July 19, 1822: Birth of Princess Augusta of Cambridge, Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.

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Adolphus-Frederick of Cambridge, Augusta of Cambridge, Friedrich-Wilhelm of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United Kingdom, Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Hesse-Cassel, Mary of Teck, Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom

Princess Augusta of Cambridge (July, 19, 1822 – December 5, 1916) was a member of the British Royal Family, a granddaughter of George III. She married into the Grand Ducal House of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and became the Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.

Early life

Princess Augusta was born on July 19, 1822 at the Palace of Montbrillant, Hanover. Her father was Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge, the seventh son of George III of the United Kingdom and Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. Princess Augusta’s mother was Princess Augusta of Hesse-Cassel, third daughter of Landgrave Friedrich of Hesse-Kassel, and his wife, Princess Caroline of Nassau-Usingen. Through her father, Princess Augusta of Cambridge was a great-granddaughter of George II of Great Britain, her grandmother being George II’s daughter Princess Mary. Princess Augusta of Hesse-Cassel’s uncle, (her father’s older brother) was the Landgrave Wilhelm I of Hesse-Cassel. In 1803, her uncle’s title was raised to Elector of Hesse—whereby the entire Cassel branch of the Hesse dynasty gained an upward notch in hierarchy.

As a male line granddaughter of the British monarch, Princess Augusta was titled a British princess with the style of Royal Highness. The young princess was baptized at the same palace on August 16, 1822, by Rev Edward Curtis Kemp (Chaplain to the British Ambassador to the Court of Berlin, The Rt. Hon. Sir George Rose).

The Princess spent her earlier years in Hanover, where her father was the viceroy on behalf of his brother, King George IV of the United Kingdom.

Princess Augusta had one brother, Prince George, later 2nd Duke of Cambridge; and one sister, Princess Mary Adelaide, later Duchess of Teck. As such, Princess Augusta was an aunt to Princess Mary of Teck, later consort of George V of the United Kingdom. Additionally, Princess Augusta was a first cousin through her father to Queen Victoria and through her mother a first cousin to Princess Louise of Hesse-Cassel, the wife of King Christian IX of Denmark. This meant Princess Augusta was a first cousin once removed to both Princess Alexandra of Denmark and her husband King Edward VII of United Kingdom.

With her mother, she was part of the royal party at the 1838 coronation of Queen Victoria.

Marriage

On June 28, 1843, Princess Augusta married her first cousin, Friedrich Wilhelm of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, at Buckingham Palace, London. (The two were also second cousins on their fathers’ side.) Upon marriage, Augusta became the Hereditary Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and, on September 6, 1860, the Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz following the death of her father-in-law, Grand Duke Georg of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.

The marriage of the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess produced two children:

Duke Friedrich Wilhelm of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (born and died in London, January 13, 1845)

Duke Adolph Friedrich of Mecklenburg-Strelitz ( July 22, 1848 – June 11, 1914); succeeded his father as Grand Duke Adolph Friedrich V of Mecklenburg-Strelitz in May 1904.

Later life

Although she spent most of her adult life in Germany, the Grand Duchess Augusta retained close personal ties to the British Royal Family. She frequently visited her mother, the Duchess of Cambridge, at her Kensington Palace apartments.

After her mother’s death in 1889, the Grand Duchess acquired a house in London’s Buckingham Gate area, where she spent a portion of the year until advanced old age made it impossible for her to travel abroad.

In making preparations for the coronation of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra in 1901, the Duke of Norfolk consulted her on matters of etiquette and attire. This was due to her presence at the coronation of King William IV and Queen Adelaide seventy-one years earlier. She was nine years old at the time and kissed the Queen’s hand. She was also able to provide details of the coronation of Queen Victoria.

The Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was particularly close to her niece, the future Queen Mary. However, old age prevented her from attending the coronation of King George V and Queen Mary on June 22, 1911.

Following the outbreak of World War I, the British Government suspended the annuity she had been receiving as a member of the British Royal Family under the Annuity, Duchess of Mecklenburgh Strelitz Act 1843. During the war, the Swedish Embassy passed letters from the Queen to her aunt, who still lived in Germany.

As an elderly lady, she was known for being cantankerous. She was also known as being quite shrewd and intelligent. In his book, Queen Mary (London, 1959), the Queen’s official biography, James Pope-Hennessy reports that the Queen’s aunt Augusta was not fond of the new science of photography, fearing it would intrude deeply into the private lives of Royal personages; at pp. 101–105 he offers a masterly sketch of this formidable lady.

The Dowager Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz died on December 5, 1916 in Neustrelitz and was buried in Mirow. As the longest-lived grandchild of George III, she was the last link to the British branch of the House of Hanover.

At the time of her death, she was 94 years, 4 months and 16 days old, making her the longest-lived British princess by blood, until Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone, a male-line granddaughter of Queen Victoria, surpassed her in 1977.

May 23, 1629: Birth of Wilhelm VI, Landgrave of Hesse-Cassel.

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Elector of Hesse, Hesse, Hesse and By Rhine, Hesse-Cassel, Hesse-Darmstadt, Landgrave of Hesse-Cassel, Margravine Hedwig-Sophie of Brandenburg, Philip of Hesse, Sophia of the Rhine (Electress Sophia), William VI of Hesse- Cassel

Wilhelm VI, Landgrave of Hesse-Cassel (May 23, 1629 – July 16, 1663), known as Wilhelm the Just, was Landgrave of Hesse-Cassel from 1637 to 1663.

Wilhelm VI, Landgrave of Hesse Cassel

History of the Landgravite

Landgrave was a noble title used in the Holy Roman Empire, and later on in its former territories. The German titles of Landgraf, Markgraf (“margrave”), and Pfalzgraf (“count palatine”) are in the same class of ranks as Herzog (“duke”) and above the rank of a Graf (“count”).

The Landgraviate of Hesse-Cassel was founded by Wilhelm IV the Wise, the eldest son of Philipp I. On his father’s death in 1567, the Landgraviate of Hesse was divided into four parts. Wilhelm IV received about half of the territory, with Cassel as his capital. Hesse-Cassel expanded in 1604 when Moritz, Landgrave of Hesse-Cassel inherited the Landgraviate of Hesse-Marburg from his childless uncle, Ludwig IV, Landgrave of Hesse-Marburg (1537–1604). The other sons received the Landgraviate of Hesse-Marburg, the Landgraviate of Hesse-Rheinfels and the Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt.

Wilhelm V of Hesse-Cassel, father of Wilhelm VI.

The reign of the Landgrave William IX (1743-1821) (the great-great grandson of Landgrave Wilhelm VI) was an important epoch in the history of Hesse-Cassel. Ascending the throne in 1785, he took part in the War of the First Coalition against French First Republic a few years later, but in 1795 the Peace of Basel was signed. In 1801 he lost his possessions on the left bank of the Rhine, but in 1803 he was compensated for these losses with some former French territory round Mainz, and at the same time he was raised to the dignity of Prince-elector Wilhelm I of Hesse, (the territorial designation of Cassel was dropped) a title he retained even after the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire.

Upon 1806 dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire and the dispossession of his Elector Wilhelm I of Hesse, Landgrave Ludwig X of Hesse-Darmstadt and joined the Napoleonic Confederation of the Rhine and took the title of Grand Duke Ludwig I of Hesse. At the Congress of Vienna in 1814/15, Ludwig had to give up his Westphalian territories, but was compensated with the district of Rheinhessen, with his capital Mainz on the left bank of the Rhine. Because of this addition, he amended his title to Grand Duke Ludwig I of Hesse and by Rhine.

Amalie-Elisabeth, Gräfin of Hanau-Münzenberg, mother of Landgrave Wilhelm VI

In 1866, the end came. Elector Friedrich-Wilhelm of Hesse, full of grievances against Prussia, threw in his lot with Austria when Prussia was at war with Austria. The electorate was at once overrun with Prussian troops; Cassel was occupied (20 June); and the Elector was taken as a prisoner to Stettin. By the Peace of Prague, Electoral Hesse was annexed to Prussia.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Landgrave Wilhelm VI was born in Cassel, the son of Wilhelm V (whom he succeeded) and his wife Amalie-Elisabeth, Gräfin of Hanau-Münzenberg (daughter of Philipp-Ludwig II of Hanau-Münzenberg and his wife Countess Catharina Belgica of Nassau). His mother remained his guardian until he came of age. Despite Hesse-Cassel’s defeat in the Thirty Years’ War, Wilhelm’s mother did not wish to acknowledge the accord of 1627.

This required that the unmarried Marburger heir and the Landgraves of Hessen-Darmstadt should fall, but Amalie-Elisabeth had other ideas and led Hesse-Cassel in 1645 into the “Hessenkrieg”, ruling as Landgräfin on her son’s behalf. This war began when Hesse-Cassel troops began to besiege the city of Marburg. Three years later, in 1648, the war ended with a victory for Cassel, although the citizens of Darmstadt also gained from it.

Domination over the Marburger territories went over to the landgrave of Hesse-Cassel, after the accord was dissolved and a new agreement was reached. Wilhelm VI succeeded in what his ancestors had tried to do in vain since 1604, that is, to end the Hesse-Marburg landgraviate, and to annex the Marburger lands to Hesse-Cassel.

After these wars, Wilhelm VI attended above all to the extension of the universities within his domains and the foundation of more new Lehranstalts. To finally resolve the quarrel with Landgrave Georg II of Hesse-Darmstadt, Wilhelm VI delivered to Georg II the territory around Gießen, along with Ämtern by Biedenkopf.

Shortly before his death, Wilhelm VI joined the League of the Rhine on its foundation in 1658. He also sought to effect a union between his Lutheran and Reformed subjects, or at least to lessen their mutual hatred. In 1661 he had a colloquy held in Kassel between the Lutheran theologians of the University of Rinteln and the Reformed theologians of the University of Marburg.

Wilhelm VI died at Haina in 1663. Control of his Landgraviate went to his eldest son Wilhelm VII, though – not yet of age – he remained under the guardianship of his mother Hedwig Sophie of Brandenburg until his early death in 1670.

Marriage and issue

Landgrave Wilhelm VI married Margravine Hedwig-Sophie of Brandenburg (1623–1683), daughter of daughter of Georg-Wilhelm, Elector of Brandenburg and Elizabeth-Charlotte of the Palantine of the Rhine. Their children were:

Margravine Hedwig-Sophie of Brandenburg

* Charlotte Amalie (1650–1714), married Christian V of Denmark
* Wilhelm VII (1651–1670), his successor, Landgraf 1663-1670.
* Luise (1652-1652)
* Charles (1654-1730), Landgraf 1670-1730
* Philipp (1655-1721), Landgrave of Hesse-Philippsthal, married Katharina-Amalia Gräfin von Solms-Laubach
* Georg of Hesse-Kassel (1658–1675);
* Elisabeth-Henriëtte (8 November 1661-1683), married King Friedrich I of Prussia as his first wife.

Friedrich V, Elector Palantine of the Rhine

Princess Elizabeth (Stuart) of England, Scotland and Ireland

Wilhelm VI’s mother-in-law, Elizabeth Charlotte of the Palantine of the Rhine was the daughter of Friedrich IV, Elector Palatine of the Rhine, and Louise-Juliana of Orange-Nassau. Her brother Friedrich became famous as the Elector-Palatine Friedrich V and “Winter King” of Bohemia. Friedrich’s daughter Sophia (1630–1714), with his wife, Princess Elizabeth (Stuart) of England, Scotland and Ireland, was the heir presumptive to the thrones of England and Ireland by the Act of Settlement, 1701. Sophia, married Ernst-August, Elector of Hanover. Her son became King George I of Great Britain in 1714.

Sophia of the Palatine of the Rhine

King George I of Great Britain was the grandfather of my previous blog entry, Prince August-Ferdinand of Prussia, making Landgrave Wilhelm VI and his wife, Margravine Hedwig-Sophie of Brandenburg the great-great grand uncle and aunt to both Friedrich II the Great of Prussia and his youngest brother, Prince August-Ferdinand of Prussia.

This date in history: January 10, 1840. Death of Princess Elizabeth of the United Kingdom.

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Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz., Electoral Hesse, Elizabeth of the United Kingdom, Germany, Hesse-Cassel, Holy Roman Empire, King George III of the United Kingdom, Landgrave Friedrich VI of Hesse-Homburg, The Prince Regent

Princess Elizabeth of the United Kingdom (May 22, 1770 – January 10, 1840) was the seventh child and third daughter of King George III and Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.

The Princess Elizabeth was born at Buckingham House, London on May 22, 1770. Her father was the reigning British monarch, George III, the eldest son of Frederick Louis, Prince of Wales and Augusta of Saxe-Gotha. Her mother was Queen Charlotte (née Princess Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz). She was christened in the Great Council Chamber at St. James’s Palace, on June 17, 1770 by Frederick Cornwallis, the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Her godparents were Wilhelm I, Elector of Hesse (Prince of Hesse-Cassel (her paternal first cousin once-removed, for whom The Earl of Hertford, Lord Chamberlain, stood proxy), Princess Carolina of Orange-Nassau (her paternal first cousin once-removed, for whom The Dowager Countess of Effingham, former Lady of the Bedchamber to The Queen, stood proxy) and The Crown Princess of Sweden, Sophia Magdalena of Denmark, later Queen of Sweden as the consort of King Gustaf III of Sweden, (another paternal first cousin once-removed, for whom The Countess of Holderness, Lady of the Bedchamber to The Queen, stood proxy).

The Princess’ upbringing was very sheltered and she spent most of her time with her parents and sisters. King George and Queen Charlotte were keen to shelter their children, particularly the girls. However, in 1812, Princess Elizabeth purchased The Priory at Old Windsor in Berkshire as her private residence.

Elizabeth was known for her insistently optimistic attitude in spite of her stilted existence. Although she longed for marriage and a family of her own, Elizabeth was determined to enjoy her life by exploring and developing her varied interests and hobbies. Elizabeth was a talented artist, producing several books of her own engravings to benefit various charities. She was the only one of George III’s children to share his interests in agriculture, running her own model farm at a rented cottage in Old Windsor.

Elizabeth was also known for her well-developed sense of humor and maintained a large collection of jokes and witticisms. She had an open and plainspoken nature, and disliked excessive “politeness”. She was closest to her sister Augusta and – uniquely among her sisters – her brother Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn (father of Queen Victoria). Elizabeth was also the closest daughter to their mother, which contributed to Charlotte’s reluctance to let her marry.

Possible romantic relationships

It is alleged that Princess Elizabeth went through a form of marriage with George Ramus (1747–1808) and bore him a daughter, Eliza, in 1788. George Ramus was the son of Nicholas Ramus, who had been Page to Elizabeth’s father King George. Any such marriage would have been null and void under the Royal Marriages Act 1772, but several of Elizabeth’s brothers contracted similar alliances with commoners before marrying German princesses later in life. Eliza Ramus (1788–1869) was allegedly adopted and brought up by her uncle, Henry Ramus (1755–1822) of the East India Company.

Largely denied opportunities to marry men of royal blood, several of Elizabeth’s sisters embarked on romantic relationships with equerries and other high ranking men at court. Elizabeth herself may have had such a relationship with diplomat Alleyne Fitzherbert, 1st Baron St. Helens. St. Helens was much respected by George III, who created him a Lord of the Bedchamber in 1804. Seventeen years older than Elizabeth, St. Helens was a frank, practical, and sharp-witted character known to dislike court life, qualities which Elizabeth shared. She referred to him as, “a dear and valuable saint,” and said of him in a letter to her companion Lady Harcourt, “There is no man I love so well, and his tenderness to me has never varied, and that is a thing I never forget.” Elizabeth later wrote that she pined for St. Helens, eager to see him, “at all times, hours, minutes, days, nights, etc.” Elizabeth later commissioned a portrait of St. Helens from noted enamelist Henry Pierce Bone, evidence of her great attachment to him. St. Helens in turn kept an enamel miniature of Elizabeth, also painted by Bone.

Marriage

In 1808 Elizabeth was reluctantly obliged to decline a proposal from the exiled Duke of Orléans (later King of the French as Louis Philippe I) due to his Catholicism and her mother’s opposition.

Landgrave Friedrich VI of Hesse-Homburg

During a ball in the British royal court in 1814 Elizabeth got to know the German Prince Friedrich of Hesse-Homburg. When Elizabeth saw the Austrian officer in his elegant Hussar’s uniform, she is supposed to have said, “If he is single, I will marry him!” Four years later, Elizabeth received a letter indicating that Friedrich was asking for her hand in marriage. Elizabeth was immediately interested, and her surviving sisters were supportive. Although Friedrich was said to be overweight and smell constantly of tobacco from his beloved meerschaum pipes, Elizabeth was undeterred in her goal to marry him. Queen Charlotte refused to permit the union for weeks fearing Elizabeth’s unavoidable move to Germany, but finally acquiesced when her daughter refused to back down.

Against all resistance, the wedding took place on April 7, 1818 in the private chapel in Buckingham Palace in Westminster. Elizabeth wore a dress made of silver tissue and Brussels lace with ostrich feathers adorning her hair. She was led to the altar by her second eldest brother, Prince Frederick the Duke of York. Neither her eldest brother the Prince Regent (future King George IV) nor her father attended the wedding, each kept away by gout and severe mental illness respectively. The new couple honeymooned at the Prince Regent’s house in Brighton.

Although the union It was not technically a real “love match”, in spite of the mutual understanding and respect; it was an agreement with which both were satisfied and from which both benefited. Elizabeth was able to escape the constrictive environment of her home by moving to Germany with her husband, and Friedrich gained many advantages by becoming allied with the British royal family. However, Friedrich remarked during his honeymoon that he was surprised to be happy and content in Elizabeth’s presence; Elizabeth found her new husband to be intelligent, generous, and affectionate. The marriage lasted until Friedrich death in 1829 and was described as very happy.

Later life

On January 20, 1820, Friedrich succeeded his father as Landgrave Friedrich VI of Hesse-Homburg. Incidentally, Elizabeth’s father, George III, died nine days later. Thanks to Elizabeth’s dowry and annual allowance, was able to remodel the palace in Homburg. For her part, Landgravine Elizabeth could bid farewell to the rigid court etiquette she had disliked in England and as one would say today, “find herself”, as she could do much as she liked in her new environs. She also built him the Gothic House in the castle’s grounds.

Elizabeth founded a care center and school in Hanover for children of working mothers. While she was past childbearing age herself, Elizabeth found fulfillment in working with the children attending the school.

She died on January 10, 1840 at age 69 in Frankfurt am Main, Hesse, Germany. She was buried in the Mausoleum of the Landgraves, Homburg, Germany.

Birth of Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge.

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Adolphus Duke of Cambridge, Duke of Clarence, Edward VII of the United Kingdom, Francis of Teck, George III of Great Britain, George V of the United Kingdom, Hesse-Cassel, Prince Albert Victor, Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge, Queen Victoria

Today is the 185th anniversary of the birth of the Duchess of Teck, born Princes Mary Adelaide of Cambridge on November 27, 1833.

Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge (Mary Adelaide Wilhelmina Elizabeth; November 27, 1833 – October 27, 1897) was a member of the British Royal family, a granddaughter of George III, and a first cousin of Queen Victoria. Her only daughter was Princess Mary of Teck the spouse of King George V, making Princess Mary Adelaide the grandmother of Edward VIII and George VI and great-grandmother of the current queen, Elizabeth II. She held the title of Duchess of Teck through marriage.

Mary Adelaide was born on November 27, 1833 in Hanover, Germany. Her father was Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge, the youngest surviving son of George III and Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. Her mother was Princess Augusta of Hesse-Cassel, the daughter of Prince Friedrich of Hesse-Cassel and Princess Caroline of Nassau-Usingen. The young princess was baptized on January 9, 1834 at Cambridge House, Hanover, by Rev John Ryle Wood, Chaplain to the Duke of Cambridge. Her godmother and paternal aunt Princess Elizabeth, Landgravine of Hesse-Homburg, was the only godparent who was present. The others were King William IV and Queen Adelaide (her paternal uncle and aunt), Princess Mary, Duchess of Gloucester and Edinburgh (her paternal aunt), Princess Marie of Hesse-Cassel (her maternal aunt) and Princess Marie Luise Charlotte of Hesse-Kassel (her maternal first cousin). She was named Mary Adelaide Wilhelmina Elizabeth for her aunts and uncle.

By the age of 30, Mary Adelaide was still unmarried. Her large girth (earning her the disparaging and unkind epithet of “Fat Mary”) and lack of income were contributing factors, as was her advanced age. However, her royal rank prevented her from marrying someone not of royal blood. Her cousin, Queen Victoria, took pity on her and attempted to arrange pairings.

Eventually a suitable candidate was found in Württemberg, Prince Francis of Teck.

Francis was born as Franz Paul Karl Ludwig Alexander on August 28, 1837 in Esseg, Slavonia (now Osijek, Croatia). His father was Duke Alexander of Württemberg, the son of Duke Louis of Württemberg. His mother was Countess Claudine Rhédey von Kis-Rhéde. The marriage was morganatic, meaning that Francis had no succession rights to the Kingdom of Württemberg. His title at birth was Count Francis von Hohenstein, after his mother was created Countess von Hohenstein in her own right by Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria. In 1863, Francis was created Prince of Teck, with the style of Serene Highness, in the Kingdom of Württemberg by Emperor Frank-Josef of Austria.

Although the Prince of Teck was of a lower rank than Mary Adelaide, as the product of a morganatic marriage, but was at least of princely title and of royal blood. With no other options available, Mary Adelaide decided to marry him. The couple were married on June 12, 1866 at St. Anne’s Church, Kew, Surrey.

The Duke and Duchess of Teck chose to reside in London rather than abroad, mainly because Mary Adelaide received £5,000 per annum as a Parliamentary annuity and carried out royal duties. Her mother, the Duchess of Cambridge, also provided her with supplementary income. Requests to Queen Victoria for extra funds were generally refused; however, the queen did provide the Tecks with apartments at Kensington Palace and White Lodge in Richmond Park as a country house.

Mary Adelaide requested that her new husband be granted the style Royal Highness, but this was refused by Queen Victoria. The queen did, however, promote Francis to the rank of Highness in 1887 in celebration of her Golden Jubilee.

Despite their modest income, Mary Adelaide had expensive tastes and lived an extravagant life of parties, expensive food and clothes and holidays abroad. In 1883 they were forced to live more cheaply abroad to reduce their debts. They travelled to Florence, Italy, and also stayed with relatives in Germany and Austria. Initially, they travelled under the names of the Count and Countess von Hohenstein. However, Mary Adelaide wished to travel in more style and reverted to her royal style, which commanded significantly more attention and better service.

The Tecks returned from their self-imposed exile in 1885 and continued to live at Kensington Palace and White Lodge in Richmond Park. Mary Adelaide began devoting her life to charity, serving as patron to Barnardo’s and other children’s charities.

In 1891, Mary Adelaide was keen for her daughter, Princess Victoria Mary of Teck (known as “May”) to marry one of the sons of the Prince of Wales, the future Edward VII.

At the same time, Queen Victoria wanted a British-born bride for the future king, though of course one of royal rank and ancestry, and Mary Adelaide’s daughter fulfilled the rank criteria. After Queen Victoria’s approval, May became engaged to Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale, second in line to the British throne. He died suddenly six weeks later. Queen Victoria was fond of Princess Mary and persuaded the Duke of Clarence’s brother and next in the line of succession, Prince George, Duke of York, to marry her instead. After a short morning period they married in the Chapel Royal, St. James’s Palace, on July 6, 1893.

Mary Adelaide never lived to see her daughter become Princess of Wales or Queen, as she died on 27 October 1897 at White Lodge, following an emergency operationShe was buried in the royal vault at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor.

When the Duchess of Teck died, leaving Francis a widower, He continued to live at White Lodge, Richmond, but did not carry out any Royal duties. The Duke of Teck died on 21 January 1900 at White Lodge. He was buried next to his wife in the Royal Vault at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor.

Moritz, Landgrave of Hesse Has died.

Tags

Hesse-Cassel, Hesse-Darmstadt, House of Brabant, Landgrave of Hesse, Moritz of Hesse, Princess Tatjana of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg

Moritz, Prince and Landgrave of Hesse was has died at the age of 86. Born 6 August 1926 he was the son of Prince Philip, Landgrave of Hesse and the head of the House of Brabant and the German House of Hesse He was heir to both the Hesse-Cassel lines and the Hesse-Darmstadt line. He was a collector of fine arts. He married  Princess Tatjana of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg in 1964 and they divorced in 1974. They had four children.

• H.H. Princess Mafalda Margarethe of Hesse (born 6 July 1965). Married 1st, Enrico dei Conti Marone Cinzano (born 5 April 1963 Turin) on 8 July 1989 (div. 1990), no issue. Married 2nd, Carlo Galdo (born 26 March 1954, Naples) on 19 December 1991 (div. 1999) and had two daughters, Tatiana Marie Galdo (born 20 January 1992) and Polissena Galdo (born 30 September 1993). Married 3rd Ferdinando dei Conti Brachetti-Peretti (born 13 January 1960, Rome) on 14 July 2000 in Rome, and had two sons, Cosmo Maria Tebaldo Maurizio Enrico Brachetti-Peretti (born 11 January 2000) and Briano Maria Tebaldo Brachetti-Peretti (born 16 April 2002).
• H.R.H. Hereditary Prince Heinrich Donatus Philipp Umberto of Hesse (born 17 October 1966). Married Countess Floria of Faber-Castell (born 14 October 1974, Düsseldorf, Germany) in 2003 and has a daughter and two sons, Princess Paulina and Prince Moritz (twins, born 26 March 2007, Frankfurt am Main, Germany) and Prince August (born 24 August 2012).
• H.H. Princess Elena Elisabeth Madeleine of Hesse (born 8 November 1967). She has an illegitimate daughter with Massimo Caiazzo (born 1976), Madeleine Immacolata Tatiana Theresa Caiazzo (born 29 November 1999).
• H.H. Prince Philip Robin of Hesse (born 17 September 1970). Married Laetitia Bechtolf (born 5 May 1978, Wedel, Pinneberg, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany) on 5 May 2006 (civil wedding) and 10 June 2006 (religious wedding), and has a daughter, Princess Elena Margherita Lotti Christiane Elisabeth (born 5 December 2006), and a son, Prince Tito (born 24 August 2008).

His son, H.R.H. Hereditary Prince Heinrich Donatus, succeeds to the claims of the Landgrave of Hesse title and head of the House of Hesse.

The German System.

Tags

Confederation of the Rhine, Emperor Karl IV, German Empire, German titles, Hesse-Cassel, Holy Roman Emperor, Holy Roman Empire, King, Kingdom of Prussia, Landgrave, Margrave, World War ii

German Titles.

Other than the British Royal Family the German monarchies hold a very great interest for me. Germany has a very rich monarchical history that stretches far back into history. When I tell people that I love German history they look at me as if I am obsessed with World War II and Hitler. I think many Americans fail to realize that German history did not begin with World War II!

The titles and system of the German monarchy is more complex than the British system. So it may take me a while to cover all I want to cover. This will be a brief overview and not as detailed as I would like it to be. For one thing all systems of titles evolved and Germany was no exception. Through the years from the kingdom of the Franks through the period of the Holy Roman Empire, The Confederation of the Rhine and the German Empire the system solidified and also adapted to the changing times. Therefore for the sake of brevity I will cover the titles as they were from the time of the Golden Bull of Karl IV in 1356 which changed the way the Holy Roman Emperor was elected. This system remained in effect until the end of the First German Reich in 1806 and even afterward to some extent.

One of the key points to remember when examining the German system was that it was a feudal system. A top down system (in theory anyway) where the Emperor was supreme and all who held land and titles held them by the grace and authority of the Emperor. Also, those titled nobles were supposed to support the emperor in times of war. This was all in theory for we shall see in practice things worked out differently. Staying with the feudal system for as long as they did left Germany as a loose confederation of states that did not really have a strong centralized government.

Through the next few Tuesdays for this continuing series I will look not only the hierarchy of titles but such concepts and equal marriage and the Higher and Lower Nobility.

Here is the hierarchy of titles:

Emperor
King*
Elector#
Grand Dukes@
Dukes
Margraves
Landgraves
Fürst**
Princes

* Kings were around in the formation of Charlemagne Empire but as the Holy Roman Empire progressed there were no kings ruling within the empire, with the exception of Bohemia which was generally ruled by the Habsburg emperor.

#Electors came into being in 1356 and remained until the empire was dissolved in 1806. One family, the House of Hesse-Cassel, was allowed to retain the title of Elector after the collapse of the Holy Roman Empire and into the period of the Confederation of the Rhine. In 1866 when Germany was in the process of unification they lost this title when their land was annexed to Prussia.

@Grand Dukes also came into being after the Holy Roman Empire and were part of the system of rulers during the Confederation and German Empire Period.

**Fürst is a title similar to a prince but it also was higher than a prince. There is no correct English translation and generally is translated as prince in English.

One of the things I also want to mention and this is what separates the German system from the British system is that the owners of these titles generally held sovereignty and ruled a territory. For example the Duke of Brunswick actually ruled over their small patch of land. However, in Britain, the Duke of Devonshire was not sovereign and his title did not indicate he ruled over any land.

Well, that is my brief introduction to the German system starting next week I will examine each of these titles individually.