by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

King Haakon VII of Norway, Prince Carl of Denmark at the time, and Princess Maud of Wales were married in the Private Chapel at Buckingham Palace in London, England on July 22, 1896.

Carl’s Early Life

Born Prince Carl of Denmark (Christian Frederik Carl Georg Valdemar Axel) at the Charlottenlund Palace on August 3, 1872, he was the second son of the four sons and the second of the eight children of King Frederik VIII of Denmark and Princess Louise of Sweden. At the time of his birth, his paternal grandfather King Christian IX of Denmark sat upon the Danish throne and his maternal grandfather King Carl XV of Sweden and Norway sat upon the Swedish throne. Carl was related to many European royals via his paternal uncles and aunts and had many royal first cousins including King George V of the United Kingdom, King Constantine I of Greece, Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, and his future wife Princess Maud of Wales. Carl’s elder brother was King Christian X of Denmark who reigned from 1912 – 1947.

Prince Carl grew up with his seven siblings at his parents’ residence Frederik VIII’s Palace at Amalienborg in Copenhagen and in the family’s summer residence Charlottenlund Palace, north of Copenhagen. As a younger son, it was expected that he would have a career in the military and he trained as a naval officer at the Royal Danish Naval Academy in Copenhagen. He served as a lieutenant and participated in several sailing expeditions with the Royal Danish Navy from 1893 until 1905. In 1905, Carl became King of Norway, taking the name Haakon VII.

• Unofficial Royalty: King Haakon VII

Maud’s Early Life

 

Princess Maud of Wales (Maud Charlotte Mary Victoria) was born on November 26, 1869, at Marlborough House in London, England. She was the third and youngest daughter and the fifth of the six children of the Prince and Princess of Wales (the future King Edward VII of the United Kingdom and Princess Alexandra of Denmark, daughter of King Christian IX of Denmark). Princess Maud had five siblings including the future King George V of the United Kingdom. Maud’s mother was a paternal aunt of her future husband. At the time of her birth, Maud’s grandmother Queen Victoria sat upon the British throne.

Growing up, Maud was the most exuberant of the three sisters and was known as Harry in the family. She developed a one-sided romance with Prince Francis of Teck, the brother of her future sister-in-law Mary of Teck. Maud and Francis exchanged a couple of letters, but it was soon apparent that Francis was not interested in Maud.

• Unofficial Royalty: Queen Maud (Maud of Wales)

The Engagement

Because Maud’s mother was a Danish Princess, Maud visited her Danish relatives often and was familiar with her first cousin Prince Carl of Denmark, who was three years younger than her. They had played together with their other cousins at family reunions held in Denmark at Fredensborg Castle and Bernstorff Castle. There had been family gossip that Maud and Carl might marry, so it was not all that surprising when Carl proposed to Maud during a family reunion at Fredensborg Castle and Maud accepted. On October 29, 1895, the couple’s engagement was announced. Maud’s mother had some concerns about the age difference, but Maud realized Carl would make a good husband for her. She loved the sea and sailing, so a husband who was in the navy would be quite appropriate.

Maud’s grandmother Queen Victoria was delighted. Marie Mallet, who served as Maid of Honour and Extra Woman of the Bedchamber to Queen Victoria from 1887-1900 wrote in her diary that Maud’s engagement “…caused much excitement at Balmoral…and has been the cause of much telegraphing…The Queen is delighted and healths were drunk at dinner.” The Prince of Wales (future King Edward VII) gave his daughter Appleton House on the Sandringham Estate for Maud to use on her visits to England.

Carl had responsibilities to the Danish Royal Navy. He was due to go on a five-month assignment to the West Indies, so the wedding was scheduled for the next summer, on July 22, 1896.

Earlier in 1896, Prince Henry of Battenberg, the husband of Maud’s paternal aunt Princess Beatrice, had died. Henry had persuaded Queen Victoria to allow him to go to West Africa to fight in the Anglo-Ashanti Wars. He arrived in Africa on Christmas Day of 1895. By January 10, 1896, Henry was sick with malaria and it was decided to send him back to England, but Henry died aboard the ship HMS Blonde off the coast of Sierra Leone on January 20, 1896. There were conflicts in the family over whether the marriage should take place during the mourning period. Finally, it was decided that the wedding should go on as planned and that Princess Beatrice and her children would not attend.

Wedding Guests

Family of the Groom

• Crown Prince Frederik (father of the groom, uncle of the bride, the future King Frederik VIII of Denmark)
• Crown Princess Louise of Denmark (mother of the groom, born Princess Louise of Sweden)
• Prince Christian of Denmark (brother of the groom, first cousin of the bride, the future King Christian X of Denmark)
• Princess Frederick of Schaumburg-Lippe (sister of the groom, first cousin of the bride, born Princess Louise of Denmark)
• Prince Frederick of Schaumburg-Lippe (brother-in-law of the groom)
• Prince Harald of Denmark (brother of the groom, first cousin of the bride)
• Princess Ingeborg of Denmark (sister of the groom, first cousin of the bride)
• Princess Thyra of Denmark (sister of the groom, first cousin of the bride)
• Prince Gustav of Denmark (brother of the groom, first cousin of the bride)
• Princess Dagmar of Denmark (sister of the groom, first cousin of the bride)

Family of the Bride

• Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom (grandmother of the bride)
• The Prince of Wales (father of the bride, the future King Edward VII of the United Kingdom)
• The Princess of Wales (mother of the bride, aunt of the groom, born Princess Alexandra of Denmark)
• The Duke of York (brother of the bride, first cousin of the groom, the future King George V of the United Kingdom )
• The Duchess of York (sister-in-law of the bride, born Princess Victoria Mary of Teck)
• Princess Louise, Duchess of Fife (sister of the bride, first cousin of the groom)
• Alexander Duff, 1st Duke of Fife (brother-in-law of the bride)
• Lady Alexandra Duff (niece of the bride)
• Princess Victoria of Wales (sister of the bride, first cousin of the groom)
• Prince Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Duke of Edinburgh (uncle of the bride)
• The Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Duchess of Edinburgh (born Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia)
• Hereditary Prince Alfred of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (first cousin of the bride)
• Princess Beatrice of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (first cousin of the bride)
• Princess Christian of Schleswig-Holstein (aunt of the bride, born Princess Helena)
• Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein (husband of Princess Helena)
• Prince Christian Victor of Schleswig-Holstein (first cousin of the bride)
• Princess Helena Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein (first cousin of the bride)
• Princess Aribert of Anhalt (first cousin of the bride, born Prince Marie Louise of Schleswig-Holstein)
• Princess Louise, Marchioness of Lorne (aunt of the bride)
• John Campbell, Marquess of Lorne (husband of Princess Louise, the future 9th Duke of Argyll)
• Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught (uncle of the bride)
• The Duchess of Connaught (born Princess Louise Margaret of Prussia)
• Prince Arthur of Connaught (first cousin of the bride)
• Princess Margaret of Connaught (first cousin of the bride)
• Princess Patricia of Connaught (first cousin of the bride)
• Prince Charles Edward, Duke of Albany (first cousin of the bride)
• Princess Alice of Albany (first cousin of the bride)
• The Duchess of Albany (widow of Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany, born Princess Helena of Waldeck and Pyrmont)

Other Relatives

• Crown Prince Constantine of Greece (first cousin of the bride and the groom, the future King Constantine I of Greece)
• Crown Princess Sophie of Greece (first cousin of the bride, born Princess Sophie of Prussia)
• Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark (first cousin of the bride and the groom)
• Prince Heinrich of Prussia (first cousin of the bride, representing his brother Wilhelm II, German Emperor)
• Grand Duke Ernst of Hesse and by Rhine (first cousin of the bride)
• Grand Duchess Victoria Melita of Hesse and by Rhine (first cousin of the bride, born Princess Victoria Melita of Edinburgh)
• Grand Duchess Elisabeth Feodorovna of Russia (first cousin of the bride, born Princess Elisabeth of Hesse and by Rhine)
• Grand Duke Serge Alexandrovich of Russia (husband of Princess Elisabeth of Hesse and by Rhine)
• Prince Friedrich Karl of Hesse
• Princess Friedrich Karl of Hesse (first cousin of the bride, born Princess Margarete of Prussia)
• Prince George, Duke of Cambridge (Queen Victoria’s first cousin)
• The Duchess of Teck (Queen Victoria’s first cousin, mother of the Duchess of York, born Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge)
• The Duke of Teck (father of the Duchess of York)
• Prince Adolphus of Teck (brother of the Duchess of York)
• Princess Adolphus of Teck (born Lady Margaret Grosvenor)
• Princess Victor of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (widow of the son of Queen Victoria’s half-sister Princess Feodora of Leiningen)
• Count Edward Gleichen (son of Princess Victor of Hohenlohe-Langenburg)
• Countess Feodora Gleichen (daughter of Princess Victor of Hohenlohe-Langenburg)
• Countess Valda Gleichen (daughter of Princess Victor of Hohenlohe-Langenburg)
• Countess Helena Gleichen (daughter of Princess Victor of Hohenlohe-Langenburg)

Other Royals

• Crown Prince Gustaf of Sweden (the future King Gustaf V of Sweden)
• Prince Philipp of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
• Princess Philipp of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (born Princess Louise of Belgium)
• Princess Elisabeth of Waldeck and Pyrmont
• Princess Edward of Saxe-Weimar (born Lady Augusta Gordon-Lennox)

Wedding Attendants

 

Bridesmaids

• Princess Victoria of Wales (sister of the bride)
• Princess Ingeborg of Denmark (sister of the groom)
• Princess Thyra of Denmark (sister of the groom)
• Princess Helena Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein (first cousin of the bride)
• Princess Margaret of Connaught (first cousin of the bride)
• Princess Patricia of Connaught (first cousin of the bride)
• Princess Alice of Albany (first cousin of the bride)
• Lady Alexandra Duff (the bride’s niece)

Supporters of the Groom

• Prince Christian of Denmark (brother of the groom)
• Prince Harald of Denmark (brother of the groom)

Wedding Attire

 

Princess Maud wanted to dress in a simple fashion. Her dress, designed by Miss Rosalie Whyte of the Royal Female School of Art, had a long train and was made of pure white English satin that had been woven in Spitalfields, a section of London known for its weaving. Maud wore her mother’s veil and instead of a tiara, she wore flowers in her hair. Her jewelry was simple, a choker necklace and several bracelets, and she carried a bouquet of orange blossoms, German myrtle, and a mixture of white jessamine.

The bridesmaids wore white dresses trimmed with red geraniums while Carl wore his Royal Danish Navy uniform.

Wedding Ceremony

 

• Unofficial Royalty: Private Chapel at Buckingham Palace

The wedding was held in the Private Chapel at Buckingham Palace in London, England at 12:30 PM on July 22, 1896, a sunny and pleasant day. It was a family affair, rather than a state occasion. Queen Victoria was already at Buckingham Palace, so she made no public appearance during the wedding procession. The streets of London were decorated with British and Danish flags and flowers. Two military units, the Life Guards and the Coldstream Guards, lined the short distance from Marlborough House, the home of Maud’s parents, and Buckingham Palace. Crowds gathered near the Palace in anticipation of the procession.

Early arrivals to the Palace included minor members of the British royal family and foreign royals. First in the carriage procession was the groom with his parents Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Louise and his brothers Prince Christian and Prince Harald. The Princess of Wales and the children of Queen Victoria, accompanied by their children, came next. When the royals, with the exception of the bride’s procession, had gathered at the palace, Queen Victoria led the family into the Private Chapel, accompanied by two of her grandsons, Prince Arthur of Connaught and Prince Christian Victor of Schleswig-Holstein. Then Prince Carl and his brothers entered the chapel, heading up to the altar to wait for the bride. Maud accompanied by her father The Prince of Wales and her eight bridesmaids were the last to leave Marlborough House.

The wedding ceremony was conducted by Edward White Benson, Archbishop of Canterbury assisted by Frederick Temple, Bishop of London and Randall Thomas Davidson, Bishop of Winchester. The musicians and choir of the Chapel Royal of St. James’s Palace provided the music during the ceremony. The newlyweds left the chapel the famous wedding march by Felix Mendelssohn from his suite of incidental music to Shakespeare’s play A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The wedding march had become popular after it was used at the wedding of Maud’s aunt Victoria, Princess Royal and the future Friedrich, German Emperor. After signing the wedding registry with 50 other royals, chatting animatedly for several minutes, and embracing the bride and groom, Queen Victoria left and did not attend the wedding luncheon.

Wedding Luncheon

 

Two luncheons were held at Buckingham Palace: one in the State Dining Room for the royal guests and one in the State Ballroom for everyone else. After that, the newlyweds and The Prince and Princess of Wales greeted guests in a receiving line in the Picture Gallery. Later in the afternoon, The Prince and Princess of Wales hosted a garden party at Marlborough House.

A publication of the day described the wedding cake: “…the separate tiers were encircled with white satin ribbon bordered with pearls, trimmed with bridal buds and tied in true lovers’ knots: a triumphant god of love surmounting the whole structure bore aloft a delicate nautilus shell, from which fell festoons of silver bullion and fragile seaweed.”

At 2:45 PM, the bridal party departed Buckingham Palace and went the long way around via Piccadilly and St. James Street. The streets were beautifully decorated with bunting, flags, and flowers. People lined the streets and the windows of clubs and other buildings along the route were filled with cheering people.

The Honeymoon

Later, Maud and Carl left Marlborough House for St. Pancras Station to board a special train for the railway station in Wolferton, Norfolk, the nearest station to Sandringham House. The newlyweds were to spend a short honeymoon at Appleton House on the Sandringham Estate, the house that Maud’s father had given her as a wedding gift. However, the short honeymoon turned a five-month honeymoon. Some family members had been concerned that Maud would have difficulty leaving England, and that was proving to be true.

Three weeks after the wedding, the Danish Royal Family all met at Bernstorff Castle, ready to welcome the newlyweds to Denmark. Maud’s mother and sister, The Princess of Wales and Princess Victoria, arrived at Bernstorff Castle at the end of August. Maud wrote to her grandmother Queen Victoria that they were going to Denmark in the beginning of September. Family members began arriving in Denmark, expecting to see Carl and Maud. King George I of Greece (Maud and Carl’s uncle) arrived at Berstorff Castle in early September. Within a few days, Tsar Nicholas II of Russia (Maud and Carl’s first cousin) and his wife Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna (Maud’s first cousin) arrived and there was still no sign of Maud and Carl in Denmark. Maud and Carl were still in England on December 14 when the family gathered at Frogmore for the annual remembrance ceremony for Prince Albert, Queen Victoria’s late husband.

Carl’s leave from the navy was nearly over and it was imperative they leave for Denmark, which they did on December 21, 1896. Maud never did get used to the harsh Danish winters and visited her England as often as she could.

Children

Haakon and Maud had one son:

• Prince Alexander of Denmark, later King Olav V of Norway (1903 – 1991) married Princess Märtha of Sweden, had three children, Norwegian Royal Family descends from this marriage

Postscript

In 1905, upon the dissolution of the Union between Sweden and Norway, the Norwegian government began searching for candidates to become King of Norway. Because of his descent from prior Norwegian monarchs, as well as his wife’s British connections, Carl 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 sailed for Norway, arriving on November 25, 1905, and took the oath as King two days later. He took the name Haakon VII and Maud became Queen of Norway. The couple’s only child Prince Alexander of Denmark, born in 1903, took on the name Olav, became Crown Prince of Norway, and succeeded his father on the throne in 1957. Because of their mutual descent from King Edward VII of the United Kingdom, the Norwegian Royal Family is the most closely related royal family to the British Royal Family.

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