November 17, 1881. Leopold was ecstatic when he wrote of the news to his brother-in-law Ludwig, widower of his sister Alice: “…we became engaged this afternoon…Oh, my dear brother, I am so overjoyed, and you, who have known this happiness, you will be pleased for me, won’t you?…You only know Helena a little as yet – when you really know her, then you will understand why I’m mad with joy today.”

The wedding was planned for April 27, 1882, at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. Leopold took an interest in the planning of the wedding ceremony, requesting the assistance of composer and personal friend Charles Gounod to compose a march specifically for the wedding. His supporters were the Prince of Wales (his eldest brother) and Ludwig IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine, the widower of his sister Alice. Due to a hemophilia-related injury, Leopold walked with a slight limp at the wedding.

Helena in her wedding dress; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Helena’s dress, a gift from her sister and her sister Queen Emma of the Netherlands. The gown was made of white satin, decorated with traditional orange blossom and myrtle and trimmed with fleur-de-lis. The long tulle veil was held in place by a diamond headdress and a wreath of orange flowers and myrtle. The bride was led down the aisle by her father and her brother-in-law, King Willem III of the Netherlands. Helena had a group of eight British aristocratic women serve as her bridesmaids. The ceremony concluded in the early afternoon and was followed by a wedding breakfast, after which the new couple headed to their new home, Claremont House.

Unfortunately, Leopold and Helena’s marriage was short-lived. In early 1884, Leopold’s doctors recommended that he spend the winter in Cannes, France, which he had done before. At the time, Helena was expecting her second child. On March 27, 1884, Leopold slipped and fell on the staircase at Villa Nevada, the private home where he was staying in Cannes. He injured his knee and hit his head, and died early in the morning of March 28, 1884, apparently of a cerebral hemorrhage, the injuries having been exacerbated by his hemophilia. He was only 31 years old. Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany was buried in the Albert Memorial Chapel at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle.

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The Princess Who Stayed Home

Prince Henry  of Battenberg and Princess Beatrice by Unknown photographer albumen cabinet card, 1880s NPG x32978 © National Portrait Gallery, London

Princess Beatrice was born on April 14, 1857, the youngest of the nine children of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Beatrice’s parents realized that she would be their last child, and she was treated differently than her siblings. Prince Albert described her as “an extremely attractive, pretty, intelligent child – indeed the most amusing baby we have had.” Known as Baby in the family, Beatrice filled a void for her parents when her eldest sister Victoria, Princess Royal married less than a year after her birth and left to live in Prussia with her new husband. By the time Beatrice was three years old, she was an aunt twice over from that marriage.

When Prince Albert died in 1861, Beatrice was only four and a half and had lost one of her principal role models. Queen Victoria was grief-stricken. Because of her mother’s prolonged grief and mourning, Beatrice’s life would forever be shaped by her father’s death. She became a great solace to her mother, and as the years progressed, Queen Victoria hoped that Beatrice would always be her constant companion.

At the age of six, Beatrice had declared, “I don’t like weddings at all. I shall never be married. I shall stay with mother.” Queen Victoria said of Beatrice, “She is my constant companion and hope and trust will never leave me while I live.” By the age of fifteen, Beatrice was writing letters on behalf of Queen Victoria and she was developing into the quiet, attentive, and devoted helper the Queen wanted. When the last of her sisters married and left home, Beatrice took on the job of being her mother’s full-time personal assistant. While attending the wedding of her niece Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine and Prince Louis of Battenberg in 1884, Princess Beatrice fell in love.

The man who won Beatrice’s heart was Prince Henry of Battenberg, the brother of the groom. Henry was the third of the four children of Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine and Countess Julia Hauke. As his parents’ marriage was morganatic, Henry and his siblings took their titles from their mother, who had been created Countess of Battenberg (later elevated to Princess of Battenberg in 1858).

Beatrice told her mother that she wanted to marry Henry. Queen Victoria reacted with silence. For seven months, from May to November 1884, Queen Victoria and Beatrice lived together, and the Queen did not speak to Beatrice, instead, the Queen communicated with Beatrice by notes. Members of the family including the Prince and Princess of Wales (Bertie and Alix), Alice’s widower Ludwig, and Beatrice’s eldest sister (Vicky) tried to persuade the Queen to agree to Beatrice’s marriage. Queen Victoria finally realized that Beatrice would not back down and offered her conditions that must be met. Henry must renounce his career, nationality, and home and agree to live with Beatrice and the Queen. By the end of 1884, Queen Victoria and Beatrice were reconciled and a wedding was being planned.

Photo Credit – Wikipedia; THE BACK: (L-R): Prince Alexander of Bulgaria, Princess Louise of Wales, Princess Irene of Hesse and by Rhine, Princess Victoria of Wales, Prince Franz Joseph of Battenberg * THE MIDDLE: (L-R): Princess Maud of Wales, Princess Alix of Hesse and by Rhine, Princesses Marie Louise and Helena Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein * THE FRONT: (L-R): Princesses Victoria Melita, Marie and Alexandra of Edinburgh and bridal couple.

Beatrice and Henry were married on July 23, 1885, at Saint Mildred’s Church in Whippingham, Isle of Wight, England near Queen Victoria’s beloved home Osborne House. Queen Victoria allowed Beatrice to wear the Honiton lace and veil which she herself had worn on her wedding day, the only one of her daughters allowed to do so. The ten royal bridesmaids were all nieces of Princess Beatrice: Princess Alix and Princess Irene of Hesse and by Rhine; Princess Alexandra, Princess Marie and Princess Victoria Melita of Edinburgh; Princess Louise, Princess Maud and Princess Victoria of Wales; and Princess Marie Louise and Princess Helena Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein.

Beatrice and Henry kept their promise and lived with Queen Victoria and Beatrice remained her full-time confidante and secretary. Henry was often bored by the lack of activity and in an effort to give him more to do, Queen Victoria appointed him to several positions. In November of 1895, Henry persuaded Queen Victoria to allow him to go to West Africa to fight in the Anglo-Ashanti Wars. Henry arrived in Africa on Christmas Day of 1895. By January 10, 1896, Henry was sick with malaria and it was decided to send him back to England. However, Henry died aboard ship off the coast of Sierra Leone at the age of 37.

Following Henry’s death, Beatrice remained her mother’s companion and secretary. As Queen Victoria aged, she relied more heavily on Beatrice for dealing with correspondence and other matters. After Queen Victoria’s death, Beatrice continued to serve her. For 30 years, Beatrice transcribed and edited her mother’s journals, which Victoria had kept since 1831 when she was 12 years old. Queen Victoria had ordered Beatrice to delete material that might prove hurtful to living people. Two-thirds of the content of the original journals was deleted. These deletions distressed Beatrice’s nephew, King George V and his wife Queen Mary, who could do nothing, and many historians since who felt that valuable information has been lost forever. The 111 notebooks that Beatrice copied are kept in the Royal Archives at Windsor Castle.

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Unofficial Royalty wedding articles for Queen Victoria’s children not mentioned above:

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Wedding venues that have official websites or Wikipedia articles will be linked below. Links are to Unofficial Royalty articles for the monarchs, their children, and their spouses.

Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdom (granddaughter of George III) married (1840) Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha at the Chapel Royal in St. James’ Palace in London, England

Three of Queen Victoria’s grandchildren married in the United Kingdom during her reign. All three were children of her eldest son and heir, the future King Edward VII. Their Unofficial Royalty wedding articles are listed below.

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

  • Ashdown, D. (1981). Royal Weddings. London: Robert Hale Limited.
  • Unofficial Royalty. (2018). Unofficial Royalty. [online] Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com [Accessed 2 Apr. 2018]. (wedding and biography articles)
  • Wikipedia. (2018). Main Page. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/ [Accessed 2 Apr. 2018].  (biography articles)

Ernst August III of Hanover, Duke of Brunswick

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2018

Duchy of Brunswick: The Principality of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel was a subdivision of the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg. After the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, the Congress of Vienna turned Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel into an independent country called the Duchy of Brunswick in 1815. Ernst August III, the last Duke of Brunswick was forced to abdicate on November 8, 1918, as the German Empire came to an end. Today the land that encompassed the Duchy of Brunswick is in the German state of  Lower Saxony. Since 1866, the senior heir of the House of Hanover has been the pretender to the throne of the Kingdom of Hanover.

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Ernst August III of Hanover, Duke of Brunswick; Credit –  Wikipedia

Ernst August of Hanover was the last reigning Duke of Brunswick and the pretender to the throne of Hanover. He was born Prince Ernst August Christian Georg on November 17, 1887, in Penzig, Austria, the youngest child of Ernst August II, Crown Prince of Hanover and Princess Thyra of Denmark. He had five siblings:

Ernst August’s father was heir to the Duchy of Brunswick and should have succeeded as Duke following the death of the reigning Duke of Brunswick in 1884. However, in 1866, Hanover was annexed by Prussia, and the Crown Prince refused to renounce his claim to the throne. The German Chancellor Otto von Bismark persuaded the Federal Council to decree that it would not be in the interests of Germany for the Crown Prince to gain the throne of Brunswick and instead installed a Regent, Prince Albrecht of Prussia. The regency continued after Albrecht’s death in 1906, with Duke Johann Albrecht of Mecklenburg-Schwerin named as his successor.

The situation severely strained the relationship between the Hanovers and the German Emperor. However, this would change in 1912, when Ernst August’s eldest brother Georg was killed in a car crash. Wilhelm II, German Emperor, King of Prussia sent condolences to the Crown Prince, who in turn sent his youngest and only surviving son Ernst August, to Berlin to personally thank the Emperor. While there, Ernst August met and quickly fell in love with, the Emperor’s only daughter, Princess Viktoria Luise.

Princess Viktoria Luise of Prussia; Credit – Wikipedia

Ernst August and Viktoria Luise became engaged on February 11, 1913. At that time, Ernst August took an oath of loyalty to the Emperor and was commissioned as a cavalry officer and company commander in the Zieten-Hussars, a Prussian Army regiment that had previously included his grandfather and great-grandfather as Colonels. With the Emperor’s blessing and the required consent from the British King George V, the couple was married in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, now in the German state of Hanover, on May 24, 1913. The wedding was one of the last large gatherings of European royalty before World War I began the following year, attended by 1,200 guests including numerous reigning monarchs. Ernst August and Viktoria Luise had five children:

Ernst August, Duke of Brunswick, c1916.  photo: Wikipedia

Just over five months after the wedding, Ernst August’s father renounced his claim to the Duchy of Brunswick, in favor of his son. The Federal Council voted to allow the younger Ernst August to become reigning Duke, which he did on November 1, 1913. His reign would be rather short. He was forced to abdicate on November 8, 1918, when the German Empire came to an end.

Following his father’s death in 1923, Ernst August became head of the House of Hanover. However, he could not inherit his father’s British Duke of Cumberland title. The British government suspended the title under the Titles Deprivation Act of 1917. Ernst August and his family were able to remain in Hanover and lived at the family’s various properties, including Cumberland Castle (link in German) in Gmunden, Austria, Marienburg Castle in Hanover, and Blankenburg Castle in Harz.

Graves of Ernst August and Viktoria Luise, in front of the Mausoleum. photo: By Vivimeri – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16765011

Ernst August III of Hanover, the last Duke of Brunswick, died at Marienburg Castle in Hanover, Germany on January 30, 1953. He and his wife are buried in front of the Mausoleum (link in German) in Herrenhausen Gardens.

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.

Brunswick Resources at Unofficial Royalty

History and Traditions: Hanover Weddings

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2018

Wedding of the future King George IV and Caroline of Brunswick; Credit – Wikipedia

Because the House of Stuart was unable to provide a Protestant heir to the British throne, Parliament passed the Act of Settlement 1701 which secured the Protestant succession to the throne after the deaths of King William III and his successor Queen Anne. The senior Protestant descendant was Sophia, Electress of Hanover. Born Sophia of the Palatine, she was the youngest daughter of Elizabeth Stuart, daughter of King James I of England, and Friedrich V, Elector of the Palatine of the Rhine. The Act of Settlement put Sophia of Hanover and her Protestant heirs in the line of succession after Queen Anne. Electress Sophia of Hanover, the heir to the throne according to the Act of Settlement, died on June 8, 1714, just six weeks before the death of Queen Anne, and so Sophia’s son became King George I and started the Hanover dynasty.

During the 187-year reign of the House of Hanover (which includes Queen Victoria but she will be covered in a separate article), weddings were still a private affair and a few of them were held at the Chapel Royal in St. James’ Palace in London, England. There were several dynastic marriages but most of the spouses, including all the spouses of the Hanoverian monarchs, came from the kingdoms, grand duchies, duchies, and principalities of Germany. Two royal wives were divorced and shut away. Parliament passed the Royal Marriages Act 1772 at the request of King George III who was less than happy with the spouses of his two surviving brothers. By 1817, twelve of the fifteen children of King George III who survived to adulthood either failed to have children or failed to get married resulting in a succession crisis. The one child who both married and had a child had one of the worst ever royal marriages.

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Anne, Princess Royal, Princess of Orange

Anne, Princess Royal and Willem IV, Prince of Orange; Credit – Wikipedia

The first two British monarchs from the House of Hanover were both married in Germany before King George I became King of Great Britain in 1714. The first Hanoverian marriage in Great Britain was that of Anne, Princess Royal, the eldest daughter of King George II. In fact, it was the first royal wedding in Great Britain in fifty years, since Queen Anne’s wedding in 1683. A proposed marriage with King Louis XV of France fell through because the French insisted that Anne convert to Roman Catholicism and Anne’s family refused. Bored with life at her father’s court, Anne did not want to be a spinster and was anxious to marry. However, Anne had been disfigured by smallpox and was not considered attractive. Among the few Protestant possibilities, was Willem IV, Prince of Orange. Willem had a spinal deformity, which affected his appearance but Anne was so anxious to marry that said she would marry him even “if he were a baboon.” Anne and Willem were betrothed in 1733.

Willem IV, Prince of Orange arrived in London in November 1733, anxious to marry Anne. However, he became ill and developed pneumonia. For days, his survival was in question. After Willem recovered, he went off to Bath where the waters of the ancient Roman bath aided in his complete recovery. On March 25, 1734, Anne and Willem were married at the Chapel Royal in St. James’ Palace in London, England. After a honeymoon at the Dutch House at Kew, the newlyweds stayed in London for a short period before returning to the Netherlands. In the Netherlands, Anne and Willem took up residence at the Stadhouderlijk Hof in Leeuwarden, the provincial capital and seat of the States of Friesland (now in the Netherlands). After enduring two miscarriages and two stillbirths, Anne and Willem had three children, but only two survived to adulthood. Through their son Willem V, Prince of Orange, they are ancestors of the Dutch Royal Family.

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Chapel Royal at St. James’ Palace

Embed from Getty Images 

Located in St. James’ Palace, a Tudor palace in London next to Clarence House and nearby Buckingham Palace, the Chapel Royal was built around 1540 and has had alterations over the years. Although St. James’ Palace is no longer used as one of the monarch’s residences, it is used for offices and receptions, and several minor members of the British Royal Family have apartments there.

The Chapel Royal in St. James’ Palace was the venue for several Hanover weddings. It was also the venue for the weddings of Queen Victoria and her grandson King George V. It is still used by the British Royal Family for events to the present day. The children of Queen Elizabeth II’s cousin, Prince Michael of Kent, Lord Frederick and Lady Gabriella Windsor, were christened in the Chapel Royal as was The Queen’s granddaughter Princess Beatrice of York. In 1997, the coffin of Diana, Princess of Wales rested in the Chapel Royal before her funeral. Her grandsons Prince George of Cambridge and Prince Louis of Cambridge were christened there. In March 2018, Meghan Markle, the future wife of Prince Harry of Wales, was baptized and confirmed into the Church of England at the Chapel Royal in St. James’ Palace.

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Dynastic Marriages with Denmark

Louisa of Great Britain and Frederik V, King of Denmark; Credit – Wikipedia

The House of Hanover made two dynastic weddings with Denmark. The first occurred in 1743 when 19-year-old Princess Louisa, daughter of King George II, married Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark and Norway, the son and heir of King Christian VI of Denmark and Norway. A proxy ceremony was held on November 10, 1743 in Hanover with the bride’s brother, Prince William, Duke of Cumberland, standing in for the groom. Louisa then traveled to Altona, Holstein where she met her groom. Frederik and Louisa traveled together to Copenhagen, where they officially entered the capital and had a second wedding ceremony.

King Christian VI hoped that this marriage would cause the British government to support his or his son’s claim to the Swedish throne. Furthermore, the Danish government hoped (incorrectly) that marriage would put a damper on Crown Prince Frederik’s affairs and drunkenness. The couple got along reasonably well and although Frederik continued his affairs, Louisa pretended not to notice them. The couple had five children including the future King Christian VII of Denmark. Three years after the marriage, Louisa’s husband succeeded his father as King Frederik V. Sadly, five years later, while pregnant with her sixth child, 27-year-old Queen Louisa died after undergoing painful surgery for a strangulated umbilical hernia.

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Caroline Matilda of Wales, Queen of Denmark – A Queen Imprisoned

Caroline Matilda of Wales, Queen of Denmark by Jens Juel, 1769; Credit – Wikipedia

The second wedding with Denmark was that of Princess Caroline Matilda of Wales, the youngest sibling of King George III. Frederick, Prince of Wales, the father of Caroline Matilda, died four months before her birth. It is also the first of the two Hanoverian weddings that ended in imprisonment for the wives.

In 1766, Caroline Matilda’s 17-year-old first cousin succeeded to the Danish throne as King Christian VII after the early death of his father. King Christian VII was the son of Caroline Matilda’s aunt Louisa (above). Since there was a connection between the British and Danish royal families and both families were Protestant, it was natural that a British bride should be sought for Christian. Even before the death of King Frederik V, negotiations for such a marriage were started. The preferred choice for a bride was initially Caroline Matilda’s sister Princess Louisa, but when the Danish representative in London heard of her ill health, Caroline Matilda became the prospective bride. The betrothal was announced on January 10, 1765.

King Christian VII of Denmark by Nathaniel Dance-Holland, 1768; Credit – Wikipedia

On October 1, 1766, a proxy marriage was held at St. James’s Palace in London, with Caroline Matilda’s brother King George III standing in for King Christian VII. Fifteen-year-old Caroline Matilda soon left England for Denmark with a large contingent of attendants and servants. When she crossed the Danish border, Danish envoys sent her English attendants and servants back and replaced them with Danish ones. Caroline Matilda arrived in Copenhagen on November 8, 1766, and married Christian in person later that day in the Christiansborg Palace Chapel but it was not a happy marriage.

A copperplate engraving depicting the first dance of King Christian VII and Queen Caroline Matilda of Denmark at their wedding at Christiansborg Palace; Credit – Wikipedia

Caroline Matilda soon discovered that her husband was mentally ill. Christian VII was personable and intelligent as a child but he was poorly educated and terrorized by a brutal governor. It is unknown if Christian’s mental illness was caused by the brutal treatment of his governor, possible porphyria inherited from his Hanover mother, or schizophrenia. Christian’s behavior wandered into excesses, especially sexual promiscuity. His symptoms included paranoia, self-mutilation, and hallucinations.

Johann Friedrich Struensee, Christian VII’s new personal physician, was the first person who understood that Christian was seriously ill. Struensee could handle Christian’s instability, which was a great relief to the king’s advisers, and Christian developed a confidence in him. Struensee also became the lover of the ill-treated Caroline Matilda, whose marriage was less than satisfactory. When Caroline Matilda gave birth to her daughter Louise Auguste, no one doubted that Struensee was the father of the princess.

Christian VII’s stepmother Queen Dowager Juliana Maria maneuvered a coup that would bring about the fall of Struensee and discredit Caroline Matilda. Christian VII was forced to sign orders for the arrest of Struensee and Caroline Matilda. Caroline Matilda was immediately taken to Kronberg Castle in Helsingør, Denmark. She was allowed to keep her daughter with her but the four-year-old Crown Prince Frederik stayed with his father. Upon hearing of Caroline Matilda’s arrest, Struensee confessed to his relationship with her and eventually, Caroline Matilda also confessed. Struensee was condemned to death and suffered a brutal execution. In the presence of thousands of people, his right hand was severed first, then his body was broken on the wheel, and finally, he was beheaded.

Caroline Matilda and Christian’s marriage was dissolved in 1772. She lost her title of Queen and was forcibly separated from her children whom she never saw again. Caroline Matilda was not quite 20 years old. Originally, it was decided that Caroline Matilda was to be held in custody for life at Aalborghus Castle in Aalborg, Denmark, but her brother King George III intervened. King George III sent Sir Robert Murray Keith, a British diplomat, to negotiate her release from Danish imprisonment. Caroline Matilda was sent to Celle in her brother’s Kingdom of Hanover and lived the rest of her life at Celle Castle. Her imprisonment was not to last long. Caroline Matilda died of “a putrid fever and sore throat,” probably scarlet fever, on May 10, 1775, at the age of 23. She was buried at the Stadtkirche St. Marien in Celle next to his great-grandmother Sophie Dorothea of Celle who suffered a similar fate.

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The Unfortunate Sophia Dorothea of Celle

Georg Ludwig, Hereditary Prince of Brunswick-Lüneburg (the future King George I) and Sophia Dorothea of Celle; Credit – Wikipedia

Caroline Matilda’s great-grandmother, Sophia Dorothea of Celle, had married Georg Ludwig, Hereditary Prince of Brunswick-Lüneburg (the future King George I), the eldest son of Ernst August, Elector of Hanover, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Sophia of the Palatinate (commonly referred to as Electress Sophia of Hanover). The marriage was happy at first, but soon both George and Sophia Dorothea found affection elsewhere. George fell in love with one of his mother’s ladies-in-waiting, Melusine von der Schulenburg. Sophia Dorothea fell in love with a Swedish Count, Philip Christoph von Königsmarck, an officer in the Hanoverian army.

Despite warnings, from her mother and friends, Sophia Dorothea and her lover wrote letters to each other, met secretly, and planned to escape Hanover together. On the morning of July 2, 1694, after a meeting with Sophia Dorothea, von Königsmarck disappeared from Leineschloss Castle in Hanover and was never seen again. It was widely believed that George ordered von Königsmarck’s death. On December 28, 1694, a tribunal of judges and Lutheran Church officials declared the marriage of George and Sophia Dorothea dissolved on the grounds of Sophia Dorothea’s desertion.

Sophia Dorothea was imprisoned for the rest of her life, 32 years, in the Castle of Ahlden in Celle. She never again saw her two children, the future King George II and his sister Sophia Dorothea, the future Queen Consort of Prussia. In 1714, upon the death of Queen Anne, Sophia Dorothea’s former husband became King George I of Great Britain.

Sophia Dorothea with her two children; Credit – Wikipedia

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George III’s Brothers and the Royal Marriages Act 1772

George III’s problematic brothers as children – William and Henry; Credit – Wikipedia

King George III’s brothers were a constant headache for him but he was especially annoyed with Prince Henry, Duke of Cumberland. In 1771, Prince Henry had married a commoner Anne Horton, the daughter of Simon Luttrell and the widow of Christopher Horton. George III considered Anne Horton inappropriate as a royal bride because she was from a lower social class and German law barred any children of the couple from the Hanoverian succession. George insisted on a new law that would forbid members of the royal family from legally marrying without the consent of the monarch. Although it was unpopular with both George III’s ministers and members of Parliament, the Royal Marriages Act 1772 was passed.

The Royal Marriages Act stipulated that no descendant of King George II, male or female, other than the issue of princesses who had married into foreign royal families, could marry without the consent of the monarch. Any member of the royal family over the age of 25 who had been refused the monarch’s consent could marry one year after giving notice to the Privy Council of their intention to marry unless both houses of Parliament expressly declared their disapproval. Any marriage in contravention of the Act was void. Royal family members who made such a marriage did not lose their place in the line of succession but their children would be made illegitimate by the voiding of the marriage and therefore lose their succession rights.

Unbeknownst to King George III, his brother Prince William, Duke of Gloucester had secretly married Maria Waldegrave, Dowager Countess Waldegrave in 1766. For six years, George believed that William was a bachelor and that Maria was his mistress. Not only was she not a royal but she was illegitimate as her parents had not married. Maria was, however, the granddaughter of Robert Walpole who is considered to be the first Prime Minister.

In September 1772, five months after the Royal Marriages Act was passed, William found out Maria was pregnant and confessed to his brother that he was married. George III was quite upset not only by the marriage but also by William’s deception. Because the provisions of the Royal Marriages Act could not be applied retroactively, William and Maria’s marriage was considered valid. However, Maria was never received at court.

In 2011, it was proposed that the provisions of the Royal Marriages Act be limited to only the first six people in the line of succession to the British throne. The Royal Marriages Act 1772 was repealed in its entirety and was replaced by the Succession to the Crown Act 2013 which stipulates that the first six people in the line of succession must obtain the monarch’s consent before marrying in order to remain eligible. Marriage without the monarch’s consent would disqualify the person and the person’s descendants from the marriage from being in the line of succession but the marriage would still be legally valid.

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The Worst Royal Marriage?

Wedding of the future King George IV and Caroline of Brunswick; Credit – Wikipedia

King George III also had marriage issues with his children. His eldest and heir, George, Prince of Wales (the future King George IV) made a marriage in contravention to the Royal Marriages Act. In 1784, George fell in love Maria Fitzherbert, a twice-widowed Catholic Irish woman. A marriage with a Catholic would mean that George would lose his place in the succession as stipulated by the Act of Settlement 1701. In addition, under the Royal Marriages Act 1772, prohibited the marriage without the consent of the King, which would never have been granted. Nevertheless, the couple went through with a legally void marriage at Maria Fitzherbert’s home on December 21, 1785. Maria Fitzherbert was convinced she was the lawful wife of the Prince of Wales as she viewed church law to be superior to the law of the state. For political reasons, the marriage remained secret, although there were rumors spreading all over London, and Maria Fitzherbert had promised to not let anything about it be announced in public.

By 1794, George, who had been in debt ten years earlier, was again severely in debt. If he married, Parliament would settle his debts and his allowance would be increased by £100,000. On June 23, 1794, Maria Fitzherbert was informed by letter that her relationship with the Prince of Wales was over. Caroline of Brunswick, his first cousin, was selected the bride. Her father Karl Wilhelm Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, was a favorite nephew of Frederick the Great, King of Prussia and had distinguished himself as a commander in the Seven Years’ War. Britain was at war with revolutionary France and eager to obtain allies on the European mainland. Caroline’s mother Augusta was a sister of George III. Caroline and George were married on April 8, 1795 at the Chapel Royal, St. James’ Palace, in London.

This marriage is one of the worst ever royal marriages. Upon first seeing Caroline, George said to his valet, “Harris, I am not well; pray get me a glass of brandy.” Caroline said George was fat and not as handsome as his portrait. It is doubtful that the couple spent more than a few nights together as husband and wife. Their only child, Princess Charlotte of Wales, was born nine months later. They both found each other equally unattractive and never lived together nor appeared in public together. To make matters worse, George’s mistress, Frances Villiers, Countess of Jersey, was appointed Caroline’s Lady of the Bedchamber. Caroline was ignored at the court and lived basically under house arrest, and after two and a half years, she left the court and lived for ten years in a Montagu House in Blackheath, London. She was denied any part in the raising of her daughter Charlotte and was allowed to see her only occasionally. Caroline eventually went to live abroad where she ran up debts and had lovers.

When King George III died in January of 1820, Caroline was determined to return to England and assert her rights as queen. On her way back to England, she received a proposal from King George IV offering her £50,000 per year if she would continue to live outside of England. Caroline rejected the proposal and received a royal salute of 21 guns from Dover Castle when she set foot again in England. George IV was determined to be rid of Caroline and his government introduced a bill in Parliament, the Pains and Penalties Bill 1820, to strip Caroline of the title of queen consort and dissolve her marriage. The reading of the bill in Parliament was effectively a trial of Caroline. On November 10, 1820, a final reading of the bill took place, and the bill passed by 108–99. Prime Minister Robert Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool then declared that since the vote was so close, and public tensions so high, the government was withdrawing the bill.

King George IV’s coronation was set for July 19, 1821, but no plans had been made for Caroline to participate. On the day of the coronation, Caroline went to Westminster Abbey, was barred at every entrance and finally left. Three weeks later on August 7, 1821, Caroline died at the age of 53, most likely from a bowel obstruction or cancer. Prior to her death, Caroline had requested that she be buried in her native Brunswick. The official route of Caroline’s cortege through London was to avoid major streets. However, members of the public blocked those streets and forced a new route through the major streets. Caroline was buried at Brunswick Cathedral in Germany alongside her father. Her casket bears the inscription, “Here lies Caroline, the Injured Queen of England.”

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Where are the Grandchildren?

Queen Charlotte painted by Benjamin West in 1779 with her 13 eldest children; Credit – http://www.royalcollection.org.uk

King George III and his wife Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz had fifteen children, all survived childbirth, and only two died in childhood. One would think that George and Charlotte would have had lots of grandchildren but that was not the case. In 1816, Princess Charlotte of Wales married Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. Charlotte of Wales was the daughter of George, Prince of Wales and unbelievably, the only legitimate grandchild of King George III. Charlotte of Wales was second in the line of succession and she would have succeeded her father, the future George IV, as queen but on November 6, 1817, a great tragedy struck the British Royal Family. After a labor of over 50 hours, Charlotte delivered a stillborn son. Several hours later, twenty-one-year-old Princess Charlotte, the only child of George, Prince of Wales and King George III’s only legitimate grandchild, died of postpartum hemorrhage. Charlotte was mourned by the British people in a manner similar to the mourning of Diana, Princess of Wales. Charlotte’s pregnancy and delivery were grossly mismanaged and the doctor in charge, Sir Richard Croft, later committed suicide.

King George III’s six daughters had very sheltered upbringings and they spent most of their time with their parents and each other. The living conditions of King George III’s daughters came to be known as “the Nunnery.” None of the daughters was allowed to marry at the age when most princesses would marry, and only three of the six daughters ever married. At the time of Charlotte of Wales’s death, only two of her six aunts had married but their marriages were childless: Charlotte, Princess Royal and Princess Mary. Perhaps this over-protection of King George III’s daughters was due to what happened to his sister Caroline Matilda when she married King Christian VII of Denmark.

When Charlotte of Wales died, only two of her six living uncles were married and neither had children: Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Ernest, Duke of Cumberland (the future King of Hanover). Prince Augustus, Duke of Sussex had married in contravention of the Royal Marriages Act in 1793 and the marriage was annulled the next year. Augustus would make another marriage in contravention of the Royal Marriages Act in 1831. Prince William, Duke of Clarence (the future King William IV) had ten children with his long-time mistress the actress Dorothea Jordan. Prince Edward, Duke of Kent had had several mistresses. The youngest surviving son, Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge seemed to be too busy with his army career to marry.

Since the death of Princess Charlotte of Wales left no legitimate heir in the second generation, it prompted the aging sons of King George III to begin a frantic search for brides to provide for the succession. King George III’s eldest son (Charlotte’s father) and his second son Frederick, Duke of York, were in loveless marriages, and their wives, both in their late forties, were not expected to produce heirs. The third son William, Duke of Clarence, age 53, married 26-year-old Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen. 50-year-old Edward, Duke of Kent, the fourth son, married 32-year-old widow Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saafeld. Victoire was the sister of Leopold, Princess Charlotte’s widower. 21-year-old Augusta of Hesse-Cassel was married to 44-year-old Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge, the seventh son. It was then the scramble to produce an heir began.

Within a short time, the three new Duchesses, along with Frederica, wife of the fifth son Ernest, Duke of Cumberland, became pregnant. Augusta, Duchess of Cambridge gave birth to a son on March 26, 1819; Adelaide, Duchess of Clarence had a daughter the following day. Victoria, Duchess of Kent produced a daughter on May 24, 1819, and three days later Frederica, Duchess of Cumberland had a boy. Adelaide’s daughter would have been the heir but the little princess died in infancy. The child of the next Royal Duke in seniority stood to inherit the throne. This was Alexandrina Victoria, daughter of Edward, Duke of Kent and Victoire of Saxe-Coburg-Saafeld. The baby stood fifth in line to the throne after her uncles George, Frederick and William, and her father.

The baby’s father Edward, Duke of Kent died on January 23, 1820, eight months after her birth. Six days later, King George III’s death brought his eldest son to the throne as King George IV. Frederick, Duke of York, died in 1827, bringing the young princess a step closer to the throne. King George IV died in 1830 and his brother William (IV) succeeded him. During King William IV’s reign, little Drina, as she was called, was the heiress presumptive. There was always the possibility that King William IV and Queen Adelaide would still produce an heir. But it was not to be. William died on June 20, 1837 and left the throne to his 18-year-old niece, who is known to history as Queen Victoria.

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Weddings of Hanover Monarchs and Their Children

Wedding venues that have official websites or Wikipedia articles will be linked below. Sometimes the city where the wedding took place is known but the actual wedding venue is unknown. Only married monarchs and their married children are listed. Links are to Unofficial Royalty articles for the monarchs, their children, and their spouses. Note that not all children and spouses have Unofficial Royalty articles.

George I, King of Great Britain (great-grandson of James I) married (1682) Sophia Dorothea of Celle in the mother of the bride’s apartments at Celle Castle in Celle now in Germany

  • Sophia Dorothea of Hanover married (1706) Friedrich Wilhelm, Margrave of Brandenburg (later King Friedrich Wilhelm I of Prussia) in Cölln on the Spree now part of Berlin, Germany

George II, King of Great Britain (son of George I) married (1705) Caroline of Ansbach at the chapel at Schloss Herrenhausen in Hanover now in Germany

Frederick, Prince of Wales (son of George II, predeceased his father) married (1736) Augusta of Saxe-Gotha at the Chapel Royal in St. James’ Palace in London, England

George III, King of the United Kingdom (son of Frederick, Prince of Wales and grandson of George II) married (1761) Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz at the Chapel Royal in St. James’ Palace in London, England

George IV, King of the United Kingdom (son of George III) married (1795) Caroline of Brunswick at the Chapel Royal in St. James’ Palace in London, England

William IV, King of the United Kingdom (son of George III) married (1818) Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen at Kew Palace in London, England

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

  • Ashdown, D. (1981). Royal Weddings. London: Robert Hale Limited.
  • Fraser, F. (2004). Princesses: The Six Daughters of George III. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
  • Genealogics.org. (2018). [online] Available at: http://www.genealogics.org [Accessed 2 Apr. 2018].
  • Hibbert, C. (1998). George III. New York: Basic Books.
  • Unofficial Royalty. (2018). Unofficial Royalty. [online] Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com [Accessed 2 Apr. 2018]. (Hanover articles)
  • Van Der Kiste, J. (1992). George III’s Children. Trowbridge: Sutton Publishing.
  • Van Der Kiste, J. (2000). The Georgian Princesses. Sparkford: Sutton Publishing.
  • Wikipedia. (2018). Main Page. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/ [Accessed 2 Apr. 2018].  (for wedding venue and genealogy information)

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