King George I of the Hellenes

by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2016

King George I of the Hellenes – source: Wikipedia

King George I of the Hellenes was born Prince Christian Vilhelm Ferdinand Adolf Georg of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, on December 24, 1845, at the Yellow Palace in Copenhagen. Known as Vilhelm, he was the son of Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg (later King Christian IX) and Princess Luise of Hesse-Kassel. He had five siblings:

In 1852, Vilhelm’s father was designated as heir-presumptive to the childless King Frederik VII of Denmark. Vilhelm’s title changed to Prince of Denmark. The family split their time between the Yellow Palace and Bernstorff Palace, which had been available to them following his father’s appointment. After his initial education at home, Vilhelm joined the Royal Danish Navy, attending the Royal Danish Naval Academy alongside his elder brother, Frederik.

Prince Vilhelm with his family, 1862. front: Princess Dagmar, Prince Valdemar, Queen Louise, Princess Thyra, Princess Alexandra; back: Prince Frederik, King Christian IX, Prince Vilhelm. source: Wikipedia

In 1862, King Otto of Greece (born Prince Otto of Bavaria) was deposed. Still wanting a monarchy, but rejecting Otto’s proposed successor, Greece began searching for a new King. Initially, the focus fell on Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh (the second son of Queen Victoria), who received overwhelming support from the Greek people. However, the London Conference of 1832 stipulated that no one from the ruling families of the Great Powers could accept the Greek throne. While several other European princes were suggested as possible sovereigns, the Greek people and the Great Powers soon chose Prince Vilhelm as their next King. On March 30, 1863, the 17-year-old Vilhelm was unanimously elected by the Greek National Assembly and took the name King George I of the Hellenes. A ceremonial enthronement was held in Copenhagen on June 6, 1863.

George made visits to Russia, England, and France, before arriving in Athens on October 30, 1863. From the beginning, George was determined to be very different than his predecessor. He quickly learned Greek and was often seen informally strolling through the streets of Athens. George had been accompanied to Greece by several advisors from Denmark. He soon sent them back to Denmark so it would not appear that he was influenced by his home country. George toured Denmarkthe following year and then demanded that the Assembly finally adopt a new constitution. Finally done, he took an oath on November 28, 1864, to defend the new constitution, establishing a constitutional monarchy in which the King deferred authority to the elected government. George quickly became very popular with the Greek people.

Olga and George – source: Wikipedia

In 1863, while visiting St. Petersburg before his arrival in Greece, King George first met his future wife Grand Duchess Olga Konstantinovna of Russia. She was the daughter of Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich (a son of Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia) and Princess Alexandra of Saxe-Altenburg. Four years later, while visiting his sister Dagmar, the wife of the future Alexander III, Emperor of All Russia, George met Olga again. By this time, George was looking for a wife, and marriage to a Russian Grand Duchess would be advantageous both politically and as far as the religion of future generations. While George remained Lutheran after taking the throne, future Greek sovereigns would be raised in the Greek Orthodox faith. Olga was smitten with George, and the two quickly fell in love. They married in Grand Church of the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia on October 27, 1867, and went on to have eight children:

King George and Queen Olga with six of their children, c1890. source: Wikipedia

George and his family spent much of their time at Tatoi, a 10,000-acre estate outside Athens which he had purchased in the 1870s. Along with the main palace, King George established a winery and a Danish-styled dairy farm. He established the Royal Cemetery on the grounds, following the death of his daughter, Princess Olga, in 1880. King George also acquired Mon Repos, a villa on the isle of Corfu, in 1864, which the royal family used as a summer residence. Mon Repos is probably best known today as the birthplace of George’s grandson, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, who was born there in 1921.

King George’s early reign saw constant upheaval, with 21 different governments in 10 years. Attempts to return the isle of Crete to Greek control were unsuccessful, which caused great tension among the Greek people. Following the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878 (in which Greece remained neutral despite the attempts of George’s sister, Tsarevna Maria Feodorovna of Russia, to get Greece to join with the Russians), Greece claimed Crete and the regions of Epirus and Thessaly which were all under the Ottoman rule. Eventually, in 1881, the Ottomans ceded Thessaly.

The political climate in Crete remained tense, with the predominantly Greek population revolting against Turkish rule in 1897. The Great Powers stepped in, ordering both Greek and Turkish forces to withdraw, with Crete being under international control. While the Turks agreed, the Greek Prime Minister refused and sent troops to take the island. When forces crossed the Macedonian border, war broke out. By the end of April, the war was over, with Greece losing swiftly and severely. Following the defeat, King George lost much of his popularity and support from the Greek people, even considering abdication. But the following year, in February 1898, an assassination attempt was made on the King and his daughter Maria, while riding in an open carriage. Fortunately, both were unharmed, and he received an upswell of support from his subjects.

In the First Balkan War of 1912, Greece joined forces with Montenegro, Serbia, and Bulgaria in fighting against Turkey. This time, the Greek forces were victorious, and on November 12, 1912, led by Crown Prince Constantine, they took the city of Thessaloniki in what was then Macedonia. Three days later, King George arrived and rode through the streets accompanied by his son and the Prime Minister.

Grave of King George I of Greece, photo by Kostisl, source: Wikipedia

With his Golden Jubilee approaching, King George planned to abdicate following the celebrations planned for October 1913. However, his life would end several months before he had the chance. On March 18, 1913, while walking in Thessaloniki, Greece, King George was killed when an assassin shot him at close range in the back. The King died instantly. His body was returned to Athens, where it lay in state for three days in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens. Draped in both the Greek and Danish flags, his coffin was then interred in Royal Cemetery at Tatoi.

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Princess Giovanna of Italy, Tsaritsa of Bulgaria

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

Giovanna of Italy, Tsaritsa of Bulgaria; Credit –  Wikipedia

Giovanna of Italy was the wife of Tsar Boris III of Bulgaria. She was born Princess Giovanna Elisabetta Antonia Romana Maria of Italy on November 13, 1907, in Rome, Italy the daughter of King Vittorio Emanuele III of Italy and Princess Elena of Montenegro.

Giovanna had four siblings:

Princess Giovanna, c.1909. source: Wikipedia

As was typical at the time, Giovanna was educated privately at home. In 1923, she and her sister Mafalda fell ill with typhoid fever and were both very ill. After being nursed back to health by two Franciscan nuns, Giovanna pledged her devotion to St. Francis of Assisi which would remain with her for the rest of her life.

Wedding of Giovanna and Boris, 1930. source: Wikipedia

In 1927, Giovanna met her future husband, Tsar Boris III of Bulgaria, and the two quickly fell in love. They married on October 25, 1930, in Assisi, Italy. After the civil ceremony, a Catholic ceremony took place at the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi in Assisi, Italy, followed by a large reception at Villa Fidelia in nearby Spello. Later, an Orthodox ceremony was held in Sofia, Bulgaria, and Giovanna was also crowned Tsaritsa of Bulgaria. Upon her marriage, she took the Bulgarian version of her name, Ioanna. The couple had two children:

In her role as Tsaritsa, Ioanna became well-loved by the Bulgarian people, in part because of her charitable work, including the establishment of a children’s hospital in Sofia. During World War II, she also helped to arrange travel visas, enabling many Jews to escape the country. In August 1943, her husband died, and their young son Simeon became Tsar, under a Regency Council led by Boris’s brother Prince Kyril of Bulgaria.

Tsaritsa Ioanna, c.1932. source: Wikipedia

Following the Soviet invasion of Bulgaria in September 1944, Ioanna and her family were placed under house arrest at Vrana Palace. Two years later, the Soviet regime held a referendum which resulted in the abolition of the monarchy, and on September 16, 1946, the family was forced to flee the country. They went first to Egypt, where Ioanna’s father was living in exile, and then in 1951, settled in Madrid. After her son’s marriage in 1962, she moved to Estoril, Portugal, where she remained for the rest of her life. In 1993, following the fall of the communist regime, Ioanna made a memorable visit to Bulgaria, on the 50th anniversary of her husband’s death.

 

Tsaritsa Ioanna died in Estoril, Portugal on February 26, 2000. In accordance with her wishes to be buried in Italy, she was buried at the Chapel of the Friars at the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi in Assisi, Italy.

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Tsar Boris III of Bulgaria

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

Tsar Boris III of Bulgaria – source: Wikipedia

Tsar Boris III of Bulgaria was the son of Tsar Ferdinand I of Bulgaria and Princess Maria Luisa of Bourbon-Parma. He was born Prince Boris Klemens Robert Maria Pius Ludwig Stanislaus Xaver on January 30, 1894, in Sofia, Bulgaria, and created Prince of Tarnovo at birth. Boris had three younger siblings:

In keeping with the agreement made at the time of his parents’ marriage, Boris was christened in the Roman Catholic church. However, his father soon decided that he should be raised in the Orthodox church. Not only would this appeal to the people of Bulgaria, but it would also help to be recognized as Sovereign – something which, until then, had been held back by the Great Powers. Despite his mother’s protests, Boris was christened in the Eastern Orthodox Church on February 2, 1896, with Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia serving as his godparent.

Boris as a child; source: Wikipedia/Bulgarian Archives State Agency

Boris was educated at the Palace Secondary School, created by his father in 1908 specifically for Boris and his brother Kyril. He later graduated from the Military Academy in Sofia, Bulgaria, and served as Captain and Company Commander of the 6th Regiment. During the Balkan Wars, Boris fought on the front lines.

When World War I began, Bulgaria remained neutral until the fall of 1915, when they joined the war, and aligned with the Central Powers. Boris strongly disagreed with his father’s decision to join the Central Powers, and at one point, was placed under arrest by his father for several days because of his dissent. However, he served with the Bulgarian forces as a liaison officer with the General Staff on the Macedonian front. He was later promoted to Colonel and served as liaison officer to Army Group Mackensen and the Bulgarian Third Army for operations against Romania.

Despite their efforts, Bulgaria suffered great losses in the war. Taking responsibility, Tsar Ferdinand abdicated on October 3, 1918, and Boris ascended as Tsar Boris III. Trying to restore his country, after devastating losses, Boris’s reign began as an uphill battle. Under the terms of the Treaty of Neuilly-sur-Seine in 1919, Bulgaria ceded several territories, was required to reduce its army to 20,000 soldiers, and pay reparations of £100 million. A new political regime led by Aleksandar Stamboliyski of the Agrarian Union to control and was very hostile to Boris and the monarchy. After the Treaty of Neuilly, Stamboliyski’s government took complete control of the country, establishing a dictatorial regime. The people of Bulgaria, particularly the military officers, placed their faith and hope in Boris.

In 1923, a military coup overthrew Stamboliyski’s government. Boris was opposed to the idea of seizing power and threatened to abdicate. However, he soon agreed to the situation, provided that it would bring peace to Bulgaria. Two years later, Boris was the target of several assassination attempts but fortunately was not harmed. Tensions still ran high within Bulgaria, with supporters of the Agrarian Union, and the Communist Party, very vocal in their opposition to the monarchy.

In January 1930, Boris became engaged to Princess Giovanna of Italy, daughter of King Vittorio Emanuele III of Italy and Princess Elena of Montenegro. The two had met several years earlier, and after attending the marriage of Giovanna’s brother, the future King Umberto II, to Princess Marie José of Belgium, Boris asked for Giovanna’s hand.

As was often an issue with royal marriages, religion once again became an obstacle. Boris was Orthodox and Giovanna was Roman Catholic. The Bulgarian Constitution required that any heir to the throne be a member of the Orthodox Church, however, the Pope refused to sanction the marriage without an agreement that all children from the marriage would be raised Catholic. Finally, an agreement was reached and the couple married on October 25, 1930, in Assisi, Italy. Following a civil ceremony, they were wed in a Roman Catholic ceremony at the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi. After returning to Bulgaria, an Orthodox ceremony was held in Sofia on November 9, 1930.

Boris and Giovanna had two children. Despite the agreement Boris made with the Vatican, both children were baptized in the Orthodox church.

In May 1934, another coup took place, in which Zveno (a military and political group) abolished the political parties and established a dictatorship under their own Prime Minister. However, Boris was able to stage a counter-coup the following year and assumed complete control of the government. He brought back a form of parliamentary rule, but no political parties were restored. This became known as the “King’s Government” and for the next five years, Bulgaria experienced significant growth and prosperity.

With the outbreak of World War II, Boris fought to retain Bulgaria’s neutrality. Hitler, trying to gain Bulgaria’s help, arranged for an agreement between Bulgaria and Romania which returned some of the territory lost to Romania in the Treaty of Neuilly-sur-Seine after World War I. Finally, in March 1941, following the threat of a German invasion, and with the promise of regaining territory formerly ceded to Greece, Boris signed the Tripartite Pact, aligning Bulgaria with the Axis powers. Following the surrender of the Yugoslavian and Greek governments, Bulgarian forces occupied their former territories, captured by the German forces. In 1941, Tsar Boris also signed into law the Law for Protection of the Nation, which imposed restrictions on Jewish Bulgarians. The Jewish community and the Bulgarian Orthodox Church opposed this law. Despite signing the law, Boris helped to prevent the forced deportation of the Bulgarian Jews on several occasions and attempted to find ways to get them safely out of the country. Sadly, he was unable to help those in Bulgarian-occupied territories in Greece and Yugoslavia.

In August 1943, Boris was once again summoned to a meeting with Hitler, who wanted Boris to deport Bulgarian Jews, and to declare war on Russia – both of which Boris strongly refused to do. Following the meeting, during which Hitler was reportedly furious, Boris returned home. Just weeks later, on August 28, 1943, Tsar Boris III died in Sofia. The circumstances of his death remain mysterious, with many believing that Boris had been poisoned because of his refusal to concede to the demands of the Nazis.

The grave of Tsar Boris III, Rila Monastery. source: Wikipedia, photo by Relativefrequency

Following a state funeral at the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Sofia, Bulgaria, Tsar Boris III’s body and heart were buried at the Rila Monastery in Rila, Bulgaria. The following year, the new communist government very quietly had his remains exhumed and reburied at the Vrana Palace. Later, his casket was moved again, to a secret location that remains unknown. Following the fall of the communist government, an excavation at Vrana Palace found only Boris’s heart which had been buried separately. In 1993, Boris’s widow, Tsarina Ioanna, returned to Bulgaria for the 50th anniversary of Boris’s death, and his heart was reinterred at the Rila Monastery.

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Bulgaria Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Princess Eleonore Reuss of Köstritz, Tsaritsa of Bulgaria

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

Eleonore Reuss of Köstritz, Tsaritsa of Bulgaria source: Wikipedia

Princess Eleonore Reuss of Köstritz (Eleonore Caroline Gasparine Louise) was the second wife of Tsar Ferdinand I of Bulgaria (born Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha-Koháry). She was born on August 22, 1860, in Trebschen, a village in the Province of Brandenburg, now part of Poland, to Prince Heinrich IV Reuss of Köstritz and Princess Luise Caroline Reuss of Greiz.

Eleonore had three siblings:

  • Prince Heinrich XXIV Reuss of Köstritz (1855 – 1910), married his cousin Princess Elisabeth Reuss of Köstritz, had five children
  • Helene Reuss of Köstritz (1864 – 1876)
  • ElisabethReuss of Köstritz  (1865 – 1937)

From an early age, Eleonore was involved in helping others. In 1905, she traveled to the Far East to work as a nurse during the Russo-Japanese War. Two years later, following a bit of match-making by Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia, Eleonore became engaged to Ferdinand of Bulgaria in December 1907.  Ferdinand’s first wife, Princess Maria Luisa of Bourbon-Parma, died on January 31, 1899, after the birth of the youngest of their four children.

source: Wikipedia

Following extensive negotiations, due primarily to their different religions, Eleonore and Ferdinand were married in a Catholic ceremony at St. Augustine’s Church in Coburg, Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, now in the German state of Bavaria, on February 28, 1908. The following day, a Protestant ceremony was held at Schloss Osterstein in Gera, Principality of Reuss-Gera, now in the German state of Thuringia. At the time, Ferdinand was the reigning Prince (Knyaz) and Eleonore became Princess of Bulgaria. Later that year, Eleonore would become the first Tsaritsa of Bulgaria after Ferdinand declared the country a kingdom.

Eleonore and Ferdinand did not have any children however, Eleonore was instrumental in raising her four stepchildren:

With very little attention or affection from her husband, Eleonore focused on the welfare of the Bulgarian people. She quickly became involved with the Bulgarian Red Cross, and later set up the Queen Eleonore Fund in 1910 to raise funds to build institutes for children who were blind and deaf. She also founded an orphanage for Jewish children, which still exists today as The Queen Eleonore Orphanage.

Eleonore also took a great interest in the medieval Boyana Church, on the outskirts of Sofia, Bulgaria. The small church dating as far back as the 10th century was too small to accommodate the needs of the village and it was planned to tear it down and build a new church. However, Eleonore dreaded the loss of such a historic building, and purchased a plot of land for a new church, allowing the original building to remain and be restored.

Eleonore as a nurse with the Red Cross during the Balkan Wars. source: Wikipedia

During the Balkan Wars and World War I, Eleonore worked tirelessly as a nurse on the front lines. Sadly, after a serious illness, the Tsaritsa died on September 12, 1917, at Euxinograd Palace. near Varna, Bulgaria. Per her wishes, she was buried in a very modest grave next to the medieval Boyana Church she had helped save.

Grave of Tsaritsa Eleonore. source: Wikipedia, photo by Elena Chochkova

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Princess Maria Luisa of Bourbon-Parma, Princess of Bulgaria

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

Maria Luisa of Bourbon-Parma, Princess of Bulgaria; Credit – Wikipedia

Princess Maria Luisa of Bourbon-Parma was the first wife of the future Tsar Ferdinand I of Bulgaria. She was born Princess Maria Luisa Pia Teresa Anna Ferdinanda Francesca Antonietta Margherita Giuseppina Caroline Bianca Lucia Apollonia of Bourbon-Parma on January 17, 1870 in Rome, Italy. Maria Luisa was the eldest child of Robert I, Duke of Parma and his first wife, Princess Maria Pia of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, and had eleven younger siblings. Six of her eleven siblings were mentally disabled.

  • Ferdinando (born and died 1871) died in infancy
  • Luisa Maria (1872 – 1943), unmarried, mentally disabled
  • Enrico, Duke of Parma (1873 – 1939), unmarried, mentally disabled, Titular Duke of Parma 1907-1939, his brother Elias took up the role as regent and head of the family
  • Maria Immacolata (1874 – 1914), unmarried, mentally disabled
  • Giuseppe, Duke of Parma (1875 – 1950), unmarried, mentally disabled, Titular Duke of Parma 1939-1950, his brother Elias continued the role as regent and head of the family
  • Maria Teresa (1876 – 1959), unmarried, mentally disabled
  • Maria Pia (1877 – 1915), unmarried, mentally disabled
  • Beatrice (1879 – 1946), married Pietro Lucchesi-Palli, had issue
  • Elias, Duke of Parma (1880- 1959), married Archduchess Maria Anna of Austria, had issue; Head of the Ducal Family of Parma (1950–1959)
  • Maria Anastasia (born and died 1881), died in infancy
  • Stillborn child (September 22, 1882), Maria Pia died in childbirth

Two years after her mother died in childbirth in 1882, Maria Luisa’s father married Infanta Maria Antonia of Portugal and had another twelve children, Maria Luisa’s half-siblings:

  • Maria della Neve Adelaide (1885 – 1959), a Benedictine nun at the Monastery of Solesmes, France
  • Sixtus (1886 – 1934), married Hedwige de La Rochefoucauld, had issue
  • Xavier, Duke of Parma (1889 – 1977), married Madeleine de Bourbon-Busset, had issue, the Carlist claimants to the Spanish throne descend through this line
  • Zita (1892 – 1989) – married Emperor Karl of Austria, had issue
  • Francesca (1890 – 1978), a Benedictine nun at the Monastery of Solesmes, France
  • Felix (1893 – 1970), married Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg, had issue
  • René (1894 – 1962), married Princess Margrethe of Denmark, had issue including Anne who married King Michael I of Romania
  • Maria Antonia (1895 – 1937), a Benedictine nun at the Monastery of Solesmes, France
  • Isabella (1898 – 1984), nun
  • Luigi (1899 – 1967), married Princess Maria Francesca of Savoy, had issue
  • Henrietta Anna (1903 – 1987), unmarried, was deaf
  • Gaetano (1905 – 1958), married and divorced Princess Margarete of Thurn and Taxis, had issue

Princess Maria Luisa was raised primarily in Switzerland, in the care of English governesses. Artistically gifted, she became fluent in five languages and enjoyed painting and music.

In 1892, Maria Luise’s father began to arrange a marriage for Maria Luisa to the reigning Prince Ferdinand of Bulgaria. Extensive negotiations were needed to make the match possible. One of the biggest obstacles was religion. Maria Luisa’s family was staunchly Catholic and insisted that any children would be raised in the Catholic Church. Ferdinand was also Catholic and had been permitted to remain so when elected Prince of Bulgaria. However, the Bulgarian constitution required that any future Prince be a member of the Orthodox Church. This would mean that Ferdinand’s heir could not be raised Catholic. Capitalizing on the exceptions that had been given to both Ferdinand and his predecessor Alexander of Battenberg, Prime Minister Stefan Stambolov quickly had the constitution amended to provide another exception for Ferdinand’s heir.

Maria Luisa and Ferdinand, 1893. source: Wikipedia

With this final issue resolved, the engagement was announced in August 1892. Being a truly arranged marriage, it would be on their engagement day that Maria Luisa and Ferdinand met for the first time. They married on April 20, 1893, at Villa Pianore, the Duke of Parma’s residence in Lucca, Italy. They had four children:

Maria Luisa with her sons, Boris and Kiril, 1896. source: Wikipedia

Less than two years after the birth of their first son, Boris, Ferdinand decided he would have his son baptized in the Orthodox church, despite the agreements made before his marriage. This was part of his efforts to be recognized as sovereign of Bulgaria by the new Emperor of Russia, Nicholas II. Maria Luisa, supported by both her family and her mother-in-law, argued strongly against the conversion but Ferdinand insisted. Prince Boris was received into the Orthodox Church, with Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia as his godparent. Maria Luisa left the country in protest, not returning until the late spring of 1896. The rest of their children were raised Catholic.

Maria Luisa, Princess of Bulgaria – source: Wikipedia

Maria Luisa’s marriage, which had been strictly for political and dynastic reasons, was not a happy one. Having given birth to three children, and expecting a fourth within five years had taken a toll on her already frail health. She developed pneumonia while pregnant with her youngest child, and died on January 31, 1899, just a day after giving birth. She was just 29 years old. Princess Maria Luisa was buried in the Cathedral of Saint Louis of France, in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.

Tomb of Marie Luisa; Credit – By Бирдас – Собствена творба, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=22874195

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Tsar Ferdinand I of Bulgaria

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

Tsar Ferdinand I of Bulgaria – source: Wikipedia

Tsar Ferdinand I of Bulgaria was born on February 26, 1861, at the Palais Coburg in Vienna, Austria. At birth, he was Prince Ferdinand Maximilian Karl Leopold Maria of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha-Koháry, a member of the Catholic Koháry branch of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. He was the son of Prince August of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha-Koháry and Princess Clémentine of Orléans, daughter of King Louis Philippe I of the French.

Ferdinand had four older siblings:

Ferdinand with his mother, c1866. source: Wikipedia

The Koháry branch began with Ferdinand’s grandfather who married Princess Maria Antonia Koháry de Csábrág et Szitnya, who was Catholic. She was the daughter and heiress of one of the largest landowners in Hungary. Upon her father’s death in 1826, the couple inherited his estates and fortune, at which point her husband and the rest of the family converted to Roman Catholicism and added Koháry to the family name.

Prince Ferdinand grew up in Vienna, where his father was a General in the Austrian military. He attended and graduated from the Theresianum Academy and became a Colonel in the Second Regiment of the Austrian Hussars, where he would remain until 1887. From a young age, he developed an interest in ornithology, entomology, and botany – subjects that fascinated him his entire life. During his schooling, Ferdinand and his brother Ludwig August embarked on a scientific expedition on the Amazon River, after which Ferdinand published a study, ‘Description of Birds by Prince Ferdinand Saxe-Coburg and Gotha’ in 1884.

Ferdinand – source: Wikipedia

In 1886, after the abdication of Alexander of Battenberg as reigning Knyaz (Prince) of Bulgaria, a search began for a new prince. Many European princes refused, fearing the same fate as Alexander Battenberg. However, Prince Ferdinand’s mother put forth his name. Following a vote by the National Assembly, Ferdinand was elected Knyaz of Bulgaria on July 7, 1887, although he remained unrecognized by the Great Powers.

Ferdinand and Maria Luisa, 1893. source: Wikipedia

Knowing that establishing a royal house and ensuring the succession would be crucial, Ferdinand married Princess Maria Luisa of Bourbon-Parma on April 20, 1893. She was the daughter of Robert I, Duke of Parma and Princess Maria Pia of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. Ferdinand’s mother arranged the marriage before the couple had met each other. Despite Ferdinand’s complete disinterest in his wife, the couple had four children:

The early years of Ferdinand’s reign brought Bulgaria to the forefront of the Balkan countries, primarily due to the efforts of Prime Minister Stefan Stambolov. However, Russia had severed diplomatic relations, and Alexander III, Emperor of All Russia was strongly opposed to recognizing Ferdinand as Prince. After Alexander’s death, his son Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia, who was much more moderate, proposed a reconciliation providing that Ferdinand’s heir was raised in the Eastern Orthodox Church. Despite the feelings of Ferdinand’s Catholic family, he realized that formal recognition from Russia would be necessary before any European country would recognize him. On February 2, 1896, Ferdinand had his son Boris baptized in the Bulgarian Orthodox Church with Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia as a godparent. Soon after, Ferdinand was recognized as Prince of Bulgaria by the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire. Ferdinand quickly began to bring Bulgaria to the level of other European monarchies.

Prince Ferdinand, c1897. source: Wikipedia

The Bulgarian army became one of the most powerful in the Balkan region and Ferdinand established universities, an arts academy, a seminary, and technical schools around the country. He founded the Institute of Natural Sciences with a museum, zoo, and botanical gardens. The nation’s railway and road network was developed, and new post offices and telegraph stations opened throughout Bulgaria.

Ferdinand and his second wife, Eleonore, on their wedding day. source: Wikipedia

Having given birth to three children, and expecting a fourth within five years had taken a toll on Maria Louise’s already frail health. She developed pneumonia while pregnant with her youngest child, and died on January 31, 1899, just a day after giving birth. Nine years later, on February 28, 1908, Ferdinand married Princess Eleonore Reuss of Köstritz. She stepped in as a mother to his children, although the couple did not have children.

Since its establishment as a principality, Bulgaria was under the sovereignty of the Ottoman Empire. However, on October 5, 1908, Ferdinand proclaimed independence, elevating Bulgaria to a kingdom and becoming Tsar Ferdinand I. Much of the next ten years was consumed by war. The First Balkan War in 1912 saw significant land gains, but these were nearly all negated by losses during the Second Balkan War the following year, and soon, World War I began. In the beginning, Bulgaria remained neutral while being courted by both sides due to the country’s location and strong military. Having entered the war in the fall of 1915, siding with the Central Powers, initial successes were soon overshadowed by significant losses and defeats. On October 3, 1918, taking full responsibility for the loss of the war, Tsar Ferdinand abdicated in favor of his son Boris. Ferdinand settled in Coburg, where he devoted his time to his favorite pastimes – art, gardening, travel, and history.

In 1943, his son Tsar Boris III died after visiting Hitler in Germany and was succeeded by his son Simeon who was just six years old. In 1945, Ferdinand’s other son Kyril was executed, and in 1946, the young Simeon was deposed, and the Bulgarian monarchy was abolished. Heartbroken at the loss of his family and his kingdom, Ferdinand died in Coburg on September 10, 1948. Unable to be buried in Bulgaria at the time, his remains were temporarily placed in the crypt of St. Augustine’s Church in Coburg, besides those of his parents. On May 29, 2024, the remains of Ferdinand I were transported from Coburg to Sofia, Bulgaria where they were interred in the Palace Crypt at Vrana Palace on the outskirts of Sofia.

Reburial of Tsar Ferdinand I of Bulgaria in the Palace Crypt at Vrana Palace; Credit – Photo: King Boris and Queen Giovanna Royal Heritage Fund

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February 1916: Royalty and World War I

by Susan Flantzer

2nd Lieutenant John Alexander Thynne, Viscount Weymouth

Viscount-Weymouth

John Thynne, Viscount Weymouth; Photo Credit – www.winchestercollegeatwar.com

John Alexander Thynne, born November 25, 1895, was the eldest son of Thomas Thynne, 5th Marquess of Bath and Violet Mordaunt. Violet was the daughter of Harriet Moncreiffe and questionable daughter of her husband, Sir Charles Mordaunt, 10th Baronet.  Lord and Lady Mordaunt were involved in the Mordaunt Scandal which involved Prince Albert Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) and rocked British society in the 1890s.

Sir Charles Mordaunt was a wealthy and powerful Conservative Member of Parliament. He and his wife were members of the Marlborough Set, a group of people who surrounded the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) and named after his London home near Buckingham Palace. While Sir Charles was off fishing or hunting or attending sessions of Parliament, Harriet entertained numerous lovers, including the Prince of Wales and several of his aristocratic friends.

On February 28, 1869, Harriet gave birth to a premature daughter, Violet Caroline, the mother of John Thynne, Viscount Weymouth. The timing of the birth was significant as Sir Charles had been away on a fishing trip when the child would have been conceived. When baby Violet had a serious eye infection, Harriet hysterically thought it was from a venereal disease and confessed to her husband that she did not know who the father was, and that the Prince of Wales could have been one of several possibilities. Sir Charles sued for divorce and letters his wife had exchanged with the Prince of Wales were used in the divorce proceedings. Sir Charles threatened to name the Prince of Wales as a co-respondent in his divorce suit. Although this did not happen, the Prince was called to testify, further adding to the scandal. It was shown that the Prince of Wales had visited the Mordaunts’ house while Sir Charles was away. Although nothing further was proven and the Prince denied he had committed adultery, the suggestion of impropriety was damaging . The divorce destroyed Harriet who was declared insane and spent the rest of her life in an asylum, dying in 1906.

Harriet, Lady Mordaunt, grandmother of John Thynne, Viscount Weymouth in the 1860s; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

In 1895, John Alexander Thynne’s father became the 5th Marquess of Bath after his father died. John was then styled with the courtesy style, Viscount Weymouth and became the heir to the Marquess of Bath title. John had two older sisters, one younger brother and one younger sister.

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Longleat House; Photo Credit – Susan Flantzer

The family home, Longleat House, was built by Sir John Thynne, the steward to Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, brother of King Henry VIII’s third wife Jane Seymour and uncle to King Edward VI. Longleat House took 37 years to design and build. It has been the home of the Thynne family ever since and was the first British stately home opened to the public.

John Thynne, Viscount Weymouth was educated at Sevenoaks School in Sevenoaks, Kent, England which was founded in 1432. He then attended Winchester College in Winchester, Hampshire, England from 1909-1912. On August 15, 1914, shortly after the start of World War I, John was admitted to the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. He passed out of Sandhurst, and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the 2nd Dragoons (Royal Scots Greys) in December of 1915. On the prospect of being ordered to the front, John had written to his father, the 5th Marquess of Bath, “I am very glad I am high on the list because the sooner it comes the better. Don’t think that I funk going out, but, I know perfectly well I will be in the fright of my life but also very glad.” By October 20, 1915, John was serving in France.

Scots-Greys-1916 Trenches

Soldiers of the Royal Scots Greys, photographed in the trenches at the Hairpin on 19 January 1916 © IWM (Q 29052)

In February of 1916, John was in the trenches at the Hairpin, part of a large series of trenches near Hullach in France near the Belgian border. He expected to be home on leave soon. However on February 13, 1916, 20 year-old John and ten other Scots Greys were killed when German mines were detonated under a deep, narrow trench they were using to approach the German position.

An aerial reconnaissance photograph of the opposing trenches and no-man’s land between Loos and Hulluch in Artois, France, taken at 7.15 pm, 22 July 1917. German trenches are at the right and bottom, British trenches are at the top left. The vertical line to the left of centre indicates the course of a pre-war road. Photo Credit – Wikipedia

John Thynne, Viscount Weymouth was buried at the Vermelles British Cemetery, a British war cemetery in the village of Vermelles, in Pas-de-Calais, France. The cemetery was designed by British architect Sir Herbert Baker and contains memorials to 2,134 casualties. John’s younger brother Henry succeeded their father as the 6th Marquess of Bath in 1946.

Vermelles British Cemetery; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

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Timeline: February 1, 1916 – February 29, 1916

February 5-April 15 – Trebizond Campaign in Trabzon, Ottoman Empire (now in Turkey) begins
February 12 – Battle of Salaita Hill in Salaita, near Mount Kilimanjaro (now in Kenya)
February 21 – Battle of Verdun in Verdun-sur-Meuse, France begins and lasts until December 20, 1916
February 26 – Action of Agagia in Agagiya, Egypt
February 28 – Cameroon an African colony of Germany, surrenders

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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.

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February 1916 – 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, their name will be linked to that page.

2nd Lieutenant John Alexander Thynne, Viscount Weymouth

Henrietta Maria of France, Queen of England

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

Henrietta Maria of France, Queen of England; Credit – Wikipedia

Henrietta Maria of France was born at the Louvre Palace in Paris, France on November 26, 1609. She was the youngest of the six children of King Henri IV of France and his second wife Marie de’ Medici.  When Henrietta Maria was six months old, her father was assassinated while driving in his carriage through the streets of Paris. Her nine-year-old eldest brother then became King Louis XIII.

Henrietta Maria in 1611; Credit – Wikipedia

Henrietta Maria had five siblings:

Henri IV and his family; Credit – Wikipedia

When Henrietta Maria was 14 years old, negotiations were started for her marriage to Charles, Prince of Wales, the heir of King James I of England. By the time the proxy marriage took place on May 1, 1625, on the steps of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, the groom had acceded to the throne as King Charles I. Henrietta and Charles were then married in person at Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, England on June 13, 1625. Charles’ coronation was held on February 2, 1626, at Westminster Abbey, but the Roman Catholic Henrietta Maria was not crowned because she refused to participate in a Church of England ceremony. She had proposed that a French Catholic bishop crown her but that was unacceptable to Charles and the English court.

Henrietta Maria as Princess of France; Credit – Wikipedia

Charles and Henrietta Maria had nine children:

Charles and Henrietta Maria’s five eldest children in 1637: Left to right: Mary, James, Charles, Elizabeth, and Anne; Credit – Wikipedia

Although we refer to her as Henrietta Maria, she was known as Queen Mary to her contemporaries in England. Initially, Charles and Henrietta Maria’s relationship was strained. However, their relationship improved after the assassination of George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham, who had been the favorite of Charles’ father King James I, and was a great influence on Charles. Henrietta Maria’s Roman Catholicism did not make her a popular queen. At court, she disrupted Anglican services by walking through with a pack of dogs. To the English people, her Catholic beliefs made her different and dangerous at a time when Catholic plots and subversion were feared. She did not speak English before she married and always had difficulties speaking and writing English.

Henrietta Maria was a strong patron of the arts and both she and her husband were knowledgeable art collectors. She enjoyed taking part in masques and dramatic entertainments. Henrietta Maria was interested in sculpture, garden design, and architecture and employed designer and architect Inigo Jones, garden designer André Mollet, and sculptor François Dieussart. The Queen’s House in Greenwich, London, England, started for Charles’ mother Anne of Denmark, was completed for Henrietta Maria under the supervision of Inigo Jones.

King Charles I had the same issues with Parliament as his father had, clashing with its members over financial, political, and religious issues. Henrietta Maria gave her support to her husband in his clashes with Parliament and in his plans to raise money. Ultimately, these clashes with Parliament led to the English Civil War and to Charles’ downfall. Henrietta accompanied her husband when he left London in 1642 and established a royal court in Oxford. However, in 1644, while seven months pregnant with her last child, Henrietta Maria was forced to leave Oxford because it was becoming less secure. She made her way to Exeter where she gave birth to her youngest child Henrietta. Henrietta Maria never saw Charles again. Leaving her newborn daughter in Exeter in the care of Lady Dalkeith (born Anne Villiers, the daughter of Sir Edward Villiers), Henrietta Maria escaped to France where she settled in Paris with the support of the French government.

Gaston de France, Duke of Orléans presents his sister widowed Henrietta Maria to Anne of Austria, regent of France for King Louis XIV. The young Louis XIV in peach stands in front of his mother and next to his brother Philippe. Henrietta Maria stands between Gaston and his daughter, the Grand Mademoiselle; Credit – Wikipedia

King Charles I was executed in 1649 and the monarchy was abolished. Henrietta Maria spent the years of the Commonwealth of England with her surviving children at the court of her nephew King Louis XIV. She formed a Royalist court in exile at Château de St-Germain-en-Laye.  Henrietta Maria attempted to convert her sons James and Henry to Catholicism. These attempts angered the Royalists in exile and her eldest son Charles. However, her youngest child Henrietta (nicknamed Minette) was brought up Catholic and married her first cousin, Philippe I, Duke of Orléans, the younger brother of King Louis XIV of France.

Henrietta Maria in mourning in the 1650s; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1660, when the English monarchy was restored and King Charles II took the throne, Henrietta Maria returned to England, where she was known as the Queen Mother, and lived at Somerset House in London. She received a grant from Parliament of £30,000 for the loss of her dower lands and the same amount as a pension from her son King Charles II. In 1661, Henrietta Maria returned to France to attend the marriage of her daughter Henrietta. When she returned to England in 1662, Henrietta Maria found life there disagreeable and the climate damaging to her health, so she returned to France where she lived for a while in Paris at the Hôtel de la Bazinière, the present Hôtel de Chimay.  She later lived at the Château de Colombes nearby Paris. It was there that Henrietta Maria died on September 10, 1669, at the age of 59 from an overdose of opiates taken for pain on the advice of King Louis XIV’s doctor.

Château de Colombes (now destroyed); Credit – Wikipedia

Henrietta Maria was buried beside her father, King Henri IV of France, at the Basilica of Saint-Denis near Paris. Her heart was buried at the Visitation Convent Chapel at Chaillot, France, which she had founded in 1651. Her remains and the other royal remains at the Basilica of St. Denis were desecrated on October 16, 1793, when a mob pillaged the Bourbon crypt and threw the remains into mass graves. The convent building where her heart had been buried was destroyed during the French Revolution. In 1817, the mass graves were opened, the remains were collected and reburied in the crypt of the Basilica of Saint-Denis. Plaques next to the gated entrance of the burial site list the remains of those buried there.

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Gated entrance to the reburial site of the French royals at the Basilica of Saint-Denis; Credit – Susan Flantzer

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House of Stuart Resources at Unofficial Royalty

King Charles I of England

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

King Charles I of England; Credit – Wikipedia

Born at Dunfermline Palace in Fife, Scotland on November 19, 1600, Charles was the second son and fourth of the seven children of James VI, King of Scots (later also King James I of England) and Anne of Denmark. Charles’ paternal grandparents were Mary, Queen of Scots and Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, both grandchildren of Margaret Tudor, elder sister of King Henry VIII of England. His maternal grandparents were King Frederik II of Denmark and Sophie of Mecklenburg-Güstrow.

At his christening on December 23, 1600, Charles was created Duke of Albany, the traditional title of the second son of the King of Scots, along with the subsidiary titles of Marquess of Ormond, Earl of Ross and Lord Ardmannoch. At the time of Charles’ birth, his six-year-old elder brother Henry Frederick (named after his grandfathers) was the heir apparent to the throne of Scotland and used the traditional titles of the heir to the Scots’ throne: Duke of Rothesay, Earl of Carrick, and Lord of the Isles.

Charles had six siblings, but only two survived childhood:

On March 24, 1603, Queen Elizabeth I of England died and Charles’ father became King James I of England. Since none of the children of King Henry VIII of England had children, James was the senior heir of King Henry VII of England through his eldest daughter Margaret Tudor. (King Henry VII → Margaret Tudor married King James IV of Scotland → King James V of Scotland → Mary, Queen of Scots → King James VI of Scotland). Charles was frail and late in development, possibly from rickets, and could not yet walk or talk, so he was left behind in Scotland when his parents and his elder brother Henry and elder sister Elizabeth left for England. By July 1604, Charles was considered strong enough to travel to England.

Charles, circa 1610; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1605, Sir Robert Carey was appointed Charles’ governor and his wife Elizabeth patiently taught Charles how to walk and talk. Charles was created Duke of York, the traditional title of the English monarch’s second son in 1605. In the same year, Thomas Murray, a Scottish courtier and later the Provost of Eton College, was appointed Charles’ tutor and taught him classics, languages, mathematics, and religion. Charles overcame his early physical problems, although he grew no taller than five feet four inches, and learned to ride, shoot, and fence. However, he was no physical match for his stronger and taller elder brother Henry, Prince of Wales, whom he adored. When 18-year-old Henry died in 1612 from typhoid, it was a loss that Charles felt greatly. His only surviving sibling Elizabeth left home for her marriage in 1613, and Charles was then virtually an only child. Charles automatically became Duke of Cornwall and Duke of Rothesay upon his brother’s death and was created Prince of Wales in 1616.

Charles with his parents, after 1612; Credit – Wikipedia

King James I, seeking a Spanish alliance, had visions of Charles marrying Infanta Maria Anna of Spain, the youngest daughter of King Philip III of Spain and Margaret of Austria. In 1623, Charles went to Madrid with his father’s favorite George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham for marriage negotiations regarding the Infanta. The negotiations had long been at a standstill, and although religion was a stumbling block, it is believed that Buckingham’s offensive behavior was a key to the total collapse of the negotiations. The Spanish ambassador asked Parliament to have Buckingham executed for his behavior in Madrid, but Buckingham gained popularity by calling for war with Spain on his return.

Charles as Prince of Wales in 1623; Credit – Wikipedia

While Charles was traveling to Spain in 1623, he first saw King Louis XIII of France‘s sister and his future wife in Paris, Henrietta Maria, as she rehearsed a court entertainment with other members of the French royal family. On March 27, 1625, King James I died and Charles succeeded him. Since the Spanish negotiations failed, King Charles I now looked toward a French alliance and a marriage with Henrietta Maria was successfully negotiated. Henrietta Maria was the youngest daughter of King Henri IV of France and his second wife, Marie de’ Medici.  Henri IV was assassinated in 1610 when Henrietta Maria was still a baby and her brother King Louis XIII had succeeded their father. Charles and Henrietta Maria were married by proxy on May 1, 1625, on the steps of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. They were then married in person at Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, England on June 13, 1625. Charles’ coronation was held on February 2, 1626, at Westminster Abbey, but the Roman Catholic Henrietta Maria was not crowned because she refused to participate in a Church of England ceremony. She had proposed that a French Catholic bishop crown her, which was unacceptable to Charles and the English court.

Charles and Henrietta Maria had nine children:

Charles & Henrietta Maria’s five eldest children: L to R: Mary, James, Charles, Elizabeth, and Anne; Credit – Wikipedia

Charles had the same issues with Parliament as his father had, clashing with its members over financial, political, and religious issues. In the early years of Charles’ reign, Parliament was summoned and dissolved three times. Finally, in 1629, Charles, who believed in the divine right of kings, decided to govern without Parliament, beginning eleven years of personal rule. During his personal rule, William Laud, Archbishop of Canterbury and Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford were Charles’ most influential advisers. Parliament was finally summoned again in 1640 and demanded the execution of Stafford. Charles signed the death warrant, but never forgave himself. After this incident, the reconciliation of the King and Parliament became impossible.

Charles I in Three Positions by Anthony van Dyck, 1635–36; Credit – Wikipedia

On January 4, 1642, a point of no return was reached. On that day, Charles committed the unprecedented act of entering the House of Commons with an armed guard and demanding the arrest of five Members of Parliament. There was a great public outcry, Charles fled London and Civil War appeared inevitable. Since that day no British monarch has entered the House of Commons when it is sitting and a tradition recalling this is enacted at every State Opening of Parliament. When the monarch arrives in the House of Lords to read the speech from the throne, the Lord Great Chamberlain raises the wand of office to signal to the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod (known as Black Rod), whose duty is to summon the House of Commons. On Black Rod’s approach, the doors to the House of Commons are slammed shut in Black Rod’s face, symbolizing the rights of the House of Commons and its independence from the monarch. Black Rod then strikes the closed doors of the House of Commons with the end of the ceremonial staff (the Black Rod) three times and is then admitted. This is a show of the refusal by the House of Commons never again to be entered by force by the monarch or one of the monarch’s representatives when the House of Commons is sitting.

Speaker Lenthall asserting the Privileges of the Commons (Speaker of the House William Lenthall kneels to Charles during the attempted arrest of the Five Members); Credit – Wikipedia

On August 22, 1642, at Nottingham, Charles raised the Royal Standard and called for his loyal subjects to support him, beginning the Civil War between the Royalists or Cavaliers (Charles’ supporters) and the Roundheads (Parliament’s supporters). The Battle of Edgehill, the first real battle, was fought on October 26, 1642, and proved indecisive. The Cavaliers were defeated at the Battle of Marston Moor on July 2, 1644, and at the Battle of Naseby on June 14, 1645. The balance was now permanently tipped to the parliamentary side. In April 1646, Charles left Oxford, which had served as his capital city during the conflict, and surrendered to the Scottish Army expecting to be safe and well-treated. However, the Scots delivered Charles to Parliament in 1647.

Charles was imprisoned at Holdenby House in Northamptonshire until the New Model Army officer George Joyce took him by force to Newmarket. The New Model Army, created in 1645 to professionalize the Parliamentary army, felt neglected and ignored by Parliament, and Charles thought he could take advantage of these tensions. He was transferred to Oatlands and then Hampton Court Palace where negotiations continued without results. At this point, Charles considered that it would be in his best interest to escape and flee to France, southern England, or the Scottish border or to put himself under the protection of Colonel Robert Hammond, Parliamentary Governor of the Isle of Wight, whom he thought was sympathetic to him. He chose the second option and on November 11, 1647, Charles fled Hampton Court Palace and made arrangements to meet Hammond. However, this proved to be a mistake as Hammond held Charles in Carisbrooke Castle on the Isle of Wight and informed Parliament that Charles was in his custody. Charles was confined at Carisbrooke Castle for a year. During this period, Charles continued negotiations with foreign armies and wrote letters showing his lack of respect for Parliament and his determination to abolish anti-Catholic laws. These revelations made any further defense of Charles impossible. He was moved to Hurst Castle in Hampshire at the end of 1648 and then moved to Windsor Castle.

Engraving from “Nalson’s Record of the Trial of Charles I” in the British Museum. Charles (in the dock with his back to the viewer) facing the High Court of Justice; Credit – Wikipedia

On January 20, 1649, Charles was tried for treason and other high crimes in Westminster Hall in London before a tribunal of 135 judges. Charles refused to enter a plea because he believed no court could try a king. Nevertheless, he was found guilty and was sentenced to death. On January 30, 1649, after saying goodbye to his children Elizabeth and Henry, Charles walked from St. James’ Palace to the Palace of Whitehall where a scaffold had been built outside the Banqueting House. It was a cold day, and Charles wore two shirts because he might shiver from the cold and he did not want it thought that he trembled from fear. From the first floor of the Banqueting House, Charles stepped onto the scaffold from a window, and several minutes later was beheaded.

Contemporary German print of Charles I’s beheading; Credit – Wikipedia

No state funeral or public mourning was allowed and Charles was not permitted to be buried in Westminster Abbey. On February 7, 1649, Charles’ remains were taken to Windsor Castle where he was buried at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle in the choir aisle in the vault where Henry VIII and his third wife Jane Seymour were buried. England was a republic (Commonwealth of England) for 11 years until the monarchy was restored and Charles I’s eldest son Charles II became king in 1660.

Slab in the aisle indicates where Charles I was buried; Credit – www.findagrave.com

Coffins of King Henry VIII (center, damaged), Queen Jane (right), King Charles I with a child of Queen Anne (left), vault under the choir, St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, marked by a stone slab in the floor; Credit – Wikipedia

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House of Stuart Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Anne of Denmark, Queen of Scots, Queen of England

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2016

Anne of Denmark, Queen of Scots, Queen of England; Credit – Wikipedia

Princess Anne of Denmark (Anna in Danish) was born at Skanderborg Castle on the Jutland Peninsula in Denmark on December 12, 1574. She was the second of the eight children of King Frederik II of Denmark and Sophie of Mecklenburg-Güstrow. Anne had seven siblings:

Anne spent the first part of her childhood with her sister Elisabeth and her brother Christian in Güstrow with her maternal grandparents Ulrich, Duke of Mecklenburg- Güstrow and
Elisabeth of Denmark, sister of King Christian III of Denmark, the children’s paternal grandfather. In 1588, Anne’s father died and her 11-year-old brother became King Christian IV, and the three children returned to Denmark. King Christian IV reigned for 59 years and is the longest-reigning Danish monarch.

Anne was 14-years-old when she returned to Denmark and candidates for her hand in marriage were numerous as the Danish court was considered wealthy and a high dowry was expected. Anne’s mother opted for the Scottish King James VI, the son of Mary, Queen of Scots. On August 20, 1589, Anne was married by proxy to James VI, King of Scots at Kronborg Castle in Helsingør, Denmark. Ten days after the proxy wedding, Anne set sail for Scotland, but severe storms forced her to land in Norway. Upon hearing this, James set sail to personally bring Anne to Scotland. On November 23, 1589, the couple was formally married at the Bishop’s Palace in Oslo, Norway. After a prolonged visit to Denmark, James and Anne landed in Scotland on May 1, 1590. On May 5, 1590, Anne made her state entry into Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. She was crowned Queen of Scots on May 17, 1590, at the Holyrood Abbey in Edinburgh, Scotland.

James and Anne had seven children and at least three miscarriages. Only three of their children survived childhood:

by Charles Turner, published by Samuel Woodburn, after Willem de Passe, mezzotint, published 1814

‘James I and his royal progeny’ by Charles Turner, published by Samuel Woodburn, after Willem de Passe mezzotint, published 1814 NPG D9808 © National Portrait Gallery, London

Although Anne and James were close at the beginning of their marriage, their relationship deteriorated over the years. Their first major argument was over the transfer of the custody of their firstborn Henry, Prince of Wales to John Erskine, Earl of Mar at Stirling Castle, in keeping with Scottish royal tradition, which led to estrangement and a competition for the custody of the Prince of Wales. Anne refused to dismiss two of her ladies-in-waiting after their brothers were killed by James’ attendants for a supposed assault on the king, causing a three-year rift. When Anne shot and killed James’ favorite dog during a hunting session there was a serious confrontation.

On March 24, 1603, Queen Elizabeth I of England died and James became King James I of England. Since none of the children of King Henry VIII had children, James was the senior heir of King Henry VII through his eldest daughter Margaret Tudor. (King Henry VII → Margaret Tudor married King James IV of Scotland → King James V of Scotland → Mary, Queen of Scots → King James VI of Scotland). Anne was pregnant when Queen Elizabeth I died, so James left for England without her. Anne miscarried the child in May 1603 and joined James in England when she had recovered. James and Anne were crowned King and Queen of England at Westminster Abbey on July 25, 1603. Religion provided another conflict. Although Anne was raised a Lutheran, she refused to take Communion during the Church of England coronation at Westminster Abbey. There were suspicions that Anne secretly converted to Roman Catholicism which put James in an awkward situation as King of England.

Anne’s expensive tastes in clothing and jewels contributed much to the English court’s costs, hurting  James’ reputation. After 1606, Anne and James lived mostly apart, with Anne residing largely at Somerset House, renamed Denmark House.  In 1612, 18-year-old Henry, Prince of Wales died from typhoid fever, which was a great tragedy for Anne and the entire nation. Anne could not bear to have Henry’s death mentioned and people were advised not to give her condolences. After her son’s death, Anne’s health began to deteriorate and she withdrew from social activities.

Anne in mourning for her son Henry, Prince of Wales; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1616, the Queen’s House, designed by the famed architect Inigo Jones, was commissioned for Anne at Greenwich, London, but work on the house stopped in April 1618 when Anne became quite ill. Work did not restart again until 1629 when the house was given to Henrietta Maria of France by her husband King Charles I, and the house was completed in 1635.

The Queen’s House at Greenwich, Credit – Wikipedia, © Bill Bertram 2006, CC-BY-2.5 — Attribution

By 1617, Anne’s condition became debilitating. James visited Anne only three times during her last years, but her surviving son Charles was often with her and was at her bedside when Anne died at the age of 44 from dropsy (edema) at Hampton Court Palace on March 2, 1619. Also with Anne at her deathbed was her maid Anna Roos who came with Anne from Denmark in 1590. On May 13, 1619, Anne was buried at Westminster Abbey in a vault beneath the monument to the Dukes of Buckingham in the Henry VII Chapel. Her grave is marked by the inscription on the floor: “ANNE OF DENMARK QUEEN OF KING JAMES 1st 1619.” It had taken James twelve weeks to raise the money for proper funeral rites of his wife. James survived his wife by six years, dying on March 27, 1625, and was succeeded by his son King Charles I who was beheaded during the English Civil War.

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House of Stuart Resources at Unofficial Royalty