June 30, On this day in Royal history.

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June 29, King Charles I of England, King Charles VIII of France, King Henri II of France, Princess Henrietta Anne of England

1470 – Birth of the future King Charles VIII of France.

1559 – King Henri II of France is mortally wounded in a jousting match against Gabriel de Montgomery.

1670 – Death of Princess Henrietta Anne of England and Scotland, daughter of King Charles I of England and Scotland (b. 1644). 

Princess Henrietta Anne of England and Scotland

Royalty Blog Schedule

Here is my schedule for this blog. I have looked at many blogs and they all have different focuses and I wanted to offer something different than just the news on the current reigning royals. 

Daily:

I will post important historical events of the past on each day.

News as it arises from current reigning and non reigning European Royal families (and non-European).

Monday: Royal Genealogy

On this topic I will look at the myriad of personal connections between the royal families and how they were all interrelated. I will look at various dynasties and talk about their origins, history and how their statuses changed. They didn’t have facebook back then! I will also look at royal weddings and how the couples were related and the children they had.

Tuesday: Empires and Kingdoms of Europe.

I will look at various historical aspects of monarchy from the reference point of each state. For example, I could look at England under the Tudor monarchy and discuss topics from that point of view. I can look at the Holy Roman Empire and discuss the impact the Protestant Reformation had on the monarchies of the empire and the monarchs themselves.

Wednesday: Anything goes. This is a free day for me to talk about any royalty related topic on my mind.

Thursday: Royal of the Day: Past and Present.

I will do a short bio of a non-reigning prince or princess from the past or present.

Friday: Monarch of the day. Past and Present.

I will do a short bio of a reigning Emperor, King, Queen, Grand Duke etc. from the past or present.

On this Day in History…

Tags

Battle of Cropredy Bridge, English Civil War, King Charles I of England, Kingdom of Scotland, Parliamentarians, Sverre is crowned King of Norway

1644 – Charles I of England, Scotland and Ireland defeats a Parliamentarian detachment at the Battle of Cropredy Bridge, the last battle won by an English King on English soil.

1194 – Sverre is crowned King of Norway.

note: I am a little under the weather today so I did not write much. I have a science fiction blog where I have a schedule where I post certain things on certain days. I am going to do a similar schedule with this blog. 

I will do what is in the news, and breaking stories, and I am going to include things like I did today.

If you have suggestions and things you would like to see, let me know in the comments section. What can be done to improve this blog? 

June 28, 1914. Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria Hungary.

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1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, Czar Nicholas II, Emperor Franz Josef of Austria- Hungary, June 28, Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany, Ottoman Empire, Sarajevo, Sophie Chotek, Wilhelm II of Germany, World War I

98 years ago today came the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary an act which precipitated the first World War. I cannot do justice in this blog to all the complexities that lead to the start of World War I. I don’t view the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand as the cause of World War I but merely the spark that set off a ticking time bomb.

The roots of the war go back a long way in European history. Throughout the 19th century a weakened Ottoman Empire began losing its European territories. As territories were lost they were gobbled up by the larger European powers which often disregarded the ethnic and nationalistic make up of the population. This happened when Austria-Hungary annexed the Bosnian region which had a large population of Serbian nationals.

What also was a large factor was the alliance system that reached its peak during the 19th century. In order to balance power states sought alliances with one another so one state would not be dominant over others. While in theory this may sound like a good system, or maybe not, it created great tensions between the states and when the spark was set off, the house of cards came tumbling down. With the end of the war the monarchies of Germany and Austria-Hungary, which had existed for over a millennium, were gone.

At the time of the assassination Archduke Franz Ferdinand was heir to the dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary. He was the eldest son of Archduke Karl Ludwig of Austria (himself a younger brother to the then reigning emperor, Franz Joseph) and his second wife, Princess Maria Annunciata of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. After the murder suicide at Mayerling of the heir to the throne, Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria and his lover Baroness Mary Vetsera in 1889, Archduke Karl Ludwig became heir to his brother’s throne until his death in 1896. From 1896 until his death in 1914 Archduke Franz Ferdinand was the heir to the throne of his great-uncle.

On July 1, 1900, Franz Ferdinand married Countess Sophie Chotek. Although she was from an aristocratic family and claimed descent from various reigning houses, her family was not a reigning family and therefore she did not meet the requirement for an equal marriage. After many years of tension between Emperor Franz Joseph and Franz Ferdinand the emperor finally capitulated and allowed his heir to enter into a morganatic marriage where his wife had no right to her husbands titles and their children would have no claim to the throne.

Although more liberal than the emperor, Franz Ferdinand envisioned a future empire where all ethnic groups would have greater autonomy under his rule. This benevolence actually did not sit well with many Serbian nationals who did not want autonomy within the empire, they wanted freedom from the empire. Fearing that if Franz Ferdinand’s plans came to pass their desire for independence would fail.

Franz Ferdinand and his wife were in Sarajevo that day representing the emperor at opening of the state museum when Gavrilo Princip, a member of the Serb nationalist organization ‘the Black Hand,” assassinated the Archduke and his wife. 

There were several attempts on the Archduke’s life that day. Princip failed at an earlier attempt that day to assassinate the Archduke when the motorcade drove by too fast. Another attempt occurred when a bomb was throne at the Archduke’s car wounding 20 people. Undeterred, the Imperial couple continued on.  After visiting the Town Hall the Archduke’s motorcade took a wrong turn on its way to the next event. When the driver tried to turn the car around, the car stalled and Princip, who had just walked out of a delicatessen for lunch, found himself only a few feet away from the Archduke and his stalled limousine.

Princip fired two shots at a very close range hitting the Archduke in the jugular vein and Sophie in the abdomen. They were both rushed to the Governor’s Residence for medical treatment but both died within a few minutes. The shock was felt deeply throughout Europe and within the month all the major powers of Europe would be at war.

The Archduke’s blood soaked tunic

The 1911 Gräf & Stift Double Phaeton in which the Archduke Franz Ferdinand was riding at the time of his assassination.

Queen Elizabeth II’s Historic visit to Northern Ireland

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1979, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, Buckingham Palace, Diamond Jubilee, IRA, Kings and Queens of England, kings and queens of the United Kingdom, Lord Louis Mountbatten, Martin McGuinness, Northern Ireland, Prince Louis of Battenberg, Queen Elizabeth II, Sinn Fein, United Kingdom of Great Britain, Viceroy of India

As part of her Diamond Jubilee celebrations Her Majesty, accompanied by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, are making an historic visit to Northern Ireland, a region of her kingdom that has a history of sectarian violence. I have linked a few articles which detail her trip which is currently in progress. 

Her Majesty will meet with Martin McGuinness the leader of the IRA faction. In 1979 the IRA was responsible for the assassination of Her Majesty’s cousin (uncle to the Duke of Edinburgh) Lord Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma and last Viceroy of India (born HSH  Prince Louis of Battenberg). According to the article in the Huffington Post, it was McGuinness himself that sanctioned Lord Mountbatten’s murder.

Edit: I wanted to add my thoughts. Being a figure head her visits are often planned for by the government. I remember the assassination of Lord Mountbatten very well, it happened in my early days of following royalty, so I have to wonder if this was Her Majesty’s choice to visit with McGuinness and how does Her Majesty really feel? We may never know. 

A Royal Affair

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A Royal Affair, Alicia Vikander, Augusta of Saxe-Gotha, Caroline Matilda of Great Britain, Celle Castle, Christian VII of Denmark, Frederick Prince of Wales, George III, Hanover, Mads Mikkelsen, Mikkel Følsgaard., Princess Louise Auguste of Denmark

Today I get to unite my love of cinema and royalty. A Royal Affair is a 2012 Danish production set in the 18th century at the court of King Christian VII of Denmark and the  romance between the queen, Caroline Matilda of Great Britain, and the royal physician  Johann Friedrich Struensee. The movie was directed by directed by Nikolaj Arcel and stars Mads Mikkelsen, Alicia Vikander and Mikkel Følsgaard.

HRH Princess Caroline Matilda of Great Britain, Queen of Denmark, (1751-1775) was the daughter of Frederick, Prince of Wales and Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha and the sister of King George III of Great Britain. She married her first cousin, King Christian VII of Denmark at the tender age of 15. The marriage was difficult and unhappy. The King did not get along with his wife and there were rumors that he was a homosexual and he also suffered from a mental illness. 

As the king’s mental health deteriorated Struensee was the virtual ruler of Denmark in the name of the king and by 1770 Caroline and Struensee had become lovers. In 1771 Caroline gave birth to a daughter, Princess Louise Auguste of Denmark (1771-1843), and although officially recognized as the daughter of the king, it was widely known she was the daughter of Caroline and Struensee. After a masked ball in 1772 both Caroline and Struensee were arrested for their affair. The king and queen were divorced in April of 1772. Caroline was imprisoned and Struensee, and his accomplice, Enevold Brandt, were executed on April 28, 1772. King George III was able to obtain his sister’s release from prison and she was sent to Celle Castle in her brother’s German Electorate of Hanover. She never saw her children and died three years later from scarlet fever at the age of only 23. A sad tragic life.

I do not know when or if A Royal Affair will be released in the US but even if it is not I will have to get an all region DVD player to watch this!

Caroline Matilda of Great Britain, Queen of Denmark

Christian VII of Denmark

Johann Friedrich Struensee

Gender equality in Luxembourg throne succession rights

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Denmark, Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Norway, Prince Christian of Denmark, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom of Great Britain

http://www.wort.lu/en/view/gender-equality-in-luxembourg-throne-succession-rights-4fe4891ae4b0c152a04deb4c

HRH Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg

I have posted this article about Luxembourg shifting away from male  male-preference primogeniture. The term for offering the throne to the eldest child regardless of gender is called cognatic primogeniture. Many monarchies are going this route. Sweden was the first back in 1979/80. Norway has followed suit as has Belgium, and the Netherlands. Denmark was in the process of changing their succession to cognatic primogeniture until the birth of a boy, Prince Christian, in 2005. Great Britain is in the process of changing to cognatic primogeniture as mentioned in the queen’s speech in the Sate Opening of Parliament earlier this year. So far, to my knowledge, Spain, Liechtenstein and Monaco have not.

I wanted to share my feelings about this issue. I am honestly mixed. My practical rational side of me agrees with it while the emotional side of me doesn’t like it. I am all for women’s rights and equality. I have a daughter myself, she is my only child, and I want her to have the same advantages in life that men have. When it comes to monarchy I am a traditionalist in many areas. For example, I have no problem with royals marrying who they like but I do miss the days when royals married royals.

So I will miss the days when a king, duke or prince was followed on the throne by his eldest son. I understand that the monarchy must adapt and change to survive and this step makes sense given the fact that the role of sovereign is a symbolic one and a non-political role. In the end I think it will work out fine, but I will miss the old days.  

 

Queen Silvia of Sweden speaks out against child sex trafficking.

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CNN, HRH Princess Madeleine of Sweden, King Carl XVI Gustaf, Queen Silvia of Sweden, sex trafficking.

One of the things I admire about royalty is that they not only symbolize national unity they can be a voice for social causes and injustice. This recent CNN video of an interview  with Queen Silvia of Sweden (wife of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden) addresses the impact and the horrendous crime of child sex trafficking.  I applaud Her Majesty for speaking out on such issues. 

Happy Birthday prince William, Duke of Cambridge!

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Buckingham Palace, Elizabeth II, HRH The Prince of Wales, Kings and Queens of England, kings and queens of the United Kingdom, Lady Diana Spencer, Prince Charles, Prince William, The Duchess of Cambridge, The Duke of Cambridge, The Princess of Wales

Today HRH The Duke of Cambridge turns 30! Happy birthday! I began following royalty and studying European history in 1978. The Marriage of The Prince of Wales to Lady Diana Spencer was the first royal wedding I witnessed and I waited with excited anticipation when it was announced the Princess of Wales was pregnant. I was very curious to know what the name would be. If it was going to be a boy then he would be a future king and royal watchers love to guess the names of future royals. It turned out to be a boy and I was very pleased they chose the name William for it is also my first name. Also today he comes into the financial inheritance left to him buy his mother. It is reportage to amount to $16 million. Buckingham Palace reports that The Duke of Cambridge will celebrate his birthday with his wife, the Duchess of Cambridge and a few close friends. 

I think William has grown into a fine young man and with his new bride the future of the monarchy is in secure and capable hands. 

June 20, 1837, Princess Alexandrina Victoria becomes Queen

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2nd Viscount Melbourne., Buckingham Palace, Duke of Kent, George III, George IV, HRH Prince Edward, Kings and Queens of England, kings and queens of the United Kingdom, Lord Melbourne, Prime Minister, Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld., Queen Victoria, William IV, William Lamb

With the death of King William IV of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, King of Hanover, on June 20, 1837, his 18 year old niece ascends the throne as Queen Victoria.

Queen Victoria was christened as Alexandrina Victoria and for a while was known as “Drina” in her youth. The first official documents prepared for her on her first day as queen named her Queen Alexandrina Victoria. However the queen requested it to be changed and stated she wanted to be known as Victoria.

Queen Victoria was the only daughter of HRH Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and   Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. Her father was the fourth son of King George III and he died in 1820. With both George IV and William IV leaving no legitimate offspring Victoria was heir to the throne. Her accession to the throne also witnessed the separation of the personal union between the United Kingdom and Hanover. Since women were not allowed to rule in Hanover in their own right the Kingdom of Hanover went to her her uncle, HRH the Duke of Cumberland, who became King Ernst August of Hanover. To this day his descendants still call themselves Princes/Princesses of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (retaining this outdated title) which is not recognized in Britain. 

Early in her reign she was able to remove herself from the influence of her mother HRH The Duchess of Kent and her friend and comptroller Sir John Conroy whom she detested. During her first years of her reign she was greatly influenced by her Prime Minister, William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne. 

Here is an excerpt from her journal expressing her thoughts upon her accession. 

“I was awoke at 6 o’clock by Mamma, who told me the Archbishop of Canterbury and Lord Conyngham were here and wished to see me. I got out of bed and went into my sitting-room (only in my dressing gown) and alone, and saw them. Lord Conyngham then acquainted me that my poor Uncle, the King, was no more, and had expired at 12 minutes past 2 this morning, and consequently that I am Queen.”