Mathilde Karoline of Bavaria, Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Mathilde Karoline of Bavaria, Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine; source: Wikipedia

Mathilde Caroline of Bavaria was Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine, through her marriage to Grand Duke Ludwig III. She was born in Augsburg, Kingdom of Bavaria, now in the German state of Bavaria, on August 30, 1813, the eldest daughter of King Ludwig I of Bavaria and Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. Mathilde Karoline had eight siblings:

Grand Ludwig III of Hesse and by Rhine – Source: Wikipedia

On December 26, 1833, Mathilde Karoline married the future Grand Duke Ludwig II of Hesse and by Rhine. They had no children. She became Grand Duchess upon her husband’s accession in 1848.

Grand Duchess Mathilde Karoline died of cancer at the age of 48 in Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in the German state of Hesse, on May 25, 1862. Because she had remained Catholic after her marriage – the Grand Ducal family was Lutheran – Mathilde Karoline is buried at St. Ludwig’s Catholic Church (link in German) in Darmstadt.

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.

Hesse and by Rhine Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Wedding of Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2017

By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=44115769

Princess Anne married Captain Mark Phillips on November 14, 1973, at Westminster Abbey in London, England. Anne and Mark separated in 1989 and divorced in 1992.

 

Princess Anne’s Early Life

Princess Anne with her parents and elder brother in October 1957; Photo Credit – By Library and Archives Canada, e010949328 / Bibliothèque et Archives Canada, e010949328 – http://www.flickr.com/photos/lac-bac/7195940876/, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=27933715

Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise was born at Clarence House in London, England on August 15, 1950. She was the second child of four children and the only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (born a Prince of Greece and Denmark). Anne had one elder brother Charles and two younger brothers, Andrew and Edward.

At the time of Anne’s birth, her mother was Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh and the sovereign was her grandfather, King George VI. The children of a daughter of a British sovereign would not usually have been accorded the style Royal Highness or the titles Prince/Princess as in the case of Anne’s own children. However, on October 22, 1948, Anne’s grandfather King George VI issued letters patent allowing the children of his eldest daughter and heiress presumptive, to use the style and title of a royal prince or princess. Therefore, Anne was Her Royal Highness Princess Anne of Edinburgh at birth.

King George VI died on February 6, 1952, and his elder daughter Princess Elizabeth became Queen. Upon her mother’s accession to the throne, Anne was styled Her Royal Highness The Princess Anne. Anne was too young to attend her mother’s coronation, but she did make an appearance on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.

Catherine Peebles, the governess of Prince Charles, was also Anne’s governess and was responsible for Anne’s early education. In 1959, a Girl Guides company, 1st Buckingham Palace Company was formed at the palace to allow Anne to socialize with other girls. Similar Girl Guide companies had been formed at Buckingham Palace for Anne’s mother and her aunt Princess Margaret. From 1963-1968, Anne attended Benenden School, an independent boarding school for girls in Kent, England.

From a young age, Princess Anne was passionate about riding and soon became an excellent equestrienne. In 1971, Anne won the European Eventing Championship and was voted the BBC Sports Personality of the Year. For more than five years Anne competed with the British eventing team, winning a silver medal in both individual and team disciplines in the 1975 European Eventing Championship. In the 1976 Montreal Summer Olympics, Anne competed as a member of the British equestrian team.

For more information, see Unofficial Royalty: Princess Anne, The Princess Royal

Mark Phillips’ Early Life

Mark Phillips, 1973; Photo Credit – By Peters, Hans / Anefo – [1] Dutch National Archives, The Hague, Fotocollectie Algemeen Nederlands Persbureau (ANeFo), 1945-1989, Nummer toegang 2.24.01.05 Bestanddeelnummer 926-7769, CC BY-SA 3.0 nl, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=32649600

Mark Anthony Peter Phillips was born on September 22, 1948, to Major Peter Phillips and the former Anne Tiarks (whose father was an Aide-de-Camp to King George VI). He had one sister, Sarah, who passed away.

Following his education at Stouts Hill Preparatory School and Marlborough College, Phillips entered the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst. After passing out, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Queen’s Dragoon Guards, eventually reaching the rank of Captain in 1975. He retired from the Army in March 1978.

An avid horseman, Philips was a member of the British Equestrian Team with whom he won the Team Three-Day Event world title in 1970, the European title in 1971, and the Olympic Gold Medal in 1972. He also won the Silver Medal at the 1988 Olympics and is a four-time champion at the Badminton Horse Trials.

For more information, see Unofficial Royalty: Mark Phillips

The Engagement

 

On May 29, 1973, Buckingham Palace announced: “It is with the greatest pleasure that the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh announce the betrothal of their beloved daughter The Princess Anne to Lieutenant Mark Phillips, the Queen’s Dragoon Guards, son of Mr. and Mrs. Peter Phillips.” The couple became engaged six weeks earlier at the Badminton Horse Trials, the major equestrian event in the United Kingdom, in which both Anne and Mark competed.

It was through their mutual love of horses that Mark 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. Prior to their engagement, Anne and Mark competed together at equestrian events throughout Europe. 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 the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

Anne’s engagement ring was a classic ring of a sapphire between two diamonds made by Garrad Jewelers.

It has been speculated that The Queen offered – and Mark declined – a peerage upon marriage, but this has never been confirmed or denied by any member of the Royal Family.

The Wedding Guests

 

British Royal Family

    • Queen Elizabeth II and The Duke of Edinburgh, the bride’s parents
    • The Prince of Wales, the bride’s brother
    • Prince Andrew, the bride’s brother
    • Prince Edward, the bride’s brother
    • Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, the bride’s grandmother
    • Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon and The Earl of Snowdon, the bride’s aunt and uncle
    • Viscount Linley, the bride’s first cousin
    • Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones, the bride’s first cousin
    • The Duchess of Gloucester, the bride’s great aunt by marriage
    • Prince and Princess Richard of Gloucester, the bride’s first cousin once removed and his wife
    • The Duke and Duchess of Kent, the bride’s first cousin once removed and his wife
    • Earl of St Andrews, the bride’s second cousin
    • Lady Helen Windsor, the bride’s second cousin
    • Prince Michael of Kent, the bride’s first cousin once removed
    • Princess Alexandra, The Hon. Mrs. Ogilvy and The Hon. Mr. Angus Ogilvy, the bride’s first cousin once removed and her husband
    • Mr. James Ogilvy, the bride’s second cousin
    • Miss Marina Ogilvy, the bride’s second cousin
    • Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria, the bride’s first cousin three times removed and great-great-aunt by marriage
    • Lady Mary Whitley, the bride’s second cousin once removed

 

Some Other Royal Guests

      • King Constantine II and Queen Anne-Marie of Greece
      • Prince Rainier III and Princess Grace of Monaco
      • Princess Beatrix and Prince Claus of the Netherlands
      • Crown Prince Harald and Crown Princess Sonja of Norway
      • Prince Juan Carlos and Princess Sofia of Spain

The Wedding Attendants

 

Anne chose to have only two attendants because of her personal experience as a bridesmaid trying to keep younger attendants in line.

      • Best Man: Captain Eric Grounds
      • Bridesmaid: Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones, the bride’s nine-year-old first cousin and the daughter of Princess Margaret
      • Page Boy: Prince Edward, the bride’s nine-year-old brother

The Wedding Attire

 

To design her wedding dress, Anne picked Maureen Baker, the chief designer for the ready-to-wear label Susan Small, who had previously designed outfits for her. A number of Anne’s ideas were also incorporated into the dress. The Tudor-style silk wedding dress had a high collar and medieval sleeves. The train measured only seven feet, and the veil were simple and delicate.

Anne’s veil was crowned by Queen Mary’s Fringe Tiara. Queen Mary had this tiara made from a necklace Queen Victoria had given her as a wedding present. In 1936, Queen Mary gave the tiara to her daughter-in-law Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mother). In 1947, Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mother) loaned the tiara to her daughter Elizabeth for her wedding and then loaned it to her granddaughter Anne for her wedding.

Lieutenant Mark Phillips wore the full scarlet and blue uniform of his regiment, the Queen’s Dragoon Guards.

The Wedding Ceremony

 

Princess Anne and Mark Phillips were married on November 14, 1973, at 11:30 AM at Westminster Abbey in London. Princess Anne and her father left Buckingham Palace in the Glass Coach for the ride to Westminster Abbey. As they entered the Abbey, a fanfare especially written for the wedding was played by trumpeters from the groom’s regiment. The Duke of Edinburgh escorted his daughter down the aisle to the hymn Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken.

As the 2,000 guests in the Abbey and the 500 million television viewers watched, Princess Anne and Mark Phillips were married by Michael Ramsey, Archbishop of Canterbury. It was a simple ceremony from the 1662 Anglican Book of Common Prayer in which the bride promises to obey.

Some family traditions were followed. Princess Anne’s ring was made from the same nugget of Welsh gold that the rings of her grandmother, her mother, and her aunt were made. In her bouquet was a cutting from a myrtle bush grown from a sprig from Queen Victoria’s wedding bouquet.

After the ceremony, the newlyweds moved to the Edward the Confessor Chapel where the wedding register was signed. Princess Anne then made a deep curtsey to her mother while Mark respectfully bowed and the couple made their way down the aisle followed by their families as Charles-Marie Widor’s Toccata in F Major; Johann Strauss’s “Radetzky” March, the regimental march of the groom’s regiment, and the finale from Louis Vierne’s Organ Symphony No. 1 were played.

The Wedding Reception

 

After the bride and groom made the customary appearance on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, 120 guests attended the wedding breakfast at the Palace. The guests dined on lobster, partridge, fresh peas, peppermint ice cream, and a wedding cake made exactly five feet six inches tall – the height of the bride.

 

The Royal Army Catering Corp supplied the wedding cake. It weighed 145 pounds and among its ingredients were 10 pounds each of butter and sugar, 84 eggs, 12½ pounds of flour, 70 pounds of fruit, peel, and nuts, and two bottles of brandy. The top layer had a silver vase of flowers, the coat of arms of Princess Anne, and the regimental crest of Mark Phillips.

The groom cut the cake with his sword while the Grenadier Guards band played “A Bunch of Roses” and “Bless the Bride.” The Duke of Edinburgh, the bride’s father, toasted to the health of the bride and groom and the groom’s father Major Peter Phillips made the reply toast.

After the wedding breakfast, Princess Anne changed into a sapphire blue velvet dress and a short-cropped jacket with a mink collar and cuffs. Guests showered the couple with flower petals as they left the palace.

The Honeymoon

 

The day after the wedding, Anne and Mark flew to Barbados where they boarded the Royal Yacht Britannia. Their cruise around the islands of the Caribbean was disrupted to due storms and high waves and for most of the first week, the couple suffered from seasickness. Eventually, the storms subsided and the newlyweds could enjoy the scenes of the Caribbean. The couple ended their honeymoon in the Galapagos Islands in the Pacific Ocean.

Aftermath

The couple had two children: Peter, born in 1977 and Zara, born in 1981. Sadly, Princess Anne and Mark Phillips separated in 1989 and their divorce was finalized on April 23, 1992. Both Anne and Mark remarried.

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

  • Archives.chicagotribune.com. (2017).  [online] Available at: http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1973/11/15/page/92/article/a-royal-wedding-album [Accessed 26 Aug. 2017].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2017). Wedding of Princess Anne and Mark Phillips. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wedding_of_Princess_Anne_and_Mark_Phillips [Accessed 26 Aug. 2017].
  • Frayman, J. (2017). Princess Anne Is Engaged to an Army Lieutenant. [online] Nytimes.com. Available at: http://www.nytimes.com/1973/05/30/archives/princess-anne-is-engaged-to-an-army-lieutenant-princess-anne-is.html [Accessed 26 Aug. 2017].
  • News.bbc.co.uk. (2017). BBC ON THIS DAY | 14 | 1973: Crowds cheer marriage of Princess Anne. [online] Available at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/november/14/newsid_2519000/2519003.stm [Accessed 26 Aug. 2017].
  • Orderofsplendor.blogspot.com. (2017). Tiara Thursday: Queen Mary’s Fringe Tiara. [online] Available at: http://orderofsplendor.blogspot.com/2011/03/tiara-thursday-queen-marys-fringe-tiara.html [Accessed 26 Aug. 2017].
  • Shuster, A. (2017). Princess Anne Wed Amid British Pageantry. [online] Nytimes.com. Available at: http://www.nytimes.com/1973/11/15/archives/princess-anne-wedamidbritish-pageantry-couple-is-cheered-by-throngs.html?mcubz=3 [Accessed 26 Aug. 2017].
  • Stern, M. (2017). A Big Day for the Bridegroom’s Home Town. [online] Nytimes.com. Available at: http://www.nytimes.com/1973/11/10/archives/a-big-day-for-the-bridgerooms-home-town-5-23foot-wedding-cake-thats.html [Accessed 26 Aug. 2017].
  • Unofficial Royalty. (2017). Anne, Princess Royal. [online] Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/anne-the-princess-royal/ [Accessed 26 Aug. 2017].
  • Unofficial Royalty. (2017). Mark Phillips, first husband of Anne, The Princess Royal. [online] Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/mark-phillips-first-husband-of-anne-the-princess-royal/ [Accessed 26 Aug. 2017].

Ludwig III, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine: The House of Hesse-Darmstadt was one of several branches of the House of Hesse. After the fall of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, the Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt was raised to the Grand Duchy of Hesse, and Ludwig X, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt became the first Grand Duke, Ludwig I.  Several years later, at the Congress of Vienna, Ludwig was forced to cede his Westphalian territories but in return was given the Rheinhessen region and the Grand Duchy of Hesse became the Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine. Ernst Ludwig, a grandson of Queen Victoria, was the last Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine. With the fall of the German states, Ernst Ludwig refused to abdicate but still lost his throne on November 9, 1918. Today the territory that encompassed the Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine is in the German state of Hesse.

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

Ludwig III, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine – source: Wikipedia

Ludwig III was born in Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in Hesse, Germany on June 9, 1806, the eldest son of Ludwig II, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine and Princess Wilhelmine of Baden. He had four siblings:

Ludwig studied at Leipzig University as well as receiving military training.

Mathilde Karoline of Bavaria. source: Wikipedia

On December 26, 1833, in Munich, Kingdom of Bavaria now in the German state of Bavaria, Ludwig married Princess Mathilde Caroline of Bavaria, the eldest daughter of King Ludwig I of Bavaria and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. They had no children.

Ludwig became Grand Duke on March 5, 1848, when his father abdicated during the March Revolution.

Anna Magdalena Appel. source: Wikipedia

In June 1868, six years after the death of his first wife, Ludwig married a second time to Anna Magdalena Appel. The marriage was morganatic, so she did not become Grand Duchess. Instead, she was created Baroness of Hochstätten. After his second marriage, Ludwig III retired from public life, and his eventual successor his nephew, the future Ludwig IV, largely took over the tasks and business of the Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine. Ludwig III and his second wife lived very quietly at Schloss Braunshardt in Weiterstadt for the remainder of his life.

Grand Duke Ludwig III died in Seeheim, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in Hesse, Germany, on June 13, 1877. He was initially buried in the Landgrave’s Crypt in the Stadtkirche Darmstadt in Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in Hesse, Germany. In 1910, his coffin was transferred to the Altes Mausoleum in the Rosenhöhe Park in Darmstadt,  He was succeeded by his nephew, Ludwig IV. The Baroness of Hochstätten moved to Wiesbaden where she lived until her death in December 1917. She is buried in the Old Cemetery in Darmstadt.

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.

Hesse and by Rhine Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Wilhelmine of Baden, Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Wilhelmine of Baden, Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine; source: Wikipedia

Wilhelmine of Baden was the second Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine, as the wife of Grand Duke Ludwig II. She was born in Karlsruhe, Margraviate of Baden, now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, on September 21, 1788, the youngest child of Karl Ludwig, Hereditary Prince of Baden and Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt. Wilhelmine had seven siblings:

Ludwig II. source: Wikipedia

On June 19, 1804, in Karlsruhe, Wilhelmine married her first cousin, the future Grand Duke Ludwig II of Hesse and by Rhine. They had five children:

In 1810, Wilhelmine had a large garden, called the Rosenhöhe (link in German), built on a hill in Darmstadt. Soon, she added several buildings, including a summer residence and a tea house. When her daughter Elisabeth died in 1826, Wilhelmine decided to have a mausoleum built in the park instead of using the traditional grand-ducal tomb in the Darmstadt Stadtkirche. It is because of this that the Rosenhöhe has become the traditional burial site for the Grand Ducal Family.

Schloss Heiligenberg. photo: by Heidas – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3645053

Wilhelmine’s marriage was never happy, and she separated from her husband after the birth of their first three children. In the 1820s, Wilhelmine purchased Schloss Heiligenberg in Jugenheim and expanded and designed the grounds just as she had done at Rosenhöhe. There she met her chamberlain Baron August von Searclens de Grancy, and began a longtime affair. Although Wilhelmine’s husband recognized their younger children as his own, it is believed they were fathered by de Grancy.

Despite her separation, Wilhelmine became Grand Duchess upon her husband’s accession in 1830. With the increased means now at her disposal, she set about expanding Heiligenberg and avoiding the court in Darmstadt as much as possible.

Grand Duchess Wilhelmine died in Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in Hesse, Germany, on January 27, 1836, after contracting typhoid fever. She is buried in the Altes Mausoleum in the Rosenhöhe in Darmstadt.

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.

Hesse and by Rhine Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman; Credit – Wikipedia

Arabic Naming Conventions

  • Al – family/clan of…
  • bin or ibn – son of…
  • bint – daughter of…

Since the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was founded in 1932 by Abdulaziz “Ibn Saud”, the first King of Saudi Arabia, all six of his successors have come from among his 45 sons. In Saudi Arabia, there is no clear line of succession. All vacancies to the throne have been filled by the Crown Prince. Crown Princes have been appointed according to male line seniority from among the sons of Abdulaziz “Ibn Saud”. If Crown Prince Mohammad, a grandson of Abdulaziz “Ibn Saud”, becomes king, he will be the first king of the next generation.

Mohammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud became Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia on June 21, 2017, when his cousin Prince Muhammad bin Nayef Al Saud, the first grandson of Abdulaziz “Ibn Saud” to be named Crown Prince, was relieved of all his positions by royal decree. Previously Crown Prince Mohammad was Deputy Crown Prince.

Crown Prince Mohammad was born in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on August 31, 1985. He is the eldest of the six sons of King Salman of Saudi Arabia and his third wife Princess Fahda bint Falah bin Sultan bin Hathleen.

Crown Prince Mohammad has five younger brothers:

Crown Prince Mohammad has six older half-siblings from his father’s first marriage to Princess Sultana bint Turki Al Sudairi (died 2011):

  • Prince Fahd (1955 – 2001), married Princess Nuf bint Khalid bin Abdallah Al Saud, had four children, died of heart failure
  • Prince Sultan (born 1956), married Princess Haifa Bint Saud Al Faisal bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, had three children, former Royal Saudi Air Force pilot who flew aboard the American Space Shuttle Discovery in 1985 as a payload specialist – first member of a royal family, first Arab and first Muslim to fly in space
  • Prince Ahmed (1958 – 2002), married Princess Lamia bint Mishaal, had five children, died of heart failure
  • Prince Abdulaziz (born 1960), married Princess Sara bint Khalid bin Musa’ad bin Abdulaziz, had three children
  • Prince Faisal (born 1970), married Princess Luloh bint Ahmed bin Mousaed bin Ahmed Al Sudairi, had four children
  • Princess Hassa (born 1974)

Crown Prince Mohammad has one younger half-sibling from his father’s second marriage to Princess Sara Bint Faisal Bin Daidan Abu Ateen Al-Subaie (divorced):

  • Prince Saud (born 1986), married Chorouk bint Mohammad Almejfel, had one child

Crown Prince Mohammad received his primary and secondary education at the Princes’ School in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He then received a bachelor’s degree in law from King Saud University in Riyadh where he was second in his class.  In 2007, Mohammad became a full-time adviser to the Saudi Bureau of Experts.  He continued in this position until he was appointed a special advisor to his father who was then the governor of Riyadh Province.

In 2008, Crown Prince Mohammad married his first cousin Princess Sara bint Mashhoor bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. The couple has five children:

  • Prince Salman
  • Prince Mashhour
  • Princess Fahda
  • Princess Nora
  • Prince Abdulaziz

In 2012, Mohammad’s father Salman was named Crown Prince following the death of his brother Crown Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. On January 23, 2015, King Abdullah died (reigned 2005 – 2015) and 79-year-old Crown Prince Salman became King. Prince Mohammad bin Salman was then appointed Minister of Defense. King Salman’s brother Deputy Crown Prince Muqrin bin Abdulaziz Al Saud became Crown Prince but he died three months later. Prince Muhammad bin Nayef, the son of the Crown Prince that Salman had replaced in 2012, was named Crown Prince, and Salman’s son Mohammad was named Deputy Crown Prince. On June 21, 2017, Prince Muhammad bin Nayef was replaced as Crown Prince by Prince Mohammad bin Salman in a move, according to the New York Times, that was “upending decades of royal custom and profoundly reordering the kingdom’s inner power structure.”

Crown Prince Mohammad is the power behind the throne. There has been much media speculation as to the state of King Salman’s health. Some media reports have suggested that the King is suffering from some form of dementia, possibly Alzheimer’s Disease. There has been no formal statement from the Royal Court regarding these claims.

Crown Prince Mohammad has instituted several successful reforms including restrictions on the powers of the religious police, allowing women to drive, the first Saudi public concerts by a female singer, the first Saudi sports stadium to admit women, and an increase in women in the workforce.  Despite this, his leadership and his violation of human rights have been criticized internationally.

On November 4, 2017, there was an announcement that at the request of Crown Prince Mohammad, billionaire Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal bin Abdulaziz al Saud, a grandson of Abdulaziz “Ibn Saud”, along with over forty Saudi princes and government ministers, was arrested on charges of corruption and money laundering. The New York Times wrote: “The sweeping campaign of arrests appears to be the latest move to consolidate the power of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the favorite son and top adviser of King Salman. The king had decreed the creation of a powerful new anti-corruption committee, headed by the crown prince, only hours before the committee ordered the arrests.”

In October 2018, Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist and a critic of the crown prince went missing after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Turkish officials believe that Khashoggi was murdered at the consulate and many intelligence agencies around the world believe that the crown prince ordered the murder.

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

  • Aljazeera.com. (2017). Profile: Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. [online] Available at: http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2017/06/profile-saudi-crown-prince-mohammed-bin-salman-170621130040539.html [Accessed 8 Nov. 2017].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2017). Mohammad bin Salman. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohammad_bin_Salman [Accessed 8 Nov. 2017].
  • Kirkpatrick, D. (2017). Saudi Arabia Arrests 11 Princes, Including Billionaire Alwaleed bin Talal. [online] Nytimes.com. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/04/world/middleeast/saudi-arabia-waleed-bin-talal.html [Accessed 8 Nov. 2017].
  • Ar.wikipedia.org. (2017). محمد بن سلمان آل سعود. [online] Available at: https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%85%D8%AD%D9%85%D8%AF_%D8%A8%D9%86_%D8%B3%D9%84%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86_%D8%A2%D9%84_%D8%B3%D8%B9%D9%88%D8%AF [Accessed 8 Nov. 2017]

Ludwig II, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine: The House of Hesse-Darmstadt was one of several branches of the House of Hesse. After the fall of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, the Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt was raised to the Grand Duchy of Hesse, and Ludwig X, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt became the first Grand Duke, Ludwig I.  Several years later, at the Congress of Vienna, Ludwig was forced to cede his Westphalian territories but in return was given the Rheinhessen region and the Grand Duchy of Hesse became the Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine. Ernst Ludwig, a grandson of Queen Victoria, was the last Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine. With the fall of the German states, Ernst Ludwig refused to abdicate but still lost his throne on November 9, 1918. Today the territory that encompassed the Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine is in the German state of Hesse.

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

Ludwig II, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine; Credit – Wikipedia

Ludwig II was Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine from April 6, 1830 until his abdication in 1848. He was born in Darmstadt, Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt, now in Hesse, Germany on December 26, 1777, the eldest son of Ludwig X, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt (the future Grand Duke Ludwig I) and Luise of Hesse-Darmstadt. He had five siblings:

  • Princess Luise (1779-1811) – married Ludwig of Anhalt-Köthen, had issue
  • Prince Georg (1780-1856) – married Caroline Török de Szendrö, had issue
  • Prince Friedrich (1788-1867) – unmarried
  • Prince Emil (1790-1856) – unmarried
  • Prince Gustav (1791-1806) – unmarried

Ludwig became Hereditary Grand Duke in 1806 when the Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine was established. He served in the First Chamber of the Hessian Parliament and was a member of the Council of State from 1823 to 1830. He also represented the Grand Duchy at the Congress of Erfurt in 1808 and the Congress of Vienna in 1814-1815.

Wilhelmine of Baden, Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine; Credit: Wikipedia

On June 19, 1804, in Karlsruhe, Ludwig married his first cousin, Princess Wilhelmine of Baden. She was the daughter of Karl Ludwig, Hereditary Prince of Baden and Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt. Ludwig and Wilhelmine had five children:

Ludwig became Grand Duke upon his father’s death in March 1830 and continued his father’s policies. Soon after his accession, he demanded that the state assume his personal debts. This led to a growing dislike for Ludwig amongst the Hessian people. He also stood strongly against calls for a more liberal government. Following the beginning of the March Revolution, Grand Duke Ludwig II abdicated on March 5, 1848, in favor of his eldest son.

Grand Duke Ludwig II died three months later, on June 16, 1848. He is buried in the Altes Mausoleum in the Rosenhöhe in Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in Hesse, 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.

Hesse and by Rhine Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Luise of Hesse-Darmstadt, Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Luise of Hesse-Darmstadt, Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine; Credit – Wikipedia

Luise Henriette Karoline of Hesse-Darmstadt was the first Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine through her marriage to Grand Duke Ludwig I. She was born in Darmstadt, Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt, now in Hesse, Germany on February 15, 1761, the daughter of Prince Georg Wilhelm of Hesse-Darmstadt and Countess Maria Luise Albertine of Leiningen-Falkenburg-Dagsburg. Luise had eight siblings:

Ludwig I, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine; Credit –  Wikipedia

On February 19, 1777, in Darmstadt, Luise married her first cousin, Ludwig of Hesse-Darmstadt (the future Grand Duke Ludwig I), the son of Ludwig IX, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt and Caroline of Zweibrücken. Luise and Ludwig had eight children:

Luise’s husband Ludwig succeeded his father in April 1790 as Ludwig X, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt. After the fall of the Holy Roman Empire, Hesse-Darmstadt was raised to the Grand Duchy of Hesse, with Ludwig becoming its first Grand Duke, Ludwig I. Some years later, at the Congress of Vienna, he was forced to cede his Westphalian territories, but in return was given the Rheinhessen region which included the city of Mainz. It was then, on July 7, 1816, that the Grand Duchy of Hesse became the Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine.

Since the mid-1780s, Grand Duchess Luise had spent the summer months in Bensheim-Auerbach an der Bergstrasse, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in Hesse, Germany, where the family had a summer residence in a large park known as the Fürstenlager (link in German). It was there that she died on October 24, 1829. She was buried in the Darmstadt Stadtkirche in Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in Hesse, Germany until 1910 when her remains were moved to the Altes Mausoleum in the Rosenhöhe in Darmstadt.

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.

Hesse and by Rhine Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Ludwig I, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine

by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine: The House of Hesse-Darmstadt was one of several branches of the House of Hesse. After the fall of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, the Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt was raised to the Grand Duchy of Hesse, and Ludwig X, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt became the first Grand Duke, Ludwig I.  Several years later, at the Congress of Vienna, Ludwig was forced to cede his Westphalian territories but in return was given the Rheinhessen region and the Grand Duchy of Hesse became the Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine. Ernst Ludwig, a grandson of Queen Victoria, was the last Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine. With the fall of the German states, Ernst Ludwig refused to abdicate but still lost his throne on November 9, 1918. Today the territory that encompassed the Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine is in the German state of Hesse.

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

Ludwig I, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine.source: Wikipedia

Ludwig I was the first Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine, reigning from 1806-1830. He was born on June 14, 1753, in Prenzlau, Duchy of Zweibrücken, now in Brandenburg, Germany, the eldest son of Ludwig IX, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt and Caroline of Zweibrücken. Ludwig had seven siblings:

Along with his siblings, Ludwig was raised primarily in Buchsweiler, now Bouxwiller, in France, by his mother, while his father was often away with his military career. Ludwig attended the University of Leiden and then traveled throughout Europe. After escorting his sister Wilhelmine to Russia for her wedding to the future Emperor Paul I in 1773, Ludwig remained in Moscow and served with the Russian military. With the rank of General, he fought in the Russo-Turkish War of 1774. In 1776, he was engaged to Sophia Dorothea of Württemberg. However, Catherine II  (the Great), Empress of All Russia instead chose Sophia Dorothea as the second wife for her son, the future Paul I, Emperor of All Russia, after Ludwig’s sister Wilhelmine died in childbirth.

Luise of Hesse-Darmstadt; Credit – Wikipedia

The following year, on February 19, 1777, Ludwig married Luise of Hesse-Darmstadt, his first cousin. She was the daughter of Prince Georg Wilhelm of Hesse-Darmstadt and Maria Luise of Leiningen-Falkenburg-Dagsburg. Ludwig and Luise had six children:

Ludwig succeeded his father in April 1790 as Ludwig X, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt. His reign saw the establishment of constitutional rule in Hesse-Darmstadt, with Catholics and Jews being given equal rights. Having lost significant territory to France, he soon saw the Landgraviate expand when he was given the former Duchy of Westphalia in 1803, as part of the German mediatization. After the fall of the Holy Roman Empire, Hesse-Darmstadt was raised to the Grand Duchy of Hesse, with Ludwig becoming its first Grand Duke, Ludwig I. Some years later, at the Congress of Vienna, he was forced to cede his Westphalian territories, but in return was given the Rheinhessen region which included the city of Mainz. On July 7, 1816, the Grand Duchy of Hesse became the Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine.

As Grand Duke, Ludwig granted the first constitution and worked to establish cultural institutions in the Grand Duchy. He established the court theater in Darmstadt as well as the court library and promoted the arts. He is also credited with creating the Botanical Garden in Darmstadt.

Grand Duke Ludwig I died in Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in Hesse, Germany, on April 6, 1830, and was succeeded by his eldest son. He was buried in the Darmstadt Stadtkirche until 1910 when his remains were moved to the Altes Mausoleum in the Rosenhöhe in Darmstadt.

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.

Hesse and by Rhine Resources at Unofficial Royalty

November 1917: Royalty and World War I

by Susan Flantzer

  • Captain The Right Honorable Neil James Archibald Primrose
  • Timeline: November 1, 1917 – November 30, 1917
  • A Note About German Titles
  • November 1917 – Royals/Nobles/Peers/Sons of Peers Who Died In Action

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

Captain The Right Honorable Neil James Archibald Primrose

Photo Credit – Wikipedia

One of the 25 Members of Parliament who lost their lives during World War I and a peer’s son, Captain The Right Honorable Neil James Archibald Primrose was the younger son and the youngest of the four children of former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery and Hannah de Rothschild, granddaughter of Baron Nathan Mayer Rothschild, who had founded N M Rothschild & Sons, the English branch of the Rothschilds’ banking empire.

Neil was born on December 14, 1882 at the family home Dalmeny House in Midlothian, Scotland. He was educated at Eton and Oxford where he played with the Oxford University Polo Club.

Neil Primrose, 1910; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Neil had three older siblings:

Lady Victoria Stanley and The Honorable Neil Primrose; Photo Credit – Daily Mail Historical Archive, 1915

On April 7, 1915, Neil married Lady Victoria Stanley, daughter of Edward Stanley, 17th Earl of Derby and Lady Alice Montagu. Neil and Victoria had one daughter:

Caricature of Neil Primrose by unknown artist, pen and ink, early 20th century, NPG D9908 © National Portrait Gallery, London

Neil followed his father into politics and was elected in 1910 as a Member of Parliament for Wisbech.  He served as Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury. In June 1917, he became a member of the Privy Council. (Note: Neil had the courtesy style “The Honorable” as the son of an Earl.  Members of the Privy Council use the style “The Right Honorable.”)

When the United Kingdom declared war on Germany in August 1914, Neil joined the Royal Buckinghamshire Yeomanry as a Lieutenant. He was promoted to Captain in 1915 and was awarded the Military Cross in 1916. Neil died at the age of 34 on November 15, 1917 from wounds received in action at Gezer, Palestine while leading his squadron against Turkish positions on the Abu Shusha Ridge during the Sinai and Palestine Campaign of the Third Battle of Gaza. He was buried in the Ramleh Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery in Ramla, Israel.

 

Grave of Captain The Right Honorable Neil Primrose; Photo Credit – By Zev Gross – Self-photographed, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=53298425

On November 19, 1917, Prime Minister David Lloyd George addressed the House of Commons regarding Neil’s death:

“May I be permitted before I sit down to utter one word of another who held an inconspicuous position in the Army but who was well known to all Members of this House. I refer to Captain Neil Primrose. The House knew his bright and radiant spirit well. To his intimates, he was one of the most lovable men we ever met. He had ability far above the average, and, in spite of the reserve and shyness which held him back, his future was full of hope. He had already rendered distinguished service in the field, and for that service he had been recognised at the suggestion of his commanding officer; and he might well, for he had many offers, have occupied positions where he could have rendered services to the public, positions honourable to him, but positions of personal safety and the fact that he had been chosen by his constituents to serve in this House would have rendered his acceptance of these positions honourable to himself. He chose deliberately the path of danger. He fell charging at the head of his troops, at the very moment of victory, and Members of the House will, I feel certain, join me in an expression of deepest sympathy with those whom he has left behind to mourn him.”

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

Timeline: November 1, 1917 – November 30, 1917

Mud, water, and barbed wire illustrate the horrible terrain at the Battle of Passchendaele; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

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

A Note About German Titles

Many German royals and nobles died in World War I. The German Empire consisted of 27 constituent states, most of them ruled by royal families. Scroll down to German Empire here to see what constituent states made up the German Empire.  The constituent states retained their own governments, but had limited sovereignty. Some had their own armies, but the military forces of the smaller ones were put under Prussian control. In wartime, armies of all the constituent states would be controlled by the Prussian Army and the combined forces were known as the Imperial German Army.  German titles may be used in Royals Who Died In Action below. Refer to Unofficial Royalty: Glossary of German Noble and Royal Titles.

24 British peers were also killed in World War I and they will be included in the list of those who died in action. In addition, more than 100 sons of peers also lost their lives, and those that can be verified will also be included.

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

November 1917 – Royals/Nobles/Peers/Sons of Peers Who Died In Action

The list is in chronological order and does contain some who would be considered noble instead of royal. The links in the last bullet for each person is that person’s genealogical information from Leo’s Genealogics Website or to The Peerage website. If a person has a Wikipedia page or a website page with biographical information, their name will be linked to that page.

Captain The Honorable Elidyr John Bernard Herbert

**********

Captain The Right Honorable Neil James Archibald Primrose (see above)

Memorial in St. Gile’s Cathedral, Edinburgh, Scotland; Photo Credit – By Andrewrabbott – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=48508210

**********

Photo Credit – http://www.surreyinthegreatwar.org.uk

Lieutenant The Honorable Alick George Cubitt

**********

Lieutenant The Honorable Arthur Middleton Kinnaird

**********

Major The Honorable Robert Nathaniel Dudley Ryder

Prince Valdemar of Denmark

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Prince Valdemar of Denmark; Credit – Wikipedia

Prince Valdemar of Denmark was born on October 27, 1858, at Bernstorff Palace in Gentofte, Denmark. Valdemar was the youngest of the six children of King Christian IX of Denmark and Louise of Hesse-Kassel.

Valdemar had five siblings. Four of Valdemar’s five siblings became a monarch or a consort of a monarch.

Christian IX, King of Denmark and his family by Georg Emil Hansen, albumen carte-de-visite photomontage, 1862, NPG x74402 © National Portrait Gallery, London

In 1863, when Valdemar was five years old, his father succeeded to the Danish throne. Earlier that year, Valdemar had accompanied his family to England where his sister Alexandra had married Edward, Prince of Wales, the eldest son of Queen Victoria. Valdemar was educated at home by governesses and tutors. In the summer of 1874, Valdemar accompanied his father to Iceland to celebrate 1,000 years since Iceland’s first settlement in 874.

Valdemar with his father, circa 1863-1865; Credit – Wikipedia

After his confirmation in 1874, Valdemar enrolled at the Royal Danish Naval Academy.  As a younger son, it was expected that he would have a career in the military. Valdemar participated in several naval expeditions in the 1870s and became Lieutenant in 1880. In 1883, Valdemar’s 14-year-old nephew Prince George of Greece,  the second son of his brother King George I of Greece, was enrolled at the Royal Danish Naval Academy. George lived with Valdemar at Bernstorff Palace while he attended the naval academy. Having felt abandoned by his father at that time, George would later tell his fiancée the profound attachment he developed for his uncle Valdemar.

In 1885, Valdemar became engaged to Princess Marie of Orléans, the eldest child of Robert, Duke of Chartres and his wife, Françoise of Orléans, both grandchildren of King Louis Philippe of France, who was forced to abdicate after the outbreak of the French Revolution of 1848. Louis Philippe lived out his life in exile in England where his great-granddaughter Marie had been born. Marie lived the first years of her life in England. After the fall of Napoleon III in 1871, her family’s rival, Marie’s family moved back to France.

Princess Marie of Orléans; Credit – Wikipedia

Valdemar and Marie were first married in a civil ceremony in Paris, France on October 20, 1885. Two days later, an extravagant religious ceremony and reception were held at the Chateau d ‘ Eu in Normandy, France, the home of Louis Philippe of Orléans, Count of Paris, a cousin of both Marie’s parents. More than 1,000 guests attended including members of the royal families of Denmark, Greece, Russia, and the United Kingdom. Valdemar remained Lutheran and Marie remained Roman Catholic. When Pope Leo XIII gave his permission for the marriage, he agreed to the provision that any daughters would be raised Roman Catholic and any sons would be raised Lutheran. After their marriage, the couple lived at the Yellow Palace in Copenhagen and Valdemar’s birthplace, Bernstorff Castle in Gentofte, nearby Copenhagen.

Valdemar and Marie had four sons and one daughter. Three of their sons made unequal marriages and relinquished their position within the Danish Royal Family upon marrying without official consent from the monarch. For more information, see Unofficial Royalty: The Danish Counts of Rosenborg.

Valdemar, Marie, and their children; Credit – www.findagrave.com

Prince Valdemar and King Chulalongkorn of Siam (Thailand), during Valdemar’s visit to Siam in 1900; Credit – Wikipedia

Valdemar had a lifelong naval career which frequently caused him to be away from home. He was appointed Vice-Admiral in 1911 and Admiral in 1918. Valdemar was offered two European thrones, Bulgaria and Norway, but he rejected both offers. His wife Marie died on December 4, 1909, in the Yellow Palace in Copenhagen, Denmark at the age of 44 after a long illness. Unfortunately, at the time of Marie’s death, Valdemar was on a long naval voyage. Prince Valdemar survived Marie by thirty years, dying on January 14, 1939, at the age of 80 in the Yellow Palace in Copenhagen. Both Marie and Valdemar were buried in Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde, Denmark.

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

Works Cited

  • Da.wikipedia.org. (2017). Prins Valdemar. [online] Available at: https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prins_Valdemar [Accessed 7 Aug. 2017].
  • Da.wikipedia.org. (2017). Prinsesse Marie af Orléans. [online] Available at: https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prinsesse_Marie_af_Orl%C3%A9ans [Accessed 7 Aug. 2017].
  • De.wikipedia.org. (2017). Waldemar von Dänemark. [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waldemar_von_D%C3%A4nemark [Accessed 7 Aug. 2017].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2017). Prince Valdemar of Denmark. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Valdemar_of_Denmark [Accessed 7 Aug. 2017].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2017). Princess Marie of Orléans (1865–1909). [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Marie_of_Orl%C3%A9ans_(1865%E2%80%931909) [Accessed 7 Aug. 2017].
  • Fr.wikipedia.org. (2017). Marie d’Orléans (1865-1909). [online] Available at: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie_d%27Orl%C3%A9ans_(1865-1909) [Accessed 7 Aug. 2017].