Johann Nepomuk Karl, Prince of Liechtenstein

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Johann Nepomuk Karl, Prince of Liechtenstein; Credit – The Princely House of Liechtenstein 

Johann Nepomuk Karl Borromäus Josef Franz de Paula was born on July 8, 1724, in Vienna, Austria. He was the second but the only surviving son of the two sons and the fourth of the five children of Josef Johann Adam, Prince of Liechtenstein and his third wife Maria Anna Katharina, Countess of Oettingen-Spielberg (1693 – 1729).

Johann Nepomuk Karl had had three half-siblings from two of his father’s three other marriages but they all died in infancy. He had four siblings but only his sister Maria Theresia survived childhood:

  • Princess Maria Eleonore of Liechtenstein (1717 – 1718), died in infancy
  • Prince Joseph Anton of Liechtenstein (1720 – 1723), died in childhood
  • Princess Maria Theresia of Liechtenstein (1721 – 1753), married Joseph I Adam, 4th Prince of Schwarzenberg, had nine children
  • Princess Maria Elisabeth of Liechtenstein (born and died 1728), died on the day of her birth

Johann Nepomuk Karl as a boy; Credit – Wikipedia

On December 17, 1732, eight-year-old Johann Nepomuk Karl became the reigning Prince of Liechtenstein when his 42-year-old father died. The former reigning Prince of Liechtenstein Josef Wenzel I served as regent and guardian for Johann Nepomuk Karl until he reached his majority in 1745. He carefully prepared Johann Nepomuk Karl to take over the business of government. However, when Johann Nepomuk Karl reached the age of 21 and took over the government, it appeared he had not learned anything. He was soon neglecting his government duties.

On March 19, 1744, in Vienna, Austria, Johann Nepomuk Karl married his first cousin Countess Maria Josefa von Harrach-Rohrau, daughter of Count Friedrich August von Harrach-Rohrau and Princess Maria Eleonore of Liechtenstein, daughter of Anton Florian, Prince of Liechtenstein.

Johann Nepomuk Karl and Maria Josefa had three children:

  • Princess Maria Anna of Liechtenstein (1745 – 1752), died in childhood
  • Prince Joseph Johannes Nepomuk of Liechtenstein (born and died 1747), died in infancy
  • Princess Maria Antonia of Liechtenstein (1749 – 1813), born after her father’s death, married Prince Wenzel Chrisostumus von Paar, had ten children

Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Vranov, Czech Republic: Credit – Von Ojin – Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6438939

On December 22, 1748, Johann Nepomuk Karl, Prince of Liechtenstein died at the age of 24 in Wischau, Kingdom of Bohemia, now in the Czech Republic. He was buried in the Old Crypt at Chuch of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Vranov, Moravia, now in the Czech Republic. Because Johann Nepomuk Karl had no male heir, the former reigning Prince of Liechtenstein Josef Wenzel I once again became the reigning Prince. Maria Josefa survived her husband by forty years dying at the age of 61 on February 15, 1788. She was buried at the Capuchin Church in  Roudnice nad Laberm, Kingdom of Bohemia, now in the Czech Republic, but her tomb has not survived.

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

  • “Century: 18th Century.” Das Fürstenhaus Von Liechtenstein, https://fuerstenhaus.li/en/die-biographien-aller-fuersten/18-century/.
  • “Johann Nepomuk, Fürst Von Liechtenstein.” geni_family_tree, 24 May 2018, https://www.geni.com/people/Johann-Nepomuk-Fürst-von-Liechtenstein/5062396647720020024.
  • “Johann Nepomuk Karl (Liechtenstein).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 4 July 2020, https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Nepomuk_Karl_(Liechtenstein).
  • “Johann Nepomuk Karl, Prince of Liechtenstein.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 20 Oct. 2021, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Nepomuk_Karl,_Prince_of_Liechtenstein.

Riddarholmen Church in Stockholm, Sweden

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Riddarholmen Church; CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=200571

Riddarholmen Church, which this writer has visited, is located on the islet of Riddarholmen, a short distance from the Royal Palace in Stockholm, Sweden. It is Stockholm’s oldest preserved building and was originally the monastery church for the Greyfriars Monastery, Stockholm founded in 1270 and built with funds donated by King Magnus III Ladulås who is interred in the church. After the Protestant Reformation, Riddarholmen Church became a Lutheran church. A spire was added during the reign of King Johan III of Sweden (reigned 1569 – 1592) but it was destroyed by a lightning strike in 1835 and was replaced with the present cast-iron spire.

Since 1807, Riddarholmen Church has functioned solely as a burial and memorial church. It is maintained by the Office of the Marshal of the Realm and the National Property Board (SFV). The only regular services are a Christmas Day carol service organized by the Stockholm Scout Association and a Catholic Mass organized by the St. Eugenia Roman Catholic Church on June 7, the anniversary of Queen Josefina’s death in 1876. Born Joséphine of Leuchtenberg, Queen Josefina was a granddaughter of Empress Joséphine (Napoleon Bonaparte‘s first wife) from her first marriage to Alexandrede de Beauharnais, Vicomte de Beauharnais, who was guillotined during the French Revolution. Josefina remained Roman Catholic and was given a Catholic funeral.

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The Order of the Seraphim

The coats of arms of deceased members of the Order of the Seraphim along the walls with the tombs of King Karl II Knutsson Bonde (on the left) and King Magnus III s Ladulås (on the right) in the foreground; Credit – By Alexandru Baboş Albabos – Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6891868

The Order of the Seraphim, established by King Fredrik I in 1748, is the senior order in Sweden. Awarded in only one class, Knight, it is almost exclusively given to members of the Swedish Royal Family and foreign heads of state. When a Knight of the Order of the Seraphim dies, his or her coat of arms is hung in Riddarholmen Chruch. On the day of the funeral, the bells of Riddarholmen Church are rung continuously from 12:00 noon until 1:00 PM. This bell ringing is called Serafimerringningen (Seraphim Ringing).

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Royal Burials

Interior of Riddarholmen Church – Photo © Susan Flantzer

Two medieval Swedish kings were buried at Riddarholmen Church, as well as the fifteen Swedish monarchs and their spouses from King Gustavus II Adolphus the Great (died 1632) to King Gustaf V (died 1950). The only exception is Queen Christina (reigned 1632 – 1654) who abdicated, then converted to Roman Catholicism and was buried at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. Riddarholmen Church also has five non-royal burial chapels, built during the 17th century by various Swedish noble families.

Due to the lack of space, Riddarholmen Church is no longer used as a burial site for the Swedish royal family. The burial place of the Swedish royal family is now the Royal Cemetery in Haga Park in Solna Municipality just north of Stockholm, Sweden, near Haga Palace. In 1922, Margaret of Connaught, Crown Princess of Sweden, first wife of the future King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden, was the first person buried in the Royal Cemetery in Haga Park.  King Gustaf V (died in 1950) and his wife Queen Victoria (died in 1930) were the last burials at Riddarholmen Church.

Plan of Riddarholm Church; Credit – Av Eget arbete – File:Riddarholmskyrkan planritning.jpg, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17632975

1) Tombs of King Magnus III Ladulås and King Karl Knutsson Bonde
2) Gustavian Chapel
3) Karolinska Chapel
4) Bernadotte Chapel
5) Torstensonska Chapel – Built in 1651 for Swedish Field Marshal and military engineer Lennart Torstenson (1603 – 1651)
6) Wachtmeister Chapel – Built in 1654 for Count Hans Wachtmeister of Björkö, Major General and councilor (1609 – 1652). His wife and other members of the Wachtmeister family are also buried in the Wachtmeister Chapel.
7) Armory
8a) Västra Lewenhaupt Chapel and 8b) Östra Lewenhaupt Chapel – Built in 1654 by Gustaf Adolf Lewenhaupt and Carl Mauritz Lewenhaupt who were brothers and both Field Marshals. Other family members are also buried in the chapels.
9) Banér Chapel – Built for Johan Gustafsson Banér (1596 – 1641), a Swedish Field Marshal and councilor
10) Vasaborg Chapel – Built in 1647 by King Gustavus II Adolphus the Great’s illegitimate son Gustaf Gustafsson of Vasaborg (1616 – 1653) who is buried there along with several Swedish military leaders.
11) Sacristy

Royal Burials in the Chancel

Tombs of King Magnus III Ladulås and King Karl Knutsson Bonde in front of the altar – Photo © Susan Flantzer

The first king to be buried at Riddarholmen Church was King Magnus III Ladulås who donated the funds to build the church. His tomb is in the chancel in front of the altar on the left and on his right side is the tomb of King Karl Knutsson Bonde.

Tombs of King Magnus III Ladulås and King Karl Knutsson Bonde – Photo © Susan Flantzer

Royal Burials in the Gustavian Chapel

Tomb of King Gustavus II Adolphus the Great – Photo © Susan Flantzer

The Gustavian Chapel was built from 1629 – 1643. Before King Gustavus II Adolphus the Great left to fight in the Thirty Years’ War, he designated a burial place for himself in Riddarholmen Church. After he was killed in the Battle of Lützen in 1632, construction began on the tomb, which was completed in 1634. His tomb was made of dark veined Italian marble from Italy and bears the Latin inscription GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS MAGNUS, Gustav Adolf the Great. Close family members were also interred in the Gustavian Chapel.

The coffin of Princess Christina, infant daughter of King Gustavus II Adolphus the Great Photo © Susan Flantzer

  • King Gustavus II Adolphus the Great of Sweden (1594 – 1632)
  • Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg, Queen of Sweden (1599 – 1655), wife of King Gustavus II Adolphus the Great
  • A stillborn daughter (1621), daughter of King Gustavus II Adolphus the Great
  • Princess Christina of Sweden (1623 – 1624), daughter of King Gustavus II Adolphus the Great
  • Princess Agnes of Holstein-Gottorp (1578 – 1627), unmarried maternal aunt of King Gustavus II Adolphus the Great

Royal Burials in the Gustavian Crypt

Tomb of King Gustaf III in the Gustavian Crypt: Photo Credit – www.findagrave.com

The Gustavian Crypt is not open to the public. Those who died in the 17th century were interred in tin coffins and most of the others were interred in oak coffins covered by velvet embroidered with crowns.

Royal Burials in the Karolinska Chapel

Tomb of King Karl XII; Credit – Wikipedia

The Karolinska Chapel was built from 1671 -1743. In 1718, King Karl XII invaded Norway by laying siege to Fredriksten Fortress. On December 11, 1718, while in the trenches close to the perimeter of Fredriksten Fortress, 36-year-old Karl was hit in the head by a projectile that entered the left side of his skull and exited on the right side of his skull, instantly killing him. He was interred in a black marble sarcophagus topped with a crown, a scepter, and a sword, along with the lion skin and the sword of Hercules, all in gilded brass, as symbols of power and strength.

Sarcophagus of Queen Ulrika Eleonora and her husband and successor King Fredrik I; Photo © Susan Flantzer

Also interred in the Karolinska Chapel in a green coal marble sarcophagus, are King Karl XII’s sister and successor Queen Ulrika Eleonora and her husband King Frederik I. Queen Ulrika Eleonora reigned for two years before abdicating in favor of her husband Friedrich of Hesse-Kassel who reigned as King Frederik I.

Royal Burials in the Karolinska Crypt

Sarcophagus of King Karl X Gustav in the Karolinska Crypt; Credit – Wikipedia

Interred in the Karolinska Crypt are two Kings of Sweden and their wives and six children of King Karl XI, five of whom died in infancy. The Karolinska Crypt is not open to the public.

Royal Burials in the Bernadotte Chapel

Bernadotte Chapel – Photo © Susan Flantzer

The founder of the current Swedish royal house, the House of Bernadotte, King Carl XIV Johan, born Jean Baptiste Bernadotte in France, distinguished himself in Napoleon Bonaparte’s army and served as Minister of War. When Napoleon became Emperor of the French, he created Bernadotte a Marshal of France. In 1810, just as he was about to start a new position as governor of Rome, the Swedish Riksdag elected him heir to the childless King Carl XIII. The Riksdag wanted a soldier to be king because of their worries over Russia. In addition, Bernadotte was popular in Sweden because of his considerate treatment of Swedish prisoners during the recent war with Denmark. Bernadotte became king on February 5, 1818, upon the death of King Carl XIII and reigned as King Carl XIV Johan.

Tombs of King Carl XIV Johann and his wife Queen Desideria – Photo by Susan Flantzer

King Carl XIV Johan is interred in the large sarcophagus in the back of the chapel. The sarcophagus is made out of red Swedish porphyry. It measures 10 feet/3.04 meters × 7.5 feet/2.29 meters × 7.9 feet/2.4 meters and weighs 16 tons. In front of King Carl XIV Johann’s sarcophagus is the green marble sarcophagus of his wife Queen Desideria.

Tombs of King Oscar II and his wife Queen Victoria; Credit – Wikipedia

In the walls of the Bernadotte Chapel are niches with brown limestone sarcophagi in which later Swedish kings and queens of the House of Bernadotte were interred.

Royal Burials in the Bernadotte Crypt

An early photo of the Bernadotte Crypt; Credit – Wikipedia

The Bernadotte Crypt, located,  below the Bernadotte Chapel, is not open to the public. Several members of the Swedish royal family are interred there.

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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

  • The Riddarholmen Church. De Kungliga Slotten. (n.d.). Retrieved November 9, 2021, from https://www.kungligaslotten.se/english/royal-palaces-and-sites/the-riddarholmen-church.html.
  • Wikimedia Foundation. (2021, October 19). Riddarholmen Church. Wikipedia. Retrieved November 9, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riddarholmen_Church.
  • Wikimedia Foundation. (2021, November 3). Riddarholmskyrkan. Wikipedia. Retrieved November 9, 2021, from https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riddarholmskyrkan.
  • Wikimedia Foundation. (n.d.). Svenska Kungligheters Gravplatser. Wikipedia. Retrieved November 9, 2021, from https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Svenska_kungligheters_gravplatser#Riddarholmskyrkan_i_Stockholm.

Josef Johann Adam, Prince of Liechtenstein

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Josef Johann Adam, Prince of Liechtenstein; Credit – Wikipedia

Josef Johann Adam, Prince of Liechtenstein was born in Vienna, Austria on May 27, 1690. He was the third but the only surviving son of the five sons and the fifth of the eleven children of Anton Florian, Prince of Liechtenstein and Countess Eleonore Barbara von Thun-Hohenstein.

Josef had ten siblings but six of his siblings did not survive childhood:

  • Franz Augustin of Liechtenstein (1680 – 1681), died in infancy
  • Eleonore of Liechtenstein (1681 -1682), died in infancy
  • Antonia Maria Eleonore of Liechtenstein (1683 -1715), married (1) Count Johann Adam von Lamberg, no children (2) Count Maximilian von Kuefstein, had four children
  • Karl Josef Florian of Liechtenstein (born and died 1685), died in infancy
  • Anton Ignaz Josef of Liechtenstein (1689 – 1690), died in infancy
  • Innocent Franz Anton of Liechtenstein (1693 – 1707), died in his teens
  • Maria Karoline Anna of Liechtenstein (1694 – 1735), married Count Franz Wilhelm von Salm-Reifferscheidt, had one son
  • Karl Josef (1697 – 1704), died in childhood
  • Anna Maria Antonie of Liechtenstein (1699 – 1753), married her first cousin Josef Wenzel I, Prince of Liechtenstein, had five children who all died in childhood
  • Maria Eleonore of Liechtenstein (1703 – 1757), married Friedrich August von Harrach-Rohrau, had ten children

Josef Johann Adam was married four times. See Unofficial Royalty: The Four Wives of Josef Johann Adam, Prince of Liechtenstein.

(1) Princess Maria Gabriele of Liechtenstein was born July 12, 1692, the daughter of Hans-Adam I, Prince of Liechtenstein and Princess Edmunda Maria Theresia of Dietrichstein-Nikolsburg. She married her third cousin Josef Johann Adam on December 1, 1712. Gabrielle, aged 21, died due to childbirth complications on November 7, 1713. She was buried in the Old Crypt at Chuch of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Vranov, Moravia, now in the Czech Republic.

Josef Johann Adam and Gabrielle had one child who died in early childhood:

  • Prince Karl Anton of Liechtenstein (1713 – 1715)

(2) Countess Marianne of Thun-Hohenstein was born on November 27, 1698. She was the daughter of Johann Maximilian Graf von Thun and Hohenstein and Maria Theresia Countess von Sternberg. On February 3, 1716, Marianne married Josef Johann Adam. Just three weeks after the marriage, on February 23, 1716, Marianne died in Vienna, Austria at the age of 17. She was buried in the Old Crypt at Chuch of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Vranov, Moravia, now in the Czech Republic.

(3) Countess Maria Anna Katharina of Oettingen-Spielberg was born September 21, 1693, in Vienna, Austria. She was the eldest of sixteen children of Count Franz Albrecht zu Oettingen-Spielberg and his wife Johanna Margaretha von Schwendt. Maria Anna Katharina married Josef Johann Adam on August 3, 1716, in Vienna, Austria. She died on April 15, 1729, at the age of 35, and was buried at the Parish Church of St. Nicholas at Glogów, in Silesia, now in Poland. The church was destroyed in 1945 and the tomb was not preserved.

Josef Johann Adam and Maria Anna Katharina had five children:

(4) Born on May 12, 1707, Countess Maria Anna Kottulinska von Kottulin was the daughter of Franz Karl Kottulinsky, Baron von Kottulin and Krzizkowitz and Countess Maria Antonia von Rottal. Maria Anna and Josef Johann Adam were married on August 22, 1729, in Vaduz, Liechtenstein. After Josef Johann Adam died in 1732, Maria Anna married Count Ludwig Ferdinand von Schulenburg-Oeynhausen. Maria Anna, aged 80, died on February 6, 1788, in Vienna, Austria. She was buried at the Parish and Pilgrimage Church of the Visitation of Mary in Vienna, Austria but her tomb has not been preserved.

Josef Johann Adam and Maria Anna had two children who died in infancy:

  • Prince Anton Thomas of Liechtenstein (1730 – 1731)
  • Princess Maria Anna of Liechtenstein (1733 – 1734), born after her father’s death, died in infancy

Josef Johann Adam, circa 1710; Credit – Wikipedia

Josef Johann Adam served in the army of the Holy Roman Empire under his father during the War of the Spanish Succession (1701 – 1714) and later fought against the French under John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough. After the Treaty of Utrecht which ended the War of the Spanish Succession, Josef Johann Adam moved to Vienna and was appointed the imperial representative to the parliament of Moravia. He became the reigning Prince of Liechtenstein upon the death of his father Anton Florian, Prince of Liechtenstein on October 11, 1721. From 1723 he served as a member of the Imperial Privy Council, and in 1729, he chaired a meeting of the princely council of Silesia as a special representative of Holy Roman Emperor Karl VI.

Eventually, Josef Johann Adam retired from active politics to devote himself to the administration of his vast estates and the Principality of Liechtenstein which had been devastated by the debts left by his father. Despite pressure from within Liechtenstein, Josef Johann Adam refused to establish a more liberal government and continued with the absolutism of his father’s reign.

Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Vranov, Czech Republic: Credit – Von Ojin – Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6438939

Josef Johann Adam died, aged 42, on December 17, 1732, in Valtice, Kingdom of Bohemia, now in the Czech Republic, and was buried in the Old Crypt at Chuch of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Vranov, Moravia, now in the Czech Republic. He was succeeded by his eight-year-old son Johann Nepomuk Karl. The former reigning Prince of Liechtenstein Josef Wenzel I served as regent and guardian for Johann Nepomuk Karl until he reached his majority in 1745. However, Johann Nepomuk Karl died without an heir three years later, and Josef Wenzel once again became the reigning Prince of Liechtenstein.

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

  • Century: 18th century. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://fuerstenhaus.li/en/die-biographien-aller-fuersten/18-century/
  • Giuseppe Giovanni Adamo del Liechtenstein. (2021, November 05). Retrieved from https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giuseppe_Giovanni_Adamo_del_Liechtenstein
  • Joseph Johann Adam. (2021, August 14). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Johann_Adam

Elizabeth Mikhailovna of Russia, Duchess of Nassau

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Elizabeth Mikhailovna of Russia, Duchess of Nassau; Credit – Wikipedia

Grand Duchess Elizabeth Mikhailovna of Russia was the first wife of the future Grand Duke Adolphe of Luxembourg. Born on May 26, 1826, at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Elizabeth was the second of the five daughters of Grand Duke Michael Pavlovich of Russia and Princess Charlotte of Württemberg (Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna). Her paternal grandparents were Paul I, Emperor of All Russia and his second wife Sophie Dorothea of Württemberg (Empress Maria Feodorovna of Russia). Elizabeth’s maternal grandparents were Prince Paul of Württemberg and Princess Charlotte of Saxe-Hildburghausen. Elizabeth was named in honor of Empress Elizabeth Alexeievna of Russia (born Louise of Baden), the wife of her uncle Alexander I, Emperor of All Russia. Empress Elizabeth Alexeievna had died ten days before Elizabeth’s birth and was a close friend of Elizabeth’s mother.

Elizabeth had four sisters:

Mikhailovsky Palace in the nineteenth century with Mikhailovsky Square in the foreground; Credit – Wikipedia

Elizabeth grew up at the Mikhailovsky Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia. Her mother closely supervised the education of her three surviving daughters. Their father Grand Duke Michael Pavlovich had a military career and he taught his daughters parade and military maneuvers, claiming that any of them would have been able to command a cavalry regiment.

In 1843, Adolphe, then the sovereign duke of the Duchy of Nassau, visited St. Petersburg, Russia for the first time and met Elizabeth. Adolphe’s stepmother Princess Pauline of Württemberg was Elizabeth’s maternal aunt. It was love at first sight and Adolphe and Elizabeth became betrothed. On January 31, 1844, 17-year-old Elizabeth married 26-year-old Adolphe in St. Petersburg. The newlyweds remained in Russia for a while before traveling to the Duchy of Nassau where they lived at Biebrich Castle in Wiesbaden, now in the German state of Hesse.

Elizabeth, now Duchess of Nassau, was happily married and very popular with the people of the Duchy of Nassau. The couple was delighted when Elizabeth soon became pregnant with their first child, but the happiness did not last. On January 28, 1845, at Biebrich Castle, after a very difficult labor, 18-year-old Elizabeth died giving birth to a daughter who did not survive the birth.

Russian Orthodox Church of Saint Elizabeth; Credit – By Velvet – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=92972063

With the blessing of Elizabeth’s uncle Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia, the grief-stricken Adolphe used Elizabeth’s dowry to build the Russian Orthodox Church of Saint Elizabeth in Wiesbaden. Adolphe sent his court architect Philipp Hoffmann to Russia to study the architecture of Russian Orthodox churches. The location of the church on a hill was chosen by Adolphe himself so that he could always have a view of the church from his residence. The church was built from 1847 – 1855, and on May 25, 1855, it was dedicated to Saint Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist and Elizabeth’s patron saint. Shortly afterward, the coffin containing the remains of Elizabeth and her daughter was taken in a procession from St. Bonifatius Roman Catholic Church, its temporary burial place, to the Russian Orthodox Church of Saint Elizabeth where it was interred in the crypt.

Tomb of Elizabeth Mikhailovna of Russia, Duchess of Nassau; Credit – By Altera levatur – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=69833581

The Russian Orthodox Church of Saint Elizabeth in Wiesbaden, now in the German state of Hesse, has two other royal burials. Two of the four children of Elizabeth’s first cousin Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia and his mistress and later his morganatic second wife Catherine Dolgorukov, Princess Yurievskaya are buried there: Prince George Alexandrovich Yurievsky (1872 – 1913) and Princess Olga Alexandrovna Yurievskaya (1874 – 1925).

In 1851, Adolphe married for a second time to Princess Adelheid-Marie of Anhalt-Dessau. They had five children, but only two lived to adulthood including his successor Wilhelm (Guillaume) IV, Grand Duke of Luxembourg.  Since 1839. the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg had been united with the Netherlands and the King of the Netherlands was also the Grand Duke of Luxembourg. This rule continued until the death of King Willem III of the Netherlands in 1890. His successor was his daughter Wilhelmina, who could not inherit the throne of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg due to the Salic Law which prevented female succession. Through the Nassau Family Pact,  Adolph became the Grand Duke of Luxembourg in 1890.

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

  • De.wikipedia.org. 2021. Elisabeth Michailowna Romanowa – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elisabeth_Michailowna_Romanowa> [Accessed 23 December 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Grand Duchess Elizabeth Mikhailovna of Russia – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Duchess_Elizabeth_Mikhailovna_of_Russia> [Accessed 23 December 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. St. Elizabeth’s Church, Wiesbaden – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Elizabeth%27s_Church_(Wiesbaden)> [Accessed 23 December 2021].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2015. Grand Duke Adolphe of Luxembourg. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/grand-duke-adolphe-of-luxembourg/> [Accessed 23 December 2021].
  • Fr.wikipedia.org. 2021. Élisabeth Mikhaïlovna de Russie — Wikipédia. [online] Available at: <https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89lisabeth_Mikha%C3%AFlovna_de_Russie> [Accessed 23 December 2021].
  • Ru.wikipedia.org. 2021. Елизавета Михайловна — Википедия. [online] Available at: <https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%95%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%B7%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%B5%D1%82%D0%B0_%D0%9C%D0%B8%D1%85%D0%B0%D0%B9%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%BD%D0%B0> [Accessed 23 December 2021].

Philipp Albrecht, Duke of Württemberg

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Philipp Albrecht, Duke of Württemberg was Head of the House of Württemberg, and pretender to the former throne, from 1939 until his death in 1975.

photo: By Atelier E. Breber, Berlin – Original publication: Published as a postcard in Europe.Immediate source: Private Collection – Wartenberg Trust, PD-US, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=34113255

Prince Georg Philipp Albrecht Carl Maria Joseph Ludwig Lubertus Stanislaus Leopold of Württemberg was born in Stuttgart on November 14, 1893, the eldest son of Albrecht, Duke of Württemberg and Archduchess Margarete Sophie of Austria. He had six younger siblings:

  • Duke Albrecht Eugen (1895) – married Princess Nadezhda of Bulgaria, had issue
  • Duke Carl Alexander (1896) – unmarried
  • Duchess Maria Amalia (1897) – unmarried
  • Duchess Maria Theresa (1898) – unmarried
  • Duchess Maria Elisabeth (1899) -unmarried
  • Duchess Margarita Maria (1902) – unmarried

After attending the Eberhard-Ludwigs-Gymnasium in Stuttgart, Philipp Albrecht began studying law at the University of Tübingen. He left his studies after two semesters to join the Württemberg Army in 1912. He served in the Royal Dragoon Regiment No.25 during World War I, fighting on both the Eastern and Western Fronts. Following the November Revolution in 1918, which saw the end of the monarchy, he retired from military service and returned to his studies in Tübingen, eventually earning his doctorate in 1925.

Philipp Albrecht was married twice. His first wife was Archduchess Helena of Austria, Princess of Tuscany. She was the daughter of Archduke Peter Ferdinand of Austria and Princess Maria Cristina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. Philipp Albrecht and Helena married in Altshausen on October 24, 1923. Sadly, Helena died just a week after giving birth to their only child:

  • Duchess Maria Christina (1924) – married Prince Georg Hartmann of Liechtenstein, had issue

Four years later, on August 1, 1928, Philipp Albrecht married Archduchess Rosa of Austria, Princess of Tuscany. Rosa was the younger sister of his first wife. Together they had six children:

  • Duchess Helene (1929) – married Federico Pallavicini, Marchese Pallavicini, had issue
  • Duke Ludwig Albrecht (1930) – married (1) Baroness Adelheid von Bodman, had issue; (2) Angelika Kiessig, had issue
  • Duchess Elisabeth (1933) – married Prince Antoine of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, had issue
  • Duchess Marie Therese (1934) – married Prince Henri d’Orléans, Count of Paris, had issue
  • Carl, Duke of Württemberg (1936) – married Princess Diane d’Orléans, had issue
  • Duchess Maria Antonia (1937) – unmarried

Despite the monarchy having been abolished, Philipp Albrecht and his family continued to live at the Crown Prince’s Palace in Stuttgart until 1934 when they were forced to leave after he refused to fly the Nazi Flag above his home. They moved to Altshausen, where he became more involved in the family’s business ventures. After his father died in 1939, he became head of the House of Württemberg and pretender to the former throne and took over the management of the family’s estates. He remained very highly regarded in Württemberg for the rest of his life, unlike many of his contemporaries in other German monarchies.

Philipp Albrecht, Duke of Württemberg died in Ravensburg on April 1, 1975. He is buried in the family crypt in Altshausen.

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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.

Royal Basilica of San Lorenzo de El Escorial in San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Spain

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Royal Site of San Lorenzo de El Escorial; Credit – By Turismo Madrid Consorcio Turístico from Madrid, España – Monasterio EscorialUploaded by Ecemaml, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6581920

The Royal Site of San Lorenzo de El Escorial is located in the town of San Lorenzo de El Escorial about 28 miles/45 kilometers from Madrid, Spain. It is dedicated to Saint Lawrence (San Lorenzo in Spanish) who was one of the seven deacons of the city of Rome during the papacy of Pope Sixtus II who were martyred during the persecution of the Christians ordered the Roman Emperor Valerian in 258. It was built from 1563 – 1584 by King Felipe II of Spain for several purposes, one being the burial site of the Kings of Spain. The complex includes a palace, basilica, monastery, and library. In 1559, Felipe II appointed Spanish architect Juan Bautista de Toledo architect-royal. Together they designed the Royal Site of San Lorenzo de El Escorial as a monument to Spain’s role as a center of the Christian world.

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The Royal Basilica of San Lorenzo de El Escorial

 

The Royal Basilica of San Lorenzo de El Escorial is a Roman Catholic church. It has been the burial place of Spanish monarchs since King Carlos I of Spain (1500 – 1558), better known as Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, and many members of the Spanish royal family. Often funerals are held at the basilica.

 

The Royal Crypt is located beneath the basilica and the convent. There are two Pantheons containing the remains. The Pantheon of Kings contains the remains of Kings and Queen Consorts who were also mothers of Kings of Spain. The Pantheon of Infantes is the resting place of other members of the Spanish Royal Family. There are four exceptions to the burials in the Pantheon of Kings. Elisabeth of France, the first wife of King Felipe IV, gave birth to an heir to the throne before she died. Her son Balthasar Carlos, Prince of Asturias died from smallpox two years after his mother’s death, at the age of sixteen. King Felipe IV decided that Elisabeth should be interred in the Pantheon of Kings. Francisco, Duke of Cádiz and King Consort of Spain, the husband of Queen Isabella II and the father of King Alfonso XII, is also buried in the Pantheon of Kings.

King Juan Carlos I also made exceptions for the final resting place of his parents Infante Juan, Count of Barcelona and María de las Mercedes of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Countess of Barcelona. Although his father did not reign, Juan, Count of Barcelona was the heir apparent of his father King Alfonso XIII because both of his elder brothers renounced their rights of succession. When Alfonso XIII, who had lost his throne when the Second Spanish Republic was declared in 1931, knew that his life was coming to an end, he formally abdicated in favor of his son Juan, who became the pretender to the Spanish throne. The dictator Francisco Franco had declared that the monarchy would be restored upon his own death. However, Franco felt that Juan would be too liberal, so he passed over him and chose Juan’s son, Juan Carlos, as heir to the Spanish throne. Although Juan, Count of Barcelona never reigned, he is considered a de jure king and he and his wife are parents of a king.

However, the royal remains are not initially interred in one of the Pantheons. Instead, the remains are taken to one of two decaying chambers (pudridero), where they remain for 30 to 40 years. The purpose of the pudridero is to reduce the size of the remains so that they will fit in lead chests, 3.2 feet/1 meter long and 16 inches/40 centimeters wide. The remains are then interred in the marble sepulchers or tombs in either the Pantheon of Kings or the Pantheon of Infantes.

Sepulchers of Carlos II, Luis I, Carlos III, and Carlos IV; Credit – By Bocachete – Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6493684

The remains of King Juan Carlos’ parents Juan, Count of Barcelona and María de las Mercedes of Bourbon-Two Sicilies currently lie in the pudridero, awaiting interment in the Pantheon of the Kings. When these remains are interred, all the sepulchers in the Pantheon of Kings will be filled. No decision has been announced as to the final resting place of former King Juan Carlos I and his wife Queen Sofia or for their son King Felipe VI and his wife Queen Letizia, the current king and queen.

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The Pantheon of Kings

The layout of the Pantheon of Kings: The two empty sepulchers 25 and 26 will be used by Don Juan, Count of Barcelona and Maria Mercedes of Two-Sicilies, parents of King Juan Carlos; Credit: By Basilio – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17239121

The Pantheon of Kings is located beneath the Basilica and houses 26 marble sepulchers containing the remains of the Kings and Queens of Spain. As seen in the layout above, it is octagonally shaped, with the sepulchers stacked in six columns around the room. An additional two sepulchers are located above the entrance. The Kings’ tombs are all on one side, while the Queens’ tombs are on the other.

The altar with two sets of niches on either side; Credit – By Bocachete – Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6493547

The Pantheon of Kings is an eight-sided dome made of black marble, which is located directly below the monastery church. The doorway to the Pantheon of Kings is in the southwest wall of this octagon. On the opposite side, the northeast wall, the altar is located. The walls of the other six sides contain (as Groups I-VI) four coffin niches are arranged one above the other. Two more coffin niches are located (as group VII) in the southwest wall above the entrance. In each of these coffin niches, there is a magnificent sarcophagus made of black marble with gold decorations with gold tablets naming the names of the persons buried within.

The following members of the Spanish royal family are buried in the Pantheon of Kings:

Group I

  • Carlos I, King of Spain, also Holy Roman Emperor Charles V (1500 – 1558)
  • Felipe II, King of Spain (1527 – 1598)
  • Felipe III, King of Spain (1578 – 1621)
  • Felipe IV, King of Spain (1605 – 1665)

Group II

  • Carlos II, King of Spain (1661- 1700)
  • Luis I, King of Spain (1707 – 1724)
  • Carlos III, King of Spain (1716 – 1788)
  • Carlos IV, King of Spain (1748 – 1819)

Group III

Group IV

  • Isabella of Portugal, Queen of Spain, wife of Carlos I, also Holy Roman Emperor Charles V (1503 – 1539)
  • Anna of Austria, Queen of Spain, 4th wife of Felipe II (1549 – 1580)
  • Margaret of Austria, Queen of Spain, wife of Felipe III (1584 – 1611)
  • Elisabeth of France, Queen of Spain, 1st wife of Felipe IV (1602 – 1644)

Group V

  • Mariana of Austria, Queen of Spain, 2nd wife of Felipe IV (1635 – 1696)
  • Maria Luisa of Savoy, Queen of Spain, 1st wife of Felipe V (1688 – 1714)
  • Maria Amalia of Saxony, Queen of Spain, wife of Carlos III (1724 – 1760)
  • Maria Luisa of Parma, Queen of Spain, wife of Carlos IV (1751- 1819)

Group VI

Group VII – The future burial place of The Count and Countess of Barcelona

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The Pantheon of Infantes

Pantheon of the Infantes looking from Chapel IX towards Chapel VI: Credit – By Holo^-^ – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=51849928

The Pantheon of Infantes is located on the same level as the Pantheon of Kings but under the monastery. In 1862, Queen Isabella II approved its construction which was carried out by José Segundo de Lema (link in Spanish), the senior architect of the Royal Palace. The Pantheon of Infantes was completed in 1888 and it was intended to be the burial place for Infantes and Infantas of Spain and for Queen Consorts of Spain who were not mothers of Kings of Spain. Infante and Infanta are Spanish royal titles that basically correspond to Prince and Princess.

The Pantheon of Infantes consists of nine chapels, each with its own altar. In contrast to the Pantheon of Kings, which is dominated by the colors black and gold, white marble was predominantly used for the walls and the sarcophagi in the Pantheon of the Infantes. In Chapel VI, a free-standing round monument serves as a collective burial site for children of the Spanish royal family who had not yet had their First Communion before they died. Among those buried In Chapel IX are sixteen members of the House of Habsburg.

The Pantheon of Infantes has its own pudridero (decaying chamber) where the remains of the deceased stay for 30 to 40 years before they are interred. Currently in the pudridero of the Pantheon of Infantes are:

Chapel I

Tombs of Infante Alfonso of Spain, Prince of the Two Sicilies, Duke of Calabria and his mother Infanta María de las Mercedes, Princess of Asturias; Credit – By Alexjab – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=65821441

Chapel II

Chapel III

Chapel IV

Tombs of Luis Alfonso of Bavaria, Infante of Spain and Maria de las Mercedes of Bavaria, Infanta of Spain; Credit – By Alexjab – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=65821301

Chapel V

Tomb of Don Juan of Austria; Credit – Wikipedia

  • Don Juan of Austria, illegitimate son of Carlos I, also Holy Roman Emperor Charles V (1547 – 1578)
  • Don Francisco Fernando of Austria, illegitimate son of Felipe V (1627 – 1634)
  • Don Juan José of Austria, illegitimate son of Felipe IV (1629 – 1679)

Chapel VI: Children’s Collective Grave

The free-standing round monument serves as a collective burial site for children of the Spanish royal family who had not yet had their First Communion before they died; Credit – Wikipedia

  • Infante Fernando, son of Carlos I, also Holy Roman Emperor Charles V (born and died 1529)
  • Infante Juan, son of Carlos I, also Holy Roman Emperor Charles V (1537 – 1538)
  • Infante Lorenzo, son of Felipe II (1573 – 1575)
  • Infanta Maria, daughter of Felipe II (1580 – 1583)
  • Infanta Maria, daughter of Felipe III (born and died 1603)
  • Infante Alfonso, son of Felipe III (1611 – 1612)
  • Infanta Margarita, daughter of Felipe IV (born and died 1621)
  • Infanta Catalina, daughter of Felipe IV (born and died 1623)
  • Infanta Maria, daughter of Felipe IV (1625 – 1627)
  • Infanta Isabel Teresa, daughter of Felipe IV (born and died 1627)
  • Infanta Ana Antonia, daughter of Felipe IV (born and died 1636)
  • Prince Ferdinand of Savoy-Carignano, son of Tommaso Francesco of Savoy, Prince of Carignano (1634 -1637)
  • Infanta Ambrosia, daughter of Felipe IV (born and died 1655)
  • Infante Fernando Tomás Carlos, son of Felipe IV (1658 – 1659)
  • Infante Felipe Próspero, son of Felipe IV (1657 – 1661)
  • Infante Felipe, son of Felipe V (born and died 1709)
  • Infante Francisco, son of Felipe V (born and died 1717)
  • Infant Carlos Clemens, son of Carlos IV (1771 – 1774)
  • Infanta Maria Luisa, daughter of Carlos IV (1777 – 1782)
  • Infante Carlos Eusebio, son of Carlos IV (1780 – 1783)
  • Infant Felipe, son of Carlos IV (1783 – 1784)
  • Infant Fernando Carlos Francisco, son of Carlos IV (1783 – 1784)
  • Infanta Maria Carlota, daughter of Infante Gabriel, granddaughter of Carlos III (born and died 1787)
  • Infante Carlos, son of Infante Gabriel, grandson of Carlos III (born and died 1788)
  • Infante Felipe, son of Carlos IV (1792 – 1794)
  • Infanta Maria Teresa, daughter of Carlos IV (1791 – 1794)
  • Infanta Isabel, daughter of Ferdinand VII (1817 – 1818)
  • Infante Francisco, son of Infante Francisco de Paula, grandson of Carlos IV (1820 – 1821)
  • Infanta Maria Teresa, daughter of Infante Francisco de Paula, granddaughter of Carlos IV (1828 – 1829)
  • Infante Eduardo, son of Infante Francisco de Paula, grandson of Carlos IV (1826 – 1830)
  • Infante Luis Fernando, son of Isabella II (born and died 1850)
  • Infanta Maria Cristina, daughter of Isabella II (born and died 1854)
  • Unnamed Infanta, daughter of Prince Antoine of Orléans, Duke of Montpensier and Infanta Luisa Fernanda – (1857)
  • Infanta María de Regla, daughter of Prince Antoine of Orléans, Duke of Montpensier and
  • Infanta Luisa Fernanda (1856 – 1861)
  • Infanta María de la Concepción, daughter of Isabella II (1859 – 1861)
  • Infante Felipe, son of of Prince Antoine of Orléans, Duke of Montpensier and Infanta Luisa Fernanda (1862 – 1864)
  • Infante Francisco Leopoldo, son of Isabella II (born and died 1866)
  • Infante Fernando, son of Alfonso XIII (stillborn 1910)

Chapel VII

Credit – By José Luis Filpo Cabana – Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=25388301

Chapel VIII

Credit – By José Luis Filpo Cabana – Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=25427185

Chapel IX

Credit – By José Luis Filpo Cabana – Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=26540368

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

  • De.wikipedia.org. 2021. Real Sitio de San Lorenzo de El Escorial – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Real_Sitio_de_San_Lorenzo_de_El_Escorial> [Accessed 20 December 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. El Escorial – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Escorial> [Accessed 20 December 2021].
  • Es.wikipedia.org. 2021. Cripta Real del Monasterio de El Escorial – Wikipedia, la enciclopedia libre. [online] Available at: <https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cripta_Real_del_Monasterio_de_El_Escorial> [Accessed 20 December 2021].
  • Es.wikipedia.org. 2021. Panteón de Infantes – Wikipedia, la enciclopedia libre. [online] Available at: <https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pante%C3%B3n_de_Infantes> [Accessed 20 December 2021].
  • Es.wikipedia.org. 2021. Real Basílica de San Lorenzo de El Escorial – Wikipedia, la enciclopedia libre. [online] Available at: <https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Real_Bas%C3%ADlica_de_San_Lorenzo_de_El_Escorial> [Accessed 20 December 2021].
  • Es.wikipedia.org. 2021. Real Monasterio de San Lorenzo de El Escorial – Wikipedia, la enciclopedia libre. [online] Available at: <https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Real_Monasterio_de_San_Lorenzo_de_El_Escorial> [Accessed 20 December 2021].
  • Monasteriodelescorial.com. 2021. Comunidad Agustiniana – Real Monasterio de S.L. de El Escorial. [online] Available at: <http://monasteriodelescorial.com/> [Accessed 20 December 2021].

Anton Florian, Prince of Liechtenstein

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Anton Florian, Prince of Liechtenstein; Credit – Wikipedia

Anton Florian, Prince of Liechtenstein was born on May 28, 1656, at Wilfersdorf Castle in Wilfersdorf, Austria. He was the second of the three sons of Prince Hartmann of Liechtenstein and Countess Sidonie Elisabeth of Salm-Reifferscheidt. Anton Florian was the grandson of Prince Gundakar of Liechtenstein, the brother of Karl I, Prince of Liechtenstein.

Anton Florian had an elder brother and a younger brother:

Anton Florian’s wife Countess Eleonore Barbara von Thun-Hohenstein; Credit – Wikipedia

Anton Florian received an excellent education and from a young age, he was prepared for a life of political responsibility. In 1676, at the age of twenty, he began his career at the imperial court of the Holy Roman Empire in Vienna, Austria by being appointed a chamberlain of Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor. On October 15, 1679, Anton Florian married Countess Eleonore Barbara von Thun-Hohenstein (1661 – 1723), a daughter of Count Michael Oswald von Thun and Hohenstein, an imperial chamberlain and advisor, and Countess Elisabeth von Lodron.

Anton Florian and Eleonore Barbara had eleven children:

The future Karl VI, Holy Roman Emperor; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1689, Anton Florian became a member of the Imperial Privy Council and in 1691, he became ambassador to the papal court in Rome. Due to his extensive knowledge, in 1693, Anton Florian became responsible for the education of Archduke Karl, son of Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I. In 1711, upon the sudden death of his elder brother Joseph I, Holy Roman Emperor, Archduke Karl was elected to succeed him as Karl VI, Holy Roman Emperor. Anton Florian headed the imperial government as Chairman of the Council of State and served as Karl VI’s Chief Chamberlain for the rest of his life.

On June 16, 1712, Anton Florian’s nephew Hans-Adam I, Prince of Liechtenstein, died without a male heir. Anton Florian was the heir according to primogeniture however he was not very popular with the family, and so Hans-Adam I had named his second cousin once removed Josef Wenzel as his heir. In 1718, after negotiations, Josef Wenzel I, Prince of Liechtenstein swapped the County of Vaduz and the Lordship of Schellenberg in exchange for the Dominion of Rumburk. Anton Florian became Prince of Liechtenstein and Josef Wenzel concentrated on his military career. In 1719, Karl VI, Holy Roman Emperor elevated Liechtenstein to an Imperial Principality, and Liechtenstein became a sovereign member state of the Holy Roman Empire.

Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Vranov, Czech Republic: Credit – Von Ojin – Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6438939

Anton Florian, Prince of Liechtenstein, aged 65, died in Vienna, Austria, on October 11, 1721, and was buried in the Old Crypt at Chuch of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Vranov, Moravia, now in the Czech Republic. His wife Eleonore Barbara survived him by less than two years, dying at the age of 62 on February 10, 1723, in Vienna, Austria. She was buried in a crypt under the Pauline Church in Vienna, Austria. The crypt no longer exists and the tombs were not preserved.

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

  • Anton Florian, Fürst von und zu Liechtenstein. geni_family_tree. (2018, May 24). Retrieved November 3, 2021, from https://www.geni.com/people/Anton-Florian-F%C3%BCrst-von-und-zu-Liechtenstein/5062381288350042103.
  • “Century: 18. Jahrhundert.” Das Fürstenhaus Von Liechtenstein, https://fuerstenhaus.li/die-biographien-aller-fuersten/18-jahrhundert/.
  • Wikimedia Foundation. (2021, October 11). Anton Florian (Liechtenstein). Wikipedia. Retrieved November 3, 2021, from https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anton_Florian_(Liechtenstein)
  • Wikimedia Foundation. (2021, March 7). Anton Florian, Prince of Liechtenstein. Wikipedia. Retrieved November 3, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anton_Florian,_Prince_of_Liechtenstein.

Oslo Cathedral in Oslo, Norway

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Oslo Cathedral; Credit – By rheins, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=59623505

Oslo Cathedral, located in Oslo, the capital of Norway, belongs Church of Norway, a Lutheran church, a denomination of Protestant Christianity. It is Norway’s national church and is used by the Norwegian royal family and the Norwegian government for events. After a previous cathedral was damaged during a city fire in 1686, a decision was made to build the present cathedral. Since the cathedral was built after the Protestant Reformation, it has always been a Protestant church.

The interior of the Oslo Cathedral; Credit – By Hans A. Rosbach – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=20018487

Oslo Cathedral was built 1694 – 1697 in the Baroque style and was consecrated in 1697. Over the centuries, the cathedral has undergone several extensive changes. During a renovation in the 1850s under the direction of architect Alexis de Chateauneuf, the current tower with its bronze spire was built. In keeping with the aesthetics of the 1850s, the original Baroque interior was replaced with a Neo-Gothic interior.

Oslo Cathedral in 1929

From 1933 – 1951, in anticipation of the 900th anniversary of the city of Oslo in 1950, the cathedral was restored, under the direction of architect Arnstein Arneberg and the interior was largely restored to its original Baroque interior. Oslo Cathedral was restored from 2006 – 2010, because of extensive moisture damage. The cathedral was closed during those years and was re-opened in April 2010 in the presence of King Harald V of Norway and the Norwegian royal family.

Royal Events

The wedding of the future King Olav V and Princess Märtha of Sweden

The Kingdom of Norway was established in 872 as a merger of many small kingdoms. From 1537 to 1814, Norway was a part of the Kingdom of Denmark-Norway, and from 1814 to 1905, it was in a personal union with the Kingdom of Sweden. In 1905, upon the dissolution of the union between Sweden and Norway, the Norwegian government began searching for candidates to become King of Norway.

The funeral of Crown Princess Märtha; Credit – By Unknown author – Oslo Museum: image no. OB.F12179, via digitaltmuseum.no., CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=32280021

Because of his descent from prior Norwegian monarchs, as well as the British connections of his wife Princess Maud of Wales, the daughter of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom, Prince Carl of Denmark, the second son of King Frederik VIII of Denmark, was the overwhelming favorite. Before accepting, Carl insisted that the voices of the Norwegian people be heard in regards to retaining a monarchy. Following a referendum with a 79% majority in favor, Prince Carl was formally offered and then accepted the throne. He took the name Haakon VII and his two-year-old son Prince Alexander of Denmark was renamed Olav and became Crown Prince of Norway and later succeeded his father as King Olav V.

The funeral of Ari Behn

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

  • “Kirkebygget.” Oslo Domkirke, https://kirken.no/nb-NO/fellesrad/kirkeneioslo/menigheter/oslo-domkirken/om-domkirken/om-oslo-domkike/les-mer-om-oslo-domkirke/kirkebygget/.
  • Oslo Cathedral.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 5 June 2021, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oslo_Cathedral.
  • “Oslo Domkirke.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 14 Aug. 2021, https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oslo_domkirke.

Josef Wenzel I, Prince of Liechtenstein

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Josef Wenzel I, Prince of Liechtenstein; Credit – Wikipedia

The great-grandnephew of Karl I, Prince of Liechtenstein, Josef Wenzel I, Prince of Liechtenstein reigned from 1712 – 1718, was the Regent of Liechtenstein from 1732 – 1745 and reigned again from 1748 – 1772. Josef Wenzel Lorenz was born in Prague, Kingdom of Bohemia, now in the Czech Republic on August 9, 1696. He was the eldest son of Prince Philipp Erasmus of Liechtenstein (1664 – 1704) and Countess Christina Theresa of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rochefort (1665 – 1730). Josef Wenzel was a great-grandson of Gundakar of Liechtenstein, the brother of Karl I, Prince of Liechtenstein. Josef Wenzel’s father Philipp Erasmus was a Field Marshal in the Imperial Army of the Holy Roman Empire. He was killed during a skirmish with French troops at Castelnuovo in Lombardy, now in Italy, on January 9, 1704, when Josef Wenzel was seven years old.

Josef Wenzel had two younger brothers:

On June 16, 1712, Josef Wenzel’s second cousin once removed, Hans-Adam I, Prince of Liechtenstein, died without a male heir. The heir according to primogeniture was Hans-Adam’s paternal uncle Anton Florian but he was not very popular with the family, and so Hans-Adam I had named Josef Wenzel as his heir. In 1718, after negotiations, Josef Wenzel swapped the County of Vaduz and the Lordship of Schellenberg in exchange for the Dominion of Rumburk. Anton Florian became Prince of Liechtenstein and Josef Wenzel concentrated on his military career.

Anna Maria Antonie of Liechtenstein, Josef Wenzel’s wife; Credit – Wikipedia

As part of the negotiations with Anton Florian, Josef Wenzel married Princess Anna Maria Antonie of Liechtenstein, his first cousin and Anton Florian’s daughter, on April 19, 1718. She predeceased her husband dying on January 20, 1753, in Vienna, Austria, aged 53, and was buried in a crypt under the Pauline Church in Vienna, Austria. The crypt no longer exists and the tombs were not preserved.

Josef Wenzel and Maria Antonie had five children who all died in childhood:

  • Prince Philipp Anton (1719 – 1723)
  • Prince Philipp Anton (born and died 1720)
  • Prince Philipp Ernst (1722 – 1723)
  • Princess Maria Elisabeth (born and died 1724)
  • Princess Marie Alexandra (born and died 1727)

Josef Wenzel had a successful military career in the Imperial Army of the Holy Roman Empire. With the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, he fought against the Ottoman Turks in the Austro-Turkish War (1716 – 1718). During the War of Polish Succession (1733 – 1735), he was promoted to Lieutenant Field Marshal. In 1745, he was promoted to Field Marshal and given the high command of the Imperial Army in Italy. Eight years later, he was made General Chief Commander in Hungary. Josef Wenzel reorganized the Imperial Army’s artillery, partially financed with his own funds.

Josef Wenzel in the Regalia of the Order of the Golden Fleece which he received in1739; Credit – Wikipedia

Josef Wenzel also served as a diplomat for Holy Roman Emperor Karl VI from 1735 – 1740, as envoy to the Prussian court in Berlin and the French court in Paris. In 1760, Empress Maria Theresa gave him the honor of escorting Isabella of Bourbon-Parma, the bride of her son the future Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II, from her homeland to Vienna, Austria. His last major political position was in 1764 when he was the principal commissioner for the election and coronation of Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II.

While Josef Wenzel was serving as a diplomat and a military leader, Anton Florian, Prince of Liechtenstein had died in 1721 after only a three-year reign. He was succeeded by his son Josef Johann Adam as Prince of Liechtenstein. In 1732, Josef Johann Adam died and was succeeded by his eight-year-old son Johann Nepomuk Karl. Josef Wenzel served as regent and guardian of Johann Nepomuk Karl until he reached his majority in 1745. However, Johann Nepomuk Karl died without an heir three years later, and Josef Wenzel once again became Prince of Liechtenstein.

Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Vranov, Czech Republic: Credit – Von Ojin – Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6438939

Josef Wenzel, Prince of Liechtenstein died on February 10, 1772, aged 75, in Vienna Austria. He was buried in the Old Crypt at Chuch of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Vranov, Moravia, now in the Czech Republic. With no surviving sons, Josef Wenzel was succeeded by his nephew, the son of his brother Prince Emmanuel, as Franz Josef I, Prince of Liechtenstein.

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.

Liechtenstein Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • “Century: 18. Jahrhundert.” Das Fürstenhaus Von Liechtenstein, https://fuerstenhaus.li/die-biographien-aller-fuersten/18-jahrhundert/.
  • “Josef Wenzel (Liechtenstein).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 3 Oct. 2021, https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josef_Wenzel_(Liechtenstein).
  • “Joseph Wenzel I, Prince of Liechtenstein.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 18 Oct. 2021, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Wenzel_I,_Prince_of_Liechtenstein.
  • “Philipp Erasmus, Prince of Liechtenstein.” geni_family_tree, 24 Aug. 2021, https://www.geni.com/people/Philipp-Erasmus-Prince-of-Liechtenstein/5062362628960061280.
  • “Philippe-Érasme De Liechtenstein.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 10 Sept. 2021, https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippe-%C3%89rasme_de_Liechtenstein.