January 27, 1892: Birth of Archduchess Elisabeth Franziska of Austria

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Archduchess Elisabeth Franziska of Austria, Archduchess Marie Valerie of Austria, Archduke Franz Salvator of Austria, Duchess Elisabeth in Bavaria, Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria, Prince of Tuscany, Princess Maria Immaculata of Bourbon-Two-Sicilies

From the Emperor’s Desk: I could not find a lot of information on Archduchess Elisabeth Franziska so I supplemented information on her parents marriage.

Archduchess Elisabeth Franziska of Austria (January 27, 1892 – January 29, 1930) was the eldest daughter of Archduke Franz Salvator of Austria and Archduchess Marie Valerie of Austria. Through her mother, she was a granddaughter of Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria and through her father she was a descendant of King George II of Great Britain.

Archduchess Elisabeth Franziska of Austria

Her mother was Archduchess Marie Valerie of Austria (April 22, 1868 – September 6, 1924) was the youngest child of Emperor Franz Joseph I and Empress Elisabeth of Austria. She was usually called Valerie.

In Bad Ischl on July 31, 1890, Archduchess Marie Valerie married her third cousin Archduke Franz Salvator.

Princess Maria Immaculata of Bourbon-Two-Sicilies

Her father, Archduke Franz Salvator of Austria 21 August 21, 1866 – April 20, 1939) was a son of Archduke Charles Salvator, Prince of Tuscany and Princess Maria Immaculata of Bourbon-Two-Sicilies, the fifth child and second-eldest daughter of Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies and his wife Archduchess Maria Theresa of Austria.

Archduchess Marie Valerie of Austria

He became a cavalry general in the Imperial and Royal (k.u.k.) Austro-Hungarian Army. He received an honorary doctorate in medicine from the University of Innsbruck for his work with the Red Cross during World War I and was a Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece and Order of the White Eagle.

Archduke Franz Salvator had met Archduchess Marie Valerie in 1886 at a ball, but Marie Valerie waited several years to be sure that her feelings toward Franz Salvator were strong enough for a successful marriage.

It was hoped by many at court that she would marry someone like the Crown Prince of Saxony (King Friedrich August III of Saxony); the Prince Royal of Portugal (King Carlos I of Portugal); or Prince Alfons of Bavaria as she courted with him.

Archduke Franz Salvator of Austria, Prince of Tuscany

Nonetheless, Empress Elisabeth declared that Marie Valerie would be allowed to marry even a chimney sweep if she so desired (in contrast to her other children, who both had to make dynastic marriages).

Marie Valerie chose Franz Salvator, a relatively minor prince from the Tuscan branch of the Austrian imperial family who had no great wealth to offer, and Elisabeth, as promised, supported her favorite daughter.

This caused a deep rift between Marie Valerie and her siblings for a time, but eventually Crown Prince Rudolf reconciled with her when Marie Valerie and Franz Salvator became engaged on Christmas 1888. However, the relationship between Marie Valerie and Crown Prince Rudolph’s wife, Princess Stéphanie of Belgium, remained cold even after Rudolf’s death.

Archduchess Marie Valerie and Archduke Franz Salvator of Austria

Marie Valerie’s solemn renunciation of her rights to the Austrian throne, which was necessary for the marriage to proceed, took place on July 16, 1890 at the Hermesvilla.

The young couple’s festive wedding followed in the parish church of Bad Ischl on July 31. The ceremony was conducted by the Bishop of Linz, Franz Maria Doppelbauer. Afterwards, Valerie and Franz honeymooned in Italy, Switzerland and Bavaria.

Thier daughter, Archduchess Elisabeth Franziska of Austria, married at Niederwallsee on September 19, 1912 Georg Count von Waldburg zu Zeil und Hohenems (1878–1955). The marriage was one of love and not a political marriage. Georg von Waldburg had no money or property, and had been hired as a tutor for her brothers.

Archduchess Hedwig (left) and Archduchess Elisabeth Franziska of Austria

They had four children, three daughters and a son:

1. Countess Marie Valerie von Waldburg-Zeil (1913–2011), married Archduke Georg of Austria, Prince of Tuscany (1905–1952) in 1936. He was the younger son of Archduke Peter Ferdinand of Austria and his wife, Princess Maria Cristina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies.

2. Countess Klementine von Waldburg-Zeil (1914–1941), unmarried and without issue.

3. Countess Elisabeth von Waldburg-Zeil (1917–1979), unmarried and without issue.

4. Count Franz Josef von Waldburg-Zeil (1927 – 2022), married Countess Priscilla of Schönborn-Wiesentheid in 1956. They had seven children.

Archduchess Elisabeth Franziska was a painter for some time. She died, aged 38, of pneumonia on January 29, 1930. Her widower remarried nearly two years later, on December 29, 1931, to his wife’s younger sister Archduchess Gertrud of Austria.

January 26, 1873: Death of Amélie of Leuchtenberg, Empress of Brazil

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Amélie of Leuchtenberg, Emperor of the French, Emperor Pedro of Brazil, Holy Roman Emperor Franz II, House of Leuchtenberg, House of Wittelsbach, Joséphine de Beauharnais, Napoleon Bonaparte

From the Emperor’s Desk: In addressing the death of Amélie of Leuchtenberg I will focus on the arrangement of her marriage to Emperor Pedro of Brazil.

Amélie of Leuchtenberg (July 31, 1812 – January 26, 1873) was Empress of Brazil as the wife of Pedro I of Brazil. Amélie was the fourth child of General Eugène de Beauharnais, Duke of Leuchtenberg and his wife Princess Augusta of Bavaria.

Her father was the son of Joséphine de Beauharnais and her first husband, Viscount Alexandre de Beauharnais. When Joséphine remarried, to Napoleon Bonaparte, Eugène was adopted by the latter and made viceroy of the Kingdom of Italy.

Amélie of Leuchtenberg

Amélie’s mother was the daughter of King Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria and his first consort, Princess Augusta Wilhelmine of Hesse-Darmstadt.

Among Amélie’s siblings were Josephine of Leuchtenberg, Queen Consort of King Oscar I of Sweden, and Auguste de Beauharnais, 2nd Duke of Leuchtenberg, prince consort of Queen Maria II of Portugal (stepdaughter of Amélie). French Emperor Napoleon III was Amélie’s first cousin.

After the defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte in 1814, Eugène de Beauharnais, having been granted the title Duke of Leuchtenberg by his father-in-law, settled in Munich. The possibility occurred to Amélie’s mother, Augusta, of marrying Amélie to the Emperor of Brazil, to guarantee the pretensions of the House of Leuchtenberg to royal status.

Marriage

After the death of his first wife, the Austrian Archduchess Maria Leopoldina, in December 1826, Emperor Pedro I of Brazil (former King Pedro IV of Portugal) sent the Marquis of Barbacena to Europe to find him a second wife.

Emperor Pedro ‘s Archduchess Maria Leopoldina of Austria was the daughter of Holy Roman Emperor Franz II, and his second wife, Maria Theresa of Naples and Sicily. Among her many siblings were Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria and Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma, the wife of Napoleon Bonaparte.

Amélie of Leuchtenberg

Marquis of Barbacena’s task was not easy; several factors complicated the search. First, Emperor Pedro had stipulated four conditions: a good family background, beauty, virtue and culture. Conversely, the Emperor of Brazil did not have a particularly good image in Europe: his relationship with the Marchioness of Santos was notorious, and few eligible princesses were expected to be eager to leave the courts of Europe to marry a widower who had a tarnished reputation as a husband, becoming step-mother to his five children.

To make matters worse, the former father-in-law of Emperor Dom Pedro, Holy Roman Emperor Franz II had a low opinion of his son-in-law’s political views, and apparently acted to prevent a new marriage to ensure that his grandchildren would inherit the throne of Brazil if they survived infancy.

After refusals by eight princesses turned the ambassador into an object of scorn in the courts of Europe, the Marquis of Barbacena, in agreement with the Emperor, lowered his requirements, seeking for Dom Pedro a wife merely “good and virtuous.”

Amélie now became a good possibility, but their encounter was brought about not by the Marquis of Barbacena, but by Domingos Borges de Barros, Viscount of Pedra Branca, minister in Paris, to whom she had been pointed out.

Emperor Pedro I of Brazil

She came from a distinguished and ancient line on her mother’s side, the Wittelsbachs of Bavaria, but her father, an exile who shared in the disgrace of Napoleon Bonaparte’s deposition as Emperor, was not an optimal marital match. However, that was her sole “defect”. The princess was tall, very beautiful, well proportioned, with a delicate face.

She had blue eyes and brownish-golden hair. António Teles da Silva Caminha e Meneses, Marquis of Resende, sent to verify the beauty of the young lady, praised her highly, saying that she had “a physical air that like that the painter Correggio gave us in his paintings of the Queen of Sheba”. She was also cultured and sensitive.

A contemporary piece in The Times of London affirms that she was one of the best educated and best prepared princesses in the German world.

Amélie of Leuchtenberg

The marriage contract was signed on May 29, 1829 in England, and ratified on June 30 in Munich by Amélie’s mother, the Duchess of Leuchtenberg, who had tutored her daughter personally. On July 30 of that year, in Brazil, a treaty of marriage between Pedro I and Amélie of Leuchtenberg was promulgated.

Upon confirming the marriage, Emperor Pedro definitively broke his links to the Marchioness of Santos and, as evidence of his good intentions, instituted the Order of the Rose, with the motto “Amor e Fidelidade” (“Love and Fidelity”).

Marriage of Amélie of Leuchtenberg and Emperor Pedro I of Brazil

A proxy marriage ceremony on August 2 in the chapel of the Palais Leuchtenberg in Munich was a simple affair with few in attendance, as Amélie insisted on donating to a Munich orphanage the appreciable amount Dom Pedro had sent for a ceremony with full pomp. Dom Pedro was represented by the Marquis of Barbacena. Amélie was barely seventeen years old; Dom Pedro was thirty.

Happy New Year!

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2023, Happy New Year

I would like to wish every reader of this blog a very Happy New Year and a year filled health, joy and happiness!

Liam

December 18, 1724: Birth of Louise of Great Britain, Queen of Denmark and Norway. Part I.

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King Christian VI of Denmark of Norway, King Frederik V of Denmark and Norway, King George II of Great Britain, Princess Caroline of Brandenburg-Ansbach, Princess Louise of Great Britain, Queen of Denmark and Norway

From the Emperor’s Desk: The anniversary of the birth of Princess Louise of Great Britain is today and I will cover her birth and marriage. Tomorrow December 19 is the anniversary of her death and I will cover her time as Queen Consort of Denmark and Norway.

Louise of Great Britain (originally Louisa; December 18, 1724 – December 19, 1751) was Queen of Denmark and Norway from 1746 until her death, as the first wife of King Frederik V. She was the youngest surviving daughter of King George II of Great Britain and Caroline of Brandenburg-Ansbach.

Princess Louise was born as the fifth daughter and youngest child of the then Prince and Princess of Wales, on December 18, 1724, at Leicester House, Westminster, London. She was born ten years after her paternal grandfather, Elector George Louis (Georg Ludwig) of Hanover, had succeeded to the thrones of Great Britain and Ireland in 1714 as George I, and her father had become Prince of Wales and moved to London with his family.

Louise’s father had a strained relationship with his own father, and in 1717, after a quarrel, the King had banished his son from court. He had subsequently lived at Leicester House, a large aristocratic townhouse in Westminster, where a rival court grew up, and which became a frequent meeting place for his father’s political opponents. It was here that Louise was born.

She was baptised “Louisa” at Leicester House on December 22. Her godparents were her elder sister and two cousins: Princess Amelia of Great Britain, Princess Louisa Ulrika of Prussia (for whom Sarah Lennox, Duchess of Richmond and Lennox, stood proxy), and Frederick, Prince Royal of Prussia, later Frederick the Great (for whom Henry de Nassau d’Auverquerque, 1st Earl of Grantham, stood proxy).

Princess Louise had six older siblings who lived to adulthood. Of these, Louise lived only with the two youngest, Prince William and Princess Mary and their parents in Leicester House.

They constituted the ‘younger set’, born in London, in contrast to the ‘older set’, born in Hanover, whom King George I had cruelly separated from their parents in 1717. Her favorite sister was Princess Mary, who later married Friedrich II, Landgrave of Hesse-Cassel; The future marriages of the two sisters would become a basis for the many dynastic marriages between the Danish royal family and the House of Hesse-Cassel in the following generations.

Louise of Great Britain, Queen of Denmark and Norway

On June 11, 1727, when Louise was two years old, her grandfather, King George I, died, and her father ascended the throne as King George II of Great Britain and Ireland, Imperial Elector of Hanover. The family subsequently moved to St James’s Palace, the London residence of the British monarch. Here Louise grew up, spending holidays at her parents’ summer residence, Richmond Lodge, located near the River Thames in Richmond.

In 1737, when Louise was almost 13 years old, her mother, Queen Caroline, died, and she was then raised mainly by her older sister, Princess Caroline.

In 1743, a dynastic marriage was negotiated between Louise and Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark and Norway. The marriage was proposed by Great Britain from political reasons. At the time of the marriage, both France and Great Britain wished to make an alliance with Denmark-Norway, and being protestant Great Britain had the advantage of being able to make a marriage alliance.

The Danish government was in favor of the proposal, while Crown Prince Frederik’s father, King Christian VI, was initially reluctant. But he was convinced, as he hoped the marriage would lead to British support for his or his son’s claim to the throne of Sweden.

On a more personal level, there were hopes that marriage would suppress the frequent drinking and debauched behaviour of the Crown Prince. As for the Crown Prince, after having been presented with a portrait of the princess and finding her exterior appealing, and having been told of her amiability, he declared himself willing to marry Louise, all the more so as he too could see that the political circumstances made the marriage desirable.

Thus, the marriage negotiations began during the year of 1743, and were successfully concluded within a few months on September 14. On October 19, the 18 year old Princess Louise left London and began her journey towards Copenhagen.

The Lord Chamberlain ordered the provision of supplies for the Princess, including “sets of royal bedding, portmanteaus, a travelling tea equipage, and items for Mrs. Dives and the “Fubbs” yacht: all to an estimate of £503″.

King Christian VI with his family Queen Sophie Magdalene, Crown Prince Frederik (V), and Crown Princess Louise. Hirschholm Palace can be seen as a backdrop. Painting by Carl Marcus Tuscher, c. 1744 (Rosenborg Castle).

She first sailed aboard the royal yacht HMY Fubbs to her father’s German possession, the Electorate of Hanover, where on November 10, a proxy wedding ceremony was conducted in Hanover with her favorite brother, Prince William, the Duke of Cumberland, as the representative of the groom.

Prince William, the Duke of Cumberland, is best remembered for his role in putting down the Jacobite Rising at the Battle of Culloden in 1746, which made him immensely popular throughout parts of Britain.

After this, the entourages of Louise and Crown Prince Frederik met in the border city of Altona in the then Danish Duchy of Holstein, where Louise met her husband for the first time a week after the wedding.

There her English retinue was exchanged for a Danish one, headed by her new chamberlain Carl Juel and her Chief Court Mistress Christiane Henriette Louise Juel. Louise and Frederik then travelled together to Copenhagen, where they held their official entry into the Danish capital on December 11, to great cheers from the population. Already the same day a second wedding ceremony with the groom present was held in the chapel of Christiansborg Palace, the recently completed principal residence of the Danish Monarchy in central Copenhagen.

King Frederik V of Denmark and Norway

After the wedding, the newlyweds initially took up residence at Charlottenborg Palace, a Baroque style minor residence of the Danish royal family located at Copenhagen’s largest square, Kongens Nytorv. Here, their home quickly became the setting for a lively and entertaining court which differed greatly from the rigid and heavy etiquette that prevailed at the court of Louise’s in-laws at Christiansborg Palace. They lived there until, in 1745, they could move into the completed Prince’s Mansion, a city mansion remodeled for them by the Danish architect and royal building master Nicolai Eigtved in Rococo style, and located just across the Frederiksholm’s Canal from Christiansborg Palace.

Although the marriage was arranged, the couple got along quite well, and at least during the first years, their relationship was apparently amicable. The couple had five children, of whom the eldest son, the heir to the throne, Crown Prince Christian, did not survive infancy.

Although Frederik came to feel high regard for her and always treated her with kindness, he reportedly was not in love with her and continued his debauched lifestyle. However Frederik was comfortable with her, and Louise pretended not to notice his adultery and random liaisons with others, notably with his favorite mistress Else Hansen.

Louise quickly made herself popular in the Danish court, and her father-in-law remarked that she seemed to him to be kind and agreeable. She was also met with great enthusiasm from the citizens of Copenhagen, due to her natural and straightforward behavior. Unlike her mother-in-law, Queen Sophie Magdalene, she made an effort to learn Danish, and studied the Danish language right from her arrival under the court priest Erik Pontoppidan. She also hired teachers so that her children could learn to speak their country’s language.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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Happy Thanksgiving!

Here in the US it is Thanksgiving! I want to wish all who celebrate this holiday or not, a very Happy Thanksgiving! I also want to say I am extremely grateful to all of you who read and follow this blog! I appreciate you all!

I will be taking the next 4 days off and will return on Monday the 28th!

Thanks again!

Liam Foley

Titles of the Royals of Europe: What Language to use? Part III.

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duc de Bourgogne, Duke of Burgundy, fille de France, Fils de France, Infanta of Spain, Infante of Spain, Philippe I Duc d'Orléans, Prince Du Sang

This section on I will show how I render foreign titles. It’s really pretty simple. Except for rare occasions I always render foreign titles in English.

The rare example of when I use the native language to render titles are with the French Monarchy (also Spain and Portugal but more on that in a moment).

First of all in French the title of King is translated as Roi and I never use it. What I do use is the title of Duke which translates to Duc in French.

The title Duc also is accompanied with the article de which in English is the word the. Here is an example…duc de Bourgogne. Bourgogne is translated as Burgundy in English but I always us the English translation for the name of the region.

Philippe I, Duc d’Orléans

A notable Duke of Burgundy is Philip the Bold. In French it’s Philippe II le Hardi duc de Bourgogne. I generally end up with a mish-mash of French and English and will call him Philippe II The Bold, Duc de Burgundy…or Philippe II The Bold, Duke of Burgundy.

An interesting usage is with the Dukedom of Orléans. In French the article de drops the e and uses a d along with an apostrophe when the Dukedom begins with a vowel.

An example is Philip the brother of King Louis XIV. In French it is written as Philippe I, Duc d’Orléans. However, I will also refer to him as Philippe I, Duke of Orléans. I’m wildly inconsistent with this.

French Royals also had the style and rank Fils de France which translates to Son of France for boys and was held by the sons of the kings and dauphins of France. A daughter was known as a fille de France, in English, Daughter of France. In these instances I always use the French translation.

The dauphin, the heir to the French throne, was the most senior of the fils de France and was usually addressed as Monsieur le dauphin. The king’s next younger brother, also a fils de France, was known simply as Monsieur, and his wife as Madame. In these instances I also stick with the French translation.

Another saying for French Royals was Prince/Princess of the Blood. In French this is translated as Prince/Princess du sang is a person legitimately descended in male line from a sovereign. The female equivalent was applied to the daughter of a prince of the blood prince du sang.

As I mentioned Spain and Portugal are similar. They have a concept of Son or Daughter of Spain/Portugal and in their native language it translates to Infante for males and Infanta for women.

Technically speaking, the title Prince and Princess of Spain and Portugal do not exist. In its place Infante and Infanta are used.

Princess Elisabeth de Bourbon of France, Queen of Spain

However, Infante and Infanta are often anglicised and translated as Prince/Princess and they are considered as having the title and rank of a Prince/Princess even if they do not officially use that title. The only Spanish royal using the title of Prince/Princess is the heir apparent or heir presumptive to the throne who usually bears the title Prince/Princess of Austria.

In my work I stick with the Spanish titles of Infante and Infanta of Spain.

Another honorific in Spain is Don and in Portugal it’s Dom.

The female equivalent is Doña and Dona in Portuguese.

In Spanish, although originally a title reserved for royalty, select nobles, and church hierarchs, it is now often used as a mark of esteem for a person of personal, social or official distinction, such as a community leader of long standing, a person of significant wealth, or a noble, but may also be used ironically. As a style, rather than a title or rank, it is used with, rather than in place of, a person’s name.

I tend to completely ignore the usage of Don and Dom and Doña and Dona. As I mentioned I’m very inconsistent!

That is it for now and will continue next with the usage of German titles.

Naming the Royals of Europe: What Language to use? Part II.

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Emperor Alexander III of Russia, Emperor Nicholas II of Russia, King Carlo Felice of Sardinia, King Constantine II of Greece, King Umberto II of Italy, King William III of England, Scotland and Ireland, Stadtholder of the Netherlands and Prince of Orange

It is not just male names I rendered in thier original language but female names too. For example, in French Margaret is generally translated as Marguerite. Germany is where I tend to be inconsistent. For example the name Louise is often spelled Luise but more often I use the English spelling. Elizabeth in both German and French is often spelled Elisabeth which I will use for German and French princesses.

Names in the Portuguese language is often very similar to the names in Spanish. One difference is the name John. In Spanish John becomes Juan but in Portuguese it becomes João. It is pronounced very close to the French version of John which is spelled Jean.

Here is a very short YouTube clip of how to pronounce João in Portuguese.

https://youtu.be/40BKcoUhz-M

Here is where my inconsistencies come in. I mentioned yesterday that the name Mikhail Gorbachev was one of the names that inspired me to render names in thier native language. However, I ended up keeping the names of Eastern European Royalty in English.

So Mikhail remains Michael. The last Emperor of Russia in the Russian language is known as Emperor Nikolai II of Russia but I prefer the English name of Nicholas. The father of Nicholas II is Alexander III but in Russian it is Aleksandr III.

Emperor Nicholas II of Russia

Where I am inconsistent is with the son of Nicholas II. In English he is called Alexis but in Russian his name is Alexei which is the name I prefer. See! I told you I was inconsistent!

Therefore, in Eastern European Royalty such as Poland, Hungary, Bohemia, Croatia, Romania and Greece I use English to translate thier names.

For example, the late Duke of Edinburgh was Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark. In Greek the name Philip is rendered Fílippos (sometimes spelled Philippos). The former King of Greece, Constantine II, is known as Konstantínos II in Greek.

Where I run into trouble is that the father of King Constantine II is King Paul of Greece yet I often see the eldest son of King Constantine II called Crown Prince Pavlos instead.

Italy is where I am all over the place! For example, the second to last King of Italy was Victor Emmanuel III. In Italian it’s rendered Vittorio Emanuele III. To be honest I’ve used both versions. The same with the name Charles Albert. I prefer that over Carlo Alberto.

However, I prefer Carlo Felice, King of Sardinia over the English translation, Charles Felix. The last King of Italy was King Umberto II. In English Umberto is translated as Humbert. With apologies to people named Humbert I much prefer the name Umberto!

King William III of England, Scotland and Ireland, Stadtholder of the Netherlands and Prince of Orange

Lastly is the Dutch translation of the name William. In Dutch it’s Willem and that is the name I use for Dutch Princes and Kings. However, I handle the name of Willem III, Prince of Orange who became King of England, Scotland and Ireland in 1689 rather uniquely.

Prior to his succession to the thrones of England, Scotland and Ireland I refer to him as Prince Willem III of Orange, Stadtholder of the Netherlands. After he becomes King I then call him King William III of England, Scotland and Ireland.

In the next entry I will speak of how I handle titles from other languages besides English.

November 11, 1100 – Henry I of England marries Matilda of Scotland.

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Alfred the Great, Bishop Osmund of Salisbury, Dunfermline, King Henry I of England, Malcolm III of Scotland, Margaret of Scotland, Margaret of Wessex, Westminster Abbey

Matilda of Scotland (1080 – May 1, 1118), also known as Good Queen Maud, or Matilda of Blessed Memory, was Queen of the English and Duchess of Normandy as the first wife of King Henry I. She acted as regent of England on several occasions during Henry’s absences: in 1104, 1107, 1108, and 1111.

Henry I, King of the English

Born in 1080, in Dunfermline, Scotland, Matilda’s parents were King Malcolm III and Margaret of Wessex. Margaret of Wessex was the daughter of the English prince Edward the Exile and his wife Agatha, and also the granddaughter of Edmund Ironside, King of the English. Matilda had originally been named Edith, an Anglo-Saxon name, and was a member of the West Saxon royal family, being the niece of Edgar the Ætheling, the great-granddaughter of Edmund Ironside and a descendant of Alfred the Great.

Present at the baptismal font for the christening of Edith/Matilda were Robert Curthose standing as her godfather, and Queen Matilda of England as her godmother. The infant Edith pulled at Matilda’s headdress, which was seen as an omen that the child would one day be a queen.

Matilda had been educated in a sequence of convents, however, and may well have taken the vows to formally become a nun, which formed an obstacle to the marriage progressing. She did not wish to be a nun and appealed to Anselm for permission to marry Henry, and the Archbishop established a council at Lambeth Palace to judge the issue.

Despite some dissenting voices, the council concluded that although Matilda had lived in a convent, she had not actually become a nun and was therefore free to marry, a judgement that Anselm then affirmed, allowing the marriage to proceed.

The pair had probably first met earlier the previous decade, possibly being introduced through Bishop Osmund of Salisbury. Historian Warren Hollister argues that Henry and Matilda were emotionally close, but their union was also certainly politically motivated.

On November 11, 1100 King Henry I married Matilda, in Westminster Abbey. Henry was now around 31 years old, and Matilda was around 19 or 20 depending on the exact date of her birth. The union was late but late marriages for noblemen were not unusual in the 11th century.

Matilda of Scotland

For Henry, marrying Matilda gave his reign increased legitimacy, and for Matilda, an ambitious woman, it was an opportunity for high status and power in England.

Matilda proved an effective queen for Henry, acting as a regent in England on occasion, addressing and presiding over councils, and extensively supporting the arts.

The couple soon had two children, Matilda, born in 1102, and William Adelin, born in 1103; it is possible that they also had a second son, Richard, who died young. Following the birth of these children, Matilda preferred to remain based in Westminster while Henry travelled across England and Normandy, either for religious reasons or because she enjoyed being involved in the machinery of royal governance.

Henry had a considerable sexual appetite and enjoyed a substantial number of sexual partners, resulting in many illegitimate children, at least nine sons and 13 daughters, many of whom he appears to have recognised and supported. It was normal for unmarried Anglo-Norman noblemen to have sexual relations with prostitutes and local women, and kings were also expected to have mistresses.

Some of these relationships occurred before Henry was married, but many others took place after his marriage to Matilda. Henry had a wide range of mistresses from a range of backgrounds, and the relationships appear to have been conducted relatively openly. He may have chosen some of his noble mistresses for political purposes, but the evidence to support this theory is limited.

Naming the Royals of Europe: What Language to use? Part I.

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Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany, King Juan Carlos of Spain, Louis-Philippe of France, Mikhail Gorbachev, Philip II of Spain

From the Emperor’s Desk: I am doing a short series about how I’ve handled the names and titles of non-English speaking Royals.

When I began my interest in studying European Royalty back in the late 1970s my main focus was the British Monarchy. So of course English was how I rendered the names of all the British Royals. Even when dealing with the Old English names of the Anglo-Saxon Royals or the Middle Gaelic of the ancient Scottish and Irish Kingdoms, Modern English was how I rendered these names.

As I began to branch out and away from the British Monarchy I eventually began researching and studying all European Royalty as I desired to learn it all. At first rendering the names of non-British monarchies in English was they way to go given the fact that the vast majority of books I read also rendered the names of non-British monarchies in English.

However, by the late 1980s I noticed what I call a discrepancy or inconsistency. These inconsistencies occurred when I would see the names of modern European heads of state, even monarchs, rendered in thier own native language.

King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofie of Spain

Two prominent individuals stood out. One was King Juan Carlos of Spain and the other was Mikhail Gorbachev, the leader of the Soviet Union.

I found it odd and inconsistent that I would read a book about the Spanish Monarchy with names such as Ferdinand and Isabella, King Philip II of Spain, King Charles II of Spain and so on. However, when reading about the then current King of Spain he was called Juan Carlos and his heir, the Prince of Asturias, was called Felipe. I noticed no one was calling King Juan Carlos by the English translation of King John Charles! I also noticed that no one was call Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev by the English translation of Michael Gorbachev!

So it was at that time I decided to render the names of the Royals beyond Britain in thier native language. However, as you will see, I have not been consistent in this endeavor.

In the German Monarchies from the Holy Roman Empire to the German Empire of the Hohenzollerns I rendered thier names in German. In my English language books I noticed they were not always consistent either. For example, the last German Emperor was often called William II but in many books he was called Kaiser Wilhelm II.

Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany

What was odd and inconsistent in those books that called him Kaiser Wilhelm II, they would still call his father by the English translation of Frederick and his grandfather as William I of Prussia.

I actually preferred Wilhelm to William. So for me Frederick became Friedrich, Louis became Ludwig, Philip became Philipp, Henry became Heinrich and Francis became Franz to name just a few examples.

Now the name Charles is where I became inconsistent in the German language. For a long time Charles became either Carl or Karl. For example Holy Roman Emperor Charles V became Emperor Karl V, and the father of Austria Emperor Franz Joseph was Archduke Franz Karl.

However, I never have cared for the hard C found in the name Carl/Karl so recently, within the last few years I’ve been using Charles once again in the German Monarchies. Although I still struggle with it. For example, I wonder if Prussian Prince Friedrich Karl sounds better than Friedrich Charles?

Incidentally, in Sweden names like Charles XIII of Sweden I will call Carl XIII to stay consistent with the name of the current Swedish Monarch, King Carl XVI Gustaf. Oh, I generally prefer Gustaf to Gustav and Olaf to Olav but I will call the previous King of Norway King Olav V instead of King Olaf.

In France I would read about King Philip II or Philip IV of France and King Henry IV of France and Navarre. But it would then be very odd to read about the last King of France, last King of the French to be accurate, who was called Louis Philippe. So Henry became Henri and Philip became Philippe.

I’ll end it here today and will continue this topic tomorrow!

Are Diana Supporters Stuck In the Past?

Tags

Diana, King Charles III of the United Kingdom, Lady Diana Spencer, Moving On, Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, Princess of Wales, Queen Camilla

From the Emperor’s Desk: I tend not to address to much controversy or even controversial topics. However, I want to address one and that is connected to the hatred toward Queen Camilla from people who loved and admired Diana, Princess of Wales. I see this brought up again and again across social media.

My educational background isn’t just in European History, I have a Master’s Degree in Mental Health Counseling. So today I am wearing that hat.

For people that are upset over Queen Camilla’s role in the demise of the marriage of Diana and Charles, her death is keeping people stuck.

The tragic death of Diana has prevented some people from moving on. They’re stuck back in the past of the divorce between Diana and Charles.

Diana was in a relationship when she died so it looks like she had moved on. But had she lived, she most likely would have remarried and would be having a very meaningful life right now. If that had happened…Diana living a full life… I’m sure all those who loved and admired her would have been able to have closure and move on. They would be able to let go of their anger and resentments towards Camilla, because with Diana alive and happy, there would be no reason to hold onto their anger and resentments.

Also, even though Diana never did live a full life, or longer life, still is not justification for holding onto anger and resentments towards Camilla. The main reason being holding on to anger hurts nobody but yourself. There is an old saying that anger is like holding a hot coal in your hand, it only Burns you. Also, another old saying is, that hanging onto resentment is like drinking poison and hoping the other person dies. Again hanging onto anger and resentment will only harm yourself. Aren’t you important enough to let go of the resentment?

Many divorced couples, though not all, do have a reconciliation where the ex-wife and ex-husband forgive one another and even form a friendship. I know that happened with my ex-wife and I. I firmly believe that Charles and Diana would have arrived at that point too….but sadly her death prevented that which is another component keeping people stuck. If people witnessed Diana and Charles putting the past behind them and moving forward then those who supported Diana would be able to do the same.

So sadly, because people never saw Diana move on and have a full life, many are stuck back in the past unable to move forward. That’s not a good place to be.