The Laird o’ Thistle (Special Edition) – Remembering the Platinum Queen

Queen Elizabeth II, official photo for the 70th anniversary of her accession to the throne; Credit – The Royal Family Facebook page

by The Laird o’ Thistle (Special Edition)
© Unofficial Royalty 2023

3 February 2023

This coming Monday, 6 February 2023, will mark the one-year anniversary of the Platinum Jubilee of her late Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II… “of happy memory” as the saying goes. And, in this case, for this writer, the memory is happy.

On the day itself, last year, readers may recall, Her Majesty was in residence at Wood Farm on the Sandringham Estate, but on the afternoon of 5 February, she came over to the “Big House” for a special tea party with representatives of local organizations. There was cake, and the Queen moved (carefully) among the tables, leaning on her stick and greeting her guests. The hostess, who was also the guest of honor, was bright and cheery that day.

I will admit to having been greatly relieved at the time. The Queen’s evident weight loss and increasing frailty over the preceding months had been evident for all to see. Like many, I think, I had wondered if HM would in fact live to see the milestone anniversary. That she did make it, not just to 6 February but to 8 September, is in many ways remarkable, and in so doing she left us many wonderful memories of her final months.

In the closing pages of his most recent book (December 2022), ELIZABETH: AN INTIMATE PORTRAIT, broadcaster and author Gyles Brandreth reports what I would term the rather “authoritative” rumor that circulated among those likely to be “in the know” after HM’s death that she had been suffering from multiple myeloma, a cancer of the white blood cells that lodges in the bones, and which can cause pain in the spine, fatigue, weight loss, and “mobility problems” in the legs. It is a not uncommon condition among the very elderly. Brandreth notes that this form of cancer would explain much of what was observed over the Queen’s final months. It might also help to explain HM’s never-explained overnight hospital stay in the autumn of 2021, “for tests.” While the symptoms may be treated, and life may be extended for some time, the cancer itself is not currently curable.

If the report is correct, then Queen Elizabeth moved through the last months of her life with the awareness that it was drawing to its close, and she did so determinedly carrying on as best she could, in regular good cheer, no less. Her deep Christian faith, which Brandreth refers to repeatedly, was undoubtedly a major factor in this. But, as I recall The Princess Royal attesting in a 2012 interview, the Queen’s essential realism and pragmatism must also be taken into account. “Keep calm, and carry on…” as the old, and recently over-used, saying goes.

And so in that light, we remember… the February 5 tea party, and HM’s surprise statement of support the next day for Camilla becoming Queen Consort; her determined presence – controversially on Prince Andrew’s arm – at the memorial service for Prince Philip at the end of March; the electric buggy she rode in, and the vivid pink coat she wore, at the Chelsea Flower Show in May, seeming to thoroughly enjoy herself; her balcony appearance with her cousin The Duke of Kent, and then the working Royal Family, at the end of the Jubilee Trooping the Colour, including her amusement at Prince Louis’s antics; the very brief appearance to ignite the first Jubilee Beacon; her amazing comedy sketch with Paddington Bear, and the surprised smiles on the faces of Prince George and Princess Charlotte when she appeared; her final appearance on the Buckingham Palace balcony (over 95 years after her first) with her three direct heirs, two of their spouses, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, as she beamed with delight and wonder at the vast crowd; the delight she again showed in late June during her few in-person events during “Scotland Week” in Edinburgh; and, lastly, her now-more-poignant final public engagement in July, accompanying Princess Anne to the new Thames Valley Hospice, visiting with various patients and their families. (They didn’t know the irony then, but we do now.)

There has been speculation that the Queen considered it likely (and, maybe even hoped) that she would pass from this life at her deeply beloved Balmoral, and so she did on a dreich (dark and rainy) early autumn afternoon, with her eldest son and her daughter at her side, just days after entertaining her much-beloved niece Sarah Chatto, her Bowes-Lyon kin, the Moderator of the Kirk (who found her lively and engaged) for the weekend, and then two Prime Ministers… outbound and inbound… on the same day. Sadly, though, she’d missed the Braemar Gathering on the previous Saturday, for one of the few times ever. Whatever else, she truly lived and loved life right up to the end, and then she was gone….

As 2022 drew to an end, I did my own personal sort of year-in-review. I noted five significant deaths in my life for the year, four being family and dear friends, and the fifth being Queen Elizabeth II. Even though I never laid eyes on her in person, I have been grieving for her, and still am. As so many have said, she’d just always been there, for our whole lives.

An important part of my ongoing reflection on her life and passing has been reading two wonderful books. The first is Gyles Brandreth’s book, already mentioned, which I received for Christmas. It is a wonderful, personal, telling of her life through both research and direct personal experience over many years, plus the reminiscences of close friends and family. There are many delightfully funny stories, along with much affection and, I think, a good honest assessment of the Queen as a person… not a personality.

The second is Robert Hardman’s 2019 book, QUEEN OF THE WORLD, which covers HM’s international role over the course of her reign, particularly her role in building and maintaining the Commonwealth as it transitioned from the original eight countries to now fifty-six member states, with fifteen of them still retaining Charles III as Head of State. This was a re-read for me, but with an especially important reminder of Queen Elizabeth’s very “hands (discreetly) on” role in working with Commonwealth leaders to bring about the transition of both Rhodesia/Zimbabwe and South Africa from white rule to black-majority rule. The Princess who in 1947 made her 21st birthday pledge from South Africa stayed constant in her love and support for that land and its people across the decades, and… fascinatingly… formed a particularly strong and enduring friendship with Nelson Mandela. He was one of the very few people outside of her own family to call her simply by her given name, “Elizabeth.” At a luncheon during one of his London visits, he warmly hailed her as “this gracious lady” and she replied referring to him as “this wonderful man.” It is an amazing tale to read anew.

That said, the time has come that we need to look onward to the coronation of King Charles III on May 6, 2023. It will be interesting to see how things unfold. I’ve not heard it really remarked on thus far, but I find it highly significant that Charles III will be crowned with the “new” St. Edward’s Crown made for the English coronation of Charles II in 1661. (Charles II had previously been crowned King of Scots at Scone in 1651, only to be forced into exile by Oliver Cromwell soon thereafter.)

Beyond that, in truth, I am finding myself more “interested” than “fascinated” by most things in the new reign thus far. I am deeply impressed with the new Queen Consort’s “down to earth” approach to her role. I am pleased with the ongoing roles of Princess Anne and Prince Edward in the new reign, along with the Duke of Gloucester. I do hope that the King will in due course carry through with his parents’ intention to create Prince Edward as Duke of Edinburgh… possibly as a lifetime appointment rather than hereditary according to some media reports. And, as we move toward May, I wish King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla all the best, along with Prince William, Catherine, and their family. God bless them, each and all!

Yours aye,
Ken Cuthbertson – The Laird o’ Thistle

P.S. – A friend asked recently where I got my “Laird o’ Thistle” moniker. That is simple enough. My earliest known paternal ancestor was, in fact, a “bonnet laird” (i.e. a small freeholder) in Ayrshire, Scotland but that’s just part of the equation. When I started writing this column back in March 2004 [sic!] we had recently moved from a house we had called The Thistlecot. We loved that house very much, and so it inspired the name.

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.

Blanche of England, Countess Palatine

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2023

Painting of Blanche in the chancel of the Church of St. Aegidius in Neustadt, Germany where she is buried; Credit – Wikipedia

Blanche of England was born in the spring of 1392 at Peterborough Castle in Peterborough, England. She was the fifth of the six children and the elder of the two daughters of King Henry IV of England and his first wife the wealthy heiress Mary de Bohun, Countess of Northampton, Countess of Derby. Blanche’s paternal grandparents were John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster, (the third surviving son of King Edward III of England) and Blanche of Lancaster, Duchess of Lancaster, her namesake and the heiress of England’s wealthiest and most powerful peer, Henry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of Lancaster. It was through Blanche of Lancaster that the Duchy of Lancaster came into the royal family. Since the reign of King Henry IV, the Duchy of Lancaster has provided a source of independent income to the British sovereign. Blanche’s maternal grandparents were Humphrey de Bohun, 7th Earl of Hereford, and Joan FitzAlan, daughter of Richard FitzAlan, 10th Earl of Arundel and 8th Earl of Surrey.  When Blanche was two years old, her mother died while giving birth to her last child Philippa.

Blanche had five siblings:

In 1398, Blanche’s father, then known as Henry of Bolingbroke because he was born at Bolingbroke Castle in Lincolnshire, England, quarreled with Thomas de Mowbray, 1st Duke of Norfolk, who accused him of treason. The two men planned to duel, but instead, Henry’s first cousin King Richard II banished them from England. John of Gaunt died on February 3, 1399, and Richard II confiscated the estates of his uncle and stipulated that his cousin Henry would have to ask him to restore the estates. Henry returned to England while his cousin Richard II was on a military campaign in Ireland and began a military campaign of his own, confiscating the land of those who had opposed him. King Richard II eventually was abandoned by his supporters and was forced by Parliament on September 29, 1399, to abdicate the crown to his cousin Henry.  King Henry IV was crowned in Westminster Abbey on October 13, 1399.  Richard was imprisoned at Pontefract Castle in Yorkshire where he died on or around February 14, 1400. The exact cause of his death, thought to have been starvation, is unknown.

In 1403, Blanche’s father King Henry IV married again to Joan of Navarre, the widow of Jean IV, Duke of Brittany, and the daughter of Charles II, King of Navarre and Jeanne of Valois. Henry IV and Joan had no children but Joan got along well with her stepchildren.

After King Henry IV deposed his first cousin King Richard II, it was important for him to legitimize his rule. Ruprecht III, Elector Palatine and King of the Romans was a needed ally. A marriage between Ruprecht’s eldest surviving son and heir Ludwig, Count Palatine, the future Ludwig III, Elector Palatine, and Henry IV’s eldest daughter Blanche was arranged. The marriage contract was signed on March 7, 1401. Ten-year-old Blanche married twenty-four-year Ludwig on July 6, 1402, at Cologne Cathedral in the Free Imperial City of Cologne, now in Germany.

The Crown of Princess Blanche; Credit – By Allie Caulfield –  https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=65073992

Blanche’s dowry included a crown thought to have originally belonged to Anne of Bohemia, the first wife of King Richard II of England, whom she married in 1382. Known as the Crown of Princess Blanche, the Palatine Crown, and the Bohemian Crown, Blanche wore it at her wedding. Made of gold with diamonds, rubies, emeralds, sapphires, enamel, and pearls, the crown has been the property of the House of Wittelsbach since 1402, and is displayed in the treasury of the Munich Residenz, where it has been kept since 1782. This writer has been fortunate to have seen the crown and can verify that it is spectacular.

Blanche and Ludwig had one child:

  • Ruprecht, Count Palatine (1406 – 1426), unmarried, nicknamed Ruprecht the Englishman

Ludwig III, Elector Palatine with his two wives: his first wife Blanche of England in the middle and his second wife Matilda of Savoy on the right; Credit – Wikipedia

On May 22, 1409, Blanche, aged seventeen, died while pregnant with her second child, possibly from the plague, at Neustadt, Electorate of the Palatinate, now in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. She was buried in the Church of St. Aegidius (link in German) in Neustadt.

Blanche’s tomb at the Church of St. Aegidius in Neustadt.; Credit – Wikipedia

A year after her death, Blanche’s widower succeeded his father as Ludwig III, Elector Palatine. In 1417, Ludwig married Matilda of Savoy, and the couple had five children. However, Ruprecht, Ludwig’s son from his first marriage, remained the heir presumptive to the Electorate of Palatinate and Ludwig allowed Ruprecht to participate in the affairs of state.

On May 20, 1426, Blanche and Ludwig’s son Ruprecht died two days before his 20th birthday. Ludwig suffered immense grief and decided to go on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Upon his return from the pilgrimage, Ludwig became seriously ill, and he entered into a period of religious fervor that lasted the rest of his life. By 1430, Ludwig was nearly blind. Five years later, his wife Matilda and the Palatine councilors decided Ludwig could no longer rule and removed him from power. Ludwig’s younger brother Otto I, Count Palatine of Mosbach became Regent, and took over the affairs of state and the education of Ludwig’s sons from his second marriage. Twenty-seven years after Blanche’s death, Ludwig III, Elector Palatine died on December 30, 1436, in Heidelberg, Electorate of Palatinate, now in 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.

Works Cited

  • Blanche of England (2022) Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blanche_of_England (Accessed: January 30, 2023).
  • Blanca von England (2022) Wikipedia (German). Wikimedia Foundation. Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blanca_von_England (Accessed: January 30, 2023).
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2013) King Henry IV of England, Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/march-20-daily-featured-royal-date/ (Accessed: January 30, 2023).
  • Jones, Dan. (2012) The Plantagenets. New York: Viking.
  • Weir, Alison. (1989) Britain’s Royal Families: The Complete Genealogy. London: Vintage Books.
  • Williamson, David. (1996) Brewer’s British royalty: A Phrase and Fable dictionary. London: Cassell.

Funeral of King Constantine II of Greece

by Susan Flantzer and Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2023

King Constantine II of Greece; Credit – Wikipedia

King Constantine II, the former King of Greece, died at Hygeia Hospital in Athens, Greece on January 10, 2023, at the age of 82. He had been admitted to the intensive care unit at the hospital a couple of days earlier. King Constantine II was survived by his wife, Queen Anne-Marie of Greece (born a Princess of Denmark), his elder sister Queen Sofia of Spain, his younger sister Princess Irene of Greece, his five children Princess Alexia, Crown Prince Pavlos, Prince Nikolaos, Princess Theodora, and Prince Philippos, and nine grandchildren. King Constantine II was the only son of King Paul of Greece (reigned 1947 – 1964) and Princess Frederica of Hanover.

On March 6, 1964, King Paul died and twenty-three-year-old Constantine became king. On April 21, 1967, a coup d’état led by a group of army colonels took over Greece. A military junta ruled Greece from 1967 – 1974. For more information see Wikipedia: Greek military junta of 1967–74  On December 13, 1967, King Constantine attempted a counter-coup against the military junta which failed, and King Constantine and his family had to flee to Italy. The family lived for two months in the Greek embassy and then for the next five years in a house in a suburb of Rome. King Constantine remained the head of state in exile until June 1, 1973, when the junta abolished the monarchy.  In 1974, after the fall of the junta, a referendum by the Greek people confirmed the abolition of the monarchy and the establishment of the Third Hellenic Republic.

In 1973, the family moved to England, living first in Chobham, Surrey, and later in the London suburb of Hampstead. The Greek government did not permit King Constantine to return to Greece until 1981 when he was allowed to enter Greece for several hours to attend the funeral of his mother Queen Frederica. King Constantine and his family paid a private visit to Greece in 1993. After 2003, when a property dispute between Constantine and the Greek government was settled, Constantine and his family were able to make visits to Greece and purchase a summer home there. In 2013, former King Constantine II permanently returned to reside in Greece.

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Metropolitan Cathedral of the Annunciation in Athens, Greece

Metropolitan Cathedral of the Annunciation; Credit – By C messier – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=51359657

The funeral for King Constantine II of Greece was held on January 16, 2023, at the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Annunciation in Athens, Greece, followed by the burial at the Royal Cemetery on the grounds of Tatoi Palace, the former summer palace of the Greek royal family, near Athens, Greece. Ieronymos II, Greek Orthodox Archbishop of Athens presided over the ceremonies.

The Greek Orthodox Metropolitan Cathedral of the Annunciation has been the site of important ceremonies including weddings and funerals of notable personalities including Greek royalty. It is likely that there would have been more royal events at the Metropolitan Cathedral had the Greek royals not been in exile from 1924 – 1935 during the Second Hellenic Republic and from 1967 – 2003, after the monarchy was abolished and until former King Constantine II was allowed to once again to enter Greece. The most recent royal event prior to King Constantine II’s funeral was the religious wedding of Prince Philippos, the youngest child of former King Constantine II, and Nina Nastassja Flohr, held at the Metropolitan Cathedral on October 23, 2021.

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Funeral Controversy

After the death of former King Constantine II, the Greek government held a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, and the following decisions were made:

  • The former King would not receive a state funeral and would be buried as a private citizen.
  • The burial would take place near his ancestors at the Royal Cemetery on the grounds of Tatoi Palace.
  • There would be no lying-in-state.
  • In consultation between the government and the family, the church would be designated in which the funeral will take place,
  • The government would be represented at the funeral by the Minister of Culture and Sports, Lina Mendoni.
  • All the procedures provided by the protocol for the officials from abroad attending the funeral would be observed.

There was backlash over the Greek government’s decisions regarding King Constantine II’s funeral. As a result, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis agreed to allow an unofficial lying-in-state and the honors of a state leader in a private funeral. King Constantine II would lie in state at the Agios Eleftherios Chapel in Athens, Greece, next to the Metropolitan Cathedral, from 6:00 AM – 11:00 AM on January 16, 2023, the day of the funeral, to allow members of the public to pay their respects. At 12:00 PM, there would be a procession to the nearby Metropolitan Cathedral of the Annunciation. Two hundred guests were expected at the funeral including seven current monarchs who are also heads of state, which is why it was decided that Deputy Prime Minister Panagiotis Pikrammenos would represent the Greek government. Prime Minister Mitsotakis allowed any member of the Greek government to attend the funeral. After the funeral, King Constantine’s body would be taken to the Royal Cemetery at Tatoi Palace for a private burial.

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The Lying-in-State at the Agios Eleftherios Chapel in Athens, Greece

Agios Eleftherios Chapel; Credit – Wikipedia

On January 16, 2023, from 6:00 AM to 11:00 AM, King Constantine’s coffin lay in state in the Agios Eleftherios Chapel, next to the Metropolitan Cathedral in Athens, Greece. Thousands of mourners filed past the coffin.

Members of the public pay their respects in the Agios Eleftherios Chapel

Afterward, there was a procession to the Metropolitan Cathedral, headed by a crucifer, followed by two priests and Ieronymos II, Greek Orthodox Archbishop of Athens, then the coffin draped in the flag of Greece, and finally King Constantine’s three sons.

The procession leaving Agios Eleftherios Chapel, heading to the Metropolitan Cathedral

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The Funeral at the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Annunciation in Athens, Greece

Embed from Getty Images
The coffin was carried into the nave of the Metropolitan Cathedral with King Constantine’s three sons following

After the procession from the Agios Eleftherios Chapel, King Constantine’s coffin was carried through the nave of the Metropolitan Cathedral and placed in the center of the chancel.

Crown Prince Pavlos pays his respects to his father with his brothers waiting for their turns. King Constantine’s honors can be seen beside the coffin.

Floral wreaths, icons, King Constantine’s honors, and his Olympic gold medal were placed beside the coffin. In the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, the then Crown Prince Constantine won a Gold Medal in Sailing Mixed Three Person Keel. The wreaths beside the coffin were made from lilies of the valley, the same flowers used for Queen Anne-Marie’s bridal bouquet.

Crown Prince Pavlos greets his first cousin King Felipe VI of Spain and his wife Queen Letizia on the steps of the Metropolitan Cathedral

Before the funeral started, Crown Prince Pavlos stood at the top of the cathedral’s steps and greeted the royal guests as they arrived.

 

The funeral was the traditional Greek Orthodox funeral, chanted by Archbishop Ieronymos II  and twenty other priests. To their right and left were two Byzantine choirs who also chanted part of the funeral service.

Crown Prince Pavlos gave a speech eulogizing his father

Crown Prince Pavlos, King Constantine II’s eldest son, gave a very moving eulogy, first in Greek and then in English, directly addressing his father. Pavlos made a poignant reference to his father as an Olympic gold medal winner.

Dear Papa, Constantine, Your Majesty, Grandfather, Olympic Champion,

For your dear Queen, our Mother, for us the children, your grandchildren, and for all those who come together on this day to say farewell to you for the last time, and for all those who honor your memory, and for all those for whom it is not possible to be here today.

My father, this is not the end. You shall always live in our minds and hearts, as it happens in every Greek family when they lost the dearest and most precious figure in their life.

At a very young age, you lost your father, King Pavlos, my grandfather, however, you always remained loyal to the legacy that he conveyed to you. When at the age of eighteen, you became Crown Prince of Greece and received your commission as an officer in the glorified Greek armed forces, his advice to you, and this was very dear to you, and I quote: “Devote your life to the happiness of the Motherland for it is the most noble, remarkable mission. Always remember that it is better for the king to suffer and not for the people or the country. You are the guardian and protector of your Church.” This is the legacy my grandfather left to you, that has now passed to myself, my brothers, your grandchildren, and we will protect it and honour it for the rest of our lives.

As an Olympian, you honoured your country by winning the gold medal for the 1960 Olympic Games. You brought honour to the blue and white flag of Greece and to our homeland. Your victory was a feat of tactical and physical endurance on the sea that you and your close crew navigated toward an ultimate victory.

It was a truly challenging era when you ascended the throne, dear Father. Hard conflicts, opposite passions, and the results that no one wished for. From the very first moment, you tried to overthrow the coup, your efforts did not come to a successful result. Yet you did not wish that your presence in Greece would provoke bloodshed. Always loyal to the legacy your father had given to you, you respectfully accepted the decision of the Greek people.

Your love for youth, education, and international sport has been constant. You formed the Hellenic College of London, the international school organisation of Round Square, as well as active participation in the International Olympic Committee and the World Sailing Federation. Your relationship with the International Olympic Committee led to our 2004 Olympics being here in Greece which was one of your greatest feats.

Family was a core value to you and our mother. It has always been our strong belief that it is the foundation of society. Together, you created a large family, inseparably united by love for each other and a sense of duty for the country. By the grace of God, you drew your last breath in our country, which you always loved above all else throughout your life.

On this day, we, your children, your grandchildren, we are the future of your family here in our land and around the world, are ready, as you have always been, to offer to Greece whatever the country asks of us.

My strength is in the love of the people. This has always been the motto and guiding light of our family. For us, and for all Greeks, the strength of the country lies in the love of the Greek people for their homeland. We, as you dear Papa, always love Hellas and its people.

Safe journey!

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The Burial at the Royal Cemetery on the grounds of Tatoi Palace

The burial of King Constantine

With the exception of King Otto, originally a Prince of Bavaria, and his wife, who returned to the Kingdom of Bavaria after Otto was deposed in 1862, and are buried in Munich, now in Germany, all other Greek kings and their wives, along with other family members, are buried at the Royal Cemetery on the grounds of Tatoi Palace, the former summer palace of the Greek royal family, near Athens, Greece. Tatoi Palace has not been used by the Greek royal family since 1967 and is now the property of the Greek government.

Some of the land surrounding Tatoi Palace was damaged in the 2021 wildfire season and there had not been any clean-up. After the announcement that King Constantine would be buried there, clean-up crews arrived. Burnt trees were removed, new trees were planted, new gravel paths were installed and the Church of the Resurrection near the Royal Cemetery was repaired. On January 12, 2023, Constantine’s sisters Queen Sofía of Spain and Princess Irene of Greece, his daughter-in-law Princess Nina of Greece, and Matthew Kumar, the fiancé of his daughter Princess Theodora of Greece, visited the Royal Cemetery to check on the clean-up effort.

After the funeral, King Constantine’s coffin was driven 18 miles/29 kilometers to Tatoi Palace in a convoy of forty cars carrying family and guests and accompanied by a police escort and two helicopters. Family, close friends, and some foreign royalty attended the burial. After a short ceremony at the Church of the Resurrection near the Royal Cemetery, King Constantine was buried next to his parents King Paul who died in 1964, and Queen Frederica who died in 1981.

King Constantine’s coffin is carried from the Church of the Resurrection to his grave

Constantine’s sons Crown Prince Pavlos, Prince Nikolaos, and Prince Philippos and his grandsons carried the coffin from the Church of the Resurrection to the grave. No press or photographers were allowed at the burial although the Private Office of HM King Constantine of Greece later provided photos of the burial.

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Family Background

Left to right: Constantine, his mother Queen Frederica, his elder sister Sofia, his younger sister Irene, and his father King Paul I in 1947; Photo Credit – www.britannica.com

King Constantine II was well-connected to many current and former royal families of Europe. King Constantine II’s parents were King Paul of Greece and Princess Frederica of Hanover, both descendants of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom‘s eldest daughter Victoria, Princess Royal who married Friedrich III, German Emperor. Through his father, King Constantine II was also a descendant of King Christian IX of Denmark.

The descendants of Queen Victoria sit upon the thrones of Denmark, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and, the United Kingdom. King Christian IX’s descendants sit upon the thrones of Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, Spain, and the United Kingdom. Their descendants also sat upon many former European thrones including Greece, Romania, and Serbia. Therefore, a large contingent of foreign royalty attended the funeral. Because King Constantine’s funeral was a private funeral and not a state funeral, many of the approximately 200 guests who attended the funeral were close or extended family members and other people close to the Greek royal family.

Royal Guests with Their Relationship to King Constantine II

King Constantine’s family

Family Members

Current Monarchies

Foreign royalty attending the funeral: In the front row are the monarchs of Denmark, Sweden, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Spain, sitting in precedence according to the length of reign from right to left. Other members of royal families are behind them

Former Monarchies

Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna of Russia, Empress Farah Pahlavi of Iran, Stephanie, Margravine of Baden and Bernhard, Margrave of Baden

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

  • Athens Bureau. (2023) Former King Constantine was buried in Tatoi next to his parents, Greek City Times. Available at: https://greekcitytimes.com/2023/01/17/former-king-constantine-parents/ (Accessed: January 19, 2023).
  • Becatoros, Elena and Tongas, Theodora. (2023) Thousands turn out to bid farewell to Greece’s former king, The Seattle Times. The Seattle Times Company. Available at: https://www.seattletimes.com/business/thousands-turn-out-to-bid-farewell-to-greeces-former-king/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all (Accessed: January 16, 2023).
  • Death and Funeral of Constantine II of Greece (2023) Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_and_funeral_of_Constantine_II_of_Greece (Accessed: January 16, 2023)
  • Euronews (2023) Funeral of Constantine II, Greece’s Last King, YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlOht7HoAA8 (Accessed: January 16, 2023).
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  • Kitsantonis, N. (2023) Constantine II, the Last King of Greece, dies at 82, The New York Times. The New York Times. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/13/world/europe/constantine-dead.html (Accessed: January 16, 2023).
  • Kokkinidis, T. (2023) Former King of Greece Constantine laid to rest near Athens, GreekReporter.com. Available at: https://greekreporter.com/2023/01/16/thousands-last-respects-former-king-constantine-greece/ (Accessed: January 16, 2023).
  • Russell, R. (2023) Greece’s last king Constantine II buried in private funeral, BBC News. BBC. Available at: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-64296757 (Accessed: January 16, 2023)
  • Van Der Kiste, John, 1999. Kings of the Hellenes: The Greek Kings 1863 – 1974. Stroud: Sutton Publishing.

Carlos III, King of Spain, Duke of Parma and Piacenza, King of Naples, King of Sicily

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2023

Carlos III, King of Spain; Credit – Wikipedia

Born Carlos Sebastián, on January 20, 1716, at the Royal Alcazar of Madrid in Spain, Carlos III, King of Spain was also Duke of Parma and Piacenza, as Carlo I (1731 – 1735), King of Naples, as Carlo VII (1735 – 1759), and King of Sicily, as Carlo V (1734 – 1759). Carlos III was the eldest of the six children and the eldest of the three sons of Felipe V, the first Bourbon King of Spain and his second wife ​Elisabeth Farnese of Parma. His paternal grandparents were Louis, Le Grand Dauphin, the heir apparent to the throne of France, and Maria Anna Victoria of Bavaria. Carlos’ maternal grandparents were Odoardo Farnese, Hereditary Prince of Parma and Dorothea Sophie of Neuburg.

Carlos’ father had been born a French prince, Philippe, Duke of Anjou, the second son of Louis, Le Grand Dauphin, who was the son and heir apparent of King Louis XIV of France. In 1700, King Carlos II of Spain, from the House of Habsburg, died childless with no immediate Habsburg heir. Louis, Le Grand Dauphin had the strongest genealogical claim to the Spanish throne because his mother Maria Theresa, Infanta of Spain had been the half-sister of Carlos II. However, neither Louis, Le Grand Dauphin nor his elder son Louis, Duke of Burgundy, Le Petit Dauphin could be displaced from their place in the succession to the French throne. Therefore, King Carlos II of Spain, in his will, named the second son of Louis, Le Grand Dauphin, 16-year-old Philippe, Duke of Anjou, as his successor. He reigned as Felipe V, King of Spain, the first Bourbon monarch of Spain.

Felipe V of Spain with his second wife Elisabeth and some of his children from his first and second marriages – from left to right: the future Fernando VI, King Felipe V, the future Luis I; Felipe, the future Duke of Parma, Queen Elisabeth, a portrait of the Infanta Mariana Victoria, and the future Carlos III: Credit – Wikipedia

Carlos had five younger siblings:

From his father’s first marriage to Maria Luisa of Savoy, Carlos had four half-siblings:

Carlos’ parents Felipe V and Elisabeth Farnese in 1739; Credit – Wikipedia

Carlos’ mother Elisabeth Farnese of Parma never showed affection toward her two stepsons Luis and Fernando. She considered her stepsons to be obstacles to achieving her main objective: to provide her sons with realms to rule. On January 14, 1724, Felipe V abdicated the Spanish throne to Luis, his seventeen-year-old eldest son from his first marriage, for reasons that are still unclear. Perhaps it was because Felipe V suffered from mental instability and did not wish to reign due to his increasing mental decline. Another theory is that Felipe V was concerned about the succession to the French throne due to several deaths. Although the treaty that ended the War of the Spanish Succession forbade a union of the French and Spanish crowns, perhaps Felipe V hoped that by abdicating the Spanish throne, he could succeed to the French throne if necessary. However, seven months later, Felipe V was forced to once again ascend to the Spanish throne because his son King Luis I died of smallpox and Felipe V’s younger son from his first marriage, the future King Fernando VI, was not yet of legal age.

In 1731, the male line of the House of Farnese ruling in the Duchy of Parma went extinct. The duchy passed to Felipe V, King of Spain whose second wife Elisabeth Farnese was the Farnese heiress. Felipe V made Carlos, his eldest son with Elizabeth Farnese, the Duke of Parma. However, Felipe V traded the Duchy of Parma to the House of Habsburg-Lorraine for the Kingdom of Naples in 1734 and the Kingdom of Sicily in 1735, and Carlos became King of Naples and Sicily. During his reign in Naples and Sicily as Carlo VII or Carlo di Borbone, which the people called him, he tried to reform and modernize the kingdoms, winning the affection of the citizens.

Carlos’ wife Maria Amalia of Saxony; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1738, Carlos’ mother Elisabeth Farnese arranged a marriage for him to fourteen-year-old Maria Amalia of Saxony, daughter of Augustus III, King of Poland and Elector of Saxony and Maria Josepha of Austria. On May 8, 1738, a proxy marriage was held in Dresden, Electorate of Saxony, now in Germany with the bride’s brother Friedrich Christian of Saxony standing in for Carlos. Shortly afterward, Maria Amalia traveled to the Kingdom of Naples, and on June 19, 1738, at Portella, a village on the border of the Kingdom of Naples, Carlos and Maria Amalia met for the first time and were married.

Three children of Carlos III and Maria Amalia: Francisco Javier, Maria Luisa, and Carlos III’s successor, the future King Carlos IV; Credit – Wikipedia

Carlos III and Maria Amalia had thirteen children but only seven survived childhood. Their children who were born before Carlos became King of Spain were Princes and Princesses of Naples and Sicily. Their children who survived until Carlos became King of Spain were Infantes and Infantas of Spain.

As Carlos’ father King Felipe V grew older, his mental issues worsened. He experienced episodes of manic depression. During several periods, Felipe V was unable to handle government affairs and Carlos’ mother Elisabeth became the de facto ruler of Spain. Felipe V, King of Spain died of a stroke at the age of 62 on July 9, 1746, and Carlos’ elder half-brother Fernando succeeded to the Spanish throne as Fernando VI, King of Spain, and reigned for thirteen years. However, his marriage to Barbara of Portugal produced no children, and so upon his death in 1759, his elder surviving half-brother succeeded him as King Carlos III of Spain.

Carlos abdicating the thrones of Naples and Sicily in favor of his eight-year-old son Ferdinando; Credit – Wikipedia

With great sadness, by both Carlos and the people of Naples and Sicily, Carlos abdicated the thrones of Naples and Sicily in favor of his eight-year-old third son Ferdinando with a regency council ruling until his sixteenth birthday. Ferdinando was deposed twice from the throne of Naples: once by the revolutionary Parthenopean Republic for six months in 1799 and again by Napoleon in 1805, before being restored in 1816 after the defeat of Napoleon. After the 1816 restoration, the two kingdoms were united into the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, and he reigned as King Ferdinando I of the Two Sicilies.

On September 27, 1760, a year after arriving in Spain, Carlos’ 35-year-old wife Maria Amalia suddenly died and was buried in the Pantheon of Kings in the Royal Crypt of the Monastery of El Escorial. Upon Maria Amalia’s death, Carlos said, “In twenty-two years of marriage, this is the first serious upset that Amalia has given me.” After Maria Amalia’s death, Carlos remained unmarried.

When Carlos became King of Spain, he was 43 years old and had ruled Naples and Sicily for twenty-five years, so he had far more experience than his predecessors. King Carlos III challenged the conservative Spanish government with his enlightened reform ideas and faced some opposition. The Spanish court was more rigid and somber than the cosmopolitan court of Naples and Sicily. Carlos III ruled as an enlightened despot, an absolute monarch who incorporated ideas of the Enlightenment. He promoted education, pushed back the influence of the Roman Catholic Church by expelling the Jesuits from the Spanish Empire, and strengthened the Spanish army and navy. Carlos III was responsible for some Spain’s national symbols. In 1770, he declared the Marcha Granadera to be used during official ceremonies. Since that time, it has been Spain’s national anthem except under the Second Republic ( 1931 – 1939 ). Carlos III also chose the colors and design of the Spanish flag as we see it today.

Tomb of Carlos III, King of Spain; Credit – www.findagrave.com

Carlos III, King of Spain, survived his wife by twenty-eight years, dying, aged 72, on December 14, 1788, at the Royal Palace of Madrid in Spain. He was buried in the Pantheon of Kings in the Royal Crypt of the Monastery of El Escorial.

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

  • Carlos III de España (2022) Wikipedia (Spanish). Wikimedia Foundation. Available at: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_III_de_Espa%C3%B1a (Accessed: December 24, 2022).
  • Charles III of Spain (2022) Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_III_of_Spain (Accessed: December 24, 2022).
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2019) Felipe V, King of Spain, Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/felipe-v-first-bourbon-king-of-spain/ (Accessed: December 24, 2022).
  • Maria Amalia of Saxony (2022) Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Amalia_of_Saxony (Accessed: December 24, 2022).

Thomas of Lancaster, 1st Duke of Clarence

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2023

Drawing of Thomas of Lancaster’s effigy, depicted in Sepulchral Monuments in Great Britain (1796); Credit – Wikipedia

Thomas of Lancaster, 1st Duke of Clarence was born on September 29, 1387, either in London, England, or at Kenilworth Castle in Kenilworth, Warwickshire, England. He was the second of the six children and the second of the four sons of King Henry IV of England and his first wife, the wealthy heiress Mary de Bohun. Thomas’ paternal grandparents were John of Gaunt (the third surviving son of King Edward III of England) and Blanche of Lancaster, the heiress of England’s wealthiest and most powerful peer, Henry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of Lancaster. It was through Blanche that the Duchy of Lancaster came into the royal family. Since the reign of King Henry IV, the Duchy of Lancaster has provided a source of independent income to the British sovereign. Thomas’ maternal grandparents were Humphrey de Bohun, 7th Earl of Hereford, and Joan Fitzalan, daughter of Richard FitzAlan, 10th Earl of Arundel.  When Thomas was seven years old, his mother died while giving birth to her last child Philippa.

Thomas had five siblings:

Thomas’ father Henry of Bolingbroke, flanked by the lords spiritual and temporal, claims the throne in 1399. From a contemporary manuscript, British Library, Harleian Collection; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1398, Thomas’ father, then known as Henry of Bolingbroke because he was born at Bolingbroke Castle in Lincolnshire, England, quarreled with Thomas de Mowbray, 1st Duke of Norfolk, who accused him of treason. The two men planned to duel, but instead, Henry’s first cousin King Richard II banished them from England. Henry’s father John of Gaunt died on February 3, 1399, and King Richard II confiscated the estates of his uncle John of Gaunt and stipulated that his cousin Henry would have to ask him to restore the estates. Henry returned to England while King Richard II was on a military campaign in Ireland and began a military campaign of his own, confiscating the land of those who had opposed him. King Richard II eventually was abandoned by his supporters and was forced by Parliament on September 29, 1399, to abdicate the crown to his cousin Henry. King Henry IV was crowned in Westminster Abbey on October 13, 1399. Richard was imprisoned at Pontefract Castle in Yorkshire, England where he died on or around February 14, 1400. The exact cause of his death, thought to have been starvation, is unknown.

During the reign of his father King Henry IV, Thomas was second in the line of succession after his elder brother, the future King Henry V. During his brother’s reign, Thomas was the heir presumptive to the throne until he died in 1421. King Henry IV appointed his 12-year-old son Thomas Lord High Steward of England in 1399, the highest office in medieval England. Thomas held this position until his death. He also held several other positions: Chief Governor of Ireland (1401 – 1413), Lord High Admiral (1405 – 1406), Lieutenant of Aquitaine (1412 – 1413), Lord High Steward of Chester (1415), Constable of the Army (1417), and Lieutenant-General of the Army in France and Normandy (1417 and 1421). In 1399, Thomas was created a Knight of the Order of the Bath and in 1400, he was created a Knight of Order of the Garter.

In 1403, Thomas’ father King Henry IV married again to Joan of Navarre, the widow of Jean IV, Duke of Brittany, and the daughter of Charles II, King of Navarre and Jeanne of Valois. Henry IV and Joan had no children but Joan got along well with her stepchildren.

Thomas’ wife Margaret Holland; Credit – www.findagrave.com https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/46305472/margaret-de_beaufort

Sometime after November 10, 1411, when the papal dispensation was issued, Thomas married Margaret Holland (1385 – 1439). Margaret was the daughter of Thomas Holland, 2nd Earl of Kent and Alice FitzAlan. Margaret’s first marriage was to Thomas’ paternal uncle John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset, son of John of Gaunt and his mistress and later his third wife, Katherine Swynford.

Thomas and Margaret had no children but Thomas was the stepfather to Margaret’s six children from her first marriage:

Battle of Baugé; Credit – Wikipedia

Thomas accompanied his brother King Henry V on his campaigns in France during the Hundred Years’ War. He commanded the English army at the Siege of Rouen in 1418 which ended in Rouen’s capture by the English. On March 22, 1421, Thomas, aged 33, was killed at the Battle of Baugé in Anjou, France. Underestimating the size of the Franco-Scottish army, Thomas decided to launch a surprise cavalry-led attack rather than use his archers. With only about 1,500 troops available, Thomas charged the French and Scots lines. The shock temporarily disordered the French and Scots, but soon Clarence and his knights were overwhelmed by the French-Scots army of 5,000. Thomas was unhorsed by a Scottish knight, Sir John Carmichael, and finished off on the ground by Sir Alexander Buchanan, probably with a mace.

Thomas’ only child, his illegitimate son Sir John Clarence (? – 1431), known as Bastard of Clarence, fought alongside his father in France and he accompanied his father’s remains back to England. Thomas of Lancaster, 1st Duke of Clarence was buried at Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, England, where his father King Henry IV was buried. Sir John Clarence participated in the procession at his father’s funeral, received land in Ireland from his uncle King Henry V, and was subsequently buried near his father at Canterbury Cathedral.

Tomb of Thomas of Lancaster, Duke of Clarence, his wife Margaret Holland, and her first husband and Thomas’ uncle John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset; Credit – www.findagrave.com

Widowed for a second time, Thomas’ wife Margaret decided to live a celibate, simple life and retired to Bermondsey Abbey in London, England. She died there on December 30, 1439, aged 54. Margaret and both her husbands are buried together in a carved alabaster tomb in Canterbury Cathedral. Their effigies show Margaret lying between her two husbands.

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

  • Flantzer, Susan. (2013) King Henry IV of England, Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/march-20-daily-featured-royal-date/ (Accessed: December 21, 2022).
  • Jones, Dan. (2014) The Plantagenets: The Warrior Kings and Queens Who Made England. New York: Penguin Books.
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Barbara of Portugal, Queen of Spain

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2023

Barbara of Portugal, Queen of Spain; Credit – Wikipedia

Infanta Barbara of Portugal was the wife of King Fernando VI of Spain. Born December 4, 1711, at Ribeira Palace in Lisbon, Portugal, Barbara was the eldest of the six children and the only daughter of João V, King of Portugal and Archduchess Maria Anna of Austria. Barbara’s parents remained childless for the first three years of their marriage. Her father promised God that he would build a great convent as a sign of gratitude if an heir to the throne was born. King João V fulfilled his promise and built the Palace-Convent of Mafra located in Mafra, Portugal, a short distance from Lisbon.

The facade of the Palace-Convent of Mafra; Credit – By Pedro S Bello – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=124113359

At birth, Barbara was styled Princess of Brazil as the heir presumptive and given the names Maria Madalena Bárbara Xavier Leonor Teresa Antónia Josefa, honoring several saints and relatives. She was called Barbara, a name that had never been used in the Portuguese royal family, after Saint Barbara whose feast day was on her birthday. Barbara’s paternal grandparents were Pedro II, King of Portugal and his second wife Maria Sophia of Neuburg. Her maternal grandparents were  Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor and his third wife Eleonore Magdalene of Neuburg. Barbara’s grandmothers were sisters and so her parents were first cousins.

The two eldest children in the family, Barbara with her brother Pedro who died at the age of two; Credit – Wikipedia

Barbara had five younger brothers. Two of her brothers died in childhood and one died in his teens. The surviving two brothers were both Kings of Portugal. After the birth of her brother Pedro, Barbara was no longer the heir presumptive. Pedro died when he was two but by that time Barbara had another brother, the future King José I of Portugal.

Barbara in 1725 Credit – Wikipedia

Barbara received an excellent education. She spoke Portuguese, French, German, and Italian fluently, and she would later learn Spanish after her marriage. Like her father she loved music. When Barbara was eight years old, her father hired the great Italian harpsichordist and composer Domenico Scarlatti as her music master and the music director of the Royal Chapel. Barbara became a talented keyboard player and when she married in 1729, Scarlatti followed her to Spain and composed hundreds of harpsichord sonatas for her. Scarlatti remained Barbara’s music master until he died in 1757, a year before Barbara died.

Barbara in 1729, the year of her marriage; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1725, Barbara was on a list of 99 princesses who were potential brides for King Louis XV of France. However, because of concerns about her health and her young age, she was removed from the list. To strengthen an alliance with Spain, a double marriage between Portugal and Spain was arranged between Barbara and the future Fernando VI, King of Spain, the son and heir of Felipe V, King of Spain, and Barbara’s brother the future José I, King of Portugal, her father’s heir, and Fernando’s half-sister Mariana Victoria of Spain.

A contemporary engraving depicting the Exchange of the Princesses over the Caia River on the Portugal-Spain border; Credit – Wikipedia

In a complex and protocol-filled arrangement called the Exchange of Princesses, on January 19, 1729, the two sets of princes and princesses were escorted to the Portugal-Spain border by the two royal courts, and the princesses were exchanged in a richly decorated wooden pavilion built on a bridge over the Caia River that linked the towns of Elvas, Portugal and Badajoz, Spain. Then, both couples were married in richly decorated pavilions on the same day on the grooms’ sides of the Caia River. Fernando and Barbara had no children except a stillborn son in 1733.

Barbara’s husband Fernando; Credit – Wikipedia

Barbara’s father-in-law King Felipe V suffered from mental instability and as he grew older, his mental issues worsened, and his second wife Elisabeth Farnese of Parma became the de facto ruler of Spain. Queen Elisabeth never showed affection toward her stepson Fernando. She considered him to be an obstacle to achieving her main objective: to provide her sons with King Felipe V of Spain with a realm to rule. Fernando and Barbara continually had to deal with the animosity of Queen Elisabeth who wanted to keep her stepson away from court. From 1733 until 1737, they were kept more or less under house arrest in their apartments, prevented from appearing in public, and watched by the spies of Queen Elisabeth, until Barbara’s father King João V of Portugal intervened.

Felipe V, King of Spain died of a stroke at the age of 62 on July 9, 1746, and Fernando succeeded to the Spanish throne. Fernando VI, King of Spain reigned for thirteen years. Benevolent but weak, Fernando VI left the government mostly to others. He allowed his troublesome stepmother Elisabeth to remain in Spain but banned her from court. As Queen Consort of Spain, Barbara did not have as much political ambition as Fernando’s stepmother Elisabeth. Instead, Barbara was focused mainly on a friendly relationship between Spain and Portugal. However, Barbara was the conduit through which the government ministers worked with King Fernando VI. She was presented with all documents of state before they were given to King Fernando VI because only she knew what should be said or hidden from him.

Barbara shortly before her death; Credit – Wikipedia

Barbara suffered from severe asthma for most of her life and became obese in the years before her death. On August 27, 1758, at the age of 46, Barbara died at the Royal Palace of Aranjuez, on the outskirts of Madrid, Spain. She was buried in the Church of Saint Barbara at the Convent of the Salesas Reales in Madrid, Spain which she had founded in 1748 as a school and home for young noblewomen. Barbara’s death broke Fernando’s heart. During the last year of his reign, probably at least partially caused by his wife’s death, Fernando VI rapidly lost his mental capacity and was held at the Castle of Villaviciosa de Odón, near Madrid, where he died less than a year after Barbara’s death, on August 10, 1759, as the age of 45. He was buried with his wife Barbara in the Church of Saint Barbara at the Convent of the Salesas Reales in Madrid.

Tomb of Barbara of Portugal; Queen of Spain; Credit – www.findagrave.com

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

Works Cited

  • Bárbara de Braganza (2022) Wikipedia (Portuguese). Wikimedia Foundation. Available at: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C3%A1rbara_de_Braganza (Accessed: November 28, 2022).
  • Bárbara de Braganza (2022) Wikipedia (Spanish). Wikimedia Foundation. Available at: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C3%A1rbara_de_Braganza (Accessed: November 28, 2022).
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2022) João V, King of Portugal, Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/joao-v-king-of-portugal/ (Accessed: November 28, 2022).
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Margaret of Windsor, Countess of Pembroke

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2023

The Norman Gate in the Middle Ward at Windsor Castle, built by Margaret’s father King Edward III; Credit – By Itto Ogami, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=78104768

Margaret of Windsor, Countess of Pembroke was the tenth of the fourteen children and the youngest of the five daughters of King Edward III of England and Philippa of Hainault. She was born on July 20, 1346, at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England. King Edward III was also born at Windsor Castle and used it extensively throughout his reign. In 1348, two years after Margaret’s birth, her father established the Order of the Garter, with Windsor Castle being the order’s headquarters. During the reign of the House of Plantagenet, their children were often identified by their place of birth, and so Margaret was called “of Windsor”. Her paternal grandparents were King Edward II of England and Isabella of France. Margaret’s paternal grandparents were Willem I, Count of Hainault (also Count of Holland, Count of Avesnes, and Count of Zeeland) and Joan of Valois.

Margaret had thirteen siblings. Her brothers married into the English nobility, and their descendants later battled for the throne in the Wars of the Roses.

Woodstock Palace; Credit – Wikipedia

The family’s main home was Woodstock Palace in Oxfordshire, England. It was the favorite residence of Margaret’s mother Philippa and the birthplace of several of her children. Marriage plans began for Margaret the year after her birth. A marriage was being negotiated for her with one of the sons of Albrecht II, Duke of Austria, but the negotiations were canceled due to political situations. Several years later, Margaret was betrothed to Jean of Châtillon, the son of Charles of Blois. The betrothal was canceled because Margaret’s sister Mary was betrothed to John IV, Duke of Brittany, and Charles of Blois was a rival claimant to the throne of the Duchy of Brittany.

Among the children of the nobility who lived in the court of King Edward III was John Hastings, 2nd Earl of Pembroke (1347 – 1375), the only son of Laurence Hastings, 1st Earl of Pembroke and Agnes Mortimer. John’s father died when he was one year old, and John became a ward of King Edward III. John was brought up with King Edward III’s children and was particularly close to Margaret and her brother Edmund of Langley. Since Margaret was a younger daughter, it was more permissible for her to marry an English noble. On May 19, 1359, at Reading Abbey in Reading, England, 11-year-old Margaret married 12-year-old John Hastings, 2nd Earl of Pembroke.

Coat of Arms of Hastings, Earls of Pembroke; Credit – By Rs-nourse – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=30837060

After their marriage, Margaret and her husband John remained at the royal court. John’s royal connection meant that he was referred to as the King’s son in official records. In 1359, John and his close friend Edmund of Langley, the son of King Edward III, accompanied King Edward III on a military campaign in France. When the Treaty of Brétigny was ratified in 1360, King Edward III, his son Edmund, and his son-in-law John Hastings, 2nd Earl of Pembroke returned to England. Margaret’s unmarried sister Mary was at court along with her fiancé Jean IV, Duke of Brittany, who had been raised at King Edward III’s court.

Margaret’s sister Mary and Jean IV, Duke of Brittany were married at Woodstock Palace around July 3, 1361. Mary and Jean remained at the English court after their marriage. Arrangements were being made for them to leave England and take up residence in Brittany, now in France, as the Duke and Duchess of Brittany. However, within weeks, Mary became quite ill, and she died sometime before September 13, 1361. Sadly, 15-year-old Margaret, Countess of Pembroke died unexpectedly a short while later, after October 1, 1361, the last date there is a record that she was living. Margaret and her sister Mary were buried at Abingdon Abbey in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, England. Abingdon Abbey was dissolved in 1538, during the Dissolution of the Monasteries during the reign of King Henry VIII. Nothing of Abingdon Abbey remains.

Abingdon Abbey Church, where Margaret and her sister Mary were interred, covered the whole of this park space as far as the Queen Victoria statue to the west. Credit – By Motmit at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4572679

The death of his young wife Margaret greatly upset 14-year-old John Hastings, 2nd Earl of Pembroke. Seven years later, in July 1368, John married Anne Manny, 2nd Baroness Manny and this marriage reinforced his position in the royal circle. Anne Manny was the daughter and heiress of Walter Manny, 1st Baron Manny, one of King Edward III’s bravest military commanders, and Margaret of Norfolk, Duchess of Norfolk in her own right, a first cousin of King Edward III. John and Anne had one child John Hastings, 3rd Earl of Pembroke, born in 1372, six months after his father’s death.

The 1372 naval Battle of La Rochelle; Credit – Wikipedia

John Hastings, 2nd Earl of Pembroke was in royal service for the rest of his short life, mostly as a military commander. King Edward III remained attached to the husband of his deceased daughter Margaret and always referred to John as “my dear son”. John led the English fleet against the Castilian fleet in the 1372 Battle of La Rochelle. The Castilians were the victors and John was captured and imprisoned in the Kingdom of Castile where he was treated very poorly. Ransom for John was finally arranged in 1375 but by that time John was quite ill. He was released from prison in Castile but never returned to England. John Hastings, 2nd Earl of Pembroke died, aged 27 on April 16, 1375, in Picardy, France. The news of John’s death was greeted with shock in England because of his youth and high status. King Edward III did not attend the Order of the Garter ceremonies of 1375 due to being in formal mourning for his former son-in-law. John’s remains were returned to England where he was interred at the Blackfriars Friary in Hereford, England, in ruins since the Dissolution of the Monasteries during the reign of King Henry VIII.

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.

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  • Mortimer, Ian. (2006) The Perfect King: The Life of Edward III, Father of the English Nation. London: Vintage Books.
  • Weir, Alison. (1989) Britain’s Royal Families: The Complete Genealogy. London: Vintage Books.
  • Williamson, David. (1996) Brewer’s British Royalty: A Phrase and Fable Dictionary. London: Cassell.

Fernando VI, King of Spain

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2023

Fernando VI, King of Spain; Credit – Wikipedia

Born on September 23, 1713, at the Royal Alcazar of Madrid in Madrid, Spain, Fernando VI was not expected to become King of Spain. He was the youngest of the four sons of Felipe V, King of Spain and his first wife Maria Luisa of Savoy. Fernando’s paternal grandparents were Louis, Le Grand Dauphin, the heir apparent to the throne of France, and Maria Anna Victoria of Bavaria. His maternal grandparents were  Vittorio Amedeo II, King of Sardinia and Anne Marie of Orléans.

Fernando’s father King Felipe V of Spain, born a Prince of France; Credit – Wikipedia

Fernando’s father had been born a French prince, Philippe, Duke of Anjou, the second son of Louis, Le Grand Dauphin, the son and heir apparent of King Louis XIV of France. In 1700, King Carlos II of Spain, from the House of Habsburg, died childless with no immediate Habsburg heir. Louis, Le Grand Dauphin had the strongest genealogical claim to the Spanish throne because his mother Maria Theresa, Infanta of Spain had been the half-sister of Carlos II. However, neither Louis, Le Grand Dauphin nor his elder son Louis, Duke of Burgundy, Le Petit Dauphin could be displaced from their place in the succession to the French throne. Therefore, King Carlos II of Spain, in his will, named the second son of Louis, Le Grand Dauphin, 16-year-old Philippe, Duke of Anjou, as his successor. He reigned as Felipe V, King of Spain, the first Bourbon monarch of Spain.

Fernando had three older brothers but only his eldest brother Luis I, King of Spain, survived to his teenage years. Luis I died from smallpox at age seventeen.

Fernando’s stepmother Elisabeth Farnese of Parma; Credit – Wikipedia

Five months after his birth, Fernando’s mother Maria Luisa died from tuberculosis at the age of 25 on February 14, 1714. On December 24, 1714, ten months after the death of his mother, Fernando’s father married again to Elisabeth Farnese of Parma, the only surviving child of Odoardo Farnese, Hereditary Prince of Parma and Dorothea Sophie of Neuburg.

Felipe V of Spain with his second wife Elisabeth and some of his children from his first and second marriages – from left to right: the future Fernando VI, King Felipe V, the future Luis I; Felipe, the future Duke of Parma, Queen Elisabeth, a portrait of the Infanta Mariana Victoria, and the future Carlos III: Credit – Wikipedia

Fernando had six half-siblings from his father’s second marriage:

Fernando at the age of ten; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1721, 8-year-old Fernando was given his own household supervised by Agustín Fernández de Velasco y Bracamonte, Count de Salazar, who was given the title of Governor and was responsible for Fernando’s upbringing and education. Felipe V’s second wife Elisabeth Farnese of Parma never showed affection toward her two stepsons. She considered her stepsons to be obstacles to achieving her main objective: to provide her sons with a realm to rule. Fernando had a lonely childhood, far from court, accompanied only by his older brother Luis.

Fernando’s brother King Luis I of Spain; Credit – Wikipedia

On January 14, 1724, Fernando’s father King Felipe V abdicated the Spanish throne in favor of his eldest son Luis for reasons that are still unclear. Perhaps it was because Felipe V suffered from mental instability and did not wish to reign due to his increasing mental decline. Another theory is that Felipe was concerned about the succession to the French throne due to several deaths. Although the treaty that ended the War of the Spanish Succession forbade a union of the French and Spanish crowns, perhaps Felipe hoped that by abdicating the Spanish throne, he could succeed to the French throne if necessary. However, the reign of Luis I, King of Spain lasted only until August 31, 1724, when Luis died from smallpox. Fernando’s father Felipe V was forced to once again ascend to the Spanish throne because 10-year-old Fernando was not yet of legal age. Fernando’s stepmother Elisabeth kept him away from inner court circles even after the death of his brother Luis. Although Fernando was heir to the throne and held the heir’s title Prince of Asturias, he was not allowed to participate in the Spanish Council of State and was not able to gain any experience in government work that would have prepared him for taking the throne.

Fernando’s wife Barbara of Portugal in 1729, the year of their marriage; Credit – Wikipedia

To strengthen an alliance with Portugal, a double marriage between Spain and Portugal was arranged between Fernando and Barbara of Portugal, daughter of João V, King of Portugal, and Fernando’s half-sister Mariana Victoria and the future José I, King of Portugal, King João V’s heir. In a complex and protocol-filled arrangement called the Exchange of Princesses, on January 19, 1729, the two sets of princes and princesses were escorted to the Portugal-Spain border by the two royal courts, and the princesses were exchanged in a richly decorated wooden pavilion built on a bridge over the Caia River that linked the towns of Elvas, Portugal and Badajoz, Spain. Then, both couples were married in richly decorated pavilions on the same day on the grooms’ sides of the Caia River. Fernando and Barbara had no children except a stillborn son in 1733.

A contemporary engraving depicting the Exchange of the Princesses over the Caia River on the Portugal-Spain border; Credit – Wikipedia

As Fernando’s father King Felipe V grew older, his mental issues worsened and his second wife Queen Elisabeth became the de facto ruler of Spain. Fernando and Barbara continually had to deal with Elisabeth’s animosity who wanted to keep her stepson away from court. From 1733 until 1737, they were kept more or less under house arrest in their apartments, prevented from appearing in public, and watched by the spies of Queen Elisabeth, until Barbara’s father King João V of Portugal intervened.

Felipe V, King of Spain died of a stroke at the age of 62 on July 9, 1746, and Fernando succeeded to the Spanish throne. Fernando VI, King of Spain reigned for thirteen years. Benevolent but weak, Fernando VI left the government mostly to others. After Fernando became king, he allowed his stepmother Elisabeth to stay in Spain. However, she had to move out of the Royal Palace of Buen Retiro in Madrid and into the Royal Palace of La Granja de San Ildefonso, known as La Granja. Those responsible for the government under Fernando VI set out to restore state finances and reform the country. Fernando VI, in contrast to his father and stepmother, pursued no personal or family interests in foreign policy. His reign was peaceful because he avoided involving Spain in any European conflicts.

Allegory of Fernando VI as a peaceful king by Antonio González Ruiz, 1754; Credit – Wikipedia

Fernando VI’s wife Barbara suffered from severe asthma for most of her life and became obese in the years before her death. On August 27, 1758, at the age of 46, Barbara died at the Royal Palace of Aranjuez, on the outskirts of Madrid, Spain. She was buried in the Church of Saint Barbara at the Convent of the Salesas Reales in Madrid, Spain which she had founded in 1748 as a school and home for young noblewomen.

Barbara of Portugal, Queen of Spain shortly before her death; Credit – Wikipedia

Barbara’s death broke Fernando’s heart. During the last year of his reign, probably at least partially caused by his wife’s death, Fernando VI rapidly lost his mental capacity and was held at the Castle of Villaviciosa de Odón, near Madrid, where he died less than a year after Barbara’s death, on August 10, 1759, as the age of 45. He was buried with his wife Barbara in the Church of Saint Barbara at the Convent of the Salesas Reales in Madrid.

Tomb of King Fernando VI of Spain; Credit – Wikipedia

Fernando VI’s marriage to Barbara of Portugal was childless and when he died, the elder surviving son of father King Felipe V of Spain and his stepmother Elisabeth Farnese of Parma succeeded his half-brother as King Carlos III of Spain. Elisabeth’s younger son Felipe had become sovereign Duke of Parma and founder of the House of Bourbon-Parma, and so Elisabeth achieved her goal of providing her sons with a realm to rule. All subsequent monarchs of Spain from the House of Bourbon are descendants of King Carlos III of Spain. Therefore, Elisabeth is the ancestor of the House of Bourbon that still reigns in Spain. Although the House of Bourbon-Parma no longer reigns, the pretender to the throne of the Duchy of Parma is Elisabeth’s descendant.

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

  • Bárbara de Braganza (2022) Wikipedia (Spanish). Wikimedia Foundation. Available at: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C3%A1rbara_de_Braganza (Accessed: November 26, 2022).
  • Fernando VI de España (2022) Wikipedia (Spanish). Wikimedia Foundation. Available at: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fernando_VI_de_Espa%C3%B1a (Accessed: November 26, 2022).
  • Ferdinand VI of Spain (2022) Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferdinand_VI_of_Spain (Accessed: November 26, 2022).
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2022) Elisabeth Farnese of Parma, Queen of Spain, Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/elisabeth-farnese-of-parma-queen-of-spain/ (Accessed: November 26, 2022).
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2019) Felipe V, King of Spain, Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/felipe-v-first-bourbon-king-of-spain/ (Accessed: November 26, 2022).
  • Maria Bárbara de Bragança, Rainha de Espanha (2022) Wikipedia (Portuguese). Wikimedia Foundation. Available at: https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_B%C3%A1rbara_de_Bragan%C3%A7a,_Rainha_de_Espanha (Accessed: November 26, 2022).

Mary of Waltham, Duchess of Brittany

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2023

Mary of Waltham, Duchess of Brittany from King Edward III’s tomb in Westminster Abbey; Credit – Wikipedia

Mary of Waltham, Duchess of Brittany was born on October 10, 1344, at Bishop’s Waltham Palace in Bishop’s Waltham, Hampshire, England. During the reign of the House of Plantagenet, their children were often identified by their place of birth, and so Mary was called “of Waltham”. Mary was the ninth of the fourteen children and the fourth of the five daughters of King Edward III of England and Philippa of Hainault. Her paternal grandparents were King Edward II of England and Isabella of France. Joan’s paternal grandparents were Willem I, Count of Hainault (also Count of Holland, Count of Avesnes, and Count of Zeeland) and Joan of Valois.

Mary had thirteen siblings. Her brothers married into the English nobility and it was their descendants who later battled for the throne in the Wars of the Roses.

Woodstock Palace; Credit – Wikipedia

The family’s main home was Woodstock Palace in Oxfordshire, England. It was the favorite residence of Mary’s mother Philippa and the birthplace of several of her children. In her early years, Mary was raised in the household of Sir William de St. Omer, Lord of Brundale, and his wife Elizabeth. It was common for royal and noble children to be raised for a period of time in another household.

John IV, Duke of Brittany (right) jousting with Mary’s brother Thomas of Woodstock, 1st Duke of Gloucester (left); Credit – Wikipedia

Mary was well-acquainted with her future husband John IV, Duke of Brittany because he had been raised in King Edward III’s household. During a succession dispute in the Duchy of Brittany, now in France, King Edward III supported John of Monfort, John IV’s father. During the Hundred Years’ War between England and France, a close alliance with Brittany would give the English troops access to ports in Brittany. When John of Montfort was captured at the Siege of Rennes, during the War of the Breton Succession, his wife Joanna of Flanders, received military support from King Edward III. In return, Joanna promised her son John would marry one of Edward III’s daughters. In 1342, Joanna of Flanders brought her three-year-old son to England and left him with King Edward III for safety, and so the future John IV, Duke of Brittany was raised in the royal nursery. When Mary was born in 1344, she was regarded as the future bride of John. Her sisters were older than John and already betrothed. When John’s father died in 1345, he inherited the Duchy of Brittany and King Edward III became his guardian. Mary and John spent their childhood together

16-year-old Mary and 22-year-old John were married at Woodstock Palace in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England around July 3, 1361. There is no account of the wedding but it is known that tailor John Avery created a wedding dress, a gift from King Edward III, consisting of a tunic and a mantle made from two types of cloth of gold. The mantle was trimmed with 600 minivers and 40 ermines, gifts from King Jean II of France.

Mary and John remained at the English court after their marriage. Arrangements were being made for them to leave England and reside in Brittany as the Duke and Duchess of Brittany. However, within weeks, Mary became quite ill, and she died sometime before September 13, 1361, because on that date a clerk of the royal court paid 200 pounds “for the expenses of the burial of Madame Mary, daughter of the King, Duchess of Brittany”. Sadly, Mary’s 15-year-old younger sister Margaret, Countess of Pembroke died unexpectedly a few weeks later, after October 1, 1361, the last date there is a record that she was living. Mary and her sister Margaret were buried at Abingdon Abbey in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, England. Abingdon Abbey was dissolved in 1538, during the Dissolution of the Monasteries during the reign of King Henry VIII. Nothing of Abingdon Abbey remains.

Drawing of the effigy on John’s tomb: Credit – Wikipedia

Mary’s widower John IV, Duke of Brittany married two more times and both wives had an English connection. In 1366, John married Lady Joan Holland (1350 – 1384), daughter of Thomas Holland, 1st Earl of Kent and Joan of Kent, 4th Countess of Kent, a granddaughter of King Edward I of England and the mother of King Richard II of England from her third marriage to Edward the Black Prince, Prince of Wales, the eldest son of King Edward III of England. John and Joan Holland had no children. In 1386, John married Joan of Navarre (1370 – 1437), daughter of King Charles II of Navarre and Joan of Valois. John and Joan of Navarre had nine children.  John IV, Duke of Brittany died on November 1, 1399, aged 60, in Nantes, Duchy of Brittany, now in France. He was buried at Nantes Cathedral. After John’s death, his widow Joan of Navarre became the second wife of King Henry IV of England.

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

Works Cited

  • Flantzer, Susan. (2015) King Edward III of England, Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-edward-iii-of-england/ (Accessed: November 24, 2022).
  • John IV, Duke of Brittany (2022) Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_IV,_Duke_of_Brittany (Accessed: November 27, 2022).
  • Mary of Waltham (2022) Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_of_Waltham (Accessed: November 27, 2022).
  • Мария Плантагенет (2022) Wikipedia (Russian). Wikimedia Foundation. Available at: https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9C%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%8F_%D0%9F%D0%BB%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%B3%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B5%D1%82 (Accessed: November 27, 2022).
  • Mortimer, Ian. (2006) The Perfect King: The Life of Edward III, Father of the English Nation. London: Vintage Books.
  • Weir, Alison. (1989) Britain’s Royal Families: The Complete Genealogy. London: Vintage Books.
  • Williamson, David. (1996) Brewer’s British Royalty: A Phrase and Fable Dictionary. London: Cassell.

Louise Élisabeth d’Orléans, Queen of Spain

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2023

Louise Élisabeth d’Orléans, Queen of Spain; Credit – Wikipedia

The wife of the short-reigning King Luis I of Spain, Princess Louise Élisabeth d’Orléans was born on December 9, 1709, at the Palace of Versailles in France. She was the sixth of the eight children and the fifth of the seven daughters of Philippe II, Duke of Orléans and Françoise Marie de Bourbon, the legitimized daughter of King Louis XIV of France and his mistress Françoise-Athénaïs de Rochechouart, Marquise de Montespan, who were Louise-Élisabeth’s maternal grandparents. Her paternal grandparents were Philippe I, Duke of Orléans (the only sibling of King Louis XIV of France) and his second wife Elizabeth Charlotte (Liselotte) of the Palatinate, a great-granddaughter of King James I of England/James VI, King of Scots.

Louise Élisabeth had seven siblings:

Because she was one of six surviving daughters, there was no real hope for a good marriage for Louise Élisabeth. Therefore, she was politically irrelevant, little attention was paid to her, and her upbringing and education were neglected. In her letters, her paternal grandmother Liselotte often wrote about Louise Élisabeth’s cheekiness and bad manners. There were vague plans to marry her to an obscure German or Italian prince.

On September 1, 1715, King Louis XIV died. Because both his son Louis, Le Grand Dauphin and his grandson Louis, Duke of Burgundy, Le Petite Dauphin predeceased him, King Louis XIV was succeeded by his five-year-old great-grandson King Louis XV, the son of Louis, Duke of Burgundy, Le Petite Dauphin. King Louis XIV had stipulated in his will that a Regency Council be established until his great-grandson reached his majority. The Regency Council was led by King Louis XIV’s nephew, Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, the father of Louise Élisabeth, who served as Regent of France.

In 1718, the War of the Quadruple Alliance broke out between France and Spain. Two years later, in 1720, King Felipe V of Spain wanted to make a peace agreement. King Felipe V of Spain was born a French prince, Philippe, Duke of Anjou, the second son of Louis, Le Grand Dauphin, the son and heir apparent of King Louis XIV of France. In 1700, King Carlos II of Spain, from the House of Habsburg, died childless with no immediate Habsburg heir. Louis, Le Grand Dauphin had the strongest genealogical claim to the Spanish throne because his mother Maria Theresa, Infanta of Spain was the half-sister of Carlos II. However, neither Louis, Le Grand Dauphin nor his elder son Louis, Duke of Burgundy, Le Petit Dauphin could be displaced from their place in the succession to the French throne. Therefore, King Carlos II of Spain, in his will, named the second son of Louis, Le Grand Dauphin, 16-year-old Philippe, Duke of Anjou, as his successor. He reigned as Felipe V, King of Spain, the first Bourbon monarch of Spain.

King Felipe V of Spain and Louise Élisabeth’s father Philippe II, Duke of Orléans were first cousins once removed. In the 1720 peace agreement between France and Spain, King Felipe V proposed double marriages: his two-year-old daughter Infanta Mariana Victoria of Spain was betrothed to marry ten-year-old King Louis XV of France. King Felipe V’s thirteen-year-old son and heir Luis, Prince of Asturias would marry one of Philippe II, Duke of Orléans’ daughters.

Louise Élisabeth’s husband King Luis I of Spain; Credit – Wikipedia

Princess Louise Élisabeth of Orléans was chosen as the bride for the future King Luis I of Spain who was her second cousin once removed. In November 1721, fourteen-year-old Luis and eleven-year-old Louise Élisabeth were married by proxy, in Paris, France. On January 9, 1722, on the Isle of Pheasants in the Bidassoa River, on the border of France and Spain, the French Louise Élisabeth was exchanged for the Spanish Mariana Victoria. On January 20, 1722, Luis and Louise Élisabeth were married in person at the Ducal Palace of Lerma in Lerma, Burgos, Spain.

The marriage was not successful and resulted in no children due to the young age of Louise Élisabeth and because she became increasingly known for her erratic and impulsive behavior. She appeared in public dirty and unkempt, refused to use undergarments, and tried to provoke courtiers by showing her intimate parts in public. At meals, Louise Élisabeth would not eat but would hide the food and compulsively eat it later. She would suddenly undress in public to clean the windows and tiles with her clothes. Modern mental health professionals think she had borderline personality disorder. Her husband Luis wrote to his father, “I see no other solution but to lock her down as soon as possible, for her troubles keep increasing.” Luis had his wife confined to a convent. Louise Élisabeth cried and sent her husband letters asking for forgiveness. He later felt sorry for her and released her.

On January 14, 1724, Luis’s father King Felipe V abdicated the Spanish throne in favor of his son Luis for reasons that are still unclear. Perhaps it was because Felipe suffered from mental instability and did not wish to reign due to his increasing mental decline. Another theory is that Felipe was concerned about the succession to the French throne due to several deaths. Although the treaty that ended the War of the Spanish Succession forbade a union of the French and Spanish crowns, perhaps Felipe hoped that by abdicating the Spanish throne, he could succeed to the French throne if necessary. The problems with his wife Louise Élisabeth dominated Luis’s short reign.

Louise Élisabeth d’Orléans, Queen of Spain in 1724; Credit – Wikipedia

Luis became ill with smallpox in July 1724. Louise Élisabeth was his only company because his parents, fearful of the illness, left the Palacio del Buen Retiro in Madrid, Spain. Luis’s smallpox was complicated by pneumonia. Fourteen-year-old Louise Élisabeth cared for and remained with her seventeen-year-old husband until his death, on August 31, 1724. She also contracted smallpox but recovered from the illness. Luis’s father Felipe V was again forced to ascend to the Spanish throne because his younger son, the future King Fernando VI, was not yet of legal age. Louise Élisabeth, a widow at the age of fourteen, now of no use to the Spanish court and royal family, lost all support and became totally isolated.

In 1725, when Mariana Victoria of Spain was seven-years-old, it was decided to send her back to Spain. French Prime Minister Louis Henri, Duke of Bourbon wanted his sister to be King Louis XV’s bride so he would have more influence. Because the marriage of Luis I and Louise Élisabeth had not been consummated, Louise Élisabeth was sent back to France. Mariana Victoria left Versailles on April 5, 1725, and traveled to the Spanish border where she and Louise Élisabeth were once again exchanged. Five months later, 15-year-old Louis XV, King of France married but his bride was 22-year-old Marie Leszczyńska, daughter of Stanislaus I, the deposed King of Poland, not the sister of Louis Henri, Duke of Bourbon.

The Church of Saint-Sulpice in Paris where Louise-Élisabeth was buried; Credit – By Zairon – File:Paris Saint-Sulpice Fassade 4.jpgFile:Paris Saint-Sulpice Fassade 5.jpg, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=95975368

Sixteen-year-old Louise-Élisabeth discreetly returned to Paris, arriving on May 23, 1725. She lived at the Palais du Luxembourg in Paris, away from the court of King Louis XV, her first cousin once removed. Lonely and forgotten, Louise Élisabeth died seventeen years later, on June 16, 1742. She was buried in the Church of Saint-Sulpice in Paris but her tomb was desecrated and destroyed during the French Revolution.

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

  • Flantzer, Susan. (2019) Felipe V, King of Spain, Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/felipe-v-first-bourbon-king-of-spain/ (Accessed: November 24, 2022).
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2022) Luis I, King of Spain, Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/luis-i-king-of-spain/ (Accessed: November 24, 2022).
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